Over a year ago I began to work on a game that I was calling Influence:

http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1709
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=1719

That was back in ’01, and now I’m finally getting back into it. I was hoping that while I work on the text that I could get some opinions on a certain mechanic new to the game (well actually the game is almost nothing like was the original text was except for the basic premise listed in the second link).

Basically everyone plays a series of heroes (yes a series because death as you will see plays an important role in the game) who struggle to choose where their loyalties will lie. I’m calling the game Lineage, but only in the loosest sense because where a character ultimately comes from depends on the choices he makes and not on genetic links:

Lineage Draft wrote: “Loyalty above all defines who a person is, what they represent, and in most cases what they will become. Loyalty defines the society that your character lives in, but like all loyalties, they may be broken and reforged anew. Possibly the most crucial form of loyalty that your character will have to face is the question of loyalty to himself. Generally speaking, the masses do not value self-indulgence and your character is expected to serve a cause other than his own.”

Hey Tim,

That's cool!

On further thought, though, I do have some questions. Are the first and the last of the line essentially the same character? If so, do the decendents start weak beginning with the progenitor's son and progressively become more powerful, until finally the last son is the progenitor? Also, does the player choose the method of his character's demise, and would it be the same (style of) death each time?

What would tie the decendents together as a party? The only answer I can really think of is, 'pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.' Would the times change from generation to generation? That would be really cool because it would highlight different aspects of the character's personality.

I am sure I can think of more, but I would rather hear about your ideas.

Later,
Grant

Grant,

Thanks for the comments. To answer:

The first character that you actually play is the original progenitor. Successive characters will not necessarily be tied together through bloodlines however, but rather through loyalty. There’s a mechanic called memories, which I’m still working on, but basically when one character dies the next one chooses a cause to take up in the dead ancestor’s name. This is called a memory and will serve at least two purposes. One, it will add yet another complication to the new character’s life because he will have to not only deal with his own agenda and those of influential people in his life, but he will also, two, have the nagging reminder of his predecessor’s memory in his mind. Sometimes these goals will all work together, but things get really interesting when conflicts arise—forcing the character to choose a path in life.

I’m not sure what you mean by the first and last characters being the same. All I can think to say is “no.” Maybe I didn’t explain the meta-character level of play well enough. The player first creates the eventual descendent of the first character in actual play. What you are really roleplaying up until the point in time when story catches up to present day, is telling the tale of your ancestors (remember not necessarily bloodline ancestry) through the filter of the descendent character. Here’s an example of what I mean:

Player = Tim

Tim creates Sir Sigfried Macknir (the descendent or meta-character). Tim also creates Alexander Narmsis (he lived five generations ago from Macknir). When play starts, Tim will be roleplaying Macknir telling the tale of Narmsis. When Narmsis dies, Tim creates a new character, Lady May Ivanack … and so on until the line catches up with Macknir himself. At that point, Tim roleplays the final adventure of Macknir—now empowered by his ancestor’s memories.

On to some of your other questions:

The manner of death for each character can differ, but yes it would usually be up to the controlling player to decide.

I’m not sure how much time will change from one generation from the next in terms of technology and the like, but relationship dynamics, allies and foes, will definitely play a large role from one generation to the next. The rest I would leave up to the GM. Ultimately this is a game about personal life path choices and what or who can influence those choices.

I don't know if you're familiar with it or not but the Grendel comics by Matt Wagner are an excellent example of this type of "descendent" play.

Here's the short and sweet: the first Grendel was Hunter Rose (in our time). After his death the next to take the name was his "granddaughter" (the daughter of his adopted ward). After her death it was a man who was in love with her. Skip a few centuries and the next Grendel is a rebel striking against a corrupt church. After his death, the next is Orion Assante who is inspired by the previous one and creates a warrior clan system to hunt vampires (originally). Many years later the next major Grendel is a cyborg out to defend Orion's male heir. Many generations, many centuries, many Grendels.

Side note: Tying things in a temporal knot, the last Grendel goes back in time to steal the skull of the original Grendel and runs afoul of Batman in a very good crossover sequel (the first crossover was Batman and the original Grendel).

If you're interested, Dark Horse put out a small graphic novel (the Grendel Cycle) which summarized the entire Grendel comic series. Dark Horse also started putting out the eearly issues of the comic in TPB form. (The first being the story of his "grandddaughter", Christine Spar.)

Being a Grendel-phile I highly recommend it. (It's where my last name came from. :)

Oh, there was also a good Batman Elseworlds trade with a similar premise following 3 scattered generations of "Bat-"folk.

Alex,

Hmm, sounds like a pretty interesting comic. I’ll have to check it out.

It also seems like each individual Grendel has a personal cause that he takes up (hunting vampires, whatever), and that previous Gendels influence who the future ones become—but are these causes just cool plot elements? Obviously the Grendel cares about killing all of the vampires—to use your example. That’s not what I’m getting at. What I’d like to try to create with Lineage is a sense of impending choice. So all of the major stories, and roleplaying scenes therefore, would take place before the Grendel decides to create the warrior clan system. Sure the previous Grendel influences him, but who else holds sway over the guy? And maybe those influences are in opposition. Now which path does the Grendel choose and why? Because the player will know ahead of time that the line will eventually end up with the present day character, the choices that each ancestor character makes can necessarily alter the personality of that eventual present day character. It’s all about personal choice and the aftermath of those choices on other people.

fleetingGlow wrote: It also seems like each individual Grendel has a personal cause that he takes up (hunting vampires, whatever), and that previous Gendels influence who the future ones become—but are these causes just cool plot elements?

What I’d like to try to create with Lineage is a sense of impending choice.

Sure the previous Grendel influences him, but who else holds sway over the guy? And maybe those influences are in opposition. Now which path does the Grendel choose and why?

Because the player will know ahead of time that the line will eventually end up with the present day character, the choices that each ancestor character makes can necessarily alter the personality of that eventual present day character. It’s all about personal choice and the aftermath of those choices on other people.