Tron 1.08 Beta Update

So we've been playing around with the Tron mechanics, but before we delve into how things went and what that means for the game, i have to update everyone on new mechanics that have been added to the system.

Classification

• General Use
• User Application
• Utility
• Control

So these represent classification of program and relates directly to function and circuitry color.

User application is blue, deals hands on with users, reports to them, may display or intake information.
Utility programs are yellow, they manage and modify other programs.
Control programs are Red, they represent the authority.
That being said, white programs are general use, they perform general tasks throughout the systems. This color includes Users, ISOs and programs with hidden or undefined function.

Finally there is a crossover between Utility and User Application which is Green, indicating limited user interaction and control over others (middle management). There is also crossover between Utility and Control, which is orange (imagine someone watching a security camera, they don't respond directly but send commands to others).

So these are identifiers of programs, from this a player can determine a basic idea of someone's function, the extent of their ability and their rank. Essentially its the race and class of the grid.

Resource and Resource Capacity

Resource and Resource Capacity is a new system that acts like a combination of Hit points, Mana, Currency, Plot Points and Experience Points. When Resource reaches 0, the energy state moves to +1 which adds a die to further rolls.

Resource

Rule 1 - Resource can not exceede Resource Capacity.
Rule 2 - Protocols and Subroutines require resource to use unless they have another power source (this'll be addressed later).
Rule 3 - Resouce can be burned on any roll. For each resource you burn, you gain an extra die.
Rule 4 - Resource isn't nessicarilly tangible. It can be gained by imbibing energy, usually in the form of blue or green fizzy drinks.

Resource Capacity

Rule 1 - Resource Capacity can be tangible, can be a form of currency.
Rule 2 - Resource Capacity can be used to build things, this includes weaponry.
Rule 3 - Resource Capacity can be burned after a roll to gain an automatic success.
Rule 4 - Resource Capacity can be burned to increase stats or substats or to purchase access to new Protocols and Subroutines.

GM - Resource Capacity should be awarded as an immediate response to behavior that accords with the theme. This means if players do something good, alter the scenerio, or do your work for you, reward them.

Subroutines

Subroutines are stuff. In particular, these are the lightcycles and various other vehicles, these also include weaponry, such as the discs, swords and guns.. Included in this are bits and small animals (animated subroutines). Some may deliver messages, others open up pathways, all have purpose and complete specific tasks.

Status

I've added a few states to the character sheet, this includes injured, hidden, and corrupted. It may eventually encompass more. A corrupted status changes the requirements of success from 5+ to 6+. Injured requires an extra success to complete an action. Hidden allows a program to move unacknowledged.

Challenges

Challenges can present in a couple of ways. Some protocols create challenges, other times challenges can be physical or social. This also presents itself as an opposed roll and is used to begin initiative. An offensive party decairs an action, may define a target for that action and rolls the appropriate stat and substat combination. The number of successes presents a challenge number. The defender declairs action and rolls the appropriate stat and substat to defend. The defender must meet the challenge number to succeed. If the challenge number is not met, the initiative moves to the next person. The challenge must be overcome in order for that player to continue.

In gameplay, this presented itself as an acutal attack by a player, in particualr a ddos attack. The player put up a baracade and the opposing force had to tear it down or go around in order to proceede.

This can also be modified to include lethal consequences such as within the game grid. If a player puts a jetwall infront of another player, it creates a challenge number that must be overcome in a certain number of turns. That'll force a player to use resource and resource cap in order to overcome the challenge.

Tron Legacy RPG

So i'm working on constructing a Tron Legacy RPG. I've been listening to a lot of 80s jukebox music, Daft Punk, and Journey's Seperate Ways in order to get where I am, so I hope you appreciate it.

The Basic Stats

There are 4 basic stats on the grid.

• Navigation
• Games
• Interface
• Resolution

Each stat is split into two sub stats.

• Navigation
  
  • Grid
  • Transit
• Games
• Vehicles
  
• Identity Disc
  
• Interface
• Operating System
• Programs
• Resolution
  
  • Construction
  • Survival

Character Creation and Core Mechanic

You have 10 points to divide amongst the 4 base stats and 10 points to divide amongst the substats. For any action, you roll 1 d6 per point in that stat-substat combo. For every 5 or better you get on the dice, you define one detail of the situation.

Murder on the Grid

In order to initiate murder, you must roll an opposed skill check. If you are attacking, you roll your combat skill (Games/Lightcycles or Games/Arena) vs their Defense Skill (Resolution/Survival). Further, You can not kill a program, task or user unless you use the words 'I kill him/her/it'.

Users

Users by nature are demigods, but they are no harder to kill than any other program. That being said, users pick one stat to base their code structure off of. This allows them to control an aspect of the world. Each of the below are examples of things that users may be able to do with their powers.

Navigation

• Can reroute traffic on the grid
• Easily find people who can help them
• Locate and Open secret passages
• Distort and Cover paths
• Trace Route programs

Games

• Cheat
• Modify lightcycles and identity disks
• Bring weapons into existance
• Glitch teleport

Interface

• Instruct programs
• Rewire programs
• Modify conditions on the grid
• Interact with the OS

Resolution

• Reroute energies
• Pull life from other programs
• Heal
• Recode programs
• Rez programs
• Destructure programs and objects
• Go stealth
  

Programs: Basics

Basics are the programs that exist on the grid, built by users in their image, each with function and protocols.

Function - Function is a single line command or title which defines the tasks that the program was created for, all of these tasks the program enjoys and acts as if the ideas related to such tasks are their own idea. -- Ex. Ram is an actuary program, he assists in calculating death benefits. He enjoys this job, the ins and outs and subroutines of this job.

Function assists in defining who the program is. Functions include the following and plenty others

• Actuary
• Security
• Military Tactics
• Data Processing
• Encryption
• Decryption
• Accounting
• Receptionist
  

Protocols are ideas that relate to what the program can access, including certain sectors, admission into certain buildings, security clearances, accessing equipment and storage. These also provide job specific bonuses. Military Tactics programs have better games percentages, so these programs use d8s instead of d6s for any games rolls. Equate to Feats.

Programs: ISOs

Without Specific created functions, ISOs don't have a specific reason for being. They tend to explore and have aspects of creativity. In addition to their primary stats, they take a user's code ability in (Resolution\Construction) and have protocols which relate to systemic learning.

To Start

Welcome to the Grid. Half the players are a small group of users who break in to Flynn's Arcade searching for something. They find a secret passage behind the Tron game which leads to an Electrical Control Booth, keys still in the lock.

Its been about a year after Sam Flynn was locked up for fraud and computer sabotage, and his mysterious Russian Spy of a girlfriend was deported. Since then, Encomm has released OS13.

The terminal is activated, there is a flash of light and a sickly crackeling noise, and the users recover themselves to find a desk in an empty basement, no computer equipment what so ever. The desk emits its own light.

As they walk outside, they see the internally lit walkway, white and blue lines of neon coursing through everything. They see the skyline for the first time and know that they arn't in kansas anymore. They are picked up by a giant hovering machine lined in red, locked into the floor and taken to games. When they are armed, they recieve their character sheets.

::Edit::

On Raleigh's Suggestion, I changed the Games substats from /Ricochet and /Lightcycles to /Vehicles and /Identity Disc. I wanted to capture the specifics of what I was doing in the system without getting too complicated. It'll remain like this for the play test.

Card Mechanic.

Players are delt cards as in a hand of blackjack. The first card is delt face up, the other face down. Each card represents an option. The more cards a player has, the more options he has. If the player Busts, he spent too much time considering his options. Each time the player takes a hit, the character loses ground.

A player chooses one of his cards. Cards under 4 (3, 2, Ace) can add to the chosen card. The player with the highest card value gains a point.

A player with 3 points can gain the advantage. The advantage lets a player remove an opponent, or if single in combat,
end the combat.

Points can be spent to raise the (his?) round cap to 31, buying time in order to gain more options.

A player with an advantage has two basic options, he recieves his cards first. These options are: allow his opponent to surrender, or execute the killing strike. If he executes the killing strike he picks his card and can add nothing to it.

The opponent is now delt his cards. He makes his selection, adding (3s,2s, or Aces) and presets it. If the opponent beats the advantaged player, he gains the advantage, allowing him to end the battle with use of additional (3s 2s or Aces).

If the advantaged player allows the other to surrender, he choses a card and can add anything under 7. Things continue normally, the opponent's cards are delt, he chooses his card, he looks for options, adds anything under 4. If he looses he must surrender. If he succeeds, he finds a way to make his opponent lose the advantage, but also has the option of ending combat, fleeing the scene.

Places I want to go, Things I want to see.

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System Mechanics - Magic Structure

This description isn't the mechanic, but the structure.

I'm picturing a system of magic thats tool driven.

A character involved has a tool, a device used to operate magic safely. If it were a wand or a gun or a shield or whatever, components would fit into a capsule. You'll always need fuel to draw from and a component to activate it, once activated, you have a limited number of charges over a certain length of time.


Since Backlash is so prevalent, many devices are built to compress this violent force into pressurized glass and copper jars until it can be safely discharged.

Free Magic -- Wizards?

Free Magi for one reason or another, don't use technology in order to accomplish their means. They drain components on the fly and have to redirect backlash on their own. Because of this, even simple spells can be dangerous. Their benefit is that they have much more freedom when composing spells and can do a wide range of things with their components. The detriment is that they need to figure out what to do with their backlash on the fly. Some magi carry crystals to absorb it, but without concentration, it'll reap havoc.

Technus's Arena

I'm going to have this Artificer, and he controls the arena. Players have been summoned or captured to fight in Technus's Arena.

Players start on seperate sides of a gated fence. On each side, goblins are released. Players fight and kill the goblins.

The gate is then lowered, Players fight eachother. If they refuse to fight, one will be mind controlled into attacking another player. Battle commences, Traps are released on players who do little.

One team wins, and is told to murder the other team.

OR

The teams merge and battle Technus.


Other stuff

Traps include Lions, Fire traps, Bear Traps, Spinning Blades, Pits

The crowd offers up extra points in battle, if they enjoy your show, you get to do cool things

The crowd offers up items that can be used on the spot, wands, potions, swords and other things.

Playing with Design

So I'm working on an adventure in the Cortex system. Players are investigators in the FullMetal Alchemist world, taking place completely apart from the events in the show. The thing I'm coming to terms with is only one or two players will actually be able to functionally use alchemy. There are only about eight or ten people in the show who use alchemy, and most are in the military.

The design revolves around an apprenticeship model. Alchemy is a trained science, and to learn it, a character would have to study under a teacher for many years. This leaves the world with a divide, there's the general population who do not have access to the art, there are the elite who use and teach alchemy to those who they deem worthy. For the most part, any normal human can use alchemy, but they have to be trained to understand base elements, how these things are taken apart and put back together.

The art of alchemy is considered a righteous art. Career alchemists have many different professions, but its generally a philanthropic position. Sects and Secret Socioties have formed to order alchemists, of these include the military.

State Alchemists
The hands of Ishbala
Free Masons
Iluminati

The time period is the 1930's, after the events of the series. Roy Mustang is currently in power, the Fullmetal Alchemist has left on his adventure with Alphonse. Information is becoming more free to the public, as such normal people have access to technologies that were not available durring the series.