There are three ways to aproach an enemy
Intelectually, Charismatically, or Head and Wall aproach
Knowing is Half the battle - In this case, A skill challenge would lower the to-hit dc on the enemy. The more you know about the enemy, the easier it is to take them down.
Cast Doubt - Taunting and engaging the enemy prior to combat can lower attack mods and their confidence (if they have some kind of willpower defense), but every hit they inflict restores their confidence -- and their attack mods.
Head and Wall - Engage the enemy before it has a chance to make preparations, attack the problem head on. Attacks can make the enemy lose their weapons, become more vulnerable to disarm, more likely to surrender, enemies tend to be more spread apart.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
System Update and a Neat Idea
Combat was changed to Aggression, although I may still use CDSM as the working title. Not sure yet. This was to facilitate ideas of general application rather than pigeonholing players into physical combat.
Idea - Spell Weaving
Mage characters have always fascinated me, I've wanted to do something cool with this for a long time. I'm thinking something that keeps the system identity in mind.
I also played Magicka recently, so my mind is buzzing with possibilities. I don't necessarily want to stick with elements tho, so lets take a few simple ideas and start tinkering with them.
Lets say that spells have certain characteristics. We'll start with 'Rope', a simple skill that allows the player to make, manipulate and utilize rope with a wave of the finger. Lets mix this with 'Wall', an ability to build or take down a wall in front of you. You now have a wall that you can move and manipulate. Add 'Projectile' and you can start trapping people in little boxes. This is how magic becomes dangerous.
Say we have a 'dimention door' mixed with 'projectile', you can send someone to another plane in a bolt. Say you also have a 'bag of holding', you can imprison people beyond time and space at your leisure.
This isn't finished and its certainly not usable. I like the idea of mixing things tho, it seems very magelike.
Idea - Spell Weaving
Mage characters have always fascinated me, I've wanted to do something cool with this for a long time. I'm thinking something that keeps the system identity in mind.
I also played Magicka recently, so my mind is buzzing with possibilities. I don't necessarily want to stick with elements tho, so lets take a few simple ideas and start tinkering with them.
Lets say that spells have certain characteristics. We'll start with 'Rope', a simple skill that allows the player to make, manipulate and utilize rope with a wave of the finger. Lets mix this with 'Wall', an ability to build or take down a wall in front of you. You now have a wall that you can move and manipulate. Add 'Projectile' and you can start trapping people in little boxes. This is how magic becomes dangerous.
Say we have a 'dimention door' mixed with 'projectile', you can send someone to another plane in a bolt. Say you also have a 'bag of holding', you can imprison people beyond time and space at your leisure.
This isn't finished and its certainly not usable. I like the idea of mixing things tho, it seems very magelike.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
A Basis for a System -- Fancy $5 Words
CDSM
Combat
Defense
Social
Mobility
The basis for stat creation.
Warning I Have yet to make most of this coherent Warning
Pick 4 things about your character.
Refer to CDSM if you get stuck
Branch these into two scopes
Individual VS Worldview
OR
Self Vs Others
OR
Self Image VS Societal Image
THEN
Assign 4 categories to identify how the general relationships between these stats functions.
Then undefine these relationships. -- This check is to have a base idea on how they work under certain circumstances. -- Know that these relationships are reset via situation. The purpose we do this at all is to establish a base and to identify that our stats are appropriately balanced and even.
Setting up substats identifies scope and magnitude. This relates directly to the Signal Skill program used for aspergers patients, specifically in identifying goal. This is where we establish if we want to get along or feel better, rather if we want to focus on internal traits or external traits. In building these we are defining the ways that the character interacts with the world and how they address the situation that they are presented with. This also sends a message to the player with how they should act in the given situation, giving a personalized approach toward immersion and allowing player/character distance to become smaller.
The proxy is required for context of interaction and proof of stability. The label of CDSM coordinates mechanical functionality and provides balance and context of the stat. Provides definition of the character and the system in which the character resides.
Also! Dependent on the actions that the player attempts, the effects and outcomes are judged on a case to case basis so there is no coverall or go to situation (ex Combat) for any given problem, but the player is forced to assess the most logical option in frame because we see that combat is not special, it is inherit to the system and subject to its rules just like anything else.
From here, we need to identify types of interactions, at least as the gm is concerned. These interactions do not directly align with the CDSM model but are the basis for a game much like a skill challenge in Dungeons and Dragons 4th.
Combat
Defense
Social
Mobility
The basis for stat creation.
Warning I Have yet to make most of this coherent Warning
Pick 4 things about your character.
Refer to CDSM if you get stuck
Branch these into two scopes
Individual VS Worldview
OR
Self Vs Others
OR
Self Image VS Societal Image
THEN
Assign 4 categories to identify how the general relationships between these stats functions.
Then undefine these relationships. -- This check is to have a base idea on how they work under certain circumstances. -- Know that these relationships are reset via situation. The purpose we do this at all is to establish a base and to identify that our stats are appropriately balanced and even.
Setting up substats identifies scope and magnitude. This relates directly to the Signal Skill program used for aspergers patients, specifically in identifying goal. This is where we establish if we want to get along or feel better, rather if we want to focus on internal traits or external traits. In building these we are defining the ways that the character interacts with the world and how they address the situation that they are presented with. This also sends a message to the player with how they should act in the given situation, giving a personalized approach toward immersion and allowing player/character distance to become smaller.
The proxy is required for context of interaction and proof of stability. The label of CDSM coordinates mechanical functionality and provides balance and context of the stat. Provides definition of the character and the system in which the character resides.
Also! Dependent on the actions that the player attempts, the effects and outcomes are judged on a case to case basis so there is no coverall or go to situation (ex Combat) for any given problem, but the player is forced to assess the most logical option in frame because we see that combat is not special, it is inherit to the system and subject to its rules just like anything else.
From here, we need to identify types of interactions, at least as the gm is concerned. These interactions do not directly align with the CDSM model but are the basis for a game much like a skill challenge in Dungeons and Dragons 4th.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Scribblings
Ganstas and Aliens
Westerns
tombstone over Tremors
Witchcraft
Hexes
Indians (savage magic)
Wolf Spirit
Threats to an established town
Deals made over land and gold
Trades made between Far East and Deep West
The small town of Burning Cock
The history of Burning Cock
----
Settlers drove west in promise of big gold, left the North with its laws and levies with little more than a prayer in their heart and a few oxen. Folks tended to travel in groups, and the still untamed land was filled with savages of all sorts. One night, a band of us formed a wagon circle in a canyon. Several of the young braves came in to raid our camp. It was a slaughter. The rest of us made our way west, abandoned supplies, food, just made our way out of the mess. We found a little place where we would make our last stand, filled with the smell of black powder smoke and burning ash. Before the indians could scalp us as they did to many of our women and children, a giant burning rooster appeared before us, burning the savages alive.
In honor of that faithful night, we built our town on that spot and dubbed it Burning Cock, after the giant flaming rooster that had saved us.
Westerns
tombstone over Tremors
Witchcraft
Hexes
Indians (savage magic)
Wolf Spirit
Threats to an established town
Deals made over land and gold
Trades made between Far East and Deep West
The small town of Burning Cock
The history of Burning Cock
----
Settlers drove west in promise of big gold, left the North with its laws and levies with little more than a prayer in their heart and a few oxen. Folks tended to travel in groups, and the still untamed land was filled with savages of all sorts. One night, a band of us formed a wagon circle in a canyon. Several of the young braves came in to raid our camp. It was a slaughter. The rest of us made our way west, abandoned supplies, food, just made our way out of the mess. We found a little place where we would make our last stand, filled with the smell of black powder smoke and burning ash. Before the indians could scalp us as they did to many of our women and children, a giant burning rooster appeared before us, burning the savages alive.
In honor of that faithful night, we built our town on that spot and dubbed it Burning Cock, after the giant flaming rooster that had saved us.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Tron Playtest
The actual play test started off pretty wild. Each player was pretty excited with the idea of their characters, and to my surprise, two picked programs, while my third picked a user.
Character Creation
Konrad built his character from the ground up, using the concept of a video driver application. He specializes in displaying information to users during games. Protocols he generated were based mostly off his interface skill, and included in this was a DDOS attack, or a ping of death which took advantage of the challenge rules. This set up a barrier that blocked another program's action. I also gave him a subroutine that allows him to connect to his user in the form of a bit which he can summon and dismiss at will. His DDOS also functioned as a mass communication skill, where the more people he was addressing, the easier it is to control them.
Raleigh was my second program, he built his character off of a maintenance man concept, working for the dynamic link library and gaining protocols that pertain to fragmenting programs and subroutines, the ability to attach these fragmented pieces, and a formatting subroutine which looked a little like a Zamboni at an ice rink. Formatting data as the thing went, grid squares popped up behind it.
John G was my User, Named Twitch. He chose interface abilities for his code powers.
Beginning
An admirer of Kevin Flynn and Encomm Employee, Twitch breaks into the arcade, finding a secret door ripped from its hinges and a new machine on a battery connected to a powered down monster from the 80s. He flips the switch and powers it and the rest of the arcade up, finding his way into the machine.
The scene continues on as the beginning of tron legacy, starting with the exit from the arcade to a battle at the arena. Disc Wars began with a single combatant, and dice were rolled. We found that the narrative position worked well, he easily escaped from the arena and made his way to the light-cycle grid where two programs were awaiting the battle to come.
Figuring out the mechanics and how they were to work in the lightcycle arena was the hardest part, and the only thing I regret is putting pen to paper and drawing an isometric, duel layer map. By pulling the imagery out of our minds and putting it onto a map, I had ruined the illusion that i had established. Later, we discovered a newer mechanic to replace this, the challenge mechanic which expresses difficulty, especially when we're creating obstacles that deal with time.
Character Creation
Konrad built his character from the ground up, using the concept of a video driver application. He specializes in displaying information to users during games. Protocols he generated were based mostly off his interface skill, and included in this was a DDOS attack, or a ping of death which took advantage of the challenge rules. This set up a barrier that blocked another program's action. I also gave him a subroutine that allows him to connect to his user in the form of a bit which he can summon and dismiss at will. His DDOS also functioned as a mass communication skill, where the more people he was addressing, the easier it is to control them.
Raleigh was my second program, he built his character off of a maintenance man concept, working for the dynamic link library and gaining protocols that pertain to fragmenting programs and subroutines, the ability to attach these fragmented pieces, and a formatting subroutine which looked a little like a Zamboni at an ice rink. Formatting data as the thing went, grid squares popped up behind it.
John G was my User, Named Twitch. He chose interface abilities for his code powers.
Beginning
An admirer of Kevin Flynn and Encomm Employee, Twitch breaks into the arcade, finding a secret door ripped from its hinges and a new machine on a battery connected to a powered down monster from the 80s. He flips the switch and powers it and the rest of the arcade up, finding his way into the machine.
The scene continues on as the beginning of tron legacy, starting with the exit from the arcade to a battle at the arena. Disc Wars began with a single combatant, and dice were rolled. We found that the narrative position worked well, he easily escaped from the arena and made his way to the light-cycle grid where two programs were awaiting the battle to come.
Figuring out the mechanics and how they were to work in the lightcycle arena was the hardest part, and the only thing I regret is putting pen to paper and drawing an isometric, duel layer map. By pulling the imagery out of our minds and putting it onto a map, I had ruined the illusion that i had established. Later, we discovered a newer mechanic to replace this, the challenge mechanic which expresses difficulty, especially when we're creating obstacles that deal with time.
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
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.
Classification
- General Use
- User Application
- Utility
- Control
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.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
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.
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
The Basic Stats
There are 4 basic stats on the grid.
- Navigation
- Games
- Interface
- Resolution
- Navigation
- Grid
- Transit
- Games
- Vehicles
- Identity Disc
- Interface
- Operating System
- Programs
- Resolution
- Construction
- Survival
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
- 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.
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