DMK's 3 crazy game ideas for Game Chef 2012
Mathalus:
If you download the player's guide I think it will give a better explanation than I can provide.
dmkdesigns:
Quote from: Mathalus on April 14, 2012, 11:37:41 AM
If you download the player's guide I think it will give a better explanation than I can provide.
I read over the Adjective part in Technoir. So how do you use the adjectives in Technoir and how would you see that be useful in Rage, Rage?
-David-
dmkdesigns:
Quote from: dmkdesigns on April 13, 2012, 04:02:57 AM
Hello!
I've been working on three game ideas. Below are my ingredients, brief intro write-ups for each game and PDF links for the current drafts.
INGREDIENTS (2 sets)
4 Words: Coyote, Doctor, Lamp, Mimic
4 Threads:
Courage as currency (Thread # 27419)
Stalin's Story (Thread # 18194)
System design for 2 different games (Thread # 1691)
Exposition, example of play, IIEE on the Edge of Forever (Thread # 13183)
SPIRIT QUEST
A game of adversity and ingenuity among spirits over the fate of your tribe.
About: Characters take on roles as animal totems that represent a tribe in crisis. Each tribe is on the brink of destruction due to starvation, disease, war, the environment or other causes. It is the responsibility of the totems to journey far from their homes to the Edge of Forever, where the great spirits gather. It is here where the totems must make a case for why their tribe should receive aid.
dmkcreative.com/games/gameChef2012DMKspiritQuest.pdf
Note: This game needs a fair bit of feedback as it is the least developed concept.
RAGE, RAGE
A game about the last chance for hope in the face of futility and madness.
About: This is a collaborative narrative-focused game that uses a loose framework and suggestions to construct a one-shot story. You can try to accept it, you can try to deny it, or you can try to bend it to your will.
Rage, Rage was inspired by: “Macbeth” (William Shakespeare), “Out, Out—-” (Robert Frost), and “Do not go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas).
It is dedicated to those of us who must confront hard choices in life, which exist between hope and fear, courage and madness.
dmkcreative.com/games/gameChef2012DMKrageRage.pdf
Note: This game has some unusual mechanics that I'd appreciate specific feedback on how to simplify or clarify.
COYOTE PASS
A game about smugglers searching for identity and life beyond the Edge.
About: Coyote Pass is a role-playing game where your Player Characters (PCs) are Coyotes, smugglers along the Edge of Forever Borderland Territories. It is a life of deceit and desperation where Duties to Clients and Debts to Innocents come into conflict with the Authority and other Coyotes who try to reclaim their lives along the way to a new life beyond the Edge.
dmkcreative.com/games/gameChef2012DMKcoyotePass.pdf
Note: Of the three, this game feels the most like a traditional RPG. Does it make sense?
Best,
-David-
I'll be posting a full-length for each of the above game here in a moment.
-David-
dmkdesigns:
Quote from: dmkdesigns on April 13, 2012, 04:02:57 AM
Hello!
SPIRIT QUEST
A game of adversity and ingenuity among spirits over the fate of your tribe.
About: Characters take on roles as animal totems that represent a tribe in crisis. Each tribe is on the brink of destruction due to starvation, disease, war, the environment or other causes. It is the responsibility of the totems to journey far from their homes to the Edge of Forever, where the great spirits gather. It is here where the totems must make a case for why their tribe should receive aid.
dmkcreative.com/games/gameChef2012DMKspiritQuest.pdf
Note: This game needs a fair bit of feedback as it is the least developed concept.
Spirit Quest
A game of adversity and ingenuity among spirits over the fate of your tribe.
By David Miessler-Kubanek
1 GM + 2 to 4 additional players (collaborative and competitive)
ABOUT
The Game: Characters take on roles as animal totems that represent a tribe in crisis. Each tribe is on the brink of destruction due to starvation, disease, war, the environment or other causes. It is the responsibility of the totems to journey far from their homes to the Edge of Forever, where the great spirits gather. It is here where the totems must make a case for why their tribe should receive aid.
A World in Crisis: The world dances with uncertainty as the Tribes believe the great spirits are deaf to their pleas, or have left their people alone and unprepared for the challenges at hand. It is up to you, to act on behalf of your Tribe.
Cross-purposes: The reasons for why Tribes are in crisis ... is because the Tribes want something from each other they believe they do not have ... their actions have led to the crisis originating from within, but choose to blame another for it ... they have angered the great spirits and now must suffer.
Your Tribes: Tribes are the physical presence in the world -- the civilization of people who have wandering dreams and practical needs. Each Tribe has a collective identity known to other Tribes and expressed as Traits by a Tribe's Animal Totem spirit. Unfortunately, at the moment, all of the Tribes are in crisis as the result of internal and/or external challenges.
Being an Animal Totem Character: You are a spirit animal manifestation of the best and worst aspects of your Tribe, the land of people, who are unfortunately now in crisis. And it is your responsibility to your Tribe to seek out help from the Great Spirits of the World -- for their wisdom and power in your Tribe's time of need.
Traits: Best and Worst -- using Best or Worst Traits to your advantage may help you during challenges (+1 to a test roll), or may help others prove their capabilities, and thus they earn additional Courage tokens from Coyote along the dangerous journey.
Coyote: In this game, one player usually has a role as the referee, usually called a Gamemaster (GM), will be the called the Coyote. The Coyote will be responsible for facilitating the challenges along the way to test the Totem Characters along their journey from their homeland to the Edge of Forever. Coyote will both try to inspire and discourage the Totem Characters through adversity and assistance. What this means is that sometimes Coyote will provide opportunities which the players may not be able to overcome (such as pushing through the night during a blizzard), or should not accept as part of their journey (such as a bribe of power). However, it will depend on the the circumstances of the encounters, the nature of the players within your group and their Totem Characters as to how challenging the tests should be.
Courage as currency: Use of tokens and dice for this.
Each Player, including the GM, starts the game with 4 Courage tokens. They may spend these during a seasonal phase on challenges. Courage tokens used for oneself are exchanged with a black die, one for one. Courage tokens used for others are exchanged with a white die, one for one. Whenever you use a die (such as rolling in a challenge) you will exchange the die for a Courage token and give that token to whomever you tested against, such as Coyote, or another player's Totem Character.
They may also help or hinder another by spending a Courage token from their pool. The tokens are immediately transferred to other Totem Characters or Non-Totem Characters (played by other players) so long as this gesture is accompanied by a narration of how this is possible. Mechanically, this adds (for helping), or subtracts (for hindering) 1 for each token spent.
SETUP
Determine your Tribe, the Animal Totem you will play that best represents their Tribe, and the crisis at hand that forces you as a spirit of the Tribe to journey far from home for help. The journey takes place over four metaphysical seasonal game phases: Spring, Sumer, Autumn, and Winter. If the Totem characters survive, they will find the Edge of Forever.
JOURNEY
Seasons as game phases
Spring - play out the Tribe in crisis for each Totem Character, with the other players taking on roles to support the crisis from Setup. Write down notes, including how challenges are resolved for each season as these will be tallied at the Conclusion phase of the game. Be sure to include the color of the die, the number rolled on each and the outcome.
Summer - play out either part (such as montage or flashback comments), or whole of how the Totem Characters met and what their current challenge is as a group and how each overcame it as victor or fell victim to it.
Autumn - frame the journey so far for each Totem Character and then play out a reflection scene for each Totem Character with the other players taking on roles to fill in the scene. Talk about this out-of-character, if you want to get a sense for how much background is needed to play the parts. Introduce challenges and resolve them as needed.
Winter - play through a major conflict based off of either: a prior challenge that resolved with half or more Totem Characters as victims -- and the challenge haunts the group, or a new challenge. If your group is up to it you may want to consider using cutthroat challenges in this phase of the game.
Difficulty numbers and Seasons: Each Season has a difficulty rating that progresses with the flow of time and pressure to resolve your Tribe's crisis before it is too late. Here are the unmodified difficulty ratings for each Season (using a d6): Spring = 2; Summer = 3; Autumn = 4; Winter = 5. Rolling 1s results in a [condition or change in your Totem Character's nature]. Rolling 6s results in ???
OR
Roll = 1-3 SACRIFICE
You may ask one question
You make it through the challenge by sacrificing something
Everyone else in the group gets to collectively choose one of the following for your Totem Character: Downstep a Trait, bring another Totem Character into the challenge, or surrender two Courage tokens to either another Totem Character or a Non-Totem Character, as appropriate.
Roll = 4-5 SETBACK
You may ask two questions
You make it through the challenge with a setback
Coyote gets to choose one of the following for your Totem Character: The challenge persists (requires another test roll), the challenge shifts (a different Totem Character must test), or the challenge takes a toll (give a Courage token to Coyote).
Roll = 6 SUCCESS
You may ask three questions
You make it through the challenge as desired
You get to choose one of the following: Trade in two Courage tokens for a Boon (a favor from Coyote to be used in any further challenges, such as rerolling a challenge for yourself or another), award a Merit (from Coyote, give one Courage token to any one or more other Totem Characters or Non-Totem Characters you feel deserve it), or for being Resourceful in a future challenge (adding 1 to your next challenge test roll).
At the end of each seasonal phase, vote, either openly or secretly, which Totem Character deserves to be rewarded with a Courage token. Coyote will also roll a d6 for each Totem Character with even numbers giving the Totem Character an additional Courage token and odd numbers giving none.
CONCLUSION
The Edge of Forever is found sometime after the Totem Characters resolve their Winter phase challenge. Coyote shows them the way to where they will have an audience with the great spirits of the world.
The spirits are represented by characters (Witnesses) the Totem Characters helped or hindered along the way, even if they are things personified, such as natural disasters and extreme weather into something which can communicate in this spiritual gathering place along the Edge of Forever.
Have the Totem characters make their arguments with the Witnesses with Coyote as the intermediary for the great spirits.
Whichever Totem character(s) proved their courage the most, the great spirits shall reward them. Whichever Totem character(s) proved their courage lacking shall be denied assistance.
Use “scores” and other things? Outcomes mean what?
Sample challenges ...
Sample play through the phases (Setup, Seasons, Conclusion)
Circular board with sections devoted to focus areas. Wheel --> circle.
Setup in outermost circle. Conclusion in innermost circle. Solstace and Equinox spaces may hold extra value. Spirit quests for either characters on the brink of failure/KO'ed. One special space per season, but fewer spaces with each season ring. Escalation of time pressure to resolve with each successive season.
Rows and columns (rectangular pattern shifting)?
Game Chef, 2012, Idea 1
[Collaborative/competitive game.]
[Design as if only played once.]
INGREDIENTS (2 sets)
4 Words: Coyote [GM -- main adversary/guide], Doctor [Shaman encounter], Mimic [act like Coyote to trick Coyote]
4 Threads:
Courage as currency (Thread # 27419) - spending Courage to make moves.
Stalin's Story (Thread # 18194) - winning favor from authority/replacing authority -- Coyote and great spirits.
System design for 2 different games (Thread # 1691) - game within a game -- earning reward to help your Tribe.
Exposition, example of play, IIEE on the Edge of Forever (Thread # 13183) - great possible title, "On the Edge of Forever" with the circular design shift or moving into the center of authority to make moves. Getting to the end/center by wisely spending Courage to perform deeds, protect others from harm, to share resources, etc.
dmkdesigns:
Quote from: dmkdesigns on April 13, 2012, 04:02:57 AM
RAGE, RAGE
A game about the last chance for hope in the face of futility and madness.
About: This is a collaborative narrative-focused game that uses a loose framework and suggestions to construct a one-shot story. You can try to accept it, you can try to deny it, or you can try to bend it to your will.
Rage, Rage was inspired by: “Macbeth” (William Shakespeare), “Out, Out—-” (Robert Frost), and “Do not go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas).
It is dedicated to those of us who must confront hard choices in life, which exist between hope and fear, courage and madness.
dmkcreative.com/games/gameChef2012DMKrageRage.pdf
Note: This game has some unusual mechanics that I'd appreciate specific feedback on how to simplify or clarify.
Rage, Rage
A game about the last chance for hope in the face of futility and madness.
By David Miessler-Kubanek
The End is approaching.
Only you can see the signs.
Perhaps you can alter its course.
What are you willing to risk to keep hope alive?
Who are you willing to sacrifice for a higher cause?
How will you prevent the dying of the light?
CH 1. ABOUT THE GAME
This is a collaborative narrative-focused game that uses a loose framework and suggestions to construct a one-shot story. You can try to accept it, you can try to deny it, or you can try to bend it to your will.
Rage, Rage was inspired by: “Macbeth” (William Shakespeare), “Out, Out—” (Robert Frost), and “Do not go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas).
It is dedicated to those of us who must confront hard choices in life, which exist between hope and fear, courage and madness.
CH 2. THE END : : “The End is approaching.”
End Examples: The End can mean the destruction of the world, or something smaller in scope or more personal in nature — what some hope to avoid. Here are a few suggestions for an End:
The fall of a great empire or civilization ...
The demise of a band of heroes ...
The breakdown of sanity when facing a truth ...
The betrayal of trust by friends ...
The loss of freedom when conquered ...
The death of a beloved family member ...
The revelation that can harm a community ...
The ruination of a reputation or power ...
End Pathway Examples: As a group, you will agree upon the thematic nature of your End for this game. Here are a dozen End Pathway examples to connect with your End:
The lighthouse off the coastline that guides your family/rivals home.
The family’s heirloom torch that’s been burning since foundation day generations ago.
The moonlight from an eclipse that holds a phantom village in time.
The lamp in the mines used to locate treasure/cave-in victims.
The flashlight in the haunted house that keeps fears from taking over.
The star in a galaxy far, far away, which is being studied by an orbiting research station.
The ancient gemstone that glows with the life force of those nearby.
The firefly that keeps the stories of time and space trapped in its abdomen.
The lightning rod used in the experiment to communicate with spirits.
The hearth that has witnessed countless joys and tragedies in a home.
The fire in the wilderness that keeps wild animals at bay and calls vagabonds near.
The candle at the altar that burns during a an ancient secret ritual.
CH 3. THE SIGNS : : “Only you can see the signs.”
The Signs are significant indicators that an End is drawing near. This may include loss of resources, lack of communication, a change in policy or behavior, threats to interests. You will notice more Signs when your Madness increases. Signs are created by players other than yourself, approved by the GM and given to the players who notice them.
CH 4. ALTER ITS COURSE : : “Perhaps you can alter its course.”
The PCs are the kinds of people who are directly involved with the major events. All PCs are agents of potential change. This may be real or imagined, credible through evidence, doctored through schemes to avert or to confront the End head on. As a result, the PCs will use their connection to the Lamp to heal or harm others by accident or with purpose.
As core characters involved with the End, you will need to consider your course of action regarding the nature of the End and what to do about it.
COURAGE & MADNESS
With that in mind, there are two main attributes all characters possess: Courage and Madness. Their total value is six.
Courage begins at 4 (minimum: 0; maximum: 6).
Madness at 2 (minimum: 0; maximum: 6).
Courage represents how many points you have to use as action currency and/or to resolve conflicts in a scene.
Madness represents how many dice you get to use to resolve conflicts.
Whenever Madness increases, Courage decreases and vice versa.
Once a PC’s Madness equals or exceeds their Courage, turn their Lamplight Pathway over, from Hope to Fear.
If a PC’s Madness recedes below their Courage, turn their Lamplight Pathway from Fear to Hope.
Spending Courage (by one or more characters in a scene)
To bring one or more supporting characters into a scene: 1 pt.
To buy additional Actions during scenes: 1 pt each.
To repel Madness by restoring Courage: 4 pts per.
To recover from a conflict: 2 pts.
To soak damage during a conflict: 1 pt each.
To sustain the Light in the Lamp: 1 pt.
Earning Courage
Challenge a Fear, once per scene (it cannot be the same Fear two scenes in a row).
If you are able to convert a character of a different kind to be your kind.
Earning Madness
Killing another PC.
Note: If any 1s are rolled (per conflict test) with Madness dice, automatically increase a character’s Madness attribute by one and decrease their Courage by one.
Dying
Note: Characters may die if they are harmed and have no Courage to counteract the harm. However, characters who are dying have a final action utilizing their Madness dice pool — if any 6s are rolled the dying character may harm one or more characters for each 6 before succumbing.
RESOLVING CONFLICT
When conflict requires risk, go to the dice and use a combination of Courage points and Madness dice to help resolve the conflict.
Note: To succeed, you will need a number of Hits, based on the difficulty determined by the GM (see below). A Hit can be made by a combination of spending points of Courage and/or rolling Madness dice and getting a 3 or higher on the dice.
Hits Difficulty
2 Easy
3 Difficult
4 Challenge
5+ Extreme
CH 5. HOPE : : “What are you willing to risk to keep hope alive?”
The hope of the game is in the hands of the characters. It is represented with the Light in the Lamp. For some, they will hope for the End to come, or to be avoided. Hope is also a value which connects each character to the the fate of the Lamp which is at the center of your game’s Pathways and includes a possible End for the game.
RISK FACTOR
The risk factor is that concept of love, revenge, glory, family, power, which is represented in concrete terms, such as a peace alliance through a document, vows to another through a ring, stability at home in exchange for a key to a locked door. What are you willing to risk to pursue your hope as represented as the Light in the Lamp?
BLINDED & BURNED
Also, for some games, too much Light may go too far with dire consequences. It may blind characters from real dangers, it may eliminate safeguards, it may burn a world faster than the cold empty darkness without Light — leaving it desolate and charred, or preparing it for new growth and life to emerge in time.
CH 6. WHO : : “Who are you willing to sacrifice for a higher cause?”
Kinds: While this game can host a multitude of characters, it includes only three kinds of characters, all of whom are deeply invested in the fate of their world. The three kinds are: those who surrender to the inevitable, those who rail against it, and those who seem to mastermind it. And, as like in some stories, it is possible that characters may shift between the kind they play from start to end.
Sacrifice: Furthermore, it is likely that some characters will be abandoned, slaughtered, imprisoned, or worse while others pursue their causes. Think about who may suffer the consequences of (not) pursuing a risk to keep hope alive.
Who Pathway Statements: The player characters (PCs) of this game are the most important characters of the game and they will be linked by Who Pathway Statements. The PCs will be connected directly to each other as follows, according to the position of the players in a circle. The player to the right of you will have a backstory linking your character’s Hope with their PC. The player to the left of you will have a backstory linking your character’s Fear with their PC. Write down the nature of this relationship on a card and place it between the players — be sure to note which is for the Hope and the Fear.
Supporting characters will play their parts, run by the GM, as needed to help facilitate the PCs.
CH 7. DYING OF THE LIGHT : : “How will you prevent the dying of the light?”
The Dying of the Light refers to extinguishing the light in the Lamp. It means that hope has been lost and that the End has arrived. Whether the End arrives, or is prevented, the game stops, finishing with an epilogue — each player gets to describe their character’s conclusion.
Think about how your character is involved directly in the dying of the light, based on their Lamplight Pathway Statements, Who Pathways Statements, what kind of character they are, the risk and who may be affected along the way to the End.
THE LAMP
A Lamp is used to represent both a physical construct or vessel that holds or emits the Light. The Lamp is connected to each character through a Hope and a Fear.
Lamp Pathways Statements: Use an index card (both sides). On one side write down your character’s Hope. Pass the card to your right and that player will write down your character’s Fear on the back.
Darkness Begins at Game Start: The player who last turned off a light source has their character begin the game with their Lamp Pathway showing Fear instead of Hope.
Twilight Calls: At the end of each scene, if a character was successful in helping Hope they either keep their Lamp Pathway showing Hope, or turn Fear to Hope. If the character was unsuccessful then Fear either remains or Hope changes to Fear for that character’s Lamp Pathway.
THE SHADOW MOVES
The player who began the game with Fear rolls a d6. The number that results is the scene (in addition to the first one) when the Fear indicated on the character’s Lamp Pathway should enter the game, as determined by the GM.
Whenever another Lamp Pathway turns from Hope to Fear, that person then rolls 1d6 to move the Shadow of Fear into the game for their Character.
HYSTERICS
A character may choose to increase their Madness (and decrease their Courage) in exchange for avoiding a confrontation with their Fear. However, the character must spend the scene behaving irrational or non-functional as a result.
FALSE LAMPS & ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
It is possible that the use or creation of false lamps and/or artificial light may happen in your game. Consider their consequences and if it is better to stick with the actual for your first experience.
CH 8. LIGHTFALL
Lightfall is the final endgame condition of the Light and/or Lamp in the game, of which there are only three possibilities:
Hope Prevails: Revives and is strong. If Fear ever shows for all living characters the game stops. Fear Prevails and each character gets to state how their character responds.
Fear Prevails: Goes out and is gone. If Hope shows for all living characters AND the characters have no Madness the game stops. Hope Prevails and each character gets to state how their character responds.
Hope Runs Wild: Gets loose and does harm*. If Hope shows for all living characters AND the characters have all spent down their Courage to zero, leaving only Madness, the game stops. Hope Runs Wild and each character gets to state how their character responds.
* This most likely includes unexpected changes to the world.
Game Chef, 2012, Idea 2
Theme: Last Chance — Design your game as if it might only be played once. After all, the world is going to end.
INGREDIENTS FOR RAGE, RAGE
Words: Lamp [major use, focal point, symbolic nature for hope or something else of value to the group], Doctor [major use — although indirectly, involving the light to heal or hurt]
Threads: Courage as currency (Thread # 27419) [major use, earning and spending Courage to keep hope alive], Stalin’s Story (Thread # 18194) [minor use, winning favor from authority/replacing authority/changing viewpoints of others by switching kinds to gain support and avoid defeat or death]
Twitter description: A RPG about the last chance for hope in the face of futility and madness.
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