[OC] The Guided Narrative "Token" System
Sept 26, 2021 7:11:22 GMT -8
Post by FortunatePilgrim on Sept 26, 2021 7:11:22 GMT -8
TOKENS
Tokens are the expendable resource we'll use to guide the story-based part of the game. Tokens can be earned through a short list of narrative-focused actions (generally involving using stuff from your character to make the game or the world more interesting). They can then be spent to exert a discrete measure of control over a discrete fragment of the setting or the story or the game.
As a general guideline, whenever you a thing to earn or spend a Token, try to make sure whatever you're doing both:
-Emerges organically from, and has some direct impact on, the current scene or story; and
-Is in line with your character's themes and concept
Other than that, do what's fun or interesting in the moment. My hope is that I won't need to police the way we interact with the system and we sort of find a rhythm as a group that works for what we're doing.
ASPECTS
The main way we'll know what's 'in line with your character's themes and concept' will be your Aspects. An Aspect is a short, evocative phrase describing something about your character that their stats doesn't cover. Many of the ways to earn or spend Tokens are specifically tied to one or more Aspects. An Aspect can be beneficial or detrimental (the best ones can be both, depending on circumstance), but they should be interesting and should act as guideposts to what kind of experience you want your character to have. What Cool Things you want to do. What conflicts you want to struggle with. What obstacles you want to face. "The best in the world at swords" is okay. "Promised his sister he would never lose a duel" is better. "Haunted by the murder of the sister he wasn't strong enough to save" would be better still.
Everyone will start with seven Aspects: Avatar of [Class (and Race)]; Standing; Resources; Loss; [Free Choice]; Legendarium 1; Legendarium 2. Aspects may change as a result of play.
Avatar of [Class (and Race)]
If you're a Druid, then you're not just a Druid, you're THE Druid. So you get to decide things about Druids in the setting. If you used a Standard Lineage at chargen, you may also add your race to this Aspect if you wish. If more than one character shares a race and/or a class, we'll do some work to make sure they're distinct.
Standing
Your reputation, rank, popularity, office, or other descriptor of the social/political space you occupy (or don't occupy, or are actively barred from). Examples could be: Beloved Saviour of Alcadia, In Hiding and Presumed Dead, High Admiral of the Donshen Navy, Wanted for Murder West of Godfall.
Resources
This describes the general state (or one very important part) of your assets and/or liabilities. This could include non-tactical wealth, political power, knowledge, followers, favours, or any number of other things (or their lack, or their opposite). Examples could be: Richest Baron in Mercadia, Ear of the Dwarven High Council, Curator of the Lost Library of the Archwizard Olsien, Open Invitation to Halfling Fertility Festivals.
Loss
This describes whatever you offered Tiamat in the Bargain and should include some idea of its on-going impact.
[Free Choice]
Whatever you want. Maybe you want to double up on one of the existing categories, or want something that doesn't fit into them. Maybe you possess a singular physical or mental or spiritual talent or ability. Maybe you possess a magic item so powerful it exists on the narrative plane rather than the mechanical. Maybe you've been touched by some otherworldly force and have a blessing (or a curse) or maybe you have a great destiny awaiting you (or a grim fate).
Legendaria
Everyone will have two stories ("Legends") about their characters assigned to them by other players. Once assigned, you decide how true your Legends are. If you decide both are largely true you begin the game with 2 Tokens. If you decide one is true and one is false (or that both are only a little true), you begin the game with 1 Token. If you decide neither is true, you begin the game with 0 Tokens. True or false, a Legend's existence in the game world is canon (i.e. even if it's false it's still a story that's told about you). Note: while the expectation is that everyone make a good faith attempt to work with what they get, if you really hate what you're given, don't panic, just let me know and we'll work it out.
EARNING AND SPENDING TOKENS
Gain 1 Token whenever you:
-Speak Lore about any of your Aspects.
-Tell us about a personal connection you have to a place, person, or group.
-Turn aside from the quest to tend to something small or personal or immediate.
-Bring the impact of your Loss into the current scene.
-Accept Lore from another player (see below).
Spend 1 Token to:
-Speak Lore about anything that isn't covered by another PC's Aspects.
-Offer Lore to another player. The Lore can be about an existing Aspect or it can be a new Aspect (generally a new Legend, but possibly something else). If Accepted, you give the Token to the player. If Rejected, you keep your Token.
-Take the spotlight for one Beat (1 combat action, 1 moment, 1 scene, etc) and do one Cool Thing. Tell us what you do and then tell us how it resolves. As a VERY general rule, each PC may only use this option once during dice-based combat, and even then only if the right moment presents itself.
-Present an effective solution to a current obstacle.
-Offer someone comfort and ease their suffering, if only for a short time.
-"Pick-up" and "hold" an NPC. Picking-up an NPC means assuming authority over them. And so long as you Hold them, they are under your control as though they were your character. Everything that happens to them while you Hold them remains true even after you "Put them Down."
DEFINITIONS
Speaking Lore: when you 'Speak Lore' you say something and it's true the moment you say it. You can Speak Lore IC or OC, as part of the scene or outside of it, you can Speak Lore to add or delete or change something in the setting, declare a commonly held truth as false (or vice versa), or any number of other things. We will generally avoid Speaking Lore that contradicts existing canon (especially if it was established by another player), but sometimes a contradiction reveals a deeper truth.
Offering/Accepting/Rejecting Lore: when you Offer Lore to another player you offer them one of your Tokens and tell them something about one of their Aspects (or offer them a new one). If Accepted, that Lore's existence becomes canon (and the player then decides how true it is). If your Lore is Rejected, you keep your Token and whatever was said either didn't happen or (if it's already been said IC) is not a commonly held belief.
Picking-up/Holding/Putting Down: a slightly more involved version of Speaking Lore. When you 'Pick Up' an NPC, they effectively become your character for as long as you 'Hold' them, which might be just long enough to change their backstory, or to play them for a scene, or maybe they join the party for a time under your control. Like with Speaking Lore, we will generally try to avoid directly contradicting prior established canon. Once you 'Put Down' the NPC, they return to my control, but will remain forever changed by the experience.
FINAL NOTE
I've been tinkering with and using various versions of this kind of thing for years and years and years, with wildly mixed results. Sometimes it's amazing and fun and sometimes it's just tedious accounting. This version uses a couple of influences I've never tried before (specifically, the No Dice No Masters Engine from Belonging Outside Belonging and a couple of things from the PbtA game Fellowship). Like the chargen rules, it'll be an experiment in real time, so please be patient with me and with each other, asssume good faith and best intentions on all parts at all times. If you have notes, thoughts, opinions, critiques or problems or concerns, just PM me and we can work it out.
Tokens are the expendable resource we'll use to guide the story-based part of the game. Tokens can be earned through a short list of narrative-focused actions (generally involving using stuff from your character to make the game or the world more interesting). They can then be spent to exert a discrete measure of control over a discrete fragment of the setting or the story or the game.
As a general guideline, whenever you a thing to earn or spend a Token, try to make sure whatever you're doing both:
-Emerges organically from, and has some direct impact on, the current scene or story; and
-Is in line with your character's themes and concept
Other than that, do what's fun or interesting in the moment. My hope is that I won't need to police the way we interact with the system and we sort of find a rhythm as a group that works for what we're doing.
ASPECTS
The main way we'll know what's 'in line with your character's themes and concept' will be your Aspects. An Aspect is a short, evocative phrase describing something about your character that their stats doesn't cover. Many of the ways to earn or spend Tokens are specifically tied to one or more Aspects. An Aspect can be beneficial or detrimental (the best ones can be both, depending on circumstance), but they should be interesting and should act as guideposts to what kind of experience you want your character to have. What Cool Things you want to do. What conflicts you want to struggle with. What obstacles you want to face. "The best in the world at swords" is okay. "Promised his sister he would never lose a duel" is better. "Haunted by the murder of the sister he wasn't strong enough to save" would be better still.
Everyone will start with seven Aspects: Avatar of [Class (and Race)]; Standing; Resources; Loss; [Free Choice]; Legendarium 1; Legendarium 2. Aspects may change as a result of play.
Avatar of [Class (and Race)]
If you're a Druid, then you're not just a Druid, you're THE Druid. So you get to decide things about Druids in the setting. If you used a Standard Lineage at chargen, you may also add your race to this Aspect if you wish. If more than one character shares a race and/or a class, we'll do some work to make sure they're distinct.
Standing
Your reputation, rank, popularity, office, or other descriptor of the social/political space you occupy (or don't occupy, or are actively barred from). Examples could be: Beloved Saviour of Alcadia, In Hiding and Presumed Dead, High Admiral of the Donshen Navy, Wanted for Murder West of Godfall.
Resources
This describes the general state (or one very important part) of your assets and/or liabilities. This could include non-tactical wealth, political power, knowledge, followers, favours, or any number of other things (or their lack, or their opposite). Examples could be: Richest Baron in Mercadia, Ear of the Dwarven High Council, Curator of the Lost Library of the Archwizard Olsien, Open Invitation to Halfling Fertility Festivals.
Loss
This describes whatever you offered Tiamat in the Bargain and should include some idea of its on-going impact.
[Free Choice]
Whatever you want. Maybe you want to double up on one of the existing categories, or want something that doesn't fit into them. Maybe you possess a singular physical or mental or spiritual talent or ability. Maybe you possess a magic item so powerful it exists on the narrative plane rather than the mechanical. Maybe you've been touched by some otherworldly force and have a blessing (or a curse) or maybe you have a great destiny awaiting you (or a grim fate).
Legendaria
Everyone will have two stories ("Legends") about their characters assigned to them by other players. Once assigned, you decide how true your Legends are. If you decide both are largely true you begin the game with 2 Tokens. If you decide one is true and one is false (or that both are only a little true), you begin the game with 1 Token. If you decide neither is true, you begin the game with 0 Tokens. True or false, a Legend's existence in the game world is canon (i.e. even if it's false it's still a story that's told about you). Note: while the expectation is that everyone make a good faith attempt to work with what they get, if you really hate what you're given, don't panic, just let me know and we'll work it out.
EARNING AND SPENDING TOKENS
Gain 1 Token whenever you:
-Speak Lore about any of your Aspects.
-Tell us about a personal connection you have to a place, person, or group.
-Turn aside from the quest to tend to something small or personal or immediate.
-Bring the impact of your Loss into the current scene.
-Accept Lore from another player (see below).
Spend 1 Token to:
-Speak Lore about anything that isn't covered by another PC's Aspects.
-Offer Lore to another player. The Lore can be about an existing Aspect or it can be a new Aspect (generally a new Legend, but possibly something else). If Accepted, you give the Token to the player. If Rejected, you keep your Token.
-Take the spotlight for one Beat (1 combat action, 1 moment, 1 scene, etc) and do one Cool Thing. Tell us what you do and then tell us how it resolves. As a VERY general rule, each PC may only use this option once during dice-based combat, and even then only if the right moment presents itself.
-Present an effective solution to a current obstacle.
-Offer someone comfort and ease their suffering, if only for a short time.
-"Pick-up" and "hold" an NPC. Picking-up an NPC means assuming authority over them. And so long as you Hold them, they are under your control as though they were your character. Everything that happens to them while you Hold them remains true even after you "Put them Down."
DEFINITIONS
Speaking Lore: when you 'Speak Lore' you say something and it's true the moment you say it. You can Speak Lore IC or OC, as part of the scene or outside of it, you can Speak Lore to add or delete or change something in the setting, declare a commonly held truth as false (or vice versa), or any number of other things. We will generally avoid Speaking Lore that contradicts existing canon (especially if it was established by another player), but sometimes a contradiction reveals a deeper truth.
Offering/Accepting/Rejecting Lore: when you Offer Lore to another player you offer them one of your Tokens and tell them something about one of their Aspects (or offer them a new one). If Accepted, that Lore's existence becomes canon (and the player then decides how true it is). If your Lore is Rejected, you keep your Token and whatever was said either didn't happen or (if it's already been said IC) is not a commonly held belief.
Picking-up/Holding/Putting Down: a slightly more involved version of Speaking Lore. When you 'Pick Up' an NPC, they effectively become your character for as long as you 'Hold' them, which might be just long enough to change their backstory, or to play them for a scene, or maybe they join the party for a time under your control. Like with Speaking Lore, we will generally try to avoid directly contradicting prior established canon. Once you 'Put Down' the NPC, they return to my control, but will remain forever changed by the experience.
FINAL NOTE
I've been tinkering with and using various versions of this kind of thing for years and years and years, with wildly mixed results. Sometimes it's amazing and fun and sometimes it's just tedious accounting. This version uses a couple of influences I've never tried before (specifically, the No Dice No Masters Engine from Belonging Outside Belonging and a couple of things from the PbtA game Fellowship). Like the chargen rules, it'll be an experiment in real time, so please be patient with me and with each other, asssume good faith and best intentions on all parts at all times. If you have notes, thoughts, opinions, critiques or problems or concerns, just PM me and we can work it out.