Re: Singing 10%, Snooker 85% (was: stuff)

From: Ian Cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:46:13 -0000

Jamie take a look at the format I am proposing for TCS. We indicate keywords, runes, what abilities the character is renowned for and should indicate a higher resistance. Everything is as you had it before except for the value. As such it is already a HQ stat block, but the numbers are determined during the game. Leaving them out is important because we want to encourage folks to set resistance according to the flow of the story.

You ask what I mean by coherence and it is exactly this. If I tell you Broddi has debate 17W then what do you do if the needs of the story might make it necessary that a player with Debate 17 has a good chance against him in the moot.

You could tell the player 'Oh dear, Broddi is tough to debate with so it looks unlikely your argument will succeed, but let's roll anyway'. That is is the simulationist argument. The problem for narrativists with this approach is that it can take the wind out of the story. If I can't win the debate because the numbers say I can't then I can't drive the story in a meaningful way.

Now we could decide to go through a series of adventures to get you community support, but for many, but not you it seems, this gets old fairly fast.

Or you could cut to the chase and say 'Your supporters stand behind you in the moot, clashing their spears and shields, their pots and pans. It is surprising that so many have turned out to support one so young, and as you rise to your feet to speak you feel the weight of that trust upon you' and set the resistance at 3W to reflect a challenge but note the support of the people.

I think the latter empowers players and gives them more fun. YMMV.

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