Inspiration Strikes and I Record It

[Dragavan]

In case anyone is interested in how my creative brain works, my latest Dragavan's Den Blog Post is all about an idea for a game that struck me and is clawing it's way out of my brain. The style and theme is along the same vein as From Darkness It Comes. You can see how the inspiration struck me and is still growing.

[Usoki]

It's looks like you've got a very good working basis for a decaying sort of mechanic system. I'm not sure what those dice rolls will be for, but I would imagine it's a flat table with the higher numbers being impossible to reach at low levels. It sounds...weird, and a bit complicated- but I'd imagine whoever you play with are on your intellectual level, so I suppose there's not much need to worry about getting too complex.

The part that really confuses me, though, is your mention of a Jenga tension system. Other than as an interactive puzzle, I'm a bit confused how you'd work that into something like D&D.

[Dragavan]

I tried to reply right after I saw this yesterday, but our internet went down at that exact moment. It seems to be back now, so I will try again... but then it went out again... so I sit on this and wait to post it as soon as I have internet again... ugh... if you are reading this, it means it happened and I was able to...


The first thing you have to do is forget D&D. That game is really not a good example of a Role-Playing Game and should be ignored. It's really more of an abstract combat strategy game, where you play a single unit instead of a whole team. It's a game all about killing things and taking stuff, crawling through dungeons, and balancing points (maintaining HP, spells, healing, damage, and all that). The "role playing" aspect is really a secondary thing that has no support in the actual system itself.

The Jenga thing is actually from an Indie Game called Dread. Which is a Post Apocalyptic monster/horror game about fear, desolation, and survival. While you are playing the game (which is HEAVILY character driven and combat is something to avoid as much as possible) you have to make pulls from the Jenga tower when you try to do certain things, usually risky or tense things. If the tower falls when you do this then things go horribly wrong with your action and the game ramps up into horror mode. It works as a tension builder because Jenga gets harder with each move and you know when it crashes things will get really bad.

But that doesn't matter because although I liked the idea of the tension builder I didn't like the idea of it being a one shot once it fell kind of thing. So I am going with a die pool instead. I figured if I start the pool with 3D12 in it then the odds of rolling three 1s is pretty slim, but still possible. Then as dice are added to it the odds of rolling that grow and so does tension. But when it happens it's not the end and the pool stays active and still can grow, increasing the tension continuously.

As for the die rolls that the players would make based on their attributes and pools (if they choose to bet from them), they would be based on highest single number rolled. So even if you rolled six dice, only the single highest number counts. The players rolls are made against an opposing roll done by their opposition (often the GM) or be a difficulty target based on what they are trying to do (also a roll made by the GM). This makes it rather simple and not complicated at all. Whoever has the highest number rolled, wins. If there is a tie, you look at the second highest die (if there is any), and in the end a true tie always goes to the defender (or player if there is no defender).

The betting aspect would be done to increase your chances of success in a roll you make. You can draw from one of your two "health" pools (Mental or Physical) and risk any dice you want in it by adding them to your action roll. This gives you that many more dice to get a high number on, but if you still lose the action you lose the dice the risked. This would deplete your "health" in that area (and possibly "kill" you if you lost your last die doing it). Other things would also affect these pools and possibly deplete them along the way, so not betting doesn't make you safe.

[Leblanc4prez]

I am highly intregued... This sounds very fun... I must keep an eye out on this project of yours.

[Dragavan]

I am highly intregued... This sounds very fun... I must keep an eye out on this project of yours.

Cool... but how about some "why"s. I crave feedback. What sounds like it works, doesn't work, could be stronger, is exactly what it should be, etc? Without others giving me feedback I can't tell what is actually working and what loses people. Things grow better when they are fed and watered. Feed me. Please.

Also, based on my "From Darkness" story banner here, I made a couple versions of a banner for the outline of the game I am making. Figured I would share them. The second one I think is over-processed, but I figured I would share both.

[donteatpoop]

As to what does and doesn't work, drag; it's hard to tell without actually playing it. It sounds interesting... Don't know what would or would not work about it though... I'd have to play it.

What time should I come over?

[Leblanc4prez]

I agree with DEP. At the moment I can only speculate which feature will or will not work. I would require a beta version of your baby to truly give you some proper feedback.

[Dragavan]

I forgot, this forum doesn't have game designers on it. My bad. I am just too involved in (and sort of obsessed with) this idea that it is creeping into posts I am making on most forums I go to... most of them are gaming sites, so they would have designers and serious players who could have ideas about how it might work out without needing to play it out... at least at this stage.

But if any of you lived or were going to be close to me, I would have no issue having you over to playtest the ideas.

[Leblanc4prez]

Damn... Thats me out... *Note to self* gotta get to America for a holliday one year...

[Dragavan]

In case anyone is still following this or cares, I have made my next blog post about it.

Dragavan's Den Post About Character Creation

[Leblanc4prez]

I wanna play! You gunna have aliances? Like chaotic and such? I like the fears thing. I really want to be part of this somehow... but I have no skills... apart from an extensive Call Of Cu'thulu carere as a Smuggler. And My D&D days as Atticus Nightsharoud the famed halthling rouge.

[Dragavan]

I wanna play! You gunna have aliances? Like chaotic and such?

Nope. You are a normal person (more or less) who is drawn into the horrible worlds that live below the reality that is Whispering Bluff and simply try to survive the madness and evils you find. This is not a game of good vs evil or anything like that. This is a game of guilt and fear and depression and horror and trying to get through it with your mind still in some semblance of working. Sometimes Death is the only way out.

I like the fears thing. I really want to be part of this somehow... but I have no skills... apart from an extensive Call Of Cu'thulu carere as a Smuggler.

Cthulhu could be an asset here, as the true horror and depths of despair and hopelessness of those stories contain are part of the inspiration for this. Kind of like how the Call of Cthulhu RPG was one where you saw how long your character survived, as opposed to trying to win.

And My D&D days as Atticus Nightsharoud the famed halthling rouge.

That won't help you here it all... D&D is as far from what I want to see happen with my game as you can get. This not an epic heroic fantasy game in any sense of the words.

As for helping, I will keep you in mind when I get to the point of looking for someone not involved to read it and see if it make sense as written (as opposed to how it's explained by me in person).

[Locke]

I have virtually no experience with role-playing games of this sort, but I have to admit even I'm somewhat interested in this one. It sounds like a fun time.

[Leblanc4prez]

Yay! I love proofreading! Thanks for the trust! I will not fail you when the time comes

[Dragavan]

Okay creative types... How about this.

I am creating a history for the town and the valley it is located in, to show that it has been a place of great evil since even before recorded time. It is located somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, so nothing that wouldn't fit there (like site of medieval druid rituals or anything). This is supposed to be a nexus of some kind of pure evil... without having literal demons or monsters being let loose in the "real" world.

So far I have this list (mine is elaborated on more, but these are the bullet points).

Site of Ancient Meteor crash
Ancient Indian burial ground
First Settler Massacred
Horrible Disasters and Accidents seem to happen a lot
Mysterious Disappearances
Crazy cults/religious zealots set up camp
Sightings of "Big Foot" or Odd Creatures
Serial Killer stalked the area


So what can you think to add to the list for me to choose from while writing this history? Be as expansive and out there as you want.