Woah!
This document describes Woah!, the tabletop role-playing game I play with my kids and friends. It is deliberately described in an abstract way, because we apply it to different scenarios and settings as our taste changes. It attempts to have strategic thinking, with lots of creativity in general.
1 Basics
This is a game wherein a group of players (the play group) collaboratively tell a story (called the fiction) using mechanical rules to adjudicate creative disputes and direct the story in an unexpected direction.
This document refers to the story as the fiction. In this game, the fiction is the most important part. It is the place where the action and fun takes place. The play group should try to be true to the fiction at all times and keep it on the front of their minds. The world of fiction is called the flavor and all aspects of the fiction that are not directly mechanical are referred to as flavor.
The mechanical rules are the particular rules of the game having to do with numbers, cards, statistics, and so on. They exist to adjudicate disputes between members of the play group, such as when one player wants the hero to save the damsel and another player wants the damsel to have already defeated the monster. They also exist to introduce unexpected happenings in the story, so that the play group can discover what happens in the fiction through play.
A play group is a gamemaster and multiple leads controlled by players. A lead is an important character in the fiction controlled by a human player. The gamemaster (or GM) controls the rest of the universe and adjudicates between leads.
2 Mechanics
This section explains the mechanical rules.
By re-drawing when there is only one card left, this allows leads to strategically save high cards for important circumstances.
The play group has a deck of normal playing cards, called the deck.The deck is divided into two partitions: the draw pile and the discard pile. At the start of a play session, the discard pile is empty and each lead is dealt a hand of five cards from the draw pile. After a lead uses a card, the card is put in the discard pile. Once the lead’s hand contains fewer than two cards, they draw cards from the draw pile until they have five cards in their hand, reshuffling the discard pile when the draw pile is exhausted.
The suit of the cards is relevant in play. Each suit corresponds to an attribute and has an opposed suit based on the opposed attribute.
2.1 Basic Mechanic
The basic mechanic is for a lead to describe their action. If the action could be done by any normal person in the circumstances, then no test is needed. However, if some special circumstance or special ability is required, the player makes a test. The result of a test is a consequence.
2.2 Consequences
A consequence is either success, partial, or failure.
On a success, the action is successful and the player controls the story for a little bit, narrating the results of their successful action. (Occasionally it is more appropriate for the gamemaster to narrate.)
On a partial, the main result is accomplished but there are some negative results, collaboratively determined by the gamemaster and player. Often it is best for the gamemaster to give a few options, let the player decide which ones happen, and then narrate.
On a failure, the gamemaster chooses and narrates the negative results.
In general, results should always flow from the fiction. The story is most interesting when the leads don’t get their way exactly. So, on a success, the gamemaster should look for a way to give the player a hard choice of two good things out of three possibilities, while on a partial success, they can only choose one.
There are no strict rules for what consequences are. The only principle is that: on a success, you get what you want with only soft consequences; on a partial, you get most of what you want with maybe a hard consequence; and on a failure, you don’t get what you want and experience hard consequences.
2.3 Tests
Each test is associated with an attribute corresponding to the kind of action that is being performed, and that action’s suit is called the test suit.
There are two variants of tests: displays, for when one lead is involved, and contests, for when multiple leads compete.
2.3.1 Displays
In a display, the lead selects a card from their hand and uses it. The GM selects the next card from the draw pile. Each card is inspected after incorporating all applicable modifiers.
If the lead’s card is a Face card AND is greater than or equal to the GM’s card, then the display is a success.
If the lead’s card is a Face card XOR is greater than or equal to the GM’s card, then the display is a partial.
Otherwise, the display is a failure.
Example: Jean is researching the toxin sample discovered in the body of the victim and plays a Eight, the GM draws a Seven, so he learns that it is extra-terrestrial in origin, but destroys the sample in the process.
Example: Elizabeth attacks the screen ogre with her scathing wit and plays a King, the GM draws a King, so Elizabeth shatters the ogre and continues the day victorious.
2.3.2 Contests
Example: Pete, Chloe, and Lana—
2.3.3 Meta Notes
Optional Note: If you leave the Joker in the deck, then whenever it is drawn, make it a catastrophic, scene-changing failure.
Strategic Note: Leads know which cards have already been played and which have not, so they have a fuzzy estimate of what cards they may go up against. Similarly, they have an idea of where their strengths and weakness lay, so they can decide how much to commit to each action. Given the bias towards Face cards, they can ensure some kind of success when it counts.
Gamemastering Note: The gamemaster never directly opposes the players strategically, because non-leads always have their card randomly chosen.
2.4 Lead Statistics
Each lead has a few mechanical concepts associated with them: attributes, hit boxes, and tags.
2.4.1 Attributes
A lead has four attributes, which are each associated with a suit in the deck as well as various actions and qualities. Each attribute has an opposed attribute and an opposed suit.
Attribute |
| Suit |
| Actions and Qualities |
| Opposed Attribute |
| Opposed Suit |
| Clubs |
| Strength, Vitality, Constitution, Bend, Absorb, Pry, Throw, Hack, Slash, Flex, Endure, Break, Bust, Jump, Climb, Swim, Chug, Sprint, Crush, Push, Pull, Lift, Carry, Hard, Athletics, Survival, etc. |
|
| Diamonds | ||
| Spades |
| Dexterity, Finesse, Escape, Elude, Deflect, Shoot, Skewer, Dodge, Parry, Balance, Tumble, Roll, Flip, Dance, Weave, Catch, Pick, Disarm, Stun, Tie, Awareness, Stealth, etc. |
|
| Hearts | ||
| Diamonds |
| Intelligence, Insight, Study, Solve, Riddle, Cast, Think, Remember, Ponder, Deduce, Reason, Decipher, Invent, Search, Convince, Debate, Hypothesize, Heal, Deception, Lore, etc. |
|
| Clubs | ||
| Hearts |
| Wisdom, Charisma, Disrupt, Channel, Commune, Sense, Pray, Motivate, Appeal, Empathize, Persuade, Convince, Intimidate, Intuit, Order, Command, Provoke, Seduce, Manipulate, Barter, Sanity, Leadership, etc. |
|
| Spades |
A lead has an attribute modifier associated with each attribute, which is a number between -2 and +2.
2.4.2 Hit Boxes
A lead has a certain number of hit boxes, representing their ability to deal with adversity.
When a lead fails to avoid adversity, then they fill in one hit box with a negative tag related to the particular circumstance. The tag should be written inside the box and must be dealt with before it may be removed.
If all hit boxes are filled in, then the character is “down” and the direction of the adventure or campaign should change to address the problem.
Example: Tom blasts the crystal with his laser vision, but the heat blast bounces off, hitting him in the eye, and blinding him. Tom writes “blind” in one of his hit boxes.
Example: Oscar opens the chest to reveal a viewing portal into the Unseen Darkness where he sees The Undying One. The sight corrupts Oscar’s psyche and he writes “neurotic” in one of his hit boxes.
In principle, hit boxes are not mechanically necessary because the tags themselves are the in-fiction consequences of failure to deal with adversity, but they are a useful abstraction to benchmark failure.
2.4.3 Tags
A tag is a statement, quality, resource, or attribute about a lead that separates them from normal people of the world they live in. Every lead has a list of tags.
For example, a tag might be “Can cast fire magic” or “Expert computer hacker”. In the modern world, a tag would not be “Has a cell phone” or “Knows about germs”, but these things might be tags in a fantasy world.
Because tags are free-form statements, they can be positive, neutral, negative, or any combination, depending on the circumstances. Avoid very vague tags and try to be specific.
Tags can be permanent, temporary, fleeting, disposal, etc, depending on the particular details of the fiction and setting.
In general, tags change what a lead can do and how well they can do it. For example, in a story about soldiers, having a rifle is likely not to be a tag, but “Lost his rifle” might be a tag, with the effect of disallowing the lead to fire. For example, in a story about Greek myths, being a demigod is a tag, but speaking Greek is not. For example, in a fantasy story about dungeons and delves, having a sword might not be a tag but “Has the mystical blade Vorpalice” is a tag.
Tags should have both mechanical and flavor significance. They should influence how successful leads are, what they can do, and what their goals, desires, and passions are.
Periodically throughout play, new tags should be given by the gamemaster. They should be positive and negative consequences for individual actions, as well as a result of pivotal story moments.
2.5 Modifiers
When a lead faces a test and plays a card, they incorporate a variety of modifiers to the value of the card.
First, they incorporate the test suit of the action. If the suit of the card played matches the test suit, then a +1 modifier is applied. If the suit of the card played matches the opposed suit of the test suit, then a -1 modifier is applied.
Example: Alexa tries to sneak past the guards on her way into the mansion. She plays a Ten of Spades, so it is equivalent to a Jack of Spades, because Spades is the test suit of sneaking. Thus, a partial is guaranteed, because she plays a Face card.
Second, they incorporate the attribute modifier of the action.
Example: Stewart tries to decipher the ancient writing. He plays a Queen of Clubs, but it is considerate as a Ten of Clubs, because it is in the opposed suit and he has a -1 attribute modifier for Intellect. Thus, his is not guaranteed a partial.
Third, they incorporate any applicable tags. A tag may imply that an action is easier or harder for the lead. If it is easier, then a +1 modifier is applied. If it is harder, then a -1 modifier is applied.
Example: Elizabeth tries to commune with the ghost of The Jackal. She plays a Queen, but because she possesses the tag, “Speaker for the dead”, it is as though she played a King and her success is guaranteed.
2.6 Lead Creation
When you create a lead, you should start by defining the flavor of the character. Then, select the following mechanical details:
Attribute modifiers —
Choose a modifier for each attribute. They should total to +0 for a low-power story, +1 for a high-power story, and +2 for an epic story. Hit boxes —
Choose a number between 2 and 4. A normal person would have 1, but leads are typically exceptional, so a weaker lead still has 2. Someone truly sturdy has 4. Tags —
Choose a few tags, focusing mainly on positive or generally descriptive ones. Add one or two negative tags. You should have one or two for your archetype and background, one or two for a special quality, and one or two for any special resources.
Example: Sally Summers is the Zombie Slayer, a mythical role filled each generation by one teenage girl in all the world. She fights with the enchanted whip, Lightbringer, and has a mystical connection to the spirits of past Slayers. Her attribute modifiers are +1 Toughness, +0 Agility, +0 Intellect, and +0 Spirit. She has 3 hit boxes. Her initial tags are, “The Zombie Slayer”, “Possesses Lightbringer”, “High school girl”, “Prideful”, and “Mystic knowledge from past lives”.
Variant Note: The hit box suggestion above is tuned for representing short-term adversity, like damage and fighting spirit. If instead you wish to represent long-term adversity, like general health and mental wellness, you will want to tweak the scale. You want to have both kinds of hit boxes, although normally long-term adversity shows up in the form of tags.
2.7 Actions
There are no strict rules for actions. In general, describe the activity in the fiction, then apply the Basic Mechanic and think critically about what attribute is appropriate and what tags apply.
The consequences of tests may have mechanical impacts. In particular, it is common that a consequence is to gain or lose a tag or to fill-in a hit box.
Example: Sarai fails to convince the border guards of her identity, so her supplies are stolen and she is forced back into the wilderness. She adds the “Basic goods stolen” tag. (She did not have “Possesses basic goods” before because this can be assumed. The unique circumstance is missing these things.) Later, when she visits a frontier town and works for the tavern, she removes this tag because she is back on her feet.
Example: Joffrey fires a flurry of arrows at the approaching vampire horde, but fails miserably. He adds the tag, “No more arrows”, and thus can no longer use his long bow.
Inside of single scenes and stories, it should be common to introduce and remove tags for all of the leads.
2.8 Combat
There is no need to treat combat encounters and combat actions differently than other scenes and actions. However, if your play group wants something slightly more mechanical, use the ideas in this section.
Initiative. At the beginning of a combat scenario, have each lead use a card that represents their readiness for the fight and (potentially) draw cards for non-lead participants. The relative ranking of the cards will determine the order in which subsequent actions take place.
Preparation. Use the Initiative card as a constant modifier throughout the battle: Add it to all cards that are used.
Range. As an in between point to a purely verbal battleground and the highly detailed miniature-oriented play of a board game, use an abstracted battleground with abstract areas like, Close Quarters, Behind, Flanking, The Fray, In The Distance etc. Use actions to move from one to another. Make it impossible to use actions on targets in distant areas. Give a -1 modifier for using actions in adjacent areas.
3 Flavor
This section gives advice on choosing the flavor of the fiction. There are no strict rules here, so just be inspired and have fun. The entire play group should discuss these points together.
Characters —
The lead characters of the fiction. Campaigns —
The overall narrative of the entire fiction that stretches across all of the occasions the play group meets. Stories —
The narratives of each individual session of play.
Advice: I recommend thinking about the flavor in this order, but it is not strictly necessary. I normally start a new play group with a discussion of what kind world they want to play in. Then, we talk about who the stars of the story (leads) are. Next, we think about the overall kind of story we want to create. Then I start thinking about what each of the component stories will be.
3.1 Settings
I normally start by picking an existing work of fiction that I want to start from and going from there. Other times, I like to answer a serious of questions that describe the contours of the world.
Style. What style of world is it? Fantastic. Silly. Gritty. Realistic. Optimistic. Pessimistic. Mythic.
Period. When does the fiction take place? Jurassic. Modern. Old West. Futuristic. Medieval. Dark Ages. Bronze Age. Mythic. Iron Age. Space-Age. Age of Sail. Cold War.
Special Qualities. What are some special things about the world? Super Heroes. Post-apocalypse. Dystopia. Magic. Time-travel. Zombies. Dinosaurs. Vampires. Aliens. Monsters. Points-of-Light. Talking Animals.
Scale. What is the scale of the world that the fiction takes place in? Small town. City. High school. Colony Ship. Planet. Continent. Country. Galaxy.
Genres. Does the fiction fit an existing genre? High fantasy. Comic fantasy. Contemporary fantasy. Spiritual fantasy. Bug hunt. Space opera. Weird. Horror. Pulp. Slasher. Baroque. Supernatural. Ghost stories. Mystery. Espionage. War. Western. Martial Arts. Egyptian. Ancient Greece. Weird West. Space 1889. Weird War III. The Dark Elder Gods. The Dark Continent.
3.2 Characters
The most important part of the fiction is the characters and the setting just exists to place them on a canvas. When coming up with characters, think about a few different things:
Archetype. What story archetype do they fulfill? The Chosen One. The Outsider. The White Knight. The Dark Prince.
Background. Where do they come from? A small town. The royal family. The best school. An orphan. From another place.
Code. What standards to they uphold as a guiding force in their life? Uphold the law. Never lie. Family. Duty. Honor. Survival of the fittest. Loyalty. Always pays their debts.
Motivation. What motivates their actions in the story? What do they quest for? Revenge. Glory. Honor. Duty. An ancient artifact. Family. Love.
Job. What is their job? Police officer. Scientist. Soldier. Cook. Researcher. Librarian. Adviser. Diplomat. Trader. Guard. Knight. Retail.
Training. What special training do they have? Weapons. Science. Magic. Computers. Research. Geography. Animals.
3.3 Campaigns
Once you know the world that you are in, you should determine the whole story of the fiction. I like to think of the campaign as a season of a TV show. Here are some ideas:
War. There is a war that has started or will start and the leads need to do something to stop it, win it, turn the tables, etc.
Exploration. The world is much bigger than the leads realized and they are driven to explore it and see the undiscovered country.
Quest for the. There is some important artifact in the world that must be found, acquired, used, or brought to safety. Do they know where it is? Do they know what it is?
Hero’s Journey. The leads must leave comfort and undergo trials before they return.
The Big Bad on the Horizon. There is a big bad on the horizon that must be prepared for and stopped.
3.4 Stories
Your campaign is made of many stories. It works well to plan a few key moments and the kinds of things that need to happen, then let the fiction lead some place interesting. If the campaign is a season of a TV show, then each story is an episode. Most episodes will be self-contained, but push the greater arc of the story too. Think about having “specials” that incorporate interesting and different styles as you go.
4 Player Advice
4.1 Roleplaying Tips
Have focus and keep to the point of the moment of narration. Be concise and let others play.
Respect the other leads and don’t alter their behavior significantly from their established patterns.
Stay consistent with the setting, campaign, and established parts of the story. Occasionally a ret-con or plot-twist is appropriate.
Use a timer sometimes to make a moment tense and give the leads only a short time to react.
Whenever you draw a Joker, have something unexpected happen!
You can play without a gamemaster by collaboratively filling their role: any time you feel the need for a gamemaster, have the person to the left of the lead in focus act as one temporarily. If you remember to share the spotlight and respect each other, then it should go smoothly. The major downside is that there will not be secretly planned plot twists... or will there?
4.2 Characters
Use what other roleplaying games call “classes” to inspire your characters. Here’s a huge number of ideas:
Acrobat |
| Adorable Wild Child |
| Adventurer |
| Ancient Machine |
Android |
| Angel |
| Angsty Shadow Warrior |
| Animist |
Arcanist |
| Archer |
| Artificer |
| Assassin |
Astrologian |
| Atlantean |
| Augur |
| Avenger |
Bandit |
| Barbarian |
| Bard |
| Battle Babe |
Battle Priest |
| Battlemaster |
| Beastmaster |
| Beguiler |
Berserker |
| Big Bruiser |
| Bishop |
| Black Belt |
Black Mage |
| Blood Mage |
| Blue Mage |
| Brainer |
Brigand |
| Brutal Captain |
| Brute |
| Cannoneer |
Captain Charisma |
| Catmancer |
| Changeling |
| Charioteer |
Charismatic Warrior |
| Charlatan |
| Charming Champion |
| Charming Knave |
Charred |
| Chemist |
| Chopper |
| Chosen One |
Chosen Seer |
| Chosen Visitor |
| City Thief |
| Clever Swordsman |
Clever Treasure Hunter |
| Clock Mage |
| Clockpunk |
| Commando |
Conjurer |
| Conniving Thief |
| Cursed Knight |
| Cyborg |
Dancer |
| Dark Knight |
| Dark Blade |
| Dashing Hero |
Daughter of the Earth |
| Defender |
| Detective |
| Devout Acolyte |
Dragon Master |
| Dragoon |
| Drider |
| Driver |
Duelist |
| Dumb Fighter |
| Dwarf |
| Elementalist |
Elf |
| Errant Occultist |
| Explosive Mage |
| Fae |
Fearless Leader |
| Fencer |
| Feral Weirdo |
| Flintlock |
Fool |
| Forgotten Child |
| Fragile Rock Star |
| Freelancer |
Future Warlord |
| Gallant |
| Gambler |
| Geomancer |
Ghost |
| Giant |
| Gifted Dilettante |
| Gladiator |
Goof-off |
| Guardian Angel |
| Gunlugger |
| Gunner |
Gunslinger |
| Half Dragon |
| Halfling |
| Hardholder |
Hawkeye |
| Healer |
| Heir to Legend |
| High-born |
Hocus |
| Holy Warrior |
| Holy Dancer |
| Holy Invoker |
Illusionist |
| Impostor |
| Inquistor |
| Inventor |
Investigator |
| Invoker |
| Jack of All Trades |
| Juggler |
Karate Fighter |
| Knight |
| Knight-at-heart |
| Kung Fu Warrior |
Lady |
| Legendary Hero |
| Little Monster |
| Low-born |
Machinist |
| Mad Oracle |
| Mad Preacher |
| Mad Warlord |
Mage |
| Magic Knight |
| Magical Girl |
| Magician's Apprentice |
Magitek Knight |
| Magus |
| Marksman |
| Martial Artist |
Masked Man |
| Master Tactician |
| Mastermind |
| McGyver |
Medic |
| Mentalist |
| Mentor |
| Merchant |
Merchant Prince |
| Metamorph |
| Mime |
| Mimic |
Monk |
| Monster |
| Moogle Knight |
| Musician |
Mystic |
| Mystic Knight |
| Mystic Maniac |
| Necromancer |
Ninja |
| Noble Druid |
| Noble's Daughter |
| Novice Templar |
Nutjob Cleric |
| Ogre |
| Onion Knight |
| Operator |
Oracle |
| Orator |
| Orc |
| Ordinary Kid in Fantasy World |
Outrider |
| Overlord |
| Patissier |
| Peaceful Monk |
Performer |
| Pilgrim |
| Pilot |
| Pirate |
Plucky Hero |
| Prissy Minstrel |
| Professor |
| Psion |
Punk |
| Puppetmaster |
| Pure Sacrifice |
| Pure Divinity |
Ranger |
| Ravager |
| Red Mage |
| Reformed Bully |
Rogue |
| Ronin |
| Rune Caster |
| Saboteur |
Sacred Machine |
| Sage |
| Salve-Maker |
| Samurai |
Scholar |
| Scientist |
| Scribe |
| Seamstress |
Seer |
| Self-Taught Mage |
| Sentinel |
| Sexy Dynamite |
Sexy Sorceress |
| Shadow |
| Shadow Assassin |
| Shaman |
Shape-shifter |
| Shiny Paladin |
| Skinner |
| Sky Pirate |
Slayer |
| Slimy Cutpurse |
| Sneaky Mage |
| Sniper |
Soldier |
| Sorceress |
| Spell Fencer |
| Spellslinger |
Spiritmaster |
| Spy |
| Squire |
| Star Mage |
Storyteller |
| Striker |
| Summoner |
| Swordmaster |
Synergist |
| Techie |
| Thief |
| Time Mage |
Trickster |
| Troubled Princess |
| Tweaky Shaman |
| Umbral Warrior Mage |
Unrelenting Bard |
| Unrelenting Good |
| Untested Thief |
| Useless Bard |
Vagabond |
| Valkyrie |
| Vampire |
| Vampire Killer |
Vampire Killer |
| Veteran |
| Viking |
| Village Hero |
Wanderer |
| War Diva |
| Warden |
| Warlock |
Warlord |
| Warrior |
| Weapon Expert |
| White Mage |
Wildling |
| Willful Scion |
| Witch |
| Wizard |
Woodsman |
| Would-be Knight |
|
|
Use these tropes to come up with your character concept, as well as your initial set of tags. You can also think about unique items and attributes as another axis of tags. Here are some ideas:
Ace |
| Ambidexterous |
| Attractive |
| Brave |
Commune with Spirits |
| Divine Visions |
| Earth Gadget |
| Fire Breath |
Flight |
| Future Tech |
| Great Store of Wealth |
| Has a Guardian Angel |
Haunted |
| Healing Touch |
| Hunted |
| Item out of Time |
Knowledge out of Time |
| Legendary Sword |
| Linguist |
| Lucky |
Magical Horse |
| Magical Little Friend |
| Magical Sense |
| Mysterious Power |
Noble |
| Oblivious to Manipulation |
| Ridiculously Old |
| Ridiculously Strong |
Royal Privilege |
| Seedy Connections |
| Speak to Animals |
| Special Insight |
Squad of Retainers |
| Sword of Pure Darkness |
| Unique Cybersuit |
| Vanish into another Dimension |
A further way to create interesting characters is to connect them to each other and other people out in the world. Here are some ideas:
A dark power is after them and only you know |
| A dark power sent you to them |
If you don't steal it, someone will come after you |
| They accidentally summoned you |
They are convinced you stole something from them |
| They are actually your parent |
They are destined to sacrifice you |
| They are in great danger |
They are wrong and need to know it |
| They are your biggest fan |
They are your rival |
| They are your sworn protector |
They brought you out of the darkness |
| They constantly undermine you |
They fear you will interfere with their plans |
| They have a crush on you |
They have a magical artifact that affects you |
| They helped you do something shady once |
They killed your family member |
| They know about your true destiny, but you don't |
They need your guidance |
| They owe you for saving their life |
They served you in the last war |
| They showed up on Earth and are responsible for what happened to you |
They took something from you |
| They want you to cast the final ritual |
They welcomed you when you came here for the first time |
| They were apprenticed with you, but weren't as good as you |
What you believe is wrong |
| You accidentally blew something up important to them |
You are siblings |
| You are hopelessly in love with them |
You are obsessed with them |
| You are secretly buddies but publicly enemies |
You had to find them to save the world |
| You have a dark secret that even you don't know |
You know the legend of their past or future |
| You know you must protect them |
You must acquire it at all costs |
| You need it to fulfill your destiny |
You protected them when they were stranded |
| You trained together |
You were commanded to do something you don't want |
| You were friends as kids |
You were lovers |
| You were set up with them, but… |
You were supposed to receive it, but it was denied |
| You've been through thick and thin together |
Your holy quest is to find it |
| Your parents asked them to take care of you |
Another way to think about your character is the dramatic situation they find themselves in. This can define the character, a story, or even the whole campaign.
Abduction |
| Adultery |
Ambition |
| An Enemy Loved |
Comedy |
| Conflict with a God |
Crime Pursued by Vengeance |
| Crimes of Love |
Daring Enterprise |
| Deliverance |
Disaster |
| Discovery of the Dishonor of a Loved One |
Enmity of Kin |
| Erroneous Judgment |
Falling Prey to Misfortune |
| Fatal Imprudence |
Involuntary Crimes of Love |
| Loss of Loved Ones |
Madness |
| Mistaken Jealousy |
Murderous Adultery |
| Necessity of Sacrificing Loved Ones |
Obstacles to Love |
| Obtaining |
Overcoming the Monster |
| Pursuit |
Rags to Riches |
| Rebirth |
Recovery of a Lost One |
| Remorse |
Returners |
| Revolt |
Rivalry of Kin |
| Rivalry of Superior vs Inferior |
Sacrifice for Passion |
| Self-Sacrifice for Kin |
Self-Sacrifice for an Ideal |
| Slayer of Kin Unrecognized |
Supplication |
| The Enigma |
The Quest |
| Tragedy |
Vengeance Taken for Kin Upon Kin |
| Voyage and Return |
4.3 Consequences
The gamemaster should try to use failure to spin new ideas into the story. Don’t just have the obvious thing go wrong, but do something new:
Add a complication |
| Capture someone |
| Provide a clue |
Reintroduce an old foe with a new face |
| Reveal future trouble |
| Reveal some lore |
Take something away |
| Tempt them |
| Withhold, ruin, or replace something they have |
4.4 Actions
When leads take actions, it is more interesting to give the player hard choices for how to put their consequences into the fiction. Here are some templates for different kinds of actions:
Action |
| Fail |
| Partial |
| Success |
Buy Stuff |
| You don't get what you want or can't afford it after you take it and there's retribution. |
|
|
|
|
Defy Danger |
| Fail and face adversity. |
| You're standing, but in trouble. |
| You're safe. |
Help |
| You hinder them. |
|
|
| You help them. |
Kick Butt |
| Fail and be put into danger. |
|
|
|
|
Resist Temptation |
| Indulge |
| Contain yourself, but everyone see's what's going on. |
| You manage to resist and keep it quiet. |
Ritual |
|
|
| Choose 1 result from each list. |
|
|
Run Away |
|
|
|
|
| Get away |
Spout Lore |
|
|
| Some details elude you. |
| You know what's going on. |
Steal |
| You are caught. |
|
|
|
|
Trick |
| They realize what you're doing and are hostile. |
|
|
| They are suckered. |
5 Gamemaster Advice
5.1 Campaigns
Before you start playing, set up the broad outlines of the campaign and the story beats that you will hit. Follow a Three-act structure and model it after a classic narrative structure like the Hero’s journey / Monomyth. Punctuate the acts with the reception of an important new tag for each character that drastically changes their capabilities. Put a few McGuffins on their path that will determine the difficulty of the ordeal, if they fall into the Big Bad’s hands.
Act |
| Stage |
| Description |
| Mechanics |
| Sessions |
Departure |
| The Ordinary World |
| The hero is seen in their everyday life. |
|
| 0.25 | |
| The Call to Adventure |
| The initiating incident of the story. |
| Preview the final threat in some way. Take something important away. |
| 0.25 | |
| Refusal of the Call |
| The hero experiences some hesitation to answer the call. |
| Perhaps have something innocuous be a McGuffin for later. |
| 0.25 | |
| Meeting with the Mentor and Receiving Supernatural Aid |
| The hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to commence the adventure. |
| Give a significant tag from The Mentor who may reappear. |
| 0.25 | |
| Crossing the First Threshold to the Special World into the Belly of the Whale |
| The hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure. |
| Face the Threshold Guardian and receive a minor tag. |
| 1.00 | |
Initiation |
| The Road of Trials: Tests, Allies and Enemies |
| The hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies. |
| This stage could last a long time. Provide a few minor tags as rewards and maybe a McGuffin. |
| 3.00 |
| Meeting with the Goddess and Approach to the Innermost Cave |
| The hero nears the center of the story and the special world |
| Require a McGuffin to find the center and proceed. |
| 1.50 | |
| The Atonement and Ordeal |
| The hero faces the greatest challenge yet and experiences death and rebirth. |
| All of the McGuffins come into play. |
| 1.50 | |
| The Ultimate Boon and Reward |
| The hero experiences the consequences of surviving death. |
| Receive a major tag. |
| 0.50 | |
Return |
| The Road Back |
| The hero returns to the ordinary world or continues to an ultimate destination. |
| Mirror the Road of Trials, but with greater strength. Provide a few minor tags as rewards. |
| 1.50 |
| The Resurrection |
| The hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth so they are pure when they reenter the ordinary world. |
|
| 0.50 | ||
| Return with the Elixir |
| The hero returns with something to improve the ordinary world |
|
| 0.50 |
5.2 Stories
Within each session of play or story, create a Three-act structure within the episode. Within an episode, give out temporary resources or clues that will be used within the story, but are not relevant for the campaign. Finish the story with a tag as a reward or punishment and potentially a McGuffin being handed out.
Act |
| Stage |
| Description |
| Mechanics |
Setup |
| Exposition |
| Connect this story to the last story and place it in the campaign. |
| |
| Dynamic Incident |
| Something happens to shock the leads out of safety. |
| The threat will be faced with but cannot be defeated. Success will give a clue, but not defeat. | |
| Turning Point |
| The leads realize why the threat could not be defeated. |
| This is another opportunity to find a clue without the threat involved. | |
Confrontation |
| Rising Action |
| The situation worsens as attempts to solve the threat fail or another twist is revealed. |
| There is a realization that another clue is necessary. |
| Development |
| The leads develop in some way that prepares them for the climax. |
| The keystone clue is received, or not. | |
Resolution |
| Climax |
| The threat is finally faced and defeated. |
| The clues are finally consumed and disposed of. |
| Falling Action |
| The consequences of success are understood and dealt with. |
| The tag for the reward or punishment is given and the episode is reconnected with the campaign. |
6 Resources
Here are some downloadable files for helping organize your campaign.