Post by cosmichunter on Apr 3, 2016 16:43:02 GMT -5
So, I wasn't sure how active this board has been, as I have been away for far too long myself. Though I still love P&P, and although I haven't been able to play it as much as I would like that hasn't stopped me from thinking up some various additives based on some of my favorite source material. One of the things that I came up with was a third resource that works alongside Resolve and Adversity, but instead of taking away from either it was sort of envisioned to create an extra piece to keep both flowing in instances where both Resolve and Adversity can potentially dry up.
**** WARNING ****
This is just an idea. This idea has not been play tested, let alone finalized. It is more narrative than mechanical, and thus its use is heavily dependent on the gamemaster and the players, as well as the style of game being played! I warned you...
Drama Pool
Along with resolve and adversity there is a third meta-currency that is applied called the Drama pool. How often does it occur that heroes argue amongst themselves? How often is it that these heroes disagree on the right course of action to take in a given situation? This is common in a lot of comic stories where individuals from varying walks of life interact with one another. This is where the Drama pool comes in. Unlike resolve, which is a pool that the players take points out of, players can actively put points into the Drama pool to achieve the same effects of spending resolve. Unlike resolve though, in order to put a token into the Drama pool you have to justify it somehow, and how the action it is being used for, could create conflict, either between party members or between the character and an npc/npcs. If an action isn't justifiable under these conditions the effect is not granted, and no point is added to the Drama pool. You may be wondering why this is a bad thing? Well every four points in the drama pool gives 1 adversity to the gamemaster, as the heroes are too busy arguing amongst themselves or others around them to really deal with the tasks at hand that need to be solved. Then, for every eight points of drama in the pool a special Drama break occurs, where (depending on in what type of scene the events occurred), the characters clash (verbally, physically, or otherwise) in an attempt to gain immediate resolution to the situation. This scene then depletes the Drama pool by two, as the scene shifts to represent the lessening of tension in the scenario. Should the pool ever get to the point where there are 16 points of drama, a major break occurs which could be as earth shattering as characters quite teams, (temporarily or permanently), or worse depending on the type of Superhero game being played.
Characters can lower the pool by taking special "spontaneous" interludes called: Resolutions, where they actively attempt to deal with the tension amongst themselves or npcs, and attempt some form of well...resolution. For every character involved in a resolution that adds something of value, a point is removed from the drama pool. For every two points removed in this way, a point of resolve is added to the resolve pool. Now, what does it mean to resolve and to add something of vale to the resolution? Much like a lot of aspects of the Drama Pool these resolutions do not have to be "everyone gets along now" or even "I understand you", they can be those, however some of the better resolutions in an early part of a storyline occur where two characters clash over ideals, and neither of them actually budge or compromise, yet they come to an odd new form of understanding. In a more lighthearted game, perhaps this changes the way one hero thinks about a subject, a sort of "I never thought of it that way..." Sort of moment. In more serious, or darker games these can be anything like direct physical confrontations, shouting matches, or even down to dramatic moments of a hundred yard stares, if your playing that sort of game. Remember though, the players and gamemaster have to agree on what is a "valuable" inclusion to a situation, and that thing of value has to move towards some resolution. Just because neither hero is confirmed to be right in their convictions at the end of the scene does not mean there wasn't some form of resolution taking place. Also dependent on the type of game you are going for, a show of force and some truths about npcs coming to light may not make the non-killing dark avenger agree with the punishment driven vigilante, but it sure shows where everyone stands.
**** WARNING ****
This is just an idea. This idea has not been play tested, let alone finalized. It is more narrative than mechanical, and thus its use is heavily dependent on the gamemaster and the players, as well as the style of game being played! I warned you...
Drama Pool
Along with resolve and adversity there is a third meta-currency that is applied called the Drama pool. How often does it occur that heroes argue amongst themselves? How often is it that these heroes disagree on the right course of action to take in a given situation? This is common in a lot of comic stories where individuals from varying walks of life interact with one another. This is where the Drama pool comes in. Unlike resolve, which is a pool that the players take points out of, players can actively put points into the Drama pool to achieve the same effects of spending resolve. Unlike resolve though, in order to put a token into the Drama pool you have to justify it somehow, and how the action it is being used for, could create conflict, either between party members or between the character and an npc/npcs. If an action isn't justifiable under these conditions the effect is not granted, and no point is added to the Drama pool. You may be wondering why this is a bad thing? Well every four points in the drama pool gives 1 adversity to the gamemaster, as the heroes are too busy arguing amongst themselves or others around them to really deal with the tasks at hand that need to be solved. Then, for every eight points of drama in the pool a special Drama break occurs, where (depending on in what type of scene the events occurred), the characters clash (verbally, physically, or otherwise) in an attempt to gain immediate resolution to the situation. This scene then depletes the Drama pool by two, as the scene shifts to represent the lessening of tension in the scenario. Should the pool ever get to the point where there are 16 points of drama, a major break occurs which could be as earth shattering as characters quite teams, (temporarily or permanently), or worse depending on the type of Superhero game being played.
Characters can lower the pool by taking special "spontaneous" interludes called: Resolutions, where they actively attempt to deal with the tension amongst themselves or npcs, and attempt some form of well...resolution. For every character involved in a resolution that adds something of value, a point is removed from the drama pool. For every two points removed in this way, a point of resolve is added to the resolve pool. Now, what does it mean to resolve and to add something of vale to the resolution? Much like a lot of aspects of the Drama Pool these resolutions do not have to be "everyone gets along now" or even "I understand you", they can be those, however some of the better resolutions in an early part of a storyline occur where two characters clash over ideals, and neither of them actually budge or compromise, yet they come to an odd new form of understanding. In a more lighthearted game, perhaps this changes the way one hero thinks about a subject, a sort of "I never thought of it that way..." Sort of moment. In more serious, or darker games these can be anything like direct physical confrontations, shouting matches, or even down to dramatic moments of a hundred yard stares, if your playing that sort of game. Remember though, the players and gamemaster have to agree on what is a "valuable" inclusion to a situation, and that thing of value has to move towards some resolution. Just because neither hero is confirmed to be right in their convictions at the end of the scene does not mean there wasn't some form of resolution taking place. Also dependent on the type of game you are going for, a show of force and some truths about npcs coming to light may not make the non-killing dark avenger agree with the punishment driven vigilante, but it sure shows where everyone stands.