Les Ombres d'Esteren - Forum officiel

So, I'm fiddling about with my own RPG setting and I like what S0E does as far as attributes goes (the Ways) but there isn't as much detail there as I'd prefer precisely.

Imagine, if you will, three intersecting lines that represent Mind, Body, and Emotion. At either ends of a particular line is the most extreme example of that attribute; the yin and yang. They might look like:

Body:

Brute---------Lithe

Mind:

Rational---------Intuitive

Emotion:

Compassion---------Indifference

There are both mechanical and role-playing consequences for wherever you are on a line. Like with SoE, your position also says something about your personality. So the concepts are similar in that regard (like I said, this is SoE-inspiried). Where this diverges, however, is in the role-playing application of the system.

SoE says that if you, for example, have a high Combativeness that is indicative of certain personality traits. What I propose to do is add a mechanic to that role-playing aspect that can be triggered.

So, you're Conan. That's on the Brute end of "Body," right? Well, this physical task requires grace. It needs Mikhail Baryshnikov. Conan is not Mikhail Baryshnikov. They're each both very physically able men, but in completely different ways. Since Conan's physicality is so removed from grace, the task requiring "Lithe" more than "Brute," Conan is actually at a mechanical penalty for attempting it.

It's so outside of how he's trained his body it's actually more difficult for him than it would be for someone with a more average build but my no means Mikhail Baryshnikov either.

This process would follow for each of the other lines as well. For "Mind," a task that requires a gut feeling would be very difficult for a person trained to think very analytically. An "Emotion" task that requires someone to truly get into the shoes of someone less fortunate than them would be difficult for someone who is normally aloof about life.

And there would be mechanical penalties to account for these role-playing situations.

Furthermore, it may be possible for an NPC to "ping" where you're at on a line and use it for their advantage. Likewise, a PC may do the same to an NPC. For example, King McDudeguy looks at Conan and is able to deduce very quickly what he's about. Conan is obviously near "Brute" and, likely, nearer to "Indifferent" than "Compassion' on the Emotion scale. Probably near "Intuitive" too on the Mind line.

Knowing these things it could be possible to tickle them in order to convince Conan over to his way of thinking on a matter. Conan may be putty in King McDudeguy's hands.

Anyway, this is all very, very rough and early stuff. Since it draws from some of the things SoE does I thought I'd get feedback from the fans.

Seems to be interesting and elegant...


... even if I don't see concretly how you manage the value and role dices...


Anyway, I can only encourage you to go further to see how it will function !

Iris a écrit :Seems to be interesting and elegant...


... even if I don't see concretly how you manage the value and role dices...


Anyway, I can only encourage you to go further to see how it will function !

I believe there are gradients between the two extreme values. Which means the median will likely be zero - if it's an option that can be chosen at all. I'm leaning toward the latter. I don't think people work like that. Not heroes/adventurers anyway.

So:

Brute 4-3-2-1-null-1-2-3-4 Lithe

The numerical value of a task you attempt that leans toward what you're adept in will count as a bonus. Notches away may be penalties. But I'm thinking only if they cross past null.

Or not. I could see two notches back represents a -1 to a roll. Does a notch or two forward mean a bonus? I don't know.

Not quite sure what a complete die roll would look like yet. I need to play with this some more. The initial idea has me intrigued.

The concept indeed seems like it may be an enticing way to encourage Players to make decisions regarding what aspects of their Characters they want to stress in particular. However, before I have a more definite opinion to formulate, I need to see a more defined system, since this one is still very rough, as you said it yourself.

However, one issue I have so far is that some of the alternatives in characteristics seem rather unjustified. Indeed, you have to choose between being a Brute, and being Lithe. What of someone who could be both at the same time, like an Olympic gymnast? Will such a Character necessarily have to choose the median point between Brute and Lithe, thus being unproficient in both fields?

The lines are meant to represent different extremes of the same coin (for lack of a better word). So, in the case of Brute/Lithe, an Olympic gymnast could certainly be on the lithe end of the spectrum, in my opinion. What exact numerical value would need to be determined.

Using the Conan/Mikhail Baryshnikov comparison, if they each represent the extremes, I think a gymnast is a lot closer to the latter.

And I don't mean to say just because one occupies one end of the spectrum means they're incompetent on the other... though I may be saying that in retrospect. I think proclivities for a certain line may grant bonuses across some larger skill groups.

So, progress to a certain point and you may get natural bonuses to doing things both ends should be adept at, thus representing the PCs overall natural, to continue with the "Body" example, physicality.

I think being null in a line represents either disability or willful neglect. It's possible, but I don't think PCs should ever be allowed to occupy that space simply because they're cut from a different cloth than most people. They're proactive, they're out there doing things normal people can't or won't. So they must develop along the lines as simply a matter of course because they should be getting challenged in those areas over and over.

To put it plainly: PCs cannot be null on a line because they're forced to act, one way or the other, constantly.

I have further thoughts on this system. I wrote them up in an email to a friend that I will now post. I'd like feedback. This is what I wrote:

Anyway, as we both like Fate, and I like what the dice in Edge of the Empire do, I was thinking about stealing from them too.

We have the three lines (or axes) of Mind, Body, and Emotion (Soul didn't feel quite right, but whatever). On the ends of each of these axes are their respective yin and yang. Between them are gradations from the middle (represented by null - PCs cannot have a null value. NPCs, however can.) These gradations from null to either yin or yang have mechanical and role-playing consequences.

You know all of this already. I think. So here's where I steal from Fate:

Each of these axes will be summarized by an aspect. A one sentence summary of what that position on the axis means to this PC. Unlike Fate, however, these aspects can and will change as the PC moves along an axis. People change. What was important yesterday, even character defining, may no longer be. Why shouldn't the aspect reflect this?

And now here's where I steal from Edge of the Empire:

A PC may invoke an aspect they have to add a D6 to a roll. But this D6 is like the Advantage die from EotE. 1-3 will allow a PC to make a narrative declaration about what is happening (within reason) that the GM must honor. 4-5 does nothing. 6 means the GM gets to make a declaration.

On the flip side the GM can tag a PC aspect to roll a D6 of his own, like a Setback die. Players may also do the same to NPCs. I think the GM D6 will be weighted in the player's favor: 1-2 GM declaration. 3-5 null value. 6 Player declaration.

I don't believe something like Fate points will be exchanged back and forth to do these things, though I'm not ruling it out. In my head it works like EotE where if tagging an aspect makes sense to the GM and players, it can happen.

This means this back and forth of tagging aspects will be frequent. I think that's a good thing.

I like your idea, but just because it kind of bugs me, I'd like to add: It seems you've got the Conan character all wrong. He actually is not a muscled brute, but a very dexterous, nimble fighter and master thief, able to sneak, jump and fight 'with the grace of a panther'.

K2K a écrit :I like your idea, but just because it kind of bugs me, I'd like to add: It seems you've got the Conan character all wrong. He actually is not a muscled brute, but a very dexterous, nimble fighter and master thief, able to sneak, jump and fight 'with the grace of a panther'.

You are describing the Howard version of the character. I was describing the Schwarzenegger version. I know the two are different in many regards.