PA-Characters

PA-Setting. . . . . . . . PA-System

Time to resurrect some old ideas and put some new varnish on them. I am stealing from Gemini and History With Cards. The rules presented here assume we use Rolemaster as the game system, which will be the case at least during the preliminary playtest.

Premise

Because character unity of purpose is so important, and because a party theme or goal can be central to this unity, my suggestion would create a joint character generation mechanism utilizing cards and roleplaying to craft appropriate backgrounds for the characters and the group itself. It is intended that this would be fun, and this combined with actual character generation nuts and bolts may take an entire session, or at least much of one.

Setup

Each character will be dealt 5 cards from a standard deck. The GM will also have a deck of face down cards. The players will utilize these cards to craft their relationships and generate equipment for the group. Cards are valued in the following manner: 2-9 (1), 10 and face cards (2), Ace (3). The play of cards should be spontaneous, and without table talk. The goal is for this to be fun, and surprises will contribute to that. Do not be afraid to step on the toes of another PC, use these instances to develop rivalries between the characters.

Before card play begins the players will generate a cache of equipment that the PCs will begin the game owning. No matter how the equipment is generated, none of it is assigned to a player at this time. This equipment will be generated from the starting equipment table, so it will be general in nature. This means it will be in the form of 'Melee Weapon' rather than 'Sword'. When someone acquires a piece of equipment, they choose what it is specifically at that time.

The GM will begin by setting the scene. This will give some basics about the local area where the players begin. This is for the origin story only, it does not have to be where they begin the actual game, and play of player cards can alter this significantly. Be creative! Each player will then have the option to play any one card face down, if they wish. This card will be used for prelude activities. During prelude activities players may bind their characters together, gain equipment, or anything else they think is appropriate. All players reveal their cards simultaneously, and from highest to lowest value (ties broken by card rank and then suit as per Deadlands rules) they are resolved.

After the players initial cards are resolved the GM draws a card and plays it face down into the playing area. He will then narrate what this card symbolizes and how it will affect the characters in game. Some cards will have a single value for players to overcome jointly, others will affect all, with the player having the option to counter the effects or let them resolve. In general, to overcome a GM card effect, card(s) with a value equal or greater than the GM card must be played.

Once the GM card is played, players take turns playing cards. These cards can be played for effects or to overcome the effects of the GM cards. All players play their cards face down, simultaneously, and will have a face up card which reveals whether their card will go toward the GM effect or for other card usage. If the color of the played card matches the face up card, it will go toward the GM effect, otherwise it will have an effect chosen from the following list. Table talk is discouraged at this point as well.

Everyone, including the GM, then reveals their cards simultaneously. Those which are overcoming the GM challenge go first, with those players narrating the way they attack the situation, even if their cards are not valuable enough to win. When those players are satisfied with their description, and the GM has participated, those who are performing other actions perform them in order of highest to lowest value.

Characters who are performing other actions are considered to have not participated (or to have been somehow ineffectual) in overcoming the obstacle. However, this should be viewed as an opportunity for party growth, a way for you as players to more deeply understand the characters previous dynamic.

Card Usage

Cards may be used in a number of ways, and what follows is not to be assumed to be an exhaustive list. If a player has a creative idea, the GM will narrate its effect on the fly using these rules as a guideline. Table talk is encouraged during this portion of card play. I think we should try to avoid 'play one on me now, and I will play on you later', but this is not expressly forbidden.

Equipment

If a card is played for equipment, the player describes how the given GM situation led them to acquire a piece of equipment from the cache, and they mark it off the list and take it, generating its quality and inventing any necessary specifics. Alternatively, if the player plays 3 points worth of cards they may choose any piece of equipment in the cache and remove it, and then generate a fully random piece for their character to keep.

--Dieter the Bold 13:49, 16 April 2011 (MST) Can you explain the 3pt. option some more? Is the character getting two pieces of equipment: their choice from the cache & a second randomly generated? I'm not understanding how removing something from the cache & getting something random is worth 3pts., unless player is trying to bogart something or the cache item is truly worthless.

--Jason 19:43, 16 April 2011 (MST) The latter is more what I am thinking. You have some crappy item, lets throw it out and I will take something cool in its place. Another possibility is there are 5 of something. You dont need that many, throw it out, replace it with something else. Still, it might only be worth 2 so I can take that under advisement.

Conflicts

Narrate a relationship building conflict between your character and one other character. It can occur within the current GM obstacle, or outside of it. Each character gains background options equal to the value of the card. Any other player may get their character involved by discarding a card of equal or greater value. This player declares their participation and also collects the same reward.

Vinculum

Create a shared experience or belief between your character and another. Both characters need not perceive or understand the connection in the same way, but they must both know of it. Each character who has a vinculum gains 1 die in their characteristic pool per level of the card. The maximum characteristic number is not increased. Vinculum may be 'me too'-ed with consent of both players.

--Dieter the Bold 13:52, 16 April 2011 (MST) So with character generation of 600+10d10, every vinculum level gives plus 1d10 to that generation?

--Jason 19:44, 16 April 2011 (MST) Yes, to each character. The maximum roll is still 100, but having 12d10 to roll greatly increases the chance of getting up there.

Fate

The player may declare any card with a value 2 or more, 'Fate'. By so doing, that player gets a fate point which may be used during game play at any time to cancel a critical roll or anything else the player desires. This may be immediately given to another player or kept for oneself.

GM Role

During this prelude section the GM will play a total of 4 cards as obstacles. Once those are played, any player with extra cards plays them face down and they are resolved as normal.

Character Generation

In standard Rolemaster character generation, the characters would have 5 or 6 background options and 600+10d10 characteristic pool points. Characters in this game will have 4 background options plus those gained during card play and 600+10d10 characteristic pool points, plus those gained during card play (maximum 100). Background options may be used to take a piece of equipment from the cache, those with the least equipment having the first choice. A player may also spend 2 background options for a random piece of equipment.

Once all players have determined which equipment everyone wants to pay for, the remaining equipment is divided among the characters in however distribution the players can agree on. All equipment must have condition numbers assigned. Assume maintenance to be at maximum for given condition.