I’ve been thinking about Eidolon for awhile now. I haven’t been happy with what I’ve written so far but I think some of the core concepts are solid. This morning an idea hit me and I think I finally know how to make this game. What I am going to do is outline a few bits of game design theory that I’m a big fan of. For some of it I have very specific ideas of how it applies to Eidolon and I’ll outline those as well. If you’re curious with the direction I want to take Eidolon from a game standpoint read on. My plan is to do a second article for Setting Design Principles to go over the key features I want to see in Eidolon’s fiction. I also might expand this later as I start digging more into my mechanics.
Over on the Spooky Outhouse Forums they started a Writing Contest. The rules are:
It’s been a while since we did something like this. The rules are simple. Everybody submits the best, original first line of an original short story or novel they can think of. We’ll pick someone on Sunday to be the winner. I have no idea what that means yet, but it’ll mean something. You have until Sunday. Original Work: something written specifically for this contest.
So, I decided to toss my hat into the ring. I wrote five first lines and one gag first line. Well, here they are. Vote and, if I decide to, I’ll turn it into a complete short story.
I have two standard “Mechanics” that are in effect in any game I ever run. Both are stolen from other games and I would like to thank the creators for putting these genius “rules” down on paper. I reprint them here, with alterations to generic them up, for your consideration.
Let it Ride!
Stolen from Burning Wheel
The Let it Ride! rule says that Game Masters should Let one roll stand for the scenario/situation. Perception tests, Stealth tests, Persuasion tests, any skill or stat that is repeated being tested during a scenario, should be tested once at the beginning. The successes from that test count for the rest of the scenario. But, when conditions change, or players change their course of action, let/make them test anew. If a player succeeds on her Perception test, then that success counts toward all instances where dice would be tossed for Perception for the duration of the scenario until things change. Sometimes that means you will always notice things, whereas other times you will be a dunce. This is not to say you won’t make the same test multiple times, the important thing is that the Game Master describes the scenario changing. No calling for three Stealth tests in a row to sneak across town without explaining why you’re making three rolls.
When your Game Master calls for the SAME roll for a second time without describing how your conditions have changed then its your job to yell out “LET IT RIDE!” and repeat your last results to him. Of course if that first roll was piss poor you might want to just keep your fool mouth shut.
Don’t be a Dick
Stolen from Houses of the Blooded
This rule states that if you find a way to interpret a rule that clearly damages the play environment, sabotages other people’s fun or is just plain nonsensical, don’t use the rule in that way. I fully endorse taking stuff from players who decide to be dicks. Of course, a warning is fair. Sometimes, we get caught up in the drama of the moment. Sometimes, our characters’ motivations seep into our own. Sometimes, those characters we play just get the better of us. But, we have to remember that what we’re doing is building a story, and sometimes, the hero doesn’t win. Sometimes, the hero loses. But then, sometimes, the player is just a dick. Don’t be a dick.
I signed up for a LiveJournal account about a month ago to comment in someone’s journal and make it easier to follow everyone I read regularly. Originally, I planned to completely ignore it and posted my usual re-direct. I use this blog as a writing and project blog, I post weekly entries over at Ideology of Madness about music, I’ve set my mind to not keep a personal diary-esc blog (I’ve done it in the past and always hating going back and reading it again), and then there is the Bear Swarm! site which is purely for the podcast. I don’t really need another blog or journal but this morning and idea hit me and I think I’ll just LiveJournal for it. Almost every single morning I wake up with a song in my head. I have no idea why but in my sleep apparently I listen to music. I’m going to post the song in my head every morning to my LiveJournal. Hopefully finding a music video on YouTube to embed too. We’ll see how long I keep this up for, but I think it’s a fun idea. Today was the first day, I work up with Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer in my head. No idea why, haven’t listened to that song in months.
Loading ...
