Webhead
09-01-2008, 10:50 PM
Die Pool Limit: Unless otherwise noted, the Die Pool Limit for most scenes will be 4. This means that though you may add as many descriptions as you like to your character's actions, you may not gain more than 4 dice each turn. During especially dramatic or epic scenes, the Die Pool Limit may be raised and the players will be notified of such a change when it occurs.
Veto Rights: We are all adults and are here to have fun, so I don't anticipate the need for "veto" occuring often. If, as the GM, I come across descriptions that I feel are in need of veto, I will mark the text in question in red font. I will only invoke veto rights in the interesting of keeping things within the theme, style and conventions of the campaign and to maintain fairness between players. As a player, please feel free to contact me (via private message) if you feel that another players descriptions are not in keeping with the fun and fairness of the game. As I've said, I expect a "veto" to be an exceptionally rare occurance.
Examples of Play:
Non-Conflict Scene: During scenes in which there is no immediate conflict, player turns will be handled by simple prose descriptions. Players are free to describe what their character's immediate interests, actions and directions are and, in a general sense, how they are interacting with the scene.
For this example, let's say that the PC, Hatori, has witnessed the aftermath of a murder and has gone to the Jade Dragon, a local tea house to try to find citizens from whom he might glean important clues. The GM describes that while many of the customers seem relaxed and joyful, one older man, with a long black mustache is sitting alone in a corner, nervously eyeing the door:
As Hatori enters the Jade Dragon, he makes his way to a corner table and orders a cup of his favorite Jasmine tea. He spends a few moments surveying the tea house, examining the behaviors of the patrons carefully and giving discerning glances at the mustached old man. After enjoying a few swallows of hot, fragrant Jasmine, Hatori rises slowly from his seat and approaches the table with the old man.
"May I join you here?", he asks and promptly sits across the table from him. "Forgive me for my interruption but you seem to be a little on edge tonight. Tell me, what's got you so afraid? Perhaps I can help."
Conflict Scene: When conflict breaks out, the pacing will generally change to calling for the description/die pool structure to become active. During each players turn, the player will describe their actions with dramatic license as per the Principle of Narrative Truth. Each element of description should be seperated by a "/" to make it clear and easy for others to see the "breaks" between each element of your actions on a turn. Yin and Yang dice designation should be announced following the description and then the dice roll result.
Here is a sample combat turn of Hatori fighting a group of bandits in the forest outside of town who he discovered to be responsible for the earlier murder. We'll say Hatori has the Earthbender 4 trait:
Hatori levels his staff in an attack stance at the bandit leader, knees bent low and bare feet spread./As two bandit charge at him from flanking positions,/Hatori stomps the ground savagely with his left foot/sending a trembling wave of earth at each, knocking them over/and then makes a powerful thrust with his staff at the leader,/pelting him with melon-sized chunks of rock.
(Yin:2 Yang:2)
* Earthbending *
Dice Result History - [Hide]http://www.penandpapergames.com/forums/clear.gif Monday 09-01-2008 10:54 PM
Test: 4d6 (4,4,1,3 = 12)
It's important to remember that the dice results are counted seperately and not added together. As such, Yin dice will be counted first, followed by Yang dice from left to right. Thus, in the above example, the first and second result (4 and 4) are counted for Yin and the last two (1 and 3) for Yang.
The key to making the best use of description and Narrative Truth is to annouce and detail the action and its immediate consequences or intentions, but to leave the end results a little vague or unfinished to allow for other players or the GM to follow up with appropriate description. As in the example above, it was made pretty clear what Hatori did and how he was directing his action. As in the case of the two charging bandits, it was even stated that Hatori's attack knocked them down. It may be reasonable to assume that his foes where pummeled into submission, rendered unconcious or otherwise, but by purposefully avoiding explicitly stating that end leaves some possibilities open for players and the GM to build on if desired. Likewise, it was stated that the bandit leader was pelted with rocks from Hatori's attack, but it did not state exactly what happened to the foe because of it. Depending on how effective the attack was in rules terms, it may have delivered the final blow or it may just be setting up for the next description. This balance may be a little tricky at first but experience will hopefully prove to be the best guide.
If there are any questions or need for clarification, please let me know.
Veto Rights: We are all adults and are here to have fun, so I don't anticipate the need for "veto" occuring often. If, as the GM, I come across descriptions that I feel are in need of veto, I will mark the text in question in red font. I will only invoke veto rights in the interesting of keeping things within the theme, style and conventions of the campaign and to maintain fairness between players. As a player, please feel free to contact me (via private message) if you feel that another players descriptions are not in keeping with the fun and fairness of the game. As I've said, I expect a "veto" to be an exceptionally rare occurance.
Examples of Play:
Non-Conflict Scene: During scenes in which there is no immediate conflict, player turns will be handled by simple prose descriptions. Players are free to describe what their character's immediate interests, actions and directions are and, in a general sense, how they are interacting with the scene.
For this example, let's say that the PC, Hatori, has witnessed the aftermath of a murder and has gone to the Jade Dragon, a local tea house to try to find citizens from whom he might glean important clues. The GM describes that while many of the customers seem relaxed and joyful, one older man, with a long black mustache is sitting alone in a corner, nervously eyeing the door:
As Hatori enters the Jade Dragon, he makes his way to a corner table and orders a cup of his favorite Jasmine tea. He spends a few moments surveying the tea house, examining the behaviors of the patrons carefully and giving discerning glances at the mustached old man. After enjoying a few swallows of hot, fragrant Jasmine, Hatori rises slowly from his seat and approaches the table with the old man.
"May I join you here?", he asks and promptly sits across the table from him. "Forgive me for my interruption but you seem to be a little on edge tonight. Tell me, what's got you so afraid? Perhaps I can help."
Conflict Scene: When conflict breaks out, the pacing will generally change to calling for the description/die pool structure to become active. During each players turn, the player will describe their actions with dramatic license as per the Principle of Narrative Truth. Each element of description should be seperated by a "/" to make it clear and easy for others to see the "breaks" between each element of your actions on a turn. Yin and Yang dice designation should be announced following the description and then the dice roll result.
Here is a sample combat turn of Hatori fighting a group of bandits in the forest outside of town who he discovered to be responsible for the earlier murder. We'll say Hatori has the Earthbender 4 trait:
Hatori levels his staff in an attack stance at the bandit leader, knees bent low and bare feet spread./As two bandit charge at him from flanking positions,/Hatori stomps the ground savagely with his left foot/sending a trembling wave of earth at each, knocking them over/and then makes a powerful thrust with his staff at the leader,/pelting him with melon-sized chunks of rock.
(Yin:2 Yang:2)
* Earthbending *
Dice Result History - [Hide]http://www.penandpapergames.com/forums/clear.gif Monday 09-01-2008 10:54 PM
Test: 4d6 (4,4,1,3 = 12)
It's important to remember that the dice results are counted seperately and not added together. As such, Yin dice will be counted first, followed by Yang dice from left to right. Thus, in the above example, the first and second result (4 and 4) are counted for Yin and the last two (1 and 3) for Yang.
The key to making the best use of description and Narrative Truth is to annouce and detail the action and its immediate consequences or intentions, but to leave the end results a little vague or unfinished to allow for other players or the GM to follow up with appropriate description. As in the example above, it was made pretty clear what Hatori did and how he was directing his action. As in the case of the two charging bandits, it was even stated that Hatori's attack knocked them down. It may be reasonable to assume that his foes where pummeled into submission, rendered unconcious or otherwise, but by purposefully avoiding explicitly stating that end leaves some possibilities open for players and the GM to build on if desired. Likewise, it was stated that the bandit leader was pelted with rocks from Hatori's attack, but it did not state exactly what happened to the foe because of it. Depending on how effective the attack was in rules terms, it may have delivered the final blow or it may just be setting up for the next description. This balance may be a little tricky at first but experience will hopefully prove to be the best guide.
If there are any questions or need for clarification, please let me know.