The BIG BIG PICTURE -- a totb-inspired role-playing game! by Dave Van Domelen (dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) [with comments/clarifications/additions from Jeremy York, jeremy@stat.cmu.edu] The structure of this game is based on the Better Games system, and is fully owned by them. I don't have legal permission to use it, but then I don't exactly have legal permission to use Beanworld, so if anyone tries to sell this I will catch crap from two sides. [preliminary indications are that they don't mind non-profit uses such as distribution in the newsletter -- jy] That disclaimer out of the way, here's a bare bones system for running a Big-Big-Picture game, as well as an example of a very simplistic gameworld called Bagelworld. [If you're not familiar with games like this, here's how they usually work. One person is the referee or moderator; the rest are the players, each controlling the actions of one (or more) beings in the fantasy world. The players aren't necessarily competing with each other, instead they are acting out a role. Whether they compete or cooperate or something inbetween is up for them to decide, based on the character they want to play. The referee does more than just make rules decisions; he or she also makes up the world that the player characters live in, the adventures/quests/situations that they are faced with, tells the players what their characters can see and hear, and plays the roles of any and all beings that the player characters run into. Can be played with just pencil, paper, and dice, although one may want to use markers or figurines - or Bagels for the Bagelworld!! - to give everyone a better idea of just where characters and objects and so on are located. You might play out just one or two short stories, or play a campaign over an extended period of time, gradually developing the characters, their technology, their world...] [Also note - examples are often given from the Beanworld. This isn't because Dave or I think that the game should be played as a TOTB imitation, it's more because you'll all be able to recognize what we mean. A good role-playing game is a collaboration between the referee and the players which results in a fun story. I think I speak for both of us when I say that it's a lot more fun to make up your own story rather than re-create someone else's.] I. TRAITS: Traits are measures of something a character does better than other characters do, and in simpler worlds defines who they are. Players choose one trait for their character, two with Referee permission. Traits cannot be lost or gained, with the exception of Latent, which changes to another Trait when the character Breaks Out (note that I will use terms specific to Beanworld, but you may wish to modify them for your world). The traits are: A. Hero - Person has enhanced combat and leadership skills, and often leads the community. Only beings with this trait can have Hero skills. B. Artificer - Able to invent, using the 'local' technology and resources. Often will have a title reflecting the primary product made. Only beings with this skill may have Artificer skills. C. Shaman - Able to commune with some higher power, not necessarily the Spiritual Leader. Sometimes this trait is found in combination with another. No skills come with this trait, but bonuses to the Everybody skill of Commune are given. D. Artist - Being is creative in an aesthetic way, as opposed to the practical creativity of the Artificer. Often more intuitive than other beings in the community. Artist skills are available to those with this trait, but those without this trait can usually still appreciate art and even use it to a lesser degree. This trait either implies that no one else in the community is an artist yet, or that this being is a true Master of the craft in the case of more complex worlds. Visual and literary arts come with this trait. E. Musician - Like Artist, but with the spoken or sung word. Able to inspire others to action and renew the spirit. Only class able to use the Music skills fully (others can sing, but Musicians can Sing, if you catch my drift). F. Latent - Has no traits yet, but can develop them later. Those without the Latent trait will never Break Out. II. SKILLS: A. Everybody Skills These are skills that anyone can learn. All players start with one Everybody Skill, and can learn more later. 1. Gather - Ability to effectively gather the local food source. Able to judge where the richest parts are and how to get the most in the least time. [Degree to be decided by referee, depending on how hard this part of the hunt is in the game world.] 2. Attack - Ability to fend off hostiles or initiate such hostilities. Degree is Simple, and inflicts a Scratch wound. 3. Commune - Ability to talk to the Spiritual Leader and ask advice or aid. No roll needed, and the Referee decides how and if the plea is answered. However, Shamen can actually hold conversations with other worldly beings under limited conditions. Referee decides who and how. This being usually has the upper hand and dictates the terms. If the being is the Spiritual Leader, the Referee must be very careful, perhaps making the Shaman a non-player character (NPC) so the players can't try to find out too much. Most beings start with Gather, then Attack, then Commune. Other skills are possible in more complex worlds, like Operate Computer. B. Hero Skills 1. Hero's Mighty Blow - Ability to strike mighty blows, this skill is enhanced if the Hero has a Special Weapon. Without the Weapon, the Degree is Tasking and delivers a Krink'l wound. With the Weapon, a Krink'l is Degree Difficult, and a Krump'l is Degree Tasking (I'll explain the wounds and Degrees in the next section). 2. Tactics - Ability to organize successful hunts, and knowledge of what makes a hunt successful, like catching the Sprout-butt on the foist bounce. Referee call as per situation. [If the Hero has planned a surprise or ambush, and has explained it to his troups, the referee might also give all the troops bonuses on die rolls for the fight if the Hero successfully uses this skill] 3. Warning - Heroes can often sense danger before it hits, giving them time to fight it. However, they are also overcautious at times too, and see false danger. Degree Difficult to gauge if something is dangerous, but the player doesn't roll, the Referee does, and doesn't show the player. If the roll is unsuccessful, the Referee gives a false answer. Of course, the danger may be way down the road, so even a successful roll won't always bring the right answer right now. Heroes usually start the game Broken Out, and with all three skills. However, should the Hero die, a new one may Break Out, and will start with only one of these skills. C. Artificer Skills 1. Invent - Ability to make a totally new tool. Degree is Tasking and the attempt takes a full day. Often the invention takes several days. Referee may deem the invention impossible. 2. Build - Ability to make more of a known thing. Success is automatic [for a simple thing], but the attempt usually takes a fair amount of time. [More complex things may require the player to roll, Degree to be decided by the referee] 3. Repair - Ability to fix a broken object, takes less time than Build, but is Degree Difficult, to represent that some things are beyond repair. 4. Deduce - Ability to make logical conclusions. Degree Difficult and the player gets some sort of logically following clue from Referee. All Artificers start at Invent. Once they have successfully used the skill once, they may Build and Repair anything they have invented, but not anything they haven't invented. To build copies of another Artificer's inventions requires a successful Invent roll on the object. Deduce must be gained later by the being. D. Artist Skills 1. Representational Visual Art - What Beanish does. Degree Simple to create something recognizable (to most), Difficult to make it also inspire emotion. 2. Abstract Visual Art - art aimed at producing an emotion more than a specific image. Degree Simple to create, but viewers must make a Simple roll to get the message. 3. Writing - Blurs into the Musician skills, ability to convey meaning or emotion by the spoken or written word. Storytelling. Most Artists will focus on one of these, but may later develop others. E. Musician Skills 1. Sing - sing a song that gets others inspired or caught up in the music, also the ability to compose poems and simple stories. 2. Play - Play and instrument to complement a song or for its own effect. 3. Invent Instrument - Specific version of the Artificer skill, this allows the Musician to craft instruments out of local technology. Beginning Musicians start with Sing, then Invent Instrument, then Play Instrument. F. Funky Powers: These are abilities that really don't specifically belong to any Trait, but should be rare, often kept to Referee-played characters. How they work depends on the world in question and the Trait of the user. For example, Heal is possessed by the Boom'rs in Beanworld, but in Bagelworld the Artist uses it. 1. Heal - Ability to heal Krink'l and Krump'l wounds. No roll required, but the worse the injury the longer the time it takes. However, this is faster than natural healing, and free of complications. It may require constant attantion by the Healer (like the Boom'rs) or one act followed by a healing period. 2. Heyoka - I have no idea what this really does yet, but it's Funky fer sure. [One thing that Heyoka's did in native american society was to help the others through hard times, by being a clown or otherwise distracting them from their situation. Such as, during a hard winter when food is scarce, a Heyoka might pretend that they are making a big pot of stew with just snow. If the Heyoka's act was convincing enough, the imaginary stew just might feed the tribe!] 3. Movement - Being in question can move in ways or environments not normal to his race. A flying bean, for example, or a burrowing bagel. 4. New View - Experiences reality differently. May be unable to appreciate art and music but be unafraid of strange lightning, for example. Has its up side and down side, but allows a different way of seeing things. Heyokas often have New View, and some Heroes do. Artists might, but this can interfere with the appreciation of the Art by others, and a rejection of the Break Out. Add others as you see fit. III. ROLLING All rolls are made with 2 eight-sided dice [available in many hobby stores; abbreviated as 2d8]. If you absolutely can't scrape up any d8s, use three six-siders and subtract one, the balance will be similar. DEGREE SUCCESS FAILURE WHOOPS! ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ Simple 8 or more 7-2 1 or less Difficult 10 or more 9-3 2 or less Tasking 12 or more 11-5 4 or less Limit 15 or more 14-8 7 or less You may note that no skill has Degree Limit. This is because things that are this hard are rarely things you can train for or even expect. Limit rolls should only be made very rarely. [Note that the Referee is free to make up special rules in advance or on the spot, such as bonuses or penalties on die rolls. This should be done fairly, and in a way that keeps the game fun and helps the story move well] 1. Whoops When this result is obtained from a roll, things have gone Horribly Wrong. They may still work kinda, but have nasty side effects. For example, hitting the Hoi Polloi in the tongue was a Whoops, since it set the HP thrashing. Also, whenever Proffy got herself stuck in gunk'l'dunk it was a Whoops. [Or when the Boomer band first tried making music with the mystery pods resulting in the exhausting Clang Twang!] 2. Success/Failure [Self explanatory for most skills or attacks; however, it's up to the players and the referee to make the game more colorful by embellishing a success or failure with a more detailed description of what happened. Saying things such as "oof! Well, I built a new pluckin' wand, but I forgot to make it so that you could open and close it!" or "Hah hah! Hit that Hoi Polloi right in the nose!" instead of just "ok, I rolled a 7, I failed" makes the game more fun. Also, the referee could decide that rolling higher than what was needed by a certain amount gives a better result in some way.] IV. COMBAT Of course, combat is not the real focus of this game, but it happens sometimes, and the Hunt should be played through at least once every few games. [There's room for an individual referee to make up lots of rules here for his or her particular world - imagine the spear fling'n flank'rs. How many spears can they throw in a round? How far can they throw the spears? Are there special spears that fly farther or hurt the enemy more? Etc. However, this isn't a wargame, and the referee should add in only what's necessary here -- enough so that a confrontation is fair, so that everyone can vividly imagine what's going on and avoid any fierce but silly arguments about whether or not something is possible or not] 1. Rounds [Combat is split into a sequence of rounds, which are themselves] split into three sections, called Phases. The first is the Advantage Phase, in which players may attack. These attacks happen in any order, or as determined by the Hero's Tactics. Next is the Opponent Phase, in which opponents attack or whatever. After this is the Responsive Phase. If a player choses to not attack in the Advantage, he may take actions now, either defensive or Gathering. After the Responsive Phase would come a new round, and the cycle repeats. In general, the players always have the option of attacking first (unless the foes attack them by surprise) or waiting. The Responsive phase is for all actions not of an attack nature; if the players and/or referee invent some defensive skills, this is where they would be used. Beans don't seem to have defensive skills, while Bagels might learn to let attacks go through their center hole. Of course, with his knowledge of tactics, the Hero can attempt to organize his side's actions: "Okay, flank'rs Fling! Now, everyone else move in with the Tickl'rs!" 2. Wounds There are three types of wounds: Scratch, Krink'l and Krump'l. Scratches are minor wounds that recover with a little rest and some food. Krink'ls take longer to heal and often are physically impairing. If a being takes a Krink'l wound and isn't a Hero, they lose their action the next round, and suffer a penalty of -3 to dice rolls until the Krink'l heals. Krump'ls will take out any but a Hero, who suffers the penalties of the Krink'l. Those suffering a Krump'l will die without immediate help in Mortal worlds, and will be out of the action for a long time in Non-Mortal ones. The number of wounds of any kind a being can suffer before they "overflow" to more severe wounds is determined by their Traits. Ones with no traits (non-players) can take one Scratch before Scratches become Krink'ls, and one Krink'l before Krink'ls become Krump'ls. So three Scratches will Krump'l a non-player being. [1/1/0] Artists, Musicians and Artificers can take two Scratches before a Scratch becomes a Krink'l, [and one Krink'l before a Krink'l becomes a Krump'l], but are usually not in harm's way. [2/1/0] Heroes can take three Scratches before a Scratch becomes a Krink'l, two Krink'ls before a Krink'l becomes a Krump'l, and two Krump'ls before they are Killed (or whatever in Non-Mortal worlds) [3/2/2] [As an example, suppose that an Artificer is attacked. If she is scratched three times, the first two just count as scratches; the third one will overflow, and count as a Krink'l. If she is scratched once more, it would count as a Krump'l! Better get her away from danger!] 3. The Opposition As well as whatever exists to complicate the Hunt, there are often other threats in the world to deal with. For their attacks, simply determine what a roll of 2d8 means. For example: Hoi Polloi: 15+ = Krump'l 10-14 = Krink'l 6- 9 = Scratch 5- = Miss They also need Overflow tables, to determine how many Scratches are needed to make a Krink'l, and if needed, how many Krink'ls make a Krump'l. The Opposition should feel the effect of pain from Krink'ls if they are not meant to be killed (due to being needed in the ecosystem). So once more, Hoi Polloi: (2/2/2) means 2 Scratches before a Scratch becomes a Krink'l, 2 Krink'l's before a Krink'l becomes a Krump'l, and 2 Krump'l's before death. So three spears hitting will cause a Krink'l when the third one overflows. Of course, even a Scratch may cause a Hoi Polloi to flinch (say, if a spear fling'r rolled to Attack, and rolled 3 higher than what she needed, the Hoi Polloi might flinch and do nothing that round) As in the example, you may have special notes on the being's behavior. Also see that 7 Scratches can kill a Hoi Polloi...pop pop. Here's another example: Poppers: 7 or more = Scratch 6 or less = Miss Wounds: (1/1/0) (instantly killed by a Krump'l) Notes: These guys attack by swarming, and alot of Scratches can add up to a Krump'l...and they know it. V. THE HUNT This is going to be the toughest thing to set up about your world. It needs a set of checks and balances, as well as rewards and punishments. It can be broken up into the following elements: The Gift, The Trek, The Encounter and The Harvest. A. The Gift: This is the input into the environment from the Spiritual Leader, the fuel that keeps things going. Often the manner in which the Gift is received is important to the success of the Hunt and/or the quality of the food obtained. B. The Trek: Getting to the site of the food can be simple or arduous. For the Beans it's simple, for the Bagels it's tough. C. The Encounter: Once you're at the food site, there will be someone or something that keeps you from getting it. This must be overcome or the food cannot be gotten. D. The Harvest: Either a quick grab while the Opposition is Krink'led or a leisurely picking after they have been driven off or overcome. However, often time is of the essence, requiring skill and tools. Some time during the Hunt, the Gift is given to someone and ensures food later on. [Since it's not appropriate for all characters to go along on the hunt, it might be good to let a person play a rank-n-file soljer while their regular character stays at home; this way everyone gets to participate] [Of course, the cycle of the Hunt could be completely different for your world!] VI. SPIRITUAL LEADER: The Referee plays the part of the Spiritual Leader, who may be talkative or secretive. This is the catchall plot device, and can initiate events the players either can't or don't initiate. However, it shouldn't run things too directly or greatly. Free will is important for role-play, and we can assume that more interfering SL's are in Other worlds. VII. DA JOIKS: Also plot devices (although a separate game might deal with them), they can interfere to make life interesting. [I think a game that just dealt with Joiks going on journeys to deliver propellant and the like could be pretty neat!] VIII. ADVANCEMENT This isn't a competitive, point mongering type of game. There are really only three ways to advance [that is, improve your skills, your ability to survive wounds, your general effectiveness, etc]. The first is to develop your character's personality, and this is the most important way. Secondly, new skills can be developed if the player ROLE-PLAYS the learning of the skill and the Referee and other players agree he has come up with a good way of doing it. It is helpful to put a new twist on the skill. For example, if a Bagel wants to learn Heal, he'd better find a really neat way to use ropes (local tech) and berries (local food) to do it, and also tie it in with his Trait. The final way is to Break Out. IX. BREAKING OUT There are two roleplaying reasons to have a player Break Out during play. The first is for the sake of roleplaying the Break Out, which can take up an entire session quite easily. The other is that the player doesn't know what he wants for a trait and chooses Latent. After a few games, the player finds his niche and Breaks Out. One other reason for a Break Out is the introduction of a new player to the group, who will usually be a NPC being just Breaking Out, but this is a logistic reason, not a roleplaying one. }-> A being Breaking Out should not exactly duplicate another player who is already Broken Out. So if there are already an Artificer and a Hero, a player may not become that. However, Artist and Musician allow for different styles and media, and Shaman allows for different beings being contacted. Note on Shaman: If no one decides at the beginning to be a Shaman, the Referee should select one player to eventually Break Out a second time and become the Shaman. But this need not be a public Break Out, or even an obvious one. X. DIFFERENT WORLDS: Although designing your world will be a rather complex task, especially designing a playable one, there are a few simple decisions you must make to start off. [Although the world could be completely defined and described by the referee, a more satisfying game might start with all the players and the referee brainstorming about the game world and its inhabitants. The referee could then go off and mull things over, take the best ideas (and the ones he never mentioned out loud -- important to keep a sense of mystery in the game for the players!) and weave them together.] A. Mortality: Does anyone really die? Can they die but they never seem to? Do they drop like flies? B. Spiritual Leader: How much day-to-day influence, what it looks like, how it communicates and gives the Gift, what it's name is, etc. C. Reproduction: Pod'l'pool, spontaneous, sexual, asexual budding, lower life forms Break Out, etc... D. Morality: is there one? How complicated are the beings? Are they naive or worldly? How do they usually deal with dilemmas? [It's important that the players and the referee have a good consensus on this one. If the referee thinks the characters should be naive and honest for the game to work as she imagines it, and the players want to play characters that are very crafty and sneaky, things are not going to work well] E. Accessibility: determine how often beings from Other worlds will pop in, as well as the Jerks and Aztec Ace.... F. Movement: land, sea, air, underground, etc. What is standard for each of the types of being. G. Dimensions: fully 3-D or only partly? Beanworld is kinda 2-D in that rings can protect the Chow, but kinda 3-D in that you can hide behind things and miss Hoi Polloi. This can set the flavor of the world. H. Physical Laws: do things fall? Do *all* things fall or just some? What can violate which laws? I. Resources: What exists to make things from, and what likely things can be made. XI. EXAMPLE: BAGELWORLD The world is a flat plain with a tall spire called the Spike, which is the Spiritual Leader. It is very uncommunicative. Trees float through the air at the level of the top of the Spike. The World has a definite edge, and if you cross it you come out on the other side of the world. The whole thing is a square about a mile on a side with Spike in the center. The trees drift very slowly, about a foot per second, and bear fruit called Berries. Living in the trees are Snakebirds, basically tubes with eyes and the ability to slither through the air. They guard their home trees and must be driven off to Harvest the Berries. The Hero is Zygnatz, a Bagel twice the size of the others. The Artificer is the Ropemaker, and is named Twine. No Artists or Musicians exist yet. The other Bagels all look the same, basically large bagels with arms and legs, and eyes above their hole. The hole is their mouth, and moves as they speak. Technology is currently just Ropes, made from tree roots. The Hunt goes like this. On a Hunt day, Spike extrudes a small spike at its side, at the level of the Hero's hole. He moves around the small spur and tries to break it off by twisting sideways. If it comes off on the first try, that's a good omen. The larger the spur, the better the Berries that will result from it. After getting the spur, the Hero and others climb Spike to the level of the trees. Ropers will tie ropes to the top of Spike and to themselves, and jump at a tree all at once, as will the Hero. Then they must fight off the snakebirds long enough for the other Bagels to cross the ropes to the tree, which will then start sinking from the weight. Sometimes the snakebirds batter a Bagel off and he falls to the ground for a Krink'l. Once the 'birds have all been driven off, the ropes are cut and the tree drifts to the ground where it immediately takes root. The Berries are harvested and taken back to eat, and the spur is driven into the ground to feed the tree so it will make more Berries. After a day the spur is gone and the tree detaches from its roots and floats back up. Twine goes out and fetches the roots, which he can make into rope. Snakebirds: 15+ = Dislodge Bagel to fall for a Krink'l 10-14 = Scratch 9- = No Damage or miss Wounds: (1/1/1) Notes: The snakebird will flee if it receives a Krink'l. They should not be killed, since when they eat the leaves of the trees the denuded spot is replaced by a Berry. The players will not know this at first. Also, new Bagels are born when a Snakebird eats its own tail and assumes a Bagel shape. New Snakebirds are born when a Bagel dies and uncurls. Nice closed system, eh? If a Snakebird is killed, it is not replaced, so watch those Krump'l attacks, okay? Of course, this world as it is has little roleplaying opportunity. It would take a disruptive influence to do that, something that perhaps kills Snakebirds, or causes the Spike to droop below the tree level. It would be a world for intermittent games, not a campaign. XII. THE FUTURE OF THE BIG-BIG-PICTURE GAME [There are lots of worlds beside the Beanworld in the Big-Big-Picture -- remember all those different shaped influences we saw in #19? I hope all of the above acts as "propellant" to fuel your imagination, maybe resulting in a brand new Pod'l'Pool world of your own creation! I will gladly devote as much space as needed in Gunk'l'dunk to refinements of this game, ideas for worlds, adventures, quests, and so on. Maybe at some point some of us will be at the San Diego convention, or some similar event, and we can give the game a try! Address any comments, suggestions, complaints, and ideas to both Dave and I. Happy role-playing!]