The following rules are purely optional, available for your use if you are intrigued. If your group chooses not to use these rules, you’ll be fine. These options are for those with different tastes.
The Cards:
In this option, everyone creates their characters together. After starting chargen - after the choice of the character’s Apprenticeship and before the choice of a first Profession template - deal out a hand of five standard playing cards to each player, placing the rest face down on the table in a stack. These cards are used to meddle with each other’s characters. The suits each do a different thing:
Clubs
Clubs are played to block a character from taking a template, due to social or familial pressures.
Hearts
Hearts are played to force a character to choose a specific template (if qualified) so as to follow a romantic interest.
Spades
Spades are played to force a radical change by passing all characters one player to the left around the table - interpreted as coercion by the law, government, or enemies.
Diamonds
Diamonds are played to block another card. Diamonds can block any card of an equal or lower value, no matter what suit. Place the diampond on top of the card to be blocked, indicating ist is no longer in force.
When to Play a Card:
All characters are advanced one template together, until there are no more points to spend. Players announce what template they intend to take before cards are played. Cards may be played or not as the players decide, and players may play as many cards as wanted per round. Once all cards have been resolved, a template is taken for each character, and a new round starts
Defining Plays Option
When a player places a card down, a bit of backstory must be given - “That’s a nine of hearts. Your character falls in love with a thief named Roy, and becomes a thief to be with him.”
Redrawing Cards
You may only draw one card when you play the last one in your hand, so all players always have at least one card. Or, you may pick up one card per round until you have a maximum of five cards in your hand, group choice.
Smaller Hands Option
You may prefer to deal less than 5 cards in a hand for characters who are very young. There just isn’t as much to beddle with...
Whose Character?
Players may play the character they end up with, or the one they started, group choice.
What an interesting option. I like that. It would certainly keep the interest going during character creation.
ReplyDeleteI figure some folks would love it, and others would not be interested, that's why it's optional. :D
ReplyDeleteHrms. I'm not sure this would work. Seems a bit, meta gamey to me.
ReplyDeleteThen again, part of the fun to me is seeing people play out what they enjoy.
Oh, I'm pretty sure it would work fine, Tim. I'm also pretty sure it wouldn't work for you. I'm trying it, but I will lay odds my group won't care much for it, though I might.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have options. You would have to have the right sort of personalities for this to work out. Not sure all of my group would be open to it...well they would be open to it but wouldn't want it to happen to their characters. :) I might try it out though at least once to see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly, Bonni! I will be trying it in this spirit as well, but Levi Kornelsen was excited to try it, as it would really fit his group. All groups are different, and I do my best to allow groups to fit these games to their own preferences.
ReplyDelete