Character Progression Musings

I’ve been thinking over the quick start / emergent detail combo this past week. Here’s a rough idea of the progression I’m looking at.

Character Creation

Each character should essential start as an “extra”. Creating an extra may boil down to writing up few sentences of their most notable features and motives. This description can then be invoked during play to grant anywhere from minimal to professional ability in a given task.

The description can also be turned against the character. In that case, they may gain some compensation. If the the setback helped identify the character, the compensation might be advancing beyond being an extra faster. Otherwise, some kind of rebound enabling resource sounds appealing.

Adding Details

The characters description can be added to during play. However, additions are subject to the approval of the other players. I suggest no more than one “reveal” per character per scene.

Signature Traits

Once a character has made it through a challenge or two, the player can turn a detail into a signature trait or “shtik”. These traits are more effective than the boosts granted by normal details and should help define what the character does.

A signature trait still function as a detail and can be invoked for things outside it’s primary purpose, though it’s less effective when used that way. For example, a character with the “Master Duelist” shtik could try to parry an arrow with that shtik, they’d just have a lower chance that if they were making an attack.

Support Traits

As characters develop further, they can add special features to their signature traits. These added features should primarily make a shtik more versatile rather than increasing it’s raw power. Using the “Master Dueling” example above, the character might take “Parry Arrows” as a special feature to let them use that shtik at full power when performing the stunt.

Support traits should probably be added between sessions and during character downtime.

Specialties

Once the character has an adventure or two under their belt, they can pick up specialties. Ideally these should help the player define how the character handles certain challenges. These will likely be more tactical abilities that help define the character’s role within the group.

A character might develop multiple specialties, but should generally only use one per round.

Further Growth

Once character’s become specialists, a lot of growth should go toward character breadth.

However, if the group wants more high power adventures this should be possible by marking signature traits as “legendary” and expanding them from there.

Summary

The whole thing can probably be summed up with the following layers.

• Details/Background
• Thematic Specialty/Signature Trait
• Tactical Specialty/Role
• Power Level/Legend

I like the thematic/tactical divide and will probably do more with that as I flesh this out.

Current Projects

Sorry for the delay folks. I’ve been diving into the job search pretty heavily lately, so my writing time has been limited.

Right now I’m looking to start up a new game locally. Here’s a rough list of what I’m looking for in a game system. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. I may just end up custom making a system. Right now Risus and Lady Blackbird look like good rules light bases, though they may need some tweaking to handle extended play. I might also adapt Mezzo, but the looming threat structure I’m going for is a bit different from the rising arc built into Mezzo.

Requirements

Primary Features

These are must haves given the time I’ve got to work with.

Quick Start – The game should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes from opening the book to start of play. Think board game rules or rules light games (under a dozen pages?).

Quick Characters – Character creation should be fast and start with broad strokes. Ideally, it should take no more than a few minutes to whip out a new character.

Emergent Detail – Characters and setting elements should naturally gain additional detail and complexity through the course of play. This can include gaining new traits, abilities, and relationships as part of play and scene development.

Room to Grow – The system should allow for increases in character ability without breaking down.

Secondary Features

These are pretty important, but might not be essential.

Rise to the Challenge – The main character’s growth in power is in response to a more powerful threat or challenge.

Bonus Features

These aren’t strictly needed, but are definite marks in the system’s favor.

Team Growth – As the main characters progress, they should start forming a cohesive team. This may involve each gaining both tactical (fixer, protector, etc..) as well as relational roles (leader, team heart, etc..). Another option is providing traits that emphasize those shared bounds (ex. boosted recovery while allies are present).

Motive Hooks – Even starting characters should have a built in motive attached to their narrative function. For villains, they should have a motive for why they’re bringing the threat into play. For protagonists, they should have a motive for why they’re opposing the villain. Bonus points if the motive can provide surges of will and effort at dramatically appropriate moments.

Theme

I’m currently favoring the following for my game. This does seem to combine elements of the heroes journey, “zero to hero” growth, and heroic team or sentai oriented play.

Call to Adventure – Characters should start as relatively ordinary folks faced with an unusual situation that forces them to test their limits.

Power comes from Need – While characters can grow in power, they should generally do so to match an even more powerful threat. If the next threat is around their power level, growth should be more about increasing breadth and depth than about more power.

All for One, One for All – A strong sense of team spirit and uniting against a common foe have a definite appeal.