Recent Changes - Search:

[b]Site Section[/b]

Home?

Recent updates to this section.

[b]Site[/b]

The Wushu Index now displays the latest Wushu? threads from RPGnet.

[b]Quick Links[/b]

Wushu?

Good & Evil, Incorporated

WushuDramatica

Wushu Dramatica

A die that rolls under or equal to your target number is a success. A die that exceeds it is a failure (failures aren’t negative successes, they’re just nothing.) Whichever side has the most successes wins the round, and ties always go to the players. You may be wondering how you figure out this target number.


For the players, the target number is based on how much the player is willing to lose, in-game. This means that the GM will be given free-reign to give the player an in-game setback. This should be determined before the description phase, as it will obviously influence the nature of the description!


2 or lower success = No setbacks.

3 or lower success = A setback that lasts for the length of a game session (twisted ankle, shaken up, etc.)

4 or lower success = A permanent setback (loss of a limb, forever haunted by past memory, destroyed item, etc.)

5 or lower success = Removal from the story (death, retirement, etc.)


When the player declares that he or she is going to take a setback, he or she should roll a single d6. On a result of one, there is no setback and instead the player gains a new, permanent, positive trait (more on that later). On a result of 2–5, the setback must occur somewhere in the narration. On a result of 6, the player gains an extra, non-permanent setback, in addition to the usual setback (of course, removal from the story can’t get any worse). This die roll takes place before the description phase, and needs not occur if the player just accepts successes of two or lower.


For the GM, the target number is based on how important the scene is.


1s are successes = Inconsequential hordes of mooks or any other trivial scenes that are meant to glorify the characters.

2 or lower success = Tougher conflicts, as in a video game mini-boss. These represent typical challenges.

3 or lower success = Turning points, twists, or other penultimate conflicts that affect the story dramatically.

4 or lower success = Climax conflicts, big bad evil guys, season finales.


As you can see, this creates a game environment where an action is more likely to succeed if it’s fueled by sacrifice. In fact, sacrifice may be necessary just to even the odds! As a side-effect, it makes it so that the players’ characters never have to die for no good reason. Your character will never get hurt or die unfairly! It will always be appropriately dramatic for you.


Characters


Characters are defined by their traits. Unlike normal Wushu, traits are not supported by the mechanics of the game in any formal way. They are simply guidelines that operate as quick references to jump-start a description. When a character gets a permanent setback, the player adds it to their character’s list of traits. When a character gets a new trait, the player may either erase a relevant setback or write in the new trait, the nature of which depending on group consensus.


Traits should be arranged into pre-determined categories to hedge in those which may not fit the game’s universe. Typical categories include “Skills, Relationships, and Important Possessions,” but other examples exist, such as “Power, Wisdom, and Courage,” and “Martial, Divine, and Arcane.” These categories are created based on the game’s genre and universe, and their associated traits should loosely fit them.


Characters in Wushu Dramatica don’t need long back stories; they just need evocative traits. A good and well-written trait is one that makes you think of the possibilities. For example, “Good Shot” is a poor trait. “Can shoot the wings off a bee.” is much better. If you want to focus on your past, “Shoots better than my mentor John Crowe,” could also work. Sometimes your traits may need descriptions to fully encapsulate their meaning. This is okay, but if all your traits need clarification, you may need to think of some better ways to phrase your character’s merits and flaws.


Traits need not be positive; they can be setbacks if you like; it has only tangential relationship to your chances of success. The only thing a trait needs to be is reasonable (as defined by your group) and interesting (I’ve never seen a trait that wasn’t somehow interesting, but it could be an issue.)


Characters advance simply by getting different traits and setbacks. Like real people, they evolve based on their experiences.




Edit - History - Print - Recent Changes - Search
Page last modified on September 24, 2008, at 06:50 PM