Monday, November 30, 2015

Director Awards: The Game

You can find the basic idea for the game here: RPG board game with shifting GM

Here is the list of cards.

Set up: every players picks a Director. Currently they are just called Two, Three, Four, Five and Six. (Use normal playing cards.)

Now every player picks three random Profession cards, plus two Advantages, two Disadvantages, one Item and one Connection. //Gender card??///Motivation card??//

He places one Profession in each of his three Cast areas: Protagonist, Support and Antagonist. The player puts two of the other cards in each of the three areas, whatever way preferred.

Example: Players gets Scoundrel / Rogue, Gun Nut and Prostitute. Also: Advantages: Tough, Rich, Marksman; Disadvantages: Slow and Phlegmatic. Item: Secret File Connection: Mafia //Stud, Girl, Female//The player goes for: Protagonist: Gun Nut, Tough, Phlegmatic Support: Prostitute, Rich, Secret File Antagonist: Scoundrel, Marksman, Mafia

Next he picks 2 Location cards and plays one in the centre of the table. The 2nd one the player keeps in his hand.
Example: Laundry, Motel. The player puts Motel in the centre of the table.
After every player has set up their cast, each player picks a Relation card. And plays it to one of the players' Cast members on his right. He decides who of his cast is related that way to whom from the other cast. And keeps the card next to his cast member that it relates to.

Example: 2nd players gets Ex Asylum Inmate, Detective, Soldier; Charismatic, Fighter; Short Fused, Brainwashed; Map; Corporation 
The player goes for: Protagonist: Ex Asylum Inmate, Short Fused, Fighter; Support: Soldier, Charismatic, Short Fused; Antagonist: Detective, Map, Corporation; He also got the locations Police Station and Prison, and decides to play Police Station. 
Now both players pick a Relation card: Player one gets _______________ has been a friend to me when others were prejudiced. He decides to play it from his Protagonist to player 2's antagonist (the Scoundrel). Player gets _______________ saved me from certain doom, and I must repay them. and plays it from his Protagonist to player 1's Support (the prostitute).
After this set up phase, the director for the 1st Act is decided randomly, by picking a card with the Number of the director.

The aim of the game is create the most exciting story with the current set up (and hopefully not pissing off any of the players). After every Director directed an act, the game is over and an anonymous voting for the best director and winner takes place.

The director picks specific antagonists and their connections as well as Moves! to attack the Protagonists and Support. He sets scenes at locations and sets the Motivational or Drama Framework that lures the Cast in.

The Director also decides at this point, which Locations (from all the players' played out cards) will be featured in which act/phase (one per each of the three phases) and what Characters and Events are featured there. The Director does not need to note this down or prove it by card. He should be able to change and improvise during the game, if he comes up with a more stringent development. But having a set up before the game really starts gives a good framework as starting point.

The Non Directors of the Act play their characters and get (or spend?) points for invoking their cards.

Protagonists have plot immunity, but can lose cards while support characters can potentially die, as can villains. But the role of a character can shift. Still someone is always gonna be the a protagonist.

Example: A Move! card played by the the Director can have the outcome on Actor failure that the protagonist has to shift role with antagonist or support, or that the support dies.

All three roles can be banned for the rest of the act. For example through injury or imprisonment.

The Director plays all the Support and Antagonists, he can also play his own Protagonist. Support and Protagonist of the same player have a special Bond that gives a bonus on reaction rolls (card picks??) to each other. Antagonists collect bonus points (experience or spotlight points) that make them stronger, by showing up / foreshadowing.

Romance scenes gives bonus points?




No comments: