DELUGE

I posted a discussion at Story Games asking for some help in looking for a font for Rain. Folks were very helpful, by the way, thought I'm still looking. In my request for help, I gave a brief description of Rain. I got a reply telling me about a game (a setting actually - it has no system associated with it) called DELUGE.

That setting, as it turns out, is very similar to Rain's. Very similar. Oh, well, just when you think you have an original idea, right?

I contacted DELUGE's publisher and received a very nice reply encouraging me to continue with Rain. Very kind of them!

In turn, I've updated my links. If you want to check out DELUGE, click on the VSCA link. You can get the PDF at RPG Now or from the Lulu Marketplace.

The Expedition Leaves St. Johnsbury

Before the night ended...

Job spoke with some of the elders of the city and found a debate within their ranks. None thought fondly of Farfoot, but a few hesitated to act for fear of harm coming to the people. Job strongly influenced the group towards action, but he stopped short of forcing their hand.

Edmund spoke with some of the nobles of House Emerson. He encouraged trade between St. Johnsbury and Burlington and he met mixed responses.

Corwin got in late and went to bed.

The next day, Job went looking for the goblins and found himself resisted.

Edmund trained with the city guard and spoke to the captains, some of whom were among the group Job spoke with the night before. Edmund built on Job's progress and was able to stir them to action. The group moved to the center of the town where Corwin entertained a growing crowd with his retelling of The Hobbit. As he told of the dragon Smaug's demise, he freed the town of Mezzenetria's influence. It was an act witnessed by Farfoot himself, and after the goblin locked eyes with Corwin, he vanished.

The people of the town, suddenly freed form the spell, wept at their weakness and laughed for their freedom. They thanked the expedition, but clearly they needed time to recover and heal. The expedition left and stepped onto interstate 91, their first time on the highway.

They found themselves in a tunnel with the World as its walls. A sense of motion and distance filled them and they moved on in the afternoon rain.

Playing Cards part 2

To refine the idea of playing cards:

In the middle of the table sits the Wheel of Fortune. When upright (base towards the players), it can be inverted for a redraw. When inverted (base towards the GM) a player can discard a card to turn it upright. More on that in a bit.

Players can play their cards in one of three ways:

Marks - Every player must have at least one card, face up, to his right. This card represents his interaction with the situation at hand. It is through this card the player gives and gets marks. This is the card influenced by marks given to the character.
 5 marks = something mild
 10 marks = somewhat serious
 15 marks = serious/lasting, maybe even worthy of a Twist
 20 marks = very serious, most likely a Twist
A player can play more than one card for marks. That expands his ability to influence action, but also makes him more vulnerable.

Setting up a Redraw - A player can put one of her cards near the Wheel of Fortune. This is done to set up an additional redraw. Let's say she plays Judgement with the WoF because she fights to kill monsters (rather than with an emphasis on protection; maybe same results, but an important difference nonetheless). Later she or another player can draw on that reputation as monster-killer for a redraw. Judgement would then be turned face down and out of action for the scene.

Resetting the Wheel of Fortune - A player can discard a card to his left to turn the WoF upright. That card is done for the session. I will try to think of a way to get it back, but I may leave it out - turning the WoF upright is a pretty big deal. Setting up a Redraw makes for a more interesting story and is clearly more worth the effort. That's where I want to steer the players.

Playing Cards

Another idea I will be trying out this Thursday: Playing the cards.

The players have at least seven cards: one for their Identity, one for their Realm, Two for their Strengths, and at least three for Twists.

As the players enter into a situation, they will decide on at least one card that represents their approach. That card they will play on the table for all to see; the others they will either keep in their hand or face down on the table. Marks are then applied through that card. For example, if a player puts down the Emperor, only marks that are martial in their nature can be given. The players can play more than one card on the table in order to have a broader range for marks.

The other side of this (and the reason players may NOT want to play a lot of cards) is that marks are applied directly to specific cards on the table. If a card has ten marks, it has been changed in some way. Depending on the situation, this change could be very short-term, like being exhausted from fighting; of longer length, like being injured; or very long-term, like suffering doubt in fighting ability. In the case of the long-term changes, the players may opt to take a Twist (in the case of suffering doubt, the Emperor may be inverted). If more marks are given, more changes are applied, or existing changes worsen.

The NPCs will play cards in the same way, but instead of the ten-mark trigger, the players will be challenging cards as normal.

We'll see how this goes. I think it gives more meaning to the cards, makes them an integral part of the game, but doesn't turn Rain into a card game.

Redraws

Another idea I'm going to try: Redraws.

Previously, the players all started with one Redraw (the ability to draw another card if the card drawn is not good enough). After used, the players could gain another by taking a Twist.

Instead, I'm going to let players set up Redraws. A player spends an action to do something that can be used to a later advantage (like setting a trap, or giving a gift, or virtually anything). It takes three set-ups to get a Redraw. It's possible that these set-ups are done well in advance of any conflict, and it's also possible that the players are able to set up multiple Redraws. Of course, it's also possible that the NPCs can find out about these set-ups and do something to nullify them.

On another topic:

Last night I had a great conversation with one of my players about the use of the Tarot Cards. Both of us were wondering if they could be put to better use and I think we came up with some very interesting ideas. I'm mulling them over. And over. And over.

I want the cards to be an integral part of the game, preferably of both the narrative and the mechanic. The balance is that I don't want the cards to limit the play, or to become the focus.

The representation of the NPCs is very evocative and works very well. The cards that the players get to represent their characters: also good. But the actual action of the cards ... they are not a dynamic element. I'm not sure that they need to be, though. Using them to represent the players and NPCs, and thus being able to change them in order to show change in the person connected, that may be what I'm looking for.

For now, we're going to stick to the character format we used last session. Always good to have an open mind to things, but at some point I have to say "Done." Not there yet, but I need to keep that in mind.

Making Characters

We made characters. No playing, just made the characters and then discussed them.

Lots of back and forth (something that I both love and find a touch frustrating) and a lot of good ideas put out there. It's too bad we didn't get a chance to play because all of our discussion may fall flat once we actually see how the new characters work with the game mechanic.

I am pretty sure that the NPC mechanic is going to be changed. The NPCs have always been a struggle in Rain. It's like I can get the characters in sync with the mechanic very easily, but the NPCs always feel ... awkward, like I'm forcing an American plug into an old European outlet: the purpose is the same, but they just don't fit.

The more I think about the characters as they currently exist, the more I like them. The twists are great in that they provide such wonderful guides to the characters, and they also grant all kinds of opportunities for the players to interject their characters into the game.

Let's say a character has the WAITING (The Hanged Man) twist. To define it further, she has been told by a friend that a letter from her sister is coming that will answer some questions about a missing family heirloom. Unfortunately, the character (Jenny) is on an expedition and can't be in town to open the letter as soon as it arrives.

On the road, camping under the trees as the rain waves back and forth in the wind, the expedition is attacked by elves. Jenny's player decides that in the attack one of the elves drops the letter she is waiting for. Now the fight is for survival AND retrieving what was stolen. Does the letter get snatched up by the elf? Does it fall into a fire? Does Jenny get the letter and open it? And if so, what does that do to the WAITING twist?

The twists also give the GM very clear hooks for each characters. Can't complain about that.

Rain Rules

How to play Rain.

The basic mechanic of giving marks and then challenging cards stands:
Obstacles represented by the major arcana, just like player characters. Their cards have strengths that modify the draw when that card is challenged.

Players give marks to the obstacle (not the card). After they feel they have given enough marks (a feeling they would get from the GM's description), they can challenge a card. They flip a card from the deck (made up of the minor arcana) and modify the draw's value by the card's strength. If the total is equal to or less than the number of marks given, they succeed and overcome that card. If the total is higher, they fail.

If the card drawn is upright, there is no backlash to the player. If the card is inverted, there IS backlash to the player, even if she succeeded.

Here's an example:

Tom is leading the expedition through a swamp that has expanded over the road. It is messy and very dangerous.

The Swamp is represented in two ways: First, The World is on the table and it is inverted. Second, the GM has put The Devil down to represent the dark creatures that live in the swamp, The Chariot, inverted, to represent the difficulty of travel through the swamp, and Death, to represent the drastic change in the environment.

Tom gives the swamp marks by using his cards (natural ability and experience) and his skills. He can only use one card at a time, but he can invoke that card to give any kind of mark. In order to give 1 mark with skills, he need only use one skill. To give 2 marks with skills, he needs to use three skills. To give 3 marks with skills he needs to use five skills. Of course, all of it has to be appropriate and narrated.

Tom stands at the edge of the murky water, poking into it with a stick to see how muddy the ground is underneath. Peering ahead, while the rain drizzles down, he sees what looks like small islands; bits of the road too high to be submerged. He hops out to a mossy rock, then on to one of the islands.
Tom gives the swamp 2 marks of Progress. 1 for using Lost in the Rain (he's been through this sort of thing before) and 1 for using Athletics.

The swamp is very quiet except for the sound of the rain spattering into the water. There are wide spaces between the trees and small humps of land all around, some bare, others mossy. The landscape makes it difficult to determine which way the road actually went. The swamp gives Tom 3 marks of Confused because of the strange surroundings. Because Tom is at home in the Wilds and The World is inverted, this is reduced to 2 marks.

Tom stands very still and takes his time. He can clearly see by the ruts and marks that the island he's on is part of the road. He follows the line to what looks like it should logically be the next bit of road. Maybe the bits of road under the water are not completely muddied yet. If he can trace the line, the expedition can just roll through. Tom gives the swamp 1 mark of Knowledge by invoking The World; he knows how to handle the Wild's tricks. 

And so the story goes. This is a tough challenge for Tom. If he had Traveling and Rain Lore, his ability to use landmarks and his knowledge of the flows of power in the Rain and water would be a big help to him and allow him to give more marks. As it is, he has to work with what he's got. If he was truly alone, the swamp might prove too much and get him completely lost. As it is, the others from the caravan can act and give the swamp marks. Hopefully it will be enough to challenge one of the cards and overcome it (either The Chariot, inverted, to find a way through, or Death, to find the old road is still there, not totally lost to the swamp), before Tom and the rest of the expedition is lost.