campaign desgin thoughts

[jasondrake]

I am working desgining a campaign using the buffy rpg system. the game is going to start with the PCs as normal HS students, one of whom will turn out to be heir to the power of the "guardian of the light". I had an IM conversation with a friend of mine about the selection process and the perils of power level disparity. Any further advice/thoughts would also be appreciated


**ME**: I think I'd like to end the first episode with the revelation of which of them (the PCs) is the heir
**HIM**: Suggestion.
**HIM**: Don't reveal
**HIM**: let them wonder
**HIM**: as long s they know it is one of them, but not who
**HIM**: no one is more special
**HIM**: nothing kills interest more than feeling like a support character
**HIM**: If it could be any of them, then no one is expendable
**HIM**: In fact, you yourself don't even have to know
**HIM**: reveal it later into the game, when you see what would be best
**ME**: My friend Justin wants me to roll a die for it if he's going to play
**ME**: I don't want to leave it to random chance though
**HIM**: First off, if you take my suggestion and not have it defined, it doesn't matter how you pick
**ME**: >nods<
**HIM**: It could be random
**HIM**: In fact, you could even run with that in conjunction.
**HIM**: It's random, so you don't get clues
**HIM**: it could be any of you
**HIM**: I'm not telling who
**HIM**: don't metagame
**ME**: >ponders<
**HIM**: And if you cheat, well, who knows?
**ME**: O:-)
**HIM**: See, what I think your friend is objecting to is being forced to play a support character
**HIM**: And that's a legitimate gripe
**ME**: >nods<
**HIM**: If he must, then everyone should have an equal chance of being one
**HIM**: like a lottery
**HIM**: If that's not a big deal, if being the chosen one is only going to matter at a specific moment in which it will be revealed who it is
**HIM**: then EVERYONE is special
**ME**: hmmm
**ME**: I suppose it would be different in a regular buffy game where you work out in advance who is going to play the slayer
**ME**: then you know what you're getting into from the get go
**HIM**: Right. That's a turn-off for me, though
**ME**: its part of the genre
**HIM**: I don't like playing games where one player is de facto cooler
**ME**: sometimes being the hero can be more trouble than its worth ;-)
**HIM**: Part of the genius of Exalted is the ability to spread the cool around into niches
**HIM**: It's not being more powerful or having correspondingly greater problems
**HIM**: I mean, if we both build characters and you take 10 points of flaws, you'll be more powerful
**HIM**: and it'll be fair.
**HIM**: Character power isn't the same as plot power
**HIM**: and it's plot power that bugs me.
**HIM**: Could you have a season of Buffy where Buffy was dead and gone-- really gone?
**HIM**: Not "Hey, I'm coming back, wait for it!" gone.
**ME**: they'd have to find the next slayer ;-)
**HIM**: But it makes the game dependent on the Slayer
**HIM**: You could kill off Willow or Spike or Angel or anyone else and not replace them
**HIM**: not so big a deal
**HIM**: Whether that's in genre or not isn't the point. It makes a great story.
**HIM**: But a bad game.
**ME**: I suppose that's one of the reasons they designed the mechanics in such a way as to make character death rather difficult
**HIM**: *nods* That, however, is again not the point
**HIM**: The point is that while she lives, you all know you're second fiddle.
**HIM**: That's galling.
**HIM**: Again, great story basis.
**HIM**: Works in TV, novels, you name it
**HIM**: bad principle of gaming.
**ME**: I suppose it just doesn't bother me that much
**HIM**: But it obviously bothers this player
**ME**: yeah
**HIM**: and I'd guess it will bother others
**HIM**: Because that's pretty standard
**HIM**: Now, me, I'll play a supporting character if I feel I'm getting plenty of screen time
**HIM**: But in my experience, that's somewhat unusual.
**HIM**: So I'm giving you this advice in hopes it will help you.
**ME**: you've given me stuff to try and grok
**HIM**: Good.

cross posted to unisystem and the rpg.net forums

Comments

[shaelbopp.livejournal.com]

I have to disagree with this mysterious "him." I am happilly willing to play a support character at times, just as often as I want to play the special character and be supported, although most of the time I'm pleased playing a character of roughly the same power level as everyone else. Of course, power level isn't of primary concern to me in narativist games, but even in a gamist situation, I could find just as much joy in playing a 3rd-level bard supporting a 10th level fighter and I could if the situation were reversed.

[psiko2001.livejournal.com]

Power level and balance is important in standard games of D&D and Exalted. All players are in general as powerful as the others within their own areas. He even points this out in Exalted where one Caste is ideally no better than any other. We've had that debate before so I won't get into it now.

What I'm getting at is in more narrativist games his need becomes less important. I do agree though that keeping it secret is a good idea. I think Bob gave you the example the other night of the Supers game I ran in which we only told the characters to make high school students and not what the game was about. We ended up getting actual high school students.

No one was worried about their character being good at using their cool powers. It made for a good start to the game because in a group that was used to playing D&D and not worrying so much about character development we got several characters that were well defined within the genre I set up for the game. No one was worried about being badder ass than the other characters. Let me tell you their were a couple players who that was all about as well.

[jasondrake.livejournal.com]

What I'm getting at is in more narrativist games his need becomes less important. I do agree though that keeping it secret is a good idea. I think Bob gave you the example the other night of the Supers game I ran in which we only told the characters to make high school students and not what the game was about. We ended up getting actual high school students.

I am going for a more narrativist approach. I think I am at least going to be upfront about the genre. Besides, too many of my potential players already know.

[psiko2001.livejournal.com]

Yeah I know I was just using that as an example.

[gillan.livejournal.com]

Okay, we're talking about your game here, right? Whoever this is puts forward a lot of valid points, but I'm given no context about your gaming group to begin to discuss his points.

Have you established with the potential player group the premise and goals of the game? And I'm not talking about in-character. I'm talking about out-of-character. If you want a game that focuses on telling a compelling story in the vein of Buffy, rather than playing a game where they are presented with monsters that need to be outstrategized and get their butts kicked, then they need to know that and they need to be committed to that.

Who are your players? What sort of gaming styles do they have? What kind of games do they prefer? Etc.

Without that, any advice anyone could give you is completely useless.

I don't have players yet.

[jasondrake.livejournal.com]

but how about general adivce on wether disparity in PC power level is advisable and different ways to handle it

Re: I don't have players yet.

[gillan.livejournal.com]

In a game where the focus is on telling a compelling story and not kicking butt and strategizing, and where the players share this goal, then it shouldn't be a problem.