Final thoughts on Shock: God For A Day

The first thing that pops to mind is that I need more practice as a storyteller. While I've been away from the blog and roleplaying, I've dedicated myself to having a lot of fun with bad B movies (thanks Millcreek!), and I feel like my finished Shock session fits the mold-- bad dialogue, melodrama, and plot holes galore. If it was by some ironic twist of fate made into a movie, I could totally see it looking like The Thirsty Dead (hilarious bad movie, by the way).

I think the play sessions were fun for me, though, and I think that the structure I worked out will be useful for future sessions of Shock.

Kaluvan Scene #4 – Conflict Breakdown

[Summary of last scene:

Kaluvan, under the compulsion of his last vision, is still preaching the new Revelation to the crowd, as are other Oracles. They are all denouncing the Kinta’s lies in setting up a false worship, and suppressing the true Revelation.

The so-called Infidels had infiltrated the Oracles with their own agents. Suggestions of this Goddess were implanted as a means of disruption. The combination of hypnotic suggestions and mind altering drugs made it possible to compel people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.

Kaluvan and the other Oracles successfully move people’s hearts. They excitedly receive their “liberators” as brothers and sisters, only to be subjugated again. This time, by mass hypnosis which makes them fear losing their hard won “liberty” against a perpetual enemy, kept at bay by their new “protectors”.

(Pretty hamfisted, I know)
]
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Conflict Breakdown:

[Antagonist has 3 credits left. This will be the final scene.]

Kaluvan, under the compulsion of his last vision, is still preaching the new Revelation to the crowd, as are other Oracles. They are all denouncing the Kinta’s lies in setting up a false worship, and suppressing the true Revelation.

Protag: Kaluvan’s intent is to figuratively open the gates of the invading army by opening the people’s hearts to them. The people will welcome the invaders as liberating brothers and sisters. They are God’s true army.

Step 1: Choose Minutiae from the Shock



Randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Shock associated with your Protagonist.

Is the current vision of God false? Is God in fact a Goddess? Is there no God? [Implied in narration but unanswered.]



Step 2: Choose Minutiae from the Issue(s)

For the Issue associated with your character, ask Mythic: Will any Minutae from this Issue be used? Odds 70 .

Is there a Goddess that can make you love her against your free will? Is the use of hypnosis in conjunction with Besh (or some other substance?) enough to do that? [implied in narration but unanswered conclusively]

Opposition is kept in check via the use of fear. [So far, I've only implied this in narration.]

The Kinta can and will control your major life decisions.



Step 3: Additional Minutiae

Ask Mythic: Will any additional Minutae be used? 30% answer-17-Yes

If Yes, randomly determine from which unused group (liklely other Issues) . Then randomly choose 1d4 minutiae. You will use them through the lens of your Shock/Issue intersection.

There is an underground conspiracy to undermine the current planetary order


Antagonist: The so-called Infidels had infiltrated the Oracles with their own agents. Suggestions of this Goddess were implanted as a means of disruption. The combination of hypnotic suggestions and mind altering drugs made it possible to compel people to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do. [already implied in the fiction]

Protag: Kaluvan’s intent is to figuratively open the gates of the invading army by opening the people’s hearts to them. The people will welcome the invaders as liberating brothers and sisters. They are God’s true army.

This is Submission to the new Revelation.

Submission vs Rebellion – 3: must roll over 3

3d10: 6,1,9 `

3d14: 1,3,2

Antag’s stake: Both the native underground resistance, and the visions of the “Goddess” are a creation of the so-called infidels’ agents [Ianego turned, and Sinamar]. After their “liberation”, they also exploit and control the population.

[Mythic twist: 34,58: Lie, Stalemate]

They are made to fear losing their new “protectors”, who protect their “liberty” against their enemies. The war against them is perpetually in stalemate. This is done via mass hypnosis.

They also begin to lie about threats to their newfound “liberation”

This is Lies.

Truth vs Lies 7: Must roll under 7.

[Will Mythic use 2d10 towards antag intent? 50% answer 19-yes]

2d10: 10,3

1d4: 2

[Will audience participate? 50% -13-yes. Will it help protag’s intent? 50%-No. Will it help antag’s intent? 50%-28 yes]

1d4: 4

They both accomplish their intent.

Kaluvan and the other Oracles successfully move people’s hearts. They excitedly receive their “liberators” as brothers and sisters, only to be subjugated again. This time, by mass hypnosis which makes them fear losing their hard won “liberty” against a perpetual enemy, kept at bay by their new “protectors”.

Sercet Scene #3 - Conflict Breakdown

[ This one should have come directly after Kaluvan's scene.

Summary:

Given the unrest that has begun, Sercet has taken Rhea back to the Sacred City in order to keep both of them safe until the turmoil has subsided.

Some Oracles seem to have gone mad; proclaiming a new Revelation from the true Goddess of time forgotten, while condemning the Kinta. Given the sacredness of the Oracles, the unrest has magnified, while the Kinta violence has just begot more violence. The mob has overflowed into the Sacred City.

A number of servants has shown up to where Sercet and Rhea are taking shelter. They come for
Sercet, but Rhea speaks what Sercet recognizes as the Infidel language to the servants.

A very heated exchange occurs, but they eventually leave him alone. Rhea seems conflicted inside, and finally tells him: “It’s over, Sercet. The old must be abandoned.”

Rhea is able to convince Sercet to move on, and join the flow. Sercet does so, though he still has the same feelings inside, so has doubts about this new reality. In private, he attempts to connect with his God once more via the Bhesh drug—to test once and for all his faith. In the process, he overdoses, but does find his God. Sercet goes into a peaceful eternal sleep on his God’s bossom. ]
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Sercet Scene #3 - Conflict Breakdown

[The antagonist only has 4 credits left, so this will be Sercet’s last scene. Story goal must be resolved in this scene. ]

Given the unrest that has begun, Sercet has taken Rhea back to the Sacred City in order to keep both of them safe until the turmoil has subsided.

Step 1: Choose Minutiae from the Shock

1. Randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutiae from the Shock associated with your Protagonist.

·         Is the current vision of God false? Is God in fact a Goddess? Is there no God? [Implied in narration but unanswered.]

Step 2: Choose Minutiae from the Issue(s)

1. For the Issue associated with your character, ask Mythic: Will any Minutiae from this Issue be used? Odds 70 . Answer: 70 Yes
2. If "Yes", randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutiae from the Issue associated with your Protagonist

·         Have rebels infiltrated the ranks of the Oracles/Mediums with visions of a "Goddess"? [Implied in narration but unanswered.]

Step 3: Additional Minutiae

1. Ask Mythic: Will any additional Minutiae be used? Odds 40% Answer-70 No

Step 4: "Destroy the Protagonist's Life"

Antagonist:  Some Oracles seem to have gone mad; proclaiming a new Revelation from the true Goddess of time forgotten, while condemning the Kinta. Given the sacredness of the Oracles, the unrest has magnified, while the Kinta violence has just begot more violence. The mob has overflowed into the Sacred City.

A number of servants has shown up to where Sercet and Rhea are taking shelter. They come for Sercet, but Rhea speaks what Sercet recognizes as the Infidel language to the servants.

 Mythic twist: [8,5][Oppose,Inside]

A very heated exchange occurs, but they eventually leave him alone. Rhea seems conflicted inside, and finally tells him: “It’s over, Sercet. The old must be abandoned.”

[This time, we are just going to settle the Story Goal as the Antagonist does not have enough credits for more than one conflict.]

Step 5: After the Protagonist has had a chance to react:

[This time, we are just going to settle the Story Goal as the Antagonist does not have enough credits for more than one conflict.]

Protagonist Stakes: Sercet refuses to rebel against God and join what he considers a blasphemy and a lie. This causes Rhea to abandon him in disgust.

Will use Truth, as he believes it in his heart of hearts.

Truth vs Lies – 6 : Roll over 6

3d10: 10,7,4

Antagonist Stakes: Sercet goes on a Besh trip one last time, seeking reassurance from his God. He does not find God, however. There is nothing.

Mythic twist: [74,56]: Divide,Wishes: Sercet will die conflicted.

[Will Mythic use 2d10? 50% - 83 – no. Will it use 3d10? 50% 45 –Yes]

Will use Lies, as God is a lie to the Antagonist.

Truth vs Lies – 5: Must roll under 5

3d10: 8,8,5

1d4: 4

[Will Audience participate? 50% - 48-Yes. Will it use it to help Sercet’s intent? 50% - No. Will it use it to help Antagonist intent? 62-no. It will use it against Sercet’s intent.]

1d4: 3

Sercet fails his itent [10-4-3 = 3 < 6 ]

Antagonist roll falls exactly on fulcrum.

Sercet has overdosed.

Opposition is Protagonist, and gets to tell what happens, if Antag fails intent: If Antag fails, Sercet finds his God, and feels like he goes into an eternal sleep in his God’s bossom.

3:d10: 10,7,7 – antagonist fails [7 > 5]

Interpretation: Rhea is able to convince Sercet to move on, and join the flow. Sercet does so, though he still has the same feelings inside, so has doubts about this new reality. In private, he attempts to connect with his God once more via the Bhesh drug—to test once and for all his faith. In the process, he overdoses, but does find his God. Sercet goes into a peaceful eternal sleep on his God’s bossom.

Erro Scene #3 - Conflict Breakdown

[I should have published this scene before Sercet's, but it's the same difference.

Summary:

Seeing that it is no longer safe anywhere, Erro has escaped from his own household hoping to avoid his former servants. He has adopted the disguise of an Oracle, joining in the denouncing whenever he can’t avoid contact with people.

Cavanu intercepts Erro as he runs into a crowd. “Hello, father”. He spits it out like vinegar. Erro notices that he is now walking without crutches. He accuses Erro of bringing this doom upon the Kinta, for forsaking their role as shepherds; for twisting the Revelation to fulfill their own greed.

 

Cavanu talks about how the Kinta was never meant to control people’s lives, or rule them. The Kinta should have cared for the flock, selflessly. God’s rewards for the faithful, Kinta or not, would be in the next world. He accuses Erro, in front of the crowd, of once more displaying his greed and his lies by adopting the supposed new Revelation. He accuses Erro of being part of the power keeping the populace from achieving their dreams.

Erro tries to silence Cavanu, but Cavanu stabs him in front of the crowd. “This is for Mother.” As Cavanu speaks those words, he fatally stabs his own father. As the furious crowd moves into him, Cavanu vainly tries to explain again who Erro is, but in their frenzy they fail to listen to him. As far as they are concerned, an Oracle has been martyred.

Cavanu is beaten to death, and Erro’s body is lifted up as he is proclaimed a saint, nobody recognizing who he really was. If anyone recognized him, they never exposed the truth, as this martyrdom has cemented the people behind the new reality.]

Erro Scene #3 - Conflict Breakdown

[Antagonist has 6 credits left. I’ve decided we should settle Erro’s story goal here.]

Seeing that it is no longer safe anywhere, Erro has escaped from his own household hoping to avoid his former servants. He has adopted the disguise of an Oracle, joining in the denouncing whenever he can’t avoid contact with people.

Step 1: Choose Minutiae from the Shock

1. Randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Shock associated with your Protagonist.

·         Serve God in this world, and expect amazing rewards in the next world.

·         The Kinta's role is that of rulers and shepherds.

·         Subjects often serve God by being recruited to fulfill and fulfill his Divine Design as defined by the leadership.

·         Is the current vision of God false? Is God in fact a Goddess? Is there no God? [Implied in narration but unanswered.]

Step 2: Choose Minutiae from the Issue(s)

1. For the Issue associated with your character, ask Mythic: Will any Minutae from this Issue be used? Odds 70 .
2. If "Yes", randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Issue associated with your Protagonist
• A war against "unbelievers" is taking place. This war is being used to maintain power and provide resources to maintain lifestyle of Kinta. The Sun Fields was built to aid in this war. [Stated via narration. What's unanswered is who these unbelievers are?]

Step 3: Additional Minutiae

1. Ask Mythic: Will any additional Minutae be used? 30%

Answer: 71-no

Step 4: "Destroy the Protagonist's Life"

Once you come up with an idea on how to do that, let Mythic add its own twist by using the Action/Subject table. Re-interpret idea based on the results.

Antagonist: Cavanu intercepts Erro as he runs into a crowd. “Hello, father”. He spits it out like vinegar. Erro notices that he is now walking without crutches. He accuses Erro of bringing this doom upon the Kinta, for forsaking their role as shepherds; for twisting the Revelation to fulfill their own greed.

[Mythic twist: 32, 56: Delay, Wishes]

He talks about how the Kinta was never meant to control people’s lives, or rule them. The Kinta should have cared for the flock, selflessly. God’s rewards for the faithful, Kinta or not, would be in the next world. He accuses Erro, in front of the crowd, of once more displaying his greed and his lies by adopting the supposed new Revelation.

He accuses Erro of being part of the power keeping the populace from achieving their dreams.

Protagonist stakes: Erro tries to silence Cavanu, but Cavanu stabs him in front of the crowd. “This is for Mother.”

Protag uses Lies, as Erro is paying for all his lies.

Truth vs Lies- 5 : must roll under 5

3d10: 3,1,10

1d4: 4

Antagonist stakes: Cavanu exposes Erro for what he is.

Antagonist uses Rebellion. It’s an act of rebellion.

Submission vs Rebellion 6: must roll under 6

[Will antagonist use 3d10? 50% answer 46-Yes]

3d10: 4,9,10

3d4: 1,2,2

[Will Audience participate? 50% - 22 yes. Will it help Protagonist intent? 50% 33-yes. Doesn’t matter, Protag already won intent.]

As Cavanu speaks those words, he fatally stabs his own father. As the furious crowd moves into him, Cavanu vainly tries to explain again who Erro is, but in their frenzy they fail to listen to him. As far as they are concerned, an Oracle has been martyred.

Cavanu is beaten to death, and Erro’s body is lifted up as he is proclaimed a saint, nobody recognizing who he really was. If anyone recognized him, they never exposed the truth, as this martyrdom has cemented the people behind the new reality.

Kaluvan Scene #3 - Conflict Breakdown

[It's been so long since I looked at this draft that I really don't feel the inspiration to write down dialogue. The most I can do is summarize it by taking the sketches out of the conflict breakdown that follows.

Kaluvan has been single mindedly immersing himself into meditation and the duties of the monastery as a way of avoiding thoughts about his family. He has just finished another cleansing session with Sinamar. He doesn't know now when he will serve as Oracle.

Meanwhile, the Holy Army has already been defeated, and is actually in retreat. Nobody outside of the Kinta seems to know this, however.

During his Cleansing with Sinamar, Kaluvan once again has a vision of the Goddess. She reveals to him that she has turned against her Shepherds, for misleading the Flock. She claims Kaluvan as her prophet, and he is to deliver the message: “Return to the Holy Mother. Rise up against the false god.” The Goddess promises reunification with his family (that he loves the most in the world).

Initially, Kaluvan resists this as another reaction to the Bhesh or a cruel joke of some kind. Kaluvan will not risk his family or friends any further for some false vision. However, his will is overpowered, and as a result loses his faith in the old God, and begins to think that we are nothing but puppets of destiny (both of these new "features" added to his character sheet, per Shock rules. ). 

 Kaluvan begins to spread the new Revelation and to renounce the Kinta loudly, like a mad preacher. First, inside the monastery. He then leaves the monastery and does the same outside, where there are already signs of unrest.

His wife is taken to Repentance, being accused of taking part in the unrest. His boy is taken away to an orphanage to be taught by Kinta. ]

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Kaluvan Scene #3 - Breakdown

[Antagonist has 9 credits left. At least one more scene left.]

Step 0: What is the Protagonist doing?

Kaluvan has been single mindedly immersing himself into meditation and the duties of the monastery as a way of avoiding thoughts about his family. He has just finished another cleansing session with Sinamar. He doesn't know now when he will serve as Oracle.

Step 1: Choose Minutiae from the Shock

We will choose 2 random minutiae from the shock:

·         Subjects are induced to connect to the Godhead via a natural chemical that affects brain waves (Bhesh). The subject is hypnotically guided by someone older in the faith.

·         Subjects often serve God by being recruited to fullfill and fulfill his Divine Design as defined by the leadership.

Step 2: Choose Minutiae from the Issue(s)

For the Issue associated with your character, ask Mythic: Will any Minutae from this Issue be used? Odds 70 .

Answer: 64 - Yes.

If "Yes", randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Issue associated with your Protagonist

Will randomly choose 3 Minutiae (1,2,5):

·         Opposition is kept in check via the use of fear. [So far, I've only implied this in narration.]

·         Speaking out against those over you is to rebel against God.[So far, I've only implied this in narration.]

·         The Kinta can and will control your major life decisions.

If you have cool new Minutiae you want to use in this scene, ask Mythic: Will the new Minutiae be modified (by Mythic)?

I want the following Minutiae: "The Kinta has been withholding the truth about the War. The tide turned significantly in years past, and the Holy Army has been on the defensive. The Infidels are nearly at the door."

If "Yes", roll on the Action/Subject table. This will be Mythic's twist to the new Minutae.

[53,70]: Adversity, Extravagance: The Holy Army has already been defeated! They're just fleeing!

Step 3: Additional Minutiae

Ask Mythic: Will any additional Minutae be used? Odds 40%

Answer: 91-No

Step 4: "Destroy the Protagonist's Life"

During his Cleansing with Sinamar, Kaluvan once again has a vision of the Goddess. She reveals to him that she has turned against her Shepherds, for misleading the Flock. She claims Kaluvan as her prophet, and he is to deliver the message: “Return to the Holy Mother. Rise up against the false god.”

Once you come up with an idea on how to do that, let Mythic add its own twist by using the Action/Subject table. Re-interpret idea based on the results.

 [39,56]: Bestow, Wishes: If he does this, the Goddess promises he will be reunited with that he loves the most.

Protagonist: Kaluvan has enough presence of mind to think this is another reaction to the Bhesh or a cruel joke of some kind. Kaluvan will not risk his family or friends any further for some false vision.

Step 5: After the Protagonist has had a chance to react:

Assume that a Conflict is called for or ask Mythic if it will call a Conflict. Odds should be 70%.

Answer: 34. Mythic calls a conflict. Let’s set the stakes.

Protagonist:  If I win, Kaluvan resists this command, and confronts Sinamar regarding these visions. She and Ianego will tell him whatever the truth is.

Antagonist:  If I win, his wife and child are caught in the turmoil of the starting revolution. She is identified as one speaking out against the Kinta, and sent to Repentance as part of the crackdown.

Protagonist: I don’t really want that to happen to wife and child, so I’ll use 1d10 and 3d4. I will use Truth, because I want to learn the Truth.

Truth vs Lies – 4 : needs to roll over 4

1d10: 3

3d4: 3, 2, 4

[Antagonist will use 6 credits]

Will Antagonist use 3d10 towards his intent? 65% Answer: 9-Yes

Antagonist will use Rebellion, because he wants Kaluvan’s family will be swept by the events of the rebellion.

Submission vs Rebellion 7 : Needs to roll under 7

3d10:  2,4,5

3d4:  3,4,2

[Will audience participate? Odds 50% answer: 64- no]

Kaluvan fails his intent.

Antagonist achieves his.

[I don’t like the Protagonist result, so I’m risking the “God rewards sacrifice” link. If I lose again, this link will be changed to “God is not with us”.]

Protagonist:  1d10: 2

Kaluvan fails again. Link is changed to “God is not with us”

Protagonist has also gained two new features:

·         I am just a puppet

·         We cannot fight against destiny

He begins to spread the new Revelation and to renounce the Kinta loudly, like a mad preacher. First, inside the monastery. He then leaves the monastery and does the same outside, where there are already signs of unrest.

His wife has been taken to Repentance, being accused of taking part in the unrest. His boy has been taken away to an orphanage to be taught by Kinta.

[Antagonist has 3 credits left. Story goal will be resolved on Scene #4.]

How would you represent evolving relationships in solo play?

As the title says, "How would you represent evolving relationships between characters? "

If you don't necessarily want to do it by fiat, or by asking Mythic questions all the time, could we take a page from "The Sims" computer game? If I remember correctly, each Sim had a number of preferences. I don't remember exactly what they were, but let's assume that a Sim character might like or dislike things like soap operas, creative writing magazines, gardening, horror movies, country music, and mountain hiking.

For example: 

Rebbecca  likes: creative writing magazines, soap operas, and mountain hiking
Rebbecca dislikes: horror movies

Robert likes: horror movies, gardening, and soap operas
Robert dislikes: mountain hiking

When I've played that game, and let the Sims "converse" with each other, I could see little dialogue clouds with ideograms. If one was talking about travel, you'd see a drawing of an airplane, for example.  Then if the other Sim liked it,their relationship score got a boost (a "+" would float above their heads). The higher the relationship score, the more options become available to you as a player to make them interact (i.e. if the relationship score got high enough, you could then hug the other Sim, etc).
On the other hand, if one Sim happens to bring up a subject that the other Sim doesn't like, then the relationship gets a "-" (minus) and the score goes down.  If the score goes down below a threshold, you might lose some of the options in a relationship. I don't remember what happens if the subject is was neutral, so I'll have to play again sometime. :)

Anyway, I think this is another idea that could be tweaked and integrated into solo play to add more guidance to NPC reactions.  I'm still hazy (as usual) on how exactly to tweak it, but here's what I'm thinking so far:

• Relationship scores is easy to visualize.
• Likes and Dislikes (or whatever) are probably a little harder. They should probably be both broad and evocative. "Gore Hound Geek" is probably more evocative and covers more ground than "likes Horror movies".  I really like what I read on this post regarding Sorcerer's Descriptors (http://indie-rpgs.com/archive/index.php?topic=11194.0), which is what inspired this bullet point.  Maybe Personality Traits is a better word than Likes/Dislikes. Thoughts? (Note: I think The Window rpg might be very much like this as well).
• The player could randomly set an NPC's Descriptors/Personality Trait via UNE or Mythic (or Tarot cards in some creative fasion).
• I'd probably roll for Personality Traits only at the last possible moment (i.e. when I try to interact in a meaningful way with the PC.) I have more thoughs on this and may need to unpack further.
• If the Personality Traits becamo relevant in a scene for whatever reason then I could use them as a guide of whether the relationship gets a "+" boost or a "-" reduction.
• I would, in turn, use the relationship score as a guide of an NPC's disposition towards me.
• Common sense, the needs of the fiction, and what has been established about a character should prevail, though. Not everything that could affect a relationship score can be covered in descriptors.
• I'd personally make it a requirement that in order to use someone's Personality Trait to your advantage without a roll, your own declared Personality Traits must be conducive to that. If you don't have it written down, if your mental character concept of your PC allows it, then you can use it as well ( see "common sense" bullet preceding this one).

For me, the whole point of trying something like this would be to minimize fiat as much as possible, and minimize the need for Mythic questions.

How would you tweak this approach? What other approaches would you use to roleplay PC/NPC relationships?

A Structure For Solo Shock: Conflicts

I based this on what I did for the conflict in Kaluvan's second scene (here).The idea is to provide a little more randomness and surprise as to what the conflict will be. Depending on how subsequent scenes go, I might leave it as it is or tinker some more.

I am most concerned about the 1d4 coming up high on steps 1-3, as that could end up being too many elements to incorporate.

I'm also concerned about Step 5. It's meant to add even more surprise by giving Mythic the power to decide when a Conflict actually happens (you still retain much control, because you decide when to ask Mythic). My fear is that there may be times where the scene might drag because Mythic keeps saying "no conflict yet". Am I going to strictly adhere to what Mythic says, or will I override it? I guess I'll just have to wait until I get there.

Step 1: Choose Minutiae from the Shock

1. Randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Shock associated with your Protagonist.
2. If you have cool new Minutiae you want to use in this scene, ask Mythic: Will the new Minutiae be modified (by Mythic)?
3. If  "Yes", roll on the Action/Subject table. This will be Mythic's twist to the new Minutae.

Step 2: Choose Minutiae from the Issue(s)

1. For the Issue associated with your character, ask Mythic: Will any Minutae from this Issue be used? Odds 70 .
2. If "Yes", randomly choose 1d4 existing Minutae from the Issue associated with your Protagonist
3. If you have cool new Minutiae you want to use in this scene, ask Mythic: Will the new Minutiae be modified (by Mythic)?
If  "Yes", roll on the Action/Subject table. This will be Mythic's twist to the new Minutae.

Step 3: Additional Minutiae

1. Ask Mythic: Will any additional Minutae be used?
2. If Yes, randomly determine from which unused group (liklely other Issues) . Then randomly choose 1d4 minutiae. You will use them through the lens of your Shock/Issue intersection.

Step 4: "Destroy the Protagonist's Life"

1. Push the Protagonist, and keep the situation untenable, carefully based on:
1. the chosen Minutae
2. the Protagonist's and Antagonist's attributes
3. the shock/issue intersection
4. the story goal
2. Once you come up with an idea on how to do that, let Mythic add its own twist by using the Action/Subject table. Re-interpret idea based on the results.

Step 5: After the Protagonist has had a chance to react:

1. Assume that a Conflict is called for or ask Mythic if it will call a Conflict. Odds should be 70%.
2. If it does not call a Conflict:
1. Assume that Mythic is giving the Protagonist more rope to hang himself.
2. You may start at Step 1 again,  or start at Step 4 with the same Minutiae.

Mythic Quick Reference Guide at

I was looking through my old Mythic Yahoo Group's emails, and found a couple of nice blogs that I've added to my links. This reference guide is at Bottlesorter's blog, named 七転八起. Excellent blog.

Scrap Notes: More Tinkering with Mythic

Interesting thread at the Yahoo Group for Mythic:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Mythic_Role_Playing/message/4589
The OP asks:

DnD should be the easiest to use Mythic with, right? After all, the game is
already laid out and regulated well enough to be able to play it without a GM at
all. However, there is one thing that I have always wondered especially when
trying my hands on a solo dungeon crawl:

How should I use Spot/Listen and similar checks?

Normally, you would roll these sense checks and then ask your GM "do I hear/see
anything?" With Mythic however, seeing/hearing anything would more likely be
detrimental to the PC's progress and health, since nothing EXISTS before they
look for it and ask the question.

In my view, this again boils down to the fact that the Mythic GME's input is only relevant to the story or game when you consult it. The player has the power of being able to choose WHEN the GME can add any input, which for some players just does not have the same feeling as a live GM.  The GME is not an entity that can interrupt you to say, "Since you didn't make a perception roll, you didn't see the giant spider hiding in the shadows."

As a solo player, you have to wear both the player and the GM hat, with the Mythic GME throwing you a curve ball a percentage of the time that you consult it.  On top of that, you also control HOW the GME can add that input by the way your questions are framed. You also get to set the Odds, though if you have a good handle on the internal logic of your setting, you can be "objective" when deciding the Odds.

Still, that's a lot of power you don't have when you're not the GM, so one needs to be fair with their expectations of Mythic to fully enjoy it.  :)

Nevertheless, some suggestions follow:


Using a Timer

This idea was mentioned by a member (Monele) in the Yahoo Group. I tried to create an outline out of the poster's description:

1)    Set the timer to an unknown interval.

2)     As you play, if you ask a Mythic question:

a.     If there an “Unresolved Mystery” (as defined by this set of rules on step 3.c.ii), and the “Unresolved Mystery Number” appears in either of your d10 die:

                                          i.    Ask Mythic:  "Was there *really* something?":

1.     If “Yes”: Define what you discover with more Mythic questions or random tables.

2.     If “No”:  The "GM" was playing with you and there was nothing to worry about. (Optional: Keep the mystery as unresolved or resolve to regular Random Events)

3)    If the timer goes off:

a.      Mythic is asking you to make a skill roll. Pick a skill that applies to the situation.

b.     Assign the Odds according to how well your rolled in “step a”, and Ask Mythic a yes/no question ( “do I perceive anything?")

                                          i.    If “Yes”: Define what you discover with more Mythic questions or random tables

                                         ii.    If “No”: You don't perceive anything. Roll a d10, write down the number with the note: "unresolved mystery". (I’ll call this the “Unresolved Mystery Number”).

4)    Start again at Step 1.

Hidden Encounters/Treasure

For something like a dungeon crawl, I would probably take a page from dungeon crawl board games. Some of them appear to have sets of "tiles" (sometimes cards) that can be randomized to create a dungeon as you play. In one game I saw, the cards had information on them regarding treasure, terrain, etc, and if I remember correctly some of those would only be activated according to specific attributes the Hero has, etc.

I think something like this could be implemented using index cards that you can shuffle, or maybe random tables. It'd all depend on what method one likes best. I personally would try index cards with information on one both sides, one of which I would keep hidden face down. Before stepping on a particular "tile", I would decide whether to make a "sense roll" or something.

You could even make it more strategical/tactical, by limiting the number of such "sense rolls" that you could make per game. Generally, placing some limits in gameplay can lead to more fun in the way of some challenge.

Edit 1/17/2011: As is often wont to be the case, someone had already thought of something similar. On 7/13/09, a member of the Yahoo Mythic Group, going by the moniker of "shadowxsoul", had already offered the following suggestion to a fellow member:

for terrain i personally use terrain cards that i made myself out of construction paper, take out a bunch at random and throw them down face down, then turn them all right side up and voila! a map. the edges of the map are assumed to be walls, cliffs, or otherwise impassable obstacles. i also have cards that i can draw to detail what's happening in each room. like if its an ambush or a treasure room or a puzzle or a trap etc... you could probably do the same thing with another chart.

Sounds like it'd be fun just sitting down to lovingly create these. =) However, if you don't want to create them yourself, you could download the "Torchlight - Quest for the Orncryst" random dungeon cards. They can be found at http://www.arborell.com/download.html. This came to the Yahoo Mythic Group's attention courtesy of pdwmcdonald on 7/13/2009 (if you haven't joined, you're missing out!).

Edit 1/20/2011: Just liked this paragraph I found at this post: http://story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=11801&page=1#Item_0 It describes Drangonlance's SAGA system which uses a deck of cards. This is something I could see myself enjoying, and why I bought the "Bright Idea" deck. There is something to the saying that "A picture is worth a thousand words."

[Italics added by me for emphasis]

Game play I haven't gotten too far through. No combat yet. I really do like the Fate Deck though. There's a fair amount of information on the cards, so if I want something to be randomly decided, I flip over a card and interpret it. For example 1-3 are white, 4-6 are red, 7-9 are black, for good, neutral and evil. I wanted to see what the weather would be like, flipped it over and got a 10 (the odd exception, still black), and decided it was one of the worst storms ever. Ask a question, flip card, interpret. It's like having random tables to roll on, but without having to check the tables. It certainly makes it inherrently much easier to GM. The advice for Narrators is also quite good, I haven't gotten around to doing a designed adventure, or using one of the published ones (doesn't entirely suit the characters we have going), but I like what I see. Definitely something I wish I'd seen in the DMG.

Edit 1/24/2011: More thoughts on using cards, though this thread is not specific to solo gaming: http://story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=267&page=1#Item_0

Hidden Die Rolls

Not that different from the idea of index cards with the hidden facing down. It could possibly be a bit more dynamic. The idea would be to have an extra set of die that you can use to make a secret roll (by somehow hiding it from yourself)The secret roll should map to some sort of table. Perhaps the Random Event table, or the Action/Subject tables in Mythic, or some other custom table. You would choose how often a secret roll happens during a game session (the beginning of every scene or turn? Every other scene/turn? etc).

Once you have a secret roll at the beginning of the scene, you can either randomly select the requirements (what type of roll, the difficulty/Odds), or set yourself based on subjective criteria. If the roll is successful, then you can look at the Secret Roll and determine that your character caught on to what was in there. If it's unsuccessful, then you decide: do you back out of there, or continue and take your chances? If you choose to continue, then find out what the Secret Roll had in store for you. It may be nothing, or it may be an encounter your character is now unprepared for.

There are many ways you can play with a scenario like this too. Perhaps you treat success at a more granular level: you may be somewhat successful and only get a small bonus to determine if your character is surprised once you reveal the Secret Roll, based on some 'hint' that you found (Mythic can provide the detail). The 'hint' itself can add color to your interpretation of the Secret Roll (if you're using something like the Mythic Action/Subject tables).

Default Assumptions & Dice Rolls To Change Fortune
I don't quite know what to name this idea, but I heard that the old Tunnels & Trolls solo adventures used to handle combat damage to the PC this way: The PC rolls to hit the monster. If the roll fails, he takes an automatic hit from the monster. What if you could extrapolate this idea to create default encounters in each "tile" or dungeon section?

What I mean is, what if at every interval X, the "tile" or section of dungeon that you are has an encounter with Y creature type (e.g.1d10 kobolds every 3 tiles/sections)? Now, assumming that kobolds were the easiest encounter (say level 1), let's say you had a random table like this:

1) 1d6Goblins (level 2)
2) 1d4 Zombies (level 3)
3) 1d10 Gold Pieces (treasure)
4) Nothing

You now have a choice. Go with the default encounter, or take a chance rolling against that table. Now, I would probably get sick of the default encounter very quick, so I know I would take chances. If I felt lucky, I might also roll on an empty tile to see if I luck out with some free treasure.

This doesn't lend itself to the same surprise feeling that a deck of upside down cards could have, because it's more like gambling, but that can be fun in its own way.

Treating Encounters as Resources
Edit: I had to rewrite this section as it got cut off when I added other suggestions above.

I was thinking of this independently, but it looks like the author of World Vs Hero thought of something similar, as evident on some published playtests of that system. That system has the 'GM' front load a number of "Locations", which have a list of encounters built into them. The game uses a standard card deck to adjudicate when those encounters can be used. Pretty nifty, from what I can tell.

I was also thinking of pre-compiling lists, except that they might not necessarily be specific encounters. A list could contain, for example, a set of Mythic GME Fate Chart questions to guide a user's interpretation. Perhaps a set of questions in an entry might look like:

• Is the creature type Goblins? If no, then assume they are Kobolds. Are they a group of 1d4? If not, assume it's a solitary creature. Do they live here, or are they invading?

Your answers might be: A hermit Goblin that lives in here. A group of  Kobolds that are invading. Etc.

The questions could demand more interpretation by being vague:

• Will this be a Level 1 encounter?

Your answers might be that you have to roll on an encounter table to determine what the Level 1 encounter is.  Or decide if it's a Level 2 encounter, or something else. The more things left unanswered, the more things are at your discretion to decide or interpret.

The should probably be customized in ways that are interesting to you. I like eerie atmosphere, so I would try to build it into my choices like this:

• You see a light. Is it coming from above? If no, it comes from ahead. Is it white? If no, it's orange. Is it sentient?  

My answers to this might range from someone or something carrying a torch, to a sentient statue that glows, to an elemental spirit, to just a lamp hanging somewhere.

Finally, you could set these up as random "Madlibs" (if you're familiar with that kid's game):

• You see a _(adjective)_ light.

The answer here could be anything from: "You see a crazy light" to "You see a blinding light" to "You see a talking light." It doesn't have to be an adjective either. You could omit a noun, a verb, any part of the sentence that makes sense to you. If you so felt like, you could even randomly determine which part of the sentence to leave out.

If you could imagine combining a number of the suggestions above into something wholly satisfying to you, what do you think it would look like?  The possibilities are great!