Super Psychic Power Ability Increase Time

Last we left off our discussion we came to one of those difficulties that are, well, particularly difficult. How do you balance between the desire to progress a character and the practicality of retaining some sense of reality? It is easy to simply suggest throwing out reality in this instance or work with something in a more abstract manner to reach the desired practicality. The abstract method at least deals with the issue. This is not to say that leaving the unreality be is unacceptable. Role-playing games are all about story elements and game elements together in the same experience. It is a layered experience where not everything need meet in the middle. That said how do you go about solving our issue of improving super powers and psychic abilities in a manner that deals with both short and long in-game timeframes?

Both psychic abilities and super powers can actually advance in the same mechanical manner as skills with the right story framework behind them. It is pretty much a de facto standard that psychic abilities are a function of the brain--the pituitary in this scenario may effectively be the gas tank, or not. For the purpose of producing psychic effects the brain is likened to a muscle. As blood flows into the sections of the brain responsible for psychic abilities other adjacent, or close by, sections serving a similar function, but so far unawakened power-wise, become activated over time. Thus like skills there is a chance every time the character uses their powers they might trigger a new psychic ability. Some kind of limit might be put on how soon the next chance might be, especially after having already gained a new power.

A similar scenario can play out when super powers are involved. Whether the character is a mutant or an experiment or gains their powers from some other method, the physics of gaining powers is the same--for a setting like this. Powers are caused by elements introduced within the body. These elements can range from chemical compounds to forms of radiation that leave residual traces in the body, to magical substances. They react to other body chemicals secreted during the use of super powers. Again like building bigger muscles new compounds are created that combine with some other chemical, hormone, or compound and result in new powers or further mutation. In either case, super or psychic power, the progression chance could be coupled with points, which are used to determine when a chance becomes available preventing too frequent progression on a dice fluke.

Mood: empowered.

Music: Music: Power Of The Sun by Bruce Dickinson and Main Attraction by Quiet Riot.

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Facets, Contradictions, and Allegiances

Depth is always one of the elements I strive for when considering characters in role-playing games. Of course this carries over to writing any kind of characters for any story or script. I don't always do it for short stories or novels but I have created characters using role-playing terms and conventions as if I wanted to use them in a game and then used that familiarity with the character to write their part within the story. I recently read a review of a role-playing game and it sparked me to write a note about character diversity. By that I mean the details, the nitty-gritty that differentiate one character from another even though they fit the same social circle, economic strata, and have the same education. What makes one engineer different from another on the same team?

Character diversity can be made by allowing players to select the following. A home country. Political affiliations or leaning toward particular ideals. Additionally there are points where the character differs from the ideas espoused by the party or their group. An immigrant could grow into a new national identity, change politics or move toward a political sub-faction. They could be a part of a guild or association, and from there variegate into a guild-faction. In the context of the game I made the notes for I asked questions like: Is the character part of one nation's military? What is their view of their allies? What is their view of their enemies? Is there competition between units in the same military? Service branch rivalries? How do they compete with other nation's units even when in a united goal?

All of this asks and answers essential questions like what is my character's role in group X, what is it contributing to the local corner of the world, to the country, to the world at large? How does their beliefs shape their style and methodology to their work, job, military service? It speaks to the measure of their character and reveals or further asks how they will deal with situations under stress. When given time. When researching new skills, including magic in applicable settings. When collaborating with others on such skills. Further differentiation might come from another role-playing game approach where a character has their social face and their private face. Not everyone projects their true self all of the time. Even what they do and do not share about themselves could be an important detail.

Mood: disciplined.

Music: Disciples Of The Lie by Iced Earth and Book Of Thel by Bruce Dickinson.

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Mad Skillz

One of the important aspects of all role-playing games, even though it isn’t the coolest, or the most definitive, is the skill rules, and by extension the skill set that each character will be able to have and the player to manipulate to be tailored to who and what that character is as they want it to be. I have been thinking a lot about this ever since Friday when I was reading a discussion on a forum about a particular skill and when to use it. The first factor to consider in writing this section of the game is a matter of play style. The second factor is complexity. As usual both of these factors also have to take into consideration your game’s mood.

Most people it would appear deal with play style all on their own. They buy a game and they develop the way that they want to play it based on a number of criteria that changes based on their current mood, and the composition of the group playing, of course on both sides of the proverbial game screen. A big factor of that style determines how often they pick up the dice. Since it is such a fluid and variable condition things other than the audience dictate the play-style of a given game, except of course in the whom of the who will buy this product. The things it is dictated by are comprised of the set version of the things that the audience changes for themselves, and the aforementioned mood of the game.

Complexity is where I like to let my imagination run rampant. For skills I have this dream, this desire, to take a fairly dice intensive approach. If I were to go with such an approach, throwing mood to the wind perhaps, then I would have to design the skills to be used in a particular way. For example let’s look at using flying power armour in combat. In the complex approach you have to pilot the suit, read the instruments, be familiar with the weapon system in order to optimize your aim, and be able to fight in it. That’s four skills. Now, let’s say the combat computer is broken and aiming isn’t aided. Then you’d have to add in some ability to lead the target yourself, and determine windage to make a shot with any kinetic weapon at range, much like a traditional sniper. Of course usually many of these skills are lumped together cutting down on everything. It’s practically a requirement.

Mood: exhausted.
Music: Hot for Teacher by Van Halen and Stand by for Pain by Widomaker.

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