Life Post-DW: Initial F|nDings

Hey all,

"Um, Mum! Was I born under a full moon?"

After three sessions, the DW play-test group have done it! They saved Maiden's Vale from her curse by finding out the dark truth behind it all, and by doing that, rescued Sir Olvar and his stricken family from death and a very disloyal cousin in Maxim Le Cloche.


Another two of the player characters perished in this session, making DW one of the most brutal PnP RPG we have tried. Deathly Hulk - a barbarian played by Vek, was cut up by a vicious magical tornado thrown at him by Fhionn the White Lady while Pong's Sorcerer fell to hell hounds and random attrition.


Overall, the players felt that the system did not allow them to feel connected to their character. The attributes were simple - too simple - and governed too many of their rolls without actually seeing more specific skills being used for their actions.

The players wanted more control over their characters, or as I will put it, clearer proof that their character is advancing in a certain way. They needed to see more statistics on their sheet, instead of DEX + INT to determine their pickpocket skill, they would prefer to see a Pickpocket Skill itself that they can "level up", to show visual proof or guide their role-play towards them being a Pickpocket Master.

The simple and open game-play of DW took them by surprise; making it look like there was no depth involved in the decisions that they made and could make, when there actually is. The players felt that the game was too shallow, as there is not much rolling involved compared to other RPGs, especially when their attribute score surpass the Difficulty Number of the task, making them automatically succeed, adding to the "shallow" feel of the game.

They also felt the numerous deaths that occurred were random and could not have been avoided even with better strategy or role-playing. Seeing only five basic statistics in their character sheets which governed all the actions that they can make in the entire game made them feel lost; the lack of more specific instructions or cues left them bored and clueless.

As I have mentioned earlier, there is no clear "LOOK HERE- PICKPOCKET EXPERT!" statistic to augment their role-playing as a crafty rogue, so the play-testers felt distant from the character that they are playing.

To me, the reason was simple. DW did not fit the play-style of the party, even with all my tinkering with the original system trying to modernize it. Shane -one of the play-testers, mentioned that he did not know the exact mechanics behind stealthily going up to something or if he tried to parlay, which stat was to be used etc. Another player in the same situation who is suitably versed for this game-system would trust and leave the calculations/decisions in the hands of the Game-master, and just concentrate on knowing that his character would do those actions as he or she is a "smooth talker" or "stealth expert" when he first created him/her.

Traditional PnP Role-playing is essentially, stepping into the skin of a character and living the character, with the Game-Master refereeing the world and shaping up the adventure. But for some, PnP is more like a fixed-solution board game to them or a mathematical problem, and that there are specific and optimal routes to doing something; with very specific statistics to guide them. I love the rules and all (a game with no rules is not a game), and they are there in DW (just that it is quietly working in the background), giving structure to the actions of a character.

What is a Game-Master for anyway? If he is just there for calculations and to narrate fixed paragraphs, then wouldn't PnP RPG just be a very bad excuse for a very slow-levelling Computer RPG game?

You never know what to expect in life even when you are most prepared, and that is PnP at its best too. PnP is unpredictable, fast-paced and has an over-arching story-line. The Games-Master is there to referee grey areas, to initiate complications, to provide difficulties for the characters to overcome, while simultaneously advancing the party towards a goal.

The players must get this idea. They control the characters, while the GM controls the world around him or her to achieve a common goal that both parties are working towards, namely the end of the module.

Don't like a ruling? Discuss it but if the final decision does not go your way, take it on the chin knowing that the GM knows what he is doing, or that he has a hidden agenda/plot-twist that he cannot reveal. If you think the GM is unfair or just clueless, then refrain from his games next time or step up and be a better GM for the next adventure.

The previous point is something I wanted to address in this post. This is an attitude that I would like to clarify; and that I understand when a system is not working for my group, and when it is not the system and sometimes just players wanting something that the system cannot give due to its particular rule-set or setting.

DW's trademark simplicity and ease of play has its good points but it is clearly not being enjoyed by our playgroup. I definitely agree that different players require different goals/cues to spark them in games and activities.The 4grid Combat System worked personally for me and I will modify it to be even better in future.

So it is with this thought that I have decided to make a new PnP RPG system that can best cater to our group and their playstyle, while keeping the system simple and exciting enough to last a late night. Character Creation and Modification will be high on priority, encased in a simple and elegant rule-set.

I thus present -

F|nD (Pronounced fie-And-Dee)

VISION OF THE GAME
After the findings of our recent play sessions, I have several goals in mind for F|nD that will be its foundation.

• I want a set of at least six basic character Attributes that cater to most PnP situations.
• Each Attribute to be useful in a way or another, governing a particular area of the character's physical or mental psyche.
• A fixed Dice Pool for Attributes and Skills will be used. Players will be able to create and mold his character to his liking without the need to lament bad luck during the rolling process or what not.
• Races (Optional) can be chosen, which will affect the Dice Pool, Min/Max of several Attributes and Perks.
• There will be Combat and Non-Combat skills tied to relevant Attributes, which can be improved and "leveled up". 
• The skill system is expandable and will allow new skills to be added in at any given time.
• Classes (Optional) can be added in, with several specific Combat, Non-Combat Skills and Perks included.
• I want a common die system whereby rolling HIGH = GOOD.
• Combat will be fast, with an element of luck involved regarding Criticals and Glitches, ala SR.
• Visible and Constant progression in Character Advancement//Loot
• The Lego 4grid system (DW) will be modified and retained. (Lego ftw)
• There will be ample discussion and sit ins with my players first before the final playtest version is used.
• I will reference most of the Game Systems that I have played (DnD, SR, Palladium, BEsM, SWd6, Gurps, DW) and endeavor to put in the best parts that those games gave to us.

I will be back on the flip side with more information as I start to write the outline of the F|nD system. 

Have a good one!