Victories & Miseries - The skeleton walks!

Ok, first, ramble time. Then concrete system time.

This is the skeleton. A modular system of fiction-first resolution, change through impact, and the slow-and-sudden flowering of effort.

It will walk. Emma Rios 

I align near FKR, but orthogonally. The world and characters are primary. The rules are not a cage, but another participant at the table—a structure of responsiveness. They are not just constraints, but provocations. You do sometimes have to wrangle against them (in the best swords HOW THE FUCK DO I HIT THAT GLUM TONE + A MORAL kind of way - Swords Without Masters like), but to as large a degree as possible, they do not stand apart from the fiction and force something onto it. This is not play worlds, not rules. This is: the rules are a player too. The rules are a pouch. A bag for seeds. They do not control the fiction—they just carry it. Many, many abstract moon-hooked fingers.

This is just a skeleton without muscles, heart, or brain. It’s a bag that won’t walk until you fill it with guts and a heart that can break. It needs a moon to point its finger at. I’m going to fill it with a carnival in other posts.

Even though it is more system than FKR would usually allow, it still relies on the same fundamental trust that governs FKR play. It is easily abused, but the abuser reveals themselves in the action. As always when playing, assume everyone wants the best, and that a misstep is an oversight, not malice. Help one another as players, even if your characters are antagonistic. Allow for sincerity and silliness, in and out of character. Be lovers—you all play different tunes, but what you conduct is a symphony, not work in an engine room.

This system creates fiction-first resolution, hard choices, change through impact. It enforces that impact is not always deathly consequence, and it allows for the slow-and-sudden flowering of change. The worlds used with this system should have space for that.

A reference doc will come, when I’m ready. I’ll link it here. That, I promise.

So for now—some questions and answers.

Is it GM-facing or player-facing? Are you a boy or a girl?

Yes. Both. More one than the other. Kinda. DOES IT MATTER?!

I will write my references, though. I’ve stolen aplenty and played the system aplenty. It’s broken and beautiful. I like it.

B-b-but you’re referencing things from a play aid further down!

Yes. Ctrl+F and search. It's rhizomatic. I’ll make something whole of it later (It is Here now, also unfinished and raw.) This post itself is a reference document so neither of us go insane as I begin posting about the fae world from my carnival promise. Deal with it.

And I have none. Esther Belle Fontaine 

Play Aid: Resolving Actions and Consequences 

Taken, wrested lovingly from the beloved Pyrrhic Weaselry
Describe situation. If you look between the lines in the procedure, resolution is just talking until a player wants a different result - if the GM thinks that a player is accepting hardship (see 'accept'), then they earn a point of effort. It all folds into conversation.

1. GM Describes situation: 

If there are sides, and there is a question about who goes first, I am inspired by this:

When an action the environment takes is a threat (threats are any thing that the GM knows can impact the player characters) make these special considerations.

Standard Threats: Detail next action, and specific consequences and impact on player response. For uncertainty, the GM may use the impact table.

Hidden/Smart/Swift Threats: Adapt fictional position and point where player can take action based on threat type:

• Hidden/smart: As threat remains hidden/smart provide only hints to nature/position of threat before player acts.
• Swift: Ask for the players traits. determine impact or consequence, which the character can only counteract if they have counter-acting traits. 
  
• Delayed consequence: determine impact now. Write hint on character sheet. hint at it at important points, but describe at the moment before it takes effect.

2. Player Declares Intent and Approach:

• Specify intent ("sneak past the guard unseen") and detail specific approach ("with my sneaky shoes (a named element) + i'll keep my eyes vigilant (a trait, vigilant eyes, tinted by sorrow from that one slip of laziness) taking one very carfeful step at a time, avoiding the more fickle cobblestones. It should include traits, items, fiction.
  
  
• Player assesses trait applicability - expertises already have the action written; GM determines consequences using fictional position and traits mentioned or asked about.
  
  
• Another character may declare that they help:  Aid another player’s action, influence the outcome based on your traits, or act to mitigate possible consequences for another - depending on the action.

3. GM States Consequences & Makes Demands:

if you are in doubt of the players impact on their environment, check the impact rules. Then:

• Within Capabilities, Minimal Risk: Say what happens, ask what they do.
• Risky and challenging: Say what happens: This should be a worst case outcome including final impact or consequence. 
• In combat: Declare if the enemy tests (do that then) to avoid the harm, or if they compromise on the harm the player wanted to do (see impact)
• Clearly Beyond Capabilities: Say what happens. Declare intent unachievable, clarify fictional positioning. Ask them if they want to go through, or go back to step 1
  

All players may in addition to their choice:

• Make it Worse: Propose greater consequences linked to named elements on character sheet; if accepted, significant negative consequences ensues and you earn an effort (which may be immediately spent on any other thing than the negative consequence) May be offered by all, and also asked for by player. These consequences must be in addition to those are always true from the traits, that are determined by the GM.
  
  
• Reveal a dark secret: Reveal the dark secret in character - it should make sense for the action (you can ask for help to make it make sense). The larger the potential ramifications of the secret should be able to garner a better resulting position
  
  
• Invoke a desire: If the desire can come true, you can invoke it. It will happen - in addition to any other consequences of the action as stated by the fictional position. You can also let it go, and state why you let go of it. If you choose to let go of it. 

• Weave in a not-invoked-in-the-action Named element on their sheet, and declare how you use it to push forward. They may reroll as many dice as they want. It will affect the action.

• If a character or player feels a strong emotion, They may “interrupt” to act just as the consequences come to pass. They can affect consequences and impact, but not completely refute it. if not the acting player, or if being the acting player, they may reroll as many dice as they want.. If they get what they seek, they get to act next.

4. Player Response Options:

• Compromise: Opt for reduced success and consequences or better success at worse consequence. Compromise is also based on traits and position. New traits and items may be drawn in. GM may set additional conditions and decides how a trait affects an action negatively.
  
  
• Slip: Avoid original result but fail intent, incurring another type of consequence.
  
  
• Accept misery: Ask the GM if they want to make a change to the impact. The player gains 1 effort if the GM does not think this a misery. if the GM thinks this a misery, the player gains a misery.
  
  
• Test: Roll 2d6 to seek full success or/and sidestep stated consequences, describing action. Use:
• Relevant skill for +1 die 
• Trait for +1 die. one die can be gained, but any amount of traits affect the situation.
• On a failure, GM decides if/how used traits makes the situation worse. They should go through the traits meticilously, its a gift.

6. Understanding Test Results:
stolen from "Thus began the Adventures of Eowyn"

• 2+ Sixes: Victory; additional action success, name the victory, write it on the character sheet.
  
  
• Any 5-6: Complete success.
  
  
• All 4-1: Failure; GM's worst-case scenario plus additional consequences with scope depending on what the characters action. Consult impact table if unsure.
  
  
• All 1's: Misery; endure unavoidable extra negative impact, name the misery, write it on the character shet.. Consult impact table if unsure

Knowledge Checks and Acquisition

1. Assessing Knowledge out of danger:

• Within Expertise: Provide knowledge directly.
• Knowledge Obscure or Outside Expertise:  Provide a usable part of the knowledge. Not the whole answer. If you can't give half the answer, give the full answer.
• Encourage asking questions to clarify or expand understanding.
• Unknown to Character: Clearly state knowledge is unknown - this does not take time and does not bring consequences. Offer hints on how knowledge can be obtained, if possible.

2. Assessing Knowledge in danger:

First as a GM, see if the knowledge is unknown to the character. If it is, then clearly state knowledge is unknown - this does not take time and does not bring consequences.Offer hints on how knowledge can be obtained, if possible.

Then acknowledge that seeking knowledge during danger poses risks. Highlight potential dangers or immediate consequences of distraction, following threat determination

Then choose:

• Within Expertise: Provide knowledge directly.
  
  
• Knowledge Obscure or Outside Expertise:  Use Resolving action, where full knowledge is part of any success or consquence. The dangers are the danger, not half knowledge.

James Jean, i think.

Play Aid: Impact Management 

Stolen from The Bad Doctors Impactful post

1. Impact Determination:

Direct Statement: GM declares impact based on action and fictional position.

Rolling for Impact: use the impact table if uncertain about consequences or dictated by situation.

Some traits, named elements, or other things may count as protection. They can be invoked any amount of times - armour, amulets of stoicism, the love of a friend and the kiss they planted on your cheek are always true.

Such things, when relevant to the impacted character, can be invoked to reduce impact after it is determined. As part of this invocation, a means to circumvent it reveals itself.

This also means that it is described, and now the "impacting side" can position themselves to circumvent it, and is free ask "how can i circumvent it?". This always is bound to have an answer to be sought. (see knowledge tests and acquisition). Remember:

The kiss can be made forgotten if for but a moment. Distraction, heat.
An armour has chinks, an opening in the neck. Slide that dagger in.
The amulet must be held in hand. Wrestle it out of it.

What counts as protection in your gameworld? You may have large lists of armor vs weapons. I do too. Not showing them here though, that's for another post - because worlds need not be about war and conflict.

Protection: 1 impact levels down if not circumvented by position.

Near-Impervious: 2 impact levels down if not circumvented by position.

Impervious: why did you roll impact in the first place?

2. Rolling Impact Table: roll

• A d10 if you do not know the scope of the impact. If you want to take a smaller die, you know the scope.

• A smaller die if you know the scope, declaring baseline impact such as BENT: the mace cracks into your sternum, winding you, blood sprays from your mouth. 1-2 a worse result, 3-4 expected, 5-6 worse). 

• Results:
• 1: Disadvantaged - delayed effect; clearable from before onset. 
• 2-4: Bent - Immediate effect; clearable during conflict.
• 5-7: Serious - Immediate effect; clearable post-conflict.
• 8-9: Lethal - Delayed effect; requires significant quest to resolve.
• 10: Grievous - Immediate effect requiring significant quest to resolve.

Dead/Transformed:  You cannot be killed (made terminal) or utterly transformed unless: 

• Another specific rule applies from another sheet - it should be written and clearly stated
  
  
• You have been wounded or a you have suffered a condition related to the same transformation in the same situation or by the same source of impact, and only if the worst consequence would have immediate potential to kill/transform. We are still fiction first, just with girders. That means a grievous wound can only kill (just) after combat if the wound was the second or later during that combat.

This terminal state will result in death or transformation unless action is taken immediately. If transformation happens, player chooses if they relinquish control of their character or keep it. Unspent Effort earned are put to the next sheet, and an equal amount is spread to all non-antagonist characters if a ceremony is held. The dead/transforming player decides if a character is antagonistic or not.

Can only be incurred if the player tests to avoid impact. If they don't, they will over time just end up broken, beaten, scarred, battered - a barely living pulp. Compromises bring pain and wounds and love and transformation too - just not utterly so.

3. Using Whole, and Hale:

• Condition Use: Impacts change the conditions of “Whole” (body) and “Hale” (mind). Which may be when they are still positive turned into impacts to extra die to a test, or as part of a compromise. When a condition changes, it has fictional consequences on the test, influencing character capabilities and future interactions until regained. The willing change - sacrifice - of a condition has fictional consequences on the test, influencing character capabilities and future interactions. 
• Consequence of Loss: If you have lost your arm you cannot be “whole”. If you have lost your arm, you cannot use it. Conditions are lost not as a part of a consequence, but as as side effect of the fiction. When the fiction changes, so does the character sheet.
• Re-earning conditions: getting a condition back to “whole” or “hale” depends on the world. Ask the world and the sheet how. 

4. Putting the impact on the sheet:

For "effect later" impacts, put them on the character sheet. For a while, its the characters mental or bodily condition, or both. New stuff folds into the old condition. These should progress based on specific triggers or timeframes. Always accompany the fictional indicators of progress or escalation with an effect, not the other way around. New triggers may accompany this, or cause threats. 

• Recoverable Impacts: Resolved through straightforward actions; effects persist until resolved.
  
  
• Questable Impacts: Require lengthy, risky efforts to resolve; impacts can be cleared with an experience refund or transformed into a trait reflecting the ordeal.

An example. You are not Hale anymore. GM describes how the poison coral runs through your veins, from the wound in your arm. On the sheet. "Coral Addled" Next: spreads up my neck on sundown [at which point the GM says - you feel woozy and your teeth clench of a will not your own. Small spines grow on your palate. Speaking is painful."

It takes effort. スシザワ＠コミティア152 I24a

Play Aid: Earning and spending effort

This is clearly Burning Wheel

1. Earning Effort:

Victories and Miseries:

• Name the victory or misery. Effort on a victory or misery may only be used on actions related to the misery or victory. 

• The victory or misery has 3 points in it. Once spent, the victory or misery is erased from the character sheet (unless it is marked to become some trait).

• If  no expertise + action was used on the test: Immediately grow a new expertise or action within another skill related to the action. 
  
  

Acting on Beliefs or Instincts:

Earn 1 effort points for resisting/following an instinct with detriment or hardship. (GM determines)

Earn 1 effort points for following a belief or desire with detriment or hardship. (GM determines)

Earn 1 effort points for making direct progress towards one of your, or another characters goals. (GM determines)

Earn 1 effort by Making things worse for yourself, or when others offer it and you accept.

2. Using Effort:

Costs: Each use from the list below costs one point of effort tied to a named element, earning that element a mark. The named element must be part of the action. There are many, but they alliterate so you can memorize them. Risk-Resist-Twist-Assist-Add

Actions:

• Risk: accept an orthogonal consequence of equal measure on either victory+success or misery+failure to reroll if testing. 
  
  
• Resist: Make a negative impact less severe or ignore it just for this action.
  
  
• Twist: Recontextualize impact or consequence by stating what you do not want to happen GM/opponent must alter their approach.
  
  
• Assist: If you were aiding the character of the roll, you may use effort to reroll any ammount of dice.
  
  
• Add: Note a success as a victory or a failure as a misery with two points. Add yourself to a scene. claim an additional unrelated, but possible, success after a main success.

3. Using effort at 0 points left

And this is the Devils Bargain from Blades in the Dark. Because rolling dice is nice, and risk is fun.

• Using effort without remaining points triggers immediate escalation, plus always impact if possible. You immediately earn a mark on the element. 
• No marks are earned when using effort this way.

Change!

When one of the following things happen, an element on the sheet changes:

• At 7 marks are earned on a thing (ie, on the seventh mark, after the 6th)

• When a dark secret is revealed
  
  
• When the player or character experiences extreme emotion and it comes out at the table.
  
  
• When a characters desire is invoked or flipped
  
  
• When it just makes sense for everyone present. When the kingdom is saved, when a moment of tenderness is had. This is playing, not gaming. 
  
  
• When a trait is abandoned and no longer true. I am no longer in love (the baseline condition changes). We believe the player characters statements to be true in the world. The marks represent it, but the characters act is it.
  
  
• When a character goal is reached, or abandoned-and-remade

The player may when any of the above conditions are met do one of the following:

• Change words: Make an element more specific or different, recontextualizing it.
  
  
• Change form or meaning: change its physical form or its meaning. Preferably not both. Explain what happened. The GM will help make it possible
  
  
• Refute change: points are erased on the trait, and nothing changes. Explain why all the things that happened made you spefically not change. 
  
  
• Split into new word: Introduce a new element, acknowledging its source. It can be a new expertise with fitting skills, a new skill beneath an expertise, a new trait, desire, feat heroic, or changing the base state of a condition. Anything! 
  
  
• Turn into trait, expertise, skill: An element on the sheet may be made into a trait, expertise, skill.
  
  
• Replace element Replace the named element with an inversion.

5. Principles of Named Element Changes:

• Always ensure changes to named elements makes sense in the fiction; This is for all around the table to agree on.
  
  
• If a change makes sense in the fiction, figure out whether a scene should be had exploring it, or it happens while another character is in focus: experience allows for player-directed evolution if justified by the laws of the world.

Words are arrows bearing change. Camelia Pham

Play Aid: Player with player and versus player

2. Player versus player - Bloodied actions and duels.

When a player character chooses to harm another player character intenfully, this method is used to figure out how to resolve it.

Determining which conlict is right:

• If Actions intended to inflict harm without underlying goals save harming the other, its a Duel.
• If actions are intended to make the other do something through violence, it's a melee.

• If you want to do something to make another to do something by giving equally, use leverage.

• If you already have made someone feel something and want a measure of control, you do this by way of very smutty mental impact (see above)
  

• If you want your own needs met, use Reciprocreation. The method is just harm, and consequences are secondary. Its essentially a battle of emotions shaped like blades. Figure it out

• Communication Issues: If the aggressing player cannot describe or name this, it may reflect potential unresolved personal conflicts or desires to dominate without deeper engagement. Talk to one another. See what others want. This is the time to adult and get your trust tools out.

Melee

• Purpose: A melee focusses on achieving a goal where the method is harmful 

• Example: Intent - Make another character realize their wrong; Method - Physical confrontation.
  

• Who goes when? If a trait solidly determines who acts first, they do - GMs call. Else, list reasons to fear the other side. Side with least reasons to fear the other side goes first. In any case, the side that goes last gets a point of effort. If its the same amount of reasons, its a coin flip and both get effort.

• Outcome Determination: Aggressor determines intent. GM looks to fictional position of both offender and defender. Defender states whether they want to:

• Counteragress. This makes it the defenders turn, after which both sides test. Do the who goes when to figure out who goes first.

• Take the hit and compromise (which involves taking the physical hit to avoid the aggressors intent.) Then it is the defenders turn.

• Slip in a manner that leaves them unable to continue the conflict - but the aggressor does not get the intent - they get something else. They decide, GM determines if it is too close to original intent.

Duel

• Purpose: Actions intended to inflict harm with an underlying emotional or strategic goals:
  

• Set conditions: Set conditions (or-length-willing-to-go-to) for duel resolution. Is it until first blood, until death, something else? What is the goal that the loser agrees to upon the condition being fulfilled. Both set these conditions.
  

• Who goes when? If a trait solidly determines who acts first, they do - GMs call. Else, list reasons to fear the other side. Side with least reasons to fear the other side goes first. In any case, the side that goes last gets a point of effort. If its the same amount of reasons, its a coin flip and both get effort. In any case, the side that goes last gets a point of effort.
  
  

• Outcome Determination: Aggressor determines intent. GM looks to fictional position of both offender and defender. Defender states whether they want to:

• counteragress. This makes it the defenders turn, after which both sides test. Do the who goes when to figure out who goes first.

• Take the hit and compromise (which involves taking the physical hit to avoid the aggressors intent.) Then it is the defenders turn.

• Slip in a manner that leaves you open. It is now the aggressors turn again. 

4. Reciprocreation - drama

From Hillfolk/Drama System. Nothing is better than this for drama. Some would definitely say it is story gaming. I say it is a good simulation of how life is dramatic and weird. Because of the lack of the prepwork that ensures that people have reasons not to give the petition in hillfolk, sometimes the situation just resolves immediately.

• Setup: Petitioner states an emotional need for themselves (feeling loved, feeling shame), why they doubt the other would give it (because you said you hated me yesterday / because you adore me) and the action they take to get that need fulfilled (i come to your room, robed in XXX - things you said you liked earlier / I scold you for not listening to my advice) 

• Interruptions: as normal, players not in the scene may add themselves with effort. They must state how they relate to the need to enter.

• The scene plays out. Anyone may cut the scene aggressively and poignantly. Any player can spend effort to introduce a trait and continue.

• Petitioner's Role: States if emotional needs are met post-interaction.

• Reward: If needs are met, giver gains an effort; if needs are not, petitioner gains an effort.

Antonio Reinhard Wisesa

Before this system, I kept returning to feelings I couldn’t shake:

That impact in games is often either too light to matter, or to heavy to not kill play.

That wounds either disappear by morning or lock you out of play

That love is a background color, never a change in the body

That betrayal is a narrative twist, not a fictional truth with gravity.

This is a system where mechanics are not containers for the fiction. They are invitations. They are fingers pointing at the moon, asking:

“How are you already changing?”

Here, love is a condition. A real one. It can be written. It can be invoked. 

It must be acknowledged, by the GM, or by the one you love—because it's true now. You put it on the sheet. That means it’s real. (AHA.) You can twist consequences. You can resist a wound. But you spend effort, and so you change. If you spend effort when you have none left—And that bending change is slow. Sometimes it takes seven marks.

Other times, it’s sudden. Someone says the wrong name, the right kiss lands, a forfeit is paid in blood, and the GM hands you a new trait with trembling hands.

But it is precarious, and needs safety. If someone abuses that trust, play very possibly stops, the system reveals that abuser, but it ain't nice for anyone. 

You play to be marked or mark others.

You play to change others, or resist changing others.

You play to make beauty and mess and pain in a world that wants you to matter.

You play like lovers, wrecking each other beautifully.

I wanted something else. I wanted a system where:

• Consequences live in the body and mind, and on the character sheet. And where all the things on the character sheet can-be-always-true in the fictional world. 

• Effort and misery and desire re-shape what a character can do. The exterior affects the interior.

• You don’t roll for damage, you roll to see what impact marks your sheet.

• A goal can be cast aside, a secret, a desire can be revealed mid-scene to change the consequences of an action. The interior affects the exterior

This is a system where mechanics are not containers for the fiction. Where a thing either has a cost to be true, or is just a word that carries the dice you really want, so you invoke a thousand off them. I want delicious invitations. I want fingers pointing at the moon, asking:

“How are you already changing with what you do?”

Here, love is a condition. A real one. It can be written. It can be invoked.

Here, you gain “effort” from making things worse. From feeling too much.

You bleed. You break.

The reed which does not bend breaks.

This system allows for player-vs-player, for smut and violence and betrayal—but it is built on radical trust. The tools are transparent. The desires are spoken. The goals are negotiated.

You don’t play to win.

THIS SYSTEM DOESN'T DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
you do it with a one, a two, a why, a how, a change.
THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEAN.
It's not the only part. there are de-
BUT WHAT ARE DESIRES, TRAITS, EXPERTISE AND SECRETS. YOU GIVE ME NOTHING TO THE HOLD ON IN THIS FUCKING STORM OF WORDS.

Sometimes we have to kill the beast and make it ugly to set ourselves free. Spacediver.

Next post, dearie. Hold on. Float. It'll be that one about characters. The things that make the world turn.