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<blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8823359" data-attributes="member: 6696971"><p>In my opinion, the point of the confluence of <strong>Torchbearer </strong>thematic PC build components (Belief, Creed, Goal, Nature, Mentor, Family, Friend, Enemy, Hometown) + Twists (advice for them and how they work) + Calamity/Event tables is kindred with a lot of similar games, just operationalized differently on a per game basis.</p><p></p><p><strong>Apocalypse World</strong>'s GM moves (generally) + specific Threat moves works within the framework of the thematic PC build components and advancement in the game not terribly far afield from how Torchbearer works; Relationships (hx), playbook triggers and highlighted stats. Same goes for the other games in this line (like Dungeon World et al).</p><p></p><p><strong>D&D 4e</strong> complications/change-the-situation +Encounter Goals are related to Player Quests/objectives (which are in turn related to PC build choices like Race/Background/Class/Theme/Paragon Path/Epic Destiny and how those things + player decisions create the challenges before the players which creates the unfolding fiction and trajectory of play). The game twists and turns based on the confluence of all of these things.</p><p></p><p><strong>Dogs in the Vineyard</strong> is similar where premise + PC build lead to "Adventure Design" (just like in TB) - Towns. Conflicts in Town lead to "Twists" (follow-on-conflict and Fallout in Dogs parlance) which ultimately leads to post-Town Reflection (which is like all of the advancement and end-of-session stuff in the games listed above).</p><p></p><p>[HR][/HR]</p><p></p><p>The Event/Calamity Tables of Torchbearer are the outlier of all of these games and game attributes listed above, but that is only when looked at in isolation. When looked at through the lens of holistic/integrated system, GM's best practices handling of the results of Event/Calamity Tables is basically just a more deeply constrained menu of Twist-handling. You should be working to either (a) present PCs an opportunity or (b) create a threat/complication that (c) intersects with player-flagged interests (by way of PC thematic build aspects and decisions > outputs that have led to fiction-to-date) but (d) honors the result of the Event/Calamity Table.</p><p></p><p>Contrast this with a thematically neutral approach to Event/Calamity tables or Twist handling with a lot of other game approaches to Random Encounters handling or "Side Quests" which are informed mostly/wholly by <em>GM naturalistic extrapolation of pre-generated, high resolution setting</em> rather than the "game layer" + "theme/premise layer" approach listed above. The cognitive space the GM is managing and executing is very different when you're generating and mapping the results of NPC Reaction Rolls onto play in B/X than when handling Circles/Persuader Tests and Convince Conflict compromises and Parley/Diplomacy moves and putting forth Raises/Sees in a Just Talkin' conflict!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Manbearcat, post: 8823359, member: 6696971"] In my opinion, the point of the confluence of [B]Torchbearer [/B]thematic PC build components (Belief, Creed, Goal, Nature, Mentor, Family, Friend, Enemy, Hometown) + Twists (advice for them and how they work) + Calamity/Event tables is kindred with a lot of similar games, just operationalized differently on a per game basis. [B]Apocalypse World[/B]'s GM moves (generally) + specific Threat moves works within the framework of the thematic PC build components and advancement in the game not terribly far afield from how Torchbearer works; Relationships (hx), playbook triggers and highlighted stats. Same goes for the other games in this line (like Dungeon World et al). [B]D&D 4e[/B] complications/change-the-situation +Encounter Goals are related to Player Quests/objectives (which are in turn related to PC build choices like Race/Background/Class/Theme/Paragon Path/Epic Destiny and how those things + player decisions create the challenges before the players which creates the unfolding fiction and trajectory of play). The game twists and turns based on the confluence of all of these things. [B]Dogs in the Vineyard[/B] is similar where premise + PC build lead to "Adventure Design" (just like in TB) - Towns. Conflicts in Town lead to "Twists" (follow-on-conflict and Fallout in Dogs parlance) which ultimately leads to post-Town Reflection (which is like all of the advancement and end-of-session stuff in the games listed above). [HR][/HR] The Event/Calamity Tables of Torchbearer are the outlier of all of these games and game attributes listed above, but that is only when looked at in isolation. When looked at through the lens of holistic/integrated system, GM's best practices handling of the results of Event/Calamity Tables is basically just a more deeply constrained menu of Twist-handling. You should be working to either (a) present PCs an opportunity or (b) create a threat/complication that (c) intersects with player-flagged interests (by way of PC thematic build aspects and decisions > outputs that have led to fiction-to-date) but (d) honors the result of the Event/Calamity Table. Contrast this with a thematically neutral approach to Event/Calamity tables or Twist handling with a lot of other game approaches to Random Encounters handling or "Side Quests" which are informed mostly/wholly by [I]GM naturalistic extrapolation of pre-generated, high resolution setting[/I] rather than the "game layer" + "theme/premise layer" approach listed above. The cognitive space the GM is managing and executing is very different when you're generating and mapping the results of NPC Reaction Rolls onto play in B/X than when handling Circles/Persuader Tests and Convince Conflict compromises and Parley/Diplomacy moves and putting forth Raises/Sees in a Just Talkin' conflict! [/QUOTE]
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