Jocher symbolic systems
Explorer
Control is a system aimed at capturing the idea of how in certain situations we must remain in control of our emotions.
The system is useable mainly in horror, stealth, and settings that demand a very scripted social decorum. Examples of these could be in games inspired by Jane Austen, horror survival games such as Alien or Kult, or perhaps when playing as a spy.
Get your copy here: Control by Jocher Symbolic Systems
The system consists of a few moving parts; 6 core emotions, a set of values, a stress level, and memories. To determine outcomes it uses a roll-under/roll-over system inspired by Lasers & Feelings (Harper, 2013) that is connected to both the values and the emotions. It is intentionally leaving out defining a certain die size, this is to allow for probability modification (leading to tone adjustment).
It is very possible to use this as a sort of addon, or a mod, to existing rules-light games.
I have been developing it over approximately 6 months so far and it is now in a state where it is very possible to play with it. A few playtests have been conducted, and the initial results were positive!
The idea started with a thought that "what if instead of rolling to succeed with things we roll not to fail", this might seem like semantics and saying the same thing twice using different words. But the thought could not be shaken.
I hope you all enjoy it and that it becomes useful for someone!
