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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 7409230" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya![RE: The MasterBook DramaDeck/PlotDeck system]The MasterBook system uses a deck of special cards, and there is an optional "Plot Development Deck" you can use by itself or with them.Here is the Precis Intermedia web page for them; it's got an example card picture on it I'll use for explanation:<a href="http://www.pigames.net/store/product_info.php?cPath=107&products_id=642" target="_blank">http://www.pigames.net/store/product_info.php?cPath=107&products_id=642</a>Ok, generally the deck sits there on the table in the middle so everyone can see/access. I use the Plot deck too, so it's mixed in with the "MasterDeck" cards. Anyway, at the beginning of a combat, the GM flips over the top card. Using the example card show at the above web site, it shows two cards. The one with the Black on top and Red on bottom is what is used for Initiative.See the line's that have "S" and "D"? That stands for Standard and Dramatic. If the situation is a "Standard" one, so things in D&D like a random encounter, or most of the encounters dealing with the rabble, fodder, and general 'monster population' of the area. The "Dramatic" one is for when the PC's get to the BBEG, or encounter an important NPC/Monster (like the Orc Generals Sargent, Lt. or Shaman...you know, 'dramatic' situations).The "G" and "P" after the S/D simply mean "GM" and "Players". This refers to the side that goes first. First listed, goes first. In the example we have "S:  P: --     G: Fatigued". Means that the Players go first, and when the GM goes, the monsters/NPC's also automatically get the 'Fatigued' status for that round. The next line is the "D: G: Flurry     P: --". Meaning that the GM side goes first, and they get the Flurry status applied to them.The bottom part, in Red? It says "Action" and then "Attack/Defend" under it? That is the "approved action" for that round. If a player succeeds in using a (or the) Approved Action during the round in an appropriate manner, they can immediately draw another card from the top of the deck and put it into their Hand. It's a way to encourage players to do more than just swing or blast away round after round. So if the approved action says "Trick/Taunt", the player can have his PC try and use an appropriate skill to try and Trick or Taunt (there's a "Resolution Table" in the game that is the core of a lot of it...too much to detail here though). He can just swing again, or he can opt to try and Trick/Taunt his opponent. Success gives him another card...which is always a good thing! (More choices to add to your card Pool, round to round).And that's Initiative. The card tells you who goes first, if anything is applied to one side or not, and has results for both Standard encounters/situations and Dramatic ones.Everything else on the card is basically used for game stuff. The example card isn't very good as an example, because it uses a more rare type of "action line" (the white one in the middle that says "Complication"). This area is called the "Critical Skill Resolution" line. Normally this line will have "SKILL A B" or "SKILL A B C" or "SKILL D"; the letters denote a 'step' in a task that needs to be succeeded with that round to count as progress towards success. It's kind of like a "Skill Challenge" from 4e...if I understand 4e for it; never played 4e. Anyway, the GM sets up a dramatic skill resolution sequence. Say the PC's activate a trap; the rooms doors get barred and water starts filling up. The GM could have decided "in 6 rounds it will be fully underwater; Step A (Investigate/Find Traps/Perception to locate access panel) /// Step B (Investigate/Engineering-Stonework to open/deduce mechanism) /// Step C (Remove Traps/Engineering-Mechanical to stop water and start drainage)".  When the first round comes up, the card is flipped. If there is an "A" in the skill line, the PC can make a roll. Next round, new card. There needs to be a B on it for the skill line or progress can't be achieved. Then, after a B shows up and the PC succeeds, you need to see a C for the final check. This all has to be done fast...or the PC's might start drowning!  It really does add to the tension of a scene. Combine a Critical Skill Resolution task with an actual combat and BLAMO! You have the perfect example of action-movie scenes where some PC's are holding off the snakes/cannibals/robots/aliens as another is frantically trying to find the switch/control panel to open the door/gate/bulkhead before everyone is over run and dies horrible, horrible deaths! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Sorry I went into a bit more detail other than just the Initiative part. But I felt it worth the mention. Personally I, and my players, REALLY enjoy the hell out of the MasterDeck/PlotDeck! We try and use it for just about any game...it just adds a lot of dynamic storytelling to the session and combats. Really cool stuff! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />^_^Paul L. Ming</blockquote>

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