That is rather well done. I hadn't considered a random roll for time depletion but I think it'll work nicely to achieve the effect anxiety. Hats off to you sir.
First Impressions & Feedback - N.E.W.
- Thread starter LucasC
- Start date
That is rather well done. I hadn't considered a random roll for time depletion but I think it'll work nicely to achieve the effect anxiety. Hats off to you sir.
Time is always an abstract concept in RPGs. I think this mechanic gives it some rules while still leaving it abstract. What to use it for is certainly an important question. While I don't have the capacity to play test the game itself at this point, I will attempt to use this mechanic in my PF game to see how it plays out emotionally at the table. I'm wondering how joint efforts (multiple players) can access the same time pool (I'm thinking a base number +1 per a character involved in the effort, obviously this wouldn't be for death/dying, but rather skill use when time is a factor).
Halivar
First Post
That's cool and very intuitive.
But my mind is reeling with the possibilities. Plummeting out of the sky while fiddling with a parachute you aren't wearing. Countdown mechanic has an almost Dread/Jenga feel to it. Good tension builder.
I just used it in the starship combat section of N.E.W. to determine how long you have to abandon ship after a vessel hits 0 superstructure before it goes kablooey! It's a great little mechanic, and can be slipped in easily by just saying "...and create a countdown pool of xd6" or "...create a countdown pool of 1d6 per 100' of height" etc.
The dying countdown keys directly off END, of course, as do suffocation and drowning countdown pools. Something like a bomb exploding might have a set countdown pool defined by the bomb.
While somewhat distracted by my wife and unpacking the new house, I sat down tonight to have a look at the N.E.W. playtest. I decided to give character creation a try. Here's a rough rundown...
Ellen Olivia MacNamara is an affable 28 year-old human scientist who loves video games.
Backgrounds: Human (Species); High School Jock (Starting); Naval Academy; Navy Cadet Cruise; Navy Tour
STR [4] Health [11]
AGI [6] Speed [10]
END [4] Defense [28]
INT [4] Mental Defense [19]
WIL [3] Carrying Capacity [110]
CHA [6] Natural Damage [1d6]
Skills
Science/Agronomy x4 (Specialization)
Carousing
Climbing
Computer Operation
Engineering x2
Gaming/Video Games x2
Leadership
Marksman
Running
Sport/Ultimate Frisbee
Swimming
Additional Abilities
+2 to research with library or data bank
+1d6 bonus with starships and naval vessels
rank of ensign
Reputation [2]
Contacts
Milo Fawkes, naval pilot and ex-boyfriend (rival)
Dr. Bjorn Heimdall, antagonistic chief science officer (rival)
Credits [80]
Equipment
naval uniform (soak 4)
high quality sidearm (pistol)
Ellen Olivia MacNamara is an affable 28 year-old human scientist who loves video games.
Backgrounds: Human (Species); High School Jock (Starting); Naval Academy; Navy Cadet Cruise; Navy Tour
STR [4] Health [11]
AGI [6] Speed [10]
END [4] Defense [28]
INT [4] Mental Defense [19]
WIL [3] Carrying Capacity [110]
CHA [6] Natural Damage [1d6]
Skills
Science/Agronomy x4 (Specialization)
Carousing
Climbing
Computer Operation
Engineering x2
Gaming/Video Games x2
Leadership
Marksman
Running
Sport/Ultimate Frisbee
Swimming
Additional Abilities
+2 to research with library or data bank
+1d6 bonus with starships and naval vessels
rank of ensign
Reputation [2]
Contacts
Milo Fawkes, naval pilot and ex-boyfriend (rival)
Dr. Bjorn Heimdall, antagonistic chief science officer (rival)
Credits [80]
Equipment
naval uniform (soak 4)
high quality sidearm (pistol)
Now, some thoughts on the process as well as a few questions...
1. I didn't purchase equipment or figure out all of my attacks, but the process-- so far as I completed it-- was fun. I want to play this character. I want to play this game... and that counts for a lot.
2. When choosing a species, I found myself wanting options for genetically modified humans and hybrid races.
3. What do Spartans look like? I'm assuming they look like the guys from 300, but there is no clear indication that that is the case.
4. I would have liked to have seen the height and weight tables broken down by sex.
5. The pre-requisite for the field scientist career is advanced college. Is that the same as college, 2 passes through the college career, a doctorate?
6. I wish there was an option for advanced degrees other than the doctorate, like a masters degree. I would also like to see professional degrees (like an M.D.) separated out from other doctorates.
7. I would like to see a military enlistment option separated out from military academy. A college/ROTC option would also be very reasonable.
8. I would like to see some possibility of failing out of a career. Not everyone who starts off in college finishes a full four years.
9. The character creation rules has players choosing their trait right after they choose their species. It is impossible, in most cases, to meet the positive requirement for traits at this stage in character creation. I chose my trait based on my final attributes and assume this is the game's intention.
10. If you can't take a career that would lower an attribute to 1 and humans start with a 2 in everything, I had to put my human bonus attribute point in intelligence just to become a high school jock. Is this right? Along these same lines, it is so hard to get a 1 in any attribute (maybe impossible as a human) that the detriments just seem like a waste. Am I missing something?
1. I didn't purchase equipment or figure out all of my attacks, but the process-- so far as I completed it-- was fun. I want to play this character. I want to play this game... and that counts for a lot.
2. When choosing a species, I found myself wanting options for genetically modified humans and hybrid races.
3. What do Spartans look like? I'm assuming they look like the guys from 300, but there is no clear indication that that is the case.
4. I would have liked to have seen the height and weight tables broken down by sex.
5. The pre-requisite for the field scientist career is advanced college. Is that the same as college, 2 passes through the college career, a doctorate?
6. I wish there was an option for advanced degrees other than the doctorate, like a masters degree. I would also like to see professional degrees (like an M.D.) separated out from other doctorates.
7. I would like to see a military enlistment option separated out from military academy. A college/ROTC option would also be very reasonable.
8. I would like to see some possibility of failing out of a career. Not everyone who starts off in college finishes a full four years.
9. The character creation rules has players choosing their trait right after they choose their species. It is impossible, in most cases, to meet the positive requirement for traits at this stage in character creation. I chose my trait based on my final attributes and assume this is the game's intention.
10. If you can't take a career that would lower an attribute to 1 and humans start with a 2 in everything, I had to put my human bonus attribute point in intelligence just to become a high school jock. Is this right? Along these same lines, it is so hard to get a 1 in any attribute (maybe impossible as a human) that the detriments just seem like a waste. Am I missing something?
That looks great! You appear to have 15 skill ranks though - that looks a lot without me working it through. You get two from your species and one from each of your five careers, which is 7. One for specialization, which is 8. Maybe a couple for your hobby, say 10 total?
(Then again, I'm looking at my current document - has it changed since then? May well have done!)
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