rpg

3179 readers

43 users here now

This community is for meaningful discussions of tabletop/pen & paper RPGs

Rules (wip):

Do not distribute pirate content
Do not incite arguments/flamewars/gatekeeping.
Do not submit video game content unless the game is based on a tabletop RPG property and is newsworthy.
Image and video links MUST be TTRPG related and should be shared as self posts/text with context or discussion unless they fall under our specific case rules.
Do not submit posts looking for players, groups or games.
Do not advertise for livestreams
Limit Self-promotions. Active members may promote their own content once per week. Crowdfunding posts are limited to one announcement and one reminder across all users.
Comment respectfully. Refrain from personal attacks and discriminatory (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) comments. Comments deemed abusive may be removed by moderators.
No Zak S content.
Off-Topic: Book trade, Boardgames, wargames, video games are generally off-topic.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

Avogadro@ttrpg.network

sirblastalot@ttrpg.network

TripHammer@ttrpg.network

Primarch@ttrpg.network

BrentTaylor@ttrpg.network

Forged in the dark : one large clock, or stacking small clocks ? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by Ziggurat@sh.itjust.works to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

10 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A very short question, for people used to Forge in the dark games.

To manage a situation evolving negatively or positively on the long term, do you use a large clock, or stack several one small ones with a concrete impact every time they fill?

let’s say the PC are asking questions they shouldn’t be asking about “the bad guys”. Would you say

3 times 4 tick clock : leading to “bad guys hear rumours about someone asking question”/Bad guys Finds out who asks the question/ Bad guys guards find the PC.

A 12 tick clock and continuously increasing the pressure on the PC as the clock is filling ?

The related question, is how do you handle the consequence of the clocks filling beside the : Enemy guard found you (or missing accomplished when it’s on the PC side). Just by role-playing, or would you change the PC position or is it as often in rpg “it depends” ?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] INeedMana@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

I don't think there's one answer to that. To me it depends on the context of the clock and what's your plan for pacing. Also it will be part of your style that you just have to find for yourself, what works for you

(Cyberpunk examples)

Tripping guards suspicion on-site: one small clock
Consequence is not an alarm yet but from now on everything that has to do with guards can have lower position
Tripping alarms for the whole building: bigger clock
Or don't set up such clock at all if everything going completely south doesn't fit your overarching plot plans
Mafia responds to characters asking around: small clock
They have reputation to uphold, they can't have someone nosing around in visible way Consequence:
- someone who said something gets in trouble, making others harder to work with (lower position)
- Mafia learns who they are (if that would be serious problem for the whole run, I'd make it a bigger clock)
- They get set up and have an unplanned meeting with a bunch of enforcers
- It gets so obvious that they get contacted by this group's opponents and the situation is stacked that characters either comply with demands or will have very hard time completing the run
Police/corp responds to characters doing runs against the corp
- If you plan the corp to be present in the plot, make it a big clock to fill it after a few runs
  - Or make it small to force the characters to manage their footprint from the early stage (lower position when doing things the corp can piece together)
- If it makes sense that corp would first send police after them, make it two small clocks
- If you don't care about the corp, make it a short clock, to hopefully resolve it during this session
  If they manage to not fill it, after all, keep the clock for the future. The next time you feel it's going too well for them, you can fill this clock instead of more current one. Suddenly bringing old grudges into the mix

So depending on what you want to do it's either bigger or smaller clock, with consequences either in fiction or mechanical