The words that ring & linger are “Roll For Initiative.” Before that we’re talking, engaging in some kind of back & forth that could go many ways, could turn into anything – or we’re sneaking around, or we’re being snuck up on. We’re doing any number of amorphous activities that coalesce around a little kernel that blossoms to life when you say “Roll For Initiative.”
This isn’t about that being a bad thing, put that out of your head – this isn’t about styles & whether it’s bad to fight your way through the game – so if you’ve an opinion on that, that’s fine, that’s not what this is about though.
When you roll for initiative – and often – this is its own dedicated system – its own minigame that isn’t even a part of the larger ruleset – you roll of initiative & you change what you are doing in an interesting way. There’s a pause & then a change of focus. A few minutes before hand & you could’ve said I run home & go to the store & buy up a bunch of candy. After you roll initiative this option is… well it certainly should still be available, but now you’re into a weird place of counting the steps to the store & the number of words you can speak per second – because once you roll for initiative you’re changing the focus of the game significantly while still playing the same game. The speed & depth of the scene’s occurrences all shift into flashes of drama instead of a flow of events. What I’m saying here is – that that is interesting.
Certainly you’re almost always still playing the same character before & after you Roll For Initiative (there are exceptions everywhere with This Thing We Do Together – there’s always the odd Hulk or Mr. Hyde lying around waiting to come up when initiative is rolled – let’s just allow that these are exceptions ok?). Your character still has the same goals & hopes – is still doing the same things on the story’s larger stage – but here the spotlight narrows in & the whole stage goes dark save for this one scene of battle – dice are rolled & sheets are marked – life & death are in question.
Is this shift a practice that’s come to be experienced so regularly that it seems altogether natural? Inescapable? We take turns & declare our actions but in the rest of the game we flow freely between players are refs – we tell a story & raise stakes & then the game commences – a game of life & death. Sort of.
I’ve drifted into this thought because this is a structural component of the game that comes up almost irrespective of system. Stats & THAC0 – Skills & d% - pips or ranks – all of them verge into a different scale intermittently – into a scene of battle & its resolution. This tendency for the game to have a facet devoted to one aspect alone has interested me & I’ve begun to really consider what it could mean if that same focus could be shifted into other arenas of the game & then, if those could be used in the same way that combat is – to wit – I wonder if I could create a system based around social interactions that came off as a separate vignette within the game & that Players could, of their own volition, turn to as a way to resolve what’s not resolved in the same way that combat resolves insoluble differences & is Player driven.
And what about other interactions? What kinds of games can be played within This Thing We Do that would shift focus & alter temperament the same way?
For reasons related to my own production & creation I’ve worked up 10 significant categories of interaction that could effectively function like rolling for initiative does – that can be invoked & used by players & that can be designed & planned by Refs. They’re by no means exclusive & because I’ve gone pretty wide with the number there’s a lot of overlap that is purely related to my game rather than The Game.
Sub-game invocations - I've included examples of these ideas based upon players combating a bear - sort of an ur-monster, something identifiable as a threat but viably contended with in a variety of ways.
Rose – the language & talking game – this entails extended periods of PC & NPC interaction using languages & social dice to resolve the conflict (or create a conflict) through the use of social abilities.
Sword – the strategy game – this entails the use of miniatures & a long battle drawn out using more advanced combat rules & the more in-depth tactical system.
Crown – The competition game- this is invoked when a duel or a contest is occurring between one PC and NPC or two PCs. It is pure contention with a clear winner & loser that doesn’t always end in death.
Tree – the overland travel game is invoked when PCs wish to traverse the countryside. It entails the strategic/logistic challenge. The PCs use this to track, chase & evade in overland travel.
Scepter – the spiritual game – the PCs demonstrate their own devotion to the setting, the gods & their ideals when challenged, this is a transcendent game of interaction on a spiritual & intentional level with very high stakes for the player.
Crow – the having game – here the PCs play at commerce & carry out a haggling & bargaining contest to receive more resources or to expend fewer. The PC’s inventory & economic resources are tested with encounters of this type.
Key – the key game is the game of magic which entails esoteric knowledge & the use of complex formulae to gather magical power & avoid magical danger.
Harp – the entertainment game – the PCs use this as an opportunity to perform & engage the rest of the group with some kind of performance. This type of encounter utilizes PC ingenuity & clever tricks as well as their in-game & out of game performances.
Spider – the skill game – here the PCs are tested with their skills & knacks to accomplish some specific skill-dependent challenge – such as a break-in or a mountain ascension.
Scale – the ability game – the PCs are tested according to their attributes & abilities – it is a test of their personal fortitude & capacity as determined by fate alone.
This... is a lot of ideas - ideas about This Thing We Do Together & what it can be or should be or really - even IS - without being all that well discussed.
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