May 5, 2011
Welcome back to Narrative Control. As season two winds down Fattig and I are doing our last standard show (66 will be a bloopers and a discussion of the future). This episode we’re talking about unconventional conflicts, like chases, heists, and escapes. How to make those kick ass in RPGs as much as they do in fiction.
Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig
Length 45:56
Show Notes
[00:30] Intro to the Show: Unconventional Conflicts.
[01:04] In a movie unconventional conflicts are awesome, but many
RPGs don’t do it well.
[01:49] Inspired by a recent episode of Sharkbone,
episode 48 with Leonard Balsera.
Examples of awesome conflicts to bring into your game.
[04:52] Escape – Running out of the collapsing temple
[06:19] Heist – Steeling the scroll of Anuba
[07:13] Environmental – Surviving the Fire Swamp
[08:49] Chase Scene – The Fugitive fleeing from the law.
[10:56] Fighting the Unbeatable Monster – Fighting the T-Rex or the
Zombie Apocalypse
Why don’t these unconventional conflicts work in RPGs
[13:04] Poor mechanical support for non-fight conflicts
[16:52] When the table doesn’t agree on what the conflict really
is
[19:39] The challenge that only engages one of the player
characters
Systems, components and Idea that help to bring the awesome…and how they work
[22:16] System: FATE/Dresden – Unified Conflict System
[25:33] System: Mouse Guard – Conflict System with changing skill
sets and teamwork
[26:31] Setting: Mouse Guard – The environment is the enemy!
[28:19] System: Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition – Skill
Challenges
[30:19] System: Smallville – Stress in many forms (anger,
exhaustion, etc) and raising tension.
[33:27] System: Wushu – Principle of Narrative Truth and constant
threats.
Principles to derive from these games.
[36:39] Teamwork – Making every player an integral part of the
conflict.
[37:35] A Hit Point system – Given every conflict a granular
win/lose condition.
[39:50] Both sides must threaten each other – The lock is messing
with you!
[40:58] Offering Variety – changing up the conflict and changing
the mechanics to suit.
[42:11] Cool losing conditions - Sean’s tribute to an actor who is
great a losing conflicts.
[44:06] Last regular episode of Season 2. Bloopers up next.
Continue the conversation…Here