Posted December 23, 2020 by Please Don't Play These Games
#Diplomacy #improv #drafting rules
Originally, I had wanted to make this game another 1-page game. I find the constraints of the 1-page games fascinating and super focusing in terms of creativity. I began writing it out and as I did, I realized that I wanted to get a bit more in depth with this particular game.
At its core, I see this game pretty much as a Diplomacy variant mixed with something like Funemployed or with the cards of Once Upon a Time. Where it really should go, and where I hope it will go, is in offering shy, nervous, or people uncomfortable with improv a way to dip their toes into some aspects of roleplaying.
The basics of the game are:
0 - The Goal of Saving Throws
In Saving Throws, players take on the role of a single attribute on a character sheet. Each round a different player will play as the controller or Charisma attribute and will, using the points associated with the charisma stat, set the challenge value of the confrontation the adventurer will have to deal with. Values are all determined by the number of points each attribute currently has. There are X number of rounds where X is the number of players. After X number of rounds, the player with the highest value wins and names the character that was just played.
1 - Introduction
In Saving Throws, you "play" as one of 6 different parts of a single adventurer trying to get through their day. Your power, your abilities as an attribute count on 3 specific things:
To begin, you must make your character. How you make your character depends on your intended difficulty:
There are 3 choices:
Assign the 6 values to your character. Their class, gender, race, and everything else doesn't really matter for this game. The 6 stats are:
Your scores generally reflect your character's abilities. A strong character will be adept at things requiring strength. Your wise characters will understand puzzles, intelligence is an ability to suss out puzzle solutions, and dexterity will be about agility but also stealth. Constitution is your character's heartiness. So this score generally reflects one's ability to keep sustained energy on an issue.
Now that your character is made, you must assign these attributes to the players.
Charisma runs this game. Nearly every aspect of life is determined by our charisma. It doesn't matter how intelligent, strong, wise, or hearty we are, if we're not charismatic, we can't be noticed in a game about super heroes.
Sequence of Play at a glance:
Where this game will be made or broken is in the scoring system. It needs to have the speed of a poker game with the frustrating scoring feel of hearts but needs to be contained with a sheet of paper and a PDF.