The Inherent Drama of Broken Promises

Translated from Twitter:

It's time for a Moth-Light design thread! This time I want to talk about a core emotional conceits of the game, one I'd love to see more mechanical focus on in games generally. It's time to talk about the strength of Pacts, Promises, and Vows.

I feel we are all fairly familiar with the drama of a broken promise in life and in fiction. The disappointment, tragedy, and distrust that arises when we fail to keep our word. I'm not talking about honor or chivalry here, per se, but something more fundamental.

With Moth-Light I want to create a game of inter-player tension. One where emotional and personal conflict is common and encouraged but without the overt nudging into PvP territory a game like Monster Hearts peddles in.

To that end, Moth-Light is premised on a Pact: a guiding statement that directs the action of our protagonists towards a singular goal.

So what does a Pact look like? Well in a game of DnD, one might imagine a party making a Pact to, "discover the source of evil."

In Lord of the Rings, Frodo and his band promise to deliver The One Ring to Mordor, one some of them would stray from.

Pacts in Moth-Light range from your classic quest, ("We must warn the villagers of Fallen Leaf of an impending attack."), to epic science fiction fodder.

Lets say we plan on starting a new campaign of Moth-Light. We begin with a pact to, "Discover the identity of The Cypher and convince him to cease his meddling in the affairs of our Predecessors.”

What mechanics keep us tied to that goal? How is it reflected in gameplay?

I've already talked about Strings, and certainly they can be a useful tool for the GM and players to keep people honest and reward in character action, but one mechanic does not make a game.

So let me briefly cover the binding elements of a Pact: Vows, Doubt, and Strife.

In Moth-Light parlance, a Vow is one's personal reflection of the promise we make to The Pact. The Hunter might vow, "to track down The Cypher and make him answer for his mistakes." Players can gain XP by playing into this vow and complicating their lives.

Doubt & Strife are different beasts altogether. They arise as a driver, and product, of player conflict. Heavily modified from the Heat and Wanted Level formula of Blades, they are trackers that follow our commitment to The Pact and to one another.

As players gain levels in Strife, we play out dramatic scenes that place the characters at the center of conflict and challenge their commitment. Do they arise stronger than before, or is their trust shaken?

This is just a taster of how these devices function in play. If you have any more specific questions or comments focused on how to tie abstract concepts like trust and doubt to the play experience, post them here or send them via DM.

Sparkle on,
-Justin