Link to ToC
"Logic is poor at one thing: coming up with surprises. Taking this into account, Mythic builds random events into the adventure so everything doesn’t make too much sense. In an adventure that is guided by players’ questions and expectations, randomness will add extra dimension to the action, spinning plot twists you may never have thought of before." pg.59
I couldn't think of a better lead into this topic than the first paragraph of the chapter. It explains the why, now we will dig into the how.
There are two opportunities to introduce randomness built into the system. The first is a check between scenes to see if the scene goes as expected. Should that check indicate an interjection of randomness it could make a small Alteration to the scene or it could be and interruption between one scene and the presumed next scene by way of a Random Event. This is determined by a random roll between scenes to see how the next scene starts. It is heavily dependent on the current Chaos Factor. Chaos Factor will get its own discussion in the next chapter Adventures.
The other manner it which random events can take place is mid-scene, by way of a Fate Chart generated Random Event. These tend to be the most common kinds of Random Event and are generated by rolling doubles on your percentile check (11, 22, 33, etc.). If the digit that is rolled is equal to or less than the current Chaos Factor, it will generate a random event. What we are going to focus on here is how to build a Random Event, once one is determined to take place.
Random Events
So fate has decreed that your adventure is going to go differently than you planned. So what is next? Well there are three components that must be determined to build the Random Event: Context, Focus, and Meaning.
Event Context
Context is a culmination of the setting style, background, adventure thus far, and your current situation.
"The random event isn’t happening in a vacuum; all that has already occurred is the stage on which this new event takes place." pg. 59
There is no special rule to generate context content, you have been doing it all along as you play, or even before you played if you came to the game with a certain setting, adventure theme, or goal. The main point here is to keep the context in the forefront of your mind as the random event unfolds, so that it fits into the narrative of the game you have been playing/building.
Event Focus
If you look on pg. 60 of the Mythic RPG you will find a chart on the page with a number of focus topics. Some of them are pretty self explanatory (such as PC Positive or NPC Negative), but we are going to tackle some of the less obvious.
Remote Event
A remote event is a relevant situation that occurs, but not at the PC location, but the PCs do learn of it in this scene. They maybe informed by an NPC, see it on the front page of a news paper, find evidence indicating an event took place, etc. The point is that the event is non trivial and the PCs are informed about it.
NPC Action
In this random event a Non Player Character (NPC) takes some significant action. Later on in the Adventure chapter we will be discussing Character Lists. The NPC actor is drawn from that list randomly then the context and the Meaning will dictate the action it takes. Considering the randomness of the who with the context and the meaning and you may find someone you feel your character knows quite well taking completely unexpected actions. This could reflect a different aspect of their personality you were not aware of, or there could be an underpinning motivator that your character isn't aware of. But whatever the reason it will fit within the Context of the game.
Move Towards a Thread; Move Away from a Thread; Close a Thread
Threads, while explained in the next chapter better, are, in short, the various plots going on in the game. Usually your character will be pursuing the Thread of there choice or need in the adventure at hand, but that doesn't mean that the world isn't still going on around them.
When you roll Moving Towards a thread you will get a clue, item, advice, or insight that will help move you in the direction of a Thread. It may not be the current thread you are on, because in adventure surprises can come in from screen right at any point.
When you roll Move Away from a Thread it indicates some obstacle or setback to one of your Threads. Again this may not be the Thread you are currently pursing.
For example in a fantasy adventure I was recently playing my character rolled Move Away From a Thread while on an urban adventure. Rolling on my Threads List I got "Marry my Fiancée'". Taking the context, she was also an adventurer and worked for a powerful patron, and the Meaning (we will get to this soon), I determined her patron had sent her on a secret mission, thus forcing the delay of the marriage. He found this out by way of a note delivered by a messenger, thus there was yet another obstacle to the upcoming nuptials.
When you roll close a thread it means one of your threads falls off your list. This is probably the strongest indicator that the world around you is active and not in the PC (or necessarily the solo players) control. Depending on the Meaning this could happen in any number of ways. It can even lead to new threads.
Imagine your character is currently on a quest to quell bandit activity in a fantasy kingdom. That thread maybe suddenly closed when you get to the bandit camp and find no bandits at all, and no sign of them leaving in mass. Well you can't quell what isn't there, but you may have a new thread opened along the lines of "What happened to the bandits of grizzly wood?" (Editor: If the thread that you roll to close is the central theme of the adventure that you wish to be following, or the one you find the most fun, reroll the Event Focus or just treat it as "Move Away from a Thread. Don't let one random dice roll ruin your campaign)
Ambiguous Event
This maybe the hardest or easiest type of Random Event. An Ambiguous Event doesn't tie to a Thread or Character or change the current circumstances. It is just an element of the setting that is interesting enough to arrest the movement for its own little scene. It could be used to show the largeness or strangeness of the world your PC is moving through. This isn't to say it isn't something you can interact with, but it isn't about your character or there adventures.
Imagine you are travelling through a fairy tale wood and you encounter a number of animals around a large round table enjoying a meal and company. When you approach the resume the actions of wild animals and dart into the wood. This isn't tied to your NPC or your Threads, it is just a thing that happened. It does inform you of the larger world though, and if you chose to you could add the event to the Character or Threads list, or just take it at face value and continue your quest.
Event Meaning and Interpreting the Random Event
Now we reach the third element that makes up a Random Event. If you flip to page 64 you will find two tables: Event Meaning: Action and Event Meaning: Subject. Roll one word from each table and combine them. Then think about the Context of your game and the type of Random Event you rolled, and apply the Meaning Action and Subject to those other factors. Don't over think this, it isn't a rule, but an inspiration. Just take a few moments and let the details percolate in your mind then interpret the Random Event with the first idea that encapsulates the three parts.
Page 66 has many excellent examples of building Random Events, but lets do one now just demonstrate the process.
For Context we will use the Cyberpunk Setting and Character (Mr. Quin) we have used through out these examples. To set the scene Mr. Quin is currently remote piloting a drone from the top of a neighboring building, doing a little snooping for fun and profit. He is in the Fringe, and recently was involved with a nasty accident that left several hostile gang members very dead. He has a few mini drones around him keeping guard and is ready to run if he feels he is in any danger. With the stage set let see what sort of randomness Mr. Q will have to endure.
The Event Focus is PC Negative. Considering his luck lately I am not surprised.
Lastly we need to add some Meaning, to see what sort of hot water Mr. Q is getting into: Action: Punish, Subject The Intellectual.
Putting it all together I think Mr. Q isn't as smart as he thinks he is, and even though he is surrounded by his little helper drones that are keeping watch, they do little good when someone drops a signal scrambler grenade right next to his control rig. Suddenly, all the drones are off line. And then the roof door opens and a brute nearly the size of Gnasher ducks through it with a club in his hands.
Randomness can help your character, harm your character, and sometimes just be weird things along the way, but what it isn't is predictable, and that keeps the game fresh and makes the difference between a game and a story.
Next Chapter The Adventure, where we add all the rest of the elements, such as Lists and Chaos Factor, that run the the Mythic RPG engine, and allow you to play whatever it is you can imagine.
No comments:
Post a Comment