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Step Die System Probabilities

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During one of my recent playtests, one of the testers with extensive scientific credentials expressed some misgivings about the statistical underpinnings of the resolution system of Spark RPG.  In appreciation for his concerns, I decided to spend a few hours and produce a comprehensive probability chart so this would be out in the open.

The basic system is that two different people will roll dice and add a static bonus to their result.   The size of die can be D4, D6, D8, D10, D12 or D20.  The bonuses scale from +0 to +6.  This leads to a total of 1764 potential permutations on the chart I have below. For reference, the X axis is the actor and the Y axis is the reactor; with the probability in each cell equal to the chance that X will succeed in the conflict.  I hope this will be of some use to someone.  If you find any errors, please don’t hesistate to notify me so I can make the appropriate corrections.

Spark Probability Tables

 

 

Your First RPG

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This is a section of the Spark RPG that I will regretfully have to cut during the revision process while I prepare version 3.5 of the beta. If anyone is looking for a write up on logistics for new gamers, please feel free to grab this wholesale.

 

Your First RPG

Time

You need to schedule some time when your group would be available. Discuss what day of the week you will be playing on and how frequently you plan on meeting. Try to determine when you plan on starting and finishing each session as well; I prefer 3-4 hour long sessions.

Every group has its own expectations on attendance at games. Some people can reliably block off game night, while others may have personal responsibilities or erratic work schedules.  The system can accommodate players who only participate infrequently but it’s up to you to figure out what’s comfortable for your group.

Play Space

You need fixed and dependable space to play the game. It could be the home of one of the players, the GM’s apartment, a gaming club, or even an online environment. Discuss what the best play space might be for the group. If you are playing in someone else’s space, be polite and help clean up after the game.

Food and Drink

I find it helpful to talk about food and drink before I start playing a game. Try to discuss any meal arrangements, snack foods, allergies, or beverage preferences. Games are much more enjoyable on a full stomach!

Spark RPG Open Beta: Revised Version

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Thanks to all of your kind feedback, I have revised the Spark RPG open beta text. You can find the expanded text, with slightly improved formatting, under the link below!

https://genesisoflegend.com/spark-open-beta/

I would love to hear what you think about this iteration of the game. I welcome all feedback especially more constructive criticism so I can further revise the game. The layout is still rudimentary, but I think that the text is a bit more functional.

I will be happy to run this version of the text for you at Games on Demand at GenCon. I hope to see you there!

Thank you for your time!

Narrative Oracles

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I know it’s taken a while, but I am back to the discussion of inspiring creativity in games. My last post on this topic dealt with Creative Constraints, where people built off the restrictions in a game system to create something new. This time, I would like to discuss Oracles.

Oracles are nuggets of information without context, that you can interpret for your game. As a group, you interpret the oracles use them to build some kind of cohesive context. The astounding work, “In a Wicked Age” by Vincent Baker is likely the earliest and best known work using this little technique. That game includes oracles like;
*A hermit priestess, practicing obscure deprivations.
*A fallen-in mansion, where by night ghosts and devils meet.

The group gets to use these evocative descriptions to build a cohesive setting. Our monkey-brains are remarkably good at pattern recognition and quickly build webs of associations. It turns out that with a few seeds of inspiration, we can quickly build a narrative. So long as the descriptions are open to interpretation, they can be very helpful.

Be sure to check out Houses of the Blooded for another interesting use of Oracles.

Edit: And of course, the playsets in Fiasco are full of Oracles which lead to such inspired play.  Thanks to @Linneaus for reminding me.

 

 

 

 

Dungeon World Alignment Moves

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I am a fan of Dungeon World as a member of the Adventurer’s Guild.  When I heard about the idea of “Alignment Moves”,  I was fascinated. D&D was the perfect game for alignments to have mechanical effects and moves seem ideal for this.  Since I couldn’t find any of these in the text of v 2.2 of the Beta, I wanted to post them here as a hack.  Dungeon World is by Sage Kobold productions and the following text is public domain.

 

Alignment Moves

When you are faced with a complex ethical or moral problem that impacts bystanders or society on a whole, Roll+ Wis. When acting on the solution provided, take +1 Forward.  Each alignment has it’s own move with different lists of items to choose from. On a 10+ choose two from your list. On a 7-9, choose one.

Lawful Good 

  • You uphold the greater good
  • You uphold the law
  • Give one of your allies +1 XP

Neutral Good

  • You uphold the greater good
  • You uphold the status quo
  • Give one of your allies +1 XP

Chaotic Good

  • You uphold the greater good
  • You uphold freedom
  • Give one of your allies +1 XP

Lawful Neutral

  • You uphold the balance of power.
  • You uphold the law
  • You gain a personal benefit

True Neutral 

  • You uphold the balance of power.
  • You are confident in your alignment.
  • You gain a personal benefit

Chaotic Neutral

  • You uphold the balance of power.
  • You uphold freedom
  • You gain a personal benefit

Lawful Evil

  • You increase your personal power
  • You uphold the law
  • You hurt an enemy indirectly

Neutral Evil 

  • You increase your personal power
  • You uphold the status quo
  • You hurt an enemy indirectly

Chaotic Evil

  • You increase your personal power
  • You cause anarchy
  • You hurt an enemy indirectly