Chronicle system: generalizing it

[rulandor]

I am quite thrilled by Chris Pramas' statement that the Chronicle system is going to get a "universal treatment" by way of ebooks. Immediately I started thinking about adapting it for a fantasy world of my own imagination, which I already used for other game systems, and for using it in the Freeport setting.

The most difficult decision seems to me the handling of non-human characters. The Chronicle system abilities work well in a humans-only world like that of Westeros, but in a more traditional fantasy setting humans tend to rub shoulders with elves or dwarves or goblins.

My preliminary considerations are going in the direction of "species qualities". For example, a gnome character could get automatic flaws on athletics and endurance, would be banned from using weapons with the Two-Handed quality, but could get a +1D bonus on agility and awareness by way of a "blood of gnomes" quality.

Biggest problem with such an approach seems to be that the species qualities would straddle the division between benefits and drawbacks.

[Pirate Spice]

I'm excited about this as well. I recently started a (somewhat slapdash) conversion for running a Lord of the Rings game using the Chronicle System. It isn't the best setting for game design, especially when it comes to races (at least, not if you want any semblance of balance between the races). But my game group and I have gone into this accepting the idea that there will be certain balance issues.

The first thing I did was scrap the Age rules for character creation. They're great for Westeros, where age is significant. But in a setting like Middle-earth, all characters tend to be of "adventuring age." So I adopted normal Adult Attribute and Specialty point pools for everyone. Destiny Points are determined by race, which turned into a nice way to give Elves a disadvantage...because Tolkien sure didn't give them any flaws. Like you, I gave each races special Qualities: Racial Benefits and Drawbacks. Naturally, these are not tied to Destiny Points, and cannot be removed in any way. Many of these I simply adapted from Decipher's LotR game, but I had to get creative with a few of them.

Add a handful of new Qualities (such as "Blood of X" Benefits to represent sub-races), and the system seems to work rather well so far, at least for character creation. We haven't actually play-tested yet. I imagine the game will be a bit less Intrigue-heavy than a classic SIFRP game, but overall I feel that the system is a good fit. I can't wait to see how Green Ronin tackles some of these issues.

[aprewett]

I hope they build something unique, in the style of Skyrealms of Jorune or Talislanta. No more Elves.

Allan

[Pytorb]

Personally I think another really interesting challenge as well as the presence (or not) and rules for elves, dwarves, orcs, etc. will be magic. Unless it is run as a benefit (or series of benefits) off the current stat block new stats will need to be added which could do all kinds of things to the power levels of starting characters. Personally I think that Boat Handling is needed as well but I doubt that will ever happen.

As well as stats Magic also changes the power (and other) dynamics of the world immensely. When a guard spends thier shift protecting the gates of a city polymorphed into a Troll and you can speak to the victim of a murder or ressurect a popular (or tyrannical) ruler then so much changes. It is going to be a real challenge to get my head round playing those rules in what could be a very familiar but at the same time very different world from Westeros.

One other thing I would love to see Green Ronin try and do with the Chronicle System, and I think it could do really well, would be trading and merchants. They are very much an unseen presence in Westeros, which is obviously a story of nobles and kings, though the merchants are undoubtedly present and even vital. No Fantasy game I've ever seen has really done merchants properly (based on the history books I've been reading) but the intrigue system gives the Chronicle System a natural advantage over so many other rulesets in doing precisely that.

[rulandor]

I have similar thoughts about merchants. In the character of Illyrio Mopatis, who as a co-conspirator of Varys is deep into the Game of Thrones, trying to topple and raise not only kings, but whole dynasties, they are already featuring notably in George Martin's novels.

(In fact, I was a bit surprised that the ASIFRP didn't focus on sea voyages and ship battles and merchants as much as I expected from reading the saga. I mean, imagine the importance of the Battle on Blackwater Rush, of the Iron Fleet, of Samwell's journey from Eastwatch-on-Sea to Oldtown, of Tyrion's voyages and of the huge importance of the financial and business acumen of Tyrion and Illyrio and Varys and Littlefinger.)

For my game I invented an additional Knowledge focus: Trade and finances for merchants (and King's Hands). In my chronicle, a secret conspiracy of Northern Lords is trying to get credit arrangements with the Iron Bank of Braavos, and I am planning their negotiating partner, Furyo Argento, as a notable puppet master in the chronicle.

Perhaps I will also add a Social quality, "Hand for business", giving a flat +1D for the Charm and Bargain actions in Intrigues.

What do others think about that?

[Pytorb]

Its funny how different people read the same chapters, I've always took Illyrio to be more of a patsy providing a handy bugbear to keep Robert focussed elsewhere whilst Varys tries to hold the Kingdom together. Having not read A Dance with Dragons yet I may of course be very, very wrong

Yes I too was surprised that sea battles and ships in general haven't been better represented in the rules, something I'd love to see addressed in a future release. Love the concept for your chronicle as well.

I've done things like Language of Money, where a trader can always make themselves understood just enough to buy and sell, Trader to abstract the process in same style as Artist or Mummer, and a Knowledge Focus on knowing the markets (what to buy and when, what to sell and where). A flat +1D on trading might be a bit on the powerful side, but it might play really well. Something else that might be fun to try would be a guild status Benefit which effectively raises a merchant's status with other merchants. This would increase thier Intrigue Defence and allow them to pull rank and do some of the more fancy intrigue actions. Of course someone like Illyrio would probably have it several times...

[rulandor]

Pytorb, as soon as you'll have read A Dance with Dragons, you will see Illyrio and the limit of Vary's interest in holding the Kingdom together in a new light.

Ah, all these potentially glorious house rules! I very much like your idea for a merchant guild status! Whilst the conflicting parties in the Seven Kingdoms might play a game of lords and knights, this is not the last word about the powers that be in the world of the saga. I was intrigued how George Martin in A Dance with Dragons included factors like the Seven Kingdom's national debt and the possible enormity of Cersei's decision to stop honouring the Iron Throne's debts to the foreign Iron Bank of Braavos. In A Feast for Crows, this is mentioned more at the sidelines, but A Dance with Dragons demonstrates how the Iron Bank feels about this and how this might constitute a new balance between the competitors for the Iron Throne.

Considering the importance auf social, economical and financial issues throughout history (often in public consciousness neglected in favor of Kings and Battles and Alliances), this shows how broad the author's perspective is. Very well done, for my taste. One reason more to amp up the trading rules in ASIFRP.

[Pytorb]

I can't wait. Sounds like GRRM spent those long dark inter-book years writing (and reading) well.

The library has had ADwD reserved and off the shelves for at least the past month! One day it will either be in the library or in paperback, I hope the former and soon...

The merchant guild status was literally an idea that came to me whilst typing my previous reply. I'll have to codify it and put it up on the forum in a more structured way. One of my players would love me to have the time to rewrite the house rules for merchants rather than landed nobles. I can 100% see it working with some Resources translating across fairly easily and others being completely replaced by new ones. I've got some background books now all I need are a secret two days in the week that no-one else knows about so I can read them without shirking all the other things I have to do.

[shurijo]

Perhaps I will also add a Social quality, "Hand for business", giving a flat +1D for the Charm and Bargain actions in Intrigues.

What do others think about that?

You could call it something like Business Acumen.

[rulandor]

Here are my initial considerations for Merchant house rules.

Ability Quality: Trader (Prerequisites: Persuasion 3, Bargain 1B). Effects: Add +1B to Bargain technique rolls in Intrigue when trying to strike a business deal.

Ability Quality: Knowledge Focus: Business Acumen (usual prerequisites for Knowledge Focus). Effects: When not performing a full grown Intrigue, the merchant my gain 1,000 gd per degree of success in a Knowledge test.

Fate Quality: Merchant Prince. Effects: You are a powerful character like Salladhor Saan or Illyrio Mopatis; fleets churn the waters at your behest; mercenary companies march on your order; Kings, Princes and Lords may be indebted to you or need you to stock their cellars with the finest vintages of wine. You may add +2 to Status test results.
(Assuming that merchants have Status 3 to 5 as on the Status table.)