Difference between revisions of "Romance"
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==Tryst== | ==Tryst== | ||
| − | Romances happen around a series of trysts. A tryst may include physical intimacy and sexual contact, but doesn't necessarily have to. You must spend 1 focus to initiate a tryst, and be in the same location as anyone you wish to invite into the tryst. Commonly trysts are between two characters, but any number may be invited. For each invitation you must succeed at | + | Romances happen around a series of trysts. A tryst may include physical intimacy and sexual contact, but doesn't necessarily have to. You must spend 1 focus to initiate a tryst, and be in the same location as anyone you wish to invite into the tryst. Commonly trysts are between two characters, but any number may be invited. For each invitation you must succeed at an [[intensity]] check. Anyone at the same location may [[retort]] your invitations like a [[social]] attack, so finding a clear location is important. If any invitation fails or you are retorted, then the tryst ends with no additional effect. If you are in a crisis you must use a [[project]] to start a tryst, and anyone accepting an invitation must drop any other projects started. Each invited individual may decide whether to join the tryst or not. If any invited individual chooses not to join the tryst then it fails without further effect as above. If all invited individuals accept then you determine the tryst's outcome. The referee has final say on whether a [[personality]] will accept an invitation or not, but as a rule of thumb any [[reaction]] bonus will usually equate to participation, otherwise the personality will decline. |
==Outcome== | ==Outcome== | ||
| − | Each invited participant checks against [[ | + | Each invited participant checks against [[intensity]]. Compare the success margins for all intensity checks with the original invitation. If all success margins are exactly the same, the tryst concludes successfully and all participants regain 1 focus. If any check has a different margin no focus is recovered, and a tragedy occurs. If all checks succeed, whether the margins are the same or not, then a bond is formed and added to your romance sheet. Finally, anyone on your romance sheet who isn't involved in the tryst (lovers and foes alike) take 1 wits damage, even if they don't know why. |
==Tragedy== | ==Tragedy== | ||
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==Bond== | ==Bond== | ||
| − | If | + | If all the participants in the tryst succeeded at the intensity check then a bond will form or deepen. If newly formed, the bond is given a name with components from the name of each participant in the tryst and recorded on your romance sheet. So if it was Bob and Jenny in the tryst the bond might be called Benny (or Job). If Doug was included too the bond might be named Bugny, and so on. The bond is then given two foes and one obstacle. A foe is a personality with the power and desire to eliminate the bond. An obstacle is a condition that must be met before the bond can be upgraded to a union. An obstacle should be roughly equivalent to a goal, and the more AP the goal would be worth the greater the reward for creating a union. Additional obstacles can be created by tragedy or appropriate circumstances. |
==Union== | ==Union== | ||
Revision as of 04:09, 10 October 2014
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Romantic Knots When you set a love for your character and become involved in romances, don't try to set at the beginning who your character will end up in a union with at the end. If that's the only resolution that will please you, then you should discuss it with the referee and start with the union as though the entire romance had played out without tragedy. If you are open other possibilities though, a romance can be very engaging. Your first love will probably be a personality that you create. You might even create multiple personalities with interlocking loves and foes to form a knot that must be untied before any romances can succeed without tragedy. Involving other players in the knot can make it truly difficult (and entertaining), and give more opportunities to mix up the know with tragedies between gaining loyalty. Inserting a dilemma into the proceedings can also prompt the loyalty change that will spark a new round of embraces. A good rule of thumb is to envision a perfect mate for your character, and then make absolutely certain that person isn't really perfect will never be the final union. Then seize opportunities with other individuals that spin out of that starting point. Most of the role-playing comes in initiating or reacting to the invitation to an embrace. The default assumption is that once an embrace succeeds a "fade to black..." occurs. Rare groups of players may find it desirable to go farther, but if you do it is strongly recommended you use John Stavropoulos' "X-Card" technique to make sure no one is uncomfortable. (In brief, put a card with an X on it on the table. If anyone taps or lifts it everyone agrees to drop what was happening and move on without having to explain why.) Not only does this technique help everyone remain in the game, it also makes it easier to push some envelopes. |
A romance follows the ebb and flow of intimate relationships, and uses your love and foe. Romances take place between encounters, and can extend out across many sessions of game play. There are rewards for being involved in a romance, but also risks. Once involved in a romance, you will need to track its progress on a separate romance sheet. You may choose to begin play with a successful tryst with a denizen you create, however the referee will control that denizen during play unless he or she is also a follower.
Tryst
Romances happen around a series of trysts. A tryst may include physical intimacy and sexual contact, but doesn't necessarily have to. You must spend 1 focus to initiate a tryst, and be in the same location as anyone you wish to invite into the tryst. Commonly trysts are between two characters, but any number may be invited. For each invitation you must succeed at an intensity check. Anyone at the same location may retort your invitations like a social attack, so finding a clear location is important. If any invitation fails or you are retorted, then the tryst ends with no additional effect. If you are in a crisis you must use a project to start a tryst, and anyone accepting an invitation must drop any other projects started. Each invited individual may decide whether to join the tryst or not. If any invited individual chooses not to join the tryst then it fails without further effect as above. If all invited individuals accept then you determine the tryst's outcome. The referee has final say on whether a personality will accept an invitation or not, but as a rule of thumb any reaction bonus will usually equate to participation, otherwise the personality will decline.
Outcome
Each invited participant checks against intensity. Compare the success margins for all intensity checks with the original invitation. If all success margins are exactly the same, the tryst concludes successfully and all participants regain 1 focus. If any check has a different margin no focus is recovered, and a tragedy occurs. If all checks succeed, whether the margins are the same or not, then a bond is formed and added to your romance sheet. Finally, anyone on your romance sheet who isn't involved in the tryst (lovers and foes alike) take 1 wits damage, even if they don't know why.
Tragedy
A tragedy is an unfortunate event that is a direct result of the tryst, either from a participant's action or a foe's reaction to it. A tragedy never benefits anyone within the tryst, and may have multiple consequences such as injuries or deaths, the loss of bonds or assets, or the addition of infamy or states. A tragedy may force checks, complications, or encounters to mitigate the severity of the results. In general, the deeper the bond involved the more deadly a tragedy will become. When a tragedy occurs, you propose the exact circumstances and consequences to the referee, and then the referee will negotiate until something appropriate is decided. Consequences should directly affect at least one participant in the tryst. It's possible to have consequences that affect an ally instead, but those consequences become more extreme so the indirect impact is still felt by at least one participant. The optional table below offers some example circumstances and consequences:
Tragedy - Roll 1d6
- Betrayal: Real or misunderstood betrayals causes reaction penalty from everyone on your romance sheet. All participants must succeed in a different tryst before attempting this one again.
- Violence: A participant is injured or kidnapped, or an ally commits suicide or is murdered by a foe.
- Obstacle: A promise based on a loyalty (like an arranged marriage or difficult duty) must be resolved before a bond can advance. A participant loses a loyalty bubble for ignoring the obstacle until now, and the bond gains an obstacle.
- Competition: A dangerous personality appears as a new foe, and automatically creates a bond with one of the participants. This competitor will actively work to undermine all participant's bonds.
- Shamed: All participants of the tryst are publicly ostracized and gain 2 infamy.
- Ruined: A participant is strapped and loses an asset, or a foe causes an ally to lose everything.
Bond
If all the participants in the tryst succeeded at the intensity check then a bond will form or deepen. If newly formed, the bond is given a name with components from the name of each participant in the tryst and recorded on your romance sheet. So if it was Bob and Jenny in the tryst the bond might be called Benny (or Job). If Doug was included too the bond might be named Bugny, and so on. The bond is then given two foes and one obstacle. A foe is a personality with the power and desire to eliminate the bond. An obstacle is a condition that must be met before the bond can be upgraded to a union. An obstacle should be roughly equivalent to a goal, and the more AP the goal would be worth the greater the reward for creating a union. Additional obstacles can be created by tragedy or appropriate circumstances.
Union
If the participants in an existing bond succeed in a tryst with no tragedy and the obstacle has been overcome then the bond is upgraded to a union. Mark it with an asterisk * to denote it is a union, and eliminate all other bonds that include participants from the union. If the overcome obstacle was equivalent to 2 or more AP you gain a legacy for the union, and if the obstacle was worth 5 AP you gain an additional legacy. Once in a union you may no longer participate in trysts. While all members of the union are together they may use each other's focus freely. If a member of a union is killed the asterisk is removed and the union is downgraded back to a bond.
Romance Tactics
It's easiest to complete a successful romance with two individuals, but it is possible with more. If you want to disrupt a romance in progress you need to be close enough to interrupt a tryst with a retort or find ways to add new obstacles to the bond. Likewise a secret or protected location is useful for protecting your own trysts from foes. If you can, weaken a foe's wits and then start trysts to send them over the edge. A random tryst can be beneficial if you're invited, and might also develop reoccurring characters that could become bonds or allies later. The focus cost for initiating a tryst can limit the pacing and development of romances if only one participant ever initiates.
Version 2.5.0
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