GAME DESIGNER'S CORNER

GAME: Pawn
DESIGNER: Thomas Boxall
START TIMES: TBA
DURATION: 1-2 hours
DETAILS: Brainstorming session

I'll be running a brainstorming session at PGX for Pawn my up-coming, horror based, RPG/Card Game.  All participants will be credited as collaborators in the final product.  The brainstorming session will be focused on generating the specific cards that will appear in the final game.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18mxBLdXqdyu-EGro5nM_GJ0ANc0kucWYW9zh7fcinxk/edit?usp=sharing

Here is my worksheet.  Let me know if you need edit access.

Planetarium on Tabletopia

https://beta.tabletopia.com/games/planetarium

https://tabletopia.com/

This site can be used to demo and play board games with people around the world.  I've created a basic gamer account for myself (just links to your Steam account), and will likely try out Planetarium through the service.

7 Sins:

• Vice
• Lust
• Gluttony
• Greed
• Sloth
• Wrath
• Envy
• Pride

7 Virtues:

• Virtue
• Chastity
• Temperance
• Charity
• Diligence
• Patience
• Kindness
• Humility

Quote from: Alphadork on October 28, 2016, 01:47:42 PM
If you're going to a Con (especially some of the bigger ones) most of your time would best be spent there attending events (rather than side trips to historic sites).

Example - I warn everyone planning to attend their first GenCon to allow one full day just to expereince the dealer room - you'll need it.

Now, if packages could be put together with well located hotels, transporpation, registration for events and such you might be on to something.

Typically my father's packages include Flights, Hotel, and known expenses (in most of his tours this means admission into historic sites, but for the convention, this would be the full convention ticket price).  When I discussed with my father about the convention, he was intending to reserve all days for the convention to be strictly for the convention, and any site seeing would be in addition to the convention.  I'm going to be talking to my father again tomorrow about some sample packages he is putting together based on the conventions listed above. 

I'll pass the list on to my father and see what sort of packages he can create.

Good day everyone,

My father is a travel agent that runs Easter Tours to Europe for High Schools.  Recently he is opening up his business to provide Historic Tours to other groups such as Military Units.  I proposed to him that a Convention Tour to one of the more Historic places in the States may appeal to Gamer groups like us.  Is there interest in organizing a tour that would focus on a Convention as the cornerstone of the tour, but would also include additional day trips to Historic sites?

Brainstorming:

I need card ideas for the following, all ideas should take on the persona of one of the 7 deadly sins, or 7 heavenly virtues:

• Location settings
• Items
• Weapons
• Spells the Avatars would cast on the Pawns
• Spells the Pawns could use
• NPCs
• Demons/Angels that the Pawns will fight
• Sin-spawn/Virtue-spawn - Creatures of myth that a Pawn can be turned into if they have enough Sin/Virtue
• Events

The Story Card Mechanic
Each Story of Pawn is played out with Story Cards.  Both the Avatar of Good, and the Avatar of Evil have their own deck of cards they build (much like a magic card deck) prior to the Story Session.  For the Pawns, each Story is no different than any other Horror based RPG on the market.  The stakes are high, your character is likely going to die a horrible, gruesome death, and those that survive are just happy to be alive.

The Story
Each game of Pawn follows three distinct phases:

• Player Introductions: This is where each of the Pawns will introduce their character, what their goals and aspirations are, and how they are connected to the other Pawns.  It is at this time that the Avatars will place, face down, their initial Story Card.  Once all the Pawns have been introduced, the Avatars will turn over their Story Cards, and the Pawns choose where they want the story to start.
• Story Time: During this phase the Avatar who has his Story Card chosen will start the RPG session.  He will tell the tail of what is happening around the Pawn, and will be trying to get the Pawns to trigger additional cards from their deck.  As trigger words are spoken any Avatar can play a Story Card to steal control of the Story and continue the story.  The goal is to have enough Story Cards played that a Resolution Card can be played.
• Resolution: When allowed, an Avatar may play their Resolution Card which will stop the Story Session.  The Avatar has the privilege of finishing off the Story, and handing out any rewards to any surviving Pawns.

Story Cards
The idea of Story Cards works very similar to the Story Cards in the game Once Upon A Time.  Each Story Card contains:

• Name: This is the main Story concept that must be used as the focus of the Story as long as the card is in play.  If the Avatar goes off focus, the opposing Avatar may ask the Pawns if he/she can play a new Story Card and take control of the Story.
• Trigger: This is the key word or idea that will allow the Avatar to play this card and take control of the Story.  Example: A player has a Story Card with the name Sword, and the trigger word "sharp".  As the Story is progressing a Pawn says, "I pick up the knife and check how sharp it is."  At this time the Avatar plays the sword card, and says, "its as sharp as a sword."
• Story Points: This is a number in the top left corner of each Story Card.  It ranges from 0-10.  This card can not be played until that many Story Cards are in play.
• Card Type: Indicated by a coloured frame around the card and a unique icon in the top right corner of the card (for people that are colour blind), this represents the six core emotions (and the emotion that this card is intended to invoke).  The six types are Green (Love), Yellow (Fear), Orange (Joy), Red (Rage), Purple (Pride/hubris), Blue (Sadness).  Story Cards are going to be built with Good or Evil in mind, and as such Good cards will mostly (but not exclusively) be made up of Green, Yellow, and Orange, while Evil cards will mostly (but not exclusively) be made up of Red, Purple, and Blue cards.
• Action: While not on every card, some cards will have in game effects, such as a monster to fight, an ordeal to overcome, or an item that can be picked up.  This will be detailed in the Action section of the Story Card.
• Prerequisites: At the bottom of some Story Cards will be conditions that restrict what types of Story Cards that can be played next.  Most Green cards will prevent Red cards from being played, most Blue cards will prevent Orange cards from being played, and most Yellow cards will prevent purple cards from being played.
• Image: Every Story Card will have an image on the card to make it easier to display what the Card is intended to represent.

Resolution Cards
Resolution cards are Story Cards that stop the Story and start the Resolution phase.  They will have a White (Good) or Black (Evil) border and the symbol for either Good or Evil.  The names for the Good Resolution Cards will be based on the 7 great virtues, while the names for the Evil Resolution Cards will be based on the 7 deadly sins.

Summary
Pawns hold no allegiance to any Avatar (much like a PC holds no allegiance to any GM during a game session), but the Avatar needs the Pawns to progress the Story so they can eventually play their Resolution.  The main driver of the Story is the Avatars trying to get the Pawns to say the appropriate trigger words to progress the Story to the point where they can play their Resolution Card.  It is my goal to have Stories last between 1-2 hours in length.