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Author 	Topic: Part IV: Sorting the Nuts and Bolts  (Read 596 times)

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*Part IV: Sorting the Nuts and Bolts

<http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=1096.msg10267#msg10267>*

« * on:* December 28, 2001, 04:03:00 PM »

------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 28th, 2001 -

At the behest of my friends here on the Forge, I will present

Scattershot at the point I have it.  Even though this is a

work-in-progress and much of the terminology is in a state of flux, I am

not trying to present a diary of the progress.  Expect the lead

component of this thread to undergo changes as Scattershot does.  This

edition was originally put together very early on Friday, December 28th,

2001.  This series of articles will detail strictly the mechanics of

Scattershot, articles relating to the techniques of 'how to play' will

have to wait until I have more of them centralized and organized.  The

third major component of the game, the setting and genre material is

will be addressed once I get a new batch of playtesters.

As promised /now/ we begin to describe the actual nuts and bolts of

Scattershot's mechanics.  Everything in Scattershot's mechanics revolves

around resolution of actions that participants have their characters

perform.  In fact all other mechanics have been positioned so as to be

simply another presentation of the resolution mechanic.  In order to

adequately explain all that goes into Scattershot's resolution process,

first I need to lay out a number of descriptors.

All things performed within Scattershot's resolution mechanic are

described by Ratings.  Mostly numeric, these Ratings are the most

important part of this mechanic.  There are many qualities and

classifications involved in these Ratings and without describing what

they are, a user might become confused what they are being asked to do.

First of all, all Ratings in Scattershot break down into three different

/Types/.

Invoked

      When the character performs an act or has one performed on them

      (at either Specific

      <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>

      or Mechanical

      <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>

      play 'densities') a Rating is used to determine the

      result.[/list:u]Magnitude

            The Rating is used to determine how much of something can be

            or is affected.  In a fashion likened to Mayfair's DC

            Heroes, Scattershot has a chart of 'amounts' that can be

            affected (we have named this either the Universal

            Equivalency or Universal Effect Chart - also known as the UE

            or 'Huey' Chart).  Lifting capability qualifies as one of

            these.[/list:u]Resource

                  These Ratings are something that 'gets used up' during

                  play, either spent or reduced by circumstance.

                   Old-fashioned hit points are one example, but so are

                  Hero Games' Endurance Batteries.[/list:u]Next we

                  separate Ratings based on their /Application/.

                  Instantaneous

                        Any conscious action by a player results in this

                        kind of Application /for/ the character.

                         Examples would be things like sight-based

                        Observations, Fencing, Pottery, or any type of

                        Detection ability.[/list:u]Reactive

                              When some other party attempts an act

                              /upon/ a character or that might involve

                              them (whether they know it or not), this

                              is the type of Application used.  Examples

                              include forms of sensation or magical

                              resistence.[/list:u]Residual

                                    There are two kinds of Residual

                                    Applications, on-the-spot and

                                    preemptive.  A preemptive Residual

                                    Application happens when something

                                    that is resolved has 'lingering'

                                    effects.  This might be how hard a

                                    code is to break (which is created

                                    when the code is invented); it could

                                    also be how good a work of art is.

                                     When an on-the-spot Residual

                                    Application is required, it is

                                    created right then, but treated as

                                    though it had been continuously in

                                    effect prior to when it was needed.

                                     This could be a 'how well did I do

                                    at the ball' savoir-faire result or

                                    how well something was jury-rigged.

                                     (Residual Applications form a

                                    cornerstone to how the Scattershot

                                    mechanic is used, but I'll get to

                                    that later.)[/list:u]The next topic

                                    is the /Kinds/ of Ratings there are

                                    in Scattershot.  I'll take them out

                                    of order to make their structure and

                                    relationships clearer.

                                    Preternatural or Supernatural Abilities

                                          This includes all manner of

                                          superpowers and magical

                                          effects.  If you are doing it

                                          with something other than your

                                          hands or physical tools, it's

                                          probably one of these.  Every

                                          use of a Rating in Scattershot

                                          actually involves two Ratings

                                          (but in some they can be

                                          somewhat hidden).  The first

                                          is some measure or limit on

                                          how much can be affected.

                                           This 'quantity' (this is in

                                          quotes because sometimes the

                                          'quantity' can be a distance

                                          or a philosophical property or

                                          otherwise) is indexed on the

                                          UE Chart often using a

                                          Statistic (more on these

                                          later) for both superpowers

                                          and magic (and most of the

                                          rest of these abilities too).

                                          The second Rating is the

                                          number that the dice are

                                          actually used with.  This is a

                                          Rating of efficacy that the

                                          character can perform the

                                          appropriate action with.  When

                                          the dice are compared to this

                                          Rating, the /quality/ of the

                                          success (or failure) is

                                          determined.  That's the basic

                                          structure of all Scattershot's

                                          resolutions.  Know the amount

                                          affected, randomly check

                                          against the character's

                                          efficacy, and determine the

                                          result.

                                          In the case of a superhero,

                                          except in special

                                          circumstances, all their

                                          powers will be based on a

                                          single Statistic, likewise

                                          with a mage or psychic.  When

                                          these kinds of abilities are

                                          Reactive they include things

                                          like 'active' defenses.  In

                                          Residual Application these are

                                          things like force fields,

                                          memory wipes, illusions and

                                          the like.[/list:u]Skills

                                                These include primarily

                                                things a character has

                                                learned or is talented

                                                with.  Things that can

                                                be done in the 'mundane'

                                                fashion are considered

                                                skills.  The major thing

                                                that separates skills

                                                from the above abilities

                                                is that skills use

                                                static limits of what

                                                can be affected.  For

                                                example, a psychic might

                                                be able to lift a car

                                                with telekinesis only

                                                when something boosts

                                                their power level, but

                                                an auto mechanic is able

                                                to repair a single car

                                                in about 3 hours.

                                                 Modifiers alter this,

                                                but not the same way as

                                                a magician is slave to

                                                the amount of

                                                'available' magic.  Each

                                                skill lists its base

                                                parameters (and all of

                                                them happen to be based

                                                on 5 templates that are

                                                offered later to create

                                                additional material).

                                                 (An example of a Skill

                                                used Reactively would be

                                                a counterfieter

                                                recognizing a forgery

                                                that, itself, is a

                                                Residual Application of

                                                the skill used of the

                                                original

                                                forger.)[/list:u]Statistics

                                                      There are 6 Stats

                                                      in Scattershot

                                                      Strength, Agility,

                                                      Hit Points,

                                                      Reaction,

                                                      Observation, and

                                                      Power

                                                      (surprisingly it

                                                      /can/ be

                                                      pronounced;

                                                      SAHROP).  Stats

                                                      are Ratings that

                                                      are

                                                      'self-referent,'

                                                      this means that

                                                      when a roll is

                                                      needed, the amount

                                                      effected is also

                                                      indexed with the

                                                      same Stat.

                                                       Strength and

                                                      Power are

                                                      primarily

                                                      Magnitudes.

                                                       Agility,

                                                      Reaction, and

                                                      Observation are

                                                      usually Invoked.

                                                       This leaves Hit

                                                      Points (and in

                                                      some genres,

                                                      Power) as mostly

                                                      Resources.  (Power

                                                      is used as a

                                                      Reactive, Invoked

                                                      ability when

                                                      preternatural

                                                      characters act

                                                      upon 'natural'

                                                      characters.  A

                                                      high Agility can

                                                      afford a small

                                                      Residual bonus on

                                                      skills listing its

                                                      effect.)  I can go

                                                      into the unusual

                                                      interpretations of

                                                      these seemingly

                                                      classic Stats if

                                                      requested, but I

                                                      will leave that

                                                      until

                                                      later.[/list:u]Advantages

                                                      (and Disadvantages)

                                                            These are

                                                            the only

                                                            Ratings that

                                                            do not occur

                                                            as numerical

                                                            (especially

                                                            in the Basic

                                                            mechanics

                                                            <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>).

                                                             Their

                                                            primary use

                                                            is in

                                                            General Play

                                                            <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>,

                                                            but they

                                                            function as

                                                            Residual

                                                            Applications

                                                            when used in

                                                            either

                                                            Specific or

                                                            Mechanical

                                                            play

                                                            <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>.

                                                             Since they

                                                            rarely

                                                            benefit any

                                                            other roll

                                                            more than 1

                                                            point, the

                                                            horrors of

                                                            'currency

                                                            issues'¹

                                                            never

                                                            arise.[/list:u]Like

                                                            Advantages

                                                            and

                                                            Disadvantages,

                                                            bonuses and

                                                            penalties

                                                            are treated

                                                            as Residual

                                                            Ratings.

                                                             This

                                                            becomes very

                                                            important in

                                                            certain

                                                            situations

                                                            in

                                                            Scattershot

                                                            and as far

                                                            as I know

                                                            may be an

                                                            original way

                                                            of looking

                                                            how these work.

                                                            There are a

                                                            few other

                                                            variations

                                                            worthy of

                                                            note in

                                                            Scattershot.

                                                             The

                                                            Durations of

                                                            ability

                                                            usage are

                                                            also very

                                                            important in

                                                            deciding how

                                                            an ability

                                                            affects

                                                            play.  There

                                                            are three

                                                            Durations

                                                            noted in

                                                            Scattershot.

                                                            Immediate

                                                                  These

                                                                  are

                                                                  acts

                                                                  that

                                                                  only

                                                                  take a

                                                                  single

                                                                  action

                                                                  by a

                                                                  character,

                                                                  like

                                                                  firing

                                                                  an

                                                                  arrow

                                                                  at a

                                                                  target.[/list:u]Involved

                                                                        These

                                                                        activities

                                                                        take

                                                                        more

                                                                        than

                                                                        one

                                                                        time

                                                                        unit

                                                                        in

                                                                        Scattershot,

                                                                        in

                                                                        Mechanical

                                                                        play

                                                                        <http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?topic=1087&forum=2&0>,

                                                                        the

                                                                        exact

                                                                        amount

                                                                        of

                                                                        time

                                                                        can

                                                                        be

                                                                        very

                                                                        important.

                                                                         Sometimes

                                                                        Involved

                                                                        actions

                                                                        are

                                                                        considered

                                                                        a

                                                                        series

                                                                        of

                                                                        sequencial

                                                                        actions,

                                                                        such

                                                                        as

                                                                        taking

                                                                        part

                                                                        in

                                                                        an

                                                                        archery

                                                                        tournament

                                                                        (which

                                                                        is

                                                                        a

                                                                        different

                                                                        skill

                                                                        than

                                                                        normal

                                                                        archery)

                                                                        or

                                                                        tracking

                                                                        wild

                                                                        game.

                                                                         This

                                                                        awareness

                                                                        of

                                                                        Duration

                                                                        is

                                                                        directly

                                                                        linked

                                                                        to

                                                                        one

                                                                        of

                                                                        Scattershot

                                                                        combat's

                                                                        more

                                                                        interesting

                                                                        features

                                                                        (but

                                                                        I'll

                                                                        save

                                                                        that

                                                                        for

                                                                        later).[/list:u]Scenic

                                                                        (I

                                                                        really

                                                                        need

                                                                        a

                                                                        different

                                                                        word

                                                                        here)

                                                                              These

                                                                              activities

                                                                              basically

                                                                              take

                                                                              an

                                                                              entire

                                                                              scene

                                                                              unto

                                                                              themselves

                                                                              to

                                                                              play

                                                                              out.

                                                                               Only

                                                                              on

                                                                              rare

                                                                              occasion

                                                                              will

                                                                              a

                                                                              Scenic

                                                                              Duration

                                                                              skill

                                                                              usage

                                                                              be

                                                                              'played

                                                                              out.'

                                                                               They

                                                                              are

                                                                              usually

                                                                              handled

                                                                              during

                                                                              naturally

                                                                              occuring

                                                                              breaks

                                                                              in

                                                                              play,

                                                                              like

                                                                              'between'

                                                                              scenes.

                                                                               A