02.16.09
Introducing: Within Our Eyes
I am aiming to create a system for face-to-face play that promotes character interaction and impacts. One that’s not usually concerned with resolving conflicts, but with bringing about interesting scenes in which characters affect and change each other. The mechanics shouldn’t just “jump in” at some point to tell you what happens; they should reinforce the meaning of the actions of the characters and nudge the players toward letting the other players impact their characters.
That’s the basis for Within Our Eyes.
To start, imagine a lush and warm-to-hot region called Andeia, a mix of Mediterranean and South American, with enough affluence to allow characters to focus on each other using the four venues: Passion, Violence, Intrigue, and Ritual. Characters have a couple of Venue Traits, each associated with one of the venues, and a Reward Trait given to them by other players. The players create several locales with one or more of the four venues available (e.g., the local temple is associated with Ritual, but the high priest’s back room with Intrigue). Both characters and locales are described with a few details about their dominant color, shape, scent, sound, and feel to allow players to imagine them in a sensual way–but vague enough that they don’t have to be tied down to anything or spend hours creating things.
When you play characters in a scene, each player uses a deck of cards. They may start out with some cards in their hand as well (more on that later). Now, whenever a character acts toward another character according to one of the available venues, the player puts down a card (random draw or from their hand) at that venue either face up or down. Face up cards add to the intensity of the interaction. For example:
A: “Serrin’s eyes linger on hers for longer than usual.” Puts a card face-down at his side of Passion.
B: “She smiles and brushes her fingers over his arm as they talk.” Puts a card face-up at her side of Passion.
Or
A: “She narrows her eyes and says, ‘Move before I make you.’” Puts a card face-up at her side of Violence.
B: “He shakes his head slightly. ‘I strongly suggest you reconsider. Artias is not who you think he is.’” Puts a card face-up at his side of Intrigue.
The idea here is that the flow of the scene is undisturbed; in fact, the cards actually serve to reinforce the action by making a statement about its nature and intensity. Players get bonus cards at a specific venue by playing out associated Venue Traits.
At the end of the scene, players can do one of two things: fold up their cards at a venue and not impact the other character for a gain in hand cards (i.e., future control over scenes), or try and impact the other character. Impacts are based on two things: highest face card and highest sum of number cards. So both characters could end up impacting each other, or one impacts the second one more strongly.
Impacts include gaining future advantages, inflicting handicaps, changing the other character’s traits (or even replacing a Venue Trait with a Reward Trait), and ultimately even dooming or destroying the other character. Hand cards, which are also earned by playing out Reward Traits, can also be spent on adding venues to a scene, removing handicaps, and so on.
I’m almost done writing up the first playtest document. Hopefully this will work out as planned. 