Starwood XXI - Live Action Role Playing

Starwood XXI
July 17 - 22, 2001 ~ Sherman, NY
Live Action Role Playing

Storytelling | Rules | Characters | Joining

Challenges

For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. -Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Each character has traits on his or her character sheet that fall into five separate categories. When a challenge occurs, assuming two individuals cannot resolve their difference through regular roleplaying, the adjectives are bid against one another to determine how much is at risk in that particular challenge. Players alternate using their adjectives in a sentence until one player relents or calls the challenge. The process ends here if the player relents, or may progress to the use of the cards. Any traits bid are considered "lost" for the remainder of the game, although lost traits can be regained through willpower tickets and possibly Storyteller arbitration (a reward for good story advancement).

Cards

To determine the final outcome of a challenge, one card is selected from among the three that each player receives. She holds that card face down until her challenger is ready and has done the same thing. Then both cards are revealed simultaneously. The cards trump one another in round robin format, which is to say, the Dagger beats the Scroll, the Scroll beats the Stone, the Stone in turn beats the Dagger. The loser in the challenge is wounded or at some other mental or social disadvantage depending on the type of challenge. The winner has the option to "push" the attack, to increase the severity, or kill her opponent. The winner states the intended outcome for his victim first, then another round of the cards is played. If she is successful on both attacks, the victim is usually incapacitated, at her mercy. It is tough to kill Immortals, but given the undisturbed moments, the helpless body and the knowledge, she can succeed at such a task.

Types

Types of Challenges

If any weapons are used: Warfare vs. Warfare (Bid traits for ties, challenger revealing first; whoever bids more traits wins tie)

If only one combatant has a weapon: Warfare vs. Endurance and Strength (weaponless player bids from endurance to counter the Warfare of his opponent, and then from strength in the same round if he wishes to counterattack: Player with weapon wins ties)

Brute force, boxing or martial arts: Strength vs. Strength (Bid traits for ties)

Offensive Magic (spell) attack: Attacker's Glamour spent vs. Defender's Endurance. Note: defender may also return magical attacks if she is capable, in which case the new defender must counter with endurance - spellcaster wins ties. Spells are covered seperately.

Mental combat: Psi vs. Psi (in case of a tie, no advantage is taken, both parties have massive headaches)

Social intrigue or presence attack: Social vs. social (Bid traits for ties)

All ranged attacks: Warfare vs. Warfare (ties are a miss)

Chess, games of strategy or shadow (non-lethal) battles-- Warfare vs. Warfare (Bid traits for ties - draw if attributes are even)

Multiple opponents: Victim must choose primary, secondary, tertiary opponent and so on. He matches the attribute of his primary opponent, spending Endurance to counter all others. Only he or his primary opponent can call the contest. Others can break away at their option. If the victim of multiple attacks wins in the first contest of cards, the primary opponent must break away; she is wounded or whatnot. He should then rechoose the primary, secondary, etc. If the primary opponent wins at the presentation of cards, she may not push for a second contest. The secondary opponent may have the push, but she takes the risk of a wound or other consequence. If she loses, then the tertiary opponent may have the push attack and so on down the line. If the victim of multiple attacks runs out of endurance, he is over whelmed, and at the mercy of multiple opponents.

Static challenge: Simple test of cards against a Narrator to determine success when casting certain spells. Caster wins ties unless specified otherwise.

Changing

Changing from one form of combat to another
During the course of a challenge, a player might feel the need to take a challenge into an arena of traits that he feels more comfortable with. Jane's character Ariel is nearly out of strength adjectives when her opponent says, "With brutal (str) force, I punch Ariel's lights out." Jane retorts, "I resiliently (end) take the punch, and touch you with the icy, concentrating (psi) force of my psyche." Jane has spent one Endurance adjective in order to switch the mode of combat. This expenditure is unlike the bids that she has risked, because even if she wins the challenge, the Endurance attribute is still used up for this evening. Her opponent must now answer her with Psi, or likewise spend an Endurance to shift the arena of combat. The only time an Endurance need not be spent to change the mode of combat is when a contest of strength is upgraded to a contest of weapons (Warfare).

Bidding

There are different strategies to use when bidding, and your choice of these will have a lot to do with how your character was set up. A character with more strength attributes will want to transfer the contest into his arena in most cases. If, however, he is saving his great strength for a later contest with a more powerful adversary, he might wish to maintain his edge in this area and risk a less important attribute now.

Overbid

Doubling the bid
Oberon would not lose a warfare challenge to any whelp who happened to confront him, and here is how to simulate that kind of disparity. A contestant with considerably more adjectives than his opponent may, having lost the first test, call for a retest by saying "overbid." At this point, the players reveal the amount of traits that they have in the testing category, starting with the overbidder. If the overbidder has double or more traits in that catagory than her opponent, she is granted a retest. She has still lost that initial trait from the first test, but if she prevails in the second testing, than is not subject to the negative consequences of the challenge.

Health

Each character has 5 states of health, represented by the numbers 0 through 4 wounds. 0 is healthy, 1 is wounded, 2 is grievously wounded, 3 is incapacitated, and 4 is even worse. Try to avoid level 4. An incapacitated character (3 wounds) is at the mercy of those around her for a number of minutes in real time equal to the empty or crossed off spaces on her character sheet under Endurance. Thus if she has high endurance (fewer lost traits), she is out for a lesser period of time. She may not enter challenges at all. Anyone present may demand weapons, items, or a glimpse at her character abilities. An incapacitated character among her enemies is easily killed. Once awake, a character may heal herself by spending willpower equal to the # of wounds to return to healthy. Wounded characters may not initiate challenges, and, when challenged, are down a number of traits equal to their health level. Which is to say, if she is grievously wounded, during ties and overbids, she may only declare up to a number which is 2 less traits than she normally has .

Willpower

Willpower Tickets will be given to you with your character packet.
Willpower Tickets are spent, but cannot be regained.

One willpower can be spent to restore all traits lost in a single challenge except endurance.

Willpower can restore endurance on a point for point basis.

Willpower can heal health levels for on a point for point basis.

Willpower can be spent to ignore the effect of incapacitation (3 wounds), or Mind Control (psi attack).

Magic & Glamour

See the page on Magic. All magic is fueled by Glamour and bunks.
Glamour tickets will be provided with your packet. Glamour tickets may be acquired through the course of play, and you may have a maximum of seven glamour at any time (additional glamour gained while at max are lost).
To cast a spell, you must declare that you are casting one (to the players present or a Narrator if alone) and then perform the bunk(s) required. Failure to really give the bunk "your all" could result in a weakened spell or unexpected outcome. When the bunk(s) are performed, glamour tickets are spent, and the spell "goes off". Defender bids traits (if any) or declares their action and then any static challenges are concluded before the resolution of the spell. Failing the static challenge generally negates the spell, although the defender can still lose the trait(s) bid. No pushing or overbids are neccessary if a spell fails a static challenge.
If the players can agree, the spell may be cast with the defender relenting, or spending an appropriate trait, perhaps with a spell of their own. So long as contending parties agree that play is proceeding fairly, a Narrator may not be neccessary.

Support

Once your registration (with game fee) is processed, you'll need to get in touch with us about your character choices. (See Joining) These choices will be mitigated by: Your level of involvement in the game, scope of the Story, time remaining 'til Starwood, Communication factors and prior roleplaying experience. Meaning, we may make it easier on us and you by assigning you a partial or complete character.

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	Starwood XXI July 17 - 22, 2001 ~ Sherman, NY Live Action Role Playing
	Storytelling \| Rules \| Characters \| Joining
Challenges	For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill. -Sun Tzu, The Art of War Each character has traits on his or her character sheet that fall into five separate categories. When a challenge occurs, assuming two individuals cannot resolve their difference through regular roleplaying, the adjectives are bid against one another to determine how much is at risk in that particular challenge. Players alternate using their adjectives in a sentence until one player relents or calls the challenge. The process ends here if the player relents, or may progress to the use of the cards. Any traits bid are considered "lost" for the remainder of the game, although lost traits can be regained through willpower tickets and possibly Storyteller arbitration (a reward for good story advancement).
Cards	To determine the final outcome of a challenge, one card is selected from among the three that each player receives. She holds that card face down until her challenger is ready and has done the same thing. Then both cards are revealed simultaneously. The cards trump one another in round robin format, which is to say, the Dagger beats the Scroll, the Scroll beats the Stone, the Stone in turn beats the Dagger. The loser in the challenge is wounded or at some other mental or social disadvantage depending on the type of challenge. The winner has the option to "push" the attack, to increase the severity, or kill her opponent. The winner states the intended outcome for his victim first, then another round of the cards is played. If she is successful on both attacks, the victim is usually incapacitated, at her mercy. It is tough to kill Immortals, but given the undisturbed moments, the helpless body and the knowledge, she can succeed at such a task.
Types	Types of Challenges If any weapons are used: Warfare vs. Warfare (Bid traits for ties, challenger revealing first; whoever bids more traits wins tie) If only one combatant has a weapon: Warfare vs. Endurance and Strength (weaponless player bids from endurance to counter the Warfare of his opponent, and then from strength in the same round if he wishes to counterattack: Player with weapon wins ties) Brute force, boxing or martial arts: Strength vs. Strength (Bid traits for ties) Offensive Magic (spell) attack: Attacker's Glamour spent vs. Defender's Endurance. Note: defender may also return magical attacks if she is capable, in which case the new defender must counter with endurance - spellcaster wins ties. Spells are covered seperately. Mental combat: Psi vs. Psi (in case of a tie, no advantage is taken, both parties have massive headaches) Social intrigue or presence attack: Social vs. social (Bid traits for ties) All ranged attacks: Warfare vs. Warfare (ties are a miss) Chess, games of strategy or shadow (non-lethal) battles-- Warfare vs. Warfare (Bid traits for ties - draw if attributes are even) Multiple opponents: Victim must choose primary, secondary, tertiary opponent and so on. He matches the attribute of his primary opponent, spending Endurance to counter all others. Only he or his primary opponent can call the contest. Others can break away at their option. If the victim of multiple attacks wins in the first contest of cards, the primary opponent must break away; she is wounded or whatnot. He should then rechoose the primary, secondary, etc. If the primary opponent wins at the presentation of cards, she may not push for a second contest. The secondary opponent may have the push, but she takes the risk of a wound or other consequence. If she loses, then the tertiary opponent may have the push attack and so on down the line. If the victim of multiple attacks runs out of endurance, he is over whelmed, and at the mercy of multiple opponents. Static challenge: Simple test of cards against a Narrator to determine success when casting certain spells. Caster wins ties unless specified otherwise.
Changing	Changing from one form of combat to another During the course of a challenge, a player might feel the need to take a challenge into an arena of traits that he feels more comfortable with. Jane's character Ariel is nearly out of strength adjectives when her opponent says, "With brutal (str) force, I punch Ariel's lights out." Jane retorts, "I resiliently (end) take the punch, and touch you with the icy, concentrating (psi) force of my psyche." Jane has spent one Endurance adjective in order to switch the mode of combat. This expenditure is unlike the bids that she has risked, because even if she wins the challenge, the Endurance attribute is still used up for this evening. Her opponent must now answer her with Psi, or likewise spend an Endurance to shift the arena of combat. The only time an Endurance need not be spent to change the mode of combat is when a contest of strength is upgraded to a contest of weapons (Warfare).
Bidding	There are different strategies to use when bidding, and your choice of these will have a lot to do with how your character was set up. A character with more strength attributes will want to transfer the contest into his arena in most cases. If, however, he is saving his great strength for a later contest with a more powerful adversary, he might wish to maintain his edge in this area and risk a less important attribute now.
Overbid	Doubling the bid Oberon would not lose a warfare challenge to any whelp who happened to confront him, and here is how to simulate that kind of disparity. A contestant with considerably more adjectives than his opponent may, having lost the first test, call for a retest by saying "overbid." At this point, the players reveal the amount of traits that they have in the testing category, starting with the overbidder. If the overbidder has double or more traits in that catagory than her opponent, she is granted a retest. She has still lost that initial trait from the first test, but if she prevails in the second testing, than is not subject to the negative consequences of the challenge.
Health	Each character has 5 states of health, represented by the numbers 0 through 4 wounds. 0 is healthy, 1 is wounded, 2 is grievously wounded, 3 is incapacitated, and 4 is even worse. Try to avoid level 4. An incapacitated character (3 wounds) is at the mercy of those around her for a number of minutes in real time equal to the empty or crossed off spaces on her character sheet under Endurance. Thus if she has high endurance (fewer lost traits), she is out for a lesser period of time. She may not enter challenges at all. Anyone present may demand weapons, items, or a glimpse at her character abilities. An incapacitated character among her enemies is easily killed. Once awake, a character may heal herself by spending willpower equal to the # of wounds to return to healthy. Wounded characters may not initiate challenges, and, when challenged, are down a number of traits equal to their health level. Which is to say, if she is grievously wounded, during ties and overbids, she may only declare up to a number which is 2 less traits than she normally has .
Willpower	Willpower Tickets will be given to you with your character packet. Willpower Tickets are spent, but cannot be regained. One willpower can be spent to restore all traits lost in a single challenge except endurance. Willpower can restore endurance on a point for point basis. Willpower can heal health levels for on a point for point basis. Willpower can be spent to ignore the effect of incapacitation (3 wounds), or Mind Control (psi attack).
Magic & Glamour	See the page on Magic. All magic is fueled by Glamour and bunks. Glamour tickets will be provided with your packet. Glamour tickets may be acquired through the course of play, and you may have a maximum of seven glamour at any time (additional glamour gained while at max are lost). To cast a spell, you must declare that you are casting one (to the players present or a Narrator if alone) and then perform the bunk(s) required. Failure to really give the bunk "your all" could result in a weakened spell or unexpected outcome. When the bunk(s) are performed, glamour tickets are spent, and the spell "goes off". Defender bids traits (if any) or declares their action and then any static challenges are concluded before the resolution of the spell. Failing the static challenge generally negates the spell, although the defender can still lose the trait(s) bid. No pushing or overbids are neccessary if a spell fails a static challenge. If the players can agree, the spell may be cast with the defender relenting, or spending an appropriate trait, perhaps with a spell of their own. So long as contending parties agree that play is proceeding fairly, a Narrator may not be neccessary.
Support	Once your registration (with game fee) is processed, you'll need to get in touch with us about your character choices. (See Joining) These choices will be mitigated by: Your level of involvement in the game, scope of the Story, time remaining 'til Starwood, Communication factors and prior roleplaying experience. Meaning, we may make it easier on us and you by assigning you a partial or complete character.