Premise Soup and much knife-throwing.

Posted by screamingcat on September 21, 2009

Ok, so…now we’re going to cut up our ingredients, put some spice on them and cook them. With my secret ingredient. Uhm, what? Do you wanna know what the heck is it?

I choose some elements or themes and emphasize them. That is my little secret.

Let’s evaluate the elements so far, and how I need to cut and spice them up.

Ideology: three players, three very different ideologies… this will surely need some emphasis.

Intrigue: this should be splitted in sub-elements, before it can be analyzed, such as:

• Power Struggle: characters compete against each other and PNGs to gain influence on the society.


• Relationships: allies, and people to exploit.


• Treachery!: Loads of it! Assassinations! Double-dealing! Traitors!

End of the Known World: players don’t know really much, but the world is going to end.

Now I’m going to do something that I usually dislike… I’m setting my viewpoint from the bottom of the game, from the end.

We have an abrupt end of the known world; this must be triggered by something, and since I don’t like fixed game turns that much, it should happen when some condition is reached.

We decide that the trigger will be Entropy. Entropy defines when the endgame condition is reached; every now and then its value is checked. Maybe the Entropy value is measured in tokens, fixed numbers, or dice.

After almost no discussion, we choose dice.

Entropy is, in simple words, the amount of uncertainty in a given system. Players could add up some of these dice in the resolution of conflicts to improve their chance of a positive outcome… but this will come at a price.*

SC: First, even if the conflict was won, the situation will be spiced up with a little twist, by something the character is uncomfortable about, or a very unlikely event.

BC: I’d say that the unlikely event is in favour of the character, and the downside is an “Entropy discharge”, that is, something dying, in the broader sense.

Then, these dice are going into the “End Pool”, every dice adding up to the Endgame trigger.

Ideology is where the Premise comes forth: How important is your Ideology to you? What would you do to support it?

Players are encouraged to explore their characters into a set of stereotyped beliefs, doctrines and prohibitions. The setting defines the guidelines, but only the players can choose where and when to cross the line.

*Yes, this is our personal take on the beautiful Madness mechanics from Don’t Rest Your Head.

In the next post: Intriguing mechanics.