Tuesday 8 March 2011

Fundamental laws of a fictional universe (8)

This one is right for the recent challenge and changes. We can do it all ourselves.


All you need to use this is here, along with links to the others. I've looked at putting them into a pdf as suggested. This makes 15 and that might be the magic number.

Update: Maybe, but there's now another card, here, in a post outside the series.
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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've just skimmed through the previous posts on this and I really like the concepts. It's good to take people out of their comfort zone and to subject them to the capricious hands of fate... there is after all no such thing as a sure thing.

Unless I've missed something, the obvious omission to me is 'the sacrifice'. I struggle to think of any story plot where the hero/heroine doesn't lose something or someone dear to them as part of the plot progression.

The opposite side of this is the notion of the 'expendables' and 'consumables'. The bones of minor characters pave the road to greatness in other words. Obviously their fall can be either being in the wrong place at the wrong time (Star Trek's Red Shirts), or they possess a character flaw or failing that makes them unworthy of being in at the finale and basking in the glory (e.g. Warden Hassan in The Mummy).

Bartender said...

The fate cards from bloodbowl were priceless. My favourite one was spiking your rivals refreshments.

Porky said...

@ Jim Hale - I'm glad you get it. That's part of the point exactly, taking players out of their comfort zone. I'm really taken with the concept and working right now on something with this at the core. Both posts so far have the 'Getting out of the boat' label.

You're right about the two ideas you mention - they haven't been covered yet. I tend to put these cards up by the theme of the moment and that just hasn't come along yet. It's definitely compelling though, and ripe for being used here. The closest we've come so far is probably the Ghostbusters-inspired card, which sees loyalties switch, and could involve a hard loss in a game of few or one individuals per player. I'll certainly keep the ideas in mind and look for an opening to use them.

@ Bartender - Games Workshop is traditionally good at this kind of randomly-distributed surprise. The strategy card idea from second edition Warhammer 40,000 is a more conventional version. The fate cards from Killzone are similar too. Blood Bowl is a top game, and I probably appreciate it more these days than ever.

C'nor (Outermost_Toe) said...

Yuan-Ti Em, anyone?

Porky said...

It makes her seem more exotic than we might remember, but maybe that's only fair. She could well have had a rich inner life, and done much more given the chance. She had a wearing existence, was old before her time and only later realised she'd been a slave for the duration. Good thing to be reminded of with yesterday International Women's Day.