Reputation/Faction System

[shem_whistler]

Hi

In an effort to create a useable system for my gaming groups needs I have cobbled together a system for Reputations/Factions in the B5 universe.

I have looked at other ideas out there, taken on board the bits I like and added some input from my gamong group to end with the final product.

I thought that some one else might have a use for it, or that there will be some feedback out there for it.

So if you can spare the time please grap a copy from here.

http://www.starstuff.co.uk/material/

And let me know what you think.

Cheers
Matt

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

Well, I like to decide this kind of roleplay stuff on the step, without consulting tables.

I guess for people who need these things it is a very complete and obviously complex system that takes all into account that I would think of, but even then it seems to be very difficult to be used within a game where such interactions make up a lot of gaming time. The thought to roll for fame first, to determine whether other parts of the system should be used, is probably not unwise, but I imagine a huge group of various PCs of different races and classes meeting a very huge group of NPCs of huge variance, I find it rather guaranteed, that, with this system, there WILL be a brawl sooner or later. :lol: If I would have to look up these for every PC and every interaction (s)he does and would have to combine them with situation mods as well, it would be too time-consuming to use. And every person is different, according to background, and therefore reacts differently. You can have very different reactions from two EA officer NPCs to a Minbari just because one of them lost his family in the E/M war and the other got his life saved by a Minbari in an accident. Since you CAN not include anything in tables, I decided a long time ago to get rid of as much tables as I can and start using my imagination when determining NPC reactions. It may be a bit shaky from time to time, and certainly not consistent, but human and alien nature wasn´t born to be so. :wink:

So, again, I think it is, technically speaking, a good system, but, IMHO, far too complex to use within a real game.

 

[redlaco]

I have to agree with Ralph on that subject. The system is well conceived from a standard D20 perspective, but I don't think my group would be comfortable using such a system. We usually play GURPS and switch to a light version of D20 just for games like Star Wars, B5 and now Lone Wolf.

Again, your system looks very well done from my first reading of it and deserve some praise, just as the rest of your work. It all depends of the needs of your gaming group and your style of play.

 

[dorward]

When I GM I tend to ignore most of the rules in the interest of speed (better to advance the plot then spend vast amounts of time rolling dice IMO), but still get the books as they are packed with vast amounts of really juicy background information.

 

[shem_whistler]

Thanks for the feedback, all fair comments.

It was a system that my group had wanted to implement for a Westgate game, but it never got done.

And oddly enough I ran it past the member of my group that moans about excessive book-keeping and he was happy with it.

I also think that as the amount of combat rolling that will take place will me greatly reduced, and this will take it's place, so I'm not sure that the amount of rolling/per session will be increased.

Anyway as has been commented, it's all about horses for courses, just thought I'd share my work.

Cheers again
Matt

 

[Ralph Kruhm]

I also think that as the amount of combat rolling that will take place will be greatly reduced, and this will take it's place, so I'm not sure that the amount of rolling/per session will be increased.

I think you should fill the time won by reduced dice-rolling with actual roleplaying instead of inserting placebo dicerolling mechanics just to give your players the feeling that it´s still a game. I guess B5 enhances more like most other RPGs the actual roleplay aspect, and I think it´s worth to try that out. Your players might actually enjoy what will happen.

 

[Anonymous]

After reviewing your document here are my thoughts:

What you have here is a set of modifiers. People rightly look down on these (see the comments from the 'roleplaying faction' above) as they lack most of the interactive game elements (resources, threat/risk, interactive exchange) that make the rules FUN rather than just a simulation.

However, you are on the right track. Try answering the following questions:

1) Can D20 produce more than digital results from its dice engine?
2) In Babylon 5, what is the likelyhood that the characters are the only one's attempting to exert influence/gain information about any single event?
3) How can you take what you have and create a set of threatenable reosurces? If you did so, how could you control the risk of losing those resources vs. the advantage gained by entering them into the fray?

Shannon
Mongoose
Current Status: Wandering by-ways