The Connections Rule

[-Daniel-]

I have been using the Connections Rule and I like the intent of the rule. Give some better background for characters and allow the players to select a couple of skills for their own rather than roll for them.

But over time I have seen where some just do the minimum to get the skill and in a couple folks they just gave up the bonus skills so they didn't have to write up any background. When this happens I am quite curious about how they feel and why. So I thought I would toss this out o the hive mind and see what you guys think.

Do you use the Connections Rule in your games and do the players all like it? Does it seem to add to the game for you and your players?

Thoughts? :mrgreen:

 

[Hopeless]

I used this to explain how each of the PCs knew each other in a very brief game I ran that involved them creating their characters via emails.

So the four characters consisted of a Fulacin Scientist whose Lawyer was a former Psion Adept and his bodyguard a former Support Marine from the Sword Worlds.
The last character played a former Scout also from the Sword Worlds who jointly owned the newly acquired Mining Veseel the scientist inherited the shares for from his late uncle.
The game started off with fulfilling that Uncle's last request which involved visiting a nearby system and the game revealed the Solomani Empire had deliberately attacked a ship carrying the Uncle's wife and children only they discovered the ship had crashlanded on an ice world rather than was blown up and one of the children was inside a still working low berth chamber hidden within the ship that escaped detection.
They were just about to try and leave the world escorting the sleeping child to a medical facility as a pirate ship waited for them somewhere in orbit.

That connection rule doesn't just offer an extra skill it also provides some interesting back story your players should really be making full use of!

Hope you manage to change their minds!

 

[rust2]

Do you use the Connections Rule in your games and do the players all like it? Does it seem to add to the game for you and your players?

I use the Connections Rule, and it does seem to add to the game. In fact, I like that rule so much that I have introduced it into other roleplaying game systems.

 

[ca_lazerdwarf]

It's nice to have explanations for how the characters know each other, and not have to resort to "You all meet in a Space-bar"

 

[Condottiere]

How else can you meet space wenches?

 

[-Daniel-]

In fact, I like that rule so much that I have introduced it into other roleplaying game systems.

Interesting thought. So do you give them anything game mechanic wise or just get them to think of the connections?

 

[-Daniel-]

It's nice to have explanations for how the characters know each other, and not have to resort to "You all meet in a Space-bar"

I agree, I have found the old D&D trope of meeting for the first time in an Inn or Bar to be too tired to use regardless of the RPG we are going to play.

I find the use of a prior relationship helps make the instant PC trust more realistic feeling. :mrgreen:

 

[-Daniel-]

How else can you meet space wenches?

Space Wenches, I am adding that to my new list of fun titles. Space Wizards and now Space Wenches. :mrgreen:

 

[rust2]

So do you give them anything game mechanic wise or just get them to think of the connections?

I prefer game mechanics. For example, my Bhotana alternate history campaign uses the Mythras (= ex-Runequest 6) system. When a player describes an event that connects his character with another player's character and a skill of his character was important in this event and used successfully, his character can add 5% to this skill. This is aimed at rewarding the character with a skill increase for the player's description of an event which connects two characters.

 

[-Daniel-]

So do you give them anything game mechanic wise or just get them to think of the connections?

I prefer game mechanics. For example, my Bhotana alternate history campaign uses the Mythras (= ex-Runequest 6) system. When a player describes an event that connects his character with another player's character and a skill of his character was important in this event and used successfully, his character can add 5% to this skill. This is aimed at rewarding the character with a skill increase for the player's description of an event which connects two characters.

Nice use of the idea within the rule system. Works to both increase the character's value and to bring a better background out of the process.

 

[DickNervous]

I have used the connection rule for my group, both when they created their original characters and when creating "extras" to crew their growing fleet of ships, and they really love it. It can really add some flavor to the game and the backstories of the characters. But then, my players are really into the story-telling/role-playing aspects of the game more than the mechanics/power-gaming stuff, so it wasn't a hard sell. Especially when I told them they could simply pick any skill that they could reasonably explain to me how they learned it. They got pretty darn creative.