I haven't played TSOY, but I did skim it and the description of the !st Quest, a YA TSOY game Judd is working on, and became enamoured of the "key" mechanic, especially as 1Q uses it (your keys also give other people XP when they trigger them, in addition to you -- frex, when Julian describes a weather pattern being changed by Beth's character's moods, they both get XP).
I don't think keys are a personality mechanic, per se -- they're more of a circumstance mechanic. (the above mechanic isn't a personality thing -- nor is Beth's "get xp for doing climbing", nor, exactly, is Julian's "get XP for doing swashbuckling" (or something like that).). That said, it still may not work well for all players, but it does seem pretty robust.
I did run a session on Monday -- three days after sailing apparently aimlessly, Captain Jenny Starling remembered that she'd once come across a mysterious island floating, as no structures do, in the middle of the Etheric Sea. The crew set sail for it, reaching their goal despite Captain Starling's mis-rememberence of a gatestorm's spin (failed Captain roll + me exercising Jenny's key) and a sudden increase in the storm's intensity (failed Magic roll + me exercising Cat's key) almost destroying the ship -- which mysteriously righted itself when it looked like it was about to founder, and managed to travel through the storm/gate unharmed (me again, putting into practice previous ideas about there being something uncanny about the ship).
The crystal city was found with minimal further mishap, and the captain, the cabin boy, the navigator, and three crewmen braved the dangers of the artifact, while the first mate commanded the ship.
The reconniscance crew, after dealing with a number of traps which took out one crewmen (one detailed trap with a couple of conflicts, plus a montage scene of other traps, following which crewman #3 did not reappear) found a treasure of mysterious devices and unknown gems at the center of the edifice.
Meanwhile, the the ship was attacked by a nasty crab-creature, which gristly killed three crewmen before Durgan could drive it off single-handed (but not even Durgan's speed and skill with a blade could dispatch the critter before it fled).
Cat climbed a spire in the Crystal City, while the crewmen were preparing the loot for transport, and spotted the approach of a ship that had previously been seen crossing the path of the Typhoon. The command crew returned to the ship with haste (and the treasure), and attempted to avoid letting the other ship close, by (successfully) heading for the nearest gate (did I meantion this was uncharted territory? it was), and used the strange weather of the Etheric Sea to disguise their retreat. Unfortunately, right before they exited through the gate into the perpetual storm that surrounds the outside of the gates, three crab-creatures such as had been beaten off earlier jumped on board!
How will the crew of the Typhoon survive this trio of hazards -- hurricane, horrors, and unexplored waters? Tune in next time!
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2006-09-05 06:24 pm (UTC)I don't think keys are a personality mechanic, per se -- they're more of a circumstance mechanic. (the above mechanic isn't a personality thing -- nor is Beth's "get xp for doing climbing", nor, exactly, is Julian's "get XP for doing swashbuckling" (or something like that).). That said, it still may not work well for all players, but it does seem pretty robust.
I did run a session on Monday -- three days after sailing apparently aimlessly, Captain Jenny Starling remembered that she'd once come across a mysterious island floating, as no structures do, in the middle of the Etheric Sea. The crew set sail for it, reaching their goal despite Captain Starling's mis-rememberence of a gatestorm's spin (failed Captain roll + me exercising Jenny's key) and a sudden increase in the storm's intensity (failed Magic roll + me exercising Cat's key) almost destroying the ship -- which mysteriously righted itself when it looked like it was about to founder, and managed to travel through the storm/gate unharmed (me again, putting into practice previous ideas about there being something uncanny about the ship).
The crystal city was found with minimal further mishap, and the captain, the cabin boy, the navigator, and three crewmen braved the dangers of the artifact, while the first mate commanded the ship.
The reconniscance crew, after dealing with a number of traps which took out one crewmen (one detailed trap with a couple of conflicts, plus a montage scene of other traps, following which crewman #3 did not reappear) found a treasure of mysterious devices and unknown gems at the center of the edifice.
Meanwhile, the the ship was attacked by a nasty crab-creature, which gristly killed three crewmen before Durgan could drive it off single-handed (but not even Durgan's speed and skill with a blade could dispatch the critter before it fled).
Cat climbed a spire in the Crystal City, while the crewmen were preparing the loot for transport, and spotted the approach of a ship that had previously been seen crossing the path of the Typhoon. The command crew returned to the ship with haste (and the treasure), and attempted to avoid letting the other ship close, by (successfully) heading for the nearest gate (did I meantion this was uncharted territory? it was), and used the strange weather of the Etheric Sea to disguise their retreat. Unfortunately, right before they exited through the gate into the perpetual storm that surrounds the outside of the gates, three crab-creatures such as had been beaten off earlier jumped on board!
How will the crew of the Typhoon survive this trio of hazards -- hurricane, horrors, and unexplored waters? Tune in next time!