The Flow of Gameplay
The Scenario
You the players will be presented with a scenario given to them in a scene with a broker. The job will outline what you need to do, some basic information about the set up, as well as the amount of time you have to pull it off.
Should you happen to know a bit more about the situation, as determined by what you know, you will be given that information as soon as possible. So if your target is an esteemed Noble, then those who know about Nobles will be given extra information about them. This information can be gained elsewhere and only represents cursory information.
There are two phases of gameplay: Planning and Legwork, each set of these make up one day and one night segment (so a 24 hour day: Planning, Legwork, Planning, Then another Legwork)
Planning phase
Before the start of the planning phase one player (for the sake of expediency, the first one to attempt it) sets the meeting. You should describe a set up that is particularly atmospheric or in keeping with the tone of it being a heist. Should it be sufficient and aid in building a scene you earn a single point of influence that any member of the cartel may access.
-Do not worry too much about certain details: Fog or Pouring rain both help build atmosphere, as well who is to say you don't have a friend who owns a Bakery in the Merchant District?
From there you have up to three real life days to come up with a plan. You may discuss it freely. Take into account the goals you need to achieve, gathering knowledge, gathering resources.
Each player can come up with a legwork scene they wish to lead.
When creating a scene here is a basic themplate: Specific one THING YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THE SCENE (a specific piece of information, some asset or resource, the cooperation or aid of an individual, and so on), and describe THE PLACE YOU ARE GOING to get it. You then EXPLAIN HOW YOU ARE GOING TO GET IT and, if necessary, WHO YOU INTERACT WITH to get what you want. This isn't the only way to design a scene or design a series of scenes, but if you try to do too much with one scene at once you will overextend yourself.
Two players can lead the same “scene” should they be in the same location, but it is treated as two separate scenes going on at once.
It should also be noted that particularly bold, risky, or thrilling stratagems are rewarded with more influence as your cartel become particularly enthralled with your daring escapade. Trying to steal a document from the house of a noble is far more interesting then waiting in line and filing a complaint at the district attorney. The Leading Player gains a point of influence before the scene starts.
Miscellaneous things that take a turn
-Resting: Choosing to rest restores all your luck.
-Creating a Disguise
Legwork Phase
At the start of the Legwork phase the very first thing you will notice is that the Judge (that would be me) will generate heat equal to each player. I will talk a bit about heat in this section, but I will devote an entire section to it specifically.
Any player may join any Legwork scene at the start, even if they would effectively join all of them. They can be assumed to meet up with the other players during this phase between segments to pass on brisk information, but long discussions should be left to the planning phase.
You may also technically change your decided upon action before starting your scene in the Legwork phase. There are a few good reasons to do this, such as if your scene relied on an earlier one being successful, or if you accrued too much loss of luck to lead a scene.
Then, decided by the players, we will start the first Planned Scene. The Judge (me) will spend heat (if so desired) and describe any complications or obstacles inherent in the scene. Then the players will decide how they will overcome such obstacles and complications. Should a scene be particularly uninteresting or incapable of failing rolling can be forgone, or it might require a specific roll with advantage or challenge dice given based on the player's description, alternatively a player can describe the use of an Influence point to overcome a complication or obstacle without needing to roll. Obstacles and complications that are not dealt with by the end might result in a scene being considered a failure or cause further challenge dice while on the job.
Legwork scenes are abstracted and rarely involve significant dialog or moment-by-moment descriptions of the action. However, if the players fail a roll to deal with with an obstacle or complication, the scene might change into a Drama Scene.
Drama Scene
Legwork that seriously threatens one or more members of the crew or puts the crew at particular risk of being exposed turn into Drama scenes. Drama scenes are moment-by-moment action, playing out dialog, and back and forth interplay between the player and Judge controlled characters.
The turn order is determined by the Judge (typically player, then Judge, player, then Judge) and what actions you may take depends on the time frame. The most typical time frame is one action (and some movement).
If an ordinary Legwork scene turns into a Drama Scene, ANY PLAYER MAY SPEND 20 LUCK to “Just so happen” to be nearby when that occurs. The player describes why his or her character was in the area and how they join the scene, and then play proceeds as usual with that character now a part of the scene.
The Roll of Roleplaying.
The game uses percentile dice (d100s) your roll needs to match or be lower than your skill.
Should you fail your roll you may chose to push your luck: By spending luck in increments of 10 you increase your chances of success by 10 and roll an additional challenge dice. However you can never roll more than 4 challenge dice from a single roll, you cannot spend luck that would cause you to gain a 5th challenge dice.
Storywise pushing luck represents a burst of willpower, guile, or perhaps plain dumb luck.
HELPING SOMEONE: Only one player rolls the dice, however any number of players may help another on a single task. If they do the rolling player gains two advantage dice.
Trying again:
Typically if you fail a roll you cannot try it again, it is beyond you. Unless you radically change your approach, it is considered impossible. The exceptions to this rule are:
-Attacks
-Judge's Discretion: The Judge can let you attempt the roll again on subsequent turn, usually with extra challenge dice as the pressure starts to build or time begins to run out. Typically this is caused by a situation changing mid-scene, sometimes as a result of other player's actions, that makes the circumstances of your attempt significantly different.
ATTACKING
Attacks are split into physical and mental. Physical being punching, kicking, stabbing, shooting. While mental represents more coercion, intimidation, or sometimes even other forms of mental manipulation.
The number you roll for an attack determines how effective it is. Weapons, and other modifiers, might modify a successful attack.
Attacks may also be a consequence of failed rolls, falling off a roof is a 50% attack.
Damage affects the target's luck directly, lowering it be the effective amount.
Running out of luck means you are physically vulnerable. Being attacked means you gain wounds.
Wounds
-1: One Challenge Die to all rolls
-2: Two challenge die to all rolls
-3: You can no longer take actions and even remaining conscious is considered difficult. If you are asked to make a roll you do so at 3 challenge dice.
-4: You are knocked unconscious
-5: You die
If the player runs out of luck through coercion they are typically convinced to leave the scene. If they run out of luck during a chase they get caught.
Enemies handle luck differently
Minions have no luck, any successful attack on them causes them to lose members. Minions are groups of enemies that act like one cohesive unit. Additionally successful boons when attacking minions causes additional ones to fall.
Other enemies when reduced to 0 luck are disabled, choosing to either leave the scene, give in to the player's demands, become incapacitated, or simply die.
Sometimes obstacles can have luck (a safe for example), reducing that luck to 0 means you defeat it.
Heat
heat represents the suspicion surrounding a particular heist and even to an extent just plain bad luck set against you. New Dunhaven is a city that talks where every person looks on with some level of suspicion. Even if you aren't caught committing a crime, simply knowledge of said crime raises a few alarms (Mysterious death a few days before a major Gala?).
Heat Generation
-Day or Night Segment Begins: 1/player
-A Crew member spends a scene an area conspicuous: 2/player (Vesper in the Slums)
-A bystander witnesses a crew member overtly committing a crime: 2
-The crew leaves behind significant evidence after a crime: 2
-The crew causes serious property damage: 2
-The Crew Steals Items of extraordinarily high monetary value: 2
-The crew commits a noisy crime or disturbs the peace: 2
-Anyone involved in a scene with a crew member fires a firearm: 2
-The crew commits any crime against a member of the nobility: 2
-An agent of the crown witnesses a crew member committing a crime: 4
-The crew takes any number of hostages: 4
-The crew flees questioning or arrest by the City Watch: 4
-The crew kills any number of law-abiding Citizens: 6
This heat is typically spent PRIOR TO THE START OF A SCENE, AFTER A ROLL IS FAILED, or DURING ANY ACTION AT THE FINAL SCENE. There are specific exceptions to this rule, unexpected twists, but that is the jist.
Influence
Influence represents the resources and favor you have. It can be earned in a variety of ways. You may spend Influence to
-To use any benefit that specifically calls for the use of Influence (Such as specific specialization abilities that call for it)
-To use your cartel's wealth, connections, or resources in one of the ways described on your cartel sheet, or for some other benefit that you describe and the Judge agrees on.
-To accomplish a goal without generating heat or allowing the judge to introduce complication. If you can justify it, you can spend Influence to avoid rolling dice during legwork scenes.
-To give an ally in the same scene two advantage dice on a roll. You must justify how your expenditure of Influence provides your ally with an advantage on the roll he or she is about to make, and the judge must agree that it makes sense and is plausible.
-When the judge tells you to. Usually, this happens when you try to accomplish a task that requires more effort that n your personal actions could account for, like trying to bribe a magistrate to obtain a more lenient sentence for a fellow cartel member. The judge might ask you to spend 1 influence to cover the bribe.
Advantage and Challenge Dice
If an action proves particularly advantageous you may gain advantage dice. Ways to gain them are
-If an action is particularly bold, daring, or exciting in a good way.
-If there is any circumstances or environmental factors in your favor.
-Your action is particularly dramatic
-If it is highly appropriate for your character and their motivations.
You also gain two advantage dice if someone aids you in a task (Only one player may attempt a task)
Ways to gain Challenge Dice
-If an action particularly risks your exposure to the public
-If you are trying to do too much in one legwork scene
-Ignored Obstacles and complications
-Any circumstances that make it particularly tougher
Advantage dice are D8s and Challenge Dice are D10s.
On a roll of 5 or higher you gain a boon or a drawback (If you have multiple kinds, Boons and drawbacks cancel each other out on a 1 for 1 basis)
Boons grant bonuses depending on the situation but the most common boons are gaining additional intel or lowering the heat generated.
Drawbacks grant, well, drawbacks depending on the situation but the most common drawback is gaining additional heat.
Recovery
Luck recovers fully if you spend a Legwork scene resting
Wounds recover at a rate of 1 for every two day or night segments.
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Topic: PBP Dusk City Outlaws Oneshot (Waiting List Accepted) OOC (Read 4541 times)