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[Draignean]

Okay, so, you may or may not remember the Mansion Horror Family RTD that Harry Baldman pitched a while back, and I've intermittently kicked at since then. Well, I think I'm ready to run with it.

Spoiler: Intro (click to show/hide)

Mountain of Madness

High in the mountains lies an alpine resort- its name changes every time a new company purchases the property, but the locals refer to it as the Mansion. During the summer, it is a popular retreat for wealthy individuals and corporate groups seeking to escape the heat on the coast. During the winter, however, the Mansion lies empty, cut off from civilization by heavy snowfalls that arrive early and linger late.

Empty except for the caretaker, that is.

During the winter, the property is maintained by a man who appreciates the solitude and ample free time afforded him- his main responsibilities are to prevent and minimize damage that can occur during the harsh mountain storms. Unfortunately, it seems that the isolation drove him mad in the end, and he killed himself in a spectacularly gory way. The locals whisper that the Mansion is cursed, but the psychologists agree that Man, as a social being, is simply not meant to be so isolated, especially not in this modern era of social networking.

Acting on the recommendations of those psychologists, the Weatherford Group (investment company and current owner of the Mansion) selected the new caretaker with one important criterion added to the job description: The caretaker must be a family man willing to bring his loved ones with him for the winter. A small, nuclear family should provide plenty of social interaction to maintain the mental health of the caretaker; the psychologists say so.

With the generous pay and free access to the Mansion's facilities, what family would pass up a nice winter vacation in the mountains?

Spoiler: What's this game about? (click to show/hide)

You are one of the family members at the Mansion. Your overall goal is to be happy and fulfilled, which you do by accomplishing objectives based on your character role and background. This typically involves solving everyday sorts of problems; the Dad has to do his job, the Mom has to cook dinner, the Teen has homework, the Kid needs to play, the Dog nee-SQUIRREL! Sometimes your objectives counteract one another, but remember, you succeed or fail as a family!

The standard action is simply as follows:

1 and lower- Critical Failure- Your action fails, and your situation worsens as a result.
2- Failure- Your action fails, but you suffer no other special penalty.
3- Partial Success- Your action succeeds, but perhaps not to the degree you might have wished.
4- Success- Your action succeeds as planned.
5- Critical Success- Your action achieves the best possible result.
6+ - Overshoot- You succeed, and as a result of that success your overall situation changes unexpectedly, for better or worse.

Circumstances may modify this roll, as well as traits and ability use. In pass/fail scenarios, 1 and 2 are fails while 3 and up is a pass. Characters may expend AP to add 1 to any action, as described under the Characters spoiler. In the event of combat the Attacker makes a roll to hit, and the Defender makes a dodge roll to determine damage. Combat is not the driving force of this RTD.

Spoiler: Characters (click to show/hide)

Role: This describes your role in the family, giving you some basic abilities as well as defining some of your personal objectives.
AP: AP stands for Action Points, which can be used at any time to give a +1 bonus to your next roll. There is no limit to the number of AP that can be spent in one turn. AP is also used to fuel any special abilities you may possess. AP supplies are limited, but are regenerated by leveling up or using special items.
XP: XP stands for Experience, which is a measure of how close a character is to leveling up. XP is gained by accomplishing objectives based on their role and personality, and at GM discretion characters may set their own objectives. When the XP meter is filled, the character levels up. Leveling up fully replenishes AP and allows the character to gain a new Trait.
Status: If you are hurt, confused, insane, sick, or have any other unusual status effect.
Traits: A list of abilities, passive bonuses, and similar mechanics available to your character.


To apply for the game, select one or more of the following Characters, fill out the Bio, and select ONE Trait. When filling out the Bio, remember that your background needs to fit into your character role and the rest of the family. You may find it easier (and are encouraged) to focus more on hobbies, interests, and vices than your specific life story.


The Father Figure: The one who wears the pants, as it were. This character's primary responsibility is the maintenance of the Mansion.
Bio:
AP: 3/3
XP: 0/10
Status: Normal
Available Traits:
Man of the House
Mr. Fixit
Gearhead


The Mother Figure: The homemaker. This character's primary responsibility is the care and feeding of the family members.
Bio:
AP: 3/3
XP: 0/10
Status: Normal
Available Traits:
Cooking Mama
Mama's Healing Kisses
Cat Herder


The Teenager: The eldest child. This character's primary responsibility is schoolwork, and while expected to help out the parents the Teenager would rather use their free time for fun stuff.
Bio:
AP: 3/3
XP: 0/10
Status: Normal
Available Traits:
Open Minded
Studious
Diverse Interests


The Little Kid: The youngest child, about 8 years old. You have fewer responsibilities than the Teenager, which is good since you want to spend all your time playing and exploring! This place is cool!
Bio:
AP: 3/3
XP: 0/10
Status: Normal
Available Traits:
Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Right is Right, Wrong is Wrong
Curious Little Monkey


The Family Dog: Man's Best Friend, that's you! You generally try to help out the rest of the family, when you're not off chasing squirrels.
Bio:
AP: 3/3
XP: 0/10
Status: Normal
Available Traits:
Evil Detecting Dog
Neat Trick
Loyal Companion

As you can see, I've moved almost entirely away from the combat-oriented slasher-style thing I had on the first draft way back, and now it's more of an "explore and manipulate environment" kinda adventure thing with more... subtle horror. Do things make sense? Is there a "why would anyone want to play this character?" problem, or a "why WOULDN'T anyone want to play this guy?" thing going on? I'm kinda surprised how small the proto-OP looks, considering how much hidden stuff there is for me to worry about. Hopefully I didn't forget anything.

Alright, I did it. Applications are not first come first serve, so transfer those characters into the thread by Friday the 13th! 'Tis the season for cosmic horror...

Ooh. I'll be there tomorrow.

This link will only be live for about a week, so yell at me again if anybody from the future needs another copy. Unzip the file, move the folder out, don't muck with any positioning of folders besides moving the containing folder. There's an excel file inside, with three buttons on it. The buttons are pretty self explanatory, one of them is the familiar item generator, the others are WIP programs. They work, but they're not complete. Much like the early version of the weapon program.

Buttons don't work if you, for some reason, don't have a copy of excel? I can't see anything but a piratepad link.

Uh, yeah. You kinda need excel to run the VBA from excel.  All of the runtime elements that make the program go are in excel, so you have to have a version of Excel better than 2003 to run the code. I might end up re-writing the code in VB.net for adding compatability, but then again I may get fancy and make a much nicer program in a better language. Excel is just dead easy to use for most things.

[Xantalos]

I would sign up for Dev 22 but I'd need to read through it all again and I just don't have time.

DO IT.

Because given how you'd be quite new to it--play it as your character does, Draignean is a kind GM in that he gives complimentary backstories as to what you did in reference to who you are.

The OP lore is always useful.

I've been contemplating entering it with a character that doesn't really know what's going on, for the meta-reason that I've tried to read it but have only gotten through the first 50 pages or so.

That's how I play every RTD I'm in.

[Gamerlord]

I would sign up for Dev 22 but I'd need to read through it all again and I just don't have time.

DO IT.

Because given how you'd be quite new to it--play it as your character does, Draignean is a kind GM in that he gives complimentary backstories as to what you did in reference to who you are.

The OP lore is always useful.

I've been contemplating entering it with a character that doesn't really know what's going on, for the meta-reason that I've tried to read it but have only gotten through the first 50 pages or so.

That's how I play every RTD I'm in.

Well I just applied. How many people are ahead of me in the waitlist?

[Draignean]

I would sign up for Dev 22 but I'd need to read through it all again and I just don't have time.

DO IT.

Because given how you'd be quite new to it--play it as your character does, Draignean is a kind GM in that he gives complimentary backstories as to what you did in reference to who you are.

The OP lore is always useful.

I've been contemplating entering it with a character that doesn't really know what's going on, for the meta-reason that I've tried to read it but have only gotten through the first 50 pages or so.

That's how I play every RTD I'm in.

Well I just applied. How many people are ahead of me in the waitlist?

All and none. I stopped running first come first served. So now it's on a how much I like your character + how well you fit what I need scale right now.

[Gamerlord]

I would sign up for Dev 22 but I'd need to read through it all again and I just don't have time.

DO IT.

Because given how you'd be quite new to it--play it as your character does, Draignean is a kind GM in that he gives complimentary backstories as to what you did in reference to who you are.

The OP lore is always useful.

I've been contemplating entering it with a character that doesn't really know what's going on, for the meta-reason that I've tried to read it but have only gotten through the first 50 pages or so.

That's how I play every RTD I'm in.

Well I just applied. How many people are ahead of me in the waitlist?

All and none. I stopped running first come first served. So now it's on a how much I like your character + how well you fit what I need scale right now.

Sweeeeeeeeet. If you need 'actually going to post' players, then I'm a shoe-in!

[Empiricist]

Put a tiny, tiny bit more effort into the program, got something that I could play with for days.

Eight sequential results, so you can get a feel for it...

Spoiler: Haunted Silver Mace (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n mace wrought from silver. It has a greater haunted aspect and a lesser futuristic aspect. It is painted and seems to be glowing. It is of ceremonial quality. It is a/n front line weapon. It's attacks are dramatic, necromantic, and shocking.

Spoiler: Fiery Homing Shotgun (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n shotgun wrought from silver. It has a greater fiery aspect and a lesser tundric aspect. It is runed and seems to be military. It is of cursed quality. It is a/n symbolic weapon. It's attacks are unimpressive, homing, and pyretic.

Spoiler: Saber Made from Imprisoned Souls (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n saber wrought from imprisoned souls. It has a greater euphoric aspect and a lesser cowardly aspect. It is sharp and seems to be sentient. It is of cursed quality. It is a/n support weapon. Its attacks are burning, precise, and infectious.

Spoiler: Gravitational Draconic Slingshot (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n slingshot wrought from obsidian. It has a greater sanity aspect and a lesser earthen aspect. It is bloody and seems to be draconic. It is of cursed quality. It is a/n standard issue weapon. Its attacks are armor-piercing, life seeking, and gravitational.

Spoiler:  AOE Osmium Rifle (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n rifle wrought from osmium. It has a greater unusual aspect and a lesser mammalian aspect. It is carefully constructed and seems to be unreliable. It is of broken quality. It is a/n area of effect weapon. Its attacks are entrapping, umbral, and focused.

Spoiler: Ichthyoid Executioner's Axe (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n executioner's axe wrought from wulfrumite. It has a greater airy aspect and a lesser ichthyoid aspect. It is decorated and seems to be advanced. It is of terrible quality. It is a/n standard issue weapon. Its attacks are burning, unpredictable, and mental.

Spoiler: Military "Stealth" Slingshot (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n slingshot wrought from osmium. It has a greater laughing aspect and a lesser sanity aspect. It is military and seems to be growing. It is of blessed quality. It is a/n support weapon. Its attacks are crippling, quiet, and precise.

Spoiler: Sociopathic Cloth Pistol (click to show/hide)

-This is a/n pistol wrought from cloth. It has a greater sociopathic aspect and a lesser raging aspect. It is corrupted and seems to be rusty. It is of cursed quality. It is a/n unheard of weapon. Its attacks are anti-personnel, destructive, and blinding.

EDIT: Anybody want the code?

I would like a copy as well please.

[Draignean]

Hit the link in my sig where it says man and angels.

[Fniff]

Here's a thing nobody talks about in RTDs but is highly important: the original post.

How should it be designed? Should you explain the premise simply or open with fiction set inside the roleplay? How much detail about the rules should you reveal at the start? How do you design your OPs?

[Digital Hellhound]

Exciting introductory blurb of the story, then perhaps a summary of what the game is all about, then spoilers for rules and all that - never am really sure how detailed these should be, but I atleast explain the basics. The neater it looks, the better. Bonus points for a pretty image or map at the top.

Always tempted to mix it up, open with a huge chunk of fiction. I trust functionality more, though. Might do a vaguely player POV intro for my next thing, if I ever have time for it.

(Also, Fniff, look to your PiratePads. The generators are still the GOOD STUFF.)

[Fniff]

(I'm going to to add the generators to my signature, methinks.)

Fun challenge for OPs: make an OP entirely consisting of images that explain the mechanics.

[Tarran]

Explaining the premise should be simple, but by no means should you throw out the possibility of also including roleplaying, and indeed if you feel like it would help you should include it. The rules should include everything that is likely to be encountered multiple times, be encountered at critical moments, or rules that would change how people decide to make their character.

I haven't designed OPs in a while, but here's how I would if I did so now:

1: Top notes (I.e, "Hey everyone, long time no see ... this is a vaguely generic Sci-fi RTD ... I hope this goes well.")
2: Introduction
3: Rules
4: Sign-up sheet, list of players, waitlisters
5: Anything else

[lawastooshort]

I like to have the OP be... kind of IC, although that doesn't quite explain what I mean, but an in-the-world intro - an illustration of the concept, followed by an explanation of it, followed by rules. Then the next post for the character sheets when chosen.

I like doing OPs.

[Tsuchigumo550]

I've built a general tech tree for a pvp survival game, as well as the possible biomes.

6 players, 8 zones, a total of 16 areas per world. I will need to list what's available in what kind of biome, based on groups.

For instance, a Holy swamp and a Dark one might have very different items, because each take from different groups.

---

Defeat monsters to obtain their loot, as well as to gain Soul Cubes. Soul Cubes can be used to upgrade your facilities, similar to a tech tree. Small monsters may only be worth a 1/100th of a soul cube, bosses are always at least 1.

Defeat players to steal all the technology they have that you don't, and also to win.

The land itself may stop you. Even if two adjacent players are blessed with forests with many edible plants and animals, they may be seperated by a harsh desert, causing the players to need preserved foods, portable shelters, or fast travel to meet.

[IronyOwl]

killing the GM in-game has never turned out well for anyone

So this has given me a new idea: Constant Revolution RTD! The GM is driving this game to disaster and must be removed by any means necessary. Clearly his replacement will be better.

Basically it's a game, about what I don't care, where anyone can murder and replace the GM. Doing so requires a roll, of course, and on a failure the GM is likely to retaliate... though of course, such reckless abuse of power is likely to increase the odds of other players deciding the GM cannot be trusted. The GM may do what they feel is right, or do what they feel panders to their players... but of course, either option carries the potential to enrage or lose the faith of your utterly loyal subjects.

I've built a general tech tree for a pvp survival game, as well as the possible biomes.

6 players, 8 zones, a total of 16 areas per world. I will need to list what's available in what kind of biome, based on groups.

For instance, a Holy swamp and a Dark one might have very different items, because each take from different groups.

---

Defeat monsters to obtain their loot, as well as to gain Soul Cubes. Soul Cubes can be used to upgrade your facilities, similar to a tech tree. Small monsters may only be worth a 1/100th of a soul cube, bosses are always at least 1.

Defeat players to steal all the technology they have that you don't, and also to win.

The land itself may stop you. Even if two adjacent players are blessed with forests with many edible plants and animals, they may be seperated by a harsh desert, causing the players to need preserved foods, portable shelters, or fast travel to meet.

Sounds interesting, though I'm not normally a fan of PvP games. I tend to prefer the creativity and flavor that you get much more easily when mortality is (relatively) low and you're not necessarily competing with other people.

[monk12]

Here's a thing nobody talks about in RTDs but is highly important: the original post.

How should it be designed? Should you explain the premise simply or open with fiction set inside the roleplay? How much detail about the rules should you reveal at the start? How do you design your OPs?

Oooh, OP theory and construction. I'm game.

Titles are important. It gives a sense of "This Begins Here" instead of just "I had an idea fart and here it is *plop*." Pictures are always good, even if the title banner is the only picture in the game, as apart from being attractive it shows the GM has some investment in the game right from the getgo. I can see the argument for forgoing a Title if you want to achieve an "in media res" effect, but even then I'd be planning on a Title Drop in the first few updates. Ignore at own discretion.

Fluff is almost universally a good thing to have, as it's a very efficient way of giving the reader a sense of what the game is going to play like in terms of tone and content. As la said, it's an "illustration of the concept," and just as a picture is worth a thousand words a fluff piece is way better than a long "This is what the game is going to be" intro. Keeping it short (a brief paragraph or two) will attract the most interest, particularly from the people less interested in fluff and more interested in mechanics, while longer fluff pieces will only attract people willing to dump the effort into reading a long OP, which is usually the RP crowd. Keep your target audience in mind when deciding how much fluff (if any) to incorporate into the OP.

A Formal OOC Intro should address the more meta player concerns. While the fluff may be large or small based on the particular game, the Intro should usually be brief and concerned with explaining the fluff and clarifying what gameplay is actually like. Nobody wants to hear you talk about your game, they want to get to the good bit, whether that's the rules or the fluff or whatever.

The rules should all be in the OP, unless the game explicitly has few rules, hidden rules, or "make it up as you go" gameplay. At the very least, there should be precedent for common actions and situations (e.g combat, healing, player interaction,) since evaluating risk is an important part of any player action, and you can't do that if you don't know whether you're a One HP Wonder or if you can just wish yourself back from the dead. It's unlikely you'll be able to cite precedence for every single possible case that could arise during the game, but you should strive for as many base rules as possible so nobody feels surprised or cheated.

After that, miscellaneous errata should go at the bottom, including any signup sheets, waitlists, turn orders/indexes, or whatever doesn't fit into the above or arises during play and needs an easily tracked home.

I would usually construct the OP segments in the above order since it provides a natural flow from light, conceptual Fluff stuff right down to the gritty nuts and bolts of gameplay. Obviously, there's no right or wrong way to do any of this, since it all depends on the effect you are trying to achieve with your OP. For example, a game with almost no rules and a focus on RP could easily start with the short intro, forgo more than the most basic of rules, and then dive right into a fluff piece with the expectation that players will enter the game by picking up where the OP left off.

In short, the OP is the first thing a prospective player sees, and you should put some thought into its construction. The order, length, and detail of each section all inform what your players will expect from the game.