#xp actions

[jennamoran]

Creature of the Light, Redux (4 of 4)

Link to the Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine RPG, on DriveThru

Link to Fortitude: the Glass-Maker’s Dragon, on DriveThru

Hi!

Let’s finish up our discussion of Creature of the Light. You can find the first three parts here, here, and here!

Abilities (concluded)

Inspire

Arc 5

[[ EDITING STATUS: Cost reduced and multi-target option added, but this is now an XP Action. ]]

Type: Miraculous Action, Major or Imperial Miracle, XP Action

Cost:

0 MP—1/book, invoke Inspire

1 MP—invoke a second or later time per book

2 MP—invoke upon a small number of targets, or to lesser effect on a larger number

Invoke Inspire and you may give others hope and purpose—your actions may awaken something good and lost in them.

If all this would take is a choice on their part—

If the only thing that stands between them and a brighter, happier life is that nobody’s used this power on them yet, or their conscious choice to resist it—

Then this functions as a straightforward miraculous attack. Do that!

If there’s something wrong enough with them or their life that that would be a false and unpalatable hope, then this functions as an Imperial miracle instead. This power always means something. If you can’t inspire them by zapping them with your metaphorical inspiration stick, you instead create a wish effect: a wish that this miracle should be a presence in their life, and that it would offer them something or drag them into something that does have meaning, does give them hope, does offer them something better than they had.

This power is exceptionally good at handling intangible, spiritual, and ineffable barriers:

Typically, the wish corrodes them rapidly into psychological barriers or transient coincidences which can then rapidly be broken past, even if that’s obviously not what the ancient curse or magical ward or whatever was. Perhaps a town’s souls and hopes have been locked in a steel box for centuries while they endure in ageless sorrow; yet, not long thereafter, touched by the subtle fire of your inspiration, the town decides to get their act together and reopen their natural history museum for business, and the despairing zeitgeist lifts as everyone works together and people realize that they can be happy, that their lives can be bright ones, and that maybe they just might have souls inside them after all.

You may use this power on multiple targets (for 2 MP) but it generally takes at least a few words of personal interaction each, or a group address taking time and effort proportional to the group size, and after a certain number of targets the effectiveness begins to fall off. If this description is too ambiguous you may try to force a more specific result in time or effect with an Intention that accompanies the invocation of Inspire.

This power functions as an XP Action. It requires one of your XP Actions for the chapter, earns you an XP normally, and typically causes you to fade into the background once the scene completes. Alternately, if it makes sense to invoke this power as part of or simultaneously with another legal XP Action, you may do so, and it will no longer require a (second) XP Action of its own.

                  Examples

They’re not even all that sad. They’re just … tired. They don’t believe in much any more. But you are the reincarnation of King Arthur. You smile at them, and something in them wakes up.

Someone’s whole town turned to stone. They’re guarding the place to keep people from breaking the statues, but how long can they manage? Can the people ever even turn back? And now they’re starting to petrify, very slowly, themselves. There’s nothing you can do to help them. There’s nothing any of the PCs can do to help them. But you still grant them your faerie blessing as you leave; there is reason to hope. There will be hope. ... a meaning, or an answer, can be found.

         Tumblr Bonus!: the Generic Rules on XP Actions

A number of the powers in CMWGE are considered to be XP Actions. If it makes sense to do so, you may invoke such a power as part of or in combination with a legal XP Action. Otherwise, the power itself is an XP Action:

you may only use it if you have an XP Action available

it earns XP normally

it typically causes you to fade into the background at the end of the scene, or during it, if that’s more appropriate.

       These rules technically allow you to combine two XP Action powers into the same XP Action—possibly even more than two if you have the actions to juggle them with—but that’s expected to fail the “makes sense” test except in rare corner cases or possibly with peculiar custom powers of your own design.

A power is usually an XP Action both to heighten and emphasize its dramatic importance—to lend it gravitas, as it were—and to limit the frequency of its use without making it more expensive than it’s actually worth. It’s explicitly not intended to lower the average XP intake for the group, so if your group regularly gives out the optional bonus XP for XP Actions, you should try to do so for these actions as well. How do you go about that? Well, technically XP Action powers match the color of their Arc and should have an appropriate bonus XP condition... but that’s too complicated, so the standard bonus XP rule is this:

As an optional rule, if a PC targeted by this power first processes the situation for a while and then explicitly reacts to an XP Action power, the HG can add a second group XP to this action’s reward. Similarly, if a strongly emotionally/tactically affected PC witness to an NPC-targeted power first processes the situation for a while and then explicitly reacts to an XP Action power, the HG can do the same. I think you should skip this if you mostly skip optional bonus XP for XP Actions, but implement it if getting that bonus XP is common.

      Understanding Creature of the Light

That moment when you catch sight of something beautiful — whether sunrise, mountain, or sea — and it transfixes you, it takes you away from yourself, it holds your attention and does not let it go:

That is the Creature of the Light.

It is impossible to be entirely human if you are on this Arc — I think, anyway. I guess you could be a pretty great stage magician, but I don’t think you would be. I think this is the Arc for angels and their ilk — and maybe a few of their wickeder, but equally shining, cousins.

I think this is an Arc for characters who are not so much beings as experiences.

You’ll know your character is a Creature of the Light if they are constantly being dramatically lit.

         Creature of the Light 0

At Creature of the Light 0, you are beginning to shine brighter than a human can — particularly when you do one characteristic activity.

  Creature of the Light 1

At Creature of the Light 1, you stop being a physical creature. You are instead a miraculous existence — as I said earlier, as much an experience as a being. You have transcended the state of life arising from biological processes, and become a creature incarnated from the wishing power of the heart... or from something equally shining, equally bright.

          Creature of the Light 2

At Creature of the Light 2, the experience that you embody is an intensely emotionally evocative one. A divine obsession is inside you; a subtle delirium possesses you: these things emanate from within you. Simply encountering you can be a memorable, heart-wrenching experience that someone remembers and revisits for the rest of their life.

          Creature of the Light 3

At Creature of the Light 3, the experience that you embody starts to drift away from its tie to the actual circumstances in which you are encountered. You start to be a creature of certain timeless moments and conditions that follow you and may be encountered along with you — as the world contorts itself to display you to your best advantage, or outright overwrites itself with the scene that suits you best.

       Creature of the Light 4

At Creature of the Light 4, you are a transcendent experience — one of those uplifting or destroying mystical and inexplicable experiences that cannot readily be put to words. You are a creature that evokes truths hidden deep within the heart, connects the living and the dead, and may terrify or exalt; to you, all places and times can be as one.

That’s not how you are all the time — I mean, mystic experience would lose its meaning if it were constant. But it’s within you. It’s what you become when you open yourself up to your greatest power and to your core.

If actual play doesn’t provide any better options, the tension between “a transcendent, mystical experience” and “something that exists in the physical world” may be the basis for your Storyteller 4 quest miracles.

             Creature of the Light 5

At Creature of the Light 5, you are a transformative experience. You are a life-changing experience, something that isn’t just memorable, isn’t just transfixing, isn’t just mystical, but can genuinely put someone on a better path. You are a creature of surpassing brightness, and you leave brightness in your path.

[motli-crew]

Divergence

You’ve noticed that something’s a little different in your corner of the island, or you’re playing something a little different, or you’re about to steer something sharply left or right of the way that it’s been played.

At such a time you may roll your Awareness or your Hero to better understand how the two stories reconcile.

Here’s what happens.

On a matchless “critical failure,” you’re not really able to appreciate the difference/change—which is too bad, because there’s a hidden threat lurking behind it. Talk to an appropriate player or the GM about what that threat might be.

On failure or success, there’s a threat associated with that difference—a threat that arises because things are different where you are, or as a balance or reaction to things being different. Talk to an appropriate player or GM about what that threat might be.

On failure, you’re not aware of it. You’re motivated to post meditatively about the things that the threat, well, threatens.

On success, you earn an XP, and have a premonition that hints at the threat to come.

On triples, you don’t have to face a threat—you can just claim an XP. If you do face a threat, though, you can open a Hero Issue. Either way, there’s a sense that your divergence from the way of things in the past or elsewhere makes sense, is real and important . . . at least locally.

Quadruples or quintuples tend to make your divergence from canon more important, more standard, more influential—often, the new default. They also offer the benefits of a triple.

Issues

Hero is a standard heroic story, building to a confrontation with a great threat.

[motli-crew]

Resources

It’s a constant struggle to stay above water. Do you have enough food? Enough water? Enough resources?

In short, are you making progress, or falling behind?

To find out, roll your Physical Action, Self-Care, or (in) Over your Head.

Here’s what happens.

On a matchless “critical failure,” you’ve screwed something up. You can open a Complex Issue.

On a failure, you feel an impulse to post about your current levels of resources and your efforts to track them (which may wind up overriding the impulse to actually gather and manage them.)

On success, you earn an XP and learn about something you can do to keep your head above water. Describe a project that might be running low on resources—or “basic survival,” if you don’t have anything like that—and ask another player or the GM to explain what you could do to find more.

On critical success, in addition to the XP, there’s an abstract sense that this step in your life story is going to be important. You can open an (in) Over your Head Issue.

 Quadruples and quintuples work as a triple. In addition, there’s a tendency for something related to this—the resource you find, the project you’re finding it for, or something you find while gathering that resource—to be important or central to the campaign.

Issues

(in) Over your Head takes you into, and then magnificently out of, trouble. Complex is the story of a worry or obsession that gets out of control.

[motli-crew]

Attention

You notice that you’re interested in what someone else is experiencing on the island.

At such a time you may roll your (in) Over your Head, Self-Care, or Awareness.

A matchless “critical failure” means that you feel disconnected from those events. You might not even believe in them. You may open an Isolation Issue.

On failure, similar things and events may show up where you are.

On success, you can earn an XP if you ask a question about their experiences, putting yourself in a frame of mind to gracefully accept an answer given.

On triples, your question is really nostalgic—in addition to the XP, your question will inspire other players with an impulse to mention memories of events from their past. You may open an (in) Over your Head Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples represent a truly insightful moment—if possible, in addition to the benefits of a triple, your question will lead the character to a revelation about their circumstances.

Issues

(in) Over your Head takes you into, and then magnificently out of, trouble. Complex is the story of a worry or obsession that gets out of control.

[motli-crew]

XP Actions

The fifteen circumstances where you can roll an XP Action are as follows:

Communication

Meaningful Communication: . . . when you’re having that

Need—Spotted!: . . . when you’ve identified someone’s needs

Request: . . . when you want to make a request

Strong Feelings: . . . when you feel something strongly.

Distress

Anger/Judgment: . . . when you’re feeling angry/judgmental.

Stress: . . . when your world is out of order.

Unmet Needs: . . . when you have unmet needs

Other Reactions

Not Up For This: . . . when you’re just not up for empathy/NVC right now.

Acting in the World

Definitive: . . . when you’re taking a big step or risk

Exploration: . . . when you’re exploring something

Pleasant Work: . . . when you’re doing something ordinary in the world

Readiness: . . . when there’s no time to communicate, and you must use force

There’s More Here: . . . when you might be able to learn more about something

Trouble: . . . when you’re in trouble!

Unpleasant Work: . . . when you’re doing something because you “have to.”

Being Introduced for Active Playtest

Attention: . . . when your attention is caught by someone’s adventures.

Divergence: . . . when something’s different where you are, or is about to be.

Resources: . . . now and then.

So if your character is feeling bad, take a moment to figure out whether you’re feeling angry or judgmental, or if you have unmet needs, or if your world is out of order. If you’re just chatting, keep an eye out for meaningful communication, spotting people’s needs, making requests, and strong feelings. If you’re not up for NVC stuff, but that’s a purely in-character feeling, you might try the Not Up For This action and see where it leads you!

Meanwhile, the last seven actions are there for your adventures on the island. When you’re playing through those adventures with a GM, or making them up, keep an eye out for opportunities to learn more about something in the world, take a big step or risk, do something ordinary, be in trouble, explore, or do something because you “have to.” And if you might need to use force—well, check whether you really need to use force! There’s an action for that, if you really do.

I don’t have a problem with your crossing the streams a little—making a request of an NPC, in your adventures in the world, or doing the unpleasant work of replying to someone’s post—but I’m not expecting you to do so until you’re familiar with the actions.

You can earn up to 2 XP per chapter from XP Actions.

[motli-crew]

Meaningful Communication

You’re engaged in meaningful communication with someone.

At such a time you may roll your Communication or your Mystery. Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” lures you into saying something thoughtless.

On failure, you feel an impulse to share a secret or otherwise make yourself vulnerable.

On success, you can earn an XP if:

You attempt to reflect someone else’s feelings. Paraphrase what you’ve understood from them, and ask if that’s correct. They’ll either give you an honest answer, or write [HONESTY IMPOSSIBLE] before replying.

You ask someone else to paraphrase what they understand you to be saying—to reflect it back to you. They’ll do so, prefacing it with [HONESTY IMPOSSIBLE] if they can’t do this honestly IC.

On triples, in addition to the XP, the conversation is really good. It’s energizing. You can open a Mystery Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples represent transformative, incredible experiences—you feel like this conversation is life-changing, like it’s full of rich insight. You also receive the benefits of a triple.

Issues

Mystery builds towards a great discovery.

[motli-crew]

Need Spotted

You’ve identified a need behind something you’re saying or something someone else is saying.

At such a time you may roll your Communication or your (in) Over your Head to put that into words.

Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” means that you fumble. You say something wrong—and can open a Complex Issue.

On failure, you feel an impulse to indicate that you’re paying attention to this/listening (which may wind up overriding the impulse to talk about the need itself.)

On success, you can earn an XP if you:

Paraphrase their needs, and then ask whether you’ve identified those needs correctly, or

Describe the needs behind your feelings, and, then, make a request.

It’s not obligatory, but success motivates your target to respond empathetically—to give you a bit of information, or to seriously consider the request.

On triples, in addition to the XP, there’s an abstract sense (shared by all participants in the conversation) that the needs you’ve articulated are important. You can open an (in) Over your Head Issue. 

Quadruples and quintuples represent a truly insightful moment—in addition to the XP and possible (in) Over your Head,

if you’re identifying someone else’s needs, you can talk to their player for a few minutes about their character’s needs—basically, their player can help you find something really insightful to say. 

if you’re making a request of someone, they probably feel like they really understand you.

Issues

(in) Over your Head takes you into, and then magnificently out of, trouble. Complex is the story of a worry or obsession that gets out of control.

[motli-crew]

Request

You want something from someone. Maybe it’s feedback—you want to know how they feel about what you’ve said or what they think about what you’ve said. Maybe it’s a request.

At such a time, you can roll Hero or the more appropriate of Self-Care and Communication.

Here’s what happens.

A matchless “critical failure” means that you ask them, or make a firm plan to ask them (if they’re not there). Then you feel this sudden burst of terror—you’re afraid of what they might say! Describe OOC what they could say that would totally wreck you. Then, ideally, go and post in another conversation thread or about something else while you wait for an answer. . . .

On failure, go ahead and make your request. (Or not!)

On success, you can earn an XP if you put yourself in a frame of mind where:

you want an honest answer to a question, or

you want help with something, but only if it can be given “willingly and compassionately”

It’s expected but not required that you follow this up by actually asking them for that, or making a firm plan to do so.

On triples, the frame of mind you find is good. It feels solid. Strong. In addition to the XP, you can open a Hero Issue.

Quadruples and quintuples give you a sense of a cosmic force moving underneath the surfaces of things—a private vision of yourself or the world that makes you feel like whatever the answer is, it’s going to be OK. They otherwise work as a triple.

Issues

Hero is a standard heroic story, building to a confrontation with a great threat.