Greetings Shieldwall.
I have been working on a TAG list for my upcoming campaign of Luca Rejec’s Longwinter. The game takes place in Brezim, a fantasy country set around the 1930’s in our own time. It’s low-fantasy, survival horror, with advanced technological artifacts instead of magic. I highly recommend you check it out, it rocks.
I got only a few TAGS cooked up, but wanted to get feedback and general first impressions asap. Before the TAGS, I’ll explain a few rules changes;
{+} & {-}: Advantage & Disadvantage respectively. I am using rules similar to what Nimlouth showed in this post; Boons and Banes as a replacer for HARD/EASY and Modifiers alike!. You could just use EASY/HARD instead if you prefered.
SISU DICE: Works exactly like SURGE DICE from Alex Alvarez’s Altered State. The main difference is that you gain 1 per session and every hour of play or so, and it carries over between games. The meaning of the finnish word SISU is; «The extraordinary and indomitable spirit required to never quit and go beyond all limitations, especially in the face of extreme adversity ».
Spending STAT points: That’s right! The good old six STATS are now a ressource that may be used to activate a feature with requiring any roll, or lost from specific events. You can gain your lost points back by resting. Mental STATS are CHA, WIS and INT, physical STATS are STR, DEX and CON.
RANKS: Each TAG has 3 RANKS. When you first gain a TAG, you only benefit from the first RANK, and may earn more RANKS as a MILESTONE REWARD.
Oof, sorry for the info dump! Without further ado, here’s what I came up with for now;
AUTHORITY
- RANK 1: {+} to CHA rolls when imposing your authority on others.
- RANK 2: With a CHA roll, bark out a short order. Until the start of your next TURN, allies that follow orders as best as possible roll with {+}.
- RANK 3: With a CHA roll, force people to pay attention and listen to simple and sound commands. Their willingness lasts D4 ROUNDS for each CHA roll.
EMPATHY
- RANK 1: {+} to CHA rolls when you are being sympathetic to a person.
- RANK 2: You can always vaguely read the emotions of people you talk to.
- RANK 3: Whenever you help or are being helped, roll with two {+}. (If using EASY/HARD; Whenever you help or are being helped, add a D6 to the roll)
SUGGESTION
- RANK 1: {+} to CHA rolls to persuade, deceive or charm others.
- RANK 2: Make a CHA ATTEMPT to instill an idea in a person, subtly but radically changing their outlook.
- RANK 3: Spend 1 mental STAT point or SISU DICE to instantly raise the current opinion people have of you and your allies.
SURVIVAL INSTINCT
- RANK 1: Roll WIS with {+} and 2x BASIC EFFORT when you bushcraft.
- RANK 2: Roll WIS with {+} when navigating and tracking through the wilderness. You may make ranged attacks rolls with WIS.
- RANK 3: Spend 1 mental STAT point or a SISU DICE to reach out and become one with the wilderness, feeling what is going on in and around your current location.
DETERMINATION
- RANK 1: Roll WIS with {+} to resist fear, stress and other emotional surges.
- RANK 2: Choose one goal. Once chosen, you cannot change until you finish it or it becomes impossible. Anyone standing in your way to your goal rolls with {-} against you.
- RANK 3: Your SISU DICE are now D20’s instead of D8’s.
IMAGINATION
- RANK 1: Roll WIS or CHA with {+} when expressing your creativity and imagination.
- RANK 2: At the start of a session, roll a D20+WIS and keep it in reserve. You may swap your reserve with any of your D20 rolls.
- RANK 3: Spend 1 mental STAT point or a SISU DICE to ask D4 questions to any inanimate object.