Randomless Narrative Tools - Myriad and Marauder

#21

You’ve got mail from Thomas Munier (this is getting silly…) :
"Your point-crawl system is very interesting because it offers a method of world-building and scripting for the game without GM, where my matrix script is primarily aimed at playing with GM. I really like the consideration of asynchronous play to play scenes where the characters are disconnected. My matrix scenario was originally intended for this, but I then used it mainly for synchronous play, although possibilities of cutting the group remain.

I envision creating a big game to explore the deep universe of Milesvale, and I conceive it as a conglomeration of mini-games, each game being a kind of 4D scenario with a lot of elasticity and creativity left at the table, and lots of bulleted lists, to play with or without a GM. Certainly, your method will inspire me to do this"

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#22

What’s the license and attribution situation? I’d like to experiment with things based on some of these systems?

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#23

All of the systems released so far use a version of the Creative Commons International 4.0 licence. Feel free to share, remix and adapt the work in any way you like. I’d appreciate just a link to gwyllgi.itch.io so that people can explore similar tools. I really appreciate your interest and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.

Here’s the full usage text:

You are free to:

Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format

Adapt - remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

Under the following terms:

Attribution — You must give appropriate credit. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.

No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

As a side note, I’m very interested in the Anti-Capitalist Attribution Licence. I may start using it in the future.

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#24

This is really great to read, thank you for the kind words. I’m happy to discuss these systems in greater detail. I look forward to demonstrating the system in its entirety.

#25

Very happy to present the completed weather system today. Here’s the link: https://gwyllgi.itch.io/forecast

The way this works is simple but really fun. Players have six double-sided cards, each representing a full day’s weather. Either side of the card can be used for the day or night. Once the card and the card face are chosen the players place tokens to determine the weather for the stage of the day they are currently exploring. Once all of the boxes on the card are filled the players discard the card. Choice is preferred, but you can very easily use dice too.

It looks like this:

Rules Page
Rules Page900×1500 74.1 KB
Rules Page (2)
Rules Page (2)900×1500 111 KB
Day Five
Day Five900×1500 66.5 KB
Day Six (2)
Day Six (2)900×1500 68.7 KB

At every step of play, the players are challenged to choose their environment. However, once the clear/sunny day is chosen, the players lose it as an option. At some point, the players must choose The Storm.

I imagine this template could be applied to lots of other systems.

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#26

You know, I just came up with this thought: I think there could be an incredible worldbuilding game to play before we play the other modules. Something that has prompts and stuff for solo or group play that helps come up with a collaborative setting.

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#27

Absolutely. Something similar to the Quiet Year would fit with this nicely.

You’re right, I’ve realised that a collaborative storytelling game without a gamemaster can feel like a group of players each enjoying a solo experience together. I’ve started work on a version 2.0 of the released systems so far, combining them into one document.

I’d be very interested in playing this with all of you here and to show how the system works in action. Is there a space to discuss this outside of the forum?

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#28

Oh, I’d love that! Send me a DM when you have something figured out!

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#29

Fantastic. I’ve created a Miro board which is ready to use, but I’m still transferring the system reference document. Could be looking at something next week. I will get in touch.

If you are interested, this is how the system appears fully assembled Miro Board. The board itself assumes someone knows and can explain how to play. The working title for the full engine is “Decisive”.

I have changed the character sheet quite significantly, making use of the statements you suggested. (proper attribution will be provided in the full document). The character card also has space for six traits.

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#30

Here’s a thought that just occurred for Myriad Hex:

I know that the goal is to allow players to pick where they move to, but what if you had a 2d6 system in place, where you kept the highest/lowest one?

The twist is that the dice are different colours, so if the highest/lowest is colour A, then you read the key in a certain way, and if it’s B you kinda invert it, Tarot-like with the whole “upside-down” cards thing.

You get to both add a trend (the player will likely move towards the bottom or top of the map) and theoretically double the possible outcomes of the map.

#31

Hey! This strikes me as good idea.
Maybe because I did something similar :wink: with La forêt des songes perdus, breaking down a 2D6 navigation roll into 1D6 camping + 1D6 scouting. Bringing back the Otherkind in PbtA. Talking about milking a roll, the same roll also gives season, weather and time of the next encounter (yeah, it’s a weird weather. That’s because of their machines…). The whole setup looks like M&M, only randomized. See for yourself (in french)

#32

Yeah, the first time I got exposed to the concept of exploring a 2d6 was with this tech document:

I’ve even considered mixing it with the Iron Core somehow.

In any case, here’s an ado: you can ignore a bad outcome die by spending a token or gain a token by ignoring the good outcome die.

(also, I can’t french :frowning: )

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#33

I’m very interested in Iron Core’s philosophy and I generally enjoy 2d6 as a standard for rolling dice. Goblin’s Henchman discusses using 2d6 with his hex-flower engines to great effect. I really enjoy using different colour dice. You’re right, I’d like to see the hex-flower Myriad extended like this.

#34

OK, here’s the short form:
You choose what you care for most: camping or scouting.
You roll 2D6: the best score is for the thing you care for.
On 1-2, mark a negative condition ; on a 5-6 mark a positive condition.
Then the sum of two die tells you where you go on the map (a one way track in this instance).
Also, where the dice falls tell you the weather or other random stuff you want.
This had the advantage of giving things to interpret from the roll for both players and GM, enabling players to talk about their journey, buying some time for the GM to prepare the next encounter.

It’s not terribly on topic, but it’s adjacent on so many points and all along that I thought it’d be dumb not to mention it.

#35

I think Myriad hex now may solve a question I wasn’t able to.

I wanted a satisfying procedural dungeon generator and the Delve move I used kinda does the job but it’s not quite there.

I’ve been thinking about ironsworn delve, and it’s kinda too dense for what I want.

So Myriad hex + dice kinda does it.

So, akin to ironsworn delve, dungeons have a theme and a Domain. By combining both you get a quite unique dungeon. Roll 2d6 and keep the highest/lowest. The die A will prompt me to interpret the hex according to the domain and the die b, theme.

The underlying grid is the same but other factors will expand or even fudge the prompts.

#36

Fantastic, I’m looking forward to seeing this in action.

The Goblin’s Henchman also uses a 2d6 to navigate a dungeon hex-flower. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/314715

Using the two different dice takes this to the next level.

Edit: Thinking about dice, the Myriad itself could be portrayed on a single d10 with custom symbols for a fully random application.

#37

Oh boy, there’s so much good discussion here. I’ll have to go back and take some of it in (follow links etc) later when I have more time.
For now I’ll just express my interest and offer some amorphous quasi ideas:
I’m interested in using a hex map in a gmLess design w distributed gm agency (like in BoB games and archipelago etc) such that spaces get blocked by tokens put into play (by other player/world aspects) occupying those spaces. Bringing some boardgamey mechanics in to drive structured novelty in GMLess games. Anyone know of this kind of thing extant in the wilds already?

Also I like the idea of small hex flowers for tracking stats like mental and physical health or even emotional states on character sheets. Don’t know if anyone has put hex flowers ro those uses either.

Thx for all the discussion above. I’m looking forward to reading up on it!

Davey.

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#38

This is great, I love the idea of managing a character’s mood through something like Myriad Hex.

We started a Discord server to discuss these randomless tools, feel free to join us here https://discord.gg/Eb66CaQaBA.

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#39

OooOOoh, do you care to elaborate on that idea?

#40

I’ve not developed the idea much beyond that kernel. But the idea is that by blocking spaces (like lots of worker-placement board games do) you could put constraints on story and force novel developments. Let’s see: if this is a gmFull game w distributed gming then each world element might have its own token or tokens and a little cheat sheet of questions to select from that will drive story. Each hex could have its own differentiated set of questions for that world element. Move a token and the elements you add to the story are guided by the questions corresponding to that hex. I could see how That could get to be a bit much if not sufficiently streamlined.
The challenge is to build in a motivation to move places that would result in tokens having to take indirect paths to avoid already occupied spaces. Any ideas there? The system undergirding and driving the hex system is what most needs building. That’s the key I think. What motivates directional movement? Could be that completing a story arc requires that tokens land on 4 spots distributed in some regular pattern across the board. Vertices of a square or triangle maybe…. I like the idea of each element having maybe three “workers” to place…. I think…
This would turn the metagame of negotiating positions on the “world map” into a collaborative strategy undertaking . I like that but wouldn’t want it to go so far as to distract players from story and role playing…

If this is lighting up any creative energy in you, I’d be open to collaborating on a project (why not?). That may sound presumptuous or reckless, but I’ll offer it anyway :grinning:. I’m pretty sure I recall discussing random rpg things w you a few years ago on storygames .com forums?

I haven’t actually played around w a hex grid yet. Just brainstorming from 30,000 feet. Could be nuking the whole site from orbit is the best choice😂

Thanks for getting me thinking more about this!
Davey

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