First Draft of Noir RPG Rules
ChrisBe...@gmail.com
First Draft
6/11/06
Plot Points: Earn these through god roleplay and by creating
complications for your characters. Spend to call for a Flashback or to
Narrate the scene.
Flashbacks: Allow a player to narrate a scene that has happened in the
past, say at least a year previously. Should develop their character
and/or give insight into one of their relationships.
Purchasing Narration Points: Cannot be spend after a failed test.
Allows the player to Narrate details of a scene that their character is
involved in.
Intimacy Points: Each character has an Intimacy ability that
corresponds to the amount of intimacy they are capable of at that
point. Thus if a character gives Intimacy Points (IP) to another
character, the first character is empowering the second while becoming
more vulnerable themselves. But the wily player can use this mechanic
to alter the dynamics of a group. And players who horde their IP will
find it more difficult to get things done. Why is this? Perhaps you
can only use IP that others have given you. You can't spend the ones
you started with, only give them away.
How to encourage player-to-player exchange of IP? Perhaps create a
Fulfillment trait that players are trying to fill up.
There should be some dynamic after IP are transferred. The intent is
that giving your IP away increases your influence over them, but also
makes you more vulnerable. When characters have plenty of IP, they can
afford to be cavalier with them. When they are short IP, they need to
be more selective about giving them out.
Character Archetypes:
· The Outsider: Starts with no ties to other characters.
· The Femme Fatale: High Face
· The Authority: May be a cop or a mob boss. High Guts; Low Face
· The Innocent: Young secretary or wet-behind-the-ears guy. High
Heart; Low Guts
· The Player: A male version of a Femme Fatale. Shifty, young
hipster n'er-do-well. High Face
· The Patron: Usually wealthy and old. Spends a lot of time in their
robe. High Brains; Low Fists
· The Sinister: Does this need to be a PC? Or are NPCs better?
Think Arlen Sloan from Alias. High Brains; Low Heart
· The Kid: Lots of energy; always getting into trouble. Charlie
Chan's son was like this. High Feet; Low Guts
· The Creep: No real personality or depth. Peter Lorre often played
a creep. Low Spine
· The Sidekick: Very eager; rarely intelligent, but thinks they are;
pathetic. Low Brains
· The Cornerstone: The barber or corner grocery store owner who's
been there for 30 years and seen everything. High Nose; Low Fists
"Taking away Intimacy Points should require a betrayal (or apparent
one). That would tie it into the game action and help put a limit on
how much it could be done."
"Instead of skills lists, suggest a fixed list of abilities."
Character Abilities:
· Fists: Power, brute force
· Feet: Speed, agility
· Nerves: "Chutzpah", courage
· Brains: Intelligence
· Face: Charm
· Nose: Perception
· Spine: Willpower
· Heart: Intimacy
Sample Game Situations:
· Seduction
o Face vs. Spine
· Intimidation
o Nerves vs. Spine
· Torture
o Fists vs. Spine
· Fist Fight
o Fists vs. Fists
· Legal Proceeding
o Nose vs. Nose
· Trick
o Face vs. Nerves
· Outsmart
o Brains vs. Nose
· Understand
o Nose vs. Brains
· Lie
o Nerves vs. Nose
· Debate
o Brains vs. Brains
· Chase/Quick Draw
o Feet vs. Feet
· Track
o Nose vs. Feet
· Break Down Door
o Test Fists
· Walk Into the Lion's Den
o Test Nerves
· Solve Puzzle
o Test Brains
· Dance or Hop Fence
o Test Feet
· Search for Clues
o Test Nose
· Pass Audition
o Test Face
Plot Points:
· Used for:
o Narration rights in a scene
o Calling for a Flashback
· Awarded for:
o Good roleplaying
o Creating complications for their character
o Pursuing their Beliefs
Heart Level is the maximum number of IP that character may have. But
the actual number of IP will fluctuate during play.
A character may only give one IP away during a scene.
A character may take away any number of IP from one character per
scene. But if more than one has been taken away, there has been a
Betrayal in the relationship. Thus if the relationship hadn't
progressed past the one IP level, there can be no "betrayal". A
character who has betrayed someone can no longer receive help from
them. Thus they have created an Enemy. Betrayals that have happened
in the past (or that are uncovered through Flashbacks) do not count for
this rule.
Key Rule: IP may be used to "Force the Issue". This allows a
re-roll after a failed test. Only one IP can be used per test. And
regardless of how the re-roll goes, the last score is used for the test
and the IP is permanently removed from the game. The reason for this
us because it is my intent to have a depleting pool of intimacy as the
game progresses. Noir is about tragedy and betrayal and unrequited
love. There is going to be an end to the game, but it will likely be a
sad one for many of the characters.
When someone Forces the Issue, the opposing character can not do the
same in return.
When a character dies, any IP they had are lost forever, too.
In order to pass IP, both characters must have a way to interact during
the scene.
Creating a Noir Story:
To create a story for Noir, the players and the GM should gather
together. It might be fun to pop in an old noir movie to get everyone
in the mood, but that's not necessary.
Together the group will talk about the upcoming game and make some
decisions. The GM will be taking all of the information down for
later.
Setting: Where and when is this story taking place? San Francisco in
the 1950s? Hollywood in the 30s? Tangiers in the 20s? Defining the
setting up front is important so the GM can do a little research to
provide the proper flavor for the game. The confusing alleyways of
Chinatown; the faded glamour of Tinsel town; the sand blown seediness
of the Kasbah.
Plot: Every good Noir plot needs either a MacGuffin, a dead body, or
both. The MacGuffin is the thing that everyone is after. The
priceless jade bird in 'The Maltese Falcon' or the $40,000 worth of
heist money that has mysteriously gone missing. Be creative. Or
borrow from books and movie. And a dead body isn't enough. It needs
to be a "victim", with a reason for dying and a connection to at
least one of the characters (PC or NPC) in the game.
Characters: Now it starts getting interesting. Once the group has a
setting and a plot, it's time to start populating it with characters.
Don't immediately think about what you want to play. Spend some
time and discuss what would be fun for the story as a whole. Take a
look at the archetypes list and throw out some ideas. A Femme Fatale
who's a failed torch singer? A Kid who runs coffee and donuts at the
horse track? A Creep who's running from a perv rap? Create a few
more than the number of players in the game. One of them could end up
being the victim. And any extras will make nice NPCs for the GM to
use.
Once you have your list of characters, go around the table and let
players decide which character they wish to play. And don't be shy!
You don't have to be female to make a great Femme Fatale. And the
shiest person in the group could become a brutal Authority.
Some archetypes like The Patron and The Cornerstone tend to be less
mobile and may make better NPCs or (gulp) victims. But experiment and
see which character mixes work best with your group.
Unless the setting is a prison or a submarine, it's hard to imagine a
Noir Story without a Femme Fatale, or at least an Innocent woman.
Male-Female interaction is a very important part of Noir.
Relationship Map: Once you have a good set of characters, give each of
them a name, age and a little bit about their past. Then work with the
GM to create a Relationship Map (RM). Take a blank sheet of paper and
put each character's name in a box somewhere on the page. Try to
group characters together who are related or who have had affairs
together (past or present).
Developing Characters: At this point, each player should take his or
her own character and start fleshing it out. Look at your character
sheet and fill out the following:
-Name:
-Gender:
-Age:
-Archetype:
-Beliefs:
-What does the character NEED?
-What do they WANT?
-What do they FEAR?
-Abilities:
-Fists:
-Feet:
-Nerves:
-Brains:
-Face:
-Nose:
-Spine:
-Heart:
-Weakness:
(Examples: Powerless, Uncertain, Obsessed, Isolated, Betrayed,
Alienated, Vulnerable, Pursued, Paranoid)
-Traits:
(Example: Ruthless)
Other Rules:
Violence Level (VL):
The Violence Level in any given scene typically starts at zero. To
increase the VL in a scene requires a Nerves Test.
VL0 = Verbal only
VL1 = Bare hands
VL2 = Less deadly weapon (Billy Club, knife, etc.)
VL3 = Deadly weapon (Guns, explosives, poison, drowning, etc.)
Thus, a character can pull a gun on someone else with no test needed.
But to actually use the weapon requires a Nerves test (at -3). This
rule is meant to reflect the many noir scenes where someone pulls a gun
but is unable to pull themselves together to use it.
Note that any VL increases last for the entire scene. So if someone
pulls a knife and comes after you, no Nerves Test is necessary to use
your fists or a blackjack in response. But if you want to pull a gun
to take them out, you will need to make a Nerves Test at -1 to reflect
the fact that you wish to increase the VL of the scene from 2 to 3.
A character with the Ruthless Trait never needs to check to increase
the VL of a scene.
Torture: Use to violently extract information from an unwilling victim.
Tests Fists vs. Spine. On a Success, the aggressor gains the
information they wish to know and the Victim gets a Minor Wound (not
much of a tradeoff!) On a Failure, the aggressor gets false
information (or no information if the Victim has the Gutsy or Stubborn
Trait) and the Victim gets a Major Wound. If the aggressor fails by
more than 2 points, the Victim gets a Mortal Wound.
Firing a Gun: Test Nose when using a firearm.
-Close Range: Tests normal
-Medium Range: Tests at -1
-Long Range: Tests at -2
Tests: There are two kinds of Tests in Noir.
-Straight Test: The character rolls a single d6 and compares it to the
ability being tested. If the ability number or less is rolled, the
Test was Successful and the player gets to narrate the resolution. If
the roll was higher than the ability number, the Test was a Failure and
the GM gets to complicate things for the player.
-Versus Test: This is rolled when there is an opposed Test between two
characters (PC or NPC). It is up to the GM to decide which abilities
are rolled against given the game situation. Then each player/GM rolls
a single d6 and adds their relevant ability score. The greater total
score wins, and that player/GM gets to narrate the resolution. If
there is a tie, the contest was inconclusive and the GM may add a
complication if he wishes. For example, Sam and Lenny are fighting
over a pistol in a dark hotel room. They tie their Versus Test, so the
GM decides that the gun goes off, breaking a window and alerting a cop
patrolling nearby.
Test Modifiers: Straight ability scores will cover a wide range of game
situations, but the GM my modify those abilities under serious
circumstances. For example, climbing a fence is a normal Legs test.
Climbing a cliff might test Legs at -1. That same cliff at night and
in the rain? Test Legs at -2. The GM should remember that these
modifiers will have a big effect on the success and failure of Tests,
so make them relatively rare.
Wounds:
-Minor Wound: The character is harmed, but not seriously. Effects last
for that scene. All abilities test at -1. Two Minor Wounds become a
Major Wound.
-Major Wound: The character is hurt pretty badly. Effects last for
that game session. The GM may extend the effects if the wound happened
at the end of a session. All Fists and Feet abilities test at -2, all
other abilities test at -1. A Major Wound that expires becomes a Minor
Wound. Two Major Wounds become a Mortal Wound.
-Mortal Wound: The character is dying. All abilities test at -2, and a
character with a Mortal wound must use an IP to "Force the Issue"
simply to use an ability. This allows a dying character to try for
that last gunshot or a bit of trickery before they fade. No Fists or
Feet Tests may be made with a Mortal Wound.
-(Special Rule) The Last Gasp: A character with a Mortal Wound may,
before dying, add a complication to the plot. Examples include the
crumpled paper with an address, the whispered name of the guilty or the
killer's name written in blood on the mirror. Whether player or GM,
this is your change to get creative and move the plot in another
direction.
Game Progression: While the players are responsible for a lot of the
drama that happens during game play, it is the GM who decides when
scenes begin and end as well as the general pacing of the game. Most
games of Noir will follow this basic formula:
-Introduction
-Act I
-Act II
-Act III
-Conclusion
-The Introduction is where the GM gives the players the background of
the story. This is a great opportunity to set the mood and ambiance.
Why have a normal night when it can be blustery, cold and rainy, or hot
and sticky? Set the tone and the players will follow.
-Act I is where initial scenes happen and characters are introduced for
the first time or brought together again after an absence.
Complications can happen and violence may occur, especially if it fits
with the characters' Traits and Beliefs.
-Act II is where things get interesting. Complications flare into open
conflicts. Crosses, double-crosses and betrayals happen or are at
least foreshadowed here.
-Act III is all about resolution. The object of desire has been fought
over and here we find out who wins and who loses. But does anyone
really "win" in a Noir game? Or does their fate just continue on a
different path?
-The Conclusion is where the GM gets to tie up loose ends in the
plotline. And the players get to narrate the end of their
character's stories. Before wrapping up play, this is a good
opportunity for the players to tell the GM what worked and what
didn't in the game. Perhaps everyone can pick their favorite scene
from the game as well.
ChrisBe...@gmail.com
here:
http://troupeberkeley.infogami.com/Noir