Carving runes on the inner sky of an empyeran, trying to make meaning and hoping that those from without understand as well.

Friday, November 17, 2006

Symbolic Crunch

Ramble that may or not make sense:

Two columns of blank squares, the one on the left is six
high, the second column is four high. The squares are
on even lines (i.e. they line up). The four in the second
column start where the third box is on the first column.
Both columns end at the same bottom line:

[ ]
[ ]
[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ]
[ ] [ ]

Numbers line the right hand sides of the columns, as such:

[ ] 1
[ ] 2
[ ] 3 [ ] 7
[ ] 4 [ ] 8
[ ] 5 [ ] 9
[ ] 6 [ ] 10

There is a grid of twelve symbols, simple but easily
distinguishable. They line up, two columns of six each.

For instance:

X 4
O )
[ #
T /
I @
_ +

These are only for example, an artist would create these
symbols and one part of each would "fit" into the other
so that if one symbol was being used to "unlock" a lock,
the other could be used to mold a "key" that would be
able to suffice but not such that the symbol could act
as the key. Also, they two symbols could "merge" at that
point to become one supersymbol.

The symbols would have meaning as described in the game
text. A good portion of meanings, actually, as they'd be
assigned not only game specific things but, well,
symbolic things as well. These symbols will be used as
often as possible in a visual and mechanical sense. The
point is that, while new, they take on visual meaning,
much like Kanji do for Asian languages. Also, you can
add meaning in your personal game/campaign for elements
not covered in the game text.

Take six of the symbols and put them in the first column
on the left. Match up the other symbols on 7-10 column
for those that link up. This means that two symbols will
not have their companion. These actions/spells/feats/
traits/stats/what-have-you will be unavailable for that
character.

Game play will consist of rolling a D6 and a D4. The only
way some people will get to do certain actions will be by
getting their dice to match up to the symbols on their
sheet. Some situations will allow the D4 to be a numeric
cog and add to or subtract from the D6.

Goals or complications will get their own dice roll and
the players will have to act on those meanings to get
past them.

For instance, if T and / had the meaning of hammer and
sword, respectively, and the player took the symbols
above in the order they are listed in, the player would
have to get at least a 4 (a T) to use the hammer or an
8 (a /) to use a sword. Something like that, ya know?

More to come.

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