Document Planner Amaranthum TTRPG

What is the document about?

• How to play and run the Amaranthum TTRPG

What should the document accomplish? Specifically, what do you want the reader to do after reading it?

• Players should be able to build a character that is fun to play and has a good story
• Game Masters should be able to run a game that goes smoothly with satisfied players at the end of a session
• Game Masters should feel inspired to create their own storylines
• New players and game masters should not feel intimidated and feel inspired to learn the rules

What is the main point of the document? What is the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) statement?

• Sit down with friends and play a tabletop rpg

Given the scope a rules document, maybe there needs to be a BLUF for each section?

Who are your readers, both internal and external? List them by name, role, or title.

• People interested in tabletop RPGs - both old and new players, but focused on new players.

What questions will your reader have about your topic?

• Introduction
  • Goals of the designer
    • Accessibility - Easy to learn, easy to play, easy to run, easy to teach.
    • Fun - Ensuring that everybody has fun, making sure the rules don't get in the way of fun, making sure the rules have fun interactions, making sure that the rules incentivize fun for everyone and don't disincentivize fun.
    • Elegance - The game should be playable with as small a number of rules possible, while also maximizing the diversity of player behavior.
    • Balance - The game should guarantee each player a feeling of belonging and importance without being overshadowed or made irrelevant to the story. This isn't to say that each player character should be equal in player-versus-player combat, but instead that each player character is as relevant as possible to any story and scenario.
    • Scalable - the game should allow for new rules to be created, and for those new rules to abide by the other design goals.
• How to play my first game?
  • Pre-made starter characters
  • Pre-made scenarios
• How to create a character?
• How to run a game?
  • What's in a game?
  • being a good host
  • setting the scene
  • avoiding “no”: “yes, but”
  • tension
  • hooks
  • limited but actionable information
  • non player characters & relationships
  • character arcs
  • Bad D&D is worse than no D&D: Dealing with toxicity and accepting the challenge of finding a new group.
• How to run combat?
  • Turns
    • 'Action economy'? Action, Reaction, Movement, Communication
      • Also consider “Action Types”: Standard, Instant, Movement, Communication
  • Attacking & Other Activities
    • Standard attack
    • Special attacks
      • With magic
      • Grappling
  • Injuries & Death
  • Duels?
    • Procedure
      • Read opponent
        • Ranks in combat
          • Relevant perks
        • Inspiration held
        • Current injuries
      • Bid injury dealt (N (least difficult), L, S, M, D)
        • Touching or 'counting coup' could be REALLY difficult. Which means that dealing an actual injury could be less difficult.
      • Budget max injury willing to suffer (N (most difficult), L, S, M, D (least difficult))
      • Budget inspiration
        • One of the few opportunities to spend more than 1 inspiration at a time.
• What are the fundamental rules of this system? (For game masters)
  • Background
    • Current Age
    • Experiences (Infancy, Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, Middle-age, Elder)
    • Formal Education & Training
    • Professions Held (past and present)
    • Networks: Friends; Family; Connections social, professional, & rival
  • Success & Failure
    • Degrees of success
      • Critical Success
      • Normal Success
      • Failure
      • Critical Failure
    • Using probability to decide success
      • Coin flips
        • Three faces = Critical Success, Two faces = Success, One face = Failure, Zero faces = Critical Failure
      • Six-sided dice (d6)
      • Twenty-sided dice (d20)
      • Percentile dice (2d10 or d100)
  • Ranked Abilities
    • Perks
      • Most ranked abilities grant powerful perks. The number of perks you should have will be equal to your total ranks. Usually, perks have the prerequisite of buying the first rank in the ability that they are associated with - Though some perks are not associated with a ranked ability, and some perks have more strict prerequisites.
        
        Some perks allow you ranks in other ranked abilities. These perks are often phrased as: “Your ranks in the ability 'Combat' are treated as if they were at least 2 less than your ranks in 'Scoundrel', to a minimum of 1 rank in 'Combat'. This ability does not grant perks from the 'Combat' ability.” This requires two clarifications:
        1) Regarding the math: If your ranks in 'Scoundrel' were 1, then your ranks in 'Combat' could not be less than 1. If your ranks in 'Scoundrel' were 3, then your ranks in 'Combat' could not be less than 1. If your ranks in 'Scoundrel' were 4, then your ranks in 'Combat' could not be less than 2.
        2) Regarding how perks in 'Combat' would be treated: If your total ranks were 3 ranks in 'Scoundrel', then you could have 3 perks, but none that have 'Combat' as a prerequisite, because your character hasn't actually bought any ranks in 'Combat' yet. The ranks in ''Combat' would be virtual, and instead be treated as a perk inside of the 'Scoundrel' ranked ability, rather than ranks in themselves.
      • I just realized (2023-12-19 18:41) that the role of Story Arcs and Inspiration Abilities (Earn/Spend) can also be filled by perks, especially perks that do not have Ranked Ability prerequisites. I strongly believe that this both simplifies the rule system and the design process. One concern is the perk budget - I definitely want EVERY SINGLE PLAYER CHARACTER to have at least one Story Arc perk AND one Inspiration perk, nor do I want Story Arc perks or Inspiration perks to crowd out Ranked Ability perks.
  • Inspiration
  • Injuries
    • None (Degree of Severity = 0)
    • Light (Degree of Severity = 1)
    • Severe (Degree of Severity = 2)
    • Mortal (Degree of Severity = 3)
    • Death (Degree of Severity = 4)
    • Scars
      • Not just injuries that have healed, but also disabilities, or personality flaws
    • Factors of an injury (technical section for Game Masters)
      • An injury is made up of the following traits:
        • Degree of severity: L, S, M, D, Scar
        • When the injury was inflicted
        • The cause/nature of the injury (Flesh wound from a sword, panic from imagined horror, poison in drink, etc.)
        • Resolving - healing, stasis, aggravating. How degrees of success relate to resolving (this would be a table).
        • None - Automatically resolves into stasis.
        • Light - Usually resolves by healing into None. Sometimes stasis. Rarely Aggravates.
        • Severe - Usually resolves by healing into Light. Often stasis. Sometimes Aggravates.
        • Mortal - Usually resolves by aggravating into Death. Sometimes often stasis. Rarely Healing.
        • Death - Automatically resolves into stasis.

Judith Weston 'Directing Actors'

1. Communication
2. Cultivation
3. Alignment
4. Pressure
5. Composition
6. The Critical Moment

What content must this document include? -What sections must this document present?

See prior section.

Whom should you call while working on this document? What other documents should you look at while writing this document?

• preface
• Introduction
  • Worlds of adventure
  • using this book
  • how to play
  • adventure
• Part 1
  • chapter 1 step-by-step characters
    • beyond 1st level
  • chapter 2 races
    • choosing a race
    • dwarf
    • elf
    • …
  • chapter 3 classes
    • barbarian
    • …
  • chapter 4 personality and background
    • character details
    • inspiration
    • backgrounds
  • chapter 5 equipment
    • …
  • chapter 6 customization options
    • multiclassing
    • feats
  • chapter 7 using ability scores (how the d20 works!)
    • ability scores and modifiers
    • advantage and disadvantage
    • proficiency bonus
    • ability checks
    • using each ability
    • saving throws
  • chapter 8 advanturing
    • time
    • movement
    • the environment
    • social interaction
    • resting
    • between adventures
  • chapter 9 combat
    • the order of combat
    • movement and position
    • actions in combat
    • making an attack
    • cover
    • damage and healing
    • mounted combat
    • underwater combat
• part 3
  • chapter 10 spellcasting
    • what is a spell
    • casting a spell
  • chapter 11
    • spell lists
    • spell descriptions
• appendix a conditions
• appendix b gods of the multiverse
• appendix c the planes of existence
• appendix d creature statistics
• appendix e inspirational reading
• index character sheet

Via Schnee's 50 Lessons from ARCANE WRITERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcjB2DU5MdU

1. 00:25 📚 Arcane's writers started as beginners but made smart decisions to create a high-level narrative, proving it's possible to excel without prior experience.
2. 01:08 🤔 Craft impossible decisions for characters; it fuels complex, character-driven storytelling seen in Arcane.
3. 02:33 🌟 Characters' hopes, fears, and impossible decisions shape compelling narratives, crucial for emotional and meaningful storytelling.
4. 04:25 🔄 Characters' relationships with change are key; resistance, denial, or ignorance of change can offer rich conflicts.
5. 06:33 🤝 Empathy helps prevent character flaws from alienating audiences; relatable mistakes or actions retain audience connection.
6. 08:56 🎭 Create characters with a chip on their shoulder or something to prove; these motives drive actions and conflict in the story.
7. 10:18 🤔 Explore characters' lives, childhood goals, and motivations; ask intriguing questions to build depth and drive the story.
8. 12:53 🎵 Emotional backgrounds and individual character themes infuse authenticity; start with strong emotions or relationships to drive compelling narratives.
9. 14:58 🎨 Consider character's day-to-day life for vivid scenes; small details about a character's routine or behavior enrich storytelling.
10. 17:04 🛠 Experience what your characters do; engaging in their activities provides authentic insights and can reshape your understanding of the character.
11. 18:01 📝 Allow characters to surprise you; let them drive the story and actions, adding depth and unpredictability to their development.
12. 18:45 🎭 Understanding characters' nuances involves exploring their past, relationships, and struggles to make them feel authentic.
13. 19:40 📝 Beginnings of characters often stem from their extremes; developing the other side of their persona helps create more human stories.
14. 21:05 🌟 Balancing extremes in character personalities, like Jinx's wildness and quiet, thoughtful sides, requires authentic transitions between these states.
15. 22:14 🛠 Using various character creation methods (over 20-30) helps in developing comprehensive character arcs and plot elements.
16. 23:24 🧭 Avoiding a plot-heavy narrative involves integrating character conflicts and needs into the story to breathe life into it.
17. 27:17 🔄 Creating moments of full autonomy for characters drives the story forward with their choices, not just overcoming obstacles.
18. 28:00 🌐 Character arcs integrated with the world plot, driven by character choices, elevate the stakes and consequences, giving the story weight.
19. 30:21 📝 “Breaking an episode” involves structuring the story around key elements, focusing on assembling the story rather than linear progression.
20. 32:46 🎭 Tone plays a significant role in story identity; Arcane found its tone by connecting with the emotional aspects of its setting, beats, and character traits.
21. 35:09 📋 A successful scene criteria checklist: Develop character, further plot, teach something new about the world, providing actionable guidance for writers.
22. 35:49 🎬 Openings should frame the entire story, guiding audience focus even if surprises await, to avoid aimlessness and engage the audience from the start.
23. 36:45 📝 Craft an unexpected plot by outlining a coherent, expected storyline while hiding a more meaningful arc that leads somewhere unexpected.
24. 37:55 🖋 Use imperfect decisions to create a realistic plotline alongside an optimistic one; showcase human imperfections for depth.
25. 38:36 🧩 Managing complex storylines involves structuring arcs and themes; separate character and plot arcs for clarity.
26. 39:44 🧠 Embrace messiness in storytelling as part of the process; prepare a mindset comfortable with dealing with chaotic elements.
27. 42:08 🚦 Manage story beats like a traffic cop, ensuring eachcharacter arc aligns with broader story goals.
28. 43:17 📏 Control the pacing and content of each episode by determining the number of story beats and scenes, reducing unnecessary elements.
29. 45:22 📽 Focus episodes on specific characters or themes to simplify complex storytelling structures; this creates a clearer narrative.
30. 46:49 🎯 Understand the quality and essence of the story you want to craft; know what type of story you don't want to write as well.
31. 47:15 🧭 Develop a relationship between your story and audience expectations; guide decisions based on the desired audience experience.
32. 50:05 🤝 Trust your audience's ability to handle complexity but ensure your story quality justifies the level of messiness.
33. 51:04 🕵‍♂ Untangle messiness with trial and error; not every problem has a secret formula, sometimes it's about trying every possible solution.
34. 52:45 🤔 Take calculated risks in storytelling even if they deviate from audience expectations; trust your instincts on what's best for the story.
35. 53:40 🛠 Start by crafting a story you'd want to see; commit to following your own creative vision rather than bending too much to external expectations.
36. 54:34 📚 Writing advice often focuses on effective delivery to audiences but can't dictate what you love in a story.
37. 55:15 💡 Your personal taste is the guiding light for storytelling; write what you love rather than trying to fit someone else's standard.
38. 56:40 📝 No universal golden formula exists for writing; discover your own process while learning from various advice and determining what works uniquely for you.
39. 57:37 🔍 Don't mold your story to fit rules or advice; focus on what helps your narrative, disregarding what doesn't align with your vision.
40. 58:19 🤝 Be open to seeking help when your skill level doesn't match the vision for your story; humility and willingness to ask for assistance are crucial.
41. 59:16 🌟 Surround yourself with people skilled in what you aim to achieve; seek mentors, friends, or groups that align with your writing aspirations.
42. 01:00:53 🤝 Prioritize collaborators or mentors who understand your vision rather than merely those well-versed in writing rules or techniques.
43. 01:02:47 🌍 See your creative endeavor as a duty beyond personal fulfillment; be driven by a sense of obligation to the audience or a greater purpose.
44. 01:04:36 🌟 If your story lacks a sense of obligation or importance to you, find something that does; being driven by a duty will sustain your commitment.
45. 01:06:44 🔄 Distinguish between good stress that motivates and bad stress that erodes control; maintain a balance to prevent overwhelming pressure.
46. 01:08:02 🤲 Address your sense of dignity and self-care before diving back into creative work; repairing your ego is vital to making good creative decisions.
47. 01:10:38 🌟 Reconnect with the initial creative vision to regain confidence and energize your commitment; find inspiration to combat overwhelming obstacles.
48. 01:12:03 🛠 Getting things done in creative projects involves diverse skills beyond just ideation or writing; it requires understanding the various crafts involved, planning, managing finances, and fostering good work habits.
49. 01:13:25 📚 To materialize creative dreams like 'Arcane,' understanding the processes beyond writing is crucial; learning about different crafts, project planning, hiring, and finances is as important as writing itself.
50. 01:14:34 🔍 Embrace mistakes as opportunities to learn rather than glorifying failure; fast learning involves identifying mistakes, being decisive, and swiftly adapting to new skills.
51. 01:15:57 🌟 Obstacles in storytelling can be reframed as opportunities; recognizing challenges like shortening attention spans can inspire narrative innovation and complexity.
52. 01:17:38 🎭 Improve writing by exploring diverse character voices; practicing writing lines for different characters helps in dialogue exploration and enhances voice diversity in storytelling.
53. 01:19:17 📝 At the core of creating impactful stories lies the simplicity of writing what you find cool and love; prioritize crafting stories you are passionate about rather than conforming to expected norms or statements.

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Supervisor review, Peer review, Editor review, Front office review.