>>5556582So I came up with this idea which I tentatively call the Hamartia system; I intend to use this for diceless dramatic storytelling games.
So say the stats are Strength (warrior things), Instinct (thief hunter things), Will (wizard priest scholar things) Charm (witch courtier shaman things).
What happens with my Hamartia system idea is that you make actions as usual, let us say you choose Hit Orc With Sword. This is a warrior Strength action. You just succeed and get a rank in Strength +1. You are now better with warrior sword athletic endurance fortitude strength things etc.
But each of these stats has a flaw counterpart. Unlike in pbta or storygames where the flaw is declared from nowhere or some convoluted character backstory, as each attribute modifier increases STR +1, +2, etc, the flaw correspondingly increases.
The flaw is tied to the CORE STAT. So for instance:
Strength:
++You become physically imposing, athletic, intimidating; you can endure and resist more damage, stamina etc
--You appear brutish, violent and ruthless. You are inclined to solve all problems with threats coercion and killing
Instinct:
++You are alert and agile, dexterous, swift and possess insight and aptitude with mechanical devices / ranged weapons
--You cannot resist daredevil risk-seeking behaviour. You are always compelled to attempt the most death-defying stunts for thrills; caution fatigues you.
Will:
++Your intellect and self-command enables you to perform astonishing savant feats of mental recall, debate and overwhelm opponents with oratory and rhetoric.
--Your knowledge inclines towards abstraction and paranoia. You see conspiracy and scheming even in those innocent, and cannot trust anyone in your isolation
Charm:
++You are gifted with the ability to seduce and enthrall anyone. None can resist your allure, because you know and become what they most desire.
--You are jealous and vain. You cannot bear anyone surpassing you or countenance another as cynosure.
etc. so the idea is to create a dramatic currency with the CORE STATS molded through a history of the player actions, that then can become flaws for the dungeonmaster to propel the narrative forward. Instead of random backstory flaw, oh here is your character quest, the flaws come from player choices which then get payback from their more powerful actions etc.
Does any of this make sense? Has any system like this been done before? Does it sound too frustrating? It is just something I made up hehe