Illevar Core Mechanics - Non-Combat

Non-Combat in Illevar

Happy Friday Everyone. I’ve spent a fair bit of time focusing on the combat side of Illevar, as well as lore building/world-building, but today I wanted to talk about the non-combat side of the game. 

Role-playing is a huge part of what makes an RPG. duh. So how does that work out in Illevar? Let’s talk about it.

TRPGs: 90% debating what to name the pet, 10% combat.

Role-Playing:

Players are playing the game as Characters. They will have to role-play their way through the adventures set up by the Storyteller. This isn't some revolutionary concept and it has already been done in older TRPGs and it will continue to be used in new ones.

The Characters have aspirations, enemies, and personality. RPGs are great to play because they are more than just numbers and min-maxing.

Bring up the backstories of the characters, have their families be a part of the game, and integrate the goals of the characters. 

There are tons of resources on how to role-play more effectively on YouTube and other RPG forums and I highly recommend including them into your games. 

Nothing brings friends together like a massive civil war and social strife...

Checks:

Players can take on skill checks using the 5 attributes/passive skills on the back of the class cards: Strength, Intelligence, Charisma, Agility, and Observation.

These passive bonuses can be used while role-playing to see if something goes according to the players’ wishes. 

Charisma Example: The PCs are trying to convince a guard to leave her post. The guard is pretty dedicated to her job and doesn’t really trust strangers who come to talk to her. The PCs want to try lying to the guard. Player 1 makes up a pretty convincing lie about a child being stuck in a nearby well. They roll a d10 and add their Charisma bonus to it. Let’s assume the roll is 10 and add a bonus of 4 to it, a 14. That’s a pretty darn convincing lie. The Storyteller determined the check, the number to beat, was a 10. Since the PC rolled well, the guard believes them and abandons her post to try to help the child in the well. 

Observation Example: The PCs are wandering deep in a dungeon. The lighting isn’t very good and the PCs just entered what appears to be a large room. The Storyteller knows that there is a monster lurking in the dark, waiting for its chance to take a bite out of the PCs. The Storyteller sets the scene, leaving out the monster, and asks the PCs to roll an Observation check. The Storyteller sets the DC, difficulty check, to 15, it’s like an abyss in there after all. The PCs all roll, but fail to meet the check. They assume the room is safe and make their way forward, right into the grasp of the waiting monster. 

Agility Example: The PCs are chasing down an escaped convict from the local gallows. The criminal is fast and quickly making their way through the city. The PCs will have to pass increasingly difficult Agility checks to try to catch the escapee. Chases can be extremely fun with lots of action comedy tropes tossed in. Throw in a few other checks and have a good time re-enacting Mad Max or Road Runner & Coyote skits.

We're not looking to radically transform the TRPG world. We're looking to make a more intuitive and straightforward experience. 

Hope you enjoyed today's blog post. You can always tune in again on Tuesdays and Fridays. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter.