A SHIFT in Rules

Yes, I’m obsessed with this new and upcoming game system SHIFT. It’s just rules lite enough that I can create an entirely new game using the bare-bones that’s been given, yet defines just enough structure to creating something solid.

Case in point, if you’ve been reading along recently, I’ve been making my own World Sparks. The first one, CyberPink!, a Space Opera, Cyberpunk setting that’s pushing the comedy factor in your face, and a newer challenge, a Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha setting, again with some humor. And yes, humor, because I feel that the world needs humor right now. I know I certainly do! These two Sparks share a lot of similarity, and I may end up merging the two in the end, but that’s still quite a far ways off yet. Today, I want to focus on some unusual rules.

A SHIFT outside the Character Realm

Although, currently these are being classified as Player Techniques, I may go with something shiftier. These are rules that I’m writing that extend beyond what a character can do, and literally break the fourth wall. Yes, they literally disrupt the immersion of the story, which paradoxically is not what you want to experience when role playing. Let’s take a look at what I’ve created so far:

SHIFT Change:
If you didn’t think you were on the stage of a movie or television show, you just figured it out. The evening bell has rung, and it’s time for your character to clock out. For the moment, all action abruptly stops. Bullets hang in the air, unmovable, the laws of physics simply are suspended. When this technique is invoked, you may switch your current character with another character in your portfolio who is currently not in play. The replacing character will assume the exact position and location of the first character. Reasons could include the other Players simply got bored with your current charterer, this character has died abruptly and the show must go on, or the Game Master just decided because.

I wrote this rule because in this game, I don’t want to deal with the concept of death. I feel that there’s already too much of it going around the world. And fiction to me is an escape from reality. Therefore, I wanted to make a neat way to keep a fiction going in the event your character is overwhelmed into oblivion.

There was an old movie or cartoon, I don’t remember at the moment, and it annoys me that I can’t remember the name of it or even where I saw it, but the audience was immersed in the scene. there were two characters fighting, one was getting the crap beat out of them. A whistle blew, the action stopped, the character who was getting their ass kicked politely nodded to their assailant grabbed his bag and hat and walked off the scene, saying something about seeing him tomorrow, or something. A replacement character took the position of the character who was getting beaten up, and the whistle blew again. The punching started once again. Thinking more about this, I want to say this was something I saw as a child watching Looney Tunes. And this would certainly fit the level of absurdity I’m looking to recreate.

Scene SHIFT:
The current campaign has stalling, or the current chain of events may cause the Universe to implode on itself. Any Player may call for an election of a Scene Shift. If the majority of players agree to proceed, the Player who initiated the Scene Shift may abruptly enter a new Scene, forcing everyone else at the Table to improvise a fresh start. Roll any Dice size.
An ODD Result triggers a complete refresh of all Traits to their maximum values. An EVEN Result means no Traits are reset.

I created this rule because in my experience as a Player, sometimes the current campaign just gets tiring. Maybe it’s the same things happening over and over again, but I didn’t really want to re-roll up a brand new character for whatever reason. This rule allows for anybody who feels this can initiate an abrupt scene change. I’m reminded of an episode of Tenchi Universe. After we’re introduced to the character Kiyone, there was a chase scene. A commercial break happens, and when the show resumes, everybody is sitting around a table ready to dig into a happy, festive meal. Kiyone is the one who breaks the Fourth Wall, wondering what happened to the scene she was just in.

I added the additional roll mechanic as a bit of a last minute randomness. Because a character may be nearly depleted of resources, this would be a clever way to freshen up for the new scene.

Player Improbability SHIFT:
This Technique may be invoked upon an absent Player’s Character(s) for comedical effect. The result could transform a missing character into a potted petunia or a bouncy beach ball. While in this state, the character(s) may not experience any trauma, nor gain any Experience Points, however, the Game Master may insert snide or snarky comments on the missing Player’s behalf that could result in *troublesome* experiences for the remaining cast.

This rule stems from my frustration with playing asynchronous games, but also dates back to when I would sit at a table with my normal gaming crew, and there would always be that one player who couldn’t make it for whatever reason. And because the game gets stalled for yet another week… *goes off grumbling to herself*.

Now with this rule invoked, nobody can get upset why the game just went on without them, and it also gives a handy way for the Game Master to create plot points for the remaining characters to work through!

So, there we have it. Three Fourth-Wall-Demolished Techniques that are ready to be played with. You’re welcome. Let’s see what other bizarre crap I can come up with this week…