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Saturday, February 2, 2019

Wyrd: A meta-currency for my LotFP game


I might lose some of my (questionable) OSR cred here, but I like meta-currency. I like Bennies, I like Fate Points, I like Yum Yums, I even like Inspiration. I like letting my players have that little bit of “oomph” to spend when they really need it or when they're doing something personally important. Back in my Rules Cyclopedia game, I successfully grafted on Aspects and Fate Points, and when I ran Stars Without Number, I used Jeff Rient's Big Purple d30 rule to good effect, so I know it works. Also it makes my players happy, and that's not a bad thing, right?

Of course, with an ostensibly a horror game like LotFP, you run the risk of losing some of the danger by giving the players too much meta-narrative power. You want to make sure there are some limits. But heck, even Zweihander has Fortune Points, so I feel justified.

So here's Wyrd. I'm eager to see how well it works in our next session. 

Wyrd

Wyrd is your fate, your yet-to-be-woven destiny. It is the actions you take and changes you make that cannot be seen through prophecy. It is “that which happens.” In game terms, Wyrd lets you fiddle with your dice.

At the start of each session, each player (not the GM) gets a Wyrd Token.
Clerics get 2 Wyrd Tokens, because God.*
Alices get 2 Wyrd Token, because weirdness.

Players cannot trade Wyrd Tokens unless their PCs are lovers, spouses, siblings, or children/parents of each other.  

If you have a Wyrd Token left at the end of the session, you get +10% XP, so think carefully as to whether or not you want to use that Token. Multiple Tokens do not stack.

You can spend a Wyrd Token for any one the following effects. You must spend your Token before you roll. Once the die is cast, the skein of your fate is woven. I might make you describe how Fortune intercedes in your favor.
  • Attack roll: Use a d30.
  • Saving throw: Use a d30.
  • Damage or Healing roll: Bump all your dice up by one step. (1d6 becomes 1d8, 3d4 becomes 3d6, etc...)
  • Skill rolls: Roll the d6 twice and take the best result.
  • Roll xd6 under your stat: Reduce X by 1.
  • 2d6+MOD rolls: Roll 3d6, and drop the lowest.
  • Initiative: Roll your initiative separate from everyone else (add your DEX mod).
  • Bleeding Out: Automatically stabilize.
  • Dead Man Walking: Now you're just bleeding out.
  • Lose a Limb: That’s just too bad.
  • Random Tables: No effect.
If all the players have spent all their Wyrd Tokens, they the party is Doomed. The GM gets a number of Doom Tokens equal to the number of PCs still alive. They can use these just like Wyrd, but to the benefit of NPCs.  

*Also, no one wants to play clerics in my game, so maybe this will sweeten that pot a little.

2 comments:

  1. I'm seriously considering using this. Not initally, but if the PCs get tandled up in Cosmic Stuff, they'll acquire Wyrd.
    Also I am frankly baffled re: not playing clerics because they're probably the best class in the game if you look at the maths.

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    1. Let me know how Wyrdt works out for you if you use it!

      Regarding clerics, I don't get it either. Even in other games, not many of my group likes playing cleric/healer types. And the one guy that does play clerics didn't want to play one again.

      I myself am a big fan of clerics.

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