Place the character concepts in the middle of the table. Talk about what they might mean and why they might be cool. Have everyone pick one and fasten it to their character sheet (in the concept box) using a paper clip.
Tell them to assign the following numbers to their 5 basic stats: +2, +1, +1, 0, -1. If you only have 4 stats, instead assign: +2, +1, 0, -1.
The maximum that a stat can ever reach in the game is +3, and the minimum is -1. This includes relationship stats. Player moves cannot advance a stat beyond +3 (though player moves can temporarily or circumstantially increase it beyond +3).
-Each PC has a relationship stat with each other PC. Tell the players to do this: whichever PC they know the best, write +2 next to that character’s name. Whichever PC they know the least, write -1 next to that character’s name. For each other PC, write +1. Tell them to write “NPCs” and assign that relationship a 0.
-Every character has a harm clock, with six sections. When characters take harm in the game, they mark a number of sections equal to whatever amount of harm the MC tells them they take. Point out the harm clock, and explain that when it’s filled all the way up, the characters are taken out of the action (in a genre-appropriate way).
+Each PC has a relationship stat with each other PC. Tell the players to do this: whichever PC they know the best, write +2 next to that character’s name. Whichever PC they know the least, write -1 next to that character’s name. For each other PC, write +1. Tell them to write “NPCs” and assign that relationship a 0.
+Every character has a harm clock, with six sections. When characters take harm in the game, they mark a number of sections equal to whatever amount of harm the MC tells them they take. Point out the harm clock, and explain that when it’s filled all the way up, the characters are taken out of the action (in a genre-appropriate way).
The next stage of creating characters is to pick 3 moves. When a player picks a move, they pick an option from the list below, give the move a title, and fill in the blanks. Each move gets recorded on their character sheet.
The MC moves are the specific things you say in any moment. There are two different cases where you use the MC Moves, and you use them differently in each of those cases. When the players look at you expectantly, you make a regular MC Move. When a player fails a die roll (getting 6 or lower), you make a hard MC Move. John Harper best described how to handle those two cases, so I’ll quote him:
+The MC moves are the specific things you say in any moment. There are two different cases where you use the MC Moves, and you use them differently in each of those cases. When the players look at you expectantly, you make a regular MC Move. When a player fails a die roll (getting 6 or lower), you make a hard MC Move. John Harper best described how to handle those two cases, so I’ll quote him:
When you make a regular MC move, all three:
Say what happens but stop before the effect, then ask “What do you do?”
+Say what happens but stop before the effect, then ask “What do you do?”
When you make a hard MC move, both:
Say what happens, including the effect, then ask “What do you do?”
+Say what happens, including the effect, then ask “What do you do?”
A list of MC Moves is already written for you, waiting to be customized. Cross off up to three moves, and add up to three of your own to the list:
An integral part of life on the System is forking, where individuals may create a copy of themselves, whether for a task or to live out on their own. Optionally, that fork may quit and merge back down, wherein the initial individual (known as the downtree instance) receives all of their memories.
Given the importance of being able to fork, this can play a large role in gameplay, and some players, depending on their dissolution strategy, may fork quite often.
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