This is for the new game I'm building from scratch--Demon City.
The pitch is here, the Patreon is here
....and at the current rate of funding I'll be done writing and painting it in a year.
I've added a new reward level since launch--for 3 dollars a month you can be in on the playtest doc when it comes out.
Anyway, I wanted to start off by showing some of the ways Demon City is going to be mechanically different from games you've seen before, so here are the regaining chill/level-up rules...
There are horrors in the city and, if you're playing the game right, the player's characters will see them. They'll see mutilation and terrible hybrid things that should not have been and yet were there all the same. If the characters survive, they'll get to take a break.
Downtime happens when the party finishes a significant, major confrontation (for example, after getting through an hours-long assault on a hotel by a besieging army of eyeless ghouls or after almost dying on a suspension bridge during what video gamers call a boss fight) and then has at least 24 hours to rest afterward. Downtimes is the main way that characters improve, and the main way they regain lost Calm points*. No matter how much time passes in-game between adventures you only get one Downtime roll.
When the Host** announces Downtime...
-First: everybody gets the following option--turn one of the (non-hostile) people they met during the adventure into a Contact or gain one skill point to spend on any of the skills they used (success or failure) in the course of the adventure.
-Second: if the menace was defeated, they will all regain a point of Calm.
-Third: each players should announce what their main Downtime activity will be while they're recovering and then roll on the appropriate table to see how it went.
Each Downtime activity has its own potential risks and rewards, detailed below. "Other Hobbies" is currently the catch-all for anything not covered, but Hosts should feel free to make up tables for their own Downtime activities using these as a template and any of y'all reading this can feel free to recommend things that should be included or otherwise politely kick my tires. This game is, after all, not finished and it is being written in public.
No ability can drop below zero due to a Downtime roll, so risky activities become less risky once you have nothing left to lose. The Calm stat can never go above its original maximum due to Downtime activities.
Having a buddy is better: If multiple party members agree to do the same Downtime activity (read the same book, go to the same therapist***, drink together, etc), roll twice, take the better result, and apply it to everyone who participated. Note you only roll twice for that particular joint activity no matter how many party members are participating. There's one exception: If any of the participants in the activity are addicts (see below) they must roll a separate Drugs or Drinking roll as described below, and take the group result or the Drugs or Drinking roll result, whichever is lower.
Hosts should make a note of what happens to characters during Downtime, as these events can provide seeds for the next adventure.
Here's what I've got so far, in order of effectiveness for regaining Calm:
Drugs
Drugs will almost certainly help you regain Calm, but they have a good chance of inflicting all-new trauma you'll then have to get over. If you become addicted, during each subsequent Downtime you must roll a Drugs roll along with any other Downtime roll (or two Drugs rolls) and take whichever result is worse. The only way to stop once addicted is to start taking Detox during Downtimes--in which case you only have to roll once on the Detox table.
1 Yeah, sorry, you're a mess, lose a point off a random ability, lose a point of Calm, and if you aren't addicted already, you are now.
2 It's never quite enough: regain a point of Calm but lose a point off Cash or lose a random Contact (50-50 chance), and if you aren't addicted already, you are now.
3 This is really good stuff. Regain a point of Calm, but if you aren't already an addict, you are now.
4-7 Well it does the trick, regain a point of Calm.
8-9 You woke up in a bathtub but it was ok. Regain a point of Calm and a criminal Contact
10 Drugs are great! There was this big house, and there were these guys... return Calm to maximum and gain a new random Contact.
Drinking
Drinking works like drugs but less so: decent but slightly smaller chance of regaining Calm, decent but slightly smaller chance of ruining your life. If you become addicted, during each subsequent Downtime you must roll a Drinking roll along with any other Downtime roll (or two Drinking rolls) and take whichever result is worse. The only way to stop once addicted is to start taking Detox during Downtimes--in which case you only have to roll once on the Detox table.
2 You should've quit while you were ahead--if you aren't addicted already, you are now. If you already are, lose a point of Calm or a Contact (50-50 chance).
3-4 Hey that was a crazy night.
5-9 That took the edge right off. Regain a point of Calm.
10 People like you better drunk--Regain a point of Calm and a new random Contact.
Therapy
Therapy won't smother the horror quite as fast as liquor or heroin but leads to a lot less getting screamed at by people you don't know in bathrobes.
1 This brought up some...stuff. Lose a point of Calm and a point of Cash.
2 We need to meet more than once a week, lose a point of Cash.
3-5 Ok, well hold off on that, time's up for now.
6-9 Well, I'm just glad I could help, regain 1 Calm.
10 I think we've really isolated what's been holding you back--return Calm to maximum and get a Skill point.
TV/Internet
You're on the couch watching more Netflix and cat videos than you probably should.
1 You haven't been out much and you're losing perspective. Lose a point of Knowledge or Perception (50-50 chance)
2-6 I liked the first season better.
7-9 Yeah, it's boring, but you could use a little boring right now. Regain 1 Calm.
10 Sucked down the BBC rabbit-hole. Regain 1 Calm and gain 1 Knowledge-based skill point.
Cooking
Not just feeding yourself, this indicates immersing yourself thoroughly enough in cooking (or baking or wine-making or any other gustatory activity) involved enough to be a therapeutic activity. It's fairly low-risk/low-reward as Downtime activities go.
1 You're too good at this, you're getting out of shape--lose a point of Toughness.
2-6 Congratulations, it was delicious.
7-10 All that recipe-researching and dough-rolling took your mind off your problems. Regain 1 Calm.
Family or Friends
This can be hanging out with spouse and kids at home or visiting the extended family--including via vidchat or phone, or friends who have absolutely nothing to do with investigating occult atrocities (yet). It provides some chance of regaining Calm, and a slim chance of losing more.
1 Tyler did what?--lose a point of Calm.
2-6 Nobody forgot anybody's birthday, nobody lost any teeth.
7-10 Mild-mannered card games and domestic bliss, regain 1 point of Calm.
Exercise or Meditation
You throw yourself into disciplining your mind and/or body beyond what most people can handle. This includes lone exercise, basketball, yoga, whatever. Clean living can be calming, but it's not as much of an easy fix as indulgence.
1 You're starting to bore anyone who doesn't want to talk about squats or sprouts. Lose a point of Charm.
2-7 Good job, time to get dressed.
8-9 You're a finely-tuned machine, regain a point of Calm, Agility or Toughness (if exercising) or Calm, Charm or Perception (if meditating).
10 Hey it worked! Regain a point of Calm, Agility or Toughness plus gain a physical skill point (if exercising) or Calm, Charm or Perception plus gain a Perception or Charm-based skill point (if meditating).
Other Hobbies
This is any niche thing not covered by the other categories, like tabletop role-playing games, fixing cars, or building dollhouse miniatures. They can be calming but they also isolate you from people not into the hobby which, by definition, is most people.
1 You're getting weird. Lose a point of Charm or Cash.
2-7 You did that? Cool.
8-9 It's good to get away from all this craziness and build a world of your own, regain a point of Calm.
10 You entered a contest or somebody bought one or something, regain a point of Calm and gain a point of Cash.
This is any niche thing not covered by the other categories, like tabletop role-playing games, fixing cars, or building dollhouse miniatures. They can be calming but they also isolate you from people not into the hobby which, by definition, is most people.
1 You're getting weird. Lose a point of Charm or Cash.
2-7 You did that? Cool.
8-9 It's good to get away from all this craziness and build a world of your own, regain a point of Calm.
10 You entered a contest or somebody bought one or something, regain a point of Calm and gain a point of Cash.
Reading
This doesn't including reading case files or obscure Gnostic texts, just recreational reading. Reading is one of the safest Downtime activities but also one of the least likely to completely distract you from the horrors you've experienced.
1-8 It was ok, the last chapter was a little weak.
9 Oh man, it's already 1 am? Regain a point of Calm. If you lost any points of Knowledge you regain one.
10 I didn't want it to end! Regain a point of Calm and gain a point in any Knowledge or Perception-based skill. If you lost any points of Knowledge you regain one.
This doesn't including reading case files or obscure Gnostic texts, just recreational reading. Reading is one of the safest Downtime activities but also one of the least likely to completely distract you from the horrors you've experienced.
1-8 It was ok, the last chapter was a little weak.
9 Oh man, it's already 1 am? Regain a point of Calm. If you lost any points of Knowledge you regain one.
10 I didn't want it to end! Regain a point of Calm and gain a point in any Knowledge or Perception-based skill. If you lost any points of Knowledge you regain one.
This includes any kind of broad act of altruism toward strangers or community participation, from doing hospice care to booking a festival for a DIY venue to going to church. No risk, but only a slight chance of reward--that isn't the point, right?
1-8 Well you've got that warm inner glow
9 This is real right here, not that thing in the kitchen with the teeth like icepicks. Regain a point of Calm. If you lost any points of Charm, you regain one.
10 You're genuinely connecting with people. Regain a point of Calm plus if you lost any points of Charm you regain them all, or gain a random Contact.
Meeting people
Making an effort to hang out with new people can be nerve-wracking, so isn't too likely to result in regaining Calm, but you stand a good chance of learning something. In order to make a new friend, choose a Contact--you'll be hanging out with that Contact and their friends. The other player characters in the party don't count as Contacts.
1-6 Hey look, they accepted your friend request
7-8 Oh, I always wondered how you did that...gain a Skill point in any skill the Contact has that you don't, or one that they have at a higher level than you.
9 What was her name again? You gain a Skill point in any skill the Contact has that you don't, or one that they have at a higher level, plus meet another Contact in the same field.
10 You really hit it off, regain a point of Calm and gain a Skill point in any skill the Contact has that you don't, or one that they have at a higher level than you.
Detox
Only necessary for alcoholics and drug addicts, this is the arduous process of drying out. This roll covers any number of methods from 12-step to therapy to doing some other Downtime activity as a way of getting clean. At best, you get back where you started.
1-8 You're still craving, try again next time.
9 You kicked! Next Downtime you can go back to choosing from the usual list. However if you choose whatever you just kicked, you'll be immediately re-addicted.
10 You kicked and managed to network in the process. Gain a random Contact and next Downtime you can go back to choosing from the usual list. However if you choose whatever you just kicked, you'll be immediately re-addicted.
Working/Training
You refuse to take a break--there are things out there and you've seen them... Unlike exercise, this is using all your time between cases pushing toward learning a specific skill rather than doing anything that could be regarded as recreational. It is almost always a bad idea.
1-5 You need a vacation, -1 Calm.
6-9 You managed to tire yourself right out. Luckily you also managed to sleep some.
10 Obsession has its benefits, add two skill points.
*If your Calm goes below zero you're permanently, constantly, obviously and unplayably insane. Calm is a whole other chapter but for this blog entry I'll point out it functions a bit like Sanity, Wisdom or Willpower in other games, though conceptually it's more like chill--or the stat some games refer to as "Cool". It's not called Sanity because you might not say (for example) becoming an alcoholic makes you more sane, but you could well argue it blunts the pain of traumatic memories-and that's what we're talking about here.
**Calling the game-master the Host at the moment.
***You're not supposed to, but people do it.
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If you like it--toss up some support for Demon City.
