...possibly.

Okay, the final chapter (thus far) in my playtest doc is Chapter 4: System and Scenes which talks about the structure of an Anarchy session, the mechanics of conflict resolution and the consequences thereof. Behind the cut:

Chapter 4: System & Scenes

Okay, now you have a character and your group has a Cell; you’re ready to go out into the world and bring down The Man, fight the power, rage against the machine and generally bring about a new world order. So how do you do it?

Sessions and Scenes

To start with a discussion of the structure of a session of Anarchy is probably necessary. A Session of Anarchy (i.e. an evening’s play) will be broken down into a number of Scenes. Much like a TV show these Scenes will focus on one or more characters and will serve to drive the plot for that Session (or arc of Sessions) forwards.

So how do you generate these Scenes?

Initially that job will fall to the Games Master (GM) whose job it is to provide the plot and adversity against which the players will pit themselves. Once the first Scene has been set (called Framing the Scene, or Scene Framing) and the players have acted it out to its conclusion the job of Framing the next Scene will technically fall to the player on the GM’s left and will rotate clockwise around the table as the Session progresses.

In reality of course it is entirely probable that people will have cool ideas for their own Scenes (i.e. Scenes involving their PC in some central way), or suggestions for Scenes for other PCs (or even NPCs), totally out of turn order and that’s absolutely fine. The suggested progression of Scene Framing is simply there to try and ensure that everyone gets a chance to Frame their own Scene during the Session and to try and encourage player participation in the Scene Framing process.

However, none of that answers the central question of how one actually Frames a Scene. It’s really a very simple process if you bear a few essential points in mind.

1. A Scene should be doing one of two things (or, preferably, both of them together):
   
   • Driving the plot forwards;
     
   • Showcasing character growth.
   
   
2. A Scene should not be open ended; it should be heading towards something.
   
3. A Scene should be engaging for everyone at the table.

Keeping those three points in focus you then simply set out an opening to a Scene. Describe the location, who is there (PCs and NPCs, including your character) and what the beginning situation is. You can go into as much or as little detail as you like but try to make sure you strike a good balance between giving everyone at the table enough to work with (especially if their character is involved) and rambling for minutes about this cool situation that you’ve conceived of. Remember, it won’t seem quite so cool to the other players if they have to listen to you go on about it for five minutes before they get to see what happens!

What if the GM or other players aren’t happy with your Scene as Framed?

During the Scene Framing it’s entirely possible that one or more other people around the table might have a neat idea for an addition to the Scene or a twist to the described situation. Alternatively someone may not like a part of the Scene or may have a problem with something in the set-up. Don’t be scared to share your ideas or issues and, as the Scene Framer, don’t be offended if people suggest alterations to your set-up. Just remember point (3) above and be willing to listen. Such suggestions should be saved until the Scene has been initially Framed (no need to knock the Framer off of their flow) and the player who is Framing the Scene has a veto on these suggestions. It is, after all, their Scene.

Finally, if she has not already done so, the GM is allowed to suggest changes to a Scene. Usually this will just be done at the same time that the other players throw out ideas because there is something that the GM thinks would be cool or fitting. Sometimes, however, the suggested Scene might really mess with the flow or pacing of the game or be set-up using ridiculous assumptions about the world or situation or be Framed in such a way as to give the PCs an unrealistic advantage given their prior actions or preparations.

In such cases it is up to the GM (assuming another player hasn’t already called the Framer on it, which they are completely entitled to do) to hold up her hands and say ‘woah, that may sound cool to you but it’s seriously uncool for the game and the story.’ Of course such a blanket statement doesn’t help anyone, which is why the GM should then explain why the Scene, or certain aspects of it, don’t make sense or are based on wonky assumptions. Even more helpful will be some suggestions as to what could be changed to keep the Scene mostly intact whilst addressing those problems.

Given that Anarchy is very much a collaborative exercise in storytelling the GM should only exercise this authority when strictly necessary and should always seek buy-in from the other players when doing so. Just remember that the game should be fun for everyone at the table, the GM just as much as the other players. Wrecking the feel of the game that has been established in previous Scenes isn’t on and more advice on this aspect of play, among other things, is given in Chapter 5: Playing and Running Anarchy.

And what ‘something’ should Scenes be ‘heading towards?’

All right, so you know how to Frame a Scene in the most basic sense now but what should you be aiming for when Framing your Scene? What is the point of your Scene? The answer is, usually, Conflict.

When you Frame your Scene you should always have an end point in mind. It may be the case that things don’t go as you envisage it (working with other people is tricky that way) but nonetheless the Scene should have a definite end point. You see this in TV shows where each Scene comes to an end at an appropriate time before the show cuts to the next Scene, generally either when something is resolved or something is set-up for a future Scene.

In Anarchy the end point of the Scene should almost always be a Conflict of some sort. Conflict in this case means an issue or action over which two or more PCs and NPCs will want a different outcome and be willing to challenge each other to see their preferred outcome come to pass. This does not have to mean a physical or even a direct confrontation, simply that the goals of the participants are in some way opposed.

Regardless of the nature of this Conflict the Scene should be moving in that direction right from the beginning. The Scene should be set-up in such a way that Conflict is almost inevitable. The purpose of the Scene is almost always to drive towards Conflict so as to advance the story in meaningful and interesting ways with an uncertain outcome.

What if I don’t want to ‘drive towards Conflict’ for a Scene?

Tough! Only kidding…

Occasionally the players may want to take their foot off of the accelerator a little and that’s okay. Most meaningful character growth or exposition should occur as part of a Scene either leading up to, or as a direct result of, a Conflict. That doesn’t always have to be the case though. Having said that you should still refrain from using the following option too often as Anarchy is supposed to be a tense game with a real sense of inevitability as your character spirals towards his inevitable demise. As such I would suggest a limit on this option of not more than once per player per Session.

Colour Scenes

If a player wishes they may Frame what is known as a Colour Scene (rather than a regular Scene.) A Colour Scene has no drive towards Conflict. Indeed it may well only feature the Scene Framer’s PC and that’s absolutely fine. A Colour Scene allows you to reveal some aspect of your character that you think is important or interesting without having to work a Conflict into the Scene. The Colour Scene doesn’t even need to be set at the present time in game, it could be a flashback instead or even (if agreed with the GM) a glimpse of the future. Do bear in mind that the latter option is tricky to get right whilst maintaining tension and uncertainty in the outcome of future Conflicts so do be careful with it.

Wherever and whenever you choose to set it a Colour Scene is Framed in the same way as any other Scene and the Framer should still pay attention to the three points outlined above. The Colour Scene should still be either driving the plot or (more likely) showcasing character growth. It should have a definite end point where it can be naturally cut away from. Finally it should try to be interesting and engaging for the players not involved in the Scene.

Just remember that the Scene has to matter. In the same way that roleplaying shopping trips in certain other RPGs when all you’re doing is shopping and you’re not using the opportunity to show some essential aspects of your character’s personality is boring (at least after the first time) so is a Colour Scene that exists for no other reason than the player wanted to use up their Colour Scene for the Session. Make it important. Make it revealing. Make the rest of the players around that table want to hear what happens next! If you can’t do that then stick to driving for Conflict instead.

Conflict Resolution

All right, so you’ve Framed a cool Scene with some added ideas from your friends around the table. You’ve roleplayed it through and now you’re reaching the end of the Scene. It’s all but played out and the impending Conflict that has been looming in the background since you first Framed the Scene is about to thrust itself to the front and demand resolution. How do you go about it?

Anarchy, unlike most traditional RPGs but like many other indie RPGs, uses a Conflict Resolution system rather than a Task Resolution system. What this boils down to at its core is that in Anarchy individual tasks don’t matter, it’s your overall goal that is important.

So what does that actually mean?

That means that the success or failure of your overall goal for the Scene is what is at stake, not each individual action that you may have to achieve to get there. I.e. if your goal is to place a bomb in a government installation and get out undetected you don’t have to make a bunch of sneak checks followed by an explosives expert check and then some more sneak checks, you just make a single (opposed) check to see if you achieve your goal or not. This means that when going into a Conflict you have to be very clear about what your goals actually are. That doesn’t sound too difficult but getting to the root of what the Conflict is about can actually be harder than it appears, especially if you’re used to Task Resolution systems.

Setting Stakes

This process of defining your goal for the Conflict, i.e. what you want out of it should you succeed, is called Setting Stakes and it is a very important concept to grasp for the purposes of playing Anarchy.

Once you have set your Stakes for the Conflict your opponent (all checks in Anarchy are opposed) must set their Stakes too. Your opponent may be another PC, an NPC handled by the GM or even some generic opposition that the GM places against you. In the latter case just think of it as the environment or circumstances opposing your attempt rather than a specific human opponent (be honest with yourself, how many times have you felt like you were in just such a position in real life in the past?)

Multiple Stakes in one Conflict

It is possible that a given Conflict may have more than one side to it, in which case everyone involved who is not helping someone else sets their own Stakes for the Conflict; winner takes all.

Once the Stake Setting has finished it is time to actually resolve the Conflict and bring the current Scene to a conclusion.

Resolving Conflicts... are there dice?

Yes, there are dice. Anarchy uses a Dice Pool system based around the humble d6 (that’s a standard six-sided die for the uninitiated). At its heart Conflict Resolution is quite simple. You and your opponent both roll your respective dice pools and count up the number of dice showing 4, 5 or 6. These count as Successes; highest number of Successes wins.

Ties go to the person with the highest die showing, if that’s a tie too look at the next highest die and so on. In the unlikely event that both participants have identically sized dice pools and roll identical dice then the person with the highest associated Attribute wins. If this still does not resolve the Conflict then I’m afraid that it’s time to burn your copy of Anarchy and throw in your lot with the corrupt forces of the British government. That or re-roll your Dice Pools.

You will need two different colours of d6s to represent the two different types of dice used in the game; Anarchy Dice and Order Dice.

Dice Pools?

Indeed, dice pools. To form your Dice Pool you first decide which of your Attributes the Conflict falls under: Body, Intellect or Wits. Each Attribute is assigned a separate pool of dice equal to its numerical value, i.e. someone with a Body of 3, Intellect of 4 and Wits of 3 would have 3 dice in their Body Attribute Pool, 4 in their Intellect Attribute Pool and 3 in their Wits Attribute Pool. The relevant Attribute then forms your Attribute Pool for that Conflict and will, initially, be composed entirely of Anarchy Dice, although that will likely change as the game progresses.

Once you have that Attribute Pool you can look at bringing in Traits and Relationships.

Bringing in Traits

Each Trait that you can manage to bring in to the Conflict gains you one die of a type dictated by the Trait. Anarchy Traits give you an Anarchy Die; Order Traits give you an Order Die. You may only ever bring one Anarchy Trait into a given Conflict but you can bring as many Order Traits in as you wish. You bring a Trait into a Conflict by coming up with a reason that the Trait is relevant to the Conflict that the GM and the other players agree with.

Bringing in Relationships

Relationships work in exactly the same way as Traits except that they may have more than one die assigned to them. Anarchy Relationships still provide Anarchy Dice and Order Relationships still provide Order Dice. There is no limit on the number of Relationships that you may bring into a given Conflict, assuming that the GM and the other players agree that they are relevant.

Bringing in Cell Connections

Cell Connections become relevant when multiple Cell members are participating in the same side of a Conflict. In that case only one member of the Cell, known as the Active Member, actually forms their dice pool and rolls for the Conflict. All other Cell members involved Aid the Active Member (usually the person whose Scene it is unless the players and GM agree that it makes more sense for one of the other PCs to be making the roll) in the Conflict.

They do this by donating dice from their relevant Attribute Pool (the Attribute Pool that is being used for the Conflict) equal to the Cell Connection value that the Active Member has assigned to them, NOT the Cell Connections value that they have assigned to the Active Member. All Cell members who Aid the Active Member in this manner will be subject to any negative Consequences generated by the Conflict (more on Consequences later on in this Chapter.) Also note that as the game progresses and the composition of player’s Attribute pools begins to flip from Anarchy Dice to Order Dice the dice donated via Cell Connections will change to reflect this, as they are taken directly from the Aiding character’s Attribute Pool.

Bringing in your Secret

Everyone has a Secret; the question is how far are they willing to go to keep it? Protecting his Secret should be a powerful drive for your character and to reflect this it has a powerful mechanical effect. Whenever you are directly protecting your Secret in a Conflict (as determined by the GM) you gain 3 extra dice to add to your Dice Pool. The type of dice is determined by your opponent in the Conflict. If your opponent is a GM controlled NPC then you gain Anarchy Dice. However, if your opponent is another PC then your gain Order Dice, even if you are part of a multi-sided Conflict involving an NPC as well as another PC. Whilst protecting yourself from the forces of the government may drive you to greater heights keeping things hidden from the rest your Cell at any cost can only lead to disaster.

What about your Limit?

Every character has a line they are unwilling to cross, some action they cannot conceive of taking. Unfortunately, there’s something they don’t tell you when you sign up to fight a totalitarian regime. To put yourself in a situation where the odds are stacked against you and the slightest mistake can lead to the death or capture of you or your friends or the exposure of your family to that world. A cause like that doesn’t respect people’s limits.

In any Conflict where you are required to break your Limit (called Crossing the Line) to succeed you have two options. You can either choose to bow out of the Conflict and concede defeat or you can Cross the Line and continue on. If you bow out you earn yourself a moral victory even whilst failing at your goal and can flip an Order Die in one of your Attribute Pools into an Anarchy Die. If you choose to Cross the Line and continue on you roll the Conflict as normal but must half all of your Attribute Pools (rounding down and losing Anarchy Dice before Order Dice) for your next Conflict as the implications of what you have done weigh heavy upon your mind.

So I have my Dice Pool, now what?

Roll it! Really, just roll it then count up your Successes. Make a note of how many Successes you get on Anarchy Dice and how many on Order Dice as this will be relevant for determining the Flavour of the Conflict. Your opponent rolls their Dice Pool and does the same and you compare Successes. Highest number of Successes wins.

Hang on, Flavour of the Conflict?

Ah yes, Flavour. As noted you begin with only Anarchy Dice in your Attribute Pools but bringing in Traits and Relationships (and later Cell Connections) can add both Anarchy Dice and Order Dice to your Pool. Not only that but it is very likely (unless your Conflict is with another PC) that your opponent in any given Conflict will have a Dice Pool composed mostly (or even entirely) of Order Dice.

Once the winner of a Conflict has been decided by comparing Successes the Flavour of the Conflict must also be determined. This is done by comparing the number of Successes on Anarchy Dice to the number of Successes on Order Dice; highest number of Successes dictates the Flavour of the Conflict. In the case of ties the Conflict is Order Flavoured because in the world of Anarchy, Order dominates.

Okay, so I know who won and what the Flavour of the Conflict is. What happens next?

Next whoever won the Conflict gets to narrate the outcome based on having won the Stakes that they declared at the beginning of the Conflict. They should also take into account the Flavour of the Conflict during the narration as if the Conflict was Order Flavoured that represents the authorities closing in on them in some way; despite their Success at achieve their stated goal. Essentially, though, they can narrate the manner in which their Stakes are achieved however they wish.

Consequences

Once this has been done, before you move on to Frame the next Scene, the Consequences of the Conflict must be noted down. There are two sets of Consequences to take account of as there are two ways that a Conflict is won; though Successes and Flavour.

Standard Consequences

If you won the Conflict (by rolling more Successes than your opponent) then you must choose one of the following (appropriate) options to apply to your character:

• Gain a new Anarchy Trait;
  
• Gain a new, 1 die, Anarchy Relationship;
  
• Increase an existing Anarchy Relationship by one;
  
• Increase the Attribute that you used in the Conflict by 1 for the next Conflict in which it is used;
  
• Temporarily convert one Order Trait that you didn’t use in the Conflict into an Anarchy Trait for the next Conflict in which it is used. This Trait follows the usual rules for bringing Order Traits into a Conflict; it is not limited by the usual Anarchy Trait restrictions.

If you lost the Conflict (by rolling fewer Successes than your opponent) then your opponent must choose one of the following (appropriate) options to apply to your character:

• Gain a new Order Trait;
  
• Gain a new, 1 die, Order Relationship;
  
• Increase an existing Order Relationship by one;
  
• Decrease the Attribute that you used in the Conflict by 1 for the next Conflict in which it is used;
  
• Temporarily convert one Anarchy Trait that you did use in the Conflict into an Order Trait for the next Conflict in which it is used. This Trait follows the usual rules for bringing Order Traits into a Conflict; it is not limited by the usual Anarchy Trait restrictions.

These Consequences for losing a Conflict are also applied to any PCs who Aided the Active Member in a Conflict where multiple PCs participated on the same side using Cell Connections to boost the Active Member’s Dice Pool.

Flavour Consequences

If the Conflict is Anarchy Flavoured then any PCs involved in the Conflict (including those who Aided the Active Member in a Conflict via Cell Connections) must convert one of the dice in their relevant Attribute Pool from an Order Die to an Anarchy Die. The relevant Attribute Pool is the Attribute Pool that they used for the Conflict. This cannot convert the final Order Die in a character’s Attribute Pool into an Anarchy Die; once the government has sight of you they never give up the trail. If the character has no Order Dice in that Attribute Pool then the Anarchy Flavour of the Conflict has no effect on them.

If the Conflict is Order Flavoured then any PCs involved in the Conflict (including those who Aided the Active Member in a Conflict via Cell Connections) must convert one of the dice in their relevant Attribute Pool from an Anarchy Die to an Order Die. The relevant Attribute Pool is the Attribute Pool that they used for the Conflict. If any of the PCs cannot do this (because all of their dice in that Attribute Pool are already Order Dice) then they must flip an Anarchy Die in one of their other Attribute Pools instead.

Crossing the Line Consequences

How many times now have you gone further than you thought possible? How many times have you Crossed the Line? Is there even a line there anymore? If you Cross the Line three times then it is assumed that your character has overcome his Limit and that it no longer applies to him. When this happens all other Cell Members must reduce their Cell Connection with you by one die to a minimum of zero. You are obviously committed to that Anarchist Movement but, when it comes down to it, can they really trust you not to sell them out if you think it will benefit the cause?

Cell Connections Consequences

If Cell Connections were used in the Conflict then they can be adjusted once the Conflict is over and any dice in the Attribute Pools have been flipped. If the Conflict was won (regardless of the Flavour of the Conflict) then you may increase any Cell Connections that you used in the Conflict by 1 to a maximum value of the other characters lowest Attribute. If the Conflict was lost (again regardless of the Flavour of the Conflict) then you must decrease any Cell Connections that you used in the Conflict by 1 to a minimum of zero.

The only way to regain a Cell Connection that has dropped to zero this way (or by a player Crossing the Line too many times) is to Aid them in a Conflict where they are the Active Member and win the Conflict. If that occurs then you may raise your Cell Connection to them to one. Note that this means that if your Cell Connection with a character drops to zero and their Cell Connection to you does so too neither of you can ever again raise your Cell Connections above that point. You have lost faith in each other to the point that it cannot be recovered.

Death by Order

If, when a player is required to flip an Anarchy Die in one of their Attribute Pools, it would flip their character’s final Anarchy Die into an Order Die the next Scene must be Framed by that character’s player and it must write them out of the game. The character has been killed, captured or otherwise taken out as the forces of Order have finally caught up to him. It is up to that character’s player to decide how that has happened and to narrate their character’s final Scene but it must unequivocally remove the character from the game in such a way that it is clear that the government’s agents have got to him. The Scene should not involve a Conflict of any kind; it is the only way that a player can have two Colour Scenes in a single Session.

When this happens all of the other Cell Members must flip one of their Anarchy Dice into an Order Die but it is their choice as to which Attribute Pool the flipped Die comes from. It is entirely possible for this to cause a chain reaction that will result in multiple Cell Members being taken out at once. This is completely intentional as it is often the case in the real world that when one member of a terrorist cell is rooted out the rest of the cell will swiftly follow.

Tags: anarchy