When I first started playing the new edition of WFRP, I pretty much ignored Party Tension after reading the rules for it. After all, I feel that if I have to use something that clumsy to manage my players, I should really hang up my spurs as a GM.

However, I've found that it can be used in some more creative ways to foster atmosphere.

So opposed to adding tension when players aren't paying attention, having side conversations, or start an in-character ruckus, which I feel either punishes good roleplaying or out-of-game behavior with in-game penalties (bad), I use it to measure the atmosphere within the game (similar to the storm track cards provided in The Gathering Storm).

So if the party is in a tight spot (imagine it's a horror film, and the ominous music starts along with the very close-in camera shots), I add a point of tension. I've found that it gives me an in-game effect in parallel to the atmosphere I'm spinning with my descriptions.

It also makes the players/characters tense - if I describe an ominous scene and notch up the tension track, they start looking around much more carefully in-game, almost like they've got a sense of foreboding or the hackles rising on their necks.

I've only recently started (sparingly) using it in that manner, but so far the results are positive!

Comments, thoughts, or improvements?

This is how I use the party tension meter as well. I agree that using it to punish bad play habits is a bad idea. Another thing that's happened is that players will sometimes snipe at one another in character and then raise the meter themselves. Or a player will explain that his character is particularly anxious or apprehensive due to the current circumstances and will also volunteer to raise the meter. As this usually goes hand in hand with some entertaining roleplaying, it's pretty common for me to throw a point or two in their fortune pool at the same time.

One idea is:

Encouraging roleplay tension go up when things happen that would legitimately increase tension among a group of comrades: someone gains a temporary insanity, anyone falls unconscious, party has to beat a retreat, someone fails in a situation they are expected to succeed in etc.

Then it go down when play demonstrates players "being characters" including having "refresh scenes" cf Dying Earth RPG (which at times has a vibe in character I find warhammery). One PC carouses and has a fine meal, another spends time debating at library, anothering at the bawdy house, etc. None of which is "off limits" to the GM, social encounters or nemesis actions.

Rob

We play it similar to this as well. I do not increment party tension for out of character actions or meta game things. I use it for in-game atmosphere. We also created a house rule that uses the mechanic (our only house rule thus far). It's related to firing into melee engagements that contain friendlies. Our rule states, firing onto melee engagements while in a Reckless stance causes party tension. I'm looking for more ways like this to use the party tension meter (similar to Wizards miscasting in Reckless stance).

Here's the rule for reference:

[Rule (House Rule)]

Firing into a melee engagement:
(Updated to take the card ‘Threading the Needle’ into consideration)

No one likes accidentally hitting a friendly in combat. While accurate, it's not a fun rule. But, you have to admit, it could be dangerous. Someone could lose an eye! One would assume that if one were firing into a melee that included friends, they would be very careful.

Conservative +[bB]: Firing into melee combat in a conservative state will cost one additional recharge to the action card used (due to the extra aiming time) and will incur a [bB] penalty. If the action has a zero recharge value, it will add 2 recharge tokens to the action card (essentially making it unusable for one turn as a recharge token is removed at the end of your turn). A miss is a miss unless the card states otherwise.

Reckless +[bB]: Firing into melee combat in a reckless state incurs a [bB] penalty to the shot. A miss is a miss unless the card states otherwise. Firing into a melee engagement in reckless stance will cause the party to gain 1 party tension.

It's "Wizards channeling in reckless stance", I think