Just throwing this idea out there, but wouldn't the Party Card be better suited if it was more like a Character Record Sheet and less like a Career Card?

If you think about it, the dynamics of a party/group of PCs are WAY more malleable than what a party sheet allows. In a given session, my group's PCs can go from acting like Servants of Justice, to Mercenaries for Hire depending upon the circumstances. Making a Party Sheet more like a Character Record Sheet (a pad of blank and fillable sheets), would allow for the party's options to change depending upon the story. It could also expand what such a sheet could be used for. In addition to the current options afforded by the Party Card (Tension Meter, Talent Slots, Special Abilities), we could include a place to list the Party's speed when traveling as a group, their food and water reserves, the group's combined wealth/or the group's "group fund" if they have one. We could also include a place to list important locations visited, bonuses to particular types of terrain (is your party consisted primarily of Dwarves? Bonus to mountaineering!) and perhaps even stats for mounts, pack animals, and hirelings/or at least a slot to plug their cards into.

This could all be implemented with relative ease and without having to alter any of the core rules as well. What do you think?

I smell a good article for Liber Fanatica…

jh

I've always swapped out the party sheet based on their activity/missions.

Emirikol said:

Do you think there would be any interest from the Liber Fantatica folks if I drew up a prototype sheet?

HedgeWizard said:

Excellent idea. However, I feel the limited number of Party Cards available make this a limited option. A fillable Party Record Sheet would allow for more detail and a way for player's to look back at where they've been, what they've accomplished, how they're doing as a group (food/water/wealth/fame/etc) overall.

I find my players using a lot of scrap paper at the table to take notes about locations and important NPCs and the like. The bits of scrap tend to get lost or forgotten about though. I feel that having a dedicated place to track such things will help the players, and my as a GM, to better organize these types of information.

Probably. If you're in the Inner Sanctum forums, propose it there for episode 10.

jh

GoblynKing said:

Well, either if it is material for LB or not, it is an excellent idea; and I am very much interested in something like this. Although, it seems like a bit of work. What would you have in mind for the tension meter effects and the party abilities? Something modular, that you can attach and change like talents? Would you gather the abilites as in-game rewards or would you buy it with exp?

Yepesnopes said:

I was thinking of making things like Tension Meter results and Party Special Abilities fillable blank lines or areas on the Party Record Sheet - or - if this ends up being a template in Strange Eons, it could either be a blank fillable line or a slot for mini-cards, depending upon the play style of the group. This would allow for as you said, a more modular approach to Party Sheets. I'll put up a rough sketch of my ideas later this afternoon.

But I'm thinking a combination of random tables/lists (of Special Abilities and Tension Meter triggers) for those that prefer a more old-school pen and paper approach, AND a selection of printable cards for those that prefer a more modern style of play.

Question, should things like food/water, speed (for travel), and reputation be tracked with a set of built in trackers, or should they just be a number that is erased/changed depending upon the circumstances? OR should there be the option for both?

Also, should there be a space for listing follower/hirlings and their stats?

Overall, how dependant upon tokens and cards do we want to make this thing? I'm thinking much less dependant than other components, since it's something that will change slowly over the course of several games, and even serve as a sort of campaign journal, places visited, important contacts, etc…

Great ideas here!

I've also been noodling allowing the PCs to create their own party sheet(s) as a group. i.e. come up with a group theme, and we'll collectively sort out the details/abilities/traits for the card.

I've stated elsewhere, too, that I've changed the way all party tension works - instead of triggering a somewhat arbitrary effect, it triggers group stress/fatigue. Once party stress = x, I place a Permanent Stress on the card. Everyone gains 1 stress that cannot be cleared without significant/purposeful rest. I do the same with fatigue based on travel/fighting, etc.

So instead of dealing out 1 W or whatever, I add group Stress or Fatigue, or I disable the ability to attach party traits. The party type also influences reputation checks and social dealings accordingly.

I like the idea. Not so much the switching out of party "type" but for the tracking of party goods, notes, etc.