RP:PRP
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PRPs
Player Run Plots are fun ways to get involved in the game and get your fellow players who may be a little vampire-shy out to face challenges they normally wouldn't bother with. They provide entertainment with one shot plots and character growth and development with longer runner arcs. They don't need to contain combat, but are perfect for those times when you have a group of people that just want to get out there and stake vampires! With the hope that more people will seek to become a PGM, we have tried to make the PrP system as friendly and stress-free as possible.
Rules
- PRPs may only be run by approved PGMs.
- PRPs may have any level of difficulty.
- PRPs may not make use of rule adaptations. They must function according to the standard rules, in addition to any house rules or changes.
- PRPs may be run for extended periods, or multiple events. Like a subplot on the show, your plot may be about the personal development of other PCs, or maybe you just want your fellow players to kill vampires. If you want them to take a trip around the world, you are more than welcome. Just make sure they are aware of their character's downtime.
- PRPs may contain certain elements of magical items, but are not useable outside the confines of your plot. So forget about bringing your Sun Blade of Vampire Horror to the next staff run scene. Remember, that item's dangerous and needs to be destroyed!
Scope of a PRP
Much of this is common sense, Staff need to be aware of intended alterations to the game just from a theme perspective. Nine times out of ten the pitch will be approved no problem and that tenth time? We'll work with you to tweak it into something that can be run. The idea here isn't to limit creativity or put a stranglehold on PGMs, just to make sure everyone's on the same page.
If a PGM would like to run something that deals with either a PC's background or would like to run something that uses a certain aspect of theme, we request that they +pitch the idea so that it can be checked against any current staff plots or future plans for both the grid and PCs.
The following are some examples of plot elements that must be +pitched and approved before being run:
- Big aspects of theme (i.e. the four families, the Black Hounds, Slayers, Gods, etc.)
- Plots dealing with PC backgrounds or quality buys/drawback buyoffs.
- Use of excessively powerful beings (ie a Vampire Master) well beyond the capabilities of players in a scene to survive an encounter with.
Not sure if your big epic plot idea needs to be pitched? Just page a staffer, we'll be more than happy to let you know right then and there.
What Qualifies As a PRP?
A PRP is a scene guided by a PGM (Player Game Master) in which a character attempts to overcome a PGM instituted challenge. These scenes can only be run by a PGM. Staff can award XP and Drama to PGMs and players for their participation in these scenes. They must succeed via use of their skills and abilities or else be blocked from progressing in what they are attempting to do. There must be a consequence of failure that is something seriously detrimental to them /in the scene/. There must be a present /threat/. While this is not necessarily combat, it is also not something like simple threat-less research or putting on a performance. If there is a present threat that must be resolved IN THAT SCENE, it qualifies as a PRP. If there is not a threat being resolved in that scene it falls under one of the other Devilshire MUX scene types.
Some elements which automatically qualify a scene for PRP status are:
- Combat with NPCs. (Vampires attack!)
- A life threatening situation for PCs which is resolved in that scene. (i.e. The room they are locked in is filling with a deadly gas and they have to figure out a riddle for the door to open and free them).
- Overcoming an immediately threatening or progress-barring obstacle by use of skills and abilities. (Breaking into a business and avoiding security measures to crack a safe to steal the cursed item from it that threatens cursing the whole city without getting caught.)
- A situation during which failure has an immediate seriously detrimental affect on a PC. (Talking down a crazy guy with a bomb strapped to them so they don't blow themselves, and the PCs up).
For more examples of different scenes see Examples.
PGMs
PGMs are people who have been approved to run PRPs. They should have at least some familiarity with the Buffy system rules and Devilshire house rules. Please note that PGM status is not granted so that you can run awesome plots for your own PCs, in fact you strictly cannot do this. You should seek PGM status if you have interesting stories to tell that other people would enjoy taking part in. If you involve your own PC in a PrP that you run, you will receive only .5 XP for it instead of the usual amount.
If you are interested in becoming a PGM, please submit a +pitch request with just a basic outline of the scene you would like to run for your PGM test (i.e. Takes place in Pocket Bay Park, I'd like 4-5 PCs to show up and it will be a standard vampire attacks scenario) and what times you are available. A staffer will reply and be there during the scene in case you have any questions or to help out with the rolls and rules.
To see a list of who is currently approved as a PGM, type +pgm.
PGM Tools
+loud message -- This command acts like an @wall for Wizards and allows a PGM to shout to the entire game that a scene is about to start.
+pgminfo playername -- This command allows PGMs limited access to a person's sheet so that they can know Life Points, damage reducing/increasing qualities, number of actions, initiative, etc--all the things that would be helpful to a PGM when trying to balance and run a scene. We will likely be tweaking this a little, but even now it's a great tool to use.
Death Consent
Unless given prior approval through the use of the +pitch command, PRPs are not death consent.This policy is meant to lessen the stress on PGMs and the PCs contributing to them. Since PrPs are worth less XP than staff run scenes, it only makes sense that the threat level also be lessened. This allows people who do not play combat heavy PCs to get involved without constantly worrying that they will be killed horribly, and it takes pressure off of the PGM in a system where balancing a scene can be like throwing a dart at a board that only has two circles: Walk in the Park or Total Party Kill. PGMs please note that this does not mean your scenes are any less 'important' or that they will require any less skill to put together. If Ulgar the Troll knocks all the PCs in the scene unconscious, you are still going to have to think a way out of that. Likewise, players should keep it in the back of their minds that their PCs don't know they won't be killed. That knockout hit at the end could just as likely have gone through their skull, so be mindful of this when reacting to PRPs.
Pitching a Death Consent Scene
PGMs also have the option of putting in a +pitch request for a Death Consent scene. All staff needs is a brief synopsis of what is going to be run. For example: 'I would like to run a scene where vampires attack in the cemetery and death is a real threat so this fight is going to be a dangerous challenge' or 'I would like to run the finale to my ongoing plot that so far hasn't been death consent but I feel like the stakes should be higher at the end'. A +event will then be put up on the events board with Death Consent listed so that those signing up know and are agreeing that their PC could meet an untimely and/or heroic death. These Death Consent scenes will be worth 1.5 XP -- an increase over regular PrPs as the threat has increased. Also remember that just because a scene IS Death Consent it does not mean that someone is definitely going to die, just that there is a very real threat of PC loss should the dice not be in your favor.
If They Can't Die, What Happens if They Lose?
In any non-DC PRP, if a PC gets close enough to death that previously the PGM would have been in a panic trying to figure out how to not kill them, in this case they are simply knocked unconscious. It is assumed that no matter how low they get, the players will make their survival checks. A note to PGMs, this doesn't mean go crazy with the damage. You'll still get to figure out how the group survived if you manage to do a total party wipe. Players need to remember that their characters don't know that they aren't going to die.
Drama Point Awards for PrPs
PGMs have the opportunity to award drama points to the participating players at the conclusion of a PrP by putting in a request with staff. Drama reward for a PRP works as such: 1 DP for the first three participants, .5 DP for every participant over. It will be up to the PGM to elect how these drama points are awarded. If a PGM runs a scene with four PCs in it the PGM has 1.5 DP to divvy up among those players in any way they see fit (.3 for one person, .2 for another, 1 for another, etc.) If a PGM runs a scene with 6 people, they have 2.5 DP to divvy up. This drama reward should be submitted with a +rec giving the name of the plot, a link to the log and the way you, as the PGM, would want the drama split up. Aside from this, PGMs cannot +rec people in their own plots for further drama. In an instance where there are fewer than three players, drama will not be rewarded. Please note that PGMs do NOT count towards the player total even if their PC participates in the scene.
No drama points will be awarded unless the PGM submits the request.
