Wise Turtle Publishing

After reading games like Spirit of the Century I've been debating on and off giving the Player more creative control in a game. The way this would be handled is Declarations.

Essentially, a character can spend Endurance for the opportunity to declare something about the world. They roll with Abilities they think are appropriate, and if they succeed against a DN set by the GM, whatever they declare comes to be.

Random example: Characters are caught out in the wilderness and a violent rainstorm settles in. A Ranger character declares, "I think there is a cave to take refuge in around here." He spends some Endurance and rolls 5 Dice (2 dice default and, say, +3 Knowledge:Wilderness Lore), getting an 8. Game Master set a 6 DN for the declaration, reasoning it's not an unreasonable assumption, and the party finds a cave.

Of course, I'm not entirely sure this is really necessary. The Player, under the current rules, could just say "I look around for a cave," the GM sets a difficulty, and everybody go from there.

Of course, making Declarations like "There's some damning evidence in those documents, I know it!" are a different matter entirely, and perhaps too powerful.

What do you guys think? Good idea? Bad idea?

I'm not entirely sure that its needed. As you say, existing rules handle this sort of stuff well already.

A few games I play have the ability to spend points (In Unisystem its Drama Points, in M&M Hero Points) for plot twists. Basically the "I'm stuck and need a little help here". In both cases, no roll is necessary. If the GM thinks that the "twist" is reasonable it happens, if not, the player gets the spent points back.

BESM 3rd edition has a similar optional rule where a player can spend 50 Energy Points and change or alter the plot, retelling it from a new perspective. I don't believe that it's necessary. I think that it's a matter of play style. Some GMs like open-ended games with loose plots, and others prefer more structured stories. I don't believe it has anything to do with anime? I say that if you like plot manipulation by the players, then include it as an optional rule in either the Game Mechanics or GM's Section of the book.

Like the general idea giving players more...control over a setting, kind of including them into the story as helping to shape it over just reacting to what the GM tells them is there. I agree its a matter of playstyle.

I think Buffy the Vampire Slayer rpg did something like actual plot changes by players. Never played it, but I remember reading a review where certain characters could spend points to add/change plot details.

That being said - I'm wary of introducing mechanics solely for that purpose or spending resources which would make creative expression just a function of rules. Closest thing I use is 'luck' ability or call it whatever you like - which is open to much creative interpretation when it works. If someone needs a water well to kick that electricity spewing monster into to short circuit it, but the GM didn't expressly say there was one - roll that luck. Depending on the success - maybe there is a well if you rolled high; or if you rolled low maybe you just find a bucket of water; or if rolled even lower, nothing but a damp mud puddle in the area.

Some players won't ever like spending resources to alter plot though cause it's hard to show consistently what you get for what you spend.

*nod* Again thanks everyone. I generally get cold feet with meta-gaming, and these are a lot of the reasons why. I think I'll leave this sort of thing to GM house-ruling.

Rolling it into Luck is pretty interesting though...I'll have to think about it.