The Pool
From StoryCodex
Contents |
[edit] Author
James V. West
[edit] Pitch
The Pool is a role-playing system geared toward player and GM narrative collaboration. You can use it for any setting you like.
[edit] Summary
Character Creation: To make a character, just write a 50-word story and pick traits from it (similar to HeroQuest.) Assign bonuses to important traits, in the form of dice from a 15-dice initial pool. Bonuses increase the effectiveness of traits during play. You do not have to assign a Bonus to every Trait. Leave some dice in your Pool, at least 3 or 4.
Challenges: Dice are cast to determine the general outcome of conflicts. Anyone can call for a die roll whenever a conflict is apparent or when someone wants to introduce a new conflict. Just broadly state your intention and roll. To win a die roll, roll a 1 on any of the dice you cast. Ignore any other results. If you don’t roll a 1, you fail the roll. When you roll, the GM will provide 1-3 GM dice to add to the throw. If you can show an obvious connection between your intention and one of your character’s Traits, you can add Bonus dice to your roll if that Trait has a Bonus. In addition, you can gamble up to 9 dice from your Pool. Adding dice to your roll greatly increases your chances of getting a 1. But if you fail a roll you lose all the dice you gambled. A bad throw can instantly reduce your Pool to nothing.
Success and Failure: When you roll successfully, you have two options: add a die to your Pool, or make a Monologue of Victory. If you chose to add a die to your Pool then the GM will narrate a positive outcome to the conflict, but he will do so any way he chooses. Making a Monologue of Victory (or MOV) is the only way to ensure that the conflict results in what you want. If you fail a die roll, you will lose any dice you gambled, and the GM will narrate an outcome that is not what you intended.
Advancement: At the end of each session, you may add up to 15 new words to your character’s story, as new lines or additions to old lines. You can also save them until the end of the next session and then write a total of 30 new words. You may add new Traits when you choose. You may add or increase Bonuses to Traits anytime you wish the same way you did when you created your character.
[edit] Play Reports
- Actual Play: The Puddle (a variant of The Pool) - RPG.net
[edit] Reviews
- Making A Splash - RPG.net column by Tim Denee
[edit] Resources
- Official Site - The Pool rules are available free.
- Pool Variations
- Random Order Creation - The old Pool forum on The Forge
- Court of the Dragon Emperor - a campaign using The Pool and the Chinese zodiac
Categories: Dice | GM | Bidding | Free
