Technoir: A Gamers Perspective
So far, I’ve GMd three successful games of Technoir, and played in half a successful game. It was half successful because we got characters done, and through about half of the first adventure before technology decided to cut us off from each other. Oh well.
In any case, I’ve had more experience with Technoir in the past month or so than I have with almost any other game (heck, we’ve had to call off some of our weekly Dresden Files games), so I figured I’d give my overall reactions from both sides of the “screen.”
Character Generation
Chargen goes fairly quick, even with those who are not familiar with the game. Choose three training programs, and you’re half done! The programs have evocative names that help you figure out what kind of skills they should have, and the list of possible adjectives are a nice bonus.
However, don’t let the program names back you into a corner. Just because the program is called escort doesn’t mean you have to be an escort. All it means is that you get a +1 to coax, move, and treat. Those three verbs could just as easily be for a nurse (good bedside manners, gets what is needed STAT, and can preform basic medical procedures). See? Not an escort at all!
Training programs != Class
Buying Stuff
This is where the most time is taken. “Stuff” is always fun to buy, and is a good way to differentiate your characters. The animé buff will always pick the katana, while the gun-nut will pile on the kewl gunz (yeah yeah, I know, stereotyping).
Personally, I like the simplicity of the money system in Technoir. The unit of currency is the Kred, and you start with 10. Each thing you want to buy costs 1 kred per tag (+10 if it’s a vehicle). Tags are key words that you can, well, tag to increase your die pool†. This keeps beancounting to a minimum, since it doesn’t split hairs between model-X pistol and model-Y pistol that are the same thing by different manufacturers and different prices.
However, since you only start with 10 kreds, you probably will need to call in some favours to get more cash or cheaper gear.
Favours
I’m just going to say it: CALL IN FAVOURS DURING CHARACTER CREATION. If you’re using a transmission, each time you call in a favour, the plot map gets bigger. This is really helpful during character creation, because it helps define the plot.
Plot maps are, basically, started with 3 nodes from the transmission. Each time you call upon a favour, you add that contact to the map. If you use one contact twice (the max during chargen), they are connected to the plot somehow.
Another good reason for calling in favours is build relationships and give you reason to adventure. If you have all the stuff you want, why are you risking life and limb? Get in debt, buy a stolen car, find out the doc who spliced your cyber-eyes is working for “the enemy!” Remember, adding to the plot map makes things more personal, adds to the back-alley dealing, and the back-stabbing.
If you’re in debt to someone, you’re more likely to take on big jobs to pay off said debt. If you have a relationship with someone, you’re more likely to assist them.
Push Dice
Probably one of the hardest things that most new players have grokking is the push dice economy. I’ll try to break it down, but I have a feeling that I’m going to be doing a whole post on it later.
Push dice are your ability to change the fiction via tags and adjectives. You start with all three of your push dice charged, and ready to use. You may add a push die to one of your rolls. If you want, you may spend a push die by giving it to the GM to increase the severity/longevity of an adjective you inflicted.
If you don’t spend the push dice in your roll, they become discharged until the beginning of your next turn. During other peoples turns, you may discharge a push die by using an items tag to increase your defense rating for that one attack.
So your push dice have two states: charged and discharged. They may also be spent by giving them to the GM. However, once spent they are no longer yours, so I don’t count that as a state. Note that this works both ways, if the GM spends a push die, it goes to the person it was used against.
Another neat thing about push dice is they are akin to “XP.” When someone spends a push die to inflict a severe negative adjective on you, you get a chance to increase your verbs (“skills”)!
As you can see, the more you get beat up, the more narrative power you wield. The more you beat up others, the less narrative power you have.
But what if you spent all your push dice and want them back for the big showdown? You can take a scene and reset them. All you have to do is play out a scene with someone you have a relationship with, and play out that relationship. Voilà, you get your 3 push dice back.
Parting Words
If you take nothing else from my post, take the following two pieces of info:
- Call in favours during character creation - complicated plots are more fun
- Spend those push dice - beaten & battered means advancement
†If you want to know more, checkout www.technoirrpg.com and download the beta!
