Post by gamedave on Nov 20, 2019 12:04:55 GMT -5
Icon Relationships are an element of the 13th Age RPG that I really liked the idea of, but not so much the implementation. I'm experimenting with it in this campaign, but, like the 13th Age Dragon Empire setting itself, it's kinda fuzzy evocative and ill-defined allusive.
The basic idea is that it gives players a mechanical way to help shape the narrative and the world. Ideally, a player will use an Icon Relationship to establish new facts about the world, their character, and how they relate to the Icon. Icon Relationships shouldn't give straight game mechanical advantages ("I get +2 to hit enemies of the Crusader!"). What they should do is give players and their characters additional knowledge, insight, and options.
I'd really like to encourage players to be pro-active in using their Icon Relationships, but I understand that it's hard to figure out exactly when and how to use them. Here are some worked examples:
The Heroes are currently facing an invisible guardian spirit in the Dragon Barrow after retrieving a dragon-slaying sword used to slay a powerful green dragon in the last Age. But that's all we really know about that spirit. I, as the DM, have some ideas of what it is and how it will act, but since they haven't appeared "on-screen" yet, this is an opportunity for a player to use an Icon Relationship.
Jeff could use Jin/Ryu/Zen's Shadow Prince Relationship to establish some facts about tomb guardian spirits, and perhaps some tricks that agents of the Shadow Prince use when dealing with them ("We can't see you, but now you can't see us!")...
Julie could use Nyx's Relationship with the Three to establish that this is a fragment of the spirit of the green dragon slain by the blade. That would mean it would be implacably hostile and would do everything it could to slay Nyx and prevent the blade from leaving the tomb, but it would also mean that the spirit would have the "Dragon" type, and Nyx is now wielding a Dragon Slayer blade...
Chrystal could use Kylar's Relationship with the Great Gold Wyrm to establish that the spirit is a fragment of a dream of a dragon - maybe even the Great Gold Wyrm himself. That might give the characters a chance to negotiate peacefully with the spirit - and if that fails, it would at least have the "Dragon" type (see above)...
Nick could use Malcor's Relationship with the Lich King to establish that this is a hostile undead spirit that has opportunistically taken up residence in the Barrow, like the Will-o'-the-Wisps. This would, again, mean an implacably hostile encounter, but it would also establish that the spirit has the "Undead" type, which could allow Malcor to use some cool necromantic magic and/or Turn Undead...
Movie Dave could use Fragor's Relationship with the Priestess to establish that the spirit is a holy spirit from the Overworld. This might allow for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, or at least give Fragor some insight into the spirit's strengths and weaknesses...
Or someone might have an even cooler idea...
And, of course, no one needs to use their Icon Relationship at all. But, with five players, on average, there could be at least one use of an Icon Relationship per hour, so most major encounters could have one.
The basic idea is that it gives players a mechanical way to help shape the narrative and the world. Ideally, a player will use an Icon Relationship to establish new facts about the world, their character, and how they relate to the Icon. Icon Relationships shouldn't give straight game mechanical advantages ("I get +2 to hit enemies of the Crusader!"). What they should do is give players and their characters additional knowledge, insight, and options.
I'd really like to encourage players to be pro-active in using their Icon Relationships, but I understand that it's hard to figure out exactly when and how to use them. Here are some worked examples:
The Heroes are currently facing an invisible guardian spirit in the Dragon Barrow after retrieving a dragon-slaying sword used to slay a powerful green dragon in the last Age. But that's all we really know about that spirit. I, as the DM, have some ideas of what it is and how it will act, but since they haven't appeared "on-screen" yet, this is an opportunity for a player to use an Icon Relationship.
Jeff could use Jin/Ryu/Zen's Shadow Prince Relationship to establish some facts about tomb guardian spirits, and perhaps some tricks that agents of the Shadow Prince use when dealing with them ("We can't see you, but now you can't see us!")...
Julie could use Nyx's Relationship with the Three to establish that this is a fragment of the spirit of the green dragon slain by the blade. That would mean it would be implacably hostile and would do everything it could to slay Nyx and prevent the blade from leaving the tomb, but it would also mean that the spirit would have the "Dragon" type, and Nyx is now wielding a Dragon Slayer blade...
Chrystal could use Kylar's Relationship with the Great Gold Wyrm to establish that the spirit is a fragment of a dream of a dragon - maybe even the Great Gold Wyrm himself. That might give the characters a chance to negotiate peacefully with the spirit - and if that fails, it would at least have the "Dragon" type (see above)...
Nick could use Malcor's Relationship with the Lich King to establish that this is a hostile undead spirit that has opportunistically taken up residence in the Barrow, like the Will-o'-the-Wisps. This would, again, mean an implacably hostile encounter, but it would also establish that the spirit has the "Undead" type, which could allow Malcor to use some cool necromantic magic and/or Turn Undead...
Movie Dave could use Fragor's Relationship with the Priestess to establish that the spirit is a holy spirit from the Overworld. This might allow for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, or at least give Fragor some insight into the spirit's strengths and weaknesses...
Or someone might have an even cooler idea...
And, of course, no one needs to use their Icon Relationship at all. But, with five players, on average, there could be at least one use of an Icon Relationship per hour, so most major encounters could have one.