The Throne War:Resolution
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Non-Random Mechanics
A roleplaying game where characters have stats but no random element--no rolling for successes or to beat a difficulty--may seem counter-intuitive but, in a way, we've all been doing it since we started playing Storium! When we make a move and play a card on a challenge, we're describing our character's actions according to how we understand their abilities. We don't question whether Draega can hit something with a throwing knife, we know that the only reason he would miss is if there was an extenuating circumstance in-story--he's going up against a foe with vastly superior skills, for instance, or perhaps he's been poisoned and is fighting off a weakened state! In Storium, we narrate what our characters can do and what they're trying to accomplish, only narrating their success (or failure) once all the cards have been played.
Make your moves in The Throne War the same way you would in any Storium game, just without the cards. Your stats will tell you what your character can and can not do. When success is called into question--when you are fighting a closely matched foe, for instance--your choices in-game, i.e., your strategies, will help me, as narrator, decide who wins. I will make it obvious in my narration which direction a conflict is moving, allowing all parties involved the time to try different strategies and pull different tricks from their sleeves. In the end, though, the narrator is the final arbiter of the outcome of a conflict; no different than if a challenge in standard Storium was completed with a Neutral outcome.
Some Examples
Sanek is an ancient dragon warrior, Second Class in Prowess and Might but Olympian class in Fortitude and Ego. His foe, a Khaos-worshipping madman who is called, most often, simply "the Beast," is First Class in Might, Third Class in Fortitude and Olympian in the others. The Beast has tracked Sanek to his jungle temple with one goal: the destruction of his rival.
The Beast has no hope of sneaking up on Sanek--he knows he is greatly outclassed in Prowess, the ability to analyze and detect incoming threats, even subconsciously--and so, prideful as always, he marches out of the jungle into the courtyard and loudly invites Sanek to die. Sanek has seen the Beast fight first hand, and knows he is know match for the madman's strength--in hand to hand combat, he will lose--so he picks up his sword, a massive claymore that a mortal would barely be able to lift but is light as a rapier to him, and walks down to the courtyard to fight.
After unpleasantries are exchanged, the Beast lunges for Sanek's throat. Sanek fights cautiously, giving away ground as needed to keep the Beast at sword's-length away. He's counting on the nicks and cuts he deals to the Beast to begin adding up, hoping the blood loss will lead to him making a mistake and give up an advantage. The Beast charges in for a full attack, heedless of the danger, only trying to get his hands on Sanek. Something's not right... Sanek has scored a dozen hits on his opponent yet he hasn't slowed down; he's not even bleeding! Sanek realizes that the Beast has used Metamorphosis to give himself a thick, scaly hide on his arms and his chest; he couldn't see it, before, because of the Beast's clothes! Now he understands why the Beast rushed headlong! It would take a strong, decisive strike for Sanek to pierce the thick hide with his sword... and the Beast would welcome such an attack since it would allow him to get his hands on Sanek! A mad glee spreads across the Beast's face as he watches the realization dawn on the dragon warrior: if Sanek does not go on the offensive, it becomes a battle of attrition, and the Beast's Fortitude is much higher than Sanek's. But if Sanek goes on the offensive, he'll leave himself open to counterattack, giving the Beast an opportunity to grab him! Things are not looking good for the dragon warrior. He goes completely on the defensive, no longer worrying about trying to inflict injury, now he's just doing everything possible to keep the Beast back while he thinks of something. The Beast will not give him that opportunity, though; using Metamorphosis, he's slowly elongating his arms with each swing, soon the length of the sword will be irrelevant! Sanek's mind races; he's on his home turf, what could give him an advantage? Yes, that's it--the strangle vines! Animate, voracious vines that reach out to ensnare prey exist in this jungle; they won't stop the Beast, but they could impede him enough to give Sanek the opening he needs!
It's too late, though, he can't make it in time. If he had planned it from the beginning, it'd be different, but the Beast's arms are now long enough. He rushes Sanek, grabbing the warrior's arms--ignoring the cut he gains in return, he wrestles Sanek to the ground. Sanek is no weakling--the Beast can't simply snap his neck and be done with him--but, try as he might, Sanek can't escape, and he can't overpower the Beast. He can, however, still move, and he's strong enough to move the Beast, too. As the Beast chokes him towards unconsciousness, he starts rolling and the two of them tumble towards the vines--if they're both ensnared, he'll be able to get away!
The Beast may be mad, but he's not stupid; he sees what Sanek is doing and faces a choice: get tangled up in the vines and give his prey a chance to escape, or let go. He waits until the last possible moment and lets go... but he uses his superior strength to shove his foe ahead of him and his self away! Sanek is now trapped in the vines--though rapidly and angrily disentangling
