Bluebooking

Please reread my notes on "how to" bluebook. My requests for subject line, and email address, etc... Below describes the process of Bluebooking. If you want to include another PLAYER please email the request BEFORE starting the bluebook conversations. I don't want any player to participate that doesn't want to, or doesn't have time. So get confirmation first.

Please include the GM (me) on ANY/EVERY email for bluebooking, including the initial request.

We can develop PRIVATE wiki posts for your Bluebooking once done.

Anyone interested can go ahead and start emailing me, please allow me 2-3 days minimum time to read/reply.

BLUEBOOK ROLEPLAYING

'Bluebooking' was first described by Aaron Allston in the Champions supplement "Strike Force". The 'blue book' in question is a standard (in the U.S.) blue book used to answer essay questions during exams. Instead of using it to figure out whether you passed or failed, the blue book was used for in-character dialogues, especially of the sort that many (presumably male) gamers might find uncomfortable.

Bluebooking describes short gaming sessions that do not involve the entire group, but which instead focus on the actions of one or a few characters.

Bluebooking is nothing more than writing out roleplaying and conversations between characters, rather than acting them out usually this takes place between game sessions these scenes could include:

• thoughts or plans the character is having
• private conversations with NPCs
• private conversations between other PCs
• past history (or future?!!) scenes
• questions to the GM
• etc...

Sometimes players feel uncomfortable acting out some scenes, or will want to keep some scenes private. We also use it to flesh out background events. Roleplaying character romances for example, can be very uncomfortable to do verbally in a game session setting, especially if there's a gender difference between the player/GM and the character. Admittedly modern e-mail can replace a lot of this type of interaction. This presents a perfect opportunity to use bluebooking. Bluebooking also has the advantage of permanence; you keep the written records of what went on, and can use them to create future scenarios.

I encourage players interested in bluebooking type activities to set up PBeM "side games" outside of the regular tabletop game, which could satisfy the desire for writing out solo character stuff without it eating up face-to-face game time.

Mostly for those that seem to have a lot of in game down time. This helps me keep track of everything that the players are trying to do by looking over their books. That is if the player is actually trying to accomplish something.

I've also found it useful for the GM to convey information to a player that he doesn't want the whole group to be aware of right away, such as when the PC has had his mind taken over or the like (for a player willing to roleplay such an event himself).

Blue booking also allows for roleplaying which is important to the character, but not for the troupe, or the main plot line. These could be personal investigations, interaction with the cast of characters around the character's secret ID (Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, Perry White, and Clark's neighbors when dealing with Superman), research activities, or even just introspective roleplaying. All of these things would bogg down a game if the player did them durring a session (in most cases), so by doing them via a bluebook (or scene journal, which is another name for them), allows the player to explore these areas without bogging down the game.

In short, the player writes out a play session of what their character does solo (or with the permission of another player) or with other characters. It should be in story format, but does not have to be. The GM reads over what is done and either approves it, approves it conditionally (needs changes), or denys that it could happen. Approved blue book entries become part of the campaign's continuity. Most GM's will award experience, luck, or some kind of reward for blue book activities.

Players with characters who have deep secrets will also be fertile fodder for blue booking. The occasional tactician will also use it to direct their investigations. It can add a great deal to a group campaign, when the characters also opperate solo most of the time "off camera".

It is not the "End all" of game tools, but it is a useful one in your gaming arsenal.

So how can we use it for MIDNIGHT?

Well any of the above are open. Any questions and details you wanna go over (some of you have had these conversations with me already - Andrew and Bill recently for example regarding Dragon-lore!)

Normally I do WANT to KEEP all "normal" email/questions/thought that CAN be shared with the group here on the Yahoo Club. I want to do that to avoid having to retell things. However for this idea, for this special circumstance of our LARGE group and the infrequent games I think it could work well... Especially with the holiday and surgery for me (typing ideas/RPing isn't hard when in rehab).

So... WHY do it??

• FUN!
• development and exploration of your character
• secrets and paranoia!
• xp (see below)

If this is something some folks want to do here are my thoughts for specifics...

EMAIL ADDRESS

Try to keep your email list solid, email me to/from whichever account you want it to be permanent. I'll be keeping a folder for each of you. Use my kevperrine@ yahoo.com account ONLY. I will not reply to others.

SUBJECT LINE

Potentially I'd be dealing with ALOT of bluebooking emails. Please USE the subject line well. For example, I'd like to see something like thess...

EXAMPLES
"SOUTH Chapter 4.1 - KYUAD: Researching Dragons" (in which Bill asks details about what he knows about dragons from his lorebook)

"SOUTH Chapter 4.1 - KYUAD & DURGAZ: Dragon-Lore" (in which Andrew initiates a role-played conversation between Durgaz and Kyuad about Dragons)

So...

• Campaign Group
• Chapter it takes place in
• Character(s) involved
• Your sub-title for the chapter
• then the email is the details

Make sense??

EXPERIENCE POINTS REWARDS!

If you do the role-playing/storytelling you deserve and WILL get xp for it! This will be rewarded in one sum following the next game in with your regular xp sum. (I'll be posting xp rewards on the wiki soon to show how I'll do it). Yes, this will make rewards differences if players choose NOT to bluebook. But I'm okay with that. It WILLNOT depend on HOW MUCH bluebooking you do. I'll give one xp sum, the same for everyone each chapter. So the first time it might be an extra +300 xp, next time it might be more/less. Depending on how the game's going.

OTHER REWARDS

Well, if the fun and extra xp isn't enough, I'm thinking about making a special "FATE" points for Bluebooking Players. I'll spell out what you can do with them clearly (later on the wiki) but generally they'll be used similar to the CONAN RPG system which is fair/cool but not overbalancing.

These Pyrrhic Points may (at first) seem odd or unbalanced for the MIDNIGHT setting. I feel that the time you give to adding to the story and your character's experience in effect INCREASES their "fate". So by doing the Bluebooking option you're actually getting a benefit unavaiable any other way. These points WILL be on top of extra xp for Bluebooking. The xp for Bluebooking will not be extremely significant but will/should add to your character in both ways in my humble opinion.

WHAT ARE PYRRHIC POINTS

A Pyrrhic Victory is a victory with devastating cost to the victor. These "points" are a narrative device enabling the players to bring creative input to bear in the game, beyond merely describing theri own actions and throwing the dice. With Pyrrhic Points, you, the players, can alter the game world in some may so as to benefit your character but with a cost attached. Pyrrhic Points are intended to offer you the chance to add to the story of your character, adapting the events around you or the circustances that befall you so as to improve the game and give hope to the grim world of Aryth, be it ever so slight.

You will recieve Pyrrhic Points ONLY through time given to "BLUEBOOKING" play, as described under Bluebooking. You will recieve one PP for the Bluebooked time between sessions.

These PP are extremely precious, since they can save your life. You can achieve this by opting to be "left for dead" rather than killed outright.

They have three other uses as well; but saving you life is definately the most crucial one, so it is recommended that you always keep one PP reserved for that purpose alone. Of course, the angle might be perfect for a "Mighty Blow" instead, eve if that leaves you desperately short of PPs but that is a decision for your hero to take. Magical resurrection is very scarce in possibilities, though it is achievable in interesting ways it is usually best to simply not die.

Your maximum number of PPs at any given time equals your level.

USING PYRRHIC POINTS

These are the standard uses for PPs:

Left for Dead [1 PP]

When death is emminent a player character may spend 1 PP to avoid being killed outright. You are instead "Left for Dead", the NPC or situation that did you in will assume you dead and continue with their plan of actions with this assumption until you alter this perception. A character who is left for dead appears dead to a casual examination, but will effectively be concious at 0 hit points able to do no strenuous actions until healed. Actions other than crawling/stumbling for help, etc... render the character back to the condition prior to spending the Pyrrhic Point, and may not spend another Left for Dead PP at that time.
Pyrrhic reprecussion: You will choose a "mark" of some sort. This will have an in-game rule function drawback equivalent to a -2 or a drawback of some sort. Discuss this mark with the GM privately for approval/suggestions.

Mighty Blow [1 PP]

Rather than rolling the damage dice on any successful hit or damaging magical attack of some kind you can elect to declare a mighty Blow, at the cost of 1 PP. A Mighty Blow deals the maximum possibly damage. This includes any bonus damage, such as that rolled for sneak attacks. A primitive or standard quality weapons always break irreparably when used to deliver a Mighty Blow. Even masterwork or magical weapons used to deliever a Mighty Blow has a 50% chance of snapping in two, though if it does it will usually be possible to use the broken pieces as some sort of improvised weapon. It is not completely destroyed and may be reforged. A Covenant Item used in this manner has even greater effect - focusing the power within to charge the attack with the power of a full Critical Strike (although you must roll to confirm). Because of this power the Covenant Iterm has a 25% chance to break and may be reforged by exalted effort (left to the GM).
Pyrrhic reprecussion: Losing the benefit of your weapon is one reprecussion. If a magic item or Covenant Item is used in this manner the effect is to be determined by the GM based on the situation. It could be anything from explosive results to a curse lashed back on the attacker. If magic/spells are used in this manner the magic or spell in question has a 50% chance to be more difficult to enact for the next 24 hours. Effectively treated as if a Red Mirror is working against you.

CANCEL FATIGUE EFFECTS: [1 PP]

Anytime you would suffer non-magical tiring or fatigue effects you can spend a PP to ignore the effects until the end of the scene you're in. This effect allows you to muster the courage and energy to keep fighting when your body wants you to stop.
Pyrrhic reprecussion: Your effort was immense, the next time you rest and eat you need to double your normal needs for both rest and food/water. For each additional day you push through, your needs are doubled. Normal limits for food and water apply, if you go without food/water for too long you'll die following your push.

SURGE: [1-2 PP]

Gain an additional non-attack action, anytime during your initiative. Using this action does not change you place in the initiative order. You can use a Surge to complete a full round action in conjunction with your normal actions for the round.
[2 PP] For two Pyrrhic Points you can Surge at ANY time during the round.
Pyrrhic reprecussion: On the following round you must make a Fortitude Save DC10 + your level. If you fail you are DAZED for that round. You may not use PP while Dazed.

WILL TO POWER: [2 PP]

Gain an immediate additional saving throw from lasting effects such as Mind Controls, Paralysis, Stunning Effects, etc...
Pyrrhic reprecussion: The concentration of will to overcome the lasting effects has focused your mind away from Defensive needs. Your Base Defense is reduced -2 for the duration of the scene.

DESTINY: [1-3 PP]

You can at any time spend PPs, with the agreement of the GM, to alter the world in some way. Essentially, this allows you the player to have some input into the story, over and above the actions of your character. This change must be one that is plausible, minor and not overwhelmingly beneficial to the player characters, including hints and GM suggestions or insight. It may well assist them to accomplish their goals but they must still accomplish those goals by their own strength and wits, not simply by spending Pyyhric Points! Another option for this use of PP is to alter your own character in some minor way, by revealing a new facet of their past. Uses of Destiny Pyyhric Points are more likely to be accepted if plausibly related to a character's own future destiny, as relected by their goals.
Pyrrhic reprecussion: The GM determines how many PP the effect should be worth. The GM also determines a counter effect that will happen regarding your destiny alteration. This may or may not come into effect immediately.

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Midnight: North & South Portal