Despair - A Hope hack for One-Shot games

[Garn!]

First I think defining what exactly is meant by the term "one-shot" is necessary. Are you talking about a 3.5 hour session at a gaming convention? Or that you've got some people willing to play several gaming sessions, to complete a single adventure, in order to try out TOR? These are substantially different "one-shots".

If a convention one-shot, I would think 1-3 points per character with no means of replenishing Hope.

If you're considering an adventure session, then starting with Heart Rating is reasonable; replenishing Hope should still be possible, but unlikely. It really depends on just how many gaming sessions you think you might end up playing to complete the adventure. Ultimately I think 3-7 is about right for an adventure one-shot regardless of the number of gaming sessions are involved (note in this case replenishing Hope is already included in the total).

You might also want to +1/-1 depending on whether you've got neophytes who've never played an RPG before, or experienced role players. Also, whether they know TOR's game mechanics specifically, regardless of other gaming experience. In either case, more familiarity = fewer points.

[fbnaulin]

For One-Shots I give them 1 point of Hope for every 5 they have in their total score. And Fellowship Pool works as usual. If, I presume they will be exposing themselves to corruption, I give them 1 more as a base.

This way I don't have everyone Miserable at the end of the adventure, but they can feel the pressure of the Shadow. And, they don't burn Hope as crazy, in wich case the game would feel very easy.

[skywalker]

Why not just start the game where each character has a severely reduced amount of Hope?

You could do that, and I have done It works OK but it tends to fail to respect the subtle differences of PC's existing advantages (generated by combination of factors such as Background, Heart etc).

For example, the Pregens have a spread 10 to 17 IIRC. If you take a linear reduction (1-8) it just doesn't work. A proportionate reduction is better but tends to clump PCs together. If you give 1 for every 5, then everyone has either 2 or 3 Hope, and blurs away the Hope advantage of the Bride and the Hope disadvantage of Beli.

Also, even at 3 Hope, you get higher Hope spending than you get in a long term game and no translation of that feeling of danger you get when you spend any Hope over the Fellowship pool in a long term game.

Instead, I wanted a way that would respect the advantages of the PCs, translate that feeling of danger of over-spending Hope without preventing such a thing, and condense the entire Hope resource management into a single session (including the possibility of some of the more serious consequences).

Thanks for all the input though.

[Stormcrow]

Most of the examples in the book of spending Hope don't seem to be trying to encourage a sense of increasing danger. I believe the use of Hope is something to be careful about, but not to agonize over, until you've overspent for a while.

In other words, most of the time the act of spending Hope should feel like "Hmm... okay" rather than "Oh no! Whadamigonnado?!" It should only feel like the latter when you've been involved in extremely difficult adventures for a while.

[Rich H]

In other words, most of the time the act of spending Hope should feel like "Hmm... okay" rather than "Oh no! Whadamigonnado?!" It should only feel like the latter when you've been involved in extremely difficult adventures for a while.

I'd agree with that, it's certainly how my campaign has gone so far.

[skywalker]

I agree that in a long term game the danger of Hope expenditure is often a distant threat, so distant as not to seem a dange at all. However, as Hope hardly replenishes, over spending in one session comes with an almost certain knowledge that it will come to bite you down the line at some stage. I personally think this is an important aspect, if a subtle one, of the Hope mechanic, which bore out in my considerable experience in long term play.

FWIW I am not really looking to argue my general philosophy here. That aspect of the hack I am more than happy with. I am more looking for feedback on the mechanics themselves. They seem to work well in practice but was wondering if I was missing something.

[Robin Smallburrow]

What I have found works for one shot or convention style games (three hours or so)

1. Halve Hope scores and Fellowship Pool at start to reflect the intention of the game designers that Hope should be a Precious Resource! I recall one PC spent 6 Hope points in half an hour of game play! (because he could and he didn't see Hope as precious)

2. An eye result on a Corruption Test triggers an automatic 'bout of madness', PC gains a negative trait based on Shadow Weakness for remainder of session.

These two rules make Hope and Shadow more central to the game for a 'one shot', reflecting what the game designers wanted IMHO.

Robin S.