Kontext Spiel d6

I finally got around to playing my FKR/Mafia mashup game Hush (http://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/10/hush-beta-fkr-x-mafia-x-scifi-hijinx.html) and realised how damn fun running games in the Free Kriegspiel style is! So I went bonkers and outlined the Hush rules a little bit more, here is the result. 

How to Play

• One player is the Referee, the other players will each control a Player Character (PC).
• The Referee will describe the imaginary world explored by the PCs, and determine the result and impact of their actions. Importantly, the Referee will determine the result of any Conflict Tests conducted by the other players. 
• The Referee’s role is to ensure the game world presented to the other players is both interactive, dynamic, interesting and dangerous. 
• The Referee is free to interpret and present the imaginary world as they see fit, but it is important that this is consistent and that concrete consequences for the PC’s choices and actions are enacted.
• The PC’s role is to have interesting experiences without dying. 

Conflict Tests: 

If a Player Character (PC) comes into conflict with some Aspect of Reality (or another PC), both they and the Referee (or the other player) roll a d6. The highest roll wins the conflict. 

• If a Player/Referee can argue them; add situational bonuses of +X to either roll.
• If the Player/Referee can argue them; add situational penalties of –X to either roll. 
• Easy Test: If a PC/Aspect of Reality is in a very likely position to win the conflict, they can roll twice and use the highest result.
• Hard Test: If a PC/Aspect of Reality is in a very unlikely position to win the conflict roll twice and use the lowest result.
• Re roll ties (Or, for a safer a world, the defender wins ties. For a more deadly world, the attacker wins ties).  

Moments: 

When needed (for example during combat lasting more than a single Conflict Test), events in the game can be played out in Moments. 

• The Referee determines the order in which entities (PC’s and other characters/creatures/objects/etc in the game world) act. Then each entity has a moment to do something. Any conflict in these moments is resolved with a Conflict Test. This cycle of moments is repeated until the conflict/tension is over. 
• In the game world a Moment is only a few seconds long - The Referee rules what exactly an entity can get done in a Moment, ensuring they are fair and equitable to all involved. 
• The specific order in which entities act out their Moments may be determined by the Referee’s interpretation of the situation and the attributes of the entities involved, or Conflict Tests between entities to determine who will act first. 

Damage and Death 

The Referee contextually judges when an entity (PC or other characters/creatures/objects/etc) is damaged from a conflict, the impact of this and the possibility of their death/destruction.  

Any injuries received by a PC  must be noted on their Character Sheet. The Referee must be made aware of any injuries a PC has before they make any subsequent Conflict Tests, so appropriate penalties can be applied. The Referee should make similar notes for any injured pertinent entities. 

A suggested, but not necessary, system for tracking injuries/simulating the chaos of combat is as follows: 

• If hit an entity rolls a d6 to determine where they were struck:  
• 1=head 2-3=arms 4-5=legs 6 torso. 
• The referee can then extrapolate the impact of a wound in that area.  
• Taking too many hits in the same location (2 or 3 depending on the location and the weapon) will result in death. 

The Referee must contextually judge how weapons and armour worn may affect the outcome of a Conflict Test. Shooting an entity in the face with an arrow has a different outcome than punching that entity in the face. Additionally, that entity having a helmet on their head also changes the outcome for being stuck by both weapons. 

Creating a Player Character.

Each PC needs a piece of blank paper. The player then simply defines their character in as many words as the Referee requires. 1  - 3 words is appropriate for a new character but this is up to the Referee (as is the content of those words). 

• The Referee can provide predetermined lists of words for the players to choose from to tailor the PCs to the game world they have created. 
• The Referee and Players extrapolate what skills, possessions and bodily attributes a PC would have from the words defining them on their Character Sheet. Further, what types of actions would be possible by the PC and how Easy or Hard they would be to achieve via a Conflict Test, is also extrapolated from the defining words on the Character Sheet.
• The player writes down any additional important details relating to their PC as they play (new possessions, injuries, specific skills, etc). 
• Inventory can be handled by the Referee judging what is appropriate for a PC to carry. Determining whether a PC already has some specific, but related to their description, item in their possession can be determined by a Conflict Test. 
• “Levelling up” or PC improvement is achieved by the player adding an additional defining word to their PC on their Character Sheet. This word should be derived from the actions the PC took in the session and with the agreement of the Referee. 

Create a random PC class here: https://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2021/01/generic-weird-fantasy-random-player.html

Tables to Assist the Referee. 

D6 Kontextual Table, for when The Referee is unsure what happens next. 

1. The situation suddenly becomes more terrible. 
2. The situation slowly becomes more horrible.  
3. A miasmic malaise wafts through the situation. 
4. A glimmer of positivity twinkles through the situation. 
5. The situation slowly becomes more agreeable.  
6. The situation suddenly becomes delightful. 

Tables for interpreting the results of a Conflict Test: 

Success, Passed by X: 

1. Desired outcome is just barely, and temporarily, achieved. 
2. Desired outcome is just barely achieved. 
3. Desired outcome is confidently achieved. 
4. Desired outcome is achieved with overwhelming benefit to PC.
5. Desired outcome is achieved with overwhelming and long lasting benefit to PC and allies.

Failure, Failed by X:

1. An embarrassing minor set back. 
2. A potentially dangerous negative outcome. 
3. An immediately dangerous negative outcome. 
4. Catastrophic negative outcome to PC. 
5. Catastrophic negative outcome to PC and allies.