Rising Forces: Outline

This page contains my current outline for the Rising Forces RPG. It will start out pretty sloppy until I refine it into the organization I'm happy to settle on. First, I will ljust idea dump my thoughts, then below that start forming up the outline.

Ideas

Just a free list of ideas for things to include...

• Introduction: What kind of game is Rising Forces? Talk about inspirations and genre. Then, discuss two meanings of "game" and how Rising Forces is both. Talk about where the joy can be found in each and what can potentially undermine it. What is "winning"? What provides the thrills? Who is responsible for what? (Everyone should be trying to make the game cool for each other, Player and GM.) Mention that further discussion about running a good game will come in a later section, then introduce what the rest of the book will contain. Remind them that while I will be opinionated, there are a wide variety of ways people play RPGs and ultimately each group gets to decide what is right for them.
• The Rules: Have an example character sheet we will use to illustrate the rules and character creation. Discuss the purposes of rules in an RPG ("game" vs. "make believe"). Discuss the basic resolution mechanic and how it relates to backgrounds, and how it is used throughout the game. Rolls, attribute plus thing, different kinds of contests. Sacrifice of a resource for a success, etc. Give examples of rolls for various scenarios, how it might be useful for the GM to know characters' capabilities, etc. Feel free to give a decent amount of more advanced advice if it comes to you.
• Character Creation: Concept, Attributes, Backgrounds, Style, Techniques, Special Maneuvers/Combos, Spending Customization Points, Record Health, Stamina and Spirit, possibly Combat Cards. Mention other tidbits that can be done, such as a bit of character background, links to other PCs or NPCs, maybe a picture of your character, etc. Have that list of questions to consider to prompt ideas, mention how it's nice to keep in touch with the GM, etc. Also, some advice on what makes a good character (you might have a secret, but be knowable, anything that never appears in play might as well not exist, unless it helps motivate your RP). Sometimes thinking a lot helps, sometimes the best characters come off the cuff or even start as a pregenerated set of stats taken for a roll.