For the most part, I unplugged last weekend and was able to relax a bit over the short holiday. Still, I made more headway on the PRR system. At this point, almost everything is in place and just needs to be thoroughly tested. I spent some time trying to decide the best way to do that decided to write a quick example module. The plan is for this to both server as a test-bed and also as a showcase for how the PRR could be used.
It's based roughly on the original PRR example module. The PCs will find themselves underground, caught between four forces: drow, grey dwarves, deep gnomes and lizardfolk. Each faction will start neutral to the PC and to each other, and the party will start roughly in the middle.
The players will have a chance to try out the basic PRR functions, such as influencing reactions and trying to steal items from vendors, but the main focus of the module will be using the faction scripts. Each of the four factions wants to dominate the area and will try to enlist the party to help them. As the party helps one faction, the others will become more warry of them, and of the other factions. This will all lead to a point where various factions will declare war on each other and the party.
Some of the design goals:
- Obviously the conversations and quests will need to be very simple, involving getting items through conversation, stealth or combat. They should also be based on the PRR system in some way
- Also, I want to make the build as quick as possible so I can get this out and move on to other things. As a result, everything will be underground, using tiles.
- I also want to make this a campaign, using two modules that the party will move back and forth between in order to test the module transition scripts.
I've already got half of the common areas between the dwarves and drow down, and some basic space for each groups' home base area. I'm hoping to make more headway this weekend.