I have just written the words “you ignore the effects of the armor piercing tag on incoming damage” and “you may apply armor to the damage caused by burn” into an LCP file
I think I have gone mad with power
I should take a nap
Actually. Before I nap, a quick gamethinks
I first encountered this idea in a game called, I think, “Different Trouble”? It’s a space opera game by Greg Stolze and others. Because it’s Stolze there’s definitely some good thoughts there. Tangent on how Unknown Armies 3 may still be in the running for my “best game of all time” even if it’s not my favorite at any given moment.
Anyway it had some categorization of special abilities which slammed into my mind and opened me up to horizons undreamt because this game broke special abilities up into three supertypes: Permissions, Failsafes, and Exploits. And while technically it’s only that specific game I immediately started seeing patterns everywhere, like a ton of games, maybe even ALL tabletop games, were already using those supertypes for their abilities without really having a phrasing for it.
Permissions are simple: they give you the ability to do something you are not allowed to do in the base assumptions of the game. Maybe it’s something that requires training or actual in-setting permission, like plotting a hyperdrive jump or using plasma weaponry, neither of which should be done untrained, one of which is unlikely to happen unauthorized. Sometimes it’s actual “oh yeah player characters can’t fly. But you have a Permission. You can fly. Have fun.
Failsafes seem almost as simple: if you would fail, you suffer fewer or even no consequences, and you may be less likely to fail. Radical. Sometimes it’s a fail-forward clause. The funny thing is, a generic “attack or skill bonus” is actually a Failsafe in most conditions, because when you are getting a bonus to attack, you’re similarly less likely to fail! Unless your game is using one form or another of “oopsie you succeeded too hard” or other gotcha measures of course. I hate those.
Finally, Exploits make other abilities (or basic rolls) “better” or “more” in some way. If you see something that goes “whenever you roll a 6, you get a bonus Splendido” that’s an Exploit. When you see “if you Bowl a Friend, you can immediately take a Phone Call” that’s an Exploit. They’re not always as obvious and straightforward but you probably get the idea!
And that’s the thing, I’ve found that designing for other games (designing for MY OWN games!) has gotten both easier and more fulfilling since I added that terminology to my working base? It’s not the be-all, end-all axiom of game design, but it’s such a powerful framework that it’s turned what used to be joyless power tuning into “what if I build a mech frame that was just all Exploits in its license; what would that look like”
Anyway that’s how I find myself writing down phrases like “before making a Structure Damage or Overheating roll, end all effects on yourself caused by tech attacks, remove all Status and Conditions that weren’t caused by your own actions, equipment, talents etc, then roll as normal” or “you may Brace without losing actions or movement on your next turn, and the Resistance from Brace lasts until the start of your next turn. If you do, at the start of your next turn, choose one of these conditions that hasn’t been chosen this combat. You gain that condition until end of scene and it cannot be removed in any way other than the scene ending” and cackling with delight instead of wondering “is this balanced?” because I know what I’m looking to do here and the flow is so good.
