Vortex system?

[satbunny]

So, advise me, is the Vortex system the same?

[Stormcrow]

The "Vortex system" is the rules that the Doctor Who game is built on. Those rules have been repurposed for other games as well. It is currently fashionable in RPG circles to declare an original set of rules a "system" and give it a name independent of the game it comes from, then start trying to find way to play in all sorts of different settings using that "system."

[misterharry]

There are some minor rules tweaks between the games that use the Vortex system - for instance, the Primeval RPG doesn't use the Talkers/Movers/Doers/Fighters order of actions, and its monsters have Threat Points which work slightly differently to Story Points. But the games are generally compatible with each other.

[olegrand]

Nov 1, 2018 20:57:01 GMT misterharry said:

and its monsters have Threat Points which work slightly differently to Story Points.

I'd be very interested in learning more about this. Could you explain how these Threat points work? Thank you in advance!

[misterharry]

Nov 1, 2018 21:56:40 GMT olegrand said:

Nov 1, 2018 20:57:01 GMT misterharry said:

and its monsters have Threat Points which work slightly differently to Story Points.

I'd be very interested in learning more about this. Could you explain how these Threat points work? Thank you in advance!

OK, here’s a summary of Threat:

Threat Points govern a creature’s behaviour. They measure how angry or fearful the creature is, and how aggressive and dangerous it acts. Creatures have a Maximum Threat and a Threshold, usually half its Maximum but varies for particularly passive or aggressive creatures.

If a creature’s Threat hits its Threshold, the creature has reached its Fight-or-Flight response. When it’s below its Threshold level, a monster might be nervous and fearful, but would stop short of attacking or running.

If a creature has no Threat, then it’s calm and tractable. It can be led around easily with Animal Handling (a Skill specific to the Primeval RPG and Pulp Fantastic games – would need to be substituted for something else in DWRPG, maybe just raw Presence).

A creature’s Threat is increased by things like hunger, fear, injury or displays of aggression. It decreases slowly over time, or by feeding, successful Animal Handling rolls or by removing whatever is angering the creature.

Threat Points can be used to boost a creature’s abilities in combat:

• Spending a Threat Point gives a creature a +1 bonus when making a roll—including attacks or attempts to flee;
• Some creatures may have special attacks that cost Threat to activate;
• Spending a Threat Point absorbs one point of damage.

[olegrand]

OK thanks a lot!
About the +1 bonus to combat roll: is it a simple +1 or an extra die ?

[misterharry]

Nov 2, 2018 10:51:25 GMT olegrand said:

OK thanks a lot!
About the +1 bonus to combat roll: is it a simple +1 or an extra die ?

It's just +1 point per Threat Point spent.

The rules about how Threat increases or decreases are a bit more detailed than I posted before:

Increase in Threat Points (up to its Maximum Threat):

• Hunger - increases by 1 point per hour of hunger
• Fear - increases by 1-3 points every few minutes, or even rounds if it's cornered; intruding on a creature's lair or getting too close to its young could cause an increase of 1-6 points
• Injury - increases by 1 point each time it's attacked, even if the attack misses or does no damage
• Displays of Aggression - if the creature makes a display of aggression (roaring, stamping, etc), it rolls Presence + Resolve against a Difficulty of 10. A simple success (10-13) increases Threat by 1; a Good Success (14-16) increases Threat by 2, while a Fantastic Success (17+) boosts Threat by 4.

Decrease in Threat Points (usually to just below its Threshold, but potentially down to zero):

• Time - reduces over a few hours if nothing acts to push its Threat back up
• Getting Fed - drops to below its Threshold
• Animal Handling - a successful Animal Handling check (usually at Difficulty 12) reduces a creature's Threat by 1 point (2 points on a Good Success, 3 points on a Fantastic Success; but Bad or Disastrous failures can increase Threat) - usually only usable if the creature isn't already attacking you, though a GM may allow a Story Point to be spent to try to calm an attacking creature down
• Other situations - as determined by the GM, but examples include removing whatever is angering or scaring the creature, giving them room to move, returning stolen eggs, etc.

[olegrand]

OK thanks a lot misterharry for taking the time to explain it all in detail.