NaGaDeMon / RoleVember 2019 - Types of Stories

There used to be this thing called "The Big 3", there was also the "Power 19" (but that's a bit more complicated and I don't know of many people who still use it). These were tools for a designer to assess what their game was.

So basically, we can strip the whole thing down to...

What do the players do?
What do the characters do?
What does the GM do?

Let's break them down for this game.

What do the players do?
The players on this game portray a few different types of characters in a series of interconnected storylines. They portray familiars who catalyse the mystic potential in mortals, have agendas in the physical plane, and who are effectively immortal. They also portray the awakened mortals who have had their mystic potential awakened, these mortals also have their own agendas and want to invoke some kind of change in the world based on their experiences and social situations. In each case, a minimum of two players will be involved in each story, with one player portraying the familiar, and one the mage, any other players may portray supporting cast in one another's stories until their various tales cross over (in collaboration or conflict). 

What do the characters do?
The specific stories are about making a change in the world. These tales focus on underdogs, the oppressed, and minorities in the world. The character's won't necessarily work with one another toward mutual goals, and the hero in one tale might just as easily be a mentor, sidekick, or even villain in someone else's tale. A character's role in someone else's tale might even change from session to session.

In these stories, the characters interact with the world physically, socially, intellectually, and metaphysically. There is no requirement for conflict, and even when there is conflict, there is no requirement for that conflict to degenerate into combat. Social interactions are preferred (but again aren't mandatory), characters can do almost anything and everything limited only by their imagination and the whims of the dice. They will get into trouble, they will face moral dilemmas, they will grow and mature, and they will bring change to the world.     

What does the GM do?
The GM works out ways that changes in one story will impact the other stories, they will weave the individual tales into a grander tapestry. Interpreting the outcomes of the various actions taken, and relecting them back into the story in interesting ways. They also moderate the tale to some extent, and work with the rules and the dice to moderate the excesses that may creep into the narrative. The GM may also portray supporting cast in the stories, along with the primary villains (or may allocate these roles to the other players), but this all depends on the nature of the group telling the stories.   

The general types of stories I'm looking at here are tales of downtrodden communities who need heroes to step up for them. The awakened mystics become the avatars for change in these communities, sometimes making a postive difference in the world, and sometimes succumbing to tragedy. These aren't always stories wth happy endings (and if the world is going to remain dark and sinister for the underdogs, it's probably more likely that failure will be the outcome)... the thing is that there always needs to be a chance of success and positive outcome.