Totte - players

Introduction

What is Totte?

Totte is system for roleplaying games (RPGs). In it, each players assumes the role of an imaginary Player Character (PC) who, together with a group of other player characters, wanders around in an equally imaginary world created by the Game Master (GM). The GM describes the background of and situations in the game world. She plays the role of all Non-Player Characters (NPCs), i.e. the characters that are not being directed by players, and is the final arbiter in rule interpretations. The players, through their characters, can interact with this world. They tell the GM what their characters do and say and the GM tells them how the world and everyone and everything in it reacts. Thus a kind of story starts to unfold, the outcome of which is unknown to both GM and players in advance (though they may make good guesses at it). It is like a stage play without a script; you have to make up your own lines and character.

Adventures

Though in theory almost any kind of imaginary story can be played out, RPGs tend to focus on 'adventures', stories that are too dangerous to try out in the real world, but are quite feasible in a RPG. Adventures can take on many shapes: journeys into the unknown, tales of heroism, intricate detective plots, wars with aliens, political intrigues, and so on. It is up to the GM and players to take on the kind of story that they prefer.
Totte is suitable for many types of settings: from historical to modern or even futuristic; from wilderness to urban; from magical to technological. Here too the participants in the game should select a setting that creates the right atmosphere for them.

Winning the game?

A RPG is a game that has no predefined goal. The fun is in the playing, not the winning. The absence of a fixed goal makes winning (and losing) irrelevant. Though if wanted, GM and players can simply define a goal, or multiple ones; Totte in no way blocks this. Players may set goals of their own, some public, some secret. Example goals and activities are saving poor peasants from monsters; robbing the rich and giving to the poor (or not); working your way into nobility or even attaining godhood; overthrow an evil and/or rival tyrant; become an archmage or the king of thieves; explore unknown lands; resolve the problems of a ghost; forge a peace between two warring states or races; devise a new tradition of magic; and so on. The sky is the limit and one goal may lead to another.

Example

A king asks a party to build a castle at the edge of the wilderness, promising knighthood if they succeed. For this the adventurers must acquire money, make the area safe for the builders and deal with neighbors, both civilized and barbarian. In the meanwhile the wizard of the party insists that he gets his own private tower as part of the castle. This means that he must gather arcane resources, alone or with help of the others. While working for the castle, one of the adventurers falls in love with a sky maiden and abducts her, or, in his own words, "rescues her from the clutches of that evil chieftain". This spawns a conflict that has to be solved with diplomacy, battle or in another way.
If the adventurers manage to overcome all obstacles and raise the castle, the king may well have other assignments for such capable subjects. But the fresh knights may have developed an agenda of their own too.

Sessions and campaigns

Time in the game does not always pass at the same speed of real time. An uneventful journey of several days in the game world may be handled in just seconds by GM and players. On the other hand a fierce combat of a few minutes with many things happening in a very short time may take an hour to play.
Thus a story line / adventure / game may fit into a single game session of a few hours, if it is not too complex and GM and players keep up the speed. If not, it may stretch over multiple game sessions (it takes real fanatics to play RPGs for days on end). During these sessions, new story lines may develop, side plots emerge, adventures initiated by the players themselves. This is called a 'campaign'. It takes a lot more time, patience and persistence to play a campaign to its end than a single game session does, though it is usually more rewarding as the game world starts to take on a history and a clear mental image for all players.

Chance

To introduce an element of chance into the game, Totte uses a few types of gaming dice. Next to the common 6-sided dice, 4-, 8-, 10-, 12- and 20-sided dice are available at most specialized game shops.
When referring to dice roll outcomes, the notation [n]d[s] is often used. [n] denotes the number of dice, [s] their number of sides and [n]d[s] the sum of all [n] dice rolls. For example, 2d10 means the sum of two rolls with a 10-sided die.
Some dice can substitute for others. For example a d8 can be mapped to a d4 by translating 1-2 to 1; 3-4 to 2; 5-6 to 3 and 7-8 to 4.
Not everything is subject to chance; many things are determined by the GM, who will try her best to balance everything.

Creating a character

Your character is your avatar in the game world. He or she or it can be like you, or completely different, in race, gender, age, appearance, personality and abilities. If you create a character for a single game session, you can take shortcuts and quickly set up a sketchy character.
If the character is to be used more often, or takes part in a campaign that spans multiple sessions, you should put more effort into it. Think about what kind of character you want to be. A brave hero, a cunning thief, a lofty wizard, an evil wizard, a non-human, a mystical sage? Consult with your GM on what is feasible and desirable for the game. Construct a background; think where your character came from, where he picked up the traits and skills that he has. Come up with a reason why the character has begun adventuring and why he should want to join a party.

Once you have a general idea about your character, detail the Totte specifics:

Assign points to your talents. See the section on talents.
Assign points to your skills. See the section on skills.
Buy some equipment from the starting capital that the GM will assign. See the section on economy.

Finally, think about the appearance of your character: body shape, facial features, clothing, posture and manners. Describing these to others and acting them out will help visualizing your character and bring hem/her alive.

Example

Annabelle really wants to play a mage who is an expert at conjuring and binding spirits. She knows that the game world will have an Arabian setting and that numerous jinn will be available, so that is covered. She wants to play a female character but is wary of the males in the group who will likely try to hit on her, so she asks if she can have a slave guard with her. The GM, seeing an opportunity to influence the group through a non-player character proxy, agrees. Annabelle decides that Zainab, her character, was born and raised as a desert nomad and got her training in magic from a hermit. Confined by the strict social network of the tribe, Zainab was increasingly frustrated and dabbled more and more in the spirit world, until she summoned a dangerous ifrit that could barely be constrained. Angered, both tribe and hermit kicked her out, which Zainab welcomed as it gave her an opportunity to explore the world. During her first wanderings her skills have earned her some wealth. According to Annabelle Zainab is well versed in both desert survival and spirit magic. Her weakness is here desire to escape her roots and drink to heartily from the the color and luxury of the cities.
For talents the GM allows 21 points. Annabelle sets their scores at strength 2, health 3, dexterity 3, charisma 4, perception 4 and intelligence 5.
The GM makes 33,000 experience points available for skills, but also imposes a limit of 4 (expert) on all skills, though will allow level 5 (master) if a player has solid arguments why her character should have that. Annabelle wants that level in conjuration, but also thinks that it is proper that her character has some levels in various survival skills, so sets her sights a bit lower. She assigns 6,000 points to trekking for level 3 (skilled); 6,000 to camp making for level 3 (skilled); 3,000 to herding for level 2 (student); 3,000 to riding for level 2 (student); 1,000 to shooting for level 1 (beginner); 3,000 to cooking for level 2 (student); 3,000 to leather working for level 2 (student); 6,0000 to conjuration for level 3 (skilled). She wants to spent some points on writing but wants to gain level 4 in conjuration soon, so keeps 2,000 in reserve. She states that desert magic is probably part of an oral tradition anyway.
The GM allows Zainab 150 shude as starting money plus 50 for the slave. From this she buys a fancy set of clothing (15), a pound of soap (½), a purse (¼), a water skin (½), some cooking gear (4), a tinderbox (1), a tent (2½), a hunting bow (6), a quiver with 20 arrows (3½), a dagger (3), a camel (100) and the slave (50), leaving 13¾ shude in her purse.
She describes her character as a slender maiden with long raven black hair, fierce blue eyes and a somewhat hooked nose, most of this hidden by a green djellaba and a brown hijab. Zainab has a proud stance, trying to radiate an aura of wealth and power. She makes sure that her slave follows here around as much as possible to strengthen that view. She is prone to lose this rich civilized attitude once confronted with the hardships of travel; it those cases she falls back into a simple matter-of-fact way of doing.

Working as a party

What do you mean we are lost? by Keith Parkinson

A tabletop roleplaying game is a group game. Generally the only feasible way to play it is as a group, a 'party of adventurers'. This means that you should be ready to co-operate with others, both as players and as characters. Different personalities and temperaments have to be able to get along. This may sound like a burden but actually is an opportunity, as different group members can supplement each other and create a versatile team. Try to agree up front on common goals and methods, to avoid too much friction during the game.

An example of play

A group of four player characters pursues an adventure to explore the ruins of the ancient Persian city of Nambarmon. This particular game is inspired by Indiana Jones, though not set in the 20th century but in medieval times, where monsters and magic are quite real. Like in the famous movie series, the players operate in a way that is somewhere between exploration, scientific research and treasure hunting. The characters and players are:

Scarlet Margaret, a sage with knowledge of both ancient civilizations and magic, played by Marion. She is more or less the group's leader, because the character is knowledgeable and dominant, which suits Marion well.
Rolf the Walker, a.k.a. "Two-hands", a swashbuckling hero type, played by Sam, who likes to play fighter types.
Hildebrand of Tananto, a jack-of-all-trades who has skill in blacksmithing, music, haggling, spying and a little illusion magic. He is played by Sanjeev, an experienced roleplayer.
Andakhar, the group's native guide, played by Thomas. His former character was recently killed by bandits and he subsequently took over Andakhar, who was played by the GM as a non-player character before.

The adventure spans multiple game sessions, forming a campaign. This Friday evening the group has come together to play the third session of this story line. In the previous sessions they bought a treasure map in the souk of a big city, which despite their suspicions on it being a fake, has led them to the ruins of what looks to be Nambarmon. Last time they rented a pack of camels and equipment and set off into the desert, arriving at the city itself. Let's drop in.

GM: "All right, you are at the edge of the city. There does not seem to be much left of it. Most buildings have crumbled and a lot is covered in sand. Still, a little of its former grandeur is visible in a few pillars that are still standing upright and the mound that covers what must be the great ziggurat. The whole site may be be a mile wide or even double that, though probably only a small part is filled with buildings. Where do you start and how?"
Marion: "The ziggurat would be the obvious starting point, but that has probably been looted long ago. I am more interested in the Tower of the Sages that is mentioned in the records. According to the map it should be some 100 meters from the ziggurat, but it is unclear in which direction!" (To the GM) "Can we spot any other landmarks from the map?"
GM: "No, everything has crumbled, is covered up, or both."
Sam: "This is an impossible job! How are we going to find something interesting in this dump? And when we find it, how do we unearth it? We need an army of diggers to uncover it all."
Thomas: "No, we don't. Now I will reveal why I have dragged this stubborn mole-horse here next to my camel! If we find a suitable spot, we ram this kafchak-root deep into the ground with my segment-pole. Then we release the beast, which will smell it and dig furiously to uncover it, clearing a nice pit for us."
Marion: "Excellent! But we still need to find the right location. Can I puzzle it out by comparing the map with the actual city?"
Here the GM could draw a picture of the city and hand it to the players, who he already has given an actual, though sketchy, treasure map. But he has no great skill in real world drawing, so falls back to Totte rules. "That would require a carthography check. Wait, there is no carthography skill. Oh well, any science skill will do. Make a feat attempt of two times intelligence plus a science skill against a difficulty of 9."
Marion: "I'll handle that. My intelligence is 4 and history skill also, so that comes down to 12."
GM: "That should work, though roll the dice to check if your character does not botch it; normal randomness."
Marion rolls a d8 that comes up with a 2, giving a -1 penalty. A second die roll yields a 1, increasing the penalty to -2. Some other players are starting to display signs of nervousness, but Marion does not blink. The third roll is a 5, ending the series and establishing Margaret's attempt at 10, enough. All: "Yay!"
GM: "You spend hours and hours walking over the site an studying the map, until Margaret finally spots the contours of the big boulevard and is able to align the sketch. The sun is slowly sinking to the horizon while you discover a wall angle that could well be part of the Tower of the Sages."
Thomas: "No time to waste. I hammer that root several meters deep into the ground."
Again the GM could request a feat check, but he decides that the attempt is simply not feasible. "You can only drive the root in some two meters. By then the pressure of the earth around it is so great that it is stuck. You are afraid that if you strike harder, the pole will break."
Thomas: "By the beard of Enlil! All right, I release the mole-horse and set it to work. Maybe two meters is enough."
GM: "The animal, whom you have not fed all afternoon, attacks the earth like a power shovel on steroids. Sand is thrown up like waves and soon it has dug up the root. The result is a nice hole, but it doesn't reveal anything new."
Thomas: "Grmbl."
Sanjeev: "Andakhar, please don't call on Enlil again, he might take notice. But let's not give hope just yet. Is there anything else that that beast fancies for dinner?"
GM, knowing that Andakhar has a decent level in animal lore, to Thomas: "Andakhar knows that mole-horses also eat other roots and sweet fruit."
Sanjeev: "We carry only travel rations. But they include raisins, don't they? How about I spice those up with some illusion magic to make them smell like pineapple? A bit of brown sugar, some nellywip and of course my secret ingredient, gently rub it in on all sides, allow it to absorb the stuff for a minute or two ..."
GM: "I'd say that that is an interesting idea. Of course this means a feat check. Let's see, only one sense for difficulty 8, plus 1 because the raisins are already somewhat sweet, duration between brief and extended for another +1, so total difficulty 10."
Hildebrand's charisma is also 4 but he is only a student in illusionism, so his ability is intelligence talent 4 + 2 * illusionism skill 2 = 8, not enough. This time though the dice are with the party as he rolls high two times in succession, increasing the score to just 10.
GM: "The mole-horse seems to mistrust the strange smell, but as it is still hungry after just one root, it digs the food up anyway. Suddenly one of its paws sinks into a hole that opens up below. Frightened, it backs off, revealing a dark opening. You notice a faint stale smell coming from it."
Sanjeev: "Ah, good old dungeon crawling again! Light the lanterns, it is but little darker there than it will be up here soon."
Marion: "We should establish a marching order, I mean climbing order. Let's see, Rolf takes point - make sure to have your pair of swords ready. Hildebrand next with a lantern, I will be at the rear. Andakhar will stay behind to guard the camels and the supplies."
Thomas: "Stay behind and miss all the fun? No way, I'm coming too!"
Marion: "We are paying you to be our guide, not -"
Sanjeev: "A lantern will go first. I want to see what we are getting into before jumping into the abyss." (To the GM) "I lower my lantern on a rope."
GM: "The light reveals two walls that are dusty. Even though the colors have partially faded away, you can see mosaics that show a hunting scene in a lush garden or wilderness. A stained glass window has half cracked, but is still holding back earth from outside. A dazzling shimmer of gold is cast on the walls by a reflection of something deeper down."
Sam: "Gold! We have hit the jackpot! I take a closer look."
GM: "When you try to get a better view, the sand below your hands and feet slides once more and you slip into the hole. The fall is not deep; you only bruise your leg a bit. The lantern is in worse shape; it is crushed by your bulk and goes dark."
Sam: "Hey guys, get me another lantern!"
Marion, who has been arguing with Thomas in the meanwhile: "Oh well, we'll all go down. But more carefully this time. We tie a rope to a piece of rock and climb down. Me first with a spare lantern, then Hildebrand and then Andakhar too."
Sam: "While the rest is descending, I take a look around. What is there to see?"
GM: "Margaret's light illuminates a sizable room with sturdy walls. The east corner is covered by sand from your swift entry, but the rest seems quite well preserved. Under thick layers of dust you spot a kind of platform with a winged statue that has lost one wing, a crumbled table, a shelf with mouldy scrolls and a big chest. On the lid of the chest are set tiny statuettes that seem to portray deities and mystical beings. Some of them have gold parts, which is what is causing the yellow glow. At the southern side, a dark stairway leads further down."
Sam: "What are those scrolls? Is that chest locked? Can I pry it open? No wait, the statues first. How heavy are they?"
Marion: "Be careful, don't destroy anything just yet! These things may hold valuable knowledge! Hildebrand, Andakhar, lower me down fast!"
GM: (To Marion) "You reach the floor too. The next one can start to climb down." (To Sam) "The statuettes turn out to be attached to the chest. You can move them a little, which yields soft click-sounds."
Sam: "Cool, a puzzle lock. I listen to the clicks and try to find the combination."
GM: "When you turn the center one, which represents a man with the head of a bull, you hear a grinding noise coming from deep below, followed by a low moan. After a few seconds of silence, there is the sound of faint but heavy footsteps, slowly becoming louder."
Marion: "Aaah! Monsters! Pull me back up, quick!"
Hildebrand and Andakhar comply.
Sam: "Cowards! We are armed and dangerous. Come on, you creepies!" (To the GM) "I put the lantern in the north, draw my swords and wait near the stairway, in the shadows."

Three party members cautiously remain above, leaving "Two-hands" to face the danger from below, whatever it is. Sam is looking forward to a fight. The Thing From Below may indeed turn out to be a monster, or something else. Once this situation is resolved, the party members may resume their exploration, possibly with a little more caution and planning.