Story vs RPG Part 10: Setting - cultures

Story vs RPG Series

Story: Elements

Story vs RPG Part 2: Main Characters - Protagonist, Antagonist, PC, NPC

Story vs RPG Part 3: Character Information

Story v RPG Part 4: Potential Pitfalls of using a RPG session for a Story.

Story v RPG Part 5: Personality Types

Story v RPG Part 6: Alignment, Morality, and Ethics

Story vs RPG Part 7: Character Needs
Story vs RPG Part 8: Character emotions
Story vs RPG Part 9: Lies - Our characters darkest secrets
Story vs RPG Part 10: Setting - cultures
Story vs RPG Part 11: Pair Dynamics
Story and Game Structure: Storylines
Story vs RPG Part 12: Larger groups - conformity & deviance

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I'll now switch the series focus from characters to setting. Characters live within settings where they do stuff.

A setting is the place and time that a story takes place.

Worldbuilding

Some call the process of creating a fantasy world in both RPGs and fantasy fiction as worldbuilding. It is the process of creating an imaginary and constructed world. These are worlds that can differ from our real world. Some aspects of the world that can be created are maps, geography, geology, biology, physics, history, cultures, societies, status, ecology, creatures, monster, cosmology, mythology, architecture, fashion, languages, religions, beliefs, groups of people, organizations, magic systems, technology

For my techniques at making a geographical world, see my 6 part series on creating a world map where I show the technique that I used to create an actual map of the world using other free online tools.

I would also like to do another series just on fantasy languages at a future time.

Question of Cultures

Looking through my notes of topics from various books and sources, one of the areas that I would like to delve into is cultures of societies and groups. Mostly because the amount of notes in that area are only fragments.

My overall question will be the following. How do socio-cultural forces influence characters?

Cultures are everywhere. And they come in layers.

Even if I seclude myself far away from all societies and rely upon survival techniques to survive - and never see a single person - I still may be considered part of a culture. I share with others an off-the-grid mentality of self-sufficiency, sustenance, and minimizing waste of raw materials. A knowledge of primitive skills would greatly increase chances of long term survival. In order to survive by myself I must be expected to do certain things to achieving sustenance.

In this sub-series, part of the Story vs RPG Series, I want to begin to look how these cultural forces affect a character in a game and in a story. These two mediums will be framed by evidence from sociology and social psychology. By picking culture as a focus I also am picking a topic and focus force that can come in close persistent contact with the character. Cultures may connect directly with a character's personality, ethics/morality, drives/needs, and even lies. A different approach might be from an anthropological perspective, focusing on symbols, archaeology, and adaptation.

What is a culture?

Society is a group of people interacting with each other, governed by a type of authority, with known societal expectations, and connected regionally or socially.
Culture is the way of life for a particular group of people at a particular point in time.
Individual is the quality of being a particular person separate from other people with independent needs, desires, and goals.

Societies exist around any world where groups of people (or sentient species) group together. They normally have some form of authority - some form of leadership. This authority sets rules for governing the society. Societies come to form expectations.

These societies can be historical, current, imagined futuristic, reimagined, alien, animalistic, or supernatural.

Societies normally have boundaries of their influence. Many times they are restricted to one area of the world or universe. These boundaries are normally show the paths and routes of normal interaction, communication, trade, and travel.

Here is one example of a societies borders. I lived a few years on Luzon a large island that includes Manila the Philippine Islands (Pilipinas). Manila - the capital - has the national government that oversees all the islands in the nation. The nation is divided into regions. On an island, the boundaries are very clear. The island has its own physical boundaries. However, Luzon being so large is divided into parts. 

I lived in Region 3 called Central Luzon (Gitnang Luzon). Mountains bordered the northern boundary down to a large river in the south where the Metro Manila area begins. The capital of this region is the city of San Fernando. In this region most of the rice of the entire country is produced - a very important food staple in that society. This region is divided into seven provinces: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales. 

A colossal volcano erupted a few months before I arrived in this region - Mt Pinatubo in 1991 - which tragically occurred at the same time as Typhoon Yunya (Diding). 

In my time living there, four of those provinces - Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Zambales - is where I spent the majority of my work, travelling, and recreation. Within that area their were entirely different languages even in this smaller area : Kapampangan, Sambal, Pangasinan, Tagalog, Ilocano, and mixed with various degrees of English. 

All of these boundaries - physical, languages which are social, and even behavior patterns emerging after the tragic Pinatubo & Typhoon Diding - help define the collective and individual cultures of the region and the entire nation for that time period.

All of these boundaries help set up influencing cultural elements of the early 1990s setting for Central Luzon.

Authority can be traditional recognized by a long established cultural pattern. It can also be charismatic, led by an unusually personal character that inspires others. It can also be bureaucratic governed by rules and regulations set by a form of governing body. Authorities normally create ethical rules to help control what's right and wrong.

Most of the governing bodies of different levels of the Philippine government are bureaucratic. 

However, a few days ago Rodrigo "the Punisher" Duterte was elected president of the country. He is seen as a wildly charismatic political figure, sometime shown riding around on a motorcycle with a machine gun, that threatens to change the constitution and reinstate the death penalty, while other are threatening enacting martial law. 

He is said to have killed over 1,000 people by death squad in his tenure as mayor of the impoverished city of Davao a far southern city on the island of Mindanao. He has claimed he will execute 100,000 criminals in the country and dump their bodies into Manila Bay, as president.

Culture describes overall societal and individual groups of people within societies. Time is one factor. Cultures in the past may have different details than current groups of people. Culture tends to change over time, due to events and the reaction of authority to those events. A culture in the future will most likely be different than today's culture. Cultures may also come and go, rather than evolve and change.

Within these societies and cultures it's important to remember that their are individuals. Each being may have independent needs, desires, and goals. These individual They may actually go against culture and authority - resisting against the forces that try to influence, persuade, regulate, and use authoritative power - to rebel.

Having introduced society, culture, and the individual, how do individual characters fit into the socio-cultural structure.

Roles, Expectations, and Status

Role is a position in the structure of the group
Role Expectation is an social behavior expected of someone in that role.
Assigned Role is a role assigned to a character.
Voluntary Role is a role chosen by a character.
Conflicting Role is when a character has two roles conflict with each other.
Acceptable Behavior is the appropriate behavior in a culture.
Status is the level of importance and power in a culture.

Within cultures characters occupy roles. Roles aren't necessarily jobs or professions. These roles carry with them expectations.

For example, many western novels have a role that can represent 'the law'. This may be a sheriff, a mayor, a bounty hunter, judge, or a ranger. Their role is to maintain law and order and to apprehend criminals and bring them to justice. That is their expectation placed on them by society and culture. Certainly some law enforcement individuals can be breaking or bending the law. 

Breaking societal rules may be considered not normal. Cultures and authority dictates acceptable behavior, either directly through rules or through unwritten rules.

These roles may be assigned to them by others or voluntarily chosen by the individual.

A character voted in as a law keeper does so by choice. Whereas a person may be assigned to be a law keeper as a term of punishment. Instead of going to prison, "We will offer you this law keeping position to help round up the other criminals," in the group they belong to. Sure they can choose to reject the offer. But really their not choosing to become a law keeper by their own without the threat of punishment looming over them.

And some roles may be completely assigned without any choice.

Sometimes conflicts between multiple roles within a character may arise.

The law keeper who also has a spouse that breaks the law, may be conflicted with the role to catch criminals and the role to be a good faithful spouse. If the role of being a faithful spouse is decided to be more important the the law keeping role, they may begin to allow, help, blame on someone else, or cover up any wrong doing.

Societies and cultures may have different levels of roles based on importance and powers. This status can very from a lower status to middle status up to upper (higher) status. Cultures and authorities dictate what factors determine status according to what is most important to them.

The ultimate law keeper for the town may be the sheriff who has the powers and responsibility to arrest and lock criminals up for the town area. Maintaining a low crime rate is ultimately the sheriff's responsibility. Or law responsibility may be shared with a judge that passes judgement and sentences. Judges have the responsibility and powers to try an accused criminal and to render a verdict according to the societal laws. Certainly the deputy's status is much lower in the society compared to a sheriff or judge.

A common folk in any society may be considered the standard for what is high status in society (high society) or what is low in status.

How do view point characters evaluate other characters?

Assumptions about a person is making a judgement about the causes of one's own or another's behavior.
The person caused it assumes that a character's personality, needs, ethics, or a lie is the reason for such behavior.
Something else caused it assumes that something outside the character caused the behavior.
Behavior changes little is noticing the character behaviors the nearly the same all the time.
Behavior occurs under certain conditions is noticing that behavior changes under certain situations.

The first rule of observing behavior
The first rule of observed behavior is that a view point character most of the time assumes that another character caused that character's own behavior. However, for the view point character's own behavior, they most of the time blame it on someone or something else.

So view point characters will likely blame them for how that character behaves. At the same time they will blame their own behavior on other events, people, and situations - less likely on oneself.

If another character sees the sheriff character not apprehending a criminal, they most likely will assume and blame the sheriff for not performing the responsibility and power given to the character. Less likely will they try to imagine that some other force or reason could be preventing the sheriff from doing that expected behavior. Maybe the sheriff was just suspended.

Sometimes character will behave in a certain way consistently. At other times behavior might change when the situations change. During those certain situations when a character changes behavior, normally characters assume that an external force is creating that differing behavior.

This is great way to show that something has happened without revealing exactly what changed. By showing a character that was consistently behaving a certain way, suddenly change and behave a totally different way, suggests that something happened outside the character.

Group Censensus

Consensus is a general agreement.

Some actions and behavior in some cultures and groups may require a general agreement - consensus.  "Let's talk this out before we do anything else," may be an indicator that some sort of consensus requirement, a social tool of controlling behavior of its members.

Next post

In the next post, I may go into group conformity, non-conformity, attitudes, or prejudice.

ABS12: Combat Second test

All the changes from this page will be added to the master game page at A Basic System 12 (ABS12).

This is a replicated test of the same test performed in the post Combat first test; Variable damage?; Initiative. I am testing the features implemented since that last test, such as variable damage, to see if it has any effect on the gaming experience.

Getting ready to test a battle

The stats are now.

Fighter Stats

1PL Fighter

Fighter - sword, plate, +2 PL life, +2 rescue, +3 speed

To build the fighter, the current process is.
PL Life = PL + DL + PL Life bonus
1 + 1 + 2 = 4 PL Life

PL Speed = I'm not quite sure about the formula yet. It may be PL + DL + DL Bonus.
I assigned 4 speed.

Test

Battle of two fighters:

Fighter A; 1PL; 4PL life; 6PL defense; 4PL speed; 1d12/3 damage; 2 rescue

Fighter B; 1PL; 4PL life; 6PL defense; 4PL speed; 1d12/3 damage; 2 rescue

Turn 1

Fighter A attacks Fighter B. Attacker A rolls a 12 + 1 + 1 + (7/3) = 16 attack. Fighter B defends rolling a 9 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 16 defense. Tie goes to the defender. Attacker B successfully defends against the attack.

Fighter B now attacks Fighter A. Attacker B rolls a 4 + 1 + 1 + (8/3) = 9 attack. Fighter B defends rolling a 5 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 13 defense. Fighter B easily defends against the attack.

Already I notice that the nature of the combat is much different. No one has hit yet. Hopefully someone will, or else I may have to adjust the system.

Turn 2
Fighter A attacks Fighter B. Attacker A rolls a 9 + 1 + 1 + (6/3) = 13 attack. Fighter B defends rolling a 4 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 12 defense. Fighter A's blow of (6/3) damage penetrates causing the 2 damage. 4PL Life - 2 PL Damage = 2 PL Life.

Fighter B now has 2PL life remaining.

This is much different than the instant kill that happened last session. The combat is challenging and an advantage is given to the defender, in the case of the fighter.

Turn 3
Fighter A attacks Fighter B. Attacker A rolls a 1 + 1 + 1 + (9/3) = 6 attack. Fighter B doesn't need to roll a defense because 6 will equal the 6 defense will beat it without even rolling. I don't have any fumble rules yet. This most likely would be a fumble. I will say that Fighter a slips and falls to the ground.

Note to self: Automatic Success: An attacker/skill performer rolling a 1 is an automatic miss or fail. An attacker/skill performer rolling a 12 will hit or succeed unless the defender also rolls a 12, in which case the defender wins.

I want to also test the advantage combat roll now that the Fighter A has fallen down and at disadvantage. Fighter B is at advantage.

Fighter B attacks fallen Fighter A. Attacker B rolls a 1 and ll. At an advantage, 11 is higher. 11 + 1 + 1 + (10/3) = 16 attack. Fighter A attacks at a disadvantage rolling a 8 and 4. At a disadvantage, 4 is lower. 4 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 12. Fighter B's blow of (9/3) damage penetrates causing 3 points of damage. 4PL Life - 3PL Damage = 1 PL Life

Fighter A has 1 PL Life. Fighter B has 2 PL Life.

So far, the advantage and disadvantage roll seems to work. Fighter B would have defended the blow if it was  not at disadvantage and taken the first roll of 8.

Note to self: I don't have any rules for correcting disadvantage or standing up. For now, I will just say that correcting a fumble takes one full turn of no attack - in which they can also defend using a regular roll.

Turn 4
Fighter A gets up.

Fighter B attacks the now standing Fighter A. Attacker B rolls a 2 + 1 + 1 + (7/3) = 7 attack. Fighter A can defend regularly and rolls a 3 ... 3 + 6 will be over 7 so It's  a miss.

Turn 5
Fighter A attacks Fighter B. Attacker B rolls a 2 + 1 + 1  + (2/3) = 5 attack. Fighter B will automatically defend against the attack.

Note to self: If an attacker cannot exceed over the defense armor, the blow will miss automatically. The defender does not need to roll a defensive roll.

Fighter B attacks Fighter A. Fighter B rolls a 9 + 1 + 1 + (9/3) = 14 attack. Fighter A rolls a 2 + 1 + 1 + 6 = 10 defense. Fighter B's blow of (9/3) penetrates Fighter A's defense easily delivering the killing blow. I think because the blow was 4 over the defense, there should be some spectacular blow.

Note to self: If a combat blow 4 or more over the defense, the blow should be spectacularly cinematic. A cinematic blow would also have applied to the Fighter B hitting in turn 3, although it would not have cause death. This rule may be adjust in the future if 4 or more is too little. It may also be a bad decision when considering the other classes. I'll have to test them out and see if it creates too much of unbalance.

The sword pierces the fighter's chest through the heart burying the blade entirely through the fighter. The heart emerges, stuck on the end of the blade, still pulsing. 

Fighter B wins and earns 1 EP for killing a 1PL opponent.

End of Fight

Analysis

The variable damage has corrected the kill in one swing for the most part, unless the attacker gets very lucky.

This is a better combat than the last one.

I was also able to make a few rule notes to add to the game file: fumble, recovery, automatic miss, and spectacularly cinematic

Attack Speed

At some point I would like speed to affect how quickly a character attacks instead of just doing turn based actions. This would set up the ability to haste based on magic or potion as well - which would help the wizard. It's something to consider. I'm not just sure how one would be simple to implement.

Summary

The combat I think is better than the first trial. Some issues still need to be addressed or explained. I also have to test two different Descriptions to see how the system works balance wise.

A Basic System 12 (ABS12)
Index of my blog

ABS12 Solo Game Engine: Additionals, Branching, & Conditionals

All the changes from this page will be added to the complete master game page at A Basic System 12 (ABS12).

ABS12 Solo Game Engine and Fact Generator
ABS12: Basic Fact Generator
ABS12 Solo Game Engine: Additionals, Branching, & Conditionals
ABS12: Synonyms for writing using the ABS12 Solo Game Engine
Testing the ABS12 Solo Engine and Fact Generator
ABS12: Story Engine
ABS12: Random Objects & Participants
ABS12: Drama Escalator

ABS: Solo Gaming Engine - flexible version It contains 1d6, 1d8, Fate, Fudge, 1d10, 1d12, 2d6, 3d6, 1d20, 4d6 JAGS, and 1d100 columns and modifiers.

How to Use the System

This is meant to help emulate a gamemaster when playing alone using the system. A question is asked about the scene, situation, or facts about the current game. It's as if asking the storyteller about what is happening. A single 12 sided die is then rolled. The chart is consulted and then interpreted.

Ex. Does the character see anything around? Roll. Yes, your character sees something.

Purpose for Inclusion

Very early in developing A Basic System 12 (ABS12) I want to include a solo gaming engine. That way the system can develop with such system already included. This is now included with the blog page which has the system.

Inspiration

For a beginning d12 solo game engine, I begin with a version influenced by roryb bracebuckle's epic d6 found at http://noonetoplay.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/epic-playtest-bird-of-wisdom-part-2.html. I also considered differing from Zach Best's CRGE by focusing on the kinds of decisions a player makes rather than the results of situations that have 'unexpectedly' results.

Intention

I wanted to try adding another layer of action into the engine. One particular area that I thought of is making the middle area more influential. And to somehow adding a Maybe-type section. One possibility is making the 'Yes, but' and 'No, but' into two distinct types of 'but's. One that is branching out - creating new options, and one that depends upon a condition. Conditionals are like a gamemaster saying, maybe yes, if and only if this other thing is done, occurs, or is satisfied. Or its like saying, no, unless you happen to be able to do this thing. For branching it's like saying, yes you perform the task well, in addition you notice this other situation  that may not be good. Or no, you failed, however you notice this other situation that may be good.

If trying to answer a description question, these answers might hinge on other possible descriptions.
Description examples.
Q. "Is that blue?" A. "Maybe it's blue, if your seeing it correctly. The light might be throwing off the color a bit. Try looking at it from another angle."
Q. "Is she my mother. A. "She might be, your not quite sure. She doesn't talk about your early childhood. You'll have to ask her further about your childhood."

ABS12 Solo game engine (1d12) by Ken Wickham
11-12	Yes, also
9-10	Yes
8	Yes, however (branching)
7	Maybe, if and only if (conditional)
6	No, unless (conditional)
5	No, however (branching)
3-4	No
1-2	No, also

Modifiers
+6	Totally Possible
+4	Very Possible
+2	Somewhat Possible
0	Half and Half
-2	Somewhat Unlikely
-4	Very  Unlikely
-6	Totally Unlikely

Explaining the Middle

The main considered change is #6 and #7.

Branching - Splitting, New Factors

The howevers would indicate the presence of a new concerning factor that may present further opportunities. What the player does with those presented factors, is up to the them entirely. It can be a new fact, something noticed, or just 'something isn't right'.  The howevers may not necessarily cause another action check - they create additional descriptions and facts that could be considered either neutral or slightly opposite in polarity. They can create branches - additional options. The character can continue to go the way, see, or realize something they intended, or they can consider this newly discovered factor. They can represent forks in a road. It is presenting facts for at least two or more options.

Conditionals

The if and only if and 'unless' are meant to differ in that they are conditional elements. The answer is directly tied to some sort of conditional action or requirement. Some other issue must be satisfied. These are meant to cause another test or roll. These are sharp turns in a road. These are made to prolong the tension and result of the prior roll. It's basically a roll again, which must be explained in the story just why another roll must be made.

One good way to find a testable statement is to use "Perhaps ..., " and then fill in a statement or situation action.

"Perhaps your not seeing things correctly." And then test it.
"Perhaps you need to check to see if you somersault wisely to avoid that rolling boulder." And then roll.
"Perhaps your a little distracted to fight properly." And roll a focus roll.

It works similar to "Unless ... ."
"Unless you're seeing things correctly." And then test it.
"Unless you somersault wisely to avoid that rolling boulder." And then test it.
"Unless you're focused to fight properly." And then test it.

Additionals

The and statements mean that the answer is doubled, either double good with an additional good result - a bonus. Or it's double negative. Not only 'no', it's also more negative because ... .


A Basic System 12 (ABS12)
Index of my blog

Story vs RPG Part 9: Lies - Our characters darkest secrets

Story vs RPG Series

Story: Elements

Story vs RPG Part 2: Main Characters - Protagonist, Antagonist, PC, NPC

Story vs RPG Part 3: Character Information

Story v RPG Part 4: Potential Pitfalls of using a RPG session for a Story.

Story v RPG Part 5: Personality Types

Story v RPG Part 6: Alignment, Morality, and Ethics

Story vs RPG Part 7: Character Needs
Story vs RPG Part 8: Character emotions
Story vs RPG Part 9: Lies - Our characters darkest secrets
Story vs RPG Part 10: Setting - cultures
Story vs RPG Part 11: Pair Dynamics
Story and Game Structure: Storylines
Story vs RPG Part 12: Larger groups - conformity & deviance

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Lies are good for stories. They are great for gaming. Almost everyone lies. Except that person who thinks they don't lie. And guess what? They just lied.

We even lie to ourselves.

From several sources I compiled this list of 50 Commonly Believed Lies and made sure each one was told from the first person. This is so that when using them with characters, the sentences can be used to help instill that perspective of the lie.

Before the list what is a lie? How does it differ from a secret? What is a person's darkest Secret? And what are defense mechanism?


Lie - intentionally false statement or action.

untruth, falsehood, deception, falsification, deceit, fabrication, perjury, dishonesty, misrepresentation, fib, telling a story

Secret - something not revealed, shown, known, or seen by others.

private, confidential, undisclosed, unknown, hush-hush, under wraps

Darkest Secret - the secret a person would never want anyone to know about or it would change others perception of that person. The worst action, they think others would abhor, that they have ever done to someone or something.

Defense Mechanism - unconscious coping technique used to deal with anxiety arising from threats and unacceptable behavior.

50 Commonly Believed Lies

1. Denying something to oneself - I'm refusing to accept the truth, reality, or a fact. I'm acting as if that event, thought, or feeling didn't exist - and am not admitting a painful feeling.
2. Redirecting urge - I'm shifting my aggressive urge to something more acceptable
3. Intellectualizing unemotionally - I'm thinking about the situation in unemotional terms by removing my emotion from the idea.
4. Pretending to be something else - I'm temporarily pretending to be a different a person with something majorly important to avoid stressful situations. At the same time I've lost track of time and my real self.
5. Excusing an action or feeling - I'm rationalizing that no wrong was done or my controversial feelings are justified using seemingly logical and rational explanations, but false or faulty reasoning.
6. Reversing instinct feeling to opposite behavior - I'm changing bad or uncomfortable instinct feelings into the opposite and behaving in the opposite of my instinctual nature, because the truth causes anxiety.
7. Regressing to childlike or teenage behavior - I'm reverting to my childlike or teenage-like reaction instead of handling things as an adult.
8. Repressing instinct - I'm denying my pleasurable instinctual desire because satisfying it may unintentionally cause stress, suffering, or pain. I'm pushing the desire into my unconscious. I feel an emotion, but I don't know why.
9. Undoing a wrong - I'm trying to act to reverse my damaging behavior in order to help symbolically erase my past guilt or unacceptable behavior. I'm confessing and trying to restore my past mistakes.
10. Acting out - I'm performing an extreme behavior to express my unexplainable thoughts or emotions.
11. Separate hats - I'm compartmentalizing my values, ethics, personality, emotions,  and behavior for different roles or aspects of life. I'm something different when at different places.
12. Dumping unconscious desires onto someone else - I'm blaming someone else for something that I actually feel myself.
13. Looking down upon someone - I'm looking at someone who is worse of than myself, separating from them, and then feeling good because I'm not in that situation. 'Just be glad your not like ... .'
14. Taking it out on someone else - I'm shifting impulse to a less threatening target, avoiding the threat or fear directly.
15. Fantasizing - I'm drifting into a fantasy to deal with inner and outer conflict.
16. Romanticizing, glamorizing, idealizing - I'm making something better or appealing than it really is.
17. Internalizing - I'm identifying, mimicking, and copying someone so much that it's becoming part of me.
18. Begrudgingly helping - I'm procrastinating, stubbornly, forgetting, inefficiently, or failing to help due to indirect aggression towards those asking for help.
19. Living through someone else - I'm fulfilling unfulfilled desires through someone else.
20. Wishful thinking - I'm making a decision based on something pleasing to imagine and not facts, evidence, and reality.
21. Delusional - I'm believing in a strong conviction despite strong evidence against such belief. The strong conviction can be based on illusion, fabricated, misinterpreted, false or incomplete information, or perception.
22. All or nothing thinking - Everything to me is black and white, all good or all bad. I'm a hero or a failure.
23. Overgeneralization - Something negative that happened to me is just part of an unending series of continuous misfortunes.
24. Negative thinking - I dwell on negatives, ignore the positives.
25. Minimize positives - I belittle positive events and characteristics as if they didn't exist.
26. Jump to conclusions - I transfer my thoughts into 'mind reading' and predict what will happen before it happens.
27. Magnify and minimize - I make things bigger than they are. I shrink important things into small feats and matters.
28. Emotional reasoning - I feel like _A__ so I must be __A__.
29. Moral attacking - I say, "You" + 'should', 'must', and/or 'ought'.
30. Labeling off of a negative - 'I'm a ___,' based on one shortcoming.
31. Taking things personal or the blame - I'm taking something I shouldn't take personal or take the blame for it. It's something I wasn't responsible for doing - but I'm taking it myself.
32. Perfectionist - I should never fail, lose, or make an error, otherwise I am no good. I must always be in control, confident, and happy.
33. Impossible situation - The challenges can never be overcome. I can never be happy.
34. Inferiority - I am useless, worthless, not good enough, and have no value.
35. Need approval - I am worthless unless someone else approves of me.
36. Relationship addict - Without someone else's love, I am nothing.
37. No appreciation - For all of my sacrifices and hard work, I never get the praise, respect, and or reward that I deserve.
38. Mind reading - I know how others intentions and thoughts. They do not need to tell me.
39. Must change others - The reason I am not happy is because another person hasn't changed yet.
40. Always right - I'm right and your always wrong.
41. People pleaser - I must please other and put my life on hold.
42. Self-conscious - I must impress others with my ability(ies) or be ignored.
43. Afraid of rejection - If I am rejected at this task or position, then I am rejected in life.
44. Stereotyping - I think all people of that type think and act the same way.
45. Fearing failure - I have a fear of failing. If I can't achieve something properly, then I am a failure.
46. Fearing conflict - I have a fear of getting into conflict with others. I don't want to object to or argue with anyone else.
47. Fear of bad emotions - I should never get angry, envy someone else, feel hate, get depressed, loose control, hold a grudge, be afraid, or be vulnerable.
48. Avoiding what you want - I shouldn't be selfish and try getting what I really want in life. Others are more important than me.
49. Revenge - If someone hurts me or does me wrong, I will get even with them at all costs.
50. Unfair comparison - Everyone else is getting what they want in life except me.

ABS12 PL1 Creature Species

All the changes from this page will be added to the master game page at A Basic System 12 (ABS12).

New version number

If you haven't  noticed, I upped the version now to 1.02 including everything changed or added last week. The current version is much larger than the last version update. I've added healing rules, revised the thief, added a character sheet, added more Description Verbs (skills) including new natural weapons, and added PL0 and PL1 non-humanoid creature encounters.

PL1 Creatures

To round out the standard creatures for power level 1, these will be the non-humanoid creatures that most games have.

The Beetle and Wood Golem will be that main end boss type creature.
Zombies of PL0 creatures should add usability to creatures and humanoids.

Description skills
I also have to add the skill information for these creatures.
smash/slam - using fists or other appendages to forcefully attack a target.
song - this is a magical song which has some effect on another character.
splinters - ejecting several dozen razor sharp shards of wood.
trample - walking or running over another character.

A Basic System 12 (ABS12)
Index of my blog

Working on Lies, secrets, defense mechanisms poste, next batch of ABS12 PL1 Encounters

Today, I wrote up a list of 44 defense mechanism, lies, and secrets that characters make or use to create self defeating behavior or inner conflict. If I don't finish it tomorrow, hopefully by Monday I can publish it.

Also, for ABS12 five more non-humanoid monsters are being written up. Also I am adding Zombify which can turn all those PL0 encounters into PL1 zombies both humanoid and non-humanoid. It will also work for any current or future creature by turning it into a PL+1 encounter. This I may publish tomorrow hopefully.

Personality type conversion chart

I put together multiple perspective personality chart. It is missing Jung's archetypes, which I may add at a different day. I'll add it to the personality type page at http://worldofthefifthsun.blogspot.com/2016/05/story-v-rpg-part-5-personality-types.html. Some information may not be correct. I haven't evaluated all of the sources.

[Click to enlarge]