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Chapter 2 by Zingiber Zingiber

Academies (stories start here!), How To Play, Making a Character, Making an Academy

How To Play: Chapters and Moves

Every academy's world, and every academy's rules are a little different.

However, all the RPG rules follow the same general outline for choosing options, rolling for success, and determining results.

Briefly, when you add a chapter, it's either:

  1. Describe a new scene or setting. This usually sets up the next chapter as choosing a Move, or perhaps your chapter describes which Move the character takes and the next chapter is rolling and resolving that Move.
  2. Choose a Move, describing how the character sets it up and what their intentions are.
  3. Roll 2d6 for a Move, adding any modifiers. Depending on the rules for that Move, choose the results and describe how they happen. Some results will allow the character free choice of a next Move or scene change, and others will direct a specific or limited choice of a next Move.
  4. Change to a new main character to follow, starting from whatever characters and events are already established. Maybe something bad has happened to the main character, or maybe the girlfriend they just dumped sounds like she has a more interesting story.

In more detail, to write a chapter following a character's storyline, do this:

Either:

  • Describe a new scene or setting. This is a free move and requires no roll. You might use it to develop the character, setting, or plot in the storyline. Probably don't cut away when the main character is in the middle of a conflict or other scene where the reader cares about the resolution. Certainly jump forward if you have an idea for an interesting scene with a decision point.
  • Have the character take initiative. Choose a Move from your academy's rules. Describe how you set up for your action and end the chapter with a dice roll for the result. Sample Chapter title: Cast TRANSFORM on Jemmy. Chapter: Shaking with anger, Valentine snatched up her wand. "Think my friend has a funny voice? See how you like this!" she cried, speaking the words that would transform Jemmy into a toad. Next Chapter Question: Roll +Cunning (+1) (+2 Cunning, -1 for Valentine's Consequence) to cast TRANSFORM.
  • Roll the dice for a Move, adding any modifiers, and narrate the results, following the rules for that Move. Based on your roll, the Move may list alternatives for you to choose first, such as "On a roll of 7-9, choose one: Your spell succeeds but also backfires in a public, embarrassing way. Describe what happens and then GET OUT OF TROUBLE; or Your spell succeeds but also drains your magic energy. Take a CONSEQUENCE, or if you already have a CONSEQUENCE, go to the INFIRMARY." Perhaps you choose to describe Valentine turning Jemmy into a toad, then fainting and waking up in the Infirmary. Valentine's next move is chosen from the options in the INFIRMARY rule, or if it seems more fun to you, perhaps Valentine's first move after waking is to GET OUT OF TROUBLE for turning Jemmy into a toad. Or for the 7-9 casting the spell, you might choose that the spell backfires, and describe the teacher trying to intervene, and while Jemmy turns into a toad, the teacher catches a jolt which gives her an instant screaming squirting heel-pounding orgasm in class. Valentine's next move is to roll for GET OUT OF TROUBLE in this case.
  • Change to a new main character. Perhaps you would like to narrate the story from the point of view of one of the main character's friends. This might make sense if something bad has happened to the main storyline character. Create their character sheet according to the Academy's rules. If there are rules for playing a monster or adversary, that might be another option. Maybe the player character has been consumed, kidnapped, enslaved, or possessed.

You could make a Move and resolve it within a chapter, or make more than one Move, if it makes sense for your storyline to not break chapters too quickly.

Here's a link to a page which will roll 2 6-sided dice: https://www.random.org/dice/?num=2

How To Play: More?

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