I have a question. Why do we have stats? And let me clarify, so things don’t too get out of hand that I’m mostly interested in “storygames”. I think broadly stats (along with skills) have been our historical answer to the question of how we mechanize who our characters are. They represent the basic identity of the character translated into game terms.
Masks has an interesting approach here, with stats that are fairly traditional in some ways (ranging from -2 to +3, answering questions like "how good are you at fighting?") but very unique in others. They are called Labels, their names are things like "Danger" and "Superior" and 'Mundane," and (most crucially!) they shift around as grown-ups tell you who you are and how the world works. Building off that traditional base, Masks makes its stats mean something really specific about its themes of young people figuring out who they are based (partly) on how the world sees them.
I think Masks does a great job of making stats relevant to it's characters! But that said, it's still almost the exception in that regard when it comes to PbtA games. And it's not a design idea that can be or needs to be carried over to other games.
I’ve been a bit obsessed with the Masks stats over the last week. Not only because of what you mentioned but because their ability to be shifted by PCs and NPCs during play while still doing the base thing of adding bonuses to character moves means they act a bit like a resource. And the desire to keep those bonuses high pushes mechanics straight back into the narrative.
I love that they define a state or tendency more than a base ability and make context matter more than worrying about whether or not a character is strong, attractive, or competent. If that’s the type of character you are it’s assumed you have the abilities you need.
I read your intro and thought "Hating to go GNS on this, but this is right. Stats are basically the Simulationist vestigal organs, born of the idea there's objective truths about characters in a world."
I have no problem with a bit of dirty simulationism in my games but the modern storygame method of signifying objective truths about characters in a world is more or less just writing a sentence about your character, labelling it a Truth, and bringing it up constantly in play. And I think I like it better.
Using elements of play, the cards, dice & tokens as the stats?
Per usual, I sit down to read your newsletter and go plummeting down another rabbit hole of design. Thanks Thomas!
Thank you for the kind words, Galen!
Masks has an interesting approach here, with stats that are fairly traditional in some ways (ranging from -2 to +3, answering questions like "how good are you at fighting?") but very unique in others. They are called Labels, their names are things like "Danger" and "Superior" and 'Mundane," and (most crucially!) they shift around as grown-ups tell you who you are and how the world works. Building off that traditional base, Masks makes its stats mean something really specific about its themes of young people figuring out who they are based (partly) on how the world sees them.
I think Masks does a great job of making stats relevant to it's characters! But that said, it's still almost the exception in that regard when it comes to PbtA games. And it's not a design idea that can be or needs to be carried over to other games.
I’ve been a bit obsessed with the Masks stats over the last week. Not only because of what you mentioned but because their ability to be shifted by PCs and NPCs during play while still doing the base thing of adding bonuses to character moves means they act a bit like a resource. And the desire to keep those bonuses high pushes mechanics straight back into the narrative.
I love that they define a state or tendency more than a base ability and make context matter more than worrying about whether or not a character is strong, attractive, or competent. If that’s the type of character you are it’s assumed you have the abilities you need.
I read your intro and thought "Hating to go GNS on this, but this is right. Stats are basically the Simulationist vestigal organs, born of the idea there's objective truths about characters in a world."
I have no problem with a bit of dirty simulationism in my games but the modern storygame method of signifying objective truths about characters in a world is more or less just writing a sentence about your character, labelling it a Truth, and bringing it up constantly in play. And I think I like it better.
I mean, the clue is in the name, right? STATISTICS.