I've come up with a system for Relationship Maps for use in Savage Worlds, though it is still rough around the edges. I encourage anyone actually reading this blog to give me some feedback on how you feel this could be streamlined and improved. I don't want to explain too much in advance, since if it's not clear from the text itself, I need to know that too. Please post comments, thanks.
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A relationship map is a
means of visually describing the assorted network of connections
between characters. At its simplest, such a map can point out who
knows who and how they feel about each other. However, adding
complexity can allow not only a layer of character analysis, but can
chart important locations, properties, motivations, and goals and how
they relate to such characters. In short, a relationship map
provides an illustrated depiction of a campaign, its known movers and
shakers, how and why they act as they do, and may even hint at where
things are going. It is like a massively interconnected web that
serves as an excellent tool for GMs who may wonder where to tug and
pull to get their players moving or for Players who may wonder what a
GM is up to.
Player Characters start
at the center of the map. They are the focus and central point of
perspective through which all game relationships are being viewed.
Write down the Character’s name and surround it with a Hexagon.
EXAMPLE:
We
decide to map out a character, Grimm, a dour woodsman who patrols the
forests. After drawing a hexagon, we write “Grimm” inside it.
Anything depicted on the
Relationship map that is drawn within a geometric shape is called a
“Node”. We have just identified our first Node, the Character
Node. This Node will be connected to other Nodes of various types by
arrows we call “Threads”. The pairing of a Node to a Thread is a
“Relationship”.
1. NOTE THE STARTING RELATIONSHIP POINT TOTALS
Regardless of the scope
or power level of the game, every character will have at least one
relationship link to each of the following Nodes: A Person, a Place,
a Thing, and an Idea. These four links form the Core Personal
Relationships of the starting character. Each of these relationships
begin with a Weak (+0) connection, but will be increased through the
expense of available relationship points. If Relationship Points
remain after spending at least one point in each of these four
Relationships, a character may buy a new Relationship (of any sort
except "Person"). New Relationships begin at "Weak
+0" and may be increased normally, provided that the starting
value of the relationship does not EXCEED the value of the Core
Relationship of the same type.
A Character's starting
Relationship Point total is determined by the starting rank of the
character, and is modified by certain Edges and high Skills.
Novice characters begin
play with 4 Relationship points; more experienced characters gain two
additional points per rank above Novice.
EXAMPLE:
Grimm
starts play as a Novice character. He has 4 Relationship points to
spend, and must spend at least one point in each type of
relationship.
The following edges grant
two additional Relationship Points:
Connections
Noble
Command
Followers
Sidekick
Additionally, any
Knowledge Skill at d10 provides an appropriate 1 point Relationship
(Weak +0). A Knowledge Skill at d12 provides a 2 point (Normal +1)
Relationship.
EXAMPLE:
Klovis,
however, enters the game later as a Veteran character with both the
Connections and Command Edges. Additionally, he has a d10 Knowledge
in the Hidden Trails of Shire Alamen. He begins play with eight (8)
relationship points from his Veteran rank, an additional four (4)
added points from Edges, and one (1) more point from his high
Knowledge Skill.
Any points gained from
Edges should reflect the nature of the Edge, but will add to the
total number of points a character may spend on Relationships.
Buying these Edges in the course of game play should warrant the same
addition of new, or the expansion of existing, relationships as if
they’d begun the game with the Edges. In short, taking these Edges
allows a player to make immediate additions to the relationship map
itself. However, like all relationships added after the commencement
of the game, the character first must buy the relationship at Weak
(+0), unlike with the starting Core Relationships.
2. IDENTIFY CORE RELATIONSHIPS,
NOTING NATURE & INTENSITY
Since a character must
have at least one of each type of relationship Node, go ahead and
write down each one on a sheet. Make sure that the character’s
Node remains at the center of the map. Once the relationships are
identified, draw the appropriate shapes around what you’ve written
to complete the Node.
[Relationship
Node Types]
People (Circle):
Relationships of this type are generally overtly social ones. They
can be with an individual person, a group of people, or even an
organization. This type of relationship is noted in the map by the
use of a Circle.
Places (Square):
Relationships of this type are connections to specified locations,
known or unknown. This type of relationship is noted on the map by
the use of a Square.
Things (Triangle):
Relationships of this type are connections to physical objects. Such
objects may or may not be in the possession of the character, or even
be owned by them. Additionally, this type of relationship may refer
to a general type or category of thing, and not just a specific
object. This type of relationship is noted on the map by the use of
a Triangle.
Ideas (Diamond):
Relationships of this type denote connections to ideals, motivations,
goals, and values. Usually, such ideas are a character’s own,
though in some instances a character may develop a relationship to
another’s set of Ideas over time. This type of relationship is the
most abstract and is noted on the map by the use of a Diamond.
EXAMPLE:
Grim
notes his starting Core Relationships. For People he chooses his
Boss; For Places he choose the Forest where he lives; for things he
chooses Scrounged Objects, the means by which he makes money; and for
Idea he chooses "Only Nature is Honest", a statement that
helps define how he relates to the world.
[Nature of the
Relationship]
Thread a connection
between the Character Node and Relationship Node by drawing an arrow
between them, starting from the character. Identify the nature of
the Relationship by writing along the arrow how the character feels
about what is named in the Node.
EXAMPLE:
Grimm
draws a thread to the Idea "Only Nature is Honest", and
notes along the arrow "Hides behind this statement to avoid
troubling social relationships".
[Intensity of the
Relationship]
Intensity is what impact
the relationship may have on a scene in terms of game effects. Once
a scene, a character may opt to take a bonus to an applicable roll if
the relationship is directly relevant to the events of the scene.
Weak Impact [+0]
Normal Impact [+1]
Strong Impact [+2]
Weak (+0) Relationships,
you’ll notice, are quite common yet offer no bonus modifiers. This
is because of the final benefit associated with Intensity, the
potential to reclaim spent Bennies. At the end of an encounter, a
character with an appropriate Relationship may roll a d6 and add
their Intensity modifier. If the result is a success, they regain a
single Benny. With a raise they may reclaim an additional Benny, but
only if that Benny was spent. Thus, no new Bennies can be earned.
A GM may impose penalties
to certain rolls if a character’s relationships are being used
against him. A Benny may be
spent to negate the impact of a relationship during a scene.
EXAMPLE:
In
the case of Grimm it is easy enough to assign intensity to his
Relationships. Grimm has a "Normal (+1) relationship in each of
them since he only has four points to spend. Later on during a game
session, Grimm is tracking slavers who’ve entered his home forest.
The player and the GM agree that it is appropriate for Grimm to take
his bonus from his relationship with this Place and gain a bonus of 1
on his Tracking rolls since he knows very well what is or is not out
of place. Even later, Grimm is attempting sell some trinkets at the
Great Bazaar. Unfortunately, some antagonistic Knight trampled
Grimm’s wares while riding over them. Grimm has a bad temper
(Quirk) and the GM decides that Grimm must make a successful Spirit
roll to avoid going into a rage. The GM also decides that because of
Grimm’s relationship to his scrounged objects, his Spirit roll must
be made at a penalty of 1.
The Intensity of a
Relationship should be written in brackets alongside the text
explaining Nature of the Relationship. Only Nodes connected to
Characters or Active NPC’s (see below) need to have an Intensity
Listed.
For a starting character,
the first Node of each type denotes the character’s Core
Relationships. No additional Relationship of a particular type may
EXCEED that of the character’s Core Relationship of the same type.
Thus, if a character initially defines a connection at +1 to a
Person, then no other connection to a Person may exceed that same
Intensity. Note that this is true only for starting characters. As
campaigns progress, character relationships and their intensities
will alter.
3. ADD RELATIONSHIPS FROM EDGES,
HINDRANCES, & SKILLS:
[Edges]
Some Edges will add new
relationships to a character. These Edges each grant two
relationship points of intensity starting with Weak +0/0 and
progressing up from there.
As mentioned earlier,
these edges are:
Connections
Noble
Command
Followers
Sidekick
If the points gained from
an Edge applies to a large group or organization, then the GM may
wish to require an increased point cost to improve the relationship.
EXAMPLE:
Grimm
is a Warden of Shire Corbie, defined as the Connections Edge. His
player and the GM decide that Grimm may add "Wardens of Shire
Corbie" as a People Relationship, at Normal (+1), or he may
add the same at Weak (+0) and have either another relationship
(likely a Place or another Person) also at Weak (+0).
[Skills]
Earning a Knowledge Skill
ranked at d10 or higher grants an appropriate Place or Idea
relationship at Weak (+0) Intensity. If the skill reaches a d12,
then the Relationship may be stepped up to Normal (+1). No
additional intensity is gained from improving a skill beyond a d12.
An arrow should be drawn
from the character to the Place or Idea and the nature of the
relationship defined normally.
EXAMPLE:
Locke’s
Knowledge (Ruins of Dragoneye City) is at a value of d10. He may add
those Ruins as a new Place to which he is related at a Weak (+0)
Intensity. He notes that he often makes money from selling trinkets
he collects from inside.
[Hindrances]
Unlike Edges and Skills,
Hindrances do not necessarily grant additional Relationship Points
(though they can, see below). Instead, Hindrances are a
roleplayer’s gold mine for expanding or clarifying a character's
map of Relationships. Since many of these relationships are
partially or even fully out of the character's control, a player
should be mindful of a character’s disadvantages when defining
initial and core relationships. Indeed, those choices often may be
informed by the character’s own reactions to what Hindrances were
selected.
EXAMPLE:
Grimm,
though he has a quirk that he is distrustful of authority, has taken
his boss, Rudo Sackbridge, the Sheriff of Shire Corbie, as his core
relationship to a Person. He notes the Nature of the relationship as
“Respects… But also Resents”, illustrating the conflicted
feelings he has about the man and his social position. Thus Grim
resents Sheriff Sackbridge’s authority, though he also knows he can
count on the Sheriff if he really needs him.
Some Hindrances are
standout choices for illustrating relationships that are not always
positive in nature. Hindrances can provide a lot of added flavor,
especially if incorporating interconnections and influences (see
below). The mostly likely candidates among Hindrances include:
Code of Honor
Enemy
Habit
Phobia
Quirk
Vow
Wanted
The list above is by no
means all inclusive. While some types of Hindrances are more obvious
choices than others, it is important not to forget the impact of more
abstract relationships. Ask how a Hindrance fits into one of the
following dramatic oppositions: Man versus Man; Man versus Nature;
Man versus Self. If that opposition is a key part of who the
character is (or what the character must overcome), then it may be
important enough to be mapped. A heroin addicted hacker desperately
struggling to regain control of his life might have the Drug or his
addiction listed on the map, but a chain smoker probably won’t.
Not all Hindrances should
define or even have an impact upon a character’s mapped
relationships. It is up to the GM and the players whether or not
noting a relationship is warranted. Ideally, this decision should be
based on its potential impact on the character, his outlook,
demeanor, and likely actions. Thus, while two characters may have
the same Hindrance, only one character may find it warrants inclusion
on the Relationship Map. Similarly, Major Hindrances are more likely
to be listed than minor ones; something casual is less likely to have
serious personal impact.
[Negative
Relationships]
Some relationships are
just so important that they need to be included on the map, even if
they offer no positive benefit to the character. Obviously, such a
relationship is drawn from a character’s own Hindrances in such a
way that they are more than simply helping to define or clarify
another relationship – they are, in and of themselves – a
relationship all their own.
If a player wishes, he
may use one of his character’s Hindrances to define a new, negative
relationship. In any scene where that relationship is involved, the
character may not spend any of his own Bennies, except to save his
own life.
EXAMPLE:
Grimm’s
player and the GM decided that Grimm has a custom Minor Hindrance
listed as a Negative Reputation among the Regional Knighthood, and he
suffers -4 on all Social Interactions with them. In terms of
back-story, it was decided that appointing a Wildman like Grimm to
the position of Warden was believed to be a direct attempt by the
Sheriff to insult the local Knighthood. Grimm’s player writes
“Knights of County Corbie” as a People Node, but notes it as a
Negative Relationship. Now, in any Social Interactions with them, he
may not spend a Benny to re-roll any failed trait rolls.
Where the relationship is
a purely negative one, the line threading between a Character and a
Node should be marked in RED (or in a similar manner to distinguish
it from normal relationships).
4. DEFINE INTERCONNECTIONS
This is where things get
interesting. Once the players have all made their initial maps, check
for any overlapping relationships. If the players agree that they
have common relationships then redraw the map so that the characters
both have threads connecting them to the same node. If they do not
agree, at least one of those characters should change the
relationship so they differ.
Not all games will begin
with the same levels of interconnectivity. A general guideline for
how to link characters depends on how interconnected characters will
be at the start of the game. We have four general types: Unconnected,
Casually Familiar, Connected, and Heavily Connected. Each type
determines how many of the characters know one another, share common
Nodes, and may adjust or influence existing relationships.
Unconnected games
assume that the characters have no common connections (aside from may
have been decided from their initial relationships) and do not know
one another before the start of the game. They gain no additional
threads.
Casually Familiar
games assume that characters are at least generally familiar with one
another as a group, though not everyone will know everyone else. A
Player in a Casually Familiar game may thread a relationship between
their Character to any one other Node on another character’s map,
including a Character Node itself. Any relationships defined with
non-character Nodes begin at Weak (+0) Intensity.
Connected games
assume that characters are, you guessed it, somewhat connected with
one another and quite possibly may know each other. A Player in a
Connected game may thread a relationship between his Character and
any two other Nodes on a character’s map not his own, so long as at
least one is a Character Node. Any relationships defined with
non-character Nodes begin at Weak (+0) Intensity.
Heavily Connected
games assume the characters have strong links to one another and
almost assuredly know each other. A Player in a Heavily Connected
game may thread a relationship between his Character and a number of
Nodes on other players’ character maps equal to the total number of
player characters. Every character must be linked to at least one
other Character. Any relationships defined with non-character Nodes
begin at Weak (+0) Intensity, but with the GM’s permission may be
increased to as high as Normal (+1) by allocating an additional point
to the thread.
[Linking to NPCs /
Static and Active NPCs]
NPCs that stay where they
are and do not do much aside from a narrow function are considered
Static.
NPCs that may show up
anywhere, have a broad array of abilities, and generally could become
part of the action and drama should be considered Active NPCs.
If more than one
character is linked to a Person, it’s quite likely that person may
become an important NPC, and may also be noted as Active, even if
they don’t move around a lot or have any significant power.
Active NPCs are noted by
a second circle being drawn around the first one that denotes them as
a People Node. Any Active NPC should be given at least one, if not
more, threads connecting them to other non-Character nodes if they do
not have them already.
5. DETERMINE INFLUENCES & MAKE
ADJUSTMENTS
Role Playing Game
campaigns run the full spectrum from the railroading of autocratic
Game Masters, to the hostile, often combat laden games where Players
and Game Masters are adversaries, to more cooperative, narrative
campaigns where everyone works together to propel the story in
exciting and interesting directions. No matter the style of play, a
simple question can be asked: How much power do the PLAYERS have to
control the events of the game? This inquiry is not speaking of
character actions, or the choices of how to play the game, but
instead seeks an answer in terms of direct input. Do the players
help define the world, or is that the sole province of the Game
Master?
In games where Player
input has more meaning, it may be interesting to allow a certain
number of Influences on the Relationship map. This allows Players to
tweak the starting map and possibly establish interesting threads and
relationships that may not otherwise of have existed. In general,
most games should fall into one of three types, which determine how
the map may be adjusted.
No/Little Influence:
No changes are made to
the relationship map.
Some Influence:
Every player may make a
single change to the relationship map, so long as the change follows
certain guidelines. They may thread any existing Node to any other
Node, provided the link does not connect to or from a Character Node.
The player may then define the nature of the relationship as they
desire.
High Influence:
Every player may make up
to two changes to the relationship map, provided those changes follow
certain guidelines. First, they may thread any existing
non-Character Node to any other Node, except for their own Character.
Second, they may create a new Node and link it to any Node that
isn’t a Player Character. The player should define the nature of
these relationships as they desire (if an Intensity is warranted, it
should be considered Normal +1), unless threading to a character. In
this case, the relationship should be listed as Weak (+0) and defined
normally. Lastly, no Negative Relationships may be added unless all
players agree to it.
Influences that
affect Character Nodes should not reach the power of Edges or
Hindrances, both of which require advancement earned from the
acquisition of Experience Points.
6. MAKE FINAL
ADJUSTMENTS
Once the Maps are just
about complete, Players and Game Masters alike should check them to
see if there are any relationships that SHOULD be present, but have
not been threaded. For example, if “Holy Order of the Crow”
exists as a Node, and “Carlos, Acolyte of the Holy Order of the
Crow” also exists as a Node, then those two Nodes logically should
have a thread drawn between them to define their relationship.
