Update on New Year, New (Social) Game with USR

Last night, Lady Shadowmoss and I sat down for a character generation session for the post-apocalyptic science fantasy adventure(s) I'm going to run for her (and maybe some others if things work out) using  the awesome and free Unbelievably Simple Role-playing Game.

Although I just purchased a print copy of Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering, it hasn't arrived yet, so I was following the advice given in the free download, Gamemastering: The Essential Guide for Roleplaying Gamemasters.

After reviewing my concept of the game world with her, we walked through the character interview process described in the PDF using something of a cross between the action oriented player (thus a shortened set of questions) and the full version.

I am sold on this method.

By asking her questions and following up on her answers, offering my own ideas and getting her to elaborate more on her ideas, the end result was a collaborative honing of the game world and shaping of the character that left us both enthused. She noted that she understands her character's place in the world and the world itself, even more so than some of her LARP characters.

The character she is playing is the runaway daughter of a warlord, betrothed to another warlord's son - a political act to unite the two groups. She wanted nothing to do with the arrangement and broke the contract - with her father's support, despite the fact that it will bring the two clans to war. What none know, other than her father and her best friend, is that she was born with the gifts of a technomancer, and she has every intention of learning what she is capable of.

In story terms, she is something like a human trickle charger / generator, with the ability to power up electronic devices from a long forgotten age (she found a cell phone while scavenging, and it lit up when she picked it up, although the character doesn't know it's a cell phone of course) but she has some minimal mental manipulation of her power at this time (it will increase as her character goes up levels).

As her powers grow, she'll discover new abilities which we'll figure out through game play.

In mechanical terms, I'm treating technomancy like I treat magic for magic-users, a Wits based ability, due to the mental control factor.

I'm starting her at 2nd level. She  has Actions: d8, Wits: D10 and Ego: d6. Her specialisms include: Technomancy (Wits + 2), Stealth (Action + 2), Diplomacy (Ego + 2), Scavenging (Wits + 2).

With all of the details generated including goals - short term and long, friends and foes, and motivations, I have plenty of information to prepare a conflict (or two or three) to gain her character's attention, requiring her to utilize one or more of her specialisms and face numerous obstacles.