What is a good mechanic for a test of will power?

Question

I like rules-light larps and I like larps where abilities can be resolved in real time without needing an artificial mechanic like paper-scissor-rock or some kind of card system.

Combat is reasonably simple to physically represent in larp because we can all take out our latex swords and if you get hit, you're wounded. The game can be played in real time, without needing time-stops or special cards. The mechanic is simple: if you hit someone, they are wounded. If they dodge, or parry, they are not hurt.

I'm looking for a mechanic that can be used for magic and 'contest of will' type situations that can flow as well as combat does. I'd like magic to have the same flow as combat with some kind of 'attack' and 'defence' that the players can act out.

I know there are systems where people compare scores ("I have 5 will power, I cast charm" --> "I have 6 will power, I resist") but I'm not interested in that kind of system. The system doesn't need to cater to a variation of skill levels. It can be like simple larp combat where the skill (or will power) of the player is what matters.

I thought of using something like a staring contest (first one to blink loses) but I thought I'd also see if existing systems already had a mechanic.

Thanks in anticipation!

Answer 1

If you want the system to be entirely prop-less and able to be done while in physical combat, consider word or math games. For instance, the caster could state the spell and a command word for a single target will attack and then start counting. The person opposing now has to say a word that follows some predefined rule structure before the attacker gets to a target number or else they are hit.

This could be done as

• a quick one time attack/defense (defender succeeds or fails) "'Flame'! Continue in 3! one one-thousand, two-" "Engulf!" "Drat!"
• a one time attack/defense with magnitude (you got 3 right answers, you needed 4 to avoid being affected, you are affected with strength 1) "Sleep! Five Multiples of 24!" "uh... 2, 4, 6, 12 aaand-" "Time! you forgot 8 and 3. You're affected for x amount of time"
• a back and forth until one person fails the challenge (could be used for a situation where the loser is the one affected, regardless of source) "Foods starting with A!" "Apple!" "Avocado!" "Alfredo!" "A... crap, I'm wounded"

Caster strength could be represented by lessening of time to respond or more required answers. Defender strength could probably be used to either add time or to add "auto-successes" in the second or third example.

All of this has the benefit of being fully doable within combat. A mage could be fighting someone else and start casting at another combatant, but both involved now are distracted and must deal with both assaults at once. Of course the defender could ignore the contest of will and try to kill the mage before the end of the spell...

Answer 2

White and Black balls.

Your willpower is represented by white balls: one ball per willpower point. The skill of the attacker is represented by black balls: one ball per skill point. Mix both in one bag, the defender takes a single ball from the bag but does not show it to the attacker. If it is a black ball, the test has failed. If it is a white ball, the test has succeeded. The defender then puts the ball back into the bag, the black balls are removed and returned to the attacker, and the action resumes.

To speed things up (so it flows better), you could have a certain number of black and white balls in your bag already and make one or more selections depending on the skill level of the attacker: any black, you lose.

Bonus points: Determining the change of success is a trivial statistical exercise left as an exercise to the reader.

Answer 3

Any contests of will for the purposes of intimidation, seduction and other kinds of charisma are easily done just by allowing players to talk to each other. Yes, this unfairly benefits naturally charismatic players but it does give those who struggle a place to learn a life skill in a safe place.

When it comes to magic, the easy way to do it is to ignore combat magic and make magic more theatrical.

A trend in UK LARPs has been to minimise the amount of effects that could be used in combat to a small number (increased damage, ignoring armour, knockdown, ignore damage and so on) but allowing many ways to get those effects with different costs. These include downtime crafting (regular and magic varieties), the blessings of the Gods, active spells, character skill and so on. Profound Decisions Maelstrom game was a prime example of this. The Odyssey rules are very similar but I have no direct experience of them.

These systems often have a looser way of using magic in game - ritual magic. A group would go to a ref and give them an out of character description of the effect they were trying to achieve then play through the ritual. In many cases this requires access to a particular site and/or a significant number of players. The refs would judge the quality of the performed ritual and decide the result. Interesting rituals made for better results.

Answer 4

Try this for magic sometime.

Plant your feet, wave your arms about and speak loudly and clearly an incantation (about 25 words). Then touch someone to buff/heal or huck a decorated bit that looks like your spell effect.

The counters are dodging the thing that gets hucked, making the mage fumble their incantation, Shooting the mage from afar, ganking them before the finish their incantation, or backing out of their effective range.

Some groups use glow bracelets with streamers, painted up tennis balls, or beanbags with or without decorations. Higher standards for better effects usually works. Just pick your spell component back up and reuse it.

This creates battlefield dynamics like having to hold ground, protecting healers from bowmen, and having to take ground to get your sides thrown spell components back.

There are skills involved that someone can get better at to become a stronger mage, such as memorization, better aim, and making choices under pressure.

It also prevents targeting issues in a swirling melee. Spells delivered by pointing or shouting work alright one-on-one, but not well at night, from behind, or while you're distracted.

Answer 5

The Riddles way

I don't know any existing models that require no physical props and allow a 1v1 Willpower duel. However, I know a very interesting model that was used for torture rules at one Witcher LARP hosted in Saint-Petersburg.

The model

To be short, the attacker has a prepared riddle that the defender needs to solve in a given time frame. If a riddle is solved, the attack has failed. If the riddle is not solved, the attack is successful and, in the case of that model, the victim has to answer a question.

An important fact: the answer given does not have to copy the intended one, it can be anything that matches the riddle! You can add a rule that if the question is not answered, the attacker needs to name the answer to prove that it actually even exists (if you don't trust your players).

If you need a 1v1 duel, you can simply switch the attacker and the defender and choose your own consequences of a failed round. You can even try to change them based on how much time the riddle takes!

In any case, test your system before you use it. Ask some of your players to perform the duels of minds by your new rules.

Pros:

• No props at all!
• A pure duel of minds, no physical contest involved!

Cons:

• A bunch of riddle need to be prepared beforehand.
• A gamemaster needs to check the prepared riddles to prove that they fit in the setting well, are answerable, not too difficult etc.
• The victims need time to make an answer, such a duel is not quick. You can play with the riddle difficulty and time, but it won't be resolved in 15 seconds like a swordfight.

The Associations way

This one was used at one Harry Potter LARP for the simulation of Legilimency and Occlumency. Note that this mechanic will only work for interrogation, while the previously listed one will just yield you a winner and a loser and let you choose the consequences.

The model

We used Telegram for this so that others cannot perceive what's happening, it was not allowed to show what you write and get in this messenger.

The attacker pronounces a magical word to announce the use of spell, and has to write some keywords. The maximum amount of them depends on their experience at the use of Legilimency (the more powerful they are, more words they can write). The victim has to write up to 7 words that their character associates with the keywords sent by the attacker, but only a given amount of them has to be true.

The victim has 3 minutes to think.

For example, Alice (Legilimency level 3) attacks Bob (Occlumency allows to send only 2 real associations). Alice thinks that Bob killed Charlie yesterday when they were alone, and says: "Charlie, murder, yesterday". Bob did kill Charlie, and has to say at least two things that applied to this time and are connected with ALL THREE WORDS sent/said by Alice, for example, "Moonlight, Fear". But there are 5 more slots to fill with lies, as Bob is great at hiding the reality! So, Bob sends: "Moonlight, Fear, Kiss, Together forever, Way to home". 2 more slots left, but Bob probably wants to hide the ability to mask the truth, and fakes having to send 5 pieces of data.

Pros

• Is fun!
• Is a challenge of minds.
• You can still make stats influence that.

Cons

• Is waaay to slow.
• Requires a smartphone with internet access. You can try to do it by pieces of paper -- then you actually need props, though very easy props. You can try it by voice, but then others can hear what's happening unless you whisper.
• The model is complicated. You will probably have to host a masterclass on this before your game starts so that players understand how it actually works.