Scripting

Although there are many replays and scripts on the internet, if you want to run a story with a personal touch and your own group, you will still have to write the story yourself.

I'll tell you how to write a good script.

Stage Setting

When you start writing a script, the first thing to consider is the location, where the story takes place.

No matter what the story, the location of the Doll has always been a very important factor. According to the world background, even if the Players themselves don't understand the world of the script, the Necromancer itself has to. In one corner of the world, pick and create a place to go, wilderness, ruined cities, supermarkets, wasted factories, underground bunkers and so on. Then, for the location that was picked out, fill out the details of the location, such as the top floor of a building in a ruined town, or the only supermarket in the wilderness. In addition, places that are significantly different from the real world, such as completely deserted coasts and forests, can also be used.

After roughly deciding where the incident will occur, then the next step is to start planning the plot and the stage of deploying the pawns.

Determine the Target

The goal of giving the Doll what to do in the script must be considered. After deciding on the goal, you must also let the Players know at the right time. You can't have all the targets in the one place.

If the given goal is weak or has little to nothing to do with the overall plot, please don't put too much effort into the script. In the beginning of the adventure phase, it is a good choice to give a goal that can guide the Doll to the core of the event and important places. If it is not too clear, it may cause the action to go outside the preset story because of the lack of understanding of it's own goals.

In addition, if it is a goal with a memory fragment, it is content that will have significant impact on the spiritual level of the Doll. It can be more appropriate to split it into two goals. As for the timing of the release of the memory, please follow the progress of the Doll closely and wait for a good time.

Depending on the plot, in the same script, different Dolls can be given different goals.

What follows is five different types of possible goal. However, this does not mean that only the following methods can be used as a goal. Necromancer can set goals with personal characteristics according to the needs of its own scripts.

Guard X

This type of goal is suitable for announcing at the start of the battle phase. Objects are not only limited to special treasures, Necromancer operated servants, objects, machines and so on.

Go to X

This type of goal is suitable for announcing at the start of the adventure phase. If you are in a house, the target might be outside the house. If you are underground, the target can be the surface, or you can guide the Dolls to an important meeting point and so on. If you arrive at the designated location within the phase, you will complete the goal.

Destroy/Do Not Destroy X

If you specify special units (parts), obstacles, facilities, and completely destroy the target, you will win. Since it is a victory to defeat a specific target, please do not be too focused on the enemy configuration. As the enemy, do not carry out too many meaningless actions, so that it is better for the units on the battlefield to exert as much of their power as possible.

As the most threatening enemy on the battlefield, it doesn't matter if there's more than one of them. If it is an important being, it may try to escape.

As long as the target object is destroyed, no matter how many units remain on the field, the battle must go straight to the end phase.

Escape

As long as all the Dolls escape, it is a victory.

In the escape goal, Necromancer can add 30% of the original threat value to the enemies in the battle. to make the escape even harder.(the extra threat value is not counted in after battle rewards) It is not necessary for some enemies to arrive at the end of the round. The purpose of the Dolls is not to completely annihilate the present enemies, but to win if they reach the victory condition.

In addition, although it is said that the victory condition of "escape" is achieved, it is "victory." However, some special circumstances may occur, such as searching for repair parts on the way to escape, or fleeing with your own damaged parts. This time, you can "repair" afterwards.

Units

Units controlled by Necromancer will have a value called "Threat"

First, please adjust this threat according to the number of Players. The number of "threat" that can be assigned. If it is a team that values combat, it is a good configuration to have a total threat value near "Number of Dolls x10."

When the Dolls gain experience, or the Players are familiar with the Nechronica rules then it doesn't matter if you raise the "threat" value beyond this formula.

When the threat range is roughly determined, it is time to configure the battle. In addition, depending on the difference in the conditions of victory, it is sometimes possible to add units that exceed the total threat value. This is especially important.

Threat is equivalent to difficulty. It almost represents how hard the battle the Dolls face will be. Arranging a battle can be carried out from two aspects. One is to decide the range of threat value, and then to assign the pawns on the stage to achieve the same threat. The other is to arrange the pawns, then add the total threat of all pawns. If its exceeded or insufficient, it will be adjusted to the desired threat level.

The following are precautions for the layout of pawns. Please pay attention.

Type of Pawn

If the pawns on the field are too mixed, they have a great range of tactics but it is also the hardest to manage. Players must think hard on the battlefield. In a battle, it is more appropriate to limit yourself to no more than 5 different types of enemy.

Pawn Strength

Pawns with high threat are indeed quite powerful on the Necromancer side, but if you use too much at the same time, it will be their doom because they are too few in number. Please add low threat legions or horrors to fill the stage, so that you can have more offensive and defensive options.

Legion

The so called legion is cannon fodder, but many ants can still kill an elephant. In particular, if the attacks do not have the special effects of "dismember", "explosive" or "area", the legion will become difficult. However, if the number of the legion is too much, the whole battle will become a simple fight and sometimes it will be quite boring, so pay attention to this.

By paying the threat value of a legion, five members can be deployed. If the victory condition is "Completely destroy the enemy", it is better to try not to exceed "Number of Dolls x10" for Legions deployed on the field.

Area Arrangement

The pawns of the Necromancer are usually placed in the three areas of "Limbo", "Hades" and "Tartarus" of the stage. As for the two areas of "Elysium" and "Eden", if there is any special reason in the plot, there is no problem with deploying there.

In terms of tactics, the pawns should be able to strike the "Limbo" setting is ideal, but sticking to the victory of the Necromancer side (annihilation of the Dolls). Remember that redundancy itself is also part of the decoration. If you cannot do it with beautiful tactics, or unusual plays, then it is a hollow victory. Let's carefully arrange the pawns to the balance of the situation.

Players Number

If you do not know the number of Players in advance, you should decide three types of script. One for 2 people, one for 3 people and one for 4 people. It may be troublesome, but if you get used to it, you can do so easily, so let's decide three types of teamwork.

Determine Events

When creating a script, the Necromancer must set the key events that will occur in the plot.

In particular, the determination of the two segments "Adventure" and "Ending" require the Necromancer to handle them carefully. Therefore, you should decide on important decisions important in the scenario.

However, Conversation Checks are invoked by the Players, so the Necromancer does not need to decide them in advance. The events to be prepared are mainly Action Checks and Madness Checks.

Important Action Checks include the discovery of hidden items, the difficulty of crossing obstacles, etc, which may help or hinder the story and related matters. Such action checks cannot be given too much power in execution, nor can they be designed to be worthless. Whether it is too simple or too difficult, there is almost no check needed in a situation where the results are almost certain. Therefore, in considering the difficulty level of the check, let the Player be ready that they may fail, but also have some sort of hope for success.

Judging the success of the situation can make the plot progress more smoothly and the information obtained by the Doll more complete. In addition, depending on the current situation, you can attach effects like "cause/suffer 1-2 points of damage" (please determine the actual damage/parts in advance) or "madness check", and obtain "treasures" and "memory fragments". The chance for "parts."

In estimating difficulty for checks, the Necromancer can give an adjustment value of +0, which is not very skilled. Only as the story progresses, if you want the Players to look forward to the follow up situations, or if you want the Dolls to enter the area, you can give an adjustment to the success rate. In addition, if it is a significant risk, or if it is set to an action that is difficult to achieve, it is okay to let the success rate drop.

Madness checks are judged in the same way and the checks that each Doll can make in a single phase is mainly no more than 2-3 times. If the madness is too much, it will lead to their hearts breaking.

Of course, there are some exceptions. If it is a script with a plot orientation, a particularly horrifying scene and no fighting can easily invoke madness and give the Players a sense of crisis. Mercilessly give madness points. In the face of so much psychological pressure, it is no less stress than the fear brought about in battle.

Do not be kind in the failure of madness checks. The madness points to be given should be given and the madness effects after the increase of madness points should also be used. An ally in madness is the most unstable and potential threat to the sisters.

Horrific undead and mutants, reading the diary of a madman, the ugly experimental relics of humanity and even memories of the past... many are the ways for the Necromancer to lead the Doll into madness. It's a big problem, but it is also the essence of Nechronica. When you are ready to fight, think about how you want to build a twisted world.

The Necromancer can refer to an existing script and adjust the direction of the script according to the content of other people's scripts. Whether it is the background or the whole world or purely malicious, all kind of plot fragments can become a part of the script. After seeing how others have written their own worldviews, please also think about what kind of script you want to present to Players.

In addition, if in a long story, the Doll team that has experienced quite a few phases, the part of the repetitive nature of the horror experience will eventually make people feel frozen. At this time, even if they encounter the same horror situation again, to disregard the madness check is a more appropriate option. For example, when encountering a non-adult type of undead, the Dolls will be greatly shocked, but after the second or third times, they may not be so shocked. Since the shock to the mind is no longer there, there is no need to make a madness check.

In addition, when the Dolls get their own "memory fragments" it is OK to give a madness check if they impact the Doll in such a way. According to the content of the "memory fragment", if the process of obtaining the fragment or the memory itself is so terrifying, then assign madness without hesitation. Finally action and madness checks are not going to happen in the battle phase. However, if you want to perform these decisions in the battle phase, you need to plan the timing of the check. Action checks such as the special actions in battles mentioned previously, all actions are made with a specific action point cost. The madness check does not need to consume any action points, instead it is the spirit of failure. The risk of rising pressure.

Memory Fragments

Memory fragments are a way of making dramatic changes in the group and controlling madness points. Obtaining memory fragments is also one of the default goals. If the team is running a long term game, you can slow down the memory fragments and spread them through the script, letting the Dolls earn them as they play.

When a Doll walks into a place related to the past, or encounters a situation related to their past, there is a picture that seems to flash through their mind. As for the team, the order of the members, and the way to gain their memory fragments, Necromancer preferably reserves some possibility in advance to let the Players explore and trigger them. Or if there is no specific object, it can also be designed to obtain a relevant memory fragment when a specific action or behavior is performed.

At this time, don't forget to add the memory fragment to the Doll's sheet, so the Doll can have a deeper understanding of the past.

Especially in the running of the group, what memory fragments should be given, if you have decided to make them premeditated, you can preplan the plot. For some Necromancers that are not so fast, you can think of a temporarily plot.

However, as the total of memory fragments reflects the upper limit of how many madness points can be eliminated per session, the fragments obtained after the sixth fragment will not have an impact on the rules. If the memory fragments are indiscriminate, in addition to reducing the challenge, it is possible there may be a situation where background contradictions may occur and special attention should be paid here.

The memory fragments given can be selected by referring to the previous memory fragment table. However, if none seem to fit the script, then Necromancer can freely create their own. If you decide only the name and the approximate content, a memory fragment can be created.

Dialogue

The world of Nechronica is the world of the dead. In addition to a few mutant creatures, they are able to move, leaving only the undead. Even if you want to find an object to tell your mood, there is no way.

But in order to create a story, Necromancer will more or less arrange other characters to appear. Whether it is the Necromancer of Necromancer's creation, a servant who follows it's footsteps, or humans who have survived the catastrophe, and all kind of information that tells the past, they can all be used as an object on the stage.

Playing these non-Player roles it the job of the Necromancer.

Through these appearances, the Necromancer can push the Dolls into madness, show how distorted the world is and lead them to a desperate end.

With a few exceptions, most of the roles are paranoid survivors with their minds twisted by madness. It is this kind of "charming madman" that the Necromancer has to play. The "Charming" mentioned here refers to the temperament that the PL can resonate with or even "stand together and fight together" with, to emphasize empathy and pity. Please try to use their mouths and tell their stories.

But don't forget, even if it is played, please don't bring Players unpleasant emotions. Nechronica is a game to enjoy, not suffer. As a villain and supporting role in the story, it is necessary for Necromancer to perform with love an enthusiasm. You can refer to the character performances in existing scripts, or create your own to shape the image you want to portray.

The charm of Nechronica is exactly what they convey to the Players. This charm is the attraction of the game.

But most importantly, the protagonist of Nechronica is still a Doll. No matter what the background character is, from lowly undead to Necromancer, the main story is still centered on the Dolls. Be sure to always have that in mind.

Give Hope

For the Doll, the story of Nechronica is a cruel one. Even if they survive terrifying battles, what follows is the unknown fear of what will happen next. To prop up the spirit of the Doll and give them the courage to meet tomorrow, we must give them the motivation to be called hope.

Even at the end of the story, the Doll may face an endless abyss, but you can't let the Dolls lose all hope at the beginning of the story. If this is the case, not just the Doll itself, but the Players may lose interest in continuing to play. Therefore it is very important to continue to give the Dolls motivation to move forward.

The most simple and easy way to understand hope is "favor". The gain of which has already been finalized after writing the script, that is, the "total threat" and "karma goals" of the battle are clearly marked. However, if you encounter a major turning point in the plot, you can also provide additional favor to the Players.

In the game, "treasure" is a double edged sword. In the game, although it's possible the Doll gets many treasures that can adorn the body (So many that they might end up looking like a Christmas tree), but in a phase, do not give too much, just the right amount. For the Doll itself, the treasure can be something that is related to the past, or perhaps something that is cute or just caught the Dolls attention in some way.

The place where the treasures are obtained is not limited to the places where they have been in the past. The supermarkets are now ruins. The homes are now abandoned houses, etc, are all places where Dolls could possibly collect eye-catching treasure. After the Player request, the Necromancer can decide if the selected item is a treasure.

After battle with the enemy, the repair of "parts" is an important measure to continue the desire to move forward. As the story progresses, the Dolls have option replenish the damaged parts, and the expansion and upgrade of the parts at the appropriate time is an element that allows the Doll to continue onwards.

In a research facility or a place full of undead experiments, a factory that uses the undead to perform mechanical labor etc, if the situation is where a large number of compatible parts and organs can be obtained, the Dolls can be repaired as much as possible. Of course, this does not mean that all the damaged parts of the body can or must be completely repaired. At least in the case where repair parts are abundant, it is better to not let the Doll or PL feel worried for the next session.

If the whole game is just earning and spending favor, running like this can make people feel awkward with no clear goals in sight. Giving a Doll a "Fetter" is also a good way to reward them. In terms of rules, they increase the upper limit of madness points that can be gained. The new fetter is also encouragement for the Doll to continue.

In addition, if it is a large game of more than four sessions, in addition to the changes seen above, a more effective direction must be given. That is the "purpose" that is more clear than the initial goal of "gain memory fragments." The purpose of an ultimate goal. For example, to find out the real process of how humanity met it's end; or to defeat a necromancer who is hellishly evil. Although there is no way to accomplish this in one or two sessions, it is quite clear and is the direction in which results can be foreseen. If the Doll and the Players have an understanding of this ultimate goal, they will also show corresponding enthusiasm in action.

Of course, the result of this ultimate goal may be tragedy, but this does not hinder the legitimacy of the story. It is better to say that in the world of Nechronica, seeking a happy ending is merely a dream.

Even so, after this, if the Dolls get a new goal, it may become a new source of power for the Dolls and continue to act as a new hope.