From: [b c kstage] at [crl.com] (Andrew Finch)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: New Diceless Roleplaying Game
Date: 3 May 1994 01:48:11 -0700

Backstage Press is a new start-up FRP game manufacturer, or at least we
would like to be. We've developed an entirely diceless roleplaying game,
capable of handling storytelling in any genre, from fantasy, to cyberpunk,
to space opera, to super-hero. There are absolutely no game imposed limits
to the kinds of characters you can create. You can even make up characters
that are difficult or impossible to produce under systems like Hero, or
GURPS. The game is highly interactive, allowing the players far more
control over what their characters can do, and when, than any other
traditional RPG. Plus, the whole package is over-stuffed with ideas and
tips on roleplaying, creating game worlds, making great stories and
plotlines, etc. The game is called 'Theatrix', and no one will ever see it
without your help. 

Of course, what we really need to get this game of the ground is
publishing money. If you would also like to see this product on game store
shelves, we have an offer for you. Send us $29.00 now and we will
immediately send you a pre-press copy of the "Theatrix Core Rules", but
that's not all... we plan to publish within 90 days, and when we do, you
will also receive the full published hard-cover version of the "Theatrix
Core Rules", plus our first Setting Book, titled "Embrace Tiger, Return to
Mountain." Not only will you receive some of the first published copies of
Theatrix, but you will also save over $10.00 off the total cover price! 

But that's not all! Your name will also appear on the playtester list in
the front of every book (immortality for only $29.00). 

Your pre-press copy of the Theatrix Core Rules is a cheap, but lovingly
crafted velo-bound edition of the basic rules, complete with the exception
of the fine art you'll see in the published versions (but including all
necessary graphics and tables). All of the rules are included in this
pre-press version, so you won't be surprised by rules changes when you get
the final version. 

Your hard-cover final version of the Theatrix Core Rules will be complete,
including full-color inserts, fine art, and durable heavy-stock reference
sheets for all the important information in the book. 

Even though Theatrix is a universal game system, and you can use it to
create any universe of your imagining, we're helping out by publishing
Setting Books. Each Setting Book is a complete game world, fully realized
for you, using the same set of basic rules you'll find in the Theatrix
Core Rules. To get you started with this introductory offer, we're also
sending you the full published version of our first Setting Book, titled
"Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain", a wild martial-arts, magic wielding
romp, through the glories and treacheries of a fantastic ancient China. 

Now, we don't expect you to take advantage of this offer sight unseen, so
here is a small preview of the Theatrix Core Rules in the form of actual
excerpts. If you like what you see, will be giving you the info you'll
need to order the pre-press copy, and the two published versions of these
books, at the end of this file. 

Character Creation-

"...In Theatrix, we distill each character down into four basic categories
of essence, which we term Traits. We deal with four basic types of Traits,
which are ... 

Physical and Mental Attributes - These six Traits comprise a description
of each character's physical and mental capabilities, and include
Strength, Stamina, Coordination, Intellect, Intuition, and Presence. 

Skills and Abilities - Skills are Traits that measure the depth and
facility of your persona's knowledge in particular areas, and expertise at
various tasks. Abilities are very much like Skills, but cover feats of a
paranormal nature that often fall outside the realm of normal learning. 

Personality Traits - These Traits form a description of your persona's
major psychological motivations. 

Descriptors - These Traits help to portray the effects of a role's
background, history, and social position, as well as some physical
oddities and paranormal features..."

"...The basic composition of each Trait is a description of it, in
language. To make judgements about a character's Traits even easier,
certain Traits will be further distilled down by assigning them a single
number, from '0.0' to '10.0'. This number, or 'quantifier', will indicate
the rough magnitude, or strength of that Trait. Traits are sometimes
quantified in this way to provide a better objective guide for decision
making. Keeping each Trait's basic description in mind, we are able to do
some pretty neat things with those numbers, as you'll see in the next
chapter, titled 'Lights ... Camera ... Action!'..."

Making Decisions Without Dice-

"...The Director first decides whether the Result of any action is to be
treated as a Success or Failure, based solely upon the roleplay of the
Actors and the requirements of the plot. That's it. Although the Director
isn't required to, she may also wish to take into account other factors in
this decision, such as a role's Traits. The Director then chooses the
extent of the Success or Failure, based upon how difficult the Director
feels such an action would be, the Skill Rank of the character performing
the action, the character's Traits once again, and anything else deemed
important. The Director then describes an outcome..."

"...Whether an action Succeeds or Fails, is therefore not dependent upon
how skilled a character is. Success and Failure are dependent upon the
roleplay of the Actors, and the requirements of the plot only. Any action
adjudicated a Success can't Fail, and any adjudicated Failure won't
Succeed. No matter how high your Skill Ranks are, if you ignore roleplay,
you're not likely to Succeed at actions very often. All your Skill Ranks
will do is allow you to Fail with grace. Very creative or very well acted
solutions, on the other hand, are more likely to be deemed Successes. So
the better your roleplay, the more Successful you're going to be. 

Your character's level of skill will have a much greater effect upon the
extent of your Results. The plot may call for the Success of some action,
assuring you of victory. Whether that victory will be marginal and a
coincidence, or overwhelming and due to your ability, will depend largely
upon your level of Skill. The same is true of Failure. Even if the plot
calls for your downfall, Skill Ranks can cushion the blow, saving you from
an overly depressing defeat, and can even allow you to look good while
Failing. So if you want to consistently shine at something, you're still
going to need those Skill Ranks..."

Aids to Decision Making-

"...Resolution Flowcharts are structured decision paths that easily allow
you to reach a suggested outcome for any series of actions. To use the
flowcharts, all you need to have is a good visual impression of the
actions you wish to find a Result for firmly in mind. By using the
flowcharts, you'll quickly develop your own sense of the questions you'll
need to answer in order to create good interactive drama from your fluid
impressions of the roleplay. A single Resolution Flowchart may apply to a
broad category of situations. Which flowchart best fits a particular
dramatic moment is up to the discretion of the Director..."

Improvisational Roleplaying-

"...We're going to hand much of the decision making process, the creative
process, and a lot of the Director's control over to the Actors. We're
going to allow the Actors ... actually, encourage the Actors to improvise.
In this chapter we'll talk about the concepts of drama, Information, plot
structure, story process, and Subplots, to set up a basis for
improvisational techniques..."

"...Theatrix places a lot of emphasis on allowing the Actors to improvise.
We want Theatrix Episodes to create the feeling of drama you get from a
good book or movie. The problem is that books and movies have authors and
screenwriters. They're scripted to make the protagonists look good. For an
author or screenwriter, the main characters and the story are one and the
same. Roleplaying games on the other hand, work with unscripted Actors
whose concentration is mainly upon their characters, and pre-scripted
Directors whose focus must mainly be upon the plotline of their Episodes.
Our solution will be to blur the lines between the Actors and the
Director. We wish to give the Actors improvisational control over the
story, in essence allowing them to become their own screenwriters..."

"...During the telling of a story most Information is built up in pieces,
rather than presented as a single package. This natural process allows
everyone involved to take a hand at developing some of the Information
available to them. Rooms the Actors enter aren't usually fully described
in every last detail. Rather, enough of the details are given to create a
sense of completeness. The rest of the Stage may then be filled in
improvisationally, providing appropriate props for the ensuing action.
When problems occur, their symptoms give only partial Information as to
their causes. For example, the plane's engine starts making stalling
sounds, or the hero's car won't start as the villain makes his own
getaway, or one of the tiles on the ancient Aztec temple floor just
depressed with an audible click when stepped upon. These moments are
incomplete, waiting for either research or action to discover their
meanings. Similarly, many initial sensory perceptions are vague to some
degree. There's the dark shadow in the alley, the odd reading on the
sensor panel, and the sound of motion made by an unseen foe. The possible
requires time and exploration to become the real. With a fair sense of
timing, anyone may complete these moments appropriately, manipulating the
reality behind them in an improvisational way. This pliability of
Information will become the basis upon which the Actors in your Episodes
may fully enter the world of their character's knowledge, perceptions, and
Skills..."

Character Advancement-

"...Characters in books and movies do not have natural learning curves.
We, in our mundane existences grow and learn through practice and hard
work. The boring way. Characters in books and movies however, live
dramatically. Changes to these roles are always a function of Subplot.
Theatrix characters develop in ways which further the plot, or accrue
changes due to the plot. Any Subplot which advances a Main Cast persona,
in any significant way, is termed an Advancement Subplot...."

"...Examples of Advancement Subplots could include infusion with strange
alien powers, beneficial technological accidents, crash study courses,
knowledge from the reading of forbidden tomes, the acquiring of strange
artifacts, the assumption of new positions of power, etc. Any plotline
that significantly improves a character's Attributes, Skills, Abilities,
Descriptors, or position within the Chronicle..."

Neat Directing Tips-

"...A Cut Scene puts the present plotline on hold, in order to unfold a
sequence of events which is important to the story. The Cut Scene may
contain different characters, and occur at a different time and place than
the Scene it interrupts. The Director will call out 'Cut Scene' at the
appropriate time, and describe a new Stage and the action that occurs
there. The main sequence of the plot picks up again when the Cut Scene is
over..."

"...Foreshadowing can take the form of television shows, dreams, the
passing words of a stranger, odd shadows, newspaper headlines, etc. This
technique is often meant to be obvious to the Actors, but not to the
characters they're portraying. The images described stand in stark relief
to the Actors through the attention given them by the Director, but are
too far removed in time and context to be immediately usable by the
characters. To them, the usefulness of such images is only revealed in the
fullness of time..."

Combat-

"...Every combat can be broken down into a few key elements. These
elements must be blended appropriately for the unique requirements of each
Scene, Episode, Chronicle, and Setting. All these factors come together to
give every combat its own unique flavor. This chapter will present a
theatrical method for allowing you to encompass all the various flavors of
combat, and to choose the one that's right each time. As long as you're
sensitive to the needs of your story, and those of your Actors, you'll
create drama they won't forget..."

"...In many other roleplaying systems you generally describe your modes of
attack with such heart pounding descriptions as, 'I swing my sword at the
guy.' All that this will kill is the mood. This is Theatrix, so you're
going to need to use a lot more dramatic license than that. In Theatrix
you describe your attacks with descriptions more like 'I wait for his
swing, parry it over my head with my shield, and take a full swipe with my
mace, aiming for his legs in order to sweep them out from under him.'
Yeah, the second description is a little longer, but we feel it's well
worth the wait. Just remember to have fun and you'll do alright. Not only
that, but if you're not having fun, the Director is instructed to lean on
you hard. No acting, no action, no Successes..."

Making a Setting-

"...Theatrix is capable of great versatility. A Theatrix Setting may take
place in any context, anytime, anywhere. However, the 'Core Rules' as
presented in this book make up only the skeleton around which you'll hang
the flesh of your Setting. You'll need to create the geographical, social,
political, and dramatic environs of your Setting as well. The steps
outlined in this chapter are the same steps we use in creating the
Theatrix Setting Books..."

Making Great Plotlines-

"...A story is composed of many disparate elements. Stories are made up of
character, action, dialogue, development, etc. If all of these elements
exist, and are ordered properly, a story occurs. But not always a good
one. There seems to be some ephemeral mixture of these elements that makes
for good stories. Unfortunately, this mixture is often difficult to put
your finger on when you need it. That's why we've included this material.
This chapter is not only going to help you put your finger on the specific
elements that go into creating a good story, we're going to tie them down
so that you can find them whenever you like. We believe that there's a
method to the formation of good plots, that this method isn't very
difficult, and that once you're comfortable with it you'll be able to form
exciting stories of any scope, within any Setting, time and time again. 

In this chapter, we'll discuss how to go from your concept for a plot, to
a finished product that's going to work for your Troupe. The formula
outlined below is valid for a plot of any size. The steps you'll take to
develop your plot will be the same whether you're planning the Main Plot
of an Episode involving the entire Main Cast, or a simple Personal Subplot
involving only one Actor. There are four basic steps to plot development.
They follow in order ... 

1. Idea - Subject and Structure
2. Drama in 3 Acts - Resolution, Introduction, and Conflict
3. The Conflict Exploded - Plot Turns, Midpoints, and Pinches
4. Cue Cards - Scene Cards and Cast Cards..."

How To Order-

If you're now as excited about this project as we are, then you'll want to
rush off and send us $29.00 now, to get the pre-press copy of the Theatrix
Core Rules as soon as you can. But first we want to make sure you
understand our position. The purpose of this offer is to find additional
venture capitol for our company, Backstage Press, in order to fund the
publication of these books. In return, you get a great deal on a great
game. However, if we don't get enough investors, then we will be unable to
publish these books, and we will be forced to return your check, uncashed.
So if you send us a check (please, don't send cash or money orders), then
you'll either be seeing a pre-press copy of the rules (yeeeah!), or your
uncashed check (aaaaawh!) returned to you within 30 days. If you get a
pre-press copy of the rules, then the final published versions of the
"Theatrix Core Rules", and "Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain" will be
headed your way within another 60 days. 

Send us $29.00* and make all checks payable to : Backstage Press

Backstage Press
Theatrix Offer
2615 47th Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94116

Please include a card with your Name, Address, and Phone Number!!! 

Act Now and be the first on your block to receive this fantastic
introductory offer! 

* Backstage Press will cover all postage costs for its materials within
the U.S. Outside the U.S., please include another $xx.00 for shipping
costs (Canada, $xx.00).