Pulp Actions in Romance of the Seven Worlds

Unlike the boardgames that they resemble, megagames allow for improvised rules to be added to the game by player actions. These actions are adjudicated by the Control team, who try to balance novelty and delightful surprises with fairness to other players and the world environment of that particular megagame. For example, no amount of persuasion on the part of player would convince me that they can invent steam engines in ancient Rome, or machine guns in medieval Europe. Clear constraints on what is possible exist to encourage player creativity.

There are three broad options for handling improvised actions in Romance of the Seven Worlds. One is via the Open Science project, which allows characters with science training to try and discover a useful scientific advance. The second is via petitions to the Emperor in the Councils. The third, Pulp Actions, is the topic for this post.

In this megagame, Pulp Action is the term used to describe what are called Special Actions or a “wizard wheeze” in other megagames. A Pulp Action can be used to create a dramatic narrative effect on the game. All players will start the game with at least one Pulp Action card. The scope of the Pulp Action is chosen by the player initiating the Pulp Action, within the following constraints:

• The Pulp Action must involve your character, plus any friends willing to assist;
• The Pulp Action must be something could be carried out by a small group of people;
• The Pulp Action takes place at a specific location;
• The Pulp Action places your character at risk – you could be wounded or captured;
• Pulp Actions cannot be used for assassination attempts.

You must make a short narrative description of the action in a pulp tone, and can suggest the mechanical effect. Control will adjudicate what happens, including giving any targets of the Pulp Action a chance to play their own Pulp Actions in response.

Pulp Action cards are one use, unless specified otherwise.

Gaining Additional Pulp Action Cards

Pulp Action cards can be gained from the Romance subgame. Control will award some Pulp Action cards to players based on which characters get the most spotlight time in the speeches made in the Propaganda Phase.

Control Adjudication of Pulp Actions

The adjudication of Pulp Actions is an art, not a science. Control may modify this procedure in play.

The primary method of determining the success or failure of Pulp Actions is by drawing three loyalty disc tokens from the bag for the world where the action is taking place. If the Pulp Action targets a character or asset controlled by other characters, then you need to draw more of your loyalty tokens than of theirs.

If you are attempting a Pulp Action against a similar player role (e.g Noble versus Noble), then the appropriate loyalty only works for the player on their home world and Control will adjudicate what other loyalty the player should be trying to draw.

If two opposed Pulp Actions are tied for success, then control will get players to roll dice to break the tie, adding Charisma, Dueling, Science, or Tactics scores as may be considered appropriate.

Loyalty Tokens Needed	Difficulty of the Pulp Action
0	Saving Throw: Escaping from a death trap, prison, or execution chamber, sneaking undetected into a guarded facility to scout, countering a Pulp Action that targets you.
1	Minor Effect: Replicating a normal action power, setting a trap to capture another player, setting up or searching for a secret base, securely hiding a secret, improving the guards defending a region, disrupting or delaying a science project.
2	Major Effect: doing a build action for free, setting a trap to wound other characters, strength hits to a combat unit, sabotaging a superweapon, stealing the results of a science project, theft of resource tokens, creating a new social event, or giving a propaganda speech.
3	Irreversible Effect or Impossible Action: Attempting to kill a character, destroy a region, imperial agency, or combat unit.

Example of a Pulp Action

A player proposes to sneak an explosive charge aboard the Emperor’s personal rocket, timed to explode when they next travel, so that the Emperor crash lands in the wilderness of a random world when they next move between world tables.

Control rules that this action must take place on the world where the Emperor currently is (in this case its Targol), and is a Minor Effect as it disrupts or delays the Emperor. The action is successful if one or more White (Hope) tokens are drawn – each Hope token maroons the Emperor incommunicado for one minute, but if more Black (fear) tokens are drawn than white tokens, then the action fails and the saboteur will be captured on Targol.

If the player had asked for the Emperor to be killed by this action, Control would refuse to allow it as being too close to an assassination attempt. They might allow it to wound the Emperor, but this would increase the number of white loyalty tokens to two.

Science Actions in Romance of the Seven Worlds

As the economic game models a feudal past, so the science game imitates the retro futurism of the 1930s. In the empire, only the Guilds have much in the way science training and lab equipment – just enough to fulfill their charter duties. The number of real scientists in the empire can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

The general process for this minigame is that players acquire Science project cards, decide what project to research, acquire science dice (d6), and then roll science dice to progress the chosen project towards completion. Science actions can be undertaken only by characters that have a Science rating of +1 or more.

Science Project Cards

At the start of the game, the number of project cards will be quite limited. As some projects are completed, new project options will be unlocked. The following sources exist for Science project cards:

Source	Acquisition Method
Discovery	Completing some science projects will unlock new science projects.
Exploration	If you explore a world, you may discover a Science project.
Imperial Archives	The Librarian Guild can draw Science project cards as a build action.
Imperial Minister	Can potentially use a Ministry of Conscription action to acquire Science dice.
Terran Scientist	Can give anyone the Scientific Method project card.
Trade	Players are free to trade a Science project card to one other player once they have completed the project.

Some examples of Science Project cards (these are draft). Red text indicates a penalty or side effect that players need to remember. Most of the science projects involve pure science, warfare, economics, and superweapons.

Science Dice

Science dice can be kept in reserve, traded with other players, or used on researching science projects. You can acquire one science dice from the following sources:

Source	Number of Dice
Science Rating	One die per point of science rating your character has.
Science Projects	Some completed Science projects grant bonus science dice.
Imperial Minister	Government power use can create some science dice.
Science Action	The Science build actions can build sets of three science dice.
Science Conference	Any character with a science rating can grant you a bonus die by visiting your world and sitting down for a one-minute conversation about science.

Rolling the Science Dice

You can progress research on any, all, or none of your science projects. You can only roll science dice for each project once per World Phase. Each project card has six progress squares, numbered from 1-6. A die can only be placed in an empty square, with a number matching the number rolled on the dice. Extra dice with the same number are wasted research. Keep the project card and dice on your world table.

After rolling Science dice, you can spend a Zing token to either:

• Reroll three science dice of your choice; or
• Change the number rolled on one science die to a number of your choice.

Note: Your projects are public knowledge once you put a science die on them.

Completing Science Projects

When all six progress squares are filled, the project is completed. Inform Control of your accomplishment, and to get any unlocked project cards. Make notes on any bonuses you now have, and you can now trade the project card to another player for them to use.

Creating Your Own Science Project

Open projects can be found in the game, which allow you to create your own science project. You will need to discuss your ideas with Control. Anything that is too much of an “I Win” project without serious penalties or side effects will likely to be rejected. Creating a last minute invention to counter someone else’s super weapon is, however, very genre appropriate.

Economics in Romance of the Seven Worlds

The key to understanding the economy in the Romance of the Seven Worlds megagame is to know that it is not a growth based economy. It tries to model a feudal system of power, not a capitalist system of power. The Emperor also has a highly developed sense of the aesthetic value of undeveloped wilderness, and polluting your home world with the toxic wastes of heavy industry is one of the ways the Emperor might be persuaded that your home world should be destroyed.

Income

No one in the game has a cash income that they get on a regular basis – even Imperial ministers have to compete for their budgets. This game’s equivalent of Resource Points (RPs) is the Radium Point – same RP abbreviation, sexy new glow in the dark colour. The vast majority of RPs available to the players are from mining on Targol (the imperial capital world). Anyone with a Rocket unit can fly to a region where the Control team spawn RPs, and if no one else wants to fight you for it, you collect the RPs. One region might have 50 RP, a second region 20 RPs, and a third region 5 RPs. Only the Noble and Guild players have Rockets at the start, so if the other players want RPs they will have to beg, borrow, or trade goods and services for them.

There is an opportunity cost to mining for RPs on Targol – if you only have one Rocket you cannot also use it to fight meteors in the same turn you are mining. Not defending your world is a bad thing.

It is quite possible that you will experience a cycle of good and bad income turns, where you fluctuate between plenty and starvation in terms of your ability to afford build actions. Its always good to have friends who can loan you a few RPs.

Economic Actions

Each of the three types of world role (Noble, Guild, Commons) has a different type of economic structure, called a Base, that has four different types of economic action available to them. Each Base is linked to a specific region on one of the maps ( a noble palace, guild hall, or common city). Lose control of that region and you lose most of your economic power. Below are three examples of Bases. Each action can normally be done twice a turn, but Widgets (a rare token) allow a third action to be done at the second action cost. The cost is in RPs – if the cost is 0, then it is a free action for you. Everyone should have at least one free action. If the cost is “T”, then the RP cost is equal to the game turn number.

Damage from meteors that hit worlds will increase the cost of actions, as can pollution, damage from combats, rebel sabotage, or pulp actions by other players.

Three examples follow – these are working drafts and not final.

Guild base example – a world that specialises in science.

Commons base example – a world that specialises in warfare.

Noble base example – a world that specialises in cognitive drugs useful in science and training.

Trade

Players can trade most game tokens – RPs, Widgets, Fuel, Zing, Science dice, and strength cubes. The different action costs mean that it may be cheaper for another player to do that action, and some players are more effective at some actions than others. The commons players, for example, are nearly always better at actions that influence world loyalty.

One of the functions of the economic system is to provide reasons for the players to talk with each other. Several key resources only exist on one world.

Terms, conditions, and enforcement of trade deals and loans is entirely in the hands of the players.

New Economic Bases

One possible outcome of an imperial petition in the Council phase is that the Emperor can grant permission to build a new economic base. Some science projects can also allow players to build new economic bases. If you can capture another player’s base, then you can use it – but of course before you can capture it in chivalric warfare, you need formal permission from an Imperial Minister. Some science projects might also change the cost or effectiveness of some economic actions.

Next blog post will probably be on the Science subgame.

Combat in Romance of the Seven Worlds

The design intent for the combat mechanics in Romance of the Seven Worlds is to have a quick process that produces outcomes similar to the comics and movies. In particular, combat can lead to units changing sides, or duels between opposing commanders. It is expressly not intended to produce realistic combat outcomes, or to require much in the way of logistics beyond spending fuel to move places.

One of the key factors in the combat system is a desire to limit the number of combat units each player can control. Most players will start the game with no more than one or two combat units, and have a maximum of three to five units that they can command. By limiting the number of units each player controls, we can have each individual unit be rich in information about its capabilities.

Each cube counts as one strength point. Yellow cubes are tech cubes, and count as a strength point for tech battles, when all other cubes are worth zero strength. The other colours used for strength cubes determine the faction loyalty that group of people support:

• Black: support the Emperor;
• White: support the Rebels;
• Blue: support the Nobles;
• Orange: support the Guilds.

So the unit pictured above has a strength of seven in Attrition battles, three in Tech battles, and one to two in Sway battles. Note that loyalty cubes may also be important for Pulp Actions targeted at the unit. The above unit is more likely to be sabotaged by the Rebels than anyone else. In Tactics and Chance battles it has a strength of zero.

Meteor Guard

This is a player versus environment (PVE) combat mechanic. Each game turn Control will pawn a number of meteor swarms in up to five of the zones on the Space Map. Players who control Rocket units can then choose to intercept the meteors and try to destroy them. This costs a fuel token, and you can only intercept meteors in one space zone each game turn.

This is a simple process, where the player rolls 2d6, adds unit strength, and if this is equal or greater than that meteor’s fixed strength rating, then the meteor is destroyed. If the roll is equal or less, then the Rocket takes one hit, reducing its strength. You can keep trying to shoot a meteor down as long as you have time left left in the Warlord Phase, and strength left in your Rocket.

Any meteors not shot down strike the planet in their space zone, damaging bases and units there. This is a bad thing, and players should work together to stop this.

Battle Process

This is a player versus player (PVP) combat mechanic. The usual trigger is a player moving units to a region controlled by another player, and declaring an attack. If in doubt, Control will determine if a battle happens.

First, any of the players involved in the battle draws a battle card. There are seven types of battle card:

• Cliffhanger: place a one minute sand timer down, when it runs out draw another battle card. If the Warlord Phase ends before the battle is resolved, then all the units involved in the battle are locked in combat until the next Warlord Phase (you could use a Pulp Action to escape the situation). For each Cliffhanger card draw, all players in the battle add 1d6 to the dice they roll.
• Romance: place a one minute sand timer down, players involved in the battle may court each other using the Romance mechanic. Unexpected alliances and betrayals may occur. Otherwise treat as a Cliffhanger.
• Attrition: roll 2d6 + Strength.
• Chance: roll 2d6. Do not count strength cubes at all for battles resolved by chance.
• Sway: roll 2d6 + Loyalty + character Charisma. You only count strength cubes that have loyalty matching your declared faction – this includes cubes on units controlled by other players!
• Tactics: roll 2d6 + character Tactics.
• Tech: roll 2d6 + Tech + character Science.

If for some reason you are unable to roll dice for your units, your side is assumed to roll a 2 when Control calls time at the end of the Warlord Phase. Character attributes only count if the character is present in the region where the battle is fought.

Astute players will have noted that outnumbering a player 10:1 matters not at all if a Chance battle occurs.

Duels

In battles, a tied result causes a duel to be fought between opposing commanders (duels may also take place in other parts of the game and use the process outlined here). Duels are 1:1 fights, no ganging up. At the start of the duel, each player announces the stakes they are fighting for:

• Capture: win one duel round to capture your opponent and win the battle;
• Wound: win two duel rounds to wound your opponent and win the battle;
• Kill: win three duel rounds to kill your opponent and win the battle.

To resolve the duel, each player rolls 2d6 and adds their Dueling score. Dueling ties can be won by playing an Inspiration card. Otherwise keep rolling until one player achieves their stake. Note that while a “Death” outcome for a character can be negated with a Pulp Action, the battle will still be lost. If both duelists achieve their stakes in the same round of dice rolls, then both sides are assumed to have lost the battle for casualty purposes, and the defender retains control of the region being fought over.

Battle Outcome

The player with the highest score wins the battle. If there are multiple players on one side, their scores are not combined together – it is just the highest score that counts.

The winning player gains control of the region where the battle took place (unless it was already controlled by an ally).

Units lose strength cubes based on the type of battle card used to resolve the battle:

• Cliffhanger: as below.
• Romance: if peace broke out between the players, no strength cubes are lost.
• Attrition: each of your units loses strength cubes equal to your foe’s highest die roll (max six cubes).
• Chance: each of your units loses strength cubes equal to your foe’s lowest die roll.
• Sway: winner gains all defeated strength cubes with matching loyalty from enemy units.
• Tactics: no one loses cubes.
• Tech: each of your units loses tech cubes equal to your foe’s lowest die roll (no loss if you have no tech cubes).

If a unit has no strength cubes left, it is destroyed and removed from play. It can be rebuilt later using the normal build action process. Surviving units on the defeated side can disperse and retreat into the local wilderness, or if Rockets are available, retreat to a controlled base on any of the seven worlds.

Battle Evolution

As various science projects are researched or Pulp Actions implemented, your combat capabilities may change during the game. The core mechanics above will remain, but new bonuses or penalties to the die roll, new battle cards, or different battle card draw process, or casualty process may happen.