In anticipation for the release of Chain×Link, my semi-cooperative dungeon-defying RPG, I am covering one aspect of the game’s design and development each week in July. Obtain a copy of the game by subscribing to the RPG Zine Club by Plus One Exp before August or purchasing the game directly from the Plus One Exp store once available.
Hello? Is anyone there?
I once ran a two-year Dungeons and Dragons campaign where the players played amnesiac sky pirates. In our first session, the characters discovered that there were two silver rings on each of their non-dominant hands—one ring on the thumb, and one ring on the little finger. After some experimentation, the players discovered that by touching the tips of their thumb and little finger together, the rings on every character’s hands would vibrate, and that their voices would be transmitted through the ring on the little finger and out through the ring on everyone else’s thumbs.
“What good is that?” One of the players asked.
One by one, a smile crossed their faces as the players realized what I had given them. From that session on, whenever the characters wanted to speak to each other long-distance, one of the players would click their thumb and little finger and put their handphone to their ear. The rest of the players would make the same motion and then they would continue roleplaying.
I smiled everytime they did that. It was amazing.
Not only did I give them an in-game tool to facilitate teamwork, I gave them an out-of-game tool to bring everyone to the table. Our table has a tendency to do lots of table talk. An unintended benefit with our ritual of communication was that the moment anyone clicked their fingers together to activate their handphone, everyone locked in and focused, ready to continue playing the game. It was a method to indicate first-person communication and to bring attention back to the game.
Going through the Motions
Chain×Link is a game about breaking restrictive systems by exploiting magical laws and rituals. As such, there are some ritual-like motions and phrases that Breakers and players need to trigger certain parts of the game.
One of the motions is the passing of the Chain Sheet. The Chain Sheet is similar to the Breaker Sheet in that it holds assets, but these assets are shared among the whole Chain, or group of Breakers. The Leader of the Chain starts with holding the Chain Sheet, and whenever the Chain enters a Trial, the Leader is the first to contribute. After which, the Leader selects the next Breaker to contribute by giving the player the Chain Sheet. This passing of the Chain Sheet represents the passing of priority, but also control of the shared assets. A player can make contributions using assets from their Breaker Sheet or the Chain Sheet. Possessing the Chain Sheet allows the player to fully review the assets and freely use any one.
There are two instances where Breakers must chant a certain phrase in order to access part of the game. Breakers invoke Deep Magic by challenging a Warden to an Ascension Rite (the only way to move up through the Grave) by chanting in unison, “By our bonds, we arise.” The Warden is compelled to respond, “By your bonds, payment is deemed.” Thus, the rite begins. The second instance is when Breakers trade the magic-enhancing mineral they mine for food. Again, in unison, they chant, “Here we abide, or here we will break” to receive their sustenance. Players don’t have to chant these phrases in unison, but doing so emphasizes the semi-cooperative nature of the game. As well as the power of words.
Wordplay as Word Power
Words have tremendous power in Chain×Link. The rules encourage the twisting and recontextualizing of words for the player’s benefit. The oppressive Crown government wields spell-bound words to keep its subjects in check. Here, wordplay is power.
One of the joys of English as as a language is that there are many ways to play with words (I strongly believe crossword puzzles are the ultimate expression of this). Chain×Link would not exist without the transition between “chaining” moves to being “chained” together. Phrases such as “here we will break” can be interpreted through different lenses. Prophecies are just a collection of puns.
The magic system in Chain×Link is extremely freeform. As prisoners, Breakers cannot access magic while in The Grave. However, by using the magic-enhancing mineral they mine, Breakers can temporarily invoke magical effects. Essentially, using magic in Chain×Link lets the player describe their contribution in whatever way fits their tags (i.e., skills and features). It’s a carte blanche to describe their contributions in reality-defying ways. Mechanically though, using magic is the only way for a contribution score to exceed 10…making it possible to break the core resolution mechanic of the game: no one can succeed alone.
Using a freeform magic system prompted only by tags has been done in many other games1. World Champ Game Co’s Necronautilus uses Words which are used to shape realities, explicitly encouraging players to “interpret, spell, or pronounce Words differently” to invoke them as a player sees fit. The Wildsea uses Whispers, evocative phrases or words, that can be used for a small benefit or for a scene-changing effect. These systems encourage wordplay to emulate the reality-bending effects of magic, rather than explicitly defining individual mechanical and narrative limits spell-by-spell.
Making and Breaking
How constrained the experience of playing a game influences how players interpret and engage with them. Sometimes providing too much freedom for a specific rule can cause players to flounder. Other times, overprescribing procedures may make players feel unable to do what they want and enjoy the game. Ultimately, this is the core of Chain×Link: find what limits you and decide what bonds are worth forming… and what are worth breaking.
Footnotes
- Prismatic Wasteland brilliant post, Spell Lists Are Not Magical, has a great summary of “hard-coded” and “soft-coded prompt”-based magic systems, which occupies a constant space in my mind. I strongly recommend giving it a read to get an idea of different ways to approach magic systems. ↩︎