GCG

I've added some new text to the wiki. I'm trying to explain what Pushes are for. Your post highlighted some ambiguity in the text.

Does this text support or compete with what you experienced at the table?

What is a Push for?
Push for your theme. A Push is not between your character and another character. It is between you and another player. It is your chance to manipulate the scene so that your Glyph of Purpose gets the limelight.

For example, you have the Crown as your Glyph of Purpose, so you want to push for a power struggle in the scene.

Me: The prince says, "Don't worry brother, this family will make it through the war!"
You: I want to Push! I want your character, the prince, to continue, saying, "But we cannot afford any more rivalry." Then I want him to take out a knife and stab me in the back. "Sorry brother. This was the only way."

In this example, you have harmed your own character. It is not important for your character to "win." Instead, focus on representing your Glyph of Purpose.

What if two principal characters want to fight?
Wow. Are you sure you want such a brutal conflict? Seriously?

Pushes are supposed to further your Glyph of Purpose. Rarely will you want a fight, unless one of you has the Swords. Even then, only one of you will be served by continuing to battle. Really, really think about what Pushes are for. If you still want to have a fight, though...

One player should Push the other. [Etc.]

Thanks for playing, Rafu. Can you help me to figure out what went wrong for you, specifically? I've played and enjoyed three player sessions. I'd like your help in figuring out when and how the game failed for you. Perhaps there is a discrepancy between what I play at the table and what is written in the rules.

What was the first instance of failure at the table?

The scene created by the scribe was in a village, and I searched the parents in the village; I was "somewhere else" with respect to other PCs, but not with respect to the initial scene.
Is this proper Chronicles of Skin?

I think it would have worked better if you, as Heart, Pushed the other principal character to stop you from searching for his parents, forcing him to say something like, "I don't want to lose you too," etc.

For the player who wanted to find his parents, the action is directed outside of the scene, which tends to split the group. Scenes work better if the characters are pointed directly at other characters, not at the game world. Just like with In A Wicked Age, I would advise that players look at another PC and target them for their desires. I'm sure the PC would want to protect his family, and, therefore, he'd want to leave the scene to go look for them, but that's not going to make a good scene. You should always be trying to Push for your Glyph of Purpose and you should always be trying to use other people's principal characters to that effect. That's the way we play it, though it's not written that way (yet).

Ho messo una lista di chiarimenti sui wiki Cobweb Games (grazie a Mauro). Se vi piace, potete trovarli qui.

I continued to describe her action and to play it also outside Omen narration.
This is right, isn't it?

Yes and no.

Yes, it is right to include an NPC to foreshadow the Glyph of War. However, try not to make the NPC the star of the show. I will probably indicate something like this in the text for the next version:

"When introducing minor characters into the scene by way of a Bribe or an Omen, be careful to remember that the Principal Characters are the stars of the show. Minor characters introduced in this way should only be used to foreshadow and inform—by their speech, actions or reactions—and should never be used to challenge the other characters in the scene. If you want to challenge another character, use a Push."

Additionally, I would add:

"After a minor character has been introduced into a scene by a Push, Bribe or Omen, that minor character becomes invisible. Principal Characters may not interact with minor characters. Interaction in Free Play should always be between Principal Characters. The only way to force an interaction between a minor character and a Principal Character is to use another Push or another Bribe."

This bring to me a still unanswered doubt: the vote on the Glyph of Purpose has to be made based on the best portrait of the Glyphs (that is, which player brings it best in the story), or on which was most thematically important in the story?

Good question. The answer is a mixture of those two. I'll include something like this in the next version:

"When choosing the theme of the scene, nominate the Glyph of Purpose that was thematically most important before the atrocity. That is, choose the theme that was represented most appropriately during free play."

Ok, I'm back.

Jesus, it's snowy here!

Before I go into this, there is one big change I plan for v1.4 (the next draft). Taken from The Collective Endeavour:

During play, in my sessions, the Enemy has only ever contributed to the narrative when playing an Omen card. In v1.4, I'm going to codify this tabletop behaviour, strictly limiting Enemy interaction to Omens, Bribes and Pushes. The meta-roles of the Enemy are editor (closing a scene and threading in new/off-screen action), antagonist and audience, the latter role supporting the former two. That is, when the audience gets bored, he has the tools to make things interesting for himself (and, therefore, the rest of the group).

In short, the Enemy can't narrate (though he is encouraged to make sugggestions) unless he plays an Omen card (to Bribe, Push or Omen). Bearing that in mind, here are the answers to your questions.

• It's possible to spend Votes for cards during the battle? If yes, also if I still have cards from the free play? No, it is not possible to spend Votes during the battle. Good idea though. It would give players the chance to "vote now" instead of voting at the end.
• If two PCs have a fight, I think it's simply a push: one will somehow say "And you lose" and the other will have to accept or trying to change the narration; what if a PC ad a NPC have a fight? Your interpretation is correct. In the v1.4 rules (next draft), the text will say something like, "Minor characters are not Principal Characters and, therefore, cannot Push or be Pushed. Their actions can be described by the Enemy as a means to foreshadow the Glyph of War, during an Omen, or by any player as a means to affect someone else's Principal Character, during a Push. That is, minor characters should not be used during incidental narration."
• Can a player change more than one character/Glyph of War card? Sure. If he spends the Votes.
• Enemy, during Attack, takes seven cards, no matter how many player there are; this could mean he is more powerful, with less player. No. The players always have 12 Push cards between them, so the card ratio is always the same. In v1.4, however, I will probably drop the Enemy's Attack Hand down to 6 or 5 cards.
• I was thinking... and if the vote about who wins the war was made in secret? It could be something like, "Take a Vote in a your fist and show both of them; when all have decided open your fists: if the Vote is in the right one, you voted Iho; in the left, Croen" (just an idea to explain what I mean). Good idea. I think I'll use the old close-your-eyes voting system. While your eyes are closed, you must make either a "C" shape or and "I" shape with your right hand. The Scribe counts to 3 and everyone opens their eyes. If all the shapes are the same, the person with the least votes must change their shape. C corresponds to Croen, I to Iho.
• On Chronicle Sheet, under diamond there is Law; it'd be "Rule", doesn't it? Same question for Trait, under Club: should it be "Aspect"? You are correct.
• In the rules and in the Summary Skin phase order is different. I'll look into that.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!

I owe you one!

We all died! GG!

Weeee!

I'm so happy! Thanks for posting your energetic and fun play report! Whisper me your postal address and I'll send you a Travel Target to say "grazie i bravi!"

I reached GM burnout. That's probably why I turned to Indie games.