Romance[Genres]
RomanceLike horror, romance doesn't automatically suggest a setting. It is more of a mood, or more specifically an approach, to how the game is played. It suggests an emphasis, at least somewhat, on relationships, interactions, and connections.
Suggested foci, types, and additional equipment for a romance setting are the same as in a modern setting.
The key to romance is interaction. That doesn't mean there can't be physical danger or all the other aspects we see in games, just that interactions—between the PCs themselves and between PCs and NPCs (and for that matter, between different NPCs)—are the hub upon which the game turns.
The stakes and probably the motivations of PCs and NPCs in a romance-focused story should always be emotional. It's the key relationship that's at risk. Even if a character is struggling to save the lives of everyone in the city, they're really doing it to save their loved one. Every event in the game should reflect back on the PCs' relationships with each other and with important NPCs.
Romance may seem like a simple concept at first, but hinging everything on emotional ties makes things more complex, not less. People are complex, and much of that complexity comes from the tangled web of our emotions. Who we like, who we love, who we lust after, who we used to love . . . there are as many iterations as there are individuals.
Think about the wide canvas this gives you upon which to create your setting and scenarios. An NPC might be trying to woo away the object of a PC's affections, but perhaps they're doing it not just for love, but because the person they're making a play for is wealthy and they want money. Or because the person knows the code to open the safe where the incriminating evidence lies. Or maybe to force the PC into the arms of another, who has ulterior motives.
Even a traditional adventure can have implications for relationships in a romance-focused game. Imagine the simplest fantasy scenario where the PCs are going to explore a dark dungeon. How does a PC's significant other feel about this? Are they worried about the character? Will they cheat on them while they're gone? Do they insist on going with them? And how will the success or failure in this mission impact the relationship afterward? If the PC returns with little to show for their efforts, will their loved one leave them? Will they suffer because they can't afford the ministrations from the local healer?
There are some things you absolutely must consider before running a romance game. First and foremost, recognize that emotions, romance, love, and lust make some people uncomfortable. They have no problem blasting aliens with a disintegrator, but the idea of talking about feelings or physical intimacy is not something they'll likely enjoy. It's because romance causes us to risk revealing a bit about ourselves more than violence, problem solving, and other game activities. It can make us feel vulnerable. Only horror, when it explores particularly dark ideas, requires players to open up as much.
It can also sometimes be awkward to roleplay a scene of love or affection with your platonic friends. It's challenging to look someone in the eye and talk about falling in love when it's all just fiction. (Although if you've ever been in a play, you might have done it already.) One thing you should lay out at the beginning is the distinction between PC romance and PC/NPC romance. It might be easier for some people to have a relationship with an NPC than with another PC. The group should decide ahead of time if everyone is comfortable with either or both.
You must get consent to cover these topics in a game ahead of time, for all the reasons mentioned above. You don't want to make people uncomfortable. Everyone involved also needs to learn everyone else's boundaries. Someone might not want any part of a romance scene, while others are okay talking about emotional connections but not anything sexual.
Obviously, all of this is doubly important if age is a consideration. If there are younger players involved, romance probably shouldn't go beyond a fairly chaste kiss. (You'll find that kids are sometimes more open to romance in their games than adults, but only because their understanding of the topic is understandably pretty shallow. A kid player might declare that a character is their boyfriend, but it doesn't mean much. And for some adults, that may be the way they want to approach the subject as well.) Lastly, recognize that there needs to be a clear boundary between the story and real life. Two characters having a relationship has no impact on real-life feelings of the players. Two characters in a game might be in a relationship while each player is in a relationship in the real world with someone else. And maybe they're gaming at the same table! If a player can't distinguish between in-game flirtation or words of endearment and real-world feelings, they shouldn't be in a romance-focused game.
It's vital that the GM and the players all check in with each other to make sure everyone's still comfortable with what's going on in the game. This is particularly important to maintain the boundary between emotions expressed in the story and how people feel in real life.
When a PC is near someone they are infatuated with, particularly in the early stages of that infatuation, they must make an Intellect defense roll with a difficulty determined by the GM based on the situation (not on the level of the subject of the infatuation). Failure might mean that the character does or says something awkward or embarrassing either in an attempt to impress or when trying to hide the infatuation. Or it could mean that for one round, the player loses control of the character, and the GM decides what the PC does next, such as risk their own safety to help an endangered character. However, GMs should welcome player input into this situation. The point is to portray that when we're distracted by the powerful feelings (and hormones) related to infatuation, we don't always react in the best way, the smartest way, or even the way we want to.
Infatuation can happen whether the PC is attracted to an NPC or a PC.
GM Intrusion: The uncontrollable attraction. The character feels a strong attraction toward a character they meet and must act on it. The heart wants what the heart wants.
A player intrusion in a romance game might suggest that a sudden attraction to an NPC is mutual, that an NPC encountered is a former lover, or that an NPC the PC is in a relationship with makes an appearance to give some kind of aid.
It's possible for relationship levels to be lopsided, such that the relationship from the point of view of one person is a different level than from the point of view of the other. This should be used sparingly, because it makes things far more complicated.
In the case of polyamory, it is possible to have more than two people in a relationship, but even in these situations the connection between any two individuals should have its own level.
When a PC first establishes a relationship with a character (PC or NPC), the GM should assign the relationship a level. If there's no connection at all, there is no relationship (level 0). Otherwise, the starting relationship is probably level 1. In certain circumstances, a relationship might start at level 2, indicating a far stronger initial connection than usual.
As play progresses, the PC can attempt to improve the level of the relationship, indicating a strengthening of the bond between the two characters. The requirements to improve the relationship are twofold. First, some story-based action needs to be taken. This can be dates, gifts, a meaningful speech, a pledge of commitment, some amount of self-sacrifice, or whatever the GM and the player feel is appropriate to the story and the level of the relationship. This action might require the PC to succeed at specific tasks (with appropriate rolls). For example, writing a love poem will require an Intellect-based task, while helping to retrieve a loved one's cat from a tree might require a Speed-based task.
Second, the player must make an Intellect-based roll with the desired level of relationship as the difficulty (modified as the GM sees fit).
A relationship can be improved only one level at a time, and the GM and the player should work out an appropriate time interval. For relationships of levels 5 and above, multiple story-based actions and multiple rolls are almost certainly required.
Level Relationship
Relationship levels can go down as well as up. Neglect, carelessness, inappropriate emotional displays, lies, infidelity, and bungled wooing attempts can all potentially lower a relationship level. This is entirely in the judgment of the GM, although a lowered relationship level is very likely an appropriate use of a GM Intrusion.
Relationship levels indicate the strength of the bond and thus help dictate an NPC's actions in regard to a PC. An NPC in a level 5 relationship probably will be more generous and forgiving toward the PC than if the relationship was level 3 or 4. An NPC in a level 6 relationship or higher would likely give their partner most anything, even maybe sacrificing their own well-being or their life for them. (And people in a higher-level relationship certainly would.) Likewise, a relationship level can influence a PC's actions. An Intellect defense roll with a difficulty equal to the relationship level might be appropriate if the PC wants to act against the best interests of their loved one, or if they must keep their cool and act normally when their loved one is in danger.
You can use this optional system in any genre, for any type of relationship, even platonic ones. If desired, the relationship level a PC has with an authority figure, a contact, a relative, or anyone else can be measured, improved, and decreased just as it can with a romantic relationship.
| Level | Relationship |
|---|---|
| 1 | First meeting. Interest or curiosity. |
| 2 | A sense of connection above the norm. |
| 3 | A memorable connection. Indications of a mutually beneficial relationship possible. |
| 4 | Real friendship. |
| 5 | Deep friendship. |
| 6 | Relationship akin to that of a close sibling. |
| 7 | A pledge of complete partnership. |
| 8 | Platonic soul mates. Something akin to a life-debt. |
| 9 | A friendship for the ages. |
| 10 | A bond that transcends time and space. |