Spark Mechanic

All of the Sparks in the game are capable of "Sparking" -- building various mad devices with assorted semi-predictable effects. Here are some notes on how it will work.

See Spark Nature for references to the comics as to the nature of Sparks

Sparking always involves the following elements:

• Spark Points -- all Sparks have some number of Spark Points they can spend over the course of the game. (If we go with the Style Point idea that Darker suggested, they might all be melded together -- everyone gets Style Points, but can spend them in various ways.) Within a small range (from perhaps 1 point for an Intelligent Toaster to 3 for a Giant Rampaging Chicken of Doom), you can spend more points to do more impressive things. Higher-level creations would be possible, but there isn't enough time in the game to build them. In the comics, it frequently seems to be the case that modifying an existing device - or amalgamating existing devices into something new - is much, much faster than when not cannibalizing existing creations. --Darker Justin: that's clearly true for Agatha, but I'm not sure whether it holds true in general. The online speculation I've heard is that that's a special ability of hers: that she has a unique skill for modifying other peoples' work. Given the fact that other Sparks often seem a bit surprised by her facility at that, I'm currently inclined to go with that idea.

(Arnis 12/13/06) - I think the above observation is skewed by situation. Think of the situations Agatha has been in since losing the locket. How often has she been in a position to really work from scratch? Twice, I think - the Beetleburg Clank and the Dingbots. Everything else we've seen is her working with other people's parts. The observed phenomena are also consistent with her just being potent, in general.

I think we have an important point here - it seems that for most Sparks, everything takes quite a bit of time and experimentation. The only Spark activity we see on short timescale is Agatha's modification of existing technologies. If we speed up new construction, Agatha's alteration/repair work is not particularly special. If we say Agatha's the only one who can work that fast, then everyone else loses major cool. Agatha is special in the comic, but even with a few Agathas in game, we really do need all the other sparks to have fun being Sparks.

• Ranting -- an essential part of Sparking is role-playing. Sparks are always intense while they are working. The more intense the ranting, the better the effect.
• Construction -- there will be a variety of construction toys scattered around the game space. You have to actually build some sort of representation of the thing you want. It doesn't have to be great, but you have to build something. You get extra style points for building something really cool.
• Spark Ability -- most Sparks have a particular area of focus. For instance, Klaus is especially expert at the biological sciences, and Agatha has a remarkable skill at taking other peoples' devices and rebuilding them. While most Sparks can work on most devices, they are more likely to be successful in their areas of expertise.

You can be helped in Sparking by use of Lab Assistants. Lab Assistants can assist arbitrarily in the Construction phase, provided that the primary Spark is clearly giving directions about what is supposed to be happening. They can also contribute Spark Points if they are Sparks, which makes a significant difference, but is not 1 to 1 with those from the original builder.

From there, it's up to the GMs what happens. Taking all of the above considerations into account, and adding in dramatic and humor value, they determine what happens when the Spark attempts to activate the device. We probably will need a notebook to keep track of this, since in many cases the GM may have to decide what will happen when the device is built, but it won't occur until activation sometime later. A notebook is a mutex; perhaps "GM-only" envelopes which are taped to the item card/contraption? (Or which are the item card?) --Darker Justin: good idea -- less danger of resource contention.

If we do go with Style Points, especially clever or appropriate uses of this mechanic may earn back Style Points even while it costs some.

The Spark Mechanic does not require the use of explicit tools -- basically, that's factored into the building part of the mechanic. The Big Box of Parts will be marked as Rivet's Toolchest, and everyone can use anything from there. (Adding tools as an additional factor would be good simulation, but the mechanic is complex enough already.)