A couple of weeks back, on "d-Infinity Live!," we had a lively conversation about travel and encounters as it relates to RPGs. At the time, I mentioned that in Ragnarok! time was measured, with the paired concepts of Scenes and Interludes. Today, I would like to expand on that notion. 

A couple of weeks back, on "d-Infinity Live!," we had a lively conversation about travel and encounters as it relates to RPGs. At the time, I mentioned that in Ragnarok! time was measured, with the paired concepts of Scenes and Interludes. Today, I would like to expand on that notion. 

The Passage of Time in Ragnarok

Time is measured by dividing play into Scenes and Interludes. The distinction between them can be understood best within the analogy of a movie.

Briefly:

A Scene is a short period of something, or several somethings, happening, which is shown pretty much in its entirety. These are often intense action sequences, but don’t need to be. Usually, they are comparatively brief and fairly vivid. In Ragnarok, they often involve Contest Challenges rather than Scale Challenges. In contrast, an interlude is often handled via a “montage” in a movie – a series of vignettes or short bits that can illustrate the passage of time, and include conversation, travel, preparation, training or crafting. If an interlude includes Challenges, they are usually Scale Challenges, in which the heroes interact with the environment or "background" of the world.

More precisely:

Scene: A single relatively short period in which the heroes of the saga are interacting, with others, or amongst themselves. Generally, a scene will involve die rolling and challenges, but not always. Examples of a Scene: A conversation; an ambush; a duel; a drinking contest; the heroes put their heads together to figure out a way past the magical door that bars their way; just about any combat encounter is a Scene, but participation in a large battle might be represented by a series of scenes strung together.

Interlude: A period of time, which might be no longer than a scene, but are often of considerably greater duration, in which the heroes generally are not confronted by enemies, but may accomplish things, often by interacting with the environment. It may or may not involve die rolling and challenges. Examples of an Interlude: Travel to or from a place or encounter, creating a magic item, crafting, building, resting. A single interlude could last all day, or several days. For example: A journey that includes several instances of travel, camp, travel, etc, could effectively be treated as a single Interlude, until a Scene brings it to an end.  

Adventures in Ragnarok are composed of these two measures, in whatever order suits the story. You don’t have to alternate them.

Here is an example:

After a travel Interlude to get to the Barrowlands (which might be broken up by encounter Scenes), the actual exploration of the Barrow of the Draug Angantyr might be a series of scenes one after the other as the heroes figure out how to pass the barred magical doorway (Scene 1), avoid the clutching talons of the doomed souls that Angantyr has imprisoned in the walls of his Barrow tunnels (Scene 2), scale the sheer cliff wall down to the Barrow chamber itself (Scene 3), and confront the ravenous and grasping drauglord in his stronghold *(Scene 4).

The return from the Howe could be handled with a single interlude, or as an interlude of travel, followed by another interlude of camping overnight, interrupted by a scene as Angantyr and a horde of draug catch up to the barrow-thieves, another scene as they flee and hide, then an interlude as the heroes regroup and head for home, or an interlude as the heroes regroup followed by a scene as they confront the furious draug. 

Why is the distinction between Scene and Interlude important?

There are a few reasons why this structure works for Ragnarok. 

Firstly, one thing you can do in an Interlude, that you cannot do during a Scene, is Rest. A rest allows sleep and/or the recuperation of abilities and health. Availability of Rest is a significant thing in Ragnarok. 

Secondly, many abilities have durations listed as One, referring to a single time period. In such cases a scene or an Interlude are interchangeable, and thus the duration may vary considerably between something that lasts for a Scene, and the same things lasting for an interlude. Occasionally, abilities may have different effects in a scene as compared to an interlude, or may only be used during one or the other.

A good example of this is Enchantment: the ability to place a magical effect into an object or creature. When Enchantment is done during a Scene, the magical effect is imparted for the duration of the current Scene. When conducted during an Interlude, the Enchantment can be made permanent. 

Even abilities that don't have different mechanics can play very differently depending on the passage of time and the manner of its passing. Shapeshifting is a good example of this. If someone shapeshifts for a Scene, they revert to their own form a few minutes laters at the end of the scene.

Getting back to the tie-in to our Travel episode that caused me to write this diary: What if the shapeshifter transforms into a wolf during a travel interlude? She might remain in their alternate for for a day, or several days, of travel. And this can go further, if we extrapolate into mythic or background time, both more conceptual than mechanical in nature. Using this method, a sorcerer might have transformed into a bear years, even centuries ago, and gotten lost in the instincts and limitations of that form, essentially trapped, until the player characters arrive of course, and begin a Scene. This sort of mythic storytelling can work in the mechanics of the game because it can all be  seen as one Interlude for the sorcerer, as he exists in the "background" of the world. 

Finally, just as the Heroes of the saga can decide to get into a fight, or take some other action that comprises a Scene, they can also decide to Rest, or enter an Interlude. This can be a very useful thing to do, But the world around the heroes does not adhere to the same time frame. The Heroes must accept that the world does not respect their choice and churns onward. So they might be in a handy and much needed Rest Interlude, but the Yrc warriors, recently arrived in Midgard from the frozen mists of Niflheim, don't know or care about that when they charge. Deciding to begin an Interlude does not give the heroes control over when it ends, or what happens while it is ongoing.

The Ragnarok continues whether they like it or not.

The image for this post is from the upcoming film, Vikings, and is free to use.