Example EE Plugin: Elvis

Part of the mission statement of the Escapade Engine is adaptability. Like any good evolutionary survivor, it can change and survive that way. So, for a friend who reads the blog, I'm going to make a genre plug-in, as an example.

Not vampires, not nanobots, not magic- this is a plug-in for Elvis impersonators.

So, the best place to put this in is as a skill. It'll be central enough, and this allows for considerable amounts of growth.

The main skill, I'll just call "Elvis." This serves a couple of purposes:

• It's big, visible, and notifies the player their character has Elvis powers
• As a stat, "Elvis" is just the ability for someone to slip into the role, and stay that way for any duration. It's the ability to suspend disbelief that you are not Elvis.

The two sub-skills I'm going to put up are "Guitars" and "Sideburns." If I wanted to be more realistic, these would be "Music" and "Costumes," but this is hardly a realistic skill. It's Elvis, guys! Calm down.

"Guitars" is just what it sounds- the ability to play those rock-and-roll hits just like the King himself. The higher this skill gets, the more your pelvis gyrates during concerts, and I'd also say how accurate you are to the King's tastes in musical instruments.

"Sideburns" is physical resemblance. With enough in this skill, you don't need to do makeup: Just comb your hair back and you're in. Of course you'll need a shiny, brightly-colored suit to get in on any concerts, but you'll manage that.

~

Let's do a test-run with the skill. I've got, say, 12 experience points left that I want to sink into the Elvis skillset.

• 1 XP to buy Rank 1
• 2 XP to buy Rank 2
• 3 XP to buy Rank 3
• 4 XP to buy Rank 4
• 10 XP spent, not enough to make Rank 5. The last 2 XP will get shuffled off into some other skill.

So, I'm a rank 4 Elvis impersonator. I have 4 ranks in the main skill, so I can get 8 ranks in the sub-skills. The obvious choice is to split it 50/50, and have 4 in everything, but I'm not such a fan. Suppose I want a more personable, chatty Elvis? Well, from my 8 point pool, I put 6 into "sideburns," and the last 2 into "guitars," at least enough to hold one properly, or play back-up for someone.

"God Bless, Y'all."