Goth Points

Goth points are the biggest characteristic in the game and also the hardest to define. Basically, the idea is that Goth points measure how well attached your character is to the mind set and the lifestyle. If her Goth points drop down to zero then she has become a normal and her friends...never mind. But she can no longer be played. Unless otherwise stated in the character's flaws (see the section on Merits and Flaws later), all characters have a max of 10 Goth points. As the characters are put in Goth-unfriendly situations, they risk losing points. They can only gain them back by reaffirming their connection to the lifestyle.

When a character is exposed to a Goth unfriendly situation, the Ubergoth calls for a Goth point roll. If the character can roll equal or below her CURRENT Goth point total on 1D12 nothing happens, but if she rolls over it she loses a point.

Example: To get a car Rose had to take a job where her boss forced her to dye the blue color out of her hair. Her total Goth points at the time was 8. She rolled a 3, so nothing happened. Had she rolled above 8, she would have lost a Goth point.

In some situations, such as insults by pathetic people, a character can use Ignore or Bitch skill rolls to avoid having to risk Goth points (more on skill rolls later). To gain a point back all a character has to do is immerse herself in Goth life. Go to a club or a cafe, a good bookstore or anything else that makes her happy.

Example: Rose goes to a very Goth unfriendly high school and cannot defend herself well from some of the taunts. At the end of the week her Goth point total is at 5. However, on Friday night she goes to a Switchblade Symphony concert and, completely against her wallflower demeanor, dances her ass off. After seeing her behavior the kindly Ubergoth lets her get 4 points back.

How points are lost and how points are gained is up to the Ubergoth. It largely depends on the situations the characters get involved in. The character's apartment or room is a refuge, where points are neither lost nor gained. Places where points can be regained should be well defined, and conditions strictly outlined. A character gains more points dancing or talking then she would staring at a wall.

Be very clear how you run the Goth point system because it is the most important system in the game. The opportunities to lose points are much greater than the opportunities to keep them, everything from a snide little brat to a fanatical Christian to a serial killer are out there ready to prey on the innocent little shadow children.

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