Morra Universal Cinematic Game System Beta Slice, July 2019 Chapter One: Introduction ........................................................................... 5 What’s in a Name? ........................................................................................ 5 What is Morra? ............................................................................................. 5 Why Do Stories Matter? ................................................................................. 6 Audience ...................................................................................................... 6 What is a Genre? .......................................................................................... 6 Genres in the Core Book ................................................................................ 7 Creating a Character...................................................................................... 7 What is the role of the Director? ...................................................................... 8 What is the Writers Room? ............................................................................. 8 Morra Code of Conduct .................................................................................. 8 Chapter Two: Defining a Genre ...................................................................10 The Writer’s Room ........................................................................................11 Genre Roadmap ...........................................................................................12 Step One: Define the Target Audience .........................................................12 Step Two: Define the Rating and Content Descriptors of the Series ................. 12 Step Four: Write a Movie Trailer/ Elevator Pitch for the Series ........................ 14 Step Five: Budget ....................................................................................15 Step Six: Create the Genre Archetypes .......................................................16 Step Seven: Skill Adjustments ...................................................................19 Step Eight: New Genre and Archetypes Qualities ..........................................20 Step Nine: The Story Bible ........................................................................20 Step Ten: Crossovers ...............................................................................21 Step Eleven: Reference Material .................................................................22 Step Twelve: Plot Threads .........................................................................22 Chapter Three: Character Creation ............................................................24 Step One: The Writers’ Room .........................................................................24 Step Two: Selecting the Archetype .................................................................26 Step Three: What’s Your Motivation? ...............................................................27 Step Four: Assign Points to Attributes .............................................................37 Attribute Ratings ......................................................................................37 Attribute Specializations ............................................................................37 Assigning Starting Attribute Points ..............................................................38 Attribute Descriptions ...............................................................................38 Heart .....................................................................................................39 Mind .......................................................................................................41 Soul .......................................................................................................42 Step Five: Assign Points to Skills ....................................................................43 Skill Ratings ............................................................................................43 Genre Skill Adjustments ............................................................................43 Skill Competency .....................................................................................44 Professional Specializations .......................................................................44 Untrained Skill Penalty ..............................................................................44 Assigning Starting Skill Points ....................................................................44 Skill Descriptions..........................................................................................45 Art .........................................................................................................45 Bushcraft ................................................................................................45 Convince .................................................................................................45 Crime .....................................................................................................46 Fighting ..................................................................................................46 Firearms .................................................................................................46 Fix .........................................................................................................46 Knowledge ..............................................................................................47 Notice ....................................................................................................47 Medicine .................................................................................................47 Subterfuge ..............................................................................................48 Science ...................................................................................................48 Stunts ....................................................................................................48 Technology .............................................................................................49 Transport ................................................................................................49 Wildcard .................................................................................................49 Step Six: Assign Points to Qualities .................................................................50 Assigning Starting Quality Points ................................................................50 Step Seven: Select Flaws ..............................................................................51 Chapter Four: Core Rules ............................................................................52 Cast of Characters ........................................................................................52 Dramatic Moment .........................................................................................53 Step One: Detail the Dramatic Moment .......................................................54 Step Two: Identify the Action Pool ..............................................................54 Step Three: Determine the Difficulty Rating .................................................54 Step Four: Rolling the Bones! ....................................................................56 Dramatic Moment – Cast Complications ...........................................................56 Call Sheet: Order of Initiative ....................................................................56 A Friend in Need ......................................................................................57 Script Armor ............................................................................................57 Taking Hits and Receiving Consequences .....................................................58 Reducing Incoming Complications ...............................................................58 One Story/Many Acts ....................................................................................59 One Act/Three Scene Structure ......................................................................59 Scene I: The Setup ..................................................................................59 Scene II: Reveal the Conflict......................................................................60 Scene III: Resolution ................................................................................61 Contract Negotiation .....................................................................................64 Step One: The Pitch .................................................................................64 Step Two: Writer’s Room Discussion ...........................................................65 Step Three: Director’s Incentive .................................................................66 Step Four: Bargaining Power .....................................................................66 Step Five: A New Direction ........................................................................66 Consequences .............................................................................................66 Attribute Type .........................................................................................67 Mechanical Penalty ...................................................................................68 Condition ................................................................................................6