Mechanic for encouraging group cohesion?

[Gundamentalist]

Are there any BRP-style mechanics for encouraging/rewarding group cohesion?

I'm thinking something along the line of Mongoose Traveller's "you're all part of a ship's crew, take a skill level from this pot of suitable skills" or something similar.

I'd like to encourage some party cohesion with this and promote inter-character ties with shared points of background or interest. Something like all members are from the same regiment, or gentlemen's club, or internet special interest forum to benefit from the rule.

[rust]

I am not aware of any such mechanics that would reward group cohesion, this is usually more

a part of the setting (same cult, home town, military unit, etc.) than of the game mechanics and

has no direct consequences for the characters' stats (e.g. additional skill points to spend, etc.).

However, I think it would be easy to introduce that kind of reward into any BRP based game, for

example by offering a pool of setting specific cultural skill modifiers the characters from the sa-

me background can choose from ("The troopers of the Highland Cavalry all get either + 10 %

in Ride or + 10 % in Track, their elite unit has the best training in the entire kingdom").

[icebrand]

Why don't you use hero points (instead of fate points).

Characters have a common pool of fate/hero points (maybe their combined POWs, or a fraction of it) and anyone can pull from it as long as they are together and/or working towards the same goal. If it's glorantha-based, it could be their guardian spirit helping them (otherwise, a totem, some kind of spirit, and AI, whatever!)

[sdavies2720]

In my group, a common pool would lead to player squabbles. After all, if they worked together reliably, you wouldn't need a mechanic!

Maybe a variant of the Allegiance rules, where they start with allegiance to group. As long as that is above 75%, they get a bonus (one extra advancement roll when they check for advancement, extra fate points if you use those, one mulligan per session, etc). If allegiance drops, they lose the benefit.

[Rob Thomas]

A member of a fire team does not get rewarded if he provides covering fire for his teammates but he does get a boot up the backside if he does not. Your players are part of a team and if the don't work as such you should squich them. Want to run off from the group and do your own thing, fine - SPLAT your dead. Want to grab the cool kit for yourself, fine - someone steals it from you in the night.

[The Venomous Pao]

I find that a cattle prod does the job nicely

[Merak Gren]

One thing I have considered is house ruling the Command skill to work with PC's. So when working together supporting a character using a skill or each one doing a separate skill to achive a group success, on a success they will all get a check on the skills used, even if you don't have it.

Learning by sharing.

Just my two pence worths.

[frogspawner]

... house ruling the Command skill to work with PC's...

Good one. But I'd say the Commanding character has to be the other's superior/commanding officer in the team hierarchy, for these beneficial effects of their 'training' to kick-in.

(Interesting. You may get PCs wanting to be lower-ranks, so they can get the bonuses. And oh the resentment when their Officer keeps failing his Command rolls...!)