My analysis of the existing system, and recommendations to expand it:
Level 1:
Complications that weaken a character are inconveniences at worst.
Plot effects are limited to weakening a future plot success, or giving your enemies an advantage against you. Only makes existing plots harder, does not introduce new ones.
Level 2:
Complications that weaken a character are annoying. Your actions may be restricted for a short while (unconscious), or a category of actions made harder for an extended period.
Plot effects at this level including substantial changes to existing plots, or accelerating existing plot faster than the PCs can respond. At this level, new plots can be branched off of existing plots… sometimes.
Level 3:
Complications that weaken a character are severe. A category of actions may become nearly impossible indefinitely (as with friends lost or property destroyed). Alternate routs must be sought.
Future successes can be partially negated, and new plots can be generated.
Level 4:
Complications that weaken a character are extreme. Not only can a category of actions become nearly impossible, but the advantages that the character once had can be turned against the character (new antagonists, for example).
Previously resolved plots can be reopened, existing plots can be heavily modified for the worse. Side plots that could last for the rest of the campaign can be generated.
In my opinion, most of the “wound” complications are too minor for their listed level.
If I were to extend this chart, this is the sort of thing that would get added:
Level 5:
Complications that weaken a character are horrifying. A character’s personality (or civilization/society) can be permanently changed. A character can be stripped of their privileges (including being fired from the Patent Office) or otherwise permanently crippled. Worse, everything the character loses, its enemies gain. Examples would include changing civilization to join the enemy, being ejected from the Patent Office, and being hunted by the Ts or another vast organization.
At this level, changes to existing plots “turn them up a notch” and new plots are vast in scope. Changes to an existing plot would be large enough to warrant the GM giving out free twists. For example, war breaks out between civilizations, the Ts are removed from the game until the plot is resolved, or the Union is actively absorbing another civilization.
Plots generated whole cloth are large enough to be the core plot of a campaign. None will be resolvable in less than three sessions, and most will take many, many more.
It is customary for the GM to spend a few days designing a suitable complication at this level (unless the GM has a suitable story Trigger prepared), thus it almost never fires off in the same session as it is activated.
Level 6:
At this level, the entire nature of the campaign can change. For example, the PCs could become wanted criminals in almost all civilizations, a series of intentional supernovas could destroy a large swath of the setting (certainly everything the PCs care about), civilization could collapse, the Ts could go hostile to humanity, the Aia could invade, etc. At this level, old plots tend to get obliterated as being simply too unimportant, while new, extremely vast, plots are generated.
Complications at level 5 and 6 would require explicit GM permission to fire, as they represent potentially huge changes in the campaign.
Level 5 complications should be enough to fire several elements of a Story Trigger at once, while level 6 complications are an excuse for the GM to create and fully activate a new Story Trigger all at once.
At level 5 and 6, a GM may choose to not tell the players what the complication is, and spring it on them over the next several sessions.
