I think Episode 24 of Discern Realities might be the best one yet! Lots of great discussion on this one. I’d love to get some community feedback on some of the topics we cover.
What happened here recently?
Secrets at the game table (00:20)
What should I be on the lookout for?
The Collector playbook (07:38)
What here is not what it appears to be?
1v1 Play (11:48)
What here is useful or valuable to me?
“Pet mule” in media res (19:49)
The Irresistible Mule magic item (22:45)
What is about to happen?
Our comic strip AP featuring the adventures of Lucero Castafiel (24:38)
Bloodless, the Sinister Shackle (26:03)
Ham-strung (28:15)
One-eye (29:57)
I was going to post something about asking a player to name an NPC. They will almost always “take possession” of that NPC and make sure it is involved in the fiction.
I once asked a player to name someone they took interest in on a boat. We imeaditly had a gruff crewman named tor. I had planed on the boat crew betraying the party and I was very open about it but that player insisted that tor follow him and involved him in almost all of his actions. It was almost sad when another player had to get rid of him before he could cause trouble.
As a player starting out, having a named pet, Mount or NPC acquaintance always gives you another handle on the fiction. If you are not sure what to do with your character you can ask “what is tor doing?”
I was going to post something about asking a player to name an NPC. They will almost always “take possession” of that NPC and make sure it is involved in the fiction.
I once asked a player to name someone they took interest in on a boat. We imeaditly had a gruff crewman named tor. I had planed on the boat crew betraying the party and I was very open about it but that player insisted that tor follow him and involved him in almost all of his actions. It was almost sad when another player had to get rid of him before he could cause trouble.
As a player starting out, having a named pet, Mount or NPC acquaintance always gives you another handle on the fiction. If you are not sure what to do with your character you can ask “what is tor doing?”
I use secrets on a player level most in investigative games or games were mistrust ist a major theme. Sometimes both.
A Dirty World for example has you write up a secret about your character in the beginning and then hand it to another player, who can use it against you. In that case I like to keep the reveal to the players involved and not play it open till it becomes part of the narrative. But it fits the noir genre well and I think the game profits from it.
In investigative games I keep information from the players and as a player expect that I have to uncover the information and make the right deduction. But that is when the investigation is at the center of the game, like it is with Gumshoe for exa,mple. Not every lovecraftian game has to be about investigation, not even every game about detectives has to be. It is as much a structural as a content thing.
I saw the Collector in play, in a Ravenloft themed game, he collected creepy bugs. It seemed like a complete playbook then and was fun to interact with.
I think the collection is not only the highest priority for the character defining his goals but also the source of their power. A Collector without the collection is not doing any of the moves and losing the collection would mean losing power as well as identity. While a Wizard or Fighter who collects stuff still is a Wizard and it is just a nice quirk.
Within the genre for D&D the Collector is a character who lives completely from their equipment, not like the Fighter with one special weapon but by having a broad array of stuff applicable to the dungeoneering life. Sometimes by stretching the intended use.
I use secrets on a player level most in investigative games or games were mistrust ist a major theme. Sometimes both.
A Dirty World for example has you write up a secret about your character in the beginning and then hand it to another player, who can use it against you. In that case I like to keep the reveal to the players involved and not play it open till it becomes part of the narrative. But it fits the noir genre well and I think the game profits from it.
In investigative games I keep information from the players and as a player expect that I have to uncover the information and make the right deduction. But that is when the investigation is at the center of the game, like it is with Gumshoe for exa,mple. Not every lovecraftian game has to be about investigation, not even every game about detectives has to be. It is as much a structural as a content thing.
I saw the Collector in play, in a Ravenloft themed game, he collected creepy bugs. It seemed like a complete playbook then and was fun to interact with.
I think the collection is not only the highest priority for the character defining his goals but also the source of their power. A Collector without the collection is not doing any of the moves and losing the collection would mean losing power as well as identity. While a Wizard or Fighter who collects stuff still is a Wizard and it is just a nice quirk.
Within the genre for D&D the Collector is a character who lives completely from their equipment, not like the Fighter with one special weapon but by having a broad array of stuff applicable to the dungeoneering life. Sometimes by stretching the intended use.
The collector reminds me of the hoarder limited playbook in AW, it’s a really fun thing to have in play, but also makes the game to a weird place lol.
The collector reminds me of the hoarder limited playbook in AW, it’s a really fun thing to have in play, but also makes the game to a weird place lol.
Who are the “Krista and Scott” mentioned in the podcast? Sounds like people I should be on the lookout for… do they also have a podcast?
Who are the “Krista and Scott” mentioned in the podcast? Sounds like people I should be on the lookout for… do they also have a podcast?
Our friends Kristen D and Scott Owen. They have each been on the Gauntlet Podcast before.
Our friends Kristen D and Scott Owen. They have each been on the Gauntlet Podcast before.
think “Jamaican Vampire” guy
and double “giving me life” Lady
think “Jamaican Vampire” guy
and double “giving me life” Lady
I play 1 on 1 games a lot with my Wife. It works very well. I tend to keep the world less threatening rather than bulster the character as we enjoy the “zero level” strugling character feel.
As for story load and the “50%” of the work. I don’t notice it too much. If you can improvise, then it’s no issue. If you prepare more then maybe it would cause more issues.
Finaly, can it last 3hr? I don’t think it has to. I’ve noticed we can get through the same amount of story in half the time. So can it handle an hour and a half? Definitly!
I play 1 on 1 games a lot with my Wife. It works very well. I tend to keep the world less threatening rather than bulster the character as we enjoy the “zero level” strugling character feel.
As for story load and the “50%” of the work. I don’t notice it too much. If you can improvise, then it’s no issue. If you prepare more then maybe it would cause more issues.
Finaly, can it last 3hr? I don’t think it has to. I’ve noticed we can get through the same amount of story in half the time. So can it handle an hour and a half? Definitly!
(19:49) The Pixar’s Up method of story telling.
(19:49) The Pixar’s Up method of story telling.
I played a three hour or so 1v1 of Urban Shadows with a friend of mine a month or so back. We had planned for it to be a 1 shot, so I gave him a starting corruption move, but otherwise basically did the same thing as normal.
Normally players create a lot of the starting story of what is happening in your city with rumors, so we outsourced that with a post of Twitter for some ideas of rumors. From there, we basically dived in with him creating his character, setting bonds with NPCs and just going.
It worked pretty well, advancement happened FAST (it’s easy to hit a bunch of factions when you are pushing the story on your own). The story also happened pretty quickly, things got bad with a couple of 6-s that nobody else could help with, but he was able to recover with careful application of hard moves. We were able to finish the game with a nice tough choice (your packmate will accept the deal you made with the vampires… If you show submission to her) and we plan to pick it up on other times that the core of the group can’t play.
Also, Jeff Stormer at Party of One podcast plays 1v1 games all the time! Not sure if he’s on G+, will tag him in when I’m on a computer.
I played a three hour or so 1v1 of Urban Shadows with a friend of mine a month or so back. We had planned for it to be a 1 shot, so I gave him a starting corruption move, but otherwise basically did the same thing as normal.
Normally players create a lot of the starting story of what is happening in your city with rumors, so we outsourced that with a post of Twitter for some ideas of rumors. From there, we basically dived in with him creating his character, setting bonds with NPCs and just going.
It worked pretty well, advancement happened FAST (it’s easy to hit a bunch of factions when you are pushing the story on your own). The story also happened pretty quickly, things got bad with a couple of 6-s that nobody else could help with, but he was able to recover with careful application of hard moves. We were able to finish the game with a nice tough choice (your packmate will accept the deal you made with the vampires… If you show submission to her) and we plan to pick it up on other times that the core of the group can’t play.
Also, Jeff Stormer at Party of One podcast plays 1v1 games all the time! Not sure if he’s on G+, will tag him in when I’m on a computer.
Philipp Neitzel I think secrets are often appropriate between GM and players, especially in mystery games, like you say, and even between players when the system is designed for it.
Philipp Neitzel I think secrets are often appropriate between GM and players, especially in mystery games, like you say, and even between players when the system is designed for it.
Thanks for the feedback on 1v1 Robert Doe and Brandon Leon-Gambetta. It looks like I’m going to have a chance to try it out this Friday; I may do a follow-up on the show about it.
Thanks for the feedback on 1v1 Robert Doe and Brandon Leon-Gambetta. It looks like I’m going to have a chance to try it out this Friday; I may do a follow-up on the show about it.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
oh hey, I got name checked! Hooray! 1v1 play is super fun.
oh hey, I got name checked! Hooray! 1v1 play is super fun.