The newest episode of Fear of a Black Dragon is here! In this one, Tom McGrenery and I review The Ultraviolet Grasslands by Luka Rejec. For the Expert Delve portion, we discuss how to make long journeys interesting.
Enjoy!
http://www.gauntlet-rpg.com/fear-of-a-black-dragon/the-ultraviolet-grasslands
Yesss
Yesss
It’s not available on my service yet. Looking forward to it though!
It’s not available on my service yet. Looking forward to it though!
Another fantastic episode. I was really looking forward to this after hearing about it.
Another fantastic episode. I was really looking forward to this after hearing about it.
Re: camaraderie in adventure games, I think the loaded questions work really well to enforce a certain kind of interactions especially with players who aren’t used to playing out interpersonal relationships but for more experienced players just allowing enough space for these scenes is enough to get the ball rolling. I had a terrific first session with Tobia Farnetti, Richard Ruane, James Ryan and Paul Staxx Spraget when we played Deep Carbon Observatory and as soon as they got on the boat they brought their A-game to the table. (Playing in a hostile world where everything wants to eat you also helped with the bonding, I guess)
btw: When we played UVG I didn’t get the porcelain throne joke and now I feel stupid.
Re: camaraderie in adventure games, I think the loaded questions work really well to enforce a certain kind of interactions especially with players who aren’t used to playing out interpersonal relationships but for more experienced players just allowing enough space for these scenes is enough to get the ball rolling. I had a terrific first session with Tobia Farnetti, Richard Ruane, James Ryan and Paul Staxx Spraget when we played Deep Carbon Observatory and as soon as they got on the boat they brought their A-game to the table. (Playing in a hostile world where everything wants to eat you also helped with the bonding, I guess)
btw: When we played UVG I didn’t get the porcelain throne joke and now I feel stupid.
Great episode – big fan of this setting!
Great episode – big fan of this setting!
I’ve seen a few short APs of Fall of Magic (a fantasy road trip story game, although that description feels reductive), and I’m wondering if there’s lessons there that transfer over to UVG or vice versa? Either way, I’ve been sold on UVG by this episode. It reminds me a lot of the Prophet comics reboot as well.
I’ve seen a few short APs of Fall of Magic (a fantasy road trip story game, although that description feels reductive), and I’m wondering if there’s lessons there that transfer over to UVG or vice versa? Either way, I’ve been sold on UVG by this episode. It reminds me a lot of the Prophet comics reboot as well.
Adam Schwaninger I think Fall of Magic is the game I’m most familiar with that gets closest to capturing this ideal journey feeling I talk about in the show. FoM benefits significantly from the fact that the only thing you’re doing is the journey and that, in play, it has this very dream-like quality to it. I could absolutely see a version of UVG where you put one-sentence story prompts on each location and then play it FoM style ( Luka Rejec – I am 100% available to do this stretch goal on your eventual KS).
Adam Schwaninger I think Fall of Magic is the game I’m most familiar with that gets closest to capturing this ideal journey feeling I talk about in the show. FoM benefits significantly from the fact that the only thing you’re doing is the journey and that, in play, it has this very dream-like quality to it. I could absolutely see a version of UVG where you put one-sentence story prompts on each location and then play it FoM style ( Luka Rejec – I am 100% available to do this stretch goal on your eventual KS).
Hey guys – just listened to the podcast last night, before bed, and enjoyed it tremendously.
Regarding the low-brow jokes and gags: a fair number will likely become less prominent in editing. As for the watersports: no, that actually referenced my love of jetskis, kayaks, and rafting; and the way companies would have special departments for dealing with the leisure activities of their employees. I’ll probably adjust the name to clear up misconceptions – I try to avoid referencing current politics in my games (I have other outlets for that).
Hey guys – just listened to the podcast last night, before bed, and enjoyed it tremendously.
Regarding the low-brow jokes and gags: a fair number will likely become less prominent in editing. As for the watersports: no, that actually referenced my love of jetskis, kayaks, and rafting; and the way companies would have special departments for dealing with the leisure activities of their employees. I’ll probably adjust the name to clear up misconceptions – I try to avoid referencing current politics in my games (I have other outlets for that).
Just finished listening and I couldn’t help but think that UVG could also fit into Carcosa. In Carcosa there are two actual cities (or as close as you can get, 3 if you count the Space Alien dome), 0212 could be one end and 2012 the other. UVG Mobius-like illustration are also how I see Carcosa.
Just finished listening and I couldn’t help but think that UVG could also fit into Carcosa. In Carcosa there are two actual cities (or as close as you can get, 3 if you count the Space Alien dome), 0212 could be one end and 2012 the other. UVG Mobius-like illustration are also how I see Carcosa.
Warren Denning it could fit very well. The core of the journey system is my desire to break out of the hex-grid and make worlds feel big. Adapting it to Carcosa would be a piece of pie.
Warren Denning it could fit very well. The core of the journey system is my desire to break out of the hex-grid and make worlds feel big. Adapting it to Carcosa would be a piece of pie.
Finally got around to listening to this episode; what a great breakdown of one of the most inspiring (artistically and otherwise) modules I’ve seen in a long while!
I would be remiss however if I did not mention the excellent novel City of Bones by Martha Wells. The world she created (sort of post-apoc + fantasy futurist… or something) really gels with the way UVG feels.
Luka Rejec, you do amazing work!
Finally got around to listening to this episode; what a great breakdown of one of the most inspiring (artistically and otherwise) modules I’ve seen in a long while!
I would be remiss however if I did not mention the excellent novel City of Bones by Martha Wells. The world she created (sort of post-apoc + fantasy futurist… or something) really gels with the way UVG feels.
Luka Rejec, you do amazing work!
Yochai Gal thank you Yochai! I’ll check out the City of Bones – it sounds fun!
Yochai Gal thank you Yochai! I’ll check out the City of Bones – it sounds fun!
Luka Rejec Also, this really reminds me of your artwork:
rockpapershotgun.com – Sable’s developers are trying to capture the spirit of discovery
Luka Rejec Also, this really reminds me of your artwork:
rockpapershotgun.com – Sable’s developers are trying to capture the spirit of discovery
Oh, that’s no surprise! We both drank at the well of Moebius!
Oh, that’s no surprise! We both drank at the well of Moebius!