I wanted to share an AP report from a no-prep World of Dreams playtest session that I ran today for my son in the…

I wanted to share an AP report from a no-prep World of Dreams playtest session that I ran today for my son in the…

I wanted to share an AP report from a no-prep World of Dreams playtest session that I ran today for my son in the car on the way to school. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.

The Dreamer set the dream in our house on Christmas Eve as our extended family is opening presents. He got a present from his aunt, and he decided it was a Lego x-wing. I shrunk him down to Lego figure size and he helped the Lego pilot and r2 unit build the ship. He climbed in and took off, blasting small holes in my living room with his lasers. He received a call on his conn that his brother was commanding a Lego imperial Gozanti-class cruiser upstairs in the play room and the good guys were requesting assistance. He flew upstairs to find that the cruiser and its escort of four tie fighters were attacking a good-guy Nexo Knight castle. He immediately attacked and defeated the tie fighters.

His brother piped in and said that he was calling for backup and that the Lego Death Star had arrived. I went with it, and the Dreamer called in support from the Rebel fleet. He led a squadron of fighters in an attack on the tie fighters launching from the Death Star. He then started the trench run with Darth Vader on his tail. He decided that the Wim* had taken the form of Darth Vader and that the Dreamer had to blow up the Death Star to defeat the Wim. He rolled boxcars on launching his torpedoes at the exhaust port and won the day.

Both of them cheered, and then my other son took a turn as the Dreamer.

* The Wim is a mischievous shapeshifting prankster who sends bad dreams to children and serves as the antagonist of every session of World of Dreams.

With Events coming back to the main G+ interface what are the chances we can use those for games?

With Events coming back to the main G+ interface what are the chances we can use those for games?

With Events coming back to the main G+ interface what are the chances we can use those for games? Can’t seem to keep on top of the Google calendar…

Fraser Simons and YG Mitchell just wrapped their Comic Strip AP of Young At Heart.

Fraser Simons and YG Mitchell just wrapped their Comic Strip AP of Young At Heart.

Fraser Simons and YG Mitchell just wrapped their Comic Strip AP of Young At Heart. If you’ve been interested in picking up a physical copy of the book, you can use the code WINTERSHIP to get 15% off and free shipping. The book looks great. It has a shiny layout by Oli Jeffery and I helped with developmental editing. Check it out!

http://www.lulu.com/shop/fraser-simons/young-at-heart/paperback/product-23020558.html

The Hooded Luchadore gives us his insight into the most recent Gauntlet League Wrestling show in Newark.

The Hooded Luchadore gives us his insight into the most recent Gauntlet League Wrestling show in Newark.

The Hooded Luchadore gives us his insight into the most recent Gauntlet League Wrestling show in Newark. He misses a bunch of things (like Jeffrey Bleakwood’s mask-work in the final bout). But he hits some of the “high” points.

https://youtu.be/QMiYP1BGLiI

So, the January 4-Shot of The Sprawl is done.

So, the January 4-Shot of The Sprawl is done.

So, the January 4-Shot of The Sprawl is done. Mission Complete! I am so happy with the story we told and the collaboration of all the players.

While the characterizations the players brought out were sometimes hilarious, the circumstances were grim, and the world we put together was definitely a cyberpunk dystopia. I was truly happy and satisfied as a GM with every character’s arc. It’s great to see things come full circle.

A fixer was left bleeding out in an abandoned warehouse. A hunter was left with burnt out cyberwear, drinking away his pain. A soldier left town and all she trusted behind, to find a new life. A driver stripped himself of his Identity and created a new one.

No one escapes unscathed, when entagled in The Sprawl.

Just a shout out and a thank you to Rebecca Stueve​ Pawel Solowczuk​ Chris Thompson​ and Kax ja​ Was great fun!

Saturday afternoon at 2pm EST I’m running a playtest for Clink:

Saturday afternoon at 2pm EST I’m running a playtest for Clink:

Saturday afternoon at 2pm EST I’m running a playtest for Clink:

In Clink you play as a mysterious Drifter in a dangerous world. Don’t allow the scars of your past to prevent you from following your Creed. Spend coins to reveal details about your past and flip them to overcome obstacles.

No experiences necessary! I’ve got 2-3 more slots available.

Here’s the character sheet/rules summary (beta): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pz7Lin9gG_xOWakknTdVdcuYlAhRsEFuEc-xbFGCgk0/edit?usp=sharing

On Saturday we kicked-off a three-session series of The Woodlands by Andrew Medeiros.

On Saturday we kicked-off a three-session series of The Woodlands by Andrew Medeiros.

On Saturday we kicked-off a three-session series of The Woodlands by Andrew Medeiros. We’re playing in the Mouse Guard setting, and the first session was a real pleasure.

The Woodlands is a set of playbooks and move sheets that allow you to play Mouse Guard-like stories in a system that’s Powered by the Apocalypse. While there isn’t an accompanying text, the materials are more than sufficient if you have familiarity with PbtA games. I’m a fan because Drew has created a set of playbooks and moves that feels very comprehensive; elements from both the comics and the officially licensed game have been nicely translated into a PbtA context, and it feels great.

There were a lot of terrific moments in our session, but two stand out. The first involved our hapless Tenderpaw and her mentor. The Tenderpaw was basically screwing everything up; she forgot to pick up gabcroon bread for the patrol, and she failed to notice a very obvious predator they then had to deal with. One morning, before the whole patrol was awake, the Tenderpaw’s mentor woke her up and took her into the forest to go foraging. They managed to find a squirrel’s acorn stash and brought some acorn nut meat back to camp. The mentor made sure the Tenderpaw got the credit for finding the acorns, thereby defusing some of the tensions that had been building up in the group because of her mistakes.

The second scene that stuck out was during a stopover in Ivydale. We established that the Guard kept log books in each settlement so patrols could keep each other abreast of dangers and other happenings. The patrol leaders were also required to make an accounting of each member of their group so the heads of the Guard could review it later when determining promotions and commendations. So we had a fun, short scene in which our leader summarized the actions of each member of the patrol in turn, their various acts of bravery and quick-thinking noted with a number of glowing adjectives. When he got to the Tenderpaw, he said simply that her performance was “adequate,” which, under the circumstances, her player considered to be a great success.

Overall, a very enjoyable session. The Woodlands has given me precisely what I want each time I’ve played it, and I can’t wait to see where the next sessions go. Thanks to my players Fraser Simons David LaFreniere River Williamson and steven watkins!