Hey friends! I’m here with few more PbtA questions related to an upcoming +1 Forward episode.
Hey friends! I’m here with few more PbtA questions related to an upcoming +1 Forward episode.
What’s the longest PbtA campaign you’ve run or played in? What did you learn about long-term PbtA play that you wish you knew before that campaign?
I think the longest games I’ve played in have been all Apocalypse World campaigns and each were about a dozen sessions or so. The biggest lesson I learned is “Create a second character to play” is an amazing advance. I tend to play characters who can be a bit self-destructive, so having a second PC is a refreshing release valve.
Here is Episode 02 of Song of the Milk-White Putrescence.
Here is Episode 02 of Song of the Milk-White Putrescence. In this one we get to see my custom procedure for the Undertake a Perilous Journey move (detailed in the Discern Realities Annual, among other places). That move is kind of dull as-written, but becomes much more interesting when you combine it with some questions.
Enjoy!
Cc: Fraser Simons Lowell Francis Gerrit Reininghaus David LaFreniere
Is there a PbtA game or hack that emulates JRPG (as in Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger) tropes?
Is there a PbtA game or hack that emulates JRPG (as in Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger) tropes? I’m trying to think of one and drawing a blank. Seems odd, since the system does genre emulation really well and most JRPG characters are archetypal to a fault (and thus perfect for playbooks).
If there isn’t, why not? So much is there to explore, especially if the game text encouraged groups to think of the campaign as a JRPG they’re designing at the same time they’re playing it. You could come up with ridiculous Engrish-y names for the totes-not-a-Final-Fantasy-ripoff battle system during chargen, for example, or choose a console era you want the GM to emulate in their descriptions. Maybe you could even define your character’s combat barks and cheesy motto? The sky’s the limit!
Here is Episode 01 of Song of the Milk-White Putrescence. Episode 02 will be out tomorrow.
Here is Episode 01 of Song of the Milk-White Putrescence. Episode 02 will be out tomorrow.
One thing to note: I have written the timecodes so they show which moves and GM techniques were used. My hope is this will make it easier for folks to see certain moves in action, as well as show a bit of how I incorporate my own GM style into things. Pocket-Sized Play, to me, has always been about becoming a better player and GM, not just entertainment, and these timecodes are very much in that spirit. Let me know what you think of them!
Enjoy!
Cc: Gerrit Reininghaus Fraser Simons David LaFreniere Lowell Francis
We’re launching a brand-new actual play podcast today!
We’re launching a brand-new actual play podcast today! We Hunt the Keepers! was one of the Dungeon World campaigns we played last year. Fraser Simons has edited them down into short, “pocket-sized” episode for you to enjoy.
This first episode is the overview, where Fraser and I discuss the first series in the show, “Song of the Milk-White Putrescence.” Episode 01 and 02 are also coming this week. We will release two episodes per week after that.
iTunes and such is coming soon. In the meantime, here is the RSS link so you can add it to your podcatchers:
Last night I ran my first session of World of Dungeons for Cave of Monsters (formerly the Portland Gauntlet group)…
Last night I ran my first session of World of Dungeons for Cave of Monsters (formerly the Portland Gauntlet group) running the “Frozen in Time” DCC module.
Overall the session went well. I set the tone initially as 70’s Wyrd Fantasy (Heavy Metal, Fire & Ice, etc.) and the players really took to their roles as stone-age adventurers. I really loved how WoDu pushes the players to make interesting and inventive choices and allows me to bring those choices into the game. Probably my favorite example of this was when one of the players searched an overgrown garden for psychoactive substances. Rolling a 10, the player sat back and enjoyed their mysterious resin. Another player, deciding to try a puff, rolled a natural 2 (which house-ruled as “critical miss”, to get some added OSR flavor into the game). That led to a highly entertaining psychedelic meltdown scene as the neolithic tribesman described their horrifying visions.
My one issue with the system is the 6-9 result. While I was able to work out good results on the wins and loses (often handing off narrative control to the players), I had a hard time with the middles.
I get the overall idea (you win, but there’s a cost). What I had a hard time with was coming up with non-mechanical outcomes on the fly. I could lessen the damage, throw out -1 forwards, or lower the impact of success, but that didn’t really seem evocative. What I couldn’t seem to do was come up with interesting Catch-22, or Hobson’s choice style outcomes on the fly.
In Dungeon World this is often built into the moves, but I’ve only ever run that system once, so I don’t have enough experience to effectively bring that over into my game.
We’ll be running again in a few weeks, and any advice is much appreciated.
This fellow is Gauntlet Daddy #005, Fang Bang! He was drawn by the Duchess of Beefcake. I’d love to crowdsource some dirty, vampire/RPG jokes and puns (we’ll credit you if we use yours). Jokes about Barovia, Vampire: The Masquerade, Rifts World Book 1 and similar are especially welcome. Post ’em in the comments!
Greetings, all. It’s time for the weekly Gauntlet video roundup! Don’t miss any of the great new actual play videos in the updated playlists and video links below.
– Unknown Armies: Raiders of the Lost Mart (Session 2 of 2), Lowell Francis runs for Christo Meid, Fraser Simons, Kyle Simons, and steven watkins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39wO6aray58
– Infinite Galaxies: Agents of Star Patrol (Session 1 of 4), Rory MacLeod runs for Asher S, David Jay, Jesse Larimer, and Richard Rogers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlcFIpjG9Ew
– Into the Odd: Electric Bastionland playtest (one-shot), Richard Ruane runs for Bethany H, Dylan Ross, Jennifer Erixon, and Matt Egger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpzU7mA26J4
Check out all the great videos on The Gauntlet’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9QoUve1LQHu_feDx0snd4w and don’t forget to subscribe! Check out the playlists to catch up on all your favorite Gauntlet Hangouts games. To support Gauntlet Hangouts, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon at https://patreon.com/gauntlet where $7 and up patrons get priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!
On the weird off-chance you don’t yet have a copy of Codex – Decay, today is the last day to get it free on our…
On the weird off-chance you don’t yet have a copy of Codex – Decay, today is the last day to get it free on our website. It includes a Misspent Youth scenario by Robert Bohl, an original story game by Joshua Fox, a playset for Jason Morningstar’s Fiasco, Gauntlet Daddy #002, a miscellany about abandoned locations, seven pieces of original art by folks such as Claudia Cangini Jesse Ross Evan Rowland and Evlyn M, and a custom layout by Oli Jeffery.
