Summer is almost here and traditionally it’s time for new games and campaigns. I’m actually going to start two new campaigns during this month. So I decided it might be interesting to discuss about how I do it. I’m not saying my way is the best but since it works for me I have no doubt it could work for others.
Playtesting sheets
Last week we played the long anticipated tenth session of our last “season” of Eldritch Sigils called The Season of the Witch. Rather than being (all) about the last session I try once again debate about ending a campaign.
At the start of this campaign we established that the characters were chosen by George Washington to uncover a diabolic cult of witches that had been plaguing the New World since its founding. As with most campaigns it all went to hell but this time with an intended bang.
Games are fun. They are challenging (or can be), they are social (or can be) and they are good escape from the realities of life (or can be). Its not about a small (cultish) group of hobbyists any more. With the advent of mobile phones, even my mother is playing games actively.
It sure didn’t use to be like that. There’s some truth to the old stereotypes of people in capes talking about summoning demons in a basement. Well, we didn’t use to wear capes, but anyhow.
Dust 514 is an MMOFPS, but in one way its pretty unique (as far as I know). Its directly linked to EVE Online, where players can offer in-game money to people on Dust 514 to take control of planets for them. This idea intrigues me.
Let’s make things clear. I’m not talking about fantasies on Tumblr. Savvy?
What I’m going to talk about is my experience on running, taking part of and closely following rpgs played on our private forum. Since gaming time is an issue for grownups playing via forum might become handy every now and then.
We finally managed to play Fall of Magic with the Blog crew. We did have an outside ringer to play this with four players.
What is Fall of Magic? Its actually an interesting concept. The main draw is the scroll, which depicts a map, or more like an itinerary. The idea is that you start from a certain point and you unroll the scroll as you move forwards, thus revealing new places and more information. The plot hook is that there’s a magus, who is on his way to the well of magic, because magic is failing (as per the name). The players represent the maguses entourage. Its a journey, and in fiction journey’s represent personal growth, so in my mind that should be represented in some way, although I chose to take a different route.
It is quite remarkable how a few random words can make a big difference. I though I was having great time yesterday while playing Eldritch Sigils but once we were leaving Mikko‘s place after the game one of the players said something that not only made my day but also made me think (again) about how and why we play. It wasn’t a big thing at all – he just said: “I didn’t remember to mark down my exp.”
I’m cheating with the topic but at least you are reading still, right? These games are not “new” per se but hacks and adventures. There is our newest collaborative Fiasco playset, an agnostic fantasy adventure (though it does have Dungeon World threat sheet) and a game that is built on Matthijs Holter‘s Archipelago.
There’s two concepts of moral balancing. The philosophers of antiquity would talk about it in the context of finding a good balance between being too radical and being too normal. The psychologists of today talk about it in the context of how we have a tendency to give ourselves permission to be bad, if we feel we have been good.
Although, the former would make a good subject in itself, I’m talking about the latter here.
I can be fairly certain most people reading this are actually of the mindset that yes, roleplaying is art. Proving that is not my actual purpose. This is more about my musing on the matter, which hopefully bring a unique point of view on this.