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1/25/2019

Gauntlet Video Roundup - January 25, 2019

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​Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Hangouts video roundup! Listed below are links to recorded sessions of online games played under the Gauntlet Hangouts banner and other games organized through the Gauntlet online RPG community. These recorded sessions represent only a small part of the giant selection of games available every week, and anyone can join in the fun! Details on how to become a part of the community are listed at the end of the post.

Star Wars Saturday

Primetime Adventures (Session 3 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Alejandro, Horst Wurst, Joshua Gilbreath, and Pawel S.
The brilliant cast plays through the spotlight episode for our Imperial spy as he tries to decide if he should side with the Rebel cell of PCs or remain loyal. This session was fantastic, the kind of game where the mechanics surprise you, when the stakes are so high, when the flip of a card can and will change a character's destiny!

Gauntlet Sunday

Hearts of Wulin (Session 3 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Alejandro, Jim Crocker, Sabine V., and Yoshi Creelman
Lin Su pushes Bao to doubt his order and learns of Delan's hidden motivations, but Ming's discovery of Falling Blossom's near-dead body sets the stage for multiple confrontations and betrayals.

TGI Thursday

Hearts of Wulin (Session 2 of 3)
Lowell Francis runs for David L., Michael G. Barford, Sam Z., and Zak Soeria-Atmadja
Our heroes swirl around the youth Zhen, pulling him in many directions, but can they all come together to defeat the threat of the Number One Killer?

Gauntlet Quarterly

Masks: A New Generation (Session 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Jesse Larimer, Steven desJardins, and Steven Watkins
Searching for the cross-time mercenaries hired to destroy Overclock, the team ends up facing their school rivals & their rival's villainous adult selves.

Gauntlet Comics

Masks (Session 3 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Agatha, David Jay, Dr. Jason Cox, Jim Crocker, and Sam Z.
The crew spends some time in their mundane lives, Hashtag and her citizen classmate Adam Hawray go on a date! Oh, and there's a not-exactly kidnapping and lots of yelling.

My Life With Master (Session 2 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Alejandro, Peter Mazzeo, Rich Rogers, and Tom F.
The Henchmen go to uproot a tree and set off an unknown weapon as they try to make a Connection with the outside world of the Citizens. Speed Demoness, Bitty, Father Stuart, and Blackbox, dealing with their dysfunctional boss, the former sidekick-turned-villain Zachary Solomon.

Masks (Session 4 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Agatha, David Jay, Dr. Jason Cox, Jim Crocker, and Sam Z.
The AEON team defeats Isotope, but in so doing, a greater threat is revealed... Hashtag herself!!!

My Life With Master (Session 3 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Alejandro, Peter Mazzeo, Rich Rogers, and Tom F.
The Henchmen desperately try to make connections as Zachary Solomon's mysterious plans come into focus, they realize the cost of past crimes, and friends and relatives are drawn to the madness like moths to an open flame.

The Gaunt Marches

Dungeon World: The Last Apprentice (Session 3 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Bryan, Horst Wurst, Ludovico Alves, and Pawel S.
The adventurers delve into a sunken castle to rescue a kidnapped Apprentice before it's too late. Bloody mayhem ensues.

Gauntlet Hangouts

Hot Guys Making Out
David Morrison facilitates for David Walker and Sławomir
Two stories of love between former aristocrat Honore and his young ward Gonsalvo during the Spanish Civil War. In the first story we see love kindling between the two men while another looks on jealously. The second, a tragedy as the war comes to Honore's estate.

Dream Askew: From the Void (Session 2 of 3)
Bethany H. runs for Asher S., Barry, Ben Swinden, and Sarah J.
Finch performs boat repair and heart surgery in the same afternoon, and they're still having the easiest day of anyone in the enclave. Lark and gang leader Aadita are attacked by mutant hyenas. Mischa tries to pry her students away from Aadita's influence, but they've already kidnapped a rival gang member. Robyn makes a dangerous bargain with Society Intact. And Mischa makes an equally dangerous one with Aadita's sister, who wants Lark's blood.

Fire Ships at Midnight
Ryan M. runs for Peter Mazzeo and Ray
It's high seas sabotage, zealotry, and well-meaning incompetence.

Monsterhearts 2: Absolutely (Session 2 of 4)
Donogh runs for Alun R., David Morrison, Eike K., and Walter German
The Dowager Countess Aurelie (after a suitable period of mourning) and the automaton Doctor Jean-Baptiste return to court; for a special evening recital by the famous Italian castrato Lorenzo. Father Jean's faith is challenged and the hedge maze proves to be less of a sanctuary than previously thought...

Melody of a Never-ending Summer (Session 3 of 4)
Luiz Ferraz runs for David Morrison, João, Leandro Pondoc, and Sabine V.
In this tear-jerker of a session, we say goodbye to our very first mon and to our Best Boy, Josh. The teens grow even closer during Josh's last week on Wild Moon Ranch, and everybody cries at the train station.

Hearts of Wulin: The Romance of the Golden Dragon (Session 3 of 4)
Gerwyn Walters runs for Agatha, Alun R., David Morrison, and Lloyd
Unforgiving Viper learns the true cause of the destruction of the Temple of the Eastern Dragon, Meanwhile Black Fox Jian and Wellworn Ling search out the location of the thief who has stolen the Golden Dragon Saber. The Thief is caught and brought before magistrates but manages to escape leading to a fight in the palm of an Immortal that seals the fate of one conflicted lover. Swords will be drawn, Hearts will be broken in...The Romance of the Golden Dragon.

Alas for the Awful Sea: Gladhythe (Session 2 of 3)
Ryan M. runs for Jim Crocker, Peter Mazzeo, and Sarah J.
Our seafarers find themselves sunk deeper into local politics than they expected as allegiances come to light and an old flame reignites.

Spire: the Kings of Silver (Session 3 of 12)
Darren Brockes runs for Brett WH, Josh DeGagné, and Rich Rogers
Ivaran tries to ingratiate himself to money and affluence, Sharhan continues her low simmer, nearly ready to boil over, and Serro makes himself perhaps a little too known...

Atitlan Riders: January Playtest (Session 3 of 3)
Gerrit Reininghaus runs for Asher S., Diana Moon, and Michael G. Barford
How does it feel to scream but nobody can hear you? Can you turn a symbol for the ancient into a symbol of the future? Would you hand over the steering wheel to your life to your best friend?

Storm Riders! Finale (two parts) (Session 3 of 3)
Shane Liebling runs for David L., Kevin Marshall, and Larry S.
Learn to swim kids!

Monsterhearts 2: Kingsport 1886 (Session 3 of 5)
Catherine Ramen runs for Darold Ross, David Morrison, Leandro Pondoc, and Seraphina Malizia
Siobhan the Wyrm encounters a space beyond the mirror; Alice the Hollow pays another visit to Emily; Finch the Queen strikes a bargain; Jonathan the Mortal declares his feelings for Finch.

Nerves of Steel (Session 2)
Catherine Ramen runs for Darold Ross and Joe A.
A twisty tale of mistaken identity, corruption, betrayal, and murder.

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells: Dunnsmouth Asteroid Mines (Session 3 of 4)
Richard Ruane runs for Michael G. Barford, Peter Mazzeo, Rachelle Dube, and Robbie Boerth
As the Stardust Survivors try to stabilize the mining colony's unconscious commander, they have a run-in with two of Dunnsmouth's most familiar faces.

For The Queen: The Queen Quest of Lemon Tarted Goodness
Tomer Gurantz runs for Adam Vass, Alex T., BeePeeGee, David Walker, and Patrick
A session of For The Queen with some new Gauntleteers. Join the innocent-looking chef, the carpenter of the people, the lover and accountant, the spurred jester, and the master huntsman on The Queen Quest of Lemon Tarted Goodness.

PbtA Changeling the Lost: Month 3 (Session 4 of 4)
Tyler Lominack runs for Chris Newton and Patrick Knowles
After 3 months, the longest serving members of the motley face off against the Queen of Frozen Shards. Roof top combat leads to an old enemy finally getting his comeuppance. Will Spring come to the City in a Garden?

Other Games

Swords Without Master
Pat P. runs for Andrew Hauge, David L., Lu Quade, and Michael G. Barford
Volor investigates the rumors of the apocalyptic prophecy. Dakkary quiets the darkness with song. Bronya comes face to face with a nemesis. Joccob discovers the effects of the "milk of paradise."

The Romance Trilogy - Breaking the Ice
Barry facilitates for Ryan M.
An employee of the Department of Transportation with sights on improving public transit by any means necessary rubs shoulders with a career criminal who can't seem to escape her distractingly hot ex. Can Emma Tumblinger can steal Stella Cruz's heart, or will Stella think of Emma as just another back-up plan?

Check out all the great videos on The Gauntlet YouTube channel and be sure check out the playlists to catch up on all your favorite games. If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Hangouts Google+ Community where new games are announced! To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon at https://patreon.com/gauntlet. All are welcome to play Gauntlet Hangouts games, and Patreon supporters have extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events are announced like Gauntlet Games Now. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!

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1/24/2019

Age of Ravens: Blackout: RPGs I Like

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A GAME OF CIVIL DEFENCE
Blackout is “A Game about Women & The Blitz.” I first approached this with knives drawn. I’m interested in The Blitz and I’ve read a good deal about it. The old TV series Danger: UXB remains a childhood terror. For several years one of my “grail” projects has been Danger: Unexploded Spell, a game set in a fantasy world under siege. I figured I could ransack Blackout for ideas. I was wrong. 

I was wrong because Blackout takes and delivers on its unique premise and setting. My favorite PbtA games have focus and coherency. The mechanics and structure continually reinforce the genre and theme. At the same time, those elements are lean. Take Night Witches and The Warren as examples. Blackout falls into that category. It’s tight, smartly designed, and it uses the Death Loop of PbtA. 

DEATH LOOP 3000
The Death Loop’s not entirely a real thing. It’s the term Sherri uses to describe the feeling of PbtA games—often snowballing from bad result to bad result. Characters burn through options and resources, digging themselves in deeper before they finally succumb. Not all games do this, but in many you can see the ground sliding slow out from under you. Monster of the Week’s limited Luck offers a constant clock for your mortality. Designer Erika Chappell has forged that feeling into a central element of a game which is almost literally powered by the apocalypse. 

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THE BASICS
In Blackout, you play women members of the Civil Defence during the London Blitz. The game’s structured as a one-shot. After character creation, you head out into the streets and deal with crisis situations: unexploded ordinance, people in shock, fires. You patrol a Community you build during CC. As the session goes on, the incidents will likely become more severe. Blackout’s Raid Clock provides a tense, visual representation of that. When a Raid Check occurs and nothing happens, you breathe a sigh of relief. But then the clock ticks upwards. When it does go off, the results will be worse. 

CHARACTERS
You build your character’s playbook from two elements. The first covers your identity, who you are in the everyday world (Young Housewife, Noble Heiress, Educated Woman, Working Lass, Old Bird). This sets your base stats and offers several moves. It also gives a unique set of “Breaks” for the character, a distinct wound track. Each identity also has distinct “Victories” which come into play at the end of a game. 

You then choose your character’s role which sets what job they carry out for the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) or the Women’s Voluntary Services (WVS). Each role (Air Warden, Rescue Services, First Aid, Fire Guard, and Welfare) has tasks it must carry out at a site. Your pick gives one or two set moves and a larger list of moves to choose in the future. Your role also has a unique list of gear, names to work into the play later. 

NIGHT PATROL MOVES
Most character moves sharply reflect and reinforce play. Blackout has a few less interesting moves (stat bonuses), but most home in on what your character’s going to do. The moves show you the expectations and offer the tools to play those out. Welfare services’ “Would You Kindly,” the Airwarden’s Shotcaller, and First Aid’s Ease Passing all make figuring out what you’ll be doing easier. 

That’s a good thing because characters start with several moves and a substantial pool of moves for in-play advancement. If there’s a weakness here, it’s that the character creation process has some unclear elements. Which moves you actually start with is a little opaque. Can you take the move picks mentioned in the Identities from the Role choices? Which Role moves do players begin with? It’s a small thing but the GM will have to guide players through that process. 

BASIC MOVES
Blackout has a relatively small list of Basic Moves—five, really--something I love. There’s just one move for each stat. The fifth move triggers from a group decision, activating when you're moving on from a disaster site. Many moves, including many character moves and the four stat-based basic moves, cost one exhaustion to use. When players hit five exhaustion, they Break Down and must select an ongoing effect. This creates a tight clock for your character—you have to carefully consider options and find ways to mitigate stress. But you have to temper that against the dangers around you. 

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CLOCKING OUT
As I mentioned, the Raid Clock’s the Sword of Damocles hanging over the game. When you roll a 6- on a basic move, it triggers the clock. The GM then rolls 1d6. If the result is higher than the current clock #, nothing happens and the clock ticks up one. If the roll is equal or less, then it triggers a site. This can be a minor incident (someone’s allotment catches fire) or a major hit (one of the PCs apartment buildings explodes). The intensity of the site’s devastation and danger equals the number on the clock when activated. Multiple sites can be going at the same time and untended ones get worse. 

At any point, you can choose as a group to Stand Down, which recovers everyone’s exhaustion. But each segment spent resting triggers another roll on the raid clock. That forces tough choices. Interestingly, there’s a safety valve that I overlooked until the second half of my session. You can help other characters by describing what you’re doing and then adding a die to their roll. You can also spend Bonds to add even more dice. The player rolls all the dice and takes the two highest results. However, if a 1 is rolled in the full pool, it triggers a GM move. So you can significantly increase your chance of success, but there’s a major cost. 

Blackout’s gameplay loop works. You go to a site and deal with events there. This taxes your exhaustion and likely triggers a raid check at least once. Then you have to choose when you’ve done enough and if you need to rest. Meanwhile, the raid clock continues ticking until another bomb drops. Eventually, you run out of literal time and the night’s over. Then one of my favorite bits closes out the session... During play, you can accumulate Victories. They aren’t cheap. At the end of the session you use those to clear your Breaks. If you have any victories left, you can spend them on choices from a unique list for each identity. I like the built-in epilogues for characters.

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OTHER MATTERS
The core book has a solid GM section with advice on how to run. I ran two sessions, effectively a one shot split across two nights. Even having read the GM moves and principles I didn’t get a feel for what play was supposed to look like until the second half. It takes a bit to figure out exactly what players can be doing when they get to sites and how to make the GM moves evoke the setting. 

Of Blackout’s 80 pages, one third’s background and history. It’s solid stuff, but not as actionable as it could be. I’d love some dedicated GM prompts for sites: ideas for incidents and what characters could do there. The rules cover this generally, but I’d love something more distilled. There’s a lot of text about London and the Blitz, but it isn’t pulled together in a way to help the GM at the table. I like lists, and I could see putting together example NPCs, different kinds of shops, unusual incidents requiring intervention, and so on. That could support the GM without directing them. 

OVERALL
Blackout’s a tremendous game. I really enjoyed running it. It has a couple of minor faults: character creation has some gaps and the setting material values density over GM utility. It also uses white font on a dark background which I find tougher to read and makes printing sections difficult. It’s a design choice to reflect the aesthetic but I’m not sold on it. Those concerns aside, Blackout is a dynamite game and if you like the period, PbtA rpgs, or games about women’s experience you should pick this up. 

You can see my Blackout sessions here: Session One, Session Two. Designer Erika Chappell also appeared on +1 Forward, which you can hear here. You can find out about Chappell’s current project, Flying Circus, here.
For the full backlog of Age of Ravens posts on Blogger see here. ​​

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1/22/2019

Creating Useful Character Backgrounds

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By Mikel Matthews, Keeper of the Scarification Blades (@ImprovGM)

Previous Article: “Emotional Choices for Deepening NPCs”  
    
So you’ve got your character and you’ve showed up to game with a 15 page story written about your character’s background.  You know where they’re from, why they left, what tragedy befell them in the past. You can tick off this person’s most influential people and what music they would listen to if the game only took place in the modern day.

And you bring this lovingly crafter character who….

Well…
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May not mesh at all with the game that’s being created at the table.  Whose background and motivations may be at odds with the story that’s being created around you.  Sometimes, all that work you did just shut your character out of the game. Even if it doesn’t, it still limits your ability to grow into what’s happening.

Why is this not an uncommon problem?

    
We’re using the wrong tools.

A lot of tools that are used to build characters in RPGs come from acting or writing. These art forms, while sharing some similarities with RPGs, work very differently.
    
A writer is blazing a path into their story and they get multiple drafts.  The background they come up with to help propel the character and story change at will.  Is it better if this character is from Illinois instead of North Dakota? You can do it quickly and move on.

An actor has a full script in front of them.  They have all the lines and the plot and they know where their character begins and ends in the story they’ll be telling. An actor may come to the 1st rehearsal filled with ideas about the background and past of the character but these are all able to be dropped in an instant if a better idea is found or if how they approach the character isn’t going to work.

Actors and writers can abandon the work that they did if what they wrote no longer works.  A player comes in and has often solidified a foundation in their head that can be hard to deviate from.  If I’m not from the Village of Seafoam and my parents weren’t Priests of the Sunken God, I wouldn’t have done thing X and Y before this but, since I am, going with the party on thing Z makes no sense!

You’re basically showing up to play LEGO with your friends.  They’ve got a Harry Potter playset they want to use and you slam a Tie-Fighter you made at home right in there.

    
The wrong tools can have you doing a ton of work but the right ones can actually make the work you do more useful.  

Thankfully, and I may be biased, improvisational theatre has good tools for you.

In an improv scene, you can’t stop and create everything you need for a character so you make a few decisions quickly and then add on what’s important for the scene as it continues.  If you come in with uncommunicated ideas, it’s very likely that those will be overwritten by something another person in the scene says. When this happens, you let it go.

The actual amount of information you need to create a foundation that can be used to justify later character choices is surprisingly small.  You’ll have time to dig for specifics later in the game but, at first, general ideas are often better.
    
Where are they from? How do they feel about it? What brought them adventuring? How do they view the world? Etc.  Answering 5-6 questions like this will give you plenty to take someone into a game who can show you who they are.

When I’m working with new actors who are having a hard time coming up with character, I do the following:
  • Ask a simple, binary question.  Choosing 1 of 2 things is easy.
  • Once they’ve done that, I ask a more open ended question specifically about that 1st answer.
  • Rinse and repeat until they’re good to go.  Doesn’t usually take long.

Me: “What kind of character are you thinking?”

Them: “Maybe a barbarian.”

Me:  “A lot of the game takes place in the city.  Did you leave your village or town for good or bad reasons?”

Them: “Good.”

Me:  “So if you left for something positive, what is it that you wanted that your home couldn’t give you?”

Them: “I wanted to see the rest of the world and meet new people.”

Me: “So you were always excited to meet people from different places?

Them: “Yeah.”

Me: “What sparked that?”

Them: “We lived on a trading route. I got to meet a lot of merchants travelling through our lands and loved the stories they told.”

Me: “Did you have a good experience when you reached your first big city?”

Them: “No.  I was looked down on by people who thought I was an idiot because I wasn’t from there and didn’t speak as well as they did.”


Me: “Has this soured you on cities?”

Them: “No. I knew idiots back home.  Cities are bound to have a bunch of them.”

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So, currently we have an optimistic barbarian who’s travelling for a love of the world, meeting people, and adventure.  They’re not crushed by what others think of them and have a pretty balanced view of people in general.

This is honestly all you need to get started.  This feel for who the character is will let them grow as they play instead of trying to carve a perfect character out of what you hope the game will be like.  Maybe add in how they met the other players and you’ve got more than enough to grow.

​Discovery is one of the wonders of the game. 


Go. Discover. Play.

​​​

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1/21/2019

Session Report: My Life With Mastermind (Gauntlet Comics)

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Session Title
Gauntlet Comics: My Life With Mastermind #1/4

Date
1/10/2019

System
My Life With Master

GM
Jim Crocker

Players
Alejandro Duarte, Richard Rogers (orklord), Tom Fowler, Peter Mazzeo

Session Recap
This was a Session Zero episode, with character- and world-building. We started by piecing together our Mastermind, who turned out to be an ex-superhero who has become convinced that more extreme and societal solutions to crime are required. We tied his origin into the existing Gauntlet Comics Universe, and our characters will become part of the shared universe.

Highlight
When a player suggested that the Master be a former masked vigilante, it unlocked a floodgate of ideas for the world and characters.

Moment of Insight
MLwM is an early Forge-era game, and it's fiddly and arithmetic-intensive. I regret spending time going through the rules and formulas, and should have just rolled into play and explained the systems as we went along.

Actual Play (Content Advisory - Discussion of existence of sexual assault in Lines/Veils creation)

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1/18/2019

Gauntlet Video Roundup - January 18, 2019

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Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Hangouts video roundup! Don't miss any of the great sessions in the updated playlists and video links below.

Star Wars Saturday

Primetime Adventures (Session 2 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Alejandro, Horst Wurst, Joshua Gilbreath, and Pawel S.
The Rebel cell hidden in the crew of the heavy cargo freighter the STS Archmage successfully ferry four Wookiees to freedom, fending off the attacks of the Jabba's Chosen Swoop Gang. Now, they must deal with Imperial Entanglements.

Gauntlet Sunday

Hearts of Wulin (Session 2 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Alejandro, Jim Crocker, Sabine V., and Yoshi Creelman
Tempers flare, forcing confrontations between Lin Su and Delan while Bao tries to return to Ming's tumultuous tofu shop. But forces have begun to gather and Shadowed Sabre may already be ahead of the PCs.

TGI Thursday

Hearts of Wulin (Session 1 of 3)
Lowell Francis runs for David L., Michael G. Barford, Sam Z., and Zak
When family draws Yin back, he fights off an ambush with the aid of Zemin, the man secretly behind his father's forced retirement. Meanwhile Master Ni Mo encounters Zhen, but leaves the young student facing a deadly foe alone.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Masks: A New Generation (Session 3)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Jesse Larimer, John Campbell, and Steven desJardins
Sara welcomes Dynamo, once of teen S-Pop (Super Pop) group Break 23, onto the team creating tensions. As both Overclock and Mimic struggle with home issues, the team pursues Dame Canada but dissension complicates their battle.

The Gaunt Marches

Dungeon World: The Last Apprentice (Session 2 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Bryan, Horst Wurst, Ludovico Alves, and Pawel S.
Our heroes deal with the aftermath of last week's carnage, and try to track down the perpetrator with the help of new hallucinogens and old friends.

Gauntlet Hangouts

The Dark Between Stars: Emissary Lost (Session 2)
Fraser Simons runs for Darren Brockes, Lauren, Mathias, and Sam Z.
The crew splits up--one heading to the Ozone Plaza--the other to find where the comm signal is coming from.

Hearts of Wulin: The Romance of the Golden Dragon (Session 2 of 4)
Gerwyn Walters runs for Agatha, Alun R., David Morrison, and Lloyd
Our Heroes arrive at the capitol and a brawl breakout between Wu-hen and the father of Well Worn Ling, Iron-faced Bison. Harp strings and heart strings are tugged both before and during the theft of the legendary Golden Dragon Saber. Who is the dark woman lacing Black Fox Jian's drink with poison and what is their relationship to Unforgiving Fox? Blades will be drawn, Hearts will be broken in...The Romance of the Golden Dragon.

Melody of a Never-ending Summer (Session 2 of 4)
Luiz Ferraz runs for David Morrison, Leandro Pondoc, and Sabine V.
Just as Joel is forced to go home for a while, a new teen joins the ranch. More mons are befriended, relationships grow deeper, and the days seem to be slipping by so, so fast.

Alas for the Awful Sea: Gladhythe (Session 1 of 3)
Ryan M. runs for Jim Crocker, Peter, and Sarah J.
A surgeon, a scholar, and an old sea dog make it into safe(?) harbor in the Outer Hebrides.

Atitlan Riders: January Playtest (Session 2 of 3)
Gerrit Reininghaus runs for Barry, Bryan, Diana Moon, and Sabine V.
How does it feel like to open your heart when nobody understands you - literally? Or would you rather do it on the radio in front of the whole town? How do you feel like to deliver for your mighty aunt. Would you let your friends' dreams sink into mud for that?

Spire: The Kings of Silver (Session 2 of 12)
Darren Brockes runs for Greg G., J.D. Woodell, Josh DeGagné, and Rich Rogers
Umra and Ivaran make a deal for a death god's artifact while Shahran and Yend'reth preach for support of their enemy's god...then Umra and Yend put a preyhook in a drug dealer's shoulder and cut off supply to Umra's old master.

Dream Askew: From the Void (Session 1 of 3)
Bethany H. facilitates for Barry, Ben Swinden, João, and Sarah J.
After being attacked by an outlying gang, Lark is forced to settle down in the queer enclave and accept the support of others -- and face their old flame, Mischa. Robyn reluctantly participates in Mischa's ritual and is less than careful with Finch's belongings. Pity's source of stories is broken, affecting their relationship. And everyone needs Finch to fix something important ASAP.

Monsterhearts 2: Kingsport 1886 (Session 2 of 5)
Catherine Ramen runs for Bethany H., Darold Ross, David Morrison, and Leandro Pondoc
The Faery Queen tries to recruit Helen the Witch and Jonathon the Mortal; Finch the Queen tries to draw Jonathon deeper in his web and put down Magnus' rebellion; and Alice the Hollow learns who the mysterious poet is.

*Storm Riders! (Session 2 of 3)
Shane Liebling runs for David L., Jeff, and Kevin Marshall
Watch out for catapulting brain squids!

Urban Shadows: Kingsport's Boston (Session 3 of 5)
Jesse A. runs for Darold Ross, Leandro Pondoc, Owen Thompson, and Sawyer Rankin
In our latest installment, Amelia is offered a play, Tiberius goes looking for a friend, Fiore thinks about some new recipes and Sweet Mama Huang gets reminded of who she was, and who she is now.

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells: Dunnsmouth Asteroid Mines (Session 2 of 4)
Richard Ruane runs for David Miessler-Kubanek, Michael G. Barford, Peter, Rachelle Dube, and Robbie Boerth

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets: The Price of Evil (Session 3 of 3)
Richard Ruane runs for Eduardo L., Robbie Boerth, and Steven desJardins

Space Wurm vs. Moonicorn (Session 4 of 4)
Tyler Lominack runs for Gerwyn Walters, Leandro Pondoc, Patrick Knowles, and Yoshi Creelman
As Destruction reaches to consume the Galaxy, Moonicorn takes a stand, the Other is no longer alone, the Thief steals hearts, and Space Wurm finds peace.

PbtA Changeling the Lost: Month 3 (Session 3 of 4)
Tyler Lominack runs for Chris Newton, Dr. Jason Cox, and Patrick Knowles

Masks: Iron Red Soldiers (Session 3 of 4)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Andrew Hauge, Ludovico Alves, and Luiz Ferraz
In the island of Vyortovia, the Dread Queen awaits, holding captive Prospect City's superheroes for the Tangee occupation. Our heroes are tasked with infiltrating this oppressed nation to save their own city. Slipstream gets the chance to be a proper hero, Turn starts walking a darker path and Regicide confronts their past. Also, lasers!

Other Games

Dialect
Pat P. runs for David L., Michael G. Barford, Mikael Tysvær, and Yoshi Creelman
We are the first settlers on Mars, the Vanguard. Now we are cut off from Earth and changes are needed to survive.

Shadow of the Demon Lord (Session 2, Part 1)
Pat P. runs for Darren Brockes, Fernando "Dolan" Dolande, and Lu Quade
Blix discusses his actions with Hugo. Jonah finds out he has been robbed. Skive is told to stay safe and stay away. The party is summoned to a council meeting then learn of a job that pays well.

Shadow of the Demon Lord (Session 2, Part 2)
Pat P. runs for Darren Brockes, Fernando "Dolan" Dolande, and Lu Quade
Skive gets excited by magic. Blix demonstrates his skill with blades. Jonah makes a dark decision.

Shadow of the Demon Lord (Session 2, Part 3)
Pat P. runs for Darren Brockes, Fernando "Dolan" Dolande, and Lu Quade
With the help of an illusion, the party confronts the Rude Bois on an island.
​
Check out all the great videos on The Gauntlet YouTube channel and be sure check out the playlists to catch up on all your favorite games. If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Hangouts Google+ Community where new games are announced! To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon at https://patreon.com/gauntlet. All are welcome to play Gauntlet Hangouts games, and Patreon supporters have extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events are announced like Gauntlet Games Now. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!

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1/16/2019

Age of Ravens: Factions in Action

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DEADLY CLANS
I love Laughing in the Wind, a Chinese TV drama from 2001. It’s not exactly pretty- weird camera work, early digital production, and highly variable subtitling. (You can find episodes on YouTube.) As a Patreon supporter of the Jianghu Hustle podcast I asked them to cover Laughing. Their episode hits on one of my favorite series bits: the variety of colorful factions with conflicting agendas. Inspired by LitW, tons of action in my Hearts of Wulin sessions has been driven by the rivalries of clans and sects, with PCs caught in the middle. 

I first remember factions as a thing in rpgs from Gamma World (1978). These groups struggled for power in the wasteland—Knights of Genetic Purity, Seekers, Followers of the Voice—included one led by a Nazi bear. The James Bond 007 RPG (1983) included villainous organizations, but listed intelligence agencies around the globe with the implication these could be allies and rivals. Paranoia (1987) leaned into the concept with every character belonging to a Secret Society (which might or might be functional or even real). Vampire the Masquerade’s (1991) clans focused the game on clashes between these groups. 

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TICKING CLOCKS
Recent games have added interesting tech to the faction mix. The Sprawl focuses on corporations. Each player develops a corp they owe a debt to. These, plus one or two others, become the world that the PCs operate in. While some moves directly interact with corporations, what really matters is their threat clock. As you run jobs against them, their clock ticks up, eventually resulting in action against you. Your team has tools to mitigate this, but they’re costly. Playing one against the other offers a safer, but still dangerous, bet. It’s a good system because it’s strongly visible to the players and supported by the mechanics. 

Blades in the Dark also uses clocks for factions, specifically to track their plans and operations. Groups primarily have a tier (aka strength) and status in relation to the PC crew. The latter measures their attitude from -3 (at war) to +3 (tight friends). It’s a good and easily trackable system. Heat operates as a separate but related mechanic. As players do jobs, they generate heat which raises the level of problems they encounter between jobs. While heat is a general measure, Scum & Villainy tweaks this by having system to system heat. A more complex system might blend The Sprawl and Blades’s approach.

Both games offer useful mechanics, focused on the player side. Factions have importance in how they relate to and directly impact the PCs. But what about their interactions between one another? We don’t often get mechanics covering that. I can only think of a couple. In Mutant: Year Zero: Genlab Alpha players building up revolutionary cells among various groups and the game tracks those relations. The recent Sigmata focuses on similar ideas and has a robust rules for it. Urban Shadows has perhaps the simplest and most player facing, with its Start of Session move letting the player generate events within and between groups. 

WORLD OF THE DRAGON CLAN
Several years ago I ran a Legend of the Five Rings campaign with the party as members of a newly established samurai family. I borrowed a good deal from John Wick’s Blood & Honor, with characters having offices and seasonal actions. Much of the campaign involved dealing with the families and clans around the PCs domain. 

To simulate this and give a sense of the world in motion, I randomly generated seasonal events. I created a short list of the relevant families & forces. Then I rolled from a large table of random “events.” Some of these offered specific happenings (like Plague or Assassination). But abstract phrases made up the largest share of the table. I found a site with a complete card index for the L5R CCG. I collected the names from Actions and Event cards (A Test of Courage, Honor in Death, Refusing the Throne). 

When I rolled these, I’d consider the meaning in the context of that particular group. If the phrase suggested a connection to a second group, I randomly generated that. This system worked well and allowed me to create cool events quickly. This loosely meant I could usually think of a way to have new events build on previous ones. In many circumstances, the results spun the story (and the world) off in unexpected directions. Since it worked so well, I’ve been thinking how to retool it for my current campaigns.

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PRACTICAL FACTIONS
I wanted a quick and dirty method to make factions change and breathe in my games. Importantly, any approach should generate material which evokes the world, run quickly, and provide actionable events. Equally, it should be fun to prep. The method I’m using steals a great, great deal from Brendan Conway’s The Green Law of Varkith. This Dungeon World setting has the PCs run a guild in the eponymous city. Play cycles between normal adventures and Guild turns. During the latter, the GM generates results, rolls conflicts, and tracks the stats of the most relevant guilds.

My approach drops tracking and resolution, while expanding possible actions. It’s purely a backdrop generator. I’m using this currently for my 13th Age campaign. I begin with a large grid, running the factions along the top and right hand side. I focus on factions connected to Icons the PCs have relationships with, plus a few other groups we’ve seen in play. I ended up with twelve—way too many, but it’s my tool. For each I generated one action from a table. 

If an action suggests fighting or friendship with another faction, I randomly generate that target. I write in the action on the matching grid line. If I roll the same faction for target, that indicates an internal split. Then I look and figure out what’s happening. I sketch a sentence or two about it in my notebook. This isn’t about resolution, but If I need a relative success level, I throw a simple fate d6 (1 being abject failure, 6 being full victory). 

TWELVE FACTION ACTIONS
1 Attack: This could be a concerted assault, whispering campaign, duel, assassination, or public debate. The nature depends on the initial group and relation to the target. If the group’s previously done Discern Strength, Expansion, or Big Magic I use that info rather than rolling a target. 
2 Expansion: The faction works to gain something from someone else: territory, patronage, recruits, rights, honor, status. This hasn’t yet risen to the level of an attack. Instead they’re beginning to push and prod. An internal target could indicate some kind of building project or gathering of power.
3 Gather Information: The group has begun to look into another faction—history, membership, plots, goals. This isn’t necessarily hostile; they could be exploring an alliance or searching for something. An internal target suggests a search for dissension, researching history, or even looking for spies. 
4 Discern Strengths: The more aggressive version of Gather Info. Here the group’s looking for weak points and avenues of assault. This could be the prelude to an attack or expansion. The faction might also decide that such a conflict isn’t worth it or store the info away for a rainy day. 
5 Big Magic: The group’s performing some kind of major working—magic or otherwise. This is fairly open ended and based on the faction’s resources, aspects, and target. They might be preparing defenses, summoning aid, inflicting a curse, changing the environment. It should be big and take time to put together. 
6 Bargains & Exchanges: The group publicly makes deals or arrangements with another faction. This could be an alliance, sales, or even exchange of prisoners. Interesting stories can come from odd couples here. An internal target suggests an alliance to bring the faction under tighter control (or the opposite). 
7 Secret Deals: The group carries out behind-the-scenes machinations. Perhaps they settle old debts, conspire against a third group, or agree to aid one another on something both want hidden. An internal target could represent a conspiracy within. 
8 Entrench Power: The faction works to bolster defenses, assure loyalties, or improve public image. If they’ve recently made gains, they work to secure those. This result doesn’t need a target unless you want to know who might be driving them to it. 
9 Send Expedition: Agents travel out for some purpose. They might be sending the vulnerable away, seeking an object of power, exploring a lost location, or attempting to reach a distant embassy. In any case, they dispatch people beyond the collective factions’ reach. Perhaps the PCs sign on to protect or disrupt the expedition. Or maybe they simply want to get there first. If targeted, then either expedition is a shared one or the faction’s objective strikes at a target’s interests. 
10 New Arrivals: New forces or faces appear. These may be members from another branch of the faction, a replacement for losses, or an old agent returning from travels. Their arrival should suggest a change in the status quo. 
11 Recruit Outsiders: An attempt to increase numbers. Depending on the group this could be enrolling students, preaching to converts, or hiring mercenaries. It could show a weakness in the group or preparations for a bigger operation. It should be an opportunity for the PCs to get hired or else put an agent in place. 
12 Change Approach: This should be a big event or shift. The faction could give up an ongoing project, dump old allies, or move into areas it’s never had interest in. Why is this happening? Has a new leader arisen? Has some prophecy come to light? Or have they been hiding their real intentions all along!!! 

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ACTUALIZING FACTIONALIZING
I confine my prep to one hour before a session. This approach neatly fits into that. The material it generates can be used for multiple sessions. I call this kind of thing “Bicycle Prep.” You pump the pedals really hard for a little bit, coast for a while, and then pump again. I reuse the grid by writing in later results in a different color. 

For me it’s a super-rich set of details to mine. When I see that the Infernal General’s collecting info on Archdruid Lorthain, what’s that about? I look at the Archdruid’s result and see that his group’s bargaining with the High Priestess. Hmmm…is there a connection? I like when two results cross paths—Group A’s attacking Group B and Group B’s doing Big Magic. Is one in response to the other? It could be an attempt to stop the ceremony or maybe the ritual’s a defensive one. 

These events don’t have to come front and center in a session. They should be peppered throughout and alluded to. If the PCs hit the streets, obviously they provide a rich fodder for rumors. But if characters go to NPCs for other reasons, their contacts might mention bits in passing. It could also serve as an explanation for why a particular NPC can’t help them at that moment. Since the factions connect to Icons in my 13th Age game, it makes this great fodder for “5” results on the Icon die. 

OTHER WORLDS OF FACTIONS
I’ve been thinking of other games this could work well with. When I run Mutant: Year Zero again, I’ll definitely use this to generate ideas for things happening in the Ark. Event card draws would supersede these, but this technique could tell us how groups interact. In this case, the factions would be each of the different Bosses, the circle of scholars around the Elder, plus any other group with independent pull (like the Gearheads or Stalkers). I think this could offer the depth of detail missing from the Ark phase of the game

This system could be a useful bolt-on for Blades in the Dark. It could make the factions less static, offer ideas for clocks, and generate new jobs. The Sword, The Crown, and the Unspeakable Power has minimal tools for the factions. This could be an interesting way to generate GM hard moves and responses. Basically any game with different groups locked in a power struggle could use this--Coriolis, Changeling the Lost, Planescape. 

What tools have you used to manage groups & factions at your table? ​​
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For the full backlog of Age of Ravens posts on Blogger see here. ​​

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1/14/2019

Session Report: Masks (Gauntlet Quarterly S1)

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Session Title
Masks: Gauntlet Quarterly S1

Date
1/2/2019

System
Masks: A New Generation

GM
Lowell Francis

Players
Steven desJardins, Chris Newton, Steven Watkins,

Session Recap
This was primarily a character creation session. The players settled on a mid-tone game set in Gauntlet City. We established three characters:

Sara Sparks aka Molly Kirby. She’s a smart and athletic third generation superhero. Sparks follows in the footsteps of her grandfather, Flag Waver, who is currently in an induced coma. Her father, once heir to the mantle, took the name Night Terror and is in prison for his vigilante extremism. Sara was raised and trained by her grandfather and uncle. (Legacy)

Gabriel is a lifeform sent by forces further up the timestream. Intended as a probe, Gabriel awoke a couple of millennia late during an alien invasion. Gabriel changes form, appearance, and gender, but always seems a little off. They communicate with a “caretaker” who may be in contact with their hypertime creators. (Newborn)

Overclock found a crashed time observation post that had been landed to assist Tachytron in its role as a slow creeping Empyreonix infection from a dark technopocalypse future/alternate dimension. The craft bonded with him in its malfunctioning state, but Will was infected by the damaged Empyreonix nanocode. (Doomed)

All three characters attend a Gauntlet City Anchor school which has provisions for unusual lifeforms (hence Gabriel’s presence there). The three characters have a mixed knowledge of each other’s secret IDs, with Overclock and Sara attending in their civilian identities. As they ate lunch in the cafeteria, mysterious flames appeared around people—burning the area but not the students. 

The team cleared the cafeteria and attempted to extinguish the flames. However this seemed to focus the inferno, which shifted and became a portal out of which a figure emerged. The team confronted him in the courtyard, where they discovered he was Asphyxia, a mercenary villain hired by the Empyreonix to capture Overclock. The team fought, but the villain used his powers to destroy the oxygen in the area, threatening students at the school.

Overclock confronted Asphyxia and landed a solid blow, but the villain took him out. Gabriel and Sara coordinated and tried to remove the villain’s armored suit, only to find it was a containment vessel and opening it sent things haywire. They eventually managed to reseal him and take him out. Overclock took off, embarrassed at his relative inability during the fight.

Dr. Nicholas Alset, leader of an AEON research division, arrived and put pressure on Sparks, but she resisted. The team took off in separate directions and we saw a little of their home life.

Highlight
Overclock's desperation at the end of the fight as he realized he'd endangered everyone and been (as he saw it) useless in the conflict.

Moment of Insight
Lot of time travel elements.

Actual Play

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1/11/2019

Gauntlet Video Roundup - January 11, 2019

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Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Hangouts video roundup! Don't miss any of the great sessions in the updated playlists and video links below.

Star Wars Saturday

Primetime Adventures (Session 1 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Alejandro, Joshua Gilbreath, and Pawel S.
The players create the STS Archmage series and develop their protagonists together. The pilot episode (due to time) is a couple of short scenes that have our crew at Mos Eisley only hours after Jabba the Hutt has been murdered, dealing with looters, slavers...and stormtroopers.

Gauntlet Sunday

Hearts of Wulin (Session 1 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Alejandro, Jim Crocker, Ludovico Alves, and Sabine V.
Rumors of a lost powerful scroll draw Bao Weng and Delan Huo back to the town, while Bountiful Providence's teasing of Ming Zhang pulls her into an attack by Providence's estranged river pirate husband.

TGI Thursday

Threadbare (Session 2 of 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Michael G. Barford, Owen Thompson, Stentor Danielson, and Steven Watkins
Content warning: doll props. In Collector Town, our heroes discover the true danger facing them as Teddy Ruxputin challenges them to playtime-- if they lose they will have to sacrifice their most collectible friends...

Gauntlet Quarterly

Masks: A New Generation (Session 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Jesse, Steven desJardins, and Steven Watkins
Mimic returns to find upset at the school after Asphyxia's attack, while Overclock breaks into AEON and Gabriel faces alienation. To support the team, Sara Sparks sets up a contest with Bolt and his rival teen hotshots.

Gauntlet Comics

Masks: A New Generation (Session 1 of 5)
Rich Rogers runs for Agatha, David Jay, Dr. Jason Cox, and Jim Crocker
As agents for AEON, the young team 21 Jumpstreet it up at Asa Academy.

Masks: A New Generation (Session 2 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Agatha, David Jay, Jim Crocker, and Sam Z.
The characters fight off enemies using Blue Juice and uncover a deeper alien threat! The last hour of this game is some AMAZING Team Moves, back and forth between players. If you dig Masks, this is worth a watch.

My Life With Mastermind (Session 1 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Alejandro, Peter, Rich Rogers, and Tom
A crew of Henchmen meet the new boss, as we do a Session Zero for My Life With Mastermind. This session is exclusively world-building and character creation, with an extensive run-down of how the rules work.

The Gaunt Marches

Dungeon World: The Last Apprentice (Session 1 of 4)
Jim Crocker runs for Horst Wurst, Ludovico Alves, Pawel S., and Simon Landreville
It's time to return to the Gaunt Marches! A GMT crew rolls into Eelton and is immediately caught up in the chaos of the Apprentice Duels, with bloody consequences! The characters go to a party that ends when the cops show up, sort of.

Gauntlet Hangouts

Conjure Hagalaz
Blake Ryan runs for Diana Moon and Steven desJardins

Melody of a Never-ending Summer (Session 1 of 4)
Luiz Ferraz runs for David Morrison, João, and Leandro Pondoc
Fours teenagers arrive at Wild Moon Ranch to spend the summer, and they soon meet quirky creatures, explore the wilderness, get friendly with the locals, and build a theater.

The Final Girl: The Isle of Bone
Pat P. runs for David L., Michael G. Barford, and Mikael Tysvær
The guests of a Caribbean resort explore a forbidden island only to realize that they brought back an evil with them.

Monsterhearts 2: Absolutely (Session 1 of 4)
Donogh runs for Alun R., Paul Rivers, Philipp Neitzel, and Walter German
Versailles is rife with rumours, conspiring and machinations; there’s peace with England on the table and a private soirée and recital for the Queen in the cards.

Hearts of Wulin: Romance of the Golden Dragon (Session 1 of 4)
Gerwyn Walters runs for Alun R., David Morrison, Lloyd, and Walter German
The Pillars of the Wulin world are shattered as Master Iron Winged Crane washes his hands and retires. Who will he trust to carry his magnificent Golden Dragon Sabre to his friends in the Capitol? No other than the Righteous Brotherhood of the Road. There is only one problem. Maybe they are not as righteous as their name may suggest. Blades will be drawn, Hearts will be broken in...The Romance of the Golden Dragon.

Monsterhearts 2: Once Again, We Return (Do No Wrong) (Session 7 of 11)
Patrick Knowles runs for Alex, Barry, David Rothfeder, Lauren, and Ryan M.
"Magdalena's Curse" - Prophecies and passions abound in this mid-season finale as we bite into a story so juicy, we have to tell it twice! Anybody who wants to see the miracles of Gauntlet Play Culture™ needs to watch this table of amazing players bust us out of the corner that I painted us into!!

Monsterhearts 2: Once Again, We Return (Rock & Ruin) (Session 8 of 11)
Patrick Knowles runs for Barry, David Rothfeder, and Ryan M.
"Paris Is Burning" - New month, new skins, new romance; old grudges, old art, old ways. The Pantheon returns once again to prove that Old is the new New.

Monsterhearts 2: Once Again, We Return (Rock & Ruin) (Session 9 of 11)
Patrick Knowles runs for Barry, David Rothfeder, Ryan M., and Sarah J.
"Cycles" - Like moths to the flame, the Pantheon finds themselves drawn back into old conflicts. Magdalena returns and digs right to the heart of things, but Apep is there to show her how deep is his love.

Monsterhearts 2: Once Again, We Return (Rock & Ruin) (Session 10 of 11)
Patrick Knowles runs for Alex, Barry, Lauren, and Ryan M.
"#OfThePantheon" - Khon-pep is dead, long live Ap-yr! Drawn by the vortex of Enma's Endless Hunger, Tyr falls through time to land once more, impossibly, in Apep's arms. Bonds are broken, vows are renewed, and vengeance comes to those cheated! Also, Londoners get super powers or whatever.

Monsterhearts 2: Once Again, We Return (Rock & Ruin) (Session 11 of 11)
Patrick Knowles runs for Alex, Barry, David Rothfeder, Ryan M., and Sarah J.
"Eye For An Eye" - It's the end of our graphic novel as we close out the story of the Pantheon. Will it be Suntheon or Deatheon on top, or will everyone bow to the overwhelming might of ANIME?!?!

Atitlan Riders: Playtest (Session 1 of 3)
Gerrit Reininghaus runs for Barry, Diana Moon, Michael G. Barford, and Sabine V.
A playtest of Atitlan Riders, an indigenous Central American coming of age tuk fast tuk furious PbtA in development. Watch us draw tuk tuk fronts and then throw the towel at the laundry bay.

The Dark Between Stars: Emissary Lost (Session 1)
Fraser Simons runs for Rich Rogers, Sam Z., and Sarah J.
We dive into the first pre-scripted scene from Emissary Lost in our alpha playtest of a Forged in the Dark hack adapted for Coriolis called The Dark Between Stars.

Urban Shadows: Kingsport's Boston (Session 1 of 5)
Jesse A. runs for Darold Ross, Leandro Pondoc, Owen Thompson, and Sawyer Rankin
We begin to explore Boston in our first installment as Tiberius confronts an old acquaintance, Sweet Mama Huang mentors Amelia and learns of an impending doom and Fiore has an awkward run in with a rival.

Spire: The Kings of Silver (Session 1 of 12)
Darren Brockes runs for Greg G., J.D. Woodell, Josh DeGagné, and Rich Rogers
Yend'reth, Umra, Ivaran, and Shahran attend a gala that they are most certainly not invited to.

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets: The Price of Evil
Richard Ruane runs for Eduardo L., Jim C., John Campbell, Robbie Boerth, and Steven desJardins
A hike out to one of the Hudson Valley's abandoned towns where they found little left but a ruined church and an oddly intact old parsonage. With a snowstorm coming on, it's a good thing there’s somewhere for shelter...

Storm Riders! (Session 1 of 3)
Shane Liebling runs for David L., Jeff, Kevin Marshall, and Larry S.
Watch the Storm Riders take on the magma men of Capt. Skullery and chase the Legendary Crystal of Ortho!

Monsterhearts 2: Kingsport 1886 (Session 1 of 5)
Catherine Ramen runs for Darold Ross, David Morrison, Leandro Pondoc, and Seraphina Malizia
Activist and Civil War hero T.W. Higginson visits Kingsport's Fairchild Academy for the Education of Teachers; Finch the Queen deals with rebellion in the ranks; Jonathon the Mortal is drawn deeper into Finch's web; an act of mercy leads to a surprising commission for Alice the Hollow; Siobhan bandies words with the mysterious Master; and a magic portal leads to an encounter with a dying poet.

Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells: Dunnsmouth Asteroid Mines
Richard Ruane runs for David Miessler-Kubanek, Michael G. Barford, Rachelle Dube, and Robbie Boerth
the survivors of the pirate raid on The Merchant Ship Stardust find themselves adrift in the Dead Zone, stumbling on an old imperial asteroid mining colony called "Dunnsmouth."

Mechanical Oryx: The Legendaries
Luiz Ferraz facilitates for Greg G. and Rachelle Dube
Three legendary Pokémon take care of three separate villages on the same volcanic island, and are worshiped by their people. A secret plan by an evil Pokémon is about to change life on the island forever.

Urban Shadows: Kingsport's Boston (Session 2 of 5)
Jesse A. runs for Darold Ross, Leandro Pondoc, Owen Thompson, Rowan, and Sawyer Rankin
In our second session, a dead werewolf leads to a fight over some jewelry. The battle leads to a new understanding between Sweet Mama Huang and Fiore, as well as a reckoning for Amelia. Tiberious has a run in with a curious stranger with a flamethrower. Neat makes a deal with the Irish werewolf mob.

Masks: Iron Red Soldiers (Session 2 of 4)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Alun R., Ludovico Alves, Luiz Ferraz, and Rob Ruthven
The Tangee continue to tighten their grip on Prospect City, sweeping into their clutches the dear friends of our newest superhero as he and the team scramble to save their lives. Regicide meets adults worth emulating, L0K1 gets a taste of what it's like to be a hero, Freak goes down swinging and Turn sticks it in to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Dark Streets & Darker Secrets: Hudson Valley Paranormal Society (Session 2 of 3)
Richard Ruane runs for Eduardo L., Robbie Boerth, and Steven desJardins

Other Games

Shadow of the Demon Lord (Session 1)
Pat P. runs for Darren Brockes, Fernando, and Lu Quade
Jonah is confronted by the Brown Cloaks. Blix tries to escape through violence. Skive learns a friend is imprisoned.

Check out all the great videos on The Gauntlet YouTube channel and be sure check out the playlists to catch up on all your favorite games. If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Hangouts Google+ Community where new games are announced! To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon at https://patreon.com/gauntlet. All are welcome to play Gauntlet Hangouts games, and Patreon supporters have extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Hangouts games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events are announced like Gauntlet Games Now. Enjoy, and everyone have a great weekend!

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1/10/2019

Age of Ravens: Hearts of Wulin

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As you may know, I’ve been writing an rpg called Hearts of Wulin. Several GMs have been gracious enough to test drive it. In fact, we had three different HoW campaigns on the Gauntlet this weekend (thanks to Jason and Gerwyn). My niece has been running it, her first real GMing experience, for a trad-leaning group. She’s biased, but she claims they’re having a good time. Several folks also kindly mentioned Hearts of Wulin in our Favorite Games of 2018 podcast. So I wanted to talk about what Hearts of Wulin is and what we’re doing with it. 

While Heart of Wulin’s still in development, we have a robust playable version. Jason announced on Twitter that we will Kickstart it later this year. HoW’s only exists because of The Gauntlet. The community has gone along with my weird experiments—some successful (Changeling the Lost PbtA) and some not so much (Masks: ANG: Zombies). You can see some the development process on the earlier Age of Ravens blog, but I want to give an overview here.   ​​

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THE BASICS
Hearts of Wulin is a PbtA game for telling melodramatic stories of the wuxia. If you’re thinking movies, then my template’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers. But HoW’s even more influenced by Chinese wuxia TV dramas like Laughing in the Wind, Flying Fox of Snowy Mountain, and The Handsome Siblings. Hearts of Wulin explores heartbreak, betrayal, and duty facing the PCs. Sometimes things will go unspoken, sometimes they’ll be able to solve problems with a duel…and sometimes that will make things worse.

Hearts of Wulin takes place in a “fantastic” version of historical China. The world of the martial clans, the wulin, operates outside the normal realm of society. They have their own power structures and rules. Our stories deal with relationships and struggles within the wulin world. You play out melodramas in Hearts of Wulin. Characters have heightened reactions and responses, and nothing is simple, there’s always something at stake. Most importantly, your characters often talk obliquely about things: emotions, desires, drives. Misunderstandings, hesitations, and overreactions fill these stories.
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And I, for one, think that’s awesome fun at the table. 

Hearts of Wulin simulates a genre, rather than a specific setting. The default world has factions and characters with amazing powers, but there’s no magic per se. However, HoW will include tools to handle supernatural elements, the high fantasy of xianxia, and even courtly adventures. Like many Powered by the Apocalypse games, it has playbooks (Aware, Bravo, Loyal, Outsider, Student, and Unorthodox). Each of these has three “roles” with a unique move.

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THREE PILLARS OF WULIN 
Hearts of Wulin adds some tech to the PbtA mix. As we’ve played, three HoW elements have really shined. These elements have been critical in generating stories, driving action, and helping players embrace the genre. 

Entanglements: Player characters have relationships with one person which are complicated by another. We call these entanglements. These triangles offer a push and a pull. A couple of recent examples:
  • I love Sedate Rao, who I overlooked for too long; now they love Perfect Mist.
  • I’ve learned my friend Nightsky Ming has been lied to by her mother Coral Lantern, but she will never believe me.
Characters have one romantic and one standard entanglement. I’ve created large lists of samples; each has two blanks for names and you can tune the wording. You can even make up your own. At least one entanglement has to include a fellow PC. By the end of the process we have a small but rich network of connections.

Entanglements will change in play. Feedback encouraged creating an explicit start of session moment where players discuss, negotiate, and revise these entanglements. For example, by the end of the campaign, the two entanglements I mentioned above had changed.
  • I still love Sedate Rao, but they are engaged to the villainess Whiphand Sheng.
  • I allowed my sister Nightsky Ming’s adopted mother Coral Lantern to escape justice.  I can't bring myself to make Ming an orphan again, even if Coral Lantern means us harm.
Entanglements help create the world, often bringing us new NPCs and new details about the factions and clans. They’re also the main XP engine: PCs get XP for interacting with them in the session. Entanglements also frame another element that makes Hearts of Wulin work. 

Inner Conflict: I love this basic move: “When you come face to face with emotional turmoil and pressure from one of your entanglements, roll anything but your style element. On a 10+ you manage to keep yourself together. On a 7-9 you must flee the scene or mark a chi until you make a change in the entanglement.” 

The wording needs tweaking—in play we’ve refined when it triggers and what fleeing means. But right now that’s the heart of the game. You face entanglements and have to steel yourself. Sometimes you manage to hold it together, but often you must make a tough choice. In play I usually ask if a moment rises to the level of Inner Conflict. I want the players to choose their level of emotional stakes. They don’t roll every time they see their unrequited love, but when something or someone painfully reminds them of that distance, they roll. 

And I make sure to remind them. I’m super happy with the moments and stories which have rolled out of this move. There’s lots of feels at the table. On the other hand, sometimes players just want to fight, and that brings us to the third element. 

Scale: My earliest attempts at a wuxia game were crunchy to say the least. I wrote a full Storyteller-based system complete with styles, weapons, maneuvers, and on-the-fly combinations. Even my earliest PbtA thinking had lots of details: harm tracks, style moves, etc. That’s not to say that’s a bad approach; Weapons of the Gods, Tianxia, and Qin all do interesting stuff with that level of detail, especially for conflict. 

But those mechanics often don’t help with the romance side. I wanted to emulate those Chinese wuxia soap operas. I needed to spotlight combat, but make it quick and easy to figure out. Originally I had ideas about tiers and levels, with differences in levels impacting harm dealt. But the Jianghu Hustle podcast illuminated the idea of scale for me. In a fight, someone’s either worse, equal to, or better than you. That’s scale.

If they’re worse, you’re going to win most times. In a duel with them, even a 6- roll gives you the option to win at a cost. If they’re equal to you, then there’s a real question. A 7-9 result there offers choices, including taking a loss. But when you face someone of a higher scale, you lose. Your roll determines who gets to narrate that loss. Figuring out how to even that scale is one of the big challenges. In all of these cases, the fight’s determined with a single roll. It’s done and then we deal with the aftermath of the battle. 

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99 CHAMBERS OF WULIN
There’s lots more to 
Hearts of Wulin. I’ve borrowed from Fraser Simon’s The Veil in how I handle stats. Characters have five stats, called chi, based loosely on Chinese Wu Xing philosophy. When you make a move, you decide your mood or approach and pick the chi which feels right. There’s a little bit of calculation. If a roll results in a GM move, they can have you mark chi and you always mark the chi you rolled with. While HoW has some exceptions to this, it’s a fairly straightforward means of marking harm. 

I’m happy with many other bits of the rules—the playbook moves have generated unexpected and wonderful moments. We have a simple set of guidelines for factions (with options for making that more robust). When PvP moments arise, if you started the exchange you make an offer to the other player about what you’ll give them if they let you win. I’ve seen wounds, XP, entanglement changes, revelations, and even narrative control offered. In future posts I’ll look further at some of these mechanics, with examples drawn from our play. 

Now that we’ve got a strong basic skeleton, I’m working on fleshing Hearts of Wulin out. In particular I want a lot of idea and glossary material: discussion of concepts from the genre, understanding Chinese historical elements in this media, describing combat, terminology, etc. I’m working on several toolsets to allow you to change the frame up a little to cover related Chinese drama types. If you’re an rpger familiar with the source material—the many, many TV shows and/or the novels of Jin Yong, Gu Long, and Liang Yusheng—I’d love to talk with you about it. I’d also like to talk with someone knowledgeable about Korean period dramas to see if this could work with those. 

ACTUAL PLAY+
  • If you’re interested in watching some actual play videos, you can see my playlist of sessions here.  
  • You can see the first session of Gerywn’s series here.
  • Here’s Mathias running it for katyfaise’s Twitch channel.
  • If you prefer podcasts, Fraser Simons brilliantly edited several sessions in Hearts of Wulin: Deadly Meldoy for Pocket-Sized Play which you can find here. 
  • You can find the amazing Jianghu Hustle podcast here. 
  • Agatha, co-host of the Asians Represent! podcast, found this great video talking about what jianghu and wuxia means in the context of Chinese dramas.
Thanks for reading! I will keep everyone updated with posts on the project here. Images in the post come from Gene Ha's awesome sketches for an earlier wuxia campaign. 
​For the full backlog of Age of Ravens posts on Blogger see here. ​​

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1/7/2019

The Shrine of Shakyamuni

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Read Now
 
a Dungeon World shrine by Will Patterson, Keeper of the Child's Dream

An entry in the Discern Realities Shrine Contest.


Out of the corner of your eye you notice the texture on a nearby wall shimmer and move, like oil upon the tide. But when you focus your attention on the wall, all appears normal aside from the sounds of a babbling brook. If you pass through the wall you will find a boat just large enough for you and your companions. Once boarded, the boat moves of its own accord, flowing gently down the stream towards a landing where a small white obelisk sits among soft grasses. A glowing script on the obelisk invites you to sleep and promises great wisdom, but the text will if you glance away. Lying before the Shrine you see numerous creatures in peaceful slumber, of species and races mostly unknown to you.

Life is but a dream
When you fall asleep before the Shrine of Shakyamuni, roll 2d6 and add the number of times you have visited the Black Gates. On a 7+, describe your brief time within the world of dreams before you are visited by Shakyamuni. Choose 1 and upon awakening you remember nothing of Shakyamuni’s visage:
  • Gain the Dream Signs move from The Oneironaut Compendium Class (reprinted below)
  • You may always negotiate with Death from a position of strength
  • You and your party may awaken in any known location within the waking world
On a 10+, choose 2 and you vividly recall that Shakyamuni’s visage was your own.
On a 6-, Shakyamuni will offer you a bargain. Take it and awaken before the Shrine. Refuse and remain lost in the world of dreams forever, your sleeping body never to awaken.

The Journal of the First Yogi
The pristine pages of this journal describe your every visit to the world of dreams. Each morning new pages are added, written by your own hand. The bearer of this item cannot be deceived by any worldly illusion, and may add the following question to the Discern Realities list: What does this adversary most fear?

Dreamcraft
Level 5 Cleric Spell
You enter the dreams of a sleeping creature known to you. You may speak with the target and you may change any details of the dream. If you craft a nightmare with yourself as the object of your target’s horror, you may reroll your lowest die on any future CHA moves against the target.

The Oneironaut Compendium Class

This compendium class was first published in Codex - The Discern Realities Annual.

When you have spent a year in meditation with the yogis of the Shakyamuni mountain clan, you may take the following move when you level up:

Dream Signs
When you witness something that would be impossible on Earth, such as magic, you may roll +WIS.
  • On a 10+, hold 2 Lucid.
  • On a 7-9, hold 1 Lucid.

You may never hold more than 3 Lucid at one time.  Lose all Lucid and revert to your original form whenever you fall asleep.

At any time, spend 1 Lucid to:
  • Change an established detail in a scene.
  • Change something about yourself.
  • Summon a simple object or weapon.

You may then select the following as class moves:

Awakened
The waking world bends to your whims.  At any time you may spend 2 Lucid to attempt something impossible in the fiction.  Roll Defy Danger+WIS to find out what happens.

Limitless
You have learned to use intention as a weapon.  At any time you may spend 1 Lucid to Volley with WIS.  Your damage die increases to d10 and you may choose to have either the forceful or the messy tag.  If you would choose to reduce your ammo by one, instead spend 1 additional Lucid.

Only a Guest
You have realized that even the most fearsome foe is still just a creation of your subconscious.  At any time, you may spend 1 Lucid to change an established detail of a hostile creature.

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