Blog Archives

5/27/2022

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 27, 2022

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[Gauntlet Calendar: Online Tabletop RPG Play]

Greetings, and welcome to the weekly Gauntlet Calendar video roundup! Enjoy these recordings of online games organized through Gauntlet Calendar and the Gauntlet RPG Community. These recorded sessions represent only a portion of the selection of games available every week, and anyone is welcome to join the fun! If you'd like to play or watch more games like these, check out the links and information at the bottom of the post.

Gauntlet Calendar

Final Lap: Time Out
Donogh runs for Chris Greenbriar and K
Monaco, the silver-spoon champion is destined to complete a clean sweep of the circuit in Grand Rapids, but have their closest competitors have to say about it... Merritt & Nascar, old friends from the other side of the racing tracks & Havoc, brought in mid-season to replace a fallen driver. All have their own complications with Monaco, only matched by their history with each other...

Wanderhome: Bright Young Things (Session 6)
David Morrison facilitates for Brandon Brylawski, José Feito, and Nathan Harrison
Gus, Remi and Quoth travel to the Day of Song festival in Auldbarrow Forge to meet back up with Barnaby. They spend time sampling the local honeysuckle mead and join in the exuberant dancing, before taking some time to reflect in the hot springs. Remi leaves the group to take an important trip back home.

Tales from the Low Cantrefs: The Rite of Spring (Session 3)
David Morrison runs for Anders, Dana Pena, Paul D., and Steven S.
As the story of Longhill draws to a close, the gang narrowly escapes from the dead in the Witchwood. Jac receives a dire warning from his grandfather, Zéline retrieves her ancient sword, and Oren sees a terrible fate in the runes and meets with Glyn to search for a hidden treasure in the old tower. They band together again at the Hagstone to make a final stand against the forces of darkness...

Gauntlet Quarterly

Hearts of Wulin: Odyssey of Jade and Stars (Session 7 of 12)
David S. runs for Greg Fulford and José Feito
As night settles over Blackwood Palace, Dongshan and Jiang are awakened by the sounds of panic at the front gate--five palace guards have been wiped out by the venomous assassin Violet Widow! Dongshan and Jiang race to find her, culminating in the dramatic reveal of an assassination plot, conflicted loyalties, and a duel on a frozen lake beneath the winter moon.

Star Wars Saturday

Apocalypse World: Burned Over: Dathomir (Session 3)
Rich Rogers runs for Alun R., Cody Eastlick, Sawyer Rankin, and Steven Watkins
The crew takes down a Zygerrian enclave and frees their slaves, but are ripped by an unexpected betrayal and upcoming Imperial entanglements.

Magical Multiverse Tour

Cartel: New Capenna Rumble (Session 2 of 3)
Alexi S. runs for Marc Majcher and Sam Zimmerman
We return to the crime-ridden metropolis of New Capenna for an intense two-hander session: Zephyr turns up bloody and battered on Cormella's doorstep. But can the slippery elf be trusted to have her sister-in-law's best interests at heart? (Spoiler: No.) Our "heroes" battle with the Brokers, get patched up by a butcher, and sneak into the boss's home...

Gauntlet Reading Club

Alas for the Awful Sea: Invisible Kingdom (Discussion and Character Creation)
Steven S. runs for Ben Bond, Chet, Dana Pena, and Donogh
The Gauntlet Reading Club discusses G. Willow Wilson and Christian Ward's Invisible Kingdom, a space opera about a nun, a freighter pilot, and the surprising trust between them. We follow that with a session of character creation and play where we are introduced to a mysterious ship's surgeon named Maze, mismatched members of stellar diaspora Zarza and Panax, and Mx Blyss, a wayward member of the Relinquishment.

Where to Find More

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced, or catch one of our Gauntlet Community Open Gaming online mini-conventions.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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5/20/2022

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 20, 2022

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Gauntlet Calendar

Dungeon World: Nentir Vale II
Blake Ryan runs for David Montgomery and Michael Mendoza
Ravens, Shadows & Wyverns! 🗡 🐂 🔥

Wanderhome: Bright Young Things (Session 5)
David Morrison facilitates for Brandon Brylawski, Nathan Harrison, and Neil H
The band arrives in the sprawling coastal metropolis of Cliffton, and we meet their newest member, Dom the Vagabond, a dashing weasel. With rumours of the infamous Night Goat haunting the city, Gus is concerned for the safety of Atlas and his wares. Quoth is keen to chronicle their exploits, while Dom and Remy look for work...

Against the Fae Queen (Session 2)
Will H runs for Alun R., Horst Wurst, Paul Rivers, and Puckett
The Operators take their first mission to change the Future of the Faerie Queen; retrieve a rare Grimm brothers manuscript that may contain secrets of the Fae. In the original timeline, it was stolen during the events of this year's Met Gala. Can the Operators get there first? Or maybe it was them all along? Shadowy FBI agents and a 'fantastical' art director pose complications, as does Clock's erstwhile daughter...

Brinkwood: The Gilded Countess (Session 5 of 9)
Jesse A. runs for Ben Bond, Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Steven S.
The Rebels raise a riot in Hogswick, to land a blow against the Countess' forces, and assassinate her Lieutenant, The Rat King.

Brinkwood: The Gilded Countess (Session 6 of 9)
Jesse A. runs for Ben Bond, Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Steven S.
The Countess' forces are mostly quelled, and one of her vampires killed. But can The Rat King be eliminated?

Brinkwood: The Gilded Countess (Session 7 of 9)
Jesse A. runs for Ben Bond, Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Steven S.
The Rebels deal with the aftermath of the Foray and attempt to bring Hogswick fully over to the rebellion.

Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron: The Glass Keys (Session 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris R., Jim Likes Games, Joe F, and Tim Leitner
The party gets a case to track down a mage hunter. We see a little of our inquisitives lives before they regroup to plan out their investigation. The trail leads them to a hobgoblin crime boss with a bad hairpiece, a corrupt archivist, and a delve into the Cogs to unearth unexploded spell bombs.

Vow of the Knight-Aspirants: To Seek the Tower Perilous (Session 4 of 4)
Alexi S. runs for Chris Newton, Danielle B., and David Miessler-Kubanek
In our grand finale, the squires ascend into the Tower Perilous itself, with the Bandit King nipping at their heels. Caedun finds himself face-to-face with his family's past as heretic rebels. Gilly leads the charge in an acrobatic feat over the abyss, and allows her prophetic insight to guide her. And Kae beseeches a fateful boon from the Tower itself.

Voidheart Symphony: Forgotten Concerto (Session 5)
Lowell Francis runs for David S., Mendel Schmiedekamp, Patrick Knowles, and Sherri
The group completes their final preparations and shock the Vassal in the real world as the final step before entering the Castle for a confrontation.

360 Heartgrab: Time Out
Donogh runs for DeReel, Puckett, and Sabine V.
Mir Condor is off to Nationals, and is hosting a race to pick someone to make the trip with her: Charlie, shy boardwright, Lacey, daredevil, or Tori, good luck charm all competing with Tommy, noted heel with some dubious angle...

Tales from the Low Cantrefs: The Rite of Spring (Session 2)
David Morrison runs for Anders, Dana Pena, Paul D., and Steven S.
Zéline helps free her sister from a dark influence, before she and Jac head into the Witchwood to try and put a final stop to it. Oren and Glyn scout out the forest for a romantic rendezvous before stumbling onto the trail of the others. But as one dark force is laid to rest, another rises...

Hearts of Wulin: Wedding of Thunder and Silence (Session 1 of 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Michael D., Mátyás, Nicolas, and Puckett
A gallivant, a former master, someone who conceals their past, and someone branded as a villain find themselves on the same course to a wedding where their destinies entwine, but first they will have to deal with river pirates.

Against the Fae Queen (Session 3)
Will H runs for Alun R., Horst Wurst, Paul Rivers, and Puckett
Can the Operators stop the horrors of the Dancing Plague before its song spreads across the world? They'll have to stop DJ Bug from performing their set at The Red Shoes - one way or another. Meanwhile the Fae Conspiracy asks around about these mysterious mortals that seem to know more than they should...

Gauntlet Quarterly

Hearts of Wulin: Odyssey of Jade and Stars (Session 6)
David S. runs for Greg Fulford, José Feito, Max Airborne, and Steven S.
Cloud Crow makes plans to venture into hell to collect the Nectar of Immortality. Meanwhile, Nameless Blade is intercepted on the road to Blackwood Palace by Sister Serpent, who seethes with jealousy. Wu Dongshan and his wife attend a banquet at Mo Feng's compound and meet Iceblood Ning, Necromancer of the Sixth Void, only to be ambushed by the undead during the ride home. Zhou Jiang prepares a divinatory ceremony and discovers who and what lies waiting for him in hell.

Star Wars Saturday

Smashball (Session 1)
Rich Rogers runs for Anders, Bethany H., Sherri, and Steven Watkins
Colony Six is challenged by Colony One over corruption charges and only Smashball can determine who is right!

Stars in the Dark (Session 26)
Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Rich Rogers, and Steven Watkins
Season 3, Episode 4 - Etema, Bade, and Boko set out to procure weapons for the Rebels, bringing along some of the new members of the crew. Was that a wise move? Let's find out!

Apocalypse World: Burned Over (Session 2)
Rich Rogers runs for Alun R., Cody Eastlick, Sawyer Rankin, and Steven Watkins
The crew hunts for some slavers, meets a dead nightsister, and someone dies at the end.

Where to Find More

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced, or catch one of our Gauntlet Community Open Gaming online mini-conventions.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

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5/18/2022

Entanglements

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Entanglements remain one of my favorite aspects of Hearts of Wulin: relationship triangles where your connection to one person is complicated by another person. We put together a new deck of reference cards for HoW, with names and sample entanglements on each one. In doing that I went back through our earlier lists and tweaked some, cut others, and added several new ones. Below is the latest version of these lists, which I'm hoping might be a useful resource for any game where you want to start out with messy relationships.

ROMANTIC ENTANGLEMENTS

I cannot choose between _____ and _____.
I disguised myself to get close to _____, but _____, their lover, suspects and hates me.
I disguised myself to get close to _____, but _____, their lover, is falling for me.
I fled from _____ because of the heartache, but _____, their lover, has called me back to honor a debt.
I know _____ desires me, but _____, who I pine for, loves them.
I lost to _____ in order to maintain the affections of _____.
I love _____, who I overlooked for too long; now they love _____.
I love _____, but _____—a leader of my faction-- has forbidden it.
I love _____, but my family member _____ is their sworn enemy.
I love _____, but my teacher, _____, killed someone dear to them.
I love _____, but their family member, _____, is a villain.
I love _____, but my family member, _____, is a legendary villain.
I love _____, but their family member, _____, has sworn revenge against me.
I love _____, but I have sworn revenge against their family member, _____.
I love _____, but their sibling, _____, considers me beneath them.
I love _____, but they are engaged to _____, who I respect.
I love _____, but I know a dark secret about, _____, who they adore.
I love _____, but they are wed to _____, who I serve.
I love _____, but they are wed to _____, my sibling.
I am wed to _____, but I know they actually pine for _____.
I pursue _____ despite knowing that my friend, _____, pines for them.
I rejected _____, but _____--who I desire-- loves them.
I still pursue _____, who rejected me, despite the interference of _____, who holds an unrequited love.
My friend _____ and I vie for the attention of _____ despite their indifference to both of us.
There is mutual unrequited love between _____ and I because of my duty to _____.
_____ advised me not to pursue _____, but secretly wooed them.
My teacher, _____, and I share an unspoken love because of the shame it would bring to _____.
_____ has become jealous of the attention _____ pays to me instead of them.
I am engaged to _____, but have fallen in love with their sibling, _____.
I love _____ from an enemy clan, and _____ blackmails me about my passion.
I love _____ but I cannot tell them the truth about what happened to their lover _____.
I love _____, but their duty to _____ draws them away.
_____ openly pursues me, but to avoid a scandal I’ve hidden my relationship with _____.
I humiliated myself in front of _____, who I desire, and _____ will let no one forget it.
A prophecy has kept _____ and I apart and _____ is determined to keep it that way.
_____ and I love one another, but that will change if they learn of my history with _____.
I brought my lover _____’s sibling _____ to justice.
I have been promised to _____ and _____ wants to get rid of me for that.
I have been promised to the awful _____, but I find their friend _____ much more interesting.
_____ has disguised themselves to pursue me, but my friend _____ has begun to resent them.
I love _____ but _____, has seduced their family with wealth, status, and power.
My junior _____ has feelings for me, but my heart belongs to _____.
I took up my role to become closer to _____, but _____ keeps working to keep me away from them.
I feel pangs when my friend _____ teaches _____ and gets to spend time with them.
It is assume that _____ will wed _____, but I need to drink every time I think of it.
_____ started to flirt with _____ to tease me, not realizing I actually pine for [first blank].
I love _____ who I have known all my life, but _____ continually reminds them of my youthful indiscretions.
I don’t mind when my friend _____ mocks me for my restraint, but it kills me when _____ laughs along with them.
I adore my superior/subordinate _____, but they only think of their duty to _____.
I promised _____ I would aid them in wooing _____, but in doing so I have fallen in love with (one of them).
_____ mocks me for my manners, but I tolerate it because their sibling _____ has stolen my heart.
My friend _____ has changed their manner after I let slip about my time with _____.
_____ is far beneath me in social status, but I fear what _____ will do to them if my infatuation is discovered.
_____ spends all their time trying to draw me out, but everything reminds me of what happened to _____.
I helped _____ gain their status, but they have since become overly close with _____, whom I desire.
_____ is far above me in social status, and _____ will be furious if they even suspect a connection.
I love _____ but their desire for revenge against _____ has poisoned their heart.
I owe _____ everything, but despite that my heart belongs to _____.
I fled from _____’s declaration of love but their marriage to _____ has drawn me back.
I saved _____, who I desperately love, but _____ took credit and has used that to begin courting them.
I love _____, but my senior, _____, and the rest of my clan believe they serve a dark force.
I failed to save _____ from taking up unorthodox techniques, and out of love I accept _____’s blame of me for that.
_____ looks so much like my love who died at the hands of a villain, but they are promised to _____.
My sworn brother, _____, continually shows me up in front of _____, despite knowing my feelings for them.
When their lover _____ asked me to save _____’s life, I never thought I would fall in love with them.
My heart aches for my teacher _____, but _____ would bring me to ruin if I said anything.
I love _____, but they have declared their hatred of my clan after what happened to _____.
_____ has offered to be my patron and more, but I’ve fallen in love with their (child/sibling/servant) _____.
_____ continues to step between _____ and I to protect them from me, and I can’t say I blame them.
I fled from _____ because of my guilt, but when I see them with _____ now, my heart aches.
I rescued _____ from evil, but to my dismay they seem to only have eyes for _____.
I fought _____ while in a disguise and fell in love with them, but revealing myself would draw _____’s ire.
_____ and I were childhood soulmates, but they have mysteriously forgotten that and now seem to love _____.
_____, _____, and I were once in a love triangle I fled from, but now neither seems to remember me.
I used to tease _____ who was once my servant, but in their new status they have rejected me and fallen in love with _____.
I mistakenly declared my love to _____ who I thought was _____ and now confusion abounds.
_____ mistakenly declared their love to me, thinking I was _____ and it’s crushing my heart.
Every time I try to express my feelings to _____, _____ gets in the way.
I love _____, but despite that I have promised to help them find the one they love, _____, who has mysteriously vanished.
My heart pines for _____ but they love the legendary thief _____ who continues to confound and tease me.

GENERAL ENTANGLEMENTS

My sibling _____ disparages me, and my parent, _____, won’t condemn them for some reason.
My rival _____ speaks ill of me, but my mentor _____ strangely ignores the situation.
_____, my rival, knows about the bad actions I did to the family of my friend, _____.
Local authority _____ hints they know of my shady dealings against my mentor _____ and their family.
_____, my rival, has sworn to kill me, but I have promised _____ that I will not harm them.
I brought my sworn ally _____’s sibling _____ to justice.
I suspect my friend _____’s parent is the villain _____.
I allowed my friend _____’s sibling _____ to escape justice.
_____, an authority of my faction, has ordered me to undercut _____, who I respect.
_____, my clan leader, has told me to spy on my comrade, _____.
My teacher, _____, has passed me over in favor of _____, my rival.
I have discovered my friend, _____, has hidden their true power from me but told _____, another friend.
I have discovered my sibling _____ has been in contact with _____ from an enemy clan.
I have discovered my friend _____ has been consorting with _____ from an enemy clan.
I have hidden my true identity from _____ because of my past with _____.
I found that _____ has hidden their true identity from everyone because of their past with _____.
I’ve learned my friend _____ has been betrayed by their teacher _____ but they will never believe me.
I’ve learned my friend _____ has been lied to by their parent _____, but they will never believe me.
I have promised my teacher, _____, that I will destroy the family of my friend, _____.
I have promised my sibling, _____, that I will destroy my friend, _____.
I have hidden _____, who is wanted by my friend _____ for their crimes.
I have hidden _____, who is a threat to my respected clan senior, _____
I discovered my sibling _____ has been learning techniques from _____, master of an enemy clan.
I learned my friend _____ studied secrets with _____, a heretical master.
I promised my friend _____ that I would aid the troublemaker _____.
I promised my sibling _____ that I would help my rival _____.
I owe loyalty to my elder sibling, _____, despite how they treat their spouse, _____.
I remain loyal to my master, _____, despite how they treat my younger sibling, _____.
I rejected _____ and now they have sworn vengeance against me and my friend, _____.
I suspect _____ of evil, but _____, who I respect, believes in them.
My friend _____, suspects _____ of evil, but I remain steadfastly loyal.
I swore to _____ that I would project _____, but they would be offended if they knew.
I took part in a crime against _____, my friend _____’s sibling.
I took part in a crime against _____, my sibling _____’s lover.
_____ has chosen me as heir, but _____, who I’ve known all my life, resents it.
My senior, _____, treats me badly, but I give them loyalty despite _____’s disapproval.
_____ chose my long-time friend, _____, as heir and I resent it.
My clan senior, _____, suspects that my friend _____ works against our faction.
My friend, _____, is an agent for _____ of an enemy clan, but I do not know it.
My spouse, _____, secretly works for _____ of an enemy clan, but I do not know it.
My master, _____, has secretly trained me as part of a revenge plot against my friend, _____.
My master, _____, has trained my sibling _____ as part of a revenge plot against my family.
My friend, _____, has rejected my sibling _____’s declarations of love.
My sibling, _____, has rejected my friend _____’s declarations of love.
My friend, _____, has been exiled from my school, but my teacher _____, will not tell me why.
My sibling, _____, has been sent away from our family by my parent, _____, without explanation.
I believe my parent, _____, has been seduced with evil intent by _____.
I believe my sibling _____, has seduced _____ for evil ends.
My teacher, _____, disapproves of me, and my friend _____, agrees with them.
My parent, _____, disapproves of me, and my sibling _____ won’t stand up to them.
My peer, _____, and I defeated the powerful _____, but only I gained credit and now they resent it.
My sibling, _____, and I were separated at birth and _____ raised them to destroy my clan.
My sibling _____ loves our clan enemy, _____.
My sibling _____ has fallen in love with my rival, _____.
My parent, _____, abandoned me to be raised by _____, but now they’re returned.
_____ and I both seek revenge against _____, but must be the one to strike the killing blow.
I have learned about my elder sibling _____’s affair with _____ which may doom our family.
My friend, _____, hates _____, but refuses to tell me why.
My friend, _____, has lied to our teacher, _____, but will not explain why.
An enemy, _____, has come to me to change their ways, but I know my friend, _____, will never believe them.
_____ tells me not to worry when _____ belittles their studies, but I grow ever angrier.
I suspect _____ maneuvered to bring before the authorities because of my connection to _____.
I keep trying to invest _____ in their training, but _____ continually draws them away.
_____ claims to be my friend, but I see how they treat my rival _____ with deference.
I betrayed my friend _____ when _____ challenged them before authorities, and they have not forgiven me.
My parent _____ has told me that _____ stands in the way of our clan’s plans, but I cannot bring myself to betray them.
I received a role which _____ had promised to my sworn ally _____, but they refuse to understand how important it is to my family.
I promised _____ I would not reveal their failings, but I fear their efforts will harm _____.
I helped _____ gain their position with _____.
I have taken the novice _____ under my wing, but I suspect their sibling _____ is involved in something nefarious.
I love my naive sibling _____, but I fear that their admiration for _____ is dangerous.
I have to keep my ambitions for revenge against _____ hidden from my sworn friend _____.
_____ would be furious if they knew _____ had involved me in secret plans.
_____ has given me private, secret training, but _____ will be enraged if they learn of it.
_____ has wormed themselves into the good graces of _____ because they have suspicions about me.
I have hidden that my sworn brother _____’s inattention caused the tragedy which haunts _____.
Despite asking them not to, _____ has begun to ask _____ about my past and I fear what they will learn.
I suspect _____ knows of my friendship with the wanted thief _____.
My companion _____ absolutely insists on listening to _____’s advice but I can tell they’re a fraud.
I suspect _____ knows much about my family’s destruction, but accusing them will offend _____.

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5/13/2022

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 13, 2022

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Gauntlet Calendar

Against the Fae Queen (Session 1)
Will H runs for Alun R., Horst Wurst, Paul Rivers, and Puckett
1 year from now, the Fae Queen will make her return. 10 years from now, the only law of the world is caprice and cruelty as her Court divides humanity between them. The borders of the Twilight realms weaken and shatter and life will never be the same again. Unless the Resistance can set right what went wrong. Stepping from the future to NYC, 2022 via the Doorway Into Summer, the Operatives have one last, desperate chance to prevent the Queen's reign. An adaptation of Fate of the Faerie Queen by Shane.

Tales from the Low Cantrefs: The Rite of Spring (Session 1)
David Morrison runs for Anders, Dana Pena, Paul D., and Steven S.
We introduce the game, describe the village of Longhill, and meet our cast of characters. Jac the Blade, a sturdy young farm boy who works hard to support his family. Zéline the Door, the youngest of a large family who spends her time exploring the ancient tower on her family lands as strange magic stirs around her. Oren the Loom, a devoted son on the cusp of manhood, trained in the art of carpentry at his father's side. And Glyn the Cloak, a skilled young woodsman trained by an eccentric old woman in the way of the forest, with a mischievous streak. Jac and Zéline celebrate the impending wedding of their siblings, while Glyn consoles Oren with stolen pie after a romantic encounter goes awry. Meanwhile the bride-to-be enchants the party with her dancing...

Dungeon World: Nentir Vale (Session 1)
Blake Ryan runs for David Montgomery, Joe F, and Tim Leitner
🏰 🐍 🗡

Hearts of Wulin: Wedding of Shadow and Gold (Session 2)
Lowell Francis runs for Austin C., Mona, and Paul D.
Our heroes arrive at the wedding and things get complicated quickly, but the arrival of a dangerous and uninvited wuxia legend lights the fuse that sets the event aflame.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Hearts of Wulin: Odyssey of Jade and Stars (Session 5)
David S. runs for Greg Fulford, José Feito, Max Airborne, and Steven S.
In the dead of winter, months after the conclusion of the battle at Heaven and Earth Temple, a dark and suspicious haunting plagues the lord of Blackwood Palace. Wu Dongshan, Zhou Jiang, and Cloud Crow team up to exorcise the ghost that has wormed its way into the palace, but uncover forbidden secrets along the way. Jiang's disappeared lover, a cursed opera mask, and a descent into hell all make appearances as we kick off our second story arc of the quarterly.

Star Wars Saturday

Apocalypse World: Burned Over (Session 1)
Rich Rogers runs for Alun R., Cody Eastlick, Sawyer Rankin, and Steven Watkins
On the ruddy streets of the Fallen City in Dathomir, a lone nightsister Brain-picker meets a lost nightbrother Vigilant and a kindly act by an Undaunted leads him into trouble as he tries to help a Volatile ally.

Stars in the Dark (Session 25)
Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Rich Rogers, and Steven Watkins
Bringing Guns to Bring People Together - The crew take on their first job since joining up with Val and Tycho, who are not in this episode. Instead Etema, Boko, and Bade go up to 1314 to pick up some weapons for their Rebel friends down on 1313. Mild hijinks ensue!

Magical Multiverse Tour

Cartel: New Capenna Rumble (Session 1 of 4)
Alexi S. runs for Chase Ordonis, Marc Majcher, and Sam Zimmerman
Welcome to New Capenna: gritty and glamorous, a metropolis built by long-gone angels, ruled by crimelord demons, and home to many striving gangs of upstart criminals—like our "heroes" for this series. In the first session, we meet Zephyr Feru the headstrong Hawk, Cormella Jean the slippery Spy, and Azazi the naive spouse. Lies, schemes, heists, and shootouts immediately ensue.

Gauntlet Reading Club

The Veil: A Master of Djinn (Session 1)
Steven S. runs for Ben Bond, Donogh, José Feito, and Lyra
The Gauntlet Reading Club starts our run of The Veil inspired by P. Djèlí Clark's A Master of Djinn, in which a cursed books causes trouble and Sadir becomes the most popular golem in Cairo.

Monsterhearts: Every Heart a Doorway (Session 6)
Steven S. runs for David Morrison, Kae, Marleigh, and Sabine V.
The Gauntlet Reading Club concludes our run of Avery Alder's Monsterhearts inspired by Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway. Evil twins and toothy cats. With half our characters in their darkest selves will our teens be able to band together to confront the monsters hunting them?

Where to Find More

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced, or catch one of our Gauntlet Community Open Gaming online mini-conventions.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend

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5/10/2022

200 Dune-ish Names

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Built from different source generators and then run through another program to recombine sounds. The first column leans female; the second male, but I suspect genders and names matter little in a setting like this.

Like Dune this grabs cultural bits left & right and remixes them...

Elissa Akaralelis
Tanweerah Al-Chandan
Valen Al-Sabet
Alzhbetana Andraderi
Kuline Andrades
Savin Artinhmar
Suratia Atalli
Helentina Athanan
Phanna Barak
Diamanto Barbosal
Mantina Bayrakos
Halie Bayrakos
Suhaysah Bhainsen
Palati Bhanasiou
Sumay Bhani
Suray Biari
Aarian Boosa
Utamilla Boulidis
Kulinah Chahimil
Abeer Chandez
Aayaada Chengmian
Gurati Chosal
Adelia Cibergh
Colia Clocheren
Varis Costanasiou
Varie D’Haensen
Aayal Darakos
Uppenderica Darigul
Diamantinah Darizkinar
Caeta Desramatou
Lubaba Dewael
Frederjit Dinghu
Abeera Dōngzhur
Pervina El-Sampos
Stelisha Erdemin
Variane Fiseth
Guratia Gabrakoc
Heerah Gangani
Lillianna Georgiadi
Buhaa Gersangani
Marifa Gieterdael
Melian Gongying
Varifa Gulpinard
Batia Hamdani
Steline Hongze
Nuhaysah Inandixen
Haline Jipina
Maris Karaškievič
Magalina Kasoulos
Payaada Lauri
Majeetu Lilis
Adelian Línglán
Spyridoul Loukašuk
Galaha Mandani
Coliane Marirat
Charian Mavroun
Guratina Mendixen
Valentinah Molacič
Utamillia Mukhangi
Suratina Narwar
Galati Ninggu
Adeliane Nunesar
Nuhaa Odhanmony
Meline Ovestre
Mariane Philipalli
Dianna Pohantre
Elishai Primil
Aariane Purwal
Stelianna Qīnghu
Coliann Qirenbero
Tinah Rains
Apostolina Ramchana
Varinderica Rangzhū
Chariane Remetriou
Diann Rondopou
Adelisha Rosal
Charie Rothana
Melinah Sachanak
Sirna Santinhmar
Walmia Shànggu
Laura Shènglín
Kayla Siarhiesen
Morgan Siarizkina
Kayleigh Silvestrea
Rabaka Sinho
Sahar Sintinhmar
Ilhani Sohantrea
Atana Sovandani
Mahdeha Sukhandixen
Mumaba Taraǔkin
Rabema Thran
Najmat Tiān-ér
Kezzuy Tybero
Cheda Utarigul
Czano VanIster
Valentina Wuxiang
Tomochka Xuangji
Valeriya Yinghu
Raisa Zervili
Larissa Zhongzhur

Willy Akaralelis
Elnata Akarany
Kaarinos Al-Chandan
Kypriacos Al-Sabet
Demetrios Al-Sarwal
Carlik Andraderi
Maazi Andrades
Kypriakos Artinhmar
Adeen Atalli
Pantinos Athanan
Christeidis Barak
Arvinder Barbosal
Ravindera Bayrakos
Dabram Bhainsen
Zasimus Bhanasiou
Suaybah Bhani
Villiam Biarhiejeva
Chhanes Boosa
Konstantel Boulidis
Nadheed Chahimil
Nadheen Chandez
Dimitri Chengmian
Kyrianon Chosal
Maheer Cibergh
Varlitos Clocheren
Thanesimus Costanasiou
Tejarukman D’Haensen
Onesim Darakos
Asharamil Darigul
Marim Darizkinar
Ghazin Desramatou
Nikolaslaŭ Dewael
Zasil Dinghu
Jeandro Dōngzhur
Jasmohana El-Sampos
Muhyddeeb Erdemin
Yohan Fiseth
Shaheer Gabrakoc
Bertelis Georgiadi
Pantel Gersangani
Mohanes Gieterdael
Maheed Gongying
Agostinos Gulpinard
Kyrianos Hamdani
Chhanassis Hongze
Milas Inandixen
Zianos Jipina
Pantinho Karaškievič
Dharamil Kasoulos
Ionassis Lauri
Thana Lilis
Basim Línglán
Villem Loukašuk
Shaheen Mandani
Kyprianon Marirat
Chhana Mavroun
Yohanesim Mendixen
Jasmohanas Molacič
Yohanassis Mukhangi
Thanesim Narwar
Acunmanas Nunesar
Yohana Odhanmony
Basimus Ovestre
Yohanas Philipalli
Chhanesim Pingguān
Chhanas Pohantre
Thanes Primil
Elnathana Purwal
Elnathanes Qīnghu
Chhanesimus Qirenbero
Thanas Rains
Hatrar Ramchana
Motas Rangzhū
Vetror Remetriou
Raleus Rondopou
Zurkor Rosal
Caleb Sachanak
Archie Santing
Stanley Santinhmar
Jackson Shànggu
Lutfiq Shènglín
Jabeel Siarhiesen
Farus Siarizkina
Samen Silvestrea
Furqoq Sintinhmar
Bahammam Sintinotis
Mujim Sohantrea
Haithael Sukhandixen
Pabaa Taraǔkin
Fiazeyd Thran
Cheyt Tiān-ér
Zoguy Tíngzhur
Zuggal Tybero
Innokentiy Utarigul
Fridrik VanIster
Leonid Wuxiang
Zhenka Xuangji
Moaric Yinghu
Hayshem Zervili
Kaal Zhongzhur

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5/6/2022

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 6, 2022

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Gauntlet Calendar

Trophy Dark: Gift of the Sea (Sessions 1 and 2 of 2)
Ben Bond runs for Chet, Chris R., David S., and Paul D.
Four treasure-hunters travel beyond the forest to an isolated coastal village. Two have been there before, but all are looking to profit from the offerings to the sea made during the Greentide festival. Things don't go swimmingly.

Wanderhome: Bright Young Things (Session 4)
David Morrison facilitates for Brandon Brylawski, Donogh, José Feito, and Nathan Harrison
Traveling on from Flickerstone, the band meet Remy the Dancer, a fabulous roseate spoonbill, who joins them in their travels. As they pass by the imposing form of the Emeraldine Halls, seat of the Lynx Queen, Tal decides to stop in and catch up with their past. Barnaby meets a god of lost love, Gus barters with a clerk at the lost and found office, Remy leads the band on a merry dance through the labyrinth, Quoth is commissioned to write a complicated history, and Tal comes face to face with Princess Tabitha for the first time in a while.

Dungeons & Dragons: Eberron: The Glass Keys (Session 1)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris R., Jim Likes Games, Joe F, and Tim Leitner
We arrive in the city of Sharn and meet our team of inquisitives as they take down a sinister arcano-scientist aboard a wildly careening skyship.

Volley Boys!!: 'Time Out' (Session 1 of 2)
Donogh runs for Darin Rebertus, DeReel, and Sabine V.
Episode 1 - Practice vs Practice - in which our teammates work on a few routines for their next game; and then go to spy on their rivals across town! Episode 2 - Tea for Two - in which failing grades cause some trouble, and late night 'studying; and Dale & Sky go for boba tea.

Against the Vampire Conspiracy: Ties of Blood (Session 5 of 5)
Will H runs for Alun R., Donogh, Puckett, and Sabine V.
The video the Conspiracy didn't want you to see! Unredacted at last. The Operators hit their greatest challenge yet - the HMS Prosperine, home of EDOM's 'special biological assets' and where the Conspiracy is holding the AVH 'sources'. Can the team rescue Yelena's sister?

Voidheart Symphony: Forgotten Concerto (Session 4)
Lowell Francis runs for David S., Mendel Schmiedekamp, Patrick Knowles, and Sherri
The group tracks down a significant member of the Vassal's family, touching her with the power of the Void. After regrouping they decide to enter the Castle--splitting up in order to uncover more secrets.

Hearts of Wulin: Wedding of Shadow and Gold (Session 1)
Lowell Francis runs for Austin C., Chris Greenbriar, Mona, and Paul D.
We meet our wuxia heroes as the travel to a wedding atop a mountain, one which will end a war between two factions. But dark forces have another agenda, leading to a cliffside conflict.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Hearts of Wulin: Odyssey of Jade and Stars (Session 4 of 12)
David S. runs for Greg Fulford, José Feito, Max Airborne, and Steven S.
Our first story arc comes to a climactic end as the treacherous Mo Feng launches an all-out assault on the Heaven and Earth Temple. Nameless Blade takes the opportunity to infiltrate Mo Feng's camp and discovers a shocking secret of Violet Widow's, while Jiang and Song Tian engage in a little larceny themselves as they make a pass at the much-desired bronze vessel--only to find out that there is more to its contents than meets the eye. Meanwhile, Cloud Crow and Dongshan grow closer, even as Crow's master and would-be lover both turn against them.

Star Wars Saturday

Stars in the Dark (Session 24)
Anders runs for Marc Majcher and Rich Rogers
With a somewhat reduced crew we follow Etema on her shockboxing tour and Boko as he seeks her out to prepare for the next job. They also drop in on Tiri for a moderately wild night out on the town.

Gauntlet League Wrestling

World Wide Wrestling (Session 4)
Tyler Lominack runs for Chris Newton, Greg G., Sawyer Rankin, and Shane
The roster rubs elbows with fans at the Con. Lilith deals with trouble at home. Dr Retro and Jefferson end their feud with briefcases on poles, and a legend returns to the ring with the new Golden Boy.

World Wide Wrestling (Session 5 of 5)
Tyler Lominack runs for Brandon Brylawski, Chris Newton, Greg G., Lowell Francis, Sawyer Rankin, and Shane
The tour comes to an end. The Candy Man rides a sugar high. Retro and Santa Muerte put on a 5-star match of a lifetime. The Percolator challenges Lilith with Jefferson for the title and one last shot at the top. What does the future hold for our roster?

Gauntlet Reading Club

Monsterhearts: Every Heart a Doorway (Session 5)
Steven S. runs for David Morrison, Kae, Marleigh, and Sabine V.
The Gauntlet Reading Club continue our run of Avery Alder's Monsterhearts inspired by Seanan McGuire's Every Heart a Doorway with an important PSA: Just because the mushroom says "Eat Me" doesn't mean you should.

Where to Find More

You can see all these videos (plus all the ones that have come before) on The Gauntlet YouTube channel playlists, and be sure to subscribe to catch all our great podcasts!

If you'd like to catch these sessions in an audio-only podcast, check out the community-run Hangouts Podcast at http://gauntlet.hellomouth.net/.

If you'd like to play in games like these, check out the calendar of events and the Gauntlet Forums where games are announced, or catch one of our Gauntlet Community Open Gaming online mini-conventions.

To support The Gauntlet, please visit the Gauntlet Patreon. Everyone is welcome to sign up for Gauntlet Calendar games, but Patreon supporters get extra options like priority RSVP for Gauntlet Calendar games and joining the Gauntlet Slack team where special events and pickup games are announced.

Enjoy, and have a great weekend

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5/3/2022

Unpacking Voidheart Symphony

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THE DEPTHS OF THE VOID
Voidheart Symphony is not an easy game. That's not a bad thing, but it does mean that a few sessions into this quarterly series I'm still trying to get a feel for the game play. I've run a lot of Legacy, Free from the Yoke, and various related hacks. While Shattered City threw me a little, having the physical book in my hand has made me more confident that I could run it again successfully.

Voidheart isn't exactly a Legacy game. It draws inspiration from there but is very much its own beast, except for one detail. In Legacy you split between the family side and character side, each with their own set of moves. In Voidheart the split is between moves your character does in the real world and moves that your character does in the other world aka The Castle. There's an added wrinkle In Voidheart that each side has a different set of resolution mechanics.

Last session we hit a couple of stumbling blocks trying to figure out exactly where the PCs needed to go and how things worked. We also began to see the “death spiral” of PbtA present in this game. That's something you learn to manage in play, but we’re just starting so we aren’t sure. People failing and digging themselves in deeper in a not fun way. Part of why I wanted to sketch out how VS works is to list ways to heal and escape the abyss.

I want to try and unpack what's going on in Voidheart. That means figuring out what I need to know as a GM (aka Architect), what the players need to know, and what the stages of play are. This isn't written from an expert point of view. Instead it is by an experienced GM who has run three sessions of Voidheart so far, has read through the book thoroughly, and has worked with the character keeper. Take this with a grain of salt. it may well be that there's an emergent play that I haven't hit yet where all the gears and cogs hum and work together smoothly. I’m not there yet.

COSMOLOGY
Voidheart takes a lot of inspiration from Persona 5. It is not a Persona 5 simulator, but I in my reading it’s the most significant touchstone for play, even more so than say Persona 3 or Persona 4. The book cites other sources, like the amazing The Invisibles, but at heart Persona 5 shapes how the book translates for me. When I read it, that's the paradigm in the back of my mind for better or worse.

At the start of Voidheart the cosmology of the situation is unclear, especially for the players’ PoV. Some of that’s sketched, but there's a lot of not explicitly describe imaginative space. So we come in with questions of how the Castle-space works, how do others see it, and so on. In most pbta games that's a fruitful space where players collaborate to fill in. That holds true to an extent with Voidheart but not entirely. Some of what's happening isn't explicitly sketched out, but is implicit in the many moves. And that can be tough because there are so many moves: basic- broken into several categories, moves contingent on situations, playbook moves, hangout moves, and Covenant moves. Everything has multiple moves.

Here’s the vision I’ve come to– the structure I think players’ need to have in mind to approach play. It may not exactly be how Voidheart presents it, but it is workable for a shared understanding. One of the shortcomings of taking a Persona 5-based vision of this that key aspects of the video game aren’t present here. Things like a singular character with bonus powers, a mentor-explainer, slowly gathering members of the team and dealing with their individual trauma via the Castle, a bigger villain behind the scenes which only gets revealed at the end.

VASSALS AND CASTLES
So let's talk about the Vassal. Each is a figure who exists in the real world, the city. They have garnered some additional supernatural power. They use this power mostly unconsciously to cause harm in the real world. Exactly what has granted this power to them is unclear at the start. Each Vassal has a Shard, a unique segment within the Castle. Shards are mental constructions and represent Vassals’ their inner lives. It echoes who they are. This exist in an otherspace. The Vassal does not actually enter the shard or castle. While they are connected to the shard. the shard is not where they are. Instead the shard exists connected to a place of significance for the vassal. It is a magical, liminal space which the vassal cannot see. The PCs can enter the shard from that point of significance.

Within the Shard are spaces (rooms, locations, etc) that reveal things about who the vassal, their purpose, their fears and hopes, etc. . It is a subconscious presentation. Vassals have a independent thought form existing within the castle, an avatar. Depending on the shard’s themes the Vassal’s avatar move through, manage, or play out fetishes here. Enforcers exist within the shard. These can be simple shadow puppets as obstacles or monsters with a stronger existence, look, and personality. Generally Enforcers remain within the castle. But as a Vassal becomes aware of being stalked and pursued, the subconscious shard may bleed into the real world as a defensive measure. In this case enforcers may enter real world.

To get to the castle the players need to find that area of significance, and then locate the door. This is abstract. Once players arrive at the place, they can locate a passage without having to roll. They can define the entryway, and it should be a generally accessible place.

The idea is that in the real world players investigate the Vassal. They use info discovered to disrupt the Vassal’s actions a little in the real world. The games structure suggests that it is unlikely the PC can fully stop them in the real world. But by disrupting and learning about the Vassal, they gain an edge when they enter the shard to fight the Vassal. PCs also go into the castle to gain information, fight enforcers, and figure out how to get to the Vassal for the final confrontation. At a certain point the players should know where the vassal’s lair is in the shard and have enough that they feel confident taking on them on. If they beat the vassal in a final confrontation, there’s a check to see what results. It might give them a new conscience, force them to admit their crimes, or something else. It isn't about killing the the Vassal— it's about changing who they are by shattering this magical mind shard they’ve created to empower themselves.

Enforcers: These are monsters of significance within a Vassal’s shard. They exist within that as a monster or foe, but the Vassalss clock fills, then an enforcer can leave the shard and cause problems in the real world. It took us a bit to realize in play the enforcers operated in this context and weren't necessarily additional allies in the real world. It's spelled out later in the book but it wasn’t immediately clear.

STARTING THE CYCLE
Let's assume we're starting fresh and the characters have returned to the city, have defeated a vassal, and you've resolved all those details. At that point the group talks about what the next Shadow (aka Vassal) is. This requires a little bit of prep on the part of the GM (note: I’m going to use GM to refer to what is called the Architect in the game). They should have one or more ideas ready and then collaborate with the players based on a list of questions. The book has some examples– which is good. The way this process is first presented makes it looks like it's a purely collaborative thing. But I think the GM needs to have some concepts ready. Otherwise it is a big conceptual ask.

With the Vassal set, the phase begins with each player rolling The Grind. This is a check made against their worst gauge, so it is already a painful thing. Regardless of what is rolled– strong hit, weak hit, or miss– there's a crisis facing the character. They and the GM define it based on that specific gauge rolled. This crisis starts as quelled or imminent. Quelled means that it is been dealt with for the moment. However GM as a reaction they can move it back to imminent during play. That's supposed to show how the Vassal can steal your victories from you. But if the player is taken action to quell a crisis and then gets it pulled away, that feels not great. If a crisis has not been quelled at the end of the “mission,” then that crisis becomes a long-term problem. The player must either put a black mark or a tick in that gauge (GM option).

If a player misses on The Grind then the crisis is dire. There’s only one obscure way to remove the Dire tag (see later). If a dire problem is imminent at the end of the investigation, you take a black mark. Is that in addition to the black mark or tick from it being imminent? It's not clear. One issue here is also that it's very easy to forget that while the crisis is imminent, a player has lasting disadvantage against that gauge– making a real a pain in the ass.

It is really important to figure out how to deal with a crisis and how to clear text from gauges.

The next thing that happens is the GM sets a six-section clock on the investigation. They add a tick at the start of each day. but reactions can also add them. If the clock is filled, the Vassal moves to a new stage of awareness. The first stage is passive, meaning the vessel isn't aware of the rebels. The second state is alert, meaning that the vassal knows the rebels are out there, but probably doesn't know their identities. (Question here is how much this is subconscious vs conscious awareness?) The third state is hunting, meaning they likely know the identities and that a confrontation is coming. The heightening stages have consequences. At the start of each Alert day, players each mark a gauge. Each Hunting day they have to mark two different gauges. Pressure in the city is significant as marking gauges increase the failure chances on rolls.

Play operates in days. Days split into two actions. You can do two “everyday" actions or one “everyday” and one “rebel” action. Note that while everyday actions are marked as such, rebel actions aren’t explicitly labeled that way, though there are some examples given. Going into the shard itself is a rebel action as are the more directed investigative ones..

DEALING WITH EVERYDAY LIFE
Let’s start with the crises for you and/or your Covenant NPCs. The move for this is Wolf at the Door. This requires no roll but there's a cost: mark a condition, fade a covenant, or ask a PC for help and have them market a condition. It is simple but costly..

If you want to heal a condition you can Let Your Hair Down which is rolled against the Lack gauge. It has some significant upside: meet a new NPC, refresh a gauge (i.e. remove a tick), gain a minor Covenant. This feels like a good fallback unless your Lack gauge is really high. It also means you mark World which potentially gets you an advance.

The other fixing action is Let Go. This one has some fictional costs. You can choose to rest when other people are depending on you and lose a rank of World affinity, which means you also lose an advance. But you get to heal a condition. On the flip side you use your power and authority for someone else rather than for you. In this case you lose rank of Void and heal a condition. The latter’s a little odd and the book doesn't give an example of what that actually looks like.

The other option is to heal up via the Wrap Up end of session move where choices there can be used to heal condition or refresh a gauge. Some Hangout moves also heal things, but I’ll come back to that.

THE INVESTIGATION
The other side of the story, which pushes the conflict forward, is investigating the vassal. Some of this is about figuring out the vassals form, generally what they’re doing, and what their resources are. But the most important part of this process is to set up The Emperor's New Clothes move. This is the big finale roll you make after confronting and defeating the vassal. .

The elements of this move set up what you need to be working for in play. It’s a little buried in the Castle moves section and easy to overlook. You want to make as many of these things true as possible:

You confronted the vassal in person in the city.
You've uncovered the full details of what they're planning.
You've met people the vassal holds dear.
You've defeated at least one of their enforcers.
Your mundane self has suffered at their orders.
There's organized resistance to the vassal among the city's people.

One of those six can usually only be done within the castle, defeating an enforcer. Another one, uncovering details, can be Castle or City. But the other four are things that you need to do in the City. So players need to have these goals clearly in mind when they're proceeding.

The most basic investigation move is a the universal move: Take a Risk. When you do something risky which isn't covered by another move, you do it and the GM says what consequences occur. So if you're doing something which doesn’t exactly fall under one of the others you can come back here.

The next move is one that should be kept as a fallback in almost every circumstance. If you don't know exactly what your character wants to do or should be doing then Read the Wind. Why? Because there are no costs and it or downsides to this move. Essentially you get to narrate something in the city and then ask the architect to add a detail to it: a new way your target is hurting people, an unexpected meeting with an NPC, or a sense of the overall mood of the city. The move isn't fully directed, but it is an opportunity to find things out. Most importantly it gives you fleeting Advantage when you follow up on that. As the book says this is the move to do “…if you want the architect to give you leads to follow up on on.”

Now as for actual investigate or “find out” moves there's only one really directed to that and a couple of others that tangentially fit. The clearest one is Rebel Eyes: when you spend time looking for information, say what you're trying to find out and check against Heat. The questions are open on this one; it seems like you can find out anything. Except that's not really true, as written on a hit you'll have a clearer idea of how to get the information, the architect gives you one or two costs. I’m not sure if the point here is to add more narrative or if we need to go to another move, but it does mean a potential roadbump whenever you use this. It makes a really key feature costly and doesn’t offer a great sense of the scope.

This move has a couple of other issues. First it checks against one particular gauge, Heat. So some players can be have a really hard time with what is a key action. Second, the weak hit has someone in the scene uncover something about you. That’s in addition to other costs– and it might be an NPC, but it might be the Vasal or a Vassal’s agent. Regardless I would use this as the standard “I want to find something out move,” and keep any costs modest. I’d also usually allow a Miss to gain information but with a limitation, cost, or consequence.

The next most likely move for finding things out is Connect. This move assumes there’s an already established NPC or maybe a generic figure like a security guard. When you try to connect with them, you can roll on one of three gauges depending on how your approach. Players found the description of those approaches a little wonky. But on a hit “they'll give you a chance to make your case" now I assume that's a fictional description rather than the player now having to follow up in the fiction. It feels like to use Connect as a source of information you need to have already know the shape of what you're investigating.

A few other City moves could be used to gather information in the right context. You could use Make a Stand to get someone to pay attention to you. This might be used where you have have failed with Connect or you're starting with a hostile person. But it seems like a more aggressive action-oriented move rather than an information gathering one. The next move is Pass Beneath Notice which on a hit allows you long enough to get what you wanted. I assume you would use this to access a secured source of information. The last one is Vent which is when you vent out the Void’s power within you, you choose an effect. One of those is “perceive something you couldn't otherwise sense.” This move has some downside in backlashes, but these don't involve marking conditions or a gauge. Instead they're weird side effects. So from maximizing point of view it's a good go to move.

So the other tools PCs have are their Covenant moves. Some of these can provide information via doing a Hangout with them (The Fool, The Sage, The Hermit, Justice, The Sun). Others offer information as a standard City move (The Oracle, The Lovers, The Star, Judgment). A few of Covenant city moves offer an assist to the information-gathering moves (The Hermit, The Vagabond, The Moon).

SO WHAT ABOUT THE CASTLE?
To the other side of this is that the characters will venture into the Castle and the particular Shard of the vassal. The question is why? What do you gain by going into the castle, either together or by yourself, before you're ready to directly confront the vassa1? I will say that the game isn't particularly explicit or obvious about what your characters are doing there.

So let's look at the moves here. The most basic is Dive Into Darkness. This is basically the transitional move to enter the otherspace. Depending on how you roll, you'll arrive in a better or worse position. The exploration move is Travel the Labyrinth. It has two sides. On the one hand there's Exploration. This allows you to reach a place that reveals a hidden truth about the vassal. So that answers one of the requirements of The Emperor’s New Clothes. but in general this move also has some down side even on a hit.

But if you're going somewhere specific then the goal seems to getting to a location, rather than an information action. The book has four examples: The Shard’s Heart, which seems to be where you go to fight the vassal; an enforcer’s lair, which I assume would be to battle and defeat a particular enforcer; a landmark, which isn't particularly clear, but I assumed in the fiction could be a place that could reveal something about the Vassal. But there’s also The Exit which suggests that to get out at the end of whatever you're doing, you have to make a roll to leave.

It seems like the Castle has very limited utility and some high risks. You want to go in there once to find out hidden truths and maybe another time to fight the enforcer to get those benefits for The Emperor's New Clothes The rest of the castle moves seem to be about exploring and gaining Advantage when you're doing the exploring or when you're fighting the vassal at the end.

Most of the Castle Covenant moves center on helping out or providing advantage while you're there. Only one of them, The Gardener, seems to be about providing information. the rest are very much set up during exploration, action and fighting the vassal.

RESTORATION AND HEALING UP
This is the other big question: how you repair your character? I mentioned up above the basic moves that work help in part with that. Check In lets you heal a condition or intensify a Covenant. Let your Hair Down just heals a condition. Let Go heels a condition potentially but at the cost of an advance. Within the Castle itself there is only Find Shelter which allows you to heal another Rebel’s condition or intensify their crew Covenant. It also allows you to use your Playbook’s shelter move. The only other basic move that seems to offer some healing is the Stand with Me Castle move which lets you heal a condition on a 10 plus.

Please note that in this I'm not going through all of the Playbook moves. I'm assuming players will have a handle on that, and if they’re taking a move from another Playbook they can find which moves fall into these categories..

What’s really important is which Covenant moves offer some kind of healing

The Fool: The Hangout move can heal a condition
The Magician: The City move here can quell a crisis oh, but it can also remove the Dire state from a crisis. This seems to be the only way to remove the dire tag.
The Oracle: The Hangout move allows you to heal a condition
The Gardener: This one is a little odd in that it allows you to refresh another Rebel’s gauges when you check in with them, but there's a significant cost: either you have to tick one of your gauges or you take disadvantage the next time that person is hurt.
The Auteur: The Hangout move can refresh infamy or Lack, stacked with other effects. The City move can remove a tick from Fealty.
The Lovers: The Castle move allows you to heal another condition when you mark a condition.
The Chariot: The Hangout move allows you to heal a condition.
Strength: The Hangout move is a not-as-good version of healing a condition in that it doesn't heal it but it mitigates the next miss you make with a roll affected by that condition.
The Wheel of Fortune: The City move gives you fleeting advantage on Let Your Hair Down.
Death: The Castle move has a weird ability to remove a Blood-related crisis by inflicting a condition on someone
Temperance: The Hangout move allows you to move a tick from a stress gauge with the most ticks to the one with the least.
The Devil: The Hangout move allows you to heal a condition.
The Tower: The Hangout move allows you to heal someone else's condition. The City move allows you to once per investigation fully refresh a gauge when you max out that gauge.
The Moon: The Hangout move allows you to swap one condition for another.

FINAL NOTE
I hope this doesn't come off as too negative-- because I'm really excited and hopeful about this game. I spent all this time looking through and putting this together because I'm super excited about the game. But we ended up with questions after the last session, so I wanted to make things clearer for all of us. We have another nine sessions and want to make it smoother and easier for the players.

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The Gauntlet Blog

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 27, 2022

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 20, 2022

Entanglements

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 13, 2022

200 Dune-ish Names

Gauntlet Video Roundup - May 6, 2022

Unpacking Voidheart Symphony

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