![[Gauntlet Calendar: Online Tabletop RPG Play]](/uploads/7/7/8/1/77811662/gauntlet-calendar-square-172x172_orig.jpg) 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. Star Wars Saturday
Plutonian Shore (Session 9) Rich Rogers runs for Bethany H., Keith Stetson, and Mark (they/them) The crew of the Beldon Mite take a New Republic supply run and smuggle their cargo into a viper's nest! HyperspaceD6 (Session 4) Rich Rogers runs for Greg Fulford, Sabine V., and Will H Caught at a party, the New Republic team steal the guest of honor, and try to nab a cloaked ship to boot! Gauntlet Quarterly The Yellow King RPG (Session 4 of 12) Shane runs for Brandon Brylawski, Nicholas Timperio, and Puckett Ada Wharton Has Gone To Sea - Our first session in the game's second setting sees a new set of characters: military police investigating mysterious prison escapes near the front lines of an impossible war. Gauntlet Calendar Fall of Magic (Session 1 of 2) Mike Ferdinando facilitates for Adam Oh, Dr. Jason Cox, and Nathan Harrison Magic is dying and the Magus is dying with it. Caspian, Golem of Ravenhall; Ellamura, Swinherd of Barley Town; Justice, Fugitive of Stormguard; and Vigo, merchant of Istallia accompany the Magus on a journey to the land of Umbra, where magic was born. The Between: Questions and Opportunities Part Two (Session 3 of 8) Shane runs for Blake Ryan, Gabe McCormick, and Jamila R. Nedjadi Theodora Braithewaite's balls are so infamous Queen Victoria herself has tried to stamp them out. Tonight, the hunters are invited. Monster of the Week: Stuttgart 1970 (Session 4 of 4) Blake Ryan runs for Clint Smith, Joe A., and Simon Hibbs Rats in the van, Snakes in the restaurant! Good Society: Peaks and Peccadillos (Session 5) David Morrison runs for Anders, David Morrison, David Schultz, and Kieron Eva confides her brother's secrets to the Reverend, Isaac makes a modest proposal, and Nathaniel and Abigail have a stormy meeting on the moors. Rebel Crown: Oak (Session 8) Jesse A. runs for Alexi S., Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Josh H In which a wraith bends the knee to Queen Siobhan, and we telescope forward in time. Masks: Days of Shadows Past (Session 3) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Francisco Olivera, Kae, and Thomas Manuel With the group split everyone tries to figure out their place in the superhero world, but team leader Jasmine Knight pushes her limit and faces the world-breaking villain, Aftermath, alone. They Came To Play Ball! Shane runs for Adam Oh, Sabine V., and Will H Humanity ventured into space, slowly finding it was alone in the universe... Until they came from behind physics, and THEY CAME TO PLAY BALL. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Session 6) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Danielle B., and Fraser Simons House Anthier faces down House Perakos and tries to build bridges between them, but new revelations about the Emperor's purpose may throw everything into chaos. Hearts of Wulin: Numberless Secrets (Session 8 of 8) Lowell Francis runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack Our detectives try to draw themselves back together after the combat and emotional turmoil of the previous session. They begin to shift through the clues, uncovering some new facts about the murder. But the final solution is unexpected and another victim will lie dead before the end. Godbound: Pillars of Heaven (Session 4) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack Our heroes arrive in the watery city of Bashala and encounter questionable crystal masks and suspicious cats. With academic credentials in hand, they head for the Assassins Library and the promise of a grand ball. Ex-Capes (Issue #02) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla The Ex-Capes see some Action! as they investigate the best way to take down their first Threat: the Contender! And they get a preview of the next Threat on the horizon, the rogue intelligent supercar called Coupe de Grace! Ex-Capes (Issue #03) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla The Ex-Capes go into Action! to pursue the Opportunity to take down The Contender! And another threat looms: Synergy, former genetically engineered teen super-team who haven't fared so well as adults. Rebel Crown: Oak (Session 9 of 9) Jesse A. runs for Alexi S., Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Josh H In which the usurper is confronted and the future of Dol determined. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Session 7 of 7) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Danielle B., and Harry Coins The threat from House Zirrat manifests as the murder of a guest leads to House Anthier fighting back to back with House Perakos against a siege which may destroy everything and everyone. The Between: Questions and Opportunities Part Two (Session 4 of 8) Shane runs for Blake Ryan, Joel N., and Kyle H. A special guest star helps the hunters track down the Coven on the brink of apocalypse. Meanwhile, the mastermind keeps busy with plans for an apocalypse of her own. Anyone Can Wear the Mask John Glass facilitates for Lloyd and Seán M. The hero Foresight has to save Metro City from a diabolical villain, but nothing is really as it seems. 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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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. Star Wars Saturday
Plutonian Shore (Session 8) Rich Rogers runs for Bethany H., Greg G., Keith Stetson, and Mark (they/them) The crew of the Beldon Mite returns to the mining colony of Prak to free them from the threat of Keyis Raiders! HyperspaceD6: July (Session 3) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Greg Fulford, and Will H Lt. Trazzik's team is sent on a...Mission to Lianna where they attend a club, sneak into some corporate HQ for industrial espionage, then escape...to the Santhe Mansion! Gauntlet Quarterly The Yellow King RPG (Session 3 of 12) Shane runs for Brandon Brylawski, Matthew Arcilla, and Nicholas Timperio Cassilda's Song - After Ada vanishes from the Cabaret de Neant, the other students face an array of horrors and opportunities as they try to figure out what is happening to the city around them. Gauntlet Calendar Monster of the Week: 1970 Stuttgart (Session 3 of 4) Blake Ryan runs for Clint Smith, Joe A., Mendel Schmiedekamp, and Simon Good Society: Peaks and Peccadillos (Session 4) David Morrison facilitates for Anders, David Schultz, Kieron, and Robbie Boerth Lady Abigail has a hear-to-heart with Isaac about her future, marriage, and her desire for revenge. At Gracefield House news arrives of a substantial inheritance for Nathaniel, while Eva has difficulties in securing a dowry. Meanwhile rumours begin to spread about the time Isaac and Lempster have been spending together following the brawl. And news from the continent reveals Abigail's father may be close at hand... Masks: Days of Shadows Past (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Dr. Jason Cox, Francisco Olivera, Kae, and Thomas Manuel We get insight into the home lives of the team before they execute a super jailbreak which leads to confessions, revelations, and anger. A Duet of Steel Donogh runs for Sabine V. Valen Tatec and Stinag, two rival Bounty Hunters strive to prove that they are the best (or second best) around, as a Galaxy Far Far Away descends into Imperial control. Paranormal Minstrels Mike Ferdinando runs for Adam Oh, Elizabeth M. H., and Michael Pelletier Three Victorian ghost-hunters use the power of music to calm the frightened spirit contained in a sacred artifact looted by an oblivious Imperialist. [Note: This video is an audio track with a title card.] Psi*Run (Session 2 of 2) Donogh runs for Mark, Sabine V., and Will H Fable, Boots & Ci are still on the run. They catch a train and bring the tunnel down behind them, but realise that Fable has been caught! A strange conversation with a Rook leads them to a rescue attempt, a confrontation in a graveyard and eventually to The Farm... Godbound: Pillars of Heaven (Session 3) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack Though they rescue the girl, the Godbound begin to understand the scale of their foe as they face a Parasite God with courage and a cursed hookah. The Between (Session 3 of 8) Alun R. runs for Blake Ryan, David Morrison, and Leandro Pondoc The American, 'Razor' Rose, and the Factotum, Chambers, continue the investigation of 18 St James' Street under different pretexts, while Dr Weiss, the Mother, make a friend in Whitechapel. Then...there's straight razors in the moonlight, a body stuffed with bibles, and a flock of ravens behaving far from naturally. But not all of that's in the video because of a recording issue... 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! 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. Star Wars Saturday
Golgotha (Session 2) Rich Rogers runs for Jeremy Mahr, Josh H, and Steven Watkins Our scavengers reach the ancient AI of the War Hive, but will the War Drone protecting it stop them? HyperspaceD6 July (Session 2) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Greg Fulford, Sabine V., and Will H The crew of the (checks notes) Screaming Sunspark play some shockball, then head out on a mission against Rycar Ryjerd and his raiders. And we have the return of....LADY MORA VADER?!?!?!?! Gauntlet Calendar The King In Yellow RPG (Session 2 of 12) Shane runs for Brandon Brylawski, Matthew Arcilla, Nicholas Timperio, and Puckett Worlds Without Doors - The art students encounter an escalating series of gruesome and impossible events as they hear more about a mysterious play circulating through Paris. Masks: Days of Shadows Past (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Dr. Jason Cox, Francisco Olivera, Kae, and Thomas Manuel Our team finds themselves in a battle, but not the one they expected leading to hard choices, loss of control, and team turmoil. Sunset Kills Donogh runs for Adam Oh, Horst Wurst, Seán M., and Will H The Frankins' family business is monster hunting, but this time someone from their past comes back, threatening everything. Moira, the matriarch has raised a previous Chosen, Stone from the dead. The current Chosen Alva struggles with her destiny - just as her husband Sidney does with just about everything the Franklins consider normal... Psi*Run (Session 1 of 2) Donogh runs for Mark, Sabine V., and Will H Fable, Boots & Ci tumble out of a crashed truck, and are immediately chased by a mysterious motorcycle gang. They are picked up by a small punk rock band and slowly find their feet at a gig in Dallas, Arkansas. They return to the Meat Packing Plant where they uncover clues to their origins, but also lead to a direct confrontation with those who abducted and experimented on them... Ex-Capes (Issue 01) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla This is a playtest of my reskin of The Between RPG. It's a look at the lives of former heroes who keep getting dragged back into the life they thought they left behind. In our first full issue/episode, we start to learn about the PCs, they take action against their first Threat, and we go over the structure and rules for the other phases of the game. The Between (Session 2 of 4) Alun R. runs for Blake Ryan, David Morrison, Leandro Pondoc, and Oli Jeffery We learn something of London by night when 'Razor' Rose, the American, reveals her penchant for raw meat and Chambers, the Factotum, meets one of their 'Informals'. Meanwhile, Dr Weiss, the Mother, visits St James' Street where Annie Morrish, the Vessel, becomes convinced that she knows which part of the house the haunting is focussed on. There's a boxing librarian, a new 'maid-of-all-work', and a mysterious embossed envelope...then, blood on the floor and a ritual revealing past crimes while Scotland Yard comes calling and Bethlem Hospital beckons... Godbound: Pillars of Heaven (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack The Godbound pursue a missing girl, uncover secrets of a potent figure controlling two cities, and bust an academic out of prison. Rebel Crown: Oak (Session 6) Jesse A. runs for Alexi S., Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Josh H In which the retinue storms a castle. Rebel Crown: Oak (Session 7) Jesse A. runs for Alexi S., Jason Zanes, Jex Thomas, and Josh H In which Arkina falls in love, Sir Cevyn confronts Vendyn and Lady Siobhan must make some choices. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Session 5) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Danielle B., Fraser Simons, and Harry Coins Our protagonists return to the capital to report and find themselves called out for their choices. But the arrival of a rival Duke's entourage throws everything into turmoil. The Between: Questions and Opportunities Part Two (Session 2 of 8) Shane runs for Blake Ryan, Gabe McCormick, and Joel N. Still battered from a vampire's attack on their home, the hunters learn of a new threat they must face - a family of cannibalistic pie-makers. 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! 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. Star Wars Saturday
Golgotha (Session 1) Rich Rogers runs for Jeremy Mahr, Josh H, and Steven Watkins The Scavenger crew head into the War Hive in search of the crystalline mind that once controlled it eons ago. HyperspaceD6 (Session 1) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Greg Fulford, Sabine V., and Will H On the Imperial infested world of Belsmuth II, our heroes find a Republic spy and help her retrieve her stolen plans. Gauntlet Calendar The Final Girl: "The Mary Kay Killer" Mike Ferdinando runs for Chuck, Clint Smith, and Harry Coins CHILL-TV - 11:00 PM - "The Mary Kay Killer" (1993 - horror -TV-MA) The mysterious cosmetics saleswoman Bunny Blonde terrorizes the gated community of Magnolia Groves. "Don't blush!!" Good Society: Peaks and Peccadillos (Session 3) David Morrison runs for Anders, David Morrison, David Schultz, Kieron, and Robbie Boerth Edgar Gracefield holds a poetry reading at Gracefield House, which puts an extra burden onto Eva's already full shoulders, while Nathaniel tries to keep the peace. Lady Abigail is overcome by the poetry reading, but more so by a shocking discovery. And Isaac's encounter with an old schoolmate leads to a brawl between Lempster and Lord Davenport over him. The Yellow King RPG: Not Upon Us, Oh King (Session 1 of 12) Shane runs for Brandon Brylawski, Matthew Arcilla, Nicholas Timperio, and Puckett Four American art students in 1890s Paris interrupt their drinking just long enough to look into some mysterious events and aid a poor unfortunate who has fallen on hard times. Silver Sorcerer: Making a Scene in South Beach (Session 3 of 4) Robbie Boerth runs for Greg Fulford, Nicholas Timperio, and Steven S. Zip's real estate transaction turns out to be much more ominous than meets the eye, but he's bound and determined to make the demon called Kontrakt his own. And Jackson discovers that his partner's new business venture is (unbeknownst to him) being used as a front for drug trafficking. Silver Sorcerer: Making a Scene in South Beach (Session 4 of 4) Robbie Boerth runs for Greg Fulford, Nicholas Timperio, and Steven S. Zip manages to get the demon Kontrakt to rebel against his former master, and Zip immediately binds Kontrakt to himself. But his associates Jackson and Taylor are concerned that Zip has been possessed, and they conduct a ritual to banish Kontrakt back to the abyss. This final session of our run of Sorcerer is filled with hijinks and deliciously wry humor. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Session 3) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Danielle B., and Fraser Simons The agents of House Anthier find themselves the target of an attack by a new force and begin to plan how to enact change on the city. Masks: Days of Shadows Past (Session Zero) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Dr. Jason Cox, Francisco Olivera, Kae, and Thomas Manuel We learn about our heroes and discover the shadows that hang over this world: government crackdowns, a shattered moon, and two villainous parents. Ironsworn: Ironsworn + Delve (Session 3 of 4) Dan Brown facilitates for Blake Ryan, Joel N., and Josh H Our adventurers confront rival treasure hunters. Emerging victorious but injured, they press on to find the shipwreck, uncovering valuable information about old world healing methods. But to beat back the kraken that seeks to pull them under, they activate the mysterious metal pillars, triggering violent weather across the land. Ironsworn: Ironsworn + Delve (Session 4 of 4) Dan Brown facilitates for Bethany H., Blake Ryan, and Joel N. On their journey back, the haggard adventurers encounter the Varoun, a wolf-like humanoid species. They aid one of these sworn enemies of humanity, but in their haste to retreat lose one of their number as a figure from the distant past re-emerges. Ex-Capes (Issue Zero) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla Here is the 'Zero Issue' campaign construction, character generation, and rules/concept overview for my reskin of The Between featuring retired superheroes who keep getting dragged back into Cape Life. The Between (Session 1 of 4) Alun R. runs for Blake Ryan, David Morrison, Leandro Pondoc, and Oli Jeffery We meet 'Razor' Rose Roberst, the American who has only been in London for a month or so; Annie Morrish, the Vessel who made contact with dark entities while still in the womb; Dr Victor Weiss, the Mother, and his servant and Factotum, Chambers. While Dr Weiss is busy the other hunters investigate reports of a haunting. There's an overworked cook in search of help, a deception to gain entry, blood...and carnations. Then...strangulation, visions of other places and other times and...a very sinister boy child... Godbound: Pillars of Heaven (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Dan Brown, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack We begin to learn of our broken world and our new heroes face the threat of an empire looking to seize the means of magic. Dune: Adventures in the Imperium (Session 4) Lowell Francis runs for Brandon Brylawski, Danielle B., Fraser Simons, and Harry Coins The House finally moves against their enemies in Clan Heyda and one member of the group has a deadly showdown with a familial enemy. The Between: Questions and Opportunities Part Two (Session 1 of 8) Shane runs for Gabe McCormick, Jamila R. Nedjadi, and Joel N. Terrors and temptations as a vampire stalks the immigrant communities of Limehouse. Candlelight: The Gloaming Mire Mike Ferdinando runs for Elizabeth M. H., Jim Likes Games, and Leah Libresco Sargeant The spirits of three slain treasure-hunters seek to escape the haunted swamp after their ill-fated attempt to plunder the legendary Flocculent Cathedral. 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!  By Dan Brown (@brownorama) • https://CosmicBeagle.itch.io Backing Agon on Kickstarter was a no-brainer. The genre -- ancient Greek heroes -- is appealing to me and the group I usually play with. But also, it’s a John Harper game. Harper has a long pedigree before Blades in the Dark, but it was that game that really defined his place in the independent RPG scene. He’s a triple threat -- game design, layout, and illustrations -- and the initial materials for Agon showed the same level of quality and thought. The final book did not disappoint. My first impression of Agon, besides the overall visual aesthetic, was that it was vastly different from Blades in the Dark. Where Blades has a lot of mechanical complexity, Agon appears streamlined. Where Blades has a robust fantasy setting, Agon relies on existing mythology. Blades’ familiar task resolution mechanic is nowhere to be found in Agon, which instead employs a unique vignette-style approach. At the same time, there are some elements in common between the games. Both use a dice pool and both incorporate a repeatable structure to the game play. Like many games that introduce a new system, Agon is the foundation for a whole collection of games. Dubbed “the Paragon system,” the publisher opened the door for designing new “playsets” -- that is, games built using the same system. In any other setting you might call these skins. The underlying mechanics of a Paragon playset stay the same. Each playset documents its genre-specific equivalents to the elements of the Agon system. With few exceptions, the playsets -- in particular those released by Harper and his co-author Sean Nittner -- offer very light documentation, relying heavily on the Agon book. For my two-month run on the Gauntlet, I ran a different playset every two weeks, scheduling four different flavors of Paragon over May and June. It was perhaps a little ambitious, but I was really interested in experiencing the flexibility of the system. If you’re thinking about running a Paragon game, this article offers a few words of warning. It is, however, largely a celebration of Paragon. I had tremendous fun running this game in all its guises. One of its most distinctive and enjoyable features is the use of vignettes to structure the game. While vignette-style play may not be new or unique to Paragon, it is the system where I learned it first and fell in love with it. So, that is where we will start.  Contests and Episodes Every scene in a Paragon game is a contest. String five or so contests together and you have an “island” -- a single, self-contained story arc. In the Agon setting, your group of Greek mythic heroes embarks on an odyssey and find themselves dealing with challenges on a series of islands. Each island is more or less an episode (or string of episodes). Other playsets make use of this structure, too. Chamber (the X-Files-flavored Paragon) and Storm Furies (space battles) both use missions as the episodic unit of measure. Agon’s book provides a set of 12 different islands, each episode summarized in three pages. The descriptive elements are short, and while there’s an outline of the key scenes and there’s some text offered for flavor, the onus is on the GM to improvise much of the setting. The key scenes include an arrival, a series of challenges, and then a final battle. Each scene is resolved with a single die roll. That is, after the GM determines the difficulty level, the players each roll a pool of dice to see if they’re successful or not. The results drive how the scene resolves. And then we move on to the next scene. Compared to most other tabletop roleplaying games, this scene-by-scene approach can feel a little weird. At the same time, this structure aligns with stories we see in media: tightly crafted scenes that come together into an episode. The connective tissue between scenes is hidden away, largely irrelevant or uninteresting to the viewers. Even though it’s unusual for a roleplaying game, it’s not entirely unfamiliar. Because this structure is well understood, it isn’t difficult to make the transition. Because my style of facilitating games involves lots of improvisation, I love working with the players at the table to establish a scene and place their characters in it. We freeze time momentarily to determine the outcomes of the dice rolls, but then resume our narration of the scene. Depending on the number of players and how much you elaborate, an entire contest from beginning to end is about 20-30 minutes of game play. Because the table isn’t resolving every impactful micro-action via roll, the GM can maintain control of the game’s velocity. In Surge Protectors, one of the playsets created by Nittner and Harper, the players play giant transforming robots in the vein of the 1980s cartoon. The genre is perfect for this structure of play, where the robots simply go from one fight to the next. At the same time, this playset suggests that each episode should focus on taking down one of the major “bad guy” robots, who are determined to wreak havoc on Earth. In Paragon, adversaries both large and small are defined by sets of dice.  Adversaries Adversaries in the Paragon system -- any character or environmental challenge that the characters might engage in a contest -- are represented by two or more dice. To determine the difficult level of a contest, the GM rolls these dice, taking the highest value and adding the strife level. Strife level is 4, 5, or 6 -- an essentially arbitrary number defining how bad things are. Agon suggests that the dice assigned to an adversary reflect different aspects of it. The king’s royal guard captain, for example, may have trained (d10) and loyal (d8). On the surface, this gives the GM a nice way of representing the scale of different threats. On the other hand, there isn’t any guidance for GMs on how to assign dice to these descriptors. The Agon book offers numerous examples, but the assignments are at the discretion of the GM. Ultimately, the dice produce a result somewhere in the 9 to 15 range, which makes me wonder why the GM doesn’t just pick one of these values. Perhaps there’s something exciting about rolling for difficulty. Some mechanics allow the GM to add another die to their pool, representing some disadvantage faced by the characters, or some ill-tempered god. In the play set that I designed -- Rising Tide, about ecoactivists seeking climate justice in a post-collapse world -- players have the option of letting the GM add a die to their pool. This die represents the character’s flaw or complication. In exchange, the character gets some bonus experience points. In play this worked really well, because it allowed players to activate their characters flaws in the fiction. Earlier I mentioned that the Agon core book describes each island in 3 pages. The island and contest descriptions are evocative, but sparse, and depend on the table elaborating the setting and environment, the adversaries and NPCs, and the actions of the characters. The playsets for Paragon -- Chamber, Storm Furies, and Surge Protectors specifically -- offer even less guidance. Ultimately, the Paragon system tests the ability of the GM to draw fiction out of the players around the table. Using just the text on the pages would make for short sessions and make the game seem very mechanical. Paragon depends a lot on improvisation and collaborative storytelling, perhaps even more than a run-of-the-mill Powered by the Apocalypse game. Even though PbtA games don’t have much in the way of setting or adversary descriptions, the moves provide leverage for improvisation. In PbtA games, however, the dice rolls resolve the narrative at the action level. In Paragon, the dice rolls resolve the action at the scene level. Scene Resolution The limited detail in the island descriptions and on the character sheets can make it difficult to get the improvisation engine going. Unfortunately the dice rolls don’t offer much help. Instead of rolls providing useful levers to provoke improvisation, the dice rolls simply indicate whether a character beats a difficulty score or not. I described the results of the dice pool as success vs. not success, but this isn’t quite right. The Agon book describes rolling under the difficulty number as “suffering.” I’ve interpreted this to mean that the character “fails forward” or “succeeds with a cost” to use the parlance of collaborative storytelling games. Some contests have mechanical consequences, forcing characters to mark off Pathos (stress) or lose some other currency. The rules are not clear on how much discretion the GM has in doling out these penalties. Personally, I avoid them as the players are afforded minimal opportunities to affect their dice pool as it is. Taking these away from them limits what little control they do have. Building the dice pool is really the main mechanical thing players need to do. The characters get certain dice based on three key elements of the character sheet. In Agon, these are the character’s Name, their Epithet, and the Domain. If the Epithet isn’t relevant to the character’s action, they do not include that die. The GM determines the Domain. With the first set of dice out of the way, the player has some choices to make, largely whether they are spending currency (in Agon these are divine favors or bonds with other characters) or marking tracks (usually Pathos) to add more dice. As many times as I’ve walked players through this process, it always strikes me as a little disjointed. Even players who have been through the process several times struggle to remember it. It’s quirky. Some currencies you spend and some you mark off. One currency adds d4s and one adds other dice. The lack of parallel internal structures means determining the contents of the pool isn’t straightforward. And yet despite all the machinations in the procedure, the player’s dice pool usually ends up with the same 4-6 dice. Early in the campaign these are mostly d6s with a d8 or two and a d4. Because of this, it can sometimes feel like the players’ choices -- really the only ones they can make mechanically -- don’t have a lot of bearing on the outcome. The result of the d4 gets added to the total of the highest two dice. That d4 can make all the difference. Since you’re trying to beat a score of around 10-12 , it’s difficult to get to that on two dice, even if one of them is a d8. That d4 pushes you over the edge. In Agon it represents divine favor, and it fits nicely. That last little bit of success you owe to some higher power (or luck, if you prefer).  Competition and Advancement One aspect new players note right away is that there is a competitive element. In resolving a contest, the player who roles highest is considered the ultimate winner. They literally get all the Glory -- the points distributed at the end of contests. If the roll isn’t the highest but still exceeds the difficulty, they get half the Glory. Even if the character suffers, they get one Glory. There’s still some reward for emerging from the contest, even if you didn’t win. Glory is one of two experience tracks. As characters complete contests, they earn Glory. As characters suffer Pathos, they also earn Fate. As they earn Glory, the characters start their dice pool with better dice. As they earn Fate, they grow ever closer to “retirement.” I like that these two concepts are disconnected from each other, but neither is particularly relevant for short games. Players need to earn 80 Glory before they can increase their name die to a d8. Since they only accumulate Glory at about 10-15 points per contest, it takes at least two islands before getting there. Earning Fate happens a lot faster, and designated spaces on the Fate track trigger an advance. Since most one-shots won’t get players past one advance, I’ve started suggesting that characters take an advance at the start of the game and, if necessary, between missions. The player who rolls best gets some other advantages in different kinds of contests. During the series of rolls constituting the final battle, the player who rolls best can set the stakes for the adversary or earn an advantage die for a later roll. The other main benefit in regular contests is that the player who rolls highest narrates last. The rationale for this should be clear: If we’re watching a show about Greek heroes, we save the most dramatic action for last. This competitive aspect is discouraging, especially if your players are used to intensely collaborative fiction. In fact, I didn’t even include this part in the game I ran with my home group, knowing full well that the uneven distribution of Glory would make people dislike the game. On the other hand, I used it when running games on the Gauntlet and it was virtually a non-issue. I even ran Surge Protectors (the Transformers playset) with my kids’ group and they barely noticed. I mean, when you get to play giant transforming robots, everybody wins. The ranked outcomes of the dice rolls gives the narration a structure, which is a welcome change from other roleplaying game systems. Consider most tables, where the GM is responsible for ensuring everyone has equal time in the spotlight. For me as a GM this is one of the most stressful parts of the job: I want everyone to have the same screen time. In the Paragon system, we are compelled to go around the table to describe the outcome of the scene. We even know what order to go in. Characters Helping Characters All this talk of competition might make you wonder whether characters should help each other. It’s a good time to point out that the characters aren’t really competing with each other: their goals are driven by the fiction and they generally have the same goals. (Some of my games involved some interesting tension between the characters, but they were largely supporting each other.) I suppose in the fiction the “winner” of the roll is the one whose actions are most notable, who people will be talking about the next day. Because of this ambiguity, I’ve heard that some players aren’t sure whether to help each other or not. That is, the competition of the mechanics worms its way into the fiction. This makes sense: why bother helping someone if all your reward is minimal? The Paragon system has a mechanism for characters to help each other. A player can opt out of the contest and instead give their Domain die to another character in exchange for a point of Glory and a Bond. I dunno. I may be missing something but this doesn’t seem like a fair trade. Perhaps this strategy makes sense if you think you cannot beat the difficulty number with the resources you have available. On the other hand, having such a mechanic in vignette-style play doesn’t make sense to me. Everyone is playing a role in the scene. A character’s role might be supportive, but they are still participating in the contest in their own way. Some of the most creative storytelling my groups have done involve the characters coming at the problem from different angles and relying on each other in different ways. In short, after trying the support mechanic twice I decided to instead encourage players to find creative ways to participate in the contest. Hanging back? Creating a distraction? Opening an opportunity for another? That’s still participating in the contest. Let’s roll to see how you do.  A Love Letter to Paragon
And this is the main impression I want to leave with you. Despite the quirky design choices, Paragon draws the table in. Everyone has a stake in every scene. Everyone has a role to play in dealing with the contest. From the first contest on a new island or new mission, or the building climax of the final battle, everyone has a chance to elaborate and embellish the narrative. Those mechanical quirks are some of the same things that make this game engaging and enjoyable: they draw the entire table in. More than anything else, this is my goal as a GM, to ensure that everyone is fully present even when they’re not speaking. Some tips to help you GM Paragon, with references to the Agon rule book:
Dan is a regular player and GM on the Gauntlet Gaming Community. By day he runs a boutique UX design firm and by all his other free time, an amateur game designer. Follow him on Twitter @brownorama. Follow his game design work at cosmicbeagle.itch.io. Thanks to Alun for the nudge to write this. Thanks to Matthew, Darin, and Joe for slogging through two months of Paragon with me. 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 Community Open Gaming
10 Million HP Planet Mike Ferdinando runs for Diana, Geoff Hunt, Jim Likes Games, and Mike After planet Ditko-9 gained malevolent sentience and declared war on its inhabitants, our quartet of cosmic-level heroes arrived to give this planet the beat-down it sorely deserved! The Green Knight RPG Mike Ferdinando runs for Ben and Gareth Game warden Lot and her liege Sir Ranulfus set out on a perilous quest to the Green Chapel to fulfill their side of an honor-bound obligation to the mysterious Green Knight. Hearts of Wulin: Wedding of Jade and Sorrow Lowell Francis runs for Flavio, Marc Majcher, and Misha Panarin Our protagonists arrive at the wedding to find their hearts draw them in dangerous directions and betrayal lies ahead. Trophy Dark: Isle of Water and Blood Mike Ferdinando runs for Blake Ryan, Daniel T., and Michael Pelletier In 1902, just off the coast of New England, a group of dilettante occultists attempt to contact a benevolent spirit of enlightenment that promises great arcane power. What could possibly go wrong? This incursion is based on an unpublished scenario for Call of Cthulhu that the GM wrote 25 years ago. Sunset Kills Mark (they/them) runs for Brian, Jeffrey, Kae, and Rod Santos Hit the Nazi - Retrieve the Ark Alun R. runs for Gareth, Joe A., Jonah, and Rod Santos In their efforts to protect Democracy, Air Ace 'Bake' Baker, Mesmerist Professor Bodenstein and Hustler 'Chance' Le Chance are transporting an important artefact to the New Gauntlet City Museum. When they have to take a detour to avoid pursuing Nazi agents they find themselves driving through a busy fair and circus where they (literally) bump in to everyone's Friend and High School Teacher Marvin Roy and his mother. There's bystanders to protect, circus strong men to mesmerise, and esoteric candelabra to keep track of...then a surprise villain is revealed, Messerschmitts intervene, and a trader (pirate?) captain helps them reach an archaeological dig at the rumoured site of the garden of Eden... Hutt Cartel Rich Rogers runs for Adrian, Bryan, MadJay Brown, and Mario C The organization under Crime Lord Amara Tavi scheme and betray each other as they seek their own paths to power. Wolfspell Donogh runs for Gareth, Kae, and Marc Majcher A hunter in the wilderness, an assassin in the city and a fur trade magnate are all caught in the Wolfspell. A sorceress tyrant of the north has molded their flesh wolfward to add them to his menagerie. Can they free themselves from the sorcery in time? Hearts of Wulin: Wedding of Petals and Steel Lowell Francis runs for Anders, Mark (they/them), Michael, and Rod Santos Our protagonists work to find their own hearts' paths, but at what cost? A ceremony is shattered and two pairs of friends must draw steel against one another. Against the Dark Conspiracy Alun R. runs for Cameron D, Kae, Steve, and Steven Watkins Marrakesh...the team's Sparks, Hanna, has set up a van's fake break down to enable former NSA Analyst, Eli to keep eye's on both the hotel where their target is staying and the team of local 'watchers' who are also watching it. Meanwhile former Lisky Bratva Burglar, Jan, sips tea while waiting for the right moment to get past the receptionist, and ex-Navy Seal Assassin, Calder, gets the drop on the senior watcher. There's an 'engine fire' with associated smoke screen, a frightened journalist to save, and a smooth exfiltration that leaves someone known to Calder fuming in the van's exhaust fumes...then a suspicious health charity, an archaeological dig at a Transylvanian, and tense intra-team relations before a shadow emerges from the pit... Team-Up Dan Brown runs for Donogh and Rod Santos Heroes 13 and Fortune take down Lord Petrol’s plot to undermine the city’s green energy iniatives. World of Gamma Dan Brown runs for Adrian, Dan Pucul, and Geoff Hunt Mutant fungus, mole, ferret, and cheetah set off to acquire defensive measures for their enclave to protect them from the fabled Sasquatch. Their journey takes them into See Attle, where they must infiltrate the Hom-pot. Star Wars Saturday Storm Furies (Session 4 of 4) Rich Rogers runs for Brandon Brylawski, Greg G., Jo Lene, and Steven Watkins This is not a drill. This is not a training hop. The pilots of Fury Squadron hunt down and take on Imperial Star Destroyer The Implacable in a glorious finale. Gauntlet Calendar The Great American Witch (Session 3 of 3) Donogh runs for David Morrison and Mark We see some of Roxane & Miranda's home life, while they surmount Sam's reticence to initiate him into the Craft; and helping out an old student with a serious problem with the Storm Coven. MOTH-LIGHT (Session 0) Agatha runs for Chris Newton, Jex Thomas, Matthew Arcilla, and Rich Rogers The crew comes together to create their Pact and their world, a jungle planet filled with giant bugs, Predator-like aliens, and a dying Sun. MOTH-LIGHT (Session 1 of 4) Agatha runs for Chris Newton, Jex Thomas, Matthew Arcilla, and Rich Rogers The crew figure out what they need to do to save the sun and their planet. Their first task - obtaining fuel! MOTH-LIGHT (Session 2 of 4) Agatha runs for Chris Newton, Jex Thomas, Matthew Arcilla, and Rich Rogers The Pact encounter the Ghosts for the first time as they seek to rescue Fe-Mat, their key engineer! MOTH-LIGHT (Session 3 of 4) Agatha runs for Chris Newton, Jex Thomas, Matthew Arcilla, and Rich Rogers The Pact finally faces the apex predators of this world, looming whale-sized moths, in their attempt to pay off a debt. MOTH-LIGHT (Session 4 of 4) Agatha runs for Chris Newton, Jex Thomas, Matthew Arcilla, and Rich Rogers Doubts and tensions are building within the camp, but there's no looking back for the Pact. It's now or never in their attempt to resurrect the dying sun. Against the Dark Conspiracy: NBA (Session 4 of 4) Alun R. runs for Lowell Francis, Paul Rivers, Pawel S., and Will H Vlad the former GRU Sparks is smuggled into Russia while Eun-Jung, the other Operator on an FSB watch-list due to her wetwork for the US, invests in a solid cover. They meet Lena the ex-Finnish police Handler and Jimmy, the Burglar intimately bound up with MI6 in Moscow, to find 'Site A' before the Conspiracy does. There's an offer to 'come in from the cold' and a a séance, while the suspicious activity of GRU pawns of the Conspiracy leads to a retired doctor with a dark Soviet past. Then...a kidnapped innocent, a car chase, and a water park where a vampire's scheme is revealed... Paragon System: Rising Tide (Session 2 of 2) Dan Brown runs for Darin Rebertus, Joe A., and Matthew Arcilla The crew of the Aegis, having captured the sinister CEO of Atlantico, a fossil fuel conglomerate, must dispense justice. But can they deal with the mercenary team that’s been sent in to rescue him? Rebel Crown: Oak (Session 5) Jesse A. runs for Alexi S., Jason Zanes, and Jex Thomas In which a new vassal is acquired, a party is held, another oath is made, and Queen Siobhan is nowhere to be found. 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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