Star Wars Saturday

Witch Squadron (Session 1 of 3)
Rich Rogers runs for Bethany H., Gerrit Reininghaus, Keith Stetson, and Sabine V.
The new recruits to the Witch Squadron make their first flights on rickety Clone Wars-era Y-Wings. Things break, a pilot washes out. Things don't go smooth.

TGI Thursday

Mutants in the Night (Session 2 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Chris Newton, Christopher Walborn, Jason Zanes, and Leandro Pondoc
Their shark-toothed fixer offers the crew several jobs and they opt to aid The Clinic again by retrieving stolen medicine from a wasp-filled gang bunker.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Masks: Prospect Academy (Session 5)
Leandro Pondoc runs for David Morrison, Ludovico Alves, Ryan M., and Sabine V.
As Prospect Academy rolls into October, the uhh prospect of a school dance, the Silver Masquerade, looms in the horizon as its pupils deal with schoolwork, time travel, a hostile school president and lurking, unseen anxieties. Kasey deals with the fallout of her mother's capriciousness, Mary grapples with the complicated nature of time travel, Serenade faces off against the new president and Zero-G battles Charles Dickens for a decent grade.

Impulse Drive: Coriolis (Session 1)
Lowell Francis runs for Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Steven desJardins
We do character creation and then set our new crew of artifact seekers off into the dark where they find a extraction stymied by a mysterious planetside conflict.

Gauntlet Comics

Masks: The Best Worst Things About Fall (Session 1 of 3)
Chris Newton runs for Alex, Rich Rogers, Sarah J., and Sawyer Rankin
Worst crew encountering people dressed even more ridiculously than a golden age superhero: commedia dell'arte stock characters!

Monsterhearts 2: Super Juvie (Session 2 of 5)
Rich Rogers runs for Joe Zantek, Leandro Pondoc, Misha B, and Peter Mazzeo
The students of New Guard Academy participate in a basketball game, plot and flirt, then wake up...on a beach?

Gauntlet Hangouts

Trophy Gold: Tomb of the Serpent Kings (Sessions 1-2 of 2)
Jason Cordova runs for Fraser Simons and Tyler Lominack

Ross Rifles
Stentor Danielson runs for Jeremiah Pena, Kristina, Maria M., and Steven desJardins
In which our scrappy band of Canadian soldiers check out the local ecology of no man's land and take a German prisoner, much to the consternation of Lieutenant McConnell.

The Veil Fantasy: Kriusthos (Session 2 of 4)
Ludovico Alves runs for David Walker, Marcolo, Maria M., and Pearl Zare
The group is asked to act as deal-brokers of a contract. They slowly pierce out that there is more to it than it initially seem and try to stop the same deal they are facilitating.

Apocalypse World: Rusted Trust (Session 1)
Sawyer Rankin runs for Christopher Walborn, Robbie Boerth, Robert Angus, and Steven
The group gathers together and we start piecing together a world of reclaimed nature, terraforming gone wrong, and animals which have mutated and gone Jurassic Park on us. Our world is a view of Bioshock on land, bridged together by a Battlebabe, a Brainer, a Hocus, and a Show. We start off with a religious picnic which goes wrong, find a hippie commune from the 70s era scare days, and end on what seems to be gunning for a Cult vs Cult battle.

Legend of the Five Rings: Topaz Championship (Session 1 of 3)
Ludovico Alves runs for Josh H and Pawel S.
Let's learn L5R 5th edition! Let's see what a Dragon and a Scorpion get up to in the village of Tsuma!

Free From The Yolk: Land of the Dragonslayers (Session 2 of 4)
Ludovico Alves runs for Greg G., Mikael Tysvær, and Sawyer Rankin
The First Queen leads the efforts against the rebellion, as the Teachers seek to profit from the instability. We unearth an ancient curse created by the forging of a crown and the breaking of a promise, as well as renew the vows between the Horselords and the Land. All while truces are settled and the First Queen Reborn is only increasing in power.

Lighthearted: The Tea (Session 1)
Kurt Potts runs for Barry, Lauren, Pearl Zare, and Puckett
In this session, we create characters and do an intro scene. Four college students at the El Camino Community College of Magic and Technology. Are drawn together by a professor. Next week we'll see what happens when your mentor spills everyone's baggage all over the table of a tea shop.

Spire: Ironshrike (Session 3 of 3)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Gabriel Robinson and Pawel S.
Somewhere within the tangled web of factions and desperation that comprise the market of Ironshrike, somewhere is the right combination of allies and enemies that could spark change into this corner of Spire. Varda is reminded of her duties as midwife to the drow and Nirvic prepares a con for the ages.

Rapscallion: A Night at the Opera (Session 1 of 2)
Alun R. runs for Alexi S., Julie Rogers, Leah Libresco Sargeant, and Robert Angus
Captain Nightshade's intention to steal two mystically engraved organ pipes from St Sucre's Grand Opera House is complicated first by a fire, and then by the rest of his crew. Clay Golem Raku is always eager to get things right and follows instructions (very) literally before losing its cool and swatting away a platoon of Marines. Clance, the only crew member possessed by a Demon (as far as we know), can't resist "all the shiny things" and finds himself between a fire and an angry crowd. St. Sucre's great and good, before cutting the rope securing a candelabra and shooting to the roof. Jamie, the ship's Chronicler, prefers a quiet read and keeps her angry djinn in its bad-tempered place, but seeing everyone's aura is a strain that she can't contain when confronted by a previous employer. Through it all Captain Nightshade keeps his cool (and his organ pipes) so they can help him chart a route through the Deathwaters next time in...Rapscallions.

Urban Shadows: Vienna, 1950 (Session 2 of 4)
Alexi S. runs for Eli S., Leandro Pondoc, Pearl Zare, and Sarah J.
Salomé, the Tainted outrider of the Wild Hunt, has arrived, so the party can get started! Tonight, Vienna will be rocked by poisonings, out-of-body experiences, and more-or-less inept attempts at seduction and assassination. Cosima acquires a very haunted cabinet. Emilie snoops her way into so much trouble that only letting out her inhuman side can save her. And Sophie/Johannes commits herself to aiding Salomé's hit job on an American colonel, whether she wants it or not.

The Bat Hack: All-American Girls: Mrs October (Session 1 of 5)
Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Catherine Ramen, and Rich Rogers
We re-learn the ropes with a short roster as the Gauntlet City Gals head back to Detroit to face the Debs in Game 1 of the Championship Series!

Hack the Planet: A Sky Reflected in Terror (Session 2 of 5)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Alun R., Josh H, Parham Doustdar, and Rob Ruthven
A simple job: infiltrate a derelict lab, extract a brilliant gene-hacker and escape before Acts of God or well-armed scavengers get in their way. Terribly straightforward, yes? Lincoln evades the spotlights in the sky, Nova dives deep into the lab's security workings, Shadow dives through the sky with ease and Mellow confronts a strange, cybernetic attacker.

Lighthearted: The Tea Gets Dark (Session 3 of 3)
Kurt Potts runs for Barry, Lauren, Pearl Zare, and Puckett
In this session, we find out what Kyle's been up to and why Baylee got so upset with Dr. P in the previous session.

Night Witches: September 2019: Pashkovskaya/Rudnya (Session 4 of 4)
Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Maria M., Mike Ferdinando, and Puckett
The Natural Born Soviet Airwomen of the 588th settle in to their new Duty Station with an unusual mission.

Night Witches: October 2019: Rudnya (Session 1 of 4)
Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Eli S., Maria M., and Sarah J.
It was a Dark and Stormy Night for the 588th. Transfers to cover losses mean the return of former comrades.

Apocalypse World (Session 2 of 5)
Lowell Francis runs for John Campbell, Peter Mazzeo, Scot Ryder, and Steven desJardins
After the attack on The Mud Pit, the group looks into who is pushing the war brewing behind the scenes of the settlement.

The Bat Hack: Mrs October (Session 3 of 5)
Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Catherine Ramen, Jesse A., and Rich Rogers
The Gauntlet City Gals face the Detroit Debs in Game 2 of the 5-game All American Girls Professional Baseball League Championship.

Trophy Gold: Tomb of the Serpent Kings (Session 3)
Jason Cordova runs for Fraser Simons and Tyler Lominack
Our treasure hunters meet their end as they push their luck against a basilisk.

​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 project 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.

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

DARK BETWEEN THE STARS
On Sunday we began a new Gauntlet Quarterly campaign, this time using Impulse Drive, a sci-fi PbtA rpg, to play in the Coriolis setting. I love the universe of Coriolis—it has a distinct look and feel that diverges from the traditional Western-looking sci-fi of things like Traveller, Star Trek, and Fading Suns. It has vibrant ideas, with a history that players engage with in the present.
 
But it also has some mechanical elements that haven’t worked for the way I run. I say this as someone fond of the core Mutant Engine which powers it. But Coriolis's implementation has issues. Darkness points don’t function well—both in accumulation and spending. Space travel is prohibitively risky and expensive, reflecting a core weirdness in the economy presented. And one of the core atmospheric elements, worship of the Icons, becomes a rote mechanical step for players, rather than something significant.
 
I played in Rich Rogers’ sessions of Impulse Drive with a Star Wars reskin and enjoyed the game. It has a lot of moving parts to it, but I enjoyed its basic feel. However it does take many cues from properties like Firefly, Dark Matter, and Killjoys (albeit with lots more aliens). So I spent some time tweaking and retooling some of the rules to fit the tone and feel of Coriolis.
 
MAJOR SYSTEM CHANGES
Renamed the stat “Alien” to “Weird.” Renamed The Abyss into The Dark in moves related to that. Coriolis has the Dark as a tangible force, so that fits well. Eliminated MVP end session voting as a way to distribute XP. I’ve hated that in other games. Eliminated rolling Disadvantage based on your hooks. Instead added new end of session XP question: Did you get into trouble as a result of any of your hooks? Clarified that using Recover move outside of hostile situations and without time pressure, allows you to ready a move, weapon, or piece of gear after a scene.
 
NEW MOVE: COMMUNE WITH THE ICONS
Once per session, when you reach out to one of the Icons to gain their blessing, roll with nothing.

• On a 10+, name the Icon(s) and hold 2
• On a 7-9, name the Icon and hold 1

Spend this hold to gain advantage on the move associated with that Icon (see below)

• On a 6-, the Icon's silence is disturbing. Take Disadvantage forward.

THE ICONS
The Lady of Tears             RECOVER
The Dancer                         ACT QUICK
The Gambler                      ENGAGE/MOTORHEAD
The Merchant                   MANIPULATION              
The Deckhand                   KEEP YOUR COOL
The Traveller                      LEAN ON ME
The Messenger                SCOPE IT OUT
The Judge                           FIREFIGHT
The Faceless                      INTO THE DARK

by Jason Cordova

We recently finished taking submissions for the Trophy incursion-writing contest. We recieved and incredible 50 entries!  You can read and discuss them on The Gauntlet Forums. 

What I want to talk about here are all the ways Trophy is a community-driven project. 

Trophy is Jesse Ross’s game, no doubt, but it was developed with The Gauntlet’s publishing philosophy in mind, which is that no single person is an island of creativity. The Gauntlet’s design culture has always been to be very community-oriented. I’m sure there are lots of reasons for that, not least of which being The Gauntlet is a community that has play and, therefore, collaboration deep in its DNA. It's also because The Gauntlet is owned by a queer person of color. I think people who have experienced marginalization sort of naturally gravitate toward community-based outcomes. I know this is the case for me: in professional settings, for example, my value has only ever been acknowledged in my capacity to lift other people up, to be a “team player.” In my experience, only white men are typically allowed individual, personal glory. And you can see that in the indie game space, too—we valorize a small number of white men as creative geniuses, while most everyone else has some sort of qualifier tacked onto their success, or they are lifted up for reasons other than the brilliance of their game design. 

Anyway, that's getting a bit off track—my point is that Trophy came up in an environment that de-emphasizes the auteur and embraces community. It was nurtured in Codex, which has always focused on new authors and embraced crowdsourcing as a creative virtue. 

(And, to be quite frank, there are never any guarantees of financial success with TTRPGs, and so you have to be ready to find fulfillment in different ways. For Jesse and I, part of that fulfillment comes from creating something with lots of other people, something the community can be proud of.)

Here are some thoughts on Trophy as a community-driven project. 

Expansion material focuses on contributions from new authors
Jesse’s name is on the core rules of Trophy and he wrote the first 3 expansions. However, the next 11 expansions (both published and planned) are by new (or relatively new) TTRPG writers. This was something we decided on really early, that Trophy would be a platform to publish new voices. Through Codex and Trophy, we are not only able to publish new folks, but we can do so in a way that really honors their work, with slick graphics and layout, dev editing, and line editing. And, even better, our platform is big enough to get people to play their stuff. And when the Trophy standalone Kickstarter happens, we’re going to go one step further and make a second payment to those authors, in addition to getting their work in print. 

We think this approach is not only good for Trophy, but also great for the participating writers. There are lots of ways to break into the world of TTRPG publishing, and we think this is a pretty good one. We hope to see some of these folks move on with confidence to bigger and better things. 

Click here to see the full list of official Trophy expansion material.

Crowdsourcing the world of Trophy
The forthcoming Trophy standalone book will have a major setting component that only exists in wisps within the currently-published material. Our hope is to present a good portion of this setting material in tables, and we’re generating elements for those tables via crowdsourcing on The Gauntlet Forums. 

I love crowdsourcing because it represents another way in which the community can get invested in a project. This has always been the case with Codex, and we hope it will be similar with Trophy. Maybe you don’t have the time or confidence to write a whole incursion, but you might be able to come up with a few evocative details for the world tables. Regardless, in the end, you’ve put your stamp on Trophy, and we all get a world that is altogether more rich and intriguing than anything a single person could have written by themself. 

To check out the ongoing crowdsourcing threads, check out the master list posted on The Gauntlet Forums.

Contests 
We’ve only just received the 50 incursions for the first Trophy writing contest, but a quick skim of the entries tells the tale: Trophy just got A LOT bigger. There are so many new ways to enjoy the game, so many new dark journeys to take. A floodgate of creativity was opened up, and those waters are going to flow throughout the community, encouraging others to take a crack at writing their own stuff, further cementing Trophy as a game by all of us. With any luck, it will turn out like Dungeon World, which became so much more that what was contained between its covers because of the huge, active community of creators invested in it. 

And we’re not finished with contests! I’m going to go ahead and announce here an incursion-writing contest for Trophy Gold, the Trophy spin-off game for OSR-style adventures. The contest will be held in December and January (ending early February), and we’re SO excited to see what folks come up with. Start thinking of your themes now!

The Trophy SRD
Finally, Jesse has just released the Trophy System Reference Document, the newest way for the community to embrace this awesome little game. The Trophy SRD will allow folks to create their own games that are “Rooted in Trophy” (with thanks to Sabine V for that moniker). It’s the next logical step for Trophy, a new way for the community to make this game their own. 

Click here to find the Trophy SRD. ​

THE STARS MY DESTINATION
Apparently now I’m a sci-fi GM. Starting this month I’m running a dozen sessions of Impulse Drive on Gauntlet Hangouts, but using Coriolis' setting. As well, two of my face to face groups swapped over to space games. The first I’ve talked about a bunch, my Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri hack. The second opted to shelve our Trail of Cthulhu game in favor of Scum and Villainy. So now I’m focused on starships, merchant traders, and tech gear.
 
Scum and Villainy is one of my favorite Forged in the Dark games. It has a clean presentation and wears its setting pretty lightly. Where Blades in the Dark has Duskvol baked into everything, S&V’s playbooks feel open. That isn’t to say it doesn’t have a setting—it does. The backdrop feels like Star Wars with a little Fading Suns thrown in, plus maybe some Dune? It’s hard to describe—but it does have a lot of mystical and religious elements present.

INTO THE ASHES
...Which made it a little challenging when the group asked if we could play S&V in the more grounded Ashen Stars setting. I said OK at the table and spun from what I remembered for session one (multiple aliens, a forgotten war, Lazer enforcers, and synthcultures). Afterwards when I re-read the Ashen Stars material, I realized how large a jump there was between the settings. The biggest change would be the expanse of it.
 
S&V has a handful of described systems, each with multiple planets. The PCs gain Heat in each system individually. Ashen Stars assumes a massive number of settled systems broken up into clusters. To make things manageable, I cut things down to three clusters where the PCs' heat would be tracked (plus a track for Government and Corporate heat). In my version space travel and communication within each cluster is relatively easy. Moving between clusters requires gates and specialized hyperspace lanes.
 
But that’s just geography. When I’ve run FitD games, locations haven’t mattered nearly as much as the web and network of factions & NPCs. After a year and a half of play, my Blades group had a modest sense of Duskvol’s neighborhoods. They knew a few key places (the Academy, the racetrack). On the other hand, they had a strong and clear sense of the factions. Places provide backdrop, characters provide motives. With that in mind I turned to breaking Ashen Stars into factions.
 
It meant tweaking scale and making some abstract actors into looming forces. I also had to invent other groups for balance and steal names from offhand references in Ashen Stars supplements. I borrowed S&V’s approach to groupings, but added a fourth and shifted some things around. About a third of the factions come from there, with an Ashen Stars coat of paint applied more or less. It turned out well, but of course took longer than I’d intended  (something to talk about next post). Below’s what I came up with—I hope it might be a useful model for others (maybe someone wants to do this with Coriolis…)