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

​This is the final roundup of 2018, and it has been a year full of outstanding Gauntlet games. We'd like to thank each and every one of our amazing GMs, MCs, facilitators, and players for everything that they do. Keep being awesome!

by Jason Cordova ​
​
One of my major design goals for The Between was for the game to feel highly cinematic while being played. Early on in the design process, I knew I wanted some kind of cross-cutting between the scene our player characters were experiencing and a scene taking place somewhere else in London. Those back and forth cuts between scenes are a hallmark of my GMing style, and I have also been known to narrate scenes for the players that are entirely outside the purview of their characters (such as villainous monoluges), and so I knew I wanted that style of play baked right into the rules of The Between. 

I eventually landed on a concept I call the Overscene. In its original form, the Overscene was a scene that the main scene the players were involved in occasionally cut to in order to show a different side of the story, in a different part of the city, and was strictly out-of-character knowledge. It was narrated entirely by the D.I. (the GM) and had the additional goal of giving the players a better understanding of the greater mystery. However, after giving it a lot of thought, I decided this approach was too heavy-handed and abandoned it (although there are some echoes of this version in the D.I. procedure called The Enemy, which will be discussed in a future post). 

But I had a hard time shaking the idea; I was still in love with the beautiful, cinematic nature of the Overscene. And so I began to think about my GM toolbox; I began to consider all the little tricks I use in my games to create a certain type of experience and what lessons could be learned from them. My Paint the Scene technique is probably my favorite (you can read about it here) and was most influential here. In Paint the Scene, the most important outcome is that the players get to work with themes and motifs to describe how their characters experience something in the setting. Additionally, it is entirely irrelevant if the details that come from Paint the Scene have any direct bearing on the story being told—more often than not, they don’t. The narrative goal of Paint the Scene is to add richness and texture to the setting that feels both real and coherent. But the real insight for purposes of the development of the Overscene was this: players frequently re-incorporate elements from Paint the Scene into the main narration, often unconsciously. 

So how does the Overscene work now? 

The present iteration of the Overscene has three goals: to create a cinematic feel at the table, to encourage the players to use theme and motif in their narration, and to pace out the Night phase of the game. The Overscene begins with a short description of a scene taking place somewhere in the city on the same the night the player characters are engaged in their hunt. That description is followed by 4 prompts, each of which has one player (or all the players, in the case of a Paint the Scene prompt) narrating a bit of the scene. After the first prompt is satisfied, we cut to the main scene involving the player characters. After each of the player characters has had a chance to do something in the main scene (trigger a move, have a short bit of conversation, investigate a small part of the scene, etc.) we jump back to the Overscene and do the second prompt. After the second prompt is satisfied, we dive back into the main scene as before. You continue this, back and forth, with the Night phase ending immediately after the characters have taken their actions in the main scene following the fourth prompt. 

During all this, if the players manage to incorporate a thematic or sensory detail from the Overscene into the main scene—or vice versa—they get to mark XP at the end of the Night phase (indeed, this is the only way of getting XP during the Night phase). 

Below is a link to the different Overscenes I have been playtesting, which should give you a better sense of how this works. When the game is published, these will be presented as a deck of cards (with about 50 different Overscenes available). 

Outcomes from playtesting

I have so far run around 35 playtest sessions of the alpha rules. The Overscene is rock solid. There is a bit of mastery involved—it’s an unusual concept in ttrpgs—but after doing it a couple times, the players really get into it (and look forward to it). As for specific outcomes, these are the things I am most happy about:

• The Overscene is an excellent way of pacing out the Night phase. I’m going to talk more about the interplay between the languid Day phase and the visceral Night phase in a future post, but for now just know that the Night phase is meant to be tight and intense. Putting a hard line on where it ends leads to very efficient, focused play. 
• Even though players only get XP credit for re-incorporating one thematic or sensory detail, they continue to do it throughout the Night phase, with some players hitting it 4 or 5 times. 
• Players often make subtle allusions to the Overscene during the main scene without even realizing they are doing it. In this way, the Overscene functions on an unconscious level, in much the same way Paint the Scene does. This is a VERY powerful effect of the Overscene. 
• The Overscene continues to satisfy my overarching design goal of managing cognitive load, which I have discussed before, and which I believe is one of this game’s triumphs from a design standpoint. 

All in all, I’m quite happy with the Overscene. It’s one of the few parts of the game that is leaving alpha more or less untouched. I expect as more people get familiar with The Between and its very particular style of play, people are going to want to steal the Overscene for their own designs. 

by Fraser Simons, Keeper of the Neon Veil

​Date Played
12/13/2018

System
Fire Ships At Midnight

Facilitator
Haley G

Players
Fraser S, Sarah J

Session Recap
Fire Ships At Midnight is a storygame that has 3 players take on the roles of The Duke of Medina Sidonia, Cardinal Ribera, and Captain Salazar. It captures a moment of history I was not even remotely aware of: the legendary disaster of the Spanish Armada as they attempted to invade the English in 1588.

We don't play to affect the outcome of the disaster, though. We play to find out which of the three characters can save their reputations, each vying for their own course of action using the mechanics of the game. You wager dice in an attempt to outbid the others. But your failures and successes are linked, ultimately. And when you play to drive the fiction toward your ideal outcome, you also find yourself slipping into your character; "fighting" with the people you realize you're in bed with, as you are the only people who will be judged...and rewarded.

In the first scene, I found myself advocating for a course of action that was actually the second scene's most positive outcome for my character, the Captain. The plan I quickly thought up when attempting to embody my character was my character's primary goal—how perfect is that?!

As we continued, I found that this was similar for everyone. The desired outcomes also goalpost what your character would do and want, making it so easy to roleplay their possible mode of thinking, maneuvering to the end game.

Even when you start out advocating for the lives of your men and the safest, sanest, course of action, you think. You end up on the precipice, deciding if you want to be crowned in glory (all the while knowing you're all responsible for a horrendous outcome for the lives of those you are, perhaps, most responsible for as the Captain) or be disgraced.

That's when you are really playing to find out; when you're realizing your immense, titanic privilege in a situation with lives in the balance; when you're choosing the best outcome for yourself.

And remember: that is what the game says it's about. It warned you the whole time.

Highlight
To foreshadow my character's own decision, midway through play the Duke offered to help me when we returned. Promises writhed in ostentatious firelight splaying across his gilded quarters. On a player level, I lost and missed my favored outcome, as did the Cardinal, who lost so direly they were out of the game. But while the Cardinal held fast despite this loss, I gave one of my losing dice to the Duke, bending to his will.

In the end, we were crowned as heroes and the Cardinal fell to dysentery in the hull of the ship. He prayed and prayed and cursed us as he died. His grandson, the bishop, looked so much like the Cardinal as we held our final conference. Talking of executing deserters or disbanding the fleet, trusting the captains to sail for Spain and king and country. All the while the words of the bishop, like the shadows on the wall when we spoke last to the Cardinal, fell on deaf ears. In the end, even if you're god fearing, you want the king on your side; not god.

Moment of Insight
No matter what outcome you vie for it is all false valor and bluster. If it happens to align for the best outcome for the army and best sailors belonging to Spain, well, that is particularly lucky for them.

Fireships at Midnight is available in Codex - Flame, which you can pick up for FREE right here. 

​Star Wars Saturday

Impulse Drive (Session 2 of 3)
Rich Rogers runs for Bethany H., David Miessler-Kubanek, Greg G., Jason Mills, and Sabine V
The crew of the Nerf Herder grows to their full complement, gets into a nasty fight with a Trandoshan Bounty Hunter, had a few costume changes, and flies off to Eriadu.

TGI Thursday

City of Mist (Session 2 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Agatha, David Miessler-Kubanek, JM, and Steven Watkins
The crew pursue several avenues of investigation leading to parallel battles with a pissed-off Koschei the Deathless and Baba Yaga's Walking Airstream Trailer.

Gauntlet Quarterly

Hearts of Wulin: Book Three (Session 8)
Lowell Francis runs for David Morrison, Patrick Knowles, Rich Rogers, and Sherri
The final volume of our trilogy begins with our heroes in the wilds, but an assassination attempt draws them together to protect those they love.

Hearts of Wulin: Book Three (Session 9)
Lowell Francis runs for David Morrison, Patrick Knowles, Rich Rogers, and Sherri
Pursuit of the assassins leads the heroes into the secret temple of the Frost Queen where secrets and villainy are revealed.

Duet December

I Haven't Seen You Since...
Noella H runs for Steven desJardins

The Adam of Your Labors
Noella H facilitates for Stentor Danielson
In the wake of her cat's death, tenured professor Olive attempts to bring him back, but instead animates a plant who begins to take on qualities of Spot.

Ampersand Month

Sorcerers & Sellswords
Paul Edson runs for Lu Quade, Rob, and Steven desJardins

Rockerboys & Vending Machines
Paul Edson runs for Jim Crocker, Michael G. Barford, and Tim

Gauntlet Hangouts

Symbaroum: The Copper Crown (Session 7 of 8)
Darren Brockes runs for Chris Thompson and Fraser Simons
Variol and Obadan make a pact with an ancient being and escape the darkness with few treasures in tow.

Bat Hack: Championship Series (Session 1 of 4)
Rich Rogers runs for Greg G., Keith Stetson, and Walter
It's the first game of the Championship series of Bat Hack!

Conjure Hagalaz: Escort Quest
Blake Ryan runs for Alejandro and Diana Moon

Monsterhearts 2: Ballhir - Cold Snap (Session 3 of 3)
Donogh runs for Asher S., Jesse Ross, Mark Causey, and Walter
A party to celebrate their victory preventing the bypass, and to see the Fannon's out of town, breaks up when people go to the lake, Muir Iasc is hungry and close to waking up...

Psi*Run
Ryan M. runs for Brian B., Lauren, and Michael G. Barford
Our heroes evade fluid metal Mr. Rogers beneath NeoDetroit with the powers of memories, feelings, and psychic blades.

Crossroads Carnival: On Broken Dreams (Session 2 of 5)
Jason Cordova runs for Bethany H., Bryan, David Morrison, and Patrick Knowles

InSpectres: A Night in the Park
Shane Liebling runs for Ben Swinden and Sarah J.

Lady Blackbird: From Hand To Haven
Shane Liebling runs for Bethany H., Jim Crocker, Michael G. Barford, and Pat P.

City of Mist: Second Story Heroes (Session 2 of 4)
Lowell Francis runs for Darold Ross, Fraser Simons, and Gene A.
Their case literally explodes, leading our cohorts to dig deeper into a mysterious gallery owner, a series of bombings, the Greek Mafia, and a vulture-like consigliere.

InSpectres: Santa Teresa Nights (Session 2 of 3)
Shane Liebling runs for Brian B., Jen Overstreet, and Rich Rogers
Down a man the crew pick up a go-getter intern and investigate strange happenings in a eucalyptus grove...

The Sword, The Crown, and The Unspeakable Power: Wreathe Your Hands With Blood (Session 2 of 4)
Agatha runs for Jason Cordova, Lowell Francis, Ludovico Alves, and Matthew Doughty
The Crown brings their mailed fist, the Beloved searches for sacrifices, the Hex calls up dark powers, and the Lyre falls victim to those called up powers. Content warning: casual violence and Cordova-level grotesqueries.

Masks: Caught in the Spiderweb (Session 1 of 4)
Leandro Pondoc runs for Jim Crocker, Sabine V, Stentor Danielson, and Tim
In the neighborhood of Shoreline, one of many in Prospect City, a routine night patrol for our heroes gets broken up by gang warfare, shotgun-toting would-be carjackers and awkward conversations about relationships.

The Quiet Year
Leandro Pondoc runs for Ludovico Alves and Sabine V
In one quiet year, a community deals with a lack of food, weaponry, and oh yeah TVs buried underneath the dirt, strange hunting spirits, a sudden proliferation of cults (!), and bears made of orchids and roses.

Monsterhearts 2: Kingsport 1943 (Session 1 of 4)
Catherine Ramen runs for Bethany H., Jesse A., Joe Zantek, and Seraphina Malizia
Join us for homeroom creation and then the opening chapter of our tale of the World War II homefront: Selina the Fae gets into a fight with a popular but bereaved girl; Lawrence the Sasquatch shows kindness; Edward the Ghoul gets caught by MPs; and Astrid the Unicorn is romanced with Edward and takes in the fugitive Noah Marsh.

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