![[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 Special Edition Against the Sith Conspiracy (Session 3 of 3) Alun R. runs for Jason Zanes, Rich Rogers, Steven Watkins, and Will H Plans to lure Sith Adept Song to a to duelling ring in the Upper City of Taris don't start well as she senses Vann's disturbance of the Force and sends Tie Fighters after the team. Only Gar's flying and Kitporin's shooting buy them time to find a discrete landing pad near the duelling ring. Meanwhile, after a successful infiltration, Corsha deploys the perfect way to get where she needs to be...'deliberately' getting caught. There's a target competition involving a Wookie and Gar's father, Black Sun debt collectors, and (of course) a confrontation with Song and her Acolytes. Then a Dathomerian Witch is Force-d off a roof, there's a game of chicken between a spaceship and a traitorous swoop-biker gang and the promise that 'she'll be back' from a Sith Adept... Star Wars Saturday Trouble for Hire (Session 2) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Sabine V., and Sherri Ruben Carlos Ruiz finally delivers his 10 kilos of Sweet Island slick to Bib Fortuna, but oh the things that get in his way. Stars in the Dark (Session 11) Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Mark (they/them), and Rich Rogers Etema, Boko, and Bria continue seeking clues to the whereabouts of the Rebel leader Maxa and her sister Tiri. A drug dealer gets taken out to dinner, a child is introduced to the etiquette of cybernetics, and a droid brain is discovered. Gauntlet Quarterly The Between (Session 13 of 13) David Morrison runs for Anders, David Schultz, and Sabine V. The hunters race to the Tower of London to prevent Lord Fauconberg from sacrificing Madam Sorokin in a ritual to usher in a new golden utopia under his guidance. Betrayals, bullets and beefeaters abound in our thrilling finale! Gauntlet Calendar Sleepaway: Unhappy Campers (Session 5 of 5) Drew D. facilitates for David Morrison, flint kozmyra, and Nathan Harrison It's the finale of Unhappy Campers as we descend into Act 3: The Abyss and confront the Lindworm (and a few other surprises) on our way to a bittersweet ending. (For images of our camp across all of the sessions, check out this Imgur album: https://imgur.com/a/8Sgqro5) Plutonian Shards: Touch the Void (Session 3 of 4) Alexi S. runs for Brandon Brylawski, Bryan, Danielle B., and Jim Likes Games The Pinion Wisp crew weather an ambush, negotiate with the Pirate Queen, and crash a high society gala to steal a legendary prize. Eris has to call on old contacts and reappear as her old self, Hoyt hopes to blend in as an aristocrat, and Kadence and Rose have a deep conversation about free will and the Void. 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
0 Comments
By Shane (@shane_marble) GMs, people who run games, get a lot of credit and appreciation on the Gauntlet, and deservedly so. In this article, though, I wanted to turn the spotlight on our many fantastic players and the amazing array of characters they played in 2021. So I posed a question on our Slack: who was the most memorable character you played on the Gauntlet this year? I really enjoyed reading everyone’s responses to this question, including the wide range of games people enjoyed, and especially the wide range of qualities that could make a character stand out as someone’s favourite. The depth and development described here (even in one-shots!) is really striking to me, and I think is a tribute both to the players themselves and to the Gauntlet’s culture of collaboration, creativity and mutual support, as well as the fantastic games we all got to play. I thought about answering my own question, but ultimately found it too hard--and since I had a perfect round number of responses anyway, I was mercifully spared a tough decision between the scheming Immaculate Rainbow from Hearts of Wulin and the dutiful moth tender Luella Vee from Wanderhome. Or was it the tough lawyer-turned-ecoterrorist Cara Rossi from Rising Tide? Actually, maybe it was… oh, let’s just get on with this!  Rae Nedjadi Damion Ashbearer (he/they), the Ashen Blade. Damion was part of a 16 session run of The Twilight Throne, a FitD game of political intrigue and tragic intimacy in a broken land of cursed magic. Damion was of the House of Cog & Gear. I enjoyed playing Damion because he was a perfect example of how a gentle heart and good intentions can still lead one down a path towards corruption and destruction. Everything Damion loved was twisted into something unrecognizable, and the tragedy was palpable. I chose the Curse of Kindness for Damion, and it was a delight to play them alongside other scheming nobles and destroy a cult. We just happened to ignite a war between nightmarish dragons and the noble houses but oh well? Mark W Cyrus Vance, Lady Blackbird In a great year for gaming, my most memorable character was Captain Cyrus Vance of the Owl, in Michael Pelletier’s run of Lady Blackbird. Having the chance to play with a bunch of really thoughtful players in Josh H, Marleigh, and Danielle was amazing, and Michael gave us all the space we needed to dig into the characters. This was my first play of Lady Blackbird, and I found Vance more interesting than I’d expected—torn between his duty to the crew and his desire to be with the title character, which he really never felt he could openly admit to.  Alun Rees Henri(etta) Michaels—former MI6 agent and the Cuckoo/Disguise expert in Lowell's Nights Black Agents Express Quarterly. Played by Tatiana Maslany (SOOOO many faces!) Only time in a game I expect ever to be able claim that a previous cover as a pole dancer should allow a combat bonus against a supernatural. Her journey from overconfident, entitled Oxbridge-graduate spy to quivering wreck was a joy to play, before she 'came home out of the cold' and became the manipulative NPC handler for the group that picked up the baton in my Against the Dark Conspiracy games. I love Henri! Blake Ryan Helena Henbury, Vessel in Victorian London of The Between. Scryer on/Danced With/Banished Spirits of Theodora Braithwaite, Banished & Summoned a Vampire, Cavorted with the Most Beloved, Rescued an innocent from the Void, Chatted with her Beloved Sister and London’s resident Psychopath, Thwarter of the Coven, Partaker of Opium, Corrupted the Factotum with gifts and sisterly affection, Threatened an old pervert photographer, Looked better than everyone else in Sapphire Blue. Darin Rerbertus I really liked playing Telecast in Surge Protectors. He was a robot who could transform into a TV news/satellite truck. Rye Baerg Mote the Mother Tender (Wanderhome), a raven who was curious and cheerful but concerned he wasn't living up to the code of his order. Always tripping over his own words but supported by his friends, he eventually met the founder of his order and learned that he could pave his own path. Jim Crocker Oh, wow, thinking about this underlines how hard I got hammered by life back in April and just had to drop out of everything for a while. Most of the year is a sort of a blur. But my most memorable character was one whose arc I got to complete early in the year: Bee-Dee, my officer from Donogh’s epic full campaign of 3:16 Carnage Among the Stars. His steadfast dedication to ridding the galaxy of threats to Terra culminated in his eventual ascension via industry, opportunism, and sociopathy to Brigadier of the entire Expeditionary Force. It was the culmination of I think 5 (?) separate months of play scattered across nearly 2 years and I really loved seeing that arc play out via the system’s Flashbacks of Strengths and Weaknesses. Definitely a character I’ll still think about years from now.  Dan Brown Hands-down Ivedro/Ordevi, the Demigod of Enlightenment in Lowell’s Godbound quarterly this summer. His look and personality shifted with the sun, being handsome and arrogant at its zenith, wizened and humble in the dead of night. Though the youngest person to ever become professor at his university, he was kicked out for too many poor student reviews. He left behind a trail of irritated colleagues. Lowell gave me lots of room to express his personality both as Professor Ivedro, the arrogant know-it-all, and Ordevi, his “brother” who embraced curious, if naive, inquiry. Ivedro collaborated with the pantheon to start their own school on the island the demigods took over, giving him a chance to take on more responsibility. As the sessions ended, we started to see some growth in his personality and attitude, as his powers gave unique opportunities. I can’t wait to continue with him next year to see how he further matures. Nicholas Timperio I have to go back to January. In a World of Gamma game run by Dan Brown, I played an anthropomorphic tropical orange/red bird named Sunshine. Sunshine was a member excommunicado of the Bird Medic Society, aka The Living Feather. Banished for burning down a hospital in Brazil, Sunshine moved to Rio de Janeiro where he set up a tent to offer rogue medical services and train a friendly and inept rat to conduct procedures for him.  Darold Ross In a two-month series of Sleepaway, my Song Leader Ursula fought as hard as she could to protect the kids of the camp without resorting to the forest magic that she and another counselor had dabbled in during their youth. While that other counselor leaned in, anything magic was anathema to Ursula. But as the dangers to the campers grew in frequency and intensity, she found herself increasingly hard-pressed to toe that self-imposed line. And then it all came crashing down when the Lindwurm split the oldest tree in the woods and unleashed a curse that would kill all the counselors. Making a deal with the fates to take on all the deaths of the counselors in exchange for their safety, Ursula climbed into the broken body of the tree and let it swallow her up. She was reborn as a Moth Maiden who went by the name of Cygnus. Through the valiant efforts of all the counselors, the camp was able to banish the Lindwurm. But as the rest of the counselors moved on with their lives in one form or another, Cygnus found herself transported to moments through time and space, struck down again and again in the place of each of them. In the end, all that was left of her was an echo of the wind in the forest.  Alexi Sargeant I enjoyed playing Sir Cevyn Grist, the Devoted, in Jesse Abelman's series of Rebel Crown. I was a lord's illegitimate son and a young knight with a lot to prove. Plus, I was hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with the Claimant whose cause I served, Lady Siobhan Darach. (She, of course, is far too highborn for me to ever dare to hope she'd return my affections.) The character got to be tragically gallant and hopelessly naïve in the midst of messy medieval politicking. Plus I created a cool silver whip-sword for fighting wraiths as a long-term project. His ending was appropriately bittersweet. He confessed his love to Siobhan in the penultimate session, and asked her to send him far away to serve her cause somewhere where he isn't tormented by the impossibility of their being together. She obliged. Then we had a time jump to the climactic point of the retinue's campaign to put Siobhan on the throne. Due to the way the dice fell, I returned from my embassy to the Empress bearing the Scars “Tarnished,” “Wraith-Touched,” and “Heartbroken.” Pushed to his limit, Sir Cevyn still loyally helped Lady Siobhan secure the throne, but lived a lonely life in her new kingdom of Dol.  Donogh McCarthy Dawn, the Rebel from Feathers, the Belonging Outside Belonging game of fallen angels I facilitated back in April. A bruised veteran, who takes a bit of tender effort by her peers to get out of her shell. But mostly, in the end motivated by challenges their community is facing; just because she doesn't have to wreak havoc doesn't mean she's not fighting for them. Honourable mentions to Maxim the Prodigal from ‘Werewolves of Wall Street’ (Bite Marks) and Euphoric Fear the Aswang from Balikbayan. Lowell (edige23) I played a little more this year, though still not a ton. But I had a tremendous time running Eun-Jung Rhee in Alun's Against the Dark Conspiracy game for several reasons. The game was a sequel to an Nights Black Agents campaign I'd run (with one survivor returning) and I opted to run a character from a game I'd played with Alun at least a year before. It was the first time I'd done something like that. The moment I knew I was going to enjoy playing her came when every other player picked her for the "Which Member of the Team Do You Care Least About?" question. It meant I had a relationship with everyone else and that I'd have to work hard to turn that around. It was also a pleasure to see questions of redemption and faith be tested for her in just a few sessions. She was a Korean lapsed Catholic and active assassin who suddenly, with the existence of vampires, had to confront the real possibility that she was absolutely going to a very literal hell when she died. Sabine V My favourite character this year is probably Alstyr the Reverser, Taken by the House of Sand and Mist, Salt Warden and War-Caster of the Verdant Wall (they/them). They came from Rae's game The Twilight Throne—a Noble warrior cursed by loss, looking for their heart, and the human family they had been taken from. Convinced that the Nobles were a blight upon the land, they plotted to release the Nightmares they were supposed to guard against, disdained their houses' penchant for prophecy and destiny, and wanted nothing less than to reverse the world order. But those priorities changed when they fell in love with Damion of the House of Cog and Gear, who was revealed to be a dragon, and for him they were willing to tear down the world so there would be a place for this love! Their story culminated in a furious wedding, with the Nightmares released, Mecha-Dragons summoned, other dragons resurrected, and a storm to break the centuries ascending. Alstyr stayed behind in the melee so their spouse could survive, and fell to the desperate might of the dying leaders of the Noble Houses. But in the epilogue, an almost human mage woke with no memories, far from the battle, a storm raging in their eyes and a wedding band made of the essence of a dragon on their finger… (That was so fricking epic, words just fail to describe the scale & emotion of this saga!)  Ben Bisogno I think the most impactful roleplay I had the luck to immerse in this year on the Gauntlet was with Mike Ferdinando, who guided a first-time player and I through a one shot of The Green Knight Role Playing Game at Gauntlet Community Open Gaming in June. This will take a bit of setup to explain why it was so powerful: as per the narrative, and the movie this game was designed for, in The Green Knight the story begins with an establishing question about what you took from the entity called The Green Knight. Whatever you did to him when you last saw this figure, he would do to you in kind by the end of the game. The game was all about chivalry and honor. I played a ranger named Lot (she/her) who had, in my description “stolen the heart of the Green Knight”, when I had left him to take care of our daughter. It was midnight when we began play, and I was wearing the leather armor I usually do for larp, to get into character. It was dark and so as not to disturb the neighbors I was roleplaying in hushed tones throughout the game. While my fellow adventuring partner lost his head to the Green Knight, Mike, our facilitator, revealed that the retribution to Lot would be, in exchange for having stolen the Green Knight’s heart—instead of having my literal heart taken—the child we had borne together and raising them in the forest instead of court. This was such a powerful narrative choice Mike made, and I actually welled up with tears at what at its heart was a family drama. Lot, you unfortunate and crafty ranger, I hope in your visits to your daughter, you find some solace.  José Feito My most memorable character would have to be Jack Shadowthorn, the Flowering Fairest of the Winter Court in Lowell’s gloriously messy PbtA hack of Changeling the Lost. In 1932, at the age of 9, he snuck into a traveling carnival and was whisked off to Arcadia to serve his Durance as a flowery ornament in the Court of Pernilla, the Sublime. He experienced ecstatic moments when mighty Fae doted upon his innocent beauty, but when the Keepers were displeased with some imagined flaw in his beauty or his bearing or the way he matched the light in a particular room at a particular hour, he would be sent to the relentless heat of The Greenhouse where the quiet snip-snip of shears punctuated the torture of a thousand cuts as his blooms were compelled from his body and harvested again and again. When he finally escaped back into the Mundane in present-day St. Louis, he was a delightfully damaged blend of bittersweet yearning, drawling dismissiveness and pointed profanity. His accent varied between genteel Georgian when he was being perfumed and seductive, to crass Ozark hillbilly when was vexed by the stupidity of those around him. (I so loved that I got to use “fuck nugget” in an actual sentence!) His hunger for glamour was fed by grief, nostalgia, lost hopes and regrets. But under his surface disdain, he had an endearing sentimentality for those he loved. I so appreciated being able to play his harsh side for comedy and his soft side for poignant melodrama. His portrait includes both his true Mien as well as the Mask he used in the Mundane. Thank you to Lowell, Sherri, Vince and Kyle for making him possible.  Rich Rogers My favorite PC that I played in 2021 was definitely Etema the Rattataki. Etema first appeared in a Star Wars Saturdays game as an NPC in a game I ran a couple of years ago. When Will H offered me a spot in his run of Hutt Cartel, I decided to play her as a Spy (#worstspy). During that two-month series, Etema constantly tried to prove her worth—to her lover the Crimelord Enez, to her Rebel spy handler, to her crew (the other PCs), even to her protocol droid. She never quite succeeded at any of those attempts and instead got her handler murdered by trusting the wrong person, lost her eye to a pair of Corellian attack dogs, then lost her lover when her lover had to leave Coruscant. We ended the series with an angry and hurt Etema leading a pack of Rebellion soldiers in the underground with her new cybereye and a strong desire to murder stormtroopers. AND THEN, Anders started up a series of Stars in the Dark, his reskin of Blades in the Dark, and I got in on that series. Brought back Etema as a Gunhand, and proceeded to shoot lots of stormtroopers and she even started dating someone new (Xai's PC). I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop—for Etema's past to come roaring back at her, or for her to slip up and watch everything fall apart again. But I keep pulling for her to actually succeed this time around.  Bethany Harvey Silva Torres, El Caballero in Puckett's year-long Pasión de las Pasiones campaign. Because the campaign spanned several decades of in-game time, I got to play a character who went from an insecure teen who was constantly developing inappropriate crushes on the older women she admired, to gradually becoming something like them.  Mike Ferdinando I mostly GMed on The Gauntlet this year, so my pool of choices is pretty short. I think I'm going to have to go with Sarah Jenkins, reporter for the New York Daily Mirror in 1937, from Lowell's Trail of Cthulhu game back in July. She was headstrong to the point of overconfidence, a consummate schmoozer... and moonlighting as a paranormal investigator, which is how she got sucked into the plot of the game. I used a photo from a 1930s movie for her profile pic.  Will H
15 sessions of Nights Black Agents Express, 10 sessions of Against the Dark Conspiracy, more to come. Jimmy Rook is my favourite character because he's the vehicle for exploring 'The Conspiracy'; a blood-soaked web of connections and mystery that only gets deeper. I like to think that the Miro board of 'The Conspiracy' that we maintain represents all of Jimmy's notes, plastered all over the wall of whatever safehouse the Operators are currently in. Mr Rook is a petty criminal who has somehow managed to kill about a dozen supernatural creatures with judicious use of explosives and a fairly reckless approach to personal safety. Despite his background, beneath the veneer of a cynical chancer there's a hidden core of idealism, and I always enjoy when inevitably the rest of the team ends up being far more cutthroat. I have no idea when Jimmy's story will end, perhaps by vampire or perhaps when Alun's PC-turned-MI6-Handler 'retires' their deniable asset. 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 Special Edition Against the Sith Conspiracy (Session 2 of 3) Alun R. runs for Jason Zanes, Rich Rogers, Steven Watkins, and Will H Episode 2 opens with the team aboard Gar Scribbs' ship en route to Taris where, investigation reveals, stormtroopers are providing perimeter security for a secret operation deep in the under-city. There, a group calling themselves 'The Acolytes' is searching for an ancient light sabre. There are speeder bike chases, spider walkers, and an Acolyte ambush...and Rudi...then...is this how you put a light sabre back together? Star Wars Saturday Trouble for Hire (Session 1) Rich Rogers runs for Cody Eastlick, Sabine V., and Sherri Ruben Carlos Ruiz brings some "sweet island" to Mos Shuuta for a delivery. Sandstorms, nuns, and weird visions ensue! Stars in the Dark (Session 10) Anders runs for Marc Majcher, Mark (they/them), and Rich Rogers The scoundrels start dealing with their war with the Garrison and the recent blow against Maxa's Free Rebels. Gauntlet Reading Club Thirsty Sword Lesbians/CosmoKnights (Session 11) Steven S. runs for Claire Mulkerin, David Morrison, Lyra, and Puckett The crew of the Kestrel prepare to defend Libre Franklin from Lord Rudolph, which of course involves some kissing. One of the crew makes a great sacrifice for the good of everyone (not Lorelei, sorry!). Gauntlet Calendar Night's Black Agents Solo Ops: Never Say Dead Shane runs for Robbie Boerth Leyla Khan wakes up in a hospital with a gunshot wound and a hazy memory. Can she remember who she is and what she can do before her former allies catch up with her? Hearts of Wulin: Star Wars: Episode IX Spark of Hope (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Anders, Francisco Olivera, Rod Santos, and Steven Watkins With Lando's intelligence in hand, Leia and Poe head to secure an alliance with old Separatist elements while Rose, Rey, and Finn reluctantly follow DJ in hopes of locating the group which has been gathering up the Force sensitive--but revelations at both planets change the direction of their endeavors. Blades in the Dark: Uptown Radicals (Session 2 of 3) Daniel Kušan runs for Alun R., Brandon Brylawski, José Feito, and Will H Members of the The Lost Crown Cult have devised a ritual to manifest their deity and thus bring change to Doskvol. To achieve this, they need a medium or a sacrifice, and they found a suitable one in Zora Penderyn, the heiress of one of the most influential noble families in the city. Sleepaway: Unhappy Campers (Session 4 of 5) Drew D. facilitates for David Morrison, flint kozmyra, and Nathan Harrison Act 2: The Descent takes us down into an abandoned quarry that maybe isn't as abandoned as we first thought... AKA: Kobayashi & The Dossier Donogh runs for Chris Sellers, Darin Rebertus, Elizabeth M. H., and Matthew Arcilla While on a mission in Quito to prevent a dossier of Agency operatives falling into the hands of Kobayashi, Colby and Clayton walk a tight-rope to maintain Carol's trust while Colby's new handler Thomas intervenes to rescue the situation. Things spiral out of control, as they all struggle to control the fate of the Agency's assets! Spectre Scouts (Session 1 of 2) Donogh runs for Darin Rebertus, Puckett, and Sabine V. A high-tech rival of the President has targeted him, close to death and not long for this world. The team of spectres muster to confound the attempt to exact revenge on their commander-in-chief, even as they recall how little he deserves their service... Plutonian Shards: Touch the Void (Session 2 of 4) Alexi S. runs for Brandon Brylawski, Bryan, Danielle B., and Jim Likes Games Our scoundrel crew save a town's worth of asteroid miners but lose the mine to a singularity bomb. Touching the Void turns out to be simple compared to getting paid for their job. Eris takes the pilot's seat, Kadence makes the ship bigger on the inside, Hoyt has his hands full patching people up, and Rose starts to realize what it means to be the Last Hope of the Solar System. Hearts of Wulin: Mystery of the Puzzle Sword (Session 3) Lowell Francis runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack The murder of Master Fan throws the gathering into dissarray and Lord Yao takes change as our detectives begin to piece together how this killing fits together with the Puzzle Swords' secrets. 13th Age: Shards of the Broken Sky (Session 6) Lowell Francis runs for Darin Rebertus, Harry Coins, Mike Ferdinando, and Steven Watkins The heroes finally make it to the heart of the fallen city, now racing to stop the Diabolist's agents from destroying the last means of alerting the Archmage to the catastrophe. Hit the Sith - Save the Galaxy Alun R. runs for Brandon Brylawski, José Feito, and Will H Chan Brohrk, the Cynical Daredevil, teams up with Jocasta, the Wise Teacher, and Jensii, the Naïve Youngster, to thwart Imperial plans for an offensive against the Rebel Alliance. After rescuing Jocasta's sister on Level 1313, her lead takes them to an Imperial base built into the walls of a canyon beneath a frozen waterfall. There's a fighting pit and a speeder chase; a Sith Adept with a range of 'allies'; some personal revelations and a lots of stormtroopers...then a hair-raising escape in a garbage skiff... 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 Special Edition Action Movie World: DOUBLE PAYBACK: Fear of the Obsidian Clone II Rich Rogers runs for Alun R., Pawel S., and Sabine V. Rexi and Armitage are BACK, baby! And they've got a little droid, too. You know you wanna see Allie in action alongside the podracing duo as they take on the Obsidian Clone once more! Superstars: Racing Icons Donogh runs for Greg G., Horst Wurst, and Matthew Doughty Now this is Podracing! The podracing season hurtles towards its final race, as a long-simmering rivalry between Weee Tay the Fan-Favourite and Adari the Veteran erupts to engulf the entire circuit! Moom Bo the Bully just wants to get that holo deal and uses the situation as a lever, while Rookie Vee Tazi is desperately seeking a team to take him in... Rey Underground Alexi S. runs for David Schultz, Jesse A., Marleigh, and Sabine V. We play Girl Underground, but the Girl is Rey from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She falls into a strange underground realm while questing for knowledge of what a Jedi should be. She meets strange Companions: a talking Ysalamir, a broken assassin-droid, an ambitious Kowakian monkey-lizard, and a majestic Purgill. And she confronts the Grand Moff of the Scrapheap, who has stolen the sun. This one-shot is part of a celebration of 4 years of the Star Wars Saturday games series, brought to you by members of the Gauntlet RPG Community. Stars in the Dark Anders runs for Mark, Rod Santos, and Will H The stranded crew of the Solar Breeze take on the task of acquiring the tech-savvy sister of Rebel leader Maxa for an unknown client. Clash of the Sabers Steven Watkins runs for David Miessler-Kubanek, Jo Lene, Rich Rogers, and Rod Santos The escaped Jedi from Order 66 search for a safe haven. Will they find safety before the Sith Inquisitors find them--and their special cargo of Younglings? Bounty of the Week: The Tatooine Repo Will H runs for Alexi S., Greg G., Rich Rogers, and Sabine V. The crew of the Heat Blur hunts down a rogue pilot and his stolen ship in the desert wastes, but local 'business men' and the wildlife complicate things. Against the Sith Conspiracy (Session 1 of 3) Alun R. runs for Jason Zanes, Rich Rogers, Steven Watkins, and Will H Someone within the New Republic Government has decided they need deniable assets able to do what they can't. A team of dangerous and damaged Operators is what has been deemed necessary to launch a covert operation in the neon washed alleys of Carannia City... Kit the Wookie killed for the Rebellion, while Corsha spied for them. Gar Scribbs, meanwhile, worked in Rebellion Comms under cover as a swoop biker. That leaves Vann...who is a little more difficult to pigeonhole... The team try to extract an asset from a suspicious criminal operation but what starts as a 'smash and grab' turns first into a roof top chase and then a confrontation with a very dangerous foe before they retrieve a mysterious package and take a prisoner that one of them knows... Hit the Sith - Save the Galaxy Alun R. runs for Daniel Kušan, David Miessler-Kubanek, Jeremy Mahr, and Matthew Arcilla The weak have always been susceptible to the Dark Side and nowhere is that more true than deep below the surface of Coruscant on Level 1313. So that's where The Naïve Youngster, Joth Omeggorm, along with Soryn Kynth, the Unstoppable, Smooth Talking Arno Yezik, and Sunder Gat the Cynical Daredevil, try to save the Galaxy and stop the power of the Sith growing ever greater...they just need to get a prisoner out of an Imperial armoured carrier without attracting the attention of the local criminal syndicate... Gauntlet Quarterly The Between (Session 12) David Morrison runs for Anders, David Schultz, and Sabine V. Ardent is visited in his dreams and sees the paths of magic stretching through London. Trixie and a friend help James Whistler escape pursuit. And John sits for Lord Fauconberg. Putting together the pieces, they discover Lord Fauconberg is preparing a sacrificial ritual that could change the very fabric of the world if he is allowed to continue. Gauntlet Calendar Hearts of Wulin: Star Wars: Episode IX Spark of Hope (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Anders, Francisco Olivera, Rod Santos, and Steven Watkins We re-imagine the last part of the trilogy using HoW. Our heroes- Rey, Rose, Poe, and Leia- intercept a convoy to rescue an old ally, but discover something more wondrous. (View series opening crawl here.) AKA: The Covenant & The Astrolabe Donogh runs for Chris Sellers and Kae Now that they've found out how the agency is just a front for Frederick's scheme, Colby and her foster-brother Carlyle are doing everything they can to subvert that work. Their trip to Lucena to steal a priceless 16th century Astrolabe from The Covenant is one step to bringing their cunning boss to justice, even if their personal lives try to make that even more difficult. Sleepaway: Unhappy Campers (Session 3 of 5) Drew D. facilitates for David Morrison, flint kozmyra, and Nathan Harrison We wrap up Act 1 and dive deep into Act 2: The Descent as something strange makes itself known in the woods... Hearts of Wulin: Mystery of the Puzzle Sword (Session 2) Lowell Francis runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack Our heroes gather at the House of Endless Leaves with secrets and revelations on the menu, but imperial intervention and old history inevitably lead to a disappearance and a murder. Plutonian Shards: Touch the Void (Session 1 of 4) Alexi S. runs for Brandon Brylawski, Bryan, Danielle B., and Jim Likes Games The crew of the Pinion Wisp assembles! There's Kadence the Armageddonist Fallen, Eris the Prodigal daughter of a terraforming dynasty, Hoyt the Neophyte cook from a space truckstop, and Rose the Prototype artificial being meant to interface with the Void. In their first mission of the series, they shut down a malfunctioning bot on a mining colony but uncover a strange artifact along the way, just in time for Tetrachy ships to show up and threaten to wipe the whole place out. 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 Last Imperial Fleet (Session 6) Rich Rogers runs for Greg G., Jex Thomas, and Steven Watkins In the Unknown Regions, the imperial fleet is attacked by a Rebel fleet and things fall apart. Gauntlet Reading Club Thirsty Sword Lesbians (Session 10) Steven S. runs for Claire Mulkerin, David Morrison, Lyra, and Puckett The crew of the Kestrel meet resistance leader Araminta and discover some new things about each other. With the opportunity to rest for the first time in a while, the crew talk about their pasts and their hopes for each other (i.e. smooching). Gauntlet Quarterly The Between (Session 11) David Morrison runs for Anders, David Schultz, and Sabine V. Ardent and John are introduced to the St. Petersburg Mirror, and both fall under its spell. Trixie secures the blackmail material from Madam Sorokin's quarters, and goes for a hand of cards at the Four Magpies. The hunters attend a séance at Cadwallader House, where the dead are contacted, and the promise of more joining them. (I accidentally stopped my recording rather than pausing, so this session is uploaded in two parts.) Gauntlet Calendar #iHunt 87: The Final Chapter (Session 4 of 4) Shane runs for Donogh, Puckett, Sabine V., and Will H The hunters have already taken out one monstrous dream killer, but they still haven't been paid and now some scumbag corporate lawyer is after them. Will a LypStyxx gig at a construction site be enough to put a stop to his nightmarish real estate scheme? Against the Dark Conspiracy: Riddles in the Dark (Session 4 of 4) Jason Zanes runs for Alun R., Daniel Kušan, David Miessler-Kubanek, and Joe F Our operators confront the demon conspiracy in and around The Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan. In defense of the Demon Lord Azrael, the conspiracy attack the team with machine gun equipped jeeps, Rambo style Hind helicopters, body bursting fly demons, and Mark Zuckerburg (!?!?). Sleepaway: Unhappy Campers (Session 2 of 5) Drew D. facilitates for David Morrison, Kyle H., and Nathan Harrison We get to actually playing as the kids arrive at our camp, and we begin to reckon with all the strangeness that seems to be waking up... Grey Ranks: Only the Dead (Session 3 of 3) Donogh runs for Brandon Brylawski and Pawel S. As the final days of the Uprising approach, things become ever more desperate for the Grey Ranks and a new resolve (or fatalism) takes over... Ex-Capes (Issue 8) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla The Ex-Capes finally have it out with Grace, the atomic supercar. Against the Vampire Conspiracy: AVH & Throndal (Session 3 of 3) Alun R. runs for Donogh, Mairi, and Will H We find out more about the history the team members share, and Anchors are put at risk as the team tries to discover more about the Van Helsing bloodline and Count Simon Throndal. Yelena, the Russian Assassin, fills in as a dancer at Club Gaderene, 'Cam' Duchamp, the French Hacker sails past the bouncer and manages to spot Count Throndal on tonight's VIP list, and Jimmy the Burglar slips into a solid cover as a well regarded member of staff. Cam also spots a worrying familiar shock of long grey hair in the crowd of clubbers, Jimmy finds a crawlspace into the secure area behind the Club, and Yelena deploys some grenades. Then...chaos as the Club is attacked, an all to familiar shadow stalks them, and there's a surprise betrayal. And that's before Count Throndal takes to the air and pursues the team into the forests around Bucharest... Ex-Capes (Issue 9) Jim Likes Games runs for Bethany H., Bryan, Chris Newton, and Matthew Arcilla The Ex-Capes unlock the Opportunity to take down the Synergy killer, and we meet the new Threat, Hearsay! Tachyon Squadron: Above and Beyond (Session 4) Lowell Francis runs for Anya, Brandon Brylawski, Harry Coins, Puckett, and Vince The squadron links up with an isolated pilot in order to storm a pirate base and free hostages, but their final escort mission escape proves to be more dangerous than anything they've faced before. Hearts of Wulin: Mystery of the Puzzle Sword (Session 1) Lowell Francis runs for Jamila R. Nedjadi, Patrick Knowles, Sherri, and Tyler Lominack We rejoin our investigators as they are invited to a gathering of the Verdant Sword Alliance and begin to see threads which tie back to their two previous mysteries, but their own heartstrings may entangle them even more tightly. 13th Age: Shards of the Broken Sky (Session 5) Lowell Francis runs for Darin Rebertus, Harry Coins, Mike Ferdinando, and Steven Watkins As our heroes explore deeper into a fallen tower amidst the crash-landed sky city they encounter mercenaries sent by the Diabolist to cause chaos. But that battle reveals some secrets about the larger catastrophe. Blades in the Dark: Uptown Radicals (Session 1 of 3) Daniel Kušan runs for Alun R., José Feito, Sabine V., and Will H Four members of the city's elite have been 'awakened' by a radiant deity named The Lost Crown with a quest to bring change to the current way of life. They gather in an abandoned church with a strange, mystical vibe. As they plan to prepare the place to be their first sacred ground, they face a group of unwanted visitors. 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 Darren Brockes
Overview Ceremonies are functionally written like monsters. One has a Complexity instead of Endurance, one to six Natures instead of Habits, Corruptions instead of Defenses and a Clarifier instead of a Weakness. Just as monsters do not use all of their habits all of the time, a ceremony may not express all of its habits. These are pieces of evocative text that the GM can use or be inspired by to help build the stakes of the ceremony. Similarly, a ceremony can only be used through a modified Combat Roll, called the Ceremony Roll and detailed below. Using a ceremony alone is very risky, so groups are better suited for performing ceremonies. A treasure-hunter cannot use a Risk Roll to perform a ceremony. Acquiring ceremonies has to be done through incursions; you cannot buy a ceremony, but you must increase your Burdens by 1 when you return to town after acquiring it. Ceremonies can be learned about similarly to monsters: a group may witness one, which they can then name, and spend Gold while in town to learn about everything but the ceremony’s Clarifier. Ceremony Roll When you attempt to conjure great magic, you must combine efforts with your companions. First say how you expose yourself to supernatural influence or danger, then roll a single light die. The number on the die is called your Weak Point and represents the risks you’re taking to invoke this power greater than yourself. Now gather a dark die for each character involved in the ceremony. Roll all the dark dice together. To successfully perform the ceremony, you must roll against its Complexity, which is a number between 2 and 12. The GM may reduce the Complexity if you have relevant Skills (ceremonies are not rituals, so a ritual Skill does not apply) or are taking advantage of your equipment, environment or the ceremony’s Clarifier in some way. If the Complexity would go below the number of dark dice being rolled, then no Ceremony Roll is required. The GM may increase the Complexity if the ceremony is particularly fraught or if you are at a disadvantage. If the Complexity would go above 12, the ceremony is too difficult to perform and you must find a way to reduce the ceremony’s Complexity. If the total of the two highest dark dice is equal to or higher than the Complexity, the ceremony is performed in the manner you and your fellow players describe. If any of the dark dice equals your Weak Point, your character’s Ruin increases by 1 for each dark die matching the Weak Point. If the two highest dark dice are less than the ceremony’s Complexity and you wish to continue the attack, add one more dark die and re-roll all the dark dice. You may keep adding a dark die and re-rolling until the total of the two highest dark dice is equal to or higher than the Complexity or until you give up the ceremony. Stopping an incomplete ceremony may trigger Risk Rolls or other consequences. Six Ceremonies
* If the ceremony is performed on an island or coast, the Complexity is 6; otherwise it is 13.
Special Rule: BargainAs you traverse the lands beyond, you may come upon a demon’s court. There, given your unique status, you can be granted an audience and, if you are so bold, make a request. The cost of any bargain is your soul: take the Condition “promised,” which cannot be removed. The GM will tell you when the demon prince comes to collect their price.
|
Categories
All
Archives
April 2023
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RSS Feed
|
ServicesService One
Service Two Service Three |
SupportContact
FAQ Terms of Use |
© COPYRIGHT 2024. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.