Wednesday 5 October 2016

Off Road


Its always a bitter sweet moment as a game draws to a close and also a slightly paranoid one as well. Both GMs indicate that their games have about a session left, but it is often the case that players can have a very different opinion about this, so do watch this space.

Whether its not wanting to let go of a character that you feel you are just getting to know or just not wanting to leave things undone, there can be a sense of players just not stopping. I wouldn't necessarily say that this is character momentum as it can equally be a result of disorganization, fumbles in game or the sheer obsession of a party's mindset. Basically straying from the path is technically a separate adventure in and of itself and more often in GMing I see the glazed look of a crazy idea solidify across a players face and transform into rational determination and he shoots off into the distance in search of experience points.

Whilst we joke about this sort of thing in the Roleplaying community all the time this would make a good Derren Brown episode. The extent to which someone can convince them self can be enormous bordering even on hypnotic; arguing is one thing but once an internal psychological battle has been won then there is no reserve and beyond this it is only at the stage of being surrounded by dead bodies that one stops to ask 'so how did this happen...'. Its one thing to bring yourself down a peg or two but another to explain that to the local law enforcement. Excepting of course those that thrive on genocide which is always a bit worrying when we catch up on some other peoples gaming news over the past week....

Anyway, despite the club game cycles being relatively short at about 2 to 3 months, longer campaigns can simply be chopped into chapters which is more satisfying I think. We have some long standing campaigns that are still open such as GM Julian's excellent Warhammer Fantasy and Gm Bill's Game of Ice and Fire where we are forever upgrading our Homestead duck by duck to eventually overthrow Kings Landing. I fully expect this to be the Finale of the TV show.



2 comments:

  1. Greetings and do not despair:

    You feel yourselves being dragged through vast distances of space, and see a vision of this creature, and it speaks to you telepathically:

    “We knew, we had seen the signs, but still, the Voiders came as from nowhere. Two millennia of interstellar expansion and a whole galaxy at our feet and still we had nothing. Our weapons were useless, as was all our technology and any ideas we could muster. We were down to less than half our strength before the Ascension program was conceived. Within 30 years we were down to our last cluster of solar systems, but we had devised the solution.
    As the remnants of our race ascended, we vowed never to let the Voiders have the universe, that even though we had to surrender it, life would prevail, and the void would be stopped. And we did stop it, and purged the Voiders in the cleansing.
    But then, as by a fools chance, one survived, although still asleep. It is with great sadness we are now on the brink of its awakening, while we can only watch.
    As we surrender our last emotion and thus sacrificing the last drop of influence we can muster, we lay this burden upon you, as in the infinite possible outcomes, you have shown the greatest potential to succeed than any other lifeform. You need to find our legacy and save life, all life, from the void. This is your purpose.
    And so it begins...”

    You, heroes, pass out as you hit the cold hard reality of a stone floor, luckily something broke the fall. You are woken up by a short tremour (GM: a small earthquake), and not only are you feeling slightly dizzy but your head hurts as well.

    So this day could’ve started better...

    Bring your characters (and favorite rule set) to this epic adventure, check trailer and info at www.triniton.se and mail me directly if you want a free review copy, you guys seem awesome!

    May your heroes venture far and wide still!
    Cheers,
    TheMaker

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