tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post1380560139215647214..comments2023-05-27T11:14:02.426-04:00Comments on Some Space to Think: Pendragon NinjasAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-2411808761190093852009-12-24T10:10:12.286-05:002009-12-24T10:10:12.286-05:00One of the funnest games I have run in recent memo...One of the funnest games I have run in recent memory was a WFRP2E game set in Brettonia. For those unfamiliar, this land in the Warhammer world is all about the negative aspects of feudal classism under a band of divine-inspired knights.<br /><br />The characters were a knight errant of the most practical sort, his valet that was secretly a tomb robber, a wandering peasant hunter (highly illegal and subject to punishment by any noble he met), and a servant girl bound for the next court over ad punishment to her mistress for a slight against her lord's lady wife.<br /><br />Classism, racism, nationalism, sexism… when it started I thought I'd be stabbed an have my eyes scratched out. Turns out for that group of friends that it was truly fun. The key though was that inwardly they tended toward equality and egalitarian behavior, and they got to game the society. <br /><br />The game has played out now, but it captured them so well that my dilettante nature is compromised by their desire to return to where we left off.ZeroGainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03122409469631926274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-41755340104345707802009-12-24T09:31:16.745-05:002009-12-24T09:31:16.745-05:00@kirby - I think the social contract is important,...@kirby - I think the social contract is important, but I think it also gets overblown. Every other form of human interaction and fun has a social contract, and it's usually carried out with much less fuss than RPG designers make of it. "Share all relevant information" and "Don't be a Dick" really cover most of it.<br /><br />@Rev I am starting to suspect it's tied to a bigger issue. In the lack of other information, some people presume a GM wants everyone to have fun, and some presume he wants to be a dick. Since we're talking baseline assumptions, there's no right or wrong, just experience, but that experience make a rough divide to cross.<br /><br />@Trevor Yeah, most GM's I know recognize that responsibility outweighs authority, so trust is a big part of the equation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14216103531396452644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-29929531391665380972009-12-23T20:58:56.956-05:002009-12-23T20:58:56.956-05:00I ran a campaign where everyone had to be human. (...I ran a campaign where everyone had to be human. (we snuck in an elf, but he didn't know he was an elf) The campaingn centered around the "human" party, venturing forth and 'discovering' the other races. <br /><br />The game ran for around 2 years. It was one of the most fun games any of us have ever been involved in.<br /><br />I think alot boils down to trusting your GM. If you have a good GM (and I do believe there are good and bad GM's) then the decesions the GM makes will be to further the plot and not just to lord power over the players.Trevorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02151805120054704986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-2428424187226481352009-12-23T14:19:54.721-05:002009-12-23T14:19:54.721-05:00<blink>
OK, I hail from an older school of ...<i><blink></i><br /><br />OK, I hail from an older school of gaming, but at what point should someone's game be subservient to the rules? [Obvious exceptions made for tournaments where you are forced to introduce the hobgoblin, as Emerson might say.]<br /><br />I'm really flabbergasted that this actually became an issue and people are waving the banner of totalitarian GMing over it.<br /><br /><i><shudder></i> <br /><br />And to expand your idea the problem is that <i>Pendragon</i> really is a game of knightly endeavour. [Attempts in the 4th edition to introduce other aspects nearly broke the game, and were abandoned for the 5th edition.] Even attempting to introduce a ninja into the Arthurian campaign will break a beautiful system and lessen the enjoyment of the other players (something which you, as GM, must also consider). It's just not Tom that you have to consider in making any such a decision.<br /><br />[Which is not to say that the <i>Pendragon</i> system can't be used for other games. I've played in successful campaigns set in Glorantha and Wuxia-inspired China.]<br /><br />There are very few ways more sure of breaking a game than introducing a character that breaks the paradigm. [I should know, I have a distressing tendency to want to play them.]Reverance Pavanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01217657347160811310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1678761812929125529.post-33194086223852983902009-12-23T12:47:57.209-05:002009-12-23T12:47:57.209-05:00My past GM's have tended to try to address thi...My past GM's have tended to try to address this (along with general Expectations as well) up front with game documents and social contracts.<br /><br />I am in process of planning to run something based in the 20's, and trying to gauge how much classism and racism will be a focus in the campaign. I plan to poll my players about where their lines about about that stuff. Since I feel it will bring more weight to the themes.<br /><br />What are your thoughts about social contracts and gaming?Kirby Vosburghhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11460798256196493562noreply@blogger.com