Allright, ladies and gentlemen, some time has gone buy and we've had a few snippets of games to draw material for discussion from. Firstly, to recount the story so far:
In game #1 we followed the hardened brigand Jack O' Bedlam as he snuck into the small village of Homlet to find out when the next tax collection was going to move through the area. Despite performing his reconnaissance successfully, Jack ran afoul of some guards looking to make some trouble. In a back alley they crossed swords, the duel ending with one town guard slain by witchery and the other fleeing to sound the alert. A short chase ensued and our protagonist Jack was brought down by the taxing effect of his own magic spells. The adventure was brief, but it was extremely helpful for the purposes of Brent and I getting a feel for the most basic of the basic rules. Standard tests, Versus tests, Linked tests all were made and tests for advancement were awarded. Instincts were called into play. We also got to see how the Sorcery rules worked out, and let me just say that they are badass.
Game #2 opened with Weston's character, the assiduous priest Gregory, catching wind of Jack's imprisonment via the Green Men, and the ensuing rescue mission. Through overwhelming priestliness and bombastic religious oration, Gregory was able to bewilder the guards. Eventually claiming to be taking personal responsibility for the cleansing of the sorcerer's blackened soul, Gregory convinced the guards to allow Jack to be removed to the Black Forest, where he of course was freed and allowed to recover from his treatment in the town prison. Returning to the Green Men in this fashion, Jack told them all when the next tax raid would take place, and the brigands sent word to their sponsor and companion, Count Tristam Lancaster of Merioneth, played by Dave. The hot-blooded count donned his mask and joined with the Green Men on the night of the raid. Under the cover of darkness they set their trap for the tax carriage, stepping out from the cover of the trees to ambush Prince Gerard's men. After a brief and fierce battle the Green Men had broken their enemies; those who surrendered were told to flee for their lives and to tell the tale of the Green Men of the Black Forest. Man, good stuff, lemme tell you. Anyway, we waded through a lot of good stuff this time. We got into Fight! Martial Combat, we got into Weapon Mechanics and Anatomy of an Injury, we worked up a little Faith, made a few Resources tests, some fiddling with Armor, and it was awesome.
Game #3 was short, but several things were established to allow the next adventure to open smoothly. Among other small things, Jack and Tristam began to have weapon training in the forest, and the next tax shipment was established.
All in all, I think that things are coming together a lot better than I would have imagined. I really liked the background that everyone has worked up; everyone's characters are super-exciting to me. I know I say that a lot, but I just can't get over it. I especially like the group dynamic that is being set up. It's obvious that Jack and Gregory are going to have some interesting interplay, as Gregory is extremely pure in his faith and Jack has had his dragged through the mud. Add in the madcap thrill-seeking Count and things are bound to get wild. My favorite part is that each of the characters have such disparate interests, somehow bound together by somewhat similar goals. It's so different from the group dynamic I'm accustomed to, where characters work together just, you know, for whatever reason, just because there are some lootz to get or some monsters to kill or some shit. I feel like these characters have really strong personality, thrown into greater starkness by the contrast between one another. I... I just wish I started playing Burning Wheel sooner! XD
So, in the next game we'll be bringing in some of the most sexy of supplemental rules, such as Circles and Duel of Wits (fingers crossed). After that we'll have covered pretty much all the important stuff.
That's about it. If anyone has anything they feel ought to be added, please amend my inattention to detail. Also, if anyone feels that the game writeups ought to be more thorough, as I did leave out a lot of details, let me know. I'll definitely spend more time in the future with what I feel each character's highlights for a session were, and I'll probably discuss what all the artha was awarded for.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Pre-game session #2
Well! Last night saw the second pre-game session. Progress was slow, but it sounds like Weston is pretty much finished with his character, so things are pretty much ready to go. If in fact you are totally ready, Weston, go ahead and submit your char info to Brent so he can make a Google page for it. Anyway, Brent and I also made a few practice rolls, and let me tell you that they made me extremely pumped up. I might not have shown it, because I was mighty tired, but I'm glad we got to make some rolls that night even if they were fake. :D We talked about each of the different kinds of tests, we talked a lot about character advancement, and we did some talking about Sorcery tests. All of these are probably going to come up in the first game, so we were just making sure we had a handle on things. It's a good thing we did, too because we already hit a hitch involving a briefly explained rule in the magic section and a spell that Brent has. Needless to say, Brent has already made a post on the Burning Wheel forums, so we'll see what Luke Crane and all the other regulars have say.
Another matter we addressed is that of attendance; we briefly acknowledged the fact that two games a week seems to be too much for some people, so it looks like we're gonna play the ol' switcharoo game. Which, I mean, I guess is allright. I suppose it's for the best. And, I mean, I'll still be gaming once a week. And honestly, the two week a game thing was starting to wear on me a little, too. I just have this thing where if I commit myself to a game, I like to see it go somewhere. The fact that so few of the games I involve myself in get anywhere is precisely the reason I'm usually so unenergetic about running games. Atleast I know that Brent is always willing to match me point for point when it comes to enthusiasm. So, we'll see how far this game can go, and hopefully we can work out some kind of feat of technological awesometude that will allow us to have games even after Brent moves. See, that's how I like to think of a game's lifespan; I want to see Jack confront the wicked Prince Gerard, I want to see Count Tristam have a The Graduate like wedding-crashing scene, where he and Lady Anne escape on a bus, etc. Without having to have it all in the first session. So, I will continue to be eternally optimistic.
What's that, reader? Did I make this blog just to ramble about random crap? I reserve the right to do so sometimes.
Back on track! Next session will definitely get to the actual game, even if only one player. I'll just have some solo-quest action with them, give them 10-15 Artha points, and have a blast. Before the game really gets off the ground, I would like to briefly go over each element in the hub and the spokes of the Wheel. A lot of the rules will be introduced on a case by case basis, even the very simple ones. An obvious statement, sure, but it's not everyday one breaks into a new game system. So, we'll talk about different kinds of tests, character advancement, and Artha to begin with. Once the game starts, we'll get a feel for what it's like rolling tests out, and we'll talk about Let It Ride and some other rules involved with them. Hell, we might not even make it to any of the rules on the rim of the Wheel, but I get the feeling like we probably will get in to Sorcery and Range and Cover, maybe Injury... golly, just talking about those is going to take a lot of time. The first few games are gonna seem slow, since we'll practically be breaking every time someone wants to do something in order to learn the rules together. Fret not! It will be freakin' sweet. :D
Another matter we addressed is that of attendance; we briefly acknowledged the fact that two games a week seems to be too much for some people, so it looks like we're gonna play the ol' switcharoo game. Which, I mean, I guess is allright. I suppose it's for the best. And, I mean, I'll still be gaming once a week. And honestly, the two week a game thing was starting to wear on me a little, too. I just have this thing where if I commit myself to a game, I like to see it go somewhere. The fact that so few of the games I involve myself in get anywhere is precisely the reason I'm usually so unenergetic about running games. Atleast I know that Brent is always willing to match me point for point when it comes to enthusiasm. So, we'll see how far this game can go, and hopefully we can work out some kind of feat of technological awesometude that will allow us to have games even after Brent moves. See, that's how I like to think of a game's lifespan; I want to see Jack confront the wicked Prince Gerard, I want to see Count Tristam
What's that, reader? Did I make this blog just to ramble about random crap? I reserve the right to do so sometimes.
Back on track! Next session will definitely get to the actual game, even if only one player. I'll just have some solo-quest action with them, give them 10-15 Artha points, and have a blast. Before the game really gets off the ground, I would like to briefly go over each element in the hub and the spokes of the Wheel. A lot of the rules will be introduced on a case by case basis, even the very simple ones. An obvious statement, sure, but it's not everyday one breaks into a new game system. So, we'll talk about different kinds of tests, character advancement, and Artha to begin with. Once the game starts, we'll get a feel for what it's like rolling tests out, and we'll talk about Let It Ride and some other rules involved with them. Hell, we might not even make it to any of the rules on the rim of the Wheel, but I get the feeling like we probably will get in to Sorcery and Range and Cover, maybe Injury... golly, just talking about those is going to take a lot of time. The first few games are gonna seem slow, since we'll practically be breaking every time someone wants to do something in order to learn the rules together. Fret not! It will be freakin' sweet. :D
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Beliefs
Allright, now, beliefs are something I've had a little trouble with myself. They're easy to approach. I mean, it's easy to imagine that your character does in fact believe in something. But, it takes a little something else to make them into Beliefs (can you hear the capital letter? What do you mean this is a textual medium?)
One of the most important things to consider is that the primary in-game use of beliefs is to generate Artha for your character. New to Artha? Well, in short Artha is something like a drama point system; you use them to do affect your rolls positively and to shrug off penalties from injury, stuff like that. Anyway, Artha is given to characters for a lot of reasons, but a big one comes from the Beliefs. If a character acts in a way that reflects their Beliefs, it nets them Artha. This is one of the reasons why the unimpeachable Mr. Naylor and I keep using the word 'actionable' in reference to a functional Belief; you have to know how and when they'll be able to generate bonus points. Something like "I believe in love, it's all we've got" might be fine for Elton John, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with it as a GM.
Now, with that in mind, it kind of irks me to think of Beliefs in strictly mechanical terms. For me, they're one of the tastiest, most delicious representations of character development, story advancement, etc., as well as being excellent sources for progressive role-playing and needlessly excessive drama. For that reason, I don't like to think of them as things that turn the Wheel and give you sweet Artha. Instead, I think of them as your character's primary motivations. Sure, a character will have all kinds of beliefs that shape them, but the motivations that really define them and affect every single thing they do will get the capital letter. Whenever something happens that causes your character to react (conflict) you would look to your Beliefs to guide your behavior. In such a fashion, don't get too worried about writing up a belief that doesn't have an immediately obvious mechanical breakdown. As long as you and the GM are clearly on the same page about what a belief means, the wording isn't as much of an issue. I mean, I'm lookin' at Monsieur O'Bedlam's beliefs here, and they're all written up with the same thought-action syntax. And that's fine, right, especially considering that he got them OKed on the BW forums, I'm just saying that it's not essential.
Anyway, another thing that I have had to think about a little bit is what Beliefs are not. Firstly, beliefs are not Instincts. Whenever I was looking through the Artha section, I was telling myself, "Okay, Beliefs are special because when you behave in a way that brings your Beliefs out onto the table, you're rewarded for it mechanically." If you get too specific about it, though, and start thinking like, "when this happens, my character does this in response." You're starting to get away from what Beliefs represent. That sort of if/then is the domain of the Instinct. Although Instincts are modeled to be extremely specific (If someone spits on me I flip them the bird), there's a broader difference. Beliefs are not intended to railroad your character into certain behavior sets; it's not good to have a Belief that's too vague, but it's not good to have one that's too specific, either. Also, Beliefs are not set in stone. Characters who find themselves in situations that force them to take a cold hard look at their Beliefs are free to modify them as they see fit, or drop out Beliefs for new ones. And, if these changes occur in-game in a dramatic and believable fashion, then you can get all kinds of fabulous Artha (talkin' 'bout those Persona points, hells yeah.)
This last point is another reminder; Beliefs are not Traits. Traits are intended to be somewhat more static, having more to do with the ingrained qualities of a character than their outlook or their life journey. So, okay, some Traits are like 'missing an eye' or whatever, and you'd never get that mixed up with a Belief. I'm not talking about those. ;P There's a part of the discussion in one of the links at the bottom of this post that talks about it a little more fully, but essentially if you write up a Belief that you never intend to change that represents only one facet of your character, then it might be better as a Trait.
Are you asking me why I'm talking about Beliefs when everyone already has their character's Beliefs all written up and done with? Well, you cynics, I've just been thinking a lot about Beliefs and their role in the game, and my responsibilities as a GM in interpreting them. I've been thinking about the marriage between the conceptual aspect of the Beliefs and their role in the process of playing one's character and the mechanical aspect of their generating these bonus points, and the way I ought to lean in my arbitration of such. Really, some gaming will help my thoughts to coalesce immensely, but I want to have a productive way of thinking about them beforehand.
So, what do you guys have to say about Beliefs? Do you want to tell me that everything I just said is wrong and that Beliefs are something totally different? Please do so! Do you just want to cry to the world that Beliefs are awesome? Go for it! Beliefs are something in BW that especially tickled and teased me, so I'd love to talk about them.
ps. Here are some serious links that Brent dug up like a beautiful truffle-smelling pig. If Beliefs are as exciting to you as they are to me, then these links might make you swoon. Make sure you're sitting down.
Belief Workshop
BTO and Abzo bash out Beliefs
Cawshis' Belief workshop
Luke and Thor brainstorm Beliefs
One of the most important things to consider is that the primary in-game use of beliefs is to generate Artha for your character. New to Artha? Well, in short Artha is something like a drama point system; you use them to do affect your rolls positively and to shrug off penalties from injury, stuff like that. Anyway, Artha is given to characters for a lot of reasons, but a big one comes from the Beliefs. If a character acts in a way that reflects their Beliefs, it nets them Artha. This is one of the reasons why the unimpeachable Mr. Naylor and I keep using the word 'actionable' in reference to a functional Belief; you have to know how and when they'll be able to generate bonus points. Something like "I believe in love, it's all we've got" might be fine for Elton John, but I'm not entirely sure what to do with it as a GM.
Now, with that in mind, it kind of irks me to think of Beliefs in strictly mechanical terms. For me, they're one of the tastiest, most delicious representations of character development, story advancement, etc., as well as being excellent sources for progressive role-playing and needlessly excessive drama. For that reason, I don't like to think of them as things that turn the Wheel and give you sweet Artha. Instead, I think of them as your character's primary motivations. Sure, a character will have all kinds of beliefs that shape them, but the motivations that really define them and affect every single thing they do will get the capital letter. Whenever something happens that causes your character to react (conflict) you would look to your Beliefs to guide your behavior. In such a fashion, don't get too worried about writing up a belief that doesn't have an immediately obvious mechanical breakdown. As long as you and the GM are clearly on the same page about what a belief means, the wording isn't as much of an issue. I mean, I'm lookin' at Monsieur O'Bedlam's beliefs here, and they're all written up with the same thought-action syntax. And that's fine, right, especially considering that he got them OKed on the BW forums, I'm just saying that it's not essential.
Anyway, another thing that I have had to think about a little bit is what Beliefs are not. Firstly, beliefs are not Instincts. Whenever I was looking through the Artha section, I was telling myself, "Okay, Beliefs are special because when you behave in a way that brings your Beliefs out onto the table, you're rewarded for it mechanically." If you get too specific about it, though, and start thinking like, "when this happens, my character does this in response." You're starting to get away from what Beliefs represent. That sort of if/then is the domain of the Instinct. Although Instincts are modeled to be extremely specific (If someone spits on me I flip them the bird), there's a broader difference. Beliefs are not intended to railroad your character into certain behavior sets; it's not good to have a Belief that's too vague, but it's not good to have one that's too specific, either. Also, Beliefs are not set in stone. Characters who find themselves in situations that force them to take a cold hard look at their Beliefs are free to modify them as they see fit, or drop out Beliefs for new ones. And, if these changes occur in-game in a dramatic and believable fashion, then you can get all kinds of fabulous Artha (talkin' 'bout those Persona points, hells yeah.)
This last point is another reminder; Beliefs are not Traits. Traits are intended to be somewhat more static, having more to do with the ingrained qualities of a character than their outlook or their life journey. So, okay, some Traits are like 'missing an eye' or whatever, and you'd never get that mixed up with a Belief. I'm not talking about those. ;P There's a part of the discussion in one of the links at the bottom of this post that talks about it a little more fully, but essentially if you write up a Belief that you never intend to change that represents only one facet of your character, then it might be better as a Trait.
Are you asking me why I'm talking about Beliefs when everyone already has their character's Beliefs all written up and done with? Well, you cynics, I've just been thinking a lot about Beliefs and their role in the game, and my responsibilities as a GM in interpreting them. I've been thinking about the marriage between the conceptual aspect of the Beliefs and their role in the process of playing one's character and the mechanical aspect of their generating these bonus points, and the way I ought to lean in my arbitration of such. Really, some gaming will help my thoughts to coalesce immensely, but I want to have a productive way of thinking about them beforehand.
So, what do you guys have to say about Beliefs? Do you want to tell me that everything I just said is wrong and that Beliefs are something totally different? Please do so! Do you just want to cry to the world that Beliefs are awesome? Go for it! Beliefs are something in BW that especially tickled and teased me, so I'd love to talk about them.
ps. Here are some serious links that Brent dug up like a beautiful truffle-smelling pig. If Beliefs are as exciting to you as they are to me, then these links might make you swoon. Make sure you're sitting down.
Belief Workshop
BTO and Abzo bash out Beliefs
Cawshis' Belief workshop
Luke and Thor brainstorm Beliefs
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