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<blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 9201476" data-attributes="member: 20323"><p>Hey M.T. <img class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" alt="👋" title="Waving hand :wave:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f44b.png" data-shortname=":wave:" /><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> First off, thank you for putting Iskandar out there - it's great!</p><p></p><p>You're going deeper than I ever have with carousing, but I have touched on a couple of the "roleplay prompt" ideas that you're exploring, so I'll try to offer something helpful.</p><p></p><p>One of the things I love about your approach is that the 12 roleplay prompts are pretty evenly divided between type (a) get to know the PCs better, and (b) hilarious hijinx. That actually sets up a nice pacing within the carousing scene itself, as some hijinx are bound to ensue as well as some deeper moments. I think that really plays well with your recognition of the carousing scene as a much-needed break from more intense conflicts.</p><p></p><p>I know the degree of player prompting needed to get them to engage varies greatly from table to table, but I can see "Who wants to talk to someone?" being either just right or too vague (similar to the "what do you do?" blank faces issue). That's why I love the specificity of the prompts... it's something very clear & very immediate for the players to springboard their imaginations off of.</p><p></p><p>The NPC faces is a nice flourish. The phases is a nice behind-the-screen tool for the GM to fold into the pacing and narrative. But, at least for me, the core of the "creative juice" is in those prompts.</p><p></p><p>If I were to take your system and refine / adapt it for me to GM with, I would make those prompts even more specific, tying them into specific NPCs in the tavern, specific secondary story beats, ongoing jokes, and even foreshadowing of the next adventure. For example: <em>Get Snorri Oldback to unburden his troubles and confess what is gnawing at him. </em></p><p></p><p>One thing I have had good success with is writing prompts as questions for the PCs to ask each other. The context was a Freebooters on the Frontier (PbtA) two-shot I ran where the PCs began around a campfire (en route to hunting a monster called The Caterwauler), and I wanted to give some structure to get them engaging with each other right out of the gate, putting each other on the spot with some creative prompts. So my list of questions was very leading...</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>I heard you lived in Silverbrook village long ago.</strong> What do you remember was different back then and why did you leave?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>So you're in dire financial straits too...</strong> Why does the silver from this quest mean so much to you?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>I heard you know a rumor about the Caterwauler.</strong> What is the rumor? Roll 2d6+INT to Establish a potential fact.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>My condolences that someone you know passed away in Silverbrook - I heard the circumstances were odd.</strong> Who were they, what was your relationship, and what do you know of their death?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>You said you're a census taker.</strong> What's so strange about the population numbers in Silverbrook village?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>You're of Dowe-ish blood, I can see it in your eyes.</strong> Is it true what they say about your people worshipping a dark god?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>So you once served the Leget family...</strong> What really happened to them to make them abandon Silverbrook and the manor?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><strong>I heard your family’s herd suffers the Stygian Fever originating in Silverbrook.</strong> Where do you think a cure might be found?</li> </ol><p>Feedback from the four players was that they enjoyed getting to know each other and the setting in that "Questions around the campfire" scene, they enjoyed how the things they established in that opening scene fed back into the conclusion, and felt like their characters were more than playbooks (something some of them mentioned as a drawback of PbtA games).</p><p></p><p>I think you have a terrific foundation that sounds like it's working great for your group. My only adjustment might be playing around with those prompts to make them even more bespoke for your game/players. Otherwise, enjoy the carousing!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Quickleaf, post: 9201476, member: 20323"] Hey M.T. 👋:) First off, thank you for putting Iskandar out there - it's great! You're going deeper than I ever have with carousing, but I have touched on a couple of the "roleplay prompt" ideas that you're exploring, so I'll try to offer something helpful. One of the things I love about your approach is that the 12 roleplay prompts are pretty evenly divided between type (a) get to know the PCs better, and (b) hilarious hijinx. That actually sets up a nice pacing within the carousing scene itself, as some hijinx are bound to ensue as well as some deeper moments. I think that really plays well with your recognition of the carousing scene as a much-needed break from more intense conflicts. I know the degree of player prompting needed to get them to engage varies greatly from table to table, but I can see "Who wants to talk to someone?" being either just right or too vague (similar to the "what do you do?" blank faces issue). That's why I love the specificity of the prompts... it's something very clear & very immediate for the players to springboard their imaginations off of. The NPC faces is a nice flourish. The phases is a nice behind-the-screen tool for the GM to fold into the pacing and narrative. But, at least for me, the core of the "creative juice" is in those prompts. If I were to take your system and refine / adapt it for me to GM with, I would make those prompts even more specific, tying them into specific NPCs in the tavern, specific secondary story beats, ongoing jokes, and even foreshadowing of the next adventure. For example: [I]Get Snorri Oldback to unburden his troubles and confess what is gnawing at him. [/I] One thing I have had good success with is writing prompts as questions for the PCs to ask each other. The context was a Freebooters on the Frontier (PbtA) two-shot I ran where the PCs began around a campfire (en route to hunting a monster called The Caterwauler), and I wanted to give some structure to get them engaging with each other right out of the gate, putting each other on the spot with some creative prompts. So my list of questions was very leading... [LIST=1] [*][B]I heard you lived in Silverbrook village long ago.[/B] What do you remember was different back then and why did you leave? [*][B]So you're in dire financial straits too...[/B] Why does the silver from this quest mean so much to you? [*][B]I heard you know a rumor about the Caterwauler.[/B] What is the rumor? Roll 2d6+INT to Establish a potential fact. [*][B]My condolences that someone you know passed away in Silverbrook - I heard the circumstances were odd.[/B] Who were they, what was your relationship, and what do you know of their death? [*][B]You said you're a census taker.[/B] What's so strange about the population numbers in Silverbrook village? [*][B]You're of Dowe-ish blood, I can see it in your eyes.[/B] Is it true what they say about your people worshipping a dark god? [*][B]So you once served the Leget family...[/B] What really happened to them to make them abandon Silverbrook and the manor? [*][B]I heard your family’s herd suffers the Stygian Fever originating in Silverbrook.[/B] Where do you think a cure might be found? [/LIST] Feedback from the four players was that they enjoyed getting to know each other and the setting in that "Questions around the campfire" scene, they enjoyed how the things they established in that opening scene fed back into the conclusion, and felt like their characters were more than playbooks (something some of them mentioned as a drawback of PbtA games). I think you have a terrific foundation that sounds like it's working great for your group. My only adjustment might be playing around with those prompts to make them even more bespoke for your game/players. Otherwise, enjoy the carousing! [/QUOTE]
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