(Remember When You Were Young . . .) One Shot Advice

[Loonook]

Generating up a one-shot for personal use using the FATE system (a la the Dresden Files RPG)... I've been a bit of a fan of the concepts of the system over its overall application, but I have a few 'roleplaying interested' individuals who want something rules light to dip their feet into...

While we were sitting about chatting we discussed some of the ideas they like. They love the idea of a "Arcane Modern" setting (which made me happy as I also love a bit of Weird Modern a la Call of Cthulhu, Little Fears, Supernatural, etc) and sort of a twisted Alternate History. We're also fans of music, so I have outlined the following basics behind a one-shot.

The band... We were all part of it. Everyone remembers our songs, though maybe we forgot them on stage. Do you remember what we were fighting for? When we were all stardust and golden, wandering the world as if we owned every bit of it.

It's been twenty five years? Where did all the time go? We've seen each other in bars, gigged together on albums, played the fool in a dozen relationships of business, love, lust...

Now the Rolling Stone reads "They're back!" We packed up after that last gig, went our separate ways. A beautiful house, a great sound system, enough of anything you wanted to touch the sky and kiss the stars... But we all knew Something Happened.

Jon ended up in a pink bath with a smile on his face. Ronnie crashed his plane with his kids on it and the box had him singing all the way down. I don't have to remind you what happened to that sweet groupie... The cops said dogs, but who knows?

I forgot it until they invited us all back together. Figured we're up for one last gig? Maybe we'd put the past behind us... But then She was there. All of it came back to us... and then it started happening...

(The Band) was as big as the Beatles for one glorious summer in 1971. Between the acid rock and glam bands they filled a gap that was a necessity. Their parties were legendary, their excesses epic, and their music... How do you describe the music of gods gone too soon?

Their last gig was held at a great mansion in Scotland, at the behest of a man who was known for his eclectic tastes. They played for hours, opening the minds and hearts of everyone there... Until the lights went out.

A band member disappeared. One might as well have, with the time in the institution... And the audience... The others went their separate ways but whatever made them great made them mundane separately. They would see each other but never discussed that gig.

The new owner of the estate has offered them a fortune, even more than they earned from the recordings, the royalties, the guest appearances. And he says he has answers... So how could they leave it all behind?

----

Of course some of you probably recognize the location, and the loss of band members to odd circumstances wasn't exactly odd. What I am trying to think of is what CAUSED that event? I've been debating the whole thing for a few days off and on and wonder if anyone can give me a good jump point for the whole thing .

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[Loonook]

Got my first character back! Well... The first three 'phases' of the character... the player wants to look a bit further into the generation rules. I told him that we're going to go with Aspects being named through song lyrics, and he really ran with it in a 30 minute awesome run . So I figured I would post my notes from his so far.

Thomas "Psychedelic Cowboy" Shootingstar.

Concept: Postmodern Hanging Judge [I kinda like this ]



Phase One "Where Are You From?"

Events: I was born on an Indian Reservation in the Southwest to a medicine man's daughter and her tough, rugged, Scotch-Irish roving lover. The family didn't take too kind, but they loved the brown-eyed golden-haired kid in front of them and I can't say anymore about them. My grandfather taught me all about the words of the land, and I watched the Blessing and Enemy Ways from the cradle.

I remember when my father would come in from his ranging and let me go out for the hunt. Small varmint, big game, that man loved me as much as my Paw hated him. I never knew him as more than "That Cowboy" until I hitched a ride out after walking ten miles of the desert.

Aspect: Born Six Gun in Hand, Izze-kloth 'Round Waist. Shows the duality of his two "father's" cultures (his cowboy father and mystic grandfather).


Phase Two "What Defined you?"

Events: Five years on the road and I picked up as a roadie for an all-black group known as the Singin' Crows. They taught me guitar, and joked around about giving that Injun boy too much firewater. I knew they cared for me and I watched their backs.

We were in Mississippi when I learned the ways of evil. A man accused Slim, our bass player, of 'knowing' his wife. Whether that was truth or not I don't know, but once the whole thing was done they were all gone. I walked through those backwoods and found them, and hardened my heart to those who hate. And I did those white boys harm a few days later from ambush in those same woods.

Those bodies no one's gonna find. I don't miss when I aim my gun.

Aspect: You May Say I'm a Dreamer (... or a Nightmare). Thomas believes in a world of equality... And will get there by any means necessary.

Phase Three: "What Was Your First Adventure?"

I wound up down in New Orleans where I lived for a couple of years. Met up with some roadies who would come through, roust up the bands. I loved the scene... And they came through. Bigger than life with their red white and blue lightning bolts and bears. I tagged in with their lead soundman, a guy they called Bear. We knocked back some brews, and went out.

He wanted to "open their eyes" with the stuff he gave out at their Tests, but it only led to "trips" and not "adventures". I saw what he meant when we had to go save one of their guys from a rough spot.

How do you describe what I saw? Light in a thousand colors tearing into the guy with claws like daggers? Something that was Beyond this world? I knew the Way (or at least the steps) and between me and Bear we fought the thing off and saved the girl. She was beautiful... Beyond stunning. I knew I was following them. Her name was Pam, and his was Owsley. Then we heard the cops...

Aspect: Crashed on Owsley's Floor (Really) Thomas was involved in the Big Bust of 1970, where the Grateful Dead were busted for... three guesses... The reason? Thomas made friends with Owsley, and developed some of the man's epic tolerances and unique appetite for meat, eggs, cheese, and milk ONLY.

----

The guy wanted to make Graham Parsons mixed with Listens-to-Wind from the Dresden Files! Excellent! He's also decided to take at least one aspect ("What it's like to love her") from a Graham Parson's cover.

Overall Songs Used for Inspiration from our Player:

Aspects:

Bad Company Bad Company
John LennonImagine
Frank Zappa Who Needs the Peace Corps?

Storywise:

Ink Spots I Don't Wanna Set the World on Fire
Bobby Russell/Vicki Lawrence The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia
The Singing Crows Storyline.
Grateful Dead Truckin'



I have to say I love the path here. It allows for the character to also take himself along the lines of a Minor Practitioner or Talent with his marked ability to kill the hallucinatory monster with Owsley... I also love the idea that Bear, simple soundman and drug kingpin/assistant to the Merry Pranksters is some kind of Paladin of the Open Mind, cracking open people's minds and battling whatever 'bad trip' may come out.

I'll keep posting what I get and hope to hear back .

Slainte,

-Loonook.