Recent content by pemerton

Right. This is my point, and the basis on which I expressed doubts about saying the solution is "created" rather than "discovered". Nor will I, given that I used the term! I certainly have this impression also. I don't agree that it's quibbling. Especially because "emergence" is discussed...

I've never played Brindlewood Bay, but I think that this post draws a contrast between "discovered" and "created" that is sharper than the reality of play. There are a lot of ways the "truth" of a RPG's fiction can be emergent rather than prepped - and my impression is that a degree of emergence...

For me, "system" is not primarily about the dice used or the rolling method. Core to system is how the GM frames scenes/presents situations to the players and how the GM establishes consequences. This quickly extends into things like how stakes are established, what the role of PC build and GM...

Here are the rules for the "action procedure": When the players take action the Referee works down this list: 1. Intent: What are you trying to do? 2. Leverage: What makes it possible? 3. Cost: Would it use a resource, cause Virtue Loss, or have a side-effect? 4. Risk: What's at risk? No risk...

As I said, this took a while but not forever. It's probably not the Realm I'd create if left to my own devices - and has far more water in it than my beloved Greyhawk! - but I'm sure it's playable, and departing from one's defaults is the point of random rolls. I'm hoping I met get to play...

Here is the full map of the Realm:

The next step is to add the stuff that is secret from the players until they discover it through play - and so is on the GM map but not the players' map. The rules say one barrier for every 6 hexes, so 24 in my case. And they are to be placed "logically", not randomly. Here is how I placed...

Here is the map of the Realm so far - this is the map players would get at the start of the game: And here are the notes (which are pretty basic): In the north (54h): Peaks (7h), with a bog (1h) and river valley (4h) running between hills (6h) to a great lake (12h) Forest (11h) between...

It ended up taking me three or four hours, yesterday evening and this morning, to make my Realm. I started with an old bit of hex paper (from memory, photocopied from the back of the Wilderness Survival Ground in the late 80s), and marked out my 12 hex x 12 hex area. Then, at every point where...

A week or so ago I bought the Mythic Bastionland PDF, after a few people whose opinions I respect said good things about it. The publisher website <Mythic Bastionland Hardback Book (plus PDF)> gives a general overview: In Mythic Bastionland you are a company of Knights sent to explore a Realm...

Sometimes we might observe that sex takes place - eg when Sir Gerren was seduced by Lady Lorette during a hunt - but we're not interested in describing any details. I think I would find that a bit weird, to be honest. In Rolemaster and Burning Wheel, this is Seduction. (I think also in...

I'm not familiar with the source material, but based on your account of it my first thought was Burning Wheel. Or for a pretty different experience, but one that is definitely S&S and support episodic play with a mix of new and recurring characters, In A Wicked Age.

Lots. The approach that I use the most is from the Burning Wheel family of games - PCs have relationships (purchased in character buiild, or acquired during play), and also have a Circles stat which is what is rolled to try and meet a helpful NPC. This BW play report shows both relationships...