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Sariel glowers as he sings a winter dirge, his song amplified by his blade that sings a corresponding a melody of its own. The dirge tells of the eternal winter that befalls all those who break the oaths to which they are bound, the strictures all fey place upon themselves in order to maintain a...

A solitary tear trails down Sariel's cheek at the mention of Enumbra. She had always been his favorite. He could only hope that she means to fetch their brother herself. "That is most peculiar for I have not come seeking your aid, but to present ill tidings from my father's court and offer my...

Sariel turns to Commader Edmunds and softens in his approach. "It would be my conjecture that by juju you are referring to my sister likely speaking the word of respite. If so, I apologize on her behalf. For us Eladrin, who reside in the heart of the world, speaking the words of creation is...

SARIEL AND STARN Sariel seizes upon Gwen's words. Without hesitation he runs forward to the stable, winds propelling him forward, feet barely touching the ground. His words reflect someone who is used to getting their way and has little regard for the implied threat behind them. Such was the...

Yeah. More than anything else I want a consistent level of detail (and relevant situation) from every character.

I mean it does for this DM. A substantial part of my enjoyment comes from building on what the players are bringing to the table and investing in their characters' personal journeys.

As Sariel's eyes are laid upon the translocation rune. He instantly recognizes it as the ancient elvish rune for hope and intones an incantation taught him by his father long ago which is spoken in a mix of Elven and Primordial. "Where the heart of dawning meets firm ground will our fellowship...

Sariel turns his gaze upward to the tower. His face becomes flush with anger and winds swirl around him. "I speak now to whatever forces still hold onto this arcanist. I know not why you keep him from this world, but I have need of him. The World has need of him. So, I will be taking him and...

The Crusher homunculus leaps over the pit of acid, but is thrown somewhat off balance by a trailing kick to the back from Leif. The homunculus lands atop Sariel, but is rewarded for its efforts with Sariel's blade to the guts. Meanwhile Leif quickly dispatches the remaining runner with a palm...

So, the other GMs in my home group mostly plays games I would consider neotrad while I tend to run more indie faire. As a player in those games, I view my responsibility as a player as three-fold. Create and play a character the GM and other players find compelling in the same way the GM in a...

There is no such thing as an incorrect reading of the GM's role that is not specific to a given game (the role does not exist outside of the game). The roles we assume at the table are artifacts of game design, not some essential component of the medium. How we break down the authority and...

The reason I personally bristle at associating writer's room or collaborative storytelling with the way I run / play games like Apocalypse Keys is that to me they imply an intention and approach to play that is concerned with making decisions for the sake of a satisfying story or narrative, that...

Brenan Lee Mulligan is right that the techniques and processes their group uses are well suited for what they are trying to accomplish. They relying on a fruitful void within D&D to allow them to work together to tell a story. It's mistake to assume that sort of improvised storytelling they are...

My personal view is that Daggerheart will most likely exist in the same liminal space as Cortex Heroic/Prime, Dune 2d20, D&D 4e and to a lesser extent Dungeon World do. All of the above utilize conflict resolution and lack mechanics like alignment or paladin vows that reinforce specific themes...

I think we should be careful about assuming things are the same just because there are some conceptual similarities. For example, Chronicles of Darkness and Legend of the Five Rings Fifth Edition are first blush look like (and are likely somewhat inspired by) Masks and Monsterhearts. However...

So, I don't think a given process or mechanic is sacred and only belongs in a single given arrangement. If I did Chronicles of Darkness and L5R Fifth Edition would not rank as two of my favorite games. I do believe there is value in particular arrangements of mechanics, play processes and...

So, what's great about the prompts we see in Daggerheart or most PbtA games aren't that we have questions or connections at all. It's that the questions are provocative and if answered correctly will result in actionable stuff we can frame conflicts around. However, what actually sets the model...

So, I don't think Blades or Masks or Burning Wheel are like special. My experience bears out that play where we specifically frame and specifically play into the thematic premises associated with a given character or setting element are more reliably going to result in play where these things...

Let's take specific games out of it. Do you think it would be fair to say that some techniques and processes of play might get you there more reliably or more easily? That different processes also come with their own sets of tradeoffs?

I would note that my example above is remarkably different from the sort of approach I have taken in more traditional but still character focused games my home group plays and runs. Here's my most recent Vampire character's background workup: The process for creating Laurent was all about...