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GUMSHOE: Night's Black Agents - Tinker Tailor Vampire Die
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<blockquote data-quote="writernextdoor" data-source="post: 5830421" data-attributes="member: 6689303"><p>Some observations:</p><p></p><p>Game Prep</p><p>------------</p><p></p><p>1. The adventures work best when there's a thin skeleton of linear action (basically a list of scenes/major beats) but bazillions of hooks and ways to move from scene to scene. For example, here's one beat from Saturday's game:</p><p></p><p>** The party (at least 2 members) should be on the second floor of the bank, and moved into NPC's office. ** ((NOTE - the numbers are the max spends))</p><p></p><p>Sense Trouble (2) - Was that a tripwire?</p><p>Bureaucracy (1) - Far more paperwork than would be expected...</p><p>Digital Intrusion/Infiltration (#) - Password is "carrots" (on underside of box of tissues)</p><p></p><p>GOAL - Find computer files GOAL 2 - Encounter sniper from window once seated at desk</p><p></p><p>Gone are the days of lengthy text, the system lends itself to improvised tension.</p><p></p><p>2. The players will tend to play 'short' (conserving points for what is perceived to be an end-moment) or 'burn' (constantly daisy-chaining refresh opportunities. Both should be capitalized on with staggered tensions, climaxes and spending-for-clue moments.</p><p></p><p>3. To get quiet or hesitant players involved, I've found it useful to suggest possible spends (not their amounts though) when they stall in a scene or feel pressured by the table.</p><p></p><p>Scene Operation</p><p>----------------</p><p>1. Not all scenes have the same weight. The expectation is that combat scenes are time and attention heavy, but here, one guy can drop a mook or two pretty easily. Also, given the GUMSHOE nature of play, the expectation is that discovery/investigation scenes are heavy. Mixing the nature of the two (short combats, long clues, long combat, short clues) keeps the whole game moving.</p><p></p><p>2. (Personal note) I found it a lot easier to reduce the importance of combat. It still happens, but it's not just combat-to-defeat-the-boss-monster. Combat-as-an-option-for-obstacle-resolution is a great way to make combat happen without signifying it as a red flag to players. (You can always punch your way out of here....)</p><p></p><p>3. It's not hard to offer refresh. I invented a few new cherries ('Dammit Jim I'm a Doctor' comes to mind as the new Medic refresh) that focus more on "using SKILL-gibberish to get involved at the table. So far, it's a great way to let the player(s) be creative and incite its continuation. Also, offering refresh regularly encourages them to spend points. </p><p></p><p>Vampires</p><p>----------</p><p>1. It's not that I was disappointed with the vampires as-printed, I just thought it would be a shame NOT to make full use of the crunch and depth suggested. It's an excel chart. Not quite roll-and-build, but pretty close.</p><p></p><p>2. They should be tougher than the players. And that's a tough balance, very table-dependent, but I've found a base +1 or +2 to rolls to be a good incentive to spend in a fight. After all, if they were weaker, they wouldn't have such a big conspiracy, right?</p><p></p><p>3. It's nice having homebrewed vamps (at most I have 2 types), as players aren't sure which to prep for, so they intensify the role-play efforts.</p><p></p><p>Type 1: Stereotypic - Death by sunlight, stake, fire. Summons bats, wolves, rats, turns into mist. Mesmerizes the weak-minded. Invades dreams. </p><p></p><p>Type 2: Religious/Evil/Damned - Death by sunlight, holy things (Water, tools), paralyzed by stake to heart, trapped by salt.</p><p></p><p>Treating them as breeds (though both are technically "Damned") keeps the players from always sharpening stakes and waiting for sunrise.</p><p></p><p>Players</p><p>---------</p><p>1. I'm still working on a way to incent players to do more than always spend 2 points. I think I just need to ratchet up difficulties.</p><p></p><p>2. I'm still working on getting people OUT of the roll-a-d20-skill-heavy-work-off-the-paper mindset, and that comes usually by spelling out the game which I do with this equation:</p><p></p><p>Mission Impossible + spy novels + Jason Bourne + Vampires + Cthulhu</p><p></p><p>At some point, everyone hooks to a part of that line. </p><p></p><p>3. Because the mechanics are so easy and don't change, I find they actually DON'T hook players as easily as I thought. The setting/theme hooks them, the mechanics KEEP them. And the scenes have to reinforce that. </p><p></p><p>There will be more later tonight, after Day 2 of Dreamation</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="writernextdoor, post: 5830421, member: 6689303"] Some observations: Game Prep ------------ 1. The adventures work best when there's a thin skeleton of linear action (basically a list of scenes/major beats) but bazillions of hooks and ways to move from scene to scene. For example, here's one beat from Saturday's game: ** The party (at least 2 members) should be on the second floor of the bank, and moved into NPC's office. ** ((NOTE - the numbers are the max spends)) Sense Trouble (2) - Was that a tripwire? Bureaucracy (1) - Far more paperwork than would be expected... Digital Intrusion/Infiltration (#) - Password is "carrots" (on underside of box of tissues) GOAL - Find computer files GOAL 2 - Encounter sniper from window once seated at desk Gone are the days of lengthy text, the system lends itself to improvised tension. 2. The players will tend to play 'short' (conserving points for what is perceived to be an end-moment) or 'burn' (constantly daisy-chaining refresh opportunities. Both should be capitalized on with staggered tensions, climaxes and spending-for-clue moments. 3. To get quiet or hesitant players involved, I've found it useful to suggest possible spends (not their amounts though) when they stall in a scene or feel pressured by the table. Scene Operation ---------------- 1. Not all scenes have the same weight. The expectation is that combat scenes are time and attention heavy, but here, one guy can drop a mook or two pretty easily. Also, given the GUMSHOE nature of play, the expectation is that discovery/investigation scenes are heavy. Mixing the nature of the two (short combats, long clues, long combat, short clues) keeps the whole game moving. 2. (Personal note) I found it a lot easier to reduce the importance of combat. It still happens, but it's not just combat-to-defeat-the-boss-monster. Combat-as-an-option-for-obstacle-resolution is a great way to make combat happen without signifying it as a red flag to players. (You can always punch your way out of here....) 3. It's not hard to offer refresh. I invented a few new cherries ('Dammit Jim I'm a Doctor' comes to mind as the new Medic refresh) that focus more on "using SKILL-gibberish to get involved at the table. So far, it's a great way to let the player(s) be creative and incite its continuation. Also, offering refresh regularly encourages them to spend points. Vampires ---------- 1. It's not that I was disappointed with the vampires as-printed, I just thought it would be a shame NOT to make full use of the crunch and depth suggested. It's an excel chart. Not quite roll-and-build, but pretty close. 2. They should be tougher than the players. And that's a tough balance, very table-dependent, but I've found a base +1 or +2 to rolls to be a good incentive to spend in a fight. After all, if they were weaker, they wouldn't have such a big conspiracy, right? 3. It's nice having homebrewed vamps (at most I have 2 types), as players aren't sure which to prep for, so they intensify the role-play efforts. Type 1: Stereotypic - Death by sunlight, stake, fire. Summons bats, wolves, rats, turns into mist. Mesmerizes the weak-minded. Invades dreams. Type 2: Religious/Evil/Damned - Death by sunlight, holy things (Water, tools), paralyzed by stake to heart, trapped by salt. Treating them as breeds (though both are technically "Damned") keeps the players from always sharpening stakes and waiting for sunrise. Players --------- 1. I'm still working on a way to incent players to do more than always spend 2 points. I think I just need to ratchet up difficulties. 2. I'm still working on getting people OUT of the roll-a-d20-skill-heavy-work-off-the-paper mindset, and that comes usually by spelling out the game which I do with this equation: Mission Impossible + spy novels + Jason Bourne + Vampires + Cthulhu At some point, everyone hooks to a part of that line. 3. Because the mechanics are so easy and don't change, I find they actually DON'T hook players as easily as I thought. The setting/theme hooks them, the mechanics KEEP them. And the scenes have to reinforce that. There will be more later tonight, after Day 2 of Dreamation [/QUOTE]
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