Clueless
Webmonkey
Um.
It *is* that dark.
The PC's *are* the bright points.
You'll notice the party gets more and more... morbidly humourous about the situation actually. There's the occasional bright moments (and we pull some GOOD stunts on the baddies towards the end) but I'll freely admit - it's a d**ned dark game. We make a lot of jokes at the table - and they're in character at that - because the dark is so bad the characters have to laugh or they'll cry. If you've read through the Clockmaker's story you can see a little bit of *just* how dark things can get. I suppose it helps to produce a strong emotion and desire to see the game through so we can *slam* the bad guys good and hard. (Which we are doing - it took time but we's winning now.)
It probably helps that Shemmy isn't a confrontational DM. He makes a very good effort to let us know that he's on *our* side and not on the side of the bad guys. It really helps us as players trust his storylines that we'll win in the end. Plus, he'll let us do the unexpected things that radically change the layout of the game world - if we can make the roll or figure out how to do it - we *can*. Even if it removes one of his big players from the board for awhile. So it's that combination of things, that he wants us to win, that we trust him to screw the characters with the intention of winning later, and that when we surprise him - he lets it go through - no DM fiat'ing to avoid it.
It *is* that dark.
The PC's *are* the bright points.
You'll notice the party gets more and more... morbidly humourous about the situation actually. There's the occasional bright moments (and we pull some GOOD stunts on the baddies towards the end) but I'll freely admit - it's a d**ned dark game. We make a lot of jokes at the table - and they're in character at that - because the dark is so bad the characters have to laugh or they'll cry. If you've read through the Clockmaker's story you can see a little bit of *just* how dark things can get. I suppose it helps to produce a strong emotion and desire to see the game through so we can *slam* the bad guys good and hard. (Which we are doing - it took time but we's winning now.)
It probably helps that Shemmy isn't a confrontational DM. He makes a very good effort to let us know that he's on *our* side and not on the side of the bad guys. It really helps us as players trust his storylines that we'll win in the end. Plus, he'll let us do the unexpected things that radically change the layout of the game world - if we can make the roll or figure out how to do it - we *can*. Even if it removes one of his big players from the board for awhile. So it's that combination of things, that he wants us to win, that we trust him to screw the characters with the intention of winning later, and that when we surprise him - he lets it go through - no DM fiat'ing to avoid it.
