tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post7732481543435352975..comments2024-03-29T00:32:33.920-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Dwimmermount Session 19James Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74033809715048668722009-10-09T14:55:59.997-04:002009-10-09T14:55:59.997-04:00Great read. Particularly interesting to see an mod...Great read. Particularly interesting to see an module that I've read (Death Frost Doom) and how it unfolds in actual play. Zak makes a good point above.Deltahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00705402326320853684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-37696769058188901362009-10-09T11:06:41.882-04:002009-10-09T11:06:41.882-04:00I'm curious: Do you take notes during the game...<i>I'm curious: Do you take notes during the game or do a write up afterward to keep track of these passing mentions, or do you trust to memory?</i><br /><br>I do have a very good memory, but I also make short notes, mostly of names and little details. Of course, so do my players, so that helps too.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-66816214654412732252009-10-09T07:54:10.379-04:002009-10-09T07:54:10.379-04:00It's not proper improvisation, as I do have id...<i>It's not proper improvisation, as I do have ideas, characters, locations, even whole scenes which I've thought up ahead of time</i><br /><br />Any improve actor/comedian will tell you (if they're being honest) that they usually have a huge body of material worked up in advance, to bring forth, modify, and use when needed.<br /><br />So, yes, what you're doing <i>is</i> 'proper' improvisation.<br /><br />Word verification: dunciess (a princess dunce)Knightskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08397391662639446678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-43541575614174280482009-10-09T04:24:37.789-04:002009-10-09T04:24:37.789-04:00Wow! Good Job!!!
I need next step as soon as possi...Wow! Good Job!!!<br />I need next step as soon as possible, so I can make nothing but copycat my next WHFR session :P :P :PMTNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389626031147642433noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-30000026885972168482009-10-09T02:22:11.335-04:002009-10-09T02:22:11.335-04:00Great report. I like how you set part of the infod...Great report. I like how you set part of the infodump at a wedding - nice. And yeah, the quick loose prep is the most fun way to DM. <br /><br />Kelvin, don't worry. I can't think of many improvisers (eg. music, poetry) who improvise full cloth. There's more often than not some back up routines that are set in train while her or she thinks up the next move.Chris Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11064988977152302364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-60082133428088481692009-10-08T17:44:47.596-04:002009-10-08T17:44:47.596-04:00You're the only blogger whose session reports ...You're the only blogger whose session reports I can actually make it all the way through.Zak Sabbathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08812410680077034917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-69396088737155575072009-10-08T13:27:46.970-04:002009-10-08T13:27:46.970-04:00I used to write out my scenarios in detail, but de...I used to write out my scenarios in detail, but deathly afraid of railroading my players, I'd spend ages anticipating their actions and detailing the resulting effects on the story. I wasted a lot of time doing this, and often the pressure of all that detail led to me giving up entirely; what I should have done all along is something like what you're describing here.<br /><br />It's what I do now, and it's incredibly liberating. I brainstorm some ideas, expanding on them and connecting them as I go, but I don't even attempt to arrange them into a plot. I often come up with a fairly detailed starting point, but I've found I am much better at responding to the players at the table than I am anticipating them beforehand. It's not proper improvisation, as I do have ideas, characters, locations, even whole scenes which I've thought up ahead of time, but they're not forced on the players, and I only pull them out when the story has been pushed in that direction by those players.<br /><br />It's also, I've realised, much, much more fun. I've never seen it this way before, but you're exactly right to say that this kind of looser, less book-bound, style feels much more like you're playing a game with the players. I've had more fun GMing in this style than I ever did before; the kind of fun I'd only previously had as a player.<br /><br />Which is all a very long-winded way of saying I really enjoy reading the session summaries!thekelvingreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01928260185408072124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-78140691785604090482009-10-08T12:59:51.193-04:002009-10-08T12:59:51.193-04:00Great Post! It's always inspiring to read abo...Great Post! It's always inspiring to read about your campaign.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-77078087218171781372009-10-08T12:17:59.183-04:002009-10-08T12:17:59.183-04:00"I'm very fond of throwing out unexplaine..."I'm very fond of throwing out unexplained references, hints, and other clues that I can pick up later or not, as the needs of the campaign require."<br /><br />So am I, and it's something I used to do in my game writing, when the editors would let me get away with it. Chaosium products used to do this a lot, and I often found those toss-off references as or more inspirational than the main product, itself.<br /><br />I'm curious: Do you take notes during the game or do a write up afterward to keep track of these passing mentions, or do you trust to memory?<br /><br />Security word: "todises," what the Mafia thug asked for when shopping at the Chessex booth at GenCon. "I wants todises. a red ones."Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01254215329246851683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-71622928774874799262009-10-08T11:55:06.631-04:002009-10-08T11:55:06.631-04:00"As a referee, I like to feel as if I'm a..."As a referee, I like to feel as if I'm as much a player as those with PCs and, to do that, I need to surprise even myself."<br /><br />I agree wholeheartedly - this is why I love sandbox gaming and can't stick with linear adventures/adventure paths.<br /><br />In my game on Tuesday I rolled a 1 on a d6, and an NPC I liked a lot got eaten by a blue dragon. I didn't want it to happen, but rolling with the randomness is what makes the game fun for me.Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01173759805310975320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-80437389899404595602009-10-08T11:52:23.500-04:002009-10-08T11:52:23.500-04:00I'm so very interested to hear what's goin...I'm so very interested to hear what's going to happen next. Your Dwimmermount campaign is an inspiration. I'm sorry to hear that RL is intruding upon your game though, it certainly happens to all of us though. Especially at this age.<br /><br />Ah, a chest of gold for those good old days when the extent of my responsibility was getting to class.Gamer Dudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05006232842482959060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-9077586659549076252009-10-08T10:27:02.581-04:002009-10-08T10:27:02.581-04:00James,
you create magic with your geographic names...James,<br />you create magic with your geographic names, some awesome storytelling and NPCs, not to mention challenging your players' expectations at every step, a pleasure to read, must be zwesome to play PNP. Keep it up!Brooser Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08487438364129415650noreply@blogger.com