4 thoughts on “Uh oh, I gave a softball pitch to my group and now…”

  2. There’s been a few other questions like this recently. I’m glad groups are willing to try it out!

    Watch out for… let’s see, trying to use all the mechanics at once. Take heed to the advice in the “Failing Gracefully” section on I think pg17 of the QS. I would have preferred to let my players get comfortable with the basics of action/effect rolls and maybe simple flashbacks, before I introduced teamwork actions, passing the On Point role, etc.

    Development, Downtime, Heat and all that is great and easy to add right away. If possible, I’d let players get through two scores in the first session, to get a sense of the rhythm and immediate value of downtime. That means your scores could conclude much more quickly than you expect, but I think that’s ok, the crew still is at the bottom of the heap and won’t grow that fast.

    Also, I am finding that NPC connections that emerge from all the chicanery and action are the real gems of the game that I personally enjoy. You may feel differently, but I love using the GM reference and my own quick impressions to give each NPC, as much as possible, a name and one or two defining features: the voice of a frequent pipe/cigar smoker, the smell of some herb, perfume, or material, sign of a previous injury from skullduggery or just misfortune they’ve had in a haunted city (missing fingers, limps, scars, burns, phobias, superstitions, etc), an affiliation with any other faction (the Lampblack that enjoys the company of the Lost will be memorable in ways very different from the Lampblack who dreams of joining one of the Hive’s guilds), etc.

    But then that’s nothing new for this bad boy than for any RPG.

  3. It was trial, but I knew that.  Highlight all of them unloading the faction step onto one person.  Sure makes it convenient to scrap with weak factions and be friends with strong ones.

  4. Interesting point. On the other hand, in my understanding at least, Tier doesn’t exactly equate to strength/weakness (though that’s completely narrative and within the GM/group’s decisions about what strength means in play.)

    For instance, the Inspectors are Tier I, because they are few and don’t field gangs or armies of goons like the Skovlan refugees could. Nevertheless, taking a cue from Peaky Blinders, I’m playing Inspectors as if they’re individuals most to be feared and respected in the city aside from perhaps magistrates and Imperial shadow agents themselves, or, you know, the Unseen.

    On the other hand, Deathlands Scavengers are Tier I, because really how can many survive in the Deathlands. But then, those that do survive have to be pretty badass right? Not to mention whatever esoterica and abandoned tech and methods they may have picked up out there.

    So, I’ve been thinking of Tier as pervasiveness, quantity, and reach, which may mean power, but doesn’t necessarily. On the other hand, high tier low hold can also have a sort of strength unique to that situation. The refugees are everywhere, but they’re also usually in desperate straits. That can be a source of strength, however, since if they wanted to cause riots and revolutions against the existing power structures, there’s a whole lot of garrulous (and in our world stout scandinavian-type) folk with nothing to lose,  everything to gain, and scores to settle. Sure their hold is low, so they’re easy pickings to slaughter or push out of turf en masse, but they also could swarm and fight back were they united and equipped.

    So I’m intrigued to hear how various other play groups indicate and interact with relative strength and weakness of the factions.

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