Author: Manuel Huber

Hi,

I made a little diagram that you can use to explain to your players in which areas they have a (dis-)advantage and how it affects their effect level.

THIS IS NOT A MATHEMATICAL EQUATION!

“-2 Tier” + “larger scale” does NOT simply equal “normal effect”

The fiction dictates which factors are important. But with this diagram you can visualize the factors.

NPC names

Hi, I wanna make the background of NPCs more noticeable by giving them proper names. The book compares some of these regions with real culturs, so my plan is:

Iruvia – arabic

Skovlan – russian

south akoros – italian (stole all of my names from the locke lamora series)

north akoros – german (my native tongue)

west akoros – english / british

severos – ???

dagger isles – ???

Tycheros – ???

Do you have ideas for the last 3? Or a favorite name generator? Or a way better idea?^^

Session Zero & Tone questions

Hi, I’m starting up a new group with a mixed bunch of players and since having similar expectations about the game is essential to me I’m trying to come up with some short questions.

I wanna do (parts of) the “Same Page Tool” but I’d also like to gauge the kind of tone the players want. Something like

“You get stabbed during an emotional scene. Is this wound a major factor for the next few sessions or should this be shrugged off?”

“You blow up a warehouse but the dynamite goes off too soon. Do we see the action scene where you jump out of the door as it explodes or is it a dramatic scene where you have to leave behind your best (NPC) friend?”

“You are in a room of a crowded building and have to get rid of the corpse. Do we see the vile scene where you retch while you try to chop up the body or do you put sunglasses in him and drive him around in a wheelchair, attaching a string to his hand and waving at people?”

I’m not really happy with these questions though so I’m looking for better ones. I want to know if the players want a dark and gritty game or something light and actiony (maybe even comedic) by giving them in-game examples and not have even more meta discussions about the game before we get going.

Hi, did any of you run a game where the PCs played corrupt bluecloaks? What playbook did you use? How did you prevent them from using the vast resources of the state? What else should I know about running such a gang?

Keeping strict time records

In my game (4 scores over 3 sessions so far) we never actually said how much time passed and it makes me feel like we’re not having a meaningful campaign. Do you keep track of how much time passes in the fiction during a downtime?

Picking a plan

Do you guys pick a plan based on the ultimate goal or the first obstacle of the score?

My group are assassins and so far all of their scores were murder which would make all of them assault plans. In the last score they wanted to blow up 2 guys in a meeting room in a military compound. The scores started with them getting into the compound. Their plan was to get smuggled in with a shipment, so it felt like a stealth plan even though their plan was to blow up an entire office. We rolled, they were in the warehouse but the crates were being checked right then (and then the flashbacks started…).

So how do you guys pick a plan and how much does the “pick a plan” mechanic actually affect your game? For me it’s mostly “Players decide what’s the goal, I tell them the first obstacle, we roll” without all of the formalities of the rule book.

Cohort without crew advancement

How strict are you guys with the whole acquiring cohorts mechanic? Often times the contacts from character creation would make perfect cohorts (e.g. doctors) and are already close / loyal to one of the crew.

My plan is to make the doctor unavailable for a downtime or 2 to show them he’s got a full live and isn’t on call for the crew. Making him a cohort will take a while though since they are fresh tier 1, so I’m playing it like the doc isn’t ready to leave his life behind and the crew has no equipment / place for the doc. And if they want to make room, get to equipment etc. I have to tell them “you can’t get those in a long term project or a score since it’s a crew advancement” (which feels like a real fiction second thing to say :/).

Do you just let your players add them as cohorts?