Post by gamedave on Apr 19, 2019 15:19:07 GMT -5
So, for the new campaign, we'll be using the playtest version of Pelgrane Press' "Swords of the Serpentine" RPG, which you all should have links to a copy of.
However, I will not be using the default setting in the playtest document (the city of Eversink). I like the game and the rules, but I don't really like the setting. I also want to run more of a wandering campaign, ala Conan, rather than setting it in a single city.
I'm planning on using a modified version of the Hyborian Age, the world Robert E. Howard created for Conan the Barbarian. I know several of you don't know much about the setting, which is fine. Part of the game I want to emphasize is exploration and encountering the unknown.
Character creation, in GUMSHOE games, is supposed to be collaborative. It's perfectly fine to look a the character creation rules and come up with some ideas for a character, but don't lock yourself into anything until we have a chance to sit down as a group and discuss characters. In particular, Investigative Abilities are supposed to be divided among characters, such that each one is covered by a character, and such that there is minimal overlap between characters. That really has to be collaborative.
The same is not true of General Abilities. There aren't as many of them, for one thing. There's likely to be a lot overlap there, but it's still a good idea to do some collaboration. It's not as important that every General Ability is accounted for, but, for example, if everyone has the Sway General Ability and nobody has the Warfare General Ability, it's going to be a really weird campaign.
However, I will not be using the default setting in the playtest document (the city of Eversink). I like the game and the rules, but I don't really like the setting. I also want to run more of a wandering campaign, ala Conan, rather than setting it in a single city.
I'm planning on using a modified version of the Hyborian Age, the world Robert E. Howard created for Conan the Barbarian. I know several of you don't know much about the setting, which is fine. Part of the game I want to emphasize is exploration and encountering the unknown.
Character creation, in GUMSHOE games, is supposed to be collaborative. It's perfectly fine to look a the character creation rules and come up with some ideas for a character, but don't lock yourself into anything until we have a chance to sit down as a group and discuss characters. In particular, Investigative Abilities are supposed to be divided among characters, such that each one is covered by a character, and such that there is minimal overlap between characters. That really has to be collaborative.
The same is not true of General Abilities. There aren't as many of them, for one thing. There's likely to be a lot overlap there, but it's still a good idea to do some collaboration. It's not as important that every General Ability is accounted for, but, for example, if everyone has the Sway General Ability and nobody has the Warfare General Ability, it's going to be a really weird campaign.