@GreySage That's not true for published material. Some people might insist it is conceptually true (my game doesn't use book X) but it's always true in the meta-game.
@SPavel Eh, if you go first, the monster goes second, and I go third, then maybe I would like you to use the arrow in case the monster attacks me before I can hit him with the sword.
Notice that Haunted Imaginings also has the "continuity" keyword, meaning it doesn't clear up automatically at the end of your adventure like most problems do.
@Anaphory Hmm, not really, there are domains in the PMB and SCAG that are "the usual" domain but nothing prevents the DM from adding to or subtracting domains for any god if it makes sense to them.
@DavidCoffron The generic engine is called Gumshoe One-2-One, but right now the only version of it available is Mythos-specific and called Cthulhu Confidential.
Cthulhu Confidential is very clear that its Challenge Difficulty Table (p53) assumes the game wants to achieve a horror atmosphere (of the dread type as described in Nightmares of Mine). The appendices (Player Characters for Other Mystery Genres, Generic Edges, Generic Problems, pp302-319) offer ...
Even for the default system, the GM is expected to write custom powers in addition to the supplied generic ones, unless you're only using prepared adventures.
The system's new enough that you'll quickly run out of prepared adventures, and also the intensely personal nature of the game strongly encourages writing adventures customized to the particular character and their unique circumstances.
However, the Cthulhu Confidential book provides some very comprehensive setting notes for several different campaigns, with lots of adventure hook suggestions.
It's definitely written, first and foremost, for the significant portion of the Mythos gaming audience which is deeply dedicated to period research, detailed prop-making, and convoluted plots.
But after running three sessions of it, I feel like I could get to the point where I can use the system more improvisationally.
@doppelgreener Well, Cthulhu Confidential doesn't itself expect prop-making, but that community? Oh yeah. Period passports and era-accurate train tickets, that sort of thing is very popular.
I have seen the terms "lines" and "veils" used on this SE (including on the chat) a number of times, especially in terms of social contracts between players.
What do these terms mean?
What is their origin?
How are they frequently used (best practices)?
What are some suggestions for introd...
So, yeah, totally try the X-card! It works for a lot of people! But if people are giving it the side-eye, there are other tools for achieving similar effects.
And I don't know how useful it is from personal experience, but @Anaphory likes using this phrasing as a way to communicate basic principles:
> 1 - A gamer must not harm others, or through inaction allow others to come to harm. Or themself! Use appropriate techniques (X-Card), Speak up, Take a Break, and Remember this is a voluntary thing and you can always just leave or ask someone to leave if the game is bad for you. 2 - A gamer must ensure the enjoyment of others, unless doing so would violate the First Law. Enjoyment comes in many forms, but we are doing this for (some definition of) fun. Remember what wasn’t fun and give feedback, Speak up, and Remember we can always do something else that is more enjoyable.
@BESW I saw the O card thing (and sounds fun if not something I'm not sure we have a problem with right now). But that critique of X-card was incredibly valuable. One of my players in particular might not be helped as much by it.
I think that the specific tool you use is, overall, less important than having a group that knows it's okay to speak up about these things and that everyone else will take your needs seriously.
(And that includes figuring out which tool works for the group, if any is needed.)
One less formal technique I use is, at the end of every session I try to have a little discussion about the experience.
@BESW absolutely. This particular person has trouble speaking up (and with her trauma stemming from her health issues being neglected, ignored, and openly mocked) in a group full of other loud and boisterous and, occasionally, line-crossing people.
- What do you want to see more of? - What don't you want to see again? - What would you like to add? - What would you like to change?
Talking about those questions at the end of every session does a lot to help set the mood of the whole gaming experience, and make people more comfortable speaking up mid-session if they don't feel it can wait 'til the debrief.
So we'll see. I am particularly worried since with this PbtA game (Masks about developing young superheros) the heroes buttons will be pushed in many challenging ways. And prior to this I have put a lot of thought towards how to not make it too-real.
@kviiri I'm involved in a global neighbourhood-based initiative that, as a primary focus, trains people in an area to work with kids and youth to instill a spirit of selfless service as a primary motive in their decision-making, combined with critical awareness of the needs of their communities. In places where this program has been sustained on a broad scale for more than a decade, the entire community starts to shift as those youth become adults in the community.
Honestly, Moses is also very short-sighted, would have been way easier to first walk down and then inscribe the commandments
Plus that way, he could deploy the commandments on a sprint basis, so that the Hebrews could start obeying the first one as soon as he was done with it
We had a joke: A Communist and a Jew get into a conversation. The Communist says - why your people still cling to your religion when we have Communism now? The Jew says - Well, you see, first there were the Egyptians and the Jews. The Egyptians were ruined, and the Jews remained. Then there were the Romans and the Jews. The Romans were ruined and the Jews remained. Then there were the Germans and the Jews. The Germans were ruined, and the Jews remained. Now we have the Soviet Union and the Jews.
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"In the time when rabbits still ate meat," or "In the time of the Yellow Father's son."
"Before the flood," "After the winter of dying cows."
Because here's the thing--cosmologies as linear narratives? Aren't actually how they're told.
This is most easily demonstrated by the stories of the Aztecs and their predecessors: we know very little from the written texts because all the texts assume a common pool of knowledge shared by all their readers.
So they say "And that's when Quetzacoatl was born! Awesome, right?" but never really talk about why Quetzalcoalt was such a big deal. Everybody knew.
So stories get told piecemeal. It's "Now I'm going to tell you X story," not "Now I'm going to tell you all about everything ever from the very beginning."
We do it all the time. Shakespeare assumed you knew why these kings are important and who they are, and it wasn't until his plays outlived their target audiences that they needed to be glossed.
Holy chat-activity, star-man. This is multiple days this week I've "loaded to my last message" and been directed to the transcript instead.
@SPavel It's fine to give stats to gods. Just not to Drizzt. That would cause serious trouble.
Though I would love it if, for April Fool's, WotC released a stat-block for him that was realistically-powered. Drow elf Ftr5 attuned to a figurine of wondrous power, and too many magic items for you to really trust his last GM.
I have seen the terms "lines" and "veils" used on this SE (including on the chat) a number of times, especially in terms of social contracts between players.
What do these terms mean?
What is their origin?
How are they frequently used (best practices)?
What are some suggestions for introd...
