Currently I run for two hours between 8pm and 10pm on a Sunday evening. This is the time slot which I am most consistently available. It has its quirks. Both the players and I are often tired from the weekend or have to be up early on Monday morning. The relatively short sessions reflect this and the requirement to play via video chat. What this means for the game is that deep character immersion and ultra serious gameplay probably isn’t achievable. Hence, I have gravitated back towards the Grim North.
An open table style set up coupled with the dark whimsy of the setting seems to work well for a group of internet friends with a couple of hours to kill (some molemen hopefully) at the terminus of their weekend.
It does mean that I have shelved my more pretentious attempts at Otherworld immersion. This isn’t such a bad thing. There is high potential to disappear up your own arse in this hobby, if you take it too seriously too much of the time.
The Grim North is not that game. The Grim North does not take itself too seriously. It could use some tweaks here and there though. One area I’m constantly blocked about is tying new characters into the setting at the generation phase. Something like the Warhammer careers system would probably do the job here, albeit adapted to Swords and Wizardry. So setting appropriate subclasses or the failed careers for Electric Bastionland. It’s the sort of work that when I finally complete it, will pay continual dividends. I never regret working on random tables for the setting. For instance on this week I had occasion to roll on my Random Thieves Crew Activities table which added just the right amount of chaos to the session and I was all pleased with myself like I’d done something impressive rather than just put numbers next to unimaginative, gibberish phrases and roll a die.
Random Thieves Crew Activities
- Me and my crew were out breaking windows…
- Looking furtive while transporting a decent amount of narcotics
- Casing a joint for a robbery
- Jumping someone into the gang
- Shaking down an innocent shop owner for protection money
- Looking for drunks to roll
- Gearing up for a street fight
- On their way to burn a tavern down
- About to perform a rope access burglary
- Bored and spoiling for a fight
- Getting wasted
- Pursuing a rival gang member on the wrong patch
- Leaving a venue not normally associated with Thieves Crew activity such as yoga or crocheting
- On the run from the Law having just heisted some fresh produce
- Acting as protection for a clandestine Patrician
- Cart jacking
- Tagging interesting architecture
- Picking pockets for practice
- Burgling somewhere
- Helping an old lady cross the street
A hilarious table! :)
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