So, after we wrapped up the previous campaign, I recently started a new campaign, this time set in the northen parts of Gwidre, close to the Rheizite border. I'll post links to the session reports here so you can follow the adventures of the group.
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #1
The opening part of the campaign with the focus moving from character to character was inspired by the opening shots from the Battlestar Galactica Mini-Series (Reimagined version), which I thought worked really. It allowed me to already introduce several NPCs and the general attitude of the village and gave each character an opportunity to roleplay through some kind of conflict.
I'm a bit worried how the merchant character Saroc can be brought to permanently join the group - so far he's only in it for the money.
Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
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Storyteller1976
- Messages : 29
- Inscription : 30 sept. 2012, 20:24
- Localisation : Germany
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
Thanks for sharing your session reports! You've really organized them well!
As far as Saroc is concerned, considering he's not the type of character who sounds like he could be swayed by things such as friendship, compassion, or helpfulness, maybe you could put him under some kind of threat? Something that would justify his staying with the other PCs, for protection. Maybe he has to deal with a particularly disgruntled and influential client who has hired thugs, mercenaries, and maybe even bribed guards to capture him? If you adjust things well, that could be enough of a reason for him to stick with the others (and make himself useful, so that he's not seen as dead weight and left behind and alone) without making the campaign about him or putting the party as a whole under too much danger. Just a few cases of him being shadowed and maybe a sloppy snatchgrab attempt from a pair of brutes would be enough to get the point across.
Additionally, don't hesitate to discuss it with Saroc's player. He certainly wants to keep playing as much as you want him to, so between the two of you (and optionally with the input and agreement of the other players), you'll find a way to keep the campaign running smoothly.
Good luck with the rest of the campaign!
As far as Saroc is concerned, considering he's not the type of character who sounds like he could be swayed by things such as friendship, compassion, or helpfulness, maybe you could put him under some kind of threat? Something that would justify his staying with the other PCs, for protection. Maybe he has to deal with a particularly disgruntled and influential client who has hired thugs, mercenaries, and maybe even bribed guards to capture him? If you adjust things well, that could be enough of a reason for him to stick with the others (and make himself useful, so that he's not seen as dead weight and left behind and alone) without making the campaign about him or putting the party as a whole under too much danger. Just a few cases of him being shadowed and maybe a sloppy snatchgrab attempt from a pair of brutes would be enough to get the point across.
Additionally, don't hesitate to discuss it with Saroc's player. He certainly wants to keep playing as much as you want him to, so between the two of you (and optionally with the input and agreement of the other players), you'll find a way to keep the campaign running smoothly.
Good luck with the rest of the campaign!
Allez, come on, allons-y, here we go, en avant, godspeed, hardi, let's do this!
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Storyteller1976
- Messages : 29
- Inscription : 30 sept. 2012, 20:24
- Localisation : Germany
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
Clovis, thanks for the kind words and the advice. Fortunately, I didn't even have to do anything regarding Saroc, his player came up with his own reasons for staying with the group in the third session of the game (currently working on the session report).
Meanwhile, here's the report for the second session:
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #2
The session worked really well and I was surprised by the patience the characters showed when dealing with the rebellious teenager Elena. The pacing so far is rather slow, but the players seem to enjoy it, with one of them describing it as "a slowly building village horror story" and comapring the village of Niddrie to Twin Peaks.
Meanwhile, here's the report for the second session:
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #2
The session worked really well and I was surprised by the patience the characters showed when dealing with the rebellious teenager Elena. The pacing so far is rather slow, but the players seem to enjoy it, with one of them describing it as "a slowly building village horror story" and comapring the village of Niddrie to Twin Peaks.
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
Excellent! Glad to see you and your players are so in synch; that makes for the best sessions.
And thanks for once again sharing your adventures!
And thanks for once again sharing your adventures!
Allez, come on, allons-y, here we go, en avant, godspeed, hardi, let's do this!
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Storyteller1976
- Messages : 29
- Inscription : 30 sept. 2012, 20:24
- Localisation : Germany
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
And here's the link for the third session report:
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #3
I had a lot of fun running this one. Feyre as a character who communicates solely through facial expressions was enjoyable since the player still managed to get quite a bit of information out of her (maybe without even realizing it). Finn on the other hand managed to evade answering every single question asked of him - he in turn learned alot about what the players know, probably to their detriment later on. It was also quite interesting just how much the PCs feel responsible for what happened to Elena, especially Saroc.
Oh, and in case anyone's wondering how I manage to remember all the dialogue from the session and put it in the session report - I record the whole session and then transcribe the audio file, which is useful for several reasons: not only do I remember everything that happened, but I also have the means to review the session, looking for any hickups where the narrative didn't work or one player getting considerable less time in the spotlight. It also helps in training my English language skills (especially pronounciation and trying to get rid of my accent).
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #3
I had a lot of fun running this one. Feyre as a character who communicates solely through facial expressions was enjoyable since the player still managed to get quite a bit of information out of her (maybe without even realizing it). Finn on the other hand managed to evade answering every single question asked of him - he in turn learned alot about what the players know, probably to their detriment later on. It was also quite interesting just how much the PCs feel responsible for what happened to Elena, especially Saroc.
Oh, and in case anyone's wondering how I manage to remember all the dialogue from the session and put it in the session report - I record the whole session and then transcribe the audio file, which is useful for several reasons: not only do I remember everything that happened, but I also have the means to review the session, looking for any hickups where the narrative didn't work or one player getting considerable less time in the spotlight. It also helps in training my English language skills (especially pronounciation and trying to get rid of my accent).
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
How thorough of you! Thanks for sharing the result of your work and of the interactions between you and your players!
Allez, come on, allons-y, here we go, en avant, godspeed, hardi, let's do this!
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Storyteller1976
- Messages : 29
- Inscription : 30 sept. 2012, 20:24
- Localisation : Germany
Re: Session reports for my new Esteren campaign
And here are session reports #4-6:
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #4
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #5
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #6
Session #4 was the last session with Saroc, whose player left completely unexpectedly after that session, citing a severe RPG burnout. We were very sad to see him go, we plyed with him for more than three years. Storywise the session was a bit slower and more focused on character and NPC development - especially Jenrick, the father of the injured girl Elena, gained a lot of depth. I'm not entirely happy with how her mother turned out in the game, she was way too annoying - I'm still surprised none of the players smacked her. This became clear to me, when I listened to the audio recording - I had trouble listening to that part of the session, so I got a pretty good idea how the players felt about her.
Session #5 was a lot of fun, especially having the PCs talk to someone who is mute and will only answer via gestures and facial expressions. It also set up the conflict between Valbrand, the Blade Knight, and the old priest Callum, who seems to have lost his faith over the years. An issue that came up was that Valbrand got so suspicious of everyone in the village that I got worried it might threaten group cohesion - but the player managed to work around that.
Session #6 was where the supernatural finally appeared in the game. So far I had kept everything very low key and now several (supposedly) supernatural things happened in quick succession. The strongest scene was the one with the malformed baby one of the farmer's gave birth to - it's a story arc that echoes the backstory of the PC Maeveen. I was slightly worried how they would take it, since it was an incredibly dark and depressing storyline, but the player involved did a great job.
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #4
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #5
Gwidrite Heresies - Session #6
Session #4 was the last session with Saroc, whose player left completely unexpectedly after that session, citing a severe RPG burnout. We were very sad to see him go, we plyed with him for more than three years. Storywise the session was a bit slower and more focused on character and NPC development - especially Jenrick, the father of the injured girl Elena, gained a lot of depth. I'm not entirely happy with how her mother turned out in the game, she was way too annoying - I'm still surprised none of the players smacked her. This became clear to me, when I listened to the audio recording - I had trouble listening to that part of the session, so I got a pretty good idea how the players felt about her.
Session #5 was a lot of fun, especially having the PCs talk to someone who is mute and will only answer via gestures and facial expressions. It also set up the conflict between Valbrand, the Blade Knight, and the old priest Callum, who seems to have lost his faith over the years. An issue that came up was that Valbrand got so suspicious of everyone in the village that I got worried it might threaten group cohesion - but the player managed to work around that.
Session #6 was where the supernatural finally appeared in the game. So far I had kept everything very low key and now several (supposedly) supernatural things happened in quick succession. The strongest scene was the one with the malformed baby one of the farmer's gave birth to - it's a story arc that echoes the backstory of the PC Maeveen. I was slightly worried how they would take it, since it was an incredibly dark and depressing storyline, but the player involved did a great job.
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