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Post by hengest on Oct 19, 2019 18:23:53 GMT -5
So, as I continue to daydream about someday reffing, I realize that for a first session I imagine low- or no-combat exploration, ideally in a setting that allows for certain features to have "decayed" into puzzles for the players to solve.
That said, I'm not sure how good I am at designing such things.
I'd need to have some such things designed, make them interesting and engaging and possible to solve, but not have them be required to have fun or "progress." But, something enticing.
Has anyone worked on this kind of thing? I feel like I'm setting th ebar too high, but at the same time, if I don't like what I have planned, why should I expect a player to?
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Post by mao on Oct 20, 2019 6:52:29 GMT -5
So, as I continue to daydream about someday reffing, I realize that for a first session I imagine low- or no-combat exploration, ideally in a setting that allows for certain features to have "decayed" into puzzles for the players to solve. That said, I'm not sure how good I am at designing such things. I'd need to have some such things designed, make them interesting and engaging and possible to solve, but not have them be required to have fun or "progress." But, something enticing. Has anyone worked on this kind of thing? I feel like I'm setting th ebar too high, but at the same time, if I don't like what I have planned, why should I expect a player to? Don't put pressure on yourself. Explore some options and don't fixate on stuff that would be way outside your comfort one. Spend your time here on a myriad of gaming options. That's how i discovered that I needed to branch out and not spend my time planning 10 years in advance(Stolen World, Im looking at you) |
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Post by hengest on Mar 16, 2021 20:39:59 GMT -5
So, as I continue to daydream about someday reffing, I realize that for a first session I imagine low- or no-combat exploration, ideally in a setting that allows for certain features to have "decayed" into puzzles for the players to solve. That said, I'm not sure how good I am at designing such things. I'd need to have some such things designed, make them interesting and engaging and possible to solve, but not have them be required to have fun or "progress." But, something enticing. Has anyone worked on this kind of thing? I feel like I'm setting th ebar too high, but at the same time, if I don't like what I have planned, why should I expect a player to? Don't put pressure on yourself. Explore some options and don't fixate on stuff that would be way outside your comfort one. Spend your time here on a myriad of gaming options. That's how i discovered that I needed to branch out and not spend my time planning 10 years in advance(Stolen World, Im looking at you) A year and a half later, I see what excellent advice this was. I think I shyed away from design and worldbuilding for a long time because it seemed impossible. But I have had a good time just doing whatever seems to me to be worthwhile and potentially playable. Now, whether anyone wants a PDF of any of it remains to be seen. But my impression is that I haven't been wasting my time. I don't have anything in any kind of gameable form, but at least I have some material that makes sense to me, I guess because it's mine. And a couple people on here have read some of it, that's a nice reward right there. To any nervous DIY type out there reading this thread, my advice to you is DO IT! Write up whatever thoughts you have, a description, a table, an item, just an idea, see where it takes you. |
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Post by hengest on Mar 31, 2021 21:24:48 GMT -5
Formula for no-formula starter game for (starting) refs with starting players. Ideas to kick around, not a finalized presentation. Drop all the taverns and meetings, drop all the get to you know stuff between PCs. Drop chargen, drop pregens even. Put them directly into non-combat exploration action. Plan a situation with risk and reward, time of the essence, but no violence. Let their first taste of the game be exploration, wonder, and resource management (of minimal resources that are understandable but also wonderful for being foreign to everyday experience: torches, oil...). You can have minimal stats in your notes for abilities to roll against and so on. If the players come back then build them up into pregens but for now have only enough to ref. Plan so that your players will come up with something you didn't anticipate. Plan to have it be an active exercise in imagination as much for you as for them. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Apr 3, 2021 0:39:37 GMT -5
So, as I continue to daydream about someday reffing, I realize that for a first session I imagine low- or no-combat exploration, ideally in a setting that allows for certain features to have "decayed" into puzzles for the players to solve. That said, I'm not sure how good I am at designing such things. I'd need to have some such things designed, make them interesting and engaging and possible to solve, but not have them be required to have fun or "progress." But, something enticing. Has anyone worked on this kind of thing? I feel like I'm setting the bar too high, but at the same time, if I don't like what I have planned, why should I expect a player to? Going back to your original post, I would like to remind you that a low or no-combat exploration can be run. I have told you that the first dungeon I ever ran was no-combat and no-treasure. I created the whole thing on the fly (improvisation) and based each area/level of the dungeon on a quote. The only prep work was selecting the quotes from a book I had and it took longer to write them down, than it did to select them. As I flipped through the book, some of the quotes "spoke" to me and that is how I selected them: I remembered one of the quotes that I used although I have not found the whole list yet. This one is: Sadly, I have no real advice for how to do it. In my case, I just do it under the pressure of "now." If I find the whole list of quotes I will post it. This is one possible way to run a no-combat game. Another occurs to me, is to have people in a slightly different plane, where they can see each other and perhaps even talk, but any kind of physical interaction is impossible. |
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Post by The Perilous Dreamer on Apr 3, 2021 0:41:33 GMT -5
Formula for no-formula starter game for (starting) refs with starting players. Ideas to kick around, not a finalized presentation. Drop all the taverns and meetings, drop all the get to you know stuff between PCs. Drop chargen, drop pregens even. Put them directly into non-combat exploration action. Plan a situation with risk and reward, time of the essence, but no violence. Let their first taste of the game be exploration, wonder, and resource management (of minimal resources that are understandable but also wonderful for being foreign to everyday experience: torches, oil...). You can have minimal stats in your notes for abilities to roll against and so on. If the players come back then build them up into pregens but for now have only enough to ref. Plan so that your players will come up with something you didn't anticipate. Plan to have it be an active exercise in imagination as much for you as for them. I like this, I think this is something that would work. I have started (not non-combat) games right in the middle of action. |
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Post by hengest on Apr 8, 2021 18:59:28 GMT -5
I don't have any problem with combat, but I don't want to drop first-timers right into it or make it inevitable. I'd rather plan different things to offer interest, risk, loss, and reward.
That said, I'm having some trouble coming up with ideas that involve those things and are accessible but not railroady for a first adventure...maybe I'm overthinking it.
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Post by hengest on Apr 9, 2022 16:15:35 GMT -5
I don't have any problem with combat, but I don't want to drop first-timers right into it or make it inevitable. I'd rather plan different things to offer interest, risk, loss, and reward. That said, I'm having some trouble coming up with ideas that involve those things and are accessible but not railroady for a first adventure... maybe I'm overthinking it.As it turns out, I was overthinking it! |
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