Three weeks in a row!
I’m really digging this platform as a way to keep me progressing across the various projects that have been sitting in notebooks and google docs for years.
This week I pushed forwards with Steam Thieves (my Forged in the Dark game) and Goodnight Maus (my Mausritter adventure inspired by Goodnight Moon).
Here are the deets:
Goodnight Maus
I’ve added a lot of details to this adventure site and I have a pretty good idea of how it’s all going to work.
Here are the Adventure Hooks:
Pick or Roll 1D6
The youngster Hamish Quickfoot has not been seen since he ventured off in search of fortune in the Great Green Room. His parents are offering a reward for anyone who can bring him home safely.
Toliver Thickwhisker, Burgher of Under-Step, has commissioned a party to raid the toy house in the Great Green Room. He wants silverware (six places) for an important dinner he is hosting for visiting dignitaries.
Legend has it that the ancient, and magical, arms of Lady Strongbite are located somewhere in the Great Green Room. Her saga states she fell to Rupert, the great orange menace who once called that room home.
The rats of the Wall Gang control the routes in and out of the Great Green Room. They have just raised the price of their tolls. Under-Step’s city council have commissioned a party to scout the room and find alternatives.
The engineer Tink Finetail has designs on an underground engine that could connect Under-Step to Drain’s Hollow. He’ll pay a premium for clockwork mechanisms, the kind known to exist in the Great Green Room.
During a rowdy night at the Weevil’s Head pub bets were taken on whether there was a mouse in Under-Step brave enough to bring home a whisker from Tabitha and Tomasina (the young, but cruel descendants of Rupert, who now stalk the Great Green Room).
Steam Thieves and the Soaring Metropolis
A while ago I made a scrivener file to serve as a template for making Forged in the Dark games (if anyone wants that file, just let me know).
I like the way it lets me take a very wide view of a project and all the bits and pieces which needed to be completed. For me, it’s a perfect tool for working off of a system reference document.
Here’s what it looks like:
Below are the components I completed this week. It’s all pretty basic stuff, just copying and pasting John Harper’s fine work and editing to suit my concept. The changes will be far more dramatic when I get into the mechanics.
The Game
Steam Thieves and the Soaring Metropolis is a game about death defying bandits who rob the powerful and give to those in need. We play to find how these daredevils make out, and how much good they can, in a corrupt and brutal city that cruises high above the clouds.
The Players
Each player creates a character and works with the other players towards shared goals within the game-world. Each player strives to bring their character to life as an interesting, daring character who reaches boldly beyond their current safety and means.
The players work together with the Operator to establish the tone and style of the game by making judgment calls about the mechanics, dice, and consequences of actions. The players take responsibility as co-authors of the game with the Operator.
The Characters
The characters attempt to aid their borough by performing scores designed to liberate the most precious resources in the city; steam and spark.
The Crew
In addition to creating characters, you’ll also create the crew by choosing which type of criminal enterprise you’re interested in exploring.
The Operator
The Operator establishes the dynamic world around the characters. The Operator plays all the non-player characters in the world by giving each one a concrete desire and preferred method of action.
The Operator helps organize the conversation of the game so it's pointed toward the interesting elements of play. The Operator isn't in charge of the story and doesn't have to plan events ahead of time. They present interesting opportunities to the players, then follow the chain of action and consequences wherever they lead.
Playing A Session
A session of STATSM is like an episode of a TV show. There are one or two main events, plus maybe some side-story elements, which all fit into an ongoing series. A session of play can last anywhere from two to six hours, depending on the preferences of the group.
During a session, the steam thieves work together to choose a score to accomplish, then they make a few dice rolls to jump into the action of the score in progress. The PCs take actions, suffer consequences, and finish the operation (succeed or fail). Then the crew has downtime, during which they recover, pursue side-projects, and spend time in their community. After downtime, the players once again look for a new opportunity or create their own goals and pursuits, and we play to find out what happens next.
These first components have been added to my ashcan version (link).
My plan is to include whatever new bits I make during the week in these dispatches. Those will also get added the ashcan, which you can check in on anytime.
As you’ll see I’ve gone with ‘Operator’ as my term for game master. I like the idea that the operator is there is assist and connect you (to both the fiction and the rules).
Alright, that’s all I got. See you next week!