There isn't much info on the web about running PbP (play-by-post/wiki/email) roleplaying games. One of the few I've found is this one at rpgcentric.com. For awhile now, I've had interest in discovering and testing different ways of playing PbP. My ideas generally take the form of contrived setup, setting, or situation to focus and speed the action. Sandbox-type campaigns are great, but can sometimes be a poor fit for the typically slow pace of PbP.
The first test was a Tunnels & Trolls game based on treasure maps. This one is nearly completed and I will likely report on it in the near future.
The next idea was adventures inspired by movies. I'd like to test this one some day.
The latest idea puts "zero level" PCs in a "hit the ground running...escape!" situation. Combat scenes are often the most excruciatingly slow to resolve in PbP games. Having an adventure setup that explicitly discourages combat could put the focus on mechanically simpler encounters such as problem solving, negotiation, deception, etc. Maybe not something that everyone would be interested in, but like any other house rule or unique setting, it's still possible to have fun with it. I'll call this idea the Dungeon Sprint...inspired by this video:
The One-Sided Dice from Mikko Torvinen on Vimeo
Another inspiration is an article in Knockspell #1 by David Bowman that describes the Thrall, an essentially level-0 character class that begins play as a newly-freed slave with little more than guts and desperation. The article's somewhat novel innovation is that one regular PC equals three Thralls. A player would choose this class when they are unsure what kind of PC to make and would like to test and flesh out several characters simultaneously during play. Could be fun.
For the short Dungeon Sprint test, I'm adopting this multiple level-0 PCs concept. In fact, one player will be playing all six characters in the party. The six characters are (largely copied from the article, but I made a couple tweaks):
The Sack-Hauler: Has a hammer, several large sacks and a length of rope. 2 hit points. Skill: +1 to attack roll. Role: Carry the loot and protect the flank.
The Torch-Holder. Has torches and tinder box. 1 hit point. Skill: Not surprised as often. Role: Light the way.
The Map-Drawer. Has papyrus, quill, ink, measuring string, and a piece of chalk. 1 hit point. Skill: Uncanny sense of direction. Role: Know where the party is, relatively.
The Shield-Bearer: Has a dagger and shield. 2 hit points. Skill: Provide +1 AC to an adjacent ally. Role: Keep the leader safe, whoever that may be.
The Pole-Prodder: Has a long spear. 2 hit points. Skill: Bonus to detect traps, etc. Role: Point man.
The Good-Looker: Has just her "assets". 1 hit point. Skill: Bonus to reaction rolls, etc. Role: Gather info and get the party out of tight spots.
These characters have no ability scores, names, etc. until after they've advanced to level 1 by gaining 500 experience points. With limited resources and thin defenses, the player would be well-served by MacGuyver-esque ingenuity.
The second component of the Dungeon Sprint is putting the party in the middle of a dangerous place and having them find a way out, maybe gathering some loot along the way. How did this group of flunkies get into this hairy situation? Railroading is a dreaded word among roleplayers, and for good reason, but for purposes of this PbP experiment I feel it is perfectly acceptable to concoct an explanation for the party's present predicament.
The story is:
Sir Rutherford is an aging, foppish adventuring knight. He's somewhat of a blowhard; prone to histrionics and petty idealism. He polishes his chest plate armor to an ostentatious shine, almost a mirror. Other adventurers know better than to join him in quest, so Sir Rutherford is generally forced to purchase help whenever he catches wind of a new adventure. This time it is stories of a haunted house, ripe for glory seeking and treasure snatching.
Enter...the player's six characters. One for each of the lowly tasks that Sir Rutherford refuses to lower himself to. Soon afterward the party sets off and, after a long journey, arrives at the spooky manse during a thunderstorm and enters. The giant front doors slam shut and lock as soon as the last member arrives into the funereal foyer. As everybody shakes the rain out of their gear, a ghostly butler materializes and says, in a strong, snooty AEnglish accent, "Welcome. I can take your cloaks and bonnets." Sir Rutherford gasps...clutches his chest...sounds a croak...and drops dead from a heart attack.
Check back in a month or two and I'll report how this experiment went.
The first test was a Tunnels & Trolls game based on treasure maps. This one is nearly completed and I will likely report on it in the near future.
The next idea was adventures inspired by movies. I'd like to test this one some day.
The latest idea puts "zero level" PCs in a "hit the ground running...escape!" situation. Combat scenes are often the most excruciatingly slow to resolve in PbP games. Having an adventure setup that explicitly discourages combat could put the focus on mechanically simpler encounters such as problem solving, negotiation, deception, etc. Maybe not something that everyone would be interested in, but like any other house rule or unique setting, it's still possible to have fun with it. I'll call this idea the Dungeon Sprint...inspired by this video:
The One-Sided Dice from Mikko Torvinen on Vimeo
Another inspiration is an article in Knockspell #1 by David Bowman that describes the Thrall, an essentially level-0 character class that begins play as a newly-freed slave with little more than guts and desperation. The article's somewhat novel innovation is that one regular PC equals three Thralls. A player would choose this class when they are unsure what kind of PC to make and would like to test and flesh out several characters simultaneously during play. Could be fun.
For the short Dungeon Sprint test, I'm adopting this multiple level-0 PCs concept. In fact, one player will be playing all six characters in the party. The six characters are (largely copied from the article, but I made a couple tweaks):
The Sack-Hauler: Has a hammer, several large sacks and a length of rope. 2 hit points. Skill: +1 to attack roll. Role: Carry the loot and protect the flank.
The Torch-Holder. Has torches and tinder box. 1 hit point. Skill: Not surprised as often. Role: Light the way.
The Map-Drawer. Has papyrus, quill, ink, measuring string, and a piece of chalk. 1 hit point. Skill: Uncanny sense of direction. Role: Know where the party is, relatively.
The Shield-Bearer: Has a dagger and shield. 2 hit points. Skill: Provide +1 AC to an adjacent ally. Role: Keep the leader safe, whoever that may be.
The Pole-Prodder: Has a long spear. 2 hit points. Skill: Bonus to detect traps, etc. Role: Point man.
The Good-Looker: Has just her "assets". 1 hit point. Skill: Bonus to reaction rolls, etc. Role: Gather info and get the party out of tight spots.
These characters have no ability scores, names, etc. until after they've advanced to level 1 by gaining 500 experience points. With limited resources and thin defenses, the player would be well-served by MacGuyver-esque ingenuity.
The second component of the Dungeon Sprint is putting the party in the middle of a dangerous place and having them find a way out, maybe gathering some loot along the way. How did this group of flunkies get into this hairy situation? Railroading is a dreaded word among roleplayers, and for good reason, but for purposes of this PbP experiment I feel it is perfectly acceptable to concoct an explanation for the party's present predicament.
The story is:
Sir Rutherford is an aging, foppish adventuring knight. He's somewhat of a blowhard; prone to histrionics and petty idealism. He polishes his chest plate armor to an ostentatious shine, almost a mirror. Other adventurers know better than to join him in quest, so Sir Rutherford is generally forced to purchase help whenever he catches wind of a new adventure. This time it is stories of a haunted house, ripe for glory seeking and treasure snatching.
Enter...the player's six characters. One for each of the lowly tasks that Sir Rutherford refuses to lower himself to. Soon afterward the party sets off and, after a long journey, arrives at the spooky manse during a thunderstorm and enters. The giant front doors slam shut and lock as soon as the last member arrives into the funereal foyer. As everybody shakes the rain out of their gear, a ghostly butler materializes and says, in a strong, snooty AEnglish accent, "Welcome. I can take your cloaks and bonnets." Sir Rutherford gasps...clutches his chest...sounds a croak...and drops dead from a heart attack.
Check back in a month or two and I'll report how this experiment went.
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