[Polaris playtest] My god, it's full of stars... [LONG]

[Ben Lehman]

Good stuff, guys!

It sounds like the scenes are going much more smoothly.  Is there anything that you are stumbling over these days, particularly?

yrs--
--Ben

[Kesher]

I think Aaron has the character sheets, so he'd have to be bothered to report on changes to the cosmos. (cosmoi?)

Guilty.  I'll post all changes in characters tonight.

[Larry L.]

Ben,

Lemme get you to rehash an answer you posted earlier, because I think we still did it wrong. So when determining which Theme to key the target difficulty to, use the last Theme expended on either side. Not the Theme burned in the previous conflict (as the rules seem to read). Right? As we've been treating the rules, one could have to go back to the last scene and figure out what Theme was burned, and that doesn't seem right.

We're still fuzzy on the difference between Ice and Light. We've been using the heuristic of fighting for oneself vs. fighting for others, but I don't think that's quite right.

I seem to recall having a good reason to not roll experience until the end, but I don't recall why right now.

[Kesher]

I seem to recall having a good reason to not roll experience until the end, but I don't recall why right now.

I think this was in direct relation to your & Chris' prolonged "and furthermore" battle.  It seemed that potentially refreshing in the midst of a drawn out conflict could kill the tension.

Here are the changes in characters (as compared to the fresh ones way back at the beginning of this thread...)

The Lord Megrez
Cosmos: Has gained Elgrove, demon in Mistaken; Dabih, Lord of Blood, demon has not been removed, though he probably should be (as Megrez smoked him in his first scene...)

Values: Ice-1; Light-2; Zeal-3; Weariness-0

Themes: Gained Fate- Idea: Betrayal  Fate- Relationship: Supported By Families of the Rescued Women

Sir Arcturus
Cosmos: Gained Lord Lesath, senator in Full Moon

Values: Ice-2; Light-1; Zeal-3; Weariness-0

Themes: Gained Fate- Idea: Betrayal of the People

Sargas
Cosmos: Hasn't changed on paper, but should be changed to reflect  Lost Pupis, demon-corrupted father in New Moon, Dabih, missing best friend in Full Moon, and Elgrove, demon in Mistaken.  Probably added to Mistaken should be Lord Megrez, posessed knight, though I guess he doesn't know for certain that he's posessed...

Values: No change yet.

Themes: Nothing yet gained or lost.

The Lord Wezn
Cosmos: Gained The Imp(s) Antares and Bartender in Mistaken.  The Lady Antares, sister is right on the line between New Moon and Mistaken.

Values: Ice-2; Light-2; Zeal-2; Weariness-0

Themes: Gained Fate- Idea: Mean Drunk and Ability- Sway the Masses (at the end of the last scene-- I don't think it was noted on the transcript.)

Looks like Wezn is in the lead for falling...

Aaron

[Ben Lehman]

Lemme get you to rehash an answer you posted earlier, because I think we still did it wrong. So when determining which Theme to key the target difficulty to, use the last Theme expended on either side. Not the Theme burned in the previous conflict (as the rules seem to read). Right? As we've been treating the rules, one could have to go back to the last scene and figure out what Theme was burned, and that doesn't seem right.

BL>  That's not really the intent of the rules, although they read that way 'cause of a grammar error.  The intent of the rules is that, if a theme was used in the challenge, it determines that difficulty.  If a theme was not used, the Moons pick Ice or Light.

We're still fuzzy on the difference between Ice and Light. We've been using the heuristic of fighting for oneself vs. fighting for others, but I don't think that's quite right.

I'm just going to quote the rules at you, if you don't mind.  You guys are using the 050205 edition, right?

Ice is a measure of the strength of the Knight's relationship to the world
and society around him. A knight with a high Ice value will be able to oppose the demons well when fighting for the preservation of society or in relation to ideas, people or events that he cares about.

Light is a measure of the Knight's internal strength and prowess. A
knight with a high Light value will be able to oppose demons well when
fighting them primarily alone, with his own abilities and equipment.

Hmm, okay, that's mildly ambiguous on Ice there.  Better go clean up that text.

The intention is that Ice applies when your main supports in the challenge are other people, outside concepts, fate, or destiny.  Light applies when your main support for the challenge is your own gear or your own abilities.

I seem to recall having a good reason to not roll experience until the end, but I don't recall why right now.

You can certainly do it that way, if you want, as long as you roll them all at once.

[the duck]

scene 1
Larry as Mistaken of Megrez
-Scene takes place at the trial of Antares
Lady Antares was aquitted
Chris
-You ask far to much-burn fate Antares
Larry
-Megrez brings forth the first witness
chris-accepted but only if in the course of his accuasation he is accepted as an authority on demons
larry-and further more Lord marshal Paranis announces he is in possesion of the sphere of the Quasars used to detect demons
chris-and so it came to passd- Quasar sphere glows announcing that the lord marsall is possed
larry-it shall not come to pass(but heart wins roll)
chris-lord marshal is taken to the chamber of expunging frost
larry- the sphere brushes Megrez
chris-it shall not come to pass(wins) lights up next to Antares
larry-but only if after it glows everything goes dark
chris- but only if it breaks
larry and so it came to pass
lights/ Antares gone and so it was

Scene two
Sargus and Antares in alley outside courthouse
sargus threatens Antares but asks for info about Elgrove
antares is coy so Sargus runs her through
you ask far to much(office)
sargus holds sword to her neck
antsares pushes blade away the blade turns black where she touches it
sargus kills antares with decapitating scissor chop
and furthermore(antares)
Megrez and co come and mame Sargus
you ask far too much
they capture Sargus
sargus accuses megrez of being possesed and then exorcises Megrez
elgrove posses sargus
you ask far to much
antares corpse infected by elgrove stands replaces head and begins kissing and fondling sargus
Megrez free of possesion kills antares with sword
and so it was

Scene 3
Arcturus in his chamber sees a cartoon of himself being bested Alcor-happened a long time ago
FLASHBACK
lady antaries is being lowered into a vat of bubbling liquid in Alcors lair
Alcaor is bald w/ a huge head w/ faces on three sides his lair is covered in ancient texts
they lower her into the liquid and when she is reaised she is obviosly a demon
you ask far to much
its not obvious she is a demon
Arcturus kills bad guys and sves Antares
but only if the new Antares insists on immediately copulating becoming pregnant
and further more the child would eventually grow up to unite the people and destroy the mistaken there is eternal night
and further more the child leads the people into eternal darkness
it shall not come to pass(wins)
and so it was

scene 4
Wezen determined the location of Thrun's strike point and built a tower to intercept.  Thrun is an annual meteor strike.  the meteor comes and wezen cleaves thrun in twain
but only if sword is ruined
but only if a chemical transformation between the demon and sword  take place making an alloy that will make the wall impenitrable
it shall not come to pass( wezen wins)
before glee can rise the tower attracks mor meteors which strike bang...bang.. bang...
but only if the wall withstands
and so it came to pass-more alloy was found under each strike and aldamin and wezen work day and night to master the alloy they succeed
....but then the wall starts laughing at Wezen
it shall not come to pass(failed)
as the demon wall laughs stairs form on the outside allowing demons in
three blue ram horned demons cascade over the wall
you ask far too much
no stairs but reflection of two imps dancing with Wezen's fingures can be seen in walls reflection a townsperson comes and goes and tells people about the drunks demonic wall
but only if tension in the wall isd to great and the demon seeps out
you ask far too much
only Wezen can percieve imps
you still ask far too much
only Wezen and the man can see the imps
and further more the wall can influence those who gaze upon it
You ask far too much
the wall can influence only non knights
and so it came to pass
The gate opens and  lets witness wander itno the mistake
but only if Wezen throws a remaining fragment of the wall into the peasants brain killing him(xp roll)
Aldarimin exits through gate
ask far tooo much
heads toward gate
too much
Alderimen resists gate smiles at Wezen and the yreturn home
Inh morning lord Wezen awakens to find Alderamin told others about the cool wall and 1/4 of the town has wandered into the waste
but only if those that wen't were sun worshippers and the remenant was strengthend by there departure
and so it was.

[Ben Lehman]

Could someone expand on that last session's report a little bit?  

Particularly: Are people getting into the swing of the rules?  What's the frequency of Experience?  Are the Mistaken / Heart pairs still exhibiting different characteristic behavior?  What "house rules" have you made and kept, and what work?

That would be awesome, if possible.

Thanks!

yrs--
--Ben

[Kesher]

Yeah, I can't say I envy Duck having to transcribe those notes; I think we topped out at like, 15 pages of scrawl...

In answer to your questions:

1. I think we definitely, by the last time we played, were getting a better hang of the rules.  In particular, I think our understanding of the potential subleties (push/pull-back) of the conflict statements grew immensely.  If you look at the transcript, there's definitely more use of "And furthermore...", and also a much more common use of "You ask far too much", though part of that may have been because we realized it didn't really matter if we "failed" rolls; something interesting was still bound to happen.

2. Maybe Duck will post the experience gain as well (I'm pretty sure it was in the notes, though maybe not...), but the rolls were fairly frequent, though I remember a lot of "refresh" results.  Though important strategically (necessary, really), I always found refreshes to be a bit disappointing, since nothing happens, at least in a driving-my-character-towards-the-END sort of way.

3. I would say our particular pairings were still working the same way.  One thing we realized though, as we were talking before the session began, was that Duck and I had for the most part framed scenes as each other's Mistaken, instead of as our own Heart.  We decided to change that for this session, though I'm not convinced it made a big difference.

4. We didn't do much in the way of house rules, really; there wasn't much need!  However, we did try rolling for experience as it was called for (in the midst of conflict), and I at least didn't like it as much.  So, if rolling (possibly multiple times) at the end of a scene would be considered a house rule, I guess that's one.

Ooops, the kid's awake, gotta go; I'm sure the others'll chime in.

Aaron

[the duck]

All right here goes the rest.
Scene 5
(as a note before scene five started we created a house rule that everytime someone had experience refresh they had to add someone new to there cosmos as they were deminishing to quickly)
We tried to drive themes of frustration and Catharsis
Spring
-And so it was ..that the knights were deep in the hardest sledge in years, faced w/ dwindiling resources. Lord Megrez,  has just seen one of his best friends killed, he walks by the throngs of people in their chambers staring at the sun, many things have been neglected
-Lord Megrez confronts the quarter master and he refuses smartly-
Lord megrez bashes in his brains
-it shall not come to pass-  2exp roll 1 for action and one for action against the people.  Exp advance and refresh.
-1/4 master's assistant doesn't care,
the apathetic masses are having a party with requisitions and supplies. Megrez busts in on them.
-and further more slays every one of them
-you ask far too much
-He slaps them in irons and drags them to trial
but only if a drunken sot throws a bag of gruel
-but only if he misses
-it shall not come to pass-success
-There is growing discontent in the room and is only half full
-Baron Celaeno demands an accounting
-Megrez accuses
-general outcry
one of accused is Baron's grandson
-"you shall give supplies back"
-"and they shall become squires, right?"
- the baron agrees
-but only if they are smitten
- but only if they redeem themselves when faced by demons
-but only if it gives the knights an edge
-so it came to pass
-lord Megrez leads them to the fornt in chains w/ sticks
-they die because they are too lazy to resist.

Scene 6

-The end of winter
knights grow weary of Wezen's tiresome wall
The people await first light of spring
the sun doesn't come and the people blame the knights
-the people all go home praising the knights
-far to much
-people are uncertain who to trust
-and so it came to pass
-the demon wall influences the people saying if the wall builder is slain the sun will return
-you ask far too much
-says knights are responsible but if people help the wall they can bring back the sun
- but only if a new contingent of knights arrives and desperses the crowd
-you ask far too much
-As the knights arrive half of the crowd leave
-the remaining climb onto the wall which grows legs and walks into the mistake.
-and so it was.

At this point we had a little post game forum
-we got lots of milage on the apothy of the people
and mixing tails of fairytale with those of polotics
-  there was a question of what players were accomplishing in this game.
-  Many thought the payoff was coming a little too slow.  that the span of a character needs to complete in a quicker fashion than it did while we were playing -even with speed rules
-observation that futility may suck out fairy tale qualities
- Does the mistaken(player) actually deprotagonize the heart?
-  Is the south a distraction?  is playing there too difficult without any structure?
- a notice of parallel decent for both player and character.
-Tragedy vs Nihilism- What's the borderline? if there is no hope can there be tragedy?
- Are we the players experiencing futility/ frustration through the helplessness of the game mechanics?
-  you get caught up in competitiveness, didn't want to get "beaten" again
-constantly overshoot on purpose, chesslike, predicting others statements
-please add examples of play to text.
-cheatsheats and conflict charts help a great deal
-character is deprotagonized by severely constrained want to pursue agenda, the heart both isn't and is the main character of a player
-sometimes feels like 1 player vs 3 gms
-easy to play antagonist role w/ moons
-Many moon cosmos characters were left unused- it gets messy for the mistaken to relinquish control
-Moons end up antagonist by the nature of the world-the people are all against you.

Note- I agree with Aaron- experience roles work better at the end of scenes

[the duck]

I just read what I just submitted. Sorry about all the misspelling and typos.

[Kesher]

as a note before scene five started we created a house rule that everytime someone had experience refresh they had to add someone new to there cosmos as they were deminishing to quickly)

Yikes!  How did I forget that?  Well, it was late and, like, two weeks ago...
Anyhow, yes, that was a rule that, carried further, I think would've been interesting.  It adds something more tangible to the refresh.

The list of points at the end of Duck's post needs some explication, but it was the fruit of an interesting discussion after we had blown out the candle.  I can probably get to making some comments by Sunday, but Ben, if you're more interested in explanations of some than others, that might help guide any responses.

Aaron