Tips on running Blood Opera

[Dom]

I've chickened out of running my Stormquest HeroQuest Conversion at Continuum on the weekend of 28th (I really don't fancy running HeroQuest for the first time at a con full of HQ players) and I'm toying with the idea of running Blood Opera as a pick up game.

Has anyone any tips on running it beyond the comments in the Wiki? How much do you explain about the setting etc before you get going?

Mechanics are simple, so I'm happy with those!

Cheers,

Dom

[Iskander]

Hey, Dom,

I've run Blood Opera a few times, and I love it (but I haven't written squat in the wiki, yet, sorry).

- I don't say much about the setting: "late medieval middle-to-eastern-europe feudal pseudo-Poland" is about the sum of it. I always throw a fat old thunderstorm at the mansion, though.
- I threw out Gerard, because he's crap, and replaced him with the brothers' mother, Anna. That worked well, but made incest a very easy choice, so I would modify her further to be their grandmother.
- Uncle Anatoli can sit back and watch the action if he chooses - although he's a load of fun, if he gets in there and gets messy, you might need to tie him to one of the other active players with a destiny point.
- Instead of giving myself freeform uber-GM narration rights, I restricted my introduction of facts to destiny points (I gave myself one for each player, including myself). This worked well, and served to give an example of how they can be spent.
- Being grandfather at the funereal opening scene can be fun, if he pushes hard enough.
- If things slow down a bit, try making Ivana pregnant, or spend a DP to make the grave dug up and the coffin empty. Always fun.
- Don't let the players be feeble about their stakes. Simple negation is never enough... they should both strive for something their opponent vehemently objects to. (Which can be hard to achieve, but that's OK, it's a goal!)
- Ask about lines and veils. I've had sessions where some pretty rough stuff came up (thanks, Clinton) and was glad we drew a veil over the specifics.
- Let people know that introducing the supernatural is kosher. If necessary give the example that it's OK to introduce "a book bound in human flesh, with rituals scribed in blood for the summoning of demons" into Ivana's personal effects. (Thanks, Luke.)
- Use the Doom con/one-shot variant (bonus dice, not automatic victory). It puts the players into a war of mutually assured doom, which is pure ambrosia.

That's all I can think of right now. Hope it helps!

- Alexander

[Dom]

Thanks!

I spent a bit of time drawing up a relationship web last night, and noticed that Gerard was a bit out of it. You haven't written up the Grandmother yet, have you? <lazy, yes I am!>

Some more questions based on the read through.

Anatoli is Wiktor's Uncle.
Vladimir and Zygmunt are both nobles (and the only character's listed as such).

Is Grandfather Ivan Anatoli's half brother? I wasn't sure who it was from reading the characters, or is that something to be made up during the game?

How come Wiktor is head of the household and not one of the nobles? Is he effectively Grandfather's right hand?

It looks like a fascinating scenario!

Cheers,

Dom

[Iskander]

Hey, Dom,

- Wiktor is also noble, and head of the house by right. (They're all lesser nobility, except Gregori and Gerard).
- Grandfather is established as the brothers' mother's father - he's therefore out of the line of succession.
- Uncle Anatoli is their father's illegitimate older brother - ditto.
- Grandmama Anna is their father's mother - the dowager duchess, if you will, also out of the line of succession by virtue of boobs.

I have got Anna written up, and the Fauxlack sent me the illustrator files for the scenario PDFs, so if you can wait a few days, I can get a new PDF created.

If you're going to use grandma, you might try  kicking the game off without grandfather, but have everyone overhear one of the servants saying something indiscreet about the "accident"... see how Wiktor, Gregori or Zygmunt reacts.

[Dom]

Hi, Thanks for clarifying about the family. Would love to see PDF if it is available.

If I get 20 mins I'll generate the relationships web as a OmniGraffle file and post a link.

Cheers,

Dom

[Iskander]

Hey, Dom.

Keith's just updated the CoS wiki with my revised Blood Opera scenario, that includes a family tree of House Drozdalski (easily converted to an R-Map in progress), and some player tags, as well as replacing Gerard the pantywaist with Grandma Anna.

- Alexander

[Dom]

Keith,

I've generated a 'relationship web' - basically a map of what each character in Blood Opera (new version) thinks about the rest as a PDF. It's a quick crib for the GM/narrator...


Do you want a copy for the Wiki?

Dom

[Keith Senkowski]

Dom,

To quote Stone Cold Steve Austin, "Can I get a hell yeah!"

[Dom]

On its way...

Dom

[Dom]

I ran Blood Opera at the weekend at Continuum, and it went down very well. I'll post a summary of play, and some thoughts on what went well and what went less well this evening. It certainly shifted my pre-conceptions about RPGs (which was quite an achievement as there are 20 odd years to shift!).

D.