Metal Opera (longish)

[Ragnar Deerslayer]

I haven't posted here before, so let me give a little background on my gaming group before I begin:

My gaming group is a little different from other gaming groups.  It is composed entirely of students (mid-20s or older) at a Protestant Evangelical seminary.  We are all Bible-believing Jesus freaks, on the road to becoming pastors, teachers, and youth-group leaders.

And we roleplay.

Last year I ran a year-long d6 Star Wars game set in the Great Purge.  Of course, it had to end with a final showdown with Vader and the Emporer.  It was exhausting for me as a GM, because I was really acting as a playwright with a stable of actors.  They had some leeway in interpreting their role, but the story was largely written by me.  It turned out great; they all enjoyed it, but by the end, I was completely burned out.  This summer I discovered The Forge, and was eager to try out some of the games that give players more of a narrative role.

Two of my players from last year graduated and moved off (they took a church pastorate in another state), two have stayed, and a newcomer (also a seminary student) will be starting next week.  Last year, we had two male and two female players.  It was a husband-and-wife pair that left, and my new player is female, so next week I - for the first time in my dozen or so years of gaming - will be GMing for a predominately female group.  But that's a different story.

This week, I decided to try a one-shot for Metal Opera.  I pitched it as:  "a cyberpunk Star Wars where the Emporer has banned Rock 'n' Roll, and instead of lightsabers, you have electric guitars with sonic blasters attached to your amps.  It's 'Captain Eo' meets 'The Matrix;' you must free your mind through the Power of Metal."

They liked the idea and decided to give it a shot.

***Character Creation***

At first, they had trouble with the idea of "Style."  I read to them the paragraph about climbing out of the wreckage of the starship, and asked them what their character did.  "Uh, sing?"  So, I told them to think about different styles of rock and model your style after it.  I also felt that along with "style" and "axe," it would be appropriate to list the instrument the character played, so here are the characters:

Character:  Bjork Zander
Style:  Acoustic Denim
Axe:  Bastard Sword with Monomolecular edge
Instrument:  Acoustic guitar

Character:  Kai Paisley
Style:  Classic Punk
Axe:  Sonic Shuriken
Instrument:  keyboard (worn on a sling around the neck, not on a stand)

(Thanks to GURPS Martial Arts for ideas for the Axes.)

For Bjork, think "Bon Jovi."  For Kai, think "Trinity" (from the Matrix).

I think it would be cool to come up with different examples of character styles based on different styles of rock music, with implications for how using each of the scores would look using that style.  I would do it, but I was too busy listening to the approved Christian "DC Talk" and "Carmen" during high school to get a taste of "Twisted Sister" and "Guns and Roses."

***In the Crapper***
They liked this part, but didn't immediately grasp that this was where the plotline for the adventure was established.  Since I only had two players, I let them each go twice.

Meri (playing Kai):  Our stage collapses in the middle of a concert -- and it was the Grigorians that did it!
Damon (playing Bjork):  And the Grigorians come in and abduct our stage manager!
Meri:  And they jam our broadcast signal and play Country / Western music instead!
Damon:  And we just discovered Kai's mother is the Secretary of State for the Tyrant of Mind!

I translate "Country/Western" into "Whatever equivalent spiritually lethargic music the Tyrant of Flesh foists upon the innocent masses to dupe them into passivity" to keep the game from turning silly too soon.

***Actual Gameplay***
I described how their concert was crashed by a bunch of Grigorian goons, and how the stage collapsed underneath them.  Bjork wanted to fight, but I said, "How do you do that in an Acoustically Denimic style?"  (As I understand the rules, at the beginning of the game, they only get to roll a die if they do something 'in their style.'  Since I might have defined styles too narrowly, I didn't consistently enforce this through the rest of the game, because I didn't want to penalize the players too much.)  He said, "Uh, I'll grab a mike and sing 'Fight for Your Right to Party!' instead, to, you know, inspire the crowd."  He rolls a 2.  I say, "The cord has been cut by the collapse of the stage equipment."

Kai jumps up and swings on a rope, throwing shuriken at some Grigorians, and kicking another one.  (Rolls a 4).  This time, I remember to let the player narrate a fact.  I add to it that it was not a rope, but a live electrical wire, so it showers sparks while she's swinging.

At this point, I say, "Well, the rules don't have anything for bad guys, so I guess they don't get a turn."  "YAY!" say my players.  I decide to just "wing it narratively" for the bad guys in-between turns.

Bjork sees a wireless mike lying on the ground so he kicks his way out of the collapsed stage stuff and grabs that and tries to sing again (rolls 1).  The batteries are drained.

Kai sees Bjork in trouble on the stage and states "I'll sidekick a Grigoran and coolly walk back to Bjork."  (rolls 2)  "Um, I guess I didn't."

Bjork:  I look around for another mike.
Me:  You see a headset mike on one on the head of a fallen roadie.
(Rolls 4)
Me:  So, give me a fact.
Bjork:  The crowd is, um, inspired.
Me:  Right!  They all begin counterattacking.

Kai:  I use my keyboard to play a song to put them all to sleep.
Me:  A lullaby?  Are you sure that's "classic punk?"
Kai:  Um . . . yeah!
Me:  Well, okay.
(rolls 2)
Kai:  Guess not.

Me:  Bjork, you see about 4 dozen Grigs bearing down on you.
Bjork:  I retreat.
(rolls 5)
Bjork:  Okay, there's a back door, and I start hearding out my groupies, to make sure they're okay.

Me:  There are about EIGHT DOZEN Grigs bearing down on Kai.
Bjork:  That's 96, okay?!!
Kai:  Okay, I'm looking for a way out.  There's a manhole cover underneath me that I open.
(rolls 2)
Kai:  Guess not.  Okay, The grigs pound me.
Me:  Okay, you reach down to open the cover, but it's sealed tight.  The Grig you kicked last kicks you in the face.
Bjork:  Hey what's that on your forehead?  "Nike?"
Kai:  Shut up.

Me:  Bjork, the Grigs are closing in.
Bjork:  Okay, I jump up and grab the rope that releases the heavy curtain behind the stage on all of them.
(rolls 1)
Me:  How do you fail?
Bjork:  Hmm.  I fall on my back and my groupies trample me trying to get out.
Me:  Also, the Grigs don't see you fall, and they trample you chasing your groupies.

Kai:  I kick a Grig and leap for a rope overhead.
(rolls 5)
Me:  Your fact?
Kai:  I climb the rope.
Me:  Also, you knee the guy, and as he doubles over, you jump on his back to reach the rope.
Kai:  ooh!

Bjork:  I get up and try to escape after the Grigs, pretending I'm one of them.
(rolls 5)
Me:  Your fact?
Bjork:  Um, one of them mistakes me for a fellow Grigorian, a friend of his back in Grigorian training.
Me:  That might be hard since you're not wearing their uniform.
Bjork:  Okay, makes sense.  I start chanting their "Grigorian Chant" along with them, you know, like what's-his-face was chanting "Im-ho-tep" along with the zombies in "The Mummy."
Me:  Great!  You do that, then take a quick left into the, uh, hanger where your spaceship is.

Kai:  I swing from the rope onto the catwalk, then make for the trapdoor to the roof.
(rolls 4)
Kai:  I open the trapdoor.
Bjork:  To do that in "Punk" style, you have to kick it open.
Me:  To be "Classical", you could make it a spinkick.
Kai:  Okay, I kick it open.

At this point, Bjork's player (Damon) had to leave; the actual gameplay (after character creation) was only about an hour.  It's uncertain whether we'll play this next week, or try a different game, once our new player shows up.

Thoughts:  I'm having a hard time giving narrative command over to the players.  I keep thinking of all this cool stuff in my mind I want to make happen, and, to me, what they come up with seems relatively drab in comparison.  (I keep telling myself that it's not drab *to them*.)  But then, I'm an improv-heavy GM, and they don't seem to feel very comfortable improvising (although I thought the stage-curtain thing was brilliant; I thought later that I could have awarded an extra die for it, but by then the player had already narrated the equally-interesting getting trampled by groupies).

I'm thinking maybe a game like "Riddle of Steel" would give them more long-term narrative control, without having the pressure of moment-by-moment improving.  We'll see.

The players liked the idea of Metal Opera, and they enjoyed the game.  We agreed at the beginning that I couldn't recreate the success of last year's "Star Wars" epic, so we wanted to do something really different, and Metal Opera fit the bill.

At the end, I tried to pitch them on "i kill puppies for satan," but they didn't bite ;-)

Mark
------
my seminary is full of muggles . . .

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the Forge! Awesome post.

Folks, it might be worth noting how many people of an evangelist-Christian orientation attend at the Forge. Combine that with the bevy of near-or-actual occultists (not to mention alternative-type marriage partners), plus the preponderance of solid citizen sorts ... h'm, I like it. Very non-stereotypical.

Not to mention totally off-topic and better suited to the Site Discussion forum. Ahem, sorry about that.

Anyway, Mark, I was halfway through your post when I thought to myself, "Seems like The Riddle of Steel would be helpful." It's very clear about when and how player-judgment can have a major impact on play, specifically on chances of success. However, it's not as open as some games in terms of player contribution to the events of play ("narrating" in the literal sense).

The Pool and Otherkind might be too wild-and-sharing, but I recommend taking a look at InSpectres and Dust Devils. Their formal "rights of narration" might be the way. Or for a satirical game that permits player description and effectiveness-power but only a small amount of player-determination in the classic sense, check out my Elfs (warning, very rude).

Now, all of this might be going too far with suggesting a new system. Now that I really think about it, it's technique you're after, not necessarily system (although it might help to have a technique "validated" by the text). In this case, folks, what techniques would be most useful to consider?

I suggest simply asking for input on "what happens" following a die roll or other determining act of play. Be the classic GM where the buck stops, but simply make a routine of calling for input and let'em practice. Right now, I think you're impatient with their drabness because they are really not in the mode of contributing - perhaps past history of play has set their habits of how much or how colorfully they can contribute. If so, then your willingness to consider and possibly accept their contributions is going to be a first step only - it will blossom into the kind of play you're hoping for even if its first applications are not scintillating.

Best,
Ron

[Zak Arntson]

First of all, welcome to the Forge and thanks for playing Metal Opera!

This week, I decided to try a one-shot for Metal Opera.  I pitched it as:  "a cyberpunk Star Wars where the Emporer has banned Rock 'n' Roll, and instead of lightsabers, you have electric guitars with sonic blasters attached to your amps.  It's 'Captain Eo' meets 'The Matrix;' you must free your mind through the Power of Metal."

That's one amazing summary you have there. Mind if I quote that elsewhere?

Your Styles are wonderful. Acoustic Denim cracks me up. As for Axes, I suggest combining a weapon with the Axe. An acoustic guitar with a monomolecular-edged neck, and a shuriken-spewing keyboard for example.

I'm glad to hear "In the Crapper" worked real well. Sounds like a perfect start to a Metal Opera game.

During play, zero dice from the get-go does force Style, and you've defined Style loose enough to work well. If you're still having trouble, provide an extra die for good roleplaying. That should get the ball rolling. In fact, that's a new rule: Good roleplaying OR using your Style = 1 extra die for the roll.

Also, even though it sounds like you don't need to change things much, I'm wondering if you misread the rules. Your roll has two different results, Power & Control. Power (highest value rolled) indicates the level of success and Control (number of matching dice) allows for player facts/narration.

Thoughts:  I'm having a hard time giving narrative command over to the players.  I keep thinking of all this cool stuff in my mind I want to make happen, and, to me, what they come up with seems relatively drab in comparison.

My group discusses each action a bit before applying it. A single action consists of: Player announcing action, everyone piping in with any comments/suggestions, Player able to re-announce action. This approach may help the improvising, and those who aren't so hot at improvising get a peanut gallery to help them out.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

Good point, Zak. A lot of the old-timers at the Forge are so used to the idea that out-of-character conversation is an important element of play (to be "dialed" as the group sees fit), that we forget about other people not necessarily being used to it.

Ragnar, I highly recommend that you encourage any and all chit-chat out-of-character, including people whose characters aren't in the scene, which enhances people's enjoyment of what's happening in the game.

Best,
Ron

[Clay]

That post was cool enough that I really think I should grab a copy of Metal Opera.  We talked about the idea of a Gaming Retreat next summer, where we all prep something off-beat that we wouldn't normally play, sequester ourselves at my family's cottage for a long weekend, and try out our new games. Metal Opera sounds just about right for the atmosphere I'm looking for.