Sorcerer: Glenwood Springs

[Ian O'Rourke]

Sorcerer, really like it, but like a lot of these fiercely narrativist games, I like the idea, but I've not thrown myself into the frying pan with actual play yet. I play in a highly narrativist fashion, I'd say I closer to true narrativism (but not entirely there) than vanilla, but I'm one of these suckers who still seems to want to do it with traditional systems. I do see narrativist tools in the strangest of games though, as an example, I see the Vitality Point system in D20 Star Wars as intensely narrativist. To some extent I'm a bit like Clinton, Sorcerer is a bit intimidating (in rules and concept) and it scares the shit out of me to some extent :)

Anyway, that's another issue. I do want to run a 100% narrativist concept though, and I have two items in relation to this (a) the idea and (b) the system I use, which will flavour the game to some extent.

The Idea

Glenwood Springs, a small town in Colorado, 10 years ago four people left to go to college (or whatever), and now they are returning. Each of them has issues they need to resolve, and that is the reason they are coming back. The campaign is about the four characters resolving those issues. When they are resolved it ends.

Obviously in gaming terms the characters return only to start poking their noses in the relationship map (into which they are integrated in obvious and unobvious ways). The push to investigate/resolve their reason(s) for returning obviously peels away the map (which will be altered to accommodate player driven wishes) as the sessions unfold.

Influences: Twin Peaks, American Gothic and Six Feet Under. The small town is full of secrets, conspiracies and weird elements. At the moment I realise that I can add elements of the Supernatural, or leave it with just the mundane, even things get a bit twisted.

Premise: I want to deal with the themes of corruption of humanity, not sure if the word would be soul, or even if corruption is the right word. The idea is the four characters will be returning to be redeemed (for actions in the passed) or their reasons for returning will have a corrupting influence. The high-level question being: will the individual characters (in their own eyes) get redemption or fall to corruption.

The System

I have two broad choices when it comes to system: use any system on the 'lite' end of the spectrum and run with the idea (the premise coming from the sessions themselves) or go with some system that has the premise built into the system via some mechanic for measuring the level of corruption the players have - a visible consequence of their decisions as it where.

I like some of the stuff in Unknown Armies, specifically the way the system plays and the Madness Meters (I like the multiple meters). I like the way the magic works, fits in with a lot of my ideas on choices and consequences, but I don’t really want this to be in the Unknown Armies universe. As an example, I like the idea of corrupting sexual influence (and the 'no love' aspect) of the 'Cult of the Naked Goddess' but I don't want their to be such a cult - just a character in that situation, etc.

Also, I want the characters to be normal people, they have no cool powers (at least initially) they are just people returning to their hometown.

Sorcerer: Glenwood Springs

Anyway, one possible permutation of this idea is to work into the Sorcerer model. After all, the premise does fit well with the way Sorcerer is supposed to work, as does the whole idea of choices and consequences. I can use Humanity to represent the scale of corruption/redemption - the specifics of doing this in practice I'm not fully confident with yet - but I realise this is the point of the Humanity system (to measure such things).

I'm not fully sure how the Demon and Sorcerer aspect would work yet, beyond the idea that some supernatural element would be in the campaign now (though I'd have it as Twin Peaks - relatively subtle for the most part, and driven by character choices and actions)

The one idea I did have was that Sorcerers (whatever they are) only exist in Glenwood Springs - some entity, presence or consciousness exists beneath the town, or as part of a 'consciousness of the town' (nebulous I know) that can respond to desires and wishes. As an example, the 'Naked Goddess' character could be someone using a demon, a representation of this town consciousness, which has a need for sex, usually gratuitous and without love - indeed it hates that. I don't want a town full of active, knowing what they are doing Sorcerers, the majority of people would ignorant of this force, but they might still use it. Naïve Sorcerer? How does this match with the issue of consequence in the Sorcerer system? How would they contact and summon while still remaining ignorant. Still wondering.

The idea is this influence on the town seeks to corrupt it and destroy people. I'm just not sure how to use this, as Sorcerer seems potentially right for the idea, but at the same time the image of people actively summoning the forces mojo to do shit sits wrong with me. I sort of want it subtler than that.

Also, the characters returning home, the main protagonists, I was thinking they could be Sorcerer characters without Demons? But they may gain one during the game?

Another idea - I'm not sure if the characters should remain totally ignorant of the force around the town, or be semi-conscious of it (just thinking of the town as a bit weird) or acknowledge it in a 'kids' returning home, Stephen King I.T sort of way. I tend to favour the middle one.

Any ideas, suggestions or requests for further explanation on my rambling?

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Ian,

I suggest that the player-characters begin as "non-sorcerers," with Lore of 0 or 1, without demons. Characters with Lore 0 can gain Lore 1 after the first session or whenever it seems to make sense.

I think your whole setup flows from there very nicely. I'd keep the supernatural way, way muted, very much in the Twin Peaks mode.

Best,
Ron

P.S. Pedantic note: vanilla Narrativism is included in "true Narrativism."

[jburneko]

Hello Ian,

I thought I'd throw this in here too.  Don't forget that you can always move the 'Rituals' up to a metaphorical level.  That is you can consider acts to be 'Rituals' without them involving direct invocation of Demons in the classic sense, (Chanting, Weird Diagrams, etc)  This isn't the same as 'accidental' Sorcerery but rather a conversion of normal meaningful (and purposeful) emotional behavior into demonic activity.

The example I use for this is a fantasy one but extrapolating to your small down situation shouldn't be too difficult.

So we have a Lore 1 warrior figure with NO 'in game' knowledge of Sorcerery.  His brother is slain by his nemesis.  He holds up his sword and swears on the grave of his ancestors his brother shall be avengened.  MECHANICALLY, this can be treated as contacting, summoning and binding a demon into his sword and thus creating an object demon probably with a Desire and Need related to vengeance.

Hope that was useful.

Jesse

P.S.  I was just in Glenwood Springs last week.  Nice town.  Although it had an unusually large car dealership... Hmmmm...

[Ian O'Rourke]

P.S. Pedantic note: vanilla Narrativism is included in "true Narrativism."

Okay, I must admit I was not writing the post to be 100% correct with theory, just trying to describe where I was on the scale. I'm a firm believer I'm in the narrativist camp, I'm just playing around with respect to how far I take it and the different ways I apply the tools :)

The next step so to speak.

[Ian O'Rourke]

So we have a Lore 1 warrior figure with NO 'in game' knowledge of Sorcerery.  His brother is slain by his nemesis.  He holds up his sword and swears on the grave of his ancestors his brother shall be avengened.  MECHANICALLY, this can be treated as contacting, summoning and binding a demon into his sword and thus creating an object demon probably with a Desire and Need related to vengeance.

That's interesting, might have to dig out my Sorcerer and Sword PDF - as I've just remembered the stuff on naïve Sorcerers in there (funnily enough this is the one Sorcerer supplement I've not spotted over here yet).  This is a good idea as I would not want to remove the element of choice and action on the part of the character.

Once the contact, summon and binding has took place it is keeping them naïve that I don't understand - surely they know they have just done something that has had a consequence? But then may be this is the point - somehow keep the summoned demon subtle, but at the same time it will then be another force trying to morally corrupt the character (this could be another rule: all needs must have this as an ultimate longer-term goal).

I think your whole setup flows from there very nicely. I'd keep the supernatural way, way muted, very much in the Twin Peaks mode.

Would this entail limiting the ways the demons, representations of the consciousness at work in the town, manifest and use their powers? Even in terms of what powers it can use? Though I suppose this could be covered by the 'demons will not be discovered rule'.

Interesting as always.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Ian,

I knew this would happen. You're already stressing out about a non-issue. The whole idea is that they start "naive," right? Two points.

1) The term "naive" may be throwing you. Remove all connotations of "innocent," or "sorcerer by accident." Just think ... oh, not formally trained. That should do it.

2) Lose all worries about what to do later, regarding the naivete. Let Lore improve, and once someone's Kicker is resolved, let them change the Lore descriptor if they want to. In other words, I don't see why you're concerned about keeping them naive. That was straight out of left field. Lose all that nonsense about "keeping" them anything.

Best,
Ron

[Ian O'Rourke]

2) Lose all worries about what to do later, regarding the naivete. Let Lore improve, and once someone's Kicker is resolved, let them change the Lore descriptor if they want to. In other words, I don't see why you're concerned about keeping them naive. That was straight out of left field. Lose all that nonsense about "keeping" them anything.

Okay, I'll take that one away and think about it a bit. I suppose the slow revelation (represented by increased Lore?) that something exists within the town is part of the whole thing. This, linked with Humanity loss, is what gives the tale its 'system level manifestation of choices being made and potential corruption (in a moral sense, the aim of the consciousness) be accrued.