Lunar Notes

[JoyWriter]

When I first read it, this game was very white wolf, very werewolf. Now it's not. My first reaction is to show two different things using the same system, to inspire, but to force choice. So perhaps you could have two short story/actual play reports that are mutually contradictory.

To give you an idea, I was picturing people playing little banjo things or flutes in Vienna, and seeking power from abandoned buildings and parties!

Also, don't get embarrassed about the musical emphasis, build it up, because that is something I don't often see, even in games that supposedly have bards, but basically retrofit different feeling mechanics onto them.

This is a bit like your philosophy question. The way I look at it is that planescape's philosophy inspired me to create my own version. Specifically their implementation; to look at how philosophical sects were built both into the mechanics and the structure of the setting, and how they were built into a pattern of oppositions and allies. I always knew there was empty space! I can retrofit a game in a second and I need little encouragement. So when you have something beautiful or exciting, don't leave it out so as not to "contaminate" the people you are writing for, they are reading the book because they are interested in picking up this stuff!

On the plus side, it is likely the more personal your setting, the more people will want to tweak it, so as long as you leave the rules wide enough to cover other alternatives, and encourage people to do so, you should still get a lot of different approaches coming out of it.

[DWeird]

I'm a musician.

's no secret.

Those are really good names, though.

Thanks, but I thought them up only after reading this whole thread, especially the third context bit you provided. The game pdf, as it is, didn't lend itself to that sort of stuff at all. I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do with the places and people in this game... Nothing I want to do with them, either.

You know when someone says "This game speaks to me"? Well, the pdf looks like it's about to say something important, but then just shuts up.

[Noclue]

About the frustrations and exhultations and thrill of discovery that are all implicit in that. And I really hate that it sounds stupid when I just come out and say it like that (which is why I just hinted at it with the game).

Tell me again why your musicians are carrying around little spirit bags so they can play with demons without the consequences of playing with demons?

[Marshall Burns]

Y'know how when some musicians get together and noodle and jam around a bit? And one guy plays this little thing he's had in his head for a little bit, not really seriously playing it, just kinda doing it because it's there. One of the other guys is like, "Hey, what's that? Sounds kinda neat." But the first guy just shrugs his shoulders and says, "I dunno. Just fuckin' around."

That's what the stuff in the spirit bag is: stuff that's just kinda floating around in your head, or in notebooks, or whatever, but you aren't really doing anything with it. You're keeping it around for its moment. When that moment comes, you release it, wrestle with it, subdue it, nourish it, and make something of it.

'Cause you can only work on so many things at once. Songs are demanding, thankless little fuckers.