Rotating Dogs - does it work?

[DevP]

I'm lucky enough to have a few really good players that I'm itching to introduce to Dogs. Sweet! I also have quite a few friends who would be great for Dogs, but probably wouldn't be inclined to commiting for multiple sessions given some busy schedules. If there is some core membership (say, 2 Dogs who stick throughout) and some rotating guest Dogs who rotate in and out of each weeks' episode, would that work?

[Eric Provost]

It's been my experience that you don't need any consistant players to play Dogs.  I think it's the episodal nature of the game that gives it that quality.  We recently began one town, and when one player couldn't make it the next week, just rotated GMs and played another town... while one of the characters was both in the new town and in limbo in the town waiting to be completed.  It really didn't have any impact at all.

Eric sez:  If you've got 3 players and one is willing to scribble a town together, then you can enjoy a good game of Dogs.

[lumpley]

...while one of the characters was both in the new town and in limbo in the town waiting to be completed.

This is awesome.

-Vincent

[Eric Provost]

Oh.  I'm glad you think so, Vincent.  

It's Lisa's Dog, Sister Temperance.  The only issue we had to deal with, due to her limbo state in the yet incomplete story of Silent River, was that she has a temporary reduction in Body in the Silent River story that we felt should not be applied to the story in the town of Shining Noon.

In fact, it seemed really natural to play it that way.  So natural in fact that i'm curious why it strikes you as interesting, Vincent.

-Eric

[ptikachu]

I did much the same thing with this bunch of rotating players recently.

Two characters came from a previous game that ended halfway on a cliffhanger, but I was introducing the game to new players and my old players joined in at the last moment. We all agreed that two two veteran dogs could still resolve the old game, but it would be in a flashback episode. All were cool with that. :)

And regular attendance is a big problem, so I just make sure every town can be finished in one session (we even finished the dreaded Fort Lemon in one session for that matter, but it was a total party kill for all the Dogs that showed up that night).

It ends up looking like an ensemble TV series with rotating cast members who drop in and out. You never know who will arrive in the town of the week, but you might recognise some familiar faces. Continuity is a loose thing, but never violated outright.

At the end of the last session, one of the Dogs even decided to remain in the town to act as temporary Steward until the town got back in its feet.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

(we even finished the dreaded Fort Lemon in one session for that matter, but it was a total party kill for all the Dogs that showed up that night).

Ten holy craps! How many Dogs went down? What the hell happened? I've only seen a Dog die once, and one near thing. Jebus, did they know they could Give? Or was it deliberately a Custer's Last Stand thing?

[Lisa Provost]

Oh.  I'm glad you think so, Vincent.  

It's Lisa's Dog, Sister Temperance.  The only issue we had to deal with, due to her limbo state in the yet incomplete story of Silent River, was that she has a temporary reduction in Body in the Silent River story that we felt should not be applied to the story in the town of Shining Noon.

In fact, it seemed really natural to play it that way.  So natural in fact that i'm curious why it strikes you as interesting, Vincent.

-Eric

I agreed.  The temporary reduction in Body for my character was supposed to be for the next conflict in Silent River.  I felt it wouldn't make sense to have that reduction reflected for my Dog in the current town.

One thing I do wrestle with are the other resulting Fallout/ Experience Fallout and new or altered Traits/Belongings that I received in the second town we played.  I wonder if I should not include those changes when we go back to finish Silent River or if I should just play the Dog as normal like she was before we started this second town.  After all, she's still got that temporarily reduced stat...  

If you think about it... Sister Temperance is in limbo in Silent River right now.  I then brought her to the other town where a few things about her changed, like she added a relationship she hadn't had before.  She has more damage to her coat.  And she gained a trait that she didn't have before (can't remember it for the life of me as my character sheet is at home and I'm at work) but anyway I wonder if I should ignore these changes or if I let it flow like they have always been part of her because the changes are minor but they are changes.

Any opinions?

[lumpley]

Best conundrum ever!

-Vincent

[Eric Provost]

Really?  Because it all seems so simple to me.  The changes on the character sheet only reflect the changes to the character in Lisa's head. (haven't you been saying something like that Vincent?)  When we return to Silent River this weekend, the character will retain those changes in Lisa's head, so therefore, the changes on the sheet should remain.

-Eric

[Lisa Provost]

Really?  Because it all seems so simple to me.  The changes on the character sheet only reflect the changes to the character in Lisa's head. (haven't you been saying something like that Vincent?)  When we return to Silent River this weekend, the character will retain those changes in Lisa's head, so therefore, the changes on the sheet should remain.

-Eric

See I wondered that.  But the point I was trying to make was this... what if a trait/relationship Sister Temperance gained in the second town will help her or even hinder her in Silent River (the first town) when really, she's only been gone from Silent River for a second? What if she had died in the other town?  Shouldn't these changes not take effect until after she is out of limbo in Silent River and the town is complete?  

See the reason I ask is because one of the reasons I truly love DitV is because of the lack of paperwork shuffling.  I hate, hate, hate having to keep track of paperwork for my PC (I once had a Mage PC that was 5 pages long).  If I were not inclined to just agree with Eric's thoughts (which I am), this would require me to keep track of paperwork.  

Personally, I do agree with Eric here and just say screw it, but I'm sure others will be thinking the same thing.

[Simon Kamber]

Well. I haven't really tried the rotating yet. Our first session run by another GM happens next time. But the way I see it, the best way to do it is to play the game and let it happen. If you worry about where the Dogs are when they're gone, where their traits come from in the meantime and why they're suddenly there when you ride into the next time, you get a lot of management that, in the end, really doesn't have any effect on the interesting part of the game.

Of cause, that is if you can live with Dogs appearing out of thin air to take part in the action and fiery judgment. I know I can.

[Joshua A.C. Newman]

Of cause, that is if you can live with Dogs appearing out of thin air to take part in the action and fiery judgment. I know I can.

The explanation's simple: overlapping circuits. In your Land of Balm and Virtue, that can just be the way it's done. That makes it so you can have any combination you like without disturbing the SIS.