[Delphian Tides] Second Playtest

[Jason Petrasko]

I've released a full 111 page preview edition of Delphian Tides on RPGnow. Since I'd not yet run the sample scenario provided in the book, I printed off a copy and gave it a go with my regular FtF group on sunday. Here is a little synopsis of the RPG and the play.

The RPG tells the tale of doomcryers born into the modern world. These are immensely powerful beings charged with bringing about armageddon. The catch is that they are born human and have connections to the world. Nothing in the universe can make them do their job, and it's their choices that will determine the fate of creation.

The sample scenario is written by a buddy of mine Tim Kirk and is called Shadows and Fog. I'll try and leave out scenario specific stuff, in case people reading ths want in on the IRC playtest (I'm running the same scenario again- see the Connections forum).

The players opted to use the four sample characters from the book. They all seemed to settle on one they were happy with. These characters are diverse enough that in play everyone had a chance to do something, though one player again showed a lack of interest. But perhaps I'm simply picking on him (same player from my Empire thread)... hard to tell, but I've seen him more active and happier in play. Here are the characters:

Jacob McNeil, AKA The Dust Devil. He is a clouds materia doomcryer with a havoc that is a whip-like dust tornado. He seek to uncover the truth behind the fall of the golden age (a period of near bliss on earth from before recorded history).
Rebecca Tumens, AKA Resia. She is a ray materia doomcryer with a havoc of light that destroys but leaves behind vines that soon flower. She wants to minimize the pain and suffering in the coming end of days.
Alfred Dobson, AKA Mr. Phasma. He is a dream materia doomcryer with a havoc that is a 1911 colt pistol that shoot bullets of pure nightmares. He wants to reinvent the world into one of humanity's dreams, avoiding the armageddon totally.
Akako Kawakami / Akumu. She is an illusion materia doomcryer with a havoc called Dokuga. This is a silver dagger that drips a poison far more deadly than any known in creation. She was to rule the world through fear and intimidation.

I started the game wanting to showcase the human side of the doomcryers, so that their immense inhuman power could be contrasted properly. To do this, I told the group that we would create a single memory of their character. We'd do this as a group, everyone getting a say in each memory. While this came up with some great memories, and did about what I wanted it too, one of the players noted that it seemed to need more. Perhaps something like the initial conflict in Dogs. The memories, after doing so much thinking, needing to quote 'go somewhere.' Which makes sense to me and I'm thinking about a way to do just that, and add it too the gamebook.

Mechanically the game flowed solid. I had to stop a few times and read the PDF again myself as I was rusty (haven't played it in months), since I missed some specific values and such. The game doesn't use free rolls, as rolling the dice requires a spending of currency. The dice come from inner drive (fire) and torment (burn). These currency can be earned in a few ways, but I saw little of the earning in play. I don't think that is a flaw in the design, but a flaw with the scenario. It is though short enough that it really doesn't matter (currency didn't run out).

When we played out the first scenes I was pretty worried by the players reactions. It wasn't until we got to the first real challenge that everything seemed to click. Once again John's (the player mentioned above giving the 'go somewhere') comment stuck in my head. Perhaps if we had a challenge in the memory the gameplay could have started out better. The next playtest will reveal that I hope.

Now for the overall play, I felt it was lacking conflict between the group. With each godly empowered doomcryer struggling for their distinct goals, collisions should have occured. I fully expected doomcryer vs. doomcryer through downs in play. I didn't get them. Part of this I think is the currency issue, since one easy way to get currency is to act on your purpose. This could be solved by presenting some powerful obstacles that drained the currency of the players early on. I'm planning on adding this to my scenario 'The Fire in the Sky' which I should be ready to run at gencon.

Overall I felt the game went smooth, and I wasn't looking for that. I'm eagerly looking forward to more conflict and trying a little different start in the online IRC playtest.

[John Burdick]

Jason,

I think ignoring the chime events was a bad thing. It harmed the game.

In the scene with the helpful stranger, I didn't feel motivated to push. You gave me a clue, but I didn't feel a compelling choice. Going along with appearances seemed as interesting as anything else. I wish he'd wanted something from us, instead of being passive.

The end of the game was anticlimactic. Once we tried our one resource, I didn't see any more options for play.  I might've been able to do more if I were more creative, but as it was it felt like the whole thing was finding the clue on a fetch quest. I always enjoy it when we come up with another option together.

I wish we'd explored being sucked into those rifts earlier. That seemed interesting. I'd like "the party" to be split up that way. By the time we meet again, we should each have discovered conflicting solutions to the situation. If you give us time to start working for our own visions seperately, you'll get more interaction when we meet.

John

[Jason Petrasko]

John,

I agree with you on all points. Skipping the chime events so that we could complete the scenario in a single sitting seemed a good choice at the time, but in hindsight really hampered important aspects of play. These aspects being character development and motivation.

Yes, the scenario doesn't generate conflict. Something that is direly needed for the type of play I look for in the game. I don't think that makes it a bad scenario though, it's just that something needs to come before it. Going somewhere with the memories might have been a crucial mis-step there, as you pointed out.

'the whole thing was finding a clue on a fetch quest'. That is a very good analogy for the scenario. I'm thinking I'm going to add a scene or two with more fire and conflict. The whole idea of having to enounter Nog came from me on the fly, the scenario doesn't specify a method to find a guide.

So far I've always run the game as a welded party affair, but no more. That doesn't work but to diminish the firey heart of each character. Each needs breathing room.

Thanks for helping clarify my thoughts before the next playtest!

[John Burdick]

Jason,

I agree with the assertion made by someone on the forge that the characters need commonality. Commonly in D&D, they have different classes and may be from different societies and even species. The only reason they can talk to each other is that everyone speaks common. The only connection between them is that they adventure together. This makes the party key. (I've still got issues with how the party assumption interacts with the rules, but that doesn't have anything to do with your game.)

In Delphian Tides, we are all Doomcryers working for a common Magi and, so far, addressing the same crisis. I think the characters have adequate connection without being in the same place. Each character is strong enough to stand alone against adversity as well.

To use a recent movie example, the more connected the Incredibles the less need to have them on screen at the same time.

John