[Burning Wheel] Words, Ghosts and Mead in the Vault

[Judd]

Here's the thread in which the foundation for the campaign is laid:

http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=949

I ran a series of one-shots with pre-made characters in order to get a grip on the rules and get some world foundations laid.  With Beliefs and Instincts set to roll at one another, they were intense sessions for the most part.  The first game where we actually played the P.C.'s was flat.

I was worried.  This is a mixed group, two dwarves, two humans, an elf and an orc.  I wasn't convinced BW could do this, not convinced at all.  I thought that I should've been a stronger leader and asked the group to choose one and everyone commit.

But the second game was much better, some Duels of Wits and other little conflicts here and there.  It was coming together.

Then tonight, only two players showed up.  But they were the players who had said at the end of last session wanted to have their characters go out drinking together.

So, they went out drinking.

I was a uncomfortable with just letting them sit and talk.  Is that odd?

After about fifteen minutes of really interesting in-game conversation which was not only the characters getting to know each other but was the players, having only just started to game together, getting to know each other I said, "Guys, I'm not going to throw my bangs on the table for a while.  I dig where this is going."

They were cool.

I've run games in the past that were tons of role-playing and nary a die is rolled.  Looking back, I think this often happened because I was uncomfortable with the systems I was running and didn't want to have them make decisions they didn't have to.

But tonight didn't feel like that.  It just felt like a laid back tweener game...but an important tweener game.

It was neat hearing their characters talk about who they thought Hell would tempt into opening the Vault and how.  It was like my players were throwing ideas on the table just to throw 'em.  It was neat having them talk about their pasts, defining their characters for us and themselves.

There were a few rolls, nothing crucial.  My bangs concerned ghosts showing up, hell being sealed off and all, lotsa restless spirits.  One ghost was someone Jevon's Orc had killed last game.  The other ghost was someone Jim's vengeful mercenary captain mentioned tonight while drinking.

I didn't throw on the conflicts, didn't pile it up.  It was the calm before the storm.  It was the players telling me their thoughts through their characters.  It was the players getting a handle on each other, the world and their own characters.

I spent most of the time listening, jotting down notes occasionally.

I really enjoyed it.

[John Harper]

Yes, yes, yes. This is something that I first saw highlighted in the Dying Earth RPG, and it's used to great effect in The Shadow of Yesterday. The "recovery" scene. A kick-back, no pressure, no conflict scene in which the characters just express who they are when they're not neck deep in strife. All conflict heavy games can benefit greatly by including these little breathers on a regular basis, whether or not there's a mechanical benefit. Recharge the batteries, reflect, act in charcter a bit, whatever... then dive back into the slam-bang action.

Like you said, when you play a game that really delivers the goods in terms of bangs, conflict, and consequences, it doesn't feel like "a waste of time" to unplug from it and just coast for a while. Because you know that whenever you want the bangs, they're right there off-stage, waiting.

[Judd]

I can think of a few campaigns I have been in that could have benefited from a recovery scene here and there.  I wish I'd had the vocab or the presence of mind to just suggest it, throw it on the table.

It was neat, the ghosts added some tension and character development, choices were certainly made but no Duels of Wits, no Fight! mechanics for the whole session.

Just an Orc and a Merc talking shop while the GM scribbled notes.

Fun night.