Advice with Town: Olive Grove Branch

[Neal]

Jason, thanks for the astute comments.

--This town would work really well at various earlier points of attack.  This may be a personal obsession of mine, but I kept thinking "Oh wow, there's *more*?"

A problem of mine.  I never seem to believe a thing is done.  This could be why I've submitted so little fiction to magazines.  But when it comes to games, I like dense matter.  Combine these two things and it's a recipe for crowded games.  I'm always thinking of another character to bring in.

--Definitely plan on devoting a couple-three sessions to sorting all this out, depending on how your players approach it and whose sides they take.  Those girls each have a meaty backstory and 5D10 demonic influence to throw down, so it will be pretty exciting.

I'm glad you think the girls' backstories are exciting.  And I agree this could go longer than a single session, unless I can convince my players to endure a marathon.  We'll see how it works out. 

--I wonder if you actually need Patience, Constance, and Obedience - they are disconnected from the town (outsiders, no conflicts involving them particularly).  Why not have the "finishing school" be set up locally, at the steward's behest, with some respectable matron put in charge, and the girls running rough-shod over her?  The finishing school angle seems like it could be overly byzantine and also morally black and white as written.  It'd be nice if the Dogs had to decide on the merit and necessity of the finishing school, with powerful arguments on both sides.

This is a really good idea, and I wish I'd checked this message before now.  I think you're right.  The more I think about the town as written, the more manichaean it feels.  There are some wicked girls, and some misunderstood innocents, and that's about it.  I think if I could write it again as a third draft, I'd focus on the potential corrupting influence of eastern education, rather than the witchcraft thing.  Still, I'm wondering if there's a way I can represent the righteous in this town as more distasteful than the bad girls.  If I play them right, the adult witches should come off as sympathetic and somewhat sexy, while the school-girls... well, they're naughty school-girls when you come right down to it.  And my players are both male, so...  We'll see.

Anyway, thanks a lot for the comments.  I'll try to take enough notes to make for a satisfying "Actual Play" entry.

Cheers,
Neal

[Neal]

I ran Olive Grove last night.  It went well overall, with some elements coming off better than others.  I've given a very long-winded account of the game at Actual Play.  It's four installments, and it outlines some of the best and not-so-best moments of the session, as well as noting some lessons I learned from this town.