[Dogs in the Vineyard] In the line of duty….

[GreatWolf]

Introduction

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names.
 An' he decides who to free and who to blame.
Everybody won't be treated all the same.
There'll be a golden ladder reaching down.
When the man comes around. <read<Indie Press Revolution was my very own copy of Dogs in the Vineyard<Dirty Secrets and really absorbing the noir detective genre.  Along the way, Ron commented to me that Dogs in the Vineyard was a direct descendant of Trollbabe<here.)  The lightbulb went on in my head.  Dogs in the Vineyard<Dogs in the Vineyard<Dogs in the Vineyard<Dogs in the Vineyard<Dramatis Personae< Snowy Canyon<Snowy Canyon< What Happened in Snowy Canyon<me

[GreatWolf]

Judgment in Snowy Canyon<Post-game reflection

Ever seen The Village<The Village<Dogs in the Vineyard<Dogs in the Vineyard<a recent interview?) Ron commented a bit about Dogs in the Vineyard, saying that people forget that the Dogs are young virgins who are really not equipped to handle the situations that are pitched at them.  Having watched Brick and Veronica Mars, I noticed this theme running through those stories as well.  You have young characters dealing with situations that are really too big for them.  Even more than adults, they are in way over their heads.  The same is true for Dogs.  So, during chargen, I made sure to stress this point.  Dogs are about twenty years old with about two months of training.

Gabrielle got it right away, and it gave her the willies.

Crystal experienced it during play.  Once the badness was well and truly revealed, Content had no idea what to do about it all.  Backing up a step, Crystal<that<portions of the truth.  Gradually, as these portions of truth begin to intersect, the full, nasty picture emerges.

<A couple minor points
I printed out the Dogs names list (PDF) from the Story Games Names Project.  It is very helpful to have on hand.  Names can be tricky in any game, and Dogs in the Vineyard<go buy the book<Pandora<is that good.  Now I must go experience more Johnny Cash.

Till Armageddon, no Shalam, no Shalom.
 Then the father hen will call his chickens home.
The wise men will bow down before the throne.
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crown.
When the man comes around.

[lumpley]

So, this is a spectacular writeup.

This brought out something about Dogs in the Vineyard<Dogs in the Vineyard<

Astute, Seth! This is why I tell people that the real game doesn't usually kick in until session 3. Dealing with a town is fun and fine, but no, the town is not the story, the Dogs are the story. Creating characters on purpose, if you have the foresight and issues in mind, can mean that you're playing the real game before session 3. I'm just now beginning to figure that out myself, with my friends' help.

Johnny Cash: don't miss "God's Gonna Cut You Down." (You can find it on YouTube if you look.)

-Vincent

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Seth,

I'm interested in some of the rolls for Content in those final conflicts, because her traits seem oriented toward a rage-filled, dangerous array of reactions, including at least one revenge killing. I can't imagine how most of those traits could have been drawn into the conflicts as she handled them, and I like the way that Crystal's sudden sense of being morally adrift paralleled the character's sense of being cut-off from her usual array of how she handles problems (if I'm reading correctly). Did Crystal find herself specifically avoiding certain traits during the conflicts? Did she roll well enough on the Attribute dice to insulate Content from having to use, for instance, the bad temper, the fanaticism, and the fearsome fist?

Best, Ron

[GreatWolf]

So, this is a spectacular writeup.

Thanks, Vincent!  I got some more play in yesterday, so expect to see further writeups soon.

Regarding Johnny Cash:  I now have American III, American IV, and American V on order.  And I've heard Moby's "Run On", so that's close to "God's Gonna Cut You Down", right?  (big cheesy grin)

Ron saith:

I'm interested in some of the rolls for Content in those final conflicts, because her traits seem oriented toward a rage-filled, dangerous array of reactions, including at least one revenge killing. I can't imagine how most of those traits could have been drawn into the conflicts as she handled them, and I like the way that Crystal's sudden sense of being morally adrift paralleled the character's sense of being cut-off from her usual array of how she handles problems (if I'm reading correctly). Did Crystal find herself specifically avoiding certain traits during the conflicts? Did she roll well enough on the Attribute dice to insulate Content from having to use, for instance, the bad temper, the fanaticism, and the fearsome fist?

Yes, I think that she was avoiding drawing on those Traits.  This makes sense to me completely.  Content would be perfectly willing to bring the wrath of God on someone if she were persuaded in her mind that the person was totally guilty.  However, this situation didn't allow her to make an absolute judgment like that.  Therefore, she restrained herself, mostly out of confusion.

It wasn't for lack of trying on my part.  I'm finding that a guilty pleasure of being a DitV GM is trying to pressure the Dogs into violent confrontation.  I'm always mentioning how they could escalate now, or how that fat 4d10 Trait would become available if only someone would throw a punch....  But, for the most part, the players have been nervous to cross that line.  Which is good.  They should be nervous, but I'm going to keep pushing until they do.  Just for the sheer cussedness of it all.

Now, the seething violence in Content is counter-pointed by a couple of interesting aspects.  The first is that Content is truly devoted to the Faith.  She really does believe, and this is a major component of her life.  The second is that Content is thoroughly suspicious of the religious hierarchy.  So, she's like, "I trust God; it's His servants who I can't stand."  Thus her "I'm a Dog" Relationship being at 2d4.  That was lowered as a result of her initiation conflict where Content managed to get a teacher to admit that she was teaching things that she thought were wrong, simply because the religious hierarchy required it.

Of course, in the wake of Daniel's death, Content is struggling with her faith.  How could God let a good man like Daniel die?  That will be an emerging issue in play as well.

So, Content is just a bundle of dangerous beliefs and emotions.  I'm really looking forward to seeing how she reacts to future towns.

[GreatWolf]

this comment from Vincent:

The real situation that Dogs in the Vineyard cares about is the one between each of the PCs and each other and the Faith....You know how the real situation that The Mountain Witch cares about is the one between the PCs with their trust and their dark fates, and the GM throws grief at them to simply just apply pressure to that situation? Dogs is the same. It's better to understand a Dogs town with its sin and judgement as an encounter along the way, an attack by Oni or a freezing cold night, than as the thing that really matters.

So, there it is.  It has been said before.  Just thought I'd point it out.