Trollbabe: a six-year old plays Story Now

[droog]

i]The Princes' Kingdom<The Hobbit<

Leafsparkle

Number: 4

Fighting 1-3 (Athletics)
Magic 5-10 (Troll magic)
Social 1-4 (Perky)

Equipment: A patch of magic collie fur; a small white china cat.
Appearance: Curly brown hair, silver sparkly horns, a pink dress with real leaves growing out of it, red shoes with black soles and a curve at the front.
The Hobbit<

Leafsparkle

Number: 4

Fighting 1-3 (Athletics)
Magic 5-10 (Troll magic)
Social 1-4 (Perky)

Equipment: A patch of magic collie fur; a small white china cat.
Appearance: Curly brown hair, silver sparkly horns, a pink dress with real leaves growing out of it, red shoes with black soles and a curve at the front.

[droog]

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Jeff,

I am awed & honored.

Also, as I play with my eight-month-old daughter, I realize that she is, apparently, already a little trollbabe, so I need to be prepared.

I think your flexibility about the scenario in question is totally appropriate, especially since Jemima wants to return to the original proposal.

I'm interested in your wife's current reactions, if any.

The bottom map on page 6 was drawn without reference to the other maps, and so slotting it into the world map is a matter of interpretation. This was sort of on purpose, and I like the way it worked out to provide a bit of ambiguity about the maps in general. I usually interpret it to be located on the northwestern corner of the continent that includes Utgarth.

Best, Ron

[droog]

[ErrathofKosh]

Jeff,

I want to thank for the inspiration.  I've started my three children roleplaying and while it isn't difficult to engage the two boys in Star Wars, my little girl isn't as excited.  She still enjoys it, but her excitement level isn't quite as high as the boys'.  I had forgotten all about Trollbabe.  I'll dig up my copy and see how she responds. 

I like the cat idea, maybe I'll incorporate something similar for her. 

-Jonathan

[droog]

We played again yesterday. I'd like to report on it because the system threw up something that I hadn't expected yet.

Leafsparkle made land on Frostfire Island and found that the people were all going to a town meeting. At the meeting, they discussed various things and asked the visitor about herself. Then one man asked L. for help. It seemed his old granny was refusing to move into town, and the family were very worried about her as the trolls were becoming problematic (Ron may recognise this as a suggestion he once made). So L. said she would help by casting a spell to make the old woman want to move.

Off she went to the old woman's cottage, and tried talking to her first. The crone angrily said that she wasn't going to move. So J. decided to return at night and cast the spell from a distance.

Here I decided to throw in a complication: a troll was stealing some goats. So J. tried to stop it. She rolled on Fighting and rolled a 9. Then she re-rolled, got another 9, and decided to let the troll go.

So she began a magic ritual to make the old woman leave. She rolled a 2. Definitely injured here. I suggested that the magic was doing strange things to her head and she accepted that. She decided to go one more throw, and pulled in the cat-boy as a sidekick. Another 2!

So she passed out, and woke tied up in the troll lair, with them discussing the human problem. Then they left and she got free of the bonds. She returned to the scene of the ritual to find the cat-boy lying there.

When I said that she found the cat-boy lying on the ground her eyes went very, very wide. When I said that he seemed to be dead, she hid most of her face behind the coffee table. I felt a wrench. Very carefully I asked her about whether Leafsparkle felt sad "Yes." "Do you feel sad?" "Yes."

Anyway, L. tried her ritual again, and rolled 9. Thus the old woman decided to move back into town. I asked Jemima whether she thought that was okay.

"Of course it is. At least she's safe now."

"Do you think it's better to be safe or happy?"

"It's better to be safe! At least she won't get eaten by trolls."

[Arturo G.]

Hi!
Was J. aware of the consequences of failing a re-roll using the cat-boy when she was injured? It seems she was surprised to find him dead.

[droog]

Hi, Arturo. No, Jemima didn't know. I take full responsibility for that, as it was an issue of trying not to drown her with rules and procedures. Whether it would actually have stopped her from using the cat-boy, I don't know.

She has read several books, most recently The Hobbit, in which principal characters die. I can't decide whether it's a salutary lesson or not.

[Ron Edwards]

I think the foundation of love and caring that's already evident in your posts is sufficient to support what happens in the game, and how it'll be processed.

I'll save other points for private correspondence if you're interested, Jeff.

Best, Ron

[droog]

I would be interested in whatever you have to say, Ron. You might like to know that Jemima asked me about playing again today, so evidently it hasn't put her off.