I've been running Little Fears since I got it back from Origins a little while back. Thought I would share some of the action with everyone here. Its been rather humorous and lodes of fun. Its also been quite an experience for my players whom seem to have been mind altered from thier normal state of role playing.

One thing a lot of my players have noticed is that children work well together until one thing causes a break in the core thinking of what they are doing. Then the arguement is on. They have gone as far as to simulate this in my games a few times, breaking up when one person comes up with a plan and another doesn't like it so they break down into some name calling and lieing about knowing something that they have no clue about etc. Ultimately this has not turned into a problem for me running the game, since little fears is pretty horror based these interludes turn out to be a pleasent humor break from the gloom and doom.

"Running away" Something I had heard so very little before. Used to it was "breaking out my Militech Big Whooping Gun 4x 3" or "Getting into the crouching dragon spring stance" whenever the enemy showed up. Now the group runs like hell, finding hiding places, impromptu things to use for weapons like broom handles tossing glass bottles. Its also got them thinking more finding ways around the big badee rather than going in the front.

Its made me look at my group (groups actually I'm running two totally seperate campaigns now) differently now. I used to have some problems with combat monsters or brick builders but even they have gotten the clue and the flavor of the game. This is something I've been trying to do for years. In Kult I gave them premade characters, non combat types - used cars salesman, college student, gas station attendant - still they ran into the danger head on. Usually ending up in casualties and acting completely unlike what someone of thier background and mental standing would do.

Been having some distinct improvement with my players, really having some fun with it to. Just thought I would share. Next time I'll through up a synopsis of one of the games. They've really been a blast.

Later
PeterAmthor
http://peteramthor.darkgod.net

Hey,

I like your point about players recognizing the proper context for physical confrontations. I too have noted many players' assumption that physical combat in an RPG is automatically scaled to the characters' level - "If it confronts us, well, we should have a good chance of defeating it face to face, right? Anything else is unfair, right?"

It makes sense that if the PCs are kids, then the players can get away from that thinking a little easier.

Best,
Ron

Also a lot of the bad guys in Little Fears they couldn't beat on thier own. It can be a rough game at times.

I had a couple of em try to go head first into them. They found out very abruptly that it doesn't work. Landing two of them in the hospital and the rest with several scrapes and bruises.

They learned a lesson (which suprised the hell outta me) and adapted to get around whatever the problem was. Or how to fight it from a different standpoint. Leading to vaseline and thumbtacks on the floor, a can of moms hairspray and one of dads lighters, tripwires, etc. One game looked like an unused scene from Home Alone (Home Alone 14: Out of the Closet?).

Its a hoot.

PeterAmthor
http://peteramthor.darkgod.net