So I just started playing a "real" (aka not IRC) game for the first time in like 1+ years. It is the same old game my group always plays:

d20/DnD
Set in Europe
Each "nation" is ruled/populated by specific nations

The biggest changes we have this time are that the DM is using Sanity rules from D20 CoC and we are playing in the Dark Ages.

Thankfully we (the players) developed our characters together and on the spot so we got some gelling and theming going on. We decided to be a stranded group of Vikings (half giants) stuck in France (populated by Dwarves). We are from the same village, two of us are siblings, and all of are names are four letters long and use the letters t, r, u, and a. (I'm Taru, my brother is Utar) All this kind of threw our DM for a loop - he has this odd thing - he comes up with this plan and then says we can do whatever we want to do - so we do - then he gets a bit huffy - then he gives in.

So all we really did in the first session was land, move towards the interior (bringing large barrels of mead and a goat along). We were then attacked by these bloated short things with claws (I failed all my san checks, but still killed 2), then when we were almost dead we were captured by a band of dwarves and elves.

So it seems as though it will be fun - I chose to be a dumb barbarian so I wouldn't have to think, since when I think I start heading narrativist and this DM doesn't like that - but not exactly "filling." But at least it is gaming.

What I am just a bit unsure of is this combination:

A Narrativist tending player (me) + A Simulationist campaign + A Gamist system (with a Simulationist mechanic tossed in - Sanity) = ???

Its a little disheartening when you see these kind of contradictions - though I am going to do my best to look at it in non-Narr terms. I will try to do as much exploring as I can, but made a character ready to be gamey if neccesarry.

I think it was an interesting idea to toss on Sanity to give it a bit more of the dark horror aspect, but I don't see it really adding much - I consistently failed my San checks, but all it did was make it a bit harder for me to hit them - whoopy! Also, the GM doesn't seem to really understand the uses of San and how to GM Horror - oh well.

Well I apologize if this is getting long and drawn out, but I wanted some help with a question here. It is rare that we all get to the game on time, I am thinking that if I can get there early I _might_ be able to run a quick narrativist-ish game and be able to do it without the DM (who is really "traditional") not give me crap. What would you guys suggest? It would have to be either short, or able to be stopped and started again. Things that come to mind would be Universalis, SOAP, and Inspectres. The reasoning being that it could just be thrown together at the last minute for the most part w/o too much thinking involved (plus the no or minimal GM part is good too).

Thoughts?

-Shane

Hmm. With one of my groups, it's Magic: The Gathering at 4, and D&D starts at 6. It works well, with those interested in M:tG showing up early and those not interested showing up later for the D&D. So I think your idea is certainly doable.

I would strongly advise against doing this behind the regular DM's back. Make sure the DM is aware of what you want to do; if he (she?) finds out about it later that's likely to cause some problems. Not saying that's what you're planning, you didn't specify so I thought I'd mention it just in case. :)

As for what game you should try to run, I don't have any particular suggestions other than to make sure it's a game you know and can teach to others.

One place where GNS theory has really helped my own play is in enabling me to recognize the different styles of play, and to allow me to embrace styles of play that I don't necessarilly prefer. Basically, if you know you are a Narrativist player, but you also understand the workings and appeal of the other modes, it becomes easier to enjoy those modes provided you go into the game with the proper playing frame of mind. If you are expecting a Gamist/Sim hybrid such as D&D, and you approach play from a Gamist perspective, you're going to have a lot more fun than if you approach play from the standpoint of a Narritivist who is "settling" for D&D. Embrace the Gamism inherrent in D&D and you might be surprised at how much fun you can have. At least, that's been my experience. I joined the aforementioned D&D group reluctantly at a friend's urging, but I've been blown away by how much fun I'm having with it - because now I know what to expect from that style of play. I'm not disappointed by how things turn out when I try to bring forward a Narrativist agenda because I no longer bother with it; for this game and this group, that sort of thing isn't appropriate.

Good luck!