Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Changeling the Lost GM Jam

This week we're going to try an experiment for the Play on Target podcast. Several experienced Changeling the Lost GMs have volunteered their time to talk about the game and what they've done with it. I've followed a number of CtL campaigns posted online or available through videos. I'm always struck at how different (and often more brilliant) their interpretations are. So I thought it would be good to gather some GMs together to discuss the game, why they like it, and perhaps even what hurdles it presents. If this proves to be useful I hope we'll do this with some other distinct settings (Traveller, Legend of the Five Rings). 

I put together a rough set of ideas and questions for the group. Obviously we won't get through everything, but it might spark some conversation. If you have other questions we ought to consider or think some ought to come first, please comment. 

I put together some ideas for discussion. I suspect the most important concept to cover at the start will be: “What’s Changeling and Why Should I Play?” I hope in the course of that and other topics we can talk about our individual experiences with it as GMs- and what cool campaigns we’ve spun from it.

GENERAL QUESTIONS NOT NECESSARILY IN ORDER
  1. Instead of what’s the game about: how would you pitch Changeling to new players or GMs?
  2. What draws you to Changeling the Lost?
  3. Is there something in the setting you think gets overlooked that deserves more attention?
  4. How do you handle the Courts in your game?
  5. How do you use or present The Hedge in your campaign?
  6. How important is the ‘fairy tale’ feel to your game? How important is the ‘weird’ feeling?
  7. How do manage pledges in your game?
  8. Tell us about the campaigns you’ve done with Changeling.
  9. How do you see Changeling in the larger context of World of Darkness? What elements from larger WoD are most useful for gamers?
  10. How do you present/handle the Keepers in your campaign?
  11. How do you deal with the “mundanes” in your campaign? A) The mundane world is full of cattle; the people fuel the Changeling's power and are only as necessary as the power they provide B)The mundane world must be protected from the truly awful Gentry--but it is hard. There is much that we lost when we were pulled into the Hedge and we would like those things--our souls, our families--back. C) The mundane world is where Changelings sleep between adventures in the Hedge and Courtly hijinks in their Hollows. D) Something else?
  12. How do you handle fetches- do you let the players define those or do you create them?
  13. Can Hobs operate outside the Hedge? How do you treat the Hobs and Hob society?
  14. Where do you usually start the players: fresh out of the Hedge and immediately upon their escape or some time later? If you start them fresh out of the Hedge, how do you handle their knowledge or the real world or even of Changeling society? Is that something they need to learn?
  15. How important are the Entitlements in your campaigns?
  16. On a practical level, what are the most important books to buy? Are there any which aren’t that great?
  17. How much have you done in terms of homebrew material for contracts, entitlements, and kiths? Do you keep the system pretty much as is?
  18. What have your players focused on in campaigns? Have you hit anything that they really disliked? 


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