How do you run Slaine?

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

OKay not sure if this was mentioned elsewhere and I apologize if it has but I was interested in knowing how everyone who runs Slaine or will run Slaine prepares or goes about helping to give the characters(PC's) something to draw them into the world of Celtic Heroes.


I like to use images from books or what the net,music plays a big factor in my games and usually I will to a prelude with each player to give them some backstory of which to draw from. Also change my voice for certain characters and really get into characterizing some of the bigger than life villians or personalities.

Sometimes I will even break out the minis for a larger scale battle or for visualization of a situation the players are in. I also great props as well so the players have the actual item or script whatever they are looking for or whatever the case maybe. I use this formula with almost every game I run, tweaked once and awhile and will always come up with new ways of entertaining the masses for a good night of solid RPing.

I always insist that the story come before mechanics and even those I streamline for a fluid and constant story being told with the actions of the players moving it along. I don't realy push the players too much into the way I want them to go I have a Major storyline and then subplots some made other made based on the players actions and reactions. So really loose and a "go with the flow mentality" yet still being resolute when a major story hook needs to be adressed and curtailing them to the destined goal mostly unawares that that is where I'm taking them.

So how do the others run your Slaine games or Judge Dredd or the formula you like to use in your gaming ventures?

 

[toothill man]

must amit that story first is the way I DM.I have never been much of a rules monkey.Also with slaine the feel is important the celtic feel is very important from boasting and taunts.To combat were your blade needs the kinks removed using your teeth :twisted: Reading from alot of sources from both library and net helps alot too give that feel 8) hope that answers your question

 

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

Yeah I think I was pretty much interested in how others run or approach the craft of storytelling and what steps they take to get there?

 

[SnowDog]

Actually this goes for all my games.

I keep game mechanics quite important as they convey the feeling of the setting quite well. If combat system is lethal then you have run the combats like that and PCs might even have to resort to skipping a battle if the odds are not in their favor. On the other hand if the system is heroic then characters are supposed to be larger than life and they should act in manner. When I have learned the rules I will usually not bother with the rules too much as I can make educated quesses how it should go.

Despite my cry for mechanics the story is quite important for me too. Recently I have begun to generate some greater storyarcs that might or might not have anything to do with the PCs (at first). For example there could be a war coming, something valuable is stolen or a foul ritual is being prepared. PCs might come across them or they just see the aftermath of the plot that might generate new plots and adventures.

At some point I tried to keep the PCs untouchable, that means I avoided them being killed but now the gloves are off and everyone knows it. So if they blow it badly enough or just get plain unlucky in combat and noone can save the fallen comrade then so be it. Unpredictability is the salt of the game besides players should really appreciate it if their characters survive a battle instead of thinking that yet another boring round of dice throwing because he (the GM) won't kill our characters anyway.

When I generate scenarios I write down a short story about what has happened and why and what will happen if the party won't interfere. I try to make detailed NPCs if I have time and energy but sometime I just wing it and this seem to me to be quite difficult in d20 system (that's why I have not yet tried it, sorry). Then I let my players loose and maybe nudge them in the way of the adventure (they get hired for example) and see what they can come up with. I might throw in some more clues if they are really at loss but only if everything they come up with fails. If they come up with a brilliant plan that I didn't see coming then good for them. That might not be the ending that I envisioned but it doesn't make it any less fun.

SnowDog

 

[toothill man]

good ideas snowdog 8) thank you for sharing

 

[prophet118]

my first game, one of the players got whacked by a boar.... he went hunting, and specifically was after a boar...

guess he didnt realize how tough those buggers are..

he was a dwarf druid walking around with a gae bolga.... "because its COOL, and has that AWESOME little special thing about it" (his words not mine)

he got dusted within 2 rounds

 

[toothill man]

dwarf stew :twisted: yum :twisted:

 

[prophet118]

lol

i ended up making it into part of the story, but neither player wanted to get back to the game

even though one of the characters was playing a very interested character


a female thief, whose destiny it was to become the head of her tribe..

odd... lol

 

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

I think the best villians or should I say unknown baddies are the ones whose looks can be deceiving. Hence the Wild boars, I mean they are nasty little bastards and they can do some serious damage with those bloody teeth of theirs.

So having a tribesmen or Dwarf what have you get bested by one of the animal kingdom is great since it doesn't alway shave to be a big nasty monster. It can just be a boar that doesn't want to become din din!

In Slaine I myself like having interactions with animals mean somthing if the boys decide they want to ruffle the fur of a bear well....what do ya think is going to happen and maybe they will learn their lesson and then again maybe not? :wink:

:twisted:

 

[prophet118]

hehe, well this guy was hunting... as to why he specifically wanted a boar, who know..lol

 

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

Well I guess he learned his lesson hehe!

 

[prophet118]

definately... and i was concerned that the boar might not be enough... but he just could never hit with his gae bolga.lol

 

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

Yes that can always be the biggest surprise when ya take something as simple as a Wild Boar and think to yourself "the tribe is going to walk through the bloody thing." Then to your surprise the Boar does amazingly well and either gets away or casue some major injuries/deaths before it is taken down.

Nothing like one majorly irked Razorback to devastate a party!

 

[prophet118]

a party of 2 people.................ok technically one, since neither of the two players wanted to work together..lol

 

[Daithi O'an tSionnaigh]

Were they of the same tribe or different ones? Either way seems as though the boar had the upper hand and bested them hehe!!

 

[prophet118]

we didnt even get into pesky things like tribes..lol, except for the girl who was to become leader of her tribe.. i just cant remember her tribe..lol