Social Contracts
An autumnal epistle and update
It’s September and the doldrums of summer will soon recede. Autumn approaches.
Social Contracts Shall Be Splintered
I believe that an important component of developing an interesting village location for an adventure is ensuring not all problems can or should be solved with a sword. When I start writing adventures, the first thing I start working out is the people and their social dynamics. This does not need to be large scale, world shifting fiction with hidden princes being raised by the local cobbler. It can be as simple as: Fritz the woodcutter distrusts Peregrine the hunter. This may seem simple on its face, but if you layer many of these over one another, it starts to make a messy stew. This can be strengthened by identifying a few petty desires and the overarching social rules for the small community.
Player interactivity is of course, important as well as this is for a roleplaying game and that must always be top of mind. That being said, grubby adventurers cannot solve every problem.
Starting Adventures: Rotblack Sludge
I recently joined Yochai and Brad again on Between Two Cairns to discuss Rotblack Sludge, the MÖRK BORG starting adventure, and starting adventures more generally. I find this topic of particular interest because Tannic so often ends up being a starting adventure for Cairn players. Check it out!
Recent Reviews of My Work
Playful Void posted a very kind review of my Mothership adventure Resonant (cards on the table, we are friends):
When Resonant’s writing is at its best — and that’s more often than most books — it’s succinct, concept-dense, and highly evocative. In rare character, it’s not dense in a high concept, gonzo way, but in a way that conjures character and relationships
What I’m Playing These Days
I’m running a biweekly Mythic Bastionland game which has rapidly descended into the grim. In the last session, the seasons changed without warning from spring to summer. I’m drawing heavily on Excalibur for aesthetics, a movie that does not get enough love.
Other games I’m playing: play-by-post Cairn 2E, play-by-post EZD6, Pathfinder 2E, a sporadic Blood on the Clocktower game with new friends, and a biweekly megadungeon campaign.
d4 Weirdos
Agnes Ichor, a middle-aged goblin, reeks of pickles and constantly giggles. The latter is the source of several employment opportunities ending.
Murgle, a wizened old crone who chews loudly on unseasoned chameleon jerky and speaks very quickly.
Helverk Antonius, a rotting centurion cursed with unlife and extreme nervousness.
Crinkle Corgus Cue, delusional woodcarver of small skill and enormous self confidence.
How you can support my work
Pickup my games at my itch.io page including Pilgrimage of the Sun Guard (currently out of print). If you enjoy Thousand Year Old Vampire and Arthurian medieval romantic adventures, check it out.
Pickup Tannic (Cairn and OSE) at Exalted Funeral or Itch.io.
Pickup Resonant (Mothership) at Space Penguin Ink or Tuesday Knight Games.