Runeslinger

Episode 20: Sky Riders and the Silent Outpost – A Venus Chronicles Serial

Summary

This Actual Play session was run as an interlude during our time playing the ‘What Comes Home to Roost‘ campaign as Colonial Marines for Free League’s Alien RPG. It was also around the time that I started putting together the 7-part series of blog posts and podcast episodes on preparation for improvisation that comprise Episodes 13-19 on this site.

This session demonstrates a different example of the use of improvisation toward a specific genre and player-experience goal for atmosphere and context, but unlike our goals for Alien, this is high adventure pulp heroics in an implausible sword and planet setting of super-science and derring-do. Some of the techniques are similar, some are identical, and some are divergent from what we have discussed in the series so far.

This session uses one of our favorite systems (Ubiquity) to support a setting of my own invention. This was our second foray into my version of Venus that never was, but should have been. I hope that you enjoy it~

If you would like to watch this on ⁠YouTube⁠ rather than just listen to it, the link is:

⁠Sky Riders and the Silent Outpost⁠

If you would like the watch the original session:

⁠Sky Riders and the Mist Pirates of Venus⁠

If you would like to listen to the podcast version of the first session, with its commentary on our play, that is Episode 6 of this podcast.

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Episode 19: Alien RPG – Alienating the Alien

Summary

Part 7: Alienating the Alien… What are some of the elements of Free League’s Alien RPG that I find most useful? This episode looks at three: Abstract processing for Detailed outcomes, Conversational Gamespeak, and Layered Consequences.

This series of blog, vlog, and pod episodes will explore ⁠Alien the Roleplaying Game⁠ by Free League from the perspective of preparation for horror and improvisation within the framework of Campaign Mode for Colonial Marines.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links: Alien the Roleplaying Game – ⁠Rules and Actual Play

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Episode 18: Alien RPG – Introducing the Alien

Summary

Part 6: Introducing the Alien… In this installment of the preparation for improvisation series using Free League’s Alien RPG, we give a brief overview of the campaign so far and look at the process of ongoing assessment and analysis of play which makes it easier to shift and react to how play is really going, rather than how we might want it to go.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links: Alien the Roleplaying Game – ⁠Rules and Actual Play

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Episode 17: Alien RPG – Playing the Alien

Summary

Part 5: Playing the Alien… On our first session, spontaneous improvisation within an understood framework of in-game and meta goals, and getting going even if not feeling 100% ready.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links: Alien the Roleplaying Game – ⁠Rules and Actual Play

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Episode 16: Alien RPG – Framing the Alien

Summary

Part 4: Framing the Alien… On conceptualizing the process of preparation in the context of who the characters are, what the approach to play is, and how those things intersect with the setting and its genre.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Links: Alien the Roleplaying Game – ⁠Rules and Actual Play

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Episode 15: Alien RPG – Hearing the Alien

Summary

Part 3: Hearing the Alien… On description and how it can be approached as a skill for horror gaming. This series of blog, vlog, and pod episodes will explore ⁠Alien the Roleplaying Game⁠ by Free League from the perspective of preparation for horror and improvisation within the framework of Campaign Mode for Colonial Marines.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links:

⁠Choice of Voice

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Episode 14: Alien RPG – Feeding the Alien

Summary

Part 2: Feeding the Alien – On character and the two modes to enjoy them with in this game. This series of blog, vlog, and pod episodes will explore ⁠Alien the Roleplaying Game⁠ by Free League from the perspective of preparation for horror and improvisation within the framework of Campaign Mode for Colonial Marines.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links:

⁠Discomfort, Fear, Terror, and Vast Cosmic Horror, on a dime a day~⁠

⁠On Genre Being Rule Zero

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Episode 13: Alien RPG – Embracing the Alien

Summary

Part 1: Embracing the Alien – on the choice of a horror game and how to implement it.

Read the blog post for this episode!

Additional Links:

1. Interview with Andrew E.C. Gaska⁠ on Tabletop Talk

2. ⁠Conscience in Gaming⁠

3. ⁠Conscientious Gamers⁠

4. Roleplaying Rank in RPGs

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Episode 12: On Playing on Multiple Levels

Summary

Using Star Trek Adventures as a point of reference, this episode looks at stepping away from the skill of making judgement calls without oversight (using fiat) and toward the enjoyment which arises from the use of tools which challenge how and when you can interact with the objective truths of the campaign~

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