Inspired by Sons of Kryos - and knowing how much my delightful cabal of readers like adding to these threads - I thought I would share my top three gaming moments of 2007. And in true 411Wrestling Top Ten style I will add some honourable mentions as well:
Honourable Mention: Attending GenCon US
You'd think this would come higher right? Well, it was an amazing experience and just the most mind-blowing information dump of gaming goodness. However it was also a bit of a disappointment because of my foot problems and generally being unable to move or concentrate. I did hardly any gaming and was very weak and shite. This year will be different however. This year I know the score. This year I will be bringing the awesome back to GenCon.
Honourable Mention: Ben's As Yet Untitled Horror Campaign
It's Primetime Adventures but not as you know it when Ben takes centre-stage with his game. We hear a lot about player empowerment and shared narrative but sometimes - just sometimes - you want to sit back and watch a master GM practice his craft. I've never played with someone who does such evocative prep as Ben - its a pleasure to play.
Honourable Mention: Blood Opera Conspiracy of Shadows at FurnaceCon
This was one of those games where everyone was totally hitting the right spot and sharing the same idea about the game around the table. We grumbled, groaned, ranted and plain out shouted at each other in the silliest of faux-Russian accents but we were always totally in the game and ready for whatever shennanagins were thrown at us. Lord only knows what the other players at the 'Con must have thought!
Top Gaming Moment#3: The Fall of the Black Bear Clan in Pendragon
When Sir Brion's warpath against the Saxons resulted in this clan attacking his manor and killing his twin offspring, it sent him mad. He was only calmed down by his friend, the Christian Knight Sir Aeryn and pointed in the correct direction. He exploited his position as Sarum's warleader, his family connections with the King of the Forest Sauvage and his right as an Irishman to lead a warband and brought his forces to meet the Black Bears and their allies. He crushed them, cleaving their leader in half with one blow and satisfying his pact with the warrior goddess Morrigan. As a storyline it was excellent but as a series of play it hammered home exactly what Brion is about and marked his role in the campaign - War Leader.
Top Gaming Moment#2: Betrayal in Chicago at FurnaceCon
Playing Mob Justice with it's writer Iain McAllister I was playing one of three brothers whose father had just been assassinated. Revenge, violence, intrigue, loyalty - all of these things flashed through our minds but when the cards came down (quite literally in Mob Justice!) it became obvious we were on a losing streak. I had to make a decision. I had to switch sides. I nearly killed my mother. I did frame my brothers and put them in the middle of a horrid firefight. In the end my character was assassinated on a sunny beach in Cancun. Excellent excellent game.
Top Gaming Moment#1: The Tank, CottageCon I
Thrilling Tales, Spirit of the Century - 'What's that coming over the hill?' Grabs token, Tags aspect. ' Its a TANK!!' - in game terms I might as well have said 'Oh great, they've brought a Cave Troll!'. That was the moment when the wholesome goodness of SotC finally sank in and I GOT IT and then well, we just went wild. It was an excellent session with some superb stuff in it and easily ranks as my best moment of the year.
So, faithful readers - what are yours?
Neil
8 comments:
Hmmm...I clicked the comment button ready to document my three, and then I realise it wasn't as easy as thought.
I shall have to ponder further.
'but sometimes - just sometimes - you want to sit back and watch a master GM practice his craft.'
Emphasis on the 'just sometimes' cos that's all you get :)
When putting my mind to this it occured to me that my roleplaying in 2007 only actually comprised 7 sessions of play, three cold city, two Bayuhc & one Bayuhc primer and one MI:666.
Pulling three top moments from that is tough so I'm going to settle for one, the structure of the last Bayuhc session with the action flipping from London to the yokels in the Lake District. I'd never previously tried anything like that and whilst I was sure it could work, the potential for it to fall on it's arse was there too but in fact, it turned out to be better than I had hoped.
Had a bit of a ponder. It would have to be CottageCon generally, but specifically it would have to be Thrilling Tales serial one.
I thought episode one, the grand reception at 'The Greatest Show on Earth' was fantastic, and the episode 3, the finale, was really cool.
It's odd to name a game you ran I suppose, but it represents a serious breakthrough on the GM'ing front and it was a 'table effort' by a large margin.
Really enjoyed it, was very rewarding all round.
Ian.
Don't be embarrased to name your own game. I did and I didn't even credit the players for making it work lol
Three moments:
1, the SOTC game at CottageCon - it had that Indiana Jones feel all the way through, pulpy fun with everyone continually upping the ante - awesome.
2/ The battle in the temple for the High Level DnD game - battling demons and taking them down. So what does Andrew do? Throws in some Beholders - that moment made that game for me, we had to work hard for that victory. Kudos.
3/ (Sorry one of my own) The raid on Hantonne in Pendragon to rescue Ser Merrin's wife.
I should also sign my posts!
Last one was me
Nige
I have to rank that Primetime Adventures game we had at Gencon very much up there as a top gaming moment of 2007.
I thought that was awesome and it really sold me on the game.
David
Not just normal behaolders, undead beholders!
I will add mine:
1. Cottagecon generally. The whole weekend was a blast and it finally happened after years of talking about it. I was particularly happy with how my game ran given mine and others reservations about whether or not it would actually work.
2. BAYHUC, all of it. The attention to detail, focus on story and excellent presentation really made it for me.
3. Pendragon, the attack on hantonne and the Sword in the Stone moment have seared Cerdic and Lot as great nemeses.
Honourable mention also has to go to the Hot War character and game creation session. Its 2008 but it exemplified what co-operative hippy story games are all about.
Andrew
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