From: owner-the-edge-digest@ (The Edge Digested) To: the-edge-digest@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Subject: The Edge Digested V1 #44 Reply-To: the-edge@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us Sender: owner-the-edge-digest@ Errors-To: owner-the-edge-digest@ Precedence: bulk The Edge Digested Wednesday, April 15 1998 Volume 01 : Number 044 Today's subjects from The Edge: Re: [The Edge] various answers... [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? [The Edge] Pierced Heart Re: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? RE: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? RE: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart [The Edge] Strange Idea just came up... Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics [The Edge] Running OTE ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 14:34:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Yanni Cooper Subject: Re: [The Edge] various answers... > Yup, that would work fine. We don't have very many LM > posters left, but we did after all make them to give > away... > -jn Save one for me. ===============Yanni Cooper=\ Chaos reigns within. | Reflect, repent, and reboot. The code was willing, | Order shall return. It considered your request, | But the chips were weak. \=aslum@rocketmail.com======== _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 19:42:35 -0500 From: "Paul J. Lareau" Subject: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? My website, which has a lot of genealogy on it, as well as Edge & Al Amarjan information, generated an interesting query today. Do any of you Atlas folks have any idea where the name TULPA came from? - -- Subject: the "Tulpa" Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 20:18:25 EDT From: WTulpa To: pjlareau@wavefront.com My name is Bill Tulpa. I did a search on my-not-so-common-name and found this web site. I was interested in where "tulpa" in this game came from. I thought it was pretty strange and just wondered what the origin was. please e-mail if possible (WTULPA@AOL.COM) Thanks, Bill Tulpa - -- - -- Paul J. Lareau - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [POST] 135 E. Viking Dr. #301, Little Canada MN 55117 USA [HOME PAGE] http://www.wavefront.com/~pjlareau/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 20:13:19 -0600 From: David Ebrey Subject: [The Edge] Pierced Heart On the subject of game-related books (Burroughs, Eco,...), I am wondering what people thought of Robin Law's Over the Edge Novel, _Pierced Heart_. I found it quite mature and interesting (although obviously not Borroughs' level of genius). The style sometimes seemed corny and sometimes seemed wordy but generally was griping. If anyone was turned off by the back cover, I suggest taking another look at it (I, for one, was scandalized by the series of needlessly fragmented sentences on the back cover and the 'sentence,' "A New Age con man capable of charming anyone -- except the man he sees in the mirror every morning"). In my opinion, the changing character perspective and focus on communion (and thus religion) was its highest virtue. I was happy that it didn't seem to be "tales of an adventuring group" and that it didn't emphasize violence. David [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 18:17:30 -0700 (PDT) From: David Thomas Fisher Subject: Re: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? Perhaps the good folks at Atlas can elaborate on this, but to the best of my knowledge, in some shamanistic cultures, a 'Tulpa' is a kind of spirit that is an embodiment of human thought. Reminds me of the 'evil eye' in certain Arab cultures, an embodiment of jealousy that will avenge their progenitor's anger. Perhaps I'm getting my lore mixed up? (I wonder if medical science can cure that.) - -- David Fisher (davefish@cory.eecs.berkeley.edu) "Seduced, shaggy Samson snored./ She scissored short. Sorely shorn,/ Soon shackled slave, Samson sighed,/ Silently scheming/ Sightlessly seeking/ Some savage, spectacular suicide." - Stanislaw Lem, "The Cyberiad" [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 13:40:09 +1200 From: Ivan Tuckwell Subject: RE: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? Hello All, I believe the word is of Tibetan origin, and refers to an artificial person created by meditiation - embodied thought in effect. Many years ago, a friend of mine read a book/article dealing with tulpas (this was a long time ago, so I hope I am remembering the important details correctly. Also note that these days I give this sort of nonsense no credence...). The author had heard about them and found the necessary technique described (simply repeated vivid visualisation, I believe), so she decided to give it a try. She decided that she would work on making a tulpa looking like a monk, and set about tulpa-manufacture. She had a clear image of what it would look like, and after a while she found it easy to conjure up an clear internal picture of it, though it didn't ever do much. Then as she persisted, it started changing appearance on her and doing things; she was its creator but it seemed to have a will of its own . And after further work she reported seeing it out of the corner of her eye from time to time, and even other people catching fleeting glimpses of it. That's my info on tulpas. No doubt I will now be told its an Inuit term... Ivan No chief, I'm thinking what *I'm* thinking > ---------- > From: Paul J. Lareau[SMTP:pjlareau@wavefront.com] > Sent: Wednesday, 15 April 1998 12:42 > To: the-edge@robin-nvh.bvsd.k12.co.us > Cc: WTulpa > Subject: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? > > My website, which has a lot of genealogy on it, as well as Edge & Al > Amarjan information, generated an interesting query today. Do any of > you Atlas folks have any idea where the name TULPA came from? > > > -- > Subject: the "Tulpa" > Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 20:18:25 EDT > From: WTulpa > To: pjlareau@wavefront.com > > My name is Bill Tulpa. I did a search on my-not-so-common-name and found > this > web site. I was interested in where "tulpa" in this game came from. I > thought > it was pretty strange and just wondered what the origin was. > > please e-mail if possible (WTULPA@AOL.COM) > > Thanks, Bill Tulpa > -- > > -- > Paul J. Lareau > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > [POST] 135 E. Viking Dr. #301, Little Canada MN 55117 USA > [HOME PAGE] http://www.wavefront.com/~pjlareau/ > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > > > [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge > [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body > of > [O] (un)subscribe the-edge > [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 22:27:11 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Kinney Subject: RE: [The Edge] Tulpas - Origins? On Wed, 15 Apr 1998, Ivan Tuckwell wrote: > I believe the word is of Tibetan origin, and refers to an artificial person > created by meditiation - embodied thought in effect. Many years ago, a > friend of mine read a book/article dealing with tulpas (this was a long time > ago, so I hope I am remembering the important details correctly. Also note [snip] Nope, not Inuit. :-) The story you describe appears in _Charles Berlitz's World of Strange Phenomena_ (1998, Fawcett Crest, ISBN 0-449-21825-2), a book I heartily recommend to any OTE GM; it's very much in the Charles Fort vein. alberich@iglou.com | Mark Kinney | http://www.iglou.com/nations "This is Fu Leng. This is Fu Leng on drugs. Any questions?" -- from a recent Legend of the Five Rings game [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 22:59:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Kinney Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart On Tue, 14 Apr 1998, David Ebrey wrote: > On the subject of game-related books (Burroughs, Eco,...), I am wondering > what people thought of Robin Law's Over the Edge Novel, _Pierced Heart_. > I thought it was quite excellent. I agree about the perspectives and focus on communion/religion (especially this...) > highest virtue. I was happy that it didn't seem to be "tales of an > adventuring group" and that it didn't emphasize violence. > But... just because they're not all in a coherent group doesn't mean it isn't an "adventuring group"... :-) alberich@iglou.com | Mark Kinney | http://www.iglou.com/nations "This is Fu Leng. This is Fu Leng on drugs. Any questions?" -- from a recent Legend of the Five Rings game [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1998 22:33:59 -0600 From: David Ebrey Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart >I thought it was quite excellent. I agree about the perspectives and >focus on communion/religion (especially this...) > >> highest virtue. I was happy that it didn't seem to be "tales of an >> adventuring group" and that it didn't emphasize violence. >> >But... just because they're not all in a coherent group doesn't mean it >isn't an "adventuring group"... :-) Yes, but there was a main character and the other characters rarely interacted with the main character (both of these are unrpg like). Running this would be a gm's nightmare (and a bad job on the gm's part of getting the characters together). David [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 06:11:48 +0200 From: "=?us-ascii?Q?Fran=E7ois_Uldry?=" Subject: [The Edge] Strange Idea just came up... Howdy people... Juste wondering... I ran a game of Lost Souls this sunday... Next game will happen on Al-Amarja I think :) How would you handle Spirits on the Island without possession powers ? just dead people trying to do good deeds... hehe I love the thought :) l8r, Fu. Editor of a big and nasty homepage at: XXXXXXXXXXXXX Take a look and... Will open soon somewhere ! [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 00:53:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Mark Kinney Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart On Tue, 14 Apr 1998, David Ebrey wrote: > I said: > >But... just because they're not all in a coherent group doesn't mean it > >isn't an "adventuring group"... :-) > Yes, but there was a main character and the other characters rarely > interacted with the main character (both of these are unrpg like). Running True... Some of them *never* interacted with the others. I've had the occasional game turn up like this, though, but not on such a permanent basis. > this would be a gm's nightmare (and a bad job on the gm's part of getting > the characters together). > Not a nightmare, just a matter of keeping track of the PCs; the more there are, the worse it gets, true, but party splitting happens sometimes. As to getting them together... what does everyone think of ways to do this? The first adventure for my group was "The Bodhisattva" from the book, and I actually ran the group together (with a couple of GMCs for the campaign) in Customs; this seems rather a copout, though. It could be worked out depending on the campaign basis, of course. There's this one thing I wrote up and sent out to some magazine, and it may even see the light of day sometime, so I don't discuss *that* idea yet, but... alberich@iglou.com | Mark Kinney | http://www.iglou.com/nations "This is Fu Leng. This is Fu Leng on drugs. Any questions?" -- from a recent Legend of the Five Rings game [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 00:29:21 -0600 From: David Ebrey Subject: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics >> this would be a gm's nightmare (and a bad job on the gm's part of getting >> the characters together). >> >Not a nightmare, just a matter of keeping track of the PCs; the more there >are, the worse it gets, true, but party splitting happens sometimes. But, as you correctly noted, some of the characters never see each other in Pierced Heart. Characters splitting up sometimes happens, but it slows things down and generally reduces the fun people are having (because not everyone gets to participate). In my opinion, most of the time the group should be together (I realize I disagree with some people on this). How do people handle character groups splitting up? I generally keep the players together (cutting back and forth between groups) and ask the players to separate player knowledge from character knowledge. But when it comes to something central to the character I either pass notes or move to another room. So I suppose I generally fall on Robin Law's side in this dichotomy (as presented in "Audience vs. Artist" and "The Literary Edge," OTE p. 192-3). However he seems to advocate more character separation than I like and I still think major secrets should stay such (if possible), for suspense and mystery. >As to getting them together... what does everyone think of ways to do >this? The first adventure for my group was "The Bodhisattva" from the >book, and I actually ran the group together (with a couple of GMCs for the >campaign) in Customs; this seems rather a copout, though. I disagree that this is a copout. Coincidences happen in real life. What is a copout is when you create a really contrived way for people to STAY together. "Well, since you all have seen each other, I suppose you all want to hang out now?" The players have to work with the GM, but by the same token the gm should try to make it easier for the players to follow the gm's lead. (This is not to say that the gm should create linear plot lines or any such nonsense, just that when certain things are obviously necessary to the plot the players should follow along, otherwise there is no excitement). In my game no one knew each other, but they all happened to see someone in the airport they were each searching for. They all started chasing after this person, and thus joined forces to try to put their efforts together. They rapidly became paranoid, however, so none of them have actually revealed what they know. Nonetheless, they have been so weirded out by Al Amarja that they have banded together for sanity and protection. This didn't seem to be stretch, since each of the characters wants to investigate Al Amarja and have some excitement. David [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 09:50:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Joshua Kronengold Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics David Ebrey writes: > >But, as you correctly noted, some of the characters never see each other in >Pierced Heart. Characters splitting up sometimes happens, but it slows >things down and generally reduces the fun people are having (because not >everyone gets to participate). In my opinion, most of the time the group >should be together (I realize I disagree with some people on this). As someone with a toe firmly planted on the other side of this, I've found that splitting characters up, while it means that not all characters are "on screen" all the time, means that the shyier characters end up with more screen time, and if done right, you can cut to another section of the group while the current one is in the middle of a discussion (so they have something to do, other than spectate and kibitz, not that that isn't fun on occasion). This doesn't mean that I don't think that at least some players shouldn't be together some of the time, but they should (primarily) be there to play with each other, not with the GM -- if they are playing with the GM, they are often better off separated, because it forces/allows them to share the limelight. >advocate more character separation than I like and I still think major >secrets should stay such (if possible), for suspense and mystery. I like major secrets staying such, but they never seem to. OTOH, I tend to like to keep secrets I want to STAY secret (especially as a player) secret from the other players -- it's impossible to accurately simulate guesswork on the part of the character if the player already knows something (unless, of course, the character is smarter than the player), so secrets are far more likely to stay so longer if only two people (player and GM, or better yet, only one person) knows them. >I disagree that this is a copout. Coincidences happen in real life. What >is a copout is when you create a really contrived way for people to STAY >together. Works for me, though I've always been fond of "for some reason, you guys are going to be staying together. I don't know what the reason is, since I'm not playing your characters, but come up with one." Let the players do your work for you as much as possible -- they're better at it. I rather like games where the characters seem to keep running into each other through seeming coincidence, but you want to have Some excuse for such coincidence (even if it is that they all live in the same apartment building. Hmm... ) - -- mneme@dorsai.org Joshua Kronengold |\ _,,,--,,_ ,) - ---^---- "What part of 'Pthhhrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' /,`.-'`' -, ;-;;' /\\ didn't you understand?" -- Me |,4- ) )-,_ ) /\ - -/-\\\-- AKA mneme at mcny.com '---''(_/--' (_/-' [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 15:55:33 -0600 From: "Carl L. Congdon" Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics While I generally agree that keeping the party together is a *good* thing from the GM's point of view, it's not often found in real-life, which OvTE at least tries to keep a nodding acquaintance with. What I'd like to hear are good strategies for running some parties in seperate groups. I'd also like to hear if anyone loves to run their campaigns super-weird, and if so, how do you keep your players interested. Or if not, which parts of OvTE do you emphasize? How do you keep track of all the conspiracies? Or do you make it up as you go along, and if so, how? As you've probably guessed, I'm trying to get an OvTE game started soon. Oh, boy... [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 16:11:31 -0700 From: "Jay J. Allen" Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics Heya. As to which parts of OTE to emphasize - currently Im putting together a new= campaign, and have an early theme that might fit the bill. I've always= been very interested in the cloak and dagger nature of Al Amarja, and have= always been a big spy film buff. I'm brining that into the campaign by= having a secret investigative agency recruit the PC's from the U.S. - sort= of like an FBI Blackops, or other govt. oriented spying group. The= adventures will consist of more mystery/cloaking mayhem at first, with a= little wierdness thrown in in the form of a subtle alien invasion, and of= course the Islands usual inhabitants. I plan to gradually open up the pc's= to be exposed to more and more of the Islands inherent wierdness as the= campaing goes on - I'm using the spy organization idiom as a good way to= get the PC's working together, and into the first couple of adventures= smoothly. As a first adventure, I plan to run an augmented version of= 'Vintage Marsailles' - which is an adventure idea that was posted in one of= the first Edgeworks (maybe someone else on the list knows which issue that= was from?). I've decided that the embezzler is actually an infiltrator,= working for Roentgen (from 'Friend or Foe' I believe.). Once he had= succeeded in providing Roentgen with the info they wanted to gain from the= company he was employed with, they helped him get out with the embezzled= funds, and set him up on Al Amarja. However, the lady who has infiltrated= his organization there (sorry, Can't remember the names as I don't have the= adventure in front of me right now), well I've decided that she is a deep= cover operative for my U.S. based spy organization, called 'The Faulken= Commission'. Once recruited, the PC's first official mission will be of= getting to her and assisting her in getting a handle on the situation with= the Embezzler. Then, I decided I'd add one other twist to the adventure,= so I decided that the second infiltrator of the Embezzler's organization= (the guy who is trying to rat him back to the oil company) has actually= been compromised by an agent of the secret alien invasion. The Aliens= (haven't decided who they are yet) are interested in infiltrating the oil= company in order to wrest some natural resources from the industry that= they can use for some undoubtedly sinister plans. I'm hoping that the PCs= will be able to help the fellow agent in distress, and at some point get= onto the tail of the Alien's duped agent. Additionally, I'm sure more= adventure hooks will present themselves gradually as the Island's true= nature unfolds to the PC's. So - there you have it - maybe this will help= you to frame some of your own ideas on what parts of the game to emphasize.= Also, if anyone on the list has any comments or ideas that might add to my= opening scenario above, please do post em up to the list. Have fun, and= hey - lets get some more adventure ideas and traffic over the RPG back into= the list eh? At 03:55 PM 4/15/98 -0600, you wrote: >While I generally agree that keeping the party together is a *good* >thing from the GM's point of view, it's not often found in real-life, >which OvTE at least tries to keep a nodding acquaintance with. What I'd >like to hear are good strategies for running some parties in seperate >groups. > I'd also like to hear if anyone loves to run their campaigns >super-weird, and if so, how do you keep your players interested. Or if >not, which parts of OvTE do you emphasize? How do you keep track of all >the conspiracies? Or do you make it up as you go along, and if so, how? > > As you've probably guessed, I'm trying to get an OvTE game started >soon. Oh, boy... > >[O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge >[0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of >[O] (un)subscribe the-edge > > // Jay J. Allen WVU AIS - ASAP < [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 16:22:32 -0400 From: "John M. Baker" Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics At 03:55 PM 4/15/98 -0600, you wrote: >While I generally agree that keeping the party together is a *good* >thing from the GM's point of view, it's not often found in real-life, >which OvTE at least tries to keep a nodding acquaintance with. What I'd >like to hear are good strategies for running some parties in seperate >groups. My technique uses a number of different ploys. If secrets are not too important, let the other players stick around and watch. In fact, I will sometimes let them play other semi-important PCs. For example, let's say that Stanley Spidowski, janitor and kid show star, gets a trip to the First School of True Sensation, while his companion, Xenia Onatopp, spends the day at the Winds of Change casino. So, we go to Stanley at the school. The GM controls the teachers and assorted personnel, but allows Xenia's player to play one of the other students in the class. We cut back and forth from the school and the casino, where Stanley's player gets to play a wealthy patron who desperately tries to win Xenia's affection. That goes well, until Stanley proves to be the most successful pupil in the class and he is allowed into the next level of training, at which point, the GM takes Stanley's player into another room. In both cases, both players get a chance to break in on the action, and you can even kill/screw over the players' extra characters from time to time and not get them upset. This also cuts away from the next least favorite in-game activity, explaining what just happened to people who weren't there. > I'd also like to hear if anyone loves to run their campaigns >super-weird, and if so, how do you keep your players interested. Or if >not, which parts of OvTE do you emphasize? How do you keep track of all >the conspiracies? Or do you make it up as you go along, and if so, how? > When everything is true, even when contradictory, just fudge it. Make it up. Get a long-range plot for some stability, then as different conspiracies get interested, let them join in. John Baker [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 14:24:47 -0700 (PDT) From: Yanni Cooper Subject: Re: [The Edge] Pierced Heart and related topics - ---"John M. Baker" wrote: > My technique uses a number of different ploys. If secrets > are not too important, let the other players stick around > and watch. In fact, I will sometimes let them play other > semi-important PCs. [example snipped] > In both cases, both players get a chance to break in on > the action, and you can even kill/screw over the players' > extra characters from time to time and not get them upset. > This also cuts away from the next least favorite in-game > activity, explaining what just happened to people who > weren't there. If done properly having players explain their version of what happend can be lots of fun, especially in a game such as paranoia, cyberpunk or On The Edge.... [rest snipped] ===============Yanni Cooper=\ Chaos reigns within. | Reflect, repent, and reboot. The code was willing, | Order shall return. It considered your request, | But the chips were weak. \=aslum@rocketmail.com======== _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 15 Apr 1998 17:44:35 -0600 From: David Ebrey Subject: [The Edge] Running OTE > I'd also like to hear if anyone loves to run their campaigns >super-weird, and if so, how do you keep your players interested. Or if >not, which parts of OvTE do you emphasize? How do you keep track of all >the conspiracies? Or do you make it up as you go along, and if so, how? I run my games super-weird. I keep the players interested partially in entertainment value (my descriptions of LSD trips seem to be causing one of the players to have his character take more LSD) and partially from them trying to figure out what is causing the bizarreness. (Of course, if you want utterly bizarre material read Burroughs and buy Weather the Cuckoo Likes). As for keeping track of the conspiracies, the characters (knowledgeably) interacting with conspiracies shouldn't be an average occurrence, so just plan before the game what conspiracies are going to do what. If you feel overwhelmed, start with one conspiracy, and then when you feel ready add in more. > As you've probably guessed, I'm trying to get an OvTE game started >soon. Oh, boy... I found it an intimidating prospect, but I have found running a game easier than I expected. It is helpful if you read over material a fair amount, especially the culture material. You know, if anything, it seems to me that Al Amarja needs more culture. Not that it doesn't have a fair amount, but the culture is quite interesting and I could see more being added. What do other people think? David [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge ------------------------------ End of The Edge Digested V1 #44 ******************************* [O] You received this message because you are subscribed to the-edge-digest [0] To (un)subscribe, send a message to majordomo@robin.ml.org with body of [O] (un)subscribe the-edge-digest To get off digest, subscribe the-edge [O] To post a message, send it to the-edge@robin.ml.org