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labcats2006-10-14 02:59 pm
drcpunk.livejournal.com) wrote in labcats2006-10-14 02:59 pm
Pondering BYMOM
I've started reading Beyond the Mountains of Madness, a massive CoC scenario. I'd been considering running it for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mnemex and ebartley as part of a time travel Cthulhupunk arc I'm planning. I'd already figured out how to adapt about 5 1890s adventures for them.
But, BYMOM is different. I think now I'd rather run it as straight CoC, with PCs who don't have any knowledge of the mythos. I'm not sure ebartley would enjoy that, but, as she's pointed out, she doesn't have to be in every game mnemex and I are in.jlighton is interested, as is at least one other person, though scheduling would be interesting. Ideally, I'd like to run every other week, on a weekend day. Of course, I'll need to finish reading the book, read the associated fiction, reread everything, and make notes.
One criticism of BYMOM that I've heard is that it railroads, a lot. There is at least some truth to this, but I'm not sure it's a big problem.
I've been thinking about this, and about the fact that a lot of played CoC sessions have PCs who start off knowing zilch about the mythos, while the players know quite a lot. There's a number of indie folks -- not sure how many, and don't really care -- who are very down on CoC, for reasons that are simultaneously valid and missing the point. I'm wondering if some of my knee-jerk reactions to a couple of the indie games are similar.
Take The Mountain Witch. I do want to try it, though at first glance, it seems limiting. It's only one story, however many times you play it, and there's a fair bit that seems predestined, or railroaded.
In fact, this sounds a lot like a number of CoC games that I've enjoyed. Same basic story -- PCs are likely to die, go insane, or somehow muddle through without ever knowing quite what's going on. Some scenarios are railroady. Just like The Mountain Witch, or like Shab al-Hiri Roach, which I played and enjoyed quite a bit at Origins. And railroady? Well, there was that delightful run of octaNe at Origins, and one of Unknown Armies, both run by the extremely capable Todd Furler, and both having definite No Matter What bits. And, that's okay. I had a blast playing both.
mnemex and ebartley as part of a time travel Cthulhupunk arc I'm planning. I'd already figured out how to adapt about 5 1890s adventures for them.But, BYMOM is different. I think now I'd rather run it as straight CoC, with PCs who don't have any knowledge of the mythos. I'm not sure ebartley would enjoy that, but, as she's pointed out, she doesn't have to be in every game mnemex and I are in.
jlighton is interested, as is at least one other person, though scheduling would be interesting. Ideally, I'd like to run every other week, on a weekend day. Of course, I'll need to finish reading the book, read the associated fiction, reread everything, and make notes.One criticism of BYMOM that I've heard is that it railroads, a lot. There is at least some truth to this, but I'm not sure it's a big problem.
I've been thinking about this, and about the fact that a lot of played CoC sessions have PCs who start off knowing zilch about the mythos, while the players know quite a lot. There's a number of indie folks -- not sure how many, and don't really care -- who are very down on CoC, for reasons that are simultaneously valid and missing the point. I'm wondering if some of my knee-jerk reactions to a couple of the indie games are similar.
Take The Mountain Witch. I do want to try it, though at first glance, it seems limiting. It's only one story, however many times you play it, and there's a fair bit that seems predestined, or railroaded.
In fact, this sounds a lot like a number of CoC games that I've enjoyed. Same basic story -- PCs are likely to die, go insane, or somehow muddle through without ever knowing quite what's going on. Some scenarios are railroady. Just like The Mountain Witch, or like Shab al-Hiri Roach, which I played and enjoyed quite a bit at Origins. And railroady? Well, there was that delightful run of octaNe at Origins, and one of Unknown Armies, both run by the extremely capable Todd Furler, and both having definite No Matter What bits. And, that's okay. I had a blast playing both.