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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Crion on July 12, 2010, 07:21:49 PM
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Even though I'm not sure if I'll get the game going (players in this area aren't working with me), I thought I'd share the concept I shared for those who voiced interest in the Campaign Ideas Thread (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,19185.0.html).
The idea is relatively simple: The "City" for the game will be an SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) Event or even a Renaissance Faire that the players will be taking part of for an extended time (i.e. full/extended weekend trip). I thought it would be a great idea for an introduction storyline before moving them into a bigger city, and if I leave the "grounds" as open year-round for those who choose to live that lifestyle longer, then so much the better.
I find it to be advantageous for the following reasons:
--No/limited technology to constantly hex
--Elder beings flow into the roles (so it's literally anyone's game)
--"Mundane Names" can be moved to the side, and only your persona actually matters
Now, in order to do this, I'm trying to flesh out the concepts and some faces. The following is what I am working with in my head at the moment, but I would like some opinions on the idea, the concepts I'm tossing out, and some opinions on/additions to the faces involved. Of course, if anyone has ideas that would fit in, or various ways of spinning this, I am more than game to listen.
Also, if anyone is a member of the SCA or has taken an extensive amount of time to participate in these sorts of events, I would greatly appreciate the insight.
So, without further ado. . .
SCA Event/Renaissance Faire "Town"
Potential Themes:
Spectres of the Past - The idea of always reliving the past.
A Place Out Of Time - This can be taken literally in two ways: as in reliving the past, or as a threat to how long this will last.
Old Ways Embracing the New - New "warriors" following Chivalry, or new methods or performing the old arts; the meshing of ancient ways with new mentalities.
Potential Threats
Supernatural Training Grounds - This one can be double edged; an old Warden/Wizard bringing apprentices to train in weapon combat, a Changeling dabbling in old forms of politics, or even a Black Court showing it's progeny the way things always were.
King of the Night - A Black or Red Court vampire steps up to usurp the "nobility," bolstering their own numbers and potentially moving it outside of the game that everyone else thinks this is.
Spectres of the Past - A bit more than the above theme; spirits of these times are coming to the fore and are becoming known, or are interacting with others far more frequently.
A Midsummer Night's Nightmare - A group of Fae haven taken to the habit of coming out every midsummer night to put on a show that no one will EVER forget.
Potential Face Concepts:
The Vanilla Mortal Knight Errant - Exactly what it says; guy who gets REALLY into character and lives the life at all times, and is far closer to the supernatural than he'd like to admit.
The King of the Night - A Black Court Vampire who is using the event as a way to determine who is fit to join his "kingdom" and fight on it's behalf, and who is just. . .food.
The White Court Courtesan - A woman working as an information broker behind the scenes, using her feminine wiles and White Court abilities to make deals behind the mask of her character. (May have something going on with "The Old Fogey/Warden" below).
The Old Fogey/Warden - An old wizard who remained very well hidden until the Vampire War stepped up a few notches and finally brought him into the Council he's always avoided. Now that Luccio and Morgan are busier than even, he's stepping up and training the "kids" in mundane combat in the best way he knows how: the way he learned.
(Note: you know you are having a long and not-so-good day if it takes you six hours to write the above. . .ugh).
More details to come later, but again, opinions and input are greatly appreciated!
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Very nice idea, you can do lots with it from just a few random monsters to a huge conspiracy surrounding a decades-long ritual to break the sixth law and tear a hole in reality so that the SCA's dark master can arise. Lots of fun either way :)
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Very nice idea, you can do lots with it from just a few random monsters to a huge conspiracy surrounding a decades-long ritual to break the sixth law and tear a hole in reality so that the SCA's dark master can arise. Lots of fun either way :)
That was actually one of the ideas I had, revolving around the King of the Night. I'm hoping to start elaborating a bit more tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have the opportunity to expand on it ^^;
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Okay, now that I'm a bit more functional today, I'm hoping to do a few scattered posts regarding this idea. It's a hectic day/week in the library, so the posts will take some time. Bear with me here, and again, feel free to toss some ideas for help.
Now, if anyone has done some city creation, I'd appreciate some input. I'm starting with the general location notes and Themes, then moving onto Threats/Story Hooks, Faces, and then how this can be reused. Locations are variable, depending on how this should be done (i.e. the kind of event/grounds), so most GMs may want to make a few changes of their own. For this project
I know it is common to work with players for the City Creation as to get the desired ideas onto the table, but as I doubt the party will be ready to give up everything and live this life, I don't have much to worry about. So the Themes will be directly from my head and onto the table.
But, in general, I haven't done city creation in , so any input to the below will be helpful. . .
General Location Overview
The "Faire Grounds" are a bit isolated in terms of distance to civilization, situated on acres of farmland purchased and converted to this cause.
There are a few buildings set up on the grounds, and they are often as historically accurate as possible (except for the tourist rest rooms; they don't count). Some of these permanent buildings are set up for "businesses" (such as the apothecary/herbalist, blacksmith/other tradesman, other options as needed/suggested), others act as more permanent housing for the die-hards and staff, and there are empty "lots" in the area for more temporary vendors (traveling tradesmen, salespeople, etc) and those who wish to camp out for a time.
Certain sections are blocked off for certain events; an arena for jousting is well cared for (which is sometimes used for certain displays of archery and small-scale combat), a smaller ring is set up for single combat, and an entire field is often used for larger-scale battles, displays, and various training.
The grounds host events throughout the summer, and even see some use throughout the year, ranging from themed parties (halloween, weddings, etc) to those who choose to follow the old ways and live to care for the grounds, assist with training new actors/staff, etc. It is not unheard of for the "seasonal" actors to come by and essentially LARP for a weekend a month, making the population something that is always in flux.
GM Note: Some of these "faceless" characters can be the Face of a location, Theme, or even a Threat. These are the characters that can fill most "in-character" roles, and are left blank for that very reason.
On my next post, I'll work on the general overview of the aforementioned themes and a few others (sans faces; more on that later).
Hopefully, I can get a post done in under three hours ^^;
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If I were you I'd take my cue from some real renaissance faires.
http://www.srfestival.com/festival-map/information-booth/festival-map.html
http://www.rennfest.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=22
The maps will help players picture it and there's lots of photos to fuel your NPC creation :)
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If I were you I'd take my cue from some real renaissance faires.
http://www.srfestival.com/festival-map/information-booth/festival-map.html
http://www.rennfest.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=22
The maps will help players picture it and there's lots of photos to fuel your NPC creation :)
I've sadly only attended one renaissance faire, and many of my friends often speak about SCA events that they have taken/are taking part of. I figured I'd make this "location" a bit more of a potential recurring ground, especially if there are those long-lived supernaturals taking control over things, so having more "year round" stuff seemed fitting.
As for the extra ground outside of the jousting circle, yeah, I can see how that wouldn't fit in with the traditional Renn Faires, but as a specialized, stand-alone, one-of-a-kind location, I thought it'd work.
But either way, opinions are welcome, so if you think this is a bit too out of it/over the top, please let me know. Or if you know of a way to make the idea a bit more conceivable, I'd gladly hear it.
I'll take a look at the links a bit more after I finished fleshing out the Themes/Threat ideas I already have on tap, and then use that to help with modifying the location and help with designing the faces a bit more.
Thanks again for the info and feedback, CMEast. I'll try to give my notes a bit more attention before my meeting today (no promises). If not, hopefully will have more notes tonight or tomorrow morning ^^;
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I noticed that many of the following can fall under either category of Theme or Threat, and that two of my above Threats could actually be stand-alone adventures, unless others believe they can be themes. Opinions?
Anyway, second post of the day: Optional/Tentative Threats and Themes
As always, opinions and feeback are GREATLY appreciated.
Spectres of the Past
There are two ways to look at this. The first is to take it as the thought of people reliving the past and unable to let go (which can be reiterated elsewhere). The second is to literally have ghosts that are coming into this world for various reasons. Perhaps there is a courtesan waiting for her true love to renounce his nobility for her, or a man wrongfully murdered by his wife when she assumed he was having an affair at court, or even a peasant run down by a carriage and remains until “reparations are made.” This can be a theme as it is a slew of plot points waiting to happen, or a threat as a ghost is now bringing harm to the attendees of the events, as it views those dressed in costume as those who wronged it in the past.
“Faces” can range from a living person clinging to the old ways of living, or a historian, or as an actual spectre that hasn’t given up its hold on the world.
A Place Out of Time
As previously mentioned, this can take many approaches. Is the event a quaint little thing that makes you feel as though you honestly are in another time, or is it on the verge of closing down permanently? Will it be a theme to consider the place as a seat of old traditions and values that some modern folks believe as long dead (and those long-lived beings see it as either a quaint idea of the past or a way to live those ideals once again), or a threat as the party must navigate mortal and supernatural politics in order to save this place from destruction?
Some options can be: White Council wanting to take it out since it’s a breeding ground for the Black Court, Summer/Winter using it as a staging grounds, White Court wanting to take it for its own gains via mortal emissaries who claim the land can be used for another purpose, etc. Lots of options here, even if it does involve stepping “out” of the location to do so.
Old Ways Embracing the New
I personally see this in much the same was as new Wardens of the White Council are embracing new ideas and approaches to things. What happens when more modern techniques and materials are meshed with tried and true methods and tradition? What sort of rifts occur when an “actress” uses a mass-produced (but great looking) corset instead of one made by hand via historical methods and materials? What can be said of the new employees who aren’t as dedicated to the old, set way and decide to change things up with something more “modern?”
Supernatural Training/Stomping Grounds
So what happens when an exceptionally old Wizard gets pulled out of hiding, drafted as a Warden for the Vampire War, and handed a pack of Wardenlets to train? He starts training them in the ways he learned, and what better way to train them in mass combat than to put them in that kind of situation?
Or what of a new White Court Vampire that has finally come into their own while needing to learn how the system works? A changeling that wishes to emulate her parents and wishes to impress them? A Red Court Infected using the place as a drop off point with members of the Venatori?
I can see plenty of ways this can tie in, and this doesn’t include the actual “Monsters” that may be taking advantage of the naturally weak barrier to the Nevernever in this area. . .
Other ideas I’ve been kicking around have to do with issues with the “ruling” party (whether the people who host the events or “noble corruption”), or other ties with monsters of sorts…
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That Which Survives
There are concepts, ideas, beliefs, which have stood the test of time. Chivalry, Honor, Courtesy, Love Hospitality, Faith, Hope...Much of what is considered 'good' or 'right' in our day started much earlier. The Faire reminds people that much has changed...but that the core beliefs remain.
Options. A wyldfae is using the faire to 're-educate' mortals in proper courtesy. The Fae has recruited others to the cause, offering protection in return for assistance. Both Summer and Winter are concerned about the wyldfae's gathering power...and interested in his holding. A Black Court Vampire shows that down is not yet out, using the Faire as a hunting grounds and base. An Item of Power is influencing people, trying to get someone to take it up, and the cause it represents. Its old enemies also seek it out, to destroy it.
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That Which Survives
There are concepts, ideas, beliefs, which have stood the test of time. Chivalry, Honor, Courtesy, Love Hospitality, Faith, Hope...Much of what is considered 'good' or 'right' in our day started much earlier. The Faire reminds people that much has changed...but that the core beliefs remain.
Options. A wyldfae is using the faire to 're-educate' mortals in proper courtesy. The Fae has recruited others to the cause, offering protection in return for assistance. Both Summer and Winter are concerned about the wyldfae's gathering power...and interested in his holding. A Black Court Vampire shows that down is not yet out, using the Faire as a hunting grounds and base. An Item of Power is influencing people, trying to get someone to take it up, and the cause it represents. Its old enemies also seek it out, to destroy it.
See, this is the kind of feeling I want to be tossing around ^_^ Thus the story arc of "King of the Night" that I originally mentioned as a potential theme.
But the item idea. . .now that's pretty interesting. I may need to swipe that for one the "Faces" I'm creating.
Anyone else have any ideas?
The next "update" I'm working on (notes are on actual paper at the moment and are still in progress) is a collection of potential faces and NPCs. They aren't going to be fully statted like PCs, but they'll have a few things worth noting.
The current list includes:
--The Die-Hard "Knight" (Vanilla Mortal)
--Ye Olde Warden and Trainees
--The White Court Courtesan and (potential) White Court Virgin Trainee
--Changeling "Nobility" (Sidhe Parentage)
--The King of the Night (Black Court) and "Escorts"
I'm also creating a list of supporting/faceless NPC options that are fitting, and will cross-reference it.
Again, any opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated!
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For location look to Pennsic. SCA is going to be a more interesting choice than a Renaissance Faire (speaking as one who's done both).
http://www.pennsicwar.org/ (http://www.pennsicwar.org/)
That site will get you basic info. It's a major event and been running for nearly 40 years. More than 10000 people from all over the world attending, with traditions from multiple SCA Kingdoms as well as a couple organizations that follow similar rules and function as allies in the battles throughout the week. It's a great time and takes place over two weeks giving you a lot of time to work with.
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For location look to Pennsic. SCA is going to be a more interesting choice than a Renaissance Faire (speaking as one who's done both).
http://www.pennsicwar.org/ (http://www.pennsicwar.org/)
That site will get you basic info. It's a major event and been running for nearly 40 years. More than 10000 people from all over the world attending, with traditions from multiple SCA Kingdoms as well as a couple organizations that follow similar rules and function as allies in the battles throughout the week. It's a great time and takes place over two weeks giving you a lot of time to work with.
I had Pennsic referenced before but knew nothing of it. Thanks for the link!
Again, still on the debate if I want to make heavily based on an actual existing event, or something that will occur primarily in game so I can (literally) get away with murder.
Still something I can read for some source material. Thank you.
Any other suggestions?
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http://www3.sca.org/events.html (http://www3.sca.org/events.html) That's got the major wars on it for the SCA. They're all pretty good fodder for something like this. Pennsic is be biggest, but the others can all add a little something I'm sure. That also gives you several major areas in the US where it can be placed as opposed to Pennsic's static location in PA. The sites for each, plus the historical sites if you dig up those for previous years (You should be able to find the old site page for at least the last couple of any given one of these wars) should give you TONS of info for working something out. In general I recommend the SCA for something like this just due to the way the events work. Most of the time guests are ren faires don't hang around all that long by comparison to an SCA event where people will be there for as long as two weeks. Makes for a more consistent cast. There's also a ridged structure to the SCA to an extent, but with these wars multiple kingdoms are present which means you basically have multiple "heads of state" as each kingdom will have it's own rulers, knights, and other members of the peerage. They'll also have various other subjects not attached to the royalty that have loyalties all their own.
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This idea sounds awesome and I hope it works out for you; love what you've put together so far. You're definitely going to need some face to represent the mortal authorities/staff etc... From what I've seen of these kind of gatherings there is usually a small group of die-hards that put everything together and run everything so you'll need something to represent that. It can be different from you Pure Vanilla Knight, he looks more like a dedicated performer or even a paying customer that just shows up all the time. Something like Faire Organizer and a location like Information Booth or Staff Booth would do it. Also, consider that the prime season for these kind of things is roughly May through September so you're going to work out what happens during the winter months. If you're going for a permanent location then the PC's can definitely deal with the mundane issues of keeping the site in good condition as well as incursions from the Winter Court, a rogue practitioner playing with snow-storms, ice-beasts, etc...
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In general I recommend the SCA for something like this just due to the way the events work. Most of the time guests are ren faires don't hang around all that long by comparison to an SCA event where people will be there for as long as two weeks. Makes for a more consistent cast. There's also a ridged structure to the SCA to an extent, but with these wars multiple kingdoms are present which means you basically have multiple "heads of state" as each kingdom will have it's own rulers, knights, and other members of the peerage. They'll also have various other subjects not attached to the royalty that have loyalties all their own.
This idea sounds awesome and I hope it works out for you; love what you've put together so far. You're definitely going to need some face to represent the mortal authorities/staff etc... From what I've seen of these kind of gatherings there is usually a small group of die-hards that put everything together and run everything so you'll need something to represent that. It can be different from you Pure Vanilla Knight, he looks more like a dedicated performer or even a paying customer that just shows up all the time. Something like Faire Organizer and a location like Information Booth or Staff Booth would do it. Also, consider that the prime season for these kind of things is roughly May through September so you're going to work out what happens during the winter months. If you're going for a permanent location then the PC's can definitely deal with the mundane issues of keeping the site in good condition as well as incursions from the Winter Court, a rogue practitioner playing with snow-storms, ice-beasts, etc...
These two posts really sum up what I'm trying to go for with this. The goal is to take what my players and I are familiar with (Renaissance Faires) with what some other friends have been telling me of the SCA and merge them together into something that can be tossed into my game as a recurring location (that is generic enough to be placed anywhere) with it's own faces, problems, and adventures. Even if it doesn't follow the same design as those major events, I just need to make it believable and enjoyable for players while remaining useful to GMs.
@Brimstar: thanks for the link on that. My group and I are at least familiar with the name Pennsic (we are all currently living in PA, after all), but few of my friends from college (who helped plant this idea) have been able to attend. I can see it now, with multiple kingdoms coming into play with multiple supernatural factions taking part of it in some way, shape, or form. . .
@fabulator: I'm still in the process of trying to come up with a decent face for the local staff (among other groups). The Knight is a die-hard who helps take care of the place, but he's still just an actor who tends to live the life more often than not. I feel as though a lot of the "mundane" stuff can be handle by faceless (or at least generic but named) NPCs who can develop over time.
As for the other season ideas: that was one of the reasons why I wanted a permanent location. I think it would be nice to know that the party can show up in the dead of winter to meet an emissary of the Winter Court, who just so happened to be the cause of all the issues plaguing the grounds during it's "off season."
Anyone else have any extra ideas?
And sorry for not getting back to the current Faces. Hit a few snags.
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Another thought :)
Have you ever seen the films 'The Village' or 'Silent Hill'? In the first film, the villagers believe that if they leave they would be killed by monsters and they do their best to appease them. In the second, the protagonist enters the town Silent Hill and then she can't leave, all the roads just end abruptly, broken off by a huge chasm stretching as far as she can see.
So you could do the same at some point perhaps, drop the entire village into a particularly dangerous part of the nevernever or isolate it entirely as the nefarious plan enters its final phase :)
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Another thought :)
Have you ever seen the films 'The Village' or 'Silent Hill'? In the first film, the villagers believe that if they leave they would be killed by monsters and they do their best to appease them. In the second, the protagonist enters the town Silent Hill and then she can't leave, all the roads just end abruptly, broken off by a huge chasm stretching as far as she can see.
So you could do the same at some point perhaps, drop the entire village into a particularly dangerous part of the nevernever or isolate it entirely as the nefarious plan enters its final phase :)
Seen both films. Not a big fan of the first (although I used the village-ish idea in a short-lived murder mystery), and the second is a FAR better game than a film, but that's just my opinion.
Although it would be fun to drop an event like this into the Nevernever and have the party have to act in part. . .or else :-p
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Okay, now that I'm dragging myself out of the insanity of the past week, I can put a little more thought into this. . .
I'm meeting with my players soon to design characters and our local city, but I still want this on the side to toss them into it. I have a few hooks/themes/etc sitting around in my notebook (been away from computers when not on the clock; life tends to do that), and I'm hoping to type them into a City Creation sheet and post it here if people are interested.
Since there are apparently some members of this forum that have experienced these kinds of events, I was wondering if they could offer some insight:
1) Tournaments. I've always liked the idea of having certain party members getting dragged into an event against their will ("We need one more, and you look like a strong enough man!") or for a higher goal ("We need to win enough to be sure to remove our foes from the competition!"). I'm thinking of using this as an in-game reason to give the Wrestling-based character an Item of Power (mentioned in another thread; an item won by defeating a Fae), as a progression of an NPC (give the mortal vanilla knight a cursed sword presented by the nobility, which contains a darker personality; think Demonic Co-Pilot and possibly "Beast Change"), or just as a red herring. I know many of these things are simply staged by the actors themselves at the faires, but what about SCA events that people have been a part of?
2) Staged Events. Just how "staged" are these things? Do they always follow a set plot, akin to wrestling entertainment, or are there actually chances of things changing mid-show? How do the people behind the show react when something goes against the set plan? Just curious, as I'm tempted to toss the entire Faire into the Nevernever for one story, and there is still that King of the Night thing going on as well, and let's face it: I don't think either of those would be easy to cover up.
3) The Supernatural. Besides my "be reminded of the time in which they lived" idea, what other thoughts do you have on this? Do you think my concepts are skewed due to lack of hands-on experience and a love of high-fantasy, or do you think the ideas are reasonably spot-on for an event like this in the Dresdenverse?
Again, just fishing for ideas, and hopefully will start plugging out that Threats/Themes sheet here at work today ^^;
Thanks again for everything!
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Okay, now that I'm dragging myself out of the insanity of the past week, I can put a little more thought into this. . .
I'm meeting with my players soon to design characters and our local city, but I still want this on the side to toss them into it. I have a few hooks/themes/etc sitting around in my notebook (been away from computers when not on the clock; life tends to do that), and I'm hoping to type them into a City Creation sheet and post it here if people are interested.
Since there are apparently some members of this forum that have experienced these kinds of events, I was wondering if they could offer some insight:
1) Tournaments. I've always liked the idea of having certain party members getting dragged into an event against their will ("We need one more, and you look like a strong enough man!") or for a higher goal ("We need to win enough to be sure to remove our foes from the competition!"). I'm thinking of using this as an in-game reason to give the Wrestling-based character an Item of Power (mentioned in another thread; an item won by defeating a Fae), as a progression of an NPC (give the mortal vanilla knight a cursed sword presented by the nobility, which contains a darker personality; think Demonic Co-Pilot and possibly "Beast Change"), or just as a red herring. I know many of these things are simply staged by the actors themselves at the faires, but what about SCA events that people have been a part of?
2) Staged Events. Just how "staged" are these things? Do they always follow a set plot, akin to wrestling entertainment, or are there actually chances of things changing mid-show? How do the people behind the show react when something goes against the set plan? Just curious, as I'm tempted to toss the entire Faire into the Nevernever for one story, and there is still that King of the Night thing going on as well, and let's face it: I don't think either of those would be easy to cover up.
3) The Supernatural. Besides my "be reminded of the time in which they lived" idea, what other thoughts do you have on this? Do you think my concepts are skewed due to lack of hands-on experience and a love of high-fantasy, or do you think the ideas are reasonably spot-on for an event like this in the Dresdenverse?
Again, just fishing for ideas, and hopefully will start plugging out that Threats/Themes sheet here at work today ^^;
Thanks again for everything!
1. Tournaments at SCA events are scheduled, but NEVER staged. Awards are decided by groups and given, but other than set methods of presenting such awards (formal presentation) the rest is up to the one making the presentation. One thing worth noting, is SCA weapons are NOT designed for real use. Light fighting (rapier) is using fencing style blades and all weapons in heavy fighting are more like a club than a real weapon in terms of effectiveness of design. (SCA sword is rattan wrapped in tape attached to a hilt that must be designed in a manner that is legal for safety reasons). That being said, it's not unrealistic for real weapons to be awarded as prizes for tournaments and such, it's just not used on the battlefield.
2. As before, SCA combat is not staged, unless it's something being explicitly done to be staged, typically as entertainment for one of the Royalty. No direct experience working a Renfair, but the staged/scripted feel was one of the aspects about it that put me off compared to the SCA. Friends that have worked them have said the staff much preferred the staged/scripted setup as then everyone knew how to react. A Renfair is designed to be a show. An SCA event isn't really. It's also pretty much unheard of to have non-participants at an SCA event, rather than just some of the locals plus the cast participating.
3. I think this is something that could be quite interesting. A couple people I mentioned it to said the idea of having something supernatural going on in the background with one of these events is quite plausible. (We mostly discussed Pennsic, as that's the only one of the larger SCA wars we'd all been to) Most thought SCA was better due to the lack of it being scripted.
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1. Tournaments at SCA events are scheduled, but NEVER staged. Awards are decided by groups and given, but other than set methods of presenting such awards (formal presentation) the rest is up to the one making the presentation. One thing worth noting, is SCA weapons are NOT designed for real use. Light fighting (rapier) is using fencing style blades and all weapons in heavy fighting are more like a club than a real weapon in terms of effectiveness of design. (SCA sword is rattan wrapped in tape attached to a hilt that must be designed in a manner that is legal for safety reasons). That being said, it's not unrealistic for real weapons to be awarded as prizes for tournaments and such, it's just not used on the battlefield.
2. As before, SCA combat is not staged, unless it's something being explicitly done to be staged, typically as entertainment for one of the Royalty. No direct experience working a Renfair, but the staged/scripted feel was one of the aspects about it that put me off compared to the SCA. Friends that have worked them have said the staff much preferred the staged/scripted setup as then everyone knew how to react. A Renfair is designed to be a show. An SCA event isn't really. It's also pretty much unheard of to have non-participants at an SCA event, rather than just some of the locals plus the cast participating.
3. I think this is something that could be quite interesting. A couple people I mentioned it to said the idea of having something supernatural going on in the background with one of these events is quite plausible. (We mostly discussed Pennsic, as that's the only one of the larger SCA wars we'd all been to) Most thought SCA was better due to the lack of it being scripted.
Thank you, Brimstar. This is the kind of feedback I needed to hear before I really pushed ahead with it. Any words of advice, besides on these three points, that you'd like to offer? And do you think it would be too "awkward" to put non-participants in this for short-lived "faires?" Again, just tossing ideas around to make it one part "believable" and one part "Dresdenverse."
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For Renfaire 'staged' events, if things start going differently than planned, there would be a moment of shock, followed by the performers acting as if the result was what was intended all along. (Aspect: The Show Must Go On!)
SCA will do staged events, but generally as an example of fighting and to interest people. (When there was an Armory exhibit of medieval weapons and art at the local art museum, the local SCA people staged a fight contrasting 'cinematic' fighting vs. 'realistic' fighting. The idea was to show people that although it looks nice, one lone swordsman is NOT going to defeat 5-8 similarly armed and trained opponents.
Although SCA wouldn't allow non-qualified participants in their fights (for good reasons), bringing a 'mark' out of the audience is a time-honored performers stunt.
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Thank you, Brimstar. This is the kind of feedback I needed to hear before I really pushed ahead with it. Any words of advice, besides on these three points, that you'd like to offer? And do you think it would be too "awkward" to put non-participants in this for short-lived "faires?" Again, just tossing ideas around to make it one part "believable" and one part "Dresdenverse."
For Faires it'd work. For the SCA, it's basically all participants in the SCA event. As far as getting the characters there if it's something they're not interested in, it's hard to say. Perhaps someone's done some research that indicates something will happen there? Someone interested in it and dragging along the rest? Perhaps even have something running through the SCA (or fake equivalent) and using it as a cult for worship is planning on using said event as part of a ritual to give it/return it to power. At that point you could actually have the group be one of the local aspects then drag them into something much larger for the climax. (You know... as I'm making this suggestion I'm realizing I might like to use this idea myself ;D )
Now as far as villains I'd say that an outsider, especially one that's got tendencies towards anachronistic behavior/speech/dress, hide at one of these events would be child's play. At the major wars some groups that use similar rules for fighting show up so if someone looks odd or out of place, it's going to be assumed they're related to one of the other groups that come (the Tuchux being the most well known example).
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If this Medieval Re-enactment Tournament is going to exist alongside a conventional City in the Dresdenverse, why not have some member or members of the re-enactment by NPCs in the mundane world. Kinda the way The Alphas are also Gamers. That could make for an easy introduction to the tournament location. Heck, a PC could even be a part of the group if they wanted to.
I've participated in the SCA for years now, and I've seen that the social cross-section of SCA membership is incredibly broad. From doctors to dock-workers. Science geeks, history geeks and gamer geeks. Heck, even Trek geeks. Literally any Face in a Dresdenized City, could also be a Medieval Re-enactor.
And a quick comment on SCA-style combat. While it's true that the weapons used are rattan rather than blunted steel, the armor worn is quite real, and for good reason. Even tape-wrapped rattan can break bones (particularly at the joints), and even with armor I've seen some wicked welts and bruises. Also, the fighting style is more like a martial art; not at all like stage combat. I've heard a story that an experienced SCA fighter was once hired as a consultant by a police force to train the officers in riot control techniques. Think Sword & Heater Shield = Nightstick & Riot Shield.
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For Faires it'd work. For the SCA, it's basically all participants in the SCA event. As far as getting the characters there if it's something they're not interested in, it's hard to say. Perhaps someone's done some research that indicates something will happen there? Someone interested in it and dragging along the rest? Perhaps even have something running through the SCA (or fake equivalent) and using it as a cult for worship is planning on using said event as part of a ritual to give it/return it to power. At that point you could actually have the group be one of the local aspects then drag them into something much larger for the climax. (You know... as I'm making this suggestion I'm realizing I might like to use this idea myself ;D )
Now as far as villains I'd say that an outsider, especially one that's got tendencies towards anachronistic behavior/speech/dress, hide at one of these events would be child's play. At the major wars some groups that use similar rules for fighting show up so if someone looks odd or out of place, it's going to be assumed they're related to one of the other groups that come (the Tuchux being the most well known example).
You are more than welcome to use the idea. In fact, it's why I even HAVE this thread up and running.
The goal of this "city" is to give the GMs something to use no matter the player base; this way, they can take the uninterested party and drag them into this event without them all being SCA members, all because they know the crazy Black Court Sorcerer is going to open the Gates, or there is a traitor to the Council selling information to the White Court, or even something as mundane as a drug dealer using the event as a way to drop off the goods, not knowing his "client" is a Changeling who brought in the equivalent of supernatural bounty hunters.
Personally, I'm still leaning toward the idea of having a Black Court Vampire step up and try to "take over" while using the event as a way to determine who is "worthy" and who is food. And to think. . .that one was just the start, since I was going to turn this into a recurring location just outside of town.
Thus why I'm trying to blend the best elements of the SCA (kingdoms, re-enactments, member participation, etc) with the Renn Faire (non-members can attend, people come and go, some staffers/vendors always on the move, etc). I think that combination in the Dresdenverse would be almost perfect for use in any campaign, for any number of story arcs (or even just a small part)
Just my two cents ^^;
If this Medieval Re-enactment Tournament is going to exist alongside a conventional City in the Dresdenverse, why not have some member or members of the re-enactment by NPCs in the mundane world. Kinda the way The Alphas are also Gamers. That could make for an easy introduction to the tournament location. Heck, a PC could even be a part of the group if they wanted to.
I've participated in the SCA for years now, and I've seen that the social cross-section of SCA membership is incredibly broad. From doctors to dock-workers. Science geeks, history geeks and gamer geeks. Heck, even Trek geeks. Literally any Face in a Dresdenized City, could also be a Medieval Re-enactor.
And a quick comment on SCA-style combat. While it's true that the weapons used are rattan rather than blunted steel, the armor worn is quite real, and for good reason. Even tape-wrapped rattan can break bones (particularly at the joints), and even with armor I've seen some wicked welts and bruises. Also, the fighting style is more like a martial art; not at all like stage combat. I've heard a story that an experienced SCA fighter was once hired as a consultant by a police force to train the officers in riot control techniques. Think Sword & Heater Shield = Nightstick & Riot Shield.
Thanks for the extra insight, gaelvin. I know a few guys that take part of/used to participate in SCA events (Pennsic for the group, if memory serves correctly), and they've proven to me that you don't need to be a die-hard "Knight in Shining Armor" if you want to re-enact.
I am thinking of tossing a Re-enactment group into the mix, and have them tied to the Vanilla Mortal Knight that has been previously mentioned many times. Whether or not they have any real role to play with getting the party there is up for debate.
And thank you all for the notes on SCA combat. A friend of mine just started teaching me the basics he learned by using a rattan, and after swinging that thing for a while, I can surely see why you'd need armor heavier than what I used in kendo.
For everyone else: I hope you are all at least getting some inspiration here, and if you don't mind sharing the ideas, I'd really like to hear it!
Hopefully, I'll get more of that stuff fleshed out soon. My day got hammered by meetings, and tonight I am meeting with some players to discuss options. I'll see what I can do about adding more to the list ^_^;