Post/Author/DateTime	Post
nosoupforyou 08-15-05, 12:16 AM	Okay, I just bought Eberron and I like it. I am also going to be running one of my first real games (not just me and friends), but at a hobby shop with "the group." I have no problem setting up a campaign using any world I please but one thing has really been nagging me since I've delved into Eberron. How do you set the ideal mood? I really enjoy the dark/pulp style of gaming, and Eberron has a list of movies with the same feel and there's a few not on the list that have really directed me, so I do know the effect I'm going for. But my question is: What do you guys do as DMs and players to achieve the mood of Eberron? I'm looking for specific tips and tricks: - Do you guys explicitly explain to your players before the game what you're going for? - Do you guys use pictures? - What words and phrases do you use in descriptions to convey the thoughts in your head? - Do you give your players "homework?" Movies to watch? Music to listen to? Help me out, - SOup
Cloud Divider 08-15-05, 02:11 AM	Okay, I just bought Eberron and I like it. I am also going to be running one of my first real games (not just me and friends), but at a hobby shop with "the group." I have no problem setting up a campaign using any world I please but one thing has really been nagging me since I've delved into Eberron. How do you set the ideal mood? I really enjoy the dark/pulp style of gaming, and Eberron has a list of movies with the same feel and there's a few not on the list that have really directed me, so I do know the effect I'm going for. It's kind of funny - when I look at my campaign thus far (we've been playing since about Jan/Feb), I've been sorta all over the place. The first few sessions were VERY pulp-action (dangling from speeding Skycoaches darting through the towers of Sharn; fighting Warforged raiders aboard a Lighting Rail train; stuff like that), while the latest arc has been much more noir-flavored (we're now into session 5 or 6 of a murder mystery/conspiracy arc). That's not quite to say there hasn't been pulp-action lately - the session before last started with a band of black-robed "ninjas" (not really ninjas...but you get the point) crashing through the plate-glass picture window of the nobleman's townhouse just as the PC's knock on his front door. And the first few sessions had their share of noir, too (mysterious patrons, divided loyalties, etc). What do you guys do as DMs and players to achieve the mood of Eberron? I'm looking for specific tips and tricks: - Do you guys explicitly explain to your players before the game what you're going for? ABSOLUTELY. Getting the mood to work in play needs to have both the GM and the players working to keep the mood. And thus you'll need to work with the players to get there. For instance, if you're wanting serious noir, it just won't help to have a PC named "Slashy McStab". You can use a few tricks to help, as well. I've tweaked my Action Point rules to help reward in-genre play (do something cool or have a nifty one-liner? Have an AP. Want to have something cool and dramatic happen to you, but it makes life more difficult for you/the party? Have an AP. I also run it so AP work sorta like Adventure!'s Dramatic Editing; you can spend AP so things go a certain way). - Do you guys use pictures? Rarely - I've considered keeping a folder on my PDA (I keep a significant fraction of my game notes on it) to store images of NPCs, scenery, or other items of note. I've even made a few perspective sketches of scenes (like that nobleman's townhouse). But I'm no artist, and I think I usually only do it to try to get the imagery down in my head. - What words and phrases do you use in descriptions to convey the thoughts in your head? This is trickier. Lately, I've been trying to describe things in terms of cinematography, particularly when it comes to cutscenes. Somewhat related - something I'd done that worked very well in other campaigns (I was VERY MUCH shooting for the episodic/cinematic action TV show/cartoon feel), was to start every session with the "Last time on..." quick recap, followed by an "Opening Credits" cutscene. I'd picked out a song for the Opening Credits, and I'd go around the room and have each player describe a VERY brief "cool scene" for their character (dangling from a rope, jumping from an airship, dueling with an unseen foe). I'd also throw in scenes for NPCs of note, as well. The music I'd chosen was VERY evocative of the setting (techno quasi-oriental with a taiko-drum beat...it was Exalted, and the track was "Circle of Guilt," from Kiyoshi Yoshida's Asian Drums II CD). It worked fantastically. It got everyone pumped up, in character, and ready to play in a very short timeframe. The CD that came with Sharn would work pretty well for this - I've sort of envisioned my own opening sequence to go along with the "Cut to the Chase" and "Sharn" tracks. - Do you give your players "homework?" Movies to watch? Music to listen to? Hoo. That's a tough one. Generally, I've never had very good luck assigning "homework" to players. I'm generally considering myself lucky to get them to read the 8-page condensed "Cliff Notes Guide to Eberron" that someone here came up with. If you're really lucky, you've got players that already have a good cinema/literary-fan background (I've got one like that - just a few nights ago we were discussing how my mystery was working, and how it compared to noir movies X, Y, and Z, and how to make it more noir by doing A, B, C). I think the best compromise is to say "The campaign I want to run draws heavily on noir films like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca, and pulp films like Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean, seasoned with the Three Musketeers/Count of Monte Cristo, and maybe a little X-Files;" or "Imagine the X-Files - except that instead of Fox Mulder it's Sam Spade, and Scully was a student of Indiana Jones." Most people will have at least a basic idea of what you're shooting for. Basically play towards the pop culture references most people will be able to understand. Something else that might work, if you've got the time - spend the first session making characters (and help out with the chargen, to help mold the characters to the campaign), and have Casablanca (or whatever) playing in the background.