Swashbuckling Gaming

[colomon]

So, I bought the Swashbuckler! game from mcroft along with the For the Love of Justice double adventure pack. The game system seems clever and interesting. But the two scenarios in For the Love of Justice? They feel like the games I might have written after I decided RPGing should be about more than running through dungeons, but before I'd ever

Comments

[txanne]

I've played in precisely two game sessions in my *life*. Of *course* you run after the princess to see what's up!

[colomon]

Seriously, I'm not sure I'd even reliably be able to get my characters to the point in the ball where the princess punches the duke. If one of them took it in his (or her!) head to woo the princess, I can see them trying to monopolize her time, intercept other potential suitors, and listening in on the conversation which provokes the punch.

[zdashamber]

Aw, I'm honored that I'm in your mental "what will players do" landscape. And you're right, it would be hard to stop players from engaging, here. A pack of NPCs flutter away after the princess? Players join. A single NPC glares and follows Princess? Players lurk along, looking to ask one or the other what's up. Princess, sobbing, flees? Players wait around decent period, then bring hanky...

Better to attack the players so they're not even there and hear about it later. :)

[mr_josephus]

Ah, yes. The old "bulldoze the plot down the player characters' throats" ploy. A BIG reason I seldom use published scenarios of any sort anymore... and if I do, I spend an awful lot of time looking at the big plot holes left in the scenario("just HOW does this kidnapping plan get carried out?") so, when the players go off script (and you know they will), I have something prepared.