Post-Run Impressions

Sincere apology: I've stopped documenting game runs after 2010, especially after the beginner-to-master handbook was complete (available in resources page).

What I can promise is that if you hand me a game review in a format similar the reviews below - contact me and I'll add it here.

Documented Previous Runs

• Private Birthday Party, Israel, Dec 25th, 2010
• Østerskov Efterskol, Jan 8th, 2009
• Solmukohta, Apr. 5th, 2008

Private Birthday Party, Israel, Dec 25th, 2010

Place: Private residence, Israel.

Date: Dec 25th, 2010

Time: 18:00 – 21:30

Players: Total of 10 players (not including the GM).

What didn't work

(and should be corrected for next time):

• 3 people did not show up for the game.
• I did not make name tags, and they were needed during the game.
• The location owners promised to give us a free hand in organizing the place, but eventually refused to let us remove pictures from the wall. In a private place better be specific with the owners about the setup of the place.
• I darkened the room during the night phases (by shutting the lights). This made it problematic to understand who the victim the witches were marking is.

What did work

(to be praised and should be preserved whenever possible):

• The players were handpicked, making the game a great success, even with the low attendance.
• Making the judge a player character contributed to the “in-character” feel of things. The only GM disruptions were the night phases.
• I closed the light during the night phases, darkening the mood. Even with their eyes closed, the players “felt” the mood change.
• The opening briefing was easy (since the players where very experienced) and no questions came up during the game. Keeping the briefing to a minimum was helpful in making sure people remembered the rules.
• I kept the spirit explanations out of the initial brief. I instructed the “dead” on how to act during the day phase (in the aftermath of their deaths) and then “explained” the situation to the rest of the player as part of the night-time mood description – thus incorporating it into the game and again, keeping out of play parts to a minimum.

Summary:

The families that were enrolled were:

• Reynolds (2 chars - Capt & Jackery)
• Proctor (1 chars John)
• Paris (3 chars - Rev, Abigail, Betty)
• Garner (1 chars - Thad)
• Wood (2 char - all of them)
• Judge (In this game we named him the honorable judge Abraham Giles).

Run highlights:

*spoilers*

• The game started with the reverend blaming the Negros. This was encouraged by the Reynolds and young NJ Wood jumped out of his chair and attempted to beat up his mother’s accusers. He was restrained. (This was allowed since all players were seasoned players and knew each other. Not something to allow in conventions!)
• The following day, the reverend’s niece was accused but acquitted. This caused the reverend to regret his former accusations.
• Thad came onto the stand to “accuse” and ended up “accusing” everyone – saying there could not be any witches. That there must be something else wrong (Thad was a witch in this run).
• After a few days, without a “guilty” verdict, a whirlwind of accusation accrued: the entire Paris family was accused and in return, the Reynolds family was accused as well. Shouts and indignations flew across the hall. In the end, on the one day a “real” witch (Betty) was hanged and on the other, the captain was.
• Upon his execution, the Captain admitted to being a witch (even though he wasn’t) – only to point NJ as his accomplice, hoping to bring down one of the Negro’s with him.
• The game time ended before both witches were caught. However, just before we wrapped up, the village started rebelling, and one of the residents (John Proctor) decided to take matters into his own hands. He asked the GM to stay up during the night, took a hunting rifle and murdered the judge. I ended the game by announcing that this was the last anyone heard of the remaining population of Salem.
• The game ended with a short debrief and a great cheer.

Østerskov Efterskol, Jan 8th, 2009

Place: Østerskov Efterskol, Al-Dorado class.

Date: Jan 8th, 2009

Time: 19:45 - 22:40

Players: Total of 15 players of which 2 are teachers, and to that I add myself, which brings a total of 16.

What didn't work

(and should be corrected for next time):

• I did not do PR about the game. I thought the students will be enthrilled and crowded on the game, while actually I've had problems to reach critical mass.
• During the PR I took for granted many things that appeared to be needing clarifications, like the LARP being a LARP and not a table-top game, even though its indoors, and that there are customes, that the players can speek danish if they cant speek english without having thier game harmed, that there will be customes, and that once got going right, the content of the game extorts role-play of a rare kind.
• I did not brief the spirit rule in time.
• I did not took care for drinks and refreshments before the game started, and had to do it during the game.

What did work

(to be praised and should be preserved if possible):

• The place is great. It was good to be able to pick it.
• It was very cool to have the back of Al-Dorado as a place to dress-up, and have the black seperating movable walls to close it up when the game actually started.
• The customes were great.
• I had some of my own for the Palestine 1936 game, and the school had some quite cool stuff.
• The school is quite equiped: I had no problem finding black fabric, pins, gaffer-tape, prints, and the staff was very helpfull.
• I managed to work well and get them in the right mood.
• The clarification I made about sarcasm and the preperation I gave against running away from confrontation into ither breaking the game or making a joke of it did thier share of help too.
• The participants were quite helpfull before, during and after the game. I had help whenever I needed to change the room, get something from the other side of the school, and so on.
• The population that did show up was quality (while all the geeks were having a Magic-The-Gathering tournement in the dining room).
• There was a lot of space for role-playing, and there was in deed a lot of drama in the room.
• I rehersed the presentation before giving it, and it helped me remember the punch lines and the comic reliefs about it.
• I had Yuppe the fin, that wrote a master essay on witch trials, and he had lots of insights to share about it, so in the brain-storming phaze he pushed the group up.

Summary:

I used the 35 characters set, even though I could see I will be having trouble to reach to the critical mass of 18 players.

The families that were enrolled were:

• Reynolds (4 chars)
• Proctor (3 chars)
• Paris (4 chars)
• Garner (3 chars)
• Wood (1 char)

WARNING: SPOILERS!!

IF YOU INTEND TO PARTICIPATE SOON - SKIP!

First, the captain blaimed Tituba (that was actually a man, and changed to Titus). Titus was cleared by one vote, and that brought the Captain to be accused and found guilty.

There were talks about it. In the first night, Titus was aflicted, it rose again the discussion about Titus, and cleared him completely.

The second to be hung was NJ Wood. After that the town found it very hard to point fingers and make accusations.

I called them a village of cowards, who'd sink thier heads in the ground, while the satanists afflict them one by one.

It ended with 2 trials that day, but no one was found guilty.

I decided to encrease the tension and gave the satanists 2 shots the day after, and Garner and Black were aflicted. The players were playing it very well.

However, yet the town found it hard to make any accusations.

Garner and black did 2 tries against the Reynolds, however, they were cleared, and the game stopped again.

At night, Richard Reynolds was aflicted, and the morning after the Doctor showed up with 2 portions of medecine.

I gave the "show of care" speach, and said that we'll all get to be tested, and if our souls are pure, there should not be fear about it, as long as we put our faith in the lord and have truth in our hearts, and the "look at your own" speach.

It caused a little circus that I allowed for a short while, as Rev. Paris blamed Tom Edison without any reason except for being perfectly the last to accuse - the perfect place for a satanist to hide. John Proctor decided to back the priest and said he's doing the right thing, because somebody should do something, and he has shown us the way.

After the town found Tom inocent, John blamed his wife - again with no real reason. I allowed it again. When the town found her inocent, John could not have all his family but him to hit the stand and wanted himself there. This time I stopped it there, and said that unless he has any real reason to belive he is a witch, or used by a withch without him knowing it - it will be condemning the court, and cannot be allowed. Puzzled he steped down.

I decided to steam up by showing the resedents the consequence of not taking action, and gave the satanists 2 shots again. John Proctor was afflicted together with Marry C Reynolds. It was getting late, and it was a climax that I could stop the game after. The panic in both families - Proctor and Reynolds ended up with real cries, and show of agony on most of the players.

I was afraid that they'll break into sarcasm, but I myself was very serious, dramatic and sensetive, I sought for wondering eyes that look for confirmation to explode, and simply did not allow it, and I was not alone in that. The mood in the room was very right in this manner, that if there was somebody that wanted to break - it would have made him very uncool about it, and everybody carried on, on waves of dispair and madness about what's going on.

Then Tom accused Bobby. Bobby chose John Proctor to defend him - and he was right to do so. John gain the faith of almost everybody, and established himself as a very good simple and honest man. However, Johm did not say a thing against or in favor of Bobby, and incoraged the townn to look for what they know in thier heart. Bobby (=Betty Paris) was cleared.

After that, the Rev. Blamed Marry C again. However, she was found inocent, and I had to stop the game there, because it was 22:30 after 22:30, so I let that one trial be over with and ended the game.

People thoguht they found thier witch, however, the real witch uncovered its true identity, and everybody was happy.

I gave a short debrief and everybody gave me a group hug.

It was in deed great.

END OF SPOILERS.

Solmukohta, Apr. 5th, 2008

The game ran with 18 players, and won great reviews.

However, I was not wise enough to take notes about the run and the lessons I made through it.

So, from what I can remember (as I write this long months after), I do remember the scenery was great, the room fitted, the PPT presentation (which was an innovation of this run) helped a lot in bringing the player into the state, mood and atmosphere, and the costumes, that I was afraid I have too little of - were enough (well, I expected 30, and ended with 18).

I don't remember what decisions I made regarding what families to keep in the game, having me made 33 characters, and requiring only 18, including myself. I do remember that the following families were in: Proctor , Reynolds, Paris, Garner.

I do remember the game was very serious and deep, and several players came to a considerably very high levels of emertion, including tearful cries, shaking madness and experienced through their characters very deep thoughts about life and death, that brought me to place the European players to a level of respect.

It could be a lot that the level of the players allowed the game to pass in such levels. However, it did pass well.