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(TFT) Mr Ed

http://tft.brainiac.com/archive/0709/msg00030.html

>>> And finally I've noticed that the longer players live in an area>>> the
more detailed/complete they become.>>>>>> Jay

>> This pattern describes many of the games I've played in as an adult.>> The
GM  introduces   the   players   to   the  setting   and  society, >>
establishes  their  relationships with  each  other  and  NPCs,  and>> leads
them through  some common events  and then starts adding>> more and more
interesting leads  and events  for  them  to react to,>> and the characters
are drawn  one by one  from casual actions that>> make sense and get the
players familiar with the setting, into trying>> to enlist each other in more
adventurous actions.>>>> From: pvk@oz.net

> They also like the idea of playing their children as PCs. Of course Mr.> Ott
would immediately go about acquiring a harem and proceed to> attempt to breed
me off my own little world but of course then I'm> gonna try and make a law
against polygamy and if it passes and is> enforced he might have to go live in
the desert and..... well y'all get> the idea. It'd be lots of fun though.>>
Jay

Mr Edward Ott has a character sheet that is a five subject spiral notebook
detailing family tree, how many head of sheep, oxen, chickens, landed
holdings, accumulated treasure, education system, and anything else the
patriarch of a tribe would need.  This so called character sheet is more
complete than many campaigns I've played in.
It happened like this.
Jimmy Flamang was DM'ing two separate groups.  Ed, and separately Jimmys'
cousins.  Well Ed had reached the vaunted ninth level as a warrior, and as a
tittled warrior he got a castle stock with zero level men-at-arms.  Ed was
ecstatic.  He designed the castle, worked out guard routes and duty rotations,
moved his treasure to a protected vault, everything.

One day Jimmy's cousins had just finished an adventure and they wanted more,
at a loss for what to do next he cast his eyes on Ed's detailed castle.
Hmmmm.  So he took them on an adventure to plunder a castle vault.  They loved
it, and left rich.

Now any DM with a sense of perspective, or a kind heart, would have just used
Ed's work as the inspiration, but not Jimmy.  And he didn't just tell Ed the
bad news either.  Jimmy really really got into character.  He leaned into the
part and did it with style.

In vivid detail, Ed sees smoke rising from his castle, and the gates smashed
open.  In nuanced detail small clusters of guards are described dead along
with the evidence of the various weapons used to dispatch them.  Finally in
the vault itself, there is nothing but one last old man, who before he expires
tells Ed's character.  "There were five of them... ack... Two warriors, a
mage, a priest, and a theif.... gasp ... they were too strong for us ....  One
of the warriors had a helm of invisibility .... gurgle...." and then he died.

Ed Immediately knew it was Jimmys' cousins Steve and Ted.  He Immediately knew
that leaving his lovingly detailed castle in the keeping of the DM had been a
mistake.  He also knew that his reaction would be part of the story.  By
tommorrow everyone would know how he took it.  Not to be out done he too
stayed in character.

"Bloody worthless zero level NPC's!  Hell a small child can kill a zero level
NPC.  That's what I'll do.  I'll get married and have my own children.  And
I'll train them up right.  And THEY can guard my treasure.  No.  I won't even
have treasure.  I'll buy cows.  Yeah!  I'll buy cows and they can guard that.
And my wealth will multiply.   I'll get many wives.  I'll raise an Army."

And that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is exactly what he did.


David Michael Grouchy II

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