The Fragile Peace [Learn to Play Legend of the Five Rings]

Internet

Computer

Microphone

Webcam

Discord

Foundry VTT

Zoom

“Roleplay Heavy” games place the focus on the story, the characters, and the world they live within, and tend to lean hard into the various roleplaying elements of the game. These games will frequently find the party talking with NPCs, exploring the personal elements of their backstories, or even having emotional moments around the camp fire. 

Roleplay Heavy

“Theater of the Mind” uses little to no visuals for scene settings and combat. Instead, the narrative imagery comes from the Game Master’s descriptions and character action and movement comes from Players’ descriptions. 

Theater of the Mind

Games that are ran “Rules as Written” emphasize realism and stick to the letter of the rules, allowing players to explore creative solutions while still operating under a consistent rule set. Players have the ability to utilize the rules in creative ways to create awesome characters and moments in the game.

Rules as Written (RaW)

Legend of the Five Rings 5th Edition

Gritty Fantasy

Low Magic

Historical

Supernatural

After the game ends, check-in with the group and talk about how you all feel. Have an open way for the group to decompress and encourage each other to practice self-care.

Aftercare

Intense games can cause feelings to bleed over into life outside of the game. Being open and honest of where the game ends, what feelings are the players versus bleed, and having discussions can lessen the stress of bleed.

Bleed

For long games or stressful content, having built-in breaks allows the group to stay focused and process content. This time can be used for bio breaks, conversation, or any other necessities.

Breaks

The Deck of Player Safety (DOPS) allows players to anonymously signal any topics they want to avoid during a session. DOPS uses a deck of cards with potential topics that may come up during play, as well as an "Anything Goes" card. Players pass the cards of topics they want to avoid, or the "Anything Goes" card, face-down to their Game Master. The Game Master then shuffles the cards, and reviews the topics with the Players.

Deck of Player Safety

Lines and Veils set the boundaries of the games. Lines are hard limits for content the group doesn't want to participate in, this means that content will not be in game, referenced in game, or alluded to. Veils are soft limits, meaning that when the content arises it might be mentioned, but not described, or it could mean that when the content shows up, it results in a “fade-to-black”.

Lines and Veils

Open-Door is an assurance that anyone in the group can take a break from the game for their own safety and well-being without judgement. This should be made clear to the group.

Open Door

Session 0s are used to start the game, opening up with communication, setting expectations, and discussing any safety tools that will be used at the table.

Session 0

Stars and Wishes are used to reflect and discuss feedback in a positive way. Stars are used for things that participants enjoyed in the game. Wishes are things that participants would like to see in the future. Both players and the GM can express their stars and wishes to make the game better.

Stars and Wishes

X, N, and O Cards are check-in tools. X-Cards are used to indicate that a participant is uncomfortable with the current content, often resulting in a change, rewind, or skip of the aforementioned content. N-Cards can be used by participants if they feel content is heading towards an X card, often resulting in a change or a “fade to back”. O-Cards are used to check-in on the group and ensure that everyone is comfortable continuing with the content.

X, N, and O Cards

Hail and Well Met! 

I am Overlord Jim (It's an old internet handle I happen to like, just go with it) and I have been running and playing TTRPGs for over 20 years now. I have always wanted to try my hand at Professional Game Mastery, and the age of Covid-19 is as good a time as any to get into it. 

My nerd credentials start with climbing every castle tower within driving distance of our home in Great Britain when I lived there as a child. My love of that era has lead me to become a serious medievalist scholar with a particular emphasis on the Early Medieval Era (better known as the Viking Age), and I have more than a passing familiarity with the Crusading Era and the Hundred Years War as well. My bookshelves are packed with all the classics of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Genres, and most of them are well loved with many creases in the spines. I got into theater as a teenager and minored in it in college, but my B.A. is in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations, and I have most of a Master's in International Studies that I just couldn't afford to complete. Someday I will go back for a M.A. in Medieval History, but for now, I content myself with reading it constantly to write better roleplaying books in historical settings. I am a Veteran of the Sub/Dub Wars (Dub Forever!), I believe one can like both Star Wars and Star Trek (though the latter is clearly superior), and my definition of a good night out always involves character sheets, dice, and stacks of roleplaying books. 

I have been a Storyteller as long as I can remember in my real life, I've been an aspiring novelist since my teens, and when I discovered these games, I was instantly hooked. I'm forever enamored of the freedom this medium offers. You have complete freedom of direction - you could go anywhere  you can imagine and do anything the system can support (and often, quite a bit it was never meant to do but the GM makes it work!), which is something no other medium of entertainment can deliver, and you join in this endeavor with your friends as collaborators, and the story you tell together is always bigger than the sum of its parts. Every table and every troupe offers a unique experience, and I want nothing more than to come craft an epic story together with you. 

And I do mean EPIC. I love putting my PCs in the middle of the most exciting chapters in the history of their world, and handing them the power to change events for the better - or worse, if they so choose - just to see what they do with it. My favorite system - Exalted - is perfectly suited to this style of play, where I cast players in the roles of reborn Demigods out to save the world - or destroy it. What legends will they tell of your deeds? Come join my table and find out.  

A few entries from my Roleplaying Resume: 

- 20+ Years Experience behind the Screen
- Specialized in Non-D&D Options [Exalted, Scion, Classic World of Darkness, Star Wars RPG (FFG Version), and more!]
- Always willing to try a new system or setting
- 10+ Years Experience as a Presenter on the Art of Game Mastery (https://www.facebook.com/ArtofGameMastery) - Coming to a Convention near you! (When conventions come back, that is . . .)
- 5+ Years experience running Convention Games
- Published Freelance Writer (High Level Games' Snowhaven Setting, Storyteller's Vault, Storypath Nexus)

I have decided that all future scenarios I write will be with an eye towards their eventual publication, so you won't just be participating in an awesome online experience - you'll be playtesting new gaming materials too! 

About my Pricing Structure: 

I am a Plotter GM, not a Pantser GM, to borrow an analogy from writing - while every GM gets good at Improvisational GMing by necessity, it isn't my first choice and I prefer to come to the table with most of the prep work done long in advance. Therefore, my pricing reflects not only the time at the table, but also the time building the scenario, statting out the NPCs, planning the combat encounters - if you have ever run a TTRPG, you know it is at the very least a demanding Part Time Job if not a Full Time Occupation in and of itself! So while I do understand everyone in our hobby is perpetually broke (Roleplaying Books are an expensive addiction and Kickstarter is a hell of a drug), I also need to price in my prep time too. Besides, I plan to use any revenue I make from my endeavors here to pay for the art to decorate the books I'm writing - so you aren't just paying for an incredible STing experience - you're also helping to develop new RPG material and funding its development costs. You are contributing to the future of your hobby, which now more than ever is driven by the independent creatives like me who are invested in expanding it. So know that my time factors into the cost of the seat, and that your ticket to the game is going to support the hobby we both love. 

I look forward to seeing you at my next event!

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