My new plan to play RPG!
The crack of the shot broke the silence; the enemies hiding in ambush returned fire and with a shout, they rushed towards us. They advanced from their concealed positions in the shadows of the thicket. It took a moment before we spotted them, before we could reach for our weapons and move to meet them…
It wasn’t the best scenario I’ve ever played in my life. Just a good, fun fantasy adventure. Marcin, who was our Game Master, didn’t reach any great heights of his talent, nor did anything particularly noteworthy. On the contrary, I vaguely remember him leading, cigarette after cigarette, which didn’t quite fit the fantasy theme.
Yet, I remember bits of that session to this day, even though it’s been 20 years. I remember because there was a bonfire around which we played. I remember because after dark, the trees in the orchard next to which we had settled took on menacing shapes, and with the setting sun, they transformed into a mysterious forest. I remember because of the crackling fire, because of the sparks shooting into the sky when we added wood to the fire, because of the distant barking of dogs in the nearby village – all of this transported us into the world of the session as if by the touch of a magic wand. It was one of the best RPG sessions I’ve ever played in my life. Because of the bonfire, because of the orchard, because of the sunset.
Last weekend, for the first time in my life, I visited Ireland. My RPG-loving heart sang with joy throughout the trip. I fell in love with Ireland head over heels. And as I traveled from one castle to another, passing by the ruins of medieval abbeys and churches, old cemeteries, and the towering watchtowers, as I walked along the cliffs and the foaming waves repeatedly crashed with fury against the shore, I thought of nothing else but another RPG session.
I thought about how wonderful it would be to sit with my buddies on the shore and play Pendragon or Ars Magica, with the roar of the waves, with the gusty wind carrying away our words, with that castle on the horizon.
I reminisced about how that one silly bonfire 20 years ago turned an ordinary RPG session into something I remember for twenty years. I thought about how these cliffs and waves would transform an ordinary session.
I thought that maybe in my old age, I now have the time to fly to Ireland for a weekend with my old buddies and play the fifth edition of Pendragon RPG, by the castle ruins somewhere on the cliffs, or by the ruins of an old abbey.
I thought that maybe I could take my RPG gang to Venice for a weekend and in two evenings, play a mini-campaign in 7th Sea RPG somewhere amidst the beautiful Venetian bridges and alleyways. Maybe take a weekend trip to the mountains and play Warhammer, or Call of Cthulhu in some cozy pub somewhere in the English countryside.
RPG tourism? Traveling not to visit museums, but to play an RPG with buddies in an amazing place? Is that my plan for the coming years?
Who knows, who knows…
I strongly believe that good board game is the one that tells a good story. You play it and suddenly you are sucked into it, you feel chills on the skin. Emotions grow. In a moment you defend castle. You hear roar of warriors. You smell boiling oil. You are into it.
That's how I design my games. I always want to tell a good story. I want players to be into it. As deep as possible.
Leave a Comment