| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 05 Aug 2006 : 15:08:33
My fellow scribes and sages, I need to ask you for an advice about an idea I had recently. Any input, thoughts, critics, opinions and ideas are highly appreciated!
You see, I have recently heard very high opinions about Ben Lehmann’s game, Polaris (which is considered to be one of the top “indie” rpgs around).
For those who have not heard of it, it is a game of “chivalric tragedy in the utmost North”, and emphasizes storytelling (“narravitism”, I guess it is called) over rules. There are stats, skills and die rolls in the game, but they are rarely used, instead and the system relies heavily on various “key phrases” that affect situations in different ways. There is no Gamemaster or DM, but each player represents an “aspect” in every character’s life, trying to bring the story towards a tragic ending. It is considered a major victory if your character dies a heroic death, rather than betrays his people (becomes a “blackguard” in D&D terms) and turns to serve the Mistake (demons).
The game is set in the “utmost North”, where the mightiest people the world has ever seen are dying from their own Mistake. The only thing remaining between the final, inevitable doom of this once proud nation are the Knights of the Stars. Although their people have turned their backs on the Knights, they still hear the “Song of the Stars” and wield their “Swords of Starlight” against the demons.
You may wonder what is the problem here. Well, a couple of days ago I had a truly wild idea - why not try in the Forgotten Realms? Why not run a Polaris-campaign in FR, where many mighty kingdoms met a tragic ending?
I did not mean to run it as a “regular” campaign, but rather try to tell an ancient story, that would be essential in my new D&D-campaign. I have not decided, but maybe these knights were servants of Selûne, Corellon or Sehanine? They could have worn Everbright armor, and their Swords of Starlight might have been Everbright Holy swords? The exact game mechanics or “tie-ins” to D&D rules do not matter here, since this is a story/legend that is only remembered by a few Master Harpers and senior Heralds.
I have not decided yet whether we would begin my new D&D-campaign with this story (“Set those character sheets aside – before we begin, I have thought that we try a new game called Polaris…”) or perhaps it would take place “in the middle” of a D&D session? Either way, the story/legend would be told to the PCs by a Master Harper. Just imagine how they would react, after we brought the tale of the knights to its tragic ending, and I would set up my DM screen and say:”You come about as the story teller’s final words fade away, with tears running down your cheeks... and once again, are aware of your surroundings. The inn has fallen absolutely quiet, with every customer and member of the staff listening intently as he has woven the story throughout the night” (and so on). 
Why bother with this? Ideally, Polaris is a very emotional gaming system, and I would absolutely love to have a legend in my campaign that ALL of the players and their PCs would feel strongly about. Instead of me just reading them about the final days of Selûnite knights in Ascalhorn (for example) from my notes, they would get to play those knights, and EXPERIENCE the legend through their own eyes and actions. I feel that it would serve as powerful drama, getting the players really into the tragic legend that would return to haunt the campaign once in a while.
Maybe one (or more) of the PCs (or major NPCs) are descendants of those ancient knights, or maybe some of the adventures are set in the ruins of their once-mighty kingdom? I have not made up my mind about this yet, but the possibilities are so numerous.
What do you think of all this? Am I on a wrong track here, blind to the fact that it IS a D&D-campaign, and I might be trying to “force-feed” my players something that they might not even like?
|
| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Beirnadri Magranth |
Posted - 24 Oct 2006 : 15:47:12
I think you could also do this in the crown wars. Many kingdoms were annihilated and there was demonic influence such as malkizid and wendonai. If you made more of an emphasis on demons this would be a perfect set for the adventure since elves are closely associated with stars etc. Also since it is so far in the past, you can have more dramatic events that have less responsibility to conform to current canon. |
| Asgetrion |
Posted - 05 Aug 2006 : 15:30:08
I was thinking of using following locations for the setting:
Myth Drannor in its final days - probably the greatest tragedy in the history of the Realms. My every PC is aware of how the events played out, so this would have an ever "deeper" meaning to all of them. In this option the Mistake (demons/opposition in Polaris) would be literally the Pit Fiend generals and the other demons.
The Fall of Netheril. The Mistake would be Karsus, and his Folly. Imagine those poor knights trapped on a falling enclave... maybe their actions even helped to save Selûnarra, and they went to their doom contently.
Anauria's last battle against the orcs. Not sure about the Mistake here, but glorious and dramatic to be sure.
Asram's plague. The Mistake would be the Plague, and the inevitable fate of the knights would be to die of it.
At the end of his story, the Master Harper would smoke his pipe and blow out (using Predistigation) a smoke "ring" in form of the symbol of the Harpers. The four stars (four PCs and four knights ;) around the harp would glitter brightly, and he would say: "Their tragic fate is remembered by only a few these days, but indeed, there ARE still those who can hear the Song of the Stars..."
Remember, this is only an ancient legend, and it may not be "official lore" even in my campaigns that there is a link between the Harpers and these knights. Maybe the Master Harper only used the vague reference as an excuse for a more dramatic effect?
|
|
|
