I added a channel in the Discord to chat about these emails and it’s been really insightful.
A lot of folks having some really big and cool ideas.
While we were discussing the fiction of board games vs RPGs, it occured to me (and I’m sure I’m far from the first) that BGs could be divided into two camps – emergent fiction and static fiction.
Emergent fiction would be games like Eldritch Horror, Dead of Winter, or Merchants and Marauders. These are games where the “story” develops through play, the events acting almost like prompts for the players to construct the whole narrative in their heads.
Static fiction would be more like Heroquest, The Arkham Horror Card Game, or Mice and Mystics. I would argue they have stronger stories, but the player interaction matters less. Each has premade scenarios with a pretty linear fiction. The players actions only matter in so much that they need to overcome the challenges to unlock the next piece of fiction.
Oddly, when it comes to board games, I think I prefer the latter? There’s little replayability and it feels perhaps like a more passive form of entertainment, but I like killing goblins and finding out what’s in the room.
(That said, I do really enjoy Dead of Winter and think it also does a great job of generating a story through play).
Really, I think my big takeaway from this is that I need to play more board games and see what stories develop…
Talk soon,
-James
PS. If you want to get into the convo about THIS blog pst, you can find the discord here, or leave a comment below.
TAGS: Game Theory, board games
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Bones. So many bones. How many people have been buried here?
You find a rusty long sword and a small, golden vulture head worth 250 gp.
The sand here on the edge of the sacrificial ground is loose and looks recently churned.
The Vulture Priests are the enemy of knowledge and enlightenment. They seek to bring the eternal silence, the end of all things. Decay and obedience is their only god.
Armor Class 6 [13]
Hit Dice 1 (4hp)
Attacks 1 × Beak (1d4 or by weapon)
THAC0 19 [0]
Movement 120’ (40’)
Saving Throws D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (1)
Morale 8 (11 when at their temple)
Alignment Lawful
XP 10
Number Appearing 2d4 (1d6 × 10)
Treasure Type D
Immune to the Divine: The spells and powers of clerics and paladins have no effect on them.
Weapons: They frequently use wickedly curved daggers, which they use for sacrificial purposes.
Soul Clouders: There is a 10% chance that any Vulture Priest can use the sleep spell once per day. The targets are still awake, but they are beset by such a deep depression that it has the same effect as sleep. They may only watch what unfurls around them.
