Stroboscope: an episodic campaign

Role-playing games Whartson Hall
#1

Various members of the Whartson Hall crew have had life happening and been unavailable for games, so @Shimmin and I put together a game explicitly designed to be episodic and played when some of us aren’t available.

It’s sort of loosely related to GURPS Infinite Worlds . Loosely.

Session 0: Nobody Ever Takes Common Sense: Character generation

Session 1: I Didn’t Actually Take Accursed: Hold on, WHAT sort of establishment is this?

Session 2: Fewer Zombies So Far: More character generation. (Skip this if you just want the actual roleplaying.)

Session 3: The Old Kings of Stoke-on-Trent: A doctor, a priest and an elf walk into an autocracy…

Session 4: Just One More Thing…: Some of us are better equipped for investigation than others.

Session 5: Redundant Array of Inexpensive Guts: We have a victim, I mean prime suspect. Now to cause some trouble.

Session 6: Only 80% This Gravelly: A fray, a fray! And other complications.

Session 7: Imagine No Triceratops: Once more our heroes are yanked out of their daily lives to help someone who needs it…

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Episode 104: Only One Serious Case of Assault
#2

As a complementary aside to the character generation episode, back in the white wolf days, we took to calling it the “overconfident merit” rather than flaw because was so common and seemed to work in character’s favor.

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#3

The true GM’s helper disadvantage package is Curious, Impulsive, Overconfident, and Unlucky.

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#4

… and Incompetence (Explosives). :boom:

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#5

“Why are you two still down there, rather than in this cool balloon?”

“We’re the half of the party that isn’t Overconfident.”

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#6

“Why are you two still on shore, rather than aboard this cool ship?”

“We’re the members of the party who aren’t Unlucky.”

“Are you kidding? Of course we’re lucky, we just won a contest! We got exclusive tickets to this luxury passenger liner that’s about to set off on her maiden voyage!”

“We know. It’s called the Titanic.”

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#7

“And nobody’s going to be asking awkward questions like ‘why is the ship’s safe empty’ until we’re all long dead!”

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#8

Session 2: Fewer Zombies So Far: More character generation. (Skip this if you just want the actual roleplaying.)

Session 3: The Old Kings of Stoke-on-Trent: A doctor, a priest and an elf walk into an autocracy…

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#9

I am deeply gratified by the timing on last night’s cliffhanger. Also as a GM that was immensely satisfying.

Why yes, we can string out this explicitly-a-one-shot episodic filler campaign into half a dozen weeks.

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#10

It was like an old episode of Dr Who! Only not terrible.

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#11

Made by consummate professionals on a non-existent budget?

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#12

Yes, that describes us to a T.

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#13

A non-existent budgie, then?

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#14

Session 4: Just One More Thing…: Some of us are better equipped for investigation than others.

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#15

Session 5: Redundant Array of Inexpensive Guts: We have a victim, I mean prime suspect. Now to cause some trouble.

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#16

Session 6: Only 80% This Gravelly: A fray, a fray! And other complications.

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#17

Very enjoying this. Not that I understand what is going on at all! I’m sure it’ll be all explained soon, though. :crazy_face:. By the way, is it a truism that all GURPS players tend towards creating the most Outre characters, or is that a Whartson Hall thing?

#18

I know I have some vague ideas about bigger plots. I assume @Shimmin does too. But we haven’t colluded on them.

In the vast majority of GURPS games I’ve run or played in, there have been pretty specific restrictions on what you can play: you’re all 1940s magicians, or modern-day monster hunters, or whatever. I think this is the only one I’ve been involved with where I’ve actively invited the players to get inventive.

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#19

If it helps, I also have no clue about what is happening.

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#20

We’ve sort of consciously avoided planning a backplot, because the idea for Stroboscope was that any of us can drop in and out as players and as GMs, with whatever short-form adventures we come up with. Something may evolve over time, but a rigid metaplot wouldn’t have been the right fit.

Strictly speaking I think your original suggestion was for us to hail from various Infinite Worlds settings, but that went by the wayside somewhere around the point I said “dinosaur occultist”.

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