The return of the review
I could bore you with the details but let's just say that life got in the way.
I would like to start back up with a review of [i]Don't Rest Your Head[/i] by the folks at Evil Hat. Now that I have been able to play DRYH, I think I have something useful to say.
A buddy and I were able to sit down and play an impromptu game for about an hour (maybe as much as an hour-and-a-half) while the wives did - whatever it is that they do when we aren't looking. Keep in mind, he had no prior knowledge of the game and I had done no real prep-work up front. We just sat down and played. Inevitably, there were some things that didn't go well. The most obvious being that I got some rules wrong. Nevertheless, the game went off exceedingly well. My buddy fell in love with the system to the point that he ran out and bought DRYH.
So, first things first, let's talk about the system. The player - yes, the game is designed for one and one play, even for groups. The player had three Discipline dice to compete with the GM's 1 to 12 Pain dice. Successes are compared (1 to 3) and the highest number of successes wins. Since the player can be horribly outnumbered, you can add up to six exhaustion dice along with up to six madness dice. Madness dice are temporary - most of the time. Exhaustion dice represent the wearing out of the PC and so permanent. Rack up too many and you risk fallin asleep - the absolute worst thing that can happen to the PC in the Mad City. The highest die (or dice) dominates and determine how vicotry is achieved. It could be that the PC wins the contest but that Exhaustion dominates indicating that the contest has taken something out of the PC. When Pain dominates, things get a little darker, ugliers, etc. With Discipline, the PC gains something back and Madness means the PC runs the risk of snapping. Snapping can be bad because in the long term, you can become the very thing you are fighting against.
As far as the setting, let's see ... Take some urban fantasy, some horror, some suspense, some Alice McGee's Alice in Wonderland and throw in a blender. Set to frappee, serve over a twisted sense of humor and there you go. Basically, the PC has been up for an extended period of time. Perhaps too much caffiene, loud neighbors, new baby, whatever. At some point, the wall between what we think is reality and what is actual out there snaps. You find yourself in the Mad City a twisted version of your town (or in my game, [b]all[/b] towns) - aka the City Slumbering. The inhabitants are from various areas and are all focused on the role they play. A cop will always be on duty - unless he is in the coffee shop, etc. Most have no idea they are not in the "real" world - the City Slumbering - and couldn't help you if you asked.
The Mad City is inhabited by Nightmares of various power levels. The one I made the most use of was Officer Tock and his clockwork cop minions. It may sound cheesy and cute but done right it is downright creepy.
The game is rules light and heavy on player / GM interaction, which is a good thing in my mind. If you even think that you would like to play this one, pick it up, it's great!
I would like to start back up with a review of [i]Don't Rest Your Head[/i] by the folks at Evil Hat. Now that I have been able to play DRYH, I think I have something useful to say.
A buddy and I were able to sit down and play an impromptu game for about an hour (maybe as much as an hour-and-a-half) while the wives did - whatever it is that they do when we aren't looking. Keep in mind, he had no prior knowledge of the game and I had done no real prep-work up front. We just sat down and played. Inevitably, there were some things that didn't go well. The most obvious being that I got some rules wrong. Nevertheless, the game went off exceedingly well. My buddy fell in love with the system to the point that he ran out and bought DRYH.
So, first things first, let's talk about the system. The player - yes, the game is designed for one and one play, even for groups. The player had three Discipline dice to compete with the GM's 1 to 12 Pain dice. Successes are compared (1 to 3) and the highest number of successes wins. Since the player can be horribly outnumbered, you can add up to six exhaustion dice along with up to six madness dice. Madness dice are temporary - most of the time. Exhaustion dice represent the wearing out of the PC and so permanent. Rack up too many and you risk fallin asleep - the absolute worst thing that can happen to the PC in the Mad City. The highest die (or dice) dominates and determine how vicotry is achieved. It could be that the PC wins the contest but that Exhaustion dominates indicating that the contest has taken something out of the PC. When Pain dominates, things get a little darker, ugliers, etc. With Discipline, the PC gains something back and Madness means the PC runs the risk of snapping. Snapping can be bad because in the long term, you can become the very thing you are fighting against.
As far as the setting, let's see ... Take some urban fantasy, some horror, some suspense, some Alice McGee's Alice in Wonderland and throw in a blender. Set to frappee, serve over a twisted sense of humor and there you go. Basically, the PC has been up for an extended period of time. Perhaps too much caffiene, loud neighbors, new baby, whatever. At some point, the wall between what we think is reality and what is actual out there snaps. You find yourself in the Mad City a twisted version of your town (or in my game, [b]all[/b] towns) - aka the City Slumbering. The inhabitants are from various areas and are all focused on the role they play. A cop will always be on duty - unless he is in the coffee shop, etc. Most have no idea they are not in the "real" world - the City Slumbering - and couldn't help you if you asked.
The Mad City is inhabited by Nightmares of various power levels. The one I made the most use of was Officer Tock and his clockwork cop minions. It may sound cheesy and cute but done right it is downright creepy.
The game is rules light and heavy on player / GM interaction, which is a good thing in my mind. If you even think that you would like to play this one, pick it up, it's great!
posted by ludomastro | 22:36
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