Playing Orlanth is Dead

From: Ian Cooper <ian_hammond_cooper_at_...>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 09:11:26 -0000

I have been thinking about this recently as our house game approaches it (we are around cradle time now).

The key to Orlanth is Dead for me is the personalized nature of events. The army villian concept introduced there is one aspect of personalizing these events - creating a personal nemesis for the heroes -as is the effect of great events upon the heroes loved ones and families.

I still feel that the best scenario, for emotional intensity that I have run was 'In the long Run' where one of the Heortling heroes faced down and killed his brother, dealing with concepts of kinstrife and revenge. It is also one of the least possible scenarios for me to give II for publication and create the same effect, because it emerged from the play.

My advice is that in order tomake the episode work, you need to follow all the instructions to personalize the foes, portray the damage tothe clans, and probably have played out normal life beforehand. Relationships on the character sheet are vital, it is these people who the player will need to respond to in their hour of need.

Imagine, as perhaps a public example, the effects of running this kind of event through a campaign like the Greydog as portrayed in ToTRM. Everything would be changed.

When portraying the grand sweep of great events, personalizing them is the key to success.