Playtesting Urban Shadows face to face today with 4 players. Will let you know how it goes.
Playtesting Urban Shadows face to face today with 4 players. Will let you know how it goes.
Playtesting Urban Shadows face to face today with 4 players. Will let you know how it goes.
Went pretty well. We set the game here in DC.
Deidre the Wizard, an information broker on Capitol Hill. Abe the Vampire, a long-lived entrepreneur currently doing business as a “lifestyle concierge,” operating just west of DuPont Circle. Looka the Faerie, an Independent Alaskan Senator and Unseelie Court, in residence beside the faerie gate at Takoma Park. And Ephrim Christopher the Hunter, born of a long line of Hunters, protector of Bloomingdale and ally of the Fae.
Deidre had dirt on pretty much everyone, and was one of Abe’s clients. So was Looka. Ephrim had a complicated relationship with Looka because one of her Hunter powers had been a gift from a noble fro Looka’s court, Hefesta, in exchange for visiting death upon vampires.
Moves worked pretty well. The wizard seemed overpowered in the fight we had though. No one really used debts without a lot of MC prompting. The 7-9 on threaten felt a bit complicated. Persuade saw a lot of use, but also worked well.
We had one “let the darkness in.” That went well. Two “stand strong” rolls.
If you have questions, fire away.
Hey Dave. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope you had a great time as the MC. It sounds like a great game with a unique style from all other playtests so far. Debts seem to get ignored by most new players but should pick up in use over time in my experience. But like a lot of the new rules, players need to be guided into it like you did.
Threaten is a little complex at 7-9 but I really like how it plays out, especially with a player needing to add something concrete to the threat (like cocking their gun or revving their car engine). The wizard might be a bit powered but that’s not too big a concern for me since Apoc world has that in it too.
I’m really glad you got some let the darkness in, that move is my favorite and sees more use than any other after a couple sessions. Players just seem to love to be able to tap into darkness and ask the MC direct and interesting questions.
Thanks again Dave. What was your favorite part if I may ask?
No prob, feels good to pass on the feedback.
Looking at the wizard again, any thoughts re: elementalism to have them spend hold to “unleash” using spirit instead of blood? Our wizard had 4 hold courtesy of her magic staff and essentially could two-shot any enemy without a roll it seemed like. But maybe I should have had her unleash?
It was pretty awesome assigning supernatural factions to our own city. The players got a kick out of that. And the starting debts actually dovetailed perfectly with our group, so that part was very tight when we started.
I would have liked to see folks use the faction moves, but they didn’t get rolled, possibly because they were new to me as MC as well.
Ah I see the problem with the wizard. Using elementalism to attack someone is covered by unleash or possibly take a chance. The spell simply let’s you spend a hold to give you the weapon for one roll. After that strike the hold is spent. It’s not an automatic hit (unless you feel the enemy has no defense then it might be a free attack, but that’s like any weapon or attack).
The faction moves cone and go as needed. You’ll have sessions without one and then sessions with a bunch. That’s not a bad thing, they’re essentially support moves.