I’ve been running a PbtA hack, which, while a lot of fun, has too much going on for me to hope to consolidate into something I can release anytime soon… I should start with something more focused if I want to actually get it “out there”.
I’ve been wanting to do a game focusing on something like the Benadanti and their conflicts with the Maladanti for a while, with the third “front” (or maybe character type) that they have to deal with being the Inquisition. My initial plan was for this to be for Fate and exist as an expansion for something else I worked on, but, I’m rethinking that.
This could be in a pseudo-historical context, or more fictionalised. I’m not sure it matters because the scope would probably be “a small town, where weird shit is happening”.
The focus would be on covens, and interactions between them, and them being rivals. There would have to be different witch playbooks… or maybe a pool of options chosen, I’m not sure which would be better.
Some sort of coven relationship-mechanic though I have to ponder, and I have no direction for it yet.
Are there PbtA games out there already that scream “too similar” is it a compelling enough basis to start something with?
The other thing I”m having trouble with is, the Malandanti seem to stark black in morality, and I don’t think I want that. Even if they are to be villains, I want them to have more complex motives…
Sub. I know Thing of three about the beneandanti. Would you be interested in a little chat? ^^
Also, Martino Gasparella
Yeah, absolutely, via email is definitely easiest though, since other wise I’m sporadically available only.
It is emeraldtoucanet@gmail.com (in case anyone is wondering, no, I really don’t mind if just whoever has it).
I actually wrote a Fate book dealing with Renaissance era fantasy, that’s what I was initially wanting to do this for, but, more I think about it, the more I want it loosely connected at most.
Compelling! I’m into it.
I love this idea. The benandanti are fascinating and ripe for being player characters.
Megan Bennett-Burks ok, now it’s very late for me, tomorrow I’ll contact you.
And I sorry if I’ve come as too forward and aggressive: for me it’s quite late and I’m writing in a foreign language. And I got very excited for your idea. I’m sorry for having been a bit tone deaf ^^
Ezio Melega oh, totally don’t worry, if that is forward and aggressive, it is only in a good way. I’m glad to have some preliminary interest!
Thanks all, and I’ll have to post when I start getting some more concrete ideas going to bounce ideas back and forth.
I say go for it as is, unless you want to do it commercially and you feel like it needs editing or paring down. Actually, even then, I say trust the audience.
Historical games usually engender a fairly informed (or, at least curious) group of players so a complex setting isn’t a mark against a game in that niche.
Hehe, it might be commercial in a loose sense as I might sell it, but, I don’t expect to make much beyond extra beer and coffee money off anything I release (though my first book has managed to help fund my next one, so that’s nice).
As far as producing books, I’ll be the Queen of cheap if I can manage it…. thankfully I have things like Indesign, and various illustration and graphic design related programs and what not as part of my job so that helps. Editing, yeah, that is where I run into a wall… so painful. I’m getting better at it though.
Ezio, i think you intended Roberto Giugno My evil twin
Hi 🙂 Benandanti rulez! I would be so glad to help. Sadly there is not that much material on the matter (if you leave out fiction). At least, those few things are really evocative!
Ex: https://plus.google.com/u/0/110639839883888083896/posts/ATmsMAqd9AN
Also Domenico Marino could be handy (especially for sources, since I left my books in my old house)
I can easily get the documents on the trials at the local library.
Megan, have you had the chance to read them?
Ezio Melega not yet, I still have a ton of research to do. I will have to see if I can get my hands on copies.
Roberto Giugno. Sadly that link is dead. I am sure it will end up pretty fictionalized, but, hopefully tastefully so.
Do you have (access) to this book? Ginzburg has an interesting method of reverse engineering evidence, but it’s plenty good for gaming. en.m.wikipedia.org – The Night Battles – Wikipedia
Eric Farmer it has been on my list of books, presently my reading has been limited to what I can find online or at the library, which sadly it has not been available at.
Let me know if you feel it’s something you need. I’ll dig it out of my collection and ship it to you.
Eric Farmer that would be very useful, how much?
Megan Bennett-Burks sorry it’s dead. It wasn’t an example of fictionalized work. It was about how amazing are those little sources we have.
Actually was an extract from Ginzburg book, about connections betwen benandanti and pagan fertility rituals from northen europe (in particular with beliefs about werewolf).
No charge, Megan Bennett-Burks. Just make cool things!
Eric Farmer well, that is awesome, can it be sent to a P.O. Box? If not I have an alternative, P.O. is most secure though.
That’s fine. PM me the address, I’ll try to get it out this week.
Eric Farmer sent, as a G+ PM. If it doesn’t go through let me know, I’ll try again.
I’m liking the title “Fennel Witches” as a working name for this for now.
Stream of conscious thoughts… cynocephalus could be fun to work into this, Hounds of the Lord on the Inquisition side maybe “We have guarded the places of the dead since ancient time and sniffed out evil, this has not changed” . Actually… there could be these guys on all three fronts, and not just the Inquisition too.
The strix… they are generally evil bloodsucking owl-women, but, don’t necessarily have to go that route, or I could, not sure which way to go with them, but they seem like they could be an appropriate thing to include.
The werewolf thing will clearly need to be worked in, in some way, but, going to take a lot of thought as to just how. They still need to be witches first and foremost probably, and werewolves secondarily.
Edit: And, I suppose the first thing I have to really nail down is the real main focus and secondary focus of the game.
Ponderings…
op1: the relationships of members within a coven (this would make it like “Fennel Witches” the medieval/Renaissance soap opera)
op2: Factional conflict (the Inquisition, Benandanti, and Malandanti have their own goals, but the focus is more on their interaction and conflict).
op3: dealing with some other issue, probably supernatural weirdness that interferes in the lives of normal people. This turns it almost more into a covert sort of war game “witches, as spies dealing with occult matters” with the other factions getting in the mix, usually as adversaries, but, potentially in some cases as allies.
I think all 3 should be there, but, how the priorities cascade… will affect what they game ultimately looks like a lot.
Sub. Will comment before the month’s end if I have time.