[Scene: Call of the Demon] [Song: "The Curse of the Fold" by Shawn James] You walk along the promenade. Fingers graze the coarse, stone balustrade. Winds run down from the mountains of the King's Court past you out to the vast pastures of Threshing; spill over, under, and in between the ramps and aqueducts reaching deep into the fields; and dance along the rolling hills all the way to the summer sun-crest horizon. You grip your cloak tighter to your shoulders amid the brisk air, then stare, as you notice your breath plume before you and a chill settle in the center of your spine. You cast your gaze out to the fields, a hundred feet below, and to the colorless fog now sweeping over them. The sky darkens, light diffused by the graying haze, and your heart sinks to your stomach because you know what's coming. You hurry home. You have to find your family. You have to flee. Guards rush through the streets, called from their patrols. Rows of soldiers march from the fort down the central road, halberds in hand, making their way to the battlements at the city's edge. Merchants and tradesmen in their market stalls and stations abandon their wares, some arming themselves with weapons and rushing to the wall, others onto carts and towards the city gates. Chaos grips Threshing by the throat. You're congested in the crowds, pushing and squeezing past panic-stricken people, trying to make it home, but a path is cleared as a procession of robed men with glowing-tipped staves part the frenzied sea. You make it. Home. Silence. You search through every room. Not your mother, not your father, not your brother are anywhere to be found. You pant, in fatigue and frustration, as your head starts to ache... and you hear a voice. A couple. Coming from the living room. Sounds like... your mother... and brother. You see them. Sitting on the couch speaking, as if the city is not on the verge of collapse. As if there are no blood-curdling screams outside of men and women being dragged through the streets by demons. They look to you with welcoming smiles. You notice the scratches in the floorboards at their feet that look dug in by fingernails... and blood- but your father taps you on the shoulder and asks why you're so excited. He takes a sip from his pewter mug as a body is thrown up against your living room window, shattering the glass as the body falls down to the ground outside. Your father doesn't even seem to notice, smacking his lips and savoring his drink. He asks if you'd like some. You ask what's wrong with him. He's so confused, even when you point to the scratch marks and screams, as if they don't exist, as if you're feeling ill. Your mother offers for you to lay your head down on her lap, and your brother says he'll fetch you a blanket. Your head shakes with pain, as if there's a giant dog clamping its jaws down on your temples. Your legs tremble. Your body is weak. Like you haven't eaten or slept in days. Finally, your mother and father and brother look concerned. Your mother gasps in horror, as your father and brother rush towards you to set you free! But one by one. They disappear. Your mother. Your father. Your brother. And you realize. They were never there. But something was. Campaign Sorrow of the Soul Arts is a Pathfinder 1st Edition campaign designed to help Players tell a complete story in approximately 15 4-hour sessions. The genre is best described as existential dark fantasy; that is, it takes place in a setting that is widely perceived by its inhabitants to be hostile or indifferent to human experience with forces in the world that twist and distort fantastical elements into the elements of a beautiful nightmare, something harmful to you but that you are nonetheless drawn to. The hook, briefly, is that the Player Characters have all had an encounter with a demon, a mindless devourer of souls, that has forever changed their lives and will set them on a path of mystery and adventure as they wrestle with the consequences of their new condition, which will be unveiled in the first session. The Players will be expected to submit a written backstory (minimum 750 words) describing their Character's encounter with a demon and life before, in accordance with the handouts that will be made available on the game table. It is my aim as the Game Master to help each of you tell the story you want to tell within the greater context of the Almighty Story we are all telling together. Game Master My understanding of the tabletop roleplaying experience is rooted in a tabletop RPG hierarchy of responsibility: Players are responsible for their Characters and defer to the Game Master regarding the setting and NPCs > the Game Master is responsible for the setting and NPCs and defers to the Almighty Story regarding plot > the Almighty Story is responsible for plot and defers to the Dice for plot progression > the Dice are the final arbiters of plot progression. My approach can be likened to a creative turn order, wherein I ask the Almighty Story for a prompt to give you - in this case, *Sorrow of the Soul Arts* and all its handouts - and in return you give me characters and in return I give you NPCs, at which point I ask the Almighty Story how I should introduce them and how I can use them to challenge the Player Characters, which results in the sessions we play wherein we roll the Dice to see how that plays out. I would like to emphasize that I prioritize roleplay, story, and creativity, and it can be expected of me to not only permit but reward meaningful roleplay and creative problem-solving, in and out of combat, in and out of session. Style Sessions are typically blocked by scenes, approximately 10 - 15 minutes for individual scenes and 30 - 40 minutes for party scenes. This approach maintains tight pacing, and thereby Player attention, to make sessions fly by in the constant shifting of circumstances. I employ cutaways and NPC cut-scenes as well to add depth and story in the background of the events unfolding around the Player Characters, building tension for future conflicts and dramatic reveals. Scenes are accompanied by music played on a third-party website called Watch2Gether, on which I prepare playlists for each session for seamless song transitions. Theater of mind is used in place of battle maps to allow for more immersive and roleplay-oriented combat as well as facilitating more creative problem-solving; that is, it is difficult to capture the motion of a fight that takes place on speeding mine carts with a static battle map. I endeavor never to over-prepare as the essence of the tabletop roleplaying experience is being able to roleplay your character rather than to have it dictated to you by a GM's expectations. I've learned that less is more and all a GM needs to do is provide a stage for their Players to put on their costumes and perform on. Schedule The game will be run
evenings Eastern Standard Time, day and time to be determined by the
availability of the Players. My priority is to find a cohesive group of
Players, we can hash out the schedule later. The only day that's
completely off the table is Saturday. Player Experience Really,
don't worry about it. We'll be starting at Level 1, taking it slow, and
Session 1 will incorporate a narrative tutorial for anyone who needs
it. I did a similar thing for my friend Aschu in the first Pathfinder
game she ever played with me. Why Pathfinder? Myriad
more character and combat options that facilitate more unique
characters and combats. 5e is a good gateway game, but Pathfinder is so
much more fun. As a 10th level spellcaster, you can cast Dominate Person on someone and control them for 10 days. 10 days! Compared to 1 hour in 5e. 10 days! Pathfinder empowers players to drive the story. House Rules of Note (RP) No
animal or monstrous races. This game will have a handful of playable
races, but they all look and perceive each other as human. No ERP. Not that kind of game. (Mechanics) Spheres of Might and Spheres of Power Feat Tax, Exploding Dice, Combat Stamina and Tricks, Called Shots, and Wound Thresholds. Applying Please
answer the following questions in as much or as little detail as you'd
like. If you'd prefer to PM me, you are welcome to do so. I know I tend
to, as I feel like I can be more open without prying eyes, or my main
group friends potentially seeing that I'm cheating on them with other
games. Again, you could write a whole novel for each question and I will read it. I once subjected my DM friend to a 97-page backstory, and then he got me back with a 75-page House of Leaves -esque
puzzle for one of his. If you seem like a good fit, you'll hear back
from me, we'll chit-chat a little over voice, and see about getting you a
link to the game. I don't imagine this to be an exhaustive process as
the best way to get to know a Player is by playing with them, but every
little bit helps. Forming the group is the most important part of the
process as we all come to the table to have a good time together and
that's impossible to do if we all can't stand each other. Here's hoping
for the best, and thank you for your time. God bless. 20 Questions What is your opinion of The Crane Wives ? What is the correct opinion of The Crane Wives ? How much Tabletop Roleplaying experience do you have? Any in Pathfinder? What do you most enjoy about Tabletop Roleplaying Games? Is there anything you don't enjoy about Tabletop Roleplaying Games? What have been your best Tabletop Roleplaying experiences? What have been your worst Tabletop Roleplaying experiences? Did you listen to the Song while you read the Scene? Is there something you're passionate about (acting, film-making, creative writing, etc.)? Do you ever feel like you don't have enough time to do everything you want to? Are you subconsciously steering your answers to be more in line with what you perceive to be more favorable? Did you answer the last question honestly? Would you know, if there was a part of you that didn't want you to know? Do you think any of this might somehow become relevant in the campaign? Who's your favorite character you've ever played, and why? Do you like dachshunds? What's your favorite book, TV show, and/or movie? What do you believe makes a good Player? What do you believe makes a bad Player? Why are you applying to this game? Bonus Question: Is there anything else you think I should know about you?
