[Lacuna...] 3 Missions in Blue City

[Paka]

Lacuna is a game about a city built by the human collective unconscious, curing serial killers whether they want it or not, misinformation and conspiracy and above all, job dissatisfaction.

The players started taking in Hamus, a serial rapist who was to be cured by the Mystery Agents in Blue City, the worst of his terrible urgers to be thrown in the Lacuna.

Yeah, shit went wrong, doesn't it always?

Hamus got a hold of a gun and one of his arms went all giant mantis. He managed to cut up on a Mystery Agent before he got outta dodge.

Mission 2 involved a group of people making bank robberies in the Blue City. Turns out it was a group of rogues from the Mythography Department. But Mythography isn't even supposed to BE in the Blue City, as it compromises their work.

Just when they started to uncover shit, they got ejected so senior agents could look over the scenes and the hard work the Mystery Agents had done.

Finneus "The Finger" Tarpin was a serial killer, a cake-walk of a Hostile Personality.

The Mystery Agents let him go and cornered him with a prostitute near Abbatoir Station. But they convinced Control they weren't done yet. And they went back to the banks and found some files in a bank deposite box.

Turns out they were files on Hostile Personalities.

The files said that the players were Hostile Personalities who had been reformed.

End of Game.

Tidbits and Thoughts:

• I never rolled a die. Interesting.
  
• Static is a great addition that is in the Second Attempt and wasn't in the first.
  
• It is really interesting how the only flags are the Techniques and Attributes that are taken as the characters grown. So, as a GM, you basically throw out some wierd shit and the players let you know through character growth what they are interested in.
  
• We all took great joy in throwing in fun quips about the paper work that was necessary after each mission.
  
• Yeah,we went through 3 missions in one 3 or 4 hour game. I didn't want to stretch out a mission into a whole game session. Eff that. I thought of the missions like mini-towns in Dogs in the Vineyard. Each mission amped up the conspiracy and the company shit from the mission before as the characters got deeper and deeper.
  
• Fun.

[Burning Luke]

Judd,

Can you described how the static worked on the missions? Particularly, did you use static to eject them?

-L

[Paka]

Originally Posted by abzu

Judd,

Can you described how the static worked on the missions? Particularly, did you use static to eject them?

-L

I would keep a tally of static as it grew on each mission and as it did would choose from the list of static-related events, using them like bangs.

I didn't use static to eject them, I just told them that Control was trying to eject them and if they wanted to stay in, they would have to make Access rolls and they all lost.

I then very quickly told them that the company was trying to fuck them over and I was not. They were cool with it, really digging their character's frustration over getting yanked from a case just as it was uncovering something dirty about the company.

I made sure that one of their Mentors, Agent Duke, who had been busted down to Green Clearance, gave the players the idea to take an easy Hostile Personality case, fix the bastard with the Lacuna device or even lose him on purpose in order to do some rooting around in the Blue City on their own.

What is also interesting is that once they are off the slab and in the office, there is absolutely no conflict resolution AT ALL. Its all just free play. It is in the Blue City and only in the Blue City where shit matters.

[Burning Luke]

Wow. I can't wait to run this. I have no idea what I'll do, but god damn it, I want to play.

-L

[Paka]

Originally Posted by abzu

Wow. I can't wait to run this. I have no idea what I'll do, but god damn it, I want to play.

-L

For the first time in quite a while I had really strong stage fright because I had no idea what to do. So, basically I thought up three missions and added complications...not too many but a few.

I watched how they spent their points as they progressed and tailored the adventure from there.

It is an odd fucking game, because the PC's start off as blank slates, really ciphers but the players get to add shit here and there and let you know what it is about the Blue City that they are interested in.

So, its an interesting thing.

[Yokiboy]

Hello Judd,

I just got my hands on Lacuna Part 1, 2nd Attempt, and it is a gorgeous book. As it was just one book of many that I picked up, along with a ton of boardgames, it might actually be a while before I get to play it, but it is an impressive piece of work.

Originally Posted by Paka

Finneus "The Finger" Tarpin was a serial killer, a cake-walk of a Hostile Personality.

Alright Judd, what's with this name? Finneus Finger, perhaps inspired by Finieous Fingers? Snick, snick, snick...

Originally Posted by Paka

The files said that the players were Hostile Personalities who had been reformed.

Frickin' outstanding! I'm so stealing this for my eventual game of Lacuna.

Originally Posted by Paka

Yeah,we went through 3 missions in one 3 or 4 hour game. I didn't want to stretch out a mission into a whole game session. Eff that. I thought of the missions like mini-towns in Dogs in the Vineyard. Each mission amped up the conspiracy and the company shit from the mission before as the characters got deeper and deeper.

I think this sounds like the way to do it. Otherwise it's probably easy that it gets to be too surreal, and confusing. Plus it's a good way to keep it action packed and see what flags the players pick up.

Thanks for all the ideas Judd.

TTFN,

Yoki

[Paka]

Originally Posted by Yokiboy

I think this sounds like the way to do it. Otherwise it's probably easy that it gets to be too surreal, and confusing. Plus it's a good way to keep it action packed and see what flags the players pick up.

Thanks for all the ideas Judd.

TTFN,

Yoki

Aye Yoki (might have another draft of Riddle of Blood for ya to pdf sooner rather than later, its just about written). It really needs an intro.

Anyway, yeah, the game was a balance of surreal shit and heroics in the Blue City with office crap and paperwork.

Both of which the players grabbed with gusto.

It did give the surreal shit a root to hold down with.

[Yokiboy]

Hello again Judd,

I have just read and re-read Lacuna Part 1 (2nd Attempt), and found that the second read through was even more enjoyable. Damn this is a fun and evocative game. It totally plays with us as roleplayers, because the whole pseudo-dream thing is what we do anytime we play, and Control is just a pseudonym for GMs.

But that's an aside...

I wanted to comment on two of your quotes regarding Lacuna's lack of proper flags:

Originally Posted by Paka

It is really interesting how the only flags are the Techniques and Attributes that are taken as the characters grown. So, as a GM, you basically throw out some wierd shit and the players let you know through character growth what they are interested in.

Originally Posted by Paka

For the first time in quite a while I had really strong stage fright because I had no idea what to do. So, basically I thought up three missions and added complications...not too many but a few.

I watched how they spent their points as they progressed and tailored the adventure from there.

It is an odd fucking game, because the PC's start off as blank slates, really ciphers but the players get to add shit here and there and let you know what it is about the Blue City that they are interested in.

So, its an interesting thing.

Personally I see how they assign their Attributes, and what initial Talent they pick as STRONG flags for the type of game the player desires. If I assign a 4 to Force, and pick Aggression as my Talent, then I'm after very different conflicts from the player that selected a 4 in Access and the Intelligence Talent, or the player that went with Instinct 4 and Communication. I think starting characters are far from "blank slates", and have all the flags you need for the first mission, and things only get clearer as they pick up more Technique, don't you agree Judd?

I personally don't recall the last game that had me as excited to play it as Lacuna has me enthralled right now! I loved Sorcerer, it was my first indie, and Dogs in the Vineyard was outstanding, but there's something special about Lacuna. I feel like I did as a teenager when I first read the AD&D 1st Edition PHB. Jared has really outdone himself this time.

TTFN,

Yoki

[Yokiboy]

Originally Posted by Paka

The files said that the players were Hostile Personalities who had been reformed.

Upon finishing my second read through of Lacuna, I came to realize that this is straight out of the book. Page 39, "The Mystery Agents were formed from the core members of the prison expirements." It only makes sense that they would "recruit" new agents from the reformed HPs.

I can't wait to create Lacuna Part 2 with my gaming buddies.

TTFN,

Yoki

fI I t'nod yalp anucaL noos eht nemredipS lliw teg em...

[Paka]

Originally Posted by Yokiboy

Upon finishing my second read through of Lacuna, I came to realize that this is straight out of the book. Page 39, "The Mystery Agents were formed from the core members of the prison expirements." It only makes sense that they would "recruit" new agents from the reformed HPs.

I can't wait to create Lacuna Part 2 with my gaming buddies.

Makes sense. I read the book a while ago and then ran the game only re-reading the rules bits. I didn't think I had pulled that idea entirely out of my butt.

cool

Originally Posted by Yokiboy

fI I t'nod yalp anucaL noos eht nemredipS lliw teg em...

yatS thgir ereht. lortnoC si gnidnes troppus.