[Dogs in the Vineyard] Point Hollow
jenskot:
It’s been a whirlwind week of GMing! I took the week off and ran 3 consecutive Dogs towns then D&D 4E 2 days ago, and another Dogs town for Paul T and Dave Berg today.
I’ve found writing Actual Play sessions difficult. But Paul and Dave urged me to try. Here we go!
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Paul T
Bother Cyrus
Cyrus as an impetuous youth with a dark streak. After being abandoned by his mother as a young boy, he lived in a low-life town full of scum and villainy. He was found by Brother Gerber, a Dog passing through the town. Seeing Cyrus take a stance between two gangs and use words and clever trickery to defuse an imminent massacre, Brother Gerber picked him up and brought him, against his will, to Bridal Falls to be trained as a Dog.
Background: Educated
Stats: Acuity 4d6, Body 2d6, Heart 3d6, Will 4d6
Traits:
- sometimes a blow below the belt is what it takes 2d8
- I’ve seen… and tried… the worst in life 2d10
- the loss of innocence burns like fire in my veins 3d6
- I’m a whisperer on the wind 2d8
- “the young speak some sense” 2d10
- a dog’s place is to remain pure 1d6
- a person’s sine are never washed clean 1d4
Relationships:
- dogs 1d6
- sister Annie, Steward’s wife turned whore, I took a beating trying to save her 1d4
- Gerber, Dog who found me 1d8
- Jezelda, mother who abandoned me 1d8
- Colt Bromley, famous vigilante who scares me 1d6
- brother Prue, stole from me 1d4
Belongings:
- hunting rifle, given to me by Chief Blue Cloud, my mother’s friend 2d6 + 1d4
- dark wide brimmed hat 1d6
- simple, dignified business like coat 1d6
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Davie Berg
Brother Enos
Enos grew up as a sheltered and illiterate farmer in the poor village of Magpie Saddle. His community started a demonic cult, and Enos participated, thinking the spirits would bring his village wealth. Instead, murder and betrayal grew rampant until some Dogs came to town and killed all the cult leaders. Enos saw the King of Life as a sort of trump to top demonic powers, and wanted to be on the winning side, so he went back to Bridal Falls to become a dog and get his very own gun.
Background: Complicated History
Stats: Acuity 4d6, Body 3d6, Heart 2d6, Will 6d6
Traits:
- coughs blood 1d4
- every conflict is a war 2d4
- all’s fail in war 2d6
- believe in what works, might makes holy 2d10
Relationships:
- brother Prue, gimpy sidekick I belittle and protect 3d8
- Zeke Harrigan, former friend and cult member 1d6
- Colt Bromley, famous vigilante I look up to 3d6
- brother Gerber, I almost killed him by “accident” 1d6
- dogs 1d6
Belongings:
- fine gloves 2d6
- india ink and pen 1d6
- consecrated earth 1d8
- new, bright, fancy, attention grabbing coat 2d6
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Paul and Dave made characters first, and then I quickly made a town in 30 minutes using play aids I’ve created to speed things along:
http://www.sexandbullets.com/img/DogsProcedure.pdf
http://www.sexandbullets.com/img/DogsRelationshipMap.pdf
Paul and Dave used the following character sheet:
http://www.sexandbullets.com/img/DogsFoldOutCharacterSheet.pdf
I printed character portraits from various westerns, mostly Deadwood that Paul and Dave chose from to represent their characters and their relationships.
We used NPC dice, escalation, elements of Fallout, and the giving rules from Afraid (horror game using the Dogs in the Vineyard system).
Next the Town write up!
jenskot:
What’s Wrong:
Brother Zeke, Eno’s friend and fellow former cult member sends Eno a letter: “it’s happening again… come to Point Hollow.”
Background:
Brother Gerber, a Dog of 10 years, retires at Point Hollow. A modest town nestled between two hills, one home to a large untapped silver mine on mountain people territory. The aging town’s steward, brother Nathaniel, takes brother Gerber under his wing to train him as his future replacement. Gerber’s first assignment, open negotiations with the mountain people to buy their silver mine. Gerber fails. Instead, he negotiates an agreement to communally work the silver mine to the benefit of both people. As a sign of mutualism, Gerber offers to take care of one of the mountain people’s daughters, Duty, whose mother recently died and father, Crossing, is missing.
Pride:
Gerber’s pride swells. His success and tenure as a Dog proves he knows what’s best for Point Hollow. He unsuccessfully pushes for Nathaniel to retire early.
Injustice:
Gerber begins distributing the wealth from the mine unevenly. Those who he prefers or do him favors receive greater shares.
False Doctrine:
Gerber preaches that you have what the king of life wants you to have. If you are prosperous, it is the king of life’s will. If you are poor, it is also his will. So those with wealth are obviously closer to the king of life. Greater wealth means greater faith. And the path to greater wealth runs through Gerber.
To gain greater control over the mine, Gerber aggressively converts mountain people to the faith. Point Hollow expands as wealth and new converts flow in. Gerber forces a town vote. Who will be the next steward? The vote ties, especially with many of the new town members freshly recruited by Gerber. Gerber negotiates a compromise. With Point Hollow’s expansion, there is room for two churches and two stewards.
Those who follow Gerber prosper and become prideful. Those who follow Nathaniel fall into near poverty but remain true to the faith. People flaunt their wealth, commissioning large icons of the king of life, trimmed with silver and hanging them outside their homes. Some icons depict the home’s family standing side by side with the king of life. And to help with recruitment, Gerber encourages the creation of icons that depict the king of life as a mountain person. Those under Nathaniel, frustrated by poverty and outraged by the king of life depicted as a mountain person, erupt in random violence.
Crossing, the lost mountain person who’s daughter Gerber adopted… returns. Disturbed by so many of his people converting to the faith, he seeks to separate his tribe from Point Hollow and demands that Gerber return his daughter. Gerber refuses.
Who’s Who:
- Gerber, wants the Dogs to strip Nathaniel of his stewardship making Gerber the only steward
- Annie, Gerber’s wife, wants the Dogs to forgive her adultery or to join her in it
- Duty, Gerber’s adopted daughter, wants the Dogs to make her white, like her new parents, so the town’s poor will stop harassing her
- Colt Bromley, mercenary hired by Gerber to kill Crossing, wants the Dogs out of his way
- Nathaniel, old steward, wants the Dogs to distribute the mine’s wealth fairly
- Grace, Nathaniel’s wife, leader of the anti mountain people group called the true faith, wants the Dogs to unconvert and remove the mountain people
- Zeke, a member of the true faith, wants the Dogs to expose Gerber and the mountain people as demons and sorcerers
- Christopher, a member of the true faith, frustrated by their small numbers, takes his frustrations out on Gerber’s adopted daughter, Duty, and wants the Dogs to forgive him
- Crossing, Duty’s blood father, wants Duty and his people back
- Jezelda, Crossing’s new wife, formerly of the faith who has converted to Crossing’s beliefs, wants peace
First Scene:
Outside of town, the Dogs witness Christopher mounting a smaller person (Duty) and repeatedly punching her in the face. Her head is covered with a bag with a crewed image of the king of life drawn as a mountain person on it.
Next… what happened! Hopefully Paul and Dave will jump in with details as well.
jenskot:
Enos persuades Christopher to un-mount Duty with his pistol and condemning words. Conflict: Physical -> Talking. Cyrus tends to Duty.
Christopher believes Duty is a demon, portraying the king of life as a demon, and using her sorcery to drive his family into poverty. He couldn’t work up the nerve to beat her so he covered her face in a bag depicting the king of life as a demon to remind him of the pain her kind has caused. He reveals that there are two stewards, and part of the town prospers while the other falls deeper and deeper into poverty.
Enos wants to shoot Christopher. Conflict: Talking. Cyrus talks him out of it. They bring Duty home.
Over Duty’s home is an icon trimmed in ornamental silver depicting the king of life as a mountain person over images of Duty’s new family (Gerber, the new steward, Annie, the whore Cyrus saved, and Duty, the adopted mountain child).
Enos stays outside with Christopher. Cyrus reunites with Annie. Upon discovering her daughter’s attacker is outside her home, Annie grabs a shotgun. Conflict: Talking -> Physical. Cyrus talks her out of it. Annie insinuates she plans on thanking him later. Enos continues to question and berate Christopher outside.
Duty awakens, crying she demands Cyrus take her to the center of town and proclaim her white and no longer a mountain person to stop the harassment. Conflict: Talking. Duty agrees to let Cyrus take action against her harassers without renouncement of her ethnicity.
Enos and Cyrus head to Gerber’s church. The church is a monument to inhuman hubris. Enos and Cyrus interrupt workers building a silver statue of the king of life. Steward Gerber joins them followed by Colt, the vigilante and Enos’ childhood hero who skulks in the background.
Gerber wants Chistopher dealt with now. Conflict: Talking. Cyrus talks his former mentor out of it by insinuating he could blackmail Gerber over his wife Annie's former whoring ways. Christopher is locked up for now till the Dogs pronounce judgment.
Colt smirks and abruptly leaves claiming he has a job to do, nodding at Gerber. Eros follows his childhood hero.
Annie runs up to Cyrus and tries to seduce him as he leaves the church. Conflict: Talking -> Physical -> Fighting. In a moment of temptation, Cyrus gives Annie his coat, "you know how much this means to me, hold on to it till we meet later where I will give you what you want." Cyrus wins the conflict, resisting temptation but Annie has his coat.
Colt makes his way to the silver mines. Enos confronts Colt. He's surprised to discover Colt isn't a vigilante, but a mercenary for hire. They wax philosophically. Colt tells Enos to stay out if his way and begins setting up his rifle on the hills.
Enos walks towards the mine ease dropping on a group of mountain people led by Crossing with a white woman on his side (Jezelda, Cyrus' mom) discussing confronting Gerber and taking back his daughter Duty.
Colt aims his rifle at Crossing's head.
Enos sees Colt! I tell Dave (playing Enos) it is his choice if this is a conflict. Dave decides not to interfere. Crossing's head splatters allover Jezelda.
I forgot to upgrade the Demonic Influence from Injustice (1d10) to Murder (4d10). I will next session.
Jezelda panics. Colt heads back into town. Enos confronts Jezelda.
Enos reveals that Colt is responsible, possibly at Gerber's request. Although he is quick to underplay Gerber’s involvement trying to aim Jezelda’s rage at Colt instead of the town. She rallies her family together for an assault. Conflict: Talking. Enos convinces her to give him 1 day to judge and punish those responsible. Otherwise the mountain people may rain down on the town.
Enos rejoins Cyrus back at the town, is shocked Cyrus lost his coat and demands he goes back and retrieve it. They return to Annie's home with forceful intentions.
Annie’s young daughter Duty answers the door. Duty shouts to her mother that Cyrus is back. Enos storms into Annie's bedroom with Duty in hand. Cyrus follows.
Annie is waiting for Cyrus on her bed wearing nothing but her skin and his coat.
Duty freaks out. Enos and Cyrus argue if Duty should witness this. Enos takes Duty away and she runs towards her father’s church.
Cyrus wants his coat back. Conflict: Talking -> Physical -> Fighting. After being stabbed with a pair of scissors, Cyrus retrieves his coat and promises to deal with Annie later.
Enos stops Duty from entering the church and tells her he knows who her real parents are.
This is where we stopped.
Enos and Cyrus plan to start next session speaking with Nathaniel, Grace, and Zeke to find out about the group “True Faith”.
Next my thoughts.
jenskot:
I sometimes have trouble escalating to gunfighting. I find to make the player’s judgment truly a choice, I need to present the situations from multiple perspectives and really hit home how the NPCs justify their actions in their own minds. This is partly why I stay away from obvious supernatural occurrences. They often make judgment easier. That guys glowing. Shoot him! Which tends to be similar to, that guy’s a rapist. Shoot him! But the more invested I become in making judgment interesting, the harder I find it to escalate to gunfighting.
Coupled with the above, my games tend to be fairly roleplaying intensive and I often feel they are too conflict light. In yesterday’s game, I felt satisfied playing 3 solid hours with 8 conflicts.
I’ve run Dogs 50+ times with non gamers, people who only play 1-2 RPGs, and people who play a diversity of games. I find that non gamers get Dogs immediately. At least procedurally. Many new people quickly become turned off by how they end up behaving! Many people who mostly play 1-2 games seems either confused by the die pool mechanic, frustrated with the conflict restrictions, or become obsessed with how the dice work: constantly re-ordering their dice, spending a lot of time trying to understand the strategy, and forgetting the fiction entirely. The idea of playing 1 class also is an issue. I’ve found former Vampire and Call of Cthulhu players really get Dogs and love it. And people who are shy become very confident when they use the conflict mechanic to assert their contributions.
Regardless of the above, I find the more we play, the more likely the players have their characters either retire or go insane with what they have done. Having Dogs as a trait or a relationship often means it ends up being removed or changed via fallout. Characters also die easily. I find that Dogs is one of the deadliest games I’ve played. Which is funny because of my problem escalating to gunfighting above. People get so used to talking fallout = awesome, that they are unprepared for the realization of the severity of gun fallout. And then it is too late! I always warn them!
Paul T and David Berg are a dream to play with. They absorb mechanical procedures immediately yet aren’t distracted by the dice to the point where they become obsessed with winning over doing what they feel is entertaining and engaging. We were worried at first that their characters didn’t seem faithful enough to be Dogs but it worked out well. 2-3 players is now my ideal group size.
With 10 named NPCs a lot happened but it never felt like information overload. Writing each named character on an index card with their name and a picture of them really helped.
We finish Point Hollow this Thursday!
Paul T:
Thanks for writing this up, John!
The game was a blast, and I'm really looking forward to the next session. Your prep and presentation are simply fantastic--I'm glad you've been improving and updating your techniques as you've gone along! I was meaning to ask about your sheets for the game, and here you've gone and posted them up. Awesome!
I have a few comments about the game:
* I like how the system forced my character to do some pretty irrational, desperate things. When Sister Annie was trying to seduce him, not only did he give his Coat to her (to get the Coat's dice), but I even had Cyrus misdirect her and then try to run away so I could escalate to Physical! That was fun. And funny.
* That last bit in the writeup where you say "After being stabbed with a pair of scissors, Cyrus retrieves his coat and promises to deal with Annie later" isn't quite as I remember it. She attacked Cyrus with the scissors, yes, but no blood was drawn. Also, I'm pretty sure Cyrus didn't make any promises to her in that scene. (These details are probably unimportant, but I thought I'd mention them just in case.)
* The ratio of free roleplaying to conflict felt good to me! I prefer having some more talking and roleplaying, to learn about the characters and the Town, before jumping for the dice. And you did a great job of pulling out the dice every time a conflict was developing--it never felt like you went there too early or too late. I'm guessing that the second session will see more conflicts initiated by us, the Dogs.
* One thing we discussed was the escalation rules from Afraid, and whether we want to use them or stick with Dogs' default rules. I wonder if there's been some discussion of this elsewhere! I can really see both sides of this argument, although in play I actually liked the way the Afraid escalation rule felt very much (even though I kept forgetting about it).
* You know how I wrote "prostitution 1d6" under Relationships, on my sheet, but left parentheses around it? I think we can remove those parentheses. :)
* I was tempted to use that d6 to take a Relationship with Duty (the girl, not the noun), but she kinda scared me when she got all Michael Jackson on me. Ha!
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