We have a theme of Intrigue. That's interesting, though in the last year I have organized a half-dozen LARPs with varying levels of intrigue and started a D&D campaign where the PCs fight in a resistance movement against evil efreet in the City of Brass:
If you do something here, you'll get burned.
So the day before GC started, I was already reading about clandestine cell structures used in espionage and revolutions. I guess the question here is: do I want to keep doing more of the same, or is that too straightforward/easy/not interesting enough? I'd like to vary up what I'm reading and writing, and Intrigue sounds too similar to what I have been writing.
Ingredients:
Fleur-de-lis: Symbolic primarily of pre-revolutionary France. You know, I just finished reading this article about news syndication in Pre-Revolutionary France, and how songs heard in the street (and 18th century rap battles) were essential tools for informing the public and starting the Revolution. Once again: helpful coincidence, or too easy?
Dividers: More difficult to quickly integrate. Though if I'm dealing with revolutionary cells, division between cells is a very important concept. I'll have to think about this one some.
Seabird: That's a bit different, though it works great for some sort of spy codename. Also brings to my mind the Albatross in Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Seabirds as past sins? Seabird also fits with Fleur-de-lis (as in compasses and exploration) and Stars for nautical adventure in the Age of Sail. Probably a lot of games coming along those lines this time, especially as intrigue and espionage can fit right into an Age of Sail sort of game.
Star: As already mentioned, you got stars as navigational tool. You could also transpose your your French sailing ship into outer space:
Kinda like Spelljammer
Sailing ships in outer space is already kind of done in rpgs, though. Stars also have a crazy number of other connotations, too, which could be used somehow. Right now I can imagine a astrological system based off cards, something like how the Athasian moons are used in the weird game I just finished writing about Dark Sun. More on that later, perhaps.
And beyond the ingredients, there are a large number (twelve) of "Special Distinctions". I'll cover those in another post, though.
Fine, don't poke my emperor. :)
ReplyDeleteGah, and that's posted to the wrong entry. Damnation.
ReplyDeleteEmperor poking is likely to be done in November, I think. It just won't be part of Game Chef.
ReplyDeleteLet me know how it goes, or if there's anything I can do to help.
ReplyDelete