RPGBern (check us out on rpgbern.ch) comes with a new project and a new idea: join forces to help us realize a day of fun with the first Bern-wide rpg session!
The idea is to have on the 17th of November an adventure together that spans all locations in Bern and lasts around 6 hours, with many tables in all the main RPG related locations in Bern, and – and this is where YOU come in – many GMs!
The ambitious part of this project (apart from the size) is that we want to have one overarching story! Combining the stories you will play at your table with an overarching story, you will be able to be a part of a larger plot, and your players will impact and feel the impact of each other group’s decisions.
You can of course use parts, ideas and plot points from prewritten adventures, but the basic idea of connecting the different stories requires some customized adventures that we will prepare together before the event. More informations on the plot (no spoilers!) and how this will come to happen will be given to the GMs as soon as we have the informations of the settings everyone will run at their table.
If you think this idea intrigues you, fill the form at https://rpgbern.ch/en/megabern-gms/ by filling in some informations about your game and your email.
The registrations for the GMs will be from NOW until the 31st of May. After then you will be contacted at the email you inserted in the form. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us at the mail megabern@rpgbern.ch.
Come join us in this macroscopic event and thank you in advance!
PS: Currently the locations we are considering are the CDC, the Drachenäscht, the Erupt Lounge, the KuL room and the Zwergenschmiede. If you are aware of another location which might be interested in participating, let us know in the form or via email!
The first Höck in the new rhythm has taken place. Here are the most important things in brief:
Mario and Patricia have installed new equipment such as a garbage can, vacuum cleaner, flyer holder, LED light switch and hung up the wooden dragon. The room is getting prettier and prettier! Stone-look wall tiles have also been ordered and window film, door stickers and banners are still planned.
Equipment is being purchased to facilitate online participation in the Höck and probably even to stream game sessions if groups are interested.
In summer there will be a barbecue event for KuList members, stay tuned!
System of the Month May: Agents of Dune, 16.5. & 23.5. Your house is to provide the new government of Arrakis in an alternative “What if?” scenario in which you must ensure the supply of the known universe with the vital SPICE. Can you maintain control of Arrakis while the entire Empire watches your every move? Or will this appointment mean the downfall of your house? Registration via info@kul-verein.ch, 0/5 places taken.
Pathfinder Society, 8.5. The Labyrinth of Open Paths has been largely stabilized, yet agents are still ending up in the wrong place. No one has been hurt yet, but Venture-Captain Sigvard Tornkvist fears that it’s only a matter of time before injuries or worse occur. She tasks the PCs with investigating the cause of these mishaps and, if possible, eliminating them. Registration via Meetup.
Arcanor-Community-Campaign, 11. & 18.5. Discover the secrets of the continent of Arcanor together with over two dozen other players in our D&D community campaign. In German. Join at any time, just write in the Discord!
The next meeting will take place on Thursday, June 6 at 6 pm Participation possible on site or via Discord.
Your House is to provide the new government of Arrakis in an alternative “what if?” scenario, where you must ensure the supply of vital SPICE to the known universe. Can you maintain control of Arrakis while the entire Empire watches your every move? Or will this appointment spell the downfall of your house?
In this game with GM Simon, you take control of the desert world of Arrakis and with it the important resource Spice. You coordinate the activities of your noble house, conclude trade agreements, form alliances and harvest the valuable spice. It’s up to you whether you help your house gain prestige and fame or let it sink into the sands of Arrakis.
The game will take place on May 16 & 23, 6 pm in English. Pre-made characters are available.
A fellow player surprised my Pen & Paper-group and me with a remarkable gift: in a burst of seemingly manic energy, he transformed the 150-page player summary of our first campaign into a Kanka-Wiki. Check it out, it’s fantastic!
Our first Dungeons & Dragons campaign, “Princes of the Apocalypse,” marked my debut as a long-term Game Master. As I delved into the Kanka’s character, location, and journal sections, I found myself reflecting on the lessons learned. What worked? What didn’t? How did the campaign book assist me, and where did it fall short? And most interestingly, what would I do differently today?
This, coupled with wanting to show off the awesome Wiki, inspired this post. Attention, spoilers ahead!
The initial dozen sessions progressed smoothly. Players delved into their first dungeons, fostered NPC connections in the town of Red Larch, and experienced dramatic character deaths and introductions of new characters. The campaign book provided enough inspiration for roleplaying intriguing NPCs and offered engaging adventure locations to explore. However, much of it was buried in WAY TOO MUCH text, requiring significant rewriting for practical use at the table. But isn’t this what GMing is about? (No.. No, it isn’t.)
As we ventured into our first major dungeon, I fell into a trap, set up by traditional D&D dungeon presentation – revealing inhabitants and features room by room. In a fighting scene, happening in a secluded area of a large cavern, a player used the VERY loud spell «Thunderwave». The suddenly pretty worried players brought up the question, whether this would alarm the rest of the dungeon’s denizens. My pretty concerned thoughts: «Oh boy, I’m frakked, right? The dungeon is actualy above the PC’s level, and if they get swarmed by all the inhabitants, that’ll be one of theses dreaded TPKs (Total Party Kills) ending the whole campaign! Also am I really supposed to scim through several pages of room descriptions, to check for all the enemies? This can’t be how it’s meant to be run, right?» So i concluded: «Don’t worry! This is D&D. Dungeons are meant to be explored room by room and the monsters next door won’t recognize, what’s happening. Feels stupid, I know, but I think that’s how the game is meant to be played.» (It isn’t).
Only much later a blog post introduced me to and a Master’s Talk reminded me of the concept of «Adversary Rosters» So, first lesson: Use Adversary Rosters. If you want to know what they are about, check out the mentioned blog post or this presentation.
Another lesson emerged when my players surprised me with their unexpected actions at the Cult of the Eternal Flame’s hideout. Confronted with the Cult’s forces conducting an evil ritual, the players chose to retreat and never return. This left me figuring out the consequences of the ritual’s completion, since the book lacked a description of the ritual’s goal.
And goals in general. I realized I had no clue what the four Cults and their iconic leaders actually wanted and what they did to reach their goals. They just sat in their dungeons waiting for the players to show up and kill them until the last one would be confronted while summoning his elemental Overlord. Very villainous. And boring.
The leaders Aerisi Kalinoth, Marlos Urnrayle, Vannifer & Gar Shatterkeel
So I took the Fire Cult’s leader, Vannifer, out of her dungeon and let her ritual-empowered army rampage through the valley. This led to the cinematic Battle of Beliard, with clashing armies, the feeling of «Ooops.. We caused this..» in my players, and the glorious defeat of a Cult Leader, dying for her cause on the field of battle. The lesson: Villains need goals and agendas including consequences upon their completion.
Reflecting on these experiences, I would change the following, if running this campaign again:
Define distinct goals and subgoals for each cult, promoting opposition between them.
Utilize the faction system from “Worlds Without Number” to simulate faction activities.
Incorporate Adversary Rosters for dungeon management.
Despite its design flaws, “Princes of the Apocalypse” offers a variety of villains and factions and the sandbox design provides the players with ample agency.
For us it lead to a cinematic epilogue and an awesome Kanka-Wiki that ties it all together and induces countless memories!
A new month, a new Höck. Here are the most important facts in brief:
The quarterly balance sheet has been drawn up and compared with our budget: It looks good 🙂 Thanks to everyone who uses the room, donates and consumes drinks!
Patricia has presented her decoration plans to us and since the quarter was positive, there will soon be new room upgrades. Let us surprise you! (Or if you don’t like surprises, read the minutes)
The Höck dates are changing. So that more people can attend the Höck and to separate the meeting day from the social meeting in Erupt, the Höck will take place on the following dates in future:
In odd months: First Wednesday of the month
In even months: First Thursday of the month
Time and place remain the same. In future, online participation will also be possible.
System of the Month April: Call of Cthulhu, 18.4. & 24.4. Fancy a thrill and cosmic horror? Then dive into the world of Call of Cthulhu with GM Cenk in April, a pen & paper role-playing game full of eerie mysteries and unfathomable horrors. Registration via info@kul-verein.ch, 0/5 slots filled.
Pathfinder Society, 17.4. Some time ago, the Seewer Dragons became allies of the Society of Scouts. Unfortunately, the Society failed to fulfill their obligations due to adverse circumstances – and now Chief Yiddlepode is reminding them to uphold their end of the bargain. Registration via Meetup
Arcanor-Community-Kampagne, 6., 10. & 27.4. Discover the secrets of the continent of Arcanor together with over a dozen other players in our D&D community campaign. In German. Join at any time, just write in the Discord!
The next Höck will happen on Wednesday, 1st of May at 6 pm Participation possible on site or via Discord.
