The Impossible Dream

Lollo · Czarmander Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

Hi guys.
Last month I finally purchased Dread, after hearing of this wonderful game. I think it's true that this is a perfect example of what RPGs can be (and, I hope, will be in the future).

Last weekend I did two demos during ModCon, by far the biggest and most important gaming convention in Italy. I used "Beneath a full moon" in both games, since I had never refereed Dread before and I was willing to see the differences during two runs of the same scenario; also, it is a quite simple scenario and I find it very useful to start, both for the players and the referee.

The games went good and everyone had good moments in playing them. My sessions were quite small since I don't linke long games (they lasted 2 - 2.5 hours). In the first session, an experienced player (with a very well done character with phobia of fire!) decided to sacrifice himself hitting the wolf with a stick on fire. This was perfect for the story, since it somehow redeemed the character from his phobia.
In the second game, the players at some time were very scary of pulling. I stated that the game was about pulling and they will pull. The difference is: if you don't take actions, I'll let things happen to you and you'll pull! So it's better for you if you decide your fate rather than let me make things for you... Still better, I think that the next time I'll follow the useful suggestions I've found on this forum, especially the one that says the referee should tell "if you don't pull, this and this will happen". And then let the players decide what to do. Now that's thrilling.
However, in the second game a character died in the river while trying to escape with the rafts. After that, the tower was rebuilt, we where quite at the end of the story and I definitely felt a loss of tension. Next time I think that, depending on the timing and pacing, I will have a greater number of prepulls, or state that after the first death normal pulls are 2 block, after the second death are 3 blocks, and so on.

Finally, let me say I really appreciated the manual not being a system, but a method. There are not charts, there are not numbers, but a very useful set of suggestions that help the referee mastering the fine art (and yes, I think this is an art) of playing a game of Dread.

PS: I've also reviewed Dread on the Flying Circus site (it's a group devoted to larp and experimental roleplaying).

Ciao
Lorenzo Trenti

Eppy · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 2:54 am Post subject:

I've got so much to thank you for, I'm not sure where to begin.

First, thanks for hosting Dread at ModCon. It's great that the games went well for you. And I'm happy that you've found the advice on this forum helpful.

Also, I'm glad to hear that Dread works with such short games. I have never hosted one that short. Typically mine run for about three to four hours. But now I want to try one. I think if I had a tower fall in a short game, I'd also try more pre-pulls or two pulls for every action. Something to ramp the tension up quicker.

And I want to thank you for your kind words, both in your review (which I read through Google's translator, so I think I got the gist of it), and what you said above. I definitely dig the idea of Dread as a method rather than a system. It has a ring to it.

Dreadmaster420 · Crouching Turtle Joined: 07 Aug 2006 Posts: 10

Dread is international!

epk · Czarmander Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 5

Eppy · Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:05 pm Post subject:

So, let's say, for the sake of argument, that I'm just the sort of narcissist who would make a map of all the places in the world where Dread is played. And the border of this map would be made up of the word Dread in all the various native languages of those who played it.

If that was the case, how would you spell Dread in you language?

epk · Czarmander Joined: 29 Sep 2006 Posts: 5

Eppy · Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 3:07 am Post subject:

Lollo · Czarmander Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 3

Eppy · Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 10:13 pm Post subject:

Beautiful.

Now I just need German, French, and Hebrew to cover the other countries that I know about.

Ogreman · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 12:14 am Post subject:

Dread in German is Kaltfurcht, literally 'cold fear'. I love German hybrid words.

Shawn Kehoe · Crouching Turtle Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

Eppy · Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:02 pm Post subject:

Welcome aboard, Canada.

You wouldn't happen to have the French word for Dread, would you?

Shawn Kehoe · Crouching Turtle Joined: 03 Aug 2007 Posts: 12

Meatpuppet · Czarmander Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Posts: 1

wedgeski · Czarmander Joined: 07 Aug 2007 Posts: 5

Hello from a fan in England as well. :) First post here.

In reading this forum, what amazes me the most is how Dread inspires so many outrageous and just downright *cool* house rules. Truly a case of an innovative design encouraging innovation from its players.