Reformatting Adventures to Mirror Columbo
Goblyn Market adventures are unlike anything I have ever written.
Waaaay back on November 9th I wrote a Kickstarter update describing how Goblyn Market affairs are structured. If you missed it, here are the salient paragraphs. (If you go back and read the full entry you will see a whole law system that was ultimately scrapped in favor of something more streamlined. That was one of my darlings that had to die.)
Oh, Just One More Thing
Goblin Market puts a lot of onus on the players to carry the storyline moving forward. The escort is there to help with rulings and any npcs the players want to interact with. City scenes (the main role playing sections) start with a known location to establish setting and end with a clear goal.
The inbetween is a vast swath of unregulated shared storytelling confined only by the time limit of 20 minutes. This can be daunting for some players. Even the most experienced players need a little gunpowder to spark their imagination. We knew at the end of the scene the players would frame the outcome to change their animus one way or another based on laws. So, I just took the law that was being considered on the back end and introduced into the beginning. Now, the laws act as a theme to the scene. It doesn’t restrict it in any way. Just gives it a bit of a direction.
If playing Call of Cthulhu is like Sherlock Holmes and Brindlewood Bay is like Murder She Wrote, then Goblin Market is the spiritual successor to Columbo. You already know the end goal. You just don’t know how you get there!
So, here I am with three fully fleshed affairs ready to publish. And I don’t like them. Not the storyline, the plot is great! A trilogy of affairs documenting the rise of a new primacy built on the players decisions. But, how they are presented to the Escort doesn’t feel like enough. Or rather, I’m shoehorning in too many guide rails.
I’ve included a sample of of what I’ve already laid out in Affinity Publisher. The first adventure is already done. Complete with cover, back cover, and everything else. But, it reads very similar to every other adventure I have written. And that format doesn’t fit the Goblyn Market philosophy of the players running the show. Back to the drawing board!
Thinking Like a Detective
What do I need to arm the Escort with to empower the players to tell a thoughtful, fun, and dynamic tale? I got back to my newspaper reporter roots. To write a credible article folks need to know the who, what, where, and why. With two additional supporting independent sources. The why is already taken care of, the players have to complete the task in order to avoid becoming indebted.
The how is the totality of the roleplaying and can be fully supplied by the players. However, I want to arm the escort with possible play lines without strong arming any narrative.
Rewriting the The Garden of Eden section will now look like this:
(What) Debt:
Convince ‘the Astronomer’ to build a botanical garden.
(Who) Notables:
La Cuchilla – Former brigadier on a Spanish galleon, La Cuchilla has carved a minor fiefdom into the side of the Hebridean Isle. She rules with an iron fist and a hard heart. Her only soft spot is taking in strays and against all odds Azari has wormed her way into La Cuchilla’s affections. Cuchilla watches over her with the same ferocity she protects her pack of three-legged dogs.
Madame Broodain – Fellow engineer and former lover of Zohreh Azari. She has taken over running the observatory after Azari has taken residence in the Smuggler’s Wharf. Broodain’s heart has become callous to Azari’s plight and now spends her time looking for ways to take ownership of Azari’s patents.
Zohreh Azari – Azari is a brilliant engineer who is terribly home sick. She is banished from Persia for her family’s ties to a losing side of a coup. Azari now spends her days drinking her life away at the Goat’s Head in the Smuggler’s Wharf pining away to taste a pomegranate again. She gained the nickname ‘the Astronomer’ by building the observatory.
(Where) Locations:
The Locks – Trade ships loaded with cargo still travel between the inner and outer isles carry all sorts of goods including pomegranates.
The Observatory – Madame Broodain does not suffer fools and loathes interruptions. Asking about ‘the Astronomer’ will point the courtesans towards Goat’s Head in Smuggler’s Wharf.
Smuggler’s Wharf – Zohreh Azari can always be found at Goat’s Head deep in her cups. Two thugs are nearby keeping on eye on her on orders of La Cuchilla to make sure nothing untowards befalls her.
(How) Possible Modifiers:
+1 Bring Azari a pomegranate from the Locks
+1 Get Azari kicked out of Smuggler’s Wharf
+1 Tell Azari Madame Broodain is trying to steal her patents at the Observatory
This format is a drastic departure from my usual presentation. And it should be! The game doesn’t play like a traditional rpg. Bolstered with this new knowledge I venture forth to completely reformat, update text, and hustle to get the first affair published before backers get their physical copies! Keep your eyes here for the release.