(Work in progress, rules will change)
I’m going to regret this, I can feel it!
Sometimes an idea becomes so much bigger than it’s original intent or just plain runs away out of control…
Here’s the context.
TwitTRPG is an experiment I accepted to do on a whim on a random Wednesday night after someone asked me semi-seriously to create a Twitter (A microblog engine that limits post to 140 characters) game world to let characters play in. I set up a trial with 11 players and we played one scene.
While it was far from perfect, it was fun and the concept holds sufficient promise to be explored more. Plus, I have it on pretty good authority that this had not been tried on Twitter before.
What is TwittRPG? It’s a Play by Tweets Storytelling Roleplaying game based on the features of Twitter. It’s divided in scenes. The game structure goes like this:
- The game has Two ’rounds’ per day (See Below)
- A scene with the DM posting a series of descriptive tweets and granting each player one action tweet.
- Players can discuss the scene among themselves with no limits.
- The action tweet covers a variable time frame depending on players.
- Players send their Action Tweet to the DM before the appointed deadline of the next round of the next round.
- The DM adjudicates the results of player actions, responds to some tweets and hands out bonus tweets to some players (Max one bonus Tweet per player).
- Players can discuss among themselves.
- Players with bonus action tweets send them before the appointed deadline of the day’s last round.
- DM describe results and concludes the scene or extends it to the next day’s turn.
- If scene is extended, DM summarizes event the next day and resets all players’ action tweets
The game’s schedule goes thus (All in EST):
8h00-9h00: New Scene or Summary of current extended one.
11h00: Deadline for action tweets
Noon-13h00: DM Updates scene and adjudicates player action. Hands out bonus tweets if applicable
18h00: Deadline for all bonus Tweets
21h00: DM Adjudicates bonus tweets, Updates Scene and concludes day.
Crunch:
Success is DM-fiat based and is guided on cleverness of Tweets and subjective strength of tweet vs other party members’ action.
If a random event must be generated, a d20 will be rolled with the goal of rolling 10 or more. Possibility to get a +/- 2 bonus/penalty.
Above and beyond using these mechanics, the Rule of Fun and Rule of Cool must prevail. DM must reward Clever use of the limits of a Tweet post (140 characters less the tag) and must focus on ’saying yes’.
Fluff
My current setting is a mix-match of all D&D editions and campaign settings (including the tropes behind them).
It’s also going to be quite a bit silly. Just because.
Beta Game #rpg1
I’m going to hold a beta test game on Monday September 8th with the following players.
- Coreworlder: A tall man, his clothing is nondescript but his short salt & pepper hair and numerous scars are testament to his experience
- Shytrblmaker: Solidly built dwarf, with thick red hair and stubborn jut to her hairless jaw. Battleaxe and small herb pouch on her belt.
- DictionaryBoy (Scarecrow):Dark haired Eladrin, smells of off meat, wobbly looking left leg badly stitched on, listing slightly, fixes you with a baleful stare. #trpg1
- BrentNewhal: A slight, 19-year-old girl in a revealing outfit and a black cloak. She carries two long, worn knives and a flirtatious grin.
- frdarvin: Male Psion with dark hair and Goatee.
- Fang Langford:Wiry rogue Ajmir, old in bangs-covered mismatched eyes, 4th-hand hide-armour attired, is a heavy iron 7′ pry-bar armed cat-burglar
Here are the twitter-specific instructions for game #rpg1:
- Players need to follow me @ChattyDm
- All posts about the game (in and out of character) must be tagged with #trpg1 before or after the tweet.
- The non-playing followers can use tag #trpgfan to comment on the game.
- Action tweets are written according to the following template:
- *Action*#trpg1 No need to put in @ChattyDM
- Players and audience can follow game and audience by searching for #trpg1 and #trpgfan at search.twitter.com.
- You can NOT use more than one Tweet for any action/description you send me. Extra tweets will be ignored.
- Twitter is a hard media to master and its part of the challenge. No takebacks, no complaining on the channel.
Wish us luck!
I wish to thank all players of the next phase as they have been the most helpful and enthusiastic fan of this very experimental project… If this works, I may try a similar model for Facebook.
Opening scene of #trpg1 beta game:
- #trpg1: Northshire. While resting at Lakeside Inn, bloodied horse barges in. As it rears in terror, its dead rider falls and drops scrol…
- #trpg1… that reads: ” Find the sword in Three for it must be set Free. For the paths to See, seek the Eddy”
Scene 1 Action Tweets:
- BrentNewhall #trpg1 *Ellora puts out a hand to steady the horse, and inspects it. Is *t the rider’s blood, she wonders? Is the horse otherwise special?*
- DictionaryBoy #trpg1 *Cariel teleports in the direction of the lake to look for a whirlpool, leaving his left leg behind him*
- ShyTrbleMaker #trpg1 *Furrowing her dwarven brow, Keldra marches towards the inn, intent on questioning the locals about the lake, the Eddy, and swords.*
- fang_langford *Ajmir stoops to inspect the body, hands working quickly and professionally, finding all this rider’s secrets, making them his own.* #trpg1
- coreworlder *Kane pulls a scroll case from his pack, searches it and, finding a map of the region, looks for anything mentioned by the scroll* #trpg1
- frdarvin: No Tweet submitted
Scene #1 update (I’m not posting intra player tweets, search for #trpg1):
- #Trpg1: Horse normal, Blood from rider. No Whirlpool seen from Lake but numerous isles seen. Rider has a medallion with a spiral on it…
- #Trpg1 At inn: legend of the sword was story about vanquishing primordial Demon King. There is an Eddie in town, village Idiot…
- #Trpg1 At Inn and from map: There is an Eddy in lake among isle… Dangerous to fishermen
- #Trpg1 On map: Tomb of King Edward, two days. As a group chose next course of action, 1 tweet for whole group.
Scene #1, Bonus Tweet Update
- DictionaryBoy: *points outside and groans “laaaaake” before shuffling off to trudge the lakebed around the eddy near the islands in search of clues* #trpg1
- coreworlder: #trpg1 *Asks the other travellers at the inn about the roads to our potential destinations and what might lie along them*
- fang_langford: #trpg1 *Streetwise sly, I spend time with idiot Eddy, listening and pondering king, sword and troubled waters before meeting with the group*
- ShyTrbleMaker: #trpg1 *I’ll be about the village, asking folks of the legend of the sword. Mayhap there’s a man of faith who knows more.*
- frdarvin: #trpg1 *Asks around the village for more information about the whirlpool eddy.*
- BrentNewhall: #trpg1 Ellora asks around the Inn about this village idiot Eddie, to see if anyone knows if he’s connected to King Edward.
- #trpg1: Village Idiot been around for ever. He’s ageless, distraught and bloodstained. Repeats nonstop that someone stole his Eddie…
- #trpg1: On sword villagers say “’twas mighty weapon of Good ole King Ed, Demon King he chopped in pieces’ Sword exploded, Relics now lost…
- #trpg1: King Ed’s Tomb in Deathfang Forest 2 days walk northeast by old road. Forest is inaptly named…. It needs a ’s’ after Deathfang…
- #trpg1 Eladrin Zombie Shuffles off in lake. Comes back with Squid Stuck to Head. Groans something about Eddy leading to Sunken Temple!
Scene 2 Onward to the Sunken Temple!
- #Trpg1 Our Stalwart band of heroes rent a fishing Dinghy and Make their way to the Isles. They see a whirlpool surrounded by sandbars…
- #trpg1 …You see more forested islands surrounding the sandbars. You hear the loud cries of giant predators surround you. 1 Tweet each.
Action Tweets for scene #2
Credits: Tangent128 (Image)
- DictionaryBoy: No Action
- coreworlder: No Action
- fang_langford: #trpg1 *Holding the amulet before him, Ajmir wades slowing into the eddies of the churning whirlpool; ready with the lie, “I CAIN’T SWIM!”*
- ShyTrbleMaker: #trpg1 *Removing a small spade from the pack on her back, Keldra searches the sandbars around the eddy.*
- frdarvin: No Action
- BrentNewhall:#trpg1 *Ellora rolls her eyes, grabs Ajmir, and holds him high enough to keep him from drowning (part of “helping with the amulet”).*
I assume that all non tweeters have followed the group.
Scene 2 Update:
- #trpg1 Ellora and Ajmir wade around outskirts of Whirlpool, fiddling with medallion. Click is heard, it mechanically morphs into a hilt…
- #trpg1 Waterphobic Dwarf practices archeology, Uncovers 3 Slabs of marble. “Eddy” circular symbols (medal. size) imprinted in bas-relief…
- #trpg1 As heroes wade and dig, 10 Gargantuan tentacles burst out of water and surround the whole whirlpool area. Bonus tweet all!
Scene 2, Bonus Tweet update
-
fang_langford: #trpg1 *In a convincing act, Ajmir ’slips’ and is swept under, hilt and all. Unseen, prybar bearing down on the dark maw, swims our rogue.*
- frdarvin: #trpg1 *Mentally forms a disc of blue energy and hurtles it forth into another tentacle, severing it completely. The disc dissipates*
- ShyTrbleMaker: #trpg1 *Quickly pulls axe from belt, and with a mighty chop, severs the closest tentacle. And then chases down another.*
- BrentNewhall:#trpg1 (At medallion) “Yay!” (At tentacles) “Sh$%!” *Ellora slashes at a nearby tentacle and dives underwater to see what this beast may be*
- DictionaryBoy:No Action
- Coreworlder: No Action
Scene 2, Final Update
-
#trpg1 With 2 tentacles severed, remaining pulled back. Ajmir and Ellora grabbed by 2 each and are repeatedly smashed against rocks…
- #trpg1 Both limp forms are thrown to nearest island and crash in the underbrush. Giant Squid retreats deeper to nurse wounds and ego…
- #trpg1:Next scene tomorrow at 9h00 am EST. This concludes day 2 of TwittRPG beta game #1. Thanks for playing/following. Feedback welcome.
Scene 3 Fallen Friends
- #trpg1: As you see your friends crash in the island, you ear several large carnivourous grunts of surprise and inquiry. Isle is 40′ away…
- #trpg1 With a sinking feeling you hope that Ajmir and Ellora didn’t drop medallion-hilt. Both are conscious but beaten up. 1 Tweet each.
Scene 3 Action Tweet
- BrentNewhall: *Ellora groans in pain, checks around for the amulet, then pulls both daggers and peers into the underbrush.* (Did we lose amulet?)
-
fang_langford: #trpg1 *Stumbling onto the beach, held up by his prybar, Ajmir has that wild-eyed, frightened look, his speed impaired by ‘unseen’ injury.*
-
coreworlder: #trpg1 *Hefts some still wriggling tentacle onto his shoulder and dashes through the shallow water before tossing it into the bushes*
-
TrbleMaker: #trpg1 *Keldra raises the clean axe and braves the water to aid Ajmir and Ellora, prepared to heal small injuries with herbs from her pouch*
(Awesome show of team spirit here, cue Nirvana song)
Scene 3 Update:
#trpg1: As friends converge, woozy heroes retrieve amulet. Dire Raptors encircle party of four who exhude smell of grim determination…
#trpg1: Raptors hesitate for few moments, untill pile of juicy tentacles drops at their claws. Sashimi for all! Heroes Saved. End of Scene.
Scene 3.5: A timely discovery!
#trpg1 As you discuss the next step, you notice that both Ellora and Amjir are fingering a medallion! Ellora’s is not Amjir’s!…
#trpg1 Second medalion is also bloostained and was found near fresh carcass of a gutted raptor. 1 tweet each. (Sorry for plot twist)!
#trpg1 When activated, 2nd medalion forms the top half of the sword…. (other one forms hilt).
(Fast forward to scene 4 as no significant tweets were necessary, all PCs assume to have restocked, sewn up and prepared to ride to King Ed’s tomb)
Scene 4: King Ed’s Tomb of Horrors
#trpg1: You spend 2 days traveling to King Edward’s temple, daydreams of finding the 3rd medallion dancing in your mind’s eyes…
#trpg1 As you approach tomb, you notice devastation and death all around. Chapel and Tomb surrounded by undead!..
#trpg1: All are wearing familiar garment, that of the dead bloodied Horse Rider. A sinking feeling fills you as horde of Ghouls charge you.
#trpg1: Your move players. ONE tweet each. (There’s 3 ghouls to the PC)
Scene 4 Action Tweets
- BrentNewhall: #trpg1 *Ellora pulls out her long daggers and, with surprising agility and a few yells, slashes viciously at the nearest three zombies.*
- frdarvin: #trpg1 *Focuses his mind to become more agile. Fending off 2 of the ghouls with his staff, he manifests a ray of hot energy toward a third*
- fang_langford: #trpg1 *Behind the group’s middle, Ajmir hefts his 6′ iron prybar, revealing his hidden strength, readying for the first foe to touch him.*
- DictionaryBoy:*Cariel readies a sword in one hand, and his rottting headsquid in the other, ready to engage the ghouls*
-
coreworlder: #trpg1 No Action (Fighting assumed)
- #trpg1 A gruesome fight erupts! Pieces of flesh, undead and still living, fly up in an explosion of hatred for life and Steely resolve….
Scene 4 Dice rolls:
- BrentNewhall: 1d20+2 = 6 Moderately wounded, 1 Ghoul killed.
- frdarvin: 1d20+2 = 6 Moderately wounded, 1 ghoul killed.
- fang_langford: 1d20+2 = 3 Dying, no ghoul killed.
- DictionaryBoy: 1d20+2 = 18 Unwounded, Five Ghouls killed
coreworlder: 1d20 = 11 Unwounded, 2 ghouls killed
-
TrbleMaker: 1d20 = 3 = Severely Wounded, no ghoul killed
-
Ghouls: 9 ghould remaining
10 Comments
Write a Comment»As I mentioned in the email: I think a Twitter-based RPG is a *brilliant* idea. The 140-character limit will force players to think about their actions. It’s naturally easy to see everyone’s actions. And it will occur in public, thus gathering attention for the roleplaying community.
Here’s my two pen’north, as much for the players as for the Phil:
1. Don’t think in rounds, think in scenes. Say what your character intends to do in the next 10-60 minutes (quiz the guard, fight, scout the area, find contacts in the city, etc).
2. Use teamwork. Two (or more) peeps doing the same thing is more likely to succeed. The party that tweets together stays together. Or dies together. I forget which. Talk behind Phil’s back. He’ll never know. Hehehehe.
3. Phil, set a tweet deadline, measured in hours not minutes. Think play-by-post, not play-by-irc. This’ll make it easier to manage
But hey, what do I know?
greywulfs last blog post..Sunless Citadel 4e style
Twitter search offers you the option of having a feed of the search update to your reader. Then the uniqueness of the hashmark is what keeps it going so #dwarf would be easier to find than dwarf or at least easier to sort out. Still would need something unique and hopefully short. No more stealing from our 140 character pool - at least more than you have to!
Here’s today’s playtest: http://www.scattershotgames.com/index.php/twitterrpg-test-chattydm-948/
I think your idea on pacing out the tweets works great, Phil. I think ShyTrbleMaker’s search idea is probably the only way to keep everything straight. I used http://search.twitter.com/search?q=+twitterrpg+OR+%23trpg+OR+%40Chattydm+OR++from%3AChattyDM to generate the playtest log.
I’d like to add that there should be some attention to instructions that will get people to tweet amoungst themselves before each round. My suggestion is in the paragraph above Rule #1 in http://www.scattershotgames.com/scatterwiki/doku.php?id=rules:first_draft_mini
Please, please, please, please, please may I be in the next playtest?
Revised rules look good to me.
Suggest any tweets *just* to #trpg1 are considered player-to-player chatter. Tweets sent to @ChattyDM (and #trpg1) are the player’s declared action. Darn. That’s 15 characters used. That’s a lot of the 140 gone right there.
How about the declared action is surrounded by stars, like this:
*I try to negotiate peace with the Orc Consulate #trpg1*
That way there’s no need to include the direct tweet to Phil, and they’ll stand out from the text. Just a thought.
greywulfs last blog post..Character du Jour: Tomoe Gozen
I reset the comments (except those that were helpful for the next phase).
@Greywulf: I like the * action tweet* idea. It will simplify things and only steal 2 characters.
Consider it adopted!
A couple of suggestions. Though it may be too late to implement these now =)
First, rather than using asterisks to indicate action it perhaps just tag them as #trpg1a. The simple addition of the “a” at the end to indicate that you are taking an action. This would make the actions easier to search on if you are looking for just the actions and yet they would still appear in a search for #trpg1. (This coming from a someone who just found the project/game and wanted to catch up on just the game that has taken place to far and not all of the “chatter”.) The DM may want to tag his descriptions/resolutions/etc in the same way.
Summery:
Search #trpg1 - to find everything.
Search #trpg1a - to find in game actions, descriptions, etc.
Second suggestion: Players may want to create new Twitter accounts to post their actions with. Then character name could match account name, and they could put a brief description in the Twitter profile.
Those are excellent suggestions Milambus! Thanks for sharing them. I’ll definitively implement them (or something similar) in the next Beta game.
Not to be too complicated - I be a simple dwarf! But what about #trpgo for ooc, #trpga for action (as suggested) and #trpgt or #trpgd for talk/discourse amoung chars? And I did make a new account just for TwittRPG - rather forward of me wasn’t it? Still in keeping with me - I have TrbleMaker
After a long reflexion, I’ve decided to drop the TwittRPG experiment. While it is an idea filled with potential and is loads of fun, this is too work intrusive and interferes with my current, more promising projects. I will return to it soon to conclude this page and offer tips to create a successful game.
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