Hillfolk RPG - Session 1: HUNGER

We tried something quite new at our Wednesday night gaming session this week. We created a story used Robin D Laws' new DramaSystem roleplaying game Hillfolk. This game is a cooperative storytelling system which shares the creative job normally reserved for the gamesmaster to the players around the table. While Hillfolk still has a GM he has just a much control of the creative process as any other player, his job is to focus the creative process of the players into a coherent story. We had incorporated a little of this joint creation in our previous games most notably Cold City but never to the level required by Hillfolk.

This style of roleplaying is different to the regular pen and paper style and takes some getting used to. We struggled a little to start with because we tried to create too much detail for each element, by trying to rationalise each idea and ended up over complicate things. An example of this was it character generation when one of the players established that what they wanted from one of the other characters was 'his silence' the other had a little difficult leaving the statement open and unexplained. We went back and forward for a few minutes trying to decide what it was his character knew and why it needed to be kept secret. We soon realised that simplicity is the key, establishing only enough at one time to give the table a hint of a story untold and leave it as a hook to be explored later.

Here is what we created this week about the setting. The text in italics are the elements added by the players in response to a GM prompt

You live in the rugged southern highlands, where the strong and self-reliant prosper. Jagged hills cut them off from the rest of the world. They shelter you and daunt your pursuers. A distinctive natural formation, said to resemble the head of a bull, marks the hill on which your band’s fortress is built. This formation lends its name, Bullhead, to both your band, and to the fortress itself.

A narrow strip of flat land, raised on a plateau, sits in the middle of these hills. Your farmers work its poor soil. Uncertain rainfall soaks their fields one year, and leaves them to parch the next. In the rolling zones between hill and flatland, your herders pasture hardy sheep, scrawny cattle, and impudent goats. They graze on its weeds and grasses.

The land begrudgingly grants you grains and meat sufficient to a meagre existence. To enrich yourself, it demands that you go elsewhere, to raid. In bad times, like now, you raid each other. In good times, when a strong chieftain unites the hillfolk, you band together to raid more distant neighbours.

 Many clans like yours inhabit the Southlands, each with its own distinct variations on a set of common customs and beliefs. Amongst these rival clans The DeerHunter tribe whose people are said to worship the Great Stag, are the Bullhead’s most tenacious and implacable rivals.

The characters we came up with are summarised as follows

Andy - Strongarm is the old tribe leader and father of the current Chief. He harbours bitterness of those who voted against him and wants his old power back. 

GaryG - Patch is Strongarm's half brother and the tribe's healer. He desires revenge for the death of his mother but fears to act will harm his reputation. 

Trevor - Forest is the tribe's hunter. He wants a peaceful life but fears that peace must be won through violence and he must destroy before he can build.

There follows some notes from the scenes that we created

Episode 1 "Hunger"

Scene 1 - (Dramatic scene called by GM; Cast - Bladedancer (petitioner), Forest (Granter); When: Early morning in Autumn; Where: the edge of the settlement near crop fields) 

Young tribal warrior Bladedancer approaches Forest the tribe's Hunter as he is preparing to head out for the morning. Bladebancer is clearly anxious and demands Forests help in putting out a fire he has discovered in the fields that hold the tribe's crops. Forest trys to calm the young man down and then rangs the alarm bell to rouse the tribe.

Outcome: +1 Drama Token to Trevor for granting help to Bladedancer 

Scene 2 - (Dramatic scene called by GaryG, Cast - Patch (Petitioner), Strongarm (Granter); When: Simultaneous with previous scene; Where: The Smoking Tower overlooking the settlement) 

Village healer Patch quizes his half-brother Strongarm to find out his intentions. Strongarm confides that he wishes to take back leadership of the tribe from his son. Scene ends with the alarm ringing out.

Outcome: +1 Drama Token to Andy for willing admitting his plans 

Scene 3 - (Dramatic scene called by Andy, Cast - Strongarm (Petitioner), Bladedancer (Granter); When: Earlier this morning; Where: The crop fields)

Strongarm approaches Bladedancer and catches him sleeping on watch over the fields. Strongarm attempts to persuade Bladedancer to set fire to the crop to implicate the Deerhunter tribe in a attack on the tribe, telling him that doing so will make the tribe stronger. Bladedancer is furious and refuses saying that he will tell Goldmane of his father treason. The scene ends with the young warrior leaving Strongarm and heading off towards the settlement.

Outcome: +1 Drama Token to Andy for Strongarm having his demands rebuffed 

Scene 4 - (Procedural scene called by Trevor; Cast - Forest, Bladedancer; When - directly after scene 1)

Initially Forest and Bladedancer have some success putting out the fire but the flames soon get out of control and surround the the men. Forest attempts to flee the burning field covering his face and body with his cloak but trips over a burning bundle which turns out to be the source of the fire. Forest finds a broach in the bundle belonging to someone he recognises. When all hope of survival seems lost Bladedancers bursts out of the burning grasses and comes to Forest's aid. The pair escape from the fields but poor Bladedancer soon dies from his burns.

Outcome: Three consequentive fails with the third enforcing a negative personal consequence in a upcoming scene for Forest 

Scene 5 - (Dramatic Scene called by GM; Cast - Goldmane (Petitioner), Strongarm (Granter), Patch; When: Simultaneous with previous scene; Where: Outside Goldmane's tent)

Goldmane rouses himself from his bed which he has been sharing with two of the tribes women. He sees that amongst the confusion of the camp only his Father and Uncle are ready to act. He demands that his father take command of the efforts to save the tribes crops even though the task looks impossible. Outcome: +1 Drama Token to Andy for accepting his son's order. 

Scene 6 - (Dramatic scene called by GaryG; Cast Patch (Petitioner), Forest (Granter); Where: In Patch's tent) 

Forest and Patch were in Patches tent and Forest was having his burns tended to. Patch tried to gain information as to how the fire was started but Forest refused to reveal any information that he had gathered from the field. Outcome: +1 Drama Token to Gary since Forest refused to talk.  

Scene 7 - (Procedural scene called by Andy; Cast - Patch, Strongarm, Goldmane; Where - The Burned Fields)

Strongarm attempts to implicate the Deerhunters in the burning of the crops at the same time hide any evidence implicating him in the crime. The source of the fire is found and Strongarm manages to persuade Goldmane that the cloak used to start the fire is similar to those worn by the rival tribe. Goldmane agrees with the argument and set his father the chance to redeem himself for his failure in saving the crops by leading the raiding band against the Deerhunters.

Outcome: A success with a positive personal consequence in a upcoming scene for Strongarm.

More fun and perhaps a couple more new players next week

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