Feedback from Stairbender

Jason Rainville wrote:

Mister_Bruce wrote:Yes yes, one of the age old challenges is whether Amberites, or in this case Lords of Gossamer and Shadow, are familiar with our stories.

I think the easiest way to put it is that if every and all possible worlds are true, then every bit of fiction we've written exists not because we've written it but because we've just happened to put to paper one of the inexhaustible possibilities. there would probably be infinite worlds on the stair where our own reality was a storybook. So it's only a matter of how many Gossamer lords (including ones from our world) know about the stories of any other given world, because they all exist out there somewhere.... could be explained nicely by a gruff Lord "What, you thought you were special? You're nothing but a character too you know..." and lead to weird encounters where others who meet YOU are talking about your exploits on a starship or in fantasyland.

A. Bertram Chandler does a nice riff on this in The Dark Dimensions, where his hero John Grimes, visiting a mysterious alien artifact at the edge of the galaxy where the walls between the Coils of Time wear thin, meets a better-off version of himself (who stayed with his old flame) as well as fellow author Poul Anderson's dashing (and seductive) Dominic Flandry. In the midst of all the Serious Business of the alien investigation and to the irritation of many of the mission-oriented characters, hijinks ensue.

Feedback from Curufea

Even Corwin in the original books ponders the existentialisms of walking Shadows and whether they existed before he imagined them.
It comes down to "are you a brain in a jar and everything is sensory stimulus" or "are you god, and no one else exists but as you create them".

Lords and Amberites need to be special - so they don't keep bumping into variants of themselves - but shouldn't be too special or they lose empathy for others. It probably should be a campaign trope you work out with the players at the start.

Are all stories happening wih or without player intervention? If so, why do the players try to change outcomes, if there will always be a World out there that the outcome went the other way?

Feedback from Jason Rainville

Mister_Bruce wrote:Yes yes, one of the age old challenges is whether Amberites, or in this case Lords of Gossamer and Shadow, are familiar with our stories.

I think the easiest way to put it is that if every and all possible worlds are true, then every bit of fiction we've written exists not because we've written it but because we've just happened to put to paper one of the inexhaustible possibilities. there would probably be infinite worlds on the stair where our own reality was a storybook. So it's only a matter of how many Gossamer lords (including ones from our world) know about the stories of any other given world, because they all exist out there somewhere.... could be explained nicely by a gruff Lord "What, you thought you were special? You're nothing but a character too you know..." and lead to weird encounters where others who meet YOU are talking about your exploits on a starship or in fantasyland.

GM Commentary

You're most welcome. Session 4 was run this evening. Will post the write up in the next few days. Three new worlds explored, including one straight from a work of fiction which has the players questioning whether the author was himself a Lord of Gossamer or not, and whether the world inspired the book, or the book created the world.... I actually forgot to mention in Session 2 that Grant picked up a copy of this book in Tyndam - which was itself a clue that there was something funny going on because the date in Tyndam was at least sixty years before the printed date of the book. More on that later....

Yes yes, one of the age old challenges is whether Amberites, or in this case Lords of Gossamer and Shadow, are familiar with our stories. I think I've seen pretty much every obvious cross-over in the last twenty years - Star Wars/Amber, Star Trek/Amber, Doctor Who/Amber, Vampire/Amber, Battletech/Amber, Super Heroes/Amber - etc etc etc. Games based on parallel universes are great for sucking in every other possible game setting. I've seen some really good adaptations over the years too (when they are done well) but normally I just plain ban them - no PCs are allowed to originate on Shadow Earth or have any connection to Shadow Earth so that we don't have PCs rubbing shoulders with Captain Kirk, Luke Skywalker or the Vampire Lestat. It can be done well, but it's a slippery slope.

Feedback from InquisitorD

I too want to thank you for this useful tool you're giving us. As I first read on the Kickstarter about this, I was excited because, while I love Amber, I liked having something that was different. The challenges I've been reading about thus far are what came to my mind as soon as I read the concept. Of course, for some reason the movie Crossroads comes to my mind. How they open doorways between the various realms and realities. Then, someone out there on the internet developed a power for the Amber DRPG called Crossroad that also seemed to give me that movie's feel.

I need to read what I can on the rules and more on the structure of the doors and the stair for a certainty. I like the different doors. I also like the idea of hidden doors and special keys/phrases/whatever in which to access the doors. Perhaps it's because of my love of Planescape that I enjoy that thought so much.  

Again, thank you and thank you to the other 2 going through this with you. It is very exciting and I'm looking forward to September more and more now.

Session 3 - Testing Limits

GM Observations/Summary
- Session 3 was all about finding out what the characters could and could not do. The Shadow Earth plot was also 'tripped', which gave Grant/Ethan interaction with other beings who had knowledge of the Grand Stair and the Doors.

Realm 10 - Versais (Blue Door)
- The session began with Grand and Ethan heading back to Versais as they were unsettled by their recent experience with a strange cat on Shadow Earth.
- Ethan attempted some Wayfinding whilst returning to the Blue Door, seeing if it was possible to manipulate the environment on the other side of the Door to create a favourable situation. As per this post, that did not work.
- A bit dismayed, feeling a bit foolish after being scared by a cat, and emboldened by their relative strength in Versais, Grant and Ethan decided to return to Shadow Earth and test whether they were as strong in Shadow Earth as they are in Versais. 

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- With no sign of the strange cat, Grant and Ethan tried a series of tests as detailed in this post. Some were successful. Others were not.
- However, they were interrupted at the pub (that's a bar for those of you not familiar with the term 'pub') whilst people watching when Ethan became aware of a raven watching him through the window. Ethan gave the raven a withering glare and the raven seemed visibly flustered. GM's note - perhaps a mild use of Psyche?
- Grant became aware of Ethan's discomfort but said nothing. Ethan went to the bar, bought another pint and relaxed in the booth. He took a long sip of his beer, relaxed and shut his eyes. To his surprise, he could sense many 'presences' gathered outside the bar. GM's note - definitely Ranked Psyche. Discussing their predicament, the two went outside to face the threat, and found many ravens on the power lines, waiting for them.
- As Grant and Ethan began making their way back to the house, the ravens took to the air and began following them. It was a bit eerie, but Grant and Ethan kept their cool.
- When they were almost back to the house, the ravens broke off and dropped out of sight behind a hedge. The sounds of furious battle were heard, and Ethan jumped the hedge to find out what they were fighting. 
- Ethan found himself facing a grand melee of cats against ravens. Hundreds of cats against scores of ravens, hacking and killing each other with razor sharp beaks and claws. After a minute of watching this strange spectacle, Ethan drew a pistol and fired it to get their attention. "Cease and desist, if you please," he demanded, but the cats were already fleeing as soon as he fired the gun.
- In the battle's wake there were dozens of wounded and dead animals. Only one raven remained, circling a nearby field and cawing out a strange message. Caw caw caw CAAAW CAAAW CAAAW caw caw caw. S.O.S. A distress call. Grant and Ethan followed the raven and found a badly mauled black haired, pale skinned girl of no more than ten years old. She was cowering in a blackberry bush and covered in cat scratches, some deep enough to be bleeding badly.
- Inspecting her wounds, Ethan offered to take her to a doctor but she refused. He then offered to take her back to the house and call her parents, and she accepted, using unusual language with references to the 'rules of hospitality'. Grant and Ethan were both on guard.
- The girl gave her name as 'Bella' but this didn't seem to be her real name. She also made reference to her parents knowing where she was, and that the ravens had carried the message. While they waited for her parents, Grant and Ethan cleaned and bound her wounds and offered her food and drink. Again she made reference to the 'rules of hospitality' in a most formal way.
- When the parents arrived, it was obvious to Grant and Ethan that they were not human. They looked like very tall (over 6ft 5) people of very slender build, but their movements were jerky, almost bird-like. Neither gave their name, even when asked. Like their daughter, they referred to the 'rules of hospitality' when invited into the house and made reference to being 'bound' to the 'rules of hospitality' given that they had accepted as guests.
- There was some polite but very strange conversation, with Grant and Ethan telling them very little about themselves. It seemed that this bird-family was at war with a cat-family and had been at war with them for a very long time, and that they would remain at war indefinitely as the source of their dispute was lost. They mentioned that both families were looking for a journal by Elijah Crees - and even though Ethan had found the journal, it was not mentioned to the bird-family.
- The conversation changed somewhat when Ethan asked if the cat-family would attack them here. Bella's mother said with certainty that they would attack at 2:22am - this precognition surprised both Grant and Ethan, and Ethan suggested wisely that they be elsewhere.
- At this, the bird-family protested and explained that could not leave because the object they were placed here to find had not been found. They could not pass through "the Door". At this point, Ethan asked further about which door they were referring to, and it became clear that there the township had more than one Door to the Grand Stair. 
- Given that the bird-family was present, there was no way to have private conversation between Grant and Ethan, so Ethan simply volunteered to take them to a place where the cats could not attack them… via another Door. The bird-family was astonished when presented with another Door (and the key to open it). Ethan asked if there was any other family members who needed to be taken through and was told politely there were no others. Bella's father asked if he had heard correctly that they had been invited to walk through the Door, again making reference to the 'rules of hospitality' and when Ethan reaffirmed that he was making such an offer, Bella's father admitted that on that basis, they could leave. At that very moment, they heard the anguished howls of cats in the distance… they were early.
- Grant and Ethan wasted no time and left Shadow Earth with the family before they could be attacked. There was resistance to the bird-family passing through the Door as two different magics battled it out - one was the sorcerous pact hold them to Shadow Earth, and the other was the much older magic of guest/host with the Wardens as the inviting host.
- Player's note: Ethan took a calculated risk. He didn't know if it was a trap, but decided that the potential value of an ally who was aware of the Stair and the Doors outweighed the potential risk.

Grand Stairway Section 1
- The bird-family followed Grant and Ethan on the stairway with great reverence. They start referring to them as 'Lords', and ask if the 'Lords' can take them home. Ethan suggests that they find a place to eat, rest and talk and Bella's family accepts.

Realm 5 - The Bar (Brown Door)
- Returning to the American-style bar, the two Lords and the family sit down to eat. Ethan asks why they are addressing them as Lords, and Bella's father makes reference to the presence they radiate - something that they can 'taste'. 

- The conversation goes on for some time, and Grant and Ethan learn all about the feud. Both families were sent to Shadow Earth one hundred and fifty seven years ago, and neither was to return until they had recovered the journal of Elijah Crees. The other family has given up hope and was seeking to wipe out Bella's family as the only other way to escape the sorcery that bound them to Shadow Earth. Both families had began 'enhancing' the animals (cats and ravens respectively) to make them better servants, but they were both forbidden by rules not to interfere with their makeup beyond certain limits. Bella's family made reference to other Lords who had dwelt on Shadow Earth, but they had left long long ago - whether they were still dead or alive, they did not know.

And that's basically where we left it. Grant and Ethan have a useful source of information to educate them about the universe, and there are a number of dangling plot hooks to explore. For example, where did the other Lords go? Are they still alive? Who sent the two families to Shadow Earth? Who is Elijah Crees and why is his journal so important? And so on ….

GM Commentary

Rats. I left my notepad at work and hence can't type up the results of Session 3. Oh well, here's a teaser:

• - Attempting to find the richest man in Versais by coincidentally bumping into him at the inn that we were staying at (attempting probability manipulation/testing the limits of wayfinding)   Does not work. Wayfinding enables a PC to find a desired realm, not manipulate the contents of a realm.
  
  - Trying to buy a winning lottery ticket in Shadow Earth (attempting probability manipulation/testing the limits of wayfinding)  Does not work for the same reason as above. Grant/Ethan have not yet tested a variant of this - ie: finding a Door on the Grand Stair which will result in them finding a winning lottery ticket. This would be an interesting test of wayfinding because it not only uses a Warden power to find the Door, but also a specific object on the other side of the Door. The limits of Wayfinding are still to be explored.
  
  - Trying to break the 4 minute mile (Strength/Endurance)    With Ranked Strength and Endurance, Grant and Ethan both achieved this. They were not racing each other so it's not clear who has the superior attribute in each area.
  
  - Trying to break the world record for 100m sprint (Strength)   With Ranked Strength, Grant and Ethan both achieved this. Neither pushed themselves to their limit to find out who is actually faster.
  
  - Trying to lift a car (Strength)   Grant found that he could lift the back-end of a small car without significant effort, but it was difficult to grip without damaging the vehicle. They considered the test a success without needing to lift the entire vehicle.
  
  - Punching a dumpster (Strength)   Ethan's punch left knuckle marks in the steel dumpster, but he suffered no bruising or broken bones. Grant also attempt to hit the dumpster and hit it hard enough to bend the metal and knock the whole dumpster backwards more than a metre. They chose not to test how fast they heal but made the assumption that it would be faster. Five minutes after punching the dumpster, Ethan had forgotten all about it. 
  
  - Attempting a one-finger handstand (Strength and a bit of balance)   Ethan attempted a handstand and achieved it. He then removed one hand and maintained his balance. He gave up after balancing on three-fingers as he believed the point had been made. Grant also attempted the feat and, taking his time, he managed to achieve a one-finger handstand.
  
  - Attempting the near-impossible in basketball (Warfare)   Grant and Ethan found that they were able to achieve three-point goals from extended range easily after only a few attempts. They also sparred on the court for a short amount of time, but abandoned it as neither party seemed to be tiring and they found each other relatively evenly matched.
  - People-watching at the pub (Psyche/Warfare - including attempted mind-reading)   A number of observations were attempted but it was difficult to verify. Their conclusion was that their senses had been heightened but then the exercise was interrupted by the arrival of a Raven (more on that when I do the Session 3 write-up)
  
  - Attempting to implant a memory at the pub "Haven't we met before?" (Psyche)    Concentrating on a weak-minded beer drinker in a pub, attempting to implant a memory and then offering a leading line to test whether the memory had taken did not give a convincing outcome. The target became confused by the question. Further investigation required.
  
  - Testing for ESP via Zener testing (Psyche)   Haha.... neither Grant nor Ethan could think of a way to achieve this at short notice. It required involvement of an impartial third party who could be trusted, and no one came to mind. The idea was parked.

Regarding the limits of Psyche, Strength, Endurance and Warfare, David and I have a very clear idea how this works now and where the boundaries are (thanks to some clarification from the LoG&S game designers). I'm not going to share those thoughts at this time because that would require revealing some of the contents of the unpublished manuscript and that's just not on. I'll just say that if Grant or Ethan went up against The Hulk, or Godzilla, David and I know how we would handle it.

GM Commentary

Thanks for the feedback. David and I ran Session 3 this evening and a lot happened. The plot on Shadow Earth 'happened' - the characters are now aware of others who have knowledge of Doors, and we now have allies who can educate us further on the Grand Stair. We've also further defined what ranked Psyche/Strength/Endurance/Warfare can do with more practical examples. (There is good guidance in the rulebook - this is on top of that). I'll attempt the writeup on Tuesday night. Here are some of the things we tried (I'll not tell you yet which ones succeeded):

• - Attempting to find the richest man in Versais by coincidentally bumping into him at the inn that we were staying at (attempting probability manipulation/testing the limits of wayfinding)
  - Trying to buy a winning lottery ticket in Shadow Earth (attempting probability manipulation/testing the limits of wayfinding)
  - Trying to break the 4 minute mile (Strength/Endurance)
  - Trying to break the world record for 100m sprint (Strength)
  - Trying to lift a car (Strength)
  - Punching a dumpster (Strength)
  - Attempting a one-finger handstand (Strength and a bit of balance)
  - Attempting the near-impossible in basketball (Warfare)
  - People-watching at the pub (Psyche/Warfare - including attempted mind-reading)
  - Attempting to implant a memory at the pub "Haven't we met before?" (Psyche)
  - Testing for ESP via Zener testing (Psyche)

Anyway, the plot thread that is running across the 3 worlds that are proximate to Shadow Earth on the Grand Stair has not yet been tripped. I reckon this game will last another 2, maybe 3 sessions and then we'll take stock, either to reboot or fast-forward.

Onward.....

Response from Croaker

Awesome! Thanks for this, this is a great idea, and looks like an interesting campaign. I look forward to reading you!

Response from Greenjack

I just wanted to post to say thanks for this it is very interesting read, though provoking and enjoyable...please keep posting...this is good stuff (and maybe you will earn some Good Stuff for it).

Session 2 - Expanding Horizons

 GM Observations/Summary

- Seeking out an object of desire was the critical, transformative moment of the session.
- Exploring boundaries and defining how things work is really important as it establishes the ground rules for future sessions.
- The characters do not know how strong or capable they are until pitted against an adversary.

Note that in the retelling below, I have omitted one or two retracements that the PCs made to confirm that they could find their way to their home domain and confirm that their wristwatches remained in perfect synchronisation with the hall clock in the manor house.
The images below are screen-captured from the Secret Door URL that I mentioned in a previous post.

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- The session begins with Grant and Ethan preparing for another excursion onto the Grand Stair and pack more provisions. Most notably (which will become important later on), they take a torch, a walkman (it's 1985 after all) and they synchronise their wristwatches with the clock in the house. Grant takes a shotgun with a handful of shells (that they aren't even sure will work) and Ethan takes a rusted cavalry sword that they have purloined from the house. Both are wrapped up in towels for concealment. Grant and Ethan also take wet weather gear.
- The pair are convinced that they are able to return to Shadow Earth whenever they need to and their anchor point is secure. They believe that the Doors are taking them to other places, possibly other worlds but they are not yet sure about whether it could be other times. 
- Their objective for their next excursion is to explore the Stair further and work out how many more Doors there are. They are expecting a small and finite number of additional Doors.

Grand Stairway Section 1
- Grant and Ethan quickly realise that there are many many more Doors than expected. They change plans, and decide that they need to be better able to defend themselves. Ethan wants a gun, or money to buy a gun (GM's note - the PCs have yet to see any evidence that guns won't work in all realities) 
- Now the important bit. The defining moment. Grant and Ethan start talking about needing to find some valuables that won't attract attention when they attempt to sell them back on Shadow Earth. They talk and agree that they are looking for gold or silver coins - they become quite specific, saying that they don't want conflict, and that the wealth needs to be easily accessible etc etc. Then Grant has a feeling and starts to lead the way. After walking for about 5 minutes, he finds a Door that feels right. (GM's note - Grant has just used his Warden powers to search for an object of his desire)

Realm 4 - The Curiosity Shop (Brown Door)
- Grant and Ethan find themselves in a strange shop which is empty. The sign on the shop door says that the owner has gone out for lunch (the sign is in English).

- They look around. Grant locates a leather bag of golden coins that is being sold as a curiosity. It clearly has no value in this place. (GM's note - again, Grant has just used his Warden powers to search for an object of his desire, finding the object of his desire amongst many other mundane objects) Ethan checks the cash register and finds strange notes in it, referring to the place as Albion. He takes a 10 crown note, Grant takes the gold and they leave.

Grand Stairway Section 1
- Back on the Grand Stair, Grant and Ethan consider the enormity of what has just transpired. Ethan takes the lead and decides to follow his own desire, insisting that Grant not be told where they are going (again, another test of their powers).

Realm 5 - The Bar (Brown Door)
- Grant and Ethan walk into a bar. Ethan says that they needed a place to sit, eat and rest. Some place that they would not be disturbed, would accept the gold coins, and indeed the bar appears just as quiet as he imagined. They find the bartender and order a drink and a burger. During this exchange, they discover something else - the bartender is not speaking English, and yet they they are able to converse normally (GM's note - they have just discovered Exegesis, another Warden power)

- The two relax in the quiet bar and eat heartily. They consider their situation carefully - they are fascinated, excited, but also quite scared. If they can truly find anything they want, who else can do this? Are they truly safe? They decide to acquire guns but want to keep a low profile and not attract attention.
- When they leave, Ethan leaves a thank-you note for the bartender, and he finds himself writing in an alien language. (GM's note - another version of Exegesis) 

Grand Stairway Section 1
- Returning to the Grand Stair, the duo decide to take turns on finding another realm. Rather than split up, they decide to stick together (safety in numbers). Ethan insists that the next destination needs to be a place to acquire weapons. It doesn't take them long to find a Door.

Realm 6 - The Alleyway (Grey Door)
- Grant and Ethan step out into an alleyway, and quickly find a gunstore in what appears to be an American-style township. They buy guns and ammunition. Grant buys a bo-stick. Ethan buys a knife and a compass (to experiment with).

Grand Stairway Multiple Sections
- Again they return to the Grand Stairway and it is Grant's turn. Grant seems determined to try something a bit bigger, but he won't tell Ethan where they are going. This time they walk for a long time - hours - and the corridors change in style over time. Regardless of how far they travel, both Grant and Ethan are certain that they can retrace their steps (GM's note - a Warden can always find his way back to his home world) They reach an older Door.

Realm 7 - The Dragon Hoard (Green Door)
- Grant and Ethan steps out onto a beach from a ruined stone house. There are cliffs nearby and the beating of the waves has collapsed part of the cliff-face, revealing a way inside. Ethan asks what they are here to find and Grant confides that he hopes to find a recently deceased dragon and a treasure hoard, something which he knows to be impossible. He is also looking for a magical weapon, something which is also impossible.
- After some searching, Grant and Ethan find a dead dragon. The dragon is less than 2 feet in length and the horde is little more than a mound of trinkets. This dragon is a magpie. But there is a dagger which glows. During this exploration, the electric torch has run very low on battery power. The walkman also seems to be flat. (GM's note - this gives the PCs their first indication that physical laws are not constant from place to place, and also that some realms may drain electrical power)

Realm 8 - Abandoned Building (Grey Door)
- A short trip along the Grand Stair and the PCs enter an abandoned building. They have sought a quiet place where they will not be disturbed.

- Ethan fires a gun. It works. Grant finds that the dagger is glowing a different colour. 
- The PCs decide that they need to retreat, rest and think. They return to the Stair.

Realm 9 - Forest Retreat (Green Door)
- Grant finds a realm in the forest which is warm and dry and they are not likely to be disturbed so that they can rest. Ethan is initially restless but he settles down eventually.
- After a sleep, they talk further and decide that they cannot rely upon the guns to work in all places. They decide to learn swordplay.

Grand Stairway Section 2
- With Ethan leading the way, the pair explore further where the Stairway becomes more old fashioned with many oil lamps. They find a blue Door which Ethan opens.

Realm 10 - Versais (Blue Door)
- Grant and Ethan find themselves in a 1600s French-style reality. They quickly set themselves up at a local inn, hire a tutor to teach them swordplay, and find very quickly that they are stronger and have greater stamina than the natives. (GM's note - both characters have ranked Warfare and Endurance)

- The duo spend a lot of time in and around Versais, the nearest city - almost two weeks - before Grant convinces Ethan that they need to return to their home domain. Both have learnt a great deal from Versais about themselves. Duels of honour are often fought with the sword, and the two of them have been involved in more than one duel. Ethan did not want to leave, but he grudgingly accepts.

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- Grant and Ethan retrace their steps along the Grand Stair, easily managing to find their way home. There are a pile of letters waiting for them and a strange black cat is sitting on the dining table. Ethan tries to pat the cat but it hisses at him. As they go through the letters, the cat attempts to snatch one and run off with it. Grant stops the cat, and shuts it in the toilet, only to have it vanish a few minutes later. Ethan is convinced that the 'thing' looks like a cat but it is not a cat. He convinces Grant that something else is aware that the Door has been opened, and the cat was trying to carry a message back to its master. 
- As they go through the last of the mail, they find a letter from Antarctica warning them not to mess with the Door, and that only 'bad things' can come from it. 
- Both badly spooked, Ethan is determined to return to Versais. The house in their home reality is no longer safe.

The session ends with Grant and Ethan heading back to Versais, concerned that something or someone is aware of their exploration onto the Grand Stair.

Additional Commentary

 It's getting late so I'll write up on Session 2 another night, but there are some key questions that I discussed with David this evening which we aim to explore further in Session 3:

1. The Doors are a weakness. Amberites could shift shadow from anywhere, but the Lords of Gossamer need access to the door to be able to move to another world (eg: to escape a current predicament). How does a budding Lord of Gossamer compensate for that weakness?
2. The constant when world-travelling is the Lord of Gossamer himself/herself. Hence any skills that he/she has can be employed anywhere. He can use a sword, ride a bicycle, apply mathematical principles .... how far can that be extrapolated? (this was always an interesting challenge in the Amber DRPG universe). Could a PC learn telepathy and then employ it in other realms? What about telekinesis, psychic blasts etc etc..... (as GMs, we're trying to work out how this should work)
3. The Princes/Princesses of Amber (again citing Amber DRPG) have multiple in-game reasons for being connected to one another. Family is the most obvious; a common source of power (Pattern Imprint) being another. Trump cards are also a common tool for communication. These three in-game mechanisms to connect one another don't exist in quite the same way in Lords of Gossamer. So if there are other Lords out there, how do they find each other? We understand part of this is completely up to the GM about what other Lords exist, how they interact, how they 'learn the ropes' etc..... we're just trying to come up with our own answer in this new universe based on the options presented to us in the rulebook.

Session 1 - First Steps

Ok, unfortunately Session 3 didn't happen tonight as I was simply too late (ah, the problems of running a game across multiple timezones). So let's start with the useful stuff:

Useful resources
In Amber Diceless, the PCs always know where they are going. They pick a Shadow of their Desire and head towards it. Not so in Lords of Gossamer and Shadow - there is "What's behind this random door?" as well as finding a realm of their desire.

So I wanted a random world generator, and what I found was this: 

Secret Door - Step Through to the Unknown .....
http://www.safestyle-windows.co.uk/secret-door/ 

These are locations all around the world on the other side of a random door. This is a great tool for a GM to have in his/her kitbag. I recommend looking it up.

Session 1 - First Steps

GM Observations/Summary
- With Grant/Ethan at a starting level and unsure of both their powers and capabilities relative to others, the game feels more like Sliders or Dr Who.
- Doors are critical in this game as they are a lifeline back to the Grand Stair, and safety. The further a Lord gets away from a Door, the less confident the character becomes.

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- Home shadow of Grant and Ethan
- The game starts with Grant and Ethan leaving Shadow Earth and walking onto the Grand Stair.

Grand Stairway Section 0 - Proximate to Home Shadow
- The stairway in this section looks very similar to the interior of the manor house from Shadow Earth, albeit the dimensions are wrong. There is no way that there can be a corridor and additional doors in this section of the house. The area is poorly illuminated (dimly from a chandelier above). There is no dust. There is a Grey Door, a Red Door and a Green Door in this section. The Shadow Earth door is a Brown Door. All doors are wooden and painted.
- Rather than follow the corridor into a more dimly lit area, Grant and Ethan open the Red Door which is directly opposite.

Realm 1 - Behind the Red Door
- Grant and Ethan step out of an Asian-style temple which is not quite Japanese or Chinese. There are fields of yellow flowers in all directions. 

- They both explore, and found a house on stilts overlooking a lake. The house appears empty, but they startle a brown-faced man who was cleaning the place. He runs off, leaving the PCs confused.
- Grant and Ethan feel uncomfortable so far from the Red Door, so they decide to return to the Stair, then return back to Shadow Earth 1985 via the Brown Door.

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- A little bit rattled by the experience, they confirm that they can easily return to their realm of origin. They decide to pack lunches and their satchels with things that might be useful, and then head out again. They decide to try the Grey Door.

Realm 2 - Behind the Grey Door
- Grant and Ethan open the door, and it opens into a tunnel with old dust on the ground. Grant decides that he doesn't like this realm and they decide to retreat back to the Grand Stair and try the Green Door instead.

Realm 3 - Behind the Green Door (Tyndam)
- Grant and Ethan have difficulty opening this door as it appears to be blocked from the other side. They push and are able to remove the obstruction - there is an overgrowth of ivy on the other side of the door. GM's note - as Wardens of the Stair the PCs can always open a Door, but this was a learning experience for them They find themselves in a long abandoned 'secret garden', and by willing the Door to appear as a door GM's note - again, another use of a Warden power, they are able to leave the garden. They find an empty manor house GM's note - which is more overgrown than the photo below but you get the general idea. All is quiet. Even though the door is locked, Grant is able to open the door easily GM's note - again, this is a Warden power. The more they explore, the more uneasy they feel. There is nothing living here. They walk into the township of Tyndam and every place is boarded up, or long deserted.

- The local church reveals some clues that there has been an epidemic which may or may not explain the current situation. There are also smashed roofs and patches of recently moved earth which convince Grant and Ethan that they are unprepared for threats, and that they best retreat. They return to the Grand Stair before nightfall.

Realm 0 - Shadow Earth 1985 (Brown Door)
- Grant and Ethan sit down for a hearty dinner, and make plans. Both want to explore further, and they are convinced that they can return to their place of origin, but they realise that they are not equipped for running into trouble. They lack money for proper equipment, and they have no way to defend themselves. They also speculate that if they can find a way onto the Stair and to access 'other places' that there may be others who are capable of the same. They decide to keep a low profile and not attract attention.
- One other observation is that Grant/Ethan notice that even after 24 hours, neither of them is tired. They explain this way as 'excitement of the moment' since neither of them is sure whether the Door is permanent or temporary GM's note - but it is actually a side-effect of them both having ranked Endurance

EDIT: Added pictures for the fields of yellow flowers which were found behind the Red Door, and the manor house at Tyndam.

Initial Post - Campaign Beginning

 *** NEWSFLASH ****

As of 24th July 2020, we have been running this game for 7 whole years. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORDS OF GOSSAMER! And with that, we are now starting Year 8.



And now back to the original post, dated 24th July 2013!
-----------------------------

Hi folks,

there are two of us currently playing Lords of Gossamer and Shadow based on the Advanced copy of the rules. This is a limited session series, because we're wanting to explore the system and the differences between LGS and Amber DRPG before starting something that is lasting.

For those of you who don't yet have a copy of the LGS rules, let me start by saying that they are of very high quality. You won't be disappointed and they are worth waiting for. I consider myself a bit of an Amber veteran - I've played at least fourteen campaigns and a number of tournaments; I've seen it run as a game run regularly at the local pub and as a recurring whole-day game with 14+ regular players and 3 concurrent GMs. Amber DRPG is (in my humble opinion) the best game system ever written. It works. LGS is indeed a fitting companion to Amber DRPG. I can't say yet whether it's better because we're still exploring.

Anyway, here's the setup:

Setup
- Two players (David and Bruce). Both players are also GMs. (More on GM responsibilities below) We're playing via Google Hangouts as David (Lurker37) is in Melbourne and I'm in Perth.
- No attribute auction. Each player secret bids 30 points and keeps the point total to themselves (no sharing unless it becomes a contest between the characters). They must spend 10 points on Warden of the Grand Stair, and the rest on Attributes. No other funky powers. Good and bad stuff is allowed.
- This is an unusual startup, but we wanted to explore how people become Wardens and some of the mechanics of the game.

Start Setting
- It is 1985 on Shadow Earth. (we picked 1985 because there does not appear to be any fast time shadow/slow time shadow options in LGS and we wanted to allow sufficient time for time compresses)
- The PCs (Grant and Ethan) are gap-students who are house-sitting for a family friend. The house is an older structure in Northern England. The family friend will be away for 12 months (in Antarctica where he works as a scientist). Grant and Ethan are friends. They have explored the house and found an unusual key.
- The game begins with Grant unlocking the Door which leads to the Grand Stair.

GM Responsibilities
- Bruce (me) is the primary GM for the Grand Stair and all realms accessed by the PCs.
- David is the GM for Shadow Earth. ie: In opening the Door, what else becomes aware of Grant/Ethan's excursion? When they return to Shadow Earth, what is waiting for them?
- But as we both know from playing Amber, once one has Pattern Imprint (or in LGS, Warden of the Grand Stair), players end up GMing as they start searching for things that they desire. The official GMs take a back seat as the PCs end up shaping where the game goes.

Initial Discussions
- David and I talked a lot about the mechanics of the game prior to starting the first session. We felt that the PCs would be curious at first, but then realising that the Doors led to other places, they would want surety that they could return to their place of origin. Adjacent doors would be the first targets to explore because of their proximity, but over time that would change.

Anyway, I'll post more in the next 2 days. We are up to Session 3, so there are two sessions that we've run so far. Session 3 is tomorrow night. I'm happy to share how these characters have fared on the Grand Stair, and also what resources we've used so far which others might also want to use. Please bear in mind that I can't share everything until the campaign is concluded because there are Doors and worlds that Grant and Ethan haven't explored yet. If I reveal that information here and now, it would spoil the game.

EDIT: Adding pictures for Grant and Ethan, as they appear between Session 29 and 30.

Grant

* Image from Obidancer. Grant does not have plugs in his head (and I don't have the tools or time to edit the picture).

Ethan

* Image from Google. The actor is Calum Worthy, and I've then modified the picture a little to make it less like a photo and more like a painting. The face/expression says to me "I am a bad stuff character".