Red Moon Over Sartar
Gaming Philosophy and Goals


Gaming Philosophy

This game, unlike the others I have run, is designed specifically to be idealistic and not deconstructionist. This non-deconstructionist goal is even in the face of the inherently deconstructionist nature of idealistic characters in Lunar society. This is also the reason that the characters will be able to progress to become non-corrupt Lunar Examiners.

Unfortunately, some of the characters are already seeing the world in deconstructionist ways. They bring this from my last game where they were subjected to deconstructionist adventures weekly. My solution is to have a come-to-jesus discussion at the beginning of each game they have an attitude other than completely idealistic (with exceptions for only a couple characters.) We cannot have characters suggesting ways to charge someone other than the guilty for a crime. Otherwise, where is the feeling of success for solving the mystery, if anyone can be charged as the guilty one?

In the long run I expect the players will grow to see the Sartarites as having a valuable culture and that Lunar culture is not perfect, but as the best thing there is. The advantages of Lunar culture and civilization will pave the way for a brave new world, but hopefully integrate the best parts of indigenous cultures instead of just paving over them. This eventual admiration for the Sartarites may cause the characters to make very difficult choices if one of these constant tribal or clan rebellions gets out of hand.

I plan to keep the action fun while having various genres and themes play out. The cop genre and the cowboy (soldiers) and indians genre are the two most significant genres to this campaign. Themes integral to this game from each genre are listed below.

Cop Genre Themes (for this game)

  • Detectives investigating mysteries and crimes
    This is the main theme, source of action, and creates most of the mood
  • Capture or removal of the bad guys
  • Corruption in the department (or within our culture)
  • Trouble with the Administration
  • Getting to know the local residents
  • Serious problems caused by any "cowboy" behavior
    No Dirty Harry cops for this game, at least not more than once
  • Joe Friday is our hero
    He is never wrong, but if he was, it would eat his gut out
    He pursues anyone who crosses the law, cop or not

    Cowboy and Indian Genre Themes (for this game)

  • Dangers in Indian country
    Characters must always be vigilant, even with "friendlies"
  • Natives on the warpath
    For whatever reason they have been pissed off this time
  • Special tactics must be learned and used to survive
  • We must protect our citizens from the natives
    Their farms, women, and property must be protected
  • The natives have much special and valuable knowledge
    The natives are not ignorant savages, even if we think they are

    Goals and Game Style

    Both long and short term
  • Progression will be slow
    Equipment and cult status will change slowly
    Many missions may be assigned in a year of game time
    Characters will quickly get skilled, but have little to show for it
  • Make the mysteries more and more difficult to figure out
    They will not be solved by better character skill, but better player skill
    Complex webs of mystery can be put together over time
  • Keep money out of the game
    Money will not be kept track of or mean much
    Players will not keep the equipment they recover
  • Success just means a pat on the back
    Success will be rewarded by the assignment of another mission, not loot
  • Keep the players idealistic
    Crucial in order to achieve the other goals, themes, and moods
  • Promote the characters within Detective and Inspector ranks
    With the ultimate destination of Lunar Examiner
  • Promote the characters to Lunar Examiner and maybe ranks within
    This is the high end for this campaign where the characters will uncover the most difficult mysteries in the Lunar Empire

    Deconstructionist Definition

    My definition is a situation where those involved realize that the divisions between their definitions of good and evil become blurred and their idealism is corrupted by this blurring. Those involved cannot keep the same views they originally had, they must change in the face of the corruption they see. Their self image (or illusionary self image) changes and they find out they are not the glorious and blemish-free heroes they imagine themselves to be, but instead the same as the villans they revile. A culmination of the deconstructionist game is to have the villans be the virtuous heroes, whom the players destroy.

    An example from my last campaign was the point the players suspected the head of their religion (the Pope) was not as pious as he should be. The Pope sent the players (a bunch of thugs worshipping the god of truth and justice) on many unsavory missions, including the assasination of a cult demi-hero and the destruction of all of his converts to the religion. The players were also sent on a mission to capture the originators of a heresy so they could be brought before Papal justice (he killed them.) The Pope saw the demi-hero and the heritics as a threat to his power and had the players remove the threats, which they gleefully did.

    This meets my definition of deconstructionist because the player's (illusionary) views of themselves changed. It also met the goal of virtuous antagonists in that both the demi-hero and the heretics where virtuous in the American definition and the characters were definitely not. This met my goal in that game of interesting roleplaying, because the players in the game were (fortunately) not ruthless cold killers, but the characters certainly were, regardless of the player's or character's illusions otherwise.

    Moods and the Feel of the Game

  • Mystery
  • Danger
    Not Violence, like the last game
  • Discovery
  • Tragedy: characters will actually die
    This makes surviving mean something
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    Copyright © 1995 by Michael Derry, derry@jugenstil.com Updated December 7, 1995