A question on Pacing

[Reynastus]

Hi All

Just wanted to see how everyone is pacing their games.

I have been running a game that I feel like I have been pacing it too fast but in the same sense too slow. To clarify, I have been running this game after writing homebrew content for it (ie missions etc) with the aims of having each character reach a focus point for their destiny step completion.

My first "session" or as I like to call them Episodes of content covered 4 actual sessions of gameplay as we play 2-3 hours a night once a week. The prologue was written and we did a rehash each time we sat down but didn't do an epilogue until the 4th or 5th session. This is where one of the Fated completed a destiny step and since then we have moved onto another branch of the ongoing story, of which we are 4 game sessions into and are close to completing the 2nd Episode and the 2nd destiny step completion for the group as a whole. The issue is with XP and Advancement of Pursuits.

I have been so far allowing the advancement of pursuits and gaining of skill points at the end of each session (not episode) which I am not sure if that's the intention or should I only awarding these things on the completion of the episode.

How do you do it?

Cheers

Rey

[Steamtastic Vagabond]

I believe how it was intended was for a destiny step to be completed each session. The reason being to limit how powerful the Fates get by the end of the game. So personally I wouldn’t recommend leveling up at the end of an episode but really just do whatever you want.

[diki]

Some pursuits get pretty powerful at rank 10 though (Anyone for erudition), so it may depend how long you want to run the game and how powerful you want your characters to be.

I've only played one campaign (as a player) and I really enjoyed getting new pursuit every week though.

Powerful characters are fun, but hard to provide a challenge for.

[Reynastus]

I wanted to run the game until the characters each met their destiny's with each episode ticking one off, I mean some evenings we don't do much more than shop or prep for the next session which is why I thought it weird that we would be advancing pursuits at that point.

I may need to start really paying attention to the destinies and start putting things into each session to tick some of them off or the games going to go for years before it's completed.

Thanks for the input though

 

[LeperColony]

 In my current campaign, I am designing adventures to fit one of three general molds:

A Coincidence is a session designed mostly tangential to a Destiny Step.  In D&D terms, they are the run-of-the-mill adventures, not necessarily designed to focus on or advance any of the Fated's Destiny Steps.  These are good for setting up plots, following side quests or blowing off some steam.  Wyrd's Penny Dreadfuls fit well into a Coincidence session.  The standard award for these games is an Experience Point or points, depending on the length and significance of the session.  If multiple XP are warranted, I will typically offer players the option of a pursuit step instead of XP.

A Foreshadow is a session that involves a Fated's destiny, but does not necessarily resolve it.  These are more clearly custom tailored to the specifics of the current campaign and the Fated (singular or plural) being Spotlighted, but the events are more preliminary in nature.  The standard reward for a Foreshadow session is an advance along the Pursuit track (and an XP).

A Destiny is a session that resolves a Fated's Destiny Step.  As the culmination of several game sessions, an existing plot line typically be resolved.  This allows for another to be introduced, either as a follow up to the last or as an entirely new dilemma.  The standard reward for a Destiny is the same as resolving a Destiny Step (and an advance, and an XP).

The three session types are, to a certain extent, interchangeable.  The Fate Master could have planned and prepared for a lighter Coincidence, only to have what he thought was a diversion turn out to have serious implications, as a result of the Fated's choices.  It is then an easy matter to award the session on the basis of a Foreshadow or a Destiny.  And vice versa. 

Ultimately, I feel that a Through the Breach campaign should grow in a more organic manner than originally foreseen in the printed materials.