If anyone's curious about the video that got me thinking about opening monologs, session introductions, and Game Mastering rituals, it's this one.
Also, reading Prince of Nothing's review of Jobe Bittman's The Book of Antithesis also played a minor role - the combination of fantasy roleplaying and occult practices were simply too enticing!
With that out of the way, what are we talking about here? Well, a way to enter the gaming space of our collective imaginations that we all share. Something that gets us in the mood to play, signaling to everyone that we're starting. It's a process of getting worked up, jazzed, excited to do this, like when I open my videos with "Surprise, Motherfucker!"
If done correctly, it should aid both the GM and his players. With Gary Con fast approaching, I wanted to give it a try. So, I spent a considerable chunk of yesterday morning coming up with an opening. And then, knowing me, I realized I would eventually want to do a proper closing ceremony as well... yes, like a real occult ritual or a spell in the game we're playing!
CHA'ALT Invocation: Opening The Way
In a world of fuchsia skies, pulp-drenched cities, and irradiated desert wastelands, precious few have the zoth to survive Cha'alt and all her vintage demon laser sleaze. By His loathsome tentacles, I give you... the skinematic Vengerverse!
CHA'ALT Invocation: Closing The Gate
As it was prophesied, the Dark Gods play their games of chance and mortal beings pay that price. The Primordial Chaos glistens, reverberates, and crawls... strange and eternal; as it shall forever be. So it is done!
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I will let y'all know how it goes in a couple days as I'll be trying it out in my Cha'alt campaign on Saturday. That will be the first test, so I'm hopeful it'll illuminate the session with sorcerous fire.
Have any of you done something like this? If so, I'd like to hear about it. Also, I encourage others to give this a try, irrespective if you're running Cha'alt or anything inspired by it. But create your own, of course. Something that inspires you, as well as, giving players a feel for what's in store.
Enjoy,
VS
p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy? here's how! Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse? This is it!! Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July. Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!
If you turn the page sideways, the center of that glyph becomes infinitely more inviting.. šš
ReplyDeleteThis is cool. I don't think I could get my players on board to do this every session, but I did get a player to utter "by his loathsome tentacle" to score that sweet bonus on a roll, so who knows? I think a clearing of the mind to imagine yourself elsewhere sounds good for a first session of a campaign.
All the players have to do is listen. The GM is the only one saying the invocation, so completely agree - you'd be hard-pressed to get them doing it session after session.
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