Paul B

Careful Preparations

May 17, 2015August 17, 2016

As I have UK Games Expo in less than 2 weeks time and a session to run tomorrow evening, a little prep appeared in order for The Dee Sanction. I have spent some of today doing just that – having spent yesterday assisting with more general event prep. Today, I have: … Continue ReadingCareful Preparations

Setting

Garlands of Deceit

April 27, 2015April 20, 2026

I’m having an interesting time reading about John Dee and his role as an intelligence officer within the court of Queen Elizabeth, as referenced in the early sections of The Essential Enochian Grimoire: An Introduction to Angel Magick from Dr John Dee to the Golden Dawn. While I was mainly looking for more … Continue ReadingGarlands of Deceit

Playtesting

Token-less and Dice-free

April 20, 2015August 17, 2016

It’s possible that I’m coming to a turning point with the whole system and approach for The Dee Sanction and the 214 system in general. Running an adventure without using half the system – and finding it works well – might prove worthy food for thought. I ran a new adventure – … Continue ReadingToken-less and Dice-free

Game Mechanics Playtesting

Token Fiddliness

March 22, 2015August 17, 2016

We playtest to make games better. You accept feedback to allow that process to progress and allow a game to grow. I have been running games of 214 for that very reason – and I hope to run more. I have games at Seven Hills and UK Games Expo over the … Continue ReadingToken Fiddliness

Events Playtesting

The Dee Sanction at the Cow

March 16, 2015August 17, 2016

This weekend, I ran two games of The Dee Sanction, at Concrete Cow in Milton Keynes. I suspect I will ruminate and post more than once on the outcome from these sessions. I ran two adventures, both of which I’d run before. ‘The Gongfermor Deception‘ has been run at least … Continue ReadingThe Dee Sanction at the Cow

Game Gear

Atlas Hugs

March 11, 2015

Gerardus Mercator happens to have quite a standing amongst those who appreciate a map. Not least, he was the man who coined the term ‘Atlas’ for a collection of maps. As a mathematician and a cartographer, he applied some serious thinking to maps. He came up with a new projection … Continue ReadingAtlas Hugs

Events Playtesting

Oh So Quiet

January 17, 2015

Nothing like the sound of silence to help focus the mind, right? Oh, and also it makes a blog look empty and forgotten… Never so much. If only my brain would be that silent in the midst of the shower, on the commute to work, or upon the trip to … Continue ReadingOh So Quiet

Essence

Wither Moravia?

December 25, 2014

I have been spending a fair amount of time reading, with the intent that some background will fuel creativity in adventures and setting. Here I speak specifically about The Dee Sanction. At heart, the setting revolves around the travels of Doctor Dee and Edward Kelley in Eastern Europe. The good … Continue ReadingWither Moravia?

Game Mechanics Playtesting

The Me in Team

December 9, 2014

Teamwork. What is it good for? That’s a tough one. In the session of The Dee Sanction I ran at Dragonmeet on Saturday, I found the teamwork dynamic of the group worked quite well. When someone faced a challenge and they rolled outside their success threshold, the team generally jumped … Continue ReadingThe Me in Team

Essence

Playtesting at Dragonmeet: The Table

December 8, 2014

Looks like we’re still in the early stages of playing The Holy Wax Infant of Prague. Trouble has yet to brew as the stalwart seekers of truth and justice, in the service of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I, her spymaster Francis Walsingham, and the all-seeing Doctor John Dee.