The Between: Session 0 Report and First Thoughts
Despite being an OSRhead, I find myself playing a good number of narrative games. Even though they aren't my favorite, I think a lot can be learned about game design and my own game preferences through them. At least that's what I tell myself to make the session more worthwhile. I have joined another game for the summer and will be documenting my thoughts on the system and how it can be applied to superior gaming cultures.
The Between is a PbtA game that uses the Brindlewood Bay investigation system. The characters are monster hunters in Victorian England and all possess supernatural abilities.
Today's session focused mostly on character creation, with only about an hour and a half of actual play. Items in the good section are things I liked, items in the bad section are things I didn’t, and items in the ugly section are things I am iffy on or just isn’t for me, but I see the appeal.
Character Creation
The Good
Because it has playbooks, character creation is very quick. Without the chatter and other session zero talk, it took 5-10 minutes for each player to make their character.
The playbooks are all very distinct and evocative. Dorian Grey, a werewolf cowboy, and an African explorer are all playable, and tie into the time period nicely.
The Bad
Not too much to say here. It is a standard PbtA fair.
The Ugly
After characters are created, each player describes their character, then everyone else at the table "gives" each character one item that is important to the character. This is an interesting take on the usual PbtA system of creating relationships between characters, and one that I don't think quite comes together.
You have very little to go off when suggesting the item, only a few sentences. This left me with the feeling of an estranged uncle trying to guess what to send to his nephew for Christmas. Not ideal. For such a character focused game, it seems odd to me that the first items you start with are given to you based on a surface level description. But maybe this is my OSR brain clashing with the notion that items aren't as important as characters.
The Session
Summary
The three monster hunters are called upon to investigate the three killings in London. They are obviously the result of a vampire, and a young one at that. The hunters need to determine if the vampire is actually young or if they are trapped in a young body.
Two hunters visited an opium den where one body was found and all three are being held. The other hunter visited the schoolhouse, where one of the bodies was found. A bunch of white flowers, a bible page, and the detail that a lullaby was heard at the time of death are all clues found in the investigation.
The Good
The Paint the Scene mechanic works well. At some locations, the GM provides a general mood or theme and asks the players to paint the scene. Each player then adds one detail that fleshes out the location a bit more. This is a codified version of GM trick that I've seen floating around the internet for around a while, although that isn't a bad thing. It may hurt the pace of other games, but The Between is very focused on vibes and atmosphere, so the time spent thinking of details doesn't feel wasted.
The Bad
The Brindlewood Bay investigation system works like this: The characters have a question they want to answer. They gather clues, then propose a theory that incorporates some or all the clues and answers the question. They then roll, adding bonuses based on the number of clues used. If they roll high enough, the theory was correct and they unlock the next question. I really don't like this. It feels like a TTRPG conversion of clue, with players making theories on a guess and seeing if they are right. "Mr. Green must have used the candlestick because I rolled a 12!"
Granted, we haven't reached the actual theory-making part in the game yet. But even the clue gathering feels off. One clue that my character found was a bunch of white flowers in the inner coat pocket of a victim. This prompts a lot of questions: Were they purchased or gathered from a garden? How long ago did the victim come into possession of them? Were they planted on the body after death? Why were they stuffed in a pocket instead of held nicely? These questions could be answered, but the game doesn't really care about that. The players found the clue; all other details, the ones that could be used to solve the mystery, can be figured out in theory crafting. In a game about investigation, it seems weird that so much of it is handwaved.
The Ugly
The game is narrativist to the point of becoming simulationist. The game uses rules and procedures to simulate the narrative beats of an investigation-based TV show. I have yet to experience most of them, but the Brindlewood Bay system is a good example. The current goal of our investigation is to determine whether this vampire is young or old. The next goal will not be revealed until this question is answered. Three people are dead. Why aren't the characters trying to figure out where the vampire lives? Or any special weaknesses? Or preparing to hunt it once night falls? Because in TV shows and movies, information is doled out in satisfying, escalating beats to keep viewers hooked. It would break the simulation to go to the heart of the mystery too early.
Of course, this is personal preference, hence the ugly category. People love TTRPGs that play like television. I just think that this system goes too far in enforcing television beats.
As the game continues, my opinions may also change. I may come out of this loving Brindlewood Bay. Probably not. But I am excited to play more, my fellow players are all wonderful and I have never regretted getting out of my system comfort zone.