Hail, lumpyheads! As many of you know, or even participated in, I recently ran a series of games called BIRTHDAY BOY. This game was a ‘living world’ where a cluster of players would drive the direction of the following session. All told, 24 players contributed in six sessions.
There were a lot of maps, battles, and epic RP in this twisting tale of murder, insane A.I. and apocalypse. The players portrayed police men, street runners, cyborgs, paramilitary fighters and underground swordmasters. What made it more unique for me as a GM, though, was a pervasive element of horror. Birthday Boy is a truly disturbing, demented, homicidal entity surrounded by suicidal followers and grim themes. How to deliver this feeling in a game?
The method I wound up using was not gore or horrific themes. Instead, the story focused on a twisted birthday song that would get in victim’s heads. I recorded this audio, along with laughter, whispers, and other audio elements, for our Roll20 sessions. I have to say, I loved seeing its effect each week. Several screenshots are posted below. listen to the birthday song here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/dxnpadu9ym246vi/bb%20song.mp3?dl=0![07%20PM|690x355]
(upload://x5SnVec117Qt82AYXDZHc75nUeo.jpeg)
Huge thanks and a hearty salute to all my players. This was a truly expansive experience for me. The murders, the cult, the revenge, the ancient sword, the entity, the asylum, the ruins, saving the world. What a ride. In the end, the final group eliminated a global threat in exchange for inviting BIRTHDAY BOY (an entity called Proteus) to dominate the planet as an A.I. god. Risky business.
-HF