[LoO] Introductory Adventure?

[Philotomy Jurament]

Any plans for an introductory adventure?  Failing that, any recommendations for a LoO (or even Amber) session or campaign write-up that would serve as a good example for new LoO GMs?

I think the game is cool, but despite decades of experience running RPGs I find myself feeling out of my comfort zone, as far as how to run it.  I'm sure I could dive in and muddle through and figure out what works as I go, but I'd like an example to "get my bearings" with the game.

EDIT:  The more I think about it, the more I suspect that "introductory adventure" isn't what I'd want.  I suspect that play in LoO tends to be quite different from the standard "group gets together and goes on an adventure" model, and is much more PC-specific and PC-driven.

I guess what I'm wishing for is an example or guidance on how the GM runs actual play, especially if the PCs are all doing their own thing.  Do you cut from player to player?  Do you run some sessions with just certain players/PCs?  How often do the PCs act together?  How often are they in conflict with other PCs?  Is that the norm?  Et cetera.

EDIT:  Going back through the Game Mastering chapter, I note that some of my questions are addressed, there (e.g., do you cut from player to player is "yes").

[RPGPundit]

Yeah, I tried to be pretty complete in the GM section when it comes to advice on how to run the game.

What you're probably looking for is an initial setup; and how that setup will go depends on the type of campaign you're running:

Are you doing a campaign where the PCs start out not knowing their divine parentage? Then the natural thing to work out is what happens at the beginning that starts cluing them into their identity: are they attacked by monsters? Who sent these monsters? Are they contacted by an Olympian? If so, is this one of their parents? Or someone else? Friend, foe, or someone out to manipulate them?

On the other hand, you might be starting a campaign where the PCs know what they are; maybe even grew up on Olympus itself, or at least always knew their parentage. Then where you start will depend a lot on the backgrounds you chose for the players or they chose for themselves.
Did all the players grow up more or less together? Maybe they're called together by someone (Zeus? One of their parents? Some other big power-guy?) to perform some special task.  

Or another way to do it is to start with some big point of conflict. Perhaps an olympian (maybe a parent or other kind of close connection to one or more of the PCs) is apparently killed, and the PCs get drawn into that situation.  Maybe there's a war brewing between a couple of olympians, and the PCs are caught up in having to chose sides?

There are some examples given in the book: maybe there's a plot (be it from Hera, Hades or Poseidon, or the Titans) to try to overthrow Zeus? Or maybe Zeus is dead and all hell is breaking loose (though it could be one of Zeus' tricks!).  Maybe something really bizarre is happening with the Primordials that could menace reality itself?

The main key is to look at the characters: look at their connections through family, and look at their connections through background (who are their likely friends, and likely rivals or enemies), and look at their connections to each other.  There should be a gold mine there of potential events for the campaign, and surely there's one that can start things off.  Figure out what kind of campaign you want to run, and don't plan every little detail but figure out at timeline of general events you want to start happening in the game.

I hope this helps.

RPGPundit

[Philotomy Jurament]

What you're probably looking for is an initial setup...

Yeah, pretty much.  The idea of "getting my bearings" is a pretty good description.  I've been looking for a combination of where to begin and also some idea of how to proceed (not so much how the campaign will proceed, but how to run the game).

Most of it is just the paradigm shift from how I'm used to running games.  I've read over the game mastering chapter a couple of times, now, and that helped.  I think it just needed to kind of "sink in."  

In my initial read-through of the game, I was mostly focused on how to resolve actions without dice*, or what the powers did, or the details of the Olympian pantheon.  Then, I was like "this is cool, I want to run it," and then I realized I had no idea how to go about it!  Going back through the book with my focus on "how do I run this" brought out some of the stuff I'd missed or glossed over, before.

...how that setup will go depends on the type of campaign you're running

I want to run an "open campaign," because I think it fits the strengths of the system; it seems more difficult, but perhaps more rewarding.  Also, I like the idea of doing something different.  And I like the idea that the PCs aren't necessarily allies.

I like the "Zeus is dead" (or is apparently dead) campaign concept.  I'm thinking that I'll allow each player to decide whether or not their PC is aware of his or her divine nature.  Those who are aware will still have been "bit players" in any Olympian politics, to date; they're aware, but still have been "outsiders."  The death of Zeus changes the landscape, though.  Suddenly, regardless of whether they were aware of their divine nature or not, the PCs become important pieces (either because of parentage, or because of the need for factions/allies, or something similar).

The main key is to look at the characters: look at their connections through family, and look at their connections through background (who are their likely friends, and likely rivals or enemies), and look at their connections to each other. There should be a gold mine there of potential events for the campaign, and surely there's one that can start things off. Figure out what kind of campaign you want to run, and don't plan every little detail but figure out at timeline of general events you want to start happening in the game.

I hope this helps.

Yes, it does.  Thanks.

Given all the above, it seems like the best thing to do is to have a session where we make PCs, and then give it a few weeks before we actually play, to give me some time to think about the relationships and complications and possible ways things might play out.  Also might give the players an opportunity to flesh out their PCs more, if they want to.

* - Just a note on diceless resolution: that part doesn't seem a huge leap, for me.  I already do similar things in D&D, using just the PCs class and stats and background and environmental/situational circumstances to determine whether or not he can do something that isn't otherwise covered by the rules.  You might say I already run D&D as a combination of dice-based and diceless play.  I don't think it will be too tough to shift that diceless thinking to cover the actions that would normally be handled by dice.

[RPGPundit]

It sounds like you're on the right track.

Just remember: over and above everything else, when its said and done, Lords of Olympus is an RPG about a big dysfunctional family.

RPGPundit