diff --git a/campaign-0/000-header.tex b/campaign-0/000-header.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d822c07 --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/000-header.tex @@ -0,0 +1,39 @@ +\documentclass[twoside,10pt,openany]{book} + +\usepackage{geometry} +\usepackage{titling} +\usepackage{enumitem} +\usepackage{tocloft} + +\usepackage{textcomp} + +\setlist{noitemsep} + +\usepackage[obeyFinal,shadow,tickmarkheight=12pt,prependcaption]{todonotes} + +\setlength{\marginparwidth}{2cm} + +\usepackage[backend=biber]{biblatex} +\addbibresource{mybiblio.bib} + +\geometry{papersize={5.5in,8.5in}} % Half Letter +%\geometry{a5paper} % A5 Paper + +\begin{document} + +\title{Campaign 0 --- Before You Start} +\date{2024 January 16 to \today} +\author{Jigme Datse Yli-Rasku} +\def\address{Address:\\ +Jigme Datse\\ +PO Box 270\\ +Rossland, BC V0G 1Y0\\ +Canada\\ +\\ +jigme.datse@datsemultimedia.com} + +\postdate{\par\end{center}\vfill \address} + +\maketitle + +\tableofcontents \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/campaign-0/900-footer.tex b/campaign-0/900-footer.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e1dafca --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/900-footer.tex @@ -0,0 +1,30 @@ +\appendix + +\chapter{Appendix} + +Here, maybe having an appendix, with each of the other things as +sections? Let's see. + +\section{Bibliography} + +\printbibliography[title={References}] + +% Enable if used: +% Figures +% Tables + +%\section{List of Figures} +%\listoffigures + +%\section{List of Tables} +%\listoftables + +\section{Todo Items} + +This is here (the appendix), so it will show up in the table of contents. + +Without some text here, it sadly is currently putting a totally empty +page, then the list of todo items. Not ideal. That is a\todo{Todo +item}, I would say. + +\listoftodos\todo{Figure out how to get the todo checkbox/colour to be here.} diff --git a/campaign-0/901-history.tex b/campaign-0/901-history.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df811ff --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/901-history.tex @@ -0,0 +1,16 @@ +\chapter{Book Development History} + +This will include some idea of how this book has progressed along time +each section will cover that day's work... + +\section{2024 January 16} + +Created the document, and started with setting up the basic formatting. + +Started writing about ``Why Session 0?'' + +Currently taking a break (any further writing will have to be +tomorrow (or later) if I take more than a very brief break), part +way through writing about `Familiarity With Players'. + +\end{document} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/campaign-0/Campaign-0.pdf b/campaign-0/Campaign-0.pdf new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1dd30b2 Binary files /dev/null and b/campaign-0/Campaign-0.pdf differ diff --git a/campaign-0/Campaign-0.tex b/campaign-0/Campaign-0.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8dd25ae --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/Campaign-0.tex @@ -0,0 +1,7 @@ +\input{000-header} + +\include{introduction} +\include{why} + +\input{900-footer} +\input{901-history} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/campaign-0/introduction.tex b/campaign-0/introduction.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a221b03 --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/introduction.tex @@ -0,0 +1,60 @@ +\chapter{Introduction} + +This is a gaming resource, largely focused on table top roleplaying games +or TTRPGs. It's mostly about the `before you start playing' portion of +playing these games, which for some may be part of the `one session' in +a one shot type game, or it may be an entirely separate session. + +I am writing this as I'm reading {\it Avatar Legends}\cite{avatar-legends} +and wanting to start a campaign/session up to play that, as a nice +accessible and family friendly game. + +I have heard actual play of the game. + +So, here's a bit of a discription of what I want to talk about here. + +\begin{itemize} + \item{Why Sesion 0} + \item{Introducing Game} + \item{Game Master's Perspective} + \item{Players Perspective} + \item{Safety Tools} + \begin{itemize} + \item{Lines and Veils} + \item{X Card} + \item{Consent in Gaming} + \item{TTRPG Safety Toolkit} + \item{Open Door} + \item{Post Session Debrief} + \end{itemize} +\end{itemize} + +Most of this is coming from other sources, but right now, I've not got an +easy way to include those (I've got the tools, just not set them up), and +the whole book is more my perspective, as coloured by those resources. + +\section{Chapter Sumaries} + +This will include the sumaries of the chapters that we have as we go along. + +They will be one or two short paragraphs, just so you can quickly be able +to see where you might want to go with a given topic. + +\subsection{Introduction} + +This is what you're reading. It hopefully at least the main parts of this +will be kept short enough that you can read and get a fair sense of what the +overall intent of this book is. Great, `pick up at the store, read to see +if you want to pick up a copy,' type thing. + +\section{Other Versions} + +This will have a list of known released to the wild other versions. As +this is currently being developed on my Forgejo server\todo{Figure out how +to link properly to that version}, versions may be released that we are +not aware of. + +It will inlcude the current version information on release, and the +previous version info. This is intended to be a living document, so if +you are finding a version which is on the older side, there may be more +recent versions available. \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/campaign-0/mybiblio.bib b/campaign-0/mybiblio.bib new file mode 100644 index 0000000..2212c8d --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/mybiblio.bib @@ -0,0 +1,34 @@ +@periodical{brokenp2023-f, + title = {Broken Pencil}, + publisher = {Hal Niedzviecki}, + number = {100}, + year = {2023} +} +@article{bp-amerdream, + journal = {Broken Pencil}, + title = {Zines --- {America's Dreaming Zine \#11}}, + publisher = {Hal Niedzviecki}, + number = {100}, + year = {2023}, + author = {Devin Canary}, + pages = {29} +} +@book{avatar-legends, + title = {Avatar Legends}, + author = {Sharing Biswas and others}, + year = {2022}, + editor = {Monte Lin and Kate Unaru}, + subtitle = {The Roleplaying Game}, + language = {English}, + publisher = {Viacom International Inc.}, + pagetotal = {305} +} +@book{querent, + title = {Querent}, + subtitle = {The Cartomancer's Tome}, + year = {2019}, + author = {Adrian Taul and Amela Nuhodzic and Jaymee Fulcher and Kayla Miskiv and Maggie DeCapua and McKenzie ``Mish'' Shea and Sage Burns}, + Language = {English}, + Publisher = {Magpie Games}, + pagetotal = {439} +} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/campaign-0/why.tex b/campaign-0/why.tex new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b3f6d14 --- /dev/null +++ b/campaign-0/why.tex @@ -0,0 +1,200 @@ +\chapter{Why Session 0?} + +Some of what I have to say falls into the `controversial' category, and +the why of a Session 0 at least in part falls into that category. + +By controversial, it is more that there are some people who are opposed +to at least some of the functions that come up here (and possibly all of +the functions for probably an even smaller minority). Most players are +either supportive, or unaware of some of this. + +\begin{itemize} + \item{Familiarity with game} + \item{Setting up game} + \item{Familiarity with players} + \item{Safety Tools} + \item{When have it} + \item{Time it takes} + \item{Where to have it} +\end{itemize} + +That's probably a decent list of the main reasons, and let's get into +each of them. + +\section{Familiarity with game} + +This may be the least contested part of what a Session 0 can accomplish. + +This is ensuring that to some extent all the players involved are +familiar enough with the game, that there will not be major issues +with failing to understand some of the basics. + +Basics such as: + +\begin{itemize} + \item{Core gameplay} + \item{Core setting} + \item{Core characters} + \item{Core themes} +\end{itemize} + +These really are not in any sort of order, because they kind of move +about as to how one would want to talk about them. + +\subsection{Core Gameplay} + +This is the basics of the game mechanics. This can apply to stuff like +board games or whatever. + +This is something that can take a very brief time, or it can be something +that will require some explanation. + +I would think that some of the ways all of this happens ends up being +able to happen in a more woven between different parts of the Session +0 time (and also included in further sessions), or a very laid out +format. + +Some of what comes up probably depends at least somewhat on what +the game is. Some games are intended to be played with minimal +pre-knowledge, and simply getting into it, while others really work +well with more of that. + +Also the people involved (players, game master, et cetera) will change +how this will work out. + +It is hoped that the game master will know at least a little of who they +are dealing with prior to setting up any meeting, or at least have the +ability to adapt enough that it ends up working out for most of the other +players. + +Getting bogged down in the how to play the game, can very much end up +very quickly ruining the experience of a game. This is not to say that +the learning of the game has to happen before starting to play, but more +that to know basics (and for me some of these basics are about how +questions about how to play will likely be handled), so little things +don't get in the way of playing a game. + +Some people really want to be sure that the rules are followed properly, +other people are very much on the other end of the spectrum, and don't +much care about the rules. Then there are people who are all for the +chaos, switching between caring about the rules, and ignoring the rules, +as they see fit. + +Finding that sort of thing out before trying to play can be a huge +measure of how the game is likely to end up working. + +\subsection{Core Setting} + +This can be very simple, and for some games it is defined very simply. +In a lot of cases, you probably don't want to go more into it than a +basic understanding of what the characters are likely to all know +about the world, and for some that may be at the `village level'. + +That being that at the start of the game, they basically know nothing +beyond much of their immediate surroundings, and in some cases may +wake up not really knowing anything. + +That said, it may be worthwhile to have the players know more than +the characters. + +\subsection{Core Characters} + +This is more about the types of characters the players will be playing +and encountering than any details about any of that (though some of the +details will come up in the setting up of the game). + +This is sort of similar to the above about the setting, it would be +about making sure the players are aware enough about what the characters +are likely aware of. + +\subsection{Core Themes} + +This can be the start of where things start to be more of a discussion +than simply describing the way the game is setup. The game master will +likely have some degree of where they want to take things, but most are +usually willing to move that around in response to what the players are +interested in. + +Most games have some sense of defined themes that they are wanting to +deal with. Some despite maybe being more open at the core, will have +some rules like, `No Fascists Allowed,' which largely speaks for itself, +but there has been significant discussion, as it seems it doesn't seem +clear enough to some people. + +Then there are the players. They have similar ideas as to what type +of game they may want to play, and what type of game they don't want +to play. + +This part isn't about really going into the details of that, as some +of that ends up going into the safety tools section, but all of this +ends up interacting with everything, so this is probably going somewhat +into that. + +With that all said, I think that is the basics of dealing with the +familiarity of the game. + +Let's move on to setting up the game. + +\section{Setting up the Game} + +This is sometimes the most important part, with the creation of +characters, and the start of looking at where the game will start. + +Now for some games such as {\it Querent}\cite{querent}, are meant to have +``No Session 0.'' Which I personally would put more in a, ``Session 0 +and Session 1 are the same time,'' as it more means that the goals of +Session 0, can be accomplished quickly enough to not be separated from +the main session. + +Important things about this, is setting things like the starting location +and the different characters that the players will be playing. Some of +which may not need to be discussed in terms of in person (or more +``realtime'' with how online games can be), but through email or +whatever. + +This can be important to start to get a feel for the dynamics of the +group, to be able to see where potential pain points may come up. + +The details about this will change for each game or game system you +are working with, and as I have worked with some games where it can +more or less run with little more than a brief (like a couple minutes +at most), introduction before playing, to games that I have spent hours +myself trying to prepare enough to present to players in advance, I feel +that talking further would be very individual to the different games. + +\section{Familiarity with Players} + +This applies to all the sort of interactions between all of the different +players, and to some extent the characters. This may be where one +starts to talk about personal and group boundaries. + +This is getting into the territory where some people start to say, ``We +don't need that sort of thing.'' Some people are saying that from a +perspective of ``We are all friends, so we don't really need to do that +sort of thing.'' Other people are less charitable in their criticism, +and consider that it is an outright bad idea. + +I would like to suggest a couple of reasons for those who feel that +they are all friends, so it's not needed, and also for those who +feel it's just a bad idea, but might not be stuck in that idea. + +\begin{itemize} + \item{We Don't Need It} + \begin{itemize} + \item{Hidden Boundaries} + \item{Hidden Interests} + \end{itemize} + \item{This is a Bad Idea} + \begin{itemize} + \item{Then don't do it} + \item{Let your players know} + \item{Direct players to other places} + \end{itemize} +\end{itemize} + +\subsection{We Don't Need It} + +So, if you are friends who have run around these types of things you +can think there's not really any reason to consider these things +but I kind of think there are a couple of pretty important things +to think about in terms of that.