Actual Play – Vern’s Way (1/12/2009)

GM: Sean Nittner
System: Primetime Adventures

We had our first session where I really felt like something clicked. It may have been that it was a spotlight episode and I kept asking the player “Has your issue changed or developed?” Every time he said no I told the next player they had to open a scene that would push the envelope on his issue. Eventually it broke and awesome ensued.

Vernan is the lifer who has worked at Osh for 40 years. He’s an out dated relic and nobody respects him. Now that it is Ch-osh-ky’s his job has become even more demeaning as he’s expected to do crap work in the restaurant as well. His issues are about self worth and everything in his life seems be a reminder of how little he’s accomplished. He’s been pushed around and abused and he finally cracked. With the help of his nephew Samuel L. Jackson, Vern tore up the store, cruised around in his borrowed Maserati, got arrested and then finally told off his new boss. He’s NEVER flipping burgers or working the register again. Woot!

What rocked:

I really saw the players taking off with this direction of the show. I’m really there just to fill in flavor bits and drive scenes toward conflict, not to create “the story.” I was really happy when I was trying to figure out a way to engage one of the players and another just jumps into create the conflict, the humor and the advancement.

Vern’s issues of self worth are improved. There are still a number of people who don’t respect him, but he’s got a permanent sign of “Vern’s Way” on the hoses isle, the head cook Jose will never let him flip another burger and the earnest kid wants his autograph for the so called war’s he’s served in.

What could have been improved:

The only think I feel that is lacking from this game right now is time. We squeeze the game into about half and hour and it feels a little forced. I really like the idea of doing the lunch hour game, but I’m frustrated when I feel like I need to push all the time to make it come out on time. Maybe this is a good experience for me. In my regular games I’m constantly running behind schedule, so this is a good way of me practicing my pacing.

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