[19:32] <+JonathanOTETweet> Cam, you first
[19:32] <+JonathanOTETweet> I’ve designed tons of games, and Over the Edge is my favorite
[19:32] <+JonathanOTETweet> Oops
[19:33] <+CamBanks> Opening act Cam Banks is RPG director at Atlas Games and is developer of Over the Edge, which means he pretty much gives Jonathan the thumbs up and occasionally has to organize emails, Slack channels, and… see, there he goes.
[19:33] <+JonathanOTETweet> Cam has been instrumental in rallying all the creatives to a single vision, and the game’s turning out great
[19:33] <+CamBanks> I’m also a huge fan of OTE since way back.
[19:34] <+JonathanOTETweet> Makes a big difference.
[19:34] <+CamBanks> That’s all from me!
[19:34] <+CamBanks> (done)
[19:34] <+JonathanOTETweet> (done)
[19:35] <~Dan> Thanks, guys! The floor is open to questions!
[19:35] <+Viktyr> (goob morming cam)
[19:35] <~Dan> Let’s start with the basics. How would you describe Over the Edge to a newcomer?
[19:37] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s the freeform RPG of weird urban danger
[19:37] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s a weird modern game designed to be the ultimate playground for your imagination
[19:37] <+JonathanOTETweet> (done)
[19:38] <~Dan> Can you describe the setting, including how it’s changed in the new edition?
[19:38] <+CamBanks> I read somebody say that it’s like Welcome to Nightfvale meets Hunter S Thompson?
[19:39] <+Viktyr> So… modern setting with high gonzo?
[19:39] <~Dan> (Howdy, LeeGarvin!)
[19:39] <+CamBanks> I’m going to let Jonathan handle the game & setting Qs unless he tags me in. 🙂
[19:39] <+Viktyr> What kind of weirdness is it made of?
[19:40] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s weirdness with no brand names
[19:40] <+JonathanOTETweet> So you won’t find off-the-shelf vampire of grey aliens
[19:40] <+LeeGarvin> Hi Dan!
[19:40] <+JonathanOTETweet> If you find vampires or grey aliens, they are sure to be… different.
[19:41] <+Viktyr> You have to build the setting yourself, then?
[19:41] <+LeeGarvin> Hi Jonathan!
[19:41] <+JonathanOTETweet> Hi Lee
[19:41] <+JonathanOTETweet> Dan, the setting is like everything terrible about America or modern urban life distilled into a city of dreams and nightmares.
[19:42] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s a near-modern urban setting on a fictional island
[19:42] <~Dan> Viktyr: I’ll just mention myself here that if this edition is anything like the previous one, the setting is finely detailed.
[19:42] <+JonathanOTETweet> Thanks, Dan
[19:43] <+CamBanks> It has a lot to sink your teeth into, but it’s not restrictive.
[19:43] <+JonathanOTETweet> There’s enough weirdness to accept just about any ideas that players and GM come up with.
[19:43] <+LeeGarvin> Over the Edge was the first rpg that I played or ran that let me get freaky with chargen.
[19:44] <+JonathanOTETweet> That’s right, Lee
[19:44] <+JonathanOTETweet> (done)
[19:44] <+Viktyr> Sorry if I’m misunderstanding. I just don’t have a previous frame of reference. 🙂
[19:44] <~Dan> No worries, Viktyr!
[19:45] <+CamBanks> So, I can elaborate a little if you like
[19:45] <+JonathanOTETweet> Dan, the setting is now biased more toward action and interaction than the original, but otherwise the treatment is a lot alike
[19:45] <~Dan> JonathanOTETweet: Hmm… Can you elaborate on that a bit? Maybe give an example?
[19:45] <+JonathanOTETweet> viktyr, you build your characters yourself, but the setting is the weirdest city in the world, the Edge, on a fictional island in the atlnatic
[19:46] <+CamBanks> The island of Al Amarja and the city of the Edge that’s on the island are sort of like weird melting pots for all of the nutty conspiracies, intrigues, occult weirdness, and dangerous people around the world.
[19:46] <+JonathanOTETweet> In the original, the “Museum of Modern Life” was an established institution that the players could look up in a phonebook.
[19:46] <+JonathanOTETweet> That’s they way RPG settings are traditionally described, as fixed places on a map.
[19:46] <+Viktyr> JonathanOTETweet: So. It’s more like the setting is the setting, but there’s room for anything the players want to add to the setting?
[19:47] <+JonathanOTETweet> In the new version, the Museum of Modern Life is an event in the GM’s chapter.
[19:47] <+JonathanOTETweet> The GM can use it whenever they like, and it’s a new Museum opening up.
[19:47] <+JonathanOTETweet> Maybe the PCs get roped into doing art installations for the opening or something.
[19:47] * ~Dan nods
[19:48] <~Dan> Interesting…
[19:48] <+CamBanks> Most places are primed with potential for action and engagement, as opposed to being static.
[19:48] <+JonathanOTETweet> The point is, the Museum is still in the game, but now it’s a campaign event rather than a static establishment.
[19:48] <~Dan> Right, I gotcha.
[19:49] <~Dan> So I have to ask: Is the airport still… well, the airport?
[19:50] <+CamBanks> You mean the place some PCs never leave after arriving?
[19:50] <~Dan> Yeah, that. 🙂
[19:51] <+LeeGarvin> In one campaign I ran, we had: the physical reincarnation of an Egyptian pharaoh, on a mission to expose all the phony mystics who claimed to channel his spirit; a super-intelligent rabbitt who played the stock market and was trying to corner lettuce futures; and a perfectly ordinary college junior who thought a vacation on Al Amarja sounded fun.
[19:52] <~Dan> That’s awesome, Lee. 🙂
[19:52] <+CamBanks> So here’s a thing about this edition of the game.
[19:53] <+CamBanks> If you’re a fan of the previous editions, there’s a lot you’re going to see that’s familiar. Names, places, things.
[19:53] <+JonathanOTETweet> That’s pretty cool, Lee.
[19:53] <+CamBanks> But! This time around Jonathan had free reign to reinvent, re-describe, re-build a lot of that for a new island.
[19:54] <~Dan> I once played a skilled swordsman who was obsessed with Michael Moorcock and was convinced that he was the latest Eternal Champion incarnation.
[19:54] <+CamBanks> So places like the Terminal are still weird and still interesting but might not be exactly as you remember them.
[19:55] <+CamBanks> (done)
[19:55] <~Dan> Are all the old conspiracies there, and are there new ones?
[19:57] <+CamBanks> There’s some returning favorites and some obscure callbacks. I think Jonathan has his favorites, for sure.
[19:57] <+CamBanks> Reading through the draft the first time I was really happy as a fan, so that should say something about it.
[19:58] <~Dan> Indeed!
[19:58] <+JonathanOTETweet> There is one major new conspiracy that I was happy to add
[19:58] <~Dan> Is that anything you can discuss, or would it be too much of a spoiler?
[19:58] <+LeeGarvin> I would love to see something like a field, where feral Alex Jones’ can be hunted for sport for a nominal fee.
[19:58] <+JonathanOTETweet> And another potentially major conspiracy that is more like an all-new take on a theme from the original
[19:59] <+JonathanOTETweet> We are keeping quiet on details because backers get access to the current draft, and we want it to be full of surprises for them
[19:59] <~Dan> Gotcha. No worries.
[19:59] <+CamBanks> It’s hard to know what’s a spoiler, but really there’s a lot of entangled goodies in the draft.
[19:59] * ~Dan nods
[20:00] <+JonathanOTETweet> Lee, now add one twist to that concept and it’s a winner
[20:00] <+CamBanks> I’ll say this: I love what Jonathan has to say about humans in the new edition.
[20:00] <+LeeGarvin> What twist is that?
[20:01] <+LeeGarvin> Or are you saying any twist?
[20:02] <~Dan> Oh, one question I saw brought up elsewhere: How do you handle the Internet in relation to the general air of secrecy about the island?
[20:02] <~Dan> (I thought he meant any twist, Lee.)
[20:03] <+CamBanks> Right, you want to take things just one more step toward weird.
[20:03] <+CamBanks> So you know how you sometimes follow those links on Facebook or wherever that lead you through multiple URLs and links and pop ups and ads and garbage
[20:03] <~Dan> Right…
[20:04] <+CamBanks> Imagine what a truly unregulated internet market would look like and how you’d deal with that as a consumer
[20:04] <+CamBanks> And imagine that the State is also involved in whatever way it feels like.
[20:04] <~Dan> Hmm…
[20:05] <+CamBanks> I imagine Al Amarja is basically 90% dark web and 10% ad spam.
[20:05] <~Dan> Does the book actually touch on this subject?
[20:05] <+JonathanOTETweet> Lee: any twist. One more surprising detail after the original concept.
[20:06] <+Viktyr> The game reserve is actually owned by Alex Jones, who is cloning himself and allowing himself to be hunted to fund… something.
[20:07] <~Dan> Not bad, Viktyr!
[20:08] <+CamBanks> Dan: Yes, the book covers that aspect of modern life fairly well.
[20:08] <~Dan> Ah, good to know!
[20:08] <+JonathanOTETweet> Yeah, Viktyr, that’s how I do it
[20:08] <+CamBanks> The island even has a friendly, helpful virtual assistant for public use. Enjoy!
[20:09] <~Dan> I can only imagine.
[20:09] <~Dan> (So that’s where Clippy ended up!)
[20:09] <+CamBanks> Dan: He should be so lucky.
[20:09] <+CamBanks> (done)
[20:10] <~Dan> How is the system different this time around?
[20:11] <+LeeGarvin> I’ve got it: it turns out that that ALL of the bloated bloviating man-baby pundits that have been poluting the airwaves for the last 40 years are a completely separate species, Homo Pugnaticus Alamarja. And the only breeding population of them is in a small preserve here on the island. They have ridiculously short lifespans, so handlers from the networks
[20:12] <+Motulev> LeeGarvin: you got cut off by the character limit after “from the networks”
[20:12] <+LeeGarvin> Are always on the lookout for a replacement Rush, or Hannity, or Jones. But they are dangerous if allowed to breed in too great numbers, so hunting them for sport is encouraged.
[20:14] <+CamBanks> The rules are brand-new, but they’re in the spirit of the original game system in the sense that we believe the Edge is more fun when you can come at it from any narrative angle you want, and the players don’t need to learn a whole book of rules to make characters.
[20:15] <+CamBanks> Characters are still defined by open-ended traits, but there’s a lot less of what used to be “roll dice to beat difficulty numbers” back and forth. Now it’s even smoother and faster.
[20:16] <+LeeGarvin> Cam: that sounds great!
[20:16] <+CamBanks> (done)
[20:16] <~Dan> Can you say a bit more about that, CamBanks? What is the task resolution mechanic?
[20:17] <+CamBanks> So, players each have 2d6, those are their “lots.” They have to have pips, and you can’t share them with anyone else. You should probably not play any other game with them, either. Keep them safe.
[20:18] <+CamBanks> Any time the GM decides there’s a situation to be resolved, you cast your lots. That could be as broad as “do you break into the mansion and steal the secrets from the vault” or as small as “do you punch the guy out in Sad Mary’s in front of his buddies.”
[20:19] <+CamBanks> (Jonathan is having some connection issues.)
[20:19] <~Dan> (Gotcha.)
[20:20] <+CamBanks> So you roll the dice, and if you get 7+ you succeed. If you roll a 3 on a die, then something bad happens. If you roll a 4, something good happens. Doubles of those are double as much.
[20:20] <+Motulev> 2d6 broad resolution mechanic, now what does this remind me of…
[20:20] <~Dan> (Howdy, DLB_Chuck!)
[20:20] <+CamBanks> Those 3s and 4s are called twists, so you can get a good twist or a bad twist or even both.
[20:21] <+CamBanks> It’s a lot of fun, gives the GM a lot to play off, but is super easy to remember.
[20:21] <~Dan> How does player ability level come into play?
[20:21] <+CamBanks> Being more skilled or experienced or powerful than your opponent might let you re-roll one or both dice.
[20:21] <+CamBanks> If you’re less experienced or powerful or skilled, the GM can re-roll one or both of your dice!
[20:21] <+CamBanks> That’s pretty much it.
[20:22] <+LeeGarvin> Are there ever bonus or penalty di e
[20:22] <+CamBanks> No, but there’s something called karma, which is generated by rolling doubles. You can save that for re-rolls later.
[20:22] <+LeeGarvin> Cool
[20:23] <+CamBanks> But no hit points, no ranges, not a lot of any crunch beyond the stuff that makes characters more interesting in play.
[20:23] <+CamBanks> (done)
[20:23] <~Dan> So it sounds like the game has a pretty small scale… How does the game handle beings that are clearly superhuman?
[20:24] <+CamBanks> PCs are rated by a level. So are GMCs and so are some tricky locations and anywhere that you might have to deal with something.
[20:24] <+LeeGarvin> So a roll of two “2”s for instance, would score as an 8?
[20:24] <+CamBanks> You might have high-level PCs who can pretty much ignore minor opposition.
[20:25] <+CamBanks> That’s up to the group when you play the game.
[20:25] <+CamBanks> Those levels are used for comparison. World-class PCs can deal with world-class problems.
[20:26] <+CamBanks> You want a brief example maybe?
[20:26] <~Dan> Sure!
[20:26] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s way better at handling differences in power level than it was before
[20:27] <+CamBanks> So a PC is 3rd level. This means that in the traits they have on their sheet, like “Mexican wrestler” or “Punitive corporate lawyer” you operate at 3rd level. You’re considered lower level with things your traits don’t cover.
[20:27] <+CamBanks> (This example PC is 3rd, it can vary)
[20:28] <+CamBanks> If the GM says, “the only way to get leverage over the gang boss is to get rid of his tax problem” then “Mexican wrestler” won’t help.
[20:28] <+CamBanks> But the lawyer one will.
[20:29] <+CamBanks> So you cast your lots, you get a 9 (3 and a 6). That’s a success usually. If the GM says the level of opposition is 2, though, maybe you want to re-roll that 3.
[20:29] <+CamBanks> Because you’re higher level than the tax problem.
[20:29] <+CamBanks> If you’re the same level, you have to leave them how they are.
[20:30] <+CamBanks> If it was a level 4 tax problem (that’s very unusual – maybe it’s the IMF leaning on the gang guy) then the GM might re-roll that 6.
[20:30] <+CamBanks> You can handle the whole thing with that one roll, though, so you and the GM can figure out how this happens and what the outcome is.
[20:31] <+CamBanks> (done)
[20:31] <~Dan> How does combat work in this edition?
[20:32] <~Dan> Welcome to #randomworlds, JohnNephew!
[20:32] <+CamBanks> Same as everything else. There’s another wrinkle (hi John!) and that’s if you “take damage” you get three strikes and you’re out.
[20:33] <+JohnNephew> (Hi everyone)
[20:33] <~Dan> Do weapons matter?
[20:35] <+LeeGarvin> Hi John!
[20:37] <+CamBanks> Weapons matter, yes.
[20:37] <+CamBanks> But not in the usual way.
[20:37] <~Dan> (wb, LeeGarvin!)
[20:37] <~Dan> CamBanks: How so?
[20:37] <+CamBanks> So if you’re armed with an axe and your opponent isn’t, that can affect how you determine the levels.
[20:38] <~Dan> So are weapons rated in terms of level adds?
[20:39] <+LeeGarvin> I seem to have been kicked. I’m back now. I blame the Throckmortom Decice.
[20:39] <+CamBanks> No, it’s more about whether you’ve got the tools you need on hand to do what you’d be able to do with your traits.
[20:39] <+CamBanks> So it’s much less finely grained than that.
[20:40] * ~Dan nods
[20:41] <~Dan> How do you handle weird powers?
[20:41] <+CamBanks> Because you can resolve a whole street brawl in one roll if you want to, it’s mostly about figuring out who has the advantage and who doesn’t, and what you’re bringing to the table.
[20:41] <+CamBanks> Weird powers have to be a trait, like they were in the last edition.
[20:41] <+CamBanks> But now you don’t have to worry about charges or whatever.
[20:42] <+CamBanks> They let you do things in the narrative that other people wouldn’t.
[20:42] <+CamBanks> (done)
[20:42] <+CamBanks> You should totally ask JohnNephew about OTE, too.
[20:43] <~Dan> We’ve touched on this, but just to be clear, what are the elements that make up a character in this edition?
[20:43] <~Dan> Consider my questions to be directed at all of you. Any and all can answer. 🙂
[20:43] <~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest32!)
[20:44] <+CamBanks> So a character is not too complicated.
[20:45] <+CamBanks> You’ve got a broad main trait, a less broad side trait, a question mark, and a trouble.
[20:45] <+CamBanks> The question mark is a thing about you that you’re OK with poking at in the game, it may end up not being true. Like honest-? or reliable-?
[20:46] <+CamBanks> And the trouble is a thing that, if it comes up in the story, is your permission to jump off your rails a bit.
[20:47] <~Dan> (wb, LeeGarvin!)
[20:47] <+CamBanks> Like, “when the cake comes out” was a trouble on a PC in a convention game. Everyone wanted to know what would happen when the cake came out, whatever that meant.
[20:47] <&Silverlion> Like Fate’s Trouble?
[20:47] <+CamBanks> Silverlion: Kind of! Less of a “flaw” and more of a “I dare the GM to bring this into the story so I can wig out.”
[20:48] <&Silverlion> Cool. I need to kidnap you for something now.
[20:48] <+LeeGarvin> NIAGRA FALLS!
[20:49] <~Dan> Does the game still have a separate system for spells?
[20:49] <+JonathanOTETweet> It’s important to think of the “trouble” as a dramatic direction for your character, not a flaw that burdens them or makes them less effective
[20:50] <+CamBanks> How do you like spells, JonathanOTETweet?
[20:52] <+Viktyr> CamBanks: I know it’s not the point of the story, but what happened when the cake came out?
[20:52] <+LeeGarvin> Is our beloved madame
[20:53] <+Viktyr> CamBanks: Did someone leave it out in the rain, and the PC didn’t know if they could take it, because it took so long to bake it, and they’ll never have that recipe again?
[20:53] <+LeeGarvin> Is our beloved Madame President still in charge on the island?
[20:56] <+LeeGarvin> I loved tje Dog-Face Patrols; I always found the idea frankly terrifying, because I know exactly what a baboon can do.
[20:57] <+JonathanOTETweet> Monique D’Aubainne’s new identity is a secret.
[20:58] <+LeeGarvin> Ooh! Tantalizing!
[20:58] <+JonathanOTETweet> Backers get access to the draft and we’re saving lots of surprises for them
[20:58] <+CamBanks> So at least three other PCs engineered getting a cake out somehow.
[20:58] <~Dan> What was the answer regarding spells?
[20:59] <+Viktyr> I have a friend who would love this game.
[20:59] <+CamBanks> And one of them managed to do it, and the cake-trouble PC flipped out and went berserk. It was quite amusing.
[20:59] <+JonathanOTETweet> but who else could be in control?
[20:59] <+LeeGarvin> I guess she couldn’t keep up that “forever middle-aged” facade any longer, huh?
[21:00] <+Viktyr> I don’t know. I’m almost forty, and I’ve been middle-aged at least since I was fifteen.
[21:01] <~Dan> (Welcome to #randomworlds, Guest75!)
[21:01] <+CamBanks> I can confirm there is no list of spells.
[21:01] <+JonathanOTETweet> The game doesn’t hav separate systems any more, not for combat and not for spells.
[21:02] <~Dan> Understood.
[21:02] <+LeeGarvin> Spell lists are very old school game design.
[21:02] <+JonathanOTETweet> I have a list of “weird paranormal stuff that weird paranormal people do” but without mechanics or numbers.
[21:03] * ~Dan nods
[21:03] <+CamBanks> There’s a lot of great advice for how to deal with all of this stuff, though.
[21:03] <+CamBanks> So it’s not like you’re being thrown to the story wolves.
[21:03] <+CamBanks> (done)
[21:04] <~Dan> That’s good to know.
[21:04] <~Dan> So, I have a question that’s based on my experience with running OtE in the past.
[21:05] <~Dan> Is there a trick to presenting weirdness without PCs feeling like they have to chase down every oddity?
[21:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, Lord_of_Life!)
[21:06] <+JonathanOTETweet> Yes, Dan, there is
[21:07] <+JonathanOTETweet> The GM is coached to give away certain information out of character in order to make the session more interesting.
[21:07] <~Dan> I’m not sure I follow you there.
[21:08] <+JonathanOTETweet> So you can just say, “OK, you ask around about the glowing green dog, but it’s just a random mutation, and there’s nothing interesting about it”
[21:09] <~Dan> Ah, I see.
[21:10] <+LeeGarvin> Also, when EVERTHING around is weird, it kinda becomes
[21:10] <+JonathanOTETweet> Or: “It’s an interdimensional traveler, and you’ll never find it, but it’s not related to the story anyway”
[21:10] <+LeeGarvin> Normal.
[21:11] <+JonathanOTETweet> You can also be generous with information gained in character, such as from surveilling someone or “gathering information”
[21:11] <~Dan> Well, that’s another trick: Keeping weirdness weird rather than commonplace.
[21:12] <+JonathanOTETweet> I had that same problem originally, characters chasing too many random leads
[21:12] <+JonathanOTETweet> (done)
[21:12] <+LeeGarvin> I would LOVE to make an Over The Edge setting book for my Control: The Game of Absolute Corruption rpg.
[21:13] <+CamBanks> I often find that the old trick of “if the players suggest a theory, then that’s the truth” to be gold.
[21:14] <+CamBanks> Often a group of players is going to be much smarter collectively than you are as a single GM.
[21:14] <~Dan> Another issue I’ve had with OtE is players making characters who were so weird that they out-weirded the setting, so to speak. I learned to encourage players to keep the weirdness subtle.
[21:14] <+CamBanks> (done)
[21:15] <~Dan> Do you have any thoughts on that subject, JonathanOTETweet?
[21:15] <+JonathanOTETweet> Subtle is good
[21:15] <+JonathanOTETweet> In the new game you have to be human. That’s a steal from Apocalypse World.
[21:16] <+JonathanOTETweet> It helps the character be relatable and prevent some of the worst abuse with freeform character powers
[21:16] <+CamBanks> During the game you might become a cat for a session, but you’re not a cat when you make your character.
[21:16] <+LeeGarvin> Dang. No rabbits. ;/
[21:17] <~Dan> That makes sense. To me, the setting needs to feel alien to the characters. They shouldn’t feel like they’ve “come to the right place,” so to speak. If that makes sense.
[21:18] <+LeeGarvin> Right, like I feel when I go to GenCon.
[21:18] <+CamBanks> Dan: And after all, humanity is weird all on its own.
[21:18] * ~Dan chuckles
[21:18] <~Dan> CamBanks: True enough!
[21:19] <+JonathanOTETweet> (done)
[21:19] <~Dan> In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
[21:19] <+CamBanks> The Kickstarter is going to have some pretty cool stretch goals, if we can get there.
[21:20] <+CamBanks> We haven’t revealed them yet, but I think JonathanOTETweet mentioned a couple on a podcast.
[21:23] <+LeeGarvin> Jonathan, did you see my revision of the pundit hunt idea? Is that the kind of twist you were looking for?
[21:23] <~Dan> Oh, while we’re wrapping up, I’ll just mention that my tip jar can be found at (Link: https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/)https://gmshoe.wordpress.com/the-gmshoes-tip-jar/ . Gratuities are welcome!
[21:23] <+JonathanOTETweet> Lee, yeah, the cloning stuff? that seemed good
[21:24] <+JonathanOTETweet> Give the players something extra to discover beyond the cool concept
[21:24] <+LeeGarvin> Not clones, a whole species.
[21:25] <+JonathanOTETweet> I think we covered it pretty well, especially Cam
[21:25] <~Dan> Thanks very much for joining us, guys!
[21:26] <+Dan_> Whoops! Internet hiccup there.
[21:26] <+LeeGarvin> Good night everybody! See you tomorrow!
[21:27] <~Dan> Bye, Lee!
[21:27] <~Dan> JonathanOTETweet, CamBanks, if you’ll give me just a minute, I’ll get the log posted and link you. 🙂
[21:27] <+CamBanks> Thanks Dan. Sorry it wasn’t more crowded!