[1:06 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: My name is Daniel P. Espinosa, and I’m the author of Raven, a gothic horror roleplaying game based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. I’m a fiction writer with several published novels (horror, crime, etc), and also I’ve been playing and GM rpgs for more than 30 years. I’m also a LARP designer and player (Live action roleplaying games). So yes, I guess I like different things, but all of them related
[1:11 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: About Raven, as I mentioned, it’s a gothic horror roleplaying game. It uses Edgar Allan Poe’s themes and with them it creates a fantasy world in a 19th century like cursed city. The game takes the premise that the Player Characters are descendant of Lord Poe Corvus, who arrived 200 years ago to a semi abandoned city plagued with ghosts. He learned about the cursed magic that the old inhabitants of the city used with those ghosts but become corrupted, and his companions had to execute them. But before dying, Poe cursed the city: every night, a mist covers the streets and takes the souls of everyone who dares to stay outside. But the city prospered, and people learned to stay inside during the nights and to close windows and doors. But the city is plagued with hundreds of ravens that watches all the time, and it’s said they take the unfortunate souls of the dead to the Other Side.
[1:12 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Talking about the PCs, they play as descendants of lord Poe. They live in a huge black mansion in the middle of the city, and carry the curse from the founder. They are constantly watched by the Order that rules the city. The city blames the Corvus family for the curse of the mist, so your characters are in some way “the villains” of the game.
[1:13 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: You play as aristocrats with dark interests, and with a loved one that could be more corrupted than the characters themshelves. And they live in a mansion which hides many, many secrets and ghosts. I think that can introduce it a bit.
[1:13 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: @A_Losada your turn
[1:14 PM]A_Losada: Here I go! I’m Arturo, part of the publishing team of Shadowlands Games. I’m the guy behind our social media, and also play a small part in proofreading and playtesting. Role-playing since 2003 and big fan of Daniel’s work with Raven. You can take a look at the game’s art and download the free Quickstart Guide right here: https://shadowlandsgames.com/raven
[1:15 PM]A_Losada: Introduction complete, @Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)
[1:15 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Thanks, guys! The floor is open to questions!
[1:16 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): What is the equivalent Earth time period? Early 1800s?
[1:16 PM]GavinReadsWords: Hey Arturo, what are some challenges unique to your role as ‘social media guy’ for a TTRPG company, and how do you face them down?(edited)
[1:17 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Mid 1800. It’s the time where Edgar Allan Poe lived. So there’s gas lamps but no house electricity. Horses but no cars
[1:18 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Cap-and-ball pistols?
[1:19 PM]GavinReadsWords: And for Daniel, are your written works – your fiction, your TTRPG books, your LARP system – connected in a universe of Espinosa or are they each distinct and separate entities? (Apologies for autocorrect)(edited)
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Cap-and-ball pistols?[1:21 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Some, but not much. Only the Guild (the middle-class faction, kind of an elegant mob) uses them. But the Order and the Characters don’t. It’s a narrative game, so combat it’s not at all encouraged. The adventures are based on hauntings and curses, and misteries around the Corvus family origins and the old history of the city. And everything around drama, ghosts and old conspiracies.
@GavinReadsWordsHey Arturo, what are some challenges unique to your role as ‘social media guy’ for a TTRPG company, and how do you face them down? (edited)[1:22 PM]A_Losada: Good question! To make a long story short… I think there’s no special challenges to be the CM of a TTRPG publisher, they’re the same than in any other sector. The thick of it: you have to be knowledgeable of the subject you are posting about and you have to be ready to answer questions and solve issues as soon as posible. I have some experience as DM and roleplayer, so I have that covered. And for the other part… I spend too many hours online. That’s the flip side 2
[1:22 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: There are some premises for the game that I think explain it quite well Maybe you find this useful to picture it. PREMISES AND PRINCIPLES OF RAVEN
- The ravens are after your soul. And they get obsessed.
- No one can defeat the mist. It can appear anywhere.
- The Other Side is a bewildering place. No one is ever safe there.
- The only cats in Raven are in the Corvus mansion. They are all black and mustn’t be disturbed.
- The only monsters in Raven are spectres. Even the weakest is dangerous.
- You can come back from death. But there will always be something unsettling.
- Nobody knows all that lies hidden in the Corvus mansion. Or its perils.
- There is something unsettling about the mansion’s servants. Perhaps they’re the ones in charge.
- Every corner of the city has its cursed places. And its secrets.
- Magic always requires sacrifice. Consider what you are willing to offer.
- The Order is dangerous. And it watches you.
- The magic of the Lodge is deeply corrupting. And it tempts you.
[1:23 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: All encouraging elegant, aristocratic and sinister play and GMing
[1:24 PM]A_Losada: Here you can download Raven’s playbooks. I think they tell a lot about the game, and they also show the quality art and graphic design https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NlN39H0OzBxt7trkuTG_gvLQ12y_dYK_/view?usp=drive_link(edited)Google DocsRaven_Hojas PJ_EN.pdf1
[1:24 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Why does the Order not use firearms?
@GavinReadsWordsAnd for Daniel, are your written works – your fiction, your TTRPG books, your LARP system – connected in a universe of Espinosa or are they each distinct and separate entities? (Apologies for autocorrect) (edited)[1:26 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: I like to touch many themes, so no, they’re not connected. I’ve written modern crime, middle-ages fantasy, steampunk scifi, gothic horror… All of them for novels, rpg campaigns and LARP. But for Raven now I’m developing interconnected creations. I’ve written a LARP for Raven, that will be offered in our next kickstarter, and I’m (slowly) writing a novel also based on Raven
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Why does the Order not use firearms?[1:28 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Good question. Because (and I haven’t mentioned this) they have MAGIC. This is a dark fantasy setting after all. There are ghosts, but also sinister (and dangerous) magic. They learned it from the previous inhabitans of Raven (the Lodge) and it tends to corrupt the souls, so its use is very dangerous. But it’s the only way to fight (somehow) the mist and the different specters. The Player Characters also use Magic. So guns are only for non-aristocratic people. Dangerous, but scarce and not elegant.(edited)
[1:29 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Is Magic ability limited to aristocrats, and can you give us an idea of how powerful it can get?
[1:31 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It’s not limited, but this XIXth-based society is quite classist, so the Order tends only to train aristocratic families. There are also mid and low-class members, but few. Anyway, the game focuses itself in aristocratic story, following the classic gothic tradition. The magic is group in several arts, regarding which element it can manage: Ghosts, Necromancy, Poetry (creation), Episteme (science), The Other Side (the land of the ghosts), Mesmerism (as Poe mentioned it in his works), Decadency (destruction), Obsesion (mind breaking magic).
[1:33 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: So as you can see, it’s not a “magic for everything” game. The magic is not used much because it requieres a sacrifice. The bigger the effect, the bigger the sacrifice. You could sacrifice a week of sleep for a minor ritual, but also the love of your spouse for a huge ritual.
[1:34 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It’s not a “fireball” magic also. It’s a silent magic based on the mist. Its effects are to be feared, and it’s used only when it’s necessary.
[1:34 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Mostly, as almost everything in Raven, it’s based on specters and the mist
[1:35 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Regarding its power, well, it could summon an old Lodge ghost or could open a breach to the Other Side. It could kill a person or bring them back from death… but it will be always something sinister in the effect
[1:36 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: So you can get the idea, you could run an adventure only based on the effects of someone’s ritual… even one casted decades ago
[1:36 PM]GavinReadsWords: Speaking of Themes! What are the central themes of Raven, how do they appear in the mechanics and lore, and how do they influence the content creation and marketing of the game?
[1:37 PM]A_Losada: A sneak peek from the Magic in Raven’s Core Book.2
[1:38 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Great art!
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Great art![1:40 PM]A_Losada: We were lucky to have Abigail Larsson on board for this project1
@GavinReadsWordsSpeaking of Themes! What are the central themes of Raven, how do they appear in the mechanics and lore, and how do they influence the content creation and marketing of the game?[1:42 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Great question! The main themes of Raven are: -The Corvus family curse. All the player characters are cursed, and compelled to live dark lives, surrounded by ghosts. Their own lives tend to be tenebrous, and the ravens claim their souls. Some day they’ll surrender to them. -The misteries about the city of Raven. The city was there when Poe and the other families arrive there. It was an old city, all built in white stone, and almost abandoned. Populated by dead souls, it has been there for centuries, and there are even older remains there. The Lodge itself, a corrupt sect that used specters for their interests, was erradicated, but it tries to come back. That’s where the Order enters, trying to keep the current people of Raven safe. -The Corvus mansion. It’s the only building in the city built in black stone. It’s huge, and no one have been able to explore all of it. It’s full of ghosts, old stories, curses and misteries. It was where the old Lodge lived, so it keeps all the dangerous knowledge from the past
[1:43 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: -Also the personal stories of the player characters. The character creation is very detailed, and each PC has personal misteries, their own curse, a loved one that can hide multiple secrets, enemies, and the own family relations (which can be bad also)2
[1:44 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: -The servants of the mansion are also a mistery. They’ve been there forever, and keep lots of secrets -And the cats! Only the Corvus mansion has cats, they are all black and… you shouldn’t bother them. No one knows what they are, but they are quite dangerous
[1:44 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): I notice you’ve used the terms “ghost” and “specter”. Are they the same sort of being in this setting?
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)I notice you’ve used the terms “ghost” and “specter”. Are they the same sort of being in this setting?[1:46 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: In fact, no. I’ve been generalizing. The only “monsters” in Raven are specters, but there are several types. There are ghosts (from dead people), shades (mindless remains from dead people), aparitions (images without life). But also there are non human specters that come from the Other Side: the ravens are one of them, but also there are Reflections (specters that duplicate a person’s life and then kills them to replace them), Larvae, Parasytes, Scavengers…(edited)
[1:47 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: There’s in fact a detailed Specter Encyclopedia in the core book
[1:47 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Tobin’s Spirit Guide?
[1:48 PM]GavinReadsWords: Have either of you had supernatural experiences in your life? Any ghostly encounters or apparitions?
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Tobin’s Spirit Guide?[1:49 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Unfortunately not, but I’ve been documenting myself for a long time about different types and beliefs about ghosts
@GavinReadsWordsHave either of you had supernatural experiences in your life? Any ghostly encounters or apparitions?[1:50 PM]A_Losada: As Daniel, I’ve only encountered ghost during gaming
@GavinReadsWordsHave either of you had supernatural experiences in your life? Any ghostly encounters or apparitions?[1:50 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Yes, I kind of have. I’ve really loved this theme, and in fact my second novel required a deep investigation about esoterism and ghosts. It was a novel about necromancy1
[1:51 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: So I wanted to reflect the rich varieties of ghosts in this game because… i love it (edited)
@Daniel P. EspinosaYes, I kind of have. I’ve really loved this theme, and in fact my second novel required a deep investigation about esoterism and ghosts. It was a novel about necromancy[1:51 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): That’s a dead issue.2
[1:52 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): You mentioned that there’s a school of magic dealing with ghosts and one dealing with the Other Side, where ghosts come from. How do they differ?
[1:52 PM]GavinReadsWords: What are some media inspirations that led to the creation of the Raven and what are some recommended reading/watching/listening for storytellers and players of Raven?
[1:54 PM]A_Losada: Before changing topic, a small example of a Raven ghost1
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)You mentioned that there’s a school of magic dealing with ghosts and one dealing with the Other Side, where ghosts come from. How do they differ?[1:54 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: They are the same. In Raven, all specters (notice I’m using this term) come from the Mist. The Other Side is made of Mist, as it comes from there. But the difference, in game mechanics, is that Ghost magic can summon and expel ghosts (human specters), and the Other Side magic can open breaches to the Other Side and try (notice “try”) to come back safe
[1:56 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): What might be accomplished by traveling to the Other Side?
@GavinReadsWordsWhat are some media inspirations that led to the creation of the Raven and what are some recommended reading/watching/listening for storytellers and players of Raven?[1:59 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: The main one is Edgar Allan Poe. All the characters in the game (NPCs and PCs) use names from his works. The adventures, some kind of specters, the obssesion with the loved one and lots of themes are inspired directly from his works. I’ve written several adventures inspired on some of them. The adventure doesn’t try to play the exact tale, but if you’ve read it, you’ll recognize it. Also there are inspirations from other sources. All gothic literature in general, and also series like A Penny Dreadful. You could say that the Corvus family (the player characters’ family) can have a touch from The Addam’s Family. The character creation takes a whole session and there you create most family touches, so it can have that easily. I must confess also that the servants, the life in the mansion and some concepts of the player character romances (dark romances) have a lot from Downton Abbey 1
[2:01 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Are the Order the “good guys” in this setting?
[2:01 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: So… recomendations. Just Edgar Allan Poe: The Raven poem, The black cat, The fall of house Usher, The cask of amontillado, The premature burial, Ligeia, Berenice.1
[2:02 PM]GavinReadsWords: One of the fun things going on in the industry is licensing issues, keeping some creative folks from making custom content to share and spread. Is there any incentive that will encourage content creators and homebrewers to make their own stuff for Raven for other tables to enjoy?
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Are the Order the “good guys” in this setting?[2:02 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: The short answer is: they should be, because they protect the city from the mist… and also from the own Player Characters. But the long answer is: there are no good guys in this game. Everyone has their own interests and conspirations. The Player Characters are the good guys but also the bad guys, because they do lots of dark things, while trying to save their family from the curse, the ghosts and the Order.
[2:03 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: I like to explore moral ambiguity. The adventures use a lot of this ambiguity. As I said, the game encourages not to use combat, and the adventures have a lot of moral decissions, misteries and dark revelations.(edited)
[2:04 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: All in a horror environment, of course
[2:05 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Does all play happen within the confines of the city? And to what degree does the supernatural exist elsewhere?
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Does all play happen within the confines of the city? And to what degree does the supernatural exist elsewhere?[2:08 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Yes, it happens within the city and it’s surroundings. It’s a meta environment. I wanted to focus the whole stories in a closed place. There’s a lot of detail of the city in the core book, with all the neighbourhoods, lots of ideas, misteries, threats and NPCs. The city is isolated in a far continent, and it’s surrounded also by mist. There’s a Society of Exploration who send explorers to the exterior, but most of them don’t return. The ones that return talk about old ruins, dense mist and great dangers. There’s the idea to write an expantion to this exterior zones, but there’s a lot of stories to play inside the city. And even ONLY INSIDE THE CORVUS MANSION!
[2:09 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Is the Corvus Mansion bigger on the inside, like the Tardis?
[2:10 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Regarding the supernatural, it’s real in this world. In fact, the science study it because it’s part of nature. There’s mention of an old continent, and the merchant ships from the Guild send them to trade, but the game encourages to just play in the city. This is where the important stuff happen. Also, BTW, the book explains all the secrets of the setting and the city of Raven, but it’s something just the GM should read just to keep it… secret and enjoyable. There’s lots of misteries there, believe me.
@GavinReadsWordsOne of the fun things going on in the industry is licensing issues, keeping some creative folks from making custom content to share and spread. Is there any incentive that will encourage content creators and homebrewers to make their own stuff for Raven for other tables to enjoy?[2:12 PM]A_Losada: We’re a fairly small publisher, so we’re unable to offer the incentives the powerhouses of TTRPG can offer. However, our team of author is fairly creative Additionaly, if you produce any Raven’s content, you can count on us to to share it and you can count on our gratitude. There’s gaming groups from France and Poland running their own Raven campaigns right now. The proof: https://youtu.be/sL5hs-HXfwA?si=7sOovXCgyDSONkrr https://youtu.be/7Xms4mYnqCgYouTubeLa Table de Rencontres[Raven] Une famille dans la brume E01 Le bal des Corvus – Une invit…YouTubeRzucaj! Nie Gadaj!Raven S1E01 | Grzechy starej namiętności cz.1 | Raven RPG | Gotyck…1
[2:12 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): How large is the city?
[2:12 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): (brb)
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Is the Corvus Mansion bigger on the inside, like the Tardis?[2:12 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: XD I’d love that Kind of. The idea for the mansion is that the players and the GM can create everything they imagine. The core book only defines (in detail) the common areas: living areas, library, the crypt, their parents areas, the servants area, the garden… Any player can suggest anything inside the mansion, as also the GM. Once suggested and created, it remains as a fact, and they can visit in the future. There’s no way to explore all the mansion, and if you look from the outside, it gets lost in the mist. So that way you can justify the inmense size of it.(edited)
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)How large is the city?[2:15 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Well, here you have it 2
[2:16 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It’s not small, nor a metropoly. You can croos from one neighbour to another in enough time to come back before the mist falls
[2:17 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It has different areas, as you can see, so you can feel each one different. The war district, the guild district, the artists neighbour (with their taberns full of opium-like drugs), the aristocratic zone, the cemeteries…
[2:18 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: And the outskirts, with rest houses and an abandoned mansions forest
[2:18 PM]GavinReadsWords: Hey Daniel, why write and design TTRPGs?
@GavinReadsWordsHey Daniel, why write and design TTRPGs?[2:20 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Well, I’ve been GMing rpg since the beginning (30+ years ago!), and writing my own adventures and campaigns. I had never had the chance to write my own game to publish it because I was absorbed writing my novels. But after lots of years, I decided I wanted also to write an rpg game because is my main hobby. So I used my experience with novels, fiction and rpgs and finally I got to write one. And once started, I’m just continuing writing and designing them (edited)2
[2:22 PM]GavinReadsWords: While looking through the web, it appears that you primarily communicate in Spanish. Are there any jokes, references, or even just concepts that don’t translate well from Spanish to English that you’ve had to alter for your work on Raven?
@GavinReadsWordsWhile looking through the web, it appears that you primarily communicate in Spanish. Are there any jokes, references, or even just concepts that don’t translate well from Spanish to English that you’ve had to alter for your work on Raven?[2:28 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Let me think. We had a wonderful translator and I communicated a lot with him to adapt the translation in the precise way I intended. The main thing was with the language, trying to use the words that sounded more gothic. So it was a detailed work trying to be faithfoul to the English language. For example, we discussed how to name the shadows with the word “Shade” instead, and lot of other details. When I wrote the Spanish book, my main concern was with the gender neutrality. I put a lot of effort in using grammaticaly correct language but inclusive at the same time. And that was the main change, because in English it’s tottaly different. You can say “gardener” and there’s no gender on it. But in Spanish you have “jardinero” y “jardinera”. So i guess I can say the big difference is that; a more simple way to express lots of things. But also we have debate about some terms that in Spanish doesn’t have gender implications (like “mago” and “maga”) but in English it seems to sound more gender locked, like “Magician” and “Witch”, i think.(edited)2
[2:29 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: So I guess that’s it.
[2:29 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It was very interesting to collaborate in the translation process, I must say (edited)
[2:30 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): What can you tell us about the system?
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)What can you tell us about the system?[2:37 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: It uses its own system, Maelstrom. I tried to make it quite simple. It’s a narrative simple. It’s not a tactical nor simulationist system. The main thing is that you resolve a entire situacion or even a entire scene with just a roll. There’s no initiative, no positioning, no details more than the narrative. The idea is to play the game doing whatever you want, and only rolling the dice when your actions can change the main story. So you could pick a lock with no problem if it’s not relevant for the story, or even enter a forbidden library of the Order if it’s just a secondary action. But if you are interfering with one of the threats of the story, then all the table collaborates to define the dice to roll, and just roll once. The result tells if the story favors you or if you manage to get it but creates a new threat. The characters could end in the Order’s prison with just one roll when trying to enter that library if that’s relevant for the story. It uses also quite simple dice: d6. But you can use Raven’s dice. They have cats and ravens. You roll them, the cats and the ravens devour each other and you see which one survive. That determines the result. It’s also quite narrative because the character sheet is all text. The only numbers are the Personalities, which says how many dice you roll. You can add more dice with your actions and different aids. It has some elements from PbtA and FATE, but it’s not PbtA nor FATE. There’s no cocreation of the story nor the world, though players have some agency abour their personal stories. But the adventures are already defined, and you have a plot, threats and a story.(edited)
[2:37 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: You can see a character sheet here.
@GavinReadsWordsOne of the fun things going on in the industry is licensing issues, keeping some creative folks from making custom content to share and spread. Is there any incentive that will encourage content creators and homebrewers to make their own stuff for Raven for other tables to enjoy?[2:41 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: I’ve just seen this. @A_Losada answered it from the editors perspective. I only can add that I’m more than happy to see any custom adventure or homebrew content or streaming about the game. Once the game is created, it’s in the gamers hands to enjoy and create whatever you want. It’s yours to enjoy And there’s also a Shadowland’s Discord server where people can post their streamings or they written adventures, of course 1
[2:43 PM]GavinReadsWords: What does conflict in Raven look like and how does the character sheet help in resolving the conflicts?
[2:49 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Some examples: a ghost possesing a dear one or a player character. A breach of mist entering the bedroom while you’re sleeping. A murder with specter traces on it that you can try to solve because the murdered one was your lover. Your parents (which are very sinister) trying to put you behind a wall. You trying to cross through the Other Side to find one of your sisters or brothers or fleeing from an specter. To solve it, when the GM (The Tenebrous Voice, as it’s called) determines you are confronting a threat that can change the story, you determine which personality you are using. Are you being Creative to fool a member of the Order, or are you being Proud to confront them? That adds from 3 to 0 Corvus dice (cats dice). Then you can narrate something that helps you (an object, a gothic description, etc) that adds another Corvus dice (dC). And from your sheet you can use your Tendencies to add another dice, detonate your Curse to solve the whole situation but with a complication, use a Corvus Action regarding your speciality (cross to the Other side, summon a ghost), or use Magic. Then the GM adds all the threat dice (the Mist dice, with the ravens) based on the relevance in the story of the threat, your sequels (if you’re hurt) and something that makes it difficult. The player rolls all the dice and you check the result: success, partial success or failure/success with high consequences.(edited)
[2:51 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): What are “sequels” in this context?
[2:52 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Sorry. Bad translation. Consequences, wounds, injuries
[2:52 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Mental or physical1
[2:52 PM]GavinReadsWords: How did you start marketing the Raven and who is your target audience?
[2:53 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: I guess @A_Losada can answer that
[2:54 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Regarding audience, mostly rpg players who like narrative games, and both immersive and dramatic stories. But also people with no rpg experience who like gothic stories. And of course, just people who love Edgar Allan Poe and gothic horror(edited)1
[2:54 PM]GavinReadsWords: In the meantime, what is your favorite supernatural and gothic horror trope? And what trope or tradition of the genre would you change?
[2:55 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Are NPCs just rated as a number of threat dice? And how do you handle NPCs proactively going after the PCs?
@GavinReadsWordsHow did you start marketing the Raven and who is your target audience?[2:56 PM]A_Losada: We’ve used the Kickstarter as an anchor for our English marketing. Mainly aimed for active TTRPG players and Poe’s fans. Our weapon of choice were social media ads. Raven will reach US retailers and gaming stores by late 2024, so we’ll launch a new online marketing campaign by then.
@A_LosadaWe’ve used the Kickstarter as an anchor for our English marketing. Mainly aimed for active TTRPG players and Poe’s fans. Our weapon of choice were social media ads. Raven will reach US retailers and gaming stores by late 2024, so we’ll launch a new online marketing campaign by then.[2:57 PM]GavinReadsWords: Sounds great! I’ll try to encourage my FLGS to order some so that the locals here can have some Poeish fun!1
@GavinReadsWordsSounds great! I’ll try to encourage my FLGS to order some so that the locals here can have some Poeish fun![2:57 PM]A_Losada: Thank you for that!1
[2:58 PM]GavinReadsWords: Speaking of retailers, how does one go about getting their TTRPGs onto shelves?
@GavinReadsWordsIn the meantime, what is your favorite supernatural and gothic horror trope? And what trope or tradition of the genre would you change?[2:58 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Ghosts, undoubtedly I really love that. Old mansions with dark stories, in a dim light. Regarding tradition to change, I’d change the idea of a damsel in distress, quite usual in gothic stories. And that’s what I changed in Raven, because one of the base premises is that there’s not gender roles in Raven, nor prejudice about sexual orientation. Any person can be lady, lord or lairde of a mansion, can be hero or villain, can rule the city, etc… if they are from the appropiate social class (because there’s still XIXth moral and class mentality in the other aspects)1
@GavinReadsWordsSpeaking of retailers, how does one go about getting their TTRPGs onto shelves?[2:58 PM]A_Losada: We have closed a deal with a US distributor, to help us get into the retailers circuit(edited)3
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)Are NPCs just rated as a number of threat dice? And how do you handle NPCs proactively going after the PCs?[2:59 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: Each NPC has a threat number, but also they have a lot of detail: motivation, personal conflict, and also “Personal Twists”. Those are the actions the GM can use against the PCs or just to move the story. They can summon someone to spy on them, or trap the PCs, etc. The Twists are the mail tool for actions in Raven.
[2:59 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?
[3:00 PM]A_Losada: Guys, we’re really having a wonderful time here, but sadly it’s getting late by Central European Time Would be OK to take a long rest after a couple more questions? 1
[3:00 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): We can wrap up here! See above.
@GavinReadsWordsSounds great! I’ll try to encourage my FLGS to order some so that the locals here can have some Poeish fun![3:00 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: That sounds great! Thanks! And please let me know if you play it 1
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)We can wrap up here! See above. [3:00 PM]A_Losada: I’ve crossposted 1
[3:03 PM]A_Losada: Thank you so much for this spotlight. The Corvus cats are rejoicing here.1
@Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe)In the time remaining, is there anything we haven’t covered that you’d like to bring up?[3:03 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: I just want to thank you a lot Having this game crossing countries and reaching out diferent continents is really amazing. And having you in this community interested in knowing about it is wonderful. So thank you for this time! And I hope I’ve been able to transmit the basic ideas of the game. And some interest
[3:04 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Sure, you’ve both done quite well! I hope you’ve enjoyed your visit and will continue hanging out with us!1
[3:04 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): Usual reminder: If you’ve enjoyed this Q&A and would like to treat me to a coffee or two, you can do so at https://www.ko-fi.com/gmshoe. Anything’s appreciated! Ko-fiBuy Dan Davenport a Coffee. ko-fi.com/gmshoeBecome a supporter of Dan Davenport today! ❤️ Ko-fi lets you support the creators you love with no fees on donations.
[3:04 PM]Dan (Hardboiled GMshoe): If you’ll give me a minute, I’ll get the log posted and link you!
[3:05 PM]A_Losada: Of course! And as a last gift, let me share one of my personal favorite pieces of Raven’s art.
[3:06 PM]Daniel P. Espinosa: And… i think i’d missed posting this The art from the game is really beautiful, from the hands of Abigail Larson, Marlock and Calmujo. So for people to know what game we have been talking about… And thanks again!