summary: "In which a Fish is burnt to death in haunted steampunk Sweden."
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{{<lead>}} The dreamer cannot remember. {{</lead>}}
{{<lead>}} The dreamer cannot remember. {{</lead>}}
## Disclaimers and Content Warning
## Disclaimers and Content Warning
@ -31,7 +18,7 @@ A rare few humans gain The Sight, the ability to directly witness the strange an
During the course of our game, we used two separate Virtual Table Tops to play: Alchemy and Foundry. We switched after our first session ( fact check this? maybe it was two ) because of some shortcomings with the current Alchemy implementation of the Vaesen system.
During the course of our game, we used two separate Virtual Table Tops to play: Alchemy and Foundry. We switched after our first session ( fact check this? maybe it was two ) because of some shortcomings with the current Alchemy implementation of the Vaesen system.
### Alchemy VTT
### Alchemy VTT
#### The Good
#### The Good
Alchemy was visually stunning with lots of little graphical flourishes that seemed to match the handbook and overall theme/vibe of the game system.
Alchemy was visually stunning with lots of little graphical flourishes that seemed to match the handbook and overall theme/vibe of the game system.
{{<gallery>}}
{{<gallery>}}
<imgsrc="alchemy_vaesen_character_sheet_skills.png"alt="Alchemy's Vaesen character sheet skills listing. Visible are 4 Attributes (Physique, Precision, Logic, and Empathy) and 6 skills (Agility, Close Combat, Force, Medicine, Ranged Combat, and Stealth)."/>
<imgsrc="alchemy_vaesen_character_sheet_skills.png"alt="Alchemy's Vaesen character sheet skills listing. Visible are 4 Attributes (Physique, Precision, Logic, and Empathy) and 6 skills (Agility, Close Combat, Force, Medicine, Ranged Combat, and Stealth)."/>
@ -51,13 +38,13 @@ Alchemy also did not go out of its way to make critical UI elements very visible
{{<figuresrc="alchemy_vaesen_precision_roll.png"alt='Three buttons are displayed, two are semi-transparent and barely legible against the background image: "TEST" and "EDIT". The third is a white circle with a red X through the center.'> }}
{{<figuresrc="alchemy_vaesen_precision_roll.png"alt='Three buttons are displayed, two are semi-transparent and barely legible against the background image: "TEST" and "EDIT". The third is a white circle with a red X through the center.'> }}
- Did not seem to have "token vision" or fog of war, or the pre-made module did not implement it (fact check)
- Did not seem to have "token vision" or fog of war, or the pre-made module did not implement it (fact check)
### Foundry
### Foundry
- Foundry
- Foundry
- Purchasable System for mechanics
- Purchasable System for mechanics
- Purchasable module for maps and NPCs
- Purchasable module for maps and NPCs
## The Game
## The Game
- Castle Gyllencreutz, Upsala: your base of operations
- Castle Gyllencreutz, Upsala: your base of operations
- upgrading your base
- upgrading your base
- Investigation
- Investigation
- Conditions
- Conditions
- Physical and Mental
- Physical and Mental
@ -67,6 +54,6 @@ Alchemy also did not go out of its way to make critical UI elements very visible
## Final Thoughts
## Final Thoughts
Vaesen is not a game of heroic fantasy. Your characters are fragile and powerless to stop the events that play out with brute force. Any hope for intervention requires careful preparation and an immense amount of luck. Each injury makes future successes exponentially more unlikely. Failures cascade quickly. Your character *begins the game* scarred by something tragic in their past and will only be subject to a greater quantity and variety of violence and loss.
Vaesen is not a game of heroic fantasy. Your characters are fragile and powerless to stop the events that play out with brute force. Any hope for intervention requires careful preparation and an immense amount of luck. Each injury makes future successes exponentially more unlikely. Failures cascade quickly. Your character *begins the game* scarred by something tragic in their past and will only be subject to a greater quantity and variety of violence and loss.
Your character can, and probably will, die powerless to save themselves or the people around them. This can be scary and sad but it offers a *storytelling* experience that most standard tabletop offerings do not dare.
Your character can, and probably will, die powerless to save themselves or the people around them. This can be scary and sad but it offers a *storytelling* experience that most standard tabletop offerings do not dare.
Melodrama aside, Vaesen does not demand that the **players** be miserable and scared. Like most storytelling experiences, the participants can choose the tone, ranging from Scooby Doo or X-Files all the way to first edition Grimm gruesomeness. In a world filled with strange and powerful forces, death doesn't have to be guaranteed nor does it have to truly be the end of the story.
Melodrama aside, Vaesen does not demand that the **players** be miserable and scared. Like most storytelling experiences, the participants can choose the tone, ranging from Scooby Doo or X-Files all the way to first edition Grimm gruesomeness. In a world filled with strange and powerful forces, death doesn't have to be guaranteed nor does it have to truly be the end of the story.