how RPG-based Secret History fanfic was born

[helenic]

Just in case you haven't trawled through the fifty-something comments on my last entry (which is more than likely), I'm re-printing this for your amusement and delight:

sisuphos:

You're rapidly shattering my Secret History image of you. I just can't see Henry playing RPGs somehow.

the_lady_lily:

Oh, I don't know... "You need to convince the democratic assembly of Athens to attack the island of Lesbos before the sun sets. Your nominated orator has a rhetoric level of five, but you're hampered since you have a statue of Pericles in your hallway and have been known to associate with the dangerous free-thinker Socrates..." (mutter from background - "told you talking to him was a stupid idea! Told you!") "...but you did support the last three votes on the grain supply, which means the people will at least give you a free hearing. Demodocus is sitting to one side looking sly, as if he knows something you don't. You need to roll a three first off, to attract the attention of the Assembly..." (Shouts of complaint from other players) "Well, you did insist on wearing something unpretentious and unprepossessing. Come on, are we playing or not? Put down the wine, Charles, we haven't got to the evening yet. No, we can't have an impromptu orgy in the middle of the bloody Assembly. I do wish you'd take this seriously."

Genius.

Comments

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

Must eschew obfuscation, sorry.

Engineers is something I can easily see Henry and Co using as an epithet- people who only live in the here and now and have their eyes only on the practical.

As for the source, I can imagine them digging up an old RPG (they weren't invented by Gygax... - but I don't know how far back you can trace the things), or having done their own as a good idea. On the other hand, they would IMNSHO be mortified to realise who most roleplayers were.

[libellum.livejournal.com]

But they wouldn't share it with "engineers" (by this I assume you mean modern people) - they'd keep it among themselves.

And of course they'd make up their own! at least, if there currently exists a decent 5th century Athens roleplay game, I'd like to see it. I imagine they'd do it with a sense of ironic amusement, however, not imagining that the idea was original.

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

But they wouldn't share it with "engineers" (by this I assume you mean modern people) - they'd keep it among themselves.

Exactly. It's on realising that engineers would be doing exactly the same thing that they'd be upset. (Engineers would, I think, be almost the most repellant type of modern people to that group)

As for the rest, I'm not as sure as you are (although I would expect skills resolution along paper/scissors/stone lines (not that any popular contemporary LARPS use that...) rather than the sort of complexity of rules prevalent in games like Rolemaster). I also wouldn't expect such rules to be more than scribbled down and played in very small groups... (And the only "grounded" character in that book is Richard- the others might very well think they were inventing something)

[mostlyacat.livejournal.com]

Wah! I'm an engineer. I hope you're not being nasty to engineers. We are nice people really... ;-)

[libellum.livejournal.com]

Don't look at me! Francis' word entirely. I'm still not really sure what he's getting at ...

[neonchameleon.livejournal.com]

I'm not. I just think that Henry would loathe them as embodying all that is wrong in the modern world (just little things like practicality and reason. Oh, and making things that allow the hoi poloi to think they are Henry's equal.)