Wed
11-Jan-2006

dogs in the vineyard

Last night me, Andy R and Brother Al had our second session of a new roleplaying game we've undertaken with Alex F called Dogs in the Vineyard. This is an excellent game set in pre-statehood Utah, where the players are "God's Watchdogs" – the Dogs! – who travel from remote town to town helping out troubled communities by dispensing the King of Life's righteous judgement. The religion of the King of Life is basically modelled on Christianity, though it is up to the GM and players as to the details. We are playing it like an Old Testament Judeo-Christian Monster God - patriarchal and stern!

It is very heavy on the narration compared to D&D, and the executive authority in the game is spread amongst the players, rather than concentrated in the GM. All dice rolling is focused on periodic conflicts, which can range from verbal theological debates, to physical contests, to brawls, to gunfights. Having a plausible narrative is the key to the game, and all players and GM have to agree that situations have unfolded believably. It is collaborative storytelling at its best.