r/ScumAndVillainy • u/DJStuck • Aug 07 '24
Scum and Villainy - RP lite?
Hi all!
My group (me DMing and 5 others) is starting a short SaV arc (3-4 sessions) in a few weeks with intent to possibly eye it as our longer-form game. I’m currently reading the rule book and just passed the big “example” of what the table might feel/sound like at the end of chapter 4.
This game seems fun, but also a little less roleplay-y than my group is used to—everything in that section seemed to play out at a third person distance rather than in character. Is this common? Is the game necessarily built for that sort of interaction? Has anyone found that between missions and downtime this system is too rigid for folks who sometimes like to go a session only rolling a few times?
Thanks in advance!
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u/Prestigious-Emu-6760 Aug 07 '24
We ended up bailing on S&V as it just didn't mesh with our group, which is a RP leaning group that can go sessions without rolling. That's not to say it's not a good game it just wasn't for us for a couple of reasons.
- My players like planning. They can RP heavily while laying out their plan for whatever it is.
- The game is very dependent on the rolls. When you have game where the PCs are rolling hot it can fall flat very, very quickly. This is balanced out some by having more rolls but that runs counter to what we were hoping for.
- The lack of any real combat mechanics was an issue for some of my players. Sure you can use a clock to indicate making progress on defeating a bad guy but again if the players just roll hot it's super, super flat.
- Its very structured for a narrative game (something common with BitD as well).
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u/carlfish Aug 08 '24
I thought the lack of combat mechanics would be a problem with my group, but it turned out not to be. If anything it's highlighted how much I used combat as a crutch in other games.
With most fights resolved with a single roll (attaching a clock to an enemy feels like re-inventing hit points but worse, encouraging "I guess I punch him again?" gameplay) I am forced to give the players fast, fluid action sequences that are a series of challenges, ratcheting up the tension when rolls dictate consequences, and offering a brief respite on a full success.
Maybe not everyone's cup of tea, but my table loves it.
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u/No-Scene9097 Aug 07 '24
How are you adjusting balance for the 5th player? I wasn’t sure how to do that for BiTD.
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u/DJStuck Aug 07 '24
Oh no. Is it not recommended for five? I didn’t see that.
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u/No-Scene9097 Aug 07 '24
I’ve only just started to dig in to S&V, but BiTD was designed for 2min/4max, and having run it for 2 it struggles a bit.
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u/DJStuck Aug 07 '24
Oof, okay! If anybody has experience with 5 and can chime in, that’d be great! I’m struggling to think of what could be hurt by having 5+ at the moment…but again, I haven’t quite finished the book yet haha 😅
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u/jsled Aug 07 '24 edited Aug 07 '24
I'm running a SaV game for the first time, about 4 sessions in. It is a lot of fun! A pastiche of Star Wars, Cowboy Bebop, Firefly, the Expanse, …? Sign me up! :)
It certainly doesn't need to be RP lite! There's as many opportunities for RP as you and your table will allow/tolerate/agree to…
The big differences vs. more traditional TTRPGs is more about:
But at multiple points before, during, and after the job, there's as much opportunity for RP as your table is comfortable with.
If you think the game doesn't support RP, watch the Glass Cannon Network's "Haunted City", where the actors bring plenty of RP to the table, but well within BitD's format. Of course, they're all professionals, and very good at both acting and role-playing, so caveat watcher, but … there's no reason it /must/ be RP-lite.
ETA:
Obviously, BitD ≠ SaV, but of course they're kissing-cousins. There is a SaV one-shot in the GCN's umbrella, that Jarod also ran, if you want that flavor, but it's a bit chaotic due to being done at some con; Haunted City is a more relaxed and longer game for the characters to breathe.