Establishing the Cast in tremulus

As more and more playbooks roll out for tremulus, there is a greater potentiality for variance within party composition as well as a responsibility for the Keeper and the players to establish what type of stories they want to tell, as this can potentially avoid potential frustrations on the part of any particular player.

While all the playbooks are designed to work within Ebon Eaves, particular home brewed frameworks and future playsets may make certain characters feel like a duck out of water, and that’s okay. Hopelessness is part and parcel of horror. There is a different between perceived ineffectually and the actual. Each playbook has strengths and weaknesses encouraging them to operate within their particular areas of expertise. Lore helps them out in particular ways to overcome their shortcomings and drive the story forward in a circle of exploration and research management.

I did say some folks can get a bit frustrated if their Lore moves overlap, and this is where outlaying the particular options for the players by the Keeper can help shape the type of story he wants to tell. Not the particulars, mind you, as they are undetermined. However, a story with a priest in the cast (as opposed to a scientist) is certainly going to touch upon faith and religion at some point in the tale.

When I’ve run tremulus, I’ve played with a broad palette versus narrowing down the choices, as this can drive the story into different directions and spaces which may otherwise go unexplored.  This is one of the most versatile elements of tremulus. Even if you happened to generate the same basic framework with the same players, different characters are going to lead to a completely different tale. Imagine, for example, if MacReady died off early in the thing and we followed the Doctor to the end of the film. The mind boggles. Right?

Until next time, I bid you, dear reader, adieu!