DM Notes: Lakeshore 12

This week, the gang makes more friends, enemies, and practices amateur surgery. Let's jump in!

After several episodes spent bouncing around the city, we return to Fairside for a little bit of R&R, of a sort. Once again, Roman is in bad shape and Kitty and Susan need to decide what to do about it. Susan references their adventure in episode 9, after Roman ingested some off-brand sunshine, and Kitty decides against attempting any more freeform magic.

Instead, Kitty decides to set off into the forest to find Ilyana, who hasn't been seen since episode 7 or thereabouts, and seek her aid.

When I was prepping Lakeshore, I was conscious of trying to find a balance between my usual high-prep style and the absolute chaos heartily endorsed in the rulebook. As well, being a mystery story, I wanted to make sure the characters had lots of options they could bounce off of so the story always had new dimensions. To start out, I sent the players some brief notes on the sections of the city as I saw them, and Ilyana struck a big chord, particularly with Jillian and Eli.

But her role in the politics and infighting of werewolf clans and demons is limited, so I like the idea of her being this sort of waiting, almost mythic figure in the park. I don't need to involve her in endless schemes, because when the players have nowhere else to turn, she's there. And she's costly.

That cost, in this episode, appears to be the acquisition of Kitty's Oracle powers. In fairness, this was a bit of a surprise to spring on the characters (and the players!), and I want to dissect it a little. 

I felt good about trying this twist in the first place because it was based on discussions Jorie and I had prior about the direction the character was taking. I felt confident that it was a path that made sense for Kitty, and I was happy that Jorie agreed. When we debriefed after the record, I outlined a range of options that could follow as a result, including an option that treated the loss of powers as temporary and easily reversed, essentially retconning it if she desired.

I didn't want to take that agency away from Jorie for something so significant as which Playbook she was using. I definitely think this is a positive example of finding ways to surprise, confound, and excite your players--all important parts of exploring the full dramatic range of a story--while making sure they don't feel helpless or disrespected at the table.

Jorie had talked about Kitty feeling like a burden, and in over her head. Because her desire to help is linked to her clairvoyant abilities, stripping them away while she was at her lowest point really helped connect the mechanics to the story and symbolize how unhelpful Kitty feels, and fuels her desire to step away from the tumultuous life found in Fairside.

Kitty is now played by Jorie using the Aware playbook, until such a time that her abilities change again. Will be she happy or sad without her powers? Will they ever come back, by fortune or by force? Stay tuned to find out!