Reflecting on some 24XX sessions I've run lately
For the last weeks I had the luck to regularly play different modules from Jason Tocci's 2400 system.
As I've mentioned before, I own 2400 in many different forms and modules for quite a long time now. But recently I had the chance to run it on a regular basis with different groups of people for the first time.
And I had tons of fun with it!
Here are a few thoughts on it; unsorted of course. Chaos, crickets! Chaos forever!
- I can confirm Chris McDowall's statement that 24XX works perfectly for low-prep, or no-prep sessions
- That is very good for me, as I have increasingly less energy for prepping scenarios
- It developes a nice dynamic when run, because of the diegetic focus of action resolving. The core mechanic doesn't get in the way. That helps to practice improvisation.
- It's easier for me to regulate the narrative speed and pacing with that system. I finally was able to finish a one-shot in exactly one session with that.
- Very suitable for trying out a play style that builds on collaborative creativity. Especially for low-prep or no-prep sessions. Im currently learning a lot about that style through watching a lot of the Actual Plays of Jason Cordova and his friends.
- Funnily enough, I can recommend Xot as an entry modul for the system. Even though it's a bit on the weirder side setting-wise.
- Xot works well as an entry because of the following three things: 1) Fast and random character creation, that gives the players a few and distinctly weird details that immediately get their brains running. 2) Every PC gets one trait and one vocation that both are represented through a higher skill dice (d8). That is a bit more manageable and vague than having six distinct skills for example. Helps with wrapping their heads around the core mechanic. 3) The Xots are super fun and help the players in getting a feeling for using their items in a creative and diegetic way.
- Modularity: Maybe the best way for me to learn RPG mechanics. Sure, many systems have it written that you are free to kick out any given rule or mechanic as you might like. But that doesn't work as smooth as with 24XX. When I get the rules presented in one big connected chapter, as many RPGs do, I feel pressured to at least read every mechanic, before I can decide to kick them out. With 2400 you can take just one of the modules and you are ready to go. Therefore every additional rule is in a self-contained modul that is perfectly playable on its own, as well as combinable with every other modul. Step by step learning at it's best.
- Besides the Xot sessions that I've run, I also had very special session of Xenolith, that doubled as an interesting form experiment. Nearly all of the group had to bow out of the session because of scheduling problems, and so only me and another player were left. I would have been willing to run it just for him, but he had the brilliant idea to run it as a duett. We both made characters that we played and we regularly switched the GM role during the session. The whole thing was no-prep. We only had the pitch that we were on an ocean moon and had done something stupid while we were out drinking last night. It worked so friggin well! Loved it! A whole new gaming experience for me.
- I finally had the opportunity to test Excavate with some friends. Was happy to see the whole thing in action for once. I had a very big prepping paralysis on that one, since I didn't want to have a bad session as the first try on my own module. No-prep finally spurred me to action in that regard. Again the collaborative creativity stuff was a perfect addition to the 2400 system. We had a weird cult, naked decadence, and giant were-toads in Bremen. Nothing I would have expected. Loved it. Want to try that again, but maybe with a more slow paced investigation thing or something.
- I deffinitely need more practice in improvising and playing interactions with NPCs. Maybe I will just prepare one single NPC for the next one-shot and really dive into that role. Also need more practice in the risk-assessment. Though I feel like I already have made huge steps there since my first session 2400 Legends two years ago.
- The system as a whole really lets you play around with pacing and scene dynamics to find your own style "setting up" the fiction for the PCs. There is no additional crunch that interjects in the diegetic flow.
- At the same time the core-mechanic, the risk roll (Can't believe that I only now realized that that's just one letter away from Rick Roll, ha!), is solid. And through the risk-assessment before the roll, the core-mechanik directly addresses the fiction again in a more elegant way than "you passed/failed with what you were trying to do". That makes 2400 way more tangible to me than many of the FKR games that i've read.
Sooooo, I love 24XX.
Jason has managed to design a system, which he needed because of his own living conditions and created a solid echo with it.
Be yourself seems to be the take home message here, I suppose.
I admire that. I very deeply admire that.
Things like that touch me on an emotional level. And even more in this particular case, as 2400 enables me to play, eventhough my own living conditions make focusing really hard lately.
I am very gratefull for this roleplaying system.