The Clock On the Wall Says Chronicle Approaches

I’m generally loathe to give any kind of a release date unless I’m certain I will hit it, but I can say with confidence that the public playtest of Microscope Chronicle will be out before the end of the month. It’s a pinky-promise. I’m just doing the usual endless tidying up.

Writing examples is always a challenge, since my impulse is to leave the creativity to the players, but this time I’m having a little fun with it by telling stories that are obliquely drawn from games we’ve played over the years. For example:

In our Chronicle of Applebend, we already have an Event where Doctor Grimshaw, mountebank and miracle worker, tries to pawn his wares at the Summer Festival and barely escapes arrest. A player decides to make a Dictated Scene to add more detail. They say that when the Wardens are hot on the Doctor’s trail, they ask young Jez Stumphollow which way he went. She lies and sends them astray. Why is the Scene Light? The player says because Jez likes the charming old charlatan and is swept up by the romance of his life on the road. She dreams of a more exciting life than Applebend has to offer.

And yes, that’s a Microscope example based on a Downfall game, because that’s how we cross-pollinate up in here.