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System Found for Orpheus

Some months ago, I made a post about a little game called Orpheus, and my desire to run it. And, I pondered what system would be a good fit for it, as I didn't want to use the rules as presented in the actual game books. I ended up going with Fate, creating rules for the characters and their myriad powers and ran it for more than 9 months, and more than half of the adventure with those rules.

Boy, was that the wrong call! I admit, we had fun with the game! Some great stories were told and we all enjoyed the time we spent at the table. But, it started to feel flat after that long. The system didn't support the length of play, or the growth we wanted. I eventually mentioned to the group that I wished we had gone with another system, and they enthusiastically suggested we just use the core rules.

So, we did. I scrapped the session, last minute, and we sat down to create characters using the old World of Darkness rules, as they are presented in the core book.

That, was the right call! All of a sudden, everyone was re-energized at the table. The game started to feel like what I remembered Orpheus should be (since I'd been through it as a player once before), and there was more nuance and depth to the system. More options opened up in combat, and we all enjoyed the added strategy and tactical options. The Horrors started to feel different from each other. Everyone agreed that we were happy with the change.

Also, I found myself honestly enjoying the rules. I'd spent years bad-mouthing them, publicly disliking them, and now I can't get enough of them. Are they perfect? Of course not; no system is. But, they work and work well for the game we are playing!

This adventure helped me solidify my feelings on Fate: I love the system and the game. I love how well it's put together. I love the focus on narrative. I don't love the reliance on fiat. Aspects are great tools, but when they drive everything, it's always a discussion of "Does this aspect apply? To what degree? Is it true or does it only give a +2?" Fate is FANTASTIC for shorter games, but in this long-term game, it fell very flat for me.

I don't expect everyone to agree with me. There are lots of Orpheus fans online who speak out against the core rules. They don't like multiple actions, or that Appearance seems to be useless, or what-have-you. That's fine. They can play the game how they want to, with the rules they want. There are no perfect rules. Me and my table? We're having fun with the rules as they're presented in the books. A lot of fun. And, we had fun with Fate. But, ultimately, it wasn't a good match for us, or the story we were trying to play.

I suppose, if there's any moral or purpose to this post, it's this: Don't be afraid to switch systems in the middle of a game. It might just make it better!
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Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA

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