Planning the Library Game, part 2
Welcome back to L&L, this post will conclude my exposition of the genesis and initial planning phase of our “Old-School D&D at the Library” program. Much of the last post was taken up with decisions pertaining to using an “open table” model, which allows for consistent scheduling, a greater number of players, and more flexibility for the referee. I realized after writing the post, I neglected to describe an important aspect of our open table plan: the setting and adventure.
Since our initial foray was only to be eight sessions of old-school D&D, my co-facilitator/co-DM wisely suggested that we run one of the all-time classic D&D adventure modules: The Keep on the Borderlands, written by D&D co-creator Gary Gygax and published in 1980. The module is essentially an adventure site (the Caves of Chaos) with a home base (the titular Keep) and a few other nearby locations to explore, without much in the way of pre-written goals/story/structure. These qualities made it an excellent candidate for the sort of loose, episodic play we envisioned for our open table. (In subsequent “seasons” of OSD&D@TL we’ve tried some different settings for more varied adventures at the table, more on those in another post.)
The last major step of our process was to get our “Table Code of Conduct” together. Unlike private “closed table” games, public library events and programs lack the luxury of being able to “pre-screen” participants for compatibility, personality, and so on; similarly, it’s hard to do a “session zero” when players are coming and going ever session. Wanting a code specific to our program isn’t so much about general library behavior, hygiene, etc. — the official Library Code of Conduct exists for that purpose already — as it is letting players know what to expect in our game and providing reminders about activity-specific conduct so that the game is as comfortable and enjoyable an experience as possible for all participants.
The “What to Expect” included the following points:
Be civil. All players, (and DM’s!) are expected to refrain from insulting or offensive statements and actions. Everyone has different tolerances for descriptions of violence, so please keep such descriptions "PG," we want all players to feel welcomed and comfortable at the library. This rule is most important and what is considered inappropriate behavior will be determined by the library staff running the program. First time infractions will be pointed out by the DM, second times will result in the player being asked to leave the game for the evening.
Be patient. Give each player their time to speak. It can be tempting for experienced players to quickly make suggestions, overriding the ideas of new players. This is the opposite of what we’re going for here at RRPL, we are committed to presenting a gaming experience suited to newcomers who want to see what this D&D thing is all about.
Be respectful. If you disagree with an idea or perspective of another player please offer your own viewpoint politely. And please, keep commentary about real-world politics, religion, etc., away from the table -- this is a game of escapist fun and fantasy, let's keep it that way!
Be a good sport. Dice rolls don't always go our way, and sometimes our "perfect plans" may be outvoted by the rest of the group. That's all just part of the game.
Be prepared. The possibility of character death is part of the excitement of playing this game. Your character could even die in the first encounter. If and when it happens, fear not -- it won't be long before you're back in the game with a new character. As with other types of games, you learn from your experience and move forward.
We also stressed to the players that due to time constraints, potential social awkwardness, and other factors, the Library Game is “role-playing lite:” whereas a private, “closed table” game has great potential to dig into the player characters’ inner development, personal drama, relationships, and so on, the Library Game will ignore all of that stuff and instead focus exclusively on adventure, exploration, and all the classic elements of play that those entail (combat, resource management, problem solving, etc.)
With all our ducks in a row, we were ready to get the program underway… Two years later, we’re still going strong! We regularly have two or three tables going simultaneously, attendance is steady, new players arrive at nearly every session, and feedback has been uniformly positive. We’ve made adjustments along the way as we’ve learned and expanded, which I’ll write about in future posts.
If you’ve run D&D or other RPG sessions at a library, school, or other public place, what did your planning process look like?
