Playtest Report – School Daze
Playtest Report – School Daze
Jan 30
Last week, I had the pleasure of playtesting @Rolling20s‘ (aka Tracy) new game School Daze.
It would be hard to have a bad game with the players at our virtual table: @GeekyLyndsay (aka Lyndsay), @cadorette (aka Tom), and me. We played off of each other really well. (Read about the playtest and check the audio here.)
ANYWAY. The details:
- The game itself is a rules light, super flexible, narrative-driven explosion of high school drama and hilarity.
- The mechanics are simple (roll a d6+modifiers; 5 or higher is a success!).
- Modifiers are determined by your favorite subject and your ranks (which are all words that rhyme with rank - for example, ranks in lank, tank, clank, etc.).
- The scenario we played was THE WEEK BEFORE PROM. So much drama!
- Everyone has a different goal. A person they wanted to take to prom. A way out of the drudgery of a small down.
Plot is driven by the characters, as well as the goals they set during character creation. Rather than the GM setting up a story for you to discover, you set up the story and the “Administrator” provides the set dressing. As you describe what your character wants or needs, the Administrator creates the NPCs and facilitates the conflicts.
The result is an elegant give and take; you’re telling a story together without having to worry about rules getting in the way.
The system is adaptable and, really, could be used for many different settings and scenarios, but – because I am a fan of the 90s teen comedy – the basic high school setting is perfect for me. I thrive on it, in fact. I can come up with 10 different scenarios I’d LOVE to run or play. (Most of them, however, make me lament the passing of Heath Ledger. Oh, Heath! Come sing to me on the bleachers! And if you get the reference, know that you have my undying love.)
The only finicky element is the consequences. It’s a bit clunky, but I know that Tracy is working to streamline it.
All in all, School Daze is worth a look. It’s free and pretty dang fun. In fact, if you’re interested in checking it out, I’m planning on running a game on G+ in the next week or so. Let me know if you want in!
Now that I’m not teaching I’d love to try out the game. It sounds like a lot of fun
How could you play a game based around High School and not have an impromptu serenade backed up the school’s marching band?
Sounds like fun. VjWyatt told me about another game called High School Drama: Varsity Ed. Something he picked up last gencon.
It seemed a lot more complicated though.
I have some things I wish I had done back in H.S. and would love to play with you guys.
I liked *original* School Daze better. Advanced School Daze just feels so…corporate. Like Tracy really took the soul out of the game.
Sounds like it was a lot of fun – about to listen to the audio right now.
Let me know about the game over G+ and I’ll re-post it for ya’!