Otherworld TRPG Game Master-Chapter 256: Outerworlgly TRPG -2

When do people become deeply engrossed in gambling, feeling that thrilling surge of dopamine?

It’s when they’re desperate and earnest.

When they have a goal they want to achieve at all costs, and they’re utterly consumed by the desire to make it happen, that’s when the roll of the dice contains all the emotions of a person’s hopes and fears.

Of course, in a simple game meant for fun, there’s no need to evoke, nor any desire to evoke, such desperation.

If a board game leads to knife fights, the whole point of the game is lost.

The key to making a story interesting is "immersion" and "motivation." These are the two elements I focus on.

TRPGs (Tabletop Role-Playing Games) have many high barriers to entry.

Scheduling, matching preferences, learning the rules, mastering the tools, creating character sheets... among all these challenges, the hardest part for beginners is:

“So, you’re saying we have to act?”

“You want me to talk like I’m someone else?”

“...Hmph, ridiculous...”

It’s the role-playing itself.

It might be easier online through chat, but when you’re face-to-face, a thousand thoughts run through your mind. You feel awkward, you cringe, and you end up stumbling over your words.

It’s only natural. I was the same way when I first started.

Immersion is what sweeps away that awkwardness. The moment you’re deeply immersed in the story and have a clear goal, the awkwardness fades, leaving only the fun of the game.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.

“It seems I’ll need to explain the background of this story.”

The first step is to pique their interest.

“There was a fictional country called Lucerne. It was a leading nation on the continent, akin to an empire in reality. But there was one major difference... the Emperor of Lucerne was a goblin.”

“...The Emperor was a goblin?”

“How could a goblin become an emperor?!”

“He was an extraordinary mutant, a genius born in the body of a goblin. But, as you might imagine... people didn’t like the goblin emperor very much. Because he was a different species.”

I connected this interest with a more direct emotional appeal.

“The goblin emperor was a wise and benevolent ruler, but he cared deeply for his own race—and for other species as well. That was his only flaw. He placed strict laws on all hunting. He forbade the wanton killing of living creatures.”

“So, does that mean they couldn’t hunt orcs or trolls...?”

“It wasn’t a ban, but... he made it difficult. To hunt monsters, you needed proof of human casualties, you had to gather evidence. It was a tough time for adventurers.”

With that setup, the warrior and the rogue seemed to start thinking deeply about this fictional country.

In a situation like this, even if you wanted to clear out a goblin village, you’d need to gather evidence that they had harmed villagers, or it would be illegal. The adventurer’s job just got several times more complicated.

“...In that case, you’d need a clever mage in your party. Mages are already hard to recruit, so the split of the rewards would be...”

“Exactly. Some arrogant mages demanded up to 50% of the reward, arguing that without them, you wouldn’t earn anything anyway.”

“Bookish mages causing problems wherever you go... ah, no offense, mage. I mean, some of those types exist, is all...”

“From this background, a new profession emerged in the world: detectives.”

Having soldiers play a military TRPG is boring. Similarly, making adventurers play a TRPG about hunting dragons might not be very effective.

So I added a spoonful of intellectual challenge that they likely hadn’t experienced before. The thrill of solving a mystery is addictive.

This session’s concept was a fantasy adventure with a dash of investigation.

“You all gather at an inn—”

Let’s build it up step by step. Let them take their first steps in a familiar setting, get attached to the characters.

I might miss the illusion magic, but this approach has its own charm and nostalgia that makes my heart race.

The goal is to look deeply into the players’ minds, find the stories they want, and weave them together with the concept.

As much as I adapt to the players, I also guide them to adapt to me. Show them what they can do, and establish a mutual understanding.

“...I’ll hide and rob the shop...”

“Are you really going to do that? Okay, roll the dice... let’s see if you can avoid being caught by the guards.”

There can be drawbacks to actions.

“My character has high charisma, so of course women would fall for me at first sight!”

“You’re absolutely right. With that much charisma, even men might fall in love with you!”

“...That doesn’t seem right.”

Using character traits is fine, but don’t take it too far.

With a little nudge, the snowball starts to roll...

I let out an evil cackle in a raspy voice.

“The goblin Min says: ‘Keh-heh-heh! So, what do you plan to do? It was my foolish kin who attacked the village, not me. There’s no evidence, no witnesses... are you going to break the law and kill me anyway?’”

“After destroying an entire village so brutally, you dare to be so shameless, goblin! That’s it, I’m jumping at him and striking him with my axe!”

“Wait! If this goblin is smart enough to scheme like this, there might be traps! Didn’t they say there was a law enforcement officer in the city...?”

“Damn it! What’s the point of a law that protects vile scum instead of the weak?!”

The warrior fumed with frustration. The goblin emperor’s law was tying their hands. The circumstances were clear, and the culprit was right in front of them. But without evidence and witnesses, they couldn’t punish him.

Even though it was obvious that the mastermind goblin had orchestrated the massacre, they couldn’t act...

If they broke the law and killed the goblin without evidence, the law enforcement officer would attack them as criminals.

Faced with this cold reality, the warrior beat his chest in frustration, and Selvia clenched her fists tightly.

The rogue smirked bitterly and spoke.

“...Hmph, then I’ll just assassinate him...”

“Then you’ll end up in prison. Your adventurer career will be over! And what about Nella, waiting for you in the village? Didn’t you say you’d confess to her when you got back?”

“...If I roll a natural 20, I won’t get caught. Besides, rogues belong in prison... she’ll find a better match...”

“Hey. In that case, I’ll dirty my hands! I’ve got no one waiting for me, and honestly, I’m sick of being an adventurer!”

Is sacrifice the only choice left for these noble adventurers? Will their journey end with one of them going to prison? Just as dark clouds settled over their faces...

“Wait a minute. Do you all remember the first village?”

“A merchant got tangled up in an orc’s schemes. Luckily, we had a recording crystal... wait, could it be that goblin Min was so focused on tracking down the villagers because...!”

“...Hmph, maybe there’s still something left at the scene, something crucial...”

A glimmer of hope sparked. Maybe, just maybe, there was still decisive evidence at the crime scene that could turn this dire situation around.

“Then, Master, we’ll head back to the scene of the crime!”

“Let’s also buy a detector and reagents from the magic shop, just in case!”

I clapped my hands together.

“Alright, you decide to return to the scene of the crime in search of a breakthrough. Will you be able to bring the mastermind goblin Min to justice? Let’s stop here for today.”

“What?!”

“Why are we stopping now?!”

“Because... we’ve arrived. We’re here to work, remember?”

I gestured toward the logging camp. The loggers who had been eagerly awaiting adventurers to deal with the goblins were pacing around at the entrance.

“...Can’t we finish this first?”

“Nope. Work first.”

We came here to earn money; it wouldn’t make sense to slack off now. When I crossed my arms and held my ground, the warrior scratched his bald head in frustration, and the rogue looked a bit miffed.

Then Selvia, acting as the group’s representative, tentatively asked.

“Big brother, we’ll pick up where we left off once the job’s done, right?”

“Right?”

“...Hmph, so that’s the plan...”

“Really? We’ll continue as soon as we finish off the goblins?!”

Fire ignited in all three pairs of eyes. Their expressions turned serious, full of determination. They looked like gamers about to speedrun a level.

As we approached the logging camp, one of the loggers warmly greeted us.

“Here it is! Thank you so much for coming. Those goblins have been causing so much trouble that we haven’t been able to work. We’ve prepared a simple meal, so please, rest a bit first...”

“This is no time to eat. Just tell us where they are!”

“...Pardon?”

“We’re busy hunting down goblin Min, so just tell us where the goblin village is!”

The logger seemed bewildered by the sight of such eager adventurers. Usually, people take a day or two to rest and work leisurely. Why were they so fired up? He must have been wondering.

“I’ll guide you to the village. If you follow this path straight ahead...”

“Too slow! Just point the way!”

“Uh, well...”

“Too slow!!”

The warrior grabbed the logger, tucked him under his arm, and charged into the forest. The rogue and Selvia followed right behind without hesitation.

I stood there, staring blankly at the dust cloud left by the three of them, then snapped out of it and hurriedly started running. It’s good to be motivated, but at least let me keep up!

When the party, like a runaway train, arrived at the goblin village, they proudly declared before the goblins:

“Based on the logger’s testimony, we’re here to execute an emergency extermination of your goblin village. From this moment on, you have the right to remain silent! You may also appoint a lawyer!”

“...Hmph, talk all you want. You’ve got the evidence and witnesses, so now all that’s left is to die at the edge of a blade...”

“If you won’t defend yourself, then I will execute judgment with this fire of justice!”

“Keeek...?”

Even the goblins, who were preparing for battle, seemed momentarily intrigued by the adventurers’ strange behavior, chattering among themselves as if trying to figure out what was going on.

The logger, who had been brought along as a navigation aid, looked completely baffled.

“Why are you talking to the goblins...?”

“They’ve got nothing to say! Of course, they can’t argue when the evidence is so clear. You will die according to the laws of Lucerne!”

“What’s Lucerne...?”

“Let’s go! It’s time for the detective mercenary corps to shine!!”

The ensuing battle was easy and straightforward. With an enlightened-level power in the party, victory was a given, but the manly warrior and the sneaky rogue put on quite a show. The harder they fought, the more efficient they became.

“‘Fire Lance.’ ‘Fire Lance.’”

I wasn’t just sitting around either. I provided support by blasting fire magic from the rear. After about ten minutes, not a single goblin was left in the village.

“That was fast. Alright, let’s get back to the session—”

“...Hmph, the job’s done. Now, let’s pick up where we left off...”

“Wait, here? With the smell of charred goblin in the air...? You’re joking, right?”

“No joke. We’ve agreed. Now it’s your turn, Master! We’ve got to find the evidence and split that damned goblin’s head in two!”

I glanced at Selvia, and she too seemed eager to continue the story.

Well, that’s fine by me. With players this passionate, how could the game master back out? I set up the space and resumed the session.

“Alright. You remember where we left off, right? The three-member detective mercenary corps returned to the scene of the crime to find a clue. So...”

“...Um, why aren’t you heading back...?”

Since we had suddenly set up and resumed the session, the logger just stood there, confused about what was happening. Not wanting to head back alone, he sat nearby and waited.

And by the time we finished the session and returned to the village...

“Detective seems like such a cool job. You know, there was a bread theft in our village recently. If I think back, based on the traces left in the kitchen, I’d guess—”

Another detective was added to the ranks of Lucerne.