Walpurgisnacht

Walpurgisnacht: The German name for a pagan harvest festival, it’s kind of like Halloween and Valentine’s Day and a lot of drinking all rolled into one night. It sounds like a blast. Traditionally, it is considered a very powerful day, so rightly or wrongly, somebody believes they can bring about a Terrible Monster on the eve of the festival. The game takes place in a small mountain village in Germany during the three days leading up to the actual night of Walpurgisnacht, sometime after the invention of the revolver. Your characters have arrived to push their wares on the hayseeds with a little coin to throw around or simply enjoy the celebrations.

*In most ways, the game doesn’t require a specific date (or place) for the setting, but the six-shooter has a nice homogeneity when it comes to ammo that reduces the workload on me the designer, and you the player.

The game is divided into night and day. During the day, characters can rest, investigate, use their skills, or act out a scene. Most characters have time enough for three scenes each day, but for the love of god please don’t act all of them out. Decide which the group would most like to see and only act out the most interesting few. At night, the boguns come, the forces of darkness work to summon their dark master, or, maybe nothing happens...yet. 

Walpurgisnacht is a love letter to being level one. I love thinking about how much parchment to buy, do I need 10 feet of rope, or 50’? There is VERY GREAT FUN to be had with starting equipment, which is completely deflated as soon as people start getting flaming swords and throwing portals around. Walpurgisnacht still wants you to get your flaming sword, and hack shit up with it too, but it also wants you to remember where you came from: don’t forget your caltrops when you’re famous. It leverages the fact that you have nothing but the clothes on your back when you stroll into town, and only a small amount of time to prepare; Walpurgisnacht rewards shrewd investments, it is not a game that rewards spending all your money on nothing but a big sword