Character Creation: Fairy Trails

FOR THE SEVENTH GAME OF XMAS, TWENTY-TWENTY-FOUR,
SEVEN FAIRIES TRAILIN'
SIX GOBLINS GOBBLIN'
UGH, FINE, GAME OF THRONES,
FOUR NESTIN' BIRDS
THREE VELVET GENS,
TWO SONGBIRDS,
AND BARD THE RPG!

The Game: Fairy Trails
The Publisher: Mirth Drake
Degree of Familiarity: It's PbtA, more or less, and I know that pretty well
Books Required: Just the one

Fairy Trails is a bit of a heartbreaker. At its base, it's a PbtA game where you play a troop of fairies living on a Cart because they got kicked out of the woods by a malevolent force. You can upgrade the Cart as well as your characters, so far, so good. 

Where I get a little worried about the gameplay is that it's one of those PbtA games that doesn't really lean into the best parts of that philosophy, IMO. Now, one of the strengths of said philosophy is that it is customizable, but to me, Fairy Trails seems bloated in some places, overly complicated in others, and just generally like it wants to be more trad than it is. As I was reading it I kept thinking it might be a better fit for SWADE, but now that I'm reflecting a little I think Forged in the Dark might be the best idea, since the game as written has you living on the Cart and leaving on Outings.

For all that, there are some genuinely cool ideas in the book. Opponents have a "bucket" of points called Drams, and during a fight or a conflict you reduce said Drams. When you've emptied the bucket, you can spend the Drams to change the opponent, so if you want to, say, turn a human into a cat, there's a way to do that. Drams are also useful for fairies in more direct ways (they're what you spend to upgrade the Cart), so you can also just keep 'em. 

However, health is tracked via conditions (Maladies) in much the same way as Masks, and I do worry that the rest of the game is a little more granular than that. As I was reading it, parts of it felt more loosey-goosey than others, and I kept thinking about Legend of the Elements (which I don't particularly feel made best use of its system underpinnings). 

Also, the moves kinda suck. Rather, they're just really bland. There's one called "Do Something," which is meant as a catch all, but where other PbtA games that have catch-all moves (your defy danger, your unleash powers), this one is just...do a thing. Again, I think FitD would have been a better fit, since that would generally be actions rather than moves. 

Also-also, the book is written mostly in-character and it comes off a little twee. Also there's this kind of thing:

I dunno, I just think it's a little silly, and more to the point it goes on a little too long. Also the book needs an editor. "Horde" and "hoard" are not the same thing, f'rex. (Nor are "troop" and "troupe", and I think the latter might be more appropriate, but the former isn't wrong.)

Anyway, let's make a fairy.

What kind of Fairy do I want to play? What this really means is concept, because literally choosing the type of fairy is the purview of the next couple of steps. But I think I want to play a fairy who always had a good relationship with humans - in a very "fairy" way, of course, they leave him presents, he brings lost sheep home or whatever. Now that we're on the Cart, though, he's a little...well, confused. 

A brief aside as we get into the next couple of steps: As is often the case in games that use playbooks, this game has multiple sheets. But the sheets are based on Court, not Kith, which is the next step. Anyway, I was just talking with Kai about character sheet design and how it's weirdly one of the hardest things to get right in TTRPGs, and this game doesn't really do it. 

Anywho, the next step is Kith, followed by Court. I want to play a will-o-the-wisp, and I think the Court that makes the most sense is Spring Court; I think my wisp is helpful, he's just not always good at it.

As a Spring Courtier, my Strengths are Jukey, Magic, and Pizzazz (meaning I add 1 to two or 2 to one), and my weaknesses are Cunning, Magic, and Mighty (same but subtract). I think I'll add 2 to Magic, and subtract one each from Cunning and Mighty. 

I get one Court Talent, or my Mystic Technique. My Mystic Technique is "Life Weaver" and that doesn't really fit what I'm envisioning, so I'll take Explorer. 

I get three Geasa from my Patron's Gifts. Which are? Oh, they're on the second page of the character sheet! Well, I want Lost in the Woods and Twitterpate (both pretty Wispy things to do). For the last one, Life Eyes sounds good, but I kinda want a power that lets me use my high Magic rating, so I think I'll take Healing Touch.

A Mystery! This is a plot-point kind of thing. What's my wisp's mystery? There are a few examples, and one of them is:

I like this, it leans into the ghost-like nature of the will-o-the-wisp. People outside the Cart keep calling me "Jack" and covering their eyes when they see me. Very strange. Maybe if I Twitterpate them a little.

Step Nine doesn't apply because it'd be bonuses from PCs who have retired, so I'm just down to the last things!

My wisp's name is Vale (not "Veil," thanks). Vale is blueish and translucent and glimmery and looks like a flashlight through fog at a distance, but he's really a nice enough guy and is happy to help you with getting through the woods and that's totally a shortcut and oh dear you fell hang on I'll fix it where ya going?!

I think Vale would be fun to play, though maybe not in this game specifically.