‘More human than human’ is our motto
Rachael – Blade Runner
Anamnesis: Session 0.1 – Introduction
I unfortunately did not see the original Blade Runner movie in theaters when it released, but I wish I had. I already knew who Ridley Scott was from ALIEN, and that alone excited me. And when I finally did see it on video, the visuals and the music by the late and great Vangelis blew me away. I was an instant fan.
When I heard that Denis Villeneuve was going to do a Blade Runner sequel, two thoughts crossed my mind:
- Don’t you DARE do it! Just leave it alone! Leave Britney alone!
- Wait, Denis Velleneuve? If anyone could do it, it would be him
I was aware of Denis from the work he had done with Arrival, and Sicario before that, and already had an admiration for him. So I had hopeful, but fearful expectations.
But would Vangelis come back to score it? Unfortunately, he did not. Yet Vangelis (And Blade Runner) was a huge inspiration to me for my own music.
But was the sequel to one of my favorite movies a disappointment? Fortunately, it was not.
Blade Runner 2049 was absolutely fantastic in my opinion.
I had heard about the Blade Runner RPG releasing in 2021 but didn’t get it until mid 2022.
After acquiring it and flipping through the core rulebook, I was excited. Much like Free League has done with the ALIEN RPG, they’ve made a fantastic presentation within the Blade Runner Core Rulebook with lore and more.
It sat on my shelf for a few months just waiting on my to try it out, and like I’ve done with the Dune RPG, and ALIEN RPG, I’m doing with the Blade Runner RPG as well. Starting a new solo game so that it will force me to take the time and learn the system.
Advice to the reader
In order to interpret the structure of my gaming session posts effectively, it is strongly suggested that you peruse A Readers Guide to Play Sessions on The Old Bard, if you haven’t already.
To better grasp what I mean when I bring up Fate questions, you might find it useful to keep the Mythic Fate Chart accessible, potentially in a new window or tab in your browser.
In this first post of a multi-part series covering the session 0 of this new solo game, I’m mostly just announcing that I’m beginning preparations to play in it. I’m going to be using Mythic to emulate the game master aspects. We’ll see how well that works out.
You can read the other posts related to Session 0 by clicking the appropriate link below:
- Blade Runner RPG Solo Game 1 – Anamnesis: Session 0.1 – Introduction
- Blade Runner RPG Solo Game 1 – Anamnesis: Session 0.2 – Character Creation Overview & PC 1
The Blade Runner Core Rulebook has this to say about being a player in the game.
THE PLAYERS
Each player in this game – except one – takes the role of a Blade Runner in the LAPD Rep-Detect Unit. This is your player character. You decide what your character thinks and feels, what they say and do – but not what happens to them.It’s your job as a player to portray your character and imagine yourself in their boots. No matter if they are human or Replicant, your character is a person with feelings and dreams, just like yourself. Try to imagine – how would you react if you were in their place? What would you do?
As a Blade Runner you’re expected to follow orders, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bend or even break the rules. Sometimes you’ll have to. The player characters are always the protagonists of the story. The game is about you. Your decisions, your story.
Blade Runner RPG – Chapter 1 – Fiery The Angels Fell – Roleplaying Blade Runner Page 20.
Then on Page 22, you get a bit more information on exactly the core concept of playing the Blade Runner RPG as follows:
CASE FILES
The BLADE RUNNER RPG is structured by Case Files, which are what we call the scenarios or adventures for this game. A Case File presents a case for the Blade Runners to investigate, typically involving Replicants in some way. The Case File presents the backstory of the case, its main NPCs, main locations, the clues that can be found at each, and a suggested final confrontation.Chapter 09 of this book describes the anatomy of Case Files in detail and includes many tools for the Game Runner to create their own Case Files for the players to solve. The official Starter Set for the BLADE RUNNER RPG includes a full-length Case File called Electric Dreams. Many more will be published in the years to come.
Case Files are typically stand-alone, but elements from one can carry over to the next, creating a stronger sense of immersion in a living, breathing BLADE RUNNER world. A string of Case Files played by the same characters is called a campaign.
Blade Runner RPG – Chapter 1 – Fiery The Angels Fell – Roleplaying Blade Runner Page 22.
The timeframe of the game is set 12 years before the events of Blade Runner 2049. I wonder what mysteries we’ll uncover.
For an overview of the Blade Runner RPG, check out this video from Dave Thaumavore
Bookkeeping
No bookkeeping for this one! But it’s time for me to go back through the core rulebook and prepare. In the next post, I’ll create my character to begin the game.
So, hop in your Spinner and follow me along my solo journey through Blade Runner RPG – Solo Game 1: Anamnesis amongst Los Angeles in the year 2037!
Till next time!
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