October Social and Reminder of Social Schedule for Term 1

Hey there, Adventurers!

Just writing about our upcoming social, as well as a reminder about our schedule for socials for the rest of the term!

Our upcoming social, on Friday, October 16 at 7:00 (19:00). It’s not technically Halloween themed, but anything Halloween related is encouraged 🙂 The social will be held on the GEAS Discord server, linked below.

For our freshers and newer members, socials are a great way to meet other TTRPG fans, get to know with your party members, or play some Jackbox or Among Us.

The link to the Discord can be found here: https://geas.org.uk/discord

And, if you’d like to be reminded of the event, the Facebook event can be found here: https://fb.me/e/1z7cUJHzW

Currently, the rest of the socials for the term will be held every 3rd Friday of the month, on the Discord, at 7:00. We may add in some morning socials, and/or extra socials. The dates for the rest of the socials for term 1 are November 20 and December 18.

Spookily Yours,
Stella Segar
Socials Coordinator

Conpulsion Director

Greetings adventurers,

We are now advertising the position of Conpulsion Director so if you’re interested please look through this email for the relevant information. If you need any more information you can look in the GEAS constitution on our website (geas.org.uk).

The Director’s job will be to oversee the organisation and running of Conpulsion. They are not on the GEAS committee but will have the Conpulsion Liaison (me) to coordinate with the them and the EUSA. This means that you do not have to be a current student at Edinburgh to apply.

Obviously given the current global situation Conpulsion will be online this year so a director cannot expect to do all the usual events (trade halls etc will not be possible).

To apply please send an email to the GEAS email address saying why you are suited to the job and any other relevant information (e.g. been on a Conpulsion committee before).

You have until Monday 19th to send your response. Be sure to have the subject of "Conpulsion Director Application".

Glory to GEAS
Charlie Kelly
Conpulsion Liaison

September 2020 Sunday Evening Pitch Listing

This is a listing of campaigns being pitched on Sunday, 27 September 2020. Evening pitches will take place at 6 pm on the Geas Discord server. These games will take place on Sundays at the same time slot every week.

To sign up to a game, please join the Geas Discord at https://geas.org.uk/discord

The post here is for information only, and sign-ups for games will happen on Discord after the GMs have pitched their games live.


(1) The Good, The Bad, and the Players

System: Deadlands: the Weird West
GM: Craig Barnes
Description: Saddle up cowpokes and get ready for and adventure spanning across the Weird West. There critters that’ll bite your arm off, bandits that’ll rob ya blind and vast stretches of wilderness that don’t take kindly to strangers.
And if that wasn’t enough there’s talk of all sorts of strange happenings that defy science herself. Superstitious folks claim that a dark magic is growing in the frontier. But you don’t believe that. Do you partner?
Deadlands is a game of dark magic and mad steampunk inspired science. You can play poker with demons for magical powers, build shrink rays and cryo bombs, or just get real good with your shooting iron.
This will be a relativity open ended game with lots of action and some light horror themes.
Format: Webcams Aren’t Required
Spaces: 6
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: There’s some light horror but any specific fears can be avoided easily if you let me know at the water of the campaign. The setting has a lot of things built in to allow characters of any gender or race to play without discrimination despite the time period.


(2) The Great Beyond

System: Starfinder
GM: James Marsh
Description: You and your party members will venture through the universe of Starfinder, a unique setting which combines fantasy magic with futuristic sci-fi technology.
This adventure will see the players begin in the heart of civilization and, after finding their footing, venture onward in their Starship to the unexplored reaches of the universe. Discover new worlds, make first contact with alien cultures, and expand the borders of the known. Throughout the game there will be a balanced split of roleplay and combat, allowing different types of players and characters to feel accommodated.
Those who enjoy systems like DnD and Pathfinder will find themselves right at home playing Starfinder from a mechanical perspective. The game will be played on ForgeVTT, which has support for features like animated battlemaps and hotbars for attacks and abilities to help players to get fully immersed in the game world whilst playing online.
Format: Voice, with optional video. ForgeVTT for running the game.
Spaces: 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Themes of possible concern are: graphic violence, drugs, insanity.


(3) Legacy

System: Exodus
GM: Alexander Kiker
Description: You are members of a small group of adventurers, about a dozen or so companions who have known each other for years and been on many adventures together. A recent mission to an abandoned tower provided you with more questions than answers, so you have decided to pursue the leads discovered in ancient journals in the hopes of finding more knowledge, and perhaps more treasure.
The game will be in a fantasy setting, with themes of exploration and discovery, companionship and family, and a strong focus on collaborative storytelling.
Format: Voice and Video
Spaces: 3
Age Rating: PG
Content Advisories: The game may touch on the meaning of life and inevitability of death, and slavery exists within the fantasy world.


(4) Neon Lords of Rust City

System: Cyberpunk 2020
GM: Milo van Mesdag
Description: As new arrivals in Rust City, you are plunged straight into the heart of a roiling mass of factions, politics and schemes.  This will be an open-world game, the story will be completely up to you and how you react to the complex, morally grey streets of Rust City.  It will also be a very combat-light game: getting your gun out should always be the last resort (unless you really like making new characters).
Also, while I am using the Cyberpunk 2020 system, I don’t like it (and don’t like rule-heavy systems in general) so I’ll probably end up playing a bit fast and loose with it.  I focus on story and character, rather than mechanics.
Format: Video, and I may be using Roll20 occasionally.
Spaces: 7
Age Rating: 18
Content Advisories: This will mostly depend on the players, but classic cyberpunk themes of sex, drugs and body modification will be unavoidable.


(5) Not Far to Bermuda

System: Homebrew (rules light)
GM: Morgan Kane
Description: Welcome to the Wanderlust! This top-of-the-line luxury cruise ship takes passengers on an all-inclusive three-weeks round trip to beautiful Bermuda and back, even passing through the infamous triangle on the way! As members of the Wanderlust’s hospitality staff, it’s up to you to ensure that every passenger stays happy, healthy, and relaxed on their journey.
Captain Ward says you’re only a few hours away from port now. But, then again, he’s been saying that for the past 294 days, and at this point everything, and everyone, is starting to go a little strange. Tensions between the passengers’ cliques are bubbling, food supplies are dwindling, and worst of all, the last bottle of SPF 50 is empty. But if you can hold it together just a little while longer, everything’ll be okay. After all, it’s not far to Bermuda.
Format: Video encouraged, voice-only is also available. Google sheets for character sheets and ship manifest. Discord bot for dice rolls.
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 12
Content Advisories: Hopelessness, thalassophobia, isolation, unreality, petty squabbles, cult-adjacent activity, murder, body horror/transformation, drowning, starvation. And whatever else you mad lot want to throw at me. Any types of content can be vetoed (though if you’re afraid of the open water, maybe give this one a pass), just let me know ahead of time so I can work around it.


(6) Star Wars: Rebel Comrades

System: Comrades: a Revolutionary RPG
GM: Vivek Santayana
Description:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
There is hope in dark times. Even though the EMPIRE reigns supreme, there are pockets or resistance scattered across the GALAXY. Rumours abound of an emerging REBELLION against the tyranny of the regime.
To the surprise of literally nobody, Vivek the GM will be running a Star Wars game using COMRADES, a system about Marxist revolutions. Players will play members of an underground REBEL CELL who start the fight against the Empire, building the Rebellion from the ground up using whatever means necessary. The game will be set long before the events of A NEW HOPE, and presumes no prior knowledge of STAR WARS LORE. It can take between 3 to 5 players.
The tone will be that of the STAR WARS: REBELS TV show. It will contain themes of fascism and discrimination, as well as sci-fi action and violence, although abstracted into the space fantasy of the Star Wars setting. This is a Powered by the Apocalypse game, so it’s rules light and story focussed. Session Zero actually involves writing a manifesto.
Format: Zoom voice and video. Discord to roll dice.
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: There will be themes of fascism and discrimination, although abstracted into the space fantasy Star Wars setting. There will also be sci-fi violence.


(7) Stormveil

System: DWN (Homebrewed Narrative Limited Dice)
GM: Matthew Barrowcliffe
Description: The city of Stormveil and its golden spires lies on the edge of the kingdoms against the Storm Veil desert. It guards the high mountains and is accessible only by narrow paths, the great cable cars, or by zeppelins. Here in the shining spires and the built up town around them a cosmopolitan  people live, many refugees and many cultures all crammed into the winding streets that surround the spires of Stormveil castle. Beyond the Storm Veil desert lie the ever changing forces of the abyss, the swirling pools of chaos, the secrets of infinite knowledge, and the demonically charged enemies of order. Stormveil holds the line, guarding the kingdoms with its cannons, and wards, and people.
Format: Personal Discord – Backup Webex – Vision and Sound
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Survival, Mystery, Discovery.


(8) A Tale of Heroes

System: Homebrew
GM: Alan Jackson
Description: Once upon a time, it was a fantasy land of storybook grandeur. Ruled by the Good King and the Wise Queen, with heroes like the Old Sage and Bold Knight supporting. Against them stood the Dark Lord, the Sinister Sorceress and so on. Famous roles, of grand stories.
Now, they are gone.
The power of story has shattered,  scattered over hundreds of candidates. People with touches of story, possibilities for greatness.
You are some of them. What will you do with this potential?
Your group has chosen to be the heroes of a community. It’s fate is your fate. How will the story of them, and thus you grow.
Format: Zooooooooooooom. Video
Spaces: 3 to 4
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Violence. Consequential Moral choices


(9) Vampire: The Masquerade – Nobody’s Home

System: Vampire: the Masquerade 5e
GM: Craig Oxbrow
Description: Vampire: The Masquerade is a game of modern horror, set in a world that looks like our own but where monsters hide in the shadows. Knowledge of the setting and system is not required, the system is straightforward and the setting is full of secrets.
Your characters are new to the night in a city where a new vampire ‘Prince’ has seized power, leaving the Damned fighting amongst themselves. The oldest cling to their power, the youngest fight for their survival.
Can the prince hold the throne? Or can you tear it down?
Format: Voice or video, with GEAS dice bot or rolling at home
Spaces: 4 to 6
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Blood, violence, horror


(0) Witches

System: Homebrew dice pool (Witches)
GM: Angus Barker
Description: The Marshes are a strange place. Ever shifting and saturated with magic, they are a place where the lines between the living and the dead are blurred; home to all manner of spectres, dark spirits and little nameless gods. And to you, of course.
You are a group of witches, folk magicians and other assorted practitioners of magic who make your homes in the clustered little communities that litter the Marshes. For the past few years you have found yourselves caught up, willingly or otherwise, in an insurgency against the forces that would seek to subjugate this place. The rulers of the City would see the Marshes and its people subdued or simply wiped away. What stands in the way of the end of your way of life are a few scattered and disorganised bands of guerilla fighters of questionable competence. That’s you. Good luck.
Format: Discord video call and online dice roller or rolling at home
Spaces: 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Mild horror, violence, some state brutality. Some of the more grizzly aspects of magic such as haruspicy, blood magic, animal sacrifice and necromancy, though I’m happy to be as vague about the details as is necessary for people to feel comfortable.


(A) The Yellow King: Paris

System: Yellow King RPG (Gumshoe)
GM: Angus Balkham
Description: Bohemian art students investigate the absinthe-soaked demimonde of 1890s Paris as the reality-warping effects of a decadent new play spread through the city. Inspired by Chambers’ collection of short stories, this game of reality horror is rules-light and setting-rich, focussing on investigating bizarre and sometimes grizzly matters in the shadows of the city of lights.
Although player characters can succumb to horrific fates, gore and other unpleasantness will generally occur off-screen.
Players new to RPGs are very welcome.
Format: Video, Discord only
Spaces: 5
Age Rating: 18
Content Advisories: Advisories: Horror; occultism; mental disorders; drug use; sex work.

September 2020 Sunday Afternoon Pitch Listing

This is a listing of campaigns being pitched on Sunday, 27 September 2020. Afternoon pitches will take place at 1 pm on the Geas Discord server. These games will take place on Sundays at the same time slot every week.

To sign up to a game, please join the Geas Discord at https://geas.org.uk/discord

The post here is for information only, and sign-ups for games will happen on Discord after the GMs have pitched their games live.


(1) The Last Crusade of Autumn

System: Homebrew (40K)
GM: Angus McEwing
Description: In the grim darkness of the 36th millennium, there is only war. The once proud Astartes of the Guardians of Autumn chapter now number less than a half company. The others have fallen; to the sword, to the bolter, or to heresy. To redeem the chapter’s honour you few have been sent to hunt down your treacherous brothers. Sent into the distant halo stars of the Halo Seditius where the Astronomicon grows faint. Sent to recover the Cloak of Autumn, the sacred relic of your chapter. Sent to your deaths yes, but also to your salvation.
Format: Video prefered. Discord, with web browser dice roller.
Spaces: 2 to 5
Age Rating: 18
Content Advisories: This game may include extreme violence, swearing etc, and adult themes including redemption, cruelty and corruption.


(2) Not Far to Bermuda

System: Homebrew (rules light)
GM: Morgan Kane
Description: Welcome to the Wanderlust! This top-of-the-line luxury cruise ship takes passengers on an all-inclusive three-weeks round trip to beautiful Bermuda and back, even passing through the infamous triangle on the way! As members of the Wanderlust’s hospitality staff, it’s up to you to ensure that every passenger stays happy, healthy, and relaxed on their journey.
Captain Ward says you’re only a few hours away from port now. But, then again, he’s been saying that for the past 294 days, and at this point everything, and everyone, is starting to go a little strange. Tensions between the passengers’ cliques are bubbling, food supplies are dwindling, and worst of all, the last bottle of SPF 50 is empty. But if you can hold it together just a little while longer, everything’ll be okay. After all, it’s not far to Bermuda.
Format: Video encouraged, voice-only is also available. Google sheets for character sheets and ship manifest. Discord bot for dice rolls.
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 12
Content Advisories: Hopelessness, thalassophobia, isolation, unreality, petty squabbles, cult-adjacent activity, murder, body horror/transformation, drowning, starvation. And whatever else you mad lot want to throw at me. Any types of content can be vetoed (though if you’re afraid of the open water, maybe give this one a pass), just let me know ahead of time so I can work around it.


(3) Ravenswood Academy

System: Masks: a New Generation (PbtA)
GM: Aidan Hurst
Description: Players are teenaged superheroes at a private school just outside of Detroit (which was renamed Millennium City after being rebuilt when it was destroyed by a supervillain attack). Inspirations for the game (at the risk of dating myself) were X-Men Evolution; Young Justice and the movie Sky High. Overall I’d be aiming for a mix of action, drama and humour. This section’s a little short because setting and team details are covered during character creation.
Format: Just using Discord, voice or voice and video at players discretion
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 12
Content Advisories: Game focuses around teenage superheroes, none specific but we’ll discuss things in first session and will be using lines, veils and t-cards


(4) Root: War of the Woods

System: Root RPG: a Game of Woodland Might and Right
GM: Vivek Santayana
Description: I’m running a game called Root, a game about a civil war between animal factions in a woodland. On one hand you have an avian monarchy who, rather fittingly for a society run by birds, are incredibly prone to coups. Opposing them is a new technocratic republic run by acquisitive cats. Players will play anthropomorphic woodland creatures who are vagabond scoundrels on the outsides of societies divided between major factions. They are fighting to tip the scales of the war and protect the woodland from the worst of the conflict, by going on heists or infiltrating enemy strongholds to free people, or doing whatever jobs they can to get by. Think of it like Blades in the Dark meets Watership Down.
This is a Powered by the Apocalypse game based on the Root board game, and is generally rules light and story focussed. The game isn’t out yet, and this campaign will be based on playtest material. Although the aesthetic is very much The Wind in the Willows, the tone will be an action adventure game in the midst of factional political violence with roguish outlanders causing trouble.
Format: Zoom voice and video, Discord for rolling dice
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: The game will feature themes of war and colonialism. Violence will be abstract and cartoonish rather than graphic.


(5) The Strange

System: Numenara
GM: Stephen McMorland
Description: Starting on modern day Earth the Player characters also known as The Quickened will travel to Pocket dimensions called Recursions and investigate other threats from The Strange, a vast ancient galactic transit system
Format: Initially via Discord, using vdeo chat /voice chat, hopefully moving to Skype channel afterwards
Spaces: 3 to 6
Age Rating: 18
Content Advisories: I will certainly avoid gore or overtly offensive material, however, I will expect players to be open and honest with me regarding triggers , which can be discussed in private, I’m Autistic so cannot guarantee I will always be sensitive enough to pick up on subtle clues


(6) Twelve Virtues

System: Dungeons & Dragons 5e
GM: Roderick Easton
Description: A little over a hundred years ago, the civilisation of the Old Ones was destroyed by a catastrophe.  Now, those who study their weather-controlling magic are ostracised under the name ‘Druids’.
Recently, a treaty has been signed between the two largest successor powers: the Volen Domain of Queen Delanna and the Alliance of Stars, led by Primus Marken.  This guarantees the independence of all the local states, large and small, while saying that Volen and the Alliance will unite to crush anyone who meddles with Old Ones’ magic.
It is rumoured that a coterie of these Druids is hiding in a town in the borderlands between the Alliance of Stars and the Empire of Volen.  Is there anything to this, or is it merely an excuse to allow Empress Delanna’s armies to invade?
The PCs will work for Primus Marken pursuing the truth.
Format: I plan to try to set up a Roll20 game for this and will prefer voice-only to video and voice, for metered internet reasons.
Spaces: 3 to 6
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Frequent fantasy violence.  Persecution.


(7) We Live in the Forest

System: DWN (Homebrewed Narrative Limited Dice system)
GM: Matthew Barrowcliffe
Description: In the forest live a myriad of creatures, cunning foxes, quick rabbits, huge bears, noble wolves and scheming rats. Some have towns and colonies, some just walk lonely through the trees or live in ancient caves or towers. All live in the forest, the old ways of tooth and claw left to the unintelligent creatures, the wild beasts and the monsters. As a thinking beast you might walk upright, have hands, wear jackets because pockets, wander and talk, invent, dig, farm, pray to the spirits of the woods or adventure. Life is mostly good, there are some problems between factions and glades but they are rare and usually solved with diplomacy, the carnivores have the instinct and the herbivores have the numbers after all.
There are rumours, unsubstantiated of course, of strange hairless beings outside the forest. Strange beings that can take the thoughts from a creature and make them a beast, but these are only stories, told to terrify children.
Format: Personal Discord – Backup Webex – Vision and Sound
Spaces: 3 to 5
Age Rating: 15
Content Advisories: Exploration, Discovery, Friendship

September 2020 Wednesday Pitch Listings

This is a listing of campaigns being pitched on Wednesday, 23 September 2020. Pitches will take place at 6 pm on the Geas Discord server. These games will take place on Wednesdays at the same time slot every week.

To sign up to a game, please join the Geas Discord at https://geas.org.uk/discord

The post here is for information only, and sign-ups for games will happen on Discord after the GMs have pitched their games live.


Continue reading “September 2020 Wednesday Pitch Listings”

Game Submission Deadlines

Greetings, adventurers!

We’re gearing up to the start of term pitches and are still on the hunt for GMs to run weekly sessions. This year’s pitches will be held on the GEAS Discord server, with game submissions closing 24 hours in advance. So, the deadlines for submissions are:

  • 6pm Tuesday the 22nd for games running on Wednesdays.
  • 6pm Saturday the 26th for all games running on Sundays.

Games for these slots can be submitted here: http://geas.org.uk/pitches

We welcome all members to submit a game, whether they’re old or new. However, we do ask that all GMs abide by our Game Safety Policy, which can be accessed here: http://geas.org.uk/safety

You can join the GEAS Discord server where we’ll be hosting pitches here: http://geas.org.uk/discord

Finally, details about how we’re making the move online can be found in our September newsletter: http://geas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-09-Newsletter.pdf

Keep safe out there,
Sophie Hine
GEAS Secretary

Start-of-Term Social and Socials Schedule for Term 1

Hey there, Adventurers!

Just writing to update you on our upcoming social, as well as our schedule for socials for the rest of the term!

Our upcoming start-of-term social is this Saturday, September 26, at 7:00. The social will be held on the GEAS Discord server, linked below.

For our freshers and newer members, socials are a great way to meet other TTRPG fans, get to know with your party members, or play a few rounds of Tabletop Simulator.

The link to the Discord can be found here: https://geas.org.uk/discord

And, if you’d like to be reminded of the event, the Facebook event can be found here: https://fb.me/e/1alTRB4En

Currently, the rest of the socials for the term will be held every 3rd Friday of the month, on the Discord, at 7:00. We may add in some morning socials, and, hopefully, be able to see you in person before the term ends!

Your best friend,
Stella Segar
Socials Coordinator

Welcome Week One-Shots 2020 Game Listings

This is a listing of games that will be running at our Welcome Week one-shots. Sign-ups will take place live at the start of the event, following our usual format for game pitches.

To take part, please sign up to the Geas Discord at http://geas.org.uk/discord

Please note that pitches will start at 6 pm on 19 September. The post here is for information only, and sign-ups for games will happen on our Discord server after the games have been pitched.

Games listed in alphabetical order by title.

Continue reading “Welcome Week One-Shots 2020 Game Listings”

GMs Wanted: Welcome Week One Shots

Greetings Adventurers,

(Tl;dr version: We need GMs to run one-shots, so why not submit a game!)

We have our Welcome Week One Shots on Saturday evening at 6 pm on our Discord server. If you’re new to Geas or role-playing, and want to see what it’s like, or if you are a veteran member and want to play a short game, you’re all welcome to the event.

As always, we need GMs to run games at the event! We’d love to have as many different games on offer for our new members, so that everyone finds something they’d enjoy playing. Also, newcomers to Geas are also welcome to run games! You don’t have to be a veteran member to be a GM, and if you are new to the Society you are still able to run games if you’d like!

If you would like to run a one-shot, you are welcome to submit a game to us via our on-line form. This is a fantastic opportunity to get to know new members, try out GMing if you haven’t GMed before, or maybe even try out a game or system you haven’t played before. You can submit a game via: http://geas.org.uk/freshers

Because we are running on-line this year, we need all our games sent in to us in advance so we can set up our Discord. So the deadline to submit games is tomorrow (Friday) at 6 pm.

Thank you to all the GMs who have already submitted games for the event. It’s great to see such a wide variety of games so far. I will be in touch tomorrow once submissions close with more details.

Finally, the deadline for submissions for our regular campaigns is also fast approaching. If you are considering running a campaign this semester, you will need to submit your games to us by Tuesday 22 September for the Wednesday slots, and Saturday 26 September for the Sunday slots. We will send around a similar reminder closer to the day.

We are really grateful to all our GMs for the time and energy they put in to run games at our events. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, and receiving your game pitches!

Hail the Dice Gods,
Vivek Santayana
Equality and Wellbeing Officer

Livestream TONIGHT

Hello there, adventurers!

Tonight our Webmaster, Alan Jackson, will be leading the committee through the fight for freedom in a gritty cyberpunk future. The team has the skills to win the battle; their only disadvantage is that they’re cats…

You can find us live on Twitch from 6pm BST here: https://www.twitch.tv/geaslive

During the stream, we’ll also be taking donations for Maggie’s, a cancer support charity that is still providing care during this time. You can find out more about the work they do on their website: https://www.maggies.org/

In the meantime, you can get to know the cats over on our Facebook, where we’ve been posting their bios: https://www.facebook.com/geasedinburgh

There you can also find the stream poster made by our own Amy McMonagle, who created all the art for this event.

Claws out!

Sophie Hine
GEAS Secretary