Thirsty Sword Lesbians

Takeaways

  • Remember, the whole game is the players telling their stories.
  • Be a huge fan of the characters.
  • Tie in all plots against the character’s backstories.
  • Let the players drive the story, don’t be attached to any antag/plotline.
  • TSL works well as an NPC-forward game where you want to make characters they’ll be smitten with.
    • Keep all the antagonists in fem/nb/player alignment.
    • Tie in all the antagonists emotionally to the character’s core concepts and backgrounds. (dated, fought, etc.)
    • Keep the antagonists flirty.
    • Make every single antagonist encounter meaningful, with no trash mobs and no drop in battles. Make anybody the players cross somebody they would cross swords with in a heated way.
  • Put players in positions where fighting is usually not the obvs answer, and encourage other moves.
  • Use the playbook challenges for GMs listed in TSL, and keep them close.
    • Refer to the character’s core problem on a down beat.
  • With “defy disaster,” ask what they risk sacrificing FIRST.
  • Keep players’ special hooks and abilities close to help encourage them.
  • Have the toxic powers be toxic powers without having to bring misogyny, racism, etc., into it.
  • Dig into conditions, make them emotional, and with a significant impact, play them up.
  • Figuring someone out is usually something that is Intuited IC, not asked out loud.
  • Having antag get strings on something for later is better than losing something abstract.

TSL Campaign Flow

Stephanie’s Mini Campaign Setup: 4 sessions, one (free) session zero and three standard sessions. Then take a break. Let people hop about at this point and swap out game parts.

Missing from the one-shot flow is going over the campaign setup document and letting people pick out the world parameters. This replaces a lot of the Game Style and Tone sessions. Let the players pick it.

Game Prep

  • Set up Roll20 or print out everything
  • Get the Relationship Questions & GM Moves
  • Get the Handouts for game start and world build.

One Shot

Give them a goal that can be achieved in a one-shot: a threat, or a toxic power that can be struck down. Surround them with sexy villains and a sexy ally or two.

TSL Session Zero

  • Session Zero
  • Go over the TSL World Building Worksheet.
  • Explain and guide the character setup
    • Discuss each player’s playbook conflict and primary move.
    • Go over sword importance.
  • Ask for any Pre-Relationship tasks in playbooks.
  • Character relationship setting
    • Round robin through all three questions
    • Encourage but not force variety in answers.
    • Spend a bit on each question.
    • Make sure it’s two-way consensual, and have both players expand on it!
    • Let players grant any extra strings (two max)
  • Have a ten-minute break here.

TSL Session

  • Ask for any start of session moves
  • Ask for any start of scene/new area moves
  • Action flow
    • Have the characters say what they want to do
    • Decide the pick the playbook move and modifier.
    • Ask them what they are risking.
    • Describe what they are doing for it
    • Only then roll
  • When you have about an hour left in your session, work towards a dramatic moment that can serve as a climax for the session.
  • End of Session Routine

End of Session Move

At the end of every session, each player marks XP if, during the session:

  • Any PC confessed their love.
  • Any PC struck a blow against oppression or de-escalated a violent situation.
  • Any PC leaped into danger with daring and panache.
  • Any player used a safety practice such as adding to the palette or checking in.