One of the things I noticed when running BitD was how the characters felt different from other RPGs i’ve run. The game sort of started to lurch whenever I focused on the character’s individual stories. My working theory right now is that the characters are actually kind of static and the heart of the play to find out agenda is the Crew.

The characters are tragic figures. Their vices are dramatic flaws that will eventually lead to their downfall. The question isn’t whether or not they can avoid their inevitable demise, but how their time with the group affects the crew. But this means the character’s stories should center the crew. I have found if a character’s story points away from the crew, or they don’t have a buy in to the crew it can cause problems.

The framework should be if HBO produced Firefly maybe? Mal wants the crew to stay apolitical. Jayne agrees and wants to make the money. Dr. Simon’s goal of smuggling River leads in conflict with the crew. The point is all their stories sort of center the crew at the heart.

But this is HBO, the channel of self destructive anti-heroes, so in BitD Mal never redeems himself to take on the Feds. The baggage from the war drags him down until his trauma leads to his downfall. The question is whether the crew will stay apolitical or start taking up the rebel cause.

If the crew is centered in everyone’s story, then even the mundane jobs can have effect on individual stories.

Or well that’s how its been in my experience. BitD is a bit more grim dark perhaps.