This makes me think of collaborative story games I've played, without a GM.
Here, I can see players pitching things that happen — but perhaps having to roll, or negotiate, or be punished (interact with some mechanic, anyway) for things that are too interesting, or exciting, or too far away from the PCs' designated space. Failed pitches could be waved away as daydreams, the guards imagining something more interesting than their (imaginary) lives. There are stories to tell both about the PCs (who might have home lives and other obligations and stressors they bring to work but can't do anything about), and in the world around them — though if those external stories became too clear or resolved or answered for, that's probably too interesting.
I think I'm torn between the general mood and intent of the adventure and the slightly abstracted more story-game mechanics that would probably be a better fit for what I want to do, but which I tend to find alienating and a bit disheartening when I actually come to use them in play.
I am fascinated by this kind of slow play. I saw a similarish idea a bit ago in which a redditor said they ran an ars magica game, but the PCs are non-magical farmers, trying to get by in a world in which the nearby wizarding academy turns their pumpkins into carriages and leaves bits of arcane paraphernalia among the peas. Perhaps incidental stuff to the wizards, but mind bending and maybe even life changing to the farmer.
This, of course, is far more subtle, but I read in your description an impression of adventure and intrigue just beyond the limit of the guard’s sight, and a tension between investigating the call to adventure and fulfilling their responsibilities as a guard. Love it.
With the right tables and NPC trackers this could make an interesting Solo Game. I like the idea of character(s) laying low so they need to do their job, but not do it well enough to be noticed. That makes the "someone important, but not on the list" scenario have extra stakes.
This makes me think of collaborative story games I've played, without a GM.
Here, I can see players pitching things that happen — but perhaps having to roll, or negotiate, or be punished (interact with some mechanic, anyway) for things that are too interesting, or exciting, or too far away from the PCs' designated space. Failed pitches could be waved away as daydreams, the guards imagining something more interesting than their (imaginary) lives. There are stories to tell both about the PCs (who might have home lives and other obligations and stressors they bring to work but can't do anything about), and in the world around them — though if those external stories became too clear or resolved or answered for, that's probably too interesting.
I think I'm torn between the general mood and intent of the adventure and the slightly abstracted more story-game mechanics that would probably be a better fit for what I want to do, but which I tend to find alienating and a bit disheartening when I actually come to use them in play.
I am fascinated by this kind of slow play. I saw a similarish idea a bit ago in which a redditor said they ran an ars magica game, but the PCs are non-magical farmers, trying to get by in a world in which the nearby wizarding academy turns their pumpkins into carriages and leaves bits of arcane paraphernalia among the peas. Perhaps incidental stuff to the wizards, but mind bending and maybe even life changing to the farmer.
This, of course, is far more subtle, but I read in your description an impression of adventure and intrigue just beyond the limit of the guard’s sight, and a tension between investigating the call to adventure and fulfilling their responsibilities as a guard. Love it.
With the right tables and NPC trackers this could make an interesting Solo Game. I like the idea of character(s) laying low so they need to do their job, but not do it well enough to be noticed. That makes the "someone important, but not on the list" scenario have extra stakes.
I was thinking the same thing. A solo journaling game. With two types of entries—the official one in the log and a personal one.