By popular request, and because I promised Namer I’d run this for him, our sub’s first RPG is going to be the really intriguing “Dream Apart – Jewish Fantasy of the Shtetl,” by Benjamin Resenbaum.
What’s It About?: “Dream Apart gives us demons and wedding jesters; betrothals and pogroms; mystical ascensions and accusations of murder; rabbi’s daughters running away to be actresses or bandits or boy soldiers; the sounds of the shofar ringing through cramped and muddy streets, of cannon fire, of the wolf’s footfalls in the snowy pine forest; asking “What do you do next?”
In Dream Apart you play a Jew of the shtetl, a little mostly-Jewish market town in the Eastern European countryside. In the cities, the industrial revolution has begun. Prussia, Russia and the Hapsburgs have devoured the small countries between them. Surrounded by an often hostile Christendom, by wild forests in which anything might creep, and by the invisible creatures of the Unseen World — angels, demons, ghosts, and dybbuks — the Jews of the shtetl try to outwit or outlast those who would do us harm. We feud and reconcile, bargain and gossip, celebrate and mourn, and snatch a little joy and love while we can. Life in the shtetl is sweet as raisin pastries and bitter as horseradish: may it be the Divine Will that it endures another season…”
When’s the Game?: SUNDAY, September 22, 8PM ET! We will probably run it on Google Hangouts unless someone teaches me how to do Roll20 or Discord before then.
How Long Will It Take?: 3 or 4 hours.
How Many People Can Play?: 3 to 6, so sign up (post below!) if you want to play! If there’s a lot of interest we’ll schedule another round in October.
Do I need to know anything about shtetl life or history? Nope! We’ll establish the details of the setting at the table, and everyone is encouraged to ask questions as we go. No need to be an expert! There’s also a glossary and a setting guide available, which I’ll distribute to players before we start.
Note to those with previous RP experience: This game is very narrative driven, and will not feel like D&D or other “classic” RPGs. In fact, there are no dice used at all! Per the designer: “During scenes, players shift between a few different responsibilities: playing as their main character, playing as their setting element, and contributing to a vibrant story world overall.”
Content Considerations to Be Aware Of: The setting is the shtetl, and it sort of a magical-realist environment. Elements from the “real world” will be in the game, but we’re not aiming to wallow in the historical trauma of European Jewry. It’ll be fun, dramatic, and interesting, maybe funny, and probably meaningful, no matter where your family came from.
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