Murder Ballad Blackjack
I've been thinking about this game for months. It finally came to me last night.
It's a short game, the GM is the "Bard". Here's the link to the wiki. Bear with me as I figure out the technology.
Technically you can use any kind of ballad, and long as there are plenty of unanswered questions, contradictions, and conflict. I wouldn't call "Barbara Allen" a murder ballad, but it would work for this game. I'm jonesing to play this with any given version of Tam Lin.
Inspirations
Inspired by Charles Vess' The Book of Ballads, which I read so many times on vacation last year that I almost wore it out; those antique books of English and Spanish folk ballads that I bought on the same vacation; Pentangle; Steeleye Span; Solas; Silly Wizard; Silly Sisters and consequently Maddy Prior and June Tabor; John Renbourn and Jacqui McShee (whom I've seen live twice and are two of my all time favorite shows along with Ravi Shankar); Anne Briggs; my autoharps; Rise Up Singing; Ewan MacColl; murder ballads; Meg's 1001 Nights; my Dog's in the Vineyard character named (Pretty) Polly; the folk tale component of Steal Away Jordan; Sandy Denny and Fairport Convention; bluegrass; and all the other random sources of "Barley Music" I encounter. (Chris calls the folk music I listen to "Barley Music" after "The Wind that Shakes the Barley".)
And, of course, Blackjack!
3 comments:
Hi Julia,
This looks great! It seems like a good quick game. The multiple people playing the same character--and vying for where the character's story will head, is rich.
The site is great too. That is just what I need to be doing...
Take care! Hope to see you soon.
love,
Em
If only you had friends who liked that hippie shit.
I do have friends who like that hippie shit, thank you very much. And I look forward to playtesting it with them. Dressed as Pretty Polly. With a real knife. And a grave dug.
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