What is a cooperative storytelling game? #
Imagine sitting around a table or on video call with a group of friends. You each create a character with a unique personality and healing powers.
The storyteller begins describing a scene:
“You are enjoying lunch with a group of colleagues at the House of Rest. You can smell lemony chickpea stew wafting from the kitchen. Suddenly, Innkeeper Zamir collapses to the floor, mugs of cider splashing all over the floor.“
Your friend jumps in: “I run over to Zamir and check his heartbeat.”
The storyteller replies, “Zamir looks blue in the face and you can barely hear his heart beating. He is unconscious.”
You say, “I kneel next to Zamir and perform Energy Boost.” You roll three 10-sided dice to perform the spell. Your roll succeeds and you revive him.
The storyteller responds, “Zamir takes a gulping breath as pink returns to his cheeks. With his exhale, you see a flurry of spirits burst from his mouth.”
And so your tale begins!
As demonstrated above, in tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs) you create the story together through conversation. In many ways, TTRPGs are part of a long history of oral storytelling across cultures. Beyond healing, you can take any action that your character could reasonably do in real life. Unlike video games, where you are constrained by what their creators programmed and anticipated of player behavior, you have full freedom since the storyteller adapts to your actions.
As such, you will grow and evolve the setting of Kahal from the “official” elements we provide. The Storyteller (game master) and your Rafa Circle (players who all role play as Rafa/healers) will inevitably improvise new characterizations and backstory that creates a unique version of Kahal with its own inside jokes and mythology. By providing a rich world as a starting point, we hope that players will enjoy sharing their adventures and relationships with other Society of Rafa circles in parallel worlds.
When you use healing spells, you roll several 10-sided dice (d10) to see how well your healing worked and a 4-sided die (d4) to determine any side effects. Dice lend an element of chance and suspense to roleplaying games. Much like in the real world, medicine does not always work and sometimes has undesired consequences.
What is unique about Society of Rafa? #
Society of Rafa is episodic and based on scenarios consisting of both medical and ethical quandaries for players to solve.
A scenario usually only takes one or two sessions of a couple of hours. The world and story continues to build over sessions as you develop more intimate relationships with the characters and create shared memories.
Society of Rafa’s gameplay is focused on creative problem solving and world-building over mechanics. As players, you should take care to consider both the emotional and bodily needs of your patients and community while resolving the storyteller’s core dilemma. An earlier Scenario might be based more on individuals, like caring for a patient who cannot rest because the community depends on them. A later scenario might get more societal, such as dealing with exploitation of spirits. By that point in worldbuilding, players might have enough experience to see the advantages and disadvantages of confronting suppliers, reforming consumer behavior, or attempting political action.
As with any good improv, the Storytellers and players should lean towards “Yes, and…” with scenario roleplaying, rather than reflexively dismissing or adding “but.” A “but” cuts off momentum and limits creativity. Building upon each other’s ideas and actions moves the action and story forward. That being said, your Rafa Circle would not be Avodai if the Rafa did not argue with one another over the correct course of action.