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Last week I mentioned getting the group together to playtest Godflesh: Cycle of Inheritance. We finally had our session zero this Saturday. It went well.
Instead of handling worldbuilding alone, I involved the group. Part of that was for feedback, but honestly, building a world collaboratively is just more fun. My prep was minimal: I had a clear vision for the game and setting, and I printed a map.
During character creation, I asked players to think about their backstories, their location on the map, and the god they were born under. This placed them directly within the world and its power dynamics from the start. The map revealed a region caught between two controlling deities.
From bards to dragon slayers
One player chose the domain of a strict god of order and law – think Spartan society, with a coming-of-age ceremony that assigns children to specific roles. Warriors, artisans, and those deemed “unfit” are all given their destinies. The unfit are cast out beyond a strait to fend for themselves, becoming disposable scouts in practice.
This player developed the god’s influence further. Drawn to the order theme, they envisioned a bee motif, with the god itself as a giant, bee-covered tree. As we worked through the session, we established factions that could influence the group’s actions. The player-created faction in this domain – inspired by the bee theme – became “The Drones.”
The other two players came from the same domain on the map and collaborated on their shared backstory. Their characters originate under a god of wine and salt, which set the technological level somewhere in the late Bronze Age – antiquity with a Greek and Mesopotamian aesthetic. This naturally led to wine-related themes for their characters.
The group is an interesting cast. One player chose the “Artisan” class – typically a tech-focused character in the original Demigods game, set in a modern world. Since technology wasn’t an option here, we retooled the concept into a skilled enchanter using a form of magical “thaumaturgy” instead of gadgets.
Another player chose the Muse – similar to a D&D Bard, able to charm and inspire, drawing on myths, with moves that include playing their instrument of choice. In this case: a unique tambourine crafted from the scales of slain sirens.
Crafting a world with historical context
The third player, after some deliberation, went the warrior route. Their weapon: a colossal dragon-tooth hammer. Due to the Bronze Age setting, swords are rare – most warriors rely on spears and maces because metal is scarce. That constraint fits the world we’re building.
Transportation is going to be an interesting challenge next session. Soldiers might ride horses, but horses are too expensive for commoners. More realistic options include trireme ships or donkey-drawn carts – and walking alongside a cart is sometimes faster than letting the donkey pull it alone.
The group is actively pushing away from generic fantasy. No mixed medieval/Renaissance setting here. The world isn’t a precise historical replica – it spans roughly a thousand years of real-world history – but we’re drawing on specific sources rather than the usual blend of everything.
What playtesting is actually for
From a design standpoint, this session was useful in ways I didn’t expect. The “how the group came together” section turned out to be a surprisingly good tool for creating factions. It wasn’t planned that way, but it became clear that faction creation should live there.
We built three distinct factions from their group backstory: the Wharfer’s Assembly (dock workers who have conflicts with the characters), the Drone followers of the god of order, and a shady but cooperative organisation that shares a sanctuary with the group.
The process generated ideas for moves, game structure, and mechanics. Good session zero. Strong characters, interesting dynamics, and enough open questions to make the next playtest something to look forward to.