Polonia Misteriosa

An overview of the game

This is a role-playing game set in the world of Polish legends and fairy tales. The aim of the game is to have fun with other players while exploring and re-creating this imaginary world. One of the players in each group takes the role of the Game Master, who will run and moderate the game for the rest of the players. Before the game begins, the Game Master may choose the characters who will provide a structure for the game; at the same time all players will participate in creating the story. The Game Master sets the scene, and reveals the general goal of the game (e.g. finding a treasure or fighting a powerful beast), while each character thinks of his/her personal goal in the game. As the game goes on, the Game Master describes, in some detail, the surroundings (places) to the players, the non-playing characters they meet and encounters with them. His/her job is to ask the characters what they are about to do or tell them to take a certain course of action. All his/her decisions are final – the players cannot question them or do things that are not allowed by the Game Master. In the end, it is the Game Master's job to decide where or how the game will end and what the final challenge will be.


A group of legendary playing characters [PCs] travels through Poland in order to achieve the goal set by the Game Master. In addition, each of the characters has different motivation and a different personal goal, but they team up in order to do the task assigned by the Game Master. In other words, they do not act against each other. They have to face many challenges, meet strange creatures, solve some problems, and/or riddles, and perform other tasks in order to achieve success.


At the beginning of the game, all PCs are on the outskirts of Poland. In order to achieve their goals, they have to move to various places in which they encounter problems characteristic of the sites themselves and/or of the non-playing characters residing in those places. The Game Master runs the game and supervises the players.





Knowledge, skills (abilities) and social attitudes


    Knowledge:
    The student (game participant) knows and understands:
  • - the vocabulary and structures typical of B1 English proficiency level in accordance with CEFR
  • - principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1 proficiency level
  • - basic cultural phenomena characteristic of Poland
  • - some Polish legends and fairy tales
  • - basic facts about Polish history and geography

    • Skills (abilities)
    The student (game participant) is able to:
  • - communicate in speech and writing in English at the B1 proficiency level in accordance with CEFR
  • - understand the main ideas of complex spoken and written texts on both abstract and concrete topics
  • - narrate a story, relate the plot of a novel, short story or film - summarize the most important events of a story, film etc.

    • Social attitudes
    The student is ready to:
  • critically assess of his/her English language competence but simultaneously take full advantage of his/her skills, however limited
  • respect his/her own cultural heritage and learn more about it
  • respect the heritage of other countries and learn about other languages and cultures
  • be open to various forms of communication

Regardless of their major field of study, both graduate and undergraduate students need to develop the following “soft” 21st century skills, allowing them to adapt to a diverse, dynamic, multicultural work or study environment: Ability to make decisions and solve problems in a limited time, based on available knowledge, critical assessment of the situation as well as short-term needs and long-term goals


  • - Ability to plan, and consequently, prioritize certain task
  • - Ability to obtain, and process information in a limited time;
  • - Ability to apply this knowledge to their assigned role whether at school or at work
  • - Ability to work in a situation with low predictability of final outcome
  • - Ability to analyze quantitative data
  • - Ability to interact and communicate (verbally) with people:
  • - representing different level of education and/or professional experience;
  • - coming from various cultural backgrounds;
  • - without a common past
  • - belonging to different generations
  • - belonging to groups with different legal backgrounds, which might affect their decision-making process

General (overall) goals:

  • - develop a game set in the Polish cultural context, but transferable (understandable to students raised in other cultures)
  • - increase the players’ knowledge of Poland and Polish culture
  • - motivate students to participate in intercultural education
  • - increase the players’ concentration by making the game engaging, attractive and challenging
  • - develop empathy
  • - develop the ability to switch perspectives and observe
  • - develop the ability to cooperate and compete, depending on tasks required in the game
  • - acquire intercultural knowledge

    • Other educational goals:
  • - develop language skills in English, with an emphasis on speaking, reading, writing and listening comprehension depending on the game scenario
  • - raise one’s language awareness, especially of social, cultural, situational contexts which condition English language use both in speech and writing
  • - become acquainted with vocabulary and idioms pertaining to a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on history, geography, culture, storytelling and gaming
  • - have the possibility of analyzing short messages/ longer texts at various proficiency levels
  • - acquire communication skills in order to communicate with a group of colleagues, professional partners or experts, while using correct forms and language structures
  • - learn how to interpret correctly and independently the most recognizable cultural works
  • - learn to participate in a debate, discussion, exchange of views about various topics and performed tasks - learn how to critically assess one’s English language competence
  • - become aware of the need to constantly increase his/ her English language competence
  • - raise one’s awareness of the value of the Polish cultural heritage and cultural institutions
  • - learn how to present and promote Polish culture using the English language

Knowledge:

  • - The student knows and understands the principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1/B2 proficiency level
  • - The student knows and understands basic terminology used within the field of those aspects of culture, media work, promotion and advertising in which linguistic and communication competence, in its broadest sense, is used
  • - The student knows and understands English vocabulary and idioms pertaining to a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on gaming, storytelling, culture, history and geography
  • - The student knows and understands the characteristics and needs of a typical service recipient (e.g. a foreign tourist in Poland) within those professional and cultural fields, media work, promotion and advertising, in which linguistic and communication competence, in its broadest sense, is used, as well as various ways of assessing consumers’ needs and the quality of provided services Abilities and/or skills
  • - The student is able to use English at the B1/B2 proficiency level, in accordance with CEFR, using a variety of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions.
  • - The student has advanced receptive skills – reading and listening as well as productive skills – speaking and writing as well as basic translation skills.
  • - The student is able to select and use the available materials, resources and teaching methods in order to plan and effectively carry out various tasks in the game
  • - The student is able to participate in a debate, discussion, exchange of views about various topics and performed tasks
  • - The student is able to make decisions and solve problems in a limited time, with limited access to relevant information
  • - The student is able to plan his/her activities and prioritize tasks
  • - The student is able to evaluate various opinions and attitudes, discuss them in English and his/her native language; s/he is aware of the value of reflecting, compromise, and responsibility in the context of forming opinions and judgments as well as adapting measures connected with the process of learning
  • - The student is able to overcome obstacles related to the game itself as well as communication problems and solve problems in a limited time
  • - The student is able to be creative and dynamic in realizing various tasks in the process of learning as well as playing a cooperative/competitive game
  • - The student is able to present Polish cultural heritage in an attractive and entertaining way to emphasize its value and contribution to European culture Social competences and attitudes
  • - The student is ready to critically assess his/her English language competence and understands the need to constantly improve his/her skills
  • - The student is ready to actively participate in the process of learning English
  • - The student is ready to recognize the significance of knowledge and language skills in the process of solving cognitive as well as practical problems in social situations, gaming as well as within his/her chosen professional field
  • - The student is open to various cultures and personalities, and, consequently, always acts in accordance with the principles of ethics and law.
  • - The student is ready to respect his/her own cultural heritage as well as the heritage of other cultures
  • - The student understands the value of his/her cultural heritage represented by places, objects, customs and stories
  • - The student is ready and proud to present Polish culture in an attractive and entertaining way and emphasize its contribution to European culture
Output The game, set in the Polish cultural context and deriving from the local regional characteristics includes some elements that are typical of Polish national and regional culture, such as way of thinking and dealing with/solving problems, unique environment and nature, historical and economic aspects
Target Group Undergraduate / Graduate students / Polish national background
Entry requirements and expected pre-requisite competencies Knowledge, skills (abilities) and social attitudes
Click on to read more
Students’ needs Regardless of their major field of study, both graduate and undergraduate students need to develop the following “soft” 21st century skills, allowing them to adapt to a diverse, dynamic, multicultural work or study environment
Type of game Tabletop role-playing game or LARP (Live Action Role-Playing Game)
Overall (general) goals
  • Develop a game set in the Polish cultural context, but transferable (understandable to students raised in other cultures)
  • increase the players’ knowledge of Poland and Polish culture
Observable learning outcomes Knowledge:
  • The student knows and understands the principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1/B2 proficiency level
  • The student knows and understands basic terminology used within the field of those aspects of culture, media work, promotion and advertising in which linguistic and communication competence, in its broadest sense, is used

Knowledge, skills (abilities) and social competences


    Knowledge:
    The student (game participant) knows and understands:
  • - the vocabulary and structures typical of B1 English proficiency level in accordance with CEFR
  • - principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1 proficiency level - no previous knowledge of Poland or its culture is necessary Skills (abilities)

    • The student (game participant) is able to:
  • - communicate in speech and writing in English at the B1 proficiency level in accordance with CEFR
  • - understand the main ideas of complex spoken and written texts on both abstract and concrete topics
  • - narrate a story, relate the plot of a novel, short story or film
  • - summarize the most important events of a story, film etc. Social attitudes

    • The student is ready to:
  • - critically assess of his/her English language competence but simultaneously take full advantage of his/her skills, however limited
  • - respect Polish cultural heritage and learn more about it
  • - respect the heritage of other countries and learn about other languages and cultures
  • - be open to various forms of communication

Regardless of their major field of study, both graduate and undergraduate students need to develop the following “soft” 21st century skills, allowing them to adapt to a diverse, dynamic, multicultural work or study environment:

  • - Ability to make decisions and solve problems in a limited time, based on available knowledge, critical assessment of the situation as well as short-term needs and long-term goals
  • - Ability to plan, and consequently, prioritize certain task
  • - Ability to obtain, and process information in a limited time;
  • - Ability to apply this knowledge to their assigned role whether at school or at work
  • - Ability to work in a situation with low predictability of final outcome
  • - Ability to analyze quantitative data
  • - Ability to interact and communicate (verbally) with people:
    • * representing different level of education and/or professional experience;
    • * coming from various cultural backgrounds;
    • * without a common past
    • * belonging to different generations
    • * belonging to groups with different legal backgrounds, which might affect their decision-making process

Knowledge:

  • - The student knows and understands the principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1/B2 proficiency level
  • - The student knows and understands basic terminology used within the field of those aspects of culture, media work, promotion and advertising in which linguistic and communication competence, in its broadest sense, is used
  • - The student knows and understands English vocabulary and idioms pertaining to a wide range of topics, with an emphasis on gaming, storytelling, culture, history and geography Abilities and/or skills
  • - The student is able to use English at the B1/B2 proficiency level, in accordance with CEFR, using a variety of grammatical structures, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions.
  • - The student has advanced receptive skills – reading and listening as well as productive skills – speaking and writing as well as basic translation skills.
  • - The student is able to select and use the available materials, resources and teaching methods in order to plan and effectively carry out various tasks in the game
  • - The student is able to participate in a debate, discussion, exchange of views about various topics and performed tasks The student is able to make decisions and solve problems in a limited time, with limited access to relevant information
  • - The student is able to plan his/her activities and prioritize tasks
  • - The student is able to evaluate various opinions and attitudes, discuss them in English and his/her native language; s/he is aware of the value of reflecting, compromise, and responsibility in the context of forming opinions and judgments as well as adapting measures connected with the process of learning
  • - The student is able to overcome obstacles related to the game itself as well as communication problems and solve problems in a limited time
  • - The student is able to be creative and dynamic in realizing various tasks in the process of learning as well as playing a cooperative/competitive game
  • - The student is able to recount whatever s/he has learned about Polish culture during the role- -playing game Social competences and attitudes
  • - The student is ready to critically assess his/her English language competence and understands the need to constantly improve his/her skills.
  • - The student is ready to actively participate in the process of learning English
  • - The student is ready to recognize the significance of knowledge and language skills in the process of solving cognitive as well as practical problems in social situations, gaming as well as within his/her chosen professional field.
  • - The student is open to various cultures and personalities, and, consequently, always acts in accordance with the principles of ethics and law.
  • - The student is ready to respect his/her own cultural heritage as well as the heritage of other cultures
  • - The student understands the value of Polish cultural heritage represented by places, objects, customs and stories, as well as artefacts used in the game
Target group Undergraduate/ Graduate students of other higher education institutions (the consortium); non-Polish ethnicity
Entry requirements and expected pre-requisite competencies Knowledge, skills (abilities) and social competences
Students’ needs Regardless of their major field of study, both graduate and undergraduate students need to develop the following “soft” 21st century skills, allowing them to adapt to a diverse, dynamic, multicultural work or study environment
Observable learning outcomes Knowledge:
  • The student knows and understands the principles of speaking and writing in English at the B1/B2 proficiency level
  • The student knows and understands basic terminology used within the field of those aspects of culture, media work, promotion and advertising in which linguistic and communication competence, in its broadest sense, is used

Game mechanics


The game is designed for a maximum of 5 players (playing characters) + the Game Master. If convenient or absolutely necessary, two players can assume the role of one playing character – but there is only one Game Master! (This will, however, slow down the game.)


WHAT YOU NEED TO PLAY

Ready to play the game? Then you only need to have the following:

  • - Roleplaying dice (as described below)
  • - Role cards
  • - Pencils and erasers
  • - Three to five people to play with
  • - A quiet place
  • - Time to play the game

ROLEPLAYING DICE


The Game Master and players will need these roleplaying dice:



In order to proceed to different locations, one of the characters rolls two percentage dice. Each location in legendary Poland has certain numbers assigned to it. The sum of the two numbers will indicate the next location, where all characters face new challenges.


ROLE CARDS, CHARACTER SHEETS AND CHARACTER CREATION


At the beginning of the game, the Game Master lets each player choose or draw (it depends on the Game Master’s decision) a role card. A role card provides some basic information about a playing character; it may also contain his/her picture. All PCs are legendary heroes or villains living in certain places in legendary Poland.




SKILLS


Players allocate the following values among the eight Skills:
70, 60, 50, 50, 50, 40, 40, 40.


SECONDARY ATTRIBUTES


LUCK roll is used to determine if external circumstances are in your favor or against you. This is an element of chance in the game.


Player's level of SANITY will go up or down during the game – the decision is made by the Game Master. If a character has a low Sanity level, s/he may not be up to certain tasks and somebody else – with a higher Sanity level has to do things for him/her. A low Sanity level may sometimes be compensated with Luck.



SKILL ROLLS AND LUCK ROLLS


Skill rolls are required in dramatic situations in the game, which can happen as the characters travel through Poland. Before a character rolls the die, s/he should agree on a goal (positive outcome) with the Game Master. Then, if the skill roll is successful, s/he has achieved the goal.


HOW TO WIN THE GAME


In this game, there are no winners or losers in the traditional sense. All characters play the game as a team, so the game is more cooperative than competitive, though, of course each character has his/her own motivation. All characters travel together, moving from place to place by throwing dice.


In the end, in one of the places they have reached by throwing dice they all face the final challenge, which will give them a chance to find the treasure of their dreams; in other words gain something, whether material or not. The nature of the challenge is determined by the Game Master who runs the game.




THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS IN THE GAME


As with all role-play games based on narrating a story in a circle, the ideal number of players ranges from 3 to 8. However, as there are usually more students in a classroom, other solutions have to be employed. There are three basic ways of playing in large groups: student audience, multiplayers and student Game Masters. Read more in the instructions at the bottom of the page.




The 21st century. The age of information. Devils, giant spiders, water demons and wood spirits may be seen any time – in films and series. Nobody believes in creepy creatures that may ensnare your mind and drown you in the bog. These belong in the 19th century fairy tales.


A youth hostel “Vratislav” in Wrocław. Late evening. A group of backpackers from different parts of Europe discuss their travel experiences and then go to bed. At night, they cannot sleep because of strange noises: something like a wolf ’s howling, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves, a horse’s neighing, loud eerie sniggers. In the morning the tourists can hardly believe their eyes.


Everything looks different, as if they had travelled back in time: the place resembles an old inn with animal hides and horns on the walls, the manager has turned into an inn-keeper in simple linen and leather clothes and they are served a whole leg of sheep for breakfast! To cap it all, outside there are endless marshes and forests instead of the usual morning bustle of the big noisy city.


The travellers are different, too: they are a strange mixture of people representing different epochs and status in life. At first they are scared and then… rather amused. From an old document brought by the inn- keeper they learn that, because they came to the inn on a particular night, they undergo the curse of Prince Vratislav, the legendary founder of the city. Once a year, on that very night, the travellers trapped in “Vratislav” take on roles of characters from Polish legends and have to go on a quest in pursuit of their characters’ unfulfilled wishes. Each of them is endowed with special skills and powers. It is advisable to go as a group and help each other on the way because the curse will be lifted only when all the travellers achieve their characters’ personal goals. After a short discussion, the travellers decide to embark on the journey…


Read the whole document



The game was prepared at the Philological School of Higher Education in Wroclaw (WSF), Poland.