Cool Armoured knights of High Fantasy

Actually they are Psiber Knights from an alt future but they are still cool as $#!+

A little more about why D&D is not in good hands

Prior to making Spellbound Kingdoms, you wrote for Wizards of the Coast. What were you able to take from your time with Wizards? Did you design roleplaying games prior to your time with them?
The biggest thing that I took from my freelancing for WOTC was the desire to do my own stuff. I grew extremely frustrated with the way WOTC would change material that I turned in, usually without any discussion or feedback (to be fair to WOTC, this changed for the better as their experience with freelancers grew, but it was still frustrating not having the final decision over what I wrote). Mike Mearls said at a freelancers meeting once, “Yes, we’ll tear the arms off your baby, but we’ll replace them with new, robot mutant arms!” I decided I was tired of my baby’s arms being torn off.

Original to be found here http://futileposition.com/2012/07/interview-spellbound-kingdoms-designer.html

Age of Wormy writing and Return of the Edition Warrior

So I'm flicking through Dungeon mag's and reminesing. Then I notice I'm reading one of the issues and its really, really badly written and badly edited (I'm guessing). Its an age of worms adventure and people have nothing but great things to say about this adventure path -they say "yes its a bit rail-roady, but for all that still good". So I fond myself reading this drivel on the page and I turn back the pages to find out who wrote this pile of poo and I should have guessed.

The Three Faces of Evil  Issue #125 Written by Mike Mearls.


Ahh he comes back to haunt us again as if Iron Heroes and Gimmicks guide to gadgets where not bad enough ... here is yet another fine example of his work in print. Essentially this guy keeps publishing crap. Polished, tidy, high production value, stuff but it's still poop.

And Hasbro has him in a key position for D&D. Sigh they really should be paying attention. 

Funny thing is someone in Hasbro is possibly thinking we should buy "Pathfinder". The thing is damn it they (Hasbro) have D&D. If it wasn't for Mike Mearls there would never have been a need for Pathfinder in the first place.

Anyway go play Labyrinth Lord and don't worry. Or hackmaster 5 aka hackmaster advanced.

Just so you know this is what Mr Mike wrote; the mine dungeon has a "garrison" in the dungeon. It's larger than the one in the town  - which maned by goodly aligned folks - The dungeon garrison is considerably larger than the one above the mine, by quite a bit and they are all evil. Yep ...There are three evil cult factions. All are vastly overpowered for the assumed 3rd level PC party expected to go in and to the job. There are missing or simply wrong stats and NPC numbers (as in how many cultists are in the encounter) etc. It's really bad ...there is a doorway seperating two of the evil factions which hate each other. One maybe, inch and a half? Wood door. Evil on both sides. Yet no conflict at, for, or over the door. I was surprised and yet not surprised in retrospect. 

It was good they managed building 5e the way they did. It would have been a massive shame to see the original fantasy game lose its crown and never get it back. I'm glad it turned out fine. 
   

How to pick your next rpg campaign or system

Castle Falkenstein what a great game. Should it be next?

If your anything like me you love rpg's. You have a mass of them, you read and like and want to play lots of different ones. So when it comes to your next game it can be problematic and present a difficulty picking what to play. This can be further exacerbated by our gaming friends, their likes and dislikes and essentially their level of trust in you and your game management. Something  John Harper observed.

So how do you pick a game? How do you make a decision? And how will you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is the right one?

Or do I go with an Age of Sail game? Flashing blades anyone?

Your lucky in life when things are black or white. So its easy to make decisions. A train is speeding towards you. You want to live. Jump out of the way and you know unequivocally you have made the right decision.

Or maybe retro scifi? Sabers and Lazers any one?

But when it comes to gaming choices its less clear. should you play a D&D or 7th Sea? Should you play this with the original rule set or Savage Worlds?

Many of these types of decisions are ambiguous. Sometimes both decisions would have been right or wrong… to some extent. If we wait for absolute certainty before acting then we may never act. So that mean your likely to miss out on some good gaming opportunities. Fun times with friends.

Its time to realize sometimes there are no 'right' decisions, only different or alternate decisions. Trying to make the 'right' decision assumes that life is always simple or even simplistic. After all this is just your hobby time why anguish over it.  However some people - I include myself - respond to decision making time like a rabbit snared in the hunters spotlight.

Don't create unnecessary anxiety by worrying about what to do. There are five common traps to watch for:

1. Wanting too much certainty before acting. Perfectionist types with simplistic ideas of right and wrong go for this one. They don't feel it is reasonable to act on a decision while still having doubts about it. They want a certificate to come through the letterbox telling them the right decision has been reached and officially approved. As this doesn't happen, their minds go round and round in circles and they actually think too much. 
2. Believing a decision can only be valid if ratified by other people. This approach often comes out of fear of making an entirely independent decision. It may be a sign of reluctance to "rock the boat" or be responsible for a sub-optimal/bad outcome. 
3. Constantly making the same mistakes because of failure to learn from the past. If you know that Rolemaster doesnt work for the group due to its complexity, or that FATE is something your players cant understand, or Runequest is too off-beat for the players, then recognise these patterns and incorporate them into your decision making. 
4. Making emotional decisions based on a whim. Try not to make an entirely emotionally based decision type to understand the context of the decision and where it will lead. Interestingly current research make this type of decision making less of a "trap" then was previously thought and honestly in the context of role playing games this could be a fine way to go. Your passion may just carry the day and the game.  
5. Not making a decision is a decision. The trouble is the which game which system 'problem' your trying to solve isn't maths. Your treating the problem of what to do for role playing as if it were algebra. You have to not sweat the small stuff. Moreover its preventing you from getting what you want from your roleplaying sessions. Its your hobby time and you should strive to making as enjoyable as possible. 

Ohh yeah THAT's what I'm talking about!!!

So what to do? First off don't sweat it. Don't get worked up. You may even have to give yourself time away form the decision. If your lucky enough to have a secondary GM in the group let them have the stage for however long they want need it. Or play board games for a while. If you dont want to do this then make sure you have something prepped for the next session of what ever it is you are playing. focus on combat you can rarely go wrong. Do a Chandler and have a revolver shoot through the door. The essence is don't worry about what it is - just have something. That will do for now and lets you enjoy your friends and your hobby time.

Don't feel locked in to the current game or system your running for your group. If you have to change let them know there is change coming. There is an unrealistic expectation on the part of many players in rpg's - I find particularly prevalent in people who don't or rarely run games. The Long Term Campaign. Its sort of unrealistic to expect this to just happen. Even with an entire Adventure Path, framework in which we have fun. The goal is fun. The secondary goal is fun adventuring and exploring in game drama.

She needs saving get to it!!!

Mega Dungeon or Packaged Campaign it just may not click for you or for that matter a number of the players. When one works its the nirvana of role-playing and is a truly great experience. It is NOT however the ONLY valid from of role-playing. The emphasis of any session should be on  getting together with friends to have fun over a game. Lets examine that and thing on our roleplaying experiences in the past...the game provides a

Don't dither; trust your gut instincts! When decision making gets tough – trust your gut instincts. Research published in 'Current Biology' shows, in some instances snap decisions are better than endless pedantic pondering and logical weighing up. People were shown a puzzle and asked to pick the one odd symbol out of more than 650 identical symbols. Interestingly they performed better when they were given no time to linger and were forced to rely on their subconscious to select the correct answer.

Big Gun. Check. Sword. Check. Sexy Woman.

Dr Li Zhaoping of University College London said: "You'd expect people to make better decisions when given time to look properly, but this was not so." He explained: "The conscious or top level function of the brain, when active, vetoes our initial subconscious decision – even when it is correct – leaving us unaware or distrustful of our instincts."

So thinking too much about a decision can leave us worse off. So the famous Milton Erickson's injunction to 'trust your unconscious' is now backed up by research. Your conscious logical brain doesn't always make the best decisions. Clearly logical thought has its place in decision making, but logic is a tool and not the only one in the box! Which leads to the question: are some people just too sensible when it comes to decision making?



So how to make that decision? To make good decisions you need to:

1. Learn to trust your instincts. Don't always insist on 'logical' reasons for everything, such as why to chose Savage worlds rather then Traveller. Learn to say: 'Because it feels right.'
2. When you do base decision making on weighing up the pros and cons, use your imagination. Really sit down and envisage living with the decision. How does that feel? Will the game work at the table. Can you commit to your own decision? You should be able to do so. If not propose a "one shot" or "short-run".
3. Don't be overly tempted by strong emotional attraction to a game or system. Intuitive decision making works best when the distorting effects of emotion are kept in context. Revisit the rule above.  
4. Remember, some decisions won't make sense to other people – and that may be OK. Most advances (Flight, open heart surgery, the telephone) were instigated by people who decided to follow what seemed like crazy ideas to others at the time. Be prepared to adjust to the needs of the group as things progress. If people balk at your game choice a) inform them your committed to a X length of play, b) passionate on the subject and more likely to create great in game fun and c) prepared to take feedback after three sessions about the game choice and its continuance.
5. Don't beat yourself up if you do make a 'wrong' decision. You can learn from it and hey – you are human! And well you all got to try a new game. Whoot!!!

The important thing is that you play at the table with friends - everything else is secondary to that goal. The Play is the thing, not sitting agonising over the perfect game setting or system. Get your friends over and roll dice for adventure and fun!  
 

Yep there is my next game, right there!!!

The RPG Corner: The Cthulhu Effect

The RPG Corner: The Cthulhu Effect: Anyone who has run Call of Cthulhu for any great length of time will no doubt be familiar with the "D&D Effect" - the phenomena....

I loved this and found it great reading. I've experienced this acutely in Pendragon ... in fact I think more so in Pendragon. When players come to Pendragon from a D&D or FRPG background they immediately think they are in the same thing only with a different skin.

Well your very much mistaken when you take this route. You see in Pendragon your, yes playing a knight. So through FRPG eyes that means "heavy armoured warrior". So off they go. There is also normally someone who want to play the "Magic User" and while there is, in some editions magic rules, they are not so great for a player character (you can end up needing to sleep for a long time - in some cases ...years), its not really a game for players casting spells.

So you start out with some frustrated, some grumpy and some dissatisfied players ["What? We are all Knights!"]. Well yes and no... Sure there is a skill list and different characters can cover different skills and specialisations which differentiates the PC's. But thats not really it.

So to recap you have this group of FRPérs and they are by now not really jivin'to the game experience as its really not what they expected at all. But they give it ago.

And then they find out that Glory and Passions and playing a god-damn LORD of the Realm is actually really cool. And finding a wife to wed is really cool. Meeting Lancelot really cool. Merlin, magical. Saving Briton cool. Fighting battles with your own ARMY, levied from your own lands. COOL. Then there is the intrigue, Mordred, Le Fay, the Saxons, Rome, finding the relics and at its height the blossoming of MAGIC and the fae..

Yeah you play Knights but not THOSE knight you know, not paladins, fighters and rangers but Chevaliers of the Realm of Briton and actually they are pretty cool in their own right.
Don't believe me go watch Excalibur, or Knights of the Round Table. 

Or play Pendragon...
      

On Dwarves, Hope and the One Ring

I have to thanks my guys for humouring me and giving The One Ring a go. I enjoyed it a lot... Having said that it's really very much it's own thing - its very defiantly not D&D or any type of clone. Its one of the more original rpg properties out there. I love that it does Initative differently. I'm sick of the same initative system in effectivly every rpg out there. YMMV.

I mean good lord even the art is wonderful!

The One Ring has got it's own way of doing things. It really captures the feeling of the setting and I had fun with that.... In deed I'd go so far as to say that is why I role play. I want to feel that setting immersion. Even thought the system is unique it gets out of the way and lets you play. Attributes are not that important. Other then Hope which is an uber stat.

More goodness on the way

Game for me is about story and a lot less about mechanics, which is really just the "enabler" to tell the tale. I don't really like getting bogged down in philosophical debates on the system ... I'd rather just go with it ... I'll sort out any system problems via adjudication as opposed to "rules mods"  Also I think a knee jerk reaction to rules when they are new is more then likely just "growing pains" so to speak... 

Hope attribute... yes it's certainly the most important ability in the game but again I'm ok with that. A little bit of research showed Dwaves get a front loaded and highest endurance of any culture and get a cultural benefit that allows them to be less fatigued/encumbered so thought has gone into "balancing" the game system... However having said that it is still very much it's own beast ... It has an amount of randomness in it so you can't count on certain ancillary outcomes. See interesting comments on the same stuff here 

Its a game I could stick with and comit to as I really like it but I got the distinct impresion the players didnt ... so we go back to the drawing board. 

You got me in the heart!

Regarding the ongoing game; I'm likely to switch back to the OSR Scifi game and cary on with the plan of the PC's finding out in game they are playing in Australia after a hard takeoff singularity, and a pole switch event b) discover an FTL drive at a nearby hidden base, c) fight the guys who rule Melbourne to keep your hard won FTL Tech d) get off planet f) discover the earth is quarantined due to the nanophage, g) interact with the transhuman space born society h) share the FTL drive tech and open up space to exploration i) discover the interstellar intelligence a distributed AI of unknowable purpose which fills the interstellar medium and is doing ....something....not quite right. 

Or

We may switch back to Shadowrun where I run you through the latest "Missions" series of packaged adventures

Or 

Traveller where I run you through the secret of the ancients packaged campaign

Or

Rogue trader warhammer 40k packaged adventures 

Or

Gumshoe system ( this is the sysem that powered ashen stars) based procedural based investigation role playing.

I'll leave you with a few pics that sum up where I think the regular game will go....

 Just in case its not clear

The funny thing is that if you look at the original rules and heroes and superheroes using the combat systems 5-6 on a d6 being a hit (as it is in SR4) is pretty much the way the Chanimail OSR worked ... go figure.

Character generation and GMing

One thing I find really unusual is players who don't enjoy character generation. Whats not to like? You get to develop a new idea, try out new mechanical options you have never tried before and emulate maybe a favorite book/movie hero or a mash up of the same.

Tell me this guys story...

However it appears - and admittedly I have only a small slice of the community to draw this opinion from but character generation is a bit of a chore for most players. I don't get to play as often as I'd like. I'm normally the one running the game so its something I do when familiarizing myself with a new game or making a fully realized NPC.

Here is a little secret about doing char-gen from my point of view as a GM. It is really actually a part of the game. You see as the players sit around coming up with character ideas, I'm riffing on that and telling the players elements of the background. I'm finding out what direction the players want to take the game based on what they find interesting and what they  want to do.

This is also why I prefer the entire group does this around the table together. Done well there is even scene framing and character role playing elements, being played out and established. Yes the format of this role playing is more of a "short hand" form, in most cases and it is often not as nuanced as normal role play but it is "gaming" all the same.

I find it interesting to see players - at least those I'm playing with, need a session or likely a handful of sessions, to establish a persona for the character. I think this is unfortunate. During those sessions, elements of strong narrative will just not be present. Don't get me wrong on this count, you don't need to take a fiction writers approach, but it cant hurt.

Just take a really established archetype and start with that. Its very likely that as a result of other people trying to "pidgeon-hole" your PC, you will evolve it into something more than this initial idea. That's GREAT! In deed, its what you want.

Once upon a time there was a Punk ...

I liken this to games you have played with really strong themes. Pirate game, Cowboy game, Fantasy game... each of these probably made you think of a very specific image and that's what we are after here. Just that initial image translated into something you can share at the game table. (Do try to stay "on topic". The infamous Fonzor, the Fonzie-as-a-mage-in-dragon-age-character was really funny and great, but it lost a lot of points for being wildly off the subject, for that game. "Rock-Armour!!!" rofl.).
A great place to start is to go to art on the web and find a picture you like and imagine the story for that pictures subject.Again i stress, make sure you stay "on topic" for the game.

As a GM I let my players know that we will do regular character revisions. These are opportunities to tweak the character so that the mechanics help the player represent the idea they/we have at the table so some times this can even mean a class change or other type of mechanical underpinning to make the system support the players view of the character. NOTE-> this is prompted by the player, not me as the GM however I still have rights to veto any change I dont think there is good story support for. This is not a way to "cheat" and get a more optimized version of the character but a way to hone in on the core idea of the characters role in the stories as they have been played.

So next time your thinking character session "ohh-no", dont. Just kick back, participate and try and come up with a character, which provides you with lots of fun at the table and one that also gives your fellow game players fun too. Someone that has some "cool" to it Heyyyy.

This is a little bit of a cheat post this week.

First item is that It's official!Margaret Weis Productions has secured the Firefly RPG license .

This is great news made even better by Cam Bank's confirming its a cortex+ action game like Leverage. WHOOOT!!! I couldn't be more jazzed buy this news.

Also the fortnightly game looks like it will be based on Kevin Crawford's fine games Stars Without Number and Other Dust. The sandbox his huge as it goes of world into the solar system and beyond. I wonder just how much will get explored and if I can maintain my focus [boo hiss villain]. Anyhow you can find the information on the game over here which was a neat place to start it once upon a time (it was originally planed as a FATE game but the group don't like FATE) 
   

Exotic locales and two-fisted action

Planing a game is a very exciting time. Its pregnant with promise. The gestation is a journey of its own, full of little ups and downs. Ewww, ikkie, gruesome metaphor, but well, anyway, its more or less the way it is.

I've managed to knock off a bunch of games and adjust my thinking about preferences.

Shotgun Diaries and MHRP are the fall back games but the goal is to not really play them really at all. Not because they are bad they are great games which I really like. However I want to run the main game the most.

In the past we would fall back to a pick up game if we didn't have a quorum of players which meant if I dint have at lest three we would not do the main game. I've dropped that threshold down to two players, which should be achievable nearly every session as I have two really reliable participants.

I'm still examining what amounts to two major genre areas: Sci-fi and fantasy.

On the sci-fi front my present thinking is towards a hack of my own devising either Traveller, mouse guard/burning wheel or OSR inspired. I've all ways thought a hack of the old Buck Rodgers 25th century game would be a fine thing to do. I do it in the spirit of a Microlite type conversion.  Mainly as I have some time constraints and the microlite format would help that.

Deathwatch and Rogue Trader are both still getting a good looking into. We used to have a lot of fun with WHFRP back in the day. Its one game I've "played" as opposed to GM'ed. As a player I had fun in the game and found the mechanics good until I would suffer a critical - then it was horrid!

Star Wars: The Edge of Empire remains very appealing. I dont know why it has taken me so long to see it as pulp-sci-fi in the mode of the 30's-40's but it did. Its only a recent realization. So the thinking is I can combine my love of pulp with Star Wars goodness and run a fun game ... And I think that can happen easily. Empire = Nazis, Force = Occult, and all the scenery is thematically on cue too. Ancient temples, Far of wildernesses, chase scenes, Big villains with secret or impregnable bases. Its all there. The way Brian Misiaszek puts it "Fast-paced and energetic adventures. Exotic locales and two-fisted action. A wistful and nostalgic glimpse of an era that seems familiar but more simpler, innocent and daring". Like Brian says the adventures have to have

1. Larger than Life Heroes.☑
2. Reduced Hero Deaths.☑
3. Colourful Villains.☑ - Emperor, Vader, Thrawn, Jaba, Gredo (Han shot first) ☑
4. Gadgets and Weird Science.- DeathStar, Lightsabers, rocket packs, droids, etc. ☑  
5. Bizarre Crimes and Mystery. - The murder of Alderaan! Han in carbonite.☑
6. Exotic Settings and Locations. ☑
7. Lost Worlds.- and even cultures in SW's, jedi, sith, ☑
8. Cliffhangers. ☑
9. Deathtraps.- "R2 turn off the garbage compactors on the detention level"☑
10. The "Feel" of the 1930s-1940s Pulp Era.- John says it best ☑

So yeah I'm really getting swayed by the idea of doing a Star Wars game. It just seems to hit the sweet spot. I can add in what ever tech under the guise of "Gadgets and Weird Science" which is sort of cool I reckon. So all in all this is riding high at present.

On the fantasy rpg front, The One Ring is nudging my interest just a wee bit more then A Song of Ice and Fire Game of Thrones Edition. Strangely the reason for this is the lack of non-human monsters in A Song of Ice and Fire. 

Sure there are both the Others/white-walkers and the Dragons but there is very little else I could take the idea of the coming winter as an excuse for a few supernatural beasts to be popping up. It would be non-canonical sure but if it was fun the players would probably forgive the setting faux pas. The only other consideration would be OSR picking up in Ayurth where we left off.

In terms of direction of the games

Sci-fi near-future game (SWN?) would find the campaign opening upon a well established solar system wide human civilization. The various competing nations and conglomerates, one of whom has managed to make the breakthrough which is leading them to the development of a Trans-Lux drive. So the setting is at the cusp of interstellar travel. There is a conspiracy behind a) the development, of trans-lux (involving a hard-take off singularity) as well as a conspiracy around the release of the technology and the coming potential diaspora to the stars. Add players and faction agendas and mix vigorously.

Star Wars on the other hand would be significantly different yet very much the same. At the very outer rim Elrood, Kathol, Minos areas of space way out past Dagobah well away from the normal stomping grounds of the Empire is where the players find them selves. They are embroiled in smuggling for the criminal cartels and the corporations . They take the job and do the drops, avoiding the Empire has been easy. Until now... These systems have become home to an Imperial research base doing biowarfare experiments (they are researching something termed "the Strain"). The criminal cartels are supplying the Imperials with everything they need, which they cant just get through an application of force (no pun) /power. The Moff, Villis Andal is playing the cartels against one another and against the fermenting rebel presence in the system. Once all sides are weakened by the conflicts Andal conives and it has claimed sufficient civilian casualties, the Empire will move in to restore order and security to its citizens... Until then its Imperial spec ops, sabotage and spy-craft.. for the sake of the citizenry. What is it the Moff is really expecting to gain. What is "The Strain". 

For The One Ring I've all ways loved the Witch King so the game has to centre on the darkening of Mirkwood and the influence of the the once human king on the lands near by. This is good as the game is set up for this in many respects.

In A Song of Ice and Fire I will focus on the intrigue and battles, which given the time of the game may sound hard to do however there are any number of options in this regard. One area I will weave in is Monsters and the nature of what a monster is. John Connolly's Every Dead thing planted a stake in my mind and I'll mine it for some of what I'm thinking for this game. That and the Wizard of Oz... and the Hyperion Canto's. I will just place these elements in easy reach and then watch them as they seep into the awareness of the players. If that doesn't work well one of them may just find they have more in common with Bird then they fist realize. The other facet I'll explore is marriage and finding a bride. Back in the day we had a lot of fun in Pendragon when we found out courtship and marriage was something that was fun to play. I'll introduce that into this game as then you have even more to lose. Yeah with any luck it will be close to the books in that regard. I'll also encourage troupe/entourage play to get past any issues with recovery from wounds.

 If you have any ideas you want to share post them up and I'll look at incorporating them..        

      

F(_)#K YEAH

Just watch the damn video

http://vimeo.com/57142668

The Role-Games Manifesto

We are rediscovering and uncovering better ways 

of role playing by doing it and helping others to do it.
 

Through this endeavor we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions - that is play - over rule sets and systems
Fun games at the table over comprehensive simulation, background or mechanics
Player collaboration over rules negotiation 

Player/GM fun over scripted scenario outcomes

That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.

Go forth and play for fun!

These are the continuing adventures ....

I've been continuing to do research into games for the group this year and its coming down to crunch time.

"I actually MEANT to lose that finger"!

As pick up games, I love John Wick's stuff. Shotgun Diaries for some great survivor horror mayhem. I think it would also be a great basis for an "Aliens" the movie, rpg hack. This game is amazing for doing everything Outbreak Undead and All Flesh Must Be Eaten do but quicker easier and in a fraction of the page count. Both those games are really great Zombie rpg's so that puts this one in great company. If you wanted to do long term campaign play those games are possibly (very likely) a better choice.

Invading Xenomechs

The Aegis Project on the other hand is awesome for a good pick up game of guns and gundams with a great transhuman twist. Think Terminator, Aliens, Bladerunner, Avatar, Tansformers. PacRim, mash-up done really well. The Aegis Project will surprise you in the same way as the Transformers live action film did, by being really good and a hell of a lot of fun.

These games are traditional enough in their play style so as to not cause trouble at the play table by radically changing our conception of what a role playing game should be. They have lots of Indie DNA both of them but they don't totally turn the tables on a group of traditional role players which is good.  

I'm still flipping though books with the challenge of finding the main attraction. My research... can it be called research when  its so much fun? I'm not so sure. I'm enjoying it so, but you do get the feeling that there is just so much you could do but only so much you can.

I have broken it down by genre: Sci-fi, Modern, Supers and Fantasy.   

As always I'm highly intrigued by a sci fi game. I'm really struggling to find the right platform for such a game.

Go buy Ian's art. Its simply awesome!!!

2300AD is the one which is probably most closely aligned to my internal sense of what makes for a good setting and certainly its got good support.  

Orbital also for Traveller is a stand out too and for many of the same reasons. I could use them together as a sort of tool kit for a near space and colonization type game (which is what I have in mind - essentially espionage around the discovery of FTL and Hard AI and the changes it ushers in)
There is always the Mongoose Traveler "Secret of the Ancients" campaign. It is still one I want to run at some time. 

As an aside (which I will tackle in greater depth in future entries), I'm less enamored by skill systems these days, since returning to the OSR. I think skill systems were an early attempt to provide player agency and take story control out of the hands of just the G/DM. While I see the sharing of story agency as a very good move, I don't think big skill lists are the best way to do it.

Then there is Rogue Trader, [WTF! surprised me too] the grim-dark normally doesn't get my interest however both Deathwatch and Rogue Trader have really been well done. The idea of Ventures and the taming of a savage frontier is a great draw card for play. It looks truly epic and the idea of the players playing the two or three most important people in the game and really having a lot of power is interesting. 

BawWAaaahwahhH

Star Wars: The Edge of Empire is cool with added "geek-dice" to boot. Gritty Star Wars - Cool. Its possibly the closest any game has come to modeling my internal take on Star Wars. WEG's version was too "trite" for me. It didn't seem to hold the Empire up as a true evil menace. Cardboard "Cut-out"storm troopers was not what I remembered most from the movies (all respect to Designer X). The SAGA and other WotC versions didn't seem to get it right either.

Sure its not as hard as I like my sci-fi. However Star Wars is a modern take on pulp - my favorite genre - more or less Flash, Buck and John, which is super awesome as I love pulp. So I'd just work my pulp magic in this setting with a gloss of science.    

My own mash up of SWN is still in there with a look in too.

The fantasy front runner is positively The One Ring (with close competition). I'm a fan of middle earth for high fantasy. I like that it places a lot of emphasis on the technology level (or lack of one) and makes journeying in middle earth a central part of the game. Its got a lot of interesting ideas but its very much its own thing. I like what I've read and its beautifully presented.  

Pendragon has always been a favorite. Despite suggesting and offering it a few times it has garnered little interest. It is a landmark game, so the lack of interest is something of a shame. I have a deep love for this gem of a game. Luckly I've played good doses of it in the past so from that perspective something new is good.

That "something new" is A Song of Ice and Fire Game of Thrones Edition. Perhaps it has broader appeal, thanks in good part to HBO. From my perspective, playing in the world of the books would be marvelous fun. The sandbox nature of house management would define the game.

The very beautiful 4th edition of Legends of the Five Rings holds similar appeal. I having been a huge fan of the card game and first edition rpg. It also comes with the sterling recommendation of a fellow OSR'er  Lowell Francis. 

Then there is the the fantasy grimness of WHFRPG. I just like the idea of using all the bits and experimenting with the game. The original campaign cycle (Enemy Within etc) and 2nd end would be fine too but there is something about 3rd ed I really like.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the gonzo goodness of the Iron Kingdoms rpg - I'd revisit the Witchfire campaign using the new rules set and just have steam-mecha-punk fun.What more can you ask for?

Finally I'm looking at Marvel Heroic Role-playing as a solid option too. I really fell in love with Leverage and Cortex+ and that continues with MHRP too. What a fun game. 

15 Questions for a Supers game

As I was doing research on what to play I got into thinking about something I did on another game to help tailor the outcomes. In the end I don't know If Iaffected change or I was changed  - so hopefully it was collaboration that occurred. It does highlight another pitfall for GM's. You may think that when you say "Lets do a supers game" you mean Avengers but the players maybe thinking, HEROES, Hellboy and Chronicle and some maybe tinking how can they pervert the game and play a villain or at least a bad ass vigilante.   

I had this problem with our MnM game way back.

What I did was

a) forget what I wanted the players to do and focused on the game world - these types of characters were NOT AT ALL main stream in the setting.

b) recognized that the players thought these characters where TEH-B0MB awesome and kick-ass... so I thought OK we are in a more Indie/Creator owned/MAX/Ultimate type of comic book so far as the game and the setting was concerned.

c) Talked with each of the players and let them know I thought their character was really cool and got into a dialogue with the express purpose of discovering why they thought their character was soon cool and had some sore of "prologue" role playing /white booking where I wanted to understand who they knew in the hero community, who they had mistakenly fought, why and where they stood today, who of the worlds heroes did they look up to? Why? Who of the worlds heroes looks up to them and why?

Sort of this list, in role playing form;

1. What is the deal with policing super heroes? How do the police regard me?

2. How to villains regard me? how do other heroes regard me? What will get me hunted by the worlds top Heroes and thrown in villain-jail

2. Where can we go to get super hero, tech and magical help? How do I <<insert character>> do so?
   
3. What can I do in regards to law enforcement?

4. Are killing attacks really "killing"? Or do they make lots of blood like <<Wolvie, Deadpool, Warmachine>> but really only put people on "deaths door" and not dead? Do I have to consciously make the call to kill or can it happen by accident? How do I feel about this? How does the police feel about me and this issue? How about the Hero community?  

5. Who are the mightiest Powered Heroes in the world? How do I feel about them? have I met them? What do I think they think about me?

6. Who can out wit or put the beat-down on the worlds greatest heroes? How do I feel about them? have I met them? What do I think they think about me?

7. Who are the richest/most powerful business(es) person(s)/organizations in the land? How do I feel about them? have I met them? What do I think they think about me?

8. Where can we go to get some healing/fixing/sanctuary? Space is just next door. Have you been there? How about nearby dimensions? What mythical/legendary/special locations are there in the setting? How do I feel about them? Do I know about them? have I been to any? Whats my relationship to it/them?

9. Is there a super society my hero belongs to other then the player-team? Is it secretive? open? Exclusive? Reserve status? How are you a member [or no longer a member]?

10. Name three members of your rogues gallery and comic book in which you first met and name the book and issue - did you have a Team-up during this issue? If so with who?

11. Who in your social life is important to you name three? Is you identity public? Secret? What are the implications for this decision? who does it effect?  

13. Which way to the nearest Super headquaters not our own? Who is there? How do we feel about each other?
    
14. What villains are terrorizing the world sufficiently that if I arrest them I will become famous?

15. Name three places (your secret base _cant_ be one) that are important to you? Why are they important? What would you do if they where threatened? 

The road winds ever on ...

I've been continuing the research into what game for the group this year. Remarkably my players are not really too invested in the issue. One of them, like me wants to do a SciFi game.  The other two of the current game group are of course more interested in Fantasy gaming. Essentially 3rd Ed D&D is their sweet spot. Me as you can tell I'm more OSR and SciFi (more X-plores then SWN although I love SWN too). 

I'm not alone in having this dilemma. Many a G/DM faces this issue. The root of the problem comes from G/DM's being human too. You see, its quite a big commitment, fronting up and running a game every week (or other time period - [I personally find weekly less work on me and more collaborative]). First, there is what style of game works for the group? Gamist, Narrativist and Simulationist. The whole GNS theory stuff.

For many of us this is not even a conscious or obvious step. We all sort of know what our friends like - I'm assuming your playing with people you regard as your friends, mates or people you like and take the time to appreciate.  So let them know up front what you can commit to and what you can offer, when and where and in what system and setting.

Essentially you will have to make these calls on your own, unless you have a very engaged group who want to collaborate on this aspect too. A benevolent gaming dictatorship is the best!!! A good friend and gamer in my current group said "It would be a mistake to conclude that a lack of apparent enthusiasm, equals disinterest" so its worth remembering forge ahead until people clearly say otherwise.

Once you have the crunch down - you know your system, the one your going to use - then you have to get the fluff - the setting -  right. Its got to the point these days that people are using the same system and then bolting on the setting they like. This holds true for everything from, Action! System Core Rules, BRP to GURPS to Savage Worlds to ZeFR's (I couldnt think of a generic RPG system starting with A so had to look it up). I don't think this is actually that workable and anyone who ascribes to GNS is probably going to want a system/setting sympathy i.e. system supports gaming in the setting. Fluff seems easier although its really is not any easier then system - which is admittedly hard. Its often very small things which can make a game system palatable or not to the participants and a good tool for the GM. 

Some of this will lead you inevitably to the commitment angle. There seems to be two broad schools of thought when it comes to running a game - which nearly always means there is in reality three or more options. Lets explore those board schools, as I see them.

• There is the short form rpg or pick up session rpg, which is designed for 2-6 hours of play, on average and really is only, for this type of play. The Mountain Witch, Fiasco and Ocean fit into this school. I'd add the short sharp shock type of convention scenario to this list too. Interestingly these games actually do have quite a bit of replay ability so they are an rpg experience quite similar to the family board game. This form of game works well for the group who agree on a monthly gaming group commitment or a more sporadic schedule. The focus is put on what happens in that session. Sometimes a small amount of hand waving is done, to structure the ongoing effort into a semblance of a long term campaign, if the same setting (even if not the same rules) is used.  I've suggested before that these roleplaying games - often newer indie rpg's are more "complete" then some of the OSR games which only provided guidelines for a play session.        

• The Adventure, is to my way of thinking, the typical "published" scenario/module. More concretely it is a mission/event/area targeted at roughly 2-3 weeks of play. Or around 5-20 odd hours of play. I say "published", however it can as easily be, a personal piece of work covering the same breadth.  Its often very similar to the short form rpg but has more scope and tasks than can really fit into just one play sitting or smaller rule set. This works for the ad-hock and also the monthly gaming group too. Clearly a series of these can be strung together with the same characters from month to month with some attention (often just-enough) paid to the glue between episodes, to structure a type of campaign play. Alternately you can jump from one setting and system to the next - this is for some reason (not sure why) a practice [switching game system and setting] that is generally frowned upon by card caring role-players - be warned. Most players expect and want adventure play to (eventually) mimic the Campaign model (see below).      

One of the defining aspects, to my way of thinking about these schools of gaming commitment - the ones above - is there is far less need for any unique milieu to be defined. They work largely due to the archetypal/generic nature and ease of engagement this approach fosters. The following schools of gaming commitment depend on a more intricate and detailed - often unique - milieu. This is positive from the perspective of innovation, flavour and immersion but is negative in in needing more investment, dedication, open-mindedness and communication. They are also very likely a niche within what is already a niche audience/market.      

• The Min-Campaign - there is no hard and fast definition that makes a game a mini campaign vs a campaign. I don't think its objective and really I think its come about from the idea of there being essentially less then a year [2000 hours] worth of game in the mind of the GM/writer who puts the game/module/series etc, together. I'm going to conveniently put it at about a half year of play. Many published mini-campaigns, seem to aim for play time which hangs at around the 6-8 "week" mark. That would make the target, in reality, anywhere from 6-40 odd hours of projected game play as written - and would seem to exclude the GM taking the players "off-script" for side tasks and non statistical character growth (narrative type story exploration). This could also be an explicit but limited exploration of a portion of a wilderness (aka Sandbox) campaign something like the Island of Dread. There is an argument that you could fit ~two of these into a year and that a years worth of gaming in the same setting (system?) represents a full "campaign. Some games aim at this type of contracted play. Apocalypse World and its hacks are a good example. So are a number of modules and supplements which set up a short term situation with a definite end point. Five Coins for a Kingdom is a great example of this, although I'd suggest you could even get a multi-year campaign out of just that one module. Truly its an amazing work. I'll lump The Cleansing War Of Garik Blackhand in here too as there is so much here its moe then just an adventure. This form is good for the fortnightly/bimonthly/and some times even the monthly crowd. 

• Campaigns and the mega-campaigns. This is really everything else. Its the games that remain fun and compelling, for all involved (or at least a central core of players) for years and years of play. A grand saga telling a heroic tale or parables of misfortune, horror and woe. These are the games we all want, envy and look fondly back on, if we have been lucky enough to participate in one. Its hard to come up with examples of these as often they are beyond the scope of a published single item and other represent the efforts of not only the G/DM but the whole gaming group.  However projects like, The Traveler Adventure, Ptolus, Rapan Athuk, and the estimable Lesserton and Mor are all firmly in this school. To pull these off you need to be committed to the game system, setting and your gaming group. I'd suggest gaming weekly for this type of endeavour and attract players who can meet this schedule or don't enter into this contract. (see organic genesis below)  

This is the rub as the DM. You have to maintain your interest, passion and commitment for the projected period of time (unlike anyone else in the game you cant really just drop out - not without potentially ending the game for the whole group - that can be quite the pressure on you right there. AVOID this thinking. Its not factual. If the group is made up of real role players and gamers, stuff will happen. If in the wost case it doesn't ...well that was not just your fault. Remember its really is just as easy for someone else to offer up a rpg-game or to bust out the C/LCG's and board games until someone does).

However its still important to pick a school you can be in sync with if your really want to start on the right foot. For many a working professional, that means the last category - the mega-campaign - is truly a monumental undertaking. Less so, if you have a more flexible lifestyle (yes Uni students I'm talking to you!). I use the "weekly play" commitment as a barometer for gauging if a mega campaign could be launched from the ground up.

Despite best laid plans, my most successful campaigns have been more or less accidents of interest. We played a game, in the pick-up or adventure format, loved the experience so much, we all became committed to a spontaneously evolving campaign what I call the organic genesis game.

There is a lesson here for when your just asked to play in a game - don't automatically rule out a friends game based on your initial gut reaction. Have some faith, a little trust and "give it a go" you maybe moments away from entering the campaign of your gaming lifetime.

 
 



  

From Post to Post

Well I didn't think it would be this long between posts. Last year I got a bit of GM burn out and just became a gaming hermit, sitting on a mountain top and navel-gazing. My navels never looked so good.

Back now and looking to cast dice in pursuit of adventure. Our core group has changed somewhat so we may not go back to the Stones of Ayrth game. If we do we will go back to using OSR again, I think.

I will say Savage worlds has a lot to recommend it. The magic system, for a start is very good particularity with the optional rules. It would port over to D&D quite easily however. Much of the other game mechanics are also good. However for some reason it doesn't feel... integrated during play and I'm not sure why this is the case.

I've always wanted to get back to a sci fi game - just look at the blog name - so this may well be the time to take the leap.

I'm left with three players now two of who I can depend upon to always show and a third more flexible member. I'd like to add one more so I'll do a bit of a recruiting drive soon to try and get that player. If you're reading this and live in Melbourne Australia drop me a line.

2300AD has come. Initially I didn't like it. I was hopping it would be more trans-humanist then it is. While it has some TH elements its more a solid - abet gritty - space-punk-opera. Its actually a better game then I gave it credit for initially I'm no my 3rd re-reading now and Id give it a 7.5 out of ten. Its very much the game it was before - even so far as the adventures published so far. The mechanics of goose-Traveller make it better all around during play.   

Orbital by Zozer Games has also come out recently and its such a huge and pleasant surprise although why I'm at all surprised I don't know as Paul's designs and writing have always been top notch. I'm very tempted to play this game with the group.

A straight up old school sci fi in the style of Stars Without Number is of course still on the cards too. As is a home-brew OSR sci fi which I've been threatening to write forever.

But the play group bar one of the player are still asking for fantasy ... I'm torn as I know this works and works well for us.

So due to the fantasy considerations, I'm exploring other fantasy platforms in case going back to the Stones of Ayrth  proves contraindicated/unrealistic

First of the considerations is reviving our old Shadowrun 4th Ed game. There is of support material here so that is a good however the system is crunchier then I like (have gotten used to) these days.   

I have also revived the idea of revisiting:

The One Ring Middle Earth gaming, or similarly A Game of Thrones game. Qin Warring states, Legends of Wulin even Legends of the Five Rings and I'm also looking at the new Iron Kingdoms, Witch Hunter, Talislanta, Warhammer 3rd ed and Desolation and even The Edge. I've also come across Blade of the Iron Throne which I'm really digging too.

I'll keep doing research and reflect that here. over the following weeks.

Well I didnt think it would be this long between posts. Lat year I got a bit of GM burn out and just became a gaming hermit sitting on a mountain top and navel-gazing. My navels never looked so good.

Back now and  looking to case dice in pursuit of adventure. Our core group has changed somewhat so we may not go back to the Stones of Ayrth game. If we do we will go back to using OSR again, I think.

I will say Savage worlds has a lot to recommend it. The magic system, for a start is very good particularity with the optional rules. It would port over to D&D quite easily however. Much of the other game mechanics are also good. However for some reason it doesn't feel... integrated during play and I'm not sure why this is the case.

I've always wanted to get back to a sci fi game - just look at the blog name - so this may well be the time to take the leap.

I'm left with three players now two of who I can depend upon to always show and a third more flexible member. I'd like to add one more so I'll do a bit of a recruiting drive soon to try and get that player.

2300AD has come. Initially I didn't like it. I was hopping it would be more trans-humanist then it is. While it has some TH elements its more a solid - abet gritty - space-punk-opera. Its actually a better game then I gave it credit for initially I'm no my 3rd re-reading now and Id give it a 7.5 out of ten. Its very much the game it was before - even so far as the adventures published so far. The mechanics of goose-Traveller make it better alround during play.     

Orbital by Zozer Games has also come out recently and its such a huge and pleasant surprise although why I'm at all surprised I don't know as Paul's designs and writing have always been top notch. I'm very tempted to play this game with the group.

A straight up old school sci fi in the style of Stars Without Number is of course still on the cards too.

But the play group bar one of the player are still asking for fantasy ... I'm torn as I know this works and works well for us.

So due to the fantasy considerations, I'm exploring other fantasy platforms in case going back to the Stones of Ayrth  proves contraindicated/unrealistic

First of the considerations is reviving our old Shadowrun 4th Ed game. There is of support material here so that is a good however the system is crunchier then I like (have gotten used to) these days.   

I have also revived the idea of revisiting:

The One Ring Middle Earth gaming, or similarly A Game of Thrones game. Qin Warring states, Legends of Wulin even Legends of the Five Rings and I'm also looking at the new Iron Kingdoms, Witch Hunter, Talislanta, Warhammer 3rd ed and Desolation and even the Edge.

I'll keep doing research and reflect that here. over the following weeks.