Well, I'm busy at work, behind on putting together a workshop that I need to present on the 11th, and behind on reading a stack of journal articles. That means the blog is paying the price....
On the gaming front, though, I have been experimenting with putting together small digest-sized booklets for running Athanor on a tabletop, which has gone well. I have figured out how to flip copies over in my laser printer so that I stop misaligning double-sided copies, and now this is going swimmingly. The only problem I'm having lately is finding an appropriate-sized box to feel like I have my own whitebox set.
But Chgowiz comes to the rescue, with his tale of a cheap craigslist find of the original little brown books and his box solution (based on the similar tale of box-finding by a OD&D forum reader). Voila, a quick look at the Joann web site and there it is... a paper mache book box, just like the one I saw at Micheal's that was too small, but sized just about the 6"x9" size I need for the task.
Now the next time my wife heads to Joann for fabric and craft goodies, I can pick up the box, some craft paints, and go to town.
I'll post some photos when I have it all put together.
Well, back to work on the stuff that pays the bills.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Access vs. Individuality
One of the things that has been interesting to me over the last year has been reviewing older versions of D&D to see them with fresh eyes. I’m currently playing in my best friend’s 4th edition campaign, and one of the players at my table is a RPG newbie. Teaching him the nuances of 4th edition have been easier, from what I have experienced, than teaching similar levels of experience in 3rd edition, but it seems to me that the whole idea of teaching the later versions of D&D to a player new to role-playing games is a much bigger leap than teaching new players the rules of the game when I first started.
Some of this is because so much of the rules mastery portion of older versions of D&D was distributed differently. In Ye Olden Days, the DM was the only one who had to master much of the rules structure—though there were always older players who had learned things as well, often because they were DMs, too (but sometimes because they were just rules lawyers.) This was also because there was less in the way of choice for players in developing characters in the rules. The limited customization options and rules-opaqueness were good for hopping right in.
However, the down side was often a period when new players for whom the restrictions and tropes of the game were not central conceits, became frustrated with the arbitrary limits of the game. (“Why can’t my wizard learn to fight with a sword? Can’t he just take some fencing lessons? Why can’t I increase my strength? Can’t I just start exercising?”) That’s where limited options become a challenge to overcome for new players.
So I understand why over time different RPGs began to include more options to customize characters. I’m all for players having choice, and I’m supportive of customizing characters to help players feel that their characters are different from the next player’s. But choice often leads to complexity, which leads to puzzled new players who start to look panicked as you tell them to start making choices about their characters when they don’t know the impact of them.
As I put together my house rules, I want to make sure the game stays in a shape that allows play with minimal rules mastery, focusing instead on smart play that involves players mastering their interaction with the game world. However, I want players to feel that their characters have some depth and are different from each other, which is harder to do in an environment of limited class options and limited rules elements to distinguish characters. Yes, it’s good to make your character’s personality his or her difference, but my experience is that players want their characters to have something in game play that distinguishes them, too. That’s a major reason for the proposed skill system I have been working on, though I also want to encourage the kind of specialization (personality, play style) that I find actually is more enduring in play.
Some of this is because so much of the rules mastery portion of older versions of D&D was distributed differently. In Ye Olden Days, the DM was the only one who had to master much of the rules structure—though there were always older players who had learned things as well, often because they were DMs, too (but sometimes because they were just rules lawyers.) This was also because there was less in the way of choice for players in developing characters in the rules. The limited customization options and rules-opaqueness were good for hopping right in.
However, the down side was often a period when new players for whom the restrictions and tropes of the game were not central conceits, became frustrated with the arbitrary limits of the game. (“Why can’t my wizard learn to fight with a sword? Can’t he just take some fencing lessons? Why can’t I increase my strength? Can’t I just start exercising?”) That’s where limited options become a challenge to overcome for new players.
So I understand why over time different RPGs began to include more options to customize characters. I’m all for players having choice, and I’m supportive of customizing characters to help players feel that their characters are different from the next player’s. But choice often leads to complexity, which leads to puzzled new players who start to look panicked as you tell them to start making choices about their characters when they don’t know the impact of them.
As I put together my house rules, I want to make sure the game stays in a shape that allows play with minimal rules mastery, focusing instead on smart play that involves players mastering their interaction with the game world. However, I want players to feel that their characters have some depth and are different from each other, which is harder to do in an environment of limited class options and limited rules elements to distinguish characters. Yes, it’s good to make your character’s personality his or her difference, but my experience is that players want their characters to have something in game play that distinguishes them, too. That’s a major reason for the proposed skill system I have been working on, though I also want to encourage the kind of specialization (personality, play style) that I find actually is more enduring in play.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
More Ideas for Magic Items
Going back to Fight On! #2, I was reading Jacob “Badelaire” Boucher's article, "The Seven Swords," and found myself returning to one of my original intentions with Athanor: that magic items would be rare, but powerful. Rather than finding a Sword +1, players might find, for instance, one of the Five Swords of Aquila or one of the Six Weapons of the Witch Kings, each of which is powerful and tied to the history of the game world.
Five Swords of Aquila
The Ancient Aquilan Empire largely focused on the use of technology to further its ends, but its few powerful wizards did create a handful of weapons that were intended to help them defeat their sorcerous enemies, particularly the Witch-Kings of Ylum. Few weapons are even documented anymore. Javier Brujeria de Los Santos notes five powerful magical swords in his treatise, "On the Sorcerous Traditions of the Aquilan Empire":
The Broken Sword
The Broken Sword looks like a broadsword with a foot-long stump of broken-off blade. It is, however, still serviceable, and acts as a short sword +1. However, its real enchantment is in breaking inanimate objects. Against inanimate objects, magical contructs, robots, etc., the sword is +3 and does triple damage dice.
The Dancing Sword
The Dancing Sword acts as a sword +2. After one round of combat, the wielder may release the weapon, which will fight for 1d6+4 rounds on its own before sheathing itself or returning to a wielder's open hand.
The Gate
The Gate is a curved cutting sword that looks to be made of silver with a matching pommel and guard. It acts as a +1 scimitar. When the proper cut is learned, the sword may be used to cut rents in the fabric of space, allowing the wielder to cut a brief pathway between objects. This effectively allows the user to spend his attack to dimension door instead.
The Peaceful Cut
This blunt longsword is enchanted to a +1 enchantment. Any creature struck by it takes no damage, but must save or be held as a hold person or hold creature spell for 2d6+6 rounds. Creatures struck by damaging attacks while so held take no damage, but the hold effect is immediately dissipated.
The Slayer of Shadows
This black flamberge was constructed to allow its user to defeat the power of The Shadows. It acts as a two-handed sword +2, but against shadows, the sword becomes a +4 weapon and does double damage dice. When drawn and held, the wielder may see invisible objects and creatures. However, this weapon is an object of fear and legend among the Shadows. A known wielder will become the target of the Shadows....
Six Weapons of the Witch Kings
The Witch-Kings of Ylum consorted with a large number of demons and spirits and created a wide variety of magical weapons, most of which are lost to time. The following six weapons are described by Lazarillo Marino in his treatise "Horrors of the Witch Kings."
Axe of Longing
The Axe of Longing is a +2 battle axe that looks as if it is made of bone and sinew, with a wickedly notched blade and deep blood gutters. The Axe will "drink" the blood of living creatures struck by it, healing 1 hit point of damage to the wielder for every 3 full hit points of damage it inflicts each strike. If it does not drink blood every day, the wielder will feel ill and weak. After two or more days, the wielder will suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls until the axe tastes blood again.
Cesti of Terror
These studded leather hand wrappings look like they are made of sinew and bone, and bury they dig into the flesh of the wielder. As a pair, they are a +2 weapon and allow the weilder to make a single attack with both fists doing 1d6 base damage. In addition, any creature struck by the wielder must save or flee in fear for 1d6 rounds.
Flail of Woe
Looking like a length of vertebrae topped by a skull impaled with nails, the Flail of Woe is a two-handed weapon. It acts as a +1 magic weapon. When swung, the flail begins to wail, causing all living creatures within 30 feet to suffer a -1 penalty to all die rolls (e.g., hit, damage, saves). The flail may be used to attack all creatures within five feet of the wielder, and when it strikes, the flail's toxic nature causes any target struck to save or suffer an additional 1d6 damage from the poisons that cover the nails driven through the skull.
Glaive of Sorrows
This wickedly spiked, ornately curved polearm acts as a +2 weapon. If the attack roll is even and the attack successfully strikes a living target, that creature must save or be poisoned. The poison of the Glaive of Sorrows does 1d6 damage and causes the victim to be debilitated by pain for one day, causing a -1 penalty to all die rolls. Victims poisoned more than once suffer additional damage, but not additional penalties.
Hammer of the Winds
This hammer has a large, square stone head, a bone haft, and is wrapped in pulsing sinews. It is a +2 weapon. When the Hammer strikes an opponent, it does normal damage and the target must save or be thrown 1d6x5 feet away from the wielder in a booming burst of energy.
Javelin of Lightning
This short spear acts as a normal weapon +1 until thrown. When thrown, the weapon transforms into a bolt of lightning that lances from the wielder, is a +2 weapon, and does 2d6+2 damage before returning to the user's hand.
Five Swords of Aquila
The Ancient Aquilan Empire largely focused on the use of technology to further its ends, but its few powerful wizards did create a handful of weapons that were intended to help them defeat their sorcerous enemies, particularly the Witch-Kings of Ylum. Few weapons are even documented anymore. Javier Brujeria de Los Santos notes five powerful magical swords in his treatise, "On the Sorcerous Traditions of the Aquilan Empire":
The Broken Sword
The Broken Sword looks like a broadsword with a foot-long stump of broken-off blade. It is, however, still serviceable, and acts as a short sword +1. However, its real enchantment is in breaking inanimate objects. Against inanimate objects, magical contructs, robots, etc., the sword is +3 and does triple damage dice.
The Dancing Sword
The Dancing Sword acts as a sword +2. After one round of combat, the wielder may release the weapon, which will fight for 1d6+4 rounds on its own before sheathing itself or returning to a wielder's open hand.
The Gate
The Gate is a curved cutting sword that looks to be made of silver with a matching pommel and guard. It acts as a +1 scimitar. When the proper cut is learned, the sword may be used to cut rents in the fabric of space, allowing the wielder to cut a brief pathway between objects. This effectively allows the user to spend his attack to dimension door instead.
The Peaceful Cut
This blunt longsword is enchanted to a +1 enchantment. Any creature struck by it takes no damage, but must save or be held as a hold person or hold creature spell for 2d6+6 rounds. Creatures struck by damaging attacks while so held take no damage, but the hold effect is immediately dissipated.
The Slayer of Shadows
This black flamberge was constructed to allow its user to defeat the power of The Shadows. It acts as a two-handed sword +2, but against shadows, the sword becomes a +4 weapon and does double damage dice. When drawn and held, the wielder may see invisible objects and creatures. However, this weapon is an object of fear and legend among the Shadows. A known wielder will become the target of the Shadows....
Six Weapons of the Witch Kings
The Witch-Kings of Ylum consorted with a large number of demons and spirits and created a wide variety of magical weapons, most of which are lost to time. The following six weapons are described by Lazarillo Marino in his treatise "Horrors of the Witch Kings."
Axe of Longing
The Axe of Longing is a +2 battle axe that looks as if it is made of bone and sinew, with a wickedly notched blade and deep blood gutters. The Axe will "drink" the blood of living creatures struck by it, healing 1 hit point of damage to the wielder for every 3 full hit points of damage it inflicts each strike. If it does not drink blood every day, the wielder will feel ill and weak. After two or more days, the wielder will suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls until the axe tastes blood again.
Cesti of Terror
These studded leather hand wrappings look like they are made of sinew and bone, and bury they dig into the flesh of the wielder. As a pair, they are a +2 weapon and allow the weilder to make a single attack with both fists doing 1d6 base damage. In addition, any creature struck by the wielder must save or flee in fear for 1d6 rounds.
Flail of Woe
Looking like a length of vertebrae topped by a skull impaled with nails, the Flail of Woe is a two-handed weapon. It acts as a +1 magic weapon. When swung, the flail begins to wail, causing all living creatures within 30 feet to suffer a -1 penalty to all die rolls (e.g., hit, damage, saves). The flail may be used to attack all creatures within five feet of the wielder, and when it strikes, the flail's toxic nature causes any target struck to save or suffer an additional 1d6 damage from the poisons that cover the nails driven through the skull.
Glaive of Sorrows
This wickedly spiked, ornately curved polearm acts as a +2 weapon. If the attack roll is even and the attack successfully strikes a living target, that creature must save or be poisoned. The poison of the Glaive of Sorrows does 1d6 damage and causes the victim to be debilitated by pain for one day, causing a -1 penalty to all die rolls. Victims poisoned more than once suffer additional damage, but not additional penalties.
Hammer of the Winds
This hammer has a large, square stone head, a bone haft, and is wrapped in pulsing sinews. It is a +2 weapon. When the Hammer strikes an opponent, it does normal damage and the target must save or be thrown 1d6x5 feet away from the wielder in a booming burst of energy.
Javelin of Lightning
This short spear acts as a normal weapon +1 until thrown. When thrown, the weapon transforms into a bolt of lightning that lances from the wielder, is a +2 weapon, and does 2d6+2 damage before returning to the user's hand.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Capsule Reviews: Green Devil Face #2 and Death Frost Doom
Reviews aren't usually my thing here, but I just finished my initial read-throughs of my PDF copies of Green Devil Face #2 and Death Frost Doom that I downloaded recently. My general impressions:
Green Devil Face #2
Overall, this wasn't my cup of tea. Despite having cut my teeth in 80-81 with AD&D and having been part of a generation of gamers who bragged about who did and did not survive the Tomb of Horrors, my general tastes don't run to clever death-traps made to slice and dice those who are foolish enough not to second-guess the tricks I have set up for the night.
That said this magazine delivers what it sets out to do. The traps in this volume range from gonzo psychedelia (The Eyes of Parsifur and Dunsane), to the contrived (Doppleganger Trap Room, Mummy Tar Trap Room of Death, Temple of Water, The Incredible Pedestal), with some evoking nice campaign background (The Pylis Prison) or pure brutal Tomb-of-Horrors cruelty (most of Jim Raggi's traps) all of which are creative, allow opportunities for players to avoid death (or screw themselves), and really evoke the kind of one-upsmanship one would hope for in a 'zine of this sort. Though I'm not likely o use any of this, I have to say it was a fun read, because in the midst of all these exercises in DM sadism is a sort of glee and dark playfulness that you just don't see that often in more "professional" publications. Thus, I have to say that Raggi is on the ball here, and making a fine publication to fit its niche, even if it ain't my thing.
Death Frost Doom
I'm not sure I would ever use this in my own campaign, unless I took a much more horror-based direction. But this is a great example of atmosphere, building mood, and turning a game that doesn't seem well-suited to horror scenarios into a rollicking horror scenario. I would love to run or play this in a one-shot, with players's forced into making tough, even foolish choices just to survive. Though the inclusion of Raggi's tower scenario from Fight On! seems to be a little tacked-on, this package gives you a couple of brutal horror scenarios, with options for roleplay, genuine creepiness, and a sense of overwhelming danger as players find that they can't hide, can't rest, and can't fight against horrible evil. Good stuff.
Green Devil Face #2
Overall, this wasn't my cup of tea. Despite having cut my teeth in 80-81 with AD&D and having been part of a generation of gamers who bragged about who did and did not survive the Tomb of Horrors, my general tastes don't run to clever death-traps made to slice and dice those who are foolish enough not to second-guess the tricks I have set up for the night.
That said this magazine delivers what it sets out to do. The traps in this volume range from gonzo psychedelia (The Eyes of Parsifur and Dunsane), to the contrived (Doppleganger Trap Room, Mummy Tar Trap Room of Death, Temple of Water, The Incredible Pedestal), with some evoking nice campaign background (The Pylis Prison) or pure brutal Tomb-of-Horrors cruelty (most of Jim Raggi's traps) all of which are creative, allow opportunities for players to avoid death (or screw themselves), and really evoke the kind of one-upsmanship one would hope for in a 'zine of this sort. Though I'm not likely o use any of this, I have to say it was a fun read, because in the midst of all these exercises in DM sadism is a sort of glee and dark playfulness that you just don't see that often in more "professional" publications. Thus, I have to say that Raggi is on the ball here, and making a fine publication to fit its niche, even if it ain't my thing.
Death Frost Doom
I'm not sure I would ever use this in my own campaign, unless I took a much more horror-based direction. But this is a great example of atmosphere, building mood, and turning a game that doesn't seem well-suited to horror scenarios into a rollicking horror scenario. I would love to run or play this in a one-shot, with players's forced into making tough, even foolish choices just to survive. Though the inclusion of Raggi's tower scenario from Fight On! seems to be a little tacked-on, this package gives you a couple of brutal horror scenarios, with options for roleplay, genuine creepiness, and a sense of overwhelming danger as players find that they can't hide, can't rest, and can't fight against horrible evil. Good stuff.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Setting up a game is hard. Boo-hoo for me.
The problems are twofold: one is my desire to run a game with people I know and like and the limited schedules I and my friends face as thirty- and forty-somethings with, you know, lives. I work full time and am a doctoral student, my best friend is a nurse who also still does some work as a massage therapist and is focused on completing his first novel. I have other friends whose life is complicated by living some 30 minutes or more drive away. This all means that weekdays are hard to schedule, and weekends are very precious.
I could run things as PBEM or PBP, but I need to learn more about the formats, and I actually like running a face-to-face game. So if I want this to happen, I suppose I need to make the time on my schedule, and face the possibility that I might need to recruit players into my game including people I just don't know -- something I haven't done in ages. Most of the time, players started with friends, who helped me recruit friends of friends, making the job easier.
In short, I have gotten lazy. And, frankly, spoiled. I'm not enamored of going through screening people and since I game these days in my own home, I'm not enamored of bringing in total strangers. I realize that I am much more averse to risk than I was as a teenager or twenty-something year old. After all, gaming for strangers at a con or a game store is a different sort of thing than having a stranger drop by your house, especially given the fact that many of the gamers I have known (and even played with) over the years have been people I gladly saw once a week or month at a neutral place, but might not have invited over to my house.
Well, at some point I need to suck it up.
I can put that off for at least another day, though. I'm back to work after a three week vacation (and by vacation, I mean three weeks off work doing academic research), and I think that will keep me busy for at least a week catching up on things....
I could run things as PBEM or PBP, but I need to learn more about the formats, and I actually like running a face-to-face game. So if I want this to happen, I suppose I need to make the time on my schedule, and face the possibility that I might need to recruit players into my game including people I just don't know -- something I haven't done in ages. Most of the time, players started with friends, who helped me recruit friends of friends, making the job easier.
In short, I have gotten lazy. And, frankly, spoiled. I'm not enamored of going through screening people and since I game these days in my own home, I'm not enamored of bringing in total strangers. I realize that I am much more averse to risk than I was as a teenager or twenty-something year old. After all, gaming for strangers at a con or a game store is a different sort of thing than having a stranger drop by your house, especially given the fact that many of the gamers I have known (and even played with) over the years have been people I gladly saw once a week or month at a neutral place, but might not have invited over to my house.
Well, at some point I need to suck it up.
I can put that off for at least another day, though. I'm back to work after a three week vacation (and by vacation, I mean three weeks off work doing academic research), and I think that will keep me busy for at least a week catching up on things....
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