Here I'm going to explain the character creation process which you should use in conjunction with the character sheet. I've posted my house rules, "Inner Void" and character sheet privately for the moment. I hope to offer it for free on this site, but I'm going to request permission from the author of "The Outer Presence" as a courtesy. I haven't retained everything from the original game, but the contribution is significant. I'm using the central event resolution mechanic, the Dice Pool and Bonus Dice, as well as most of the Professions list. I've also lifted with little change the Flaws, Motivations, and Organization rules. I have completely revised the health and sanity system, and explicitly added in attributes and skills where they were implicit in the Professions before. And I've made the Bonus Dice more important, and introduced Award Dice. Even so, enough of the system is derivative for me to feel it needs some protection as the property of the original author.
CHARACTER CREATION
In game terms, the character is how you can interact with the world. It is also what the world--it’s average denizens and mysterious entities alike--see when they look at you. Like a character in a stage play your character will have a manner of speech, a costume, and a worldview that is uniquely their own. The more completely you delineate these features, the more clearly your fellow players can envision you in the setting. This is important for fun and immersion, but also to make the most out of the game mechanics. The Myth Master will give out Bonus Dice based on role play; they will know good roleplay by how it relates to what they understand about your character. A strong character concept can help you and others enjoy the game, but it will also help you succeed.
Note that this campaign takes place in 1971. Certainly it is an alternate '71 with shades of conspiracy theories and the fantastic, but still recognizable as history. This requires a certain adherence to real life experiences of the era. Social forces are in flux, and much that we take for granted was barely beginning to emerge. As much as our world is currently mired in racism, economic tyranny and gender inequality it's hard to understand how much worse it was. There are so many basic changes that things like legal segregation, the cold war, and the Equal Rights Amendment are almost impossible to describe today. If not factually, at least in a personal way. I've done my best to convey a little of that experience without becoming overbearing. And if I've added a little humor I hope it doesn't offend those who struggled to change our world for the better.
A note on randomization: I've provided randomization suggestions for each section, but you could complete (almost) your whole character without rolling any dice. Go ahead and use your concept to guide all choices if you wish. It's (almost) all up to you.
Name
This is your character’s name. This is what other players and NPCs in the game will call you. It is by nature freighted with certain information, like ancestral origin and possibly gender. There should be a first name and last name. If you are adamant on referring to yourself by a nickname or stage moniker, expect this to be confusing and memorable. Choosing a name will probably take longer than any other decision on the character sheet.
Many Randomization options are available online.
Sex
Female or male. This is a morphological characteristic. Remember this is not your gender in the modern sense. Engaging in hetero- or homosexual relationships is a behavior. Preferring one over the other is a mental state. Other choices, such as, Hermaphrodite, or Post-Op TS would be vanishingly rare in 1971. Note, that “gender” choices may be roleplayed in the game, but the 70’s were still a transition period, and Homosexuality wasn’t removed from the DSM (psychological Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) until 1973.
Randomize by flipping a coin.
Sign
Your astrological symbol. Typically one of the 12 houses of the year as represented in western astrology. This may (or may not) have any bearing on your behavior, but was certainly a popular pickup line. If you prefer an oriental flavor, Chinese signs are assigned by year so this should match with your chronological age.
Randomize by rolling 1d12. Or for Chinese version subtract age from 1971.
Age
Your chronological age. Generally between 25 - 50, younger or older are certainly possible, but certain Professions may be more appropriate at different ages. An 18 year old doctor will have some very skeptical patients, while a 60 year old athlete is most likely retired or a coach. Refer to the Age section of the rules for attribute limitations.
Randomize by rolling 4d10 and adding 15 years.
Height
This varies in normal humans from around 4’6” to 6’6” with a few notable exceptions. Being short or tall has no serious ramifications in the game, unless it's funny.
Randomize by rolling 2d12 and adding that many inches to 4 ½ feet.
Weight
Also varies significantly in humans, from 100 - 250 lbs. or more, and is often related to height. Note that game mechanics does not relate this to the Strength or Appearance attributes.
Randomize by rolling 1d100 for every foot of height above 3, and adding to 100. So 4’ - 4’11” is 1d100 + 100 lbs., 5’ - 5’11” is 2d100 + 100 lbs., and 6’ - 6’11” is 3d100 + 100 lbs..
Cigarette
What brand you smoke. This is the 70s, so everyone smokes. In fact, 1971 is year cigarette ads were banned on TV. If you don’t smoke, write “Don’t Smoke” on sheet and be prepared to say that, a lot.
Randomize:
1 - 10: Camel Unfiltered
11 - 20: Camel Filtered
21 - 30: Marlboro Filtered
31 - 40: Pall Mall Unfiltered
41 - 50: Benson & Hedges 100s Filtered
51 - 60: Newport Menthol Filtered
61 - 70: Virginia Slims Filtered
71 - 80: Commander Unfiltered
81 - 90: Pipe
91 - 00: Don’t Smoke
Eyes
Their color, specifically the iris. However you may state “bloodshot” if it’s a character trait.
Randomize by rolling 1d4; 1 = Brown, 2 = Green, 3 = Blue, and 4 = Gray.
Hair
Hair color, but also length and/or style. Men may include facial hair.
Randomize by rolling 1d4 for color; 1 = Black, 2 = Brown, 3 = Red, and 4 = Blond.
Randomize length by rolling 1d6; 1 = bald (choose wig if desired), 2 = Short/Pixie, 3 = Full/Bob, 4 = Shoulder Length, 5 = Long, and 6 = Get a haircut hippie!
Randomize men’s facial hair by rolling 1d6; 1 = Clean Shaven, 2 = Stubble, 3 = Sideburns, 4 = Mustache, 5 = Goatee, and 6 = Full Beard.
Complexion
Your skin color. Often related to family history and country of origin. This doesn't have any effect on the game mechanics, there may be situations that are affected. While Jim Crow laws ended in 1965 there is significant racism both institutionally and socially in America. That said, the Myth Master is responsible for making all choices equally valid while not ignoring history entirely.
Randomize by rolling 1d6 for U.S. citizens, 1 - 2 = White, 3 = Red, 4 = Yellow, 5 = Ethnic, and 6 = Black.
Band
What is your favorite band? This important question defines a lot about your character, their social circle, political views, and personality. The band must have existed by 1971. So the Ramones (formed in ‘74) are out, but the Funkadelic album drops in 1970. In the ‘71 music scene Jim Morrison was alive (until July), Frank Sinatra would retire (for the first but not last time) and (a bloated) Elvis had been playing shows in Las Vegas for 2 years.
Randomize by rolling 1d6; 1 = The Beatles, 2 =John Coltrane, 3 = James Brown, 4 = Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, 5 = Vivaldi, and 6 = Elvis.
Citizenship
What country you hold a passport from. That country must have existed in 1971. So the Soviet Union, or Czechoslovakia, but not the Democratic Republic of the Congo (which was Zaire then). If you are from another country the Myth Master will help decide whether you are undergoing naturalization, or here on a visa, etc.
Randomize by flipping a coin; Heads = U.S. of A., Tails = Some foreign shithole.
Country of Origin
Where were you born? Often same as citizenship. Again must have existed in ‘71.
Randomize by throwing a dart at a map, or open a dictionary to any page and pick the first country with that letter (provided you own books you pleb).
Profession
What you do for a living. Write this down for Career. This is the single most important feature of your character so choose wisely (or like most leave it up to chance).
Randomize by rolling 1d100 and divide by 4. Count down that many on the Professions table.
Skills
What you are good at. These are defined by your Profession so write those down. Extra skills may be gained later in the game.
Equipment and Money
What you have starting out, or have ready access to. These are also defined by your Profession. Normal things can be purchased and written down here. But if you acquire or discover special items these will be represented by special cards that you affix to your character sheet by paper clip.
Attributes
These define your character’s abilities. Each Profession has 2 Prime Attributes, go ahead and check the box for High on those Attributes. The player has 2 Medium and 2 Low scores to distribute between the remaining 4 Attributes.
I don’t recommend it, but if you want to randomize, flip a coin for each unassigned Attribute; Heads = Medium, and Tails = Low. If you run out of either Medium or Low, fill in the rest accordingly.
Motivation
Why you do what you do. Your driving passion is an important part of your character concept, and you will gain Bonus Dice based on how well you convey that in play. However, it can be a refreshing challenge to work in a random selection.
Randomize by rolling 1d8 on the Motivation table.
Flaws
Everybody has one (or let’s be honest, more than one). For game purposes you need to have a character flaw and make it a part of your play style. These characters aren’t paragons of ethics, or if they are, it is pursued with such single minded devotion that it becomes a hindrance.
Randomize by rolling 1d20 on the Flaws table only once. (Only a few characters will ever receive a second Flaw.)
Organizational Affiliation
You are part of a team. No, not the party of your fellow players, but a shadowy group on the fringes. A little known and often silent partner in your affairs. These can range from inconsequential, to mysterious, to downright unsavory. I do recommend randomizing this choice unless you have a strong concept in mind (even so the Myth Master will define the specifics of the organization with you).
Randomize by rolling 1d10 on the Organization table.
Organizational Relationship
What this special group means to you, and what you mean to them. How much you might rely on (or fear) them may come into play. You could ask them for help, or visa versa. They might demand your allegiance. Perhaps you will refuse, what then? The Myth Master will usually require this be randomized so you can’t declare your character general of an army, or mob boss.
Randomize by rolling 1d6 on the Relationship table.
Health & Sanity
All characters start out Healthy and Sane (with some exceptions which the Myth Master will explain). How long they stay that way is up to you.
Showing posts with label RPG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RPG. Show all posts
2016-02-04
The Alternate History of Mothership Earth
The future is here!
It’s a brave new world in 1971, a world of pocket calculators, digital watches, and floppy disks. A dozen eggs go for a quarter, a gallon of gas is 40 cents, and you can see a movie for a buck-and-a-half. Polyester, bold prints and platform shoes are all the rage. Ursula Le Guin makes dreams real in The Lathe of Heaven, while Charles Bukowski works in the Post Office, and Abbie Hoffman advises you to Steal This Book. Family rooms and basements are awash in the glow of The Partridge Family, Mary Tyler Moore, and The Mod Squad. Archie Bunker makes his first appearance. Rod Stewart and James Taylor rule the airwaves. Janis Joplin sings of a desperate freedom in “Me and Bobby McGee,” Three Dog Night brings “Joy to the World,” and everyone gets down when Isaac Hayes does the theme from Shaft.
JFK, RFK, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King are all dead, killed at the hands vicious players in the power game. The stakes are high, sky-high and beyond. Astronauts drive dune buggies on the Moon; the Space Race is the popular face of a cold war going hot in proxy conflicts throughout the globe. East versus West, ideology battles ideology for supremacy. The USA and the USSR are in a Mexican Standoff with nuclear ICBMs instead of sixguns.
The 60’s consciousness raising and social movements become a grotesque parody of themselves. Dissent at home has become culture. Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, mask a nation of violence, and fear. Americans huddle together in the dark and watch The Andromeda Strain and Dirty Harry while waiting for The Bomb to drop. Children are on the forefront of politics when public school buses carry out racial desegregation. Vietnam War protesters battle in the streets, and the TV nightly news bemoans hippies, peaceniks, and commies as 150,000 more young men are drafted. Nixon invokes the Silent Majority and invades Cambodia before yet another domino falls.
Unknown to most there is an even darker stain growing in this shadow play. The invisible history of the 20th century is rife with unguessed horrors. Ancient entities stir in the deeps of the earth, and in the icy depths of space. After WWII, Nazi wizards escaped to rekindle the Reich’s unholy sciences. Russia routinely breaks the Geneva Convention’s whispered sister, the White Pact, by deploying “unconventional” munitions. News of chemical weapon attacks are used as cover for less terrestrial terrors. Conspiracy theorists say Area 51 contains America’s true military deterrents, deep underground in it’s unplumbed bunkers. Is it all true? Could any of it be true?
Vast powers move inexorably closer to the fruition of their subtle, cosmic schemes. Will human life be snuffed like a candle in the turbulent ocean of eternal night? Who will believe the unbelievable? Who will fathom the unfathomable? Who, I ask you, will stand against the inevitable, enfolding darkness, and fight that which was not meant to be known?
It’s a brave new world in 1971, a world of pocket calculators, digital watches, and floppy disks. A dozen eggs go for a quarter, a gallon of gas is 40 cents, and you can see a movie for a buck-and-a-half. Polyester, bold prints and platform shoes are all the rage. Ursula Le Guin makes dreams real in The Lathe of Heaven, while Charles Bukowski works in the Post Office, and Abbie Hoffman advises you to Steal This Book. Family rooms and basements are awash in the glow of The Partridge Family, Mary Tyler Moore, and The Mod Squad. Archie Bunker makes his first appearance. Rod Stewart and James Taylor rule the airwaves. Janis Joplin sings of a desperate freedom in “Me and Bobby McGee,” Three Dog Night brings “Joy to the World,” and everyone gets down when Isaac Hayes does the theme from Shaft.
JFK, RFK, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King are all dead, killed at the hands vicious players in the power game. The stakes are high, sky-high and beyond. Astronauts drive dune buggies on the Moon; the Space Race is the popular face of a cold war going hot in proxy conflicts throughout the globe. East versus West, ideology battles ideology for supremacy. The USA and the USSR are in a Mexican Standoff with nuclear ICBMs instead of sixguns.
The 60’s consciousness raising and social movements become a grotesque parody of themselves. Dissent at home has become culture. Sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, mask a nation of violence, and fear. Americans huddle together in the dark and watch The Andromeda Strain and Dirty Harry while waiting for The Bomb to drop. Children are on the forefront of politics when public school buses carry out racial desegregation. Vietnam War protesters battle in the streets, and the TV nightly news bemoans hippies, peaceniks, and commies as 150,000 more young men are drafted. Nixon invokes the Silent Majority and invades Cambodia before yet another domino falls.
Unknown to most there is an even darker stain growing in this shadow play. The invisible history of the 20th century is rife with unguessed horrors. Ancient entities stir in the deeps of the earth, and in the icy depths of space. After WWII, Nazi wizards escaped to rekindle the Reich’s unholy sciences. Russia routinely breaks the Geneva Convention’s whispered sister, the White Pact, by deploying “unconventional” munitions. News of chemical weapon attacks are used as cover for less terrestrial terrors. Conspiracy theorists say Area 51 contains America’s true military deterrents, deep underground in it’s unplumbed bunkers. Is it all true? Could any of it be true?
Vast powers move inexorably closer to the fruition of their subtle, cosmic schemes. Will human life be snuffed like a candle in the turbulent ocean of eternal night? Who will believe the unbelievable? Who will fathom the unfathomable? Who, I ask you, will stand against the inevitable, enfolding darkness, and fight that which was not meant to be known?
2016-02-03
The Outer Presence - House Rules for the Campaign
The Outer Presence is a rules-lite cosmic horror investigation game system written by Venger As’Nas Satanis. It’s extremely spare mechanics have an emphasis on character interaction and pick-up-and-play ease of use.
The RPG rules are written explicitly as part of the Old School Revival (OSR) these rules minimize character creation and complex dice rolls. There is also some admirable use of dice to model task difficulty, familiar to anyone who has read D&D 5e rules, but definitely simpler and more widely applied. As well as a total removal of skills, weapon stats, and even ability scores. Although for my money I might argue it isn't OSR at all, but really an ultra-modern conceptual critique of old-school games masquerading as a retro-clone.
However, for my purposes it's too unforgiving. I have heavily modified the system, preserving the core mechanics, but reintroducing some of these classical elements, as well as some devices to promote party interaction. My goals are two-fold, 1) to introduce classic RPG elements to a players with varying levels of game expereience, and 2) to create a more survivable character for campaign play through.
First, I am going to restore ability scores (using Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Willpower, Charisma, and Appearance), but limit the range to Low, Medium, and High. I also won't be using dice, but instead having the Professions (character classes) determine the primary attributes and let the players choose the rest.
Second, I'm going to codify the Health and Sanity mechanics to clearly gauge the characters condition. Both will also work on a three state range. Health using, "Healthy," "Injured," "Wounded," and "Dead" for the final (or not so final) stage. While Sanity uses, "Sane," "Neurotic," "Disturbed," and "Insane" for the last stage. Each step after the first will have some effect or limitation on the character.
Finally, I'm going to expand on the Bonus Dice used in the game which players can spend to improve the chances on a roll. I'll increase the number they receive for effective role-play, and introduce Award Dice that players can give each other. To improve character survival I'll also allow the use of Bonus Dice to "buy down" negative Health and Sanity effects. Perhaps even use a rudimentary "level up" process to increase stats, etc.
I'm also working on the adventures. Imagine the setting as a Lovecraftian pastiche of an alternate 1971. One where history combines the familiar with tropes from Pynchon’s Inherent Vice and The Crying of Lot 49, the Principia Discordia and Shea & Wilson’s Illuminatus trilogy, as well as Charles Stross’ A Colder War and "Laundry" series, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comics, and the seminal 70's TV show Project U.F.O., of course, prefiguring The X Files.
In the next post I'll present the narrative introduction to the campaign world.
The RPG rules are written explicitly as part of the Old School Revival (OSR) these rules minimize character creation and complex dice rolls. There is also some admirable use of dice to model task difficulty, familiar to anyone who has read D&D 5e rules, but definitely simpler and more widely applied. As well as a total removal of skills, weapon stats, and even ability scores. Although for my money I might argue it isn't OSR at all, but really an ultra-modern conceptual critique of old-school games masquerading as a retro-clone.
However, for my purposes it's too unforgiving. I have heavily modified the system, preserving the core mechanics, but reintroducing some of these classical elements, as well as some devices to promote party interaction. My goals are two-fold, 1) to introduce classic RPG elements to a players with varying levels of game expereience, and 2) to create a more survivable character for campaign play through.
First, I am going to restore ability scores (using Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Willpower, Charisma, and Appearance), but limit the range to Low, Medium, and High. I also won't be using dice, but instead having the Professions (character classes) determine the primary attributes and let the players choose the rest.
Second, I'm going to codify the Health and Sanity mechanics to clearly gauge the characters condition. Both will also work on a three state range. Health using, "Healthy," "Injured," "Wounded," and "Dead" for the final (or not so final) stage. While Sanity uses, "Sane," "Neurotic," "Disturbed," and "Insane" for the last stage. Each step after the first will have some effect or limitation on the character.
Finally, I'm going to expand on the Bonus Dice used in the game which players can spend to improve the chances on a roll. I'll increase the number they receive for effective role-play, and introduce Award Dice that players can give each other. To improve character survival I'll also allow the use of Bonus Dice to "buy down" negative Health and Sanity effects. Perhaps even use a rudimentary "level up" process to increase stats, etc.
I'm also working on the adventures. Imagine the setting as a Lovecraftian pastiche of an alternate 1971. One where history combines the familiar with tropes from Pynchon’s Inherent Vice and The Crying of Lot 49, the Principia Discordia and Shea & Wilson’s Illuminatus trilogy, as well as Charles Stross’ A Colder War and "Laundry" series, Mike Mignola’s Hellboy comics, and the seminal 70's TV show Project U.F.O., of course, prefiguring The X Files.
In the next post I'll present the narrative introduction to the campaign world.
2016-02-01
Review of "The Outer Presence"
A few months back the Escapist Magazine website had a short blurb on a new, rules-lite, Lovecraftian horror table-top RPG. It peaked my interest, I had been asked to run a new game, and I was looking for something besides Labyrinth Lord. I liked a lot about LL, and it has a ton of room for atmosphere, but the weakness of low level characters makes it a slog.
I bought a printed version of The Outer Presence (it comes with a PDF as well) which contains a rules system and scenario by Venger As'Nas Satanis. The book is nicely produced and has some very appropriate art. I am quite happy with the purchase. So when I say it's relatively short, I'm not complaining. The minimal approach to game mechanics is almost brutal. There are no weapon stats, no skills, no ability scores even. I salute the bravery to eliminate the core features of almost all other RPGs.
There are "professions" that act as character classes, and several tables of emotional and social traits to flesh out the character. Particularly psychological flaws which play an important part in the game. There are also rules for combat and of course insanity, which is central to cosmic horror. However they are so simple all roles are performed with a dice pool, which grows or shrinks based on difficulty. I especially like the odds used, because of the dice pool doesn't punish the player. There is always a 50% - 87% chance to succeed on any task that can be accomplished. Most other Old School Revival games take the "probably can't" approach to player chances. That's not hard core, it's boring.
The scenario is also interesting, a suitably globe spanning adventure set in the 1970s. I think that's an especially good milieu since it makes use of a very recognizable world, but removes many of the technological conveniences (like mobile phones, and internet research). This preserves an isolation that is realistic to the setting.
There are some rather "adult" situations described, but if the game were revised it would be perfect for a younger audience. I can easily see using a campfire tale, or Scooby Doo story line to good effect since the rules are so simple. It does make me think that Lovecraftian pastiche games could easily use a diceless system like Erick Wujcik's Amber (based on the Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber), or Lords of Gossamer and Shadow by Jason Durall.
In general, I like the approach and will definitely make use of the book as well as looking at Kort'thalis Publishing's other RPG, Crimson Dragon Slayer. I think that a heavily house-ruled version of The Outer Presence will be a good fit. Probably re-introducing some of the elements that have been left out to give a more classic feel without losing the minimalist element and focus on character psychology and interaction.
There are "professions" that act as character classes, and several tables of emotional and social traits to flesh out the character. Particularly psychological flaws which play an important part in the game. There are also rules for combat and of course insanity, which is central to cosmic horror. However they are so simple all roles are performed with a dice pool, which grows or shrinks based on difficulty. I especially like the odds used, because of the dice pool doesn't punish the player. There is always a 50% - 87% chance to succeed on any task that can be accomplished. Most other Old School Revival games take the "probably can't" approach to player chances. That's not hard core, it's boring.
The scenario is also interesting, a suitably globe spanning adventure set in the 1970s. I think that's an especially good milieu since it makes use of a very recognizable world, but removes many of the technological conveniences (like mobile phones, and internet research). This preserves an isolation that is realistic to the setting.
There are some rather "adult" situations described, but if the game were revised it would be perfect for a younger audience. I can easily see using a campfire tale, or Scooby Doo story line to good effect since the rules are so simple. It does make me think that Lovecraftian pastiche games could easily use a diceless system like Erick Wujcik's Amber (based on the Roger Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber), or Lords of Gossamer and Shadow by Jason Durall.
In general, I like the approach and will definitely make use of the book as well as looking at Kort'thalis Publishing's other RPG, Crimson Dragon Slayer. I think that a heavily house-ruled version of The Outer Presence will be a good fit. Probably re-introducing some of the elements that have been left out to give a more classic feel without losing the minimalist element and focus on character psychology and interaction.
2012-01-16
Censorship and Sensibility, With a Side of Realism
Hi ho, I'm back from my big trip and thought I'd make a few quick comments on what's been going on in gaming news since I've been away.
We've seen big brouhaha around 5e and also around censorship as well. I feel like my previous post about sexism was quite prescient coming as it did before Stuart's piece in his blog Strange Magic about how graphic fantasy art should be and why. There are many questions to be answered when making a piece of art for an RPG. What's appealing? What's practical? What's realistic? What's appropriate for the audience? And when the item is question is for a commercial product there are also questions of propriety and age considerations.
In his post to Mythmere's Blog, Matt talks about the 2 depictions of a statue in the Black Monastery module from Frog God Games. The S&W version appears in it's original depiction of the member in question, while the Pathfinder version has a censorship block over it. Reasons for the change have to do with publishing restrictions for the two games and of course the "right" answer isn't so simple as either "Save the children," or "Free to be you and me."
When my friend SBG asked me to change the banner art for this blog (see last post) I didn't feel it was censorship at all. It was a reasonable request and it was the result of my audience changing. From a personal space for myself alone to a conduit where I share information and opinion this blog was transformed and the indulgent (and blatantly unrealistic and perhaps somewhat offensive) art was not acceptable.
I'd like to argue against setting standards by specious appeals to realism. Yes, the chain mail bikini is ridiculous as armor, it's only possible explanation is for sex apeal. However, historic barbarians probably did wear fur loincloths, and the Spartans certainly did excercise in the nude. Was Franzetta necessarily that far off? As for practical, well, even in a fantasy setting it requires a monumental suspension of disbelief to consider trudging for miles through underground caves in full plate mail. Imagine spleunking in a spacesuit and you'll see how absurd that would be.
In games we want a model, not the real thing itself. At Hack & Slash there is a good post on the evils of realism and while it might go a bit overboard it is a point well taken. In fantasy RPGs we differentiate between damage for daggers and swords, often by making 1d4 and 1d8 rolls respectively. Is this realism, or merely flavor? We could say all weapons do the same damage, or we could make all kinds of rules for weight, penetration, damage versus various sized targets, etc. Who's to say which is most realistic? While many seem to think more rules equals more accurate representation, I think it's only multiplying a missinterpretation.
We can segue neatly into the new 5e contraversy on the lines of rule bloat and loss of fun to minutea overload. Personally, I'm unlikely to move to the new version. Now, I have not played paper 'n pencil games with 3e and 4e rules, but I have played many computer games based on them. My main complaint isn't the complexity but the ease of failure when leveling. These games require hours of number crunching to get a good character build. I've probably spent longer researching perks and bonuses than I have playing. It's not that the later versions of popular fantasy RPGs are too hard, it's that they are too easy to mess up. If 5e can address this and make character development more organic rather than mostly a series of deadends I for one will be very interested.
We've seen big brouhaha around 5e and also around censorship as well. I feel like my previous post about sexism was quite prescient coming as it did before Stuart's piece in his blog Strange Magic about how graphic fantasy art should be and why. There are many questions to be answered when making a piece of art for an RPG. What's appealing? What's practical? What's realistic? What's appropriate for the audience? And when the item is question is for a commercial product there are also questions of propriety and age considerations.
In his post to Mythmere's Blog, Matt talks about the 2 depictions of a statue in the Black Monastery module from Frog God Games. The S&W version appears in it's original depiction of the member in question, while the Pathfinder version has a censorship block over it. Reasons for the change have to do with publishing restrictions for the two games and of course the "right" answer isn't so simple as either "Save the children," or "Free to be you and me."
When my friend SBG asked me to change the banner art for this blog (see last post) I didn't feel it was censorship at all. It was a reasonable request and it was the result of my audience changing. From a personal space for myself alone to a conduit where I share information and opinion this blog was transformed and the indulgent (and blatantly unrealistic and perhaps somewhat offensive) art was not acceptable.
I'd like to argue against setting standards by specious appeals to realism. Yes, the chain mail bikini is ridiculous as armor, it's only possible explanation is for sex apeal. However, historic barbarians probably did wear fur loincloths, and the Spartans certainly did excercise in the nude. Was Franzetta necessarily that far off? As for practical, well, even in a fantasy setting it requires a monumental suspension of disbelief to consider trudging for miles through underground caves in full plate mail. Imagine spleunking in a spacesuit and you'll see how absurd that would be.
In games we want a model, not the real thing itself. At Hack & Slash there is a good post on the evils of realism and while it might go a bit overboard it is a point well taken. In fantasy RPGs we differentiate between damage for daggers and swords, often by making 1d4 and 1d8 rolls respectively. Is this realism, or merely flavor? We could say all weapons do the same damage, or we could make all kinds of rules for weight, penetration, damage versus various sized targets, etc. Who's to say which is most realistic? While many seem to think more rules equals more accurate representation, I think it's only multiplying a missinterpretation.
We can segue neatly into the new 5e contraversy on the lines of rule bloat and loss of fun to minutea overload. Personally, I'm unlikely to move to the new version. Now, I have not played paper 'n pencil games with 3e and 4e rules, but I have played many computer games based on them. My main complaint isn't the complexity but the ease of failure when leveling. These games require hours of number crunching to get a good character build. I've probably spent longer researching perks and bonuses than I have playing. It's not that the later versions of popular fantasy RPGs are too hard, it's that they are too easy to mess up. If 5e can address this and make character development more organic rather than mostly a series of deadends I for one will be very interested.
2011-12-22
Labyrinth Lord, Sexism, and Atribute Rolls
Well, the people have spoken! It looks like I may get to run a campaign this spring. And the people want Labyrnth Lord. I should have guesed, S&W is a DM's playground with house rules galore and near infinite space for rule by fiat. It isn't really all that reassuring for players, after all they are always at the mercy of the DM, even the bossy ones. Stuck in someone else's dream, they can't be blamed for fighting for all the control they can.
"I attack the monster."
"No, your sword is stuck in the scabbard."
...
"I cross the street"
"No, your shoelaces are tied together."
...
"I drink some water."
"No, your canteen is a mimic! Bwahahahahaha!"
So, Labyrinth Lord it is! Fewer house rules and more atribute bonuses. Which brings up another issue. You may have noticed a change in my art. My friend SBG who is putting together the player group from her friends told me I had embarrasingly bad taste in banner art. Indeed, I had a buxom blond female warrior bedecked in a very impractical and not very restrictive chain mail bikini. I said, "Oh OK I'll change it." So I used a brunette warmaiden in a much more effective plate mail bikini with fire effects. She said, "Look dude, you forgot her armor, and since half your visitors are me, do something about it." Instead of being a jerk I made a picture of a fully clothed man and woman adventuring duo.
Which brings up the issue of sexism and gaming. There is plenty of conscious sexism like my afore mentioned art choices which turn off perfectly geeky and intelligent young women from the gaming scene to which they would otherwise be quite well suited. But there is also unconscious sexism and a very deep level of bias in RPGs which are largely made by men. In the Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion which I'll be running there are gender restrictions for racial atributes. Specificaly female Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, and Half-Elves have lower maximum Strength than their male counterparts. Interestingly, this is not so for Humans and Half-Orcs.
Now you may sound perfectly reasonable when you argue that women have less upperbody strength and this is a reasonable restriction since female weight lifters do not match males. Perfectly reasonable, but for the purposes of the game perfectly sexist as well. It has been shown in military testing that women have better reflexes than men and make good pilots. Famously in Heinlein's Starship Troopers, all the space pilots are women and the mobile infintranty are men. What if I made a rule that the racial maximum for male dexterity was one less than women? Maybe I will and see what hapens... I'll probably get a lot of arguments. Of course in the Human race the maximum male Wisdom score is a lot more than one below women.
"I attack the monster."
"No, your sword is stuck in the scabbard."
...
"I cross the street"
"No, your shoelaces are tied together."
...
"I drink some water."
"No, your canteen is a mimic! Bwahahahahaha!"
So, Labyrinth Lord it is! Fewer house rules and more atribute bonuses. Which brings up another issue. You may have noticed a change in my art. My friend SBG who is putting together the player group from her friends told me I had embarrasingly bad taste in banner art. Indeed, I had a buxom blond female warrior bedecked in a very impractical and not very restrictive chain mail bikini. I said, "Oh OK I'll change it." So I used a brunette warmaiden in a much more effective plate mail bikini with fire effects. She said, "Look dude, you forgot her armor, and since half your visitors are me, do something about it." Instead of being a jerk I made a picture of a fully clothed man and woman adventuring duo.
Which brings up the issue of sexism and gaming. There is plenty of conscious sexism like my afore mentioned art choices which turn off perfectly geeky and intelligent young women from the gaming scene to which they would otherwise be quite well suited. But there is also unconscious sexism and a very deep level of bias in RPGs which are largely made by men. In the Labyrinth Lord Advanced Edition Companion which I'll be running there are gender restrictions for racial atributes. Specificaly female Elves, Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, and Half-Elves have lower maximum Strength than their male counterparts. Interestingly, this is not so for Humans and Half-Orcs.
Now you may sound perfectly reasonable when you argue that women have less upperbody strength and this is a reasonable restriction since female weight lifters do not match males. Perfectly reasonable, but for the purposes of the game perfectly sexist as well. It has been shown in military testing that women have better reflexes than men and make good pilots. Famously in Heinlein's Starship Troopers, all the space pilots are women and the mobile infintranty are men. What if I made a rule that the racial maximum for male dexterity was one less than women? Maybe I will and see what hapens... I'll probably get a lot of arguments. Of course in the Human race the maximum male Wisdom score is a lot more than one below women.
2011-11-15
RPGs, CRPGs and the OSR Revolution
Back in the day we were all "old-school" by default. In the early 1980s AD&D was new, a new way to play a game, a new way to socialize, a new way to solve problems. Back then everything was created from scratch, sure we had modules and supplements and Dragon Magazine, but the tropes and mainstays of the genre had yet to be defined. The formulaic solutions to well defined problems were still being invented; every foetid stink from the mouldering dungeon was a breath of fresh air in creative terms.
You can see the effect most easily in CRPGs and especially in the terminology used in MMORPGs to discuss tactics. Of course CRPGs have always been less nuanced than paper & pencil games, but even through the end of the 1990s there was a sense of possibility, of emergent behavior through combination of play styles. A great example is UserUnfriendly's Cheese Guide for Baldur's Gate 2. This guide is no mere list of exploits, it explores unintended effects and creative solutions to tough situations. Another example is NetHack, which has more surprises and inventive interaction than many table top campaigns I played in my youth.
With the rise of more tactical fantasy games and the limited communication available to MMO players, games like EQ and WoW created a short-hand for the techniques they use to win battles. This method of thinking has come back to RPGs through reverse osmosis. Since people who play CRPGs (MMO or not) are often the same ones who now play the paper & pencil games a general feel and mindset has settled on game rule sets and on gamers themselves. Of course 4E and the proliferation of feats and perks is an example, players want fun things for their characters to do. An easy way for the games to provide this is through explicit rules. "Hey my character has Expert 2-Weapon Fighting so I get a bonus of ..."
It isn't only the vast number of special attacks, class builds, and unique equipment that have changed the games. The very nature of thinking about playing has changed too. Of course everyone in the 1980s knew the fighter had to stand in front and protect the party, but the thinking was rudimentary. Now we have, "pulling aggro", "damage soaking", "DPS builds," and many other very precise methods for efficiently defeating enemies and players expect these to be equally valid in any rules-based RPG, computer or otherwise.
Can I unknow these concepts? Is there a way to be a naive, and less constrained player? Does moving away from the current highly defined rules sets mean moving back to an earlier era? Some games defy the trend without "retro" solutions, and provide other models to combat and character. Diceless systems like Amber take an entirely different approach and have rules-based, but non-randomized conflict. Another example I would recommend is In A Wicked Age which is even further into the story-telling end of the continuum. However, I'm not really familiar with the paradigm of diceless games and while I like the ideas behind it, it seems to take a special kind of RPG gamer.
What does all this have to do with the Old School Revival? I recently decided to take the plunge and get into the retro-clone world and I bought the Swords & Wizardry Complete Handbook (cheap on PDF). I wanted something that I could pick up and play, that was easy to explain, and left a lot of room for variety. So part of it is my comfort zone as a DM, but I also think that the minimal structure will allow me to present a more creative campaign and give my players a better experience. There's an interesting article by Tavis that discusses some of these issues. I originally assumed I'd be playing Labyrinth Lord, as that was closest to my experience, but something funny happeded. I was drawn to the simpler system of S&W and the creative juices began to flow. I'll be blogging about my campaign ideas and house rules here so stay tuned.
Next up, Balancing Classes in Swords & Wizardry...
You can see the effect most easily in CRPGs and especially in the terminology used in MMORPGs to discuss tactics. Of course CRPGs have always been less nuanced than paper & pencil games, but even through the end of the 1990s there was a sense of possibility, of emergent behavior through combination of play styles. A great example is UserUnfriendly's Cheese Guide for Baldur's Gate 2. This guide is no mere list of exploits, it explores unintended effects and creative solutions to tough situations. Another example is NetHack, which has more surprises and inventive interaction than many table top campaigns I played in my youth.
With the rise of more tactical fantasy games and the limited communication available to MMO players, games like EQ and WoW created a short-hand for the techniques they use to win battles. This method of thinking has come back to RPGs through reverse osmosis. Since people who play CRPGs (MMO or not) are often the same ones who now play the paper & pencil games a general feel and mindset has settled on game rule sets and on gamers themselves. Of course 4E and the proliferation of feats and perks is an example, players want fun things for their characters to do. An easy way for the games to provide this is through explicit rules. "Hey my character has Expert 2-Weapon Fighting so I get a bonus of ..."
It isn't only the vast number of special attacks, class builds, and unique equipment that have changed the games. The very nature of thinking about playing has changed too. Of course everyone in the 1980s knew the fighter had to stand in front and protect the party, but the thinking was rudimentary. Now we have, "pulling aggro", "damage soaking", "DPS builds," and many other very precise methods for efficiently defeating enemies and players expect these to be equally valid in any rules-based RPG, computer or otherwise.
Can I unknow these concepts? Is there a way to be a naive, and less constrained player? Does moving away from the current highly defined rules sets mean moving back to an earlier era? Some games defy the trend without "retro" solutions, and provide other models to combat and character. Diceless systems like Amber take an entirely different approach and have rules-based, but non-randomized conflict. Another example I would recommend is In A Wicked Age which is even further into the story-telling end of the continuum. However, I'm not really familiar with the paradigm of diceless games and while I like the ideas behind it, it seems to take a special kind of RPG gamer.
What does all this have to do with the Old School Revival? I recently decided to take the plunge and get into the retro-clone world and I bought the Swords & Wizardry Complete Handbook (cheap on PDF). I wanted something that I could pick up and play, that was easy to explain, and left a lot of room for variety. So part of it is my comfort zone as a DM, but I also think that the minimal structure will allow me to present a more creative campaign and give my players a better experience. There's an interesting article by Tavis that discusses some of these issues. I originally assumed I'd be playing Labyrinth Lord, as that was closest to my experience, but something funny happeded. I was drawn to the simpler system of S&W and the creative juices began to flow. I'll be blogging about my campaign ideas and house rules here so stay tuned.
Next up, Balancing Classes in Swords & Wizardry...
2011-11-14
The Seven Geases
This is a blog for my thoughts on old-school RPGs and whatever else crosses my mind.
For your amusement you may attempt to prounounce the title of my Blog, "The Seven Geases," though I do not recommend it. It is the title of a Clark Ashton Smith story and the word "geas" is apparently the source of some phonetic controversy.
Like many kids who played D&D in the 1980s I was exposed to a multitude of words through reading alone. Using these in public made one sound very erudite, provided they were pronounced correctly. My favorite word "crenulation" is not too hard to figure out, and "wyvern" is bad enough, but no one had ever heard "geas" used in conversation. Although we pronounced it "gi-as" we knew it was wrong.
There is a short but informative thread at The Straight Dope discussing it. It is related to the Gaelic word "geis," and is found in Irish mythology. If you know anything about old Irish words you should know this; they are not pronounced how an American would guess from the spelling. I will go with the the OED where "geas" is pronounced with a "sh-" sound at the end, so "gesh" it is.
For your amusement you may attempt to prounounce the title of my Blog, "The Seven Geases," though I do not recommend it. It is the title of a Clark Ashton Smith story and the word "geas" is apparently the source of some phonetic controversy.
Like many kids who played D&D in the 1980s I was exposed to a multitude of words through reading alone. Using these in public made one sound very erudite, provided they were pronounced correctly. My favorite word "crenulation" is not too hard to figure out, and "wyvern" is bad enough, but no one had ever heard "geas" used in conversation. Although we pronounced it "gi-as" we knew it was wrong.
There is a short but informative thread at The Straight Dope discussing it. It is related to the Gaelic word "geis," and is found in Irish mythology. If you know anything about old Irish words you should know this; they are not pronounced how an American would guess from the spelling. I will go with the the OED where "geas" is pronounced with a "sh-" sound at the end, so "gesh" it is.
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