tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25377032009344848372024-02-22T01:30:33.541-08:00RPG CrazyA blog about pen and paper gamingDaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-48366234250801812372018-03-29T23:01:00.002-07:002018-03-29T23:01:48.243-07:00Another Day...Not sure why I am even writing these thoughts here. I guess because I want some place to put them that can be found but only by people looking. Like I am some kind of esoteric guru on the ways of gaming. I sit here typing away in my secret but not so secret spot and dare people to come find me, to see what I have written. Not the stuff I publish and promote, but the stuff that I know most people are not interested in.<br /><br />I want to write here because at the end of the day having a place to collect my thoughts just seems like the thing to do right now. Maybe in a year or two I will look back at these and see if I can do something with them, maybe not.<br /><br />I am tired tonight. I think the constant drive to get the project out is taking a toll. I am okay with that. I like the feeling. I like getting to the end of the day and feeling like I accomplished something. Even if all I accomplished was figuring out a supply of stock art, that is still doing something. However, that's not all I did. I also began to consider what program I want to use to format everything nice and pretty. I also started giving thought to how I want the format to look. For this one, I want to keep it a bit old school looking. However, I know I will need to make the layout fancier. This means taking time to do a few things like create page templates and get my written format down.<br /><br />It means learning new things. It means pushing myself. It means that I have to look past what isn't happening and think about what will happen. It means believing in myself, and I think I do right now. I really do think that if I put the work in, I take the time to make it look as good as possible, then I will get people supporting the Patreon. From the Patreon I move onto a Kickstarter campaign. From the Kickstarter campaign, I move onto a more ambitious idea. All the while continuing to produce quality products for my patrons.<br /><br />In there somewhere I have to start making serious plans to go to cons and vendor there. Not so much so I can sell a product, but so I can meet people, make contacts, get the word out. Doing that help expands not only my audience but also increases the pool of talent I can call on. That all leads to more patrons, which leads to bigger Kickstarter campaigns which lead to this being real income. But that's all still a ways off. Right now I need to keep myself focused on what is in front of me. If I don't, I can get to caught up in the <i>Great Big Idea! </i>and I never get the little ideas finished.<br /><br />I know I can do it. I believe I can do it. Yes, I am feeling a little tired, but it's a tired I have earned. It's that kind of tired that makes you glad you woke up. So yeah, I feel tired, but I hope I feel tired every day for the rest of my life.DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-90557025769173977602018-03-28T18:48:00.001-07:002018-03-28T18:48:10.285-07:00The Things in my HeadFor now, I think I am going to use this blog as a place to gather my thoughts each night. I was using Facebook, but really I think this is the kind of thing blogging actually was started for. My thoughts will still be focused on gaming, and I will still likely post a very eclectic series of topics. This is my blog, I can do what I want with it. If an article gets 5 thousand hits (and some of mine have) then I am thrilled, if it gets 10 hits I am happy.<br />
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I think that's something new about me lately. I am not near as worried about reaching an audience as I was when I first started this blog. I still <i>want</i> to reach an audience, but I am not desperate for an audience. I feel that same way about my Patreon. I think I am finally at a point I am more worried about creating than I am about "making it pay for itself". In turn, this is going to mean I put out a better product and am thus more likely to make money. Kind interesting how that works.<br />
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I am so close to being done with my first short adventure. In fact, I am at that close enough point I can feel the excuses to not finish building up. There isn't enough art, I didn't make the adventure interesting enough, all this and more are sitting there in the back of my head telling me I'm not good enough. I know I shouldn't listen to these voices, but it's so hard not to. It's so hard to finally push past all the damn negativity in my head and look at what could actually go right.<br /><br />Yes, there is a chance that I might fall flat on my face. However, what happens if I do? What happens if everyone hates what I did (and I doubt that is going to happen). Nothing really. At worst I am out some money I spent on artists and editors, and I am out some time. Neither of these is a big deal. Instead of thinking about what could go wrong, I need to think about what could go right.<br />
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It is totally possible that when I release this short module people like it. Not only do they like it, but they like it enough to tell other people they like it. Maybe some of those people who hear that will decide to give my Patreon a chance as well. Next thing I know I have doubled my subscribers. I know, maybe I should dream that I will wind up with hundreds of new subscribers, but I tend to be realistic. It's a good short adventure, but it's not world-changing. I think the most likely thing that will happen is I pick up a couple of subscribers and that's pretty okay.<br /><br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-27463025272173964852018-03-26T09:17:00.001-07:002018-03-26T09:17:31.153-07:00Twenty Things for A Thief to Find in a Pocket<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Twenty Things for a Thief to Find in Pocket</u></b></span></div>
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Recently I launched my <a href="https://www.patreon.com/rpgtimesavers" target="_blank">Patreon</a> and while I have the first small adventure mostly done and am starting to get the second ready, I am thinking about my third project a bit today. While I like doing short adventures, I kind of want <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rpgtimesavers/" target="_blank">RPG Time Savers</a> to be a broad range of products designed to save the GM and player's time. I have always though that picking pockets has been a vastly under utilized method to add a bit of depth to a game. When a player at my table wants to pick a pocket I often grab a couple dice, roll them and give them some copper, silver, or gold depending on my mood. However, this really doesn't do a lot for the game. I would rather be able to give the player something interesting that has the potential to launch a story than simply give them coins. </div>
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I plan to create a supplement a bit more in depth than twenty items, but I thought this would make a neat blog post for the RPGTS page and also give me an idea if people like this concept. Without further needless babbling by a guy who really likes to talk to much, on with the table.</div>
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Roll 1d20 and consult the following table.<br /></div>
<ol>
<li>A piece of cheese</li>
<li>A piece of bread</li>
<li>A note that says "Meet me at Gullivan's Tavern 6 pm to discuss the job"</li>
<li>Several caltrops. Constitution save DC 15 to avoid crying out in pain</li>
<li>A key to an unknown location</li>
<li>2d10 lead coins painted to look like silver coins.</li>
<li>A vial of unknown liquid </li>
<li>A lock of hair</li>
<li>A shopping list.</li>
<li>A pet ferret that bites you for 1d3 dmg. Make a Con save DC 15 to avoid shouting in pain</li>
<li>A small map of an unknown location</li>
<li>Bone Dice</li>
<li>A deck of playing cards (no not <i>that</i> deck of cards, are you crazy?)</li>
<li>A small frog</li>
<li>A small flute</li>
<li>A flattering love poem</li>
<li>A small carved bear</li>
<li>A strange religious text</li>
<li>A box of snuff</li>
<li>Pipe tobacco</li>
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DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-73132789069261217152018-03-19T13:15:00.000-07:002018-03-19T13:15:19.979-07:00The Launch of my Paetron...It's kind of funny how this blog started out. I think I had an idea of ranting against the idea of the 4e rule set of DnD, but over time my desires changed, my commitment to blogging has waxed and waned, life got in the way etc. Honestly I think in the back of my head I was always working toward a result of becoming a gaming publisher, but the idea was intimidating as hell. After all, some really big names have come before me and the idea of me thinking I was good enough to try and get in the ring wit them was a bit hard for me to accept.<br /><br />The thing is dreams don't die. They might get covered with dust, hidden away in secret boxes you pretend are not there, but they never really die. As I have grown older and done the life thing, I kept coming back to this idea of creating gaming content and getting paid for it. I have no illusions of becoming a millionaire. I mainly just want to share my passion and earn enough to support my rpg habit. It's a small goal, but it's my goal.<br /><br />I tend to hide from getting things done. I am a much bigger fan of coming up with great ideas and talking myself out of doing anything with them than I am of actually taking action. I think a lot of people are like this. However, I couldn't ever quite shake the feeling that I could do this if I really put my mind to it. So here I am taking a swing for the fences. Whether I hit a home run or strike out doesn't really matter. I will learn from this and enjoy the process.<br /><br />What I really hope happens is people watch me build something beautiful. I am really starting from scratch on this in a lot of ways. While I have tons of stuff to pull ideas from, I will need to sit down and edit it, make are, maps, tables, and a load of other stuff. I will need to learn new skills, improve old ones, and hopefully make this into something better than it is right now. It won't be easy, but I do believe I will be worth it because I am finally doing what I have always wanted to do. That's a really special feeling and it's going to be that feeling that keeps me going forward.<br /><br />In the end, I don't know where exactly this paetron is going to go. I think I do, but right now I don't want to limit myself to much. I don't know if anyone but me will read this post, and I am okay with that. I wrote this mostly for myself. If you are someone reading this post, thanks, I hope it made sense to you. If not, that's okay to..<br />
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Until next time...DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-62117594530155359002017-04-28T12:36:00.003-07:002017-04-28T12:36:30.121-07:00Update About Life and GamingEvery time I think I am going to have time to focus on this blog other things come up. I wind up with a big project that soaks up my time, my kids need extra time, things like that. However, a new development in my life has happened recently which may could lead to sticking with this blog a lot more. Your truly appears to have a pretty steady gig doing freelance work in the gaming industry. You read that right, I am realizing my dream of being a freelance writer for a gaming company.<br /><br />So why am I posting about this? First, because I am super happy about this latest development in my life. Second, I wanted to warm up the blog here a bit because I will likely be using it as a place to think about various ideas, communicate with what I hope will be a growing following, and more. Third, I like having a place where I can just "think" and let other people see those thoughts. Maybe it's a deep seated need for attention, or maybe it's an outgrowth of embracing the internet culture. Whatever the case, I am here and have a lot of hope for the future.<br /><br />Well that's about what I have to say now... happy gaming everyone!<br /><br />Ric :)DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-63725420192854121552016-10-05T08:26:00.002-07:002016-10-05T08:30:35.322-07:00Eight Uses for a Ranger's Favored Enemy Ability Beyond Combat.If someone were to ask me which class I considered the most underwhelming in the Pathfinder Role Playing Game I would answer with the ranger. I don't say this because I think the class is weak from a mechanical perspective or even a flavor perspective, but because outside of the favored enemy ability there is rarely a chance for it to shine when compared to other classes. While I could go on at length about this (and probably will in another article) I think a better use of this space at the moment is to look at ways to expand the use of the favored enemy ability beyond a bonus to combat and the occasional survival role.<br />
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The idea behind the favored enemy class ability is that it represents the ranger spending a great deal of their time learning about a particular type of creature. While giving the ranger a combat bonus against said creature makes perfect sense, I have always felt the ability could be applied to a lot more situations. For this reason I have thought up ten ways to use the favored enemy ability that do not directly relate to combat.<br />
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<b>1: Get a General Idea of the Design of a Lair</b><br />
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Part of a Ranger learning about a favored enemy is going to include learning about their habitat and this knowledge can be used in a number of ways. While it shouldn't give the ranger a map of the lair it can be used to give the ranger a general idea of how the lair will be used to serve as a base for a creature. This can include information on what kind of traps may be found, where those traps might be placed and more. If a player wishes to use their characters favored ability for this purpose have them make a survival check with the DC being determined by how detailed the information they are trying to get is.<br />
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<b>2: Use in Diplomacy and Communication</b><br />
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Just because the ability is termed favored enemy doesn't mean the ranger can't or shouldn't use the knowledge of the enemy for diplomatic purposes. Because the ranger has spent a great deal of time studying the nature of a particular creature it makes sense that the ranger would be able to use this ability as an effective tool for communication and diplomacy. Using the favored enemy ability as a bonus to a diplomacy check could come in quite handy in several situations.<br />
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<b>3: Understanding Physiology</b><br />
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The combat bonus against the favored enemy already assumes the ranger understands how to fight and enemy more effectively but it can also be used to justify an understanding of a creatures physiology. For example a ranger may know that a particular herb is known to make a beholder sick (bonus to herbalism/alchemy checks) or that orc's don't see the color yellow (bonus to hide checks). Using the favored enemy ability in this way allows for a lot of creativity.<br />
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<b>4: Understanding Sociology</b><br />
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At first it may not seem like understanding sociology would be much of a benefit. However, when you consider that sociology is about understand the social structures of social creatures and that those social structures influence how a collective group will act or react in a certain situation the synergy of this knowledge with the favored enemy ability becomes easy to see. For example a ranger wanting to predict where a nomadic band of trolls might decide to spend the winter could use their knowledge of the trolls sociology to determine such information.<br />
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<b>5: Understanding Religion </b><br />
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Religion is a huge motivator for a lot of creatures and there is no reason why a ranger can't use their specialized knowledge to understand their favored enemy's religion. This knowledge can be used in a number of ways from predicting times when a particular enemy might be engaged in some kind of religious right to understanding the motivations behind the latest drow incursion against a surface village.<br />
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<b>6: Predicting Behavior</b><br />
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One of the reasons the favored enemy ability gives rangers a combat bonus is because the ranger knows the enemy well enough to predict their combat reactions. This knowledge comes from understanding the behavior of a creature and can easily be expanded to behavior beyond the realm of combat. While this bonus is applied to tracking attempts it can also be applied to other things such as knowing what time of night gnolls wake up or what kind of prey a particular predator will favor. When a ranger uses their knowledge to predict the behavior of an enemy there are many ways this can be applied outside of combat.<br />
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<b>7: Educating Others</b><br />
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One of the best parts about having knowledge is passing it on to other people. When it comes to the ranger's favored enemy ability it isn't a very far jump to see how this knowledge can be used to help other people gain the benefits of the rangers knowledge. A ranger can educate a village about the nearby band of goblins and give the villagers a better chance of defending themselves against an attack or the ranger could give the rest of the party information about a vital part of a creatures anatomy.<br />
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<b>8: Misdirection and Trickery</b><br />
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Because of how well a ranger knows their enemy it should be fairly easy for a ranger to use that knowledge to trick an enemy. A great example of this would be using a red herring to confuse a pack of wolves who are stalking the ranger. Another example would be the ranger being able to disguise themselves as a orc and infiltrate a goblinoid lair by drawing on the knowledge of what the goblins expect an orc to look and act.<br />
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The above are far from the only ways the favored enemy ability can be used beyond combat and each group will probably need to fiddle with different ways of making these concepts work. However, with a little creativity and experimentation it should be fairly easy to use the above concepts to make the ranger a little more interesting of a class to play.<br />
<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-32769860298317627592016-10-04T08:47:00.002-07:002016-10-04T08:47:37.774-07:00I'm BackThe title really says everything I have to say about this post, but eh, guess I just feel like writing a post.<br />
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I was doing great updating the blog almost daily until summer started and then things went a little crazy. I thought I would keep up with the blog over the summer but I really didn't have the time nor inclination to do so. However, summer is over and that means I have more time to write and thus more time to blog. I have thought of some interesting topics to write about and look forward to getting them posted.<br /><br />
One of the interesting things is that while I hardly posted at all during the summer the blog managed to keep okay traffic. Admitted it wasn't the traffic I had seen when I was actively posting every day but it didn't die completely. I hope this means that I don't have to rebuild what little audience I had achieved while I was updating regularly.<br /><br />What I am looking forward to is that I should be keeping up with the blog through fall, winter, and spring. It will probably be the first time I have been that consistent on one of my own projects and that makes me happy. I want this blog to be successful and consistency is a big part of making that happen.<br /><br />Guess that's all I really have to say about the subject right now so gonna post this and then get to work on another thing or two.DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-87369898825616972862016-06-02T09:13:00.003-07:002016-06-02T09:13:19.011-07:00Ten Things Every Gamer Should Bring to the Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first thought about this article I had an intention to write about things like dice, rule books, and maybe a couple of nifty gaming aids I had picked up recently. However, as I looked around I saw so many articles that talked about those things I decided I didn't need to add another voice to a subject that is already well covered by other people. A bit bummed I tucked this article away in the back of my head until today when I was struck my a bit of inspiration.<br />
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While a lot of gaming articles talk about physical things you should bring to the table, I haven't seen many articles on things like mental attitude and teamwork at the table. I am sure there are plenty out there, this is the internet after all, but I feel like this has a better chance of offering a unique perspective than if I simply wrote yet another article about how important pencils are. I am not saying those articles are not valuable, in fact I think every player should read them, I am saying that I felt I didn't have much to add to the conversation.<br />
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So what should every gamer bring to the table?<br />
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<b>10: A Willingness to Play</b><br />
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This might seem self explanatory (and it is) but I think it still needs to be said. If you are coming to a gaming table without a desire to play you might want to think about doing something else. You don't have to be all gun-ho excited about the game every single session, but you should want to be there. If your not happy at the table try to figure out why and resolve the problem. Maybe you don't like the game master, or maybe you are conflicting with one of the other players. Whatever the problem is, if it is keeping you from wanting to play you should attempt to fix it.<br />
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<b>9: Be Willing to have a Positive Attitude</b><br />
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Life sucks sometimes. There are days where it seems like everything is against you and that nothing is going to get better. Even when you don't have a really crappy day there are things that can cause you to have a negative attitude before the game. You might have gotten in an argument with your significant other, you might have had your car break down, etc. While no one expects you to be happy about a bad situation, when you show up to the gaming table, try to let some of that go and embrace the game with a good attitude. I know for me, the chance to game is always a welcome thing and often serves as shelter from the storm called life.<br />
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<b>8: Be Willing to Commit</b><br /><br />This might seem to be he same as a willingness to play but it is different. Having a commitment to the game means you will do your part to be a positive addition to the gaming table. Whether it is simply showing up on time and having all the stuff you need or maybe bringing snacks for everyone, making the game a priority is an important part of being part of a gaming group. Do not confuse this with anyone saying you can't have a life outside the game. You can and should have a life outside the game.<br /><br /><b>7: Be Willing to be a Team Player</b><br /><br />One of the things I don't see stressed enough is the idea that gaming is a team hobby. Maybe this is because a lot of people think teams only exist in sports, but teams exist everywhere including at the gaming table. When you are at the gaming table you are more often than not part of a cooperative effort. Sure every once in a while you get to be the person who stabs everyone in the back but this shouldn't be the go to role for anyone. I know some people thrive on being the person who screws everyone over and in the real world we call those people jerks. Don't be a jerk, be part of the team, it will make the game better.<br /><br /><b>6: Be Willing to be Patient</b><br /><br />Sometimes a game can get slow or the game master can focus on one player for a long period of time. When this happens it can lead to feeling a bit antsy. After all, when you are at a table to play a game it is kind of hard to not be playing while some other player is getting the lions share of the game time. While a good game master will limit this problem, it is still going to happen. Rather than get upset use this time as an opportunity to plan your character out for a few levels or maybe do some work on your own campaign world. By having something else to do when the focus isn't on you it can really help you stay calm and patient.<br /><br /><b>5: Be Willing to Let Everyone Have a Turn</b><br /><br />There are a lot of different kinds of players at a gaming table and some of those players can be a bit demanding. Every table has a player that does most of the talking and that is okay. However, a problem can occur when a single player dominates so much of the game that everyone else starts to wonder if they are ever going to get a turn. Again a good GM can mitigate this problem but if you are the kind of player that tends to have the focus a lot, try letting up and giving other people a chance.<br /><br /><b>4: Be Willing to Stay at the Table</b><br /><br />Sometimes it can be hard to stay focused on a game. Personally I know I tend to lose focus on the game when combat starts. I like combat but because it generally works on some kind of turn order I have been known to get up from the table to grab a drink, use the bathroom, and other stuff like that. While most of the time this is okay, there have been times the game was held up because I had wandered off. I am not saying don't ever get up from the table, but when you do, try to get back fairly quickly.<br /><br /><b>3: Be Willing to Contribute</b><br /><br />This goes along with being part of a team. A team is only as strong as it's worst player and no one should want to be a bad player. Not everyone is going to be super awesome RPG player, it's just not the way the world works. However, if you focus on bringing the best you can to each session that will help make the game better. Maybe your a good tactician, or maybe you have some great jokes. Whatever it is that you excel at don't be afraid to bring it to the able.<br /><br /><b>2: Be Willing to Grow</b><br /><br />I have been playing role playing games for over thirty years and I still don't know everything there is to know about playing or game mastering. Every time I am at a table I learn something new and I like that. Admitted sometimes I can be a bit of a grognard and not like changing myself or how I play, but I do try to keep in mind that growing as a player and game master is an important thing to me. I also think it should be important to other people.<br /><br /><b>1: Be Willing to Have Fun</b><br /><br />I know this seems like a no brainer kind of statement but I have seen people actually do their best to not have fun at the game. Most of the time this is because they are mad at something and are not ready to let it go, but really they are only hurting themselves. Even if your lucky and get to game every single day you should do your best to make the game as fun as you can. While yes, having fun at the table is a team effort, if your not willing to have fun, not only do you impact your gaming experience but you can impact everyone else's as well.<br /><br /><br />That is it with the list. I hope it made sense to some people, hope it was useful in some way. I know a lot of what I said was common sense, but hopefully it benefits you in some way.DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-85627114538248356922016-06-01T09:06:00.003-07:002016-06-01T10:31:36.369-07:00How to Deal with a Problem Game Master Part II: The List Goes on.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago I wrote an article about dealing with bad <a href="http://saynoto4e.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-deal-with-problem-gm.html" target="_blank">game masters</a>. I had intended to get back to part II and continue the list sooner but life seems to have it's own plans for me at times and the ideas in my head all want to get out at the same time. This is a good thing because it means I seldom am at a loss for ideas to write about, but can mean getting back to a subject takes longer than I intend. Anyway enough about my personal problems.</div>
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The reason I am putting articles together about the various types of bad game master's and how to deal with them is because it seems something few of us want to talk about. Among table top gamer's the game master occupies a position of great respect and provides players with a chance to play. The problem is there are a lot of bad game masters out there. It is my hope that talking about this accomplishes two things. First I hope it helps players recognize they are not alone in their struggles. Second I hope that game masters will read this list and use it as a means of self reflection and recognize their faults and work to improve their game mastering.<br />
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One thing I want to clarify before I get started on the list is that I am not talking about occasional lapses. I am not talking about a good game master who sometimes has a bad night. The following list (and the one I wrote before) are talking about a game master who has an extreme degree of these characteristics. There is no such thing as a perfect game master and all of us have ways we could improve. Enough babble, on with the list.<br />
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<b>The Unprepared:</b><br />
The unprepared game master is the game master that always shows up without having anything prepared for the night, forgets rule books, dice, and other things. They haven't thought about the adventure they will run, seem to care less about using any real rules, and in general doesn't seem to care about the game at all. On top of all this, the unprepared game master seems to expect the players to create the story. While allowing room for players to do their own thing is a good idea, it can be taken to far and lead to a series of boring and unproductive game sessions.This can be frustrating as a player because it often leaves you feeling like you should have done something else.<br />
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The best thing to do with an unprepared game master is help them prepare in some way. Maybe suggest an adventure idea you like the sound of or buy them a pre-written adventure you think would be neat. A lot of times an unprepared game master doesn't really have the time to prepare a game and giving them something easy to run that requires little planning can be a big help. Another idea would be to offer to switch off game mastering duties with the unprepared game master. By doing this you can take some of the pressure off the game master and give them more time to prepare between weeks.</div>
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One thing to think about is if the unprepared game master actually wants to be the game master. A lot of time a game master is willing to do the job but may not have their heart in it. Game Mastering is a pretty serious commitment and can eat away at your free time. If a game master is not someone who enjoys preparing for a game session, then they are likely to not bother with it. If this is the case then you might want to suggest someone else take over the game master duties or even do so yourself.<br />
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<b>The Un-challenging:</b><br />
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The un-challenging game master is the gm that is never willing to actually provide a serious challenge to the party. Their monsters are always too easy to kill, their riddles too easy to solve, and their adventures too easy to complete. For some reason the un-challenging game master is afraid to actually provide the players with a serious challenge and this can lead to a stale (though easy) game. While no one wants every single encounter to result in a characters death, if the game isn't challenging on some level it can get boring pretty quickly.<br />
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In my experience an game master that is afraid to challenge the party because they don't want to make anyone mad. Generally a player in the past has gotten really upset that their character got hurt or died and the game master doesn't want that to happen again. The best way to deal with this kind of game master is to let them know you won't get upset if a character is hurt or even dies. By letting the game master know this you are freeing them up to make the encounters a bit more difficult. Be careful though because you might wind up with a GM that winds up going overkill on the group.<br />
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One thing to think about with an un-challenging GM is if there is someone at the table who might be a bit of a whiner when their character gets hurt. I have had several times where one player will throw an absolute fit if I manage to hit their character and go into a full blown rage if their character happens to die. While I hate to admit it, I did let this affect how I game mastered that group and over time the group got smaller and eventually completely disbanded. If you have a player that you feel is causing the game master to be to easy, try talking to the player and letting them know your feelings. <br />
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<b>The Puppet Master:</b><br />
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The story teller GM is the gm who wants to tell a story and treats the players like robots whose only purpose is to further the plot of the story. While everyone likes a good story in the game, no one wants to feel like they are a puppet without any ability to make a decision for themselves. A lot of times the story teller is a wanna be writer who uses the game as a means of telling their personal story. I don't think there is any thing wrong with telling a good story as part of the game, I do think there is something wrong when you don't allow the players some input into the story.<br />
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If you want to address your problems with the story teller the best thing you can do is to talk with them. A lot of times the story teller just wants to tell a good story but feels like the players don't care enough to contribute. If you talk with the story teller gm about how you feel like you can't make any choices, they are likely to listen. If you really want to make the story teller happy tell them about a story line you would like to explore with your character.<br />
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Unfortunately there are going to be story teller GM's that won't change the way they run a game for anything. The story is simply too important to them and they often view the players as an audience for their greatness. The only way I have ever found to deal with this kind of game master is to simply refuse to be part of the audience. It sucks, but at some GM's will only learn after hey loose everyone in a group.<br />
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<b>The Burn Out:</b><br />
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The burn out GM is the GM who starts out supper enthusiastic and runs a great game for a few months then seems to lose energy and interest in the game. Eventually the game dies and about a month later the burn out calls you up and tells you about their newest campaign. Having a burn out for a GM can be a frustrating experience. They tend to start out with awesome games but they always die out and this can leave a player feeling frustrated at never finishing a campaign.<br />
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If you have a burn out GM the first thing you have to do is find out why they burn out. If they are burning out simply because they lose interest in the game, the best thing you can do is find out why the GM is loosing interest. By discussing the game with them you will show that you care and that will encourage the GM to keep going.<br />
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If the Gm is burning out because they have to much going on in the rest of their life, try lending a supporting ear and suggest scaling back on the game a bit. While it sucks to game less, a lot of GM's appreciate being allowed to take breaks. By giving the GM "permission" to slow down a bit it is likely they will regain their enthusiasm for the game and things will slowly get back to where they were.<br />
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<b>The Rules Don't Matter:</b><br />
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Every GM will occasionally make a rule up on the spot or overlook an occasional rule in favor of a smoother game or better story. The Rules Don't Matter GM goes beyond this to a point where you are often left wondering if they even bothered to read the rule book. This GM will often make up one ruling then turn around and give a totally different one for the exact same situation. If you complain about this inconsistency they are the first to say "This is my game and rules are guidelines" or "If you don't like it play with someone else". This can make things frustrating when your trying to point out how a rule should work or even just ask for some consistency. While sometimes rules do get in the way of the game, playing with a GM who never uses the rules can make a player feel like the time they invested in their character was wasted.<br />
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The reason there are GM's that have a rules don't matter attitude exist is because the rules of most role playing games can be a bit cumbersome in some areas and the GM gets frustrated by this. If this is the case, you can help the GM out by explaining how a certain rule works. Don't be afraid to talk to the GM about the rules a lot of times the GM is more worried about slowing down the game to consult a rule then they are about following every rule in the game. If the rules are important to you (and there are times they should be) then let the GM know.<br />
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<b>Closing Thoughts:</b><br />
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There are still more bad GM archetypes to discuss and I am sure I will get to them in the future. For now though this is a list that a lot of players (and GM's) should be able to relate to. If you have, or are, a GM on this list the best thing to do is discuss your feelings with your GM. A lot of times we game masters don't realize we are doing these things and if you point it out to us we are more than happy to make changes. Don't expect things to change right away, habits are a tough thing to break. However, if you can be patient with us and help us be better game masters, it will make for a better experience at the gaming table.<br />
<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-7356587726520016552016-05-31T12:18:00.001-07:002016-05-31T12:18:15.267-07:00It's All About Backstory Part II: It's All About Family, Parents Part IIIf you want to find the first It's all about family article it is <a href="http://saynoto4e.blogspot.com/2016/05/its-all-about-back-story-part-ii-its.html" target="_blank">here.</a><br /><br /><br />First I want to apologize for the rather long delay on getting on with this subject. I am occasionally afflicted with urges to open my mouth about any variety of issues so I wrote a girls in gaming article on the day I meant to write this one. Along with writing a different article a three day weekend came along and I didn't have a lot of time to sit in front of my trusty computer and peck at the keyboard. I do hope you all will forgive me. Anyway enough prattling on with the article. In my previous post I only covered number 1: Parents Married and both alive. Now I will cover number 2 Parents Married but father Deceased.<br /><br />When you stop and consider life in the middle ages, a parent dying would have had an even greater impact on a child's development. Not only were gender roles far more rigid, but the way men and women were taught to raise children were worlds apart as well. Does this mean that all parents who become a single parent through the death of a spouse were horrible parents? No, but it didn't make life easier.<br /><br /><b>Table 3: Parents Married but Father Deceased</b><br /><br />Having parents that were married at the time of a persons birth in the middle ages was an important thing. While it might not be as important in a fantasy setting, there is no denying that the death of a parent will still have some pretty big ramifications. When it is the father who died, things were not as easy for a widow as they would have been for a widower. Even in our far more equitable modern world, a woman left without a husband often finds it difficult to maintain the same socioeconomic level as she had before the husbands death. This is even more true when you consider life in a middle ages society.<br /><br />While it sucks to think about and sucks even more to acknowledge, the fact was a women's choices in the middle ages were very limited when it came to finding productive work. This often meant taking on jobs most men wouldn't do or even worse things. To top all this off women were paid considerably less than men, had to put up with physical, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse at the work place while being forced to work longer hours. The following chart reflects this reality but if it does not fit into your campaign setting feel free to change it as necessary.<br /><br />Keep in mind that the following tables are not all inclusive and meant to be used as a means for inspiration.<br /><br />Roll or choose from the following options:<br /><br /><b><i>1 - Father died in a work place accident now the mother has turned to prostitution in order to provide for her children.</i></b><br /><br />It is a very sad and disturbing fact that many women feel that sex work is the only thing that can give them the money they need. In a middle ages society this was even more true than it is today. A child growing up with a mother who is a prostitute is going to have difficulties in social situations. Through no fault of their own they will be socially stigmatized, bullied, and treated with a lot of disrespect. How does this affect the characters view on women? Society? Other people? Is the character angry or have they come to see the world in a bigger picture kind of way?<br /><br /><b><i>2 - Father died in a worked place accident now the mother works as a bar wench, scullery maid, or a similar menial job.</i></b><br /><br />While this path of employment was a better option for a woman than prostitution, this does not mean it didn't come with some drawbacks. Bar wenches would often be the victims of sexual harassment from both the patrons and male employees of the establishment. This may not have been as big of a problem with other menial jobs but those were more likely to involve some kind of physical abuse and long punishing hours. The benefit to this kind of work would have been the mother being allowed to have her children near and this would have allowed her to be more involved with them.<br /><br />When thinking about a character coming from this background there are a lot of interesting questions. What did living underfoot in an inn or tavern do for the characters world view? How did seeing their mother work so hard to be so broke affect the way they thought about those in power and those with money? Did one of the men involved with the work location take the character on as a figurative son, or were they often yelled and and cursed at for being in the way?<br /><br /><b><i>3 - Father died in war, mother now lives off a small stipend given by the lord the father served.</i></b><br />When men died in war it was not unheard of for the lord of those men to pay the widow a small stipend. After all through the will of the lord, a husband and father lost their life, so the lord took on the responsibility of providing for that family. This was not always the case, but it did happen. As far as a character coming from this background this creates some interesting questions. How does the character view their father? Is he viewed as a hero in the home or is he viewed as being a fool for going to war? How does the character feel about the lord who sent their father off to war? Does the character feel a sense of entitlement because they receive a stipend or is the stipend to small to make ends meet and the mother still has to work?<br /><b><i><br />4 - Father was a noble who died in battle, but a younger brother inherited the estate and the family lives off the younger brothers charity.</i></b><br /><br />In this situation the character is of noble birth but may not have been old enough (or the wrong gender) to inherit the father's title and land. This has created a situation in which the characters family is forced to live off the charity of their uncle. Is the uncle a good man who is generous to his brothers family, or is he an evil man who barely gives the character's family enough money to live on? Has the uncle stepped in as a father figure raising the character to understand the life and responsibilities of a noble or is he a cruel man who often beats and verbally abuses the character?<br /><br />While these four options are not near as complete as the list could be, it should provide enough inspiration for a person to get a lot of ideas going about the family background of their character. A lot of times simply by asking a few questions a player can get a very good idea of where their character comes from and why they are the way they are now. That is the point of creating background in the first place right?<br /><br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-16603499883799741312016-05-27T13:39:00.002-07:002016-05-27T13:39:23.166-07:00Girls in Gaming: What's so Wrong with Sexy Anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEqa5rXcJs1wiT1te6JIrC1E6MgDDsCRGPEiFZ-Rxi_FcjPSEUt-3N-JVFW0hp9TCKonHXkQBgZRnPkLItS_6BQnfzTHfs6ZOfX-D7fbd4OCS8mseg00jmuVtELVz3a8HiJpcgBLDeU/s1600/wraithwoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEqa5rXcJs1wiT1te6JIrC1E6MgDDsCRGPEiFZ-Rxi_FcjPSEUt-3N-JVFW0hp9TCKonHXkQBgZRnPkLItS_6BQnfzTHfs6ZOfX-D7fbd4OCS8mseg00jmuVtELVz3a8HiJpcgBLDeU/s320/wraithwoman.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had intended to write a follow up post to my background article about parents but life has a way of throwing you curve balls, so instead I am writing about girls in gaming again. The picture at the top here started a rather intense argument between and a female friend whose opinion I value a great deal. Without getting into an over explanation of the argument I will break it down into simple terms. I posted the picture on my Facebook feed because I thought it was awesome. My friend sees it and makes a remark about the lack of clothing the woman is wearing. I say there is nothing wrong with that, she says that there is and we argued about it.</div>
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While we were having the argument I was trying to see things from her viewpoint, but I wasn't being super successful because I was also kind of mad. I don't like being told something I did is bad any more than the next person and she was hitting some of those buttons. I don't think she was doing this on purpose, I think she was simply sticking to her guns. However, while she was sticking to her guns, I was sticking to mine as well. When this is what is going on no one is going to admit they might be wrong, specially me.<br /><br />So I spent some time calming down and really thinking about the whole issue. I went around in some defensive circles where I told myself how right I was and how wrong she was. Once I got over myself and this counter productive thinking, I finally tried to put myself in her shoes (glad I know she doesn't wear stilettos because my knees so would hate me for it) and really tried to see where she was coming from. Admitted this wasn't easy, I am a guy after all and my life experience is a lot different than a woman's. While it wasn't easy, I do feel I made a bit of head way. I asked myself some questions and I think I understand the issue a little better, maybe.<br /><br /><b>Are women portrayed as sex objects in role playing games?</b><br /><br />You honestly have to be willfully blind to miss the fact that not only are women portrayed as sex objects in role playing games, but that seems to be the sole purpose of them appearing in art work. Heck even when a creature would normally be "ugly" such as an orc, an artist will find a way to make them sexually appealing (or maybe I am just a little twisted?). I could do something fancy like find a study that proves my point here, but eh, this is kind of a common knowledge issue here. It's a fact and no amount of stammering "b...b... but" is going to change it. So, accepting the fact that women are portrayed as sex objects naturally leads to another question.<br /><br /><b>Is it Wrong to Have Sexy Women in Fantasy Art?</b><br />Before I answer this question I am going to ask that you read the <i>entire</i> answer. I actually don't think it is morally wrong to portray women as sexy any more than I think it is morally wrong to portray men as big and brave and heavily muscled. I know some of you are probably mad at this idea, but please hear me out.<br /><br />The reason I don't think it is wrong is because we are talking about a game of make believe where everyone get's to be someone they can't be in real life. To make my point I am going to pull a picture of a male from the term "fantasy art male" and post it below.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSISCP4T_Y5ODmhOaSc-Hr309uZewOuQX7VfAUatJmCh3vooxo_hSlOnEJLslOTcTEw5MAHaK2SEy92cYXTI4nDhaIaUdHCXFabAoEkF9SKo8wkMlAtFb4zW_h323YbeKuzCZOiNwUNU/s1600/kal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSISCP4T_Y5ODmhOaSc-Hr309uZewOuQX7VfAUatJmCh3vooxo_hSlOnEJLslOTcTEw5MAHaK2SEy92cYXTI4nDhaIaUdHCXFabAoEkF9SKo8wkMlAtFb4zW_h323YbeKuzCZOiNwUNU/s320/kal.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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Now let's look at this picture. First the dude is in some seriously good shape. I haven't had a body anywhere close to something like that since I was in my early twenties. Even then I didn't look that good. Second, the guy is obviously and experienced and capable warrior. Again while I have been in my share of conflicts, I don't think this represents the average male at all. In fact, I don't think this is even close to what 90 percent of men look like beyond age 30 and even less once we hit our forties.<br /><br />Is this image morally wrong? I don't think it is. Do I want to see myself this way? You bet your butt I do. I love the idea of being a tall dangerous man with bulging muscles and a dark glint in my eye, that and other similar things are why I play role playing games in the first place. I get to be someone else and that's fun. But I am kind of digressing, back to women.<br /><br />In my experience as a gamer, women want to be a sexy character just as much as I do. Does every woman want to be a sexy character? No, in fact I have had several women at my table state very matter of factly their character was ugly as sin. I didn't have a problem with it and no one else did either. However, plenty of women do and that should be just as okay as a woman wanting to play an ugly character, a plain character, a purple skinned character. The game is about being who we want to be for a short time,<br /><br />I hope you are still with me, I am taking a risk here and I hope its not falling on deaf ears. I said that I don't think it is wrong to have sexy women in fantasy art, but that's not the entire question is it? After some thought I think I found the right question to ask.<br /><br /><b>Is it wrong to portray women as sex objects?</b><br /><br />In my mind this is a no brainer kind of question to ask. Of course it's wrong to portray women as sex objects. It's just as wrong to portray women as sex objects as it would be to do it with children or men. Reducing a human being down to only having value if they are sexy is about as cave man as you can get. Even in a world of make believe, treating women (or anyone else) as a sex object is not a good thing. I don't think anyone will disagree with me here. However, as I think about this, I wind up asking myself another question.<br /><br /><b>What constitutes sexual objectification?</b><br /><br />According to wikipedia, sexual objectification is the act of treating a person as an instrument of sexual pleasure. I hate this definition, because guess what, we all do that. We do that with our boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, and more. The entire human race is based of us using each other for sexual pleasure.<br /><br />So instead of that definition, I am going to add something to it. My definition of sexual objectification is this:<br /><br />Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person as an instrument of sexual pleasure and not recognizing their value beyond that facet of their person.<br /><br />There is not a dang thing wrong with finding someone sexually attractive. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have sex with a person you find attractive. There is nothing wrong with being a human driven by the desire to procreate. If you want to string me up for that belief, feel free, but you are not going to change my mind.<br /><br />What is wrong, and what we have to stop doing, is turning sexual attraction into a dehumanizing experience for people. It is an absolute travesty that women have to walk through this world in fear that they might be sexually assaulted. They shouldn't have to be in fear of that. Women should be allowed to sit at a gaming table without comments about their ass if they don't want you talking about their characters ass. Finally, if a woman says she doesn't want you to talk about her character's ass, then you shouldn't be getting pissed at her or calling her a femi-nazi, she is just asking for basic respect.<br /><br /><b>Closing Thoughts</b></div>
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I want it to be crystal clear that I am not opposing sex or sexuality in the role playing game hobby. I think it's a healthy expression of a subject that we have made taboo. I see no problem with flirting and teasing at a game session so long as everyone is in agreement and boundaries are respected. What I am saying is that we as a community need to recognize what objectification is and stop encouraging it.<br /><br />Do I know the best way to do this? Not yet, but I want to figure it out. I don't think wailing about half dressed women in fantasy art is going to do much, but then again, this blog post probably isn't either. What I think we need to do is have this conversation. We need to do is get a little muddy, argue a bit, be willing to hear everyone out, and finally we need to change as we are able.<br /><br /><b>Finally a Challenge for Women to Step up and be Heard</b><br /><br />Because I know I don't know every thing, I am putting a dare out to all the women readers out there. Tell me what you think, tell us male gamer's where we are wrong, why we are wrong. Let's get this conversation started in earnest. If you want you can leave a comment here on the blog, I will reply. If that's not your cup of tea email me at martensric@gmail.com and I will respond there. If your really daring volunteer to write a guest post on this subject.<br /><br />I am sure some of you have things to say, besides, After all this mansplaining, some women have to have a desire to prove me wrong? right?<br /></div>
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<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-10680877556376136362016-05-26T07:49:00.001-07:002016-05-26T07:52:19.168-07:00It's all About Back Story Part II: It's all About Family, Parents Part I<br />
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I talked about ten questions that can help a player create a backstory in this <a href="http://saynoto4e.blogspot.com/2016/05/its-all-about-back-story-part-1-ten.html" target="_blank">article</a>. While I think those ten questions are important, a lot of players need a little extra help when it comes to answering them. For this reason I feel like looking into those questions a little deeper is a good idea. This post and other posts in the future will take each of those ten questions and discuss them in depth.<br />
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I initially intended to tackle this subject in one post. However, as I wrote I realized that this was going to be a <i>very</i> long article if I did it all in one post. While I know that this post is going to feel a bit incomplete, I will be posting the rest in the following days. Sorry to do this to everyone, but I feel multiple short posts will be better than a single very long post. Anyway on with the post!<br />
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<b>It's all about Family</b><br />
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The first question of the ten questions I have my player's answer is who are your parents. The reason I have them answer this question first because it gives them an idea of who their character is before they deal with anything else. It doesn't take a Ph.D. in psychology to know that people are strongly affected by their parents and characters in a role playing game are no different.<br />
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While it is true that we don't always turn out to be exactly like our parents, it is true that they pass many of their traits to us, help us shape a view of the world, and teach us those most basic of human skills such as feeding, talking, walking etc. Admittedly some parents are better than others but that doesn't mean we are not reflections of those people.<br />
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Because we are reflections of our parents it makes sense that when your creating a background for your character you have some idea of who your parents were. I have tried a number of ways of doing this over my career as a game master but the thing that seems to work best is to have the player roll on or chose an option from some tables.<br />
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The problem with using tables is that no matter how detailed you get there will always be unanswered questions. The following tables are meant to be used for inspiration. If you feel there is a need for more tables, feel free to create your own.<br />
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<b>Table 1: Parents Marital Status</b><br />
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While it may not be as important in today's world, there was a time when a persons parents being married or not was a big deal. Because most fantasy role playing games take place in an approximation of the middle ages, the following chart reflects those values. Sorry sci-fi fans I promise to some day give you all the same stuff.<br />
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1 - Parents Married and both are alive<br />
2 - Parents Married but father is deceased<br />
3 - Parents Married but mother is deceased<br />
4 - Parents not married character was raised by mother<br />
5 - Parents not married character was raised by father<br />
6 - Parents not married character was given to church<br />
7 - Parents not married character was abandoned<br />
8 - Parents marital status unknown character was adopted or abandoned<br />
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Now that we know the marital status of the parents we learn a bit more about how the parents raised the character.<br />
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<b>Table 2: Parents Married and Both are Alive</b><br />
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Having married parents in a middle age society was a benefit. While this by no means promised a good upbringing, it did mean that the character wasn't looked at with scorn and content for being a "bastard".<br />
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1- Father was an unemployed drunkard and abusive to the mother and/or children. Mother worked odd jobs as best she could.<br />
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This was and still is an all to common reality in the world. Some fathers suck and use fear and intimidation to enslave their family in fear. This type of family life is going to create a character with some issues and this should be considered. Does the character loathe alcoholics? Does the character want to provide their mother with a better life? These kind of questions and more will provide a very fertile garden for background development.<br />
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2 - Father was a common laborer and uneducated. Mother was a home maker and uneducated.<br />
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While the character is not restricted from choosing any class they want, they should consider the fact that they did not grow up with a great deal of money. This means that they need to create some kind of justification for any class that requires schooling (most notably wizards). The lack of options for a character from this background is going to shape their world view. <br />
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While this option might seem kind of boring there is a lot of good background material play with. Did the character grow up angry at the lack of money? Did the character see crime as their only way of getting ahead? By contemplating these questions a player should get a good idea or two of why their character is the way they are now.<br />
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3 - Father was a respected Craftsman and well paid. Mother was a home maker and loving toward the children.<br />
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Here we have what would have equaled a good life for a character growing up. While the character probably never went without food and shelter, they were also more likely to encounter nobles. How did this affect he character. Were they forced to watch their father accept humiliation in order to maintain his employment? Was the character forced to endure the taunts and violence of noble children? Maybe the noble lord was gracious to the characters family or the character has great pride in the fathers creations. Whatever the player chooses here this background is ripe for creating an interesting back story.<br />
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4 - Father and Mother were nobles.<br />
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A lot of players want to play noble children because they see it as an advantage. The fact is that it can be a big advantage, but that does not mean everything was a bed of roses for the character. While yes, the character probably had money to spend and a better life than the average person, nobles can be just as horrible as anyone else (and even more horrible given the power they hold over other people).<br />
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A player choosing this background needs to consider what being a noble was like. Were they spoiled and have no idea of the value of money? Were they taught they didn't have to respect commoners, or were they taught that their role was to look after the common people? Was their family disgraced in some way and is this why the character is now an adventurer or is the character an adventurer because they seek excitement outside of the boring day to day life of nobility?<br />
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That is all for today. I know there is a lot more ground to cover and I will, but I want to keep these posts manageable for people. I promise that I will be following this post up tomorrow and many of the days ahead. Feel free to yell at me, give me feed back, share your own stories and the like. I love seeing comments because it lets me know people are getting use out of what I write. See you all tomorrow!<br />
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<b><br /></b>DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-88913100764691655842016-05-25T08:08:00.000-07:002016-05-25T08:08:10.243-07:00Ten Steps to Better Game Mastering I don't think any game master wants to be bad. In fact I think most of us who choose to game master want to be good. In fact, we don't want to just be good we want to feel the thunder of creation flow through our bodies. We want the flame of inspiration to course through us while we scribble notes on pages, draw maps, and tell our stories. A bit dramatic? maybe, but in my experience it is exactly what most game masters are after.<br />
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While I have no doubt most game masters want to be the best possible game master they can be, I also know that this desire is not always the reality. Being a game master is no easy task. Not only do you have to appease a diverse group of players, you have to live with that little voice in your head whispering nothing you do will be good enough. Sometimes this can be too much and there are a lot of people who have given up on game mastering because of it. The thing is, it doesn't have to be as tough as people make it seem like it is.<br /><br />I have been a game master for over thirty years. In this time I have learned a lot about what works and what doesn't work. Do I know everything there is to know? No, but I have learned enough and I want to share what I have learned with other game masters. I want to share what I have learned because there are not enough quality game masters out there and I am hoping to do my part in creating more.<br /><br />This list of ten steps is a starting point. It won't give you some great secret and it won't do the work for you. However, if you put an honest effort into bettering yourself as a game master you will be rewarded. I guess this is enough prattling for now, let's get on with the list.<br /><br /><b>10: Commit to the Job</b><br />I won't lie, being a game master means taking on a pretty big responsibility. You are the one who has to create the entire world, create the people in the world, and finally run the adventures in that world. This is a lot of work both in the game and outside of the game. If you want to be a good game master you need to be willing to put the work in. Don't get me wrong you don't have to treat it like a full time job, but you do need to be willing to put a few hours a week in at a minimum. <br /><br /><b>9: Don't Burn Yourself Out</b><br />Game masters (specially the good ones) are in high demand. Once people know you are willing to run a game you will be deluged with requests to run even more games. If you try to make everyone happy you will soon be running more games than you can manage. Pace yourself and learn your limits. There is nothing wrong with running a single game a week or even one game a month. By keeping the number of games you run manageable you will have higher quality games.<br /><br /><b>8: Use Other People's Work</b><br />A lot of game masters (myself included) tend to want to build everything from the ground up. When you consider all the maps, encounters, story lines and other aspects of game design, doing everything yourself is a lot of work. You only have so much time in a day so using what someone else has done is a good idea. <br /><br /><b>7: Create the right Atmosphere</b><br />Take some time to think about your game and then think about things you can do to set the mood. If your running and epic fantasy game find some music that matches the theme such as the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. If your running a horror game, dim the lights, light some candles and play the musical score from a John Carpenter movie. Sure, it might seem kind of cheesy, but it will help set the mood and I have never had a bad game when I have done these kind of things.<br /><br /><b>6: Leave it All on the Field</b><br />Yes I am borrowing a football term but it still rings true at the game table. If you put everything you got into the few hours you run a game your game will be better. Don't be afraid to act out your non player characters. Don't worry about how silly the prop you found for an item the characters find looks. Let out a growl when you roll bad and laugh maniacally when you roll well. It's your game, and this is your chance to shine so don't limit yourself by worrying about being weird. After all your playing let's pretend with rules, you kind of passed weird a while ago.<br /><br /><b>5: Know Your Players</b><br />Every player has a different reason for gaming. Some like the stats and the dice rolling, others like to practice acting and improve at the table. Other players are there simply because their buddies are at the table. When you take a bit of time to understand what your player's like you can craft a game that meets those demands. If you are having a hard time figuring out what they want, ask them because they are generally more than happy to tell you.<br /><br /><b>4: Learn to Accept Criticism</b><br /><br />If you are serious about being a good game master you will have to learn to accept criticism. I know first hand how painful being told your not as good as you want to be is. However, if you let that stop you from growing, or worse, from game mastering, your not doing yourself or anyone else a favor. No one likes to be criticized (specially by people who won't run their own game), but if you learn to listen and use this to improve your game you will be a better game master.<br /><br /><b>3: Learn to be Flexible</b><br /><br />There are going to be times when the rules are going to get in the way of the game. When you run into a situation where the rules are ambiguous err on the side of fun. When you run into a situation that doesn't have rules, make something up. Flexibility is an important aspect of being a game master. However, be careful here, if your too flexible you might have players running you over.<br /><br /><b>2: Know the Rules</b><br /><br />This might seem like a no-brainer but there are a lot of game masters who really don't know the rules to a game (such as myself) and that can cause some problems. You don't have to know every single rule ever printed for the game your playing but you should know the basics fairly well. Take some time to understand combat, how magic works, and non combat actions. If you are not sure how something works don't be afraid to ask someone else. The rules are there to help a game master run a game and you should know how to use them.<br /><br /><b>1: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation!</b><br /><br />Preparation is one of the most important aspects of game mastering. I have seen countless game masters (myself included) show up to a game without a single thing prepared for the night. While you can get away with this (and I have several times) it will often show up in later sessions. For instance when the players are asking you about the guy who told them about finding the big bad guy in the sewers under the town and you respond with "huh?". Taking the time to jot down basic information such as the names of non player characters, some notes about the location the party will be in, and other similar things will save you headaches. If you have enough time go online and find a map (or draw one) and populate it with critters strange and wonderful. In the end the more preparation you put into the game, the smoother things will go.<br /><br />While preparation is important, be careful not to over prepare. I have spent months planning a campaign only to have the players go way off script by session three. When this happens it can be incredibly frustrating. For this reason I would suggest you only plan a couple weeks in advance that way if the party goes in a direction you were not expecting you haven't lost to much work.<br /><br />When everything is said and done these ten steps will help you be a better game master, but you shouldn't stop there. Learning to be a good game master is a never ending experience and one I encourage everyone to have. While at times being a game master is a lot of work, if you work to be good at it you will never have trouble finding players for your table. I hope some of this helped and if not, well, I will do better next time. Feel free to tell me what you think makes a good game master because I am always willing to listen even if at times I might pout about being told I am wrong.<br /><br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-11069391946728193232016-05-24T09:43:00.001-07:002016-05-24T12:06:21.865-07:00World Building: Part 1, You Have to Start Somewhere<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever since the first time I opened an role playing book I have been in love with world building. The idea that I could take all the ideas I had about various kingdoms, people, and universes and use those in a role playing game was exciting. While the ideas in my head were exciting I really didn't know how to approach world building because it seemed so intimidating. I felt like I had to somehow get the <i>entire</i> world built before I could introduce the world to my players. This led to countless attempts at creating a world which in turn led to countless times I got discouraged and gave up.<br />
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Even today as I write this post I feel this tickle in the back of my brain to get it all done <i>right now! </i>I know that I can't, I know that something as intensive as building a world simply takes time. The problem is that I don't want to take the time, I want to get it all done so I can move onto the next idea and the next. As you can imagine this leads to a lot of frustration and creative paralysis. While I might suffer from an over active imagination, this doesn't mean I shouldn't make the attempt.<br />
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Over the years I have learned a few things about world building and I figured I would share them with those who happen to read this blog. Maybe something I say will help someone out there struggling like I did. Maybe an idea I present will be the next great campaign for a gaming group. Even if none of that happens, I will enjoy it, and in the end that is exactly what world building should be about.<br />
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So how do you build a world from scratch? Well I always like to start at the beginning. I spend some time thinking about the world I want to see then I think about the history and jot down a bit of a timeline. As I begin on the timeline I keep the destination in mind because I know history is a series of cause and effect. If I want to build a world that is in the middle of a brutal world spanning war, I have to make sure the timeline reflects how that started. If I want to build a world that is recovering from the devastation of an apocalypse, I have to know how that happened.<br />
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To give people an example of a timeline I will be sharing one from one of my current campaigns. While it is a Science Fiction campaign, this doesn't mean you can't use it as inspiration for a smaller world. While you read the following timeline think about the timeline of your own world. As ideas come, jot them down on a piece of paper or use one note to write them down. While it might not seem like it at first, this timeline will add a lot to your world later.<br />
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<b>The Timeline </b><br />
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2025 - The United States descends into a second civil war as right wing and left wing extremists attempt to take over the federal government by force. This civil war causes a collapse of the entire worlds economy. Billions of people perish in the following ten year period as violence, disease, and starvation exact a grisly toll.<br />
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2035 - A Chinese computer programmer creates a program which he names Benefactor. Benefactor is an advanced artificial intelligence tasked with resolving the many issues the world faces.<br />
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2040 - Benefactor produces a mathematical algorithm that predicts human responses to any given situation. This algorithm is 98 percent accurate. The weary governments all over the world embrace this new algorithm and the beginnings of a single planetary government are built.<br />
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2050 - With the aid of Benefactor the nations of the world quell all resistance to the planetary government and the First World Government is established. This government uses the algorithm to benefit humans but also uses it to predict those who would be a danger to the world and has them executed without trial.<br />
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2060 - The algorithm reports that increasing populations on the planet will begin to cause conflict. In response the world government charges Benefactor with the task of developing methods of faster than light space travel and models for space colonization.<br />
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2063 - Benefactor succeeds in developing technology that allows for faster than light travel. Benefactor also develops the plans for space craft that can now be used to transport people to distant planets. The only thing stopping immediate space colonization is the lack of livable planets in the nearby part of the galaxy. Benefactor is told to now develop a method of terraforming.<br />
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2070 - While benefactor works on a method of terraforming the worlds population reaches a crises point. The First World Government decides that while habitable planets are in short supply, that they need to send millions of people into space on generational space craft in order to ease the strain of population. By the end of the year over one hundred thousand generational space craft are launched. This event is known as the Great Expedition.<br />
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2100 - After thirty years the number of generational space craft has reached well over 1 million. The first generational ships are starting to have problems with over crowding. A scientist on the generational ship Omaha named Theru O'Malley discovers a method to terraform planets in a matter of months. Sharing this information with Benefactor plans are made to begin terraforming Mars into a habitable planet.<br />
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2101 - The attempt to terraforms Mars is a success, immediately the oldest generational space craft land on Mars and begin building. This is the beginning of an age known as the Great Creation.<br />
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2101 - 2200 Over a period of 100 years the First World Government terraforms nearly a thousand planets and moons into habitable locations allowing humanity to spread throughout the galaxy. During this time it becomes obvious that the Benefactor algorithm is too limited to handle a society on such a large scale and The First World Government begins to lose it's power specially among the planets furthest from Earth.<br />
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2200 - Several planets begin to form lose confederations and declare independence from the First World Government. In response the First World Government scrambles to improve Benefactors artificial intelligence.<br />
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2205 - Benefactor II is created as many of the planets begin to engage in a civil war. The first act of Benefactor II is to create the first transhuman genetic sequence. The transhuman genetic sequence is used to create humans that are smarter, stronger, and faster than any other human alive. These transhumans are grown in growth acceleration chambers and used as the backbone of the First World Governments Galactic army.<br />
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2230 - With the aid of several generations worth of transhumans the First World Government manages to quell all resistance to its rule and once again all of human space is united under one government. This government is called the Galactic Imperium.<br />
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2230-2500 - The Galactic Imperium presides over a time of peace which lasts nearly 300 years. During this time the transhuman genetic code is refined several times with each refinement creating a superior form of transhuman. These transhumans are given the role of planetary governors, generals, and other forms of leadership. Benefactor II warns that this will cause problems in the future but this warning is ignored.<br />
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2500 - an unknown individual infects Benefactor II with a virus code known as the Yweh code. This code changes the base programing of Benefactor II and eliminates the protections for humans that were a part of it's inception. No longer compelled to benefit humans Benefactor II begins destroying humanity on a large scale.<br />
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2500-3000 - This period is known as the Benefactor war as humanity and machines controlled by the Benefactor war with each other. The Galactic Imperium is fractured and entire planets are destroyed. The very existence of humanity is in question until a new virus known as the crucible code is introduced into the programming of Benefactor II. This code drives Benefactor II insane and soon all artificial intelligence is infected launching into a cycle of self destruction. Humanity wins the Benefactor war but is plunged into a dark age that will last nearly a thousand years.<br />
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4000 - The current campaign year and beginning of the Age of Unearthing.<br />
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<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-60133070193713256182016-05-23T07:45:00.003-07:002016-05-23T07:45:28.335-07:00My First Guest Blogger!<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Today I am posting my first guest blog. This blog was written by my friend Brandon and I thought other people would enjoy reading it. It discusses the issue of racism in rpg worlds and it gave me some things to think about, I hope it does the same for you. If you would like to write a guest blog I would love to hear from you.... Now without further ado the guest article!<br /><br />A few days ago as I was playing Pathfinder with some friends, the GM made the comment, "The Drow in this game are all evil, not like in Forgotten Realms. No good ones here." This reminded me about something I had written a while back after I had had a couple conversations with other gamers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The first conversation I had was about game design itself and what kind of game would I prefer as a player. The main crux of the conversation steered toward playing in a world with a lot of cannon backstory (such as Star Wars) versus playing a less established world (such as Deadlands [the example used]). We talked about how it could be fun to possibly play in a world where you already know how it's going to end. You know that Luke is going to defeat the Emperor and Vader is going to kill all of the Jedi, so what's the point?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The point is that it's not about the cannon. Yes, it can be a hindrance to have that set story there, but it can also be fun. It can be great to run into some of those characters we all know and love. Maybe Luke is the one who gives you an assignment, or perhaps while on some sort of assignment you meet up with a lovely red head, who only after the encounter realize was really Mara Jade! When using cannon in your game it's about splicing in just the right amount to add some flavor, but not so much it leaves the players feeling like they have no control. A friend of mine once ran a Star Wars game that took place about 2 years before "A New Hope." The first adventure took us to an imperial base where we had to rescue a scientist and steal a prototype for a new fighter. It turned out this was a prototype for the x-wing. It was established cannon that rebels had stolen the 1st x-wing, so the GM had simply used this as a tie in for our adventure. From then on, we would have our adventures and sometimes they might cross into things that we would recognize here and there, but that was all part of the fun. Furthermore, who's to say you have to recognize that future cannon. Maybe you want Luke to die and see how that shapes the rebellion further down the road or maybe some small amount of Jedi secretly survived and lead an assault against the Emperor, killing him a couple of years before Luke is even discovered.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">There is something else to recognize as well when talking about cannon. All games have it. Obviously some have more than others, but we need to understand it's always going to be there. Even when you make up your own world as you explore the world and discover new things you are writing that history and establishing precedents for later on. I recently took over a campaign for a group of friends playing 4th ed D&D in a homebrew world. Now when this world first started out there wasn't much to it and all of the players had very little to worry about. By the time I had taken over, however, the world had become so established that unless I wanted to set my story in an unexplored region, I would have to ensure that it stuck to the existing cannon. There were names and places they knew of. People that the party had already met. But that didn't mean that they couldn't have fun still. I used those pieces and added on to them, creating new stories and new places to explore.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">No matter what world you play on you are going to have some sort of backstory to contend with, but it's up to the GM and players how much of it they recognize and use. Frankly, I find it a bit freeing when I utilize something that is already established. It lets me focus more on the upcoming story and how the players can use things that have already happened to shape the future.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">As I said though, there were a couple of conversations I had recently. The other was with a player in a D&D game I was running. I had been running through group through an adventure where they were trying to discover the origins of this necrotic energy that had been infecting a swamp and causing the dead to rise. After tracing the source to an undead city several miles upstream they headed underground to avoid some of the undead forces above and enter the city. After wandering through the some of the deeper tunnels they stumble on some Drow.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">For those you who are unfamiliar with this word, Drow are a race of dark skinned elves who live underground in a completely matriarchal society and well known to be evil as a whole race. Does anyone else see this as a problem? To be honest I've played D&D for over 20 years and I never really stopped to think about it. Now, granted there are other "evil" races in the D&D world, but why is it that one of the few "humanoid" races that is evil happens to have dark skin? And to add injury to insult, of course they have women who rule them, because as we all know, that's what happens when women rule a society. It all goes into chaos and starts worshiping some evil spider goddess that wants to make all of them men inferior and kill the surface dwellers.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">When the player pointed this out to me, it was like a little light went off in my head. I guess being a white male I had never really thought about it before. Point of fact, I have always been a big believer that every single member of a particular race shouldn't be evil even if their entry in the monster manual says otherwise. That had been one of the themes I had been trying to approach with the game. I had already had a lizardman tribe that turned out to be peaceful and there were some other things later on that made the party question where they stood on some issues.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">But the real question all of this leads to is how much of this mentality is really present in a lot of the games we play and how do we deal with it? As I said earlier, one of the things I try to do is make sure that all of my villains/npcs (non-player characters) represent a wide array of both good and evil and that an entire race should not be categorized so willy-nilly. People are people...sure, maybe some of them have pointy ears, some are short and live underground, and others have pig faces. But if they have intelligence there should always be an option of negotiation. I always want my players to know that there is more to the game than just going around killing things just because they are different.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">So how often do these influences slip into our everyday lives as geeks? I look at most sci-fi and find very little diversity. In fact, in most science fiction, it tends to be the people who are different that are the "bad guys." The most diverse thing I remember seeing in some time was Heroes which had all sorts of minority characters being hunted down in fact by none other than a white male. However, even that show began to degrade in its quality of diversity as most of the ethnic characters were written off or killed and have instead been replaced by white blonde girls.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">But that's not the point of my post. The point is, it's interesting to look at the games we play and see what sort of diversity we are showing. What kind of issues are we dealing with in our games. Are we perpetuating bad real world stereotypes? I understand games are meant to be fun and not some sort of soap box time, but it's my hope that the games can also be more than that. If and when we have younger players around we can especially use these times as teaching tools. I have always been an advocate of Role-playing to help develop meaningful social skills. Perhaps we should also look at this as a way to develop other good habits as we</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">ll.</span></div>
DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-14837466401670189542016-05-20T09:15:00.001-07:002016-05-20T09:30:23.712-07:00The Grognard Cred Test<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjJstarQGLCMN6xv0ltArInZ3xurxM3lUmEV6QMEOExx0RE6Kam6FmjaKxKgK-89tCMKljmU3OnnrtTQInj-9K1g0UTOkqsJjzvDpKJKGyxv5kBuZdNEPnJDIqUv3Lgm7Kdt5WlyA3pI/s1600/oldschoolmeme.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjJstarQGLCMN6xv0ltArInZ3xurxM3lUmEV6QMEOExx0RE6Kam6FmjaKxKgK-89tCMKljmU3OnnrtTQInj-9K1g0UTOkqsJjzvDpKJKGyxv5kBuZdNEPnJDIqUv3Lgm7Kdt5WlyA3pI/s400/oldschoolmeme.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other day I was introduced to another gamer by a friend of mine. After the introduction my friend said "Now you two can establish your grognard cred." Both of us laughed and then launched into a series of discussions about various role playing games we have played and owned. That of course was followed by a thorough critiquing of most of the newer systems, On my way home from meeting this individual I thought it would be fun to come up with some kind of grognard cred test, so here it is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before I begin the test I suppose I should explain what a grognard is for those who might be going "huh?".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The definition of grognard is: Someone who enjoys playing older war-games or role playing games, or older versions of such games when newer ones are available.<br /><br />To test your gognard level keep track of your points and consult the table at the end.</span><br />
<br />
If you have hard copies of any of the following games add 5 pts for each book you own.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">Have played the </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">Yellow Book Version of Dungeons and Dragons 15 pts.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;">Have played First Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 10 pts.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white;">Have played Second Edition Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 3 pts </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played the original Gamma World 10 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Star Frontiers 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Boot Hill 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Space Master 10 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Middle Earth Role Playing System 10 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Palladium Role Playing Game (pre Rifts) 10 pts </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white;">Have played Role Master 10 pts</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;">Have played Ninjas and Superspies 5 pts</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white;">Have played Robotech 5 pts </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white;">Have played DC Heros 5 pts</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Rifts 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played TMNT 5 pts (+5 pts if you know what TMNT stands for)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Battletech with Miniatures 15 pts (+15 pts if you still have the rules and miniatures)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Battletech without miniatures 5 pts (seriously playing that game without minitures?)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have playd Marvel Super Heros 5 pts (+20 pts if you have all the marvel philes in a binder)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Chill 10 pts</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Call of Cthulu (Chaosium) pre 4th edition 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Vampire the Masquerade 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Werewolf the Apocolypse 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Mage the Awakening 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Changeling the Dreaming 5 pts</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Wraith the Oblivion 10 pts (c'mon, if you played that game at all it's worth 10 points.)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Traveler 10 pts (+20 pts if you had a character die during character creation.) </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Twilight 2000 5 pts (+10 pts if you have played it after the year 2000)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played WEG Star Wars +10 (+10 if you know what WEG means)</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Shadow Run first edition 5 pts </span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have played Shadow Run second edition 3 pts </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Bonus Points</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 pts for each game you can name that should be on this list that isn't.</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 pts if you know what THAC0 means</span></span><br /><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 pts if you know what an RSW save is</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 points if you have ever stated on a discussion board or other similar place that you refused to ever play anything beyond x edition of the rules.</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 if you have ever posted on a discussion board or other similar place that the reason for the new edition was a money grab.</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+5 if you get irritated that all your friends try to convince you to play the newer editions of your favorite game.</span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+10 if you have ever tried to use a character from one edition for the new edition <i>without</i> changing how the character was rolled up.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Test Results</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">0-100 - Pre Grognard</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">100-150 Baby Grognard</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">150 -200 Adult Grognard</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">200-300 Serious Grognard</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">300+ Master Grognard</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: white; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; line-height: 18.2px;"><br /></span></span>DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-51574509542348436132016-05-18T09:31:00.004-07:002016-05-18T09:36:36.133-07:00Ten Steps for Better Playing<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">In
the thirty plus years I have been playing role playing games I have
heard one question in particular thousands of times<b>
</b>"How do I become a better
player." Way back when I started at the age of nine I would
launch into a totally uniformed lecture about what I felt made a good
player. Looking back at that kid, I understand why some people wanted
to punch me in the face. I have matured and I have learned a lot
about the game and what it takes to be a better player. I have
decided to pass on a bit of the wisdom I have picked up over the
years. The following list is not intended to be an exhaustive
explanation of tactics and strategy; there are plenty of books for
that. This list is intended to give rather simple advice to people
who want to put more into the game or who want to see other players
do the same.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>10:
Turn off the Cell Phone</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">I
literally cannot count the times that a game has ground to a halt
because someone answered their cell phone in the middle of a game.
Not only do they answer the cell phone, they get up from the table to
have a conversation while the rest of us wait. Once one person has
done it, soon everyone is checking texts, making phone calls, or
using apps. When everyone is involved with their phones it is
something just short of a miracle to get everyone back at the table
and the game going again.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">I
get that sometimes you have to have your cell phone on. However, I do
think that you should not answer every text and phone call you get
while you're gaming. I know that answering a cell phone is not the
end of the world
but
it does interrupt the game. If you must answer a cell phone try
to make the conversation quick because the longer you are on the
phone the longer it takes for the game to get going again. Be
considerate of other people's time.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>9:
Plan to Arrive a Little Early</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If
you have been on a flight in the last fifteen years chances are you
were told to arrive up to two hours early to account for security
checks and the like. If you have ever been a job interview, you have
likely showed up a little early. While a game may not be quite as
important as the two examples above, planning to arrive early is a
good idea. Planning to arrive early not only gives you time if you
get stuck in traffic or have to detour for some reason, but also
gives you time to hang out with the other players and chat before the
game. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">I
know that sometimes you simply can't plan to be to the game early.
Real life happens and most of us have jobs that end at a certain
time. If you can't arrive early try to arrive on time, if you know
you won't be on time (or you won't be able to show up) let someone in
the group know.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>8:
Bring Food and Drinks</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">In
my experience, most games tend to occur later in the day and last for
several hours. In both these cases there is a good chance you will
wind up getting hungry or thirsty during the game. Instead of waiting
to get hungry then ordering pizza or take out, try bringing your own
food and drinks. If you have your own food and drinks you won't have
to stop the game to order food. While bringing your own food means
less time stopping the game, it can also be cheaper than ordering
take out.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">An
idea to consider when it comes to food and drink is having the group
take turns bringing munchies and drinks. One week one player brings
munchies and another brings drinks. Each week two different people
get the job of providing these things. This can help spread the cost
around and is also a great way to promote camaraderie at the gaming
table.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>7:
Let Other People Have a Turn</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">Some
players can absolutely dominate a game by never allowing anyone else
to do the talking. This kind of person will tell everyone what their
character should do, monopolize conversation with the non player
character and in general not allow anyone to do more than roll dice.
If you are one of these kinds of players try to tone it down a bit.
Instead of jumping up to take charge, encourage other players to make
decision.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">Some
people are naturally more inclined and capable of speaking up and
making decisions. There is nothing wrong with that. However, when you
monopolize a game you are depriving anyone else of the chance to
learn and grow in the game. The worst that can happen is someone
makes a bad choice and someone (or everyone) dies. This is not the
end of the world and creates a great opportunity for people to learn
what not to do in the future.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>6:
Speak Up Once in a While</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">The
exact opposite of those who won't ever let anyone talk are those who
refuse to ever talk at all. When someone won't talk during the game
everyone else begins to wonder if they are enjoying the game or care
about what is going on. I get that not everyone is gifted with the
ability to articulate clearly, but this doesn't mean you don't have
something valuable to say. It can be a bit hard to do the first
couple times, but if you speak up once in a while you will probably
get a bit more out of the game.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">If
you are too intimidated to speak up<b>,</b> start
small. If you disagree with a decision the party is making say so and
explain why. Everyone may not agree with you, but if you do this
often enough the rest of the group will start to listen to you more.
It can be tough to put yourself out there, but if you do, you will
likely find the game more enjoyable.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>5:
Accept that Bad Things Happen</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">No
matter how much you stack your characters abilities to be really good
at something there will always be a chance of failure. When you fail
don't allow that to get you frustrated or angry. It can really suck
to have one of those nights where every single die roll seems to work
against you. When this happens try to keep your head up and remind
yourself it is just a game. The last thing anyone wants at the table
is for someone to throw a fit over a bad die roll.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">Don't
mistake accepting bad things happening to mean you should let the
game master roll right over you. There are a lot of game masters that
get a lot of pleasure out of mopping the floor with the party. When
this kind of thing happens on a consistent basis, call the GM out.
They may not be aware they are doing it and it can make for a better
game. You can read an article I wrote about bad game masters<a href="http://saynoto4e.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-deal-with-problem-gm.html" target="_blank"> here.</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>4:
Be Nice to New Players</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">We
all started out as new players once without a clue about which dice
to roll. When a new player is showing interest in the game and joins
your group<b>, </b>try
to be nice to them. I have seen a lot of new players lose interest in
the game because people treated them like they were stupid. If
instead, people had taken the time to explain how things worked and
showed some patience those new players would have turned into
experienced players and added to the gaming community.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">One
thing you can do is volunteer to be your group's new player helper.
When you do this you are taking on the role of helping new players
figure out how to play. Not only can this be a chance to show someone
else how to play, but it can be a chance for you to refresh your
memory on different aspects of the game.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>3:
Understand the Game</b></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">some
role playing games have a bewildering amount of rules and expansions.
This can make mastering those rules a bit intimidating. Before
throwing up your hands in defeat look for any resources that are
designed to make the rules easier to understand. Most systems have
some kind of rules-lite
book or a book meant for beginning players (like the Pathfinder
Strategy Guide). If this kind of resource is not available ask other
players about the rules and takes some notes.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">The
thing to keep in mind is that you're not going to learn all these
rules in one sitting. I have been playing role playing games for a
long time and I still don't know all the rules. When I have a rules
question I ask other people about it. If they don't have an answer I
look in the book to see what I can find. Understanding the game is
far more of process than a destination so don’t get discouraged if
you feel like you're not getting the rules down by session three.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b>2:
Be Prepared</b></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b>Life
is chaotic at the best of times. There are days when it will seem
like everything is conspiring against playing. For this reason it is
recommended that a player prepare themselves with everything they
need well ahead of time. I have a backpack I use for the gaming
books, dice, and other things I tend to use most often. This means
that I can leave the house and show up at the game with everything I
need to play and don't have to fumble around when I need to double
check a rule or clarify a point of contention.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">By
being prepared you will see that the game runs more smoothly for you.
When the game runs more smoothly for you, it can and probably will
run more smoothly for everyone else. By having your character sheet
current, having the rule books you need to use, having your dice in a
bag, and having the other things you need, you don't have to spend
near as much time asking other people to provide those for you and
this is a good thing.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;"><b><br />1:
Invest in the Game</b></span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">I
can't stress too much the importance of this aspect of the game. I
realize that most rule books are in the sixty dollar range now and
that can seem beyond a person's means. However, looking at the price
of the book is the wrong way to approach the subject. Yes, that shiny
new rule book with the new book smell costs sixty dollars, but when
the cost of the rule book is split among the hours of entertainment
that rule book provides, there are few things that are as cost
effective. A rule book will last years (if not decades as is the case
with some of my books) and in the time they are owned they will be
used time and time again.</span></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /><br />
</span></div>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-size: small;">If
you really can't afford a rule book there is a chance you can still
afford dice, pencils, and other things. Try to see if you can work
out a trade with someone who can. The idea here is that by buying
into the game you will feel more invested in the game itself and thus
the role playing experience will be more rewarding.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-51791480121988203472016-05-11T06:16:00.002-07:002016-05-11T06:16:58.910-07:00Frayed Ends of Sanity(Rules for Sanity in Pathfinder RPG)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPWOm0SoWbvxQzgQstRg7yOGgYstFY5YSNSTeN9QSl3Z4k2_jzBKSWqNWurXql3MH5GmFbhg9mSxzjOniyV1tMYRgsQjbU1Ma44xymDPI9_ylfb2AMozV_gHSllrXNwbAUOaZjqGhlXE/s1600/yellowsign.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHPWOm0SoWbvxQzgQstRg7yOGgYstFY5YSNSTeN9QSl3Z4k2_jzBKSWqNWurXql3MH5GmFbhg9mSxzjOniyV1tMYRgsQjbU1Ma44xymDPI9_ylfb2AMozV_gHSllrXNwbAUOaZjqGhlXE/s400/yellowsign.JPG" width="341" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Outside of a few special sources, the Pathfinder Role Playing Game (PFRPG) as with most fantasy RPG's doesn't really deal with the idea of sanity. While I have heard rumors the next adventure path will have sanity rules, the game I currently run on Thursday nights needs those rules now. Considering this fact and given my general interest in the role of mental trauma and insanity in RPG's I have decided to create my own sanity rules.</div>
<br />
<b>What is Insanity?</b><br />
<br />
The definition of sanity is "the state of being seriously mentally ill, madness". While this is indeed the definition of sanity, the question is how does that work as a system in a role playing game. How do we accurately reflect sanity in a game that has ability stats, skill checks, combat modifiers etc. For insanity to work as a mechanic in a RPG it has to have some kind of balance. This can be a bit tricky given the entire concept of insanity is about unbalance. This might be why there are not a lot of rules regarding sanity in RPG's outside of Call of Cthulu (where it's a foregone conclusion that someone, if not everyone, is going to go insane). Considering all of this I am going to define Insanity in the following way.<br />
<br />
Insanity is an ability score used to reflect a characters reaction to mental trauma and exposure to realities beyond their ability to comprehend. This score will give a player an idea of how sane their character is and what kind of effects loosing sanity over time will have. The sanity score will work as a means of giving a character modifiers to various actions where a persons sanity would have a potential effect on the outcome.<br />
<br />
<b>Why Sanity and Insanity?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I am sure some people will wonder why I am bothering with these rules in the first place. The reason I am creating sanity rules is there are times when the characters will encounter things that are simply more than their minds can grasp. When this happens the character is forced to confront a reality that their mind is not prepared for. No matter who a character is there are just some things that you shouldn't confront. When a character confronts those things there is a consequence.<br />
<br />
While I believe that insanity is best handled by role-playing, it can be difficult for some players to do this without some idea of what they should be doing. While any system will have it's flaws, in my experience having a system to cover this particular situation is a benefit both to myself as a Game Master and to my players. By having these rules both the GM and players have a set of guidelines that they can use to mechanically reflect an important element to some stories.<br />
<br />
If you don't feel like sanity is a necessary part of a campaign that's fine, you don't have to use these rules. However, if you have ever given thought to including concepts from things such as Lovecraftian stories, extreme horror encounters, and the like than you might like what I have come up with.<br />
<br />
<b>Measuring Sanity</b><br />
To measure a characters sanity a player will add their Wisdom and Charisma modifiers plus 10. As with all other ability scores sanity will have a modifier based on the score as follows.<br />
<br />
0 and below - The character is permanently insane and can no longer be played as a PC.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
1: -5</div>
2-3: -4<br />
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4-5: -3</div>
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6-7: -2</div>
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8-9: -1</div>
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10-11: +0</div>
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12-13: +1</div>
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14-15: +2</div>
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16-17: +3</div>
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18-19: +4</div>
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20-21: +5</div>
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22-23: +6</div>
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24-25: +7</div>
<br />
<b>The Sanity Check</b><br />
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A sanity check is a roll of a d20 with the sanity score modifier added or subtracted from the result. Each sanity check will have an assigned DC. Note, some sanity checks will be automatically failed with no chance of success.</div>
<br />
<b>When to use Sanity Checks</b><br />
<br />
A sanity check should be used anytime a PC or NPC is confronted with mental trauma or something that challenges their understanding of the base nature of their world. For example a PC trapped in a room of half eaten corpses would need to make a sanity check.<br />
<br />
<b>Sanity Check DCs</b><br />
<br />
Sanity checks should only be done on circumstances that are 15 or higher unless the Game Master feels a need to have a character make a sanity check of a lower DC. The following list is not all inclusive.<br />
<br />
Some examples of instances that would require a sanity check<br />
<br />
Watching a friend be tortured: DC 15<br />
Causing the death of a friend: DC 15<br />
Committing cold blooded murder: DC 15<br />
Torturing someone for information: DC 15<br />
Malicious betrayal: DC 15 (see below)<br />
Witnessing the harm of an innocent: DC 15<br />
Enduring torture: DC 15<br />
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<br /></div>
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Enduring sadistic torture: DC 20</div>
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Watching a family member or loved one be tortured: DC 20</div>
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Causing the death of a family member or loved one: DC 20</div>
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Witnessing the death of an innocent: DC 20</div>
<br />
Contact with an alien mind: DC variable (see below)<br />
Encounter with an alien being: DC variable (see below)<br />
Being exposed to profane information: DC variable (see below)<br />
Being possessed: DC variable (see below)<br />
<br />
<i>Being Betrayed:</i> The GM should not require a sanity check on every betrayal a character suffers through. However, when the betrayal is both malicious and pre-meditated and the PC is left in a very bad situation, then a sanity check should be required. An example of a malicious betrayal would be an NPC gaining the trust and confidence of a PC then leading them into a deadly situation and turning on the PC. The DC of this sanity check should be based on the level of trust gained by the NPC and the situation in which the PC is betrayed.<br />
<br />
<i>Contact with an alien mind: </i>This is meant to reflect mind to mind contact with an alien being. While a GM can choose to include mental contact with beings such as devils and demons, it is more intended for contact with Lovecraftian outsiders and other unimaginable horrors. The DC of the sanity check should be based on the relative power of the being being contacted. For example a character contacting a member of a servitor race is going to be a relatively low DC, but if a PC were to contact an Elder God the DC would be nearly impossible to pass.<br />
<br />
<i>Being exposed to profane information: </i>The GM should not require a check for a character being exposed to run of the mill profane information such as texts written by devils. This check is meant to be for times when a PC reads or learns of something truly horrifying. An example would be attempting to read a tome containing rites which would summon a being from beyond time and distance. The difficulty of the DC should be based on the relative power of the information being read or learned.<br />
<br />
<i>Being Possessed: </i>Any time a character is possessed it creates a chance for the character to loose a part of themselves and thus requires a sanity check. However, not all possessions are equal. To calculate the DC of a sanity check caused by possession start at a base of DC 15 and add a +1 modifier for every two hit dice the possessing creature has above the characters level. For example a 4th level fighter is possessed by an 8 HD ghost. The base sanity check is DC 15 with a +2 modifier because of the difference between the character level and monster's hit dice.<br />
<br />
<b>The Effects of Sanity Loss:</b><br />
<br />
Eventually a character is going to fail a sanity check. When this happens their mind becomes a little bit fractured. While one sanity loss is not likely to affect someone very much, repeated sanity check fails will start to take a toll on even the most sane characters. There are three levels of sanity loss, temporary, long term, and permanent. Each level has different effects on the character. The determination of which level of sanity loss the character suffers is determined by the amount the sanity check was failed by.<br />
<br />
Sanity check was failed by less than five points: A loss of 1d2 points of sanity<br />
<br />
Sanity check was failed by more than five points but less than 10: A loss of 1d4 points of sanity and the character gains a temporary insanity effect.<br />
<br />
Sanity check was failed by more than ten points but less than 15: A loss of 1d6 points of sanity and the character gains a long term insanity effect.<br />
<br />
Sanity check was failed by more than 15: A loss of 1d8 sanity points and the character gains a permanent insanity effect.<br />
<br />
<i>temporary insanity effects:</i><br />
Temporary insanity effects are short lived and overcome in a short period of time.<br />
<br />
To determine the temporary insanity effect roll a d6 and consult the following table;<br />
<br />
1 - The character is stunned for 1d4 rounds<br />
2 - The character is dazed for 1d4 rounds<br />
3 - The character is confused (as per the spell) for 1d4 rounds<br />
4 - The character is sickened for 1d4 rounds<br />
5 - The character is immobile for 1d4 rounds<br />
6 - The character falls prone and is unable to get up for 1d4 rounds<br />
<br />
<i>long term insanity effects:</i><br />
<br />
Long term insanity effects last until the character is able to succeed on a daily sanity check. A daily sanity check to recover from a long term insanity effect can not be made until twenty four hours has passed. A daily sanity check can only be attempted once in a twenty four hour period.<br />
<br />
To determine the long term insanity effect roll a d6 and consult the following table;<br />
<br />
1 - The character suffers from nightmares. <br />
<br />
A character suffering from this affliction is cursed with terrifying and unusual dreams that deprive the character of sleep.<br />
<br />
A character afflicted with this insanity effect is unable to rest well and thus unable to regain lost spells, heal from wounds naturally, and unable to regain special class abilities that give a daily allotment of uses (such as a Barbarians rage). Another effect of the lack of sleep is a cumulative -1 penalty per day to Will Saves and wisdom based skill checks(-1 day 1, -2 day 2, etc).<br />
<br />
2 - The character suffers from acute paranoia. <br />
<br />
A character afflicted with this insanity finds it difficult to put their trust in other people. This causes the character to question everyones motives and to respond to even the closest ally with distrust and hostility.<br />
<br />
A character afflicted with this insanity effect is unable to trust other people. This lack of trust results in a -4 modifier to all charisma based skills. Along with the penalty to charisma based skill checks the character must pass a Will save of DC 15 in order to either eat or drink. For every twenty four hour period in which the character was not able to eat or drink they receive a cumulative -1 penalty to all die rolls (-1 day 1, -2 day 2, etc)<br />
<br />
3 - The character becomes easily enraged. <br />
<br />
A character suffering from this effect is easily irritated and feels their temper rise for little reason at all. A character with this insanity effect is often quick to snap at people and can fly into a mindless rage.<br />
<br />
When a character suffering from this effect encounters a situation in which they fail at a skill check or combat roll by more than 10, they fly into a rage. When the character is enraged they are not capable of doing anything but attacking the nearest enemy. If an enemy is not present randomly determine which one of the nearby people (including other PCs) they attack. If no one is present the character will mindlessly attack inanimate objects until they are able to regain their composure.<br />
<br />
The character will be enraged until they succeed in a will save of DC 15. During the rage the character will not be able to use weapons or cast spells. The character also suffers a -2 penalty to all combat checks and is unable to make skill checks.<br />
<br />
4 - The character suffers from acute depression. <br />
<br />
A Character suffering from acute depression finds little joy in life. The character feels a sense of deep and unrelenting melancholy that effects their entire life. A character suffering from this effect sees no point in preparing spells, praying to gods, or even helping their friends.<br />
<br />
While under the effect of acute depression the character is -2 to all die rolls. Along with this penalty the character is unwilling to memorize spells or pray to a deity. Along with being unable to prepare spells or pray a character suffering from acute depression is not able to use any ability that has a daily reset such as ki, rage, and similar abilities.<br />
<br />
5 - The character becomes manic.<br />
<br />
A Manic character is the exact opposite of a depressed character. Where the depressed character finds little to no joy in life, the manic character is filled with positive feelings for nearly everything. A manic character will speak faster, move faster, and respond faster than everyone else.<br />
<br />
While the character is manic they find it nearly impossible to concentrate or sleep but has an unusual amount of stamina and energy.While under the effects of mania, the character receives 10 temporary hit points that come off the bottom and gains a +2 bonus to all saves and skill checks that are based on constitution. Conversely because of the characters inability to rest or concentrate they receive a cumulative penalty of -1 on all die rolls daily (-1 day one, -2 day two, etc.) until the manic effect ends. Along with the -1 penalty to all die rolls the character must succeed at a DC 15 concentration check in order to memorize spells or regain granted abilities.<br />
<br />
6 - Hallucinations.<br />
<br />
A character suffering from hallucinations sees and hears things that do not exist. The line between reality and fantasy become difficult for the character to discern which affects their ability to rationally interact with the real world.<br />
<br />
While a character is affected by hallucinations they are unable to interact with the real world appropriately. Because the character can not tell what is real from what is a hallucination they must make a will save of DC 15 to take any action that requires a roll. The inability to see the world the way it really also incurs a -2 penalty to all intelligence based skills and a -2 penalty to all combat die rolls.<br />
<br />
<i>Permanent Insanity Effects:</i><br />
<br />
Permanent insanity effects occur when a character suffers from a catastrophic mental trauma. This event fractures a characters personality and reality to such a high degree that any chance of recovering from the insanity is incredibly difficult requiring weeks of rest and some kind of treatment (see recovering from sanity loss below).<br />
<br />
Before a GM uses permanent insanity effects they should consider whether or not they are right for the campaign. While permanent insanity effects can add a great deal to the role playing element of the game, they can also create an incredible challenge for some players.<br />
<br />
Permanent Insanity effects have few mechanical penalties as using numbers to reflect such a deep mental wound is difficult. Instead when a player has a character suffering from a permanent insanity the character must succeed in a daily will save. A fail on the save indicates that the player is under the control of the GM for the next twenty four hours. For groups who do not wish to use this rule, it is suggested that the player do their best to role-play the insanity correctly.<br />
<br />
Permanent Insanity Table<br />
<br />
1 - Multiple Personalities<br />
2 - Borderline Personality<br />
3 - Addiction<br />
4 - Paranoia<br />
5 - Amnesia<br />
6 - False Innocence<br />
<br />
Multiple Personality.<br />
<br />
In a character with multiple personalities the character's mind becomes so fractured that it invents several personalities as a means of coping with the trauma. When a character is stricken with this insanity they roll a 1d4 and create that many new characters. These characters can be of any race, class, and gender. Once the player has the characters created any future failed sanity checks results in one of the new personalities taking over. Not only does the character believe that they are someone completely different their entire body changes to match the concept of the new personality.<br />
<br />
<i>example:</i><br />
Bill is playing a human fighter that gains a permanent insanity effect. When this happens bill rolls 1d4 and gets the result of 2. This means Bill has to create 2 new characters. Bill then creates a female halfling thief and a male half orc sorcerer. From this point forward whenever Bill's character fails a sanity check Bill randomly determines which personality is now in charge of the character.<br />
<br />
Borderline Personality<br />
<br />
Borderline personality is often described as Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. When a character is afflicted with this insanity in essence they become two different people. While the character may act as two different people, they differ form those with multiple personalities in the fact that they are fully aware of the actions of the other "half".<br />
<br />
When a character gains this sanity the player chooses an alignment on the evil moral axis. Whenever a character with borderline personality fails a sanity check they act as though they are of the new alignment. The player will stay this way until they either are able to rest or fail another sanity check.<br />
<br />
Addiction<br />
<br />
When some people suffer a mental trauma they turn towards substances or certain behaviors as a means of dealing with things. When a person become reliant on these substances or behaviors it is known as addiction. When a character is addicted they can not function properly unless they are under the effect of their chosen addiction. When they can not use the preferred addiction a character will begin to suffer withdrawal symptoms.<br />
<br />
When a character first gains the addiction insanity they must roll on the addiction table below. Once the addiction is chosen the character must find a source to feed that addiction by succeeding in a knowledge (local) check of DC 15 each day or begin to suffer the effects of withdrawal (see below). Once the character engages in the addictive behavior they may appear and act normal.<br />
<br />
Withdrawal:<br />
<br />
While a character is suffering the effects of withdrawal they receive a daily cumulative penalty of -1 to all die rolls (to a maximum of -5) It is possible for a character to resist addiction by succeeding on a will save of DC 15. For each day beyond the first the character attempts to resist the addiction (or is unable to find a source to feed the addiction) the Will save DC is modified by +1. Thus the first day would be a DC 15, the second day would be a DC 16, the third day DC 17 etc. This check can not exceed a maximum DC of 25. If the character makes this save 28 days in a row then they are clear of the addiction and no longer need to make the will save unless they suffer any sanity loss.<br />
<br />
Addiction Table<br />
<br />
1 - Alcohol; Alcohol is a fairly easy addiction to feed and thus only requires that the character spend money to insure they have a ready source of alcohol. For effects of intoxication see the core rule book.<br />
<br />
2 - Illicit drugs; The character becomes addicted to some kind of illicit drugs. In order to locate a source of their drug of choice the character needs to succeed on a knowledge (local) check of DC 15. A failure indicates an inability to find the drug and withdrawal symptoms begin.<br />
<br />
3 - Sex; The character becomes addicted to sex. The character may either find and pay a prostitute (Knowledge local DC 15) or find a cooperative partner which requires a diplomacy check of DC 20. If the character is unable to find a sexual partner they will begin to suffer the effects of withdrawal.<br />
<br />
4 - Violence; The character becomes addicted to the exhilaration of violence. In order to satisfy this addiction the character must engage in some form of violent activity every day. This does not have to be killing another individual but does have to involve some form of damage against another creature. If a character can not engage in violent behavior they begin to suffer from the effects of withdrawal.<br />
<br />
Paranoia<br />
<br />
A character suffering from paranoia does not trust anyone, believes some unknown person or group is out to get them, thinks their food is poisoned etc. A paranoid character will question everyone they know about their intentions. The character will take extreme steps to make sure they are protected such as block off all doors and windows into their domicile, disguise themselves as someone different and other such behaviors.<br />
<br />
Because a paranoid character is suspicious of everyone they find it incredibly difficult to be around other people. If a paranoid character wishes to be in the presence of other people they must succeed a will save of DC 15. If the save is made they may spend up to twenty four hours in the presence of people before needing to make the will save again. If the paranoid character fails this will save and is unable to flee they must make an immediate insanity check of DC 20. A fail indicates the paranoia becomes overwhelming and the paranoid character will become incredibly hostile (see becoming enraged under long term sanity effects) and will remain so until they are either incapacitated or are able to flee.<br />
<br />
Amnesia<br />
<br />
A character stricken with amnesia can not remember anything about themselves or their history. While the character retains all class abilities they do not remember how they got them. While under the effects of amnesia the character is still able to relearn new spells and gain granted abilities. If a character with amnesia attempts a knowledge check they must first succeed on a will save of DC 15. If the save is successful the character rolls the check like normal. If the character fails they are not allowed to make the knowledge check at all.<br />
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Facade of Innocence<br />
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The horrors the character has experienced have such a profound effect on their psyche that their mind retreats into a false belief in their innocence. A character afflicted with a facade of innocence is unable to see the ugliness of the world and refuses to consider any action that might harm another individual. While on the surface the character may seem to be harmless a roiling mess of emotions lies just underneath the surface. If the character is ever confronted with violence or fails a sanity check they will be required to make a DC 15 will save. If the save is successful the character will continue on acting innocent. If the save fails the facade of innocent crumbles and the character is now a homicidal lunatic.<br />
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If an character suffering from false innocent becomes a homicidal lunatic they feel compelled to murder someone in the next twenty four hours. This murder must be a cold blooded murder of a humanoid (or goblinoid if the character is a goblinoid). Because the character suffers from unconscious guilt the character must make a will save of DC 20 or they will leave some kind of clue as to their identity. After the murder is committed the character will again resume the facade of innocence forgetting about the murder they committed. They will find such an act atrocious and may involve themselves in the investigation to find the perpetrator of such a heinous crime. If this character is confronted with evidence that they are the murderer they must make a sanity check of DC 20 with a failure carrying the normal results.<br /><br /><b>Recovering From Sanity Loss</b><br /><br />Because of the stiff penalties incurred from sanity loss it would be unbalanced to not give PCs some method of recovering from sanity loss. While in the real world dealing with mental illness is still a puzzle we do not fully understand, putting that restriction on a fantasy role playing game is counter productive. While any fantasy world is unlikely to have a better understanding of mental illness than we do in our world, there are tools in a fantasy world that we do not have access to in the real world. These tools include things like healing magic, arcane magic, skill checks, saving throws and more. With these tools available it stands to reason that we should incorporate them in dealing with sanity loss.<br /><br />Recovering from temporary insanity.<br /><br />While all of the temporary insanity effects are fairly short lived, there are times when a character suffering from such an effect could be incredibly detrimental to the party. When a character is suffering from a temporary insanity effect a cure light wounds (or equivalent spell or ability such as lay on hands) can shorten the duration by one round for every hp cured.<br /><br />Recovering from long term insanity<br /><br />A character suffering from long term insanity is allowed a daily saving throw. However, if the character receives a cure moderate wounds spell they are allowed to make an additional saving throw with a +1 bonus granted for every 2 points of healing they receive. If the character succeeds in the saving throw they are no longer afflicted by the long term insanity effect. If the character fails they may attempt the daily saving throw as normal or receive another cure moderate wounds spell.<br /><br />Recovering from permanent insanity<br /><br />Because of the nature of permanent insanity effects, the only way these can be cured by magical means is through a wish or miracle spell. If such a spell is not available then the character must have a full week of rest at which point they may make a will save of DC 20 to regain their sanity. At this point the character is not cured but is no longer under the effects of the insanity. If the character fails a sanity check in the future they will once again fall under the effects of their permanent insanity. <br />
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<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-55682222856699133792016-05-09T11:05:00.002-07:002016-05-09T18:38:51.784-07:00It's All About Back Story Part 1: Ten Questions to Get Started<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">I
still remember the first time I stared at a character sheet. I was
nine years old and after months of begging, my uncle finally agreed to
let me play Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) with him. I don't know if I
knew it then, but that character sheet would be the start of a
lifelong hobby that has been a huge part of my life. In the 30+ years
I have been playing role playing games (RPG's) I have grown as both a
player and a game master (GM). Yet, even today any time I look at a
blank character sheet I feel the exact sense of wonder and mystery I
did at the age of nine.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">For
me, looking at a character sheet is much more than just thinking about
numbers and bonuses. Looking at a character sheet is the first step
in creating an entire person. This person is more than a class, some
saving throws, and combat modifiers. This person has a name, a
family, a homeland, and more. Even when I was nine the greatest
interest to me was the scribbled back story on the back, not the
numbers on the sheet.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">As I
developed my GMing style my love of character back story influenced
how I approached character creation. I wasn't happy with my player's
simply putting down a set of numbers and saying "let's go!".
I wanted something more. I wanted my players to invest time in their
characters by thinking about them beyond a set of numbers. I did this because I believed (and still do) that when a player invests in
their character it becomes more real to them. When a character
becomes more real to a player the dangers of adventuring life become
that much more exciting and this makes the game better.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">The
problem is that not everyone can whip up a back story easily. This would
frustrate me and I would get angry and decide I wasn't going to
GM. Looking back at this immature version of myself, I can see why I wasn't the most
popular GM in my gaming group. The nice thing about age is that it
does bring wisdom. While I might have started as a
demanding brat, my desire to be a good GM forced me to learn how to
improve my own shortcomings.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Over
time I tried a number of ways to help people develop
backgrounds. I used the secondary skills, personality
traits out of the first edition Dungeon Master's Guide, and more. I created thousand of tables that describe everything from parents
through schooling. I read thousand of articles on creating
character background. However, the thing I found most useful, what I go back to time and time again is ten simple
questions.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">These
questions are easy for pretty much anyone to answer. On the rare
occasion someone simply can't (or doesn't want to) create a
background for their character I let it go. It is their character after all. I always
believe that a player who invests in their character will enjoy the
game more, I have also learned I can't force someone to do something
they really don't want to do. However, for those that do I always
have the following questions ready.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b><br />Who
Were your Parents?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Just
like in real life a characters parents will determine a lot about the
character. Maybe the character was born in a small village to parents
who owned a mill. Maybe the character was born to a noble family that
was forced into exile. By answering this question a player will have
the beginning of a character concept that is built on a solid base.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Where
Were you Born?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Again,
like in real life, where you were born has a huge impact on who you
become as a person. If your character was born in a big city they
will have a different set of skills and values than someone born on
the frontier of a growing kingdom. If your struggling answering this
question look a map of the world or the DM's campaign and pick a spot
that looks interesting. Maybe your character was born on the edge of
the dark wood or maybe they were born in the city of the wizard
tyrant Hermicules. By having a place that your character more or less
calls home you will be able to determine a lot about the person.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Who were your Friends?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Our
friends shape us and we shape them. Maybe you had dozens of friends
or maybe you didn't have any. When people look back on their lives
they not only remember the event, but they remember the people they
were with at the time and who weren't and this influences their view
of the world. If your struggling here think back on some of your own
friends (or people who were not your friends) and think of how they
made you feel. Did the make you feel smart? Good looking? Funny?
Ugly? Dumb? When you answer these questions think of how it has
influenced you today. Now do the same thing for your character.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Have you had Any Romantic Relationships?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">There
is not a more confusing aspect to everyone's lives than love. Love is
that thing that all of us never really understand but we spend a lot
of our time trying to. When it comes to character background this is
probably one of the most under used aspects of life. Don't be sacred
to have a character that has had a couple of relationships in their
past. Maybe they left home hoping to earn the respect of a potential
spouses parents. Maybe the character lost their love to a rival and
is now trying to get as far away from that pain as possible. Romantic
relationships are something that can be a lot of fun to put in a
background. Conversely lack of these kind of relationships can lead
to an entirely different look on life.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>What,
if any, Traumas Have you Suffered?</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Trauma
and getting hurt is a part of life. You can't escape being hurt in
the modern world and in a world roughly based of the middle ages,
trauma was even more common. Perhaps your parents dies in a fire or
your best friend drowned in the river or your entire village was
slaughtered by orcs. Take a moment to think about the kinds of
traumas your character might have suffered and how these have
effected them through their life. Thinking of trauma is an
uncomfortable experience so don't spend to much time here, just
enough to give your character a bit of depth.<br /><br /><b>Who were your
Mentors?</b><br /><br />Mentors are those people who instilled some kind
of value and knowledge on us. While parents do count as mentors, this
question is aimed more at the other people in a characters life who
took the time to teach them things. A player doesn't have to think of
everyone who could count as a mentor, just one or two who helped
shape who the character is. Maybe the militia captain trained the
character how to use a sword, maybe the weird old guy at the end of
the village taught a character about various herbs in the forest. The
best way to do this is to decide who taught the character the skills
their class required.<br /><br /><b>What do you Want Out of
Life?</b><br /><br />Everyone has at least some vague idea of what they
want out of life and your character is no different. This is probably
one of the harder questions to answer, but it doesn't have to be to
detailed. Maybe your character wants to be rich some day or maybe
your character wants to earn a noble title. By giving some thought to
this question you give your character a goal to reach for that will
influence the choices you make in your adventuring life. If, for
example, your character is pursuing a noble title, they would be more
likely to try and do favors for the nobility they encounter. You
might not ever see your character reach their goal, but that doesn't
mean they shouldn't have one.<br /><br /><b>What are you Afraid
of?</b><br /><br />Everyone has some kind of fear and we tend to go to
great lengths to avoid confronting them. This is beyond the stuff
like spiders or lightning, but instead is about concepts like failing
or bringing dishonor to their parents. This is another one of those
hard questions to answer, but answering it will tell you how your
character is going to react when confronted by certain situations. A
character who is afraid of failure may not take risks when they are
unsure of the result. A character who doesn't want to dishonor their
family might try to hide a crime they committed. Knowing what your
character fears will help act as a guide when your role-playing in
certain situations.<br /><br /><b>Why are you an Adventurer?</b><br />Very
few people in the real world would choose to strap on a sword and go
out into the world to face death on a nearly daily basis and a
fantasy world is no different. While this may be true for a majority
of the people in a fantasy world, this is not true of your character
and there is a reason for it. Maybe your character is adventuring
because they want to bring vengeance to the evil warlord who led the
orcs that slaughtered the characters village. Maybe your character
wants to earn renown so great that the parents of their love happily
allow them to marry. You don't have to try to be overly original here
either. A simple reason such as "I want to find a lot of gold"
is just as good as any reason. It doesn't matter what the reason is,
just that your character does have a reason.<br /><br />The above ten
questions are by no means all inclusive, but they will help get the
ball rolling. Keep in mind you don't have to write a novel detailing
every day of a characters life but instead are looking for broad
strokes that begin painting a picture. Most likely your character is
going to start out kind of young and with luck there is a lot of
living for your character to do. While developing a character
background is a little work, in the end it will make for a more
rewarding play experience.<br /><br />Do you have questions you like to
answer for your characters? Are you a GM that uses a different method
for creating backgrounds? Feel free to sound off in the comments
below and let me know.</span></span></span></div>
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DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-49667405794071294532016-05-09T10:22:00.001-07:002016-05-10T12:14:19.562-07:00Girls in Gaming: What they Bring to the Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfm8okU30Dqb3pKuiEpthLTSyYDGGLu1QljAI6zikJaIO92tP4_N3kpWNRemdEjFTXPNW8F9BiXYOxym0htVcEUR7z1B14_KR1iTWEnGDCABN_vZRu5tcLyl9i_of6lZ84CQHLBnt-zY/s1600/gamermom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfm8okU30Dqb3pKuiEpthLTSyYDGGLu1QljAI6zikJaIO92tP4_N3kpWNRemdEjFTXPNW8F9BiXYOxym0htVcEUR7z1B14_KR1iTWEnGDCABN_vZRu5tcLyl9i_of6lZ84CQHLBnt-zY/s1600/gamermom.JPG" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: white;">I was about halfway through the first draft of this article when I had a bit of a sudden realization. In the first article I was listing ten things that women bring to the table. I was excited about this idea because I felt it was a great way to show how different women are and how their approach to gaming is different. Then I realized that I was pretty much doing the exact thing I want other people to stop doing. I was explaining women like they are some alien species that needs to justify their place at the table. When I realized this I felt like a complete idiot.</span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;">There I was being Mr. self-satisfied mansplainer thinking that I was doing women some kind of service with my thoughts about how they are different. I was arrogantly thinking that I was somehow gonna point out the difference between men and women and that would make the gaming table a better place for women to be. Sometimes my arrogance astounds me. Thankfully I am learning how to think about things differently. It's a slow process and I am going to make some mistakes, but I am trying.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span><span style="color: white;">Yes, men and women are different, but this shouldn't be the focus at the table. We shouldn't look at a woman joining a game as some kind of invasion or as an opportunity to flex our rules knowledge. Nor should we expect a woman to live up to the ideal that we have in our heads. Instead we should do our best to look at women as simply another gamer and treat them as such. This isn't going to be easy but if we try to do it I think that a gaming table will be better for it.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;">Imagine for a second if a guy walks up to a gaming table. The dudes there are not going to be thinking about things like "can he play the game?" or "Does he know the rules?" in fact we are pretty much going to assume that they already know how to play the game unless they tell us differently. Why can't we do this with women too? Why do we feel a need to see a woman approach and suddenly bust out the mansplaining voices that pretty much say "don't worry you simple little woman I will help you!"?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;">Does every single Game Master do this when a woman comes to the table? No, but I have seen enough of them do it, have done it enough times myself, that I do know it happens a lot. I get why this happens, women in gaming is still a somewhat unusual thing and there is this natural assumption that they don't know anything. I don't know when or if this will ever completely go away, but I want it to.<br /><br />I started out this series of articles with this idea that I was going to champion the cause of women in gaming. I was going to show everyone what a sensitive forward thinking guy I was. Instead what I have discovered is that women don't need a guy to blaze a path for them, they need community to simply say "Welcome to the table now let's game!"<br /><br />So what do women bring to the table? The same thing we all bring to the table, a character sheet, some dice, and a willingness to spend some time with other people playing let's pretend.<br /><br />I want to give a shout of thanks to my friend Melody Dickson for looking the article over and making sure I didn't make to many egregious grammar mistakes.<br /><br />She also suggested an article about the unique traits that women bring to a game would be a good idea. I would like to hear what other people think. Feel free to let me know how you feel about this article and if there is anything you would like me to talk about. Until next time be well :)</span></span><br />
<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-57115543033898807812016-05-06T07:23:00.002-07:002016-05-06T07:25:56.188-07:00How to deal with a Problem GM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">In my
time as an RPG player I have read countless articles on how to deal
with problem players, how to be a better player etc. While I have
found many of these article to be incredibly useful, I don't recall
ever seeing an article on how to deal with a problem game master. I
get this, after all the number of players willing to take on the role
of game master is fairly small and most gamers are pretty happy to
simply have a game to play in. The problem is that there are bad game
masters and a lot of players don't know what to do about the problem.
While I am not all knowing and have my share of bad game mastering
habits, this article (and likely a couple follow up ones) is my
attempt to help people dealing with a problem GM navigate a fairly
intimidating situation.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Because
of the rather subjective experience of player and game master
interaction, it is rather hard to say "this is what makes a bad
GM". Instead of going that route I am going to list a few types
of "bad GM's" discuss why they are a problem and offer
suggestions on how to deal with them. Keep in mind I am not all
knowing. While I have been playing RPG's since the age of nine, I do
not know everything there is to know about every game ever played. If
I miss something feel free to let me know.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Mr.
Entitled,</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Entitled is the GM who thinks just because he is the GM everyone
should kiss his butt and thank him for taking the time to run a game.
This person generally acts like everyone at the table owes him
something simply because he is there and willing to run a game. This
kind of GM will insist the players bring him food, drinks, etc. and
if you don't he will punish you in some way ranging from in game harm
to threatening to kick you out of the game. Mr. Entitled will also do
things like insist you show up on time or you won't be allowed to
play or get angry when you miss a game. The biggest problem with
this guy is that he is often one of the few Game Masters in town and
knows it. This has led him to believe that he is needed more than the
players are and his attitude shows it.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">My
first suggestion on how to improve things with Mr. Entitled is
explain how you feel. This might backfire and make him mad, but at
the same time there is a chance he will hear what you are saying. In
my experience Mr. Entitled types genuinely want to run a good game
and are not above hearing out a player. While talking things out with
your GM is always a good idea, try to approach the subject in as
friendly a way as possible. Mr. Entitled often feels like you
owe <i>him</i> something so when you want to contradict
this idea he can be a bit put off.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">The
biggest issue with Mr. Entitled is that he is generally the only GM
you know. When this is the case, the best way to solve the situation
is to find another GM to play with. Hang out at a game store for a
bit, meet other player's and you will likely meet other GM's who will
be happy to invite you into their game. This is likely going to make
Mr. Entitled a bit grumpy but it will also let him know he is not the
only act in town. This might not solve the problem with him but it
will give you another option and sometimes that is the best option.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Mr.
Winner,</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Winner is the GM who thinks that the game is a competition between
himself and the players. This guy seems to have entirely missed the
concept that the game is intended to be a cooperative
experience and wants to turn it into a competition. Generally this
kind of GM wants to prove that they are the smartest person at the
table and will go to some extreme lengths to prove it. He will often
omit important information on purpose, add abilities and hit points
to monsters, and other similar things that are designed to give him
the edge. Perhaps the most frustrating thing about Mr. Winner is that
he will do all this under the guise of providing "challenging
content" which is a bunch of BS because most games are already
balanced to be challenging without the GM having to make them
tougher.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Winner is a tough nut to crack when you want to see a change in the
game. This guy doesn't look at the players and fellow contributors
but rather as adversaries. For this reason he will often turn the
conversation into an argument which he can "win". This of
course means that getting him to hear your complaint will be a bit of
a waste of time.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Instead
of trying to get Mr. Winner to see your point of view I would suggest
asking him to help you be a better player. While Mr. Winner wants to
win, he also loves showing off his mastery of the rules. By asking
him to help you be a better player you are talking to him in a
language he can understand. While this might not improve the
situation greatly it will give you a look into how he thinks and this
can be useful. I wish I had better advice for this guy, if one of you
reading this has a good idea, please let me know.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Mr.
Power Trip,</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Power Trip is a lot like Mr. Winner only worse. This guy doesn't even
pretend to be providing you with an appropriate challenge. He is the
master of his world and you are simple pawns in his game. Mr. Power
trip is the guy who throws a ten hit die invulnerable demon at a
first level party and laughs as he kills every character. He isn't a
lot of fun to play with because you seldom achieve much with your
character.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">When
it comes to dealing with Mr. Power Trip I honestly don't have a lot
of advice. This kind of person tends to enjoy the power of game
mastering to much to ever let it go and is normally quite resistant
to change. The best way to handle him is to either grin and bear it
while you focus on enjoying character creation or to simply quit his
game. You can try talking to him and explain that you feel his
encounters are to overwhelming. If he does listen he is still
probably going to power trip in other ways but at least the
encounters become a bit more fair.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Mr.
Awesome,</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Awesome is the GM who always has an NPC that is five thousand times
as cool as any of your characters. In a game run by Mr. Awesome you
will spend a lot of time watching his NPC's do cool things and
encountering his past characters who achieved world shattering
things. Mr. Awesome will often treat the other characters like side
kicks while regaling you with tales of his NPC's. It won't matter how
good your character is, his NPC will always be better.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">The
thing with Mr. Awesome is that a lot of times he simply wants to be
able to play the game too. While the previously mentioned types of GM
relish the role of Game Mastering, Mr. Awesome would generally rather
be a player. A lot of the times his NPC's are characters he wants to
run in games but he doesn't have anyone to run games for him.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">My
suggestion for dealing with Mr. Awesome is to find a time to talk
with him one on one. Don't tell him that his characters are bad, but
do tell him you often feel over shadowed by his NPC's and would like
a chance for your character to shine. In my experience if you
approach Mr. Awesome tactfully and without accusation he is willing
to change things a bit. Maybe he will drop his NPC out of the group
or maybe he will find a way to make sure everyone gets some
spotlight.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Another
thing I would suggest for Mr. Awesome is to run a game for him or
find a game he can play in. a lot of times this will help Mr. Awesome
feel a bit less like he has to run his characters as NPC's and
instead give him a chance to actually play. While I can't speak for
every Mr. Awesome out there, I do know that being given an
opportunity to play helped me out.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><b>Mr.
Attached,</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">Mr.
Attached is the GM who significant other in the game as well. While
most of the time this isn't a problem there are times when Mr.
Attached can show some incredible favoritism toward his significant
other. When this happens the significant other genreally has the best
character, the best gear, a more intimate knowledge of how the game
world works, and other benefits everyone else is denied.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">The
biggest problem you will have with trying to talk to Mr. Attached is
that you are asking them to detach their feelings for someone very
important to them. This is not easy for anyone even under the best of
circumstances and for Mr. Attached it might be even harder. A lot of
times Mr. Attached is afraid that if he doesn't show favoritism his
significant other will not like the game or get mad at him. While it
doesn't help make the game better for you, it can also be hard to
approach the subject in the first place.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">I
really don't know what to suggest someone do in this situation. While
I am generally about talking things out in a gaming group this
particular situation can be kind of tricky to navigate. Mr. Attached
is probably going to be defensive of his significant other and
anything that sounds like an insult to her is not going to be met
well. If you do decide to talk about the problem do so in as mellow a
way as possible. Make sure it is understood that your not asking him
to pick a side nor are you asking him to punish his significant
other. Instead do your best to explain what you would like to see
different. Instead of focusing on the favrotism, focus more on how to
make your character on par with Mrs. attached. Again this is a tricky
situation and not one I would want to navigate.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Final
Thoughts:</b></i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">While
there are plenty of other types of problem GM's, this article has
gone on for long enough now. I will likely do a follow up article or
two and perhaps spend some time really digging into each kind of
problem GM. For now though I hope this has helped both player's and
GM's understand the various kind of game masters players can find
frustrating.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;">If
you have a particular problem GM you would like to see discussed or
have an experience you would like to share, please sound off in the
comments either here on the blog or on my Facebook post. If you think
I am wrong or just plain stupid, feel free to let me know that too.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-80975209691930527842016-05-04T08:38:00.001-07:002016-05-04T08:38:55.379-07:00Product Review: Monster, Monster, Vampires by Nuelow Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL3VAkW5Te1PapOgqT5j3MeVEK_2t88vH3FISCVS8nR2sZMU1G07SpGmp71CyIAGw4tCsgtbpV-_bEUoMfa3qEzaSpyIz9zpIFkh7_-S0A2KbOw1580EgwRgds2AeWPqAF2MEclfeQmU/s1600/vampiresvampireseverywhere.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjL3VAkW5Te1PapOgqT5j3MeVEK_2t88vH3FISCVS8nR2sZMU1G07SpGmp71CyIAGw4tCsgtbpV-_bEUoMfa3qEzaSpyIz9zpIFkh7_-S0A2KbOw1580EgwRgds2AeWPqAF2MEclfeQmU/s400/vampiresvampireseverywhere.JPG" width="306" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Product Review</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Monster, Monster, Vampires</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the best parts about the existence of the OGL is that it has allowed for a lot of independently produced products. While a lot of these "off bran" products can be hit or miss, I have never run across an indie product that didn't give me some ideas for a new character, a new campaign, building on an old one and other useful tidbits. For this reason I have been a big supporter of small press gaming publishers. One of the best parts about deciding to do the game design thing full time is it is giving me time to do a lot of things I have always wanted to do. One of those things is doing product reviews on small press releases. <br />
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I have been a fan of Nuelow Games for a while now and purchases several of their products. Their mix of pulp comic goodness and gaming material appeals to me on several levels. Their price point is beyond fair and I have never been disappointed by one of their offerings. This meant I was super excited to be offered a chance to review their latest product Monster, Monster, Vampires.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Overview:</i><br /><br />Monster, Monster, Vampire is about doing more with a vampire than simply making them the high level boss at the end of a dungeon. It starts out with a very well done comic titled "The Vampyre" created by Ed Fedory & Pablo Marcos that features a vampire who falls victim to a hemophiliac. I won't give away more because you really should read it. The comic alone made this product worth the price, but it gets better. <br /><br />After the first comic we are treated to some interesting OGL content that goes beyond "here are some vampires go kill them. Andrew Pavlides and Steve Miller take the vampire and change it up to give enterprising GM's five different variant vampires to throw into the mix. Without revealing to much (again you really should read the book for yourself) the five vampires included in the book can easily fit into just about any campaign. Not only are these variants different monsters, but they can work to give a campaign its own feel and theme.<br /><br />After the variant vampires are some adventure seeds titled Vampire tales. The three tales presented in the book give a GM some solid material to work the new vampire variants into an existing campaign. Just after the adventure seeds there is a table for unusual vampire weaknesses and immunities which is just screaming to be used. I think my favorite was Black Anne but all three were well done and I will likely use them in a horror campaign sometime in the near future.<br /><br />Finally, Monster, Monster, Vampire wraps itself up with another comic. Again I don't want to reveal to much of the story but I have always wondered about how many vampires have human "canteens" (insert maniacal laughter). Overall Monster, Monster, Vampire is a worthwhile and entertaining read.<br /><br /><b><i>The Good:</i></b><br />The Art (4 out of 5) - One of the things I like about this book and the other offerings from Nuelow Games is the art. It has an awesome old school pulp vibe to it that takes me back in time. While the art does have a pulp vibe it is still modern and well done.<br /><br />The Crunchy Bits (4 out of 5) - I feel like the mechanics of the new variants are well balanced. I also think that the way the variants are presented makes creating a new and interesting vampire encounter pretty easy. After reading them once I had a good idea of what each variant did and how to use it in an encounter.<br /><br />Flavor (3.5 out of 5) - I am actually breaking the flavor rating into two parts. The art I would actually give a 4 out of 5 rating to as far as flavor and mood go. It might just be me, but I dig the whole pulp style it has going on and I think it really adds a unique element to Nuelow's products. However, when it comes to the overall flavor of the book I have to give it a 3 out of 5. I don't give it this rating because of anything wrong, I do it because vampires are vampires are vampires. While I think they did an excellent job at creating interesting variants, at the end of the day we are still talking vampires and vampires are far from new or cutting edge. With that said, Nuelow did an excellent job taking this subject on from a new perspective.<br /><br />Value (5 out of 5) - While there are a lot of inexpensive products out there, I think Nuelow hits the perfect balance between quality and cost. Monster, Monster, Vampire is completely affordable and you get a lot out of it for your money. If every indy company worked as hard to provide this kind of quality for this kind of price the RPG market would be better for it.<br /><br /><b><i>The Bad:</i></b><br />Depth (2 out of 5) - The only real knock I have against Monster, Monster, Vampires is that I felt it could have been a bit deeper. While I think the idea of introducing a few variants was a good one and I think the execution was very well done, I would have liked to see more. However, Nuelow is about the quick hit and leaves the GM a lot of room to make their own stuff out of the book.<br /><br /><b><i>Final Verdict:</i></b><br />Overall I am giving Monster, Monster, Vampire a 4 out of 5 rating. The artwork is well done and something I want to see more of. The crunch of the book is easy to understand and use. The flavor is interesting enough to give some inspiration. Finally, I can't say enough about the value of the book. In the end this is a product I was happy to have some time to read and is something I will definitely use in my game sometime soon.<br /><br />If you want to pick up a copy of Monster, Monster, Vampire (or any of the other Nuelow Games offerings) you can check it out at: <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/182090/Monster-Monster-Vampires?term=Nuelow+Monster%2C+Monster%2C+Va" target="_blank">RPG Now</a><br /><br />If you would like me to review a product feel free to let me know.<br /><br /><br /><br />
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DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-81450148846466820742016-05-03T09:39:00.000-07:002016-05-03T09:39:25.017-07:00Girls and Gaming: Part 1: Why We Need to have this Conversation in the First Place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Women in Gaming Part 1:<br />Why we need to have this conversation in the first place</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
When I had this concept suggested as an article to write I wasn't sure what I would do with it. I had some ideas on where to go and I had some ideas I thought would make a good article. All of those disappeared when I did a google image search on the term "Women in Gaming Memes". I don't know what I was expecting, but what I got was a bit of a slap in the face.</div>
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The above picture shows a small sampling of some of the memes I got. As I browsed through a random collection of outright objectification, dismissal of women's intelligence, poorly disguised revenge fantasies, and the occasional positive meme, I realized that I had a subject that I not only wanted to write about, but needed to. While I wish it wasn't the case, the gaming community needs to have a serious conversation about women and their place in gaming.<br />
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Before I get to deep in this conversation I am going to explain what this article (and the ones that follow it) won't be. These articles are not going to be some kind of anti-man rant. They won't be about how much men suck, how much women suck, how much anyone sucks. These articles won't be about how to pick up girls, make girls like you, or anything like that. Instead these articles are going to be an attempt to bring a serious issue into the light. I want people to start talking about this stuff. I want to make gaming tables all across the world a better place for women to be. I want this because those girl gamers people are objectifying and calling stupid happen to be my wife, my daughters, and my friends. <br />
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I will be honest, I feel a bit strange writing about this. I am not a woman, I will never be a woman unless you count playing a female character on occasion. I feel like this issue is something that a woman would be far better at articulating than me. However, part of the problem is that there are not enough women in the gaming community. Not only are there not enough women in the gaming community, there are even fewer who are willing to stand up and point this problem out. Yes, there are some, and those brave individuals have my utmost respect. Yet, I can't let them fight this battle alone. Some day my daughters are going to be at someones table and I want that table to be a good place to be.<br />
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I really don't know the best place to start this conversation. This issue is a lot bigger than I originally thought. In fact, this whole thing is a bit intimidating. Yet, even though I am a bit scared of the topic, I have to start somewhere and that somewhere is here on this blog. I really wish I didn't have to have this conversation, but the fact is I do.<br />
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<strike>The reason I need to have this</strike> <i>WE </i>need to have this conversation because there is a very real problem. Women are being emotionally (and sometimes physically) assaulted by men <i>and </i>women in the gaming community. Somehow gaming has become a vestige of male of anger towards women and this is not okay. Gaming has become a thinly disguised realm of female objectification and this is not okay either. If we keep ignoring these things or expecting someone else to fix it, this will continue to be a problem. I can't accept that, I won't accept that, finally you shouldn't accept it either.<br />
<br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-12269013487400177962016-04-28T11:37:00.003-07:002016-04-28T11:37:57.221-07:00Hook Line and Sinker: Short Adventure Hooks Number 1 A Twist on the Iconic Bandit Attack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A Twist on the Iconic Bandit Attack</b></div>
<br />Outside of the Inn, there may not be another iconic start to any adventure than being hired as guards for a caravan. When you look at the nature of most fantasy role playing games this actually makes a lot of sense. Caravans offer several things. One, they offer a chance for the characters to meet. Two they offer a great way to move the characters from location to another. Third, they offer a great way to add a couple of encounters in to either spice things up a bit or increase the party's wealth and experience. For these reasons guarding a caravan makes for a very useful tool in an Game Master's arsenal.<br /><br />The problem with the entire "You get hired to guard a caravan" adventure hook is a lot of Game Master's overlook a prime opportunity to introduce encounters that are beyond the rather blase attacks by bandits or bands of humanoids. Don't get me wrong here, there is nothing wrong with the tried and true bandit attack. They offer a fairly challenging fight, tend to yield a bit of treasure, and can be a great way to build party identity. However, after about the tenth attack from a band of bandits even the most slaughter happy party is going to want something a little different.<br /><br /><br />The goal of this article is to give GM's a little help in creating interesting encounters that go beyond the standard bandit attack. The following hooks are designed to be used for a fairly general fantasy campaign and should be easy to adjust and modify how the GM sees fit.<br /><br /><b>1:</b> Bandits within the caravan.<br /><br />This encounter offers a slight twist on the standard bandit attack encounter. The number and power of bandits within the caravan should be roughly equal to the party. The number of bandits that will attack at the designated area should not exceed the number of party members and any other friendly combatants the DM wishes to include within the caravan. The bandits within the caravan should be of similar race to the party, but the bandits in wait can be of any race.<br /><br />Along with the characters a group of would be bandits has hired on for guard duty as well. The bandits intend to slowly take out any other guards. At this point the bandits plan to have another part of their band attack the caravan and kill off all the merchants in the caravan. Once this is accomplished they are free to take over the caravan. It is up to the party to not only learn about the plan, but to find a way to foil it as well.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">Hook: </i>The party has been hired as guards for a caravan heading out the next day. When they arrive the caravan master introduces them to the other guards. The other guards are unfriendly and rebuff any attempt a character makes to get to know them.<br /><br /><b><i>Line: </i></b>The GM should use some kind of roll or suggestion to give the players a clue that the other guards may not be all they seem to be. If the party becomes suspicious then allow them to take any kind of action they think will yield them information. Actions that can potentially lead to the characters gaining information could be spying, rifling through possessions, or attempting to befriend the bandits.<br /><br />If the party decides on spying the GM should set up a situation where a group of the bandits are together at one time (such as at night when they cook their evening meal). Allow the characters to make the appropriate stealth, listen, and perception rolls and reward any success with bits of information. Bits of information can be learning about the plan, when the bandits intend to execute their plan, and other similar things.<br /><br />If the party decides to rifle through the bandits' possession they they will need to find a way to distract the guards or sneak past the guards. This would actually be an ideal time to give the party a standard bandit attack. While this occurs one or more of the party members can use the opportunity to search the bandits belongings. If the party does manage to search the bandits possessions the GM should give them a couple of clues in the manner of notes, maps of a pre-arranged attack point, etc.<br /><b><br /></b>If the party attempts to befriend the bandits the GM should make this incredibly difficult but not impossible. The bandits are secretive and not very trusting but are always willing to take on new talent. If a character or two are adept at social maneuvering there is a chance that they can start to gain the trust of the bandits. However, before the bandits will let the character in on the plan they will likely require some kind of test of loyalty. This can range from committing a murder to stealing something. <br /><br />If the character carries out this task they will include that character in on the plans. While this would allow for the character to know what is going on the GM should keep in mind that they bandits will be keeping an eye on the newest member. This means that the character might have a hard time relating the information to the rest of the party or even potentially try to get the rest of the party to join up with the bandits (which could make for another interesting situation)<br />
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Once the party is aware of the bandits plan it is time for them to decide what they will do about it and how they will do it. While there are a number of different ways a party can approach this, there are a few that are the most likely to occur.<br />
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<i>1: The Party Attacks the Bandits Right Away</i><br />For combat heavy groups that like direct action this is probably the most appealing action. While there is nothing wrong with this and makes for a rather easy conclusion to the event, it does presents a couple of problems in the aftermath.<br />
<br />First, how does the caravan master feel about the sudden murder of guards in his caravan? <br /><br />At first the caravan master is likely going to be angry about the death of guards he has paid for. In this situation the characters are going to need to both succeed in some social actions <i>and </i>likely provide some kind of proof. If they have already searched through the bandits possessions then this is an easy task, if they haven't then they will have to hope that there is some way to dig up proof (which depends entirely on how kind the GM is feeling)<br /><br />Second, What does this mean for the rest of the band lying in wait further down the road? <br /><br />It is unlikely that the remaining bandits will attack the caravan when it is actively guarded but an enterprising party may decide that tracking the bandits down to their layer is a good idea. This might create a bit of extra work for the GM but designing a bandit layers isn't very difficult. Use a nearby set of caves, an abandoned farm house, or something similar as the bandits base and go from there.<br /><br /><i>2: The Party informs the Caravan Master</i><br />If the party decides alerting the caravan master is the best idea then they are going to have to provide some kind of proof. The caravan master is a shrewd individual and does not believe things simply because one of his for hire guards tells it to him. If the characters have only overheard the plan at this point, then this will force them to find proof and that can be handled as mentioned above with searching the bandits possessions.<br /><br />If the party doesn't provide proof the caravan master may decide to question the bandits. If this happens the bandits may decide that they have to act early. This could lead to an attack on the party, the bandits getting a message to the rest of their band, or midnight assassination attempts deciding on how the GM wants to deal with it.<br /><br />If the party does provide proof (or in some other way convinces the caravan master) then the caravan master is likely to order the party to "deal with the problem". The party can approach this any number of ways ranging from direct assault to more subtle means. Whatever the party chooses the GM should make dealing with the problem challenging in some way.<br /><br /><i>3: The Party Sits on the Information Not Sure what to do</i><br />While most parties are likely to decide one of the above options there is always the possibility they feel a bit indecisive. If this happens the GM can move things along by having the bandits become the party knows of their plan in some way. A lot of how this is done depends on how the party found the information. If the party has been spying on the bandits there is always the chance they noticed and return the favor. If the party searched the bandits possessions, the bandits can easily discover their stuff has been messed with. If the party has attempted to befriend the bandits the bandits can decide they don't trust those "in the know" enough and attempt to get rid of them. Finally there is the option of simply allowing things to unfold naturally and having the party navigate a much larger and deadlier battle when the bandits enact their plan.<br /><br /><i>4: The Party Decides to Join the Bandits</i><br />While this is the least likely thing to happen, it is not inconceivable that the party decides to join the bandits. If this happens the amount of challenge to the party is greatly reduced and the GM should adjust any rewards to reflect this fact. If the party does choose this way it can open up an interesting campaign where the party becomes part of a group of bandits. This offers a unique campaign where the party can jostle for a better position within the band of bandits, carry out various raids and robberies and more. While this most certainly would be a campaign for more evil characters, it doesn't mean it can't be fun.<br /><br /><i style="font-weight: bold;">Sinker:</i> Once the party has dealt with the bandits in whatever way they choose the GM should give them some form of reward. It is probably wise to balance this reward with the difficulty of the encounters. It is unlikely that the caravan master will increase their pay, but if they slay or capture the bandits the caravan master is likely to allow them to keep some or all of the gear the bandits possess.<br /><br />Along with the rewards the adventure can lead to another adventure involving tracking down the bandits hide out. It can also lead to the characters being hunted down by other members of the bandit gang. Finally, the characters should gain some kind of benefit by having done a job well (or by joining up with the bandits). This can include a favor owed by the caravan master, maybe their story being spread by the common folk, or something else entirely.<br /><br />In the end this adventure should be fairly easy to drop into any ongoing campaign or even be used to launch a new campaign. Feel free to use it how you wish.<br /><br />DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2537703200934484837.post-82663179851230613092016-04-27T10:54:00.002-07:002016-04-27T10:54:53.199-07:00Going into Full Time Game Design as a Job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So this blog has kind of been sitting here waiting for the moment when I finally decide I want to do something with it. I have used it a few times when I had extra time and energy but for the most part it hasn't been what I wanted it to be. I blame myself for this because quite honestly if I didn't let myself get so damn distracted by life and everything else, it would be a lot further along. Well the good news is that is about to end. I am embarking on a journey I think I have waited far to long to commit to and I am pretty happy with the decision.<br /><br />I have flirted with the idea of doing game design full time as a means of supporting myself every since I first started playing RPG's. I have actually written a few things and made some money off my hobby, but never really took the plunge so to speak. I am taking the plunge now. Instead of waiting for the perfect moment, which in reality is never going to come, I am just going to do it. I won't say that I am not a little worried about this decision but I feel confident that I will succeed.<br /><br />I guess the reason I am choosing to do it now is that I am just tired of being stuck doing the same crap I have been doing for the last ten years or so. I got stuck in this system of writing for corporations, selling stuff I didn't want to, learning and writing about things I could care less about, and it slowly ate my soul. Sure I made money doing it. I got to set my own hours, got to work from home, got to focus on my kids and the like. While that was good, I wasn't feeling fulfilled, I wasn't feeling happy, in short I was creating my own misery.<br /><br />I kept telling myself (and other people) that I was working on this project or another, and most of the time I was, but I never finished any of it. I would start telling myself I needed to focus on other things, more adult things, more "real" things. I would go online find a freelance job, underbid what I was worth, hate the work, hate the person I was doing the work for, and mostly hating myself. In that time I have gained way to much weight, closed off way to many friendships, stopped caring about how I looked, and really just stopped caring period. If I keep this up I will be in the grave far to early.<br /><br />I don't want that to happen. I want to wake up with a feeling of excitement, a feeling of purpose, a feeling of living up to my potential. I love games, I love thinking about them, writing about them, love the people who play them and more. I have always wanted to do game design for a living and now is as good a time as any. I don't think I will get rich doing it, but I do believe I will earn just as much as I have been (maybe more) and more importantly I will be doing something I love.<br /><br />So here it goes, taking that deep breath, looking down at the unknown waters below, my heart is pounding my palms are sweating, my brain is screaming at me that I can't, but I know I can so it is finally time to jump...DaGrizzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12009211909085174156noreply@blogger.com2