tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34005710244476294472024-03-13T04:29:05.530+00:00Total Party KillIdeas, Content and Discussions on table-top role-play gaming, game design and derision of live-action role-play.
World of Darkness / Gumshoe / Star Wars / D&D / Other games.
Comments are welcomeNookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.comBlogger179125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-87677620376749180542014-09-23T21:25:00.001+01:002014-09-23T21:25:39.335+01:00Retired / Conspired<p dir="ltr">It's been some months since I've updated <b>Total</b><b> </b><b>Party</b><b> </b><b>Kill</b>. My inspiration ran somewhat dry. I needed a kick up the arse.<br>
That kick had been provided by some friends over at <b><a href="http://www.theilluminerdy.com">The</a></b><b><a href="http://www.theilluminerdy.com"> </a></b><b><a href="http://www.theilluminerdy.com">Illuminerdy</a></b>, who have invited me to come blog with them.<br>
I've accepted, and as a result am kind of retiring this blog.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I hope you'll join me over there.</p>
Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-56433173101847131902014-04-16T15:51:00.001+01:002014-04-16T16:47:43.425+01:00So, what does that stat do again / Coming back to World of Darkness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-djVoUEYdUoQ/U06l--buSkI/AAAAAAAAdTo/fD_di59nweA/s1600/600px-Magebanner.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-djVoUEYdUoQ/U06l--buSkI/AAAAAAAAdTo/fD_di59nweA/s1600/600px-Magebanner.PNG" height="307" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been running <b>Night's Black Agents</b>, a <i>Gumshoe</i> game, for nearly a year now, and other Gumshoe games (<b>Fear Itself</b>, <b>TimeWatch</b>, <b>Trail of Cthulhu</b>) for longer. I've become familiar with the system, how it works and how to make stuff up on the fly. It's now my 'go to' system. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It used to be <b>World of Darkness</b>, though. I learnt to GM by running Vampire: the Masquerade. The first game I ran to an actual conclusion was a <b>Hunter: the Reckoning/Mage: the Ascension </b>mash up. I loved the games and the Storyteller/telling systems. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still have a great fondness for them, and hold them in high regard. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I've been thinking about what I would like to run once NBA finishes. I decided that I would like to run <b>Mage: the Awakening</b>. I've always had a soft spot for Mage, and would like to do something with the nWoD game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I play almost exclusively over Google+ Hangouts these days, and we use Google spreadsheets as character sheets. This means that there's a one off exercise of transcribing the character sheet to a Google Sheet format. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did that this weekend, and realised that WoD games, and Mage: the Awakening in particular, are really complicated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keeping track of three different types of damage - Bashing, Lethal and Aggravated? Awakening also throws in Resistant damage as well, for four(!) types. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tracking Willpower, Morality trait (Wisdom in Awakening), Mana, Gnosis, Paradox, spell tolerance and Virtues and Vices is a massive drain on the player and storyteller before you start adding temporary health, speed, initiative and defense bonuses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't think I can do it anymore. It just seems like so much effort. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is a shame - the settings and a lot of the game conceits are excellent.</span></div>
Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-38404896128172929492014-02-15T18:11:00.002+00:002014-02-15T18:11:31.837+00:00The Walking Dead / Fear Itself - A Gumshoe Hack<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tf3RmYL7Vyo/Uv-sALH1A4I/AAAAAAAAatM/T_0RWAjDfzU/s1600/2013-05-23-the_walking_dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tf3RmYL7Vyo/Uv-sALH1A4I/AAAAAAAAatM/T_0RWAjDfzU/s1600/2013-05-23-the_walking_dead.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can run a fully functional, highly dramatic game based on AMC's <b>The Walking Dead</b> using the <a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=601" target="_blank"><i>Fear Itself </i>RPG </a>with no system adjustments.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's true. Look.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EDMLgFcdKi4/Uv-r_LP14WI/AAAAAAAAatE/FLoeA6Sl6UA/s1600/Fear+Axe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EDMLgFcdKi4/Uv-r_LP14WI/AAAAAAAAatE/FLoeA6Sl6UA/s1600/Fear+Axe.jpg" height="320" width="246" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Walking Dead is a dramatic, character driven show that focuses on characterisation and interaction. It also has zombies. This is often a secondary concern, as the real drama comes from the interaction between the characters and the conflict caused by their different motivations, desires and decisions. The characters move from location to location, looking for signs of life, food, shelter, tools, weapons and signs of walker infestation. They often suffer from severe stress, fatigued, emotional trauma and exhaustion, and their mental health ebbs and flows as a result</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear Itself is a horror game that creates a disparate group and engineers conflicts between them. It allows you to pull together characters from all walks of life, give them lines to ally along or fall out over and then throw into a stressful scenario.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Within Fear Itself a characters mental health is recorded through the Stability ability. As this drains away and falls below 0, characters start to experience stress disorders - phobias, paranoia, irrational behaviour, hallucinations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rick Grimes suffers a massive Stability loss after Lori dies, and succumbs to paranoia and hallucinations as the stress of leading the group alone and the guilt of not being able to protect his wife finally overcome him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fear Itself covers this off nicely.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talking of Stability, Fear Itself allows characters to define a number of Sources of Stability - People, Activities or Innate Traits that give you some comfort and allow you to retain your sanity in trying times. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SrNzUXjUuGk/Uv-sEKMRIPI/AAAAAAAAatw/osHMJD04X3I/s1600/the-walking-dead-daryl-carol-hookup-heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SrNzUXjUuGk/Uv-sEKMRIPI/AAAAAAAAatw/osHMJD04X3I/s1600/the-walking-dead-daryl-carol-hookup-heart.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lori and Carl were Rick's Sources of Stability. Darryl and Carol found support in each other, Glynn and Maggie found they could give each other solace in another way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Darryl also maintains a badass facade to keep himself on an even keel, Carl tries to maintain his independence and Rick became a leader. Shane makes Lori and Carl his Sources of Stability, then when Rick returns and Lori and Carl are denied to him, Shane begins his descent into madness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Losing one of your Sources of Stability - either through death, being disproved or betrayed - is a crushing experience. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can also look at The Governor - He tried to re-establish some Sources of Stability; Lilly and Meghan and becoming leader of a new band of survivors. When this falls apart,when he sees that Meghan is bitten, he takes a massive hit to his Stability and attacks the prison recklessly and mercilessly. This leads to his death.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3q2nVbiyE/Uv-sAwClDFI/AAAAAAAAatU/bLGTZX3hHTk/s1600/Season-3-Cast-Portraits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lq3q2nVbiyE/Uv-sAwClDFI/AAAAAAAAatU/bLGTZX3hHTk/s1600/Season-3-Cast-Portraits.jpg" height="332" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can also look at the character defining moment in Fear Itself - <i>The Worst Thing I have ever Done</i>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shane regrets leaving Rick behind in the hospital to die. Michonne feels instrumental in the death of her child, partner and friend. Rick looked for every other way out other than killing Shane.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As an example, let's stat up Darryl as a starting character</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Darryl Dixon</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Concept: Badass biker</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sources of Stability: Carol, Being a Badass, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Risk Factor: Gung Ho</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Worst Thing I Ever Did: Kill my brother, Merle</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Academic Abilities: Natural History 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interpersonal Abilities: Bullshit Detector 2, Interrogation 2, Intimidation 2, Reassurance 1, Streetwise 2</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">General Abilities: Athletics 8, Driving 4, Filch 2, Health 8, Infiltration 4, Mechanics 4, Sense Trouble 6, Preparedness 4, Scuffling 6, Shooting 8, Stability 8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hit Threshold: 4</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By Season 2 Darryl is a General Abilities badass, with extra points in Sense Trouble, Preparedness and Stability (he does suffer a considerable Stability loss during the second season and hallucinates a conversation with Merle). The skills that Darryl Dixon really stockpiles are Shooting and Scuffling, both of which he has in spades by the attack on Woodbury.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Rule Amendments</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simple, really. Walkers are the only supernatural creatures in this setting, and are both common and familiar. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As such, I would reduce the potential Stability loss of exposure to Walkers by 1 point, and only apply it if the character is taken by surprise or if the Walker is someone that the character was close to whilst alive</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Walker</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, you need Walker stats to run a Walking Dead game</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hit Threshold 3</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perception modifier 0</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Health 15</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scuffling 6 (Fist -2, Bite -1)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tireless. Walkers will doggedly pursue prey until they are destroyed. If the prey is no longer visible, a Walker will continue walking in the direction the prey was last spotted in until they find new prey to distract them</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Biter Fever. A bite from a Walker means blood poisoning, septic shock and a painful death, unless the bitten limb is amputated within a number of minutes equal to the characters Health rating. If the limb is not removed before this time has elapsed, then the victim is infected and will perish within [12+ Health Rating] hours.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Headshot. Walkers can only be 'killed' by severing their head or destroying their brain. Targeting a head adds +2 to the targets Hit Threshold, whereas aiming for the neck or eye adds +3 to the Hit Threshold.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MxvyV0Vnkw/Uv-sGxN2yFI/AAAAAAAAauE/iuWfVo5qkkI/s1600/the-walking-dead-zombie-cast-wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8MxvyV0Vnkw/Uv-sGxN2yFI/AAAAAAAAauE/iuWfVo5qkkI/s1600/the-walking-dead-zombie-cast-wallpaper.jpg" height="209" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-22101199943492764352014-01-26T08:55:00.001+00:002014-01-26T08:55:36.053+00:00Hypothetically Speaking / How to kill a man with a time machine<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMdNAyUvNrw/UuTMUbfPYbI/AAAAAAAAaMY/zDC3qFgutF4/s1600/120405043844-time-travel-diagram-story-top.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wMdNAyUvNrw/UuTMUbfPYbI/AAAAAAAAaMY/zDC3qFgutF4/s1600/120405043844-time-travel-diagram-story-top.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So, you've created a wormhole</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let's say, because we're friends and we're just joking about, that I want to kill a man.</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And that I have a time machine.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Now, I'm not going to get into why I want this guy dead, but let's just assume that when he buys it, my name may be mentioned.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm also not going to get into how I got a time machine. That's not important. People may be aware that such things exist, though, so I need to cover my tracks. I'm not the only guy with one of these things, you know.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You haven't got one? </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They're great. Get one. I know this guy...</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I need to kill a guy.</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc6JI5PN1e0/UuTMb7GYaEI/AAAAAAAAaMo/vHiWiyNEfMM/s1600/lego_murder_by_seakee2112-d6grmi7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dc6JI5PN1e0/UuTMb7GYaEI/AAAAAAAAaMo/vHiWiyNEfMM/s1600/lego_murder_by_seakee2112-d6grmi7.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could just use the time machine to arrange for a water right alibi. It wasn't me, officer, I was shaking the President's hand at that exact moment in front of 300 people, no less.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But that won't work.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other people have time machines. They can solve murders now just by going back and watching it play out.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I could make it look like an accident. Arrange for some natural disaster to occur, or, better yet, arrange for the guy to be somewhere at the precise moment a natural disaster occurs.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That's pretty good. Could be a bit hard to arrange, though. Not many volcanic eruptions in my town.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, what if I used the time machine to establish a false identity, amass funds through gambling and investments and hire a hit-man to off the guy?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That's better.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then, what if I did this multiple times so that I could hire multiple assassins. Then if any time police try to stop the successful assassination, there's instantly a replacement attempt that takes place.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This solution also means that each killer will have a different MO, making each attempt difficult to predict and counter. Plus, they're trained professionals, adept at not getting caught.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So the guy gets shot. Or his car is blown up. Or he's poisoned. Or stabbed in the street. Or has his brake lines cut. Or is smothered in his sleep. Or has a building dropped on him. </span></div>
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Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-78819802152777764082014-01-25T12:34:00.001+00:002014-01-25T12:34:36.923+00:00Meet the team / Ready to play Esoterrorists 2nd Ed characters<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vq7wQT4MyXs/UuOuz5IzE_I/AAAAAAAAaIA/uZUVg-IXu-k/s1600/Esoterrorists-2e-coverdetail.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vq7wQT4MyXs/UuOuz5IzE_I/AAAAAAAAaIA/uZUVg-IXu-k/s1600/Esoterrorists-2e-coverdetail.png" height="320" width="264" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This post makes three in a row about <i style="font-weight: bold;">Gumshoe</i> games, and in rapid succession as well. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my Christmas presents was the new second edition of <b>The Esoterrorists</b> by Robin D. Laws. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd already got the 1st edition (<a href="http://nookdotgeek.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/esoterrorists-rules-lite-proof-of.html" target="_blank">reviewed here</a>), which I got after having a look at Trail of Cthulhu. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The second edition polishes the rules up a little, now that Gumshoe has been used to power a subsequent seven games (including the forthcoming <b>TimeWatch</b> and <b>Gaean Reach</b>), adds more detail to the <i>Ordo Veritis </i>and <i>Esoterrorist</i> organisations, has an expanded bestiary and includes an alternate setting - Station Duty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's still very affordable, and great for quick play at short notice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings me to the official point of this post - Recently a member of the Pelgrane Press Google+ community put out a call for some ready to play PCs for an Esoterrorists 2e game.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I, not having too much work that I wanted to avoid doing, knocked some up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you would like to use them, then they're here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Amd80iIof18_dFhZVTIyZnJrcWlHa0hraHp5MlFJTkE&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Esoterrorist 2e Characters</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-66569905500665046082014-01-22T19:04:00.001+00:002014-01-22T19:05:37.299+00:00What have prehistoric butterflies done for us recently, anyway? / TimeWatch<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bZt54xL718/Ut_u4cFr-jI/AAAAAAAAaEU/11HwMI4dVdY/s1600/TimeWatch+hardback+mock+up.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4bZt54xL718/Ut_u4cFr-jI/AAAAAAAAaEU/11HwMI4dVdY/s1600/TimeWatch+hardback+mock+up.png" height="320" width="207" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TimeWatch main rules<br />
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</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've been playing a lot of Gumshoe recently, so much so that I've failed to post anything to this blog of any import. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the Gumshoe games that I have been playing has been <i style="font-weight: bold;">TimeWatch</i>, written by Kevin Kulp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not out yet, I've been taking part in the playtest cycle for the game, running it for my weekly group and laughing my ass off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now it's gone to Kickstarter, and I have broken my KS virginity on this book. I even paid $40 for the privilege. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't regret it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel more of a man now. Like I can look other men in the eye...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can go on the <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kevinkulp/timewatch-gumshoe-investigative-time-travel-rpg" target="_blank">Kickstarter page</a> and see why the author and publisher think you should back TimeWatch... In fact, do that. Watch the video and read the updates and consider the cost. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, let's talk about cool shit. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4uaB-_T3lo/Ut_u-5fLbMI/AAAAAAAAaEg/DXTsnuig4T4/s1600/Erezu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ezeru - alt history radioactive mutant cockroaches from a false future" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-r4uaB-_T3lo/Ut_u-5fLbMI/AAAAAAAAaEg/DXTsnuig4T4/s1600/Erezu.jpg" height="320" title="Ezeru" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ezeru - Shapeshifting mutant psychic<br />
radioactive cockroaches from a false future</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Cool Shit</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like cool shit. Love it, in fact. And this game has so much cool shit in it that ... um... look, I'm not going to dive deeper into this metaphor. You'll thank me for it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Instead I'll put this into context... I, as a teenager and as a 30+ year old 'adult' have spent actual hours discussing the temporal paradox resulting from the Terminator movie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How can Skynet possibly think that ganking Sarah Connor is a good idea? If John Connor isn't born, then a there will be no resistance so Skynet won't need to send a Terminator back in time, so John Connor will be born...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then Terminator 2: Judgement Day introduces the fact that Cyberdyne Systems used tech from the T-800 to create hardware that would later be used to create Skynet, meaning that Skynet propagated itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any game featuring time travel is going to have this problem - players or NPCs change history, a paradox results and people start getting shirty just because they've ceased to exist or are now their own father. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pMD1I6nBA88/Ut_u--YTAhI/AAAAAAAAaEc/qRBcJcjZK20/s1600/TimeAgent1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pMD1I6nBA88/Ut_u--YTAhI/AAAAAAAAaEc/qRBcJcjZK20/s1600/TimeAgent1.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A TimeWatch agent activates an Autochron<br />
by Andy Mason</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are ways to approach the problem:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ignore it, like Dr Who normally does and like Terminator did</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have history slowly assert its new form by deleting people like Marty McFly in Back to the Future</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Have people go a bit mad as their memories change, like Bruce Willis in 12 Monkeys</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Go completely the other way and revel in the possible chaos like in the Futurama episode Roswell That Ends Well - become your own grandfather, blow shit up and screw with people</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TimeWatch wants you to screw with time - either to fix it or to make it better. It wants you to alter events that you have just seen happen, to appear next to yourself in a fight and help defeat the foe, to save a colleague from death by flying in the opposite direction of the Earth's rotation at the speed of light, to murder Hitler or convince him to breed hamsters instead of go into politics.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To do this it gives you three pertinent stats:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chronal Stability - How real and stable you are. If this dips below zero you start remembering alternative histories or fading into nothing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reality Anchor - The ability to focus yourself and others on 'reality' and restore lost Chronal Stability</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paradox Prevention - A technical skill that allows you to mitigate paradox through cunning and knowledge. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zIUm5Ld9mWI/Ut_u_AhwBOI/AAAAAAAAaE0/tC7LD5kHh6Y/s1600/TimeWatch+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zIUm5Ld9mWI/Ut_u_AhwBOI/AAAAAAAAaE0/tC7LD5kHh6Y/s1600/TimeWatch+team.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A TimeWatch team - a gunslinger, a neanderthal, a Mongol princess,<br />
a psychic Sophosaur and a 22nd Century space pilot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The game takes the stance that due to an infinite number of branching timelines, alternative realities, parallel dimensions and sentient beings with time travel capability screwing with stuff, anything can and has happened. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Therefore you can play just about anything, and the rules support them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My players chose:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Wild West Gunslinger</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sentient cyborg T-Rex (Prof. Doctor Thaddeus Rex M.D.)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Viking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DB Cooper, posing as a legit TW agent</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An evolved, sentient mathematical algorithm housed in an artificial robot body</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A 1930's wise guy </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've run four sessions with these characters, with the fifth due on Monday, and they've all been hilarious, tense, challenging and creative. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the first session, in prohibition era Chicago, one of the players opted to use time travel to move all other cars out of a street two minutes before they arrived 'in game time' to ensure that they got the best parking spot outside of a speakeasy. Later on in that session another player teleported to five minutes ago and just outside the back entrance to the speak easy so that he could catch the bad guy by surprise as she made good on her getaway sticks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As soon as you introduce time travel into a game you force everyone participating to think in an additional dimension, and that makes for some weird and unusual fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would be the repercussions of going back and stopping the villain from killing that small child just now? Maybe they were 'supposed' to die...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe there's a whole moral quandary to work through before you kill an infant Hitler.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe you should fund the book and find out. </span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-14829340078675839452014-01-19T15:45:00.001+00:002014-01-19T15:45:26.642+00:00Night's Black Agents / Tap That<p dir="ltr">I continue to enjoy <a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=12166"><b>Double Tap</b></a>, the <b>Night's Black Agents</b> expansion from +<a href="https://plus.google.com/117666448123017153235">Pelgrane Press Ltd</a></p>
<p dir="ltr">By 'enjoy' I mean 'be continually inspired and engaged by'<br>
It is one hell of a book.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The first half (90 pages) is player facing, and expands on the wide range on cool things that players can do, use or blow up. <br>
The book would be worth the cover price alone for this section.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The second half (30 pages) is director facing, and offers a range of pre-made people, places and perils (OK, monsters) as well as story ideas and tips.<br>
I would probably have paid money just to get 30 pages of quality this high.</p>
<p dir="ltr">If you play <b>Night's Black Agents</b>, I urge you to get this book. There is not a wasted word or filler paragraph in its 120 page count.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Excellent work +<a href="https://plus.google.com/116467250574174824468">Kenneth Hite</a>, +<a href="https://plus.google.com/111520736674601813905">Will Hindmarch</a>, +<a href="https://plus.google.com/113078386420515441545">Kevin Kulp</a>, +<a href="https://plus.google.com/102360001753305345527">Christian Lindke</a>, +<a href="https://plus.google.com/109517033542129859901">Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan</a>, +<a href="https://plus.google.com/108213655115953763010">John Adamus</a>, James Palmer, Will Plant and Rob Wieland.<br>
Please keep producing work of this calibre and then take my money.</p>
Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-12212217868379291612013-10-19T13:13:00.001+01:002013-10-19T13:14:22.586+01:00Mage Noire<p dir="ltr">Let's skip the brain trust explanation and get right into it. <br>
You used to be normal. Now you're not.<br>
You used to have a normal life. Now it's anything but.<br>
One day you had this dream, an I right, about signing your name somewhere and all of a sudden your brain is tied to this other place where the scales are tipped in favour of mad crap and if you pull on the strings, you can make crazy stuff happen as well.<br>
And then sometimes you pull hard and the string breaks and you fall on your ass. Or something falls on you. That smarts, yeah.<br>
Maybe you joined one of them nutty secret societies with handshakes that fry your brain or stop your heart dead, or maybe you didn't. Your business anyhow.<br>
Where we are now is that we could both kill each other with a word, and none of these chumps would even know it. Hell, everyone of these guys could be a corpse already, and the world just ain't cottoned on yet. You coulda done it. You probably didn't. Maybe I did.<br>
Whatever.<br>
But here you are. In my place. And I know who you are. <br>
Your move, kid.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YmixwTVBszA/UmJ3dVMbl3I/AAAAAAAAXJQ/OShBa49ATOo/s1600/new_world_of_darkness_cosmology_map_drawing_by_willworks-d54kdaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-YmixwTVBszA/UmJ3dVMbl3I/AAAAAAAAXJQ/OShBa49ATOo/s640/new_world_of_darkness_cosmology_map_drawing_by_willworks-d54kdaf.jpg"> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-44561725304538818462013-08-31T15:54:00.001+01:002013-08-31T15:54:21.089+01:00Allow your darlings to be murdered / Knowing when to let an NPC go<p dir="ltr">There's a decision that shapes a GM, one that separates the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, the good from the bad.<br>
You've put in time and effort creating a Non-Player Character for your game. You've not just statted them, you've woven them into the very fabric of your game world. They have a name, a back story, concerns, interests, a personality, goals, hopes and fears.<br>
This is a recurring antagonist. A nemesis. Someone who your players love to lock horns with, who they curse in the day and ally with in darkest need.<br>
Then the players just kill them. Usually in a summary fashion that in no way hints to the greatness of this character.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What do you do? Let the character die? Move on? Start again? <br>
Or snatch them from the jaws of death, resurrect them off screen or retcon their survival?</p>
<p dir="ltr">This is the test.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I recently had to make this decision, twice, in my weekly <b>Night's</b><b> </b><b>Black</b><b> </b><b>Agents</b> game.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I created the first <i>actual</i><i> </i>vampire the players were to meet, who was supposed to thrash them within an inch of their lives before dying himself or fleeing or driving them off. <br>
They pretty much cut his head off in the first round of combat with him, dropping him instantly.<br>
OK. That's fine. He has healing powers and is supposed to be hard to kill and fucking scary. Fair enough. Let them have their victory.<br>
Their surveillance cameras picked him up walking around and killing Mafia henchmen with his bare hands some ten, fifteen minutes later. That put the wind up them. </p>
<p dir="ltr">The next time they meet him, some four sessions later, they were sufficiently wary of his recuperative abilities to nuke the site from orbit. They wheeled a bomb disposal robot, packed to the rafters with C4, into the building he was in and remotely detonated it.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I spent the next week agonising over what to do.<br>
He was a vampire with supernatural speed, reflexes, resilience and healing. Of anyone could have survived, it would be him.<br>
But that would be a spit in the face to the players. They'd put everything they had into making sure that they killed this guy dead. It would be unsatisfying to deprive them off that kill.<br>
But what about the narrative function that the NPC was supposed to serve? And what about all the effort I put into building him?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Let me tell you a story.<br>
Back in the late 90s I played in a <b>Vampire: the Dark Ages</b> game. I was playing a 7th Gen Brujah based on the Crusader Tancred de Hautville, who was a lot of a bastard. One of the other players was a 7th Gen Tremere who specialised in the Thaumaturgical Path of Fear. This becomes important shortly.<br>
For some reason we were fighting a horde of flesh eating zombies in a tunnel network beneath London. It turned out that the source of all of these<br>
Undead was a Celestial Chorus mage (don't ask me why, I still don't know to this day). He told us to stop killing the zombies, or he'd have to stop us.<br>
So we attacked.<br>
Our tried and tested tactic was for the Tremere to use the Path of Fear, which reduced the targets dice pools by a sizable amount, often preventing them from acting, and then the rest of us would beat the shit out of them.<br>
So, the Tremere used Path of Fear and rolled well, reducing the Mage's dice pool by 9 dice. This pretty much guaranteed his death. The rest of us surged forward.<br>
At this point the Storyteller starts panicking and tells us that the Mage is teleporting out of the tunnels. <br>
Well, this is patently impossible, not unless the Mage has an Arête score of 10 (Arête is the measure of a Mage's magical might. A score of 3 let's you throw fireballs. A score of 10 literally makes you an actual God), which is highly improbable.<br>
But the Storyteller informs us that, yes, the Mage <i>is</i> a God and can create a fully functioning universe in 6 days or less. <br>
He rolls his one dice, gets a success and has the Mage escape.<br>
Fucking atrocious!  </p>
<p dir="ltr">To this day I find this deeply unsatisfying. I'm getting that empty, gnawing, hollow feeling in my stomach just thinking about it.<br>
If only I could roll back time and punch the storyteller in the gut and shout "how d'ya like them apples?!" </p>
<p dir="ltr">Back to Night's Black Agents...<br>
Should the vampire escape?<br>
No.<br>
They found his severed arm in the rubble of the building, and the rest of him stuck in a collapsed bolt hole in the cellar.<br>
Their play paid off. They get the rewards. My NPC gets to be interrogated, and if they're sloppy he may escape (sans arm). He'll probably die. That's fine.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z4gzp2nRmQY/UiIDliltOoI/AAAAAAAAWQw/eWy5LHEio-w/s1600/kill_your_darlings_by_volkanakyalcin-d4xlwwd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Z4gzp2nRmQY/UiIDliltOoI/AAAAAAAAWQw/eWy5LHEio-w/s640/kill_your_darlings_by_volkanakyalcin-d4xlwwd.jpg"> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-48273154310116357232013-08-25T10:11:00.001+01:002013-08-25T10:11:19.128+01:00Horror tropes / Cabin in the Woods and Fear Itself<p dir="ltr">Once again I'm late to the party - I watched <b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/">Cabin</a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/"> </a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/">in</a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/"> </a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/">the</a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/"> </a></b><b><a href="http://m.imdb.com/title/tt1259521/">Woods</a></b><b> </b>for the first time last night.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The thing that makes it an enjoyable film, in my opinion, is the clear love of standard horror movie tropes throughout. My wife and I were both delighted by the gas station in the beginning and it's treasure trove of creepy genre signposts: fish hooks, bear traps, animal skins, pickled creatures, hunting goods etc. I wondered aloud if they'd modeled the cabin on the one from Evil Dead. The scene where the victims choose the transgression for which they'll be punished is wonderful, as is Fran Krantz' line "I'm drawing a line in the sand, no one is reading any fucking Latin!"</p>
<p dir="ltr">The part that tied the film up to <a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?page_id=420"><b>Fear</b></a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?page_id=420"><b> </b></a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/?page_id=420"><b>Itself</b></a>, for me, is the statement of specific roles within the genre:<br>
The Whore / slut<br>
The Scholar / egghead<br>
The Warrior / jock<br>
The Fool / burnout<br>
The Virgin / good girl</p>
<p dir="ltr">Fear Itself uses these stereotypes to define character roles within the game with much the same effect as in Cabin...</p>
<p dir="ltr">The overall plot of Cabin is a nice fit with the classic Fear Itself <i>Ocean</i><i> </i><i>Game</i> setting: a mysterious and incredibly powerful consciousness horrifically manipulates reality around unsuspecting stereotypes for their own amusement and benefit / a mysterious and technologically advanced organisation manipulates unsuspecting teens into falling into stereotypical roles and controls the environment around them for their own amusement and benefit.</p>
<p dir="ltr">You could run a straight Cabin in the Woods game using Fear Itself with zero effort or adaptation, and you could overlay the Mystery Men and their Ocean Game onto Cabin with only a few tweaks.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QPS8fYPbZMo/UhnKLgIBMbI/AAAAAAAAWHg/udc-Y8HQr4A/s1600/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-QPS8fYPbZMo/UhnKLgIBMbI/AAAAAAAAWHg/udc-Y8HQr4A/s640/original.jpg"> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l5Oza7NLwe4/UhnKMPWxY2I/AAAAAAAAWHo/YxSPrabzDS4/s1600/sample.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-l5Oza7NLwe4/UhnKMPWxY2I/AAAAAAAAWHo/YxSPrabzDS4/s640/sample.gif"> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-56681723597035820272013-08-17T15:14:00.001+01:002013-08-17T15:14:30.559+01:00Games of Future Past / Planning my next game<p dir="ltr">I'm running a successful campaign at the moment, which obviously means that I'm thinking about what I want to run next.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I've been toying with a few plot ideas and potential settings for different games for awhile now, and suddenly have hope that I'll be able to run them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm probably getting a bit giddy...</p>
<p dir="ltr">The games are:</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Trail</b><b> </b><b>of</b><b> </b><b>Cthulhu</b><br>
The first Gumshoe game I bought, and a work of beautiful genius. It successfully evokes multiple interpretations of Lovecraft's work, from the pulp two fisted tales of dark adventure to the doomed and weak minded soul not long for this world with the tenacious and fearful academic somewhere in between.<br>
I have an idea for a game that draws upon The Mountains of Madness and Call of Cthulhu for mood and theme and a real life lost Arctic expedition for setting. I've already started mentally mapping out this idea. It's a strong contender.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Trinity</b><br>
Originally released as Aeon and soon to be re-released under that name, Trinity is the game from the <i>Aeon</i><i> </i><i>Trilogy</i> that I have played the least and have the most books for.<br>
I think I ran a short one shot game for two players back in 2001/2.<br>
It's a game that deserves another crack of the whip - a mix of epic sci-fi, space opera, cyberpunk, post apocalyptic wasteland, Starship Troopers, intrigue and horror. You can set the equalisers to any level you want just by varying the locations and organisations involved.<br>
I'd run a vanilla Aeon Trinity game with a mix of investigation, combat and political manoeuvring.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Hunter: the Vigil</b><br>
I think of all the World of Darkness games, H:tV has the broadest appeal. Used to playing the monsters in the other games? Have fun playing the other side for once. Never played a WoD game before? Here's a no nonsense gateway to the setting. Not sure about playing a monster? Play a legit human instead. <br>
I was running a nWoD cops game when Hunter: the Vigil announced, and it quickly became apparent that I was running a proto hunter game.<br>
When I finally got it I ran a short introductory story arc for my gaming group, then promptly got my wife pregnant again so had to scale back my gaming for awhile.<br>
I've still got a load of unused ideas that I'd like to try out, and my wife bought me the Compacts & Conspiracies splatbook for my birthday, so it's fresh in my mind.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Ars Magica</b><br>
My first gaming love. The second game I ever played, the first game I ran. Over the years I've built up and lost a sizable ArM library. I had about 20+ books for 2nd, 3rd and 4th edition, some of which are probably worth a bit of money now, and stupidly gave them all away to charity when the 5th edition came out. To make matters worse, 5th edition wasn't what I wanted it to be, and I gave up on it.<br>
A few years and a bit of perspective later I realised that I wasn't giving it a chance. Different doesn't mean bad. And it couldn't be as much of a disappointment as Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition. <br>
So I'd like to run Ars Magica again.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Changeling: the Lost</b><br>
Look, this game is fucking brilliant. Really. It's the most well rounded game that White Wolf has ever produced. It's beautiful, horrific, terrifying, paranoid, innocent, brave, redemptive and compelling. It's everything good about folk tales and myths and everything good about modern horror.<br>
It's the best Slender Man pictures meets Pan's Labyrinth meets The Evil Dead.<br>
As I see it, Changeling: the Lost is a game about self discovery and personal agency - freed slaves learning that they can do anything they want, and trying to work out what that actually is, whilst fighting to preserve that freedom.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Mage: </b><b>the</b><b> </b><b>Awakening</b><b>/</b><b>Mage</b><b> Noir</b><br>
It's hard to get a grip on Mage: the Awakening, to definitively say "this is what the game is about", especially when compared to its predecessor, Mage: the Ascension.<br>
In Ascension it was explicit within the setting that you were caught up in an ideological, metaphysical war with clearly defined sides and an achievable goal. Awakening lacks this direction and forces the players to determine what they want to do and who they have to fight to do it.<br>
The rules are great though. They allow the player characters to bend reality to their will and do a truly impressive range of miracle working.<br>
If running Mage: the Awakening I'd use the Mage Noir setting and play in post war America, late 40s to early 50s, with the players hunting down magical artifacts like an arcane Maltese Falcon.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Pathfinder</b><br>
Every now and then I have an urge to run a good old fashioned high fantasy dungeon bash. <br>
So far I've primarily used Pathfinder to run Goblin games, because Goblins are ace. The Goblin games I've run so far have been independent of each other but set in the same game world, so the events of the first game (slaughtering a farmer and his family, burning their house down and eating the livestock) informed the second (humans try to drive the Goblins out of the area, Goblins retaliate by setting fire to what they think is a religious monument but is in fact a signal beacon) and the second will inform the third (possible war due to the sudden amassing of an army after an invasion has been signaled).<br>
In every game, though, the players have basically been looking for food and tribal status.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RDAefs6D5iE/Ug-FNDic06I/AAAAAAAAVxg/dZo7F25764A/s1600/IMG_20130817_151310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RDAefs6D5iE/Ug-FNDic06I/AAAAAAAAVxg/dZo7F25764A/s640/IMG_20130817_151310.JPG"> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-54575042997295436312013-08-15T10:20:00.001+01:002013-08-15T14:08:26.928+01:00And Fear and Paranoia will be out watchwords / Disturbing players sleep with Night's Black Agents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/nba-cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.pelgranepress.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/nba-cover.png" width="134" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm currently running Kenneth Hite's <a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081">Night's</a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081"> </a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081">Black</a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081"> </a><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081">Agents</a>, a Gumshoe game focusing on investigation, spy thriller tropes and vampires, over Google Hangouts. It's a fantastic game. <br />
It sounds a bit weird at first: Jason Bourne alikes vs vampire conspiracy in a high octane thriller setting that focuses on investigation. Actually, it sounds a bit confused.<br />
It doesn't run like that. It runs like a classic spy thriller, with an added level of scary shit at every level.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
The core book is mostly a toolbox with every component needed to build and run a custom game. </span><br />
<ul><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXsPYFbvdjI/UfjyT2I-CrI/AAAAAAAAVG4/-jYdbdFTdsU/s1600/2013+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JXsPYFbvdjI/UfjyT2I-CrI/AAAAAAAAVG4/-jYdbdFTdsU/s200/2013+-+1" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Design your own vampire - satanic, supernatural, alien or mutant</li>
<li>Build your own conspiracy, with a step by step guide on how to move from street/gang level to world spanning mega conspiracy</li>
<li>Move through Eastern Europe like Liam Neeson through a gang of human traffickers</li>
<li>Support and ultimately betray your friends and allies</li>
<li>Different modes of play from ultra realistic Dust to hyper paranoid Mirror, psychologically damaging Burn to high action Stakes</li>
</span></ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pyfL0Sh6Tfg/Uf_1hoFlBSI/AAAAAAAAVW0/q8rXGwvaHk8/s1600/SofiaCity.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pyfL0Sh6Tfg/Uf_1hoFlBSI/AAAAAAAAVW0/q8rXGwvaHk8/s1600/SofiaCity.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria</td></tr>
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<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've set my game in Bulgaria, one of the poorest and newest members of the European Union. It's an ex Communist state once part of the USSR. It's a gateway to Asia, Europe and the Middle East. It's government is incredibly corrupt. Border controls are virtually non existent. Organised crime is unchecked and run by ex members of the Communist Olympic Wrestling Team who found themselves suddenly unemployed and with the only marketable skills of being able to hurt people. Assassinations are common in Bulgaria, often happen in broad daylight in public places and can involve rocket launchers.<br />
Honestly, as a setting, it's a gift.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm loving the creativity and verve that my players are bringing to the game. It's the first time that I've played with four of them, so there was a lot of unchartered territory as far as the group dynamic goes. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far the team have:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extracted an informant and hurt a number of Bulgarian Mafia goons in the process</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Watched a human trafficking deal go bad, killed a load of surprisingly agile and hardy Germans and crashed out a bit when one got up again after having his head virtually severed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blown themselves up when they placed a propane canister and an M60 in the same confined space they were in</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Followed a trail of death and destruction as they played catch up to a sadistic killer who was tracking them down</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blown up some cop cars as they fled from the scene of a brutal murder they didn't commit</span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg9hwIwVaoI/Ucnx9Q_RBEI/AAAAAAAATes/sldCAc9zyqY/s1600/Vasil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bg9hwIwVaoI/Ucnx9Q_RBEI/AAAAAAAATes/sldCAc9zyqY/s200/Vasil.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A genuine Bulgarian Mafia<br />
boss and ex wrestler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The players have been writing up the sessions as <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17yd6tjrcf2TPO_ygWw6b3ELylO4Mj-tG_nl0apLu8ug/edit?usp=docslist_api">In</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17yd6tjrcf2TPO_ygWw6b3ELylO4Mj-tG_nl0apLu8ug/edit?usp=docslist_api"> </a><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17yd6tjrcf2TPO_ygWw6b3ELylO4Mj-tG_nl0apLu8ug/edit?usp=docslist_api">Character</a><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17yd6tjrcf2TPO_ygWw6b3ELylO4Mj-tG_nl0apLu8ug/edit?usp=docslist_api"> </a><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/17yd6tjrcf2TPO_ygWw6b3ELylO4Mj-tG_nl0apLu8ug/edit?usp=docslist_api">journals</a>, which I'm very happy with.<br />
The notes of paranoia in there make me feel like I'm doing a good job.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're seven sessions in now, which is much further than I thought we'd get. Often these things lose momentum, but we still seem to be going strong. It'd be really good to see this game through to the bitter end.</span></div>
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Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-29864549359259106872013-08-15T09:52:00.000+01:002013-08-15T09:52:16.113+01:00I have seen the future, and it involves web cams / No sexy dancing rule<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've not been able to make my regular face to face gaming group for a few months now, so to combat my gaming cold turkey I've switched to the methadone of remote gaming via <a href="http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/" target="_blank">Google Hangouts</a>. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bca_Qko_iDQ/UgyVeupB3YI/AAAAAAAAVto/TbqfMYs2Cl0/s1600/1372178302261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bca_Qko_iDQ/UgyVeupB3YI/AAAAAAAAVto/TbqfMYs2Cl0/s320/1372178302261.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bought this little webcam because it reminds me of the<br />scrub bot from WALL-E and the tech from Portal 2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is no bad thing. I've heard a lot of protestations from fellow gamers along the lines of "I like to play face to face. I like the personal interaction. It wouldn't be the same. etc etc etc"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To be honest, I don't think that it's had an effect on the game or my enjoyment. Here's what I've noticed is missing:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't fist bump with the other players when they/I do something awesome</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't steal or share dice and pencils</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't send someone else to the bar for me</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can't smell the other players</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fifteen minute walk to the pub we play at</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other than that, it's all there. The trash talk, the annoying digressions, the jokes, the referral to the rules when something weird happens (although that's slightly easier, as we've all got electronic access and don't have to physically share the same copy. I other news, my book doesn't have grease stains or beer marks on it either). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what are the benefits?</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We can all read the books independently (see above)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are less external distractions, because we're in dedicated rooms with headphones on</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note passing is quicker and more secure, thanks to instant messaging.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being able to copy and paste stuff can be incredibly useful</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a GM I can vary the media I use. For example, in an investigative game, I might need to prepare handouts with newspaper clippings or photographs or maps etc. In an electronic game I can send a link across, share my screen, copy text, edit shared documents and pull something off the internet and share it in seconds. We can use video, audio, anything we can share.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's really convenient. My PC is on my bedroom. I can start play with a mug of coffee, snacks and whatever next to me, get more whenever I want without interrupting play that much</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I can use my own bathroom. </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's worth pointing out that I don't play games that require miniatures or boards or other physical paraphernalia, so I don't know how these games would play out. </span>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-863294723110212502013-08-14T21:00:00.000+01:002013-08-14T21:00:11.696+01:00Breaking Radio Silence / The Corruption of Youth<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's been ... some months since my last post. Why is this? Real life, my friend, real life. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Real life has been systematically poisoning me in my sleep. Never enough to kill or debilitate me, but just enough to stop me straying too far from its embrace. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which has struck a sickening blow to my gaming of late. The last bit of face to face gaming I did was in June when my 14 year old Nephew came down to visit. He plays a lot (<i>a lot</i>) of Skyrim, and bamboozles me with jargon:</span><br />
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<i>I'm a high elf that's mostly magic</i></div>
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<span class="_2oy" style="float: right;"></span></div>
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<i>I have azure's star but I lost it, ring of hircine, mehrunes razor, dawn breaker, mace of molag bal wabbajack and the skull of corruption</i></div>
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<div class="_1yr" style="float: right; margin-left: 4px;">
<span class="_2oy" style="float: right;"></span></div>
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<i>I'm a vampire lord level 80</i></div>
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<span class="_2oy" style="float: right;"></span></div>
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<i>I have all dragon priest masks</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have no idea what about 65% of that means, but it tells me that he's ready for Pathfinder or D&D. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8olXxGXmviI/UgvfoKcbDSI/AAAAAAAAVs8/EZX59kdiNSA/s1600/IMG_20130528_210654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8olXxGXmviI/UgvfoKcbDSI/AAAAAAAAVs8/EZX59kdiNSA/s400/IMG_20130528_210654.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dungeoneer character sheet</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So when he came down we played <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/" target="_blank">Pathfinder</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HeroQuest" target="_blank">HeroQuest</a> with a friend of mine, then he joined my gaming group on the evening and we played <a href="http://fightingfantasy.com/index.php?%20option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=37" target="_blank">Dungeoneer: Advanced Fighting Fantasy</a>. The rest of the time he just pwned me at video games. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7OJ3j4360y4/UgvfoLRdDoI/AAAAAAAAVs8/H0a1zgMW9Qw/s1600/IMG_20130527_142926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7OJ3j4360y4/UgvfoLRdDoI/AAAAAAAAVs8/H0a1zgMW9Qw/s400/IMG_20130527_142926.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final encounter in HeroQuest</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He loved it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He played to type - A magic using Elf in all three games - and was basically a sneaky little bastard. He left my Barbarian to die in the HeroQuest dungeon, commanded a battalion of Goblins in Dungeoneer and let the Rogue take point in Pathfinder. I'll never trust him to have my back again in a game, ever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKgEeWx3P54/UgvfoMsvdmI/AAAAAAAAVs8/olc-f5nlqk0/s1600/1369774737627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HKgEeWx3P54/UgvfoMsvdmI/AAAAAAAAVs8/olc-f5nlqk0/s400/1369774737627.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Goblin lair from Dungeoneer</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since then, though, I've not been able to find the time for face to face gaming, and my weekly fix has slipped by the wayside. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which has basically meant that I've not had much to talk about, gaming wise. It's all been a bit of a pipe dream.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thankfully I've found a way around that, which is remote gaming over Google Hangouts. More on that in later posts.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Elf legs it, leaving the Barbarian to deal with the undead</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-44202412525388707012013-04-23T17:17:00.001+01:002013-04-23T17:19:32.834+01:00Old school modern Faery tales / Changeling: the Lost game pitch<p dir="ltr">That girl that played kiss catch with you after school - she steals children, turns them into mice and chases them through her garden. If she catches them, she eats them and leaves their heads for the other children to find.</p>
<p dir="ltr">That gentleman that watches the dance recitals - he takes the best dancers, sets them on fire and makes them dance in his fireplace to warm his cold hearth. If they burn out to ash, he scatters them on the wind.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The old lady that cleans your house? If you don't pay her, you have to clean her house until every one of the countless rooms are clean. First you have to pick up the bleached bones of the last cleaner.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There is a place, full of terrible beauty and burdensome duty, blinding light and lurking shadow, burning love and freezing fear, where stories are told because that is all the occupants know, where madness is codified and the sane wither and die.</p>
<p dir="ltr">People from our world are dragged into this world, bent to its needs and used until they're spent. A process that can take days or centuries.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In place of these lost souls the occupants leave behind a model made of string, gaffa tape and rags, leaves, twigs and old bones or Lego, glue and tin foil. These mockeries live the lives of the stolen so no one ever notices they're gone.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Every now and then, someone escapes back to our world. Or is released. Or is sent back. They find the world has turned without them, that they've aged faster or slower than everyone else and that there's this thing pretending to be them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Back in our world these survivors gather in loose communities, attracted to the only other people who could possibly even begin to understand, the only other people they can trust to run or fight or hide if these things come back for them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's a bit like: Pan's Labyrinth, Hellboy II, The Lady in the Water, Spirited Away, Howls Moving Castle, Coraline, the Sandman</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9EGBX0Ujgvs/UXa0LmdX9RI/AAAAAAAAQmg/OtjnimGWQpc/s1600/pans-labyrinth.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9EGBX0Ujgvs/UXa0LmdX9RI/AAAAAAAAQmg/OtjnimGWQpc/s640/pans-labyrinth.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mO-Hrr6MWSU/UXa0MB2EjQI/AAAAAAAAQmo/qayCc3g8ZRw/s1600/Favim.com-34639.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mO-Hrr6MWSU/UXa0MB2EjQI/AAAAAAAAQmo/qayCc3g8ZRw/s640/Favim.com-34639.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TBZuEFVDD7Q/UXa0M5kSepI/AAAAAAAAQmw/gD8Ap57RCZo/s1600/spirited-away-image-3.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TBZuEFVDD7Q/UXa0M5kSepI/AAAAAAAAQmw/gD8Ap57RCZo/s640/spirited-away-image-3.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-82018722440988465282013-04-14T15:36:00.001+01:002013-04-14T15:36:12.879+01:00Sunburn Notice / Nights Black Agents game pitch<p dir="ltr">Somewhere in Eastern Europe Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Daniel Craig and Tom Cruise have just been burnt out by their employers and left to die. <br>
They're suddenly on the radar of a powerful and malevolent international conspiracy who will stop at nothing to silence them. Permanently.<br>
All they have to keep them alive is their years of specialised military and espionage training, a network of informants and a cache of weapons and equipment.<br>
Running isn't an option. They've got to take this fight to the very top of the conspiracy and bring the bastards crashing down.<br>
The only problem, the bastards might be vampires. Or something worse.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.pelgranepress.com/?p=1081">Nights Black Agents</a> is a game of hyper capable spies, secret agents and military specialists thrown against a horrific conspiracy. Maybe it's the agents of Satan, or aliens. Maybe a supernatural curse or genetic mutations from unethical experimentation.<br>
Players take on the roles of these super spies, caught in between their old agencies, local law enforcement, organised crime gangs and the shadowy conspiracy. They must uncover a trail of clues and follow it to the top of the conspiracy before the conspiracy gets them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's kind of like: Taken, Mission Impossible III, Bourne Trilogy, Casino Royale/Quantum of Solace, Ultraviolet (UK TV series), the Prisoner, Alias, Prison Break</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J3kBM-UHCMw/UWq-x3ColgI/AAAAAAAAQZo/JIYwfwPNbuo/s1600/00019520.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J3kBM-UHCMw/UWq-x3ColgI/AAAAAAAAQZo/JIYwfwPNbuo/s640/00019520.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_t5ngeAV0yQ/UWq-yv4fiUI/AAAAAAAAQZw/9WkjkkD4Zq0/s1600/Bourne-Saga-jason-bourne-32147771-1400-912.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_t5ngeAV0yQ/UWq-yv4fiUI/AAAAAAAAQZw/9WkjkkD4Zq0/s640/Bourne-Saga-jason-bourne-32147771-1400-912.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S0FxEPVN9H8/UWq-zi31bgI/AAAAAAAAQZ0/qYcyG6wt0no/s1600/Taken2%25252BLiam%25252Bfight%25252B2%25252B.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-S0FxEPVN9H8/UWq-zi31bgI/AAAAAAAAQZ0/qYcyG6wt0no/s640/Taken2%25252BLiam%25252Bfight%25252B2%25252B.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-w8PG_HmnHQg/UWq-0fDle1I/AAAAAAAAQaA/hWxY3oJF234/s1600/picture-of-tom-cruise-ving-rhames-keri-russell-and-maggie-q-in-mission-impossible-iii-large-picture.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-w8PG_HmnHQg/UWq-0fDle1I/AAAAAAAAQaA/hWxY3oJF234/s640/picture-of-tom-cruise-ving-rhames-keri-russell-and-maggie-q-in-mission-impossible-iii-large-picture.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-4245769079437939752013-04-14T14:55:00.001+01:002013-04-14T14:58:37.174+01:00Biotech Psychics vs Mutants and Aliens in the future / Trinity game pitch<p dir="ltr">Welcome to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(role-playing_game)">Trinity</a><br>
It's 2120. The Aberrants have been exiled into deep space after they threatened the near total destruction of Earth. North America is under military law, run by mega corporations. Europe has been devastated by an orbital impact. China has risen under a totalitarian regime. Australia is a free world super power. South America is a mysterious hotbed of revolution and anarchy.<br>
Space travel is common place, with settlements on the Moon and our neighbouring planets, and the asteroid field mined for minerals and ores. First contract has been made with other species to varying degrees of success.<br>
Finally, a new branch of human evolution has been discovered - Psions, humans with the ability to manipulate sub- quantum energies, or Psi, and with them the study of a new field of science, Noetics.<br>
You are a Psion, altered and awakened by one of the Psionic orders, tasked with protecting the Earth from the returning Aberrants, furthering your order's interests, representing Psions in a world once bitten by a super powered evolutionary branch of humanity.<br>
You have powers, you have advanced hard tech and the latest bio tech. <br>
Your adversaries include Aberrants - mutants with phenomenal power, organised crime, governments, mega corporations, other Psions, emergent alien threats and possibly the Aeon organisation - a philanthropic think tank with near unlimited resources and a patchy history at best.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's a bit like: Cyberpunk, Babylon 5, Aliens, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, Battlestar Galactica</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RqxeTt8SdlI/UWq1_0CWdZI/AAAAAAAAQWs/Vxt_qcaw7V4/s1600/sidneyattack.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-RqxeTt8SdlI/UWq1_0CWdZI/AAAAAAAAQWs/Vxt_qcaw7V4/s640/sidneyattack.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-89266174997840183932013-04-10T15:18:00.001+01:002013-04-10T18:46:19.514+01:00"The geekiest thing I've ever done" / Aberrant play report<p dir="ltr">We played <b>Aberrant</b><b> </b>last night. Once we'd finished, one of the players remarked that "that was the geekiest thing I've ever done". This was primarily because one of our core players is unfortunately over in Germany for three weeks on business, so joined via a G+ Hangout and Viber.<br>
He paid €3 to watch me on a computer screen for two hours. I feel dirty yet oddly thrilled.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The players had opted to forcibly enter a Project Utopia Nova containment facility for questionable reasons - I.e. a wanted criminal had told them that bad things were happening there - and had understandably met with armed resistance. <br>
First they took out a unit of heavily armed security guards, and we ended the session with my version of Captain America, Thor and Iron Man - Agent America, Aesir and Machine Man - arriving on the scene.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the beginning of this session one of the player characters, a tank called Adonis, parleyed with them. He offered complete surrender if they would guarantee the safety of Solar Flair, another of the player characters, but as he didn't formally represent the team, he got punched through a wall instead.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I did have a plan for this session. The opposing team wanted the players to escape with their target so that the players could lead them to the rebel base (as it were).<br>
Machine Man had an existing Mentor relationship with Adonis, so he was going to take a sucker punch from Adonis, letting the team escape and placing a tracker beacon on Adonis in the process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It didn't go quite according to plan...<br>
Solar Flair's player was 'a bit PMT' and played her that way.<br>
She unleashed aggravated damage on both Agent America and Machine Man, nearly killing the Agent in the process.<br>
Machine Man did manage to place the tracker on Adonis and say "make it look good, kid" whilst leaving himself wide open.<br>
Adonis didn't take the bait. Instead he concentrated on getting the wounded to medical assistance and pretty much ignored the fight.<br>
Max Control, the player's mind controlling bastard, dematerialised and took complete control of Aesir, landing an unexpected blow on Agent America and effectively turning the tables of the battle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">By this point, the dye was cast. The team had bought a gun to a knife fight. Solar Flair had used lethal force with no thought to the consequences. Max Control had violated one of the mightiest Nova's on earth and still retained control of him. A number of dangerous Novas had been released from containment. <br>
The players retrieved their target, a teleporter called Gates, and left with her.<br>
Adonis stayed behind to clean up the mess and recapture the released Novas.<br>
Adonis' player has already created another character, one a bit less tank like. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I left the remaining player characters in the Antarctic, although they don't know that. They just know it's bitterly cold and everywhere is white.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It strikes me that if Novas were to build their own country, then Antarctica would be a place to do it...</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FNrOKZJ2iN0/UWV0sm5_6bI/AAAAAAAAQSQ/497Lv5txP1U/s1600/IMG_20130329_152657.JPG' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-FNrOKZJ2iN0/UWV0sm5_6bI/AAAAAAAAQSQ/497Lv5txP1U/s640/IMG_20130329_152657.JPG' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZiHLWy-ijqc/UWV0t4o2OvI/AAAAAAAAQSY/Xs_dr4fgDY0/s1600/IMG_20130329_152727.JPG' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZiHLWy-ijqc/UWV0t4o2OvI/AAAAAAAAQSY/Xs_dr4fgDY0/s640/IMG_20130329_152727.JPG' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uhyiCnz7u8Q/UWWjy7yW-5I/AAAAAAAAQTI/n9QZW3z9JHc/s1600/thor_sketch_by_davidrapozaart-d3e66yv.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-uhyiCnz7u8Q/UWWjy7yW-5I/AAAAAAAAQTI/n9QZW3z9JHc/s640/thor_sketch_by_davidrapozaart-d3e66yv.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-5587677848393143112013-03-30T16:48:00.001+00:002013-03-30T21:45:15.994+00:00Toning down the action in my Survival Horror / Resident Evil 5 DLC<p dir="ltr">Yes, this is late. I play video games late, normally when I can get them in sales or in special edition packs. This is why I'm only just playing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_5">RE5</a> now.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I played <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_Evil_4">RE4</a> through on my Wii (after it'd been out a while) and thoroughly enjoyed it - I.e. it scared the willies out of me.<br>
I loved the tension. I loved the claustrophobia, the fear that a mob of infected villagers could be lurking round the corner, or, worse, a chainsaw wielding mutant that feels no pain. Or a dog. Or a ludicrous boss.<br>
I found that whenever I reached a save point I was "right, that's it for the night" even if it was only 15 minutes of play, because I was scared.<br>
The first time I reached the village encounter, where the villagers swarm and you first see a chainsaw gimp, I had to switch the game off and go and have a quiet lie down somewhere safe.<br>
I enjoyed that as the game progressed and I upgraded my weapons and became a better shot that the low level villagers dropped like flies and dreaded the boss encounters and set pieces.<br>
And I hated Ashley...</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I had high hopes for RE5. I'd read the previews and seen some of the gameplay and decided to ignore the controversy.<br>
It apparently was more like RE4 than the other RE games, which was good. I found the first three unplayable due to the fixed camera angles, so something more like 4 was a good sign.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Playing it, though, is a very different feel. RE4 was a slow burn. The plot unfolds slowly, as does the cluster fuck value. You just meet aggressive villagers at first, and chainsaw mutants only appear to signpost significant challenges and to let you know that things are going to get much harder soon. <br>
The story starts off as a simple hostage rescue and evolves over the course of the game into a conspiracy to control mass populace with a mutant parasite.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In contrast Resident Evil 5 pretty much starts off with "look, all these tribesman and townsfolk are definitely infected with the parasite from the last game!"<br>
There is no mystery. No tension. It's a tactical shooter from the first encounter.<br>
Oh, and I keep dying.<br>
In the first encounter.<br>
Which sucks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I was ready to give up on the game, but only once I'd tried out the extra material from the Gold Edition DLC I'd bought.<br>
The multiplayer verses mode didn't appeal to me. I'd just die. I have no idea what Mercenaries is either, so I tried Lost in Nightmares, which tells the story of one of the main characters don't something previously (I'm sure that the actual details are not important).</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's ace! It's set in what looks like the mansion from the original Resident Evil, and is dripping with tension.<br>
I've reached two checkpoints so far and not had a single combat encounter, which is brilliant.<br>
I've come across lots of foreshadowing of the immense cluster fuck yet to come - blood on the walls and floor, destroyed scenery, dead security agents, broken cages and cryptic entries in abandoned journals.<br>
It's going to go south very soon.<br>
Which is the key. I'm loving the anticipation. I'm not disappointed when there's nothing around the corner, I'm relieved.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So I'm probably going to play through the DLC before returning to the main game, which is probably a bit perverse.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dE_JSP6soMQ/UVdcuNHTRnI/AAAAAAAAQE4/dofHiZrCosQ/s1600/resident-evil-5-20080715050530155.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dE_JSP6soMQ/UVdcuNHTRnI/AAAAAAAAQE4/dofHiZrCosQ/s640/resident-evil-5-20080715050530155.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-60JhANESAto/UVdcuRbySYI/AAAAAAAAQFA/KZjD6ERofIE/s1600/re5dlc_gmp_Itsrainingdeadmen_21810-27_320w.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-60JhANESAto/UVdcuRbySYI/AAAAAAAAQFA/KZjD6ERofIE/s640/re5dlc_gmp_Itsrainingdeadmen_21810-27_320w.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sxMSyL6lK28/UVdcvEjWGGI/AAAAAAAAQFI/XwAGVNJhsMs/s1600/lost-in-nightmares-4.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sxMSyL6lK28/UVdcvEjWGGI/AAAAAAAAQFI/XwAGVNJhsMs/s640/lost-in-nightmares-4.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-12608478240227155152013-03-29T17:50:00.001+00:002013-03-29T19:51:14.167+00:00Bringing the Aberrant smackdown / Conforming to my players expectations<p dir="ltr">I am faced with a dilemma in my <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberrant">Aberrant</a> game. <br>
Do I actively try to kill all the player characters in one session, or not?</p>
<p dir="ltr">The game has been ramping up to the point where the player characters find themselves opposed to the local equivalent of the Avengers and the cliffhanger for the last session was the seconds directly before a direct physical confrontation.<br>
The players have uncovered evidence that Utopia are not all they seem to be, and have effectively teamed up with a recurring villain to break into a Utopia facility and free a Terragen affiliated Nova.<br>
Which has put them squarely at odds with Alpha Strike, the city's primary Nova team and Utopian agents.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The players have seen this coming from a way off, especially as we took a six month mid season break, and have started statting new characters because they don't believe they'll be walking away from this one.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Which is the source of my dilemma.<br>
They expect me to throw everything at them and to wipe them off the face of the game world, which is exactly what a team like the Avengers should do to them.<br>
Thing is, I'd be an irresponsible Storyteller if I just threw a straight fight at them. I have no intention of killing them, this is a story encounter as well as a set piece combat.<br>
But they don't know that. They have to go into this presuming that they should be putting their affairs in order. They also can't be allowed to think that I'm going easy on them.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I'm going to have to kill one of them.<br>
Which one?<br>
The Adonis, the honourable and reserved tank?<br>
Solar Flair, the narcissistic and slow witted fire starter? <br>
Max Control, the arrogant and superior mind controller with Terragen leanings?<br>
Tim Roley, the shape changer with multiple personalities?</p>
<p dir="ltr">They all bring something important to the group dynamic. They're a pleasure to play with and easy to place in situations.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Who should I kill?</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hnjvlH4FRm0/UVXwfj_LV0I/AAAAAAAAQCU/77c9ytZMMXY/s1600/2678697-punch.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hnjvlH4FRm0/UVXwfj_LV0I/AAAAAAAAQCU/77c9ytZMMXY/s640/2678697-punch.jpeg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-73116308985863189982013-03-28T19:14:00.001+00:002013-03-28T19:19:35.010+00:00The siren song of the dungeon crawl / Guilty pleasures<p dir="ltr">So I've been playing this game, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.watabou.pixeldungeon">Pixel Dungeon</a>, on my Nexus 4 a lot recently. A lot. <br>
Loads.<br>
It's getting a little out of hand.</p>
<p dir="ltr">It's one of those retro RPGs that are so popular these days. As the name suggests it's a pixel heavy, lo-fi dungeon bash. You descend through randomly generated levels of an unnamed dungeon, kill anything that moves, collect gold and items (weapons, armour, wands, potions, scrolls) and face off against occasional bosses.<br>
Your progress is determined as much by the luck of the draw - which items are randomly placed on each level - as your tactical skill as a player (at least, that's what I tell myself).<br>
Death is usually tragically often and frustrating, so much so that a friend and I have taken to messaging each other stating what killed us and how far we got:<br>
L1 Rat<br>
L5 Goo (fucking goo)<br>
L4 Sewer Crab<br>
L7 Burned to death after drinking an unidentified potion</p>
<p dir="ltr">All of which has got me thinking about the old school dungeon crawl, a mode of play I've strenuously avoided as a GM.<br>
I... I think I'm ready to run one now.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the past few days I've found myself flicking through my <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/">Pathfinder</a> books reading up on hidden doors, traps, monsters, potions, magic items and treasure.<br>
I've been looking up dungeon mapping apps and websites.<br>
I've been thinking of ways to make a cool, engaging, three-dimensional dungeon that makes sense and what set pieces I'd want in there.</p>
<p dir="ltr">There's a possibility that I'll be using some <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_retro-clones">OSR micro lite</a> rules as well...</p>
<p dir="ltr">Help.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-f8HF6_yy6fE/UVSWjwWtWnI/AAAAAAAAQB0/I_JzzNfP8R4/s1600/1f926d591c8327bf83670a13f5c5fc54.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-f8HF6_yy6fE/UVSWjwWtWnI/AAAAAAAAQB0/I_JzzNfP8R4/s640/1f926d591c8327bf83670a13f5c5fc54.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8Sc3kvGmYJY/UVSWkqBIVwI/AAAAAAAAQB8/Fqm8ZlJOna4/s1600/pathfinder3.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8Sc3kvGmYJY/UVSWkqBIVwI/AAAAAAAAQB8/Fqm8ZlJOna4/s640/pathfinder3.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FDZ6o0AHwCc/UVSWlVVzzJI/AAAAAAAAQCE/LcRNPFhf2FU/s1600/Screenshot_2013-03-28-18-41-29.png' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FDZ6o0AHwCc/UVSWlVVzzJI/AAAAAAAAQCE/LcRNPFhf2FU/s640/Screenshot_2013-03-28-18-41-29.png' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-90396706328431780922013-03-23T07:18:00.001+00:002013-03-23T16:52:10.310+00:00Do it your way, for a limited time only / Playing Star Wars before Episode VII<p dir="ltr">I had a sobering thought today... I've only, what, a year, 18 months, to go before the new Star Wars movie comes out and crushes the post Jedi game ideas I have.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, I'm sure (I hope) they'll be good; that the story will be more finely honed than George 'I'm an ideas guy' Lucas's prequel efforts, mainly because he's not writing or directing and that they'll be inspiring.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The thing is, all the ideas I have for how I'd run a Post Jedi game, a New Jedi Republic game, would be moot.<br>
It'd be like running a prequel / Clone Wars game and ignoring Episodes I - III.<br>
Which wouldn't be a completely bad idea, but still...</p>
<p dir="ltr">Because the game is based on a franchise, the franchise defines the game setting. Drift away from the franchise and you kind of lose the reason for playing.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I have these ideas for a Star Wars game that I probably won't get to use now.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Ideas</b>:<br>
Over throwing the Empire creates a power vacuum which the Rebellion faithful naturally expect someone like Mon Mothma, Leia Organa and the reinstated Senate to fill.<br>
More realistically other factions move to fill the void as well. The Imperial command structure will exists and their bureaucracy has been running the galaxy for 30 years thank you much. Organised crime has flourished under Imperial rule. It's foolish to think that crime families died with Jabba.<br>
Then there are the Rebels. They've been fighting for years and have finally won. What do they do now? War time generals don't always make the best peacetime leaders. Lando will fall on his feet, he governed a colony. Others will not be so skilled, resulting in dissent amongst the population and a foothold for corruption and organised crime.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Then there's the new Jedi Order, founded by Luke Skywalker. <br>
Skywalker is not a true Jedi. He received less than half the training that even his father did, and he was considered too old to train effectively. He received only perfunctory schooling in the Jedi Code and history with Kenobi and Yoda focusing upon the martial applications of The Force, due to time constraints. They needed a serviceable warrior to challenge Vader and Palpatine, and this is the legacy they pass onto the new Jedi Order.<br>
Luke Skywalker has flirted with the Dark Side, turning to it on the second Death Star before pulling himself back from the brink. He is still an emotional being and put the fate of the galaxy on hold to pursue a personal quest. Any Jedi he trains will follow his lead, his example. <br>
In short, he is not training <i>true</i><i> </i>Jedi, not any Jedi that a Master emerging from decades of hiding would recognise, anyway. He is training Force users that are as likely to turn to the Dark Side as be a force for good. Maybe they'll be the balance in the Force that the galaxy needs. Maybe not.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Add to this the forgotten history of the galaxy. Palpatine destroyed the library in the Jedi Temple when he seized power, and it is safe to assume that he did the same elsewhere. He definitely effectively purged all recorded knowledge of the Jedi Order so that it was regarded as a "hokey old religion" by the likes of Han Solo. Any knowledge that could be a threat to Palpatine's rule was destroyed.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, it is conceivable (to me) that eventually the New Republic would wish to recover this lost knowledge, that someone would be given Senate backing to uncover it and restore the libraries and academies and arts and technology that the Empire plundered and hid.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From this I would run an exploration adventure - the players form the core of an archeological expedition, including pilot, security, bureaucrat/academic, technician etc tasked with finding Imperial sites and raiding them for information.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Cue encounters with resistant Imperial cells, half crazed Jedi still in hiding, corrupt planetary officials, pirates, smugglers, the discovery of forbidden lore, dark secrets, temptation, fear, anger and suffering.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Like I say, I've only a limited time to run this game before the new canon likely invalidates it.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gubvbOaAAo0/UUy-TFGx1FI/AAAAAAAAPRI/kSEl-raKDEw/s1600/da45b920aa60c2c9b57d7480fb64c20e.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gubvbOaAAo0/UUy-TFGx1FI/AAAAAAAAPRI/kSEl-raKDEw/s640/da45b920aa60c2c9b57d7480fb64c20e.jpg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-88690811489258827472013-03-17T08:25:00.001+00:002013-03-17T16:29:00.386+00:00Is it really broken? / Why not just commit to a Second Edition? <p dir="ltr">I am a long term <a href="http://www.white-wolf.com">White Wolf</a> fan. The first RPG I cared about was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ars_Magica">Ars Magica</a> 3rd Ed, which in turn coloured my opinion on the Tremere in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire%3A_The_Masquerade">Vampire: the Masquerade</a> and the Order of Hermes in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage%3A_The_Ascension">Mage: the Ascension</a> for years afterwards (I regarded them as poor reproductions of their mighty heyday. On reflection I realise that they were my favourite clan/order. To this day I regret not playing a Tremere.)<br>
The first game I successfully ran as a Storyteller was Masquerade.<br>
I played V:tM, M:tAs, Changeling: the Dreaming (1st Ed, with Bunk Cards), Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Dark Ages, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_Universe">Aeon Trilogy</a> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity_(role-playing_game)">Trinity</a>/Aberrant/Adventure! [Best game ever]), Hunter: the Reckoning, Orpheus and Exalted 1st Ed.<br>
I embraced the new World of Darkness games when they came out, preferring the revised <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling_System">Storytelling system</a> over the old Storyteller one. <br>
I lamented the apparent death of White Wolf as its parent company, CCP, had to regroup and restructure in the changing economic climate and effectively closed WW down, and I genuinely rejoiced when Rich Thomas set up <a href="http://theonyxpath.com/about/">Onyx Path</a> Publishing and secured the rights to continue publishing new gaming material for the World of Darkness.</p>
<p dir="ltr">All of the above is a long way of saying "I love White Wolf/World of Darkness games and am one of the faithful".</p>
<p dir="ltr">Which, in turn, leads to this post and me expressing my concerns about updated rule set being introduced with the God Machine Chronicles and the new Demon game.<br>
One of the things I looked about the new WoD was that every game used the same system, same skills, same mechanics and that every game was able to mechanically cross over with each other without having to fudge the incongruities.<br>
This changes with Demon, as it uses a revised Storytelling system as laid out in the God Machine.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As far as I can tell, to play Demon you need to own the World of Darkness core rule book, Demon and the God Machine.<br>
I can also see that some of the core mechanics have changed so that examples of game play read significantly differently.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So, my question is, are the rules contained within the World of Darkness core book actually broken?<br>
If they are broken, then surely a second edition is warranted rather than an additional supplement?</p>
<p dir="ltr">I guess that there are marketing concerns at work. Onyx Path do not own the games or the system, so maybe CCP don't want a new edition of every single game coming out. <br>
Maybe Onyx Path decided against a second edition because they wanted to retain the good faith of their players.</p>
<p dir="ltr">At the moment though I am keen to see what Demon is, but very reserved about the system updates.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><b>Update</b><br>
The Onyx Path G+ account (which I think is Ian Watson) had informed me that the rules updates will be available for free, and there is no need to buy the God Machine to get them.<br>
Which is very good. </p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VSxLz0GJV9o/UUXvOXuZGQI/AAAAAAAAPKc/SktQAta3l44/s1600/IMG_20130317_161048.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VSxLz0GJV9o/UUXvOXuZGQI/AAAAAAAAPKc/SktQAta3l44/s640/IMG_20130317_161048.jpg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-22128903410121932222013-03-02T16:55:00.001+00:002013-03-02T16:55:44.131+00:00It's not Post Apocalyptic until someone owns a dog / Zombie Survival Game Quick Start<p dir="ltr">For my own reference, but shared for your own zombie apocalypse convenience, here's a quick start aid for defining your game's setting and initial challenges.<br>
All sections require a d10 roll, either one for the group or for each player.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Named Survivors<br>
Roll once for each player.<br>
1. Child (under two years)<br>
2. Child (under twelve years)<br>
3 - 4. Teenager<br>
5 - 6. Useless sibling/best friend (adult)<br>
7 - 8. Incapacitated partner (injured or pregnant)<br>
9. Elderly parent / grandparent<br>
10. Dog</p>
<p dir="ltr">Where are you holed up?<br>
Roll once for the group.<br>
1. School<br>
2. Bank<br>
3. Prison<br>
4. Block of flats/Apartment building<br>
5. Office building<br>
6. Supermarket<br>
7. Gated estate<br>
8. Farm<br>
9. Medical centre<br>
10. Pub</p>
<p dir="ltr">How long will your food last?<br>
Roll once for the group.<br>
1. You've not eaten for days<br>
2 - 3. You've run out<br>
4 - 5. A day, at best<br>
6 - 7. Two days<br>
8 - 9. Five days<br>
10. A week</p>
<p dir="ltr">What specific supplies are you nearly out of?<br>
Roll once for the group.<br>
1 - 2. Medical supplies - antibiotics, painkillers, antihistamine, bandages, insulin<br>
3 - 4. Ammo - you've a handful of shells left, barely enough to take yourself out once you get bit<br>
5 - 6. Fuel - You've enough to keep the generator running for a night, or just enough to get to town...<br>
7 - 8. Tools and spare parts - You've something useful; a truck, a generator, a radio, a water pump; but it just needs some spare parts and some work to get it up and running again<br>
9 - 10. Environment appropriate clothing - the seasons have turned since everything first happened, and now your group is left with summer clothes as the snow starts falling or winter fleeces in a summer heatwave</p>
<p dir="ltr">Sources of Internal Conflict<br>
Roll once for each player.<br>
1. You've been secretly stockpiling your own personal stash of supplies. They've gone. Who took it? Do they know it was yours?<br>
2. You have taken in love with another member of your group, but they are involved with someone else<br>
3. You disagree with the decisions that the group have been making recently. You could do a better job, and if they'd listened to you, then we wouldn't have lost Jimmy last month<br>
4. You took meds before, to help with your moods. You've not had any for awhile now, and you're having troubles. Mood settings. Anxiety. Depression. You know that you're not speed to cold turkey off them, but you didn't have a choice<br>
5. You've found a secret stash of food, medicines, ammo and survival gear in the camp. You don't know who it belongs to, but you're keeping an eye out. Someone's been holding out on the group, and might be planning on bugging out soon. Who knows what they've got planned<br>
6. One of the other members of your group has been making thinly veiled advances at you/your partner. It's pretty obvious, and it's pushing a wedge between the group. <br>
7. You made a bad move recently, and one of the group paid the ultimate price. You messed up and left Jimmy to die. No one has said anything, but someone knows it's your fault. <br>
8. You basically just don't like one of the group. Something about them rubs you wrong. They've got everyone else fooled, but you see straight through them. Choose one other player and start hating their characters guts. They don't even have to know.<br>
9. You're terrified. You've been having nightmares about these things since your Aunt died when you were 8 years old, and now they're walking around and you can barely stand to think about it. Thing is, people are counting on you, and you have skills that the group needs. Even so, you freeze or panic when they're near you. It's only a matter of time before you or someone else gets eaten because of it.<br>
10. Despite everything you've seen, everything you've heard, you don't like killing these things. They were people once, often people you knew. You just can't bring yourself to do it. You volunteered to kill Jimmy when he got bit, but just let him shamble off instead. Of course, you told everyone else that you put him down quickly.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lbq8ueVKLCQ/UTIutQ3eqoI/AAAAAAAAO8U/y351hTRvuSY/s1600/zombie_attack_by_bahryi-d5ev59j.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-lbq8ueVKLCQ/UTIutQ3eqoI/AAAAAAAAO8U/y351hTRvuSY/s640/zombie_attack_by_bahryi-d5ev59j.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_wosxK71BPY/UTIuuMsSlTI/AAAAAAAAO8c/T0wlLWmsMCs/s1600/Careless_Survivors_by_Racoon_sama.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_wosxK71BPY/UTIuuMsSlTI/AAAAAAAAO8c/T0wlLWmsMCs/s640/Careless_Survivors_by_Racoon_sama.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-V_bSjdy6YY4/UTIuvdqAv5I/AAAAAAAAO8k/NP8k0vtY_hM/s1600/zombies_moscow_by_joe_roberts-d575bw6.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-V_bSjdy6YY4/UTIuvdqAv5I/AAAAAAAAO8k/NP8k0vtY_hM/s640/zombies_moscow_by_joe_roberts-d575bw6.jpg' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3400571024447629447.post-29197245518967537342013-02-08T22:46:00.001+00:002013-02-08T22:46:33.756+00:00Ingress / Mage for Android devices?<p dir="ltr">I've been playing a lot of Ingress on my Android phone recently. It's really growing on me.<br>
The game functions on two main levels. </p>
<p dir="ltr">One: The crunchy strategy game.<br>
The point of the game is to capture points on the map, Portals, and to control their resources. There are two factions: The Resistance and The Enlightened. You choose a faction then travel round your local area locating Portals and 'hacking' them.<br>
Hacking a Portal gives you resources - useable inventory items such as shields grenades and resonators, keys - Portal access codes that allow you to manipulate the resources the Portal produces, experience - AP, and energy.<br>
If you gain control of a Portal you can link it to other Portals. Link three or more Portals and you create a Control Field.<br>
This leads is to the second level.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Two: The RPG setting<br>
There is a growing back story to the game. The two factions have a scripted reason to be opposed. You choose your faction based on those reasons.<br>
Portals are bringing a new kind of energy into our world - XM or Extraordinary Matter.<br>
The Resistance want to stem this flow and protect the world.<br>
The Enlightened believe that XM is a positive energy and act to encourage and nurture it.<br>
The stated affects of XM is to change the brain waves and thought patterns of nearby people.<br>
If you link multiple Portals together you create a Control Field over the area between the Portals. These Control Fields change the thought patterns of those within them to match the desires of the Faction that controls the field.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Apply this concept to Mage, Ascension or Awakening.<br>
Both games feature two main factions: The Traditions vs The Technocracy / The<br>
Orders vs The Seers of the Throne.<br>
Both are arguably fighting an ideological battle to control or free the minds of the sleeping populace.<br>
The Traditions want to reignite peoples imagination and belief. The Technocracy want to channel that imagination and belief into only one paradigm - Science.<br>
The Seers of the Throne want to rule the Fallen World, with a docile and compliant sleeper populace whilst the Orders rail against this hubris.<br>
The Ascension has Nodes, sites where Quintessence flows into the world that mages compete for and The Awakening has Hallows, sacred places where Mana crosses into the Fallen World.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Here's my reading: The core concepts of Ingress can easily be applied to a Mage game. Players have already chosen a faction and an ideology. They already seek to control sites of power. <br>
Add to that a concrete way to influence sleeping minds - linking these sites together to produce magical fields between them. Maybe these fields affect paradigm as well, or reduce Paradox or provide bonuses to certain Spheres or Arcana.<br>
That's a resource worth fighting for.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For years now I've had an idea about The Technocracy/Seers using mobile phone masts to channel mind controlling magic into the Sleeping populace.<br>
Now I know how it would run.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WJ0Y9DTZHvg/URV_7UIVtiI/AAAAAAAAN4A/nX6ICqgThII/s1600/Screenshot_2013-02-06-07-13-04.png' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-WJ0Y9DTZHvg/URV_7UIVtiI/AAAAAAAAN4A/nX6ICqgThII/s640/Screenshot_2013-02-06-07-13-04.png' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mtRGjex018w/URV_9CV8x3I/AAAAAAAAN4I/0Eh7KUov4WE/s1600/ingress_poster__enlightened_by_atokniiro-d5n9c0v.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/-mtRGjex018w/URV_9CV8x3I/AAAAAAAAN4I/0Eh7KUov4WE/s640/ingress_poster__enlightened_by_atokniiro-d5n9c0v.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F2dhn1wzOh4/URV_-QF-dSI/AAAAAAAAN4Q/BKcNHB5LSmg/s1600/Screenshot_2013-02-08-22-43-36.png' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/-F2dhn1wzOh4/URV_-QF-dSI/AAAAAAAAN4Q/BKcNHB5LSmg/s640/Screenshot_2013-02-08-22-43-36.png' /> </a> </div>Nookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09763322232220124449noreply@blogger.com0