All posts tagged d&d

Play a New RPG Month – October 2011

By | 2 October 2011 | General | 2 Comments

October 2011 is Play a New RPG month. A vast majority of the recommendations I have been seeing are focusing primarily on traditional RPGs. So, I ask the question: “are games such as World of Darkness, Eclipse Phase, and Mutants & Masterminds really different from D&D? And, if not are there any alternatives worth considering?”

My argument is that traditional roleplaying games all offer a very similar experience, at least in the rules as written. So, regardless of whether you are playing D&D, Pathfinder, Star Wars Saga Edition, it will have the same general feel. It is certainly true that the games are different, and there are differences of abstraction, and genre. But they tend to have a heavy crunch factor focusing on combat, and task resolution. I am an advocate of “play everything,” so if you haven’t played these games you certainly should. Ultimately, my perspective is that while these games are different they not different enough to get the best bang for your buck.

Rather than switching to another traditional roleplaying game (which would represent a significant time investment for learning an extensive rule system, and the financial cost of purchasing all the required texts) it may be better to look into an story game that offers a novel play experience at a reasonable cost. For the sake of discussion I am going to break these experiences into six categories: transitioning from traditional games, resolution scales, mixed success, alternative perspectives, GMless play, and alternatives to dice. There are a number of different aspects and minutiae, but I feel these are the larger categories.

Transitioning from traditional games is an exercise in trying to find a middle ground between traditional games, and story games. The two primary systems I recommend here are FATE and Solar System. But, since SS features conflict resolution I am going to recommend FATE for this category. There are a number of fantastic fate games available, for venues demoing this month I am recommending Bulldogs! or Diaspora as they both represent good, concise FATE implementations. Many people still recommend Spirit of the Century, but I think it is starting to show its age as FATE 3 has developed significantly since that initial release. For home groups willing to spend several sessions can definitely take a look at the large works, Dresden Files is a particularly good game.

Resolution scales demonstrate alternatives to traditional task resolution systems used in most roleplaying games. For venues running one shots I strongly recommend Lady Blackbird. Its free, light, and always a good time. The only drawback is that the GM should be familiar with the source games: The Shadow of Yesterday, and Mouse Guard. For home groups, the later two options are excellent. The Shadow of Yesterday runs on the Solar System, which features a conflict resolution scale with a special task resolution scale called “bringing down the pain.” Mouse Guard is basically Burning Wheel light bringing in character motivations GM vs. Player turns, and all kinds of good stuff beyond conflict resolution scale and definitely worth the effort.

Mixed success is a novel design feature made popular by Vincent Baker. Focusing on achieving a gray area between success and failure, yes you succeed, but with consequences. The Otherkind dice are great for demonstrating this, but I have found that Otherkind doesn’t always click with people. As a venue, if you have a good GM you might want to look at Ghost/ECHO, which uses Otherkind dice in a cool setting. Otherwise I would look at running Apocalypse World, or Dungeon World (a drift of Apocalypse World and original D&D). Mouse Guard could also be used here, as failure is what makes the game interesting, because it introduces conflicts into the game.

Alternative perspectives is about playing from a uniquely different perspective. Most games traditionally portray the players as paragons of heroism to varying degrees. While it is true that numerous games offer other options, I am recommending My Life with Master for play this month. There is just something that seems to resonate with people playing henchmen for an evil master. This game also demonstrates concepts like predetermined outcomes, shared collaboration, etc…

GMless play holds a special place in my heart. I believe there is something fundamentally dysfunctional about the traditional GM v. Players relationship. There is something about playing gang up no one person, and in exchange you grant them what amounts to Godlike power in the game. Hurray for mechanically enforced artificial social structures! But, I digress. For venues focusing on one shots I strongly recommend Fiasco. Fiasco is dramatically different than traditional roleplaying games, as are many GMless games to varying degrees. Fiasco is a great game though, and can easily be a blast, even with people that have never roleplayed before. For groups, I would recommend something that will last longer, such as Love in the Time of Seid. There are so many good games in this category it shouldn’t be to difficult to find a topic local players are interested in.

Dice are used in nearly all tabletop roleplaying games; they are a bit of a fixture. That does not mean that dice are needed for a game to be good. In fact, the lack of dice is what makes some games great. My pick for the one shot in this category is a no brainer: Dread. Dread is a roleplaying game where the players act out horror films. Each player is given a questionnaire that they fill out, and the GM leads them through the story. Whenever there is a question as to the success of an action in the game players resolve that task by pulling from a Jenga tower. Its a horror game with a built-in tension mechanism, brilliant. Knock over the tower and you’re out. This is one of my first recommendations for people looking to get into roleplaying games, because the rules are simple and accessible for almost everyone. There are many other diceless games out there (many of which use playing cards or a sort of karma system) feel free to dig around and explore new options.

In conclusion, I am advocating that you not only play a new RPG this month, but you play a game that offers a novel play experience for your group. So get out there, grab some texts and learn some rules, its gaming time!

Here is a small list of games I usually recommend grouped in the above categories:

Transitioning

  • Bulldogs!
  • Diaspora
  • Dresden Files
  • Strands of Fate
  • Starblazer Adventures
  • Spirit of the Century

Resolution Scale

  • Lady Blackbird
  • The Shadow of Yesterday / World of Near + Solar System
  • Mouse Guard
  • Trollbabe

Mixed Success

  • Otherkind
  • Ghost/ECHO
  • Apocalypse World
  • Dungeon World
  • Mouse Guard / Burning Wheel / Burning Empries

Alternative Perspectives / Player Agency

  • My Life with Master
  • Montsegur 1244
  • Dogs in the Vineyard
  • Breaking the Ice

GMless

  • Fiasco
  • Love in the Time of Seid
  • Polaris
  • Shock: Social Science Fiction
  • A Penny for My Thoughts

Diceless

  • Dread
  • Mortal Coil
  • Amber Diceless

Other Great Games I Didn’t Spotlight

  • Primetime Adventures
  • In a Wicked Age
  • Lacuna
  • Annalaise
  • Dust Devils Revised
  • InSpectres
  • The Mountain Witch
  • Don’t Rest Your Head
  • 3:16
  • Zombie Cinema
  • Kagematsu
  • Freemarket

4e Combat as a Skill Challenge…Sort of

By | 13 April 2011 | General | 1 Comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about the disconnect between activities in 4e D&D. The system fundamentally consists of three unbalanced aspects: roleplaying, skill challenges, and combat challenges. Based on the way the books, and published adventures are written the game generally spends about 75% of the time in combat challenges (usually three per four hour session). The rest of the time is some break down of roleplaying and skill challenge (say around 10 and 15% respectively). Granted there is overlap between the different areas, but this is just what I have experienced in play. So, what I would like to do is shift the focus a little bit, and make the skill and combat challenges about even in length while encouraging more roleplaying in both. My idea is a bit of a middle ground.

While trying to think of a way to speed up combat challenges I was trying to figure out how to run them as skill challenges, which the system does not lend itself well to. So, really what I needed was something in between. Basically, an attrition based skill challenge system. Now, I am not saying that you should run all combats this way, but quite frankly most of the combats in D&D are just filler and are not a worthy use of an hour of gameplay. So, I figure if we can figure out a way to get in these essential, but uninteresting battles into the game without being a major time sink its a plus.

This got me thinking about the disconnect between between skill challenges and combat challenges. Skill challenges seem to be rather all or nothing, and over rather abruptly. Whereas combat challenges are very tactical and time consuming. The crux of the issue seems to be that skill challenges present you with an artificial floor and ceiling for accomplishing a goal using a narrow set of skills, and applying the success/failure template to most situations feels unnatural. On the other hand combat challenges introduce a wild array of tactical options in order to reduce opponents to 0 hp. While the later is a well polished system, it generally does not contribute meaningfully to fiction on a round by round basis.

Therefore, my proposal is a sort of middle ground a skill challenge of attrition. The system would work fundamentally the same for combats and non-combats. The encounter would be organized into a set of threats. Each of these threats would have a specific DC, harm threshold, and static damage output that would be used to generate aggregates for the challenge. The challenge would start with a stakes negotiation to reinforce why its happening, followed by volleys between players and the threats. The threats would function on a reactive basis depending on the actions of the party. Depending upon the success of the party they may have additional options, such as dealing additional damage, or taking no damage from the threats. At the end of each volley, depending on the outcome of the rolls the group would collaboratively describe the events based on powers used, etc…

While this is fairly straightforward for combat it poses an interesting question about dealing harm other than physical. The system only tracks physical harm via hit points and healing surges. Therefore, alternative forms of attrition are necessary. The most obvious answer would be resource attrition. For example, a nature challenge may deal damage in the form of adventuring supplies. A city based investigation may deal damage in the form of monetary expense to represent characters expenditure to pay bribes, etc… A trickier issue would be determine how to deal harm in a social conflict. For example, if the player are arguing a defense for a criminal in a public trial, they may receive damage to their reputation. How would you track that within the base boundaries of 4e?

While this is mostly a brain storming session I do intend to write a follow up with actual rules to use in a “combat skill challenge.”

D&D Comes to an End on the Lakeshore

By | 19 December 2010 | General | 4 Comments

The two hobby shops on the lakeshore that were hosting public play of D&D no longer do so. The Muskegon shop moved into a smaller space, so there was no longer room. And, the Grand Haven shop was forced to abruptly close due to a variety of reasons. Grand Rapids is now the only host of organized play events in West Michigan at this time. Bummer.

Monthly Update, DDE – Dark Sun

By | 12 June 2010 | General | No comments

This is just an obligatory monthly update post. And, while I do have all kinds of things to post about, I lack the energy to post about them, since it would require a fair amount of cognitive energy, therefore I will just allude to said events. However, I do actually have something for you to read.

Since I’ve started running the new season of D&D Encounters I’ve been digging into Dark Sun, and it is resurrecting my interest in the setting. Inspired my new found interest, and the paltry setup for encounters I decided to write my own introduction that I read to the PCs, so here it is, enjoy:

Fury of the Wastewalker: Introduction

You find yourself packed within one of the many compartments of a fortified mobile fortress strapped securely upon the back of a hulking behemoth known as a mekillot. Not much time has passed since you left the small, but sturdy merchant village of Altaruk.

Sharing your quarters are two worn travelers, Daclamitus and Valuna who wear ragged clothing, and keep quietly to themselves. However, you notice a light in their eyes that is inconsistent with their outward appearance.

A spoiled tribal chieftain’s daughter Felorn is from Gulg, she has a nose ring, hair decorated with feathers, and clothing depicting large trees (nature DC 20 to recognize they don’t look right). She is interested in hearing tales of adventure.

Milo, the short, and stout merchant eyes everyone suspiciously while rubbing a coin between thumb and fore finger. He has brought three slaves along with him, and treats them savagely which he is well within his rights to do.

Although different paths have brought you together, your goal is the same: trek across the sun scorched tablelands to the city-state of Tyr.

One night, Jarvix notices a subtle shower of meteors among the stars in the ebony sky. The caravan overseer (Sedran), a practical man, thought nothing of the dire omen. But, Jarvix made sure you were all aware.

During the night you are woken by a high pitched birdlike call, although it has an unsettling ethereal nature. You do not have much time to listen because you hear orders being barked by the caravan guards. Through the narrow slit in the side of your compartment you can make out the makings of an all enveloping sand stormed headed your way. Everyone is thrown hard against the back wall as the mekillot shifts forward hard as the pilot attempts to evade the storm. The loud groaning sounds of the shifting fortress are barely audible above the howling wind.

A distant herd of inix sprint just ahead of the storm only to be overtaken. As the storm engulfs them, you notice that it is as if their very flesh is being ripped away to the point where only bone fragments are left by the time the wall of sand overtakes them.

A caravan guard bellows, “OBSIDIAN RAIN!” and then all hell breaks loose.

The wagon fortress begins to rock back and forth violently as the mekillot begins to grow nervous. The guards continue to bark orders, and the atmosphere within the wagon reaches a fevered pitch. You can hear the wails of women clutching their children crushed by shifting cargo, and a gibbering madness consuming the crew.

Everyone is rolled within the compartment as the mekillot rears up. The straps snap sending the wagon careening into the storm. Chunks of obsidian begin exploding through the hull destroying everything in their wake. A spear of obsidian narrowly misses Barcan, but cleaves through Felorn spilling gore across Phye.

The sky is blacked out by an enormous shard that collides with the wagon, shattering it utterly. The force of the explosions hurls everyone out into the early dawn air. You witness the wagon torn apart, and lifeless bodies swirling in the storm.

Your final sight before being consumed by the storm is the enormous mekillot bellow lying dead, its body pierced by millions of obsidian shards, which in itself may not have killed it, but it was pinned to the ground by the thirty foot shard that destroyed the wagon fortress.

The sands brush coarsely against your skin as intermittent shards tear away at your flesh.

Finally, you succumb to the pain.

Some time later you awake to the dull howling wind. In the distance you can see another obsidian storm gathering strength. A tent ahead suggests that there were other survivors from the caravan, but upon further inspection you find the corpses of Milo and his slaves torn asunder, the contents of the tent hastily thrown about.

As you begin to rummage through the contents for supplies you see small bipedal reptiles leap from the surrounding silt. They are light on their feet and keen to pick through the remaining cargo. A quick scan of the area reveals them lurking on all sides.

The best path away from the storm lies directly through your foes.

Scribbled Map Meet Improvised Terrain

By | 10 May 2010 | General | 2 Comments

Here is a shot from our on the fly LFR session last Saturday. I quickly put the map together before hand and we threw on some warhammer terrain for flavor. The dramatic finale to this adventure was anything but, as the elite solo was locked down and slowly froze/burnt to death.

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