Spellarms are a modification of earlier "magical wands" from the pre-industrialization period. These wands--specialized spell-casting foci used to aim elemental energy--were known and feared, but not terribly reliable. It took a master mage to craft a wand capable of inflicting damage in combat, and as it relied on a well-focused mind, it left a magician standing still and glaring at a specific target, normally only causing unbearable pain instead of actual damage (mind, for some that was a feature, not a bug).
Only after the Portable Casting Engine was built was there a reliable way to improve this wand. First came the Elemental Lance. Originally large and bulky cannons were only possible and unreliable, but over the centuries technology and metaphysics has been improved enough for man-portable spell-locks can be made.
Lances work by taking a burst of eldritch energy (from the PCE) and funnelling it into a small plug of alchemicals imbued with angelic runes. This creates an explosion of elemental energy, which is then funneled through a pointer of spell-reactive wood or metal. This focuses and charges the bolt, which then explodes out towards the target the shooter is focused on (yes, it is possible to do 'trick shots' where the shooter is pointing lance away from the target and hits them anyway, but that does decrease range and effectiveness).
If the shot is "perfect" the elemental charge will strike the target, meaning a fire-shot can cause a target to ignite, etc. However, since this bolt can be "bent" by metal, other meta-reactant materials on the target or shooter, warding, etc., this normally just means the target is hit by a surge of eldritch energy. Lances do not penetrate skin, they cause "Shuddering", twisting the flesh and bone of the target, Getting shot causes massive bruises, broken bones, and rent flesh, and is normally noted as being "painfully cold".
As PCE's allow warding against these weapons, spell-locks were considered useful but not a complete game-changer in the arts of war and murder. No, for that it would take a few more centuries of development, when the monks of Lenshai developed a way to mechanically replicate the "dark cries" of the book of Sephaun the Blind. The Hex-Lock or "Curser" is a different and much more terrifying weapon.
PCE's and lances both work using elemental mechanics. Cursers work on sepheriophic intonations of eldritch, more precise and focused, less controlled. These curses--based supposedly on the sounds of angels--were able to pierce through the wards. Even worse, their resultant castings could cause horrendous results--turning the target to a block of salt, covering the subject in boils, blindness and worse could happen. Hex-locks didn't require plugs, but still need a PCE to provide the initial spark of energy. As well, Hex-locks need a period of 'penance' to allow time to discharge all of the eldritch energy safely--otherwise it increases odds of the device backfiring or exploding entirely.
Cursers are lethal, but not always to the target--an unlucky shooter or one who wavers in concentration for a moment can have the spell backlash on themselves. This, along with the unsettling nature of the Curses themselves, makes them less popular than lances.
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Monday, October 27, 2014
Give that old time Religion: Faith and the Clergy
Ahhh, religion. Always kind of a hassle and kind of a really fun idea in most games. On one hand, religion is a core component of most of humanity's life--especially historically. On the other, it's a topic filled with pitfalls and bad turns that can ruin the concept.
Part of the problem is, to paraphrase someone else's wisdom, RPG's tend to work best when they take their ideas off the back of a truck by the docks, no questions asked. Yes, I know there's games out there that REALLY build their world, creating a completely original concept or focus on alien worlds forged from new ideas. My own opinion, however, has been that RPG's need a groundwork of familiarity to work best. Fantasy works because you can tell anyone playing "it's fantasy" and while there might be some big questions regarding magic and dragons, everyone's pretty sure what the story's going to involve--swords, rangers, a good chance of the classic races, some spell casting, yadda yadda. Sure, we might need to find out if we're doing Martin or Tolkien or Howard, but we're all pretty sure that no one's going to be declaring "I aim my AK-47 at the orc and call in a missile strike from the F-28's". We need something familiar, but not played out.
(What? I said "pretty sure".)
Added to this is the real-life baggage about religion in general. I've played with people with all manner of beliefs, ranging from "true believer" to "actively nonplussed by religions in general". Personally, I love dealing with religion in game, but it should be an element that you can ditch in your games if it's not going to work in your group. I've had both believers and athiest get annoyed when they have to deal with religious matters in game for their own reasons.
Done right, religion can be a great character motivator. Done poorly, it's a random stall on your character doing things, or kicks you out of the immersion when you hear that everyone is going to the Smatholoic church on Smunday to worship Xeexus Krista. Done really poorly, and it's an element that you can't ignore without completely ripping out major chunks of the game. Basically, in the stew of a game, religion is a habanaro pepper--it should be a spice, not the main courser, and removed with little impact if you want it.
If you couldn't tell by now, I'm grabbing from just about everything for Baroque-punk, and that includes for the religious elements as well. The main ingredient is going back to something closer to ancient Grecian and Roman beliefs. Added to this is healthy dose of Jewish lore and Old Testament structure. For the day to day issues, the Clergy is there to handle marriages and divorces and births and deaths, and sure there's a holy day where you should go to the church to praise the Heironophim and the Creatrix but at the end of the day it's a "functional" faith. The Clergy is highly literate and scholastic--they record day to day happenings (in case it becomes important enough to enter the Scrolls of History), they keep folks thinking about helping their fellow man, and they don't worry too much about events outside of terrestrial ones (Zha keeps miracles quiet and subtle? Probably for a reason--let's not bother the Supreme Deity with our petty questions on how the gears work and just enjoy the show). There are places to worship and sacrifice to appease the gods and hope for a holy break, but the open Temples are fairly quiet on the issues of sorcery and even the afterlife ('yes, there's an afterlife, but we're not quite positive what's going on because no one's come back to talk to us about it). The Temples are there to keep society going, not answer deep questions about life, the universe, and everything.
...That's what the Mystery Cults are for.
If your character wants to get into ritualism and learn a spell or two (at this point just to say they can...) or really delve into arcane matters, these secret societies are the place to be. Considering that there are powers out there that are close enough to divine for horseshoes, the Clergy and Society in general don't really want you thinking about occult matters like angels and demons, thank you. Just come in, sing a few hymnals, and try not to think about it too much. No, only those that show the knack can find their way into these cults, where they can discuss deep matters of theology. Also, maybe make a few political connections, but that's purely secondary I assure you...
Before you ask, yes, the Clergy does pay attention to these Mysteries, and does review what they're trying to do. So yes, there's something filling the game-standard "Inquisition" role, but they're not burning witches so much as they're reviewing what you're teaching and whose working with who. In situations this gets bad, well...there's other orders for that to handle things. What? You think the Clergy's going to let one group be judge, jury, and executioner?? That would be crazy!!
Part of the problem is, to paraphrase someone else's wisdom, RPG's tend to work best when they take their ideas off the back of a truck by the docks, no questions asked. Yes, I know there's games out there that REALLY build their world, creating a completely original concept or focus on alien worlds forged from new ideas. My own opinion, however, has been that RPG's need a groundwork of familiarity to work best. Fantasy works because you can tell anyone playing "it's fantasy" and while there might be some big questions regarding magic and dragons, everyone's pretty sure what the story's going to involve--swords, rangers, a good chance of the classic races, some spell casting, yadda yadda. Sure, we might need to find out if we're doing Martin or Tolkien or Howard, but we're all pretty sure that no one's going to be declaring "I aim my AK-47 at the orc and call in a missile strike from the F-28's". We need something familiar, but not played out.
(What? I said "pretty sure".)
Added to this is the real-life baggage about religion in general. I've played with people with all manner of beliefs, ranging from "true believer" to "actively nonplussed by religions in general". Personally, I love dealing with religion in game, but it should be an element that you can ditch in your games if it's not going to work in your group. I've had both believers and athiest get annoyed when they have to deal with religious matters in game for their own reasons.
Done right, religion can be a great character motivator. Done poorly, it's a random stall on your character doing things, or kicks you out of the immersion when you hear that everyone is going to the Smatholoic church on Smunday to worship Xeexus Krista. Done really poorly, and it's an element that you can't ignore without completely ripping out major chunks of the game. Basically, in the stew of a game, religion is a habanaro pepper--it should be a spice, not the main courser, and removed with little impact if you want it.
If you couldn't tell by now, I'm grabbing from just about everything for Baroque-punk, and that includes for the religious elements as well. The main ingredient is going back to something closer to ancient Grecian and Roman beliefs. Added to this is healthy dose of Jewish lore and Old Testament structure. For the day to day issues, the Clergy is there to handle marriages and divorces and births and deaths, and sure there's a holy day where you should go to the church to praise the Heironophim and the Creatrix but at the end of the day it's a "functional" faith. The Clergy is highly literate and scholastic--they record day to day happenings (in case it becomes important enough to enter the Scrolls of History), they keep folks thinking about helping their fellow man, and they don't worry too much about events outside of terrestrial ones (Zha keeps miracles quiet and subtle? Probably for a reason--let's not bother the Supreme Deity with our petty questions on how the gears work and just enjoy the show). There are places to worship and sacrifice to appease the gods and hope for a holy break, but the open Temples are fairly quiet on the issues of sorcery and even the afterlife ('yes, there's an afterlife, but we're not quite positive what's going on because no one's come back to talk to us about it). The Temples are there to keep society going, not answer deep questions about life, the universe, and everything.
...That's what the Mystery Cults are for.
If your character wants to get into ritualism and learn a spell or two (at this point just to say they can...) or really delve into arcane matters, these secret societies are the place to be. Considering that there are powers out there that are close enough to divine for horseshoes, the Clergy and Society in general don't really want you thinking about occult matters like angels and demons, thank you. Just come in, sing a few hymnals, and try not to think about it too much. No, only those that show the knack can find their way into these cults, where they can discuss deep matters of theology. Also, maybe make a few political connections, but that's purely secondary I assure you...
Before you ask, yes, the Clergy does pay attention to these Mysteries, and does review what they're trying to do. So yes, there's something filling the game-standard "Inquisition" role, but they're not burning witches so much as they're reviewing what you're teaching and whose working with who. In situations this gets bad, well...there's other orders for that to handle things. What? You think the Clergy's going to let one group be judge, jury, and executioner?? That would be crazy!!
Thursday, October 23, 2014
On Failure, Death, and Danger
So I've begun pondering mechanics. There's a lot of things I want to deal with, but one in general is "how easy is it to die?"
One of the hardest parts of tabletop is the balance of success vs. failure. Let's take the classic opening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as an example. Indy gets through a few traps, looses a few NPC's, tries to grab the golden head but doesn't put (at all) enough sand on there, and barely escapes a giant boulder. Sadly, he looses the head to his hated rival and Frenchman, Belloq.
Reviewing the scene, Indy fails...a lot. He steps on traps, almost dies way too many times on a tenured salary, and ends up loosing the MacGuffin he's out there to get in the first place. He should be a goner. However, since we know the movie is not titled "Dr. Marcus Brody and the Incredible Amount of Clean-up, International Apologies and Work Finding a Substitute when a Professor Dies Mid-Semester Raiding Cultural Landmarks", we also know that Indy's not in any actual peril. Oh, it looks it, but we know. Plot Armor.
Of course, in a game, this is something of a challenge. What if Indy rolled badly and got shot by poisonous darts? What if he botches his athletics roll and has to choose between "smushed" and "trapped behind 800 pound boulder--roll to not starve"?? Sure, Harrison could roll up another character, but that's time wasted that could be used to play a game--a few minutes for some games, a full night for others...
In short, death is a terrible fail state for a game. If it's ok for Hollywood Blockbusters to wink and nod at the "ooo, the star could die at any moment!", then I'm ok with it too. So we do what Hollywood does--you only die if it makes a good story. In short, we're giving the power of life and death of a character over to said player.
Now, don't get me wrong--just because you can't die doesn't mean you can't fail.
Basically, the mechanics are doing "anti-Awesome points". FATE, WFRP, White Wolf's Willpower (to a degree) all have some kind of usable resource that says "this is how many times you can be awesome/cheat death/etc/" The mechanics I have right now say "you can always be awesome, no matter what the dice say--but that doesn't mean you'll win."
Hence, the Danger Pool.
Danger Pool will be a number from 0 ("no danger here!") to...however deep it needs to go. Every Scene will have a Pool with a starting number ("how much danger are we in now??") and a Loss Level. If the Pool hits that Loss number, than you've lost the scene--the bad guys get away, or Belloq grabs the idol, or...
If you fail a roll, you can always buy up successes by throwing points into the Danger Pool. If you roll really well, you can drop the Danger Pool. Or you can drop it by giving yourself consequences--equipment fails or gets dropped, you take a punishing wound, or in the worst case die dramatically (the not-quite titled "Noooooo!!!" rule). But you always need to keep sharp, because the Danger Pool will always increase as time passes--take too long fighting those goons and it doesn't matter how good you look doing it--the bad guy still wins.
Be deciding the victory and failure states of a scene, we set specific goals and drive the players (and characters) to do what they need to do, and give them a way to win die rolls and look as awesome as they want but still giving them the option to fail.
For me, this is a different way to look at games, and simulation in general. It's motivating me. Let me know what you think.
One of the hardest parts of tabletop is the balance of success vs. failure. Let's take the classic opening of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as an example. Indy gets through a few traps, looses a few NPC's, tries to grab the golden head but doesn't put (at all) enough sand on there, and barely escapes a giant boulder. Sadly, he looses the head to his hated rival and Frenchman, Belloq.
Reviewing the scene, Indy fails...a lot. He steps on traps, almost dies way too many times on a tenured salary, and ends up loosing the MacGuffin he's out there to get in the first place. He should be a goner. However, since we know the movie is not titled "Dr. Marcus Brody and the Incredible Amount of Clean-up, International Apologies and Work Finding a Substitute when a Professor Dies Mid-Semester Raiding Cultural Landmarks", we also know that Indy's not in any actual peril. Oh, it looks it, but we know. Plot Armor.
Of course, in a game, this is something of a challenge. What if Indy rolled badly and got shot by poisonous darts? What if he botches his athletics roll and has to choose between "smushed" and "trapped behind 800 pound boulder--roll to not starve"?? Sure, Harrison could roll up another character, but that's time wasted that could be used to play a game--a few minutes for some games, a full night for others...
In short, death is a terrible fail state for a game. If it's ok for Hollywood Blockbusters to wink and nod at the "ooo, the star could die at any moment!", then I'm ok with it too. So we do what Hollywood does--you only die if it makes a good story. In short, we're giving the power of life and death of a character over to said player.
Now, don't get me wrong--just because you can't die doesn't mean you can't fail.
Basically, the mechanics are doing "anti-Awesome points". FATE, WFRP, White Wolf's Willpower (to a degree) all have some kind of usable resource that says "this is how many times you can be awesome/cheat death/etc/" The mechanics I have right now say "you can always be awesome, no matter what the dice say--but that doesn't mean you'll win."
Hence, the Danger Pool.
Danger Pool will be a number from 0 ("no danger here!") to...however deep it needs to go. Every Scene will have a Pool with a starting number ("how much danger are we in now??") and a Loss Level. If the Pool hits that Loss number, than you've lost the scene--the bad guys get away, or Belloq grabs the idol, or...
If you fail a roll, you can always buy up successes by throwing points into the Danger Pool. If you roll really well, you can drop the Danger Pool. Or you can drop it by giving yourself consequences--equipment fails or gets dropped, you take a punishing wound, or in the worst case die dramatically (the not-quite titled "Noooooo!!!" rule). But you always need to keep sharp, because the Danger Pool will always increase as time passes--take too long fighting those goons and it doesn't matter how good you look doing it--the bad guy still wins.
Be deciding the victory and failure states of a scene, we set specific goals and drive the players (and characters) to do what they need to do, and give them a way to win die rolls and look as awesome as they want but still giving them the option to fail.
For me, this is a different way to look at games, and simulation in general. It's motivating me. Let me know what you think.
Monday, October 20, 2014
2,456th Floor: Home Goods, the City of Halforth, and Cattle
The Sanctus was designed in 'Cells', each one approximately 50 feet tall and (varying on location) up to 2 square miles in area. For all the genius needed to create the Sanctus, perhaps some of the most work had to be done making sure it was possible to move from one place to another.
The Lifts are the lifeblood of the Tower. Considering that most Cells are their own little nations in many ways, with one floor being the urban living areas, the next the farm and livestock space, possibly a third one for nobility, etc., being able to move back and forth is vital.
All but the most destitute cells have their own internal Lift system (they were designed in each cell, but if the people living there let it fall into decay and can't pay for repairs...). This is used to move back and forth within the Cell. This is the "morning commute" for the labor pool, walking through the city square to the lifts, and then down to the farmland or workshops for the day. These are normally just big boxes with a lift operator and (if you're lucky) four walls. This normally costs at least a few coins to ride--if you're broke or thrifty, there's always the stairwell. Of course, these are rumored to be where vagabonds and other terrible things dwell, so it's not a bad idea to be armed...
At least once a day--sometimes more, depending on the Cell your in and the trade that flows between floors--there's normally an express elevator. These run through the Cells, connecting at least 2 or 3 different Cells. These are run exclusively by the Lifter Guild, responsible for operating the lifts and maintaining them. These are run on weight and far too pricey for the common man--but then, the common man won't be using these all that often. Time tables are strict, and missing your ride means another day or two at least.
Express cars tend to be closer to small restaurants or train cars--there's chairs and amenities in the good ones, and enough space for a head of cattle in the cargo drives.
Finally, there are the Bulk Cars. These are massive multi-story affairs (get on the car through the entrance, walk up stairs, etc). and can hold massive amounts of people and goods. Of course, these are slow--The gear work needed to move a multi-story house is built for strength and reliability, not speed. These move slowly like clockwork up and down the Grand Shafts, By the time it takes them to stop, unload, reload and close the massive doors, they only get roughly a floor a day. This means it's literally a decade from the top floor to the bottom (although with two cars normally working, you'll get one every five years or so). These are small moving apartments, with floors of bulk space and sleeping space--about as luxurious as a WWII sub, but at least you have a bed...
Finally, there are private cars--the ones used by the rich and powerful to move themselves and their own private armies. These can range from functional to opulent, and if the owner can pay for a clear shaft, they can move themselves from top to bottom in a few hours.
All of this is controlled by the Lifter's Guild, Dealing with the repair, operation and timing of the lifts is a vital job, and one they get paid well for. Having a monopoly on transportation makes them powerful and unforgiving to those that cross them--being banned from the Lifts essentially traps you--sure, you can get to the stairwells, but where are you really going to go? Respectable places will kick you out, and going down to the Midnight Floors means finding the disreputable and desperate and hoping the vagabonds you find aren't mad or worse...
Finally, if one is desperate, there are rumors of ghost cars--illegal and mostly just tall tales, but there are some signs that perhaps illegal lifts are operating. Most would simply say you have corrupt lift operators making a few extra coins during a slow period in the Shafts, but others say entire companies of vagabonds, madmen, and renegade engineers are running lines in the dead of night and just outside the shadow of legal lifts. Such an act--assuming it was real--would jeopardize lives and property, but it's not like there aren't desperate people with money...
Adventure Ideas:
Basically, anything that would be "on a train" can be done "-on a lift".
1. A Lift has gotten stuck in one of the secondary Shafts. Even worse, it's carrying both a Baron's daughter and a number of violently unstable alchemicals. From here, it can delve as deep into "Die Hard" as you want--maybe there are anarchists or cultists or...
2. A floor has been reporting disappearances of late--first it was a few sheep, but now children are missing. The floor is tight nit and everyone has an alibi. However, there have been...sounds...coming from the Shafts. Has something from the Midnight floors come up the shaft?
3. A Bulk Car isn't stopping--it's thrown the entire schedule off and threatens entire floors with economic failure and/or starvation. The Guild is hiring you to get into the car and stop it--now. Did the engineer just have a heart attack, or is something more terrible going on?
The Lifts are the lifeblood of the Tower. Considering that most Cells are their own little nations in many ways, with one floor being the urban living areas, the next the farm and livestock space, possibly a third one for nobility, etc., being able to move back and forth is vital.
All but the most destitute cells have their own internal Lift system (they were designed in each cell, but if the people living there let it fall into decay and can't pay for repairs...). This is used to move back and forth within the Cell. This is the "morning commute" for the labor pool, walking through the city square to the lifts, and then down to the farmland or workshops for the day. These are normally just big boxes with a lift operator and (if you're lucky) four walls. This normally costs at least a few coins to ride--if you're broke or thrifty, there's always the stairwell. Of course, these are rumored to be where vagabonds and other terrible things dwell, so it's not a bad idea to be armed...
At least once a day--sometimes more, depending on the Cell your in and the trade that flows between floors--there's normally an express elevator. These run through the Cells, connecting at least 2 or 3 different Cells. These are run exclusively by the Lifter Guild, responsible for operating the lifts and maintaining them. These are run on weight and far too pricey for the common man--but then, the common man won't be using these all that often. Time tables are strict, and missing your ride means another day or two at least.
Express cars tend to be closer to small restaurants or train cars--there's chairs and amenities in the good ones, and enough space for a head of cattle in the cargo drives.
Finally, there are the Bulk Cars. These are massive multi-story affairs (get on the car through the entrance, walk up stairs, etc). and can hold massive amounts of people and goods. Of course, these are slow--The gear work needed to move a multi-story house is built for strength and reliability, not speed. These move slowly like clockwork up and down the Grand Shafts, By the time it takes them to stop, unload, reload and close the massive doors, they only get roughly a floor a day. This means it's literally a decade from the top floor to the bottom (although with two cars normally working, you'll get one every five years or so). These are small moving apartments, with floors of bulk space and sleeping space--about as luxurious as a WWII sub, but at least you have a bed...
Finally, there are private cars--the ones used by the rich and powerful to move themselves and their own private armies. These can range from functional to opulent, and if the owner can pay for a clear shaft, they can move themselves from top to bottom in a few hours.
All of this is controlled by the Lifter's Guild, Dealing with the repair, operation and timing of the lifts is a vital job, and one they get paid well for. Having a monopoly on transportation makes them powerful and unforgiving to those that cross them--being banned from the Lifts essentially traps you--sure, you can get to the stairwells, but where are you really going to go? Respectable places will kick you out, and going down to the Midnight Floors means finding the disreputable and desperate and hoping the vagabonds you find aren't mad or worse...
Finally, if one is desperate, there are rumors of ghost cars--illegal and mostly just tall tales, but there are some signs that perhaps illegal lifts are operating. Most would simply say you have corrupt lift operators making a few extra coins during a slow period in the Shafts, but others say entire companies of vagabonds, madmen, and renegade engineers are running lines in the dead of night and just outside the shadow of legal lifts. Such an act--assuming it was real--would jeopardize lives and property, but it's not like there aren't desperate people with money...
Adventure Ideas:
Basically, anything that would be "on a train" can be done "-on a lift".
1. A Lift has gotten stuck in one of the secondary Shafts. Even worse, it's carrying both a Baron's daughter and a number of violently unstable alchemicals. From here, it can delve as deep into "Die Hard" as you want--maybe there are anarchists or cultists or...
2. A floor has been reporting disappearances of late--first it was a few sheep, but now children are missing. The floor is tight nit and everyone has an alibi. However, there have been...sounds...coming from the Shafts. Has something from the Midnight floors come up the shaft?
3. A Bulk Car isn't stopping--it's thrown the entire schedule off and threatens entire floors with economic failure and/or starvation. The Guild is hiring you to get into the car and stop it--now. Did the engineer just have a heart attack, or is something more terrible going on?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
That Gathering and the Elegance
Magic: the Gathering is arguably one of the most influential and popular 'geek' foundations of my generation. It is, in many ways, in the same area of the "Geek Venn Diagram" that RPG's do--a fine combination of war-game, storytelling, and gambling. Ok, a bit heavier on the gambling. At least they got rid of the "bid a card" garbage from my days in high school. Also, I'm old.
So the basic theory for every monster in the book is to boil it down to a magic card. Mind you, not a REAL card--as I do not own a printing company, that's a bit outside of my abilities right now. But instead, I should be able to flip to a page or click to a link under, say "Orcs", and have a variety of terrible green horde-monsters I can sick on you. That should include at least some flavor text--again, Magic Cards, not a Spreadsheet--something you can get into and get the creative juices flowing. This also means that players should be able to quickly figure out how many baddies they just whomped, and the GM should know what options the monsters have on their turn. Since this is an RPG, we'll probably also need to figure out a good system for time and initiative (stupid initiative!!). And using these as playing blocks, I as the GM can either "build a deck" for my players to fight off, or just roll some dice/throw some darts at the book and come up with a quick game to play.
If you can't tell, I've decided to start pondering the mechanical aspects. I'm hoping to create a 0th Edition, and basically something I can get int people's hands to start playing and getting feedback. Of course, I have a family, a job, and studying for certifications, so this might arrive in early 2020, but again--this is for fun.
Today, I'm having fun.
Magic cards are one of those things that I hold up as a masterpiece of design. In one card (obtained from random from Wizards of the Coast website--obviously not mine, all rights reserved, etc.), you get:
They are, to me at least, a major motivator for me to design as cleanly as possible while still including elements that fill in the game world and inspire more ideas or excitement. It's very easy to get 'wordy' in RPG's (at least when I'm writing them...), so remembering to keep it simple is always a plus. The concept of "here's all this in a itty bitty card" is my specific foundation I'm using for the NPC and "monster" components.
My philosophy is this--the players should have plenty of knobs and tricks and toys because they're there to play specific characters. When I'm playing, the character is the only thing I really get to play with in the sandbox--so it better have enough fun involved so I don't feel jealous. As a GM, though, the last thing I need is fiddly toys. If I'm running a fight scene with a dozen NPC's, I have to handle both the players AND the NPC's. Now, we're in a golden age of gaming in some ways, and I know these are a bit out-of-date (see Fate and its bargaining, Dungeon World, and a few other indies), but in general it's always been a problem--the GM has to run an entire world.
- A spell or a monster,
- Art ranging from "good" to "Dude....Dude!!" that inspires you and brings the game to life.
- What faction it belongs to (and hence, at least a rough idea of how it's going to work)
- The cost to activate it
- How dangerous it is in both attack and defense
- Any special rules that this monster has, and how to use said special rules,
- Nine times out of ten a bit of world-building that makes you go "man, I'd like to know more about this world!"
They are, to me at least, a major motivator for me to design as cleanly as possible while still including elements that fill in the game world and inspire more ideas or excitement. It's very easy to get 'wordy' in RPG's (at least when I'm writing them...), so remembering to keep it simple is always a plus. The concept of "here's all this in a itty bitty card" is my specific foundation I'm using for the NPC and "monster" components.
My philosophy is this--the players should have plenty of knobs and tricks and toys because they're there to play specific characters. When I'm playing, the character is the only thing I really get to play with in the sandbox--so it better have enough fun involved so I don't feel jealous. As a GM, though, the last thing I need is fiddly toys. If I'm running a fight scene with a dozen NPC's, I have to handle both the players AND the NPC's. Now, we're in a golden age of gaming in some ways, and I know these are a bit out-of-date (see Fate and its bargaining, Dungeon World, and a few other indies), but in general it's always been a problem--the GM has to run an entire world.
So the basic theory for every monster in the book is to boil it down to a magic card. Mind you, not a REAL card--as I do not own a printing company, that's a bit outside of my abilities right now. But instead, I should be able to flip to a page or click to a link under, say "Orcs", and have a variety of terrible green horde-monsters I can sick on you. That should include at least some flavor text--again, Magic Cards, not a Spreadsheet--something you can get into and get the creative juices flowing. This also means that players should be able to quickly figure out how many baddies they just whomped, and the GM should know what options the monsters have on their turn. Since this is an RPG, we'll probably also need to figure out a good system for time and initiative (stupid initiative!!). And using these as playing blocks, I as the GM can either "build a deck" for my players to fight off, or just roll some dice/throw some darts at the book and come up with a quick game to play.
If you can't tell, I've decided to start pondering the mechanical aspects. I'm hoping to create a 0th Edition, and basically something I can get int people's hands to start playing and getting feedback. Of course, I have a family, a job, and studying for certifications, so this might arrive in early 2020, but again--this is for fun.
Today, I'm having fun.
Monday, October 13, 2014
Hellmouths: There Goes the Neighborhood
The Hellmouth. It is something that sounds impossible, but every culture that has recorded history reports their presence. They start as blemishes or miscolorings in the surrounding environment, unnatural but easily dismissed. They grow into tumorous growths on solid rock or metal, or strange cracks in the ground. Where they appear life quickly fades--crops became sickly and failed, forests blighted and died, rivers filled with dead fish. These were terrible enough--a single Hellmouth is blamed for starting the blight of 1306, which ended in thousands of deaths due to starvation and plague.
If a Hellmouth is left to linger too long, then the true horror becomes apparent as demons from the Darkness emerge, laying waste to the countryside and destroying everything they can. Hellmouths are bridges, corridors between the impossible physics of the darkness and the stable reality of our own world. The twisting impossible corridors are known as gauntlets, and with good reason--not only are they filled with an oncoming army of nightmarish beasts, but the strange geometries can be just as lethal, with shifting gravity, deadly traps, and strange warps of energy and matter. The fall of Librosa, the assination of Culehec, the Bloody Winter, all manner of attrocities and doom can be pointed to as starting due to a Hellmouth's appearance.
There are two silver linings to a Hellmouth's appearance. First, historically these have been quite rare--only one would normally appear once a century (the fact that three arrived during the reign of Laurence of Haldorth was enough to lead to the 1090 Revolution, which caused a brief period of anarchy in Roque based on religious fervor). The second was that the Clergy had found a method of ritually clensing a Hellmouth, disrupting the bleak energies that kept them stable and causing them to collapse. For most of history, a Hellmouth was akin to a natural disaster like a volcano or earthquake--certainly dire but not exactly something to consonantly worry about.
Then the Impact came.
No one knows for sure why--the natural philosophers believe it may be due to the mega death and climate change, the Clergy argues that it is obviously a Sign of the Times of Strife due to our hubris and wickedness, and the Anarchists and Democratics rally it as a divine sign of the noble's failure, but there is only one truth--in the past two centuries since the Tower was build, there have been over 60 reported Hellmouths. They open faster and appear more frequently, and the military has had to respond to a number of demonic incursions. It has poisoned the communities of the Tower, keeping the masses in fear and mistrusting their neighbors. Even worse, rumors spread of cults and mysteries that have betrayed the way of the Archangels and now worship the Fallen gods of the Dragon and other Dark Masters. Since there are so many places that are rarely patrolled or noticed in the Tower--miles of mine tunnels and unused corridor and lonely room--Hellmouths get time to grow and mature, becoming large enough for demonic incursion. If anyone had doubt that now is a dark time for humanity, the Hellmouths have silenced that doubt--somewhere, hiding in the shadows and secret hallways of the Tower, right now, there could be a breech into the Darkness that holds all manner of terrible monsters, ready to pour out...
If a Hellmouth becomes too stable, the clergic rites become useless. At that point, there is only one option--for a team of knighted hell-divers to breech the Hellmouth, to enter the dimensional gauntlet that exists inside, a bridge between our world and Hell itself, and to find the Heart--the meta-natural core of the gauntlet. If it is destroyed, the mouth falls just as surely as an arch loosing its keystone. Once broken, the warriors must flee as quick as they can, lest they be caught in the gauntlet before the Mouth closes and they are lost forever in Darkness.
It is terrifying work, and those that do it rarely live long to rest on their laurels, but a band of brave souls can dive into the boundaries of hell and protect the masses for one more day from Apocalypse.
If a Hellmouth is left to linger too long, then the true horror becomes apparent as demons from the Darkness emerge, laying waste to the countryside and destroying everything they can. Hellmouths are bridges, corridors between the impossible physics of the darkness and the stable reality of our own world. The twisting impossible corridors are known as gauntlets, and with good reason--not only are they filled with an oncoming army of nightmarish beasts, but the strange geometries can be just as lethal, with shifting gravity, deadly traps, and strange warps of energy and matter. The fall of Librosa, the assination of Culehec, the Bloody Winter, all manner of attrocities and doom can be pointed to as starting due to a Hellmouth's appearance.There are two silver linings to a Hellmouth's appearance. First, historically these have been quite rare--only one would normally appear once a century (the fact that three arrived during the reign of Laurence of Haldorth was enough to lead to the 1090 Revolution, which caused a brief period of anarchy in Roque based on religious fervor). The second was that the Clergy had found a method of ritually clensing a Hellmouth, disrupting the bleak energies that kept them stable and causing them to collapse. For most of history, a Hellmouth was akin to a natural disaster like a volcano or earthquake--certainly dire but not exactly something to consonantly worry about.
Then the Impact came.
No one knows for sure why--the natural philosophers believe it may be due to the mega death and climate change, the Clergy argues that it is obviously a Sign of the Times of Strife due to our hubris and wickedness, and the Anarchists and Democratics rally it as a divine sign of the noble's failure, but there is only one truth--in the past two centuries since the Tower was build, there have been over 60 reported Hellmouths. They open faster and appear more frequently, and the military has had to respond to a number of demonic incursions. It has poisoned the communities of the Tower, keeping the masses in fear and mistrusting their neighbors. Even worse, rumors spread of cults and mysteries that have betrayed the way of the Archangels and now worship the Fallen gods of the Dragon and other Dark Masters. Since there are so many places that are rarely patrolled or noticed in the Tower--miles of mine tunnels and unused corridor and lonely room--Hellmouths get time to grow and mature, becoming large enough for demonic incursion. If anyone had doubt that now is a dark time for humanity, the Hellmouths have silenced that doubt--somewhere, hiding in the shadows and secret hallways of the Tower, right now, there could be a breech into the Darkness that holds all manner of terrible monsters, ready to pour out...
If a Hellmouth becomes too stable, the clergic rites become useless. At that point, there is only one option--for a team of knighted hell-divers to breech the Hellmouth, to enter the dimensional gauntlet that exists inside, a bridge between our world and Hell itself, and to find the Heart--the meta-natural core of the gauntlet. If it is destroyed, the mouth falls just as surely as an arch loosing its keystone. Once broken, the warriors must flee as quick as they can, lest they be caught in the gauntlet before the Mouth closes and they are lost forever in Darkness.
It is terrifying work, and those that do it rarely live long to rest on their laurels, but a band of brave souls can dive into the boundaries of hell and protect the masses for one more day from Apocalypse.
Friday, October 10, 2014
Thoughts on Half-Bloods: If I Go Crazy, will You Still Call Me Superman?
So I've finally started to take a look at the Half-bloods.
(Why yes, that is a terrible name. But Nephilim and Grigori aren't quite right, Avatars and demigods and every other word I've come across doesn't work, and I haven't mashed up a word I like yet.
So they're Half-bloods right now. I get the feeling once I solidify their name, the rest will click into place, but I've got what I need right now to at least start building.)
The Half-Bloods are my "Superman" part of the equation--the power-heavy superhumans of the group. This will be needed, as the forces of Hell do not in any way feel obligated to using human-level threats against humans. The armies of daemons include a log of big scary monsters, and you'll need a guy who can leap tall giants in a single bound.
They've been with humanity since the dawn of time. They're in ancient scrolls and clay tablets and stone bas reliefs the world over. Every Ancient bad-ass in the world is rumored to have been a Half-Blood, from this world's Alexander to Plato to Ghengis Khan or Gilgamesh. Be they sinner or saint, a Half-Blood will leave a mark on history (normally, a bloody one at that).
Half-Bloods are stronger, faster, more alive, and perhaps most (in)famously are able to bond with a mystical Element. With this, they can summon that power to give themselves amazing abilities. Now, what exactly makes a Half-Blood a Half-blood isn't very well understood--According to earlier works a Half-Blooded would traditionally be "born in fire", and a previously-normal person would suddenly gain abilities in the middle of some very bad times. This happened exceedingly rarely--a literal one in a million chance, and having the power kick off in the middle of a life or death struggle? Well, there weren't that many of them running around.
There's no genetic code for Half-Bloods, while some scholars say there's slightly better odds of a child of a Half-Blood erupting, it's not reliable in any way. It just happened, with little regard for who a person was before.
Historically, Half-Bloods aren't really liked for a few reasons. First, there's the issue that no one knows where the power is coming from--the Clergy state that the Half-Blooded are those that had some contact with an angel or demon (normally hinting strongly that one of their parents were not who they said they were during the consecration of said Half-Blood). So there's the fact that these select few have direct ties with horrifying all-powerful aspects of reality, which Bill the Baker doesn't really need in his shop. The mere mention of possibly being tied to demons is a great way to meet the local lynch mob, and it's really hard to argue that you're not evil when you have the ability to shoot fire from your mouth.
Add onto this is that Half-Blood are known for going crazy and becoming monsters in their own right. This isn't due to some ancient curse or anything--it's simply the fact that few people really handle the power. Think about it--if you were a serf in the 12th century or ancient Greece or pre-revolution Paris, and during a time where you almost died you instead became a physical powerhouse that can chuck lightening? That's going to warp your psyche a bit. Now have everyone around you be a bit scared of you at all times. Half your family thinks your the devil. People keep showing up at your door with sick and dead family members since, hey, you're half-angel, right?? Angels bring people back to life, right? Then the local Duke keeps calling you buddy and keeping you drunk and aiming you at front lines of wars with this look in his eyes that he really doesn't mind if you'd die...
So a Half-Blood is stressed, unloved, alienated, manipulated, and pushed by everyone in society. Just imagine that pressure in a guy who used to just raise sheep? Now imagine how that must feel when you realize that everyone around you is just so weak. Sure, Half-bloods can die, but it's going to look like the last act of Hamlet by the time they're down.
Basically, there's no "evil" mechanic for these guys. There's no taint or dark side points--it's just a fine martini of being powerful and being feared, with a dash of religiously-fueled paranoia handed to your character. You'll need to figure out how to handle that.
The other big reason people hate Half-Bloods is that they mean trouble's coming. Some times, during big wars or natural disasters, people would erupt before things got bad. This especially happened before Impact--Half-Bloods were kicking off left and right during the time before Impact. Even worse, that's still happening. That's why the Lords had to impose the Drafting Order to force anyone who became a Half-Blood to become part of the elite special forces that dive into Hell--otherwise it was a bunch of strong guys all stuck in a tower.
And yes, the rest of the world has noticed that when Half-Bloods arrive, Demons tend to follow. Some say it's because the Half-Bloods are there to protect humanity. Others say the Half-Bloods are just demonic scouts.
So yes, it's not easy being Superhuman--few if any live a decade past their re-birth, and that time is one filled with fire, steel, and pain. If your lucky though, you might become a name that echos forever.
...and maybe I'll get a better damn name for them, too.
(Why yes, that is a terrible name. But Nephilim and Grigori aren't quite right, Avatars and demigods and every other word I've come across doesn't work, and I haven't mashed up a word I like yet.
So they're Half-bloods right now. I get the feeling once I solidify their name, the rest will click into place, but I've got what I need right now to at least start building.)
The Half-Bloods are my "Superman" part of the equation--the power-heavy superhumans of the group. This will be needed, as the forces of Hell do not in any way feel obligated to using human-level threats against humans. The armies of daemons include a log of big scary monsters, and you'll need a guy who can leap tall giants in a single bound.
They've been with humanity since the dawn of time. They're in ancient scrolls and clay tablets and stone bas reliefs the world over. Every Ancient bad-ass in the world is rumored to have been a Half-Blood, from this world's Alexander to Plato to Ghengis Khan or Gilgamesh. Be they sinner or saint, a Half-Blood will leave a mark on history (normally, a bloody one at that).
Half-Bloods are stronger, faster, more alive, and perhaps most (in)famously are able to bond with a mystical Element. With this, they can summon that power to give themselves amazing abilities. Now, what exactly makes a Half-Blood a Half-blood isn't very well understood--According to earlier works a Half-Blooded would traditionally be "born in fire", and a previously-normal person would suddenly gain abilities in the middle of some very bad times. This happened exceedingly rarely--a literal one in a million chance, and having the power kick off in the middle of a life or death struggle? Well, there weren't that many of them running around.
There's no genetic code for Half-Bloods, while some scholars say there's slightly better odds of a child of a Half-Blood erupting, it's not reliable in any way. It just happened, with little regard for who a person was before.
Historically, Half-Bloods aren't really liked for a few reasons. First, there's the issue that no one knows where the power is coming from--the Clergy state that the Half-Blooded are those that had some contact with an angel or demon (normally hinting strongly that one of their parents were not who they said they were during the consecration of said Half-Blood). So there's the fact that these select few have direct ties with horrifying all-powerful aspects of reality, which Bill the Baker doesn't really need in his shop. The mere mention of possibly being tied to demons is a great way to meet the local lynch mob, and it's really hard to argue that you're not evil when you have the ability to shoot fire from your mouth.
Add onto this is that Half-Blood are known for going crazy and becoming monsters in their own right. This isn't due to some ancient curse or anything--it's simply the fact that few people really handle the power. Think about it--if you were a serf in the 12th century or ancient Greece or pre-revolution Paris, and during a time where you almost died you instead became a physical powerhouse that can chuck lightening? That's going to warp your psyche a bit. Now have everyone around you be a bit scared of you at all times. Half your family thinks your the devil. People keep showing up at your door with sick and dead family members since, hey, you're half-angel, right?? Angels bring people back to life, right? Then the local Duke keeps calling you buddy and keeping you drunk and aiming you at front lines of wars with this look in his eyes that he really doesn't mind if you'd die...
So a Half-Blood is stressed, unloved, alienated, manipulated, and pushed by everyone in society. Just imagine that pressure in a guy who used to just raise sheep? Now imagine how that must feel when you realize that everyone around you is just so weak. Sure, Half-bloods can die, but it's going to look like the last act of Hamlet by the time they're down.
Basically, there's no "evil" mechanic for these guys. There's no taint or dark side points--it's just a fine martini of being powerful and being feared, with a dash of religiously-fueled paranoia handed to your character. You'll need to figure out how to handle that.
The other big reason people hate Half-Bloods is that they mean trouble's coming. Some times, during big wars or natural disasters, people would erupt before things got bad. This especially happened before Impact--Half-Bloods were kicking off left and right during the time before Impact. Even worse, that's still happening. That's why the Lords had to impose the Drafting Order to force anyone who became a Half-Blood to become part of the elite special forces that dive into Hell--otherwise it was a bunch of strong guys all stuck in a tower.
And yes, the rest of the world has noticed that when Half-Bloods arrive, Demons tend to follow. Some say it's because the Half-Bloods are there to protect humanity. Others say the Half-Bloods are just demonic scouts.
So yes, it's not easy being Superhuman--few if any live a decade past their re-birth, and that time is one filled with fire, steel, and pain. If your lucky though, you might become a name that echos forever.
...and maybe I'll get a better damn name for them, too.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
The Fallen
So the Demons of Qlipoth are there to be our Monsters--the obvious threats to you and yours. However, this game is more than just a "charge into Hell, fight monsters, lather rinse repeat". I'm a child of the 90's, of Old World of Darkness and Clarefield's soap-opera X-Men. I love me some factions and secret societies and the idea of bumping into the utterly inhuman at a pub.
Which is why we need the Fallen.
The Fallen missed the long drop into Hell, and ended up here on Earth instead. Immortal (they're names aren't in the Book of Death, and hence not on the list for good or ill), powerful but weakened, they had to learn to adapt, to move in our world, and in many instances help shape it.
Unlike the Demons, the Fallen don't hate our reality, but they aren't happy they're here. The world is a po-dunk mobile home lot filled with savage, stupid humans, and everything they look as it a reminder of how badly things got messed up by them. Imagine looking at a beautiful tree in the sunrise or a baby kitten playing with string--to the Fallen, these things are third-rate knock-off scribbles on an Etch-a-Sketch done by a blind man. No, before everything broke, there were OAK TREES and KITTENS. Ever since the Fall, though...now it's just some dumb four-legged mammal or some short, shrivelled tree, and coffee doesn't taste like it smells and everything's falling into the gutter, and the Fallen have to sit in that gutter and hope that one day someone figures out how to get them out of it.
Not that the Fallen are enemies, either. Take the most "famous" of the Fallen--the Magician. Known as being a con-man, a liar, a trickster and a thief, It's also known as the creature that taught mankind the beginnings of sorcery, angelic script, and the secrets of tending the earth and writing (supposedly--again, this is all coming from religious historical texts, not history books.) The Magician has many parables where Its saves lives and stops evil, giving the cure to plagues or tyrants. On the other hand, there are just as many parables where those that deal or even see the Magician have tragic (and painful) ends. The Magician is Merlin, The Doctor, and Lucifer, with just a dash of Hannibal Lector. It might save the world, but will It save you? It might give you the power to save the day, but what will the cost be?
Unlike the Demons, however, the Fallen cannot make their own armies. They have to work with us, building small power bases and grabbing influence where they can. This makes them a force quietly moving through generations, grabbing power and influence where they can for their own needs. They fight the demons, but more because the demons are a threat to them, not because they intrinsically care for humanity.
So I've slotted five Fallen, but I only have three right now in my head. The Magician you've met above--the trickster and planner that shows up and causes chaos and change for his own needs. a shapeshifer and sorcerer,
The Ogre was supposedly a giant that destroyed entire cities, a monster with the power of the Earth and the Storm. With help from both the Magician and the Heironophim, St. Aldros was able to wound the beast and trap it deep beneath the earth.
Finally, there is Death. Yes, really. While trying to get at least a little out of Gaiman's shadow, this is a Death that is saddened by this shoddy reality--Death used to be something that wasn't feared. Now Death isn't sure what exactly it's supposed to be in charge of or what happens next. It's also concerned with what happens if the Demons win--what happens to Death in a world where Death wins?
So that's what I got now. So if you could do me a favor? Maybe hit the comment button if you have any ideas on what other kind of supernatural elements you'd prefer to randomly bump into in the middle of the night?
Which is why we need the Fallen.
The Fallen missed the long drop into Hell, and ended up here on Earth instead. Immortal (they're names aren't in the Book of Death, and hence not on the list for good or ill), powerful but weakened, they had to learn to adapt, to move in our world, and in many instances help shape it.
Unlike the Demons, the Fallen don't hate our reality, but they aren't happy they're here. The world is a po-dunk mobile home lot filled with savage, stupid humans, and everything they look as it a reminder of how badly things got messed up by them. Imagine looking at a beautiful tree in the sunrise or a baby kitten playing with string--to the Fallen, these things are third-rate knock-off scribbles on an Etch-a-Sketch done by a blind man. No, before everything broke, there were OAK TREES and KITTENS. Ever since the Fall, though...now it's just some dumb four-legged mammal or some short, shrivelled tree, and coffee doesn't taste like it smells and everything's falling into the gutter, and the Fallen have to sit in that gutter and hope that one day someone figures out how to get them out of it.
Not that the Fallen are enemies, either. Take the most "famous" of the Fallen--the Magician. Known as being a con-man, a liar, a trickster and a thief, It's also known as the creature that taught mankind the beginnings of sorcery, angelic script, and the secrets of tending the earth and writing (supposedly--again, this is all coming from religious historical texts, not history books.) The Magician has many parables where Its saves lives and stops evil, giving the cure to plagues or tyrants. On the other hand, there are just as many parables where those that deal or even see the Magician have tragic (and painful) ends. The Magician is Merlin, The Doctor, and Lucifer, with just a dash of Hannibal Lector. It might save the world, but will It save you? It might give you the power to save the day, but what will the cost be?
Unlike the Demons, however, the Fallen cannot make their own armies. They have to work with us, building small power bases and grabbing influence where they can. This makes them a force quietly moving through generations, grabbing power and influence where they can for their own needs. They fight the demons, but more because the demons are a threat to them, not because they intrinsically care for humanity.
So I've slotted five Fallen, but I only have three right now in my head. The Magician you've met above--the trickster and planner that shows up and causes chaos and change for his own needs. a shapeshifer and sorcerer,
The Ogre was supposedly a giant that destroyed entire cities, a monster with the power of the Earth and the Storm. With help from both the Magician and the Heironophim, St. Aldros was able to wound the beast and trap it deep beneath the earth.
Finally, there is Death. Yes, really. While trying to get at least a little out of Gaiman's shadow, this is a Death that is saddened by this shoddy reality--Death used to be something that wasn't feared. Now Death isn't sure what exactly it's supposed to be in charge of or what happens next. It's also concerned with what happens if the Demons win--what happens to Death in a world where Death wins?
So that's what I got now. So if you could do me a favor? Maybe hit the comment button if you have any ideas on what other kind of supernatural elements you'd prefer to randomly bump into in the middle of the night?
Monday, October 6, 2014
In which I disagree with Mr. Wick to the (hopeful) benefit of the game in question
Hello, my silent muses.
Something a little different today. So John Wick had a post that ruffled a few feathers, essentially stating that game balance is not needed on RPG's, and anything that didn't help you tell the story was meaningless. Others have argued this point, and while I think he got some of it right, it seems that Mr. Wick is incorrect on some of his assumptions.
I'm not going to go into a point by point analysis, but the core of his arguement is, if I may quote:
'I ask myself, “How does this help me tell stories?”
If it doesn’t, I throw it out.
When I run Vampire, I keep the Humanity rules and throw out the initiative rules.
When I run Call of Cthulhu, I keep the Sanity rules and throw out the gun chart.'
Which...is kinda odd, when you think about it. Technically speaking--dice don't help you tell stories. Is it really needed to have the sanity chart in a story? If we can get by without initiative, do we really need (the admittedly clumsy) humanity rules? Can't I just say "I'm loosing my humanity and becoming a beast!!"? Lovecraft didn't have a chart on the side of his stories showing the death-spiral of his characters...
This, I think, is the big problem. RPG's aren't stories. If they are, they're terrible, horrible stories that need a good editor and better plotting and frankly better writers half the time. Hell, most of the time the characters are either rip offs from other media and terribly acted to boot (and why is everybody making Monty Python jokes in this dramatic horror??!). There's little dramatic control, randomness for the sake of randomness, and character development ranges from none to "sweet glob why is that man still talking?!". My pet theory is that RPG's are at best B-movies in terms of enjoyment, popularity, and storytelling capacity (that's another post...).
No one would watch Casablanca if we knew that the movie might have Rick run over by a car because Humphrey rolled poorly. RPG's break Chekhov's gun rule all the time--things introduced are ignored, forgotten, or shifted by character action/dice rolls/forgetful GM's/etc. Quite simply, RPG's are terrible stories.
No, in truth, RPG's aren't stories. They're a weird bastard child of miniature wargames, storytelling, gambling, video games, and filing your tax returns. By this weird mish-mash of elements, we become something different. No, chess is not an RPG, and investing emotion into your pawns is a great way to loose said game. But that ability TO invest emotion into pawn 6? to imagine yourself in it's place, having to stare down the Queen (who obviously is unnatural--nothing should be that powerful!!), and then replacing dramatic licence with random luck? That's what RPG's do well. Holding them to the laws of stories binds them just as much as binding them to the rules of a board game.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that there's a lot RIGHT in this piece--frankly, I think we as a hobby have moved past spreadsheets of pike damage codes. I don't NEED eighty pages of guns. Initiative normally sucks as a system. But I think that we're throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Now, he has a definition of RPG:
"roleplaying game: a game in which the players are rewarded for making choices that are consistent with the character’s motivations or further the plot of the story."
I would change that to a game in which the players are rewarded for attempting actions and acting 'in character' that are consistent with character motivations or furthering the plot of the story.
Basically, I don't think it's just choice. I think it's actions, and rolling the dice is part of that fun.
At least, that's my opinion.
Finally, he asked these questions. I love answering questions about games--they make you think and sharpen the knives of the game in question. So, here's mine.
- What is your game about? Characters striving to safe what's left of humanity in a techno-fantasy.
- How does your game do that? Immersion in a world and something something system something I'll get back to you.
- What behaviors does my game reward? Being a big damn hero mumble mumble system again no seriously the check's in the mail...
Friday, October 3, 2014
The Bad Guys: Things to Stop
So first, the Sycorax. I love the feel of the word, but I'm not entirely sold on it. As with all names, numbers, and specifics, I'm sure there's going to be some changes here and there.
We have our demons--six big demon lords from the black wound of a broken reality, ready and willing to eat up everything you know and love. out of all the Angels, these are the ones I've thought most of, since they are the villains--the monsters you and your players will need to stop.
Now, being the villains, they need to handle a few different types of issues. First is the dungeon-crawling "monster" component. They need to be threats, and at least a decent variety of threats to keep them feeling new and different. It's not just monsters we're building, but armies. Each should cover a specific feel of threat and powers and tricks up their sleeve.
Secondly is the more insidious threat of the ideological heresy. This is a world where God cannot help you without burning the whole universe, where all mankind is trapped on a world that is nothing but darkness and ice. Unlike some demonic forces, I don't need these to be tempting you with bad ideas--I want to have them tempt you with GOOD ones. Join us and we'll help you survive the long nights. Give us your hand and you will get power. Let us whisper our secrets to you and you can use them to heal the sick or stop aging or...These are demons that don't care about you or your soul. All they want to do is climb out of the Darkness enough so they can kill off the angels and put this poor wounded reality out of its misery. It'll be better for you, after all--you'll be free from this as well, and maybe Zah can try this again...You'll probably be dead by then...why not get a little power now and help yourself?
They're there--in the darkness, under your bed, in the places where the angles meet, in the crossroads and hidden glens and quiet moments in conversation where shivers grab your neck. They're trapped in the hell of non-being, and you and everything you know are the chains around their necks. They don't care about you, but they will give you anything if you help them. You want to be faster, stronger, more handsome, live forever, become an arch-mage? Fantastic. Just dip your toes in the waters of Qlippoth, and become a little less than what Zha had planned for you. Become a bit more like them. Weaken their bonds a minuscule amount.
They live outside of time, so they have all the time in the world. They can make their own worlds, so they outnumber us. They know secrets from a dead universe, so they have us outgunned and outwitted. Every inch in our world gains them one step closer to burning the stars and the earth and space and time. We are their enemy at the atomic level.
The Dragon
The Kraken
The Ivory Queen
The Bargheist
The Red Marshall
The Green Monk
They are the Sycorax, and they are so close to victory...
Secondly is the more insidious threat of the ideological heresy. This is a world where God cannot help you without burning the whole universe, where all mankind is trapped on a world that is nothing but darkness and ice. Unlike some demonic forces, I don't need these to be tempting you with bad ideas--I want to have them tempt you with GOOD ones. Join us and we'll help you survive the long nights. Give us your hand and you will get power. Let us whisper our secrets to you and you can use them to heal the sick or stop aging or...These are demons that don't care about you or your soul. All they want to do is climb out of the Darkness enough so they can kill off the angels and put this poor wounded reality out of its misery. It'll be better for you, after all--you'll be free from this as well, and maybe Zah can try this again...You'll probably be dead by then...why not get a little power now and help yourself?
They're there--in the darkness, under your bed, in the places where the angles meet, in the crossroads and hidden glens and quiet moments in conversation where shivers grab your neck. They're trapped in the hell of non-being, and you and everything you know are the chains around their necks. They don't care about you, but they will give you anything if you help them. You want to be faster, stronger, more handsome, live forever, become an arch-mage? Fantastic. Just dip your toes in the waters of Qlippoth, and become a little less than what Zha had planned for you. Become a bit more like them. Weaken their bonds a minuscule amount.
They live outside of time, so they have all the time in the world. They can make their own worlds, so they outnumber us. They know secrets from a dead universe, so they have us outgunned and outwitted. Every inch in our world gains them one step closer to burning the stars and the earth and space and time. We are their enemy at the atomic level.
The Dragon
The Kraken
The Ivory Queen
The Bargheist
The Red Marshall
The Green Monk
They are the Sycorax, and they are so close to victory...
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Works Cited: The Baroque Cycle
So this will come as no surprise, but the Baroque Cycle was an obvious influence on the game, and in many ways my view of history and specifically fantasy. Written by Neal Stephenson, odds are very good if you're reading this blog you've already read his works and probably the three books I'm talking about.
In case you haven't read it, well--do it. Mind you, it's three massive tomes with multiple lead characters and interweaving plots, so you might want to pace yourself. It's a book about science, faith, gold, greed, sex, magic, computers, pirates, and most of all economics and the web of interactions that humanity makes for itself. It's an epic work, with Issac Newton and King Louis and Blackbeard and just about every other famous person from the era. It's one of those epic works that you can just SOAK in, finding more connections and more twists. The fact that there's an immortal alchemist in it--and that's such a minor character--shows the revolution of the time.
In many ways, it made me realize that for me, the Baroque era--the 17th and early 18th century is the sweet spot for my fantasy. I love dramatic dueling and lords and nobles, but at the same time I want newspapers and coffee and vast trading empires and economics and inventions and technology, too. I personally think we're seeing this as the next phase of fantasy--first came Tolkein and his idealized Norse/Celtic/working class English epic with swords and magic and some subconcious hatred of WWII. This generation though is used to cellphones and Newscycles and 3D-printers. For us, a world without technology is rapidly becoming a truly foreign land.
Add to this just how MUCH happened during the time. We see a black plague, London burn and be rebuilt, new ideas challenging the old, empires rise and fall...it's a perfect place for some brave and somewhat crazy characters to make their fortunes and change the world. It shows how characters ranging from the Lords and Ladies of powers to the Scum of the earth can exist in the world and do some epic things.
The best part though is how modern some of the outlooks and writing is. Characters are alive--they bitch about the weather, they fight against the barbaric practices of the age, they make bad jokes and naughty limericks and have their own plans and schemes. It's easy to think of historical works and the people from the past history as Disney automatons or characters reading a line in a long play, but to remember they were people with ideas and bodily functions and favorite jokes is a fine art, and one that I think we need to remember for both gaming and historical knowledge.
It's even funny.
So yeah, go start reading that one if you haven't. I'm working on organizing my thoughts and perhaps most importantly--who your characters are going to have to fight...
In case you haven't read it, well--do it. Mind you, it's three massive tomes with multiple lead characters and interweaving plots, so you might want to pace yourself. It's a book about science, faith, gold, greed, sex, magic, computers, pirates, and most of all economics and the web of interactions that humanity makes for itself. It's an epic work, with Issac Newton and King Louis and Blackbeard and just about every other famous person from the era. It's one of those epic works that you can just SOAK in, finding more connections and more twists. The fact that there's an immortal alchemist in it--and that's such a minor character--shows the revolution of the time.In many ways, it made me realize that for me, the Baroque era--the 17th and early 18th century is the sweet spot for my fantasy. I love dramatic dueling and lords and nobles, but at the same time I want newspapers and coffee and vast trading empires and economics and inventions and technology, too. I personally think we're seeing this as the next phase of fantasy--first came Tolkein and his idealized Norse/Celtic/working class English epic with swords and magic and some subconcious hatred of WWII. This generation though is used to cellphones and Newscycles and 3D-printers. For us, a world without technology is rapidly becoming a truly foreign land.
Add to this just how MUCH happened during the time. We see a black plague, London burn and be rebuilt, new ideas challenging the old, empires rise and fall...it's a perfect place for some brave and somewhat crazy characters to make their fortunes and change the world. It shows how characters ranging from the Lords and Ladies of powers to the Scum of the earth can exist in the world and do some epic things.
The best part though is how modern some of the outlooks and writing is. Characters are alive--they bitch about the weather, they fight against the barbaric practices of the age, they make bad jokes and naughty limericks and have their own plans and schemes. It's easy to think of historical works and the people from the past history as Disney automatons or characters reading a line in a long play, but to remember they were people with ideas and bodily functions and favorite jokes is a fine art, and one that I think we need to remember for both gaming and historical knowledge.
It's even funny.
So yeah, go start reading that one if you haven't. I'm working on organizing my thoughts and perhaps most importantly--who your characters are going to have to fight...
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