Primordial Chaos

 

I think there's lots of good stuff for everyone in this book.  You get a better idea of what gonzo is, what it can be, and the future of that niche.  It comes with a lengthy adventure, plenty of random tables, and gameable tips, tricks, and techniques to get more gonzo out of your gaming.

You can download the PDF here.  For the softcover print-on-demand book, that you can find on Amazon.  If the title doesn't do the trick search for Venger Satanis and/or Kort'thalis Publishing.

Now, that KS backers have their copies, I want to make this title public.  Hopefully, the feedback is positive.  The artwork, which is all from actual human artists, cost a pretty penny, but I'm glad that's where the majority of the budget went.

Speaking of budgets, with the ordering of softcover print-on-demand books to send out, I'm over the limit on money in versus money out.  But hey, this is a labor of love... and perhaps Primordial Chaos: Gonzo Like A Fucking Boss will pay for itself in post-Kickstarter sales?

The lesson is that gonzo is everywhere, all around us.  Maybe not in the direct, in-your-face, floating-shark-down-orange-hallways gonzo, but this world is all kinds of fucked-up.  Use it.

Thanks for your continued support and Merry Christma'as, hoss!

VS

p.s. Want the hardcover Cha'alt trilogy?  here's how!  Want to join the Kort'thalis mailing list to stay up-to-date on what's going on in the skinematic Vengerverse?  This is it!!  Last but not least, I'm organizing a based-as-fuck RPG convention in Madison, WI this July.  Grab your weekend badge for VENGER CON IV: Post-Modern Apocalypse!!!

The Division

There's a divide between what most gamers consider "old school" and "modern" approaches to RPGs, specifically D&D, but those categories are general enough to be somewhat universal.

It's not just traditional versus story game or experienced veteran versus youthful noob.  It's a matter of approach and perspective.  Designing adventures seems to be one of those areas where those things matter now more than they ever have.

The latest conflict is around a scenario entitled Mines, Claws & Princesses.  It's by some dude I've never heard of named Oswald.

While I'm not wild about the title and don't care at all for the cover art, renowned D&D adventure reviewer Bryce Lynch has said amazing things about it.  Even though I haven't read the module in question, I trust his judgement and plan on purchasing it soon.

And that would be the end of it (and hardly worth a blog post) if not for a counter-point review from some guy named Chris Kelly over at Wizard's Laboratory.  Chris takes points off for the adventure's unfinished nature, its mature themes (gratuitous violence, apparently), and lack of compelling story.

Pretty much everything that's wrong with scenarios put out from the 90's up to today's "adventure path" is placed on a pedestal by some of these gamers who see old school as a detriment and OSR as something that passed the RPG hobby by or a niche relegated to the back of the bus (standing room only).  I'm talking about overly-long, tedious, hand-holding, uninspired railroad drivel that keeps diamonds in the rough from getting noticed.

As an aside, I glanced at this preview over at ENworld today. The author is talking about the upcoming Solar Blades & Cosmic Spells RPG.  Angus seems to be explaining the nuts and bolts of old school roleplaying to an audience that's possibly unaware of gaming culture from the 70's and 80's.

I mean, it's just sad that so many people don't know what good Game Mastering is about, that so many players have to experience all those campaign worlds with blinders on... with fun on mute.

Personally, I view old school as the future of this hobby.  There wouldn't be a 5th edition without the OSR.  Those noob-friendly "training wheels" are actually GM straitjackets, preventing the proper flow.  And what is the proper flow, you ask?

The adventure designer inspires the GM with awesome ideas.  The GM takes those ideas, interprets them based on his own desires, adds in what seems appropriate at the time, and presents his version... his vision to the players.  The players respond as if they actually were the characters themselves.  The GM reacts to PC actions (or inaction).  

That's it.  That's what's supposed to happen.  Interrupting that sacred pattern with failed novelist backstory, tedious read-aloud text, and predetermined outcomes is ruining D&D!!!

Besides continuing to educate people, I'm not sure what else we can do.  Sure, we can keep running games from an old school perspective, initiate new blood into the OSR fold.  But what else?  Hmm...  write reviews?

VS

Progressive Gaming Coalition

I don't know about you, dear blog reader, but I've had enough.  Call them social justice warriors, left-wing fascists, swine, story gamers, the outrage brigade... I don't care what they're called in your neck of the woods.

What I do care about is their interference, their agenda, their attacks, their lies, and most importantly, their attempts to censor and silence creators.

To me, it seems that they hope to stand on the shoulders of giants only to piss all over everyone from their undeserved lofty height.  What they do is definitely easier than actually creating something of substance.

Their latest contribution to the gaming community was to get +James Desborough's Hentacle card game banned from One Book Shelf.  Unfortunately, OBS doesn't plan on re-instating Hentacle after its peer review, unlike Alpha Blue.  I appreciated all the vocal support I and Alpha Blue received after it was temporarily pulled from OBS.  And I want to offer my organized support to similar creative people who are unnecessarily targeted - keep reading.

I suppose that's because "play rape" with tentacles is somehow too close to actual sexual assault in the real world?  I did remind OBS that play rape between consenting adults is an actual, albeit minority, form of sexual expression, preference, and identity.  It's perfectly legal for consenting adults to pretend about rape.  Just because it makes a few individuals uncomfortable shouldn't keep it off the virtual shelves.  To do so would be like banning games involving homosexuality.  Except that gay sex gets an auto-pass because homosexuality is more outspoken and popular.

This next violation is on a much lesser scale.  How to Game Master like a Fucking Boss was given a one-star review on DriveThruRPG in Polish by Andrzej S.  Now, you might be thinking - a bad review, big deal.  While I take feedback and criticism to heart, it was the apparent disingenuous nature of this particular review that got me curious about the motives behind the review.  In this g+ thread he finally admitted that he had a secret agenda for dragging my book through the mud.

because advices like lipstick +1 are not only useless, but also horribly wrong. You shouldn't treat girls playing rpg like some kind of dolls. And that's one of many advices which shoudn't be there.

Yes, it's disgusting, and they won't stop.  I realize this now.  They won't ever stop.  It may seem like a conspiracy to many reading this, but I have seen the evidence, the gradual, subtle influence upon our beloved hobby.

I've decided to organize a new group called the Progressive Gaming Coalition.  There are no memberships cards, dues, code of conduct, laws, tenants, criteria for belonging, or even an overriding belief system.

All the Progressive Gaming Coalition will do is keep watch, looking out for shady behavior, and say something rather than keeping silent.  I'm sure many are afraid to fight, are afraid to voice their concerns as individuals.  Well, the Progressive Gaming Coalition can provide you with backup.  It will bring more eyes, more voices, and more pressure upon those who wish to destroy the RPG community from the inside.

Contact me about becoming involved in the Progressive Gaming Coalition - because we all have the right to make progress within the roleplaying game community and industry.

Sincerely,

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing
Progressive Gaming Coalition

p.s.  From now until H.P. Lovecraft's birthday (August 20th), my guide to GMing will be on sale.

+1 for Swagger

In last week's game, a couple situations arose where I thought a bonus was warranted.  Something besides good roleplaying or detailed description of an attack.  I'm talking unorthodox, baby!

Situations crop up during our roleplaying adventures that seem to demand some kind of nudge from the gods.  After all, a plus or minus 1 on a d20 roll isn't much, just a little 5% tap (just tap it in - tap, tap, taparoo).

 I also came up with a few instances where a penalty could be levied.  The following can be offered on a session-by-session and case-by-case basis as the table deems fit.  Just don't overdo it...


+1  Swagger bonus (also known as the Han Solo bonus - when a player handles his character with the kind of comfortable-in-his-own-shoes confidence that borders on cocky)

+1  GM Forgot Something Crucial bonus (like a player's character sheet or important rule)

+1  GM Ineptitude bonus (also known as the Brain-Fart bonus)

+1  Petitioning the Gods with Prayer bonus (this requires a heartfelt, extemporaneous speech on why the character should receive assistance now)

-1  Player Trying to Weasel out of the GM's Ruling penalty (arguing that would put a lawyer to shame - is that even possible?)

-1 Excessive Whining penalty

+1  Trying Something Outlandish bonus (when a character attempts an action he has no business attempting, yet for some reason it's almost a terrific idea, ingenious not impossible - like using a chicken as catapult ammo)

+1  You've Figured out the GM's Big Secret but Don't Know it Yet bonus (sometimes a carefully concealed plan is obvious for all the wrong reasons or maybe the player took a wild stab in the dark)

-1  Fiddling with Your Phone penalty (or tablet, computer, gadget, whatever... if a player is beyond distracted for more than a couple minutes, then it's penalty time)

________

Have you ever awarded a not-in-the-rules bonus or penalty because of a player's action?  Did you outright state it, fudge the roll behind your screen, or something else?  I want to know.

Also, I'm sure you guys can come up with more of these.  If you suggest something cool/funny/appropriate to this list, I might include it (credit will go in the p.s. area below).

Thanks for reading,

VS

p.s.  Thanks to +Brett Slocum  for the GM's Big Secret bonus!

RPG PSA

As you probably gathered from the title, this is a public service announcement for the roleplaying game community.  The following is a bit of wisdom that's worked well for me over the past few months.  I hope others can benefit from my RPG PSA.

Time is a valuable commodity to some of us, most of us, probably, especially when you've got a spouse, kids, demanding career, other hobbies, etc.  I had things I needed to do, RPG related writing, and a limited amount of time to configure them - toss ideas around the old brain box - before putting those thoughts down on paper.

As an experiment, I decided to cut-out my usual talk radio and CD listening on the commute to and from work.  It only takes me about 25 minutes to get to work and just a little bit longer than that to get back home due to traffic. My hypothesis was this: starved for distraction, my wandering mind would eventually be forced to focus on some of the things I was trying to formulate RPG-wise and, from that, a few good ideas would materialize.

It worked.  Maybe it took 10 minutes of driving without listening to anything but the muffled sounds outside the car (usually much less), but eventually, I thought about game mechanics, NPCs, magic items, monsters, the triumphs and tribulations of previous sessions, something I wanted to try in a future session, the nature of gaming, etc.  Most days, by the time I reached my destination I had a little something that made my silent drive worth while.  Occasionally, I'm able to solve major problems or come up with a string of neat creations in a row... bing, bing, bing!

So, I encourage you (those, like myself, with a temporal deficiency in their lives) to try it.  Rather than doing exactly what I did, take the essence of this experiment and apply it to yourself, to your own situation.  There will probably be fleeting moments of discomfort at first - the mind loves its distractions and hates to do without them - however, the price one pays for free floating thoughts is worth it.  That liberated imagination can easily (eventually, at the very least) be directed towards gaming, your job, relationships, superhero underwear collecting, or whatever it is you want to think about.


VS

Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea review

Here is my rpg.net review of AS&SH.

Some old school renaissance fantasy RPGs (at least the core rules) don't include a rich, evocative setting in which to place these fantastic adventures.  AS&SH succeeds on that front.

In fact, I had the opportunity to run a one-shot over the weekend.  I used Swords & Wizardry as the base for character creation and rules, Dungeon Crawl Classics for the mercurial magic (the artwork is also impressive), and Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea as the wintery, alien backdrop.  It worked very well.

I'll be writing/posting more OSR reviews in the near future as I believe they get less attention than deserved, living, as they do, in the shadow of Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, etc.

VS

Inalienable Rights & the Prison of Numbers

There's a lot of talk about old school on RPG blogs and forums.  What is it?  How is it defined?  Does it actually exist?  Can it be utilized today?  This post might just be more talking, I don't know... Hopefully, it's not too all over the place.

Old School D&D gives players the expectation that their character can do more than what is written on the character sheet.  A PC's rights are implied.  Modern D&D assumes (at least how the rules are written and the game is generally played) that a PC is only as resourceful as the paper his abilities are written on.

I'm not saying limit character optimization.  Optimize all you want, but not the paint-by-numbers kind of "balance fetishization" and "numberswank" (yes, the internet has taught me many wondrous things!) you might find in 3rd, 4th, and Pathfinder.  Instead of point buy/build or specialization kits which come with their own limitations, why not have each player describe his character - appearance, mannerisms, favorite sayings, personality, prior experiences, proficiencies, specialties, and whatever aesthetic considerations the player is going for.  Then, at long last, we could minimize the numbers which will inevitably strangle all the fun out of our game.

What Old School gamers realize is that the game is not the rules... the game is something far grander and deeper, containing all the nuanced complexities of a realistic fantasy world.  Imagine feats and prestige classes  without all those numbers attached to them.  There's a lot of cool stuff in there.  Of course, it's all too unnecessarily cumbersome and bloated for most OSR gamers.  But take away most of the numbers, and everything becomes possible.  Words alone are fine, but when they're combined with too many numbers, they become a prison.  Take cleave, for example.  A great idea.  Then add the prerequisites, 5' step, once per round, cleave as requirement for additional maneuvers, etc.  It's almost not worth bothering with.  What if you, as a gamer, stripped feats and niche classes of the superfluous?

When you have a 60 page rulebook, a lot of stuff has to be implied.  If a character wants to pin an Orc to a dungeon wall with his polearm or fire multiple arrows in one round but with less accuracy or cast a spell with increased intensity to the point where he's physically exhausted after the effort, they should be able to attempt it.  In fact, that sort of thing should be encouraged.  Imagination is key and must be communicated effectively.  Let the GM decide on a modifier, complication, or unexpected twist before a die is rolled.

Which brings me to my next point.  Dice decide general outcomes, GMs narrate the specifics!  The dice have a tale to tell, but it's a vague, big-picture, macro kind of story.  A GM has to interpret those dice depending on all sorts of relevant details... the character's class, race, ability scores, instrument used, spell components, momentum, darkness, emotional state, and what the GM knows about the antagonists.  He also has to mind the story's pacing, mood, difficulty, obviousness, etc.  His micro-vision, detail-oriented retelling is the game's reality.  What the GM says goes... and yet, players have the right to question or petition him for an alternative interpretation or ruling.


VS

P.S.  Shane Ward's anecdote reminded me of something that happened to me last week...

If it seems straightforward, then just a simple d20 roll is good enough for me.  If it's really outside the box and seems like it might be a really cool long-shot, then I give the concept a 33% chance of success. 

There was a stalagmite creature in a cave below Clear Meadows (this is for Liberation of the Demon Slayer if anyone's curious).  The party was seven 1st level character's strong, so I made the whole cave full of these Roper-esque things.  The thief who was busy dislodging a luminous green crystal from a cavern wall got hit.  In LotDS all damage is exploding.  Also, these were brand new convention dice I purchased a half hour before the last LotDS game I was running at the Game Hole con.  I kept rolling natural 4's and ended up with something like 19 points of damage!  That player's ex-thief was impaled upon the creature. 

Earlier in the session, one of the wizards rolled an "age stone" mercurial magic effect when casting a certain spell a la Dungeon Crawl Classics.  Basically, it smoothed and weathered stone within a 20' radius of the wizard.  He banked on damaging the stalagmite creatures with the magical side-effects from that particular spell, so he cast it.

It sounded awesome as hell, but potentially inadequate unto the need.  I rolled my percentile dice (keep in mind that low is better).  I rolled a natural 01.  Hoody-hoo!

I told the player that all the stone things writhed in agony and then were eroded away to nothing.  Yes, he took them all out with an ingenious idea and a lucky roll of the dice.  That's the kind of unscripted, anything-can-happen, old school game I love.  It was a fantastic moment in the session, and one that we'll both remember for years to come.

Unfocused is the Focus!

If you're an RPG geek, that's one thing (and a pretty great thing, too!), but there are also hardcore RPG nerds.  Unfortunately, I fall into that category as well.  An RPG nerd doesn't just like playing roleplaying games, rolling dice, and pretending to brandish his sorcery and sword.  No, he wants to look inside RPGs to see how they work, what makes them tick.  The nerd explores all the tiny molecules of RPG design which casual gamers and regular gaming geeks probably find boring, tedious, or just a waste of time.

http://www.story-games.com/forums/discussion/17450/how-to-play-vampire-the-masquerade-first-edition/p1

The above link talks about the 1^st edition of Vampire: the Masquerade.  Here’s the crux of the argument (or first major argument worth discussing).  The game doesn't define exactly how it should be played.  Instead, it offers many different possibilities... some of them are interconnected, others quite exclusive.  That's another defining aspect of old school.  Early D&D gave DMs and players the raw tools; barest essentials.  A road map.  The vague promise of adventure... clashing steel, hurtling balls of fire, and scantily clad Elven maids.  

How to play the game is never explicitly defined.  Yes, there are examples of play included in several rulebooks, but a couple pages of "actual play" doesn't cover a fraction of the infinite possibilities.  The multitude of paths to choose from is hinted at, but never whittled down to just one.  That's the beauty of old school RPGs.  They let you wander… to triumph, flounder, or discover your own kind of weirdness.

Of course, this creates an entirely new foundation of what old school RPGs are and how to judge if a specific RPG is worthy of being part of the old school renaissance.  A term I believe should be broadened if it does not include 1^st edition Vampire: the Masquerade.  Three characteristics defined an RPG’s qualifications: non-standardization, subjective nostalgia, and date of publication.  Now, there's a fourth characteristic:  multi-focused.

With multi-focused RPGs, the game play isn’t necessarily about any one thing in particular.  It begins with a few staples, and then everything to follow is a free-form narrative created by the GM and heavily influenced by the players.

Some might say that such old school rule descriptions are "bad" or "confusing" simply because they don't spell out every little detail of how the game should be played.  I don't agree.  Ambiguous rules are not a bug - they're a feature.  But then, I like doing my own thing.  As a life-long DM, Storyteller, GM, etc., I need enough creative rope to work with.  Occasionally, I'll hang myself by accident.  Them's the breaks.  Without the chance of failure (no matter how small) there's no excitement or drama.  Player characters require it, so why not Game Masters?  Risk makes the story worth telling in the first place.

In the olden days, Dungeons & Dragons was about going into dungeons, however loosely defined, killing monsters, and looting their treasure.  Similarly, Vampire: the Masquerade is about playing a vampire who lives by night, drinks the blood of humans, and tries not to be discovered by humanity.  And yet, within either of those parameters there is a lot of play.  No two D&D or V:tM campaigns/chronicles are alike even though all of them are roughly similar.  Can the same be said of Shadowrun, Call of Cthulhu, Rifts, or later editions of D&D and V:tM?

On the other hand, isn’t every RPG capable of fluid, story-based “sand box” type play?  Yes, I think so.  However, modern games seem to favor a singular focus, one particular style of play over others.  Certain games force players and GMs into a style or way of gaming because the rule book outright states "that's the way you play this game".  Later editions of V:tM spent more time telling people how they “should” play the game, what a chronicle is supposed to look like.  Although, revised Vampire rule books still recognized all the chronicle variations that could exist for Storytellers and players alike.

So, if you're as big an RPG nerd as I am, you might get a kick out of skimming the posts on that link (some of them, at least).  You might ponder the notion of gaming focus... what's too vague, what's too concrete, and if an unfocused RPG can be the focal point?  Vampire: the Masquerade became an undeniable RPG phenomenon in the 90's, and is still discussed today.  In my opinion, it's worth trying to understand why. 

If you have an opinion, then please feel free to share it by commenting below.  I won't necessarily agree with what you say, but I'll be glad you said it.

VS

Old School vs. New School (the video)

Make your voice heard, but you should also be able to back it up.

VS

p.s.  If the OSR has taught me anything, it's this: going back to first edition anything, back to one's roleplaying roots is never a bad thing.  Preferring a rules-set or play style popular 20 or 30 years ago is not a downgrade but a recognition of evolutionary successes from the past.

Bittersweet Nights of Gaming

This post isn't about any particular session, so much as it's about that exhilarating rush we feel at the gaming table... and knowing the game must end at some point.  Just as bittersweet as nostalgia, it's awesome to remember the good old days, but, at the same time, it must be acknowledged that those days are gone.

I took a group of 6 players through B4: The Lost City last night using the Swords & Wizardry retro-clone RPG.  It was a local, face-to-face meetup for those who have either never played a paper and pencil roleplaying game before or those who haven't played in many years.  It was a great experience, and a fun time for all.  Three hours into it, we were getting up from the library's special reserved room and saying goodbye to each other, goodbye to the step-pyramid of Cynidicea, goodbye to gaming for who knows how long.

"Well, there wasn't enough time, Michael.  There just wasn't enough time."

This Saturday is going to be the last session of the campaign.  The cap to six months of weekly to semi-weekly gaming.  As some readers may know, this campaign galloped on the heels of my second child's birth.  My wife was kind enough to let me start gaming again after only a couple months of sleepless nights and constant attention.

And those first sessions would determine if I ever gamed again.  You see, I had become increasingly burned-out by roleplaying over the years.  Something got lost... maybe it was my gaming style or focus or the fundamentals had slipped through my fingers.  Fourth edition D&D definitely did not easy my gaming malaise.

Half a year ago, I took up the Dungeon Master mantel yet again with my old school gaming primer in hand and my head full of psychedelic Erol Otus eldritch science fantasy neo-nostalgia, as well as, visions of dancing sugarplum fairies with vorpal scimitars +3.  Luckily, the OSR did me just fine.  I was a new man and gamer.

Yet, all that gaming took its toll.  The scheduling and logistics - agonizing over who could be there, making sure everyone had transportation, food/drink.  Sometimes there were too few, a couple times there were too many... one night almost turned into a drunken brawl.  My wife complained about never seeing me on Saturday nights.

It needed to end, or, rather, it needed an ending.  The campaign should have a final chapter, I thought.  A conclusion.  And then a short break from gaming, followed by more gaming of a different sort.  You see, I also don't want to get burned out on fantasy - even the weird fantasy of sword, sorcery, spaceships, lasers, and Lovecraft.

So, I'll be going OSR circa 1992.  Yes, back when I was a Junior in High School, playing and running Vampire: the Masquerade on a regular basis.  Joy Division, lots of black ten-sided dice with dark red numbering, and riffing off cinematic bloodsucker classics like The Lost Boys, Near Dark, Fright Night, Sub-Species, Interview with the Vampire, Dracula, and Nosferatu.

Don't worry though, I'll still be blogging.  And my OSR mega-dungeon Liberation of the Demon Slayer is still being self-published by the end of August.  Hopefully, I'll be back playing D&D (more like a cross between Dungeon Crawl Classics and Swords & Wizardry) in September.  Who knows, maybe my wife will even let me run games twice a week!?!  Not going to hold my breath.  ;)

"We'll get there, Pop.  We'll get there."


VS

Beneath the Ruins

This past Saturday was the second night of Beneath the Ruins, an old school minimalist pamphlet by Alex Fotinakes and published by Geoffrey McKinney's Psychedelic Fantasies series (although, an expanded version of Beneath the Ruins is spread out through issues of Alex's Wizards Mutants Laser Pistols zine.

While I preferred the second Psychedelic Fantasies adventure, Within the Radiant Dome, to this one, I still think Beneath the Ruins was a good, solid, OSR mini-module for the kind of Dungeon Master who loves taking the existing bones and building his own skeletal creature - the meat is added whilst playing.  At least, that's how I took it.

Beneath the Ruins has a few cool concepts, but each are explained in a sentence or three.  Any kind of detailed elaboration falls upon the DM.  I'm sure this can either be an exciting thrill-ride or treacherous nightmare, depending on the guy running the game.  For myself, I enjoy the challenge.  And not only that, I enjoy tinkering, adjusting, and adding a whole other dimension (sometimes literally) to the adventure.

Such was the case last session.  An old friend visit the PCs again to ask a favor in return for a uber-powerful magical weapon.  Unfortunately, only one player at the table that night had previously encountered said "old friend".  No matter, since he was the one whose help was required.

For months, I had wanted to set up a kind of wizard's duel.  Now was the time, this was the session!  I didn't have a lot of time to coordinate the logistics of how such a match would be resolved, so I winged it with what seemed appropriate.  The duel was to be a simple as it was deadly.  Both wizards were of equal power, so they made a straight d20 roll to see who came out on top (this round).  The villain won.  Harold's Elf had to make a saving throw vs. death magic.  He did.  Round two saw Terrinel (I never know how to spell his Elf's name) the victor.  Now, it was the antagonist's turn to save vs. death magic.  He failed; the villain turned to ash.  That's old school.

Looking back, I wish I would have illustrated the duel between sorcerers with some vividly purple prose.  But I didn't.  Oh well.  Next time.

Moving on, one of the great battles of that night was against a tentacled beast living beneath a cavern pool with night lotuses floating on top.  A tentacle had to be severed or else it would get an automatic hit the next round.  Then, when all tentacles had been chopped to bits, the creature bit a PC to unconsciousness.  I did, however, go into detail regarding how much could be seen beneath the pond's surface - the water now filled with slime and blood.  It was a cool fight.

After the beast was defeated, Terrinel and the others assumed there was some kind of treasure down at the bottom of the pool.  They waded in, searching for anything discoverable.  I made my usual 33% roll to see if a small magic item - like a ring - was down there.  I rolled too high, meaning that there was nothing.  However, I decided to exercise my DM prerogative and go against my own ruling... mitigated by the fact that the magic ring found was cursed!  Scanning the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide, I happened upon a ring of weakness (or something like that).  That description became the core of their newly acquired cursed ring.

Even though Beneath the Ruins lacks those kinds of surprises, it has some great bones.  I recommend both that and Within the Radiant Dome even though there's no art and no real depth - being only the size of a pamphlet.

How much module do you like to start a session with?  How much do you alter before the game and during?  How spontaneous are you as a DM?  Does that ever get you in trouble?  Of course, some elements depend on PC actions... but can the entire adventure turn on a dime?  Should it?


VS

Make their lives Hell

For starters, let me just say that I still can't get last night's Game of Thrones end scene out of my head.  It pervaded my dreams.  Not sure what made it so disturbing.  After all, I've seen most of Quentin Tarantino's films.  And yet, I have to admit I lost sleep over it - and the sleep I didn't lose kind of freaked me out a little bit.  I don't want to spoil anything, so that's the end of that, but God damn!  Ok, now I'm done.

Last Saturday, I cautioned the players that before reaching 5th level, they would each have to pay 4,000 in gold, services, trade, etc.  As expected, protests were voiced.  "What about all the monster killing we do in the dungeons?"  And, "How come we've never had to pay a mentor for training before?"  To the former, I answered, "Even several minutes a day embroiled in combat doesn't allow one to learn new martial disciplines."  And to the latter, I said, "Because at 5th level your characters are reaching a new tier or power and capabilities.  You've plateaued.  Now, it's time for your characters to break that plateau by paying for expert training.  (I'm probably writing it better than I explained it, actually.)

Well, even though they still had a little ways to go before reaching 5th level, they didn't have the gold.  I patiently, silently waited for their bellyaching to end before explaining the treasure-laded hook for that evening's adventure.  Finally, things settled down and the business of exploring began.

This Saturday (just a few days ago), we had a new guy play.  Before going on my vacation I was asked and agreed to teach an Intro to Roleplaying workshop for the local Geek Meetup group.  Long story short, it went well.  I got a chance to further playtest Liberation of the Demon Slayer, and even got a new player out of the two night workshop.

Being a noob, the new guy (who played a warrior) didn't have any preconceived nonsense or bullshit sense of entitlement.  Sadly, towards the session's conclusion, his character was dismembered by a spell.  An arm and both legs magically cut off and sent flying across the room.  Still alive, he clutched his sword +1 of regeneration.

After the battle, the limbs were gathered up, and thoughts turned towards healing.  Unfortunately, the cleric didn't have the spiritual juice to restore the warrior.  The Elf tried to use a mend spell, but ended up critically failing and causing his own leg to be severed.  Appealing to his deity, the lawful cleric asked for guidance.  "You must sacrifice your hand."  P'tah, the pseudo-Egyptian God of Order replied.

Well, the cleric, Orron, didn't like that answer.  In the meantime, the party's Elf, Tirrynel asked the Dungeon Crawl Classics version of T'sathoggua for help.  T'sathoggua spoke to the Elf, telling him to sacrifice the cleric to him.  Being chaotic (and without both his legs), Tirrynel, decided the Toad God was making sense.  He whispered a quick plan of attack, "Sacrifice the cleric."  to his Dwarf character (everyone but the new guy was running two characters), and some inter-party aggression began.

For whatever reason, I couldn't suppress my laughter.  This is the first time in however many sessions (20 or so?) that PCs came to blows.  It all seemed inevitable while, at the same time, being eminently avoidable.  Regardless of whether it was warranted, laugh I did.  Infectious laughter, and Tirrynel's player joined in - or perhaps I had joined in with his infectious laughter.

Orron was driven out, running rather than fighting or doing anything to stop the presumed ass-kicking-to-come.  He still did not accept that giving up his hand in exchange for re-attaching 4 limbs (3 for the warrior and 1 for the Elf) was a fair trade.  Nearly getting impregnated by a burrowing worm's pre-fertilized eggs, the cleric managed to find his way out of the dungeon.

That's all we had time for.  Normally, we stop between 11:30pm - midnight.  That session didn't end until 12:30am because of the heightened dramatic tension which we all wanted resolved.  Plus, this was new territory - we were curious to see what would happen next.

As of now, I don't know the cleric's future.  I haven't received anything from the player, and just sent a text asking him about what he wants to do.  The cleric might decide to go off on his own, come crawling back to the party, or seek revenge.  Time will tell.

Incidentally, this was the first or possibly second time the adventurers came up against an enemy with anti-magic.  That, a dismembering wizard, and a few 2 HD humans running around with laser pistols really gave the party a run for its money.  I'll talk about the old school module "Beneath the Ruins" I ran after next Saturday; not sure if it will conclude by then, but we'll be real close if not finished.

So, what do you think?  After he tries and fails, should a cleric be expected to sacrifice a valuable magic item, body part, or considerable amount of gold in order to work miracles?  How about the magic-user?  How do you handle in-party fighting?  What would you plan for next time regarding the current situation - anything specific... would you wait to hear from the cleric's player?  What about stepping in to arbitrate or negotiate things even though no one has asked you to?

The title of this blog post is, "Make their lives Hell" for a reason.  I feel it's the Dungeon Master's job to provide challenges - that means coming up with and unleashing tricky situations, formidable opponents, and mysterious encounters upon the PCs every week.  Some of which has unexpected consequences.  Things occasionally get crazy.  That's part of the old school renaissance, the non-standardization of gaming which allows, in one game, individuals doused in giant pink psionic snail slime to repel magical fire; while, in another game, giant pink psionic snails don't exist!

Also, I should note, that it's not all hellish.  DMs have two faces (or is it three?), the one doling out awesome loot and making the adventurers look all heroic by narrating the bloody defeat of their long-suffering enemies.

Comments welcome!

VS

Liberation of the Demon Slayer - update #2

Not much has happened since I just got back from vacation last night, but there has been progress.  The editing continues... should have a completed manuscript around June 1st, then layout, adding interior artwork (which is starting to filter in - some of it is really great!), a bit more tweaking, and hopefully it will be finished sometime in August.

Faustie has been working on the front cover.  This is his latest version on the right.  I've given him a few notes for changes, but the finished product will look similar to this.  He's going to take a couple days off and then get working on the back cover.

Incidentally, Shane Ward came up with his own layout for Liberation of the Demon Slayer - two different versions.  Email me if you want to check that out, I'll send you the PDF.  Keep in mind that it's not the latest edit of the manuscript, nor will it necessarily resemble the format of the final product.  Enough of the update.  Now, I'm going to write a little about my trip from an old school gamer's perspective.

Disney World is just as fun, fantastical, and occasionally frustrating as it was 30 years ago.  If there was an RPG based on Disney, then there would be three main classes:  princess, pirate, and wizard.  And together these characters would explore the jungles of Africa, the Devil-monkey worshiping mountains of Asia, futuristic mountains of nebula-warping, Carribean coves, and the storybook lands of fairy tales.

Seeing all that stuff again decades later was amazing.  I got to go on most of the rides I remembered from my childhood.  Sure, a few things changed.  Johnny Depp is prominently featured in Pirates of the Carribean.  Mr. Toad's wild ride is simply gone.  And there's a bright and flashy new Little Mermaid ride.  And, of course, many things stayed exactly the same, like it's a small world after all.

This isn't unlike the old school passion, nostalgia, and gaming principles of Dungeons & Dragons and similar roleplaying games.  There are pieces of rules or rulings we fondly remember from years and years ago.  Things we wish wouldn't change.  Maybe it's saving throws or d6 weapon damage despite what is being wielded.  Improvements have been made, fancy expensive improvements.  Some of which actually make the game better... other "improvements" seem to detract from it - based on our own subjective views.  Additionally, there are the elements we remember as cool decades ago, but have since lost their luster.

Anyways, going back to Disney World was a blast from the past.  I got to go on Space Mountain - something I always wanted to do when my parents and I went to the Magic Kingdom, but never did.  On the one hand, it probably didn't have the same effect on me as an adult that it would have had on me as a kid.  On the other, I was totally in touch with the aeons-old vibe.  Like seeing an Erol Otus illustration I've never seen before but still have an old school nostalgic love for because his aesthetic came from a certain place and time.  Indeed, I had a similar timeless enthusiasm for all the neato scifi imagery of the mid 1970's.

Space Mountain is actually the oldest rollercoaster in Florida (I just looked it up).  It was refurbished (including complete replacement of the ride trains in 1989 and 2009). So, even when something looks like age hasn't touched it or retains a retro style, it might still have modernized parts or a contemporary philosophy or paradigm attached to it.  And vice-versa.  Some visions are incredibly old, yet done in a totally contemporary way.

Besides that, I got a lot of ideas brewing inside my head for current adventures and future campaigns, everything from meteor storms that make dinosaurs frenzy to primitive wood-carved leopard stools to king-making swords lodged in stone.


VS

Liberation of the Demon Slayer - update #1

Hey guys, what's up?  I'm writing this the night before my vacation, so it's going to be short and sweet.

For those who don't know, I wrote an old school fantasy adventure.  It's weird, gonzo, Lovecraftian, and kind of a Mega-Dungeon.  Since embarking on this journey about 5 months ago, I've learned a lot about gaming, DMing, writing, the OSR scene, and myself.

Whether it's heralded as something cool or complete bullshit, I need to put Liberation of the Demon Slayer out there.  Hopefully people like it.  Thought about doing the kickstarter thing to fund it, but luckily a lot of experienced people gave me enough advice for me to make up my own mind.  I opted out of that.  Instead, I'm funding it myself.  I'm sure that, too, will have its share of trials.

The image above and to the right is a rough work-in-progress of the front cover by faustie.  Besides that, I'm going through the thing, trying to improve the layout, adding little touches, taking out the unnecessary stuff, and editing along the way.

I won't be blogging or doing much in the way of gaming while on vacation, so check back in a week or so for update #2.

VS

Kickstart My Heart

Or, rather, kickstart my old school fantasy heartbreaker adventure and campaign guide.  That would have been an awfully long title.

Anyways, this blog post is here to serve multiple purposes...

Gathering intelligence - I want to know what you guys know about the whole Kickstarter thing.  Is there a standard baseline for funding?  What do you guys love and hate about these kinds of projects?

Notification - By the way, I'm seriously thinking about doing this.  Surprise!  You can't accomplish anything this big without support, so thanks to all those who support me and my vision.

Discussion - Starting a creative dialog with everyone out there who might be interested in running, playing, backing, or helping make this adventure and campaign guide presentable.

For those wondering, here's the gist.  It's an OSR dungeon crawl compatible with the original fantasy game and all those variations which came after.  Not sure if it qualifies as a Mega-Dungeon (there are currently 6 "levels").  There's a fair amount of rule options, DM suggestions, and setting material that goes along with the adventure.  Oh yeah, it's for kicking off a new campaign, an introductory adventure for 0 - 1st level characters... how far they progress by the end probably depends on the Dungeon Master and system used as much as trials faced within.

I want it to be as weird and interesting as possible while still retaining a passing resemblance to the fantasy worlds we all know and love.  Lovecraftian, science fantasy, and a bit gonzo!  It's called Liberation of the Demon Slayer.  The thing is about 95% written.  I'm adding the finishing touches now.  Already hired the front and back full color artwork.  Everything else will depend on how much funding can be raised using kickstarter.

Anything I'm forgetting?  Probably.  That's why I'm doing this blog post before I actually jump into this.  I appreciate all comments, suggestions, advice, support, etc.  Thank you!


VS

p.s.  I appreciate all the feedback I've received so far.  Thank you!  Will gather more information, advice, and who knows... perhaps kickstarter is not the way to go, after all?  Expect a Liberation of the Demon Slayer update in a few days.

Essential elements of Sword & Sorcery

The topic for this blog post was a special request from my friend, James Paese.  He is interested in creating a world for his roleplaying game of choice and wanted me to recommend a few essential elements of the sword-and-sorcery story, as it was designated back in 1961.  So, let's do it!

What are the essential elements of the sword & sorcery genre?  I'm listing them below; highly influenced by fantasy films from my youth, as well as, some classic S&S literature from the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Roger Zelazny.  I've been meaning to bone up on more Appendix N material, but having two small kids leaves precious little time for reading.  Anyways, without further ado...

• Some are born for better things!  I'm talking about destiny.  There should be a few individuals who are fated to make a difference, to shake things up.  Those predestined for greatness!  Conversely, there have to be those tragically predestined for horror.
• Even if magic seems to be commonplace, it must remain esoteric!  Sorcery is not for everyone, and even if the DM wants a magic-rich world, those who explore the full extent of its power should be few and far between.
• Magic is dangerous and weird!  There's a price for having that kind of power.  Sorcery is an unnatural pursuit.  Let the entire world reflect that.  Yet, it must also have a source... or many sources.  The DM needs to consider where magic-users get their spells, as well as, the energy to cast them.  Old Ones, Elder Things, Outer Gods, and Demon Lords are always useful in that regard.
• Ambitious men are infinitely corruptible!  Most humans (or humanoids) can be good, decent, law abiding citizens of the realm; however, those at the top are almost always greedy, salacious, egotistical pricks.  If they haven't already made a Devil's bargain, they're on their way.  A great story requires a great villain!
• It's not all bad!  All the darkness (and there should be A LOT of it) needs to be counter-balanced with extraordinary beauty and virtue and courage.  Just as the demonic forces are closing in on the realm, so should the DM populate his world with unicorns, crystal caverns, virginal princesses, honorable knights, and a few willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.
• Epic and bloody battles!  It's not all about the sorcery.  Many disputes are settled by sword.  Hacking through encounters, killing monsters, dueling human (or humanoid) antagonists, etc.  Not only are the stakes high - this is life and death we're talking about, after all - but our depraved voyeurism demands crimson spurts, the warm splash of dark red upon our face, and glistening gore decorating the marble corridors of Zenn.  
• The unknown!  What's life without a little mystery?  The majority of players don't know it, but they crave a certain amount of strangeness.  What lurks within those shadowy ruins?  Why is there a tree growing up to the heavens?  Where is the mountain beyond the mountain?  How did that dilapidated Statue of Liberty get here?!? 

___

If you want to suggest a topic for a future blog post, dear reader, please go right ahead.  

VS

OSR Prestige Classes

And why bloody not?  I'm probably not alone.  Somewhere out there are tiny handfuls of old school gamers who think prestige classes for original D&D, AD&D, and their associated retro-clones is a good idea.

Yes, 3rd edition Dungeons & Dragons gave us much to think about... and to steal!  Another jewel to be robbed by the purple shadow haze of nightfall.  (Sorry, I've been reading Robert E. Howard's Conan stories again.)  Deviation from standard classifications is what we want, isn't it?   Non-standardization is, after all, the essence of old school gaming!

How is this going to work?  Who has already tried this?  Is there a blog or PDF or setting book?  If the subject hasn't fully been explored, then how about a OSR community project?  Should these be open to a particular race/class at 7th level - 5th or 9th instead?  How many is too many?  Should these class deviations be created by the DM, the players under DM supervision, or both?  Is it simpler or more complex than creating a Fighter/Cleric or Elf Wizard/Thief?  What are the restrictions?  What are the benefits?  Are there any drawbacks?  How does one translate feats into pre-third edition D&D?

Of course, the most important question of all might be:  is this something the players want?  If it is, then prestige classes should be considered.  They can be excused, explained, or hand waved any which way the DM likes.  Fun is the best reason for doing anything in a roleplaying game.

Anyway, here are a few suggestions of my own; classes that either exist in some version of D&D already, I thought up, or found after a brief search in cyberland.  Nothing concrete, only ideas...  I thought it was important to sow the seeds of imagination before anything else.  In fact, I would rather have a short paragraph describing each career path than a list of numbers, bonuses, modifiers, and rules.  Although, I'm sure a balance can be struck between game and narrative.


Wizard, Elf, or Drow

Aquamancer, Pyromancer, Ice Mage, Celestial Invoker, Widowmaker, Arachnomancer, etc.


Thief, Halfling, or Half-Orc

Bard, Acrobat, Assassin, Bounty Hunter, Barbarian, Pirate, Shadow Striker, etc.


Cleric

Death Priest, Templar, Herald of the Old Gods, Hierophant, etc.


Warrior (Fighter or Fighting-Man) or Dwarf or Half-Orc

Reaver, Slayer, Ranger, Knight of the Crimson Wyrm, Paladin, etc.

~~~

I want to know what you guys think?  Is this something you might use in your current campaign?  If you already are, then please furnish us with details!  And feel free to comment below with your own suggestions.

VS

Things happen while they sleep

This is a random chart for things occurring while adventurers get some well-deserved shut eye.  Happy Swords & Wizardry appreciation day, everyone!

1.  A severed head is found in a PC's bedroll.
2.  One of the PC's items has been stolen.
3.  A new item has appeared, mixed in with a PC's pack of equipment.
4.  Dreams of underwater creatures tearing the organs out of the PC whilst an ebony face laughs.
5.  A PC wakes up with an alien organism hugging his face.
6.  Bite marks are discovered on a PC's neck... lycanthropy?
7.  A PC's blanket has been replaced with a totally different blanket - it's midnight blue and full of constellations.
8.  The magic-user's spells have been unexpectedly forgotten.
9.  A PC's memories have vanished.  Not all of them, but significant and recent memories.
10.  A letter was delivered into the middle of camp.
11.  A PC wakes up next to a strange woman.
12.  One of the PCs goes on a moonlit stroll - sleepwalking.
13.  An NPC's brains were sucked out in the middle of the night.
14.  Midnight showers - there's a sudden and heavy rainstorm in the middle of the night.
15.  Everyone wakes to a terrible sound.  One of the moons just exploded!  Seriously, it's cracked in half and now tidal waves, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are about to ravage the planet.
16.  A shooting star or meteor lands not too far away from the PC's camp.
17.  A sleep spell was cast upon the PCs while they slept and now they awaken just as night is about to fall.
18.  Some kind of demonic insect burrowed its way into a PC's abdomen.
19.  The PCs wake up in a prison cell.
20.  In the small hours, the PCs were transported to another world - Devil Lords ruling over their mortal slave-cattle in a realm of darkness.
___


Thanks for checking out my blog, everyone!  If you use this random table in your game, then please let me know.  I want to hear about your adventure.

VS

p.s.  Tobie Abad was inspired to create his own "why they sleep" table.  Check his out because he came up with some awesome stuff!  If we had a couple more gamers in on this, we could forge a collaborative d100 "why they sleep" random table.  Who's in?

p.p.s.  Scott from Octopus Games created amazing list of 40.  Check them out!

Lucky 13

I posted something about this a week ago on an RPG google community to see what people's initial reaction would be.  Some people thought it interesting, others assumed it too much trouble to be worth implementing.  I was curious to see if my idea would work, and was fortunate enough to try it out this past Saturday night in my D&D game.

So, what's the concept?  Here is is:  anyone rolling a natural "13" on a d20 or d100 would score above and beyond an "ordinary" critical success, in essence a 13 would result in a hyper-critical.  Not only that, but the roller would be able to narrate or describe the outcome (within reason).

Originally, I thought the narration alone would be interesting.  So, even if a "13" would miss on a d20, it could still be narrated.  Well, that seemed half-cool, half-lame.  Crits (and hyper-crits) allow for heroic deeds, warranting the attention of those Dark Gods who watch over audacious adventurers.

Why thirteen?  Well, it's kind of a cool number on its own.  Thirteen has a mystique about it... a danger.  This last Saturday was also the 13th of the month, and was our thirteen session.  Plus, I wanted to do something special because one of my best friends was in town for the weekend and agreed to play D&D with us.  I needed something even more kick-ass gonzo awesome to ratchet things up a notch.  Lucky 13 to the rescue!

Before the session really got underway, I allowed for a small daily chance of psionics for each character, as this was Carcosa.  Not only did everyone have a 6 - 10 % chance of acquiring mind-blast or telekinesis (I boosted the probability) but rolling a 13% was another possibility.  In fact, I told the players that their character would get two psionic abilities if they rolled a 13!  If it had been possible to gain a Dark Side point for influencing the dice, I think a few of them would have succumbed.  They really wanted to see a 13 bad!  Hahaha.  Alas, no 13.  But one character rolled well enough to gave ESP for the day.

To be honest, it didn't affect the game that much.  Only three 13's were rolled all night.  I rolled the first for initiative, allowing seven zombies to overwhelm a single PC which was pretty cinematic.  Harold rolled the second, also for initiative, giving him the drop on the giant Lovecraftian toad thing just outside the spaceship.  He described how he was going to attack it, trying to take out one of its many eyes, if memory serves.  Later in the evening, Harold rolled a 13 again, this time on a percentile roll for a magical dagger stolen from a wizard.  The roll was to determine the "bane" or what the magical weapon was good at vanquishing - Elves, Trolls, Dragons, etc.  Well, since he rolled a hyper-critical success, I just let him pick whatever he wanted.  He ended up with a +1 dagger, +3 versus the Old Ones and their spawn.  Nice!

It was fun.  Little things like that add extra flavor or spice to the game.  For those curious, the idea was partially birthed from Dungeon Master Johnny.  I watched a video of his where he described picking a random number and during that session something nifty would happen when it was rolled.  Just one of the weird little things he did as DM.  After hearing that little pearl, I knew one day I'd do something similar in my own D&D game.

I can't think of a reason to cease our Lucky 13 rule.  That means it's going to remain a permanent fixture in our game.  I'm sure awesome things will keep coming.  When I collect enough juicy stories, I'll blog about it again.


VS

*  "Sword & Sorcery" artwork by Santiago Iborra

Unexpected Encounters #3

This idea came to me during an elevator ride a few days ago.

The PCs are crawling through a dungeon or similar area when they notice an illuminated panel embedded into the stone ceiling.  The panel is definitely not stone.  In fact, it looks very out-of-place here, the material like nothing they've seen before.  Adventurers can see the shadow of something between the panel and whatever light source is above it.  Whatever is up there isn't moving, but curved like multiple serpents.

There's a mechanism for opening the panel if someone looks for it.  Otherwise, smashing it to pieces also works.  The light source comes from two luminous cylinders mounted 6" above the panel.  Is it powered by magic, electricity, power cells, crystals, or something else?

The DM can either pick one of the following, roll randomly, or choose his own creation.  Also, there's nothing to stop you from describing multiple illuminated ceiling panels or something else adventurers can see as a silhouette.

1.  Intestines!  A little examination and knowledge reveal they are from a humanoid and have been removed and placed above the panel within 24 hours.  Whose innards are these and why were they put there?  Was it for some kind of religious ceremony?  Does someone plan on collecting them afterwards?  Are they from a regenerating beast?

2.  Circuitry!  Tubes and connected wiring lie on top of the panel.  Perhaps they fell from the advanced-looking mechanism 3' above the panel or maybe it was deliberately cut down (sabotage)?  This, of course, begs the question: why are there mechanisms between the dungeon's levels?  Is it part of a space ship?  Was this dungeon built by aliens or beings from another dimension?  If so, then what other properties or capabilities does this structure exhibit?

3.  A gateway to another world!  3' above the panel is a swirling plane of kaleidoscopic energy, sitting directly on top of the panel are ropes.  Why?  Where does this portal lead?

4.  The severed tentacles of some eldritch beast!  The tentacles are leaking traces of a milky white fluid.  There's no sign of the creature from whence these appendages came.  Perhaps the PCs will face it further down the corridor.  However, that still does not explain why the illuminated ceiling panel is here or what its function is.
___

Ultimately, there should NOT be a 3 second answer easily satisfying all.  The point of these unexpected encounters is to inject a bit of mystery into the game.  What's D&D for if not to explore the unknown?

If you use this in your adventure or have some wild theory about what this illuminated ceiling panel is and why it's here, then please post a comment below.  I'm curious as well.  ;)


VS