Your Dungeon Is Racist

 

A new satirical / parody blog has arrived - Your Dungeon Is Racist!

I wanted to see something in the vein of The Onion, Babylon Bee, and Titania McGrath, except focused on gaming (for the most part).  

So, I decided to make it.  Check it out right now!!!

Occasionally, I miss reading Your Dungeon Is Suck, even though it was kind of awful and cringe at times + ripped on yours truly frequently.  YDIR will try to rise above that level of shit-posting and juvenile call-outs to members of the RPG community, hobby, and industry.

More than anything, YDIR is a middle-finger to the woke establishment that's gotten so political with its head so far up its own ass that everyday news stories beg to be mercilessly mocked.

If you have an idea for an article or artwork you'd like to submit, feel free to email me at:  Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Thanks for all your support and please enjoy the humor... if we can't laugh at the Social Justice Warriors trying to push our culture ever further to the far-left, then we are, indeed, living in an authoritarian nightmare.

VS

p.s. Less than 24 hours to back my Crimson Escalation kickstarter!  If you're interested in fast, realistic, exciting combat, do yourself a favor and throw in a buck... or just start using it for free!

Are You An NPC?

I guess you could call it a meme... something's going around the internet and it's all at once appropriate, offensive, funny, and if you dig deeper, kind of interesting.

Here's a source just in case you think I'm making this up.  This is another.

Yeah, I'm talking about NPCs or non-player characters (in video game terminology NPC refers to non-playable character).  But not NPCs in our beloved games.  No, NPCs who digitally walk among us in real life. 

You're basically an NPC if you don't have any agency of your own.  If there's no independent thought, you're an NPC.  If you follow whatever has been scripted for you, you're an NPC.  If you obey your programming without question, you're an NPC.  If you want to limit the freedom, individuality, and agency of others, you're an NPC.

Some have equated the NPC moniker to SJWs, but I don't think it fits to a 1 : 1 ratio.  Being an NPC is something even more foundational. 

I believe the vast majority of people are asleep, and that it takes a special kind of person going through special circumstances that creates the possibility for awakening.

Yes, exactly like initiation - the trials that forge heroes... while also leaving many, many corpses.  Not everyone makes it.  In fact, most don't.  Most can't cut it, or get unlucky.  The adventurer is superior.  That's why PCs are worth playing. 

That's what the Cult of Cthulhu was about - it used Fourth Way teaching mixed with Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos, and various occult lore.  In the Church of the Sub-Genius, pink boys were basically NPCs.  Obviously, in The Matrix everyone was part of some giant systemic virtual reality nearly impossible to escape

These days, my focus is on roleplaying games.  The cultural landscape that occasionally intersects the world of gaming seems like a minefield to some and a playground to others.  Either way, don't be an NPC.  Or... well, go ahead and be an NPC, but just know that you're choosing to be an empty vessel for someone else's agenda.

What are your thoughts?

VS

p.s. If no actual thoughts come to mind, try rolling on the random table below...

Roll20 Woke All Over Themselves

So, now Roll20 is dicking over gamers (their own customers, actually) because that's the woke thing to do. 

I mean, it just makes good business sense to shit on the people who support you, who make up your audience so that you can instead cater to a tiny but extremely vocal group of political extremists who want things done the SJW way.  Duh!

Personally, I think the CEO / co-founder / managing partner of Roll20, Nolan T. Jones, should step down from his position.  I don't think changing the reddit moderating staff is going to cut it.

Not just for banning that guy, but for being a racist piece of shit.  Apparently, white guys needn't apply regarding helping to promote or grow roleplaying games online.  I mean, it's similar to the Papa Johns thing, right? 

Thanks to Jeremy Hambly for the video and altering me to this unfortunate news. 

VS

Inappropriate Characters episode 2

This is the 2nd episode of our RPG talk show Inappropriate Characters, comprised of RPGpundit, James Desborough, and myself.

In this episode, we talk about Kickstarters, Anita Sarkeesian coming to GENCON, gaming as adults, and more!  Thanks for tuning in.  Be sure to subscribe, like, and comment.  If you enjoy that kind of irreverent programming, consider supporting us through our Inappropriate Characters Patreon.

VS

p.s.  The Alpha Blue supplement Alien Ass, Hydrogen Gas, or Cosmic Grass... No One Warps For Free! is being Kickstarted right fucking now - go check out the sexy girls if nothing else.

#RPGaDay 2017 (part II of III)

Here's part I of my RPGaDay answers.  Let's get to some more questions, shall we?

#7:  What was your most impactful RPG session?

I've had RPG sessions that were so bad that it forever changed how I approached the hobby.  Some games were too boring, others too difficult, many too complex, a few that were too stingy.  I've talked about many of these experiences before.

One that I've never mentioned happened just 2 or 3 years ago.  Not sure why, but I was interested in joining a D&D game as a player.  There was one I had heard about in my home town and even knew one of the players.  Looking back, I can't remember if it was D&D or Pathfinder.  I was coming into the middle of this "adventure path" type campaign.  The entire session was getting from A to B and encountering a few things along the way.  Most of it was combat and everyone had this specific role, including my character - a wizard.  We were mid to high level and I just kept lobbing fireballs.  While it was mildly exciting being in combat, the entire thing just left me wanting.  So, I never went back.

Also, the game took place in this guy's cold, unfinished basement that smelled weird with boxes of kitty-litter everywhere and cats with dried dingleberries on their bottoms constantly roaming around. Oh, and we were seated on metal folding chairs that were super uncomfortable.  Are you surprised I never returned?

These days, I've got to play somewhere decent and always try to give players something for their characters to do besides these ubiquitous robo-battles that could easily be handled with some kind of RPG autopilot or computer program.

#8:  What is a good RPG to play for sessions of 2hrs or less?

Personally, I think both dungeoncrawl fantasy and investigative sessions are best when there's at least 3 hours to play.

What works best for shorter sessions, in my opinion, are RPGs that focus on interaction.  These also take the most out of a GM, so it's probably a good thing that they're usually shorter.

Over the past year, I've run about a dozen 60 - 90 minute sessions of Alpha Blue on Roll20 and while they felt short, it seemed like quite a bit was accomplished.  You go somewhere new, talk to some people, get in some trouble, have a short combat encounter, and get laid.  Boom!  Done.  In, out, and put the kettle on.

#9:  What is a good RPG to play for about 10 sessions?

Pretty much anything.  If you're not doing a one-shot, I think somewhere around 10 sessions is just about ideal for any campaign.  But then I prefer shorter campaigns.

#10:  Where do you go for RPG reviews?

RPG.net, TheRPGsite.com, Endzeitgeist, Ten-Foot Pole, Tenkar's Tavern, and Swords & Stitchery.

#11:  Which "dead game" would you like to see reborn?

Encounter Critical or 1st edition Vampire: the Masquerade.  Basically, all I would be interested in are adventures.  The former just needs more official content while the latter quickly jumped into meta-plot and option bloat.

Although, if the game exists, it's not dead.  Sometimes, a company can kill an RPG by over-supplementing it.  Like a really great movie, sometimes sequel after sequel dilutes its awesomeness.

#12:  Which RPG has the most inspiring interior artwork?

Dungeon Crawl Classics is probably the best black and white interior artwork RPG I can think of.  I was going to also pick out one with color artwork, but I'm drawing a complete fucking blank!

#13:  Describe a game experience that changed how you play?

I'm trying to remember the first time (or just a vivid early memory) of using random tables during an adventure to improvise some detail about the adventure.  I must have been exposed to random tables early on and loved them because that's the thing I'm probably best known for.

Hmm, besides rumors and wandering monsters, I can't come up with a damned thing.  Too bad, that would have made for an interesting anecdote.  [Edit: ok, I took a short walk before posting this and came up with something.]

I used one of the introductory adventures in the back of Call of Cthulhu 4th edition multiple times - especially when I wanted to introduce new people to the game.  I dimly recall a d6 table for what happens when someone touches or activates this strange cube found below the house.  Back then, it struck me that rolling on the table would send the rest of that adventure into entirely divergent narrative threads.  And it did... forcing me, as Keeper of Arcane Lore, to go with the flow.  Controlled chaos!

#14:  Which RPG do you prefer for open-ended campaign play?

Most campaign play should be open-ended.  The only type of RPG campaign I can think of that isn't open-ended is an investigation that keeps going and going, leading deeper and deeper into the heart of a singular mystery.

#15:  Which RPG do you enjoy adapting the most?

If by adapting, you mean "changing," then I'd have to say D&D.  There are so many rules and so many editions and partial editions or versions of the rules, plus all the retro-clones and retro-compatible RPGs that it begs to be adapted... molded to suit each individual table.  In 2017, no two D&D games are exactly alike.

#16:  Which RPG do you enjoy using as is?

The RPG I've adapted/changed/house-ruled the least might be Call of Cthulhu.  Turning everything into a percentage role is so easy to use that it's almost a shame.  I'm a firm believer that house-rules should organically occur during play - it means you're group is interacting with game instead of merely adhering to its rules.

#17:  Which RPG have you owned the longest but not played?

There are a few RPGs I acquired in the late 80's / early 90's that looked promising but for one reason or another, we never ended up actually playing.  Here's a brief list...

• DC Heroes RPG - too complex.
• Kult - lack of accessible entry point, but love the vibe.  
• Skyrealms of Jorune - what are you supposed to do in the game - try to become a citizen?  Uh, no thanks.
• Cyberspace - I'm not sure why I never tried to run this.  From what I remember, it wasn't overly complex, though it did have a lot of numbers.  Maybe lack of an introductory scenario?

________

Ok, I'll try to get the final installment of my #RPGaDay Q&A posted tomorrow.

VS

Rule Zero: Final Arbiter

I stirred up quite a bit of dust... and some mud, apparently, in last week's blog post about fudging.  That's ok, just means there was something there and some of it was wet.

Rule zero is related to "fudging," or occasionally nudging reality in certain directions (also known as magic).  If the ability to question and interpret results as the GM sees fit is the gun, then rule zero is the ammunition.

The dice are my co-pilots.  I like to have them around - I find them useful.  However, they don't own me.  Similarly, I can't GM without players; they are necessary.  But I won't be their bitch because I'm the fucking boss!  At the same time, players shouldn't be expected to bend the knee every time the GM opens his mouth.

Before we get into this article, what is rule zero?  From scouring the internet and being involved in the roleplaying hobby for 32 years, I believe it's a combination of the following three principles...

• The Game Master is the final and absolute authority when it comes to running the game.
• Roleplaying games are entertainment.  Your goal as a group is to make sure you have as much fun as possible.
• The rules of any roleplaying game are simply the best guidelines the author(s) could come up with.  You bought the book, so it's your game now.  If you don't like a particular rule, change it.

Now, a few people don't cotton to the above.  They find it to be an affront to player liberties, fair play, game designer accountability, the concreteness of in-game reality, and probably a bunch of other stuff.

As you probably guessed, I'm with the majority on rule zero.  It's not only a good thing, it's required if one desires to consistently run good sessions.

Let's look at the first one.  The boss has to be given the opportunity to be the boss.  Whoever's in charge, he's got to have the authority to do what needs to be done, and is considered to be "the final arbiter of the rules," as Gary Gygax wrote.

To me, it would be like managing a store with the store's employees on equal footing, dictating store policy to the manager.  That's about as helpful to the manager as having the store's owner constantly over his shoulder, telling the manager what he can and can't do with his store.

Game Mastering is a lot of work.  It takes time, energy, and skill.  Granted, not everyone is awesome at it, but that doesn't mean that all GMs must submit to a particular style, constant debate, or decisions brought before some kind of player council and possibly overruled.  Personally, I will not run the game if I'm forced to GM a certain way - unless you're paying me, and even then, I can't say for sure.

Obviously, if the GM is either a total asshole or on a massive power trip, he doesn't deserve great players.  Flagrant abuse should not be tolerated.  You'll know it when you see it - the GM has to invoke rule zero several times per session, every session either because there's no consistency whatsoever or he has absolutely no interest in allowing the game to evolve organically.  Plus, you know, ego-maniacal jerk wad.

When it comes to house-rules, rule zero is not an excuse for game designers to be lazy or for a game's audience to accept a faulty system.  On the other hand, no RPG book is ever perfect enough to accommodate 100% of those using it to play the game.  Altered rules aren't an admission that a game is broken or the table isn't capable of understanding the designer's intent.

In fact, RPGs were made to change over time, to suit the idiosyncrasies and whims of those playing them.  The way an RPG is played depends on a dozen factors, and their open-ended nature is the best feature.  As a frequent GM, I like to be surprised, too.  And I like to surprise myself, the players, and those fucking dice.  That's why I allow myself the possibility for ignoring the dice.  Nothing is off the table.

Don't like how your GM is running the game?  Run your own game.  That's how many of us got started.  If you want to be hamstrung with red tape, bureaucracy, demanding players, and a lot of armchair theorizing on what constitutes acceptable GMing protocol, then by all means.  Have at it, hoss!

If you've got something more to say about "fudging," do it on the other blog post.  If you want to discuss rule zero, go right ahead.

VS

Like a Pro

So, I was thinking more about the whole GMing for $$$ thing.  Eventually, it's going to be mainstream.  The GMs who have their shit together will eventually have to "Tony Robbins the fuck up" or get off the pot.  Evolve or die.

Once I get back to regular gaming (hopefully, autumn of 2017), I'll make some moves to monetize.

But for now, all I've got is talk... and plans.  But mostly talk.  Someone brought up the "unethical" word a couple of days ago.  Not that they thought charging players was unethical, but they wondered if I thought it might be.  I don't.  However, that got me thinking.

What are some borderline unethical situations or "gimmicks" as I like to call them, involving the professional GM trade?

Venger's Professional GM Gimmicks

• Make your RPG have to do with some kind of cult.  That would make the players either cultists or unwitting (semi-witting?) pawns of the cult.
• Similar to the cult idea, root your campaign in one or more prevailing religious mythologies - like the party has been chosen by Jesus Christ to destroy demons laying waste to The Holy Land.
• Let everyone think you're dying of cancer (my apologies to anyone currently dying of cancer - seriously, that sucks).
• Involve politics - yeah, you thought the whole Jesus and cancer stuff was dirtying your soul.  Nope, political pandering is even worse.  My lawful evil, half-orc paladin/illusionist does not believe in gun control, motherfuckers!  [Starts shooting]
• Advertise your game as "better than therapy," because it's illegal to claim that gaming is actual therapy or that you are a real therapist (unless you are one).  Hey, it probably is better than therapy and a hell of a lot cheaper.  I might actually use this one down the road.
• Ever heard of men's rights?  Yeah, your game could be a gender thing.  Although, I'm not sure why you'd want to deprive yourself of female company.  Since it's 2017, why not an all-girl gaming group?
• Further players' continued education with High Gygaxian, simple math, and amateur dramatics!  Not for actual college credits - but players can still put it on their resumes.
• Hook all the players onto the crystal meth (preferably the blue kind) that you cook in your desert-bound mobile home.
• Pass yourself off as some kind of celebrity.  Not an RPG celebrity... cause that's just pathetic.  You've got to be famous for being famous, like you regularly update some stupid blog or make terrible videos.

I'm sure that you guys could add to the list.  So, go ahead.  Let's get unethical together, borderline or otherwise.  And then let's get paid!

VS

My hiatus begins

As I mentioned on g+ a few days ago, we had the twins. 

Identical boys.  One born on November 22nd, the other born on the 23rd.  Eight hours apart.  Yeah, it was a rough labor.  My wife is still recovering and I'm doing as much as I can to take care of everyone. 

The first and eldest is named Kanan Ezra Satanis.  I wanted it to be Zirnakanan, after a dark elf city in some half-remembered D&D adventure or campaign guide, but that didn't happen.  She fell in love with the name Kanan.  Oh well, he'll always be Zirnakanan to me.

The second and youngest is named Kylo Phoenix Satanis.  Yeah, I'm kind of surprised the wife went for that.  I'm also 74% certain that he's going to be the evil one.  ;)

They're both healthy and happy (albeit continually fussing/crying when they aren't sucking down booby milk).  I can't ask for more than that.  Will produce pictures when they're out of that unflattering newborn stage in a few weeks.

These are the last kids I'll have, unless there's an act of god out there brewing.  Five is a good number for an adventuring party.  We'll have to see how that goes in about a decade from now, maybe less.

Anyways, that means I'm on permanent vacation for awhile (yep, an oxymoron).  But I'll still try to post something once a week or so, here and on Draconic Magazine, just to keep the creative fires burning.  I expect the RPG projects will reemerge this Spring... hopefully.

I was able to accomplish quite a bit in 3 years.  I'm proud of my prolific ways and means.

A few projects were squeezed in before a birth or vacation or self-imposed Kickstarter deadline.  These things needed to get out there.  So, I wrote my ass off in a blur of psychedelic hues, splattered gore, flashing blade, laser blast, the crunching of bones, obscene gestures to tentacled idols, and whispered ululation for those dark forces of the earth... until those manuscripts were finally conjured before my warlock hands.  Obviously, +MonkeyBlood Design (Glynn Seal) worked his magic to make them look fantastic. 

Here's a list for those keeping track.  Well, that's it.  So long and thanks for all the awesomeness!

VS

p.s.  No, their birth certificates don't say "Satanis."  But there's always a chance my kids will take up that moniker one day, when they're older.

Trinity of Awesome +1

For those of us who prefer paper to PDFs...

The collected works from my Trinity of Awesome kickstarter - Slaves of Tsathoggua, Slippery When Wet, and A Green Jewel They Must Possess - in addition to Death Race: Fury Road are now available as a single softcover book!

You can purchase Trinity of Awesome +1 at CreateSpace now or wait a couple days for it to show up on Amazon.

VS

p.s.  Image used by permission by Wasted Warriors.

Election Results by VS

I'm sure many people are just as sick of the post-election detox / reflection / autopsy as they were of the election itself.  Or perhaps people are craving more discussion in hopes of understanding what happened and all the many things to come.

For the record, I'd like to classify myself as an independent, but since there are really only 2 sides in the US, I find myself on the Democratic side a vast majority of the time.  And I voted for Hillary Clinton. 

The following it my 3 cents.  Here's the TL;DR version: Progress is nothing if not two steps forward, one step back. 

Eventually, things will be moving forward again.  This is just a temporary and necessary motion backwards.  Assuming we don't find ourselves in a nuclear war or something.  Remember all those episodes of The Twilight Zone and post-apocalyptic 80s movies?  Collectively, I believe America thought that shit was in the past.  Yet, there's a small chance that was foreshadowing an event or chain of events that will come to pass in the next 4 years.

I've been reading various blog posts such as +Kasimir Urbanski (RPGpundit) and a few others.  This election was partially a direct result of the country sick and tired of all the SJW and whining about masculine toxicity, white privilege, sexism, rape culture, LGBTQRSPV (and however many letters will eventually be added), etc.  And when peaceful protests turn into riots, including violence and destruction of property... well, that just makes your side look like the assholes you aren't, so stop it already!

As a straight white male, I feel I can see both sides.  I'm all for equality and a progressive agenda, everybody deserves a fair shake, free education and health care.  This country shits on minorities, women, homosexuals, and a lot of disenfranchised individuals and groups all the time.  It fucking sucks.

On the other hand, this new millennial-driven inclusive agenda is starting to sound a bit repetitive and shout-y, especially when it's backed up by wrong-headed activism (like trying to get Alpha Blue banned from OBS).  Everyday Americans have had enough.  For them, Trump is nostalgic.  He's their OSR, albeit in a twisted, negative, and ridiculous way.  It sucks, but I can't blame them for wanting to keep the US recognizable from their perspective.

I don't know.  I can't predict the future.  However, that won't stop me from prognosticating right here and now...

• No one will know how it's all going to turn out.  I have a feeling it won't just be liberals and a few "never trump" conservatives who will be disappointed.  Trump is the wild card of wild cards, and any Trump voter/supporter who thinks he knows what he's getting is most likely in for a surprise.

• A lot of giddy, gloating, sore winner Republicans will out themselves as pieces of vile filth and will either lose their jobs or be forced to endure an unpleasant backlash they weren't expecting.  Actually, it's already happening.

• I believe this victory will actually propel the United States into a new progressive age.  If Republicans get their way with majorities in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches, it will give Americans a true taste of what they ordered - and it will eventually sicken them to the point where Republicanism is about as popular as neo-Nazi and KKK organizations are today.

Ok, I've probably said enough on this topic.  If anyone wants to talk politics or whatever, feel free.  I try to be open minded while still holding onto my own beliefs, independent of the two major political parties.

VS

p.s.  One more thing, for what it's worth, Bernie Sanders might have won (if he'd been the Democratic nominee), but he's too far left for the United States (at this time).  So, if he did become our next President, we might have gone two steps forward and three steps back.

Death Race: Fury Road

This being a Venger Satanis project, it's growing by leaps and bounds!  I assumed it would only be 5 or 6 pages, but I think it's going to double by the time this is all over.

Besides the d100 table (which racers will roll on three times), now there are other tables such as why are they racing?  Zakero came up with that one.

I'm working on a few others, like what is being wagered, an easy table for rolling saving throws, etc.

So, this is an exciting project.  I hope more suggestions are coming.  Personally, I'm trying to recycle and re-imagine ideas touched on in my previous books.  A little bit of Torth, the space station of love, Thule, the Purple Islands, etc.

The vagina whale sand worm gets a mention!

Thanks to everyone who has submitted content already!  We really appreciate it.  This is the google document where updates are made.  I'll be editing it all together between now and Wednesday.

If you prefer to submit ideas and suggestions via comment, that's also fine.  Go right ahead!

The above/right picture will be the cover.

Full disclosure: this will still be a stand-alone PDF and absolutely FREE.  However, because so much time, energy, and awesomeness is going into it, these pages will also appear at the end of Trinity of Awesome - the three scenarios Glynn Seal and I will be combining into a single print-on-demand softcover this winter.

I'll personally get more use out of Death Race: Fury Road if it's printed in an actual book.

Thanks,

VS

Open Letter to OSR & Storygamers

First off, this blog post is an open letter to both RPG communities - the OSR and Storygamers.  It's in response to the +Mark Diaz Truman post here.  And this is the (now closed) g+ comment stream that followed.

There are a number of things that jumped out at me.  The most important being that feuding between gaming communities is a waste of time and energy.

I'm an active and outspoken gamer within the OSR community.  Months ago, you might have heard about my sleazy sci-fi RPG Alpha Blue being pulled from OneBookShelf for about 48 hours.  I write, I publish, I play games, and chat with other gamers.  Regardless of your feelings about one or more individuals, I'm not your enemy... and I'm not the enemy.

To read that these two factions are at war seemed ridiculous to me.  I don't know, like, 90% of Storygamers (come to think of it... I probably only know about 75% of the OSR).  For the most part, I feel like the OSR sees the Storygame community as Canada.  We're vaguely aware that you exist, but we just never really think of you.  You guys are the good neighbors who don't cause us much grief, but on the other hand, you don't go out of your way to interact with us.  Has the US been secretly at war with Canada all these years?  I doubt it.  And if that's true, it's not a productive use of our energies.

Awhile back, I said something online publicly about +Erik Tenkar.  Then he said something about me.  It went back and forth a bit.  At some point during the exchange, Erik mentioned "getting his Irish up," or something to that effect.  I'm Irish.  My mother's maiden name is Murphy.  And I said nothing - at least, I don't recall saying anything.  Thankfully, we eventually got shit off our chests (proverbially, thank Dread Cthulhu), and now I consider him a friend.

I know both +Zak Sabbath and +Kasimir Urbanski (RPGpundit), but I can't speak for them.  Also, they are not in charge.  We don't have leaders or officials or badges of authenticity.  The OSR is filled with a lot of different personalities.  We're not all one thing or another.  I think all gamers are relatively eclectic, actually.  Our one commonality - we enjoy roleplaying games.

If you're going to communicate with the OSR, and I hope Storygamers will, there are some things I should mention.  Though, I personally consider myself progressive and liberal (most of the time), the following are words and phrases that won't mean much to us.  We don't use them.  At least, I can't remember the last time I've seen them used on an OSR blog, forum thread, g+ post, etc. (except for +Kiel Chenier)

• People have been hurt by this or that - you can talk about your hurt feelings, but that's not going to garner much sympathy.  Life is a contact sport.  If you haven't been badly hurt physically, rub dirt into it and walk it off.
• Harassment and abuse - similar to the above... if it's not bad enough that you've gotten the authorities involved, then chances are that it's more hurt feelings by people who strongly disagree with you on the internet.  Not worth crying about.
• We're not being inclusive enough - I don't give a damn what color, gender, sexual preference, religion, or anything else you are.  If we have common interests, let's chat.  If we have a good chemistry, then hopefully we can be friends.  No one in the OSR feels bad because the guy writing his own Labyrinth Lord modules doesn't have enough ethnic diversity on his cover or collaborating on its design.  Focus on the work, what individuals bring to the table.  Don't whine about being this or that... or this or that isn't being represented as well as it should be.
• Privilege and power - similar to inclusion, I'm not interested in reading words about how straight white males have it easy or that the powerless are cowering in a little dark corner.  Do something you're proud of that a few other people like, too, and then make use of it.  That's what it's all about.  The more power you have, the more your hands are tied.  So, sometimes the least powerful can become the most powerful.
• Politics - we're not here to talk about Trump versus Hillary, Hillary versus Bernie, or the 2nd amendment versus pro-choice.  Sure, you can mention whatever you want, but don't expect gaming talk to follow suit.  That would be like combining oil and water and assuming it will mix well.
• Lumping people into stereotypical groups - oh, well, those people have over there have beards (!) or frequent the Dragonsfoot forum, theRPGsite, Tenkar's Tavern, or the Story-Game boards.  So, that means those people are all like X, Y, and Z.  
• Continually reminding us that we have a problem in the gaming community - the RPG hobby doesn't have a problem - certain individuals have problems (or are problems).  By and large, everything is fine.  Sure, some bad apples exist.  But constantly trying to shame large groups into behaving a certain way is only going to piss people off.  A gaming community is not the place to advocate for social justice or whatever cause you might have.
• Playing certain RPGs causes brain damage - Fuck off!  That's all I'm going to say about that one.

Obviously, people from both communities have experienced things way before reading this blog post.  I propose we try to move past all that, turn the page, and start anew.  Let's open up a dialog.  But I'd rather not open up old wounds.  They won't heal by re-examining them.  This, here and now, is about moving forward.

If there's a problem, talk about it openly.  Not getting anywhere?  Maybe you need arbitration.  Tag people you know and trust if you are looking for clarification, reassurance, or witnesses.  Perhaps I can be one of those people.  I'm fairly reasonable and unbiased about a lot of things.  I have a lot of friends and tons of acquaintances, but I try not to play favorites.

Of course, first you'd have to get to know me.  Without that first step of communication, there will always be a wall between individuals and communities.  Personally, I could do without that wall because it prevents me from interacting with people I might enjoy getting to know and game with.

Finally, yes, there are ideological differences between the Old School Renaissance and Story Games.  Storygamers go towards the story, while the OSR lets the story come to us.

When it comes down to it, on a fundamental level, I don't really give a shit about that either.  We all love RPGs, and there's a variety of them for a reason.  If you like one type of gaming, that's not going to prevent me from talking with you, appreciating your work ethic, critiquing a piece of artwork, examining a rule/ruling, or even sitting down at a table together in order to try something new out.

Thanks for reading.  Feel free to comment below!

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing

p.s.  I'm tagging a bunch of people who already responded to Mark's post so they'll see this and maybe a dialog will open:  +Sage LaTorra +Avonelle Wing +Jessica Hammer +Brendan S +Elizabeth Chaipraditkul +Fraser Simons +Michael McMullan +Hilary McNaughton +Dan Maruschak +Christian Griffen +Mark Delsing +Lukas Myhan +Nicole Winchester +Andy Hauge +Mick Bradley +Jason Pitre +Ramanan S +Renee Knipe +Angela Craft +James Smith +Jessica Price +Jeffry Crews

This is not a simulation!

There's only a short time left to back Universal Exploits on Kickstarter.  And for those who want a sneak peek of upcoming content, check this out!

Universal Exploits is the last piece of the puzzle, the final book in the trilogy that, I hope, will put Alpha Blue on the star map.  In the true old school tradition, it facilitates roleplaying rather than bogs things down in unnecessary procedures that only get in the way, reminding you that this is a game.

Personally, I don't want to be continually reminded that this is just a game, only a game.  I want to immerse myself in the world, no matter if I'm the Game Master or player.  I'm not talking about simulation, but immersion.  In a way, immersion is anti-simulation.

I don't want to imitate life or develop a model or abstract particular systems.  I want immersion, to be involved in situations, to become part of that other world, to experience what it would be like if I was an alien smuggler with an itchy trigger-finger on a starship about to be boarded by the Federation.

It's hard for me say what has "gone wrong" with RPGs over the last 10 years.  But I've read through or at least skimmed various books over the last decade, some shorter, others longer, some from independent companies, others from established, big RPG companies, encompassing various genres and production values.

At first I thought it might have been an attempt to capture the old school renaissance, an attempt but obvious failure (Thankfully, D&D 5e got it right, in my view).  However, I'm now inclined to think that it's not OSR emulation at all, but a combination of the 00's a rule for everything and everything must have a rule, as well as, "indie" forge-ish rules for affecting the narrative that try to artificially gin up player agency or bypass the Game Master's authority (depending on your view).

All I can say with certainty is that I must do without rules that are too arbitrary, intrusive, and complex because they exemplify life-as-game... those unnatural aspects which kill the organic, authentic experience of game-as-life.  Indeed, without mercy the artificial must be cut away from my roleplaying gaming!

Well, that's enough ranting and raving for today.  I'm leaving for another week, so take care until next Wednesday.  Thanks for all your support, friendship, and fun!

VS

White Male Terrorism... and what you can do about it!

Speaking as a "white male terrorist", I feel that it's finally time to do the appropriate thing.

After all, my race, gender, and sexual orientation has had it pretty good so far - too good, obviously.  Our tasteless jokes, personal preferences, immature taunts, name calling, and totalitarian rape culture have gone far enough.  Now, we must be stopped!  I mean, come on.  All of us "white male terrorists" seem to be doing day in / day out is harass, ridicule, assault, and disenfranchise those who are not also "white male terrorists".

This is my current Kickstarter campaign.  However, I'm determined to create something that will force all the Caucasian straight men assholes who are fucking the entire world up for everyone else to sit down and shut up.  I'm currently in talks with several German gaming engineers to help with the design for a revolutionary new miniature guillotine that slices off the masculine genitalia.

For those of you, like me, who realize that "white male terrorists" can't be trusted with our junk intact, I give you the Chop-o-matic (patent pending)!

Eventually, after testing the prototype on myself and every local white male piece of shit who has the gall to not immediately kill themselves in the presence of evidence (yes, evidence!) that some individuals are insensitive jerks(!!!), I fully intend to mass produce the Chop-o-matic for implementation throughout the USA and Europe.  Don't worry, we'll find the RPGpundit... wherever he's hiding.

Though the Chop-o-matic KS won't appear for several weeks, I'd like all of the "white male terrorists" reading this blog post to pledge their disgusting and cowardly rape-balls to the Chop-o-matic's testosterone-cleansing blade.  I see no other course of action open to us, since we are the world's biggest problem and always have been!

So, start lining up, guys.  That nutsack isn't going to guillotine itself.

Sincerely,

Venger As'Nas Satanis
High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing

p.s.  For those who don't know what the Hell I'm talking about, the above post was in response to this.

p.p.s. This post was satire (obviously); however, this post clarifies my position and offers constructive criticism.

Who's In Charge Here?

Usually, +Kasimir Urbanski (aka TheRPGpundit) and I see eye-to-eye on things (RPGs, magic, entertainment, etc).

Recently, he blogged about the insidiousness of "narrative control"... or allowing the players to dictate what happens during the game.  In my opinion, his argument became a bridge too far.  Or, at least, it appeared as though he was throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  I thought it worthwhile to point out my disagreement.  Perhaps it's not really a disagreement at all, but a slightly different perspective.

At this point, some of you might be scratching your head, wondering what the hell he's going on about.  Well, back in the 00's, a particular niche of the RPG community gained a certain amount of prominence.  Enough to sustain an indie, albeit short lived RPG industry.  Do people still buy Sorcerer, Dogs in the Vineyard, and My Life With Master?  I have no idea.  But only a decade ago, such games were considered moderately popular.

The basic idea was that players could GM just as well - if not better - than the GM himself, dipping their creative control oars in the water (either whenever they felt like it or when the game's rules gave them permission).  Also, sessions and campaigns should focus on weaving a story, rather than the fun or strategy of  treating RPGs like a game.  Additionally, the emulation of a certain genre or format had to take a backseat.  This new philosophy of roleplaying was closely aligned with The Forge, an online forum that propagated these ideas.

One of the more inflammatory statements coming out of the narrativist / story-game movement was that D&D caused brain damage.  By that, I believe, they meant that older (70's through 90's) RPGs were "badly designed" and did not fit in with the Creative Agenda of Narrativism, even going so far as to compare what we commonly understand to be the roleplaying game experience to child molestation.  Really?  WTF, guys!?!

Thankfully, that whole era of RPG design turned out to be a dead-end and pretty much petered out by 2010.  There's still an understandable amount of hostility aimed at those still preaching player narrative control.  Although, there must be so few storygame holdouts that I wonder why RPGpundit even bothers.  Still, it does us well to remember our history, lest we are doomed to repeat it.

I think we can all agree on the following...

1. Player agency is a good.  Players continually forcing their ideas onto the GM and the game world is bad.
2. There shouldn't be any kind of absolute law that binds the Game Master to a particular rule, play style, or game mechanic.
3. Immersion is important for the roleplaying experience.

On the first point, I don't believe "the danger of player-agency over the [game] world" is as much a danger as RPGpundit supposes.

On the second point, player and character wants should have an influence on the game, but to a much lesser extent than what Ron Edwards would have us believe (though, I'm not sure even he believes in that type of thing anymore).  That doesn't mean GMs should just roll over anytime the PCs want something, but every once in awhile, the "living world" should conform to their will.  Think of it as the Law of Attraction, if that helps.  The real world occasionally conforms to our individual and collective will, so why not a roleplaying game?

The GM should never be a slave to the players or any agreed-upon dramatic arc.  He's the boss, benevolent dictator, or good king.  One part entertainer, one part narrative coordinator, and one part referee.  I'm of the opinion that players frequently have good ideas and that it doesn't do the game any harm to occasionally use their suggestions.  Which brings me to...

Number three - immersion is not lessened by rolling dice to decide if such and such a thing exists, occurs, or reacts a certain way.  The GM has a lot on his plate and he knows the game world better than anyone else at the table... and yet, how could he know for certain if a book on a particular subject is contained in a 1,000 book library (let alone a 10,000)?  Shouldn't the gods decide such things more often than not?  What about the oracular power of dice?

After all, isn't the library and all the books it contains real (in our imaginations, if nothing else) while simultaneously being a minor backdrop in a larger story?  I mean, the point of this hypothetical adventure isn't - I hope - to explore a library.  Chances are, it's the saving of a princess, acquiring more credits, or protecting the city from some unspeakable thing.  In essence, the library serves the story.  But that doesn't mean a GM who allows a PC to find a botany book is a slave to the story or that particular player.

While RPGpundit isn't against rolling to see if a book on botany can be found in the library, my preference is to always roll when the outcome is a gray area.  Just as I'm likely to roll (see my 33% solution in How to Game Master like a Fucking Boss) every time a player brings up a question or suggests something that's not only possible but intriguing, as well.

To me, that's part of what makes it a "living world".  The idea that a GM might lose his authority or ruin the immersion because of his flexibility and fluidity seems absurd to me.

As to the distinctions between a fictional world and virtual world, that will probably have to be its own blog post.  Defining "reality" is not easy.

In conclusion, this is just a snapshot impression of the gigantic discussion issuing from his aforementioned blog post and my thoughts on the matter.

VS

RPG bucket list

Hopefully, it's a long time off before we croak like a toad-man worshiping Tsathag'kha, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be in a hurry to experience some of the things we've always longed for... or the things we'd regret never having experienced.

So, with that in mind, I want you to tell me about some bit of gaming you'd love to do before the end.  Maybe it's a mashup of two or more unlikely RPG bedfellows, stomping around a particular setting, playing an uncharacteristic character, completing a mission, facing a monster, casting a spell, wielding a weapon, home-brewing a completely unnecessary but still totally awesome d30 table (and actually using it in a game!), designing an adventure revolving around the home for retired bears, or parachuting into a volcano.

Assuming I get a slew of responses, I'm going to update this post eventually with a link.  That link will take readers to a table for randomly rolling Things To Game Before We Die!

I'd like to thank +Johnn Four and +Duck Dynasty on A&E for the idea!

VS

How was your Gen Con?

Yep, that's what this blog post is about.  Tell me about your experiences.  At the end, I'll probably make some sweeping generalization and theorize about why it is the way it is.  But for now, I just want to read about what you thought - overall opinions, specific details, games you ran or played, people you met, and things you saw.

So, how was your Gen Con?


VS

Season Finale

For whatever reason, I have a subscription to Entertainment Weekly.  Normally, I leisurely skim through it over a few days, reading about the things that interest me and ignoring the stuff that doesn't.

Anyways, the latest issue has an article on "How to Write a Season Finale".  Just thought I'd briefly summarize the article's main points here because they could very well sync-up with RPG adventure writing.


*     Envision the season's final image and reverse engineer the adventure or campaign from there.

*     Give yourself permission to deviate from the plan.  Some things happen last minute.  Characters will act or react differently than you anticipated.  Occasionally, a better idea comes along towards the end.

*     Meet fan (or in this case, player) expectations.  Entertain and surprise players with twists, turns, and secrets.

*     End on a cliff-hanger, setting impossible stakes that will leave players scratching their heads over where the adventure/campaign could go.  In other words, write yourself into a corner and then see what happens.  The ultimate goal is shock value.

*     If you've built the end of the season right, the story will come together with ease.  No matter how good the adventure/campaign was, if you don't stick the landing all people will remember is that the ending sucked.


There it is.  Let me know if you think EW's take on season finales are on target with crafting scenarios and campaigns.

VS

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

Writing an Adventure

The following is my 9 Step System of adventure writing...

Step 1:  Come up with an idea you like.  Example:  Orcs with bright purple mohawks.

Step 2:  Refine it.  Basically, add another layer or two of detail.  Example:  These are punk rock Orcs with mirror shades from a parallel universe; they wear black leather motorcycle jackets, carry knives and guns, etc.  They want to wreak havoc, tear down the establishment, etc.

Step 3:  Come up with a couple more ideas and refine those.  Example:  Elves with 80's hair cuts, bright blue, pink, and silver makeup wearing matching colored spandex who also want anarchy.  While the fashion is New Wave based, there's also high technology like cyberspace, electro-knives, laser pistols, etc.

Step 4:  Create a connection - how can these three ideas be used in conjunction with each other?  Example:  A future-tech mirror allows access between this parallel universe of nihilism and oppression and the D&Desque realm the players are familiar with.

Step 5:  Find the major conflict.  Example:  The Orcs are anarchists while the Elves want order - both are trying to create change, but the Orcs don't care who gets hurt or how violent their revolution becomes.  Elves temper their desires with diplomacy, empathy, compromise, etc... a slower means of change.  The PCs should help the Elves capture the Orcs and get both sides back to their own universe after spilling out in this one.  This dynamic reflects the greater conflict - the people versus an oppressive corporation.

Step 6:  Revise your ideas to fit the connection you've come up with according to the major conflict you've decided upon.  Example:  The PCs find a magic mirror in the dungeon they're exploring which links to the future-tech mirror in that other universe.  The weird, New Wave Orcs and Elves want to explore the fantasy world that opened because PCs tampered with the magic mirror.  Orcs start destroying everything while the Elves attempt to understand this new world and want to help the PCs, work within the system, etc.

Step 7:  Think of an exciting set-piece.  Each session should have a really cool encounter - a place, monster, NPC, item, etc. which sets off the adventure.  If your session was a film, what would the poster show, what would be in the trailer?  You need something awesome to showcase.  Example:  Cyberspace is full of information clusters, sentient numbers, letters, and giant Star Worms roaming through the blackness like multi-hued circuit boards, at the center of which floats a pulsating jewel powering the entire network and guarded by thirteen cybernetic demons.

Step 8:  Consider options - have a place for the adventure to go.  The GM should have a plan... what happens next?  Example:  The New Wave Elves see all the magical weaponry in this realm and decide to borrow some of it in order to challenge their oppressor: an all-powerful mega-corporation.  Towards the adventure's end, the PCs might go to that other world and fight against the mega-corporation's zombie soldiers.

Step 9:  Run the adventure, prepare to improvise.  Example:  After introducing both sides, the PCs decide to let the Orcs destroy the realm because of a bitter dispute with the King.  In this hypothetical scenario, the PCs also decide to capture the Elves for information and to keep them from hindering the Orcs' destruction.  How does a GM handle something like this?  Think about the different options available, but try not to force the adventure to go in a direction that doesn't work.

_____

In summation, adventure writing takes awhile, so it's best to tackle things a little bit at a time.  Don't try to do everything at once, and don't let too many days or weeks go by without going over your notes with an eye for refining, adding layers of detail, fixing inconsistencies, making new connections, and smoothing edges.  I hope the 9 Step System makes your adventure writing easier.

VS