Thursday, June 30, 2022

OBS Publisher Content Guidelines

 

Not sure why they're called "guidelines".  Edicts might be more appropriate...

I put out a little video, basically asking people to watch videos that are much, much better than mine.  Do I think OBS will reverse their position?  It's possible.  Some companies have the vision, flexibility, and strength to pivot... others do not.  

We're in the midst of another pendulum swing.  As I predicted, many things are changing back to normal (or going even further to the right, in order to find balance).  The left didn't see it coming, did they?  How do people not know this?  Oh right, America's stellar education system.  Why study history when we could learn about critical gender basket weaving?

If you've studied revolutions, you'll see what I saw a few years ago.  Radical movements pull the culture in startling new directions very quickly.  But such radicalism soon evaporates and society inevitably goes back to the ways things were.  

In most cases, I think it's a good idea to separate the art from the artist.  And that's what I've been trying to do with DTRPG.  Instead of blaming the staff and their protocols, I was focusing my scathing critiques upon the platform's customers who literally hate me, my work, and everything I stand for.

Well, I sleep well at night knowing I'm doing the Lord's work... whether that's the Judeo-Christian God, Satan, or Cthulhu, that's anyone's guess (all three?).  Case in point with this ostensibly "pro-choice" WAPO article about a young woman in Texas with twins.

Did The Good Syma'arian do that?  Did my little freebie PDF save those babies?  No, but artists, like myself, shape our society and, as they say, politics is downstream of culture.  What we do now has the potential to affect all our lives tomorrow.

If you want my anti-abortion themed Cha'alt scenario, The Good Syma'arian, just send me your DTRPG email address.  If you want my "alternative pride" Cha'alt adventure, Rainbow Crystal Utopia, you have to paypal me $3 also with your DTRPG address (please, use friends and family so I avoid the 50-cent fee)... Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

And, of course, there's been a lot of criticism directed my way.  My character, reputation, and ability to conduct business have all been affected by what's transpired.  This guy in particular reminds me of Cypher from The Matrix.  I guess that would make me Morpheus.  Now, all we have to do is find... the one.

Rumors of competition abound.  I've heard from several people behind the scenes that something new is on the horizon.  And that should be very interesting, and lucrative for those positioned well.  

Speaking of opportunities, I've just been approved over at SubscribeStar.  Here is my profile.  I intend to create one short PDF, run a virtual session, and offer a third bit of Vengerized content each month.  It's only $5 a month if you want to join, and help fund my degeneracy; in addition to making it harder to cancel me.

VENGER CON is only a few weeks away!  Tickets are still available, so if you want to play with the greatest living Game Master in Cha'alt, the most dangerous campaign setting, don't delay.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. After making this blog post, I realized there's another great video by The Basic Expert that should be seen by all.


Monday, June 27, 2022

Shaking The Cobwebs Loose

 

I think it had been at least 3 weeks since I'd sat behind the screen.  For me, that seems like an eternity without Game Mastering...

Which, now that I think about it, makes me wonder how long it's been since I was a player.  Wow, it's been years, maybe 4 or 5 years.  That seems incredible to me.

Even though I want to GM as much as I possibly can in about 3 weeks from now... VENGER CON, baby!  I still want to play.  Would love to experience Cha'alt from the other side of the screen.  Hopefully, I'll get that opportunity.

Anyway, last night's game was fantastic (as per usual).  5 players, which is ideal for a virtual table.  This time I expanded the session to TWO WHOLE HOURS!!!  I know, your mind must be absolutely blown.  I'll wait while you scrape up the more solid bits and scoop it back into your brain-hole.

The usual pondering Kort'thalis meta-sigil occurred.  Remember this?  And I listened to this and this.  I like some dark ambient in the background, no matter if it's live or virtual.

The session was new.  I went with a technique which suits me when it's just a casual online session.  I had a bunch of notes and then just winged-it the rest of the time.  A lot of people don't like text only, but in a virtual game, I prefer it.  Since people usually think out what they want to say before typing it out, I get a minute or two before players respond to what I've said.  That extra time is all I need to come up with 3 or 4 options, and then I just pick the best and go with it.

Eventually, I'll turn all these little scenarios into bite-sized, one-shot PDFs, and then include them in book 4 of the Cha'alt trilogy.  But that won't be until the 4th quarter of 2023 (at the earliest).

Anyway, subterranean temple the PCs spotted after wading into the final moments of a pitched battle between two opposing forces.  One dressed in blue, the other orange.

I can't say anymore, except that everyone but the cleric was knocked unconscious at one point, yet no one died (which is nice).  Also, I borrowed liberally from a 1985 American scifi TV show that never made it to the finale of season one.  It's called Otherworld.

Yes, I have "bad" taste in movies and television (not really, but that's what a lot of my haters say) and I haven't aged beyond 12 or 14 when it comes to what I think is cool (Ok, that's true.  You got me there).

I will, however, post noteworthy lines from the session, along with a bit of commentary...

  • "The rules are only a guideline, anyway." It's fine if players ask me, "Should I have died?" or "Don't I need to roll for that?" But don't be surprised when I let the game happen.  Flow stems from immersion, I find.  The more the game feels real, the more flexibility you have.  It's a GMing vibe I'm going to start calling PSYCHOCOSM.  Yes, I'm going to just start saying "psychocosm" in casual RPG conversations like people should know WTF I'm talking about.  Lol, hilarious!
  • "Greige is chartreuse for color-phobes." 
  • "Down the hatch." I don't know why, but that makes me laugh every time I read it.
  • "Real adventurers don't ask, they just do." Don't worry, this wasn't about sex. One PC asked another PC if he should go topside and investigate the dead body they found several minutes ago.  And I'm like, don't ask; go do it! The player said he did that for in-game / character reasons, which is fine... nevertheless, my point still stand.
  • "Baja Blast, clearly the true treasure."  You just had to be there, man.


Well, thanks for reading.  If you have any questions, just ask.  Hope to see many of you at VENGER CON.  It's so close now, I can almost taste it...

VS

p.s. If you haven't grabbed my latest Cha'alt one-shot adventure, it's available direct from me - only $3.  Details here.

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

Rainbow Crystal Utopia

 

"Pride goeth before a fall."

It's June... and the rainbows are everywhere. Of course, the old "pride flag", just like the new one, isn't an accurate representation of the rainbow.  The true rainbow has 7 colors.

Anyway, I've got a new stand-alone Cha'alt adventure for you.  It's themed to the current season of pride and rainbows and leftism enshrined in the Church of Secular Progressivism.  So, you know it's probably going to get flagged and taken down from DTRPG's virtual shelves.  I hope temporarily.

New adversaries, new map, new magic items, new spells, new random tables, and new lore.  You can get it right over here.

[Wow, that was fast!  This title has already been pulled from DTRPG's virtual shelves.  Look in the post-script for my email.  If you want to purchase the PDF direct ($3, use "friends and family"), get in touch.  Also, if you want hardcover Cha'alt books, let me know... I'll give you a deal.]

Thanks for continuing to support my work... and VENGER CON, only a month away!  If you're anywhere near south-central Wisconsin, do yourself a favor and attend this old-school gaming convention.

Enjoy,

VS

p.s. If you still want the banned adventure The Good Syma'arian, you can either download it from the linked blog post or ask me to send it via DTRPG.  Just email me your DTRPG email address: Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com


Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Worth More Than Gold

 

I made a video as a sort of response to Prince of Nothing's three-part review of Cha'alt: Chartreuse Shadows.

Part OnePart Two, and Part Three.

As I mentioned in the video, I'm friends with PoN.  He's an awesome guy.  Sometimes, we agree on RPG topics; other times we don't.  That's ok.

Rather than relying on Metallica to make my point, in the video, I should have included other examples, some of which would certainly be more relatable.  After all, not everyone loves 80s Metallica...

Let's say, we discovered an entire missing season of Tom Baker Doctor Who, somewhere between 1979 and 1980.  How glorious might that be?  Yes, it would be familiar, even comfortable... dare I say derivative?  Of course, it would be totally weird by today's modern standard, but for those who love that style and aesthetic, it would be nothing less than a gift from God!

Not a fan of vintage Doctor Who, either?  Who the fuck are you and why are you reading this blog?  Lol.  How about imagining a "lost" season of your favorite TV show.  Even just an episode - it would be amazing to find that and enjoy it here and now, right?

You don't have to be a time traveler, assuming you're the one creating the content.  All you have to do is keep making it.  But don't do it for the money or fame, do it because that's your passion, because doing what you were put on this Earth to do makes you an instrument, a demon-slaying sword perhaps, of God... even if that sword takes Satanic form.

Well, that's how I feel about expanding on what you love.  If you love it and want to explore more of that thing, don't be afraid to do just that, no matter who disagrees.  Know thyself!  There's an enormous urge to start doing something else or subvert expectations or reboot your vision with a mid-season pivot that goes in an entirely new direction.  

New is always better, right?  Not always.  For me, old school isn't just preserving the ancient ways... it's an appreciation for everything I love from the past (and anachronistic stuff happening in the present) that still seems objectively better than modernity fare.

I don't know if you'll enjoy Cha'alt: Chartreuse Shadows.  A lot of people do, some people don't.  If you like the idea of an eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalyptic campaign setting that uses humor, sleaze, and pop-culture references, I think that probably answers your question.

Cha'alt!

VS

p.s. VENGER CON is only 5 weeks away.  Madison, WI's throwback "garage days" gaming convention exclusively for old-school, OSR, and traditional RPGs.


Saturday, June 11, 2022

New Adventure Coming Soon!

 

First off, I'm back home!

It was another Satanis family vacation and boy is my left arm tired...

What else?  About 6 weeks before VENGER CON happens!!!  Can't wait for the greatest old-school, OSR, and traditional RPG convention in the midwest.  Haven't gotten your ticket yet?  Giddyup, hoss!  Also, please tell your friends.  Anyone who loves the bygone days of yore in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Minnesota should attend.

As I stated in the last blog post, my anti-abortion scenario, The Good Syma'arian, was officially "blacklisted" from the virtual shelves of DriveThruRPG.  But you can still get it through me, click on that link for details.  Thanks to everyone who downloaded it, read it, played it, reviewed it, etc.

I've got a new Cha'alt adventure in the works (this could be a one or two-shot, we'll see) to "celebrate" the prideful month of June.  So, if you have any suggestions, feel free to submit them with a comment below.  No promises if any will be included, but I'll try... especially if they're funny and gameable.  

I'm still waiting on a delivery date for the Cha'alt: Chartreuse Shadows hardcovers.  Prince of Nothing has started his multi-part review over at his Age of Dusk blog.  He's just finished the appetizer course.

The way he feels about Artpunk is kind of how I'm starting to feel about "Jaquaying the dungeon".  Yeah, it can be really cool, on occasion, but sometimes I just want the dungeon to serve as a place for exploration, combat, and social interaction.  It doesn't have to be a whole thing unto itself.  But that's a topic for another blog post... 

Anything else?  New Encounter Critical stuff is getting pushed back.  Will try to get something on paper before VENGER CON.

Alright, talk to you soon!  Thanks for your continued support, hoss.  ;)

VS