Cha'alt Game Jam

 

Yeah, we have a motherfucking banner!

If you'd like one for your blog or website, just let me know.  I'd love to share it with you.

So, the Cha'alt Game Jam... I pretty much covered everything in my previous blog post, but here are the highlights.

• The Cha'alt Game Jam 6-week open game license runs from January 1st to February 14th.
• Whatever you make should be shared on either DriveThruRPG, Big Geek Emporium, or both.
• As long as it's released within that window, it can be monetized in perpetuity.
• The Game Jam covers Cha'alt, Alpha Blue, Encounter Critical (original and 3rd edition), Revelry in Torth, Liberation of the Demon Slayer, and The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence.  If you want to create something affiliated with something by Kort'thalis Publishing that's not already listed, feel free to ask me about it.
• Somewhere in the product, you'll need to include the following text... "Licensed with permission from Venger As'Nas Satanis, High Priest of Kort'thalis Publishing and Archduke of the OSR, in the year of our Dark Lord 2023, whether you like it or not."
• Use your common sense, have fun, feel free to reach out if you need something, no guarantees in life, good luck, and go with God.

My email is: Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading and participating,

VS

p.s. I've got a new Kickstarter launching on January 11th.  So, if you aren't already subscribed to my KS page or whatever, do that.  I'll post an actual link when the thing is ready to go.  Oh yeah, you should seriously consider attending VENGER CON II: Electric Boogaloo this July in Madison, WI.

Playtest Palooza

 

Got to run another playtest session of Encounter Critical III this morning [wrote this yesterday afternoon].

Here is the Encounter Critical III kickstarter.

Fantastic game and fantastically weird!  I tried to incorporate as many of my proposed ideas as possible.  This contains the various concepts and mechanics I wanted to test out.

There was some combat, but not much, and no one rolled a critical-success or failure.  So, Obsidian Escalation didn't really come up.  Which is fine, I tried it out last session, and will include that in subsequent sessions.

I don't know if the stars aligned or what, but I had SIX players.  Normally, it's two; occasionally three.  Text only, I feel, is easier with bigger groups than voice & camera, but still challenging.

Before I dive-in, let me give you an overall impression:  I feel like the playtest was a success because the ideas seemed to fuel an immersive, fun-filled game.  And one of the highlights was having Jeff Rients as a player!  Achievement unlocked, bitches.  ;)

All the information gathering prior to the session's start had a specific purpose - to give players a better idea of their characters, so they actually had backgrounds to roleplay off of.  Any RPG can encourage backgrounds, but what I'm trying to accomplish with the new rules is in-game incentives.

The scenario was to search the interior of a dimension traveling space-worm and find an unknown artifact.

Here's a window into my playtesting soul... good, bad, and ugly.  Instead of a carefully crafted scenario providing a curated experience, I like to playtest by the seat of my pants.  Given enough time and creative juice [Venger juice], I feel like the GM can turn a shitty system with dumb mechanics into something pretty cool.  I don't want to do that because engineering a fool-proof experience isn't going to help me figure out if I'm doing something right or headed in the wrong direction.

Instead, I prefer to attune myself to the world in the campaign setting, rules, vibe, and whatever else... becoming an integral part of the game..  Having a few ideas in the form of loose notes and winging the rest will show me what I need to see.  

Every designer eventually hands-off his ideas to another GM in hopes that he'll get it and be able to run a great game.  So, the improv also helps put me in the perspective of the GM who most likely has a vague notion of what I said in the rules, or was trying to get across.

Can this anonymous GM take what I give him and make gold?  That's the question.

The players did great with coming up with background stuff.  I didn't need to break out the random tables that I had ready to go just in case.

Since this was just a one-shot, I didn't meticulously write every flaw and obsession and drive down in my GMing notes.  Everything exists in the chat log on Roll20, though, which is another good reason for running games as text-only.

But I realized the PCs had plenty of material to riff, and riff they did.  I told them about the point of Divine Favor they'd receive for roleplaying their backgrounds.  If this was several adventures into a campaign, I can only imagine the heights of roleplaying and social interaction we'd reach.  As it was, there was enough to prove my theory - an "old-school" RPG focused on social interaction (as opposed to combat and exploration) is not only needed, but totally awesome.

And I asked them to take part in a flashback scene.  I neglected to mention that relationships should include another PC, my bad, so the first thing that came to my mind was a tavern where they hear the proposed mission.  That went well.  For instance, without even realizing it, one of the players, Judd, came up with an identity for the "quest giver"... a wizard.  

The free exchange of ideas before solidifying what's going on is exactly the sort of Fiasco-like scene creation I was hoping for.  The vibe was assuredly set because a little later, when I was describing the immediate, present-day environment, one of the players provided some bonus description all on his own.  "Reeks of  bile, but then again, what doesn't?"  Excellent!

So, the PCs are wandering around the inside of a space-worm traveling through dimensions... and PSYCHOCOSM was had by all.  Well, certainly me.  Staring into the psychedelic depths of the Kort'thalis meta-sigil didn't hurt.

They follow a trail of popsicle sticks (a subtle nod to Cremza'amirikza'am that one player picked-up on) to find something pretty weird, dark, and gross.  I'll save that for another time, or perhaps a future adventure that you'll be apart of.

The PCs fought some toadlike humanoids who desired tasty flesh.  Combat ensued, but the adventuring party was so large that 4 toad dudes didn't last too long.  It was pretty much over before the spellcaster could do anything.

After a bit, and learning of Xedra'as, an evil sorceress currently residing within the space-worm, the PCs came face-to-face with Xedra'as and her demon minions.

The PC sorcerer who didn't get a chance to act wanted to go first.  Since combat hadn't even begun, I said Hell yeah, go for it.  He cast a spell, and I had him roll a couple of six-siders (because I'm also workshopping an alternative system of magic for EC3 - check back here in a couple days).  He rolled really well, a critical-success, in fact.  Xedra'as and the demons were caught in the sorcerer's ectoplasmic webbing.

The session was coming to a close, all too quickly.  Some of the PCs were wondering if they should keep searching for the mysterious artifact the tavern wizard told them to recover.  They had found a magic item (and a powerful one at that), but was this what they'd been seeking?  Others wanted to leave as the space-worm seemed to be blinking out of existence as we know it.  Since we had about 6 or 7 minutes remaining and there wasn't enough time for another encounter, I decided we should do another scene.  This time a flash-forward.

The "kid" who'd been traipsing through the space-worm with the adventurers was all grown-up.  Another player volunteered to be part of the scene but only if he could roleplay an NPC who was also present during the scene.  I was all for it.

The young man who had grown since that adventure taking place several years ago was accompanied by his butler Gerhart.  The wizard from the tavern addressed him, asking what he found in the worm.

Sadly, there wasn't much interaction between the young man and the wizard, so the wizard said his peace and promptly vanished... again!

"That pain was necessary for this world to grow, to change, to become what it must. There is no stopping the evolution of Cha'alt. Freeing the Duke allowed it to evolve. That's what was needed."

It was an extremely bizarre adventure (even for me), but it was equally awesome.  And just as the camera faded to black, there was a little bit of not-quite-necrophilia, thanks to one of my favorite recurring players.  Why have an online game tagged "sleazy" without a cherry on top?

Below are a few choice lines copy/pasted from the chat log...

• "I have never been inside a purple space worm before, unless you count this one tentacled lady in Port Grenthak."
• At a lull in the conversation, full of liquid courage, the kid asks "How come you're not going?"
• "WHERE IS THE CONTROL CENTER? I WOULD HAVE HIS BODY." You see the inner mole rat tugging at various nerves/wires within the golem-body.
• Mork Borg draws his untrustworthy blade.
• "This transdimensional space-worm gets a lot more traffic than I expected."
• "Ok, here's what we need to do.  On the count of three, I pull the sheet and whoever can kill her the fastest gets it done. Ready?"
• Once again, the playthings of gods and wizards. Thus is always the fate of honest, hardworking adventurers.
• "I assumed he had a name like Slartibartfast."
• "I am Barry Fastslart, or Duke Fastslart, if you prefer.  Do you know of me?"
• I was going balls-deep as we faded out...

In a couple days, I'll post what I have for the proposed magic system (working on the details right now).

As always, thanks to the guys for playing; and thanks to you for reading.  Don't miss the next session (I'm going to squeeze-in two sessions a week for the next couple months).

VS

p.s. Like what you're reading?  Want to be part of the action?  For $5 a month, you can have first-crack at playing in one of my weekly one-shots!  Subscribe to me on SubscribeStar!

Confessions, Stress, and Sigils in Cremza'amirikza'am

 

Ok, this was a wild one.

Not only did I need to playtest game mechanics that were totally new to me, but I reveal an occult method I've been using to up the immersion factor.  Let's get into it.

I had 4 players... 2 veterans returning and 2 noobs (1 of which had to leave early because of some emergency).  They were...

• Shiraz, a reptilian cleric of Dagon specializing in the combat fork.
• Meat, a pin-headed, axe wielding human fighter (but flavored like a barbarian) looking to make enough gold to keep him in wine and wenches.
• Hiraeth, a human fighter seeking knowledge (this is the player who left early).
• Grrber, a human fighter (this player came prepared with a Paizo-approved character, but then quickly learned we don't do that here).

Disoriented from eating weird fruit, the PCs found themselves at a crossroads, unsure where they came from or what might be down the next tunnel.  The magenta illumination was faint, but ever present.

I don't normally share the "open crawl" portion that starts off the adventure because I basically just ad-lib a paragraph or two that makes sense for the potential encounters the PCs might face.  But today, I'm copy/pasting it...

Whether you've lived on Cha'alt all your lives or only a few short years, it feels like forever. You grew tired of poverty, hot sand, and even hotter twin suns nestled in the fuchsia sky. The irradiated desert wasteland was giving you headaches, anyway. Why not try your luck in a network of caves and tunnels so ancient and subterranean that even the Gods can't see what's going on down there? You've been exploring Cremza'amirikza'am for a few days now... possibly weeks. Choose a motivation. Maybe it's treasure or becoming a formidable opponent or knowledge of the long-dead snake-men empire?

Ok, what's next?  Oh yeah, Shiraz wanted use his sense of smell to detect humanoids nearby.  His faculties picked-up on something.  The scent of sex was in the stale air, and the foursome followed it west, where they encountered several demons running train on a brunette woman.

There was some debate on whether the PCs should leave them be, since the woman didn't seem to be in distress, but ultimately they decided to take advantage of the situation and surprise the demons.

Meat got Advantage for his sneak-attack, killing the first demon.  We used the easier initiative system that Shiraz' player named TWERPS... Thieves, Warriors, Enemies, Retainers, Priests, and Sorcerers.  

Later that round, Meat went for his standard attack after the surprise thrust.  He rolled mediocre damage, but I asked him if he wanted to take the first of three stress dice.  He did, and rolled well enough to lop off the demon's head.

The cleric of Dagon blasted a demon with an eldritch ray, realizing afterwards that using such supernatural powers drained his own health, just like sorcerers.  The sudden cost comes from the idea that Cremza'amirikza'am is shielded from the prying eyes of the Gods.  What they cannot see, they cannot do.  So, a priest's powers must be fueled by himself.

By the end of the battle, everyone got some good hits in, easily defeating the demons who rolled poorly (thanks to my virtual dice).

Afterwards, the brunette was still in the mood and was all over Grrber.  He roleplayed the character well, not wanting to dilute his seed amongst all the demon jizz.  But this was Cremza'amirikza'am and the magenta intensified.  I had him roll a skill-check (something I rarely do in these games) to see if he could hold back.  One failed roll later and the brunette coaxed it out of him.  

Meat said "Weak pull-out game," and we all laughed. 

While that was happening, I tried out the confessional mechanic.  This is something my friend Judd talked about on MeWe, explaining an aspect of the RPG InSpectres which I hadn't heard about.  Basically, you treat it like a reality TV show where characters occasionally break off, go to a booth just off-camera, and speak directly to the viewing audience.  My spin on it is a little different than InSpectres, but I wanted to give credit where credit was due.

I had a feeling this would add a whole other layer of meta gonzo to proceedings, and I wasn't disappointed.  Meat did a great job, earning himself another point of Divine Favor.  After history was made, the characters continued on... post-looting, of course.

We only had about 20 minutes left of the 90 so I came up with a weird encounter on the spot.  The other two stress dice were used, as well as, additional Divine Favors.  At the end, the PCs prevailed but found a curious object... which caused Shiraz a bit of consternation.  

So, another playtest with the initiative system was most welcome.  Still enjoying that.  The stress dice seemed to go well.  I don't want to go into too much detail about that, but am looking forward to hearing player feedback.  As for the confessional, this feels like something I've been searching for a long while but just couldn't put my finger on it until my conversation with Judd.

But now it's all falling into place and it seems perfect for the masterpiece of stupid gonzo that is Cha'alt.  Hopefully, Matthew (Meat's player) enjoyed his very brief stint in the confessional booth.  We've just taken our first steps in a whole new world.

Last but not least, the Kort'thalis sigil.  I've been interested in the occult and magic since I was young.  Post-college I really began studying things like chaos magic, which is big with sigils.  Kort'thalis is something I designed long ago, and decided to use it to increase the immersion of my games.  It was originally designed to be a meta-sigil, so I knew Kort'thalis had the capacity to help.

Before each game, I meditate on the sigil for a minute (sometimes longer).  My intention is to make the shared world we imagine as real as possible, as if the characters were actually in Cha'alt, and events were actually taking place in this alternate universe we've manifested as a group.  

Might sound strange or stupid to some, but after a dozen or so sessions, I think it's working.  The games I run have turned a corner in some ways, and the immersion on my end feels noticeably heightened.  You can only do so much with virtual, text-only, and 90 minutes, but we do what we can, right?

If anyone is unconvinced yet still open-minded, I encourage you join one of my Roll20 games.  I'll be running another one-shot sometime after Xma'as.  Follow me on Twitter @VengerSatanis to be kept up to date.

Also, HERE is my latest video that explains a few things.  Please comment, like, subscribe, and share!  I'd like to hit 1,000 subscribers by the new year.

Thanks for reading,

VS

p.s. The holiday sale is almost over - $90 for both luxury hardcover books, signed, numbered, and personalized by yours truly.  That price includes shipping within the USA (outside, add $40).  Paypal me at: Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Cha'alt After Dark Kickstarter

 

Ok, I'm finally opening up the Kickstarter for my Cha'alt After Dark collection of adventures.  

Exactly what you've come to expect from Cha'alt - eldritch, gonzo, science-fantasy, post-apocalypse - but these scenarios are even sleazier!

Check it out here.

The first 2 adventures, Cha'alt After Dark and So Beautiful, So Dangerous, are already 90% written.  That's why I only did a 20-day crowdfunding campaign.  

And once this KS has been fulfilled, I'm going all-in on the next edition of Encounter Critical (kickstarting that in August).

If you have any questions, suggestions, comments, or anything else, let me know.  Also, please share the Cha'alt After Dark Kickstarter campaign on social media.  

Thanks,

VS

PDF Sale at DriveThruRPG

There are a lot of titles on sale over at DriveThruRPG right now.  The sale's going on until March 11th. 

Apparently, many of my own PDFs are 33% off and burning a sleazy, eldritch, gonzo hole in the internet's back pocket!!!

Thanks for supporting Kort'thalis Publishing, guys!

VS

p.s. Endzeitgeist just reviewed Gamma Turquoise here and Save Yourself From Hell over here.

7/11 is international Crimson Dragon Slayer day

Yeah, I'm making it official.  I'll be running Crimson Dragon Slayer at my local library via Meetup (a great way to find players, by the way) on Saturday, July 11th.

You guys should run or ask your GM to run Crimson Dragon Slayer on that day, too.  Try your FLGS, assuming there's one nearby that'll let you run games.

Alright, share this and let's get as many people into a Crimson Dragon Slayer game on 7/11 as we possibly can!


VS

p.s.  Thanks for suggestion, +Tim Virnig.