Evocative Names

Just yesterday I was reading this blog post about evocative names for attributes.

Unfortunately, I lost track of it, but it reminded me of the importance of language.

Without sacrificing functionality, we should try to use more evocative names for things.

Driving to work this morning, I realized that advantage and disadvantage sounds rather mechanical.  After all, it's part of the 5e D&D system... a "non-copyrightable" game mechanic that I love and use frequently.  So much, in fact, that it does nothing for me, aside from designating a particular rule.

From now on, I think I'm going to call "advantage" favor, favored, favored by the Gods, the Gods have shown you favor, etc.  Similarly, "disadvantage" will be referred to as ill-favor, ill-favored, ill-favored by the Gods, the Gods are displeased with you, and so forth.

Not only does it sound less like a game mechanic, but it also evokes notions such as fate, destiny, divine providence, and that the Gods are always watching, occasionally sticking a hand or tentacle into the mix, influencing events.  It makes whatever results (after the dice have been rolled), seem like they were ordained by higher forces, hinting at the oracular power of random dice rolls.

This blog post wasn't earth-shocking or anything, just an idea I had.

VS

p.s. 32 page preview of Cha'alt on DriveThruRPG - check it out!

Backstage Pass: Cha'alt

This is a behind-the-scenes exchange I had with a Cha'alt kickstarter backer...

Weeks ago, I asked for feedback and typo-hunting so the manuscript would be as awesome and error free as possible.

One backer in particular came up with suggestions.  A few suggestions asked for clarification on ambivalent language, details that were unclear based on the text.

At first, I was going to fix these ambiguities, but then I realized that the suggestions he put forth trying to answer his own questions were just as good if not better than anything I had thought of or might come up with.

So, several of these ambiguities I left as they were.  But I emailed the backer to let him know I appreciated his feedback, along with telling him why I neglected to change the phrasing in key areas.

The following was his response...

I am glad my comments were helpful. It's not every day that some normal guy gets to offer suggestions to a great game designer! I know that I asked some pretty specific questions that were not all addressed in the final product, but after re-reading the foreword a couple of times, I think I "get" what you were doing with Cha'alt (as much as any human can comprehend the alien mind of a za'akier).

It's not a traditional setting or a traditional mega-dungeon. Cha'alt is a huge sandbox in a relatively small package. Big enough to play in for a long time, but not too big as to be unwieldy for the GM to find relevant information quickly. No two Cha'alt campaigns will be remotely the same and that is by design.

Part of the mindset that motivated some of my questions was trying to discern the author's intent. When I run Cha'alt, if you showed up in a disguise and played, I would want you to think that I was doing it correctly. When I answered the questions, I wanted to answer them the "right" way.

Now I realize that the small hints and hooks are meant to be developed in unique and interesting ways by each GM. Sure, it means a little more work from the GM, but it will be worth it for a great gaming experience. I am glad to have backed this project and am honored that I was able to contribute a little bit to it.

Can't wait for my hardcover to arrive!

I think that sums up the difference between OSR and modern RPG design.  There is no "right way" because the book is there to help the GM create his own version of the world, dungeon, cantina, or whatever.  The book isn't god... the GM is.

BTW, you can find the Cha'alt PDF right over here.

Enjoy,

VS

Cha'alt PDF Released

At long last, my campaign setting and dungeoncrawl extravaganza Cha'alt is now available on DriveThruRPG.

This thing is almost double the size of anything I've done before.  218 pages... I almost can't even count that high.  That's nuts!  And it's just jam-packed with content.  The thing is dense, my dudes.  And so beautifully laid-out by Glynn Seal of MonkeyBlood Design, I can't even believe it.  Yeah, it's a dream come true.

I've talked about it for a long while, but now it's time for Cha'alt to speak for itself.

VS

p.s. If you get the PDF ahead of any print version, there's going to be a price break.  So, try it out now because I'm pretty sure you'll want this in either soft or hardcover soon enough.

Awoke from a nightmare

"The basis of all true cosmic horror is violation of the order of nature, and the profoundest violations are always the least concrete and describable." 
~ H.P. Lovecraft

Early this morning, I had this really weird dream.  It was kind of neat, but also unsettling.  That's why I classify it as a nightmare. 

My wife asked what it was about after breakfast, but it was difficult to put into words.  So, I thought I'd blog about it...

In the dream, I was watching (but also not watching, it was real) an episode of The Twilight Zone.  Now, in the dream I had the same memories and experiences as my waking self.  I've seen all The Twilight Zone episodes.

But somehow what I was watching or experiencing knew that and decided to change things, going off-script.  It was aware of me and had an intelligence and will.  There was definitely a force beyond what I would call objective reality.

It gets fuzzy here, but I think there were things behind masks and efforts to turn animate objects (such as myself) into inanimate objects.  The imagery was surreal and scary; I was fascinated as I was frightened.  It was all very "cosmic horror".

And then I woke up.  Not really much to tell besides that.  Maybe, after some thinking, I can turn some of those esoteric feelings into RPG inspiration.  We'll see...

VS

p.s. Sadly, I decided to let go of Draconic Magazine.  It was a fun place to post ideas before they made their way into my scenarios.  But now, it's gone.

Born Again Noob

Back in the day... this must have been the late 80's / early 90's, I was kind of into Warhammer 40K on and off.  Buying, assembling, and painting miniatures that would then be used in various tabletop wargaming skirmishes. 

Didn't do a lot of actual wargaming, but there was a fair amount of miniature preparation.  To be honest, I sucked at it.  I was impatient, undisciplined, and resentful (you mean I have to remove and glue all these pieces myself?!?).  So, that phase of gaming never really took and I drifted away towards the end of high school.

Well, my magnum opus Cha'alt is basically finished.  It's just going through layout hell, but all the heavy lifting has been over with for a couple weeks now. 

I need a break from writing RPG material.  I'm on the verge of burn-out, and so this seems like the perfect time to stretch some gaming muscles that never get used. 

Last week, I bought the latest box set of Warhammer 40K called Shadowspear.  I finally got all the little dudes put together.  It was mildly challenging like putting together a puzzle.  The three flying guys on that transparent stalk was a bitch, until I realized I needed to prop the miniatures on something so the glue had a chance to dry.  Also, one of the space marine's hands got mangled when I cut it out of the sprue.  So, maybe I can find something to take its place... find a hook or something.

Should be ready to prime them tomorrow.  After that, the painting begins!

Being in my 40's, I'm not in any rush to get these miniatures painted.  I'm after quality rather than quantity (but quantity is nice, too).  So, I intend to take my time and make sure these paint jobs are actually decent.  When I get something worthy, I'll take photos and post them here on the old blog.

Once they're finished, I will host a game with those wanting to try it out.

VS

Dungeons & Delvers: Red Book

For those who don't already know, David Guyll restarted his Kickstarter campaign.  It looks better than ever!

Basically, this is an OSR re-imagining of classic D&D.  My favorite part is probably the artwork.  David and his wife Melissa have their own unique aesthetic which looks weird and old school... while still being contemporary and fresh.

• Control complexity without sacrificing competency
• Multiple magic systems with mechanics backed by distinct flavor
• Simple, useful, and robust crafting mechanics
• Fresh takes on classic monsters

Full disclosure, David has been doing layout work for me these last few months.  He's a friend, but that also means I know his work.  It's not only awesome, but he gets shit done on time.  That alone should give backers comfort.

So, check it out and back this sucker!

VS

Running It More Than Once

I recently re-watched Escape From L.A. and it dawned on me that it's the perfect example of running an adventure more than once.

The original, Escape From New York, focuses a lot of time on atmosphere.  It luxuriates in the dark, nihilistic tone, giving us a feel for the characters, the place.

The 2nd time doesn't fuck around.  It gets straight to the point.  It keeps things moving.  Very little screen time is lost between encounters.  As soon as one scene ends, the next setup begins.

But maybe the story moves too fast.  We get the essentials and then onto the next.  That keeps people engaged, but then you lose out on the world building.  The characters seem to be there for a specific scenario-required reason, not because they actually exist.

Escape From L.A. is also played tongue in cheek.  It's campy and ironic and cheesy on purpose.  I suppose the difference between Evil Dead and Evil Dead II is the same way.  The former is horror and the latter is more horror-comedy.

Now, I love humor.  Whenever I write or GM, there's always a little bit of the comedian in me.  However, not everything should be played for laughs or so gonzo that it's borderline ridiculous.  You've got to know when to pull back and get deadly serious, too.

Did it ever feel like Snake was in real danger in L.A.?  Not really.  Back in New York it seemed like there was no way Plissken could survive... but he did.  And that likelihood of imminent death made the story stronger, more realistic.

In both L.A. and Evil Dead II, the ending is better.  That's definitely an advantage to the remake.

So, which is better?  Well, I happen to think the first time around is more satisfying, even though the remake is more fun.

[Last Minute Edit: Holy crap, I just found out that Hollywood is rebooting Escape From New York... What?!?]

What does that say about the RPG experience?  What if "fun" isn't how we should be gauging our gaming enjoyment?  That's a blog post for another time.

How often do you run the same scenario multiple times?  The setup, pacing, mood, ending... how much does it change?  Did you change it on purpose or did it kind of organically shift because you were using another system, had different players, or the characters chose to go at it from a different angle?

VS

p.s. Also, there's an excellent lesson from Escape From L.A... when you state the rules of the game, don't go back on them without a good reason.  Otherwise, Utopia will mess up your shot!

Cha'alt Pre-Sales

The big project I've been working on for over 6 months is nearing completion.

What is it?  Well, it's a campaign setting and megadungeon called Cha'alt.  It's gonzo, eldritch, post-apocalyptic science-fantasy, and about 174 pages geared to both the OSR and 5e D&D audience.

The files get sent off to the printers in 2 or 3 weeks.  Until then, last minute revision, tweaking, and proofing continues.

Between now and when the shipment of 1,000 high-quality, full-color, hardcover, signed and numbered books reach my slimy green tentacles, I'm opening up sales for this limited edition.

Approximately 100 of them are already spoken for... thanks to KS backers.

The original Kickstarter price was $50 + $10 shipping.  That was the sweet, sweet deal for those who believed in me and actually made this project possible.

The current pre-sale price is $55 + $10 shipping (within the contiguous United States), which is a sweet deal compared to what it's going to cost when the books are ready to ship out.

Want a taste of what Cha'alt will be like?  Ok, right over here is about 5% of the book, an introductory dungeon to get things going before the PCs are ready to tackle the funhouse mindfuck that is The Black Pyramid.

The PDF is free (subject to small changes before print files are finalized), so go check it out and see if you're ready for Cha'alt.

I accept paypal at Venger.Satanis@yahoo.com

Thanks,

VS

p.s. Please send me an email first if you have any questions!

p.p.s Shipping doubles outside the US ($20, which is still fairly decent).

Map of Cha'alt

Last but not least, Glynn completed the Cha'alt map.

This right here is the official KS update.  I'll be showing you more soon enough...

Enjoy,

VS