tomes
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Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 17, 2015 14:27:01 GMT -8
It'd be interesting in giving them some back story elements that allows them to be on the line between empire and alliance. It's all good to have them very imperial focused at first, but I like that option of changing allegiances, or going bounty hunter, or going on the run.
I have a campaign where I had them working for the army of a fantasy world empire, and as it happened they all built characters that were pretty focused on personal matters, working their as a side-effect of other things (one PC even came to infiltrate the army to extract revenge on his fallen family). What's nice is it allowed me to use other rebel forces to tempt them off the beaten path.
Maybe even have them each give you character threads that would both have them be anti-rebels, as WELL as threads that would make them anti-empire. Then you could pull those strings as necessary or when appropriate.
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tomes
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Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 12, 2015 7:52:15 GMT -8
yes - Generic Universal Role Playing SAVAGED I think that might be the geek rage win of the day
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 11, 2015 12:09:29 GMT -8
Hmm.. I feel like in some way I'm a little lucky in this regard. Maybe cause it's LA and people drive through shitty traffic to get here, or maybe it's cause most of us are just over the border of 40 years, we feel like once we're here, we WANT to game.
But we do have the one player who's the youngest of us (mid 20's) and she is the one who is the most likely to fall into the media trap. Some days it's more than others, but she's mostly with us. And there was another player I used to have the same age who'd do the same.
Given that it's usually the younger in the crowd (my pre-judgment showing), maybe making it a fun game. Depending on severity, it could be 1. if you miss your queues for action, or 2. if you are even CAUGHT with looking at your phone, give them a Phone modifier -1 for all actions for the next few minutes. Or you could have them take shots... normally once someone gets pretty wasted they aren't checking their phone as much (then again they may not be playing as much).
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 10, 2015 13:56:12 GMT -8
If your bored of fantasy, stop. Can't argue with the truth in that one, but... This could work well too, if you don't hate fantasy, you just feel like it's a little stale. The campaign I'm running right now is a "crack team of special agents" game, but in fantasy. I wanted it to feel a little of empire vs empire and spy vs spy and hidden agendas, but I didn't want to play a modern game. I think swapping the usual roles is good too... like I haven't listened to the Eldemy actual play from HJ, but many of the players are Orcs, and the settings sounds like they flipped some stuff on its head. That alone can make things a bit more exciting. Another option is using a fantasy base for the setting, but then destroy some aspect of it... magic suddenly got unpredictable and deadly. Use a Jenga tower and every spell level = pull... want to case a 3rd level fireball? Pull 3 blocks. The tower falls, you explode in flame. And of course there are pre-canned settings along these lines. Some friends started running a Dark Sun campaign that I joined in for 2 games, and it was pretty interesting in theme and feel.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 10, 2015 10:25:44 GMT -8
In regards to the consequences email, and specifically TheAngryGM's great advice of "make it up", you could also go somewhere in the middle: Prior to the session, think of some general consequences that could come up, and then use them if and when they seem fit to the situation. I'm running a DW campaign, and when I have time i try to sit and write down a few things that could come up and would cause some conflict for them. For example, here was an actual list of things I used a few sessions ago when they were underground in a cavern: - They find their food damp/rotten.
- They can't find anything edible.
- Water is scarce; find fetid water supply.
- Ranger loses arrows.
- The light supply is low.
For example with the Ranger loses arrows, it doesn't just happen, but if the Ranger has a bad roll, well, maybe that means she gets knocked on her ass and many arrows break on the stone she fell on... or she slips on that mossy area and some go over the ledge into the depths, or whatever. These give me fodder for the inevitable Dungeon World 6- rolls. Similarly for this guy and his prepping for the Adventurer's Guild consequences, just write down some ideas when someone's heard word of their mis-adventures: - Prices have gone up
- "Sorry, I can't sell to you"
- Someone wants some nefarious adventurers for an "opportunity"
- Someone's taken a hit on the PCs
- A way to redeem themselves
Now bring them up when they're relevant. Not all are negative. They save someone on the road, or accidentally, great, make that person a relative of the adventurer guild people they have wronged... maybe now they can (maybe accidentally) get in their good graces. They kill some random encounter... make that encounter have a note which shows that the PCs were to be assassinated. You have cool adventure hook from an NPC... connect it by making the NPC want them due to their reputation. Use any of these when the opportunity presents.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 8, 2015 19:47:54 GMT -8
Although I like certain elements of fantasy, I'm not into some of the overly unscientific parts (the way all the pantheons mix and match and work together, or not). I know it sounds silly, but I really like fantasy that's grounded in some underlying mechanic that sounds somewhat plausible. So for instance the whole Anne McCaffrey Pern series, or the Helliconia series by Brian Aldiss (shit, anything by that guy), or The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. All of these feel like fantasy while you are a character in the story, but they are effectively some sort of sci-fi. Now, I don't know if that helps, but for me that makes the whole thing a little more interesting as a GM, cause I'm trying to exude a fantasy setting, but with underlying elements which work somewhat differently. I don't know if that helps. I do think as guitarspider said: reading sometimes re-invigorates you (or watching movies, finding good tunes, etc.) Personally, I just can't get into 5E cause I can't get past the D&D rules hump.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 6, 2015 9:55:37 GMT -8
Yeah I'm reading a history of ancient Egypt right now gaining inspiration for my Desert King campaign and there is much discussion of how the ceilings were supported...much like a Jenga tower. Perhaps when it comes time to escape the collapsing pyramid... YES x 100 One of my seminal Dread moments, the first game we played, was towards the end of the game when 3 of us were running from the mummy we unleashed from the Peruvian jungle ruins, and effectively it was a pull-to-the-death. We went round after round pulling blocks on a shaky tower to see who would be caught. It was intense. But the best part was we each pulled 3 blocks, and the GM decided that we all 3 of us escaped (thus far), went back to the fourth player, who was until then safe, and now confronted by the creature. And instead of pulling, he decided to push the tower over, sacrificing himself for his secretary (who he had been having an illicit affair with) to save her life instead. Since then there have been a number of PvP pull sessions in Dread games, and they're usually great. I like these main rules for Jenga/Dread, and specifically like to review it with everyone so they're all bought into the same place and there aren't disagreements (and it also starts setting the gravity of the session): - As in Dread, we setup the tower and then everyone does pre-pulls (depending on number of PCs, we had 4 players and took 3 pulls each), and once that is done, the tower is then declared live.
- Once the tower is live, it's live. Whomever is responsible for it (the last person who pulled from it) is still, ongoingly, responsible, even if someone else knocks it over. BE CAREFUL WITH THE TOWER AND THE TABLE.
- Only use one hand at a time. You can change hands during a pull, but only one can tough the tower at a time.
- You can decide to pull a different block if you don't like the one you've been working on.
- Remember that pulling the center block is easier at times, HOWEVER it means that overall less blocks will be pullable... once the center is out, both side blocks can't be touched... whereas a side block lets you pull the other side's block.
- At any time you can decide to back out and not pull the blocks. It will mean you fail the action (think of 'fumble' or failing a DC), however it doesn't necessarily mean death... Death should be reserved for dropping the tower.
- The GM may request more than one block, depending on the severity of the action, or your PCs weaknesses (e.g. a low Dex, low combat PC trying to defend a colleague). Also, you can always pull MORE blocks than you are asked for... the GM says pull one to get a clue, and you decide to pull 2 or 3... you should get a much better clue!
- You can also sacrifice yourself for the party or in other epic ways by pushing the tower over... always give the PC lots of agency in their actions and some story control here, since they are sacrificing themselves (note that this is when they consciously push the tower over... if they drop it accidently, that's on them)
- If the tower drops early, just set it up again, take a number of pre-pulls to get it where you want (more than a normal setup depending on where you are in the session), and remember that the one who dropped the tower is on the chopping block. You don't need to kill them outright, but as the GM, you can take their life wherever narratively appropriate from this point forward.
Oh man, if you use this I'd really like to know how it goes.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 5, 2015 12:50:38 GMT -8
OK, just had an epic mechanic steal last night, on GM day no less, in our Dungeon World game... I stole: JENGA!
Basically after playing in more than few Dread games in the last years worth of cons, I feel like I have an appreciation for Jenga mechanics... want to do something? Pull a block or two. Drop the tower? Bad shit is gonna happen, maybe death.
So... we were in a situation where the party had just pulled out of a long, dark period of cave spelunking and monsters, everyone was low on spells, HP and whatnot, and everyone decided to simultaneously rest... like, noone on guard. I was smiling like a motherfucker.
The thing is, everyone had just leveled to one extent or another, and a few of PCs now had magic ability... the Fighter took a multiclass of Cleric spells with his newfound Phoenix god (despite his low windows of 8), and the Bard took a multiclass of Wizard spells, his spellbook being objects around him talking to him (like rocks, plants, animals, etc.). The other Cleric and Ranger also had to commune with their respective gods.
This made a perfect opportunity for introspection and transformation! And I pulled out the Jenga tower. They started communing in various ways, and for them to come out of it unscathed (and spelled-up) they needed to pull blocks. It was perfect because it gave a level of tenseness to the whole episode.
I also decided that for this session if anyone wanted to cast a spell, they could... after they pulled a block. So pull a block = opportunity to roll dice (which may still fail). It was awesome... suddenly using a simple rote to cleanse your food was a lot riskier.
I think if you want a really gritty "magic is super bad and dangerous" type game, this mechanic would be very very appropriate... Jenga + (whatever the normal game mechanic is). Or you could introduce it just in sessions where there is an extra level of badness. Maybe instead of the PCs being in a normal place, they have found themselves in an extra dangerous place (e.g. another plane, a location where magic is unpredictable, etc.) and this amps up the danger (much more so than "everyone gets a -2 modifier".
But for us I think it was appropriate and perfect for this session, quite epic. But I don't think it'll be necessary for other sessions per se.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 4, 2015 15:28:32 GMT -8
Cheers, everyone (GMs especially)! I hope I'll get to play tonight. Normally we play Thur's, but we changed it to Wed this week... coincidence? Unlikely... more like divine intervention. And I get to GM! Feeling that Gygaxian spirit... now to get back to my campaign time management.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 4, 2015 11:48:53 GMT -8
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 3, 2015 21:34:06 GMT -8
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 3, 2015 11:20:51 GMT -8
In case it interests anyone here... listening to it now (not hilarious, but you know, if you are into this sort of thing) NERDIST PODCAST: JEMAINE CLEMENT AND TAIKA WAITITI "Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi chat with Chris and Matt about doing comedy back in New Zealand, and Jemaine talks a bit about Flight of the Conchords and working too much. They also talk about the making of their new movie What We Do in the Shadows!" www.nerdist.com/pepisode/nerdist-podcast-jemaine-clement-and-taika-waititi/
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 3, 2015 7:24:35 GMT -8
In regards to passive players, I've been reading the GMing section of Dungeon World and they want you to ask "What do you do?" all the time! To keep immersion you address the character and not the player. Not sure how this works in practice but I am sure Hyvemynd and the World Crew could chime in... I think something they do to try and impress that the action should always be moving. However, I don't know if I agree with that. I agree that you should always give the players opportunities and reasons to keep on truckin', but sometimes it's nice when the pace changes, so I'm not so quick to "What do you do?" all the time. And of course, saying it versus just implying it are two different ways of doing the same thing. "The giant ogre is running at you wielding the largest, wickedest mace you've ever seen." [What do you do?] here is implied, you don't have to say it. But I think they are trying to evoke the feeling. That said, if player decides to just do nothing at this point, then give them their damage and move on. There are consequences for doing nothing when someones about to give you the beat down. (Notice that the character doing nothing here = damage, not a "To hit" roll for the monster as in D&D... there is no "to hit" for the monster, just a "to hit" by the character - which may mean they damage each other, and a "defy danger" (avoid being hit) by the character). At least that's my take, because yes, I think that'd be annoying if used all the time.
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tomes
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Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 2, 2015 17:01:25 GMT -8
Thank you Stu Venable for the grandpa nerd digression. For whatever reason, I haven't laughed that loud in weeks. Maybe because I remember me and my friend Howie playing with 3 such nerdpas in a game of Axis and Allies at some con when we were 14 or so. They of course really wanted to make sure we knew what we were doing, before they let us in, and we of course lied heartily (we'd never played the game before). What ensued was the worst game I've ever played, watching them exasperated, and me consistently saying things like "oh ya, I forgot that rule." I'm sure they've complained to their respective podcasts about this horror story (from their end). To nerdpas, god rest their souls...
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tomes
Supporter
Hello madness
Posts: 1,438
Currently Running: Dungeon World, hippie games, Fallout Shelter RPG hack
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Post by tomes on Mar 1, 2015 19:24:51 GMT -8
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