See what happens when you do things your way?

So here we have an update to "I may have bitten off more than I can chew"
After letting things to percolate for a while, I have finally figured out a few things.
It will take between 150 and 200 years for the humans to rediscover FTL travel.
Smaller ships will need assistance to enter Hyperspace.
Hyperspace will be immense.
Any ship that was in transit when the Shift happened, will be a floating derelict in hyperspace. (Muhahaha, Ghost ships!)
Of course my recent purchase of the complete 5 seasons of Babylon 5 may have something to do with my decisions. I can steal bunches from the Bab 5 Traveller source book (and I will guaranteed) [OMG, season 2 is off to a rocky start]
I know that the players will be the crew will be members of the Survey Fleet on a mission to re-establish contact with the outer reaches of the old empire. Because unfortunately where FTL travel has been rediscovered, FTL transmission has not. It could take years for a message to travel from 25 light years away. I haven't really decided on exactly how fast to make interstellar communications yet, but the players will act as an autonomous agent of the new Terran government. The ships will get an assist to the outer reaches by the Tachyon Emission Accelerator gates. This will extend the range of the jump engines on the ships. The ships will have a limited jump range when not using the TEA gates. I intend to design the encounters so that whatever path the characters choose, there will an angle for them to exploit. Maybe they decide to go pirate outside the influence of Earth? Eventually supplies are going to become an issue.
Most of this brainstorming has just generated more questions... :-/
Should I include a chance for the PC's to trade commodities?
What's the time frame for a mission?
What form of government has appeared on Terra?

Of course, I still have the Bloodrose campaign simmering on a cranial back burner, and have decided on a few more of those encounters. Sebastion will be a Boogieman {Cryptic hint}

Anyway, there's the update. Wheeeeeee!!!!

Happy Gaming!

New shineys

I finally finished the two page Deadlands Noir adventure. There were some stumbling blocks over format I couldn't seem develop the coping mechanisms to deal with. But, now it's done, I let my mind wander. It came back with a few ideas....

I have a special place in my heart for the Expendables movies. Mostly because of the rotating cast of bad guys they get, also for the game opportunities it presents. I don't usually plan convention games, I've always aimed for a longer term game. However this fits in with a rotating player type of game. If you have a game where not all players show up for every session (and you can deal with that) me?... Not so much. I've been thinking of what RPG system to write it for, and I dug deep into the primordial lizard brain  to find it. Millennium's End stood up, waved hello, and I had finally found the system. I might have to add a rule for flavor or something, but that was definitely the system. It's very similar to the Pirate ship party idea I heard somewhere. Each character can go on a certain adventure, if someone shows up for one session, and can't make it to the next then their character can escort an NPC or party servant to the ship. Easy way to rotate players in and out of an adventure.

The other idea came from a casual remark on twitter. Shannon from the Gamerstable podcast was saying she wanted to be able to play Pokémon and D&D at the same time. This nestled into my grey matter and started to ask "THOSE" questions... So we have some preliminary notes.
All PokePath trainers will be Druid class. (For the non-lethal game) Summoners for the deadly version.
This will be written for the Pathfinder game system.
 There will have to be some new feats. Some of these feats will make it possible to choose the specific creature from the "Summon Nature's Ally" spell.
The Druid's animal companion will act like Pikachu from Pokémon.
This game will be run in the Fae worlds.
I am still working on it, and it's only a rough outline, but it's a start.

Of course, I am still making wands and working on the Harry Potter Fate game, but this is what has captured my imagination this week.

Happy gaming!

Fun with Wands

   I've been distracted the past few weeks. I got a mini lathe for my birthday, and finally got it set up. I've been a wood worker since I was a kid. My dad had a workshop in the garage, and I've found working with wood fairly easy. The second part of the equation is my fascination with Harry Potter wand lore. The rest of the colorful material in the books is ok, but I have a special fondness for Wand lore.
   Taking all this into account, after I got my lathe set up, I had to make my wife a wand. She's wanted a custom wand since she tore through the Potter books like something akin to excrement through a the digestive system of an untamed ornithoid.
   Like anything, you always take a practice run first.

This is a mere 15 minutes of just playing around on the lathe, then some brief half-assed carving. Primitive, but it showed me how easy it was. So I tried something just a little bit more difficult.

 

Where this isn't an exact replica of the Elder wand, I was just trying to work out the method for attaining the basic shapes. Not to mention, basswood practice blanks are really cheap.

 

   Now, having had a couple of practice runs, I felt I was ready to try for something resembling a real wand. My wife likes purple heartwood, and why not, it's purple. It's her favorite color. Some time ago I bought a purple heartwood turning blank. So, here I go... Wait a sec, the blank is just a bit too big, better cut it down so I don't waste valuable wood. My first mistake was thinking it would easy. Purple heartwood is some of the hardest wood I've ever encountered. This stuff is very, VERY difficult to cut. Look it up on the internet, all the opinions are pretty much the same. It finishes beautifully, but getting there is a pain. After great amounts of sawing by hand, I finally got it down to a manageable size and made my wife a wand.

Yes, that is an amethyst crystal set into the end of the wand. I've been holding onto that crystal for years waiting for the right place to use it. Anyway, it's a 12 inch Purple heartwood wand, polished with just beeswax. Not bad for a first attempt, right?
   Keep in mind the whole time I'm working on wands, my wife and I are writing background for our fictional wand shop. Established in 1623 in New Amsterdam, Van Alden's Wand Shoppe has been a purveyor of find wands to the Americas ever since. Marcus Hephaestus Paracelsus VanAlden proprietor.
   Being the gamer that I am, I just couldn't resist turning our conversations into an rpg setting, hence my version of Harry Potter FATE was born.
   Because I enjoy making up my own material, this game would only be set in the Harry Potter universe. Not taking place in England, this would happen in the U.S. of modern times. We had some details scribbled down on scraps of paper, of how the magic culture of America evolved away from the English model. Wizards & Witches often name their wands, and are frequently passed down through generations. Heirloom wands will boost the power of some spells. Many magical families have a certain affinity for certain kinds of magic. You get the point, I started writing yet another game.
   At my office, the woman I share my pod with is also a huge Harry Potter fan, so I decided to make her a wand. I've been buying exotic turning blanks for a few months prior to actually getting a lathe in anticipation of being able to carve wands. For Julie I chose American Holly.

The picture isn't great, but I carved a crescent moon on the end, and the main part is carved to resemble a unicorn horn. Here, we have a 12 inch New World Holly with a Dragon heartstring core.

   So, here I sit on a Friday morning, writing on my blog and getting ready to go out into the garage and turn another wand. I have no idea what this one will look like, I just enjoy playing with my wood. ;-)

 

   I know I'm going to use Rose wood for this one, and I'll give to someone deserving. I was going to give it to whoever answered a trivia question, but I couldn't think of a decent question. So if you tell me why you deserve it, I might give it to you.

 

Happy gaming!



Electronics? NO!

   Call me a pseudo-luddite if you wish, but if I ever run a game again, NO ELECTRONICS AT THE TABLE!
   I don't need to compete for the attention of the players. If you're bored with the game, you should go home and surf on your laptop there, not at my game. I have noticed over the many years and many games, players that were just going through the motions because they thought they should. They weren't really interested. The only reason they were there was to be able to get into the hobby shop after hours. I won't play in hobby shops anymore, there is too much distraction there.
   I've seen players get up and wander around the store, bring books for other games back to table, and then expect me to rehash everything for them. I specifically told a group no electronics, and one of the players responded by setting up his laptop. That game lasted exactly one session.
   I'm a dedicated bibliophile. I like the smell of printed pages, I like the feel of paper between my fingers. Thanks to my parents for instilling in me a love of reading and books. I have a substantial library of regular, as well as, game books. On a variety of subjects. Not to mention the reams of paper in 3 ring binders. My home office is littered with composition books full of notes, story ideas, game ideas, odd ideas... Well you get the picture.
   Lets keep the video games and tabletop games separated thank you. Why do some players feel the need to lay out their characters on a 15 page spread sheet. It has to take forever to find anything. I think keeping your character sheet  in electronic format ruins your immersion. Our reliance on electronics, while making some aspects of our lives easier, have made the younger generations lack focus and concentration. They sit down at a table and expect to be entertained, instead of contributing to their own entertainment.
   The temptation is too great. Some of you will read this and just roll your eyes. That's fine, go ahead. Just don't come whining to me when you game dies because you're more interested in facebook, and the GM skips you. Don't call it multitasking either, that don't fly with me, humans cannot truly multitask. It not possible. Our brains are only capable of doing one thing at a time. yes we can switch activities very quickly, but we'll never multitask.
   Most of you have seen the meme of the kids all walking to the bus stop heads down, staring at their phones. The caption says it's the new zombie apocalypse, it's not far from thee truth. Disconnect people. Ever try going dark for just a weekend? Try it some time, it's enlightening.
   While not a very coherent rant, it is just something to think about. Limit your use of electronics on your games, and you might get a little deeper into character, you might enjoy it a little more.

Happy gaming!

Minions

   The advent of games like Savage Worlds, minions have transformed from a serious threat to a minor annoyance. The concept of minions still baffles me a little. The only thing I can think of, is they included popcorn minions in some of the newer games because of the whole “I wanna be awesome” trend currently going around the tabletop gaming community. To me this is a disappointing trend. No DM wants to run a game where players make an ineffectual character and still expect to “win”.

   I won’t go descend into a rant about that attitude… right now.

   Back on topic… 1^st edition AD&D didn’t really have minions, for good guys or bad guys. They had kobolds, goblins, giant ants. But the threat of dying, while picking on minor monsters was still there. If your dice are giving you the finger on that particular day, your 3^rd level M-U could very well be consigned to the fireplace of character death. I can’t say anything g about 2^nd edition (never played that one), but when 3^rd edition rolled around, the idea of minions was just starting to emerge. The Leadership feat introduced the rudimentary origins of the minion concept in the form of a PC sidekick. It wasn’t that the game got any harder, it was almost a good idea. Almost.

   I watched several players (mostly horrid players that had always been cheaters) twist the Leadership feat so that they were actually playing 2 characters that could overcome any challenge. Needless to say, I banned use of that feat in my games, for the PCs.

   I once designed a game once based around the seven deadly sins. Each sin had it’s own BBEG that controlled an area surrounding a volcano. The was a Herald that worked for the BBEGs, and travelled through all the areas, relaying orders, taking care of upstarts, and generally keeping an eye out for insurrection amongst the populace. This Herald was a Bard-Dirgsinger. He had several servants, all of which were formidable in their own right. Even the Sin’s standing army was comprised of at least 5^th level fighters. All of this was intended to challenge the PCs, which were of mid teens in level. In 3^rd ed. The magic levels were right around 9 to 14^th level. After the characters exceeded that, the DM had to start ramping up the CR level of encounters or risk the players becoming bored because they would just trample all opposition. Now some of the dedicated players reading this, probably won’t see anything wrong with an easy walk, but ask yourself this question… “Do you play to be challenged?” If you’re playing an RPG just so you can roll a d20 and kill the monster, even if you rolled a 2, why do you need a DM? Just go play Ultima or Everquest. Not everyone shares my views on RPGs, not everyone should. Play however you want. I just don’t think you’ll be playing in any game I’ve written. You probably wouldn’t enjoy it.

   I write adventures and campaigns that challenge you, not so you can get a participation ribbon. The idea of minions is exactly that. A participation ribbon. The 1 hit mook, is just a way for the DM to make the players feel like they’ve achieved something. When they haven’t even broken a sweat. Those PCs are gonna be really disappointed when they mow their way thru a couple of hundred minions, only to have the BBEG stomp them into meat mush. Because the DM may have set the minions on the party, but the BBEG has to present a challenge. The only way to present a challenge, is to make the BBEG at least equal to the PCs in power level.

   Not using minions does mean more work for the DM, but I personally don’t mind. Yes, it means more prep time. And if you’re trying to avoid lengthy prep times, then minions are an easy out. Yet another rant for another time…

   1^st edition gave certain classes the ability to attract a body of followers, but that’s what they were in our games… FOLLOWERS. You couldn’t send them in ahead of you, you had to lead from the front. Hence you were still running the risk and inspiring your followers. If you wanted something to go down the dark dungeon corridor, and spring all the traps ahead of you, you went and bought a flock of chickens. 1 cp each made that an easy solution. Maybe I’m old, and crotchety, and a curmudgeon, and just shouting at the wind. But my view of why to play an RPG is fairly antiquated. So be it!

   I’ve been working on a game for some twitter friends. This is to be played in Dealands Noir. I have been seriously considering using minions, but every time I see a potential use, it comes off as trite. I’ll keep trying, and maybe I’ll just have to let the GM drop them in wherever he feels they will benefit the story.

   The only real use of a minion I can think of is as alarm systems for the BBEGs. While the bulk of the cannon fodder holds the PCs attention. That one fleet footed lil bastard runs off down the hallway to get reinforcements. That’s legal, right? Imagine their faces when they finally get the Evil tyrant’s throne room, only to discover the Evil Tyrant has flown the coop. And taken his treasure and hostages with him. Maybe this minion thing has some merit after all…

   Ok, so maybe minions aren’t there for the BBEG. Maybe they’re to be used as the GM’s equalizer? Have I had an epiphany? Could be…

 

Did you notice an unusual amount of commas in this post? Whatev. Happy gaming!

ROLEPLAY OR DIE!

ROLEPLAY OR DIE!
One frustrated DM's manifesto.

No Munchkins, No Power Gamers, No MinMaxers, No PC Mechanics, No Rules Lawyers, Roleplay or Die!

There is only enough room in my game for one manipulator, that's me. You want to manipulate people into doing your will and dying for you, run your own game. If you are here to try and make your own agenda, don't sit at my table. If you are here to attempt to trip me up on the rules, don't sit at my table. If you here to try and start your own magic item collection, don't sit at my table. If you think I'm being unfair, remember that this is my game and I set the rules, if you don't like, don't sit at my table. The rules are guidelines, not set in stone, go get your law degree somewhere else, don't sit at my table. If your idea of a good time is to try and monopolize the DM's time because you're a whiney, needy, little pansy, don't sit at my table. If you think being a DM is easy and I should just roll with every ridiculous request because I am supposed to cater to you, think again. I do this because I want to, not because you want me to, or think I should. Try it sometime, and then come talk to me. If you think Chaotic Neutral is an excuse to do whatever you want, don't sit at my table. Don't try the excuse "I'm a free spirit" either, I ain't buyin it anymore. I am not here to mother you, I am not here to wipe your nose, I am not here to give over treasure and experience just because you want it. I am here to challenge you. I am not here to entertain you, this is a group effort, Roleplay or Die! If you find my game boring, try contributing to it instead of knocking it. Roleplay or Die! Sitting in the back of the party, using the excuse "I'm a support character", and being an experience sponge, won't fly with me anymore, don't even think for a second I don't know what you're doing, and oh yeah, don't sit at my table. Roleplay or Die! If you want to tell a story, start your own game. Don't sit at my table and try and hijack my game to tell your story. If you want a dungeon crawl, go play Neverwinter Nights, don't sit at my table. Roleplay or Die! If you want the rewards of a high level character, earn it, don't just expect it. You had better be able to give me a really convincing reason for you character concept, not just because you wanted that particular class ability, No level dipping. Roleplay or Die! Because it's cool, is not good enough anymore. Your idea of a "cool" character, makes no sense to me. If you want to play a Paladin, play a paladin, not a cleric/fighter. Roleplay or Die! Do try and remember you become the character, the character is not you. Don’t be Bob as a dwarf, be Dragos the Dwarven warrior! Roleplay or Die! This is not a competition, it is not a game you can win. Roleplay or Die! Trying to put one over on the DM, just proves how much you don’t get it. The system may steer you towards a Hack n Slash game, but only you can change that mindset, if you don’t choose to, don’t sit at my table. Roleplay or Die!

In defense of traps

I like traps. No, allow me to correct that. I love traps. I was Grimtooth in a previous life. Yes, I have all the Grimtooth's books, and I sleep with them under my pillow. Yes, I'm gushing and I don't care. Traps are a DM's best friend. Impartial killers, frequently used as a reward for uppity, nosey players.

I know players aren’t all that fond of traps, because they are the primary victims. Traps are how a DM racks up a respectable body count.

But seriously folks…

The best reason to use traps, is that Players hate them.

Usually I’m pro-players. I want them to make heroic choices. And reap the rewards. But something about traps, just makes me quiver inside. I probably enjoyed the hangdog expressions on players’ faces a wee bit too much when I would spring traps on them. Not something you will usually hear me admit. But I really do enjoy it when a character gets gakked due to a clever trap.

From the simplest poison needle traps to my personal favorite, the folding bridge trap. There are hundreds of ways to gakk PCs. I don’t usually condone the killing of PCs. But a dungeon full of traps is pure entertainment for the DM. As much as I’d like to see an entire dungeon full of nothing but traps, it wouldn’t be that much fun for the PCs. Gawd it’d be fun for the DM though, wouldn’t it? I’m still trying to come up with the trap that ends up with a PC, hanging by their ankles surrounded be hungry ghasts. I’m sure I’ll figure it one day, I’m just not there yet.

A good trap, sprung at the right time. Can add tension to a game. Plus there is the possibility to generate fear in otherwise unflappable PCs. If over-used, or if they’re too deadly, traps can be game killers, so be judicious in your use of traps. It just takes a little forethought and planning.

Why is the trap there? What is it’s primary purpose? These are the two questions I start with when placing traps in dungeons I design. Let’s start with my first, deadliest trap. The Heart Room. I’ve only ever had one PC survive this one. Throughout the PCs exploration of the Sphinx, they were hearing a loud intermittent boom. After fighting through to where they sure the secret of the sphinx was located the discovered the source of the booming noise. They opened the door to discover a 50’ x 50’ room, covered floor to ceiling in red slime. The slime makes trying to cross the room a treacherous proposition at best. Add to that hazard the fact the floor and ceiling of the room come together every 30 seconds producing an ear shattering BOOM! And you’ve got 20d6 damage to anything caught in the room. There is a door across the room, and just because I’m a nice guy, it’s even unlocked. Now, I could tell you how to solve the conundrum of how to cross the room… But where’s the fun in that? And to add insult to injury, there is a lip around the edge of the floor that will cut any rope thrown across the room and not retracted, when the floor and ceiling meet. BOOM! I’d like to take credit for creating this monstrosity, but I ran into it in a game. A long time ago, in a game far far away. I don’t remember the architect of the aforementioned PC death machine, his name is lost to antiquity. I would like to thank him however.

Now my favorite trap of all time is the Folding bridge trap. It’s in one of the Grimtooth’s books. This little gem starts with an iron bridge suspended across a wide chasm. When the PCs go to cross the bridge, they get to the center, and it folds up to create a cage around them, and the cage is now suspended above a deep chasm. I’ve been told that using this trap is proof that you hate your players. I disagree. You love your players, and want them to flourish. *insert maniacal laughter here* No, not really. You might actually hate your players. Of course, if you do, why are running a game? Of the three times I’ve used this trap, there has only been one fatality. A gnome fighter that blew a strength check while trying to climb out of the cage. (Sorry Carlos) He got cut in half when the cage slammed shut. To this day, whenever I use this trap, I leave the skeletal remains of the bottom half of a gnome in the middle of the bridge. Just think of it as a DM’s one liner.

Of course, traps don’t have to mechanical. They can be biological. Allow me to present the Gumby Ninja Kobold. This little joy is a homunculus disguised as a kobold. Imbued with a certain battery of protective spells that render it nigh indestructible (hence the Gumby moniker) It doesn’t attack the party directly, but rather it giggles loudly, thereby attracting any wandering monster in the vicinity. You guys remember wandering monsters right? This little guy IS proof you hate your players. I don’t use him often, and when I do, it’s mostly for comic relief or to get a party stuck in analysis paralysis moving again.

You should also give some thought to fake traps. Want to slow a party down? Put just one trip wire across a hallway. It doesn’t have to trigger anything, just has to make the party stop and try to disarm it. No punch line needed. Want to cause you PCs to stampede out of a dungeon? Put a poison needle trap on that chest, just don’t put any poison on it. Make it a spell instead. Geas is always fun, Magic Jar is also a fun choice. Chests, rooms and hallways are not the only things you can trap either. For some nifty fun, place a gilded chalice in a dungeon. Anyone who drinks from it, has this overwhelming urge to divest themselves of all wealth or magic items. The possibilities are endless.

Hopefully, you DM/GMs out there will rediscover the joy in a well placed trap. And I hope that in some small way, I helped with that. Now go out there and cause your players some grief.

 

Happy gaming!

Too much magic?

   This is gonna sound a lot like an old man, telling the story of how he would walk 5 miles to school, in waist deep snow, uphill, both ways. I assure you. There is no jealousy of how easy it is for the younger generations involved. To the contrary, I lament their loss.
   Throughout Basic D&D, 1e AD&D, and I can only presume 2nd ed. (I didn't play that one) Magic items were a rare occurrence. If you found a +1 sword, you named that S.O.B. and held onto it until your character died. Maybe the dice gods would smile on you, and might end up with a +2 Frostbrand. Heaven forbid you ever got hold of +5 Holy Avenger. Your character finishes out the adventure, then runs away to hide and stroke "The Precious".
   I can't speak for anyone else, but most of the games I played in were low magic. We really didn't start getting any serious magic items until we were at least 6th level.
"and by gum, we were happy to have nothing"
ok, sorry about that...
   It was the elimination of Treasure Types. That's where they lost the feel of Old School gaming, for me at least. The random treasure generation tables were never your friend. When I used to play (a VERY long time ago it seems) the only actual "placed" treasure you would find was in commercial modules. Our group designed our own most of the time. It's a philosophy I still follow now. Design your own material.  We would place the monsters and let the dice gods decide what we found. That was where the excitement of the dungeon crawl was for me. That's where you found out if your dice liked you.
   Later on with the advent of 3rd edition, the amount of gold typically found after an encounter had gone up. The creation of magic items became formulized. Consequently, that's when I think I lost my sense of wonder with the game. I've been searching for it ever since, but the collective play style has evolved away from that. They all seem to want that custom item for their character. I even fell for it myself, once or twice.
   Part of it was the games got shorter. There seems to be a rush to get leveled up fast. They started cramming special abilities into every level you gained. You gained the levels, but as a player the fast leveling deprived you of experience in creative thinking. Why try and figure out a way around the orc infested hills, when you can just go to town and buy a fire ball scroll? Why pay the street urchins for information, when  you can just use the Scrying spell. You get he point...
   I don't think that you're having fun wrong. I think that maybe you're missing a chance to become that hero of legend by using your wits. Of course I also think the addition of skills diminish player creativity. But what do I know, I'm just an old man that doesn't really play anymore.

Go out and fun  however makes you happy. Happy gaming!

Healing for fun and profit Part Duex

So...
Listening to one of my favorite podcasts Gamerstable they were talking about healing recently. I've already posted some ideas on how to make healing more interesting here. I had a few more ideas on healing that I will be incorporating into my homebrew world.

Idea the first: Clerics can only heal in a pinch. In an effort to make my games a bit deadlier (and I do like them deadly) Clerics are not the healbots everyone thinks they are. Clerics can lay on hands much like a Paladin, but only twice per day, and they have to make a Devotion check. The Devotion check is a d20 roll, where they must roll under their class level, if the prayer fails, they did not heal the target. If they roll at or under their class level, then the target is restored to half normal hit points. To ensure wily  players can't get around this, there will be NO healing spells, potions, or magic items. because I don't completely hate PCs, I will be allowing for NPC healers. Whether it be an old crone in the woods, or a town elder, some healing will be available for the PCs. (I'm not completely heartless). Much of the healing available will not taste good. Refer to my previous healing post. ;-)

Idea the second: Healers will have a healing skill. They will only be able to heal at the moment. No saving that salve for later. Healers will NEVER, and I mean effin NEVER go adventuring. This is an NPC class only. (Anyone remember the Death master?) The GM will decide what form the healing takes. Potion, Payer, bandages, etc... A thought I just had: Spells like Remove Curse, Resurrection, etc. Can also only be performed by NPCs.

Idea the Third: Some damage sustained by the characters will be a permanent loss of health. If the Character receives a wound that exceeds more than half their hit point total, they will roll a die and permanently lose that many hit points. This may seem a bit extreme, however, have you ever seen someone with really severe injuries? They are never quite the same again, or quite 100% healthy.

That's all I have for now. Use it or not. I realize not everyone is as bloodthirsty as I am, but if you find something useful, enjoy the anguished look on your players faces.

Happy gaming!

I may have bitten off more than I can chew

   A couple of weeks ago, in a drunken haze, this question just popped into my head: What if a once technologically advanced society (Humans) with FTL capability, suddenly lost that capability.
   This one small thought had taken up residence in the back of my mind, and is preempting thoughts about any other game material I was working on.

   It continued to just sit there, laughing at me for about a week. Then I wrote this:

"The Event, dubbed the Dark Matter Shift, occurred in the year 2468. Scientists are still have not been able to determine what caused it.
The Shift travelled across the universe in a wave, through the DarkMatter cloud. The Shift according to ancient texts, affected all the proto-particles at the subatomic level. As the Shift crossed the Universe, it rewrote the foundational laws of physics in almost undetectably subtle ways."

   I had thought that might have been it, that this idea might leave me alone and I could go back to thinking about the fifty other game related things that are colliding in my head at any given moment.

I was wrong.

 

Now the questions started...

How long would it take to rediscover FTL technology?

How would the vast human empire fare when FTL travel is lost, what about if interstellar communications were also affected?

Would the planets in human controlled space maintain their current level of civility, would they devolve into barbarism?

Is the ability to travel in Hyperspace gone entirely, or just requires different technology to access?

Would the profuse diversity of human technology render different physics in different regions of the galaxy?

Would the Shift affect different regions of the Universe in different ways?

What happens to all the ships currently in transit when the shift hits?

 

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it's what I have so far.

 

On the drive home today, I realized I'll need to create a vast space empire, then figure out what happens to it. Then make a smaller empire that is just starting out.

 

I've started a new composition book for notes on this new setting, and if I can maintain this momentum, I'll have a new setting fairly soon.

 

Have fun folks!

Healing for fun and profit

First, to all 3 of my readers, Thank you! I used to write thinking I was ranting at the wind and the wind didn't care. This is not the case. I recently discovered that I can track page views on the blog. I'm not looking to become famous but it is nice to know someone is out there.

I asked what I should write about on twitter and the response came back that I should tackle healing in RPGs.

Most of the games I've run and played in, we never delved into the descriptive or story elements of healing. The farthest I ever went was to describe the smell of a cure light wounds potion as smelling of oranges. I never gave it much thought. But why not focus on the little story elements, seriously why not?
If you to want add something different to your games why not make things grittier? Whenever a character takes a healing potion have them make a fortitude or constitution check to see if they can keep it down. No one said the potion has to taste good. If they blow the roll they don't get the benefits of the potion. This may sound mean spirited, but it's only a suggestion. You could turn a complete 180 from gritty and make more video game-esque. Try the Zelda version, and have them meet a fairy in the woods that will heal their injuries. Personally I feel this is a bit too lenient, but you all should know by now I'm not a big fan of things being too easy for the characters.

Enough flittering around the edges, lets get down to it.

Think of things that restore your energy. Orange juice, Redbull, Coffee, Candy. Start there if you are needing descriptions for healing potions. I've never gone into in depth descriptions of potions, even though they are one of my favorite items in a fantasy RPG. You can also not have the healing effect happen immediately. Maybe the effects are staggered across several rounds, or hours even. It could work out as a reason to slow the party down, and give you time to think. Maybe the PCs find a strange charm, yes it heals a character, but it can also have a negative effect, like attracting wandering monsters.
So you're not playing a fantasy game? Healing doesn't have to be magical. Maybe a doctor in a science fiction setting gives you a pill, and your character spontaneously grows a new kidney (wink, wink). There is a series of books by Rick Shelly about the Dirigent Mercenary Corps, his version of healing technology is pretty nifty. He has large tubes you place someone in, and nanobots/nanites mend your wounds. Running  a modern Urban game you say? Think about what you can find in your local drug store. Liquid bandage, Nicotine patches, Energy drinks, just about anything can be used to give the characters a few extra hits. Maybe a faith healer, really can heal the sick...

Healing can turned into a story element very easily. You just have to quit ignoring it, and give it a little thought. Look around you for inspiration.

Now go out there and give the PCs back some of their hit points back in an interesting way.

On the subject of Bennies.

It would seem to me, the gaming world is distilled into two camps. Those that like bennies, and those that vehemently oppose their use. I am on the fringe of the latter. Every time I've tried to use them, the players hoard them like a dragon hoards gold. In a Pathfinder game I ran, I tried using Hero Points (a/k/a Bennies in disguise). Even though it allowed for a reroll. Even though it allowed for acquisition of small common items. The players ignored them. Did they think if they collected enough of them, I'd let them bypass a tough encounter? or just skip to the end of the game? I'm still not sure. They certainly weren't considering them as a way to steer the story.
Bennies should not be used to TAKE narrative control of a story. The GM/DM has already laid out the direction of the story. If you're playing in a game, and you don't like the direction the story is going, either quit the game or grow set and talk to the GM/DM about it. If he is unresponsive, run your own game. You might have gathered from reading some of my past posts, that I'm a big believer in players running the games they want, not hijacking the GM/DM's plot. This stems from having too many players look at me and say "I just want to play, being a GM is too much work." ***calming breaths Tem, that is a different rant for a different time***
Back on topic...
All too often, players need to be reminded that the life of an adventurer is a hazardous and sometimes fatal undertaking. Bennies give false hope. They promise a change of bad luck frequently without actually delivering. The player spends a bennie, rerolls, and blows it a second time. Then they whine. Can't stand whining. I've had a PC, sitting on 3 hero points like a hen on eggs, die while attempting to tumble past a Slaad. I pointed out he had the option of using a hero point to reroll, and he looked me, straight faced, and said "Why don't you just let me do it?" If I were a more violent man, I might have gone to prison after the homicide trial. Instead, I let the Slaad kill him on his 3rd attempt.
Bennies, Hero Points, whatever you choose to call them need to be integral to game play. Not added as an after thought. FateCore is on the right track.
I'm not a big fan of letting players try and get out of the bad choices they make, never have been. Way back when (the 80's) during the 1st edition days, if you made a bad choice, your character paid the price. then you rolled up a new character and remembered not to do that again. The PC thought process has devolved since then. There is a pervasive attitude of entitlement among players lately. They want to be awesome. That's great, but in order to be awesome, you must overcome the obstacles placed in your way. The first time, not through the overuse of second chances. That is how great stories a made. Remember folks, appease the dice gods, and your dice will perform for you.
Maybe, if the players would use the bennies for more of their intended uses, I might be inclined not to malign them. However, I've not seen any evidence of that changing anytime soon, so I will not be using bennies in my games, if I were actually running any.
Anyhoo... You guys keep the debate alive. Have fun with that. I'm gonna stand back here in the past and keep the archives, for when the youngsters realize us oldschoolers were right. :-)

Thanks for listening.

It all starts with a half formed thought.

I was getting a bit bored with the Bloodrose campaign, so I started thinking of revisiting old ideas. One such idea involved Tiamat imprisoning Iuz in order to take over his earthly realm...
That was it, that was as far as thought had taken me.
Slightly irritating that.
Leavin' me hanging like it did. I do what I usually do in these circumstances. I start searching for premade adventures to string together into a general campaign arc. I don't really like using the premade stuff, but sometimes they come in handy for stirring up ideas and directions you've never thought of going. Keep in mind I still had no answers to some mildly important questions. Why did Tiamat need Iuz out of the way?  What was her ultimate goal? How did she imprison him? Where?
I wasn't getting anywhere when I finished stringing together the premades, so I tucked it in an  envelope and told myself I'd come back to it later. Recently, I revisited everything I had written down for what I was calling "Tiamat's War".
So, now I'm sitting here with some half formed thoughts, this is when I let the brain of the chain and write down whatever makes the grey matter tingle. What follows is the thought process. At least most of it, I'm leaving out the brief research forays onto Wikipedia.

We start with a powerful entity imprisoned by a different powerful entity. (The original concept)

Demon Queen imprisoned by Great Old One. (yes those Great Old ones...)

Great old one using the resources of her realm to search for the Kingdom Stones, in  order to restore the sorcerer kinds to their rightful lands.

Scylandra (Demon Queen) is daughter of the Sisters of Madness (Baba Yaga and her 2 sisters)

Oooo, I get to use Baba Yaga's hut!

Who knows about the Kingdom Stones?

Hidden Prison (privately funded by a cabal of evil dukes) is a prison for political dissidents.

PCs must get to the prison before the cultists, so they can question a specific prisoner.

Among the prisoners is a God/Demi-God that has forgotten who he is. (I know I've heard of this story somewhere else, but I'll be damned if I can remember where)

Maybe he's just crazy? Maybe he knows where something g is hidden. (the Kingdom Stones)

There you have it, this is all scribbled on a legal pad that I carry around with me. These ideas will continue to percolate for a while, and I'll add to them as inspiration strikes. Eventually, it might work itself into a full fledged campaign.