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Monday, June 6, 2011

All Fun and Games

I am surprised I didn't see this one before hand, but there is a new Blogfest out there and I am a sucker for these things.


It's All Fun and Games hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh.

I guess since we all talk about our favorite games anyway this is lest of a fest and more of a "Monday".

But anyway here we go!

1. Dungeons and Dragons:  D&D is the 800-lb gorilla in the game world for a reason. It provides what is to many the ultimate experience in a table top RPG.  I started playing this game back in 1979 and I still play it today.  I enjoy all the editions, warts and all, and it is still the game I enjoy coming back too the most.
Not much more I can say about this one really.  It has kept me entertained for over 30 years now.

2. WitchCraft RPG. I was half-tempted to list "Ghosts of Albion" but I thought that might be incredibly tacky and self-serving. Instead I want to list the game that eventually got me to Ghosts.  It was the late 90s and everybody was going crazy for "Storytelling" games.  Games not about killing things and taking their stuff, but about exploring characters, that may or may not be monsters themselves, in a world of...well...darkness.  C. J. Carella's WitchCraft did this better than any other game out there in my mind.  Picking up this book filled me with the same awe as holding that Monster Manual back in '79.
WC paved the way for so many other games for me, not just in terms of playing but in writing.  If it were not for WC then we would not have had Buffy, Angel or Army of Darkness.  Conspiracy X would have remained in the it's original system. There would be no Terra Primate or All Flesh Must Be Eaten and certainly there would be no Ghosts of Albion.
The cover also is one of my all time favorite bits of artwork for a RPG cover ever.
If you have not discovered this game, then I suggest you get a copy now.
It is 100% free at http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=692&affiliate_id=10748

3. Chill.  If D&D was my first and WitchCraft is my current favorite horror game, then a special place must left in my heart for Chill.  Chill is a horror game of normal people in an abnormal world.  It's not as dark as say Kult or as dangerous as Call of Cthulhu and character never get to the levels of WitchCraft, but it was a perfect game for the time I was playing it (the early to mid 80s).
Chill, either 1st ed or 2nd ed, doesn't hold up as well in today's world where characters have as much firepower as the monster they hunt (or even are the monsters), but back in the 80s it was a huge shift in my understanding of how games could be played.  Traveller also represented such a shift for me and it almost made the #3 slot here.   I also have a big post coming up about Traveller here in the near future, so it will get some love.
You can get the 2nd Edition (Mayfair version) of Chill from DriveThruRPG:
http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=2888&affiliate_id=10748

That is my Top 3.  I have played scores of RPGs and own or owned many more I haven't played.  And that is not even talking about other games I like such as Dungeon! or even other board and card games.

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31 comments:

  1. Dungeons' DragonsJune 6, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    Ah Chill, never owned a copy, but I pawed through the critical hit tables many times, everything from VCR's to sofa cushions :D (Alright the sofa cushion table might have been in an old white dwarf...).
    Infact... might by myself a copy on ebay, I deserve a treat lol.

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  2. Christine RainsJune 6, 2011 at 11:44 AM

    I'm a big D&D fan, too, but I've never heard of the other two. I've heard of Ghosts of Albion, though! So many good games and so little time to play. I like to try something new every year I go to Gen Con.

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  3. Alex J. CavanaughJune 6, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    Never played the other two, but I'm a big D&D geek! Started playing about the same time you did.
    Thanks for participating in the blogfest!

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  4. Timothy S. BrannanJune 6, 2011 at 11:59 AM

    Ghosts of Albion is the game I wrote.
    @Christine, I hope you can get a chance to play some Ghosts of Albion at Gen Con, I am running 3 games.

    @Alex. Thanks for the Blogfest and the comments!

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  5. UnknownJune 6, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    I've never played an RPG, I worry it will take me away from my writing but I know many are into them. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  6. Charity BradfordJune 6, 2011 at 12:57 PM

    Can't say I've played any of these. The closest I've been to this type of games is when I played Diablo with my brother. That was always a blast. I'm too impulsive to be a good statagist. I'd be the one running in kicking and screaming and my brother would stand back and cast spells to keep me from dying...too often that is. :D

    Thanks for visiting my entry!

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  7. M PaxJune 6, 2011 at 1:13 PM

    I'd love to try these games at some point. They sound fun.

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  8. BuddJune 6, 2011 at 1:48 PM

    those sound interesting. I like the name Chill. just makes you want to play it.

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  9. CiaraJune 6, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    Loved D&D. I'm not familiar with the others. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love this blogfest. I'm a new follower. :)

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  10. CiaraJune 6, 2011 at 2:16 PM

    Loved D&D. I'm not familiar with the others. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love this blogfest. I'm a new follower. :)

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  11. Golden EagleJune 6, 2011 at 2:22 PM

    RPG are foreign to me; I'm finding a lot of games that I've never heard of!

    Thanks for coming by my blogfest entry.

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  12. Dorothy EvansJune 6, 2011 at 2:49 PM

    So many games out there I've never heard of! Maybe I should check out the allure of RPGs.

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  13. UnknownJune 6, 2011 at 3:21 PM

    I am so deprived. I have heard of Dungeons and Dragons, but not the other two. They both sound like fun, but I have never played any games like that. To afraid of getting addicted. Now on the other hand I have two sons that have probably played all these games. Both are addicts..LOL, better then drugs I guess.

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  14. Francine HowarthJune 6, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Hi,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog to comment.

    I'm not a fan of gaming, but I can see the lure. My lure is writing! ;) Nevertheless, it's fun seeing what other get up to in their spare time.

    best
    F

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  15. Emily RoseJune 6, 2011 at 4:23 PM

    I've never heard of any of these games - they sound very cool though!

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  16. The Words CrafterJune 6, 2011 at 5:23 PM

    I remember when D & D was HUGE!!!! And I've heard of Chill. I'm not a video gamer, but your list is pretty cool :)

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  17. Jemi FraserJune 6, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    None of my friends were ever into RPG games, so I never tried them. I'm pretty sure I would have loved them :)

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  18. Sand Castles and Snow FortsJune 6, 2011 at 6:42 PM

    Yet another D&D person. I wanted to join the D&D group in college but never did it!!! Obviously I have missed something pretty cool.

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  19. AnonymousJune 6, 2011 at 8:24 PM

    Yay for RPGs, especially Dungeons and Dragons.

    Thanks for blogfesting!

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  20. M.J. FifieldJune 6, 2011 at 8:47 PM

    I've never actually played D&D and it's always surprised me. I haven't even heard of the other two.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Susan FieldsJune 6, 2011 at 10:51 PM

    I've never played any of these, not even Dungeons and Dragons, though at least I've heard of that one. I guess I haven't been living under a rock entirely. :)

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  22. T.D. McFrostJune 7, 2011 at 12:44 AM

    Now you're my kinda guy!

    I evolved from D&D to Magic the Gathering. My most favorite cards are Sliver Overlord and World Gorger Dragon.

    I'm so glad to meet you Tim, I'm now a new stalker. :D

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  23. Fresh GardenJune 7, 2011 at 3:04 AM

    I'm the biggest D&D fan.

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  24. Simon KewinJune 7, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    Oh yeah, D&D! Haven't played for a while I have to confess, but that must be rectified! Runequest, Call of Chthulu, loved them all. The witch one sounds utterly fab.

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  25. LeoviJune 7, 2011 at 10:35 AM

    Very funny and interesting. I see you like excitement and paranormal.

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  26. baygirl32June 7, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Never heard of chill before

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  27. AnonymousJune 7, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    Was fun reading about these! This blogfest has been a blast, learning all this new stuff. Have heard of D & D, of course, but not the other two.

    Interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing!

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  28. Nicole ZoltackJune 7, 2011 at 11:45 PM

    I've heard of D&D but not the other two - I'm going to have to check them out, they sound awesome!

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  29. Nicki ElsonJune 8, 2011 at 7:15 PM

    Hey, nice to meet you, Tim. I've never ever played an RPG, but a friend bought me KOTOR and insists that THIS is the summer I'll actually play it. When I do (and love it, I'm sure---which is why I'm afraid to get started) methinks I'll need to give him a Thank You gift of Ghosts of Albion---he loves both RPGs and ghosts. :) Um, actually, could you let me know how I'd go about getting a download as a gift---do I get a download code or something I could e-mail him?

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  30. Timothy S. BrannanJune 8, 2011 at 8:05 PM

    @Nikki, you can use this link.
    http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=56971&affiliate_id=10748

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  31. Timothy S. BrannanJune 9, 2011 at 6:45 AM

    @Nikki, I was reading on your blog you are in the western burbs.

    I am out in Palatine.

    The BEST place to go to for any games is Games Plus in Mount Prospect.

    The Ghosts of Albion book is not out yet in hardcover, just PDF.

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