#RPGaDAY2019: Friendship

Today's topic is Friendship.

This is a rather easy topic, to be honest, and a story I feel will be repeated many times today.

Some of my earliest and longest friendships have been around gaming.  Some of my current good friends I have met through gaming.

I met my first AD&D DM, outside of my brother and I, in my 7th grade band class.  We both played saxophones.  We are still friends and I just bought his son a whole collection of 1st AD&D books.

I met my high school DM via our Theatre classes and working on the student newspaper.  We are still friends.

I met the guy who runs games for me and my oldest son sometimes through the same daycare our kids were in.  He recognized my name from my work at Eden Studios.  We are still good friends and our oldest boys are really great friends.

I have a bunch of friends I have met online that I like to see at Gen Con too.

It's funny that a game labeled as "anti-social" back it's golden age requires so much interaction with other people.

This is also a good time to remember the tale of Carlos the Dwarf.

#RPGaDAY2019: Examine

Today's topic is Examine.

ὁ δὲ ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ"
"The unexamined life is not worth living"  - attributed to Socrates

Gen Con is a great time.  I get to run different kinds of games and I get to play different kinds of games.  But I also get a chance to reflect on my own style of Game Mastering.

I played in a Call of Cthulhu game that my son ran and I was really impressed on how he had come since the last time he had run a game for me.  Really, really impressed.  Now he is young and has more to master than a 50-year-old like me.  But I could not help but think how much he had improved his own game over how much I had, or had not, improved my own.

I also got the chance to play in Jess Ross' Blue Rose game.
Jess is an amazing GM and she also has an actual play podcast for Blue Rose at: http://bitchesandliches.com/

Jess also runs her games a little different than I do and it was also quite a lot of fun.

Both of these events got me thinking more and more about my own style and what I need to do to push it up a notch.

I have not quite figured it all yet, but I am certainly examining what I liked about these other play styles.  I think I want to go back to my notes of when I was running Ghosts of Albion all the time.  Those were some great games and I'd like to recapture some of that for my D&D games.

#RPGaDAY2019: Focus

Today's topic is Focus.

Interestingly enough this is the topic that struggled with the most even though I knew roughly what I wanted to say.

Interesting because it is not "focus", but rather a lack of focus I want to talk about.

The actual view from my chair in my game room

Presently I have about dozen to dozen and a half on going Works In Progress (WIPs).
That's insane.

I really need to focus to get them done. I also have two exams I need to review and edit for a Social Justice in Social Work course I am working on that need to be done for my day job.

We joke and laugh and call it "Gamer ADHD", but there is a serious side effect to this.

One completed project gets more use than 20 incomplete ones.

My hobgoblin, my nemesis, is the constant flow of ideas, some good others not as good (ok bad), that I have to jot down.  I have "Children of the Gods" that is now about three weeks behind schedule to get to you all.  I am still picking at various game ideas. Oh and there are editors online reading this thinking "yeah that is great and all, but when are YOU getting ME the work you owe me??"

Meanwhile that Midterm and Final are staring at me and I have less than an hour to read them, edit them and have something intelligent to say in a meeting.

I have tried various project management techniques, but I then spend time on the process and not on the project.  So that's not ideal either.

--

On the flip side.  I also see how prepping for three weekly D&D games has improved my oldest son's focus.

He struggled in school but had topics he excelled in.  Now since he has been running D&D games and dealing with a wide variety of issues in those games I have noticed a sharp increase in his organizational skills and focus.  This has been reflected in his grades where he was asked to join an honor society his Freshman year in college.

--

Of course, Focus also makes me think of this.

#RPGaDAY2019: Critical

Today's topic is Critical.

Yes. Today I am going to talk about Critical Role.

For the one or two people out there that don't know, Critical Role is a Web-based show that covers a group of professional voice actors and TV actors as they play D&D.  The first season they played Pathfinder and now they play D&D 5th edition.

You can find them on the web here: https://critrole.com/

They have a HUGE fan base as evidenced by their ridiculously successful Kickstarter ($11.3 Million), 135k+ unique views on YouTube and Twitch and the winner of two Webby Awards.

Both of my sons watch it and nearly everyone in their various game groups do as well.

I know that many gamers around my age don't like it and have a lot of negative things to say about it.  To that I say.

Boo Fucking Hoo.

Obviously, they are not hurting for your lack of interest and understanding.  And for all the talk of how "that's not how D&D is supposed to be played" well no one died and made you the fucking Gestapo of D&D.  Even back in the day no two groups in my tiny ass, mid-west, deeply Christian town played it the same way and I know players today won't and don't give two shits about what a bunch old fuck Grognards have to say either.

Some people complain about the so-called "Mercer Effect" after Matt Mercer the DM for the group.  You know what Mercer Effect I see?  People coming to me and saying "Hey my kids listen/watch Critical Role and now they want to play D&D. What do I need to get them?"

That's the Mercer Effect.  Sorry, he has done more for the game than any 100 of us old fucks have done. Actually no. I am not sorry.  I am glad Matt is out there doing his thing and having a blast.

And obviously laughing all the way to the bank too.

#RPGaDAY2019: Obscure

Today's topic is Obscure.

Again I am going with a different version of the word because this made me think of Pink Floyd's "Obscured by Clouds".  A very, very underrated album and one semi-central to my D&D playing years.

Obscured by Clouds was released in 1972, a year before their landmark album Dark Side of the Moon.  Now I could write a dissertation on Dark Side, and many have.  But that is not today's post.

ObC was a softer album, but in it are the seeds of what the "new" Pink Floyd became planted in the very fertile ground of the older psychedelic Pink Floyd.

My first DM, the guy that ran me through so many adventures of D&D Expert combined with AD&D, turned me on to this album.  We were both huge Pink Floyd fans and Dark Side was my favorite album. I would go over to his house to play D&D but before we would play, like so many kids in the 80s, we went out on our bikes first.

He lived near the Capitol Records plant so we would rummage around the loading doc and always find a cassette or two that never made it on to the trucks.  Mostly things like Kenny Rogers, but every so often a gem like Iron Maiden or Kraftwerk (Capitol was EMI's American counterpart).  If we were REALLY lucky we would score a Pink Floyd cassette.  Especially since Floyd had left Capitol/EMI for Columbia/CBS Records in the mid 70s.

Obscured by Clouds was a soundtrack of sorts to the film La Vallée (The Valley).  But to my young and unsophisticated ears, it was the soundtrack of an older adventurer.  Someone that had adventured,  loved, lost and now lay dying only with his regrets.

Nothing characterized that better for me than the song Free Four.  Sure it is about the recording industry and Roger Waters singing (again) about his dead dad.  But in the early 80s it was more than that to me.


Floyd would continue to be an inspiration to me when playing although I can't draw a direct line from them to anything I have created like I can with Stevie Nicks or the Police or Led Zeppelin.

Still. To this day, listening to Floyd makes me think of D&D games gone by.

#RPGaDAY2019: Familiar

Today's topic is Familiar.

Again, I think I'll make a hard turn here and talk about Familiars; as in animal familiars, not something that is familiar.

I have talked a lot about familiars here. Books on familiars, spells for familiars, and what familiars could do for witches and wizards.

Sometimes I have pondered doing a book on just familiars. An OSR books for both witches and magic-users/wizards.  I'd include animal companions for druids as well.

But there are already good books out there for that and most of what I have wanted to add have been already added to my various witch books.  So maybe there is no need.

Still. It could be fun.

What do you all think?  Would this be something anyone is interested in?  I wouldn't do it if I didn't add a bunch of new material.

#RPGaDAY2019: Ancient

Today's topic is Ancient.

I have to admit my first thought when hearing this is not Ancient tomes or civilizations, but the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, also known as The KLF.

This post is not about The KLF per se, but it is about what made them work.

Take their song, Justified and Ancient (Stand By The JAMs).  What do we have in this? Electronica of the early 90s. Singing, some rapping, and right in the middle of it all?  Tammy Wynette, credited as "The First Lady of County" and not all looking out of place.

What?

Seriously though, have a look.



WHY do I bring this up?

Simple.  Sometimes things work that should never work on paper.  So combine things in your game that may or may not make any sense.  Sure sometimes you get Peanut Butter and Ketchup (or Peanut Butter and Furniture Polish) other times you get Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

And like the KLF slap a thin veneer of "ancient" on it.  Like claiming to have been in contact with the ancient Masters of Mu.

Essentially isn't this a plot point in Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum? (something that should be assigned reading for anyone writing a modern horror or conspiracy theory game.)

Don't be afraid to mix it up.  Add new stuff. Add old stuff. Add really weird stuff.
Be like the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.

#RPGaDAY2019: Space

Today's topic is Space.

Space can mean a lot of things.  I was originally going to go with Space as in Outer Space. Space the Final Frontier Space. But instead, I would rather talk about my gaming space.

I have shared "shelfies" in the past because they are kind of fun, but I do really love my gaming space.

This didn't happen overnight or even in a few years. It happed with careful collecting and of course getting two Ph.D.s and a job where I can afford a house for this and the custom shelves.

Growing up this was my dream. To have my own library or study where I can sit with my books. I have everything I need to read and research my games here. Comfortable chairs and wicked fast internet speeds.  I love a place where I can play and have a dedicated room to do it.

My kids have their friends over all the time and there are anywhere from 3 to 4 games being run in my house every week!  It means though they are living the stereotype of gaming in their parent's basement!

Not to bad really. Of course, I work all the time and only get to enjoy it a little myself!

Next project for my game space?  I am going to tear out all the old lighting and replace them with LEDs.  Also get my HD projector mounted on a swivel arm for either projecting on the walls or on the table for maps.

#RPGaDAY2019: Share

Today's topic is Share.

One of the reasons I have a blog is my desire to share what I do with others.
This hobby has given me a lot of joy and despite the occasional bad actor out there I still consider it a largely positive endeavor.

You sit around a table telling each other stories about a shared construction.  We all contribute.  I don't care if you don't consider yourself a "Story gamer" or not.  We are participating in something that is ancient, primal even. We each tell our stories, whether that is around a table with dice or around a fire at night in some far forgotten age and place.

We share with each other and I want to share with you.

So I post stuff here. Sometimes good, sometimes...well sometimes some ideas need more work.
I am not going to do a Patreon site, because that is not what I am about.
I'll still sell books because that allows me to pay for art and buy more books to share with you all.

And really. Isn't the point of all of this to share some fun?

#RPGaDAY2019: Engage

Today's topic is Engage.

How do you engage your players?

When I am running a new game with new people I will often drop them into the middle of combat.  This is a trick I learned when I was writing and promoting Ghosts of Albion.   To get the players used to the new system I would put them into a situation where they didn't need to worry about character, they could get a handle on the rules fast and combat in Ghosts is easy.

In other games, I try to focus on the strengths of the game. For example, Mage (either one) is less about reality-warping magic and more the people that have this power.  So here I want to get the players to think about what makes their characters do what they want.  In D&D similarily, why do these characters what to leave the comforts of home and go out on an adventure?  In Call of Cthulhu what makes the characters want to investigate these horrors they know will likely get them killed?

Engagement is the key. Getting people to the table is part of the task, but keeping them there is the difficult part. Keeping them coming back for more, that's the work of a master.

#RPGaDAY2019: Unique

Today's topic is Unique.

I have to say I have had a lot of very interesting and fun RPG related experiences.  But for my money my favorite unique experience was the night after a freak storm we played Castle Amber by candlelight.

It was about five years ago and we had just converted our 1st Ed AD&D game we had started at Gen Con that year to the brand new 5e.  We had a freak storm and we had lost power for several days. 

We spent the day cooking everything from our freezer and sharing the food with all our neighbors who were doing the same (the retired actuary down the street gave us steaks for my wife's homegrown tomatoes and he STILL thinks he got the better deal). 

My wife and kids still talk about that adventure.  In fact, this was the start of our Come Endless Darkness campaign.

#RPGaDAY2019: First

Today's topic is First.

I imagine that a lot of people will talk about their first RPG.  Well given that I have been celebrating all year my first RPG, I think I will follow along!

Seriously though, my first RPG has never been more on my mind of late. I say my first was D&D Basic, but that is only somewhat accurate.

The first RPG I ever played was Holmes D&D Basic.
The first RPG I ever owned was the Moldvay Basic Set.

These are the books I go back to time and time again.
Oh don't get me wrong, I love new games. I have enjoyed the hell out of D&D 5 and I have played a little bit of everything.  But these are the ones that fill me with unbridled geek joy.

These are the ones that I think about when coming up with new campaigns. These are my D&D.

The Return of #RPGaDAY 2019

Once again I am participating in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDAY for 2019.

He will be posting on his blog, AUTOCRATIK and elsewhere on the net, esp. Twitter.  I am planning on cross-posting in a lot of places myself, testing out some new social media tools I have.

Here is the list of topics.

1. First
2. Unique
3. Engage
4. Share
5. Space
6. Ancient
7. Familiar
8. Obscure
9. Critical
10. Focus
11. Examine
12. Friendship
13. Mystery
14. Guide
15. Door
16. Dream
17. One
18. Plenty
19. Scary
20. Noble
21. Vast
22. Lost
23. Surprise
24. Triumph
25. Calamity
26. Idea
27. Suspense
28. Love
29. Evolve
30. Connection
31. Last

The idea is to get creative with the posts. So I plan to do my best.

Tune in tomorrow and all month to see what I am doing.  Participating?  Let others know here too!

The Other Side, A Look Forward

Trying to organize some thoughts here on what I want to do next on the old Other Side blog, figure you all might want to help me!  Or at least listen to my ramblings.

I am prepping for Gen Con now and trying to get another book done in time for Lughnasadh/Lammas so my posting here is going to be a little sparse.

#RPGaDAY
Dave Chapman will be doing (I think) his annual #RPGaDAY in August.  I am not sure what the questions will be, but I do like to participate.  Plus my Twitter followers have really increased this past year, so that might be nice to share.

The Other Side Rewind
Still plugging away at this! June was my Facebook experiment month, while July had been my month to try some other tools.  I am hoping to kick it off full steam in August or September.  Again, if you are reading here then you won't really notice anything at all.

One Man's God
While this one has been great fun, it was not designed to go on forever.  I am going to do the Celts (part 2) and the Chinese and Japanese, though I admit I know very, very little about these.  I am going to do the Demi-humans and do a special on the Cthulhu and Melibone mythos. But once I am done with those then the series will end save for some special editions.  Though this will lead to my next thing...

The Usual Suspects
I am going to spend some time, maybe a lot of time, going over all the various demon books I own and some I don't yet and talk about how to use them in your games.  I really love demons and demonic lore.  The title of this series "The Usual Suspects" comes not only from the notion that all evil in the worlds can be traced back to the machinations of demons (and devils) but every OGL book on the market today has the same half-dozen or so demons and a similar number of devils in every book; aka The Usual Suspects.  I think this will be fun, to be honest.

This Old Dragon
I still have some left and I want to get back to them.

Class Struggles
I have been too long away from this one. I have started writeups on the Alchemist and the Bard.  Been playing a couple Bard variants to get a good feel for the differences.  Sometimes there are more differences between two different bards than there are between most fighters and rangers!

So. Let's get to it!

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 18: Art that inspires your game.

Day 18, Second Weekend.

DAY 18: Art that inspires your game.

There is a lot of art out there that inspires what I do.

For starters, I LOVE old woodcut artwork and early prints dating from the witch craze.

Something about them really transports me back in time.  Yeah it's the junk-art of it's day but something really grabs about it.

I also love the 1970's Occult Revival. While most of that are photographs, but there is still look here I want to capture in my own games.

 Among the "names" of this time is Rosaleen Norton, the Witch of King's Cross.

And at last.   The 80s with Larry Elmore.

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 17: Describe the best compliment you've had gaming.

What do we have today?

DAY 17: Describe the best compliment you've had gaming.

I have had some FANTASTIC experiences while playing games.

I used to run Ghosts of Albion games at Gen Con a lot.  Every year I would get the same group playing my games.  They told me, and others have as well, that would play ANY game I would run.
I thought that was a nice compliment.  These guys came from thousands of miles it was my games they enjoyed the most.

Interestingly enough, after I stopped running Ghosts (to enjoy the con more with my family) I played in a Buffy/Supernatural game.  The same guys were that too.
In that game, I got praise from the GM for playing the best Piper she ever had.

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 16: Describe your plans for your next game.

What do we have today?

DAY 16: Describe your plans for your next game.

The Order of the Platinum Dragon are going to be split up in the Abyss and need to work to get back to each other.   One of the characters, the Dragonborn Paladin will actually be sent back in time to Abier the lost world of the Forgotten Realms to fight the Dragon lords.  It should be a lot of fun.

I am working with the players now to figure out where each of their characters go. Someplace nasty to be sure!

Can't wait to do my Year in the Abyss!

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 15: Describe a Tricky RPG experience you enjoyed.

Here we are, the half-way mark!

DAY 15: Describe a Tricky RPG experience you enjoyed.

Back in my later college days, my old High School DM had moved down to my own.  We were not gaming together at this point; I was working on getting into grad school and he had a new girlfriend if I remember right.
But anyway he invited me over to help him run the "Nightmares of Barovia" adventure option found in I10: Ravenloft II House on Gryphon Hill.

He introduced me to his group and we began.  I ran Ravenloft II and everytime they characters fell asleep he would pick up with the same characters in Ravenloft I6.

We had to keep track of various things that players were totally oblivious too.

We played it at a marathon session over a Halloween Weekend.  This was back when my school (SIU) through some pretty notorious Halloween parties, but the city had shut it all down the university was send everyone home.

The adventures were great, individually.  Together...welll I don't think anyone at TSR actually ran the "Nightmare" option.   But it was great.  Though by hour 36-38 I was done.

Still it was hard, lots of juggling and so, so much fun as a DM.  I would do it again in the drop of a hat, but I'dd need someone that whose style would be a good match for this.  Plus we would need to meet ahead to discuss how to handle things not covered in the two adventures.

I'd also need a group of players that know of Strahd, but never played anything with him in it.  Or at least never played I6 or I10.

It would be fantastic!

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 14: Describe a failure that became amazing!

Day 14, We are at the two-week mark!

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Today is day 14 and the question is Describe a failure that became amazing!

Hmm. That's a cool question really.

We have all had failures and some of mine have been spectacular failures!

One of mine was this old combat simulator we were working on for the Tandy Color Computer in BASIC.   The first big run a black dragon attacked my ninja, basically pulping him in the first attack and then spending the next 400 hp of damage in attacks on my poor dead ninja!

It was quite amusing to watch.

Another great failure was the first magic system of Ghosts of Albion.  I had been challenged with improving on the already great magic system from the Buffy game.  Version 1.0 was not it.  Version 1.0 had some additional rolls and other effects but it was all noise.  More to the point in the playing these extra fiddly bits slowed down play to a breaking point.
My playtesters were gleeful.  But, I did tell them to break it, and they did.

I went home with the tattered bits of my game and my pride and sat in front of my monitor, clueless about what to do next. When it hit me it was like lightning!  I trimmed it down and made it faster. And now the magic system is the jewel in the crown of Ghosts!

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 13: Describe how your play has evolved

Lucky Day 13!

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My play has evolved?

Well for starters as a GM I no longer try to memorize rules.  Instead, I go for ease of play and general rulings.  For modern games that is pretty easy to do. D20 systems are all d20 + mods compare to a TN.  Unisystem is similar.

So I try to be more relaxed and let the game flow.  If that also means that the game goes in interesting places I had not planned, cool! Let's see where we are going.

I guess too I work more with the players than against them