Well I go away out of town for a couple of days and there is yet another drama bomb dropped on the RPG community.
If you have not heard it yet, well, look around it will surface somewhere else to be sure.
Even though this is a the exact sorta thing I'd normally through my hat into, I am lacking the motivation to do so.
I will say this though.
If I don't like your product, game and even to a degree you as a human being (I never claimed to be with out bias) then I won't buy your product. That's it. That's my worst threat.
I am not going boycott it or your publisher. I might write a bad review if I do buy it. But that is fair.
I am not going to declare you "my enemy" (enemy? really? What are we, 12 years old?)
I DO understand the original complaint and I DO agree with it. I don't agree with the actions they are trying to do.
Ok, I didn't want to rant or get involved, so I'll stop here.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Kickstarter News
Angus Abranson, formerly of Cubicle 7, has started a new Facebook group to keep track of all the RPG-related Kickstarters going on.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/430556803645272/
Stop by. Get updates. If you know of any, please join the group and post them too!
http://www.facebook.com/groups/430556803645272/
Stop by. Get updates. If you know of any, please join the group and post them too!
Monday, June 18, 2012
New Game Group and Game!
There is nothing quite like the excitement of a new gaming group.
New people getting together for the first time, new characters, new game, new worlds to explore.
My oldest son has a friend that really wants to learn to play D&D. So I talked to his mother and she is thrilled about it too. She used to play Werewolf back in college. We are also going to add his younger brother and my youngest too. So a total of four boys ages 9 to 12.
My oldest plays in a group now that he is continuing with. They are playing Castles and Crusades and having a good time with that. My oldest and youngest are still playing our 3.x Epic game, the DragonSlayers.
Given I still have all this 4e stuff I want to get my money's worth out off, we are going to play Fourth Edition D&D.
I think it is going to be a great time to be honest.
Right now the plans are to play every other Saturday.
I picked up the Forgotten Realms books at Half-Price books a while back dirt cheap so maybe we will play in the Realms. I have never done that before.
My kids created their characters yesterday and I am going to use the companion rules to let them have a human or animal companion. My oldest is playing two characters a Dragonborn Paladin/Warlord and Genasi Sorcerer, My youngest is playing a Half-elf Bard. I am planning to go totally 4e gonzo on this too. Use all the options, the cards, everything.
So yeah, it is about as far from an old school game as you can get, but you know what, it is going to be a blast! I can't wait to get started!
I am not likely to use the "Basic Levels" idea I came up with. Which is too bad really, cause I really liked that. But hey, who knows. Let's see what the kids want.
New people getting together for the first time, new characters, new game, new worlds to explore.
My oldest son has a friend that really wants to learn to play D&D. So I talked to his mother and she is thrilled about it too. She used to play Werewolf back in college. We are also going to add his younger brother and my youngest too. So a total of four boys ages 9 to 12.
My oldest plays in a group now that he is continuing with. They are playing Castles and Crusades and having a good time with that. My oldest and youngest are still playing our 3.x Epic game, the DragonSlayers.
Given I still have all this 4e stuff I want to get my money's worth out off, we are going to play Fourth Edition D&D.
I think it is going to be a great time to be honest.
Right now the plans are to play every other Saturday.
I picked up the Forgotten Realms books at Half-Price books a while back dirt cheap so maybe we will play in the Realms. I have never done that before.
My kids created their characters yesterday and I am going to use the companion rules to let them have a human or animal companion. My oldest is playing two characters a Dragonborn Paladin/Warlord and Genasi Sorcerer, My youngest is playing a Half-elf Bard. I am planning to go totally 4e gonzo on this too. Use all the options, the cards, everything.
So yeah, it is about as far from an old school game as you can get, but you know what, it is going to be a blast! I can't wait to get started!
I am not likely to use the "Basic Levels" idea I came up with. Which is too bad really, cause I really liked that. But hey, who knows. Let's see what the kids want.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Free RPG Day Haul
Look what I got!
I grabbed the "D&D"-like ones, because that's what my kids enjoy the most.
Been toying around with an idea that might incorporate all four into a game...but that is silly.
The ShadowRun was more for me. I have been itching to pull my ShadowRun books down again.
Don't forget you can also get the Ghosts of Albion Quick Start and Adventure Derby Day.
I grabbed the "D&D"-like ones, because that's what my kids enjoy the most.
Been toying around with an idea that might incorporate all four into a game...but that is silly.
The ShadowRun was more for me. I have been itching to pull my ShadowRun books down again.
Don't forget you can also get the Ghosts of Albion Quick Start and Adventure Derby Day.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Free RPG Day: Free Stuff Here!
Please head to your FLGS (am will be going to mine)to get some great RPGs and accessories.
Here at the Other Side we don't want you to feel left out if you can't get to a game store.
So here, by permission of Eden Studios you can download the Ghosts of Albion Quick Start and Adventure Derby Day!
Derby Day was written by Garner Johnson who was invaluable help to me while writing Ghosts.
If you were ever curious about my game Ghosts of Albion, then this is your chance. Please download and try this out.
If you were ever curious about my game Ghosts of Albion, then this is your chance. Please download and try this out.
You can also use these rules to play the first ever Buffy Adventure The Dark Druid.
Please enjoy these courtesy of the Other Side and Eden Studios.
Zatannurday: Zatara
He first appeared in the June 1938 issue of Action Comics #1, notable for the introduction of another famous golden age superhero, Superman.
"Zatara Master Magician" was by Fred Guardineer and ran from pages 20 to 31.
From the beginning Zatara spoke his spells backwards. Mostly to give him something different than the other magicians-turned-crime-fighting-mystermen like Mandrake the Magician and his imitators.
Zatara was woven into the DC Comics fold more completely when he was given the back story of having been a friend of Thomas Wayne, introducing him to his future wife Martha and then later training a young Bruce Wayne in the skill of escapology. It was in fact during the time right after the Waynes were murdered that Zatara left America on an extended tour of Europe. Here he met Sindella and soon Zatanna was born.
This was developed more as Zatanna's history was developed and most famously in the Batman: The Animated Series episode "Zatanna".
Another of his good friends, or rather paramours was Madame Xanadu, who would not marry him. Currently Xanadu and Zatanna share a title in Justice League Dark. They are both Homo Magi, so even though X was Z's dad's former girlfriend, they do look about the same age. Zatara himself was also Homo Magi in addition to being a stage magician. A distinction he shares with other, now dead, father figures like Ludlow Swift of "Ghosts of Albion" and Harry Dresden's father.
Of course the most notable feature today of Zatara is that he is dead. His death is what help push his daughter into a life of fighting crime as her father had done. Though for a dead guy he pops up often enough in Zatanna's life.
I like the idea of Zatara. I'd love to try him out sometime in a supers or pulp like game.
I have already decided that my first Amazing Adventures character will be Giovanni Zatara.
But until then, here he is in all his Golden Age glory!
Strength 1, Stamina 2, Agility 1, Dexterity 3, Fighting 2, Intellect 3, Awareness 4, Presence 4
AdvantagesArtificer, Benefit, Wealth 3 (millionare), Connected, Contacts, Defensive Attack, Fascinate (Expertise), Languages 3, Skill Mastery: Expertise: Magic, Uncanny Dodge, Well-informed
Skills
Close Combat: Unarmed 2 (+4), Deception 6 (+10), Expertise: Magic 10 (+13), Expertise: Stage Magic 6 (+9), Insight 10 (+14), Intimidation 2 (+6), Investigation 5 (+8), Perception 10 (+14), Persuasion 4 (+8), Ranged Combat: Eldritch Blast 6 (+9), Ranged Combat: Mental Blast 4 (+7), Sleight of Hand 10 (+13), Stealth 2 (+3), Technology 1 (+4)
Powers
Magic: Magic 10 (DC 25)
!dleihS: Deflect 10
!ediH: Concealment 0
!elzzaD: Dazzle 10 (Alternate; Affects Sense: hearing, sight, Resisted by: Will, DC 20)
!tsalb hctirdlE: Blast 10 (Alternate; DC 25)
!tsalb latneM: Mental Blast 5 (Alternate; DC 20)
Magical Senses: Senses 5 (magical, Acute: Sight, Analytical: Sight, Detect: Sight, Hearing 2: ranged, Ranged: Sight)
Offense
Initiative +1
!elzzaD: Dazzle 10, +3 (DC Will 20)
!tsalb hctirdlE: Blast 10, +9 (DC 25)
!tsalb latneM: Mental Blast 5 (DC Will 20)
Grab, +2 (DC Spec 11)
Magic: Magic 10, +3 (DC 25)
Throw, +3 (DC 16)
Unarmed, +4 (DC 16)
Complications
Motivation: Doing Good
Responsibility
Languages
Italian, English, Greek, Latin
Defense
Dodge 10, Parry 9, Fortitude 7, Toughness 2, Will 10
Power Points
Abilities 40 + Powers 30 + Advantages 14 + Skills 39 (78 ranks) + Defenses 27 = 150
Happy Father's Day everyone!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Willow & Tara: World of Darkness (new)
Willow and Tara in Mage the Awakening
This is my last post for the YAM Magazine LBGT Blogathon. I wanted to end with Willow & Tara and using one of the most accepting RPG I have ever known.
Following up on my post from earlier today on The World of Darkness RPG.
One of the reoccurring themes in Willow & Tara fiction or games is their shared growth of magical power. As they grow together and grow more in love, their powers increase to a near phenomenal level. Sort of like the powers wielded in Mage the Awakening.
Now in my last Buffy campaign, "Season of the Witch", I had Willow and Tara become "mages". Not exactly what is here, but very close. I would be lying though if I didn't say there was some influence. There was. You can read about that in the last three adventures of that game:
This is also a common theme in the various Willow & Tara fanfics out there. In fact one of the best Willow/Tara fan fics out there is “Unexpected Consequences” by Lisa Countryman. Lisa even uses the word “mage” to describe their power level even though I know for a fact she has never seen any White Wolf game. In Lisa’s “Unexpected Consequences” Tara’s Awakening happens too soon and it causes, well, all sorts of unexpected consequences. It takes place during season six and is far, far better than what happened on TV. In the sequel fic “Milestones” Lisa deals quite well with Willow and Tara’s true Awakening some 10-15 years in the future. Not only does she capture 30-something Willow and Tara quite well, it is an excellent narrative of how an Awakening can happen or be done. Willow and Tara knew it was coming, and yet they are still totally unprepared for it. It also shows what an Awakening must be like through the eyes of a mundane or other non-awakened witches.
So as they grow old together Willow and Tara will get much more powerful.
Presented here are a possible Willow and Tara right after the events of Season of the Witch. I am borrowing heavy from Lisa here as well as my own World of Darkness (old) stats. This would have lead up to my Season 3 that would have been more magically focus. In fact these conversions lead right from my Mutants & Masterminds 2.0 conversions in terms of when they happened (game wise) and when I wrote them (real time). It was because of these two games that gave me the idea to move the girls to Boston.
Their Awakening in Brief
Lisa and I both consider Willow and Tara to be “old souls”, they have both been reincarnated many times and have shared many lives together. Our separate visions of this were so compatible that we meshed them. I had considered their first incarnations to be “Bodhmal” (Willow) and “Liath” (Tara) from Celtic Ireland, Lisa’s are “Belen” (Tara) and “Damara” (Willow). In either case Willow and Tara’s Awakening in Mage is a similar event to awakening their Old Soul in WitchCraft; contact with their primal soul-selves. In Mage Revised this would have been their avatar. In Mage the Awakening this is the primal spirit that instructs them on who they were, who they are now and what they are to become. I choose them both to take the Path of Thyrsus. While they are not really “shamans”, there is an earthy quality about Tara. It was more for their seeking of their Primordial Soul-selves. Plus in Lisa’s fiction Willow and Tara’s awakenings was always about a surplus of life and life-power. In UC Tara becomes faster, stronger and more confident. Something she tries to maintain later in MS. What also struck me was the description of the Thyrsus’ extreme emotions. This also fits Lisa’s fictions.
Delving deeper into the “Tome of The Watchtowers” (which also inspired the name for Episode 13) we learn that Thyrsus was the only Watchtower formed by a woman. The sexual nimbus fits with sex=magic we saw on TV and Lisa’s description of Adourflame (Episode 11).
I could have chosen Acanthus as well since this communication with their previous souls is across time and space, but I did not feel either of them fit the “Fool” or extremely lucky archetypes.
Willow Rosenberg
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Justice. Willow is very much about what is right and what is wrong.
Vice: Wrath. Some people bring a gun a knife fit, Willow brings a flame thrower.
Merits
Allies
Ambidextrous
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 2
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 8
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 6/6
Morality: 6
Mana: 9
Gnosis: 5
Wisdom: 8
Personal Data
Age: 27 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’3”
Wt: 115#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Gender: Female
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 3
Life: 2
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 2
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Tara Maclay
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Temperance. Tara is nothing if not understanding and temperate
Vice: Sloth. She is not lazy, but she likes things to move a little slower. She does not enjoy fighting monsters.
Merits
Allies
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 3
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 9
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 7/7
Morality: 8
Mana: 10
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 8
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 2
Life: 3
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 1
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Personal Data
Age: 28 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’4”
Wt: 125#
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Gender: Female
Of all the re-builds I have done of the girls these are in my top 5.
If I were to pick-up playing these characters again I would seriously consider using the nWoD/Mage rules.
For Arcana I gave Willow 11 dots and Tara 10. This actually might be a little light.
I would love to play around some more with this game some day, but I can't find people to play it.
---
One of the reoccurring themes in Willow & Tara fiction or games is their shared growth of magical power. As they grow together and grow more in love, their powers increase to a near phenomenal level. Sort of like the powers wielded in Mage the Awakening.
Now in my last Buffy campaign, "Season of the Witch", I had Willow and Tara become "mages". Not exactly what is here, but very close. I would be lying though if I didn't say there was some influence. There was. You can read about that in the last three adventures of that game:
This is also a common theme in the various Willow & Tara fanfics out there. In fact one of the best Willow/Tara fan fics out there is “Unexpected Consequences” by Lisa Countryman. Lisa even uses the word “mage” to describe their power level even though I know for a fact she has never seen any White Wolf game. In Lisa’s “Unexpected Consequences” Tara’s Awakening happens too soon and it causes, well, all sorts of unexpected consequences. It takes place during season six and is far, far better than what happened on TV. In the sequel fic “Milestones” Lisa deals quite well with Willow and Tara’s true Awakening some 10-15 years in the future. Not only does she capture 30-something Willow and Tara quite well, it is an excellent narrative of how an Awakening can happen or be done. Willow and Tara knew it was coming, and yet they are still totally unprepared for it. It also shows what an Awakening must be like through the eyes of a mundane or other non-awakened witches.
So as they grow old together Willow and Tara will get much more powerful.
Presented here are a possible Willow and Tara right after the events of Season of the Witch. I am borrowing heavy from Lisa here as well as my own World of Darkness (old) stats. This would have lead up to my Season 3 that would have been more magically focus. In fact these conversions lead right from my Mutants & Masterminds 2.0 conversions in terms of when they happened (game wise) and when I wrote them (real time). It was because of these two games that gave me the idea to move the girls to Boston.
Their Awakening in Brief
Lisa and I both consider Willow and Tara to be “old souls”, they have both been reincarnated many times and have shared many lives together. Our separate visions of this were so compatible that we meshed them. I had considered their first incarnations to be “Bodhmal” (Willow) and “Liath” (Tara) from Celtic Ireland, Lisa’s are “Belen” (Tara) and “Damara” (Willow). In either case Willow and Tara’s Awakening in Mage is a similar event to awakening their Old Soul in WitchCraft; contact with their primal soul-selves. In Mage Revised this would have been their avatar. In Mage the Awakening this is the primal spirit that instructs them on who they were, who they are now and what they are to become. I choose them both to take the Path of Thyrsus. While they are not really “shamans”, there is an earthy quality about Tara. It was more for their seeking of their Primordial Soul-selves. Plus in Lisa’s fiction Willow and Tara’s awakenings was always about a surplus of life and life-power. In UC Tara becomes faster, stronger and more confident. Something she tries to maintain later in MS. What also struck me was the description of the Thyrsus’ extreme emotions. This also fits Lisa’s fictions.
Delving deeper into the “Tome of The Watchtowers” (which also inspired the name for Episode 13) we learn that Thyrsus was the only Watchtower formed by a woman. The sexual nimbus fits with sex=magic we saw on TV and Lisa’s description of Adourflame (Episode 11).
I could have chosen Acanthus as well since this communication with their previous souls is across time and space, but I did not feel either of them fit the “Fool” or extremely lucky archetypes.
Willow Rosenberg
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Justice. Willow is very much about what is right and what is wrong.
Vice: Wrath. Some people bring a gun a knife fit, Willow brings a flame thrower.
| Attributes | ||
| Intelligence: 5 | Strength: 1 | Presence: 3 |
| Wits: 3 | Dexterity: 2 | Manipulation: 2 |
| Resolve: 3 | Stamina: 3 | Composure: 3 |
Skills |
||
| Mental | Physical | Social |
| Academics 4 | Athletics 2 | Animal Ken 0 |
| Computer 5 | Brawl 1 | Empathy 1 |
| Crafts 1 | Drive 0 | Expression 1 |
| Investigation 2 | Firearms 0 | Intimidation 1 |
| Medicine 2 | Larceny 1 | Persuasion 2 |
| Occult 3 | Stealth 1 | Socialize 1 |
| Politics 1 | Survival 1 | Streetwise 1 |
| Science 4 | Weaponry 1 | Subterfuge 1 |
Merits
Allies
Ambidextrous
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 2
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 8
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 6/6
Morality: 6
Mana: 9
Gnosis: 5
Wisdom: 8
Personal Data
Age: 27 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’3”
Wt: 115#
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Gender: Female
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 3
Life: 2
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 2
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Tara Maclay
Path: Thyrsus Order: Mysterium
Virtue: Temperance. Tara is nothing if not understanding and temperate
Vice: Sloth. She is not lazy, but she likes things to move a little slower. She does not enjoy fighting monsters.
| Attributes | ||
| Intelligence: 3 | Strength: 2 | Presence: 3 |
| Wits: 4 | Dexterity: 1 | Manipulation: 1 |
| Resolve: 3 | Stamina: 3 | Composure: 4 |
Skills |
||
| Mental | Physical | Social |
| Academics 3 | Athletics 0 | Animal Ken 2 |
| Computer 2 | Brawl 1 | Empathy 3 |
| Crafts 1 | Drive 1 | Expression 0 |
| Investigation 2 | Firearms 0 | Intimidation 0 |
| Medicine 1 | Larceny 0 | Persuasion 0 |
| Occult 5 | Stealth | Socialize 1 |
| Politics 0 | Survival 1 | Streetwise 1 |
| Science 1 | Weaponry 1 | Subterfuge 0 |
Merits
Allies
Encyclopaedic Knowledge
Language 3
Striking looks 2
Size: 5
Speed: 9
Initiative Mod: 4
Defence: 2
Health: 8
Willpower: 7/7
Morality: 8
Mana: 10
Gnosis: 4
Wisdom: 8
Arcana
Death: 0
Fate: 0
Forces: 2
Life: 3
Matter: 1
Mind: 2
Prime: 1
Space: 0
Spirit: 1
Time: 0
Personal Data
Age: 28 (in 2008)
Ht: 5’4”
Wt: 125#
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Gender: Female
Of all the re-builds I have done of the girls these are in my top 5.
If I were to pick-up playing these characters again I would seriously consider using the nWoD/Mage rules.
For Arcana I gave Willow 11 dots and Tara 10. This actually might be a little light.
I would love to play around some more with this game some day, but I can't find people to play it.
---
This is my last post for the YAM Magazine LBGT Blogathon. I wanted to end with Willow & Tara and using one of the most accepting RPG I have ever known.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)