#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

#RPGaDAY2018 DAY 12: Wildest Character Concept

Day 12!

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So for wildest Character concept.  Hmm.

Wild is relative I think.  But the oddest mix is one of my current characters, Rowan.  She is a dual classed Warlock and Paladin.  Now you might not think those work together, but they do in the Old Faith.  Her paladin part is a Paladin of the Old Faith. Her warlock pact is a fey Pact of the sword.
She is like a witch guardian or a green knight.

So far she is working out great!

#RPGaDAY2018 Day 11: Wildest Character Name

Day 11!

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So for wildest Characters name.  Hmm, hard to judge what "wildest" means here or for anyone else

But the odd name I like the best belongs to my youngest son's gnome bard "Erky Timbers".
Great name for a great character.

Kickstart Your Weekend: Domina Magica - A Magical Girl RPG

Back from Gen Con so lets look into a game you might be playing next year!

And it looks like fun.

Domina Magica - A Magical Girl RPG

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1445739002/domina-magica-a-magical-girl-rpg#

The game has all the tropes expected with a Magical Girl game, so that is great, but it also just looks so damn cool.

The character sheet is also damn near fantastic.  A major trope in Magical Girl anime is the transformation sequence.   Well, this captured in the real world by this cool character sheet that you flip over for your Normal or Magical form (you will need to provide your own them music).

Sheet not final

The Cootie Catcher, the Dark Energy Circle...it is obvious that designer Emily Reinhart is in real life a Magical Girl herself.  I hope she does not get into trouble with whatever powers gave her her powers.  Co-designer James McClure also proves that unlike Tuxedo Mask he is an important part of the team.   Both come to the table with enough street cred to make this a hit.  Indeed since I first heard of this and now it has been funded.

The art looks great and there are some fantastic stretch goals too.

So do yourself a favor and check it out.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1445739002/domina-magica-a-magical-girl-rpg#

#RPGaDAY2018 Day 10: How has gaming changed you?

Day 10 and I see we are not going light on the questions.

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The question today is, How has gaming changed you?

Wow. Where to even start on this one.  There are friends I have made over the years, many life-long good friends.  There are the skills I have picked up and then later perfected; degree in statistics, a job in instructional design that is not all that different than game design.

RPGs have helped me improve my writing, my math skills (or at least keep them from withering away) and my online social skills.  I used to be pretty introverted.

I have been playing for so long that it would be difficult to extract a non-RPG-player version of me from myself.

One thing is for sure I do think I am better off with RPGs in mylife.