Thursday, August 1, 2024

#RPGaDay2024 First RPG bought this year

That was a tough one to figure out. I bought a lot of RPG-related items this year from adventures to minis, but I think the first full RPG I bought this year was the Spanish Language version of CJ Carella's WitchCraft RPG.

WitchCraft RPG

The Spanish Language version from Edge most resembles the Eden Studios 2nd Edition. The text is the same and the art is the same.

Wicce in Spanish

The difference, of course, is this new Edge version is in Spanish.

I am happy to have this as this was one of the other "Holy Grail" items for my Spanish collection of RPGs. It was also the last CJ Carella WitchCraft book I am likely able to buy. 

CJ Carella's WitchCraft RPG

I am pleased that I was able to read a lot of it. Granted, my Spanish is still very limited, but I know this book very, very well. 

My collection of Spanish Language RPGs is not huge, but it covers my favorite games and about 85-90% of the games I like to play.

Spanish Language RPGs

Not a lot, but enough to keep me busy for a while.

I am participating in Dave Chapman's #RPGaDAY2024 for August. 

#RPGaDay2024

 Since it makes sense, here is Roberto Micheri's Spanish translation. You can find Roberto (and me often making a fool of myself with my pre-school-level Spanish) in the Puerto Rico Role Players Facebook Group.

Si es tu primera vez, todos los días de agosto mira la sugerencia y escribe, haz un blog, vlog, podcast, dibuja, haz manualidades o lo que sea como respuesta. Si no te gusta la pregunta completa, por ejemplo, en el Día 3 la pregunta es "RPG (juego de rol) más jugado", la palabra "más" está en negrilla y puedes usar sólo esa palabra como respuesta si quieres hablar de otra cosa. 

También hay una opción alternativa al final, por si acaso. Si no te gusta ninguna de estas sugerencias, sigue leyendo.

  1. Primer RPG comprado este año
  2. RPG jugado más recientemente
  3. RPG más jugado
  4. RPG con gran arte
  5. RPG muy bien escrito
  6. RPG fácil de usar
  7. RPG con "buena forma"
  8. Un accesorio que aprecies
  9. Un accesorio que te gustaría ver
  10. RPG que te gustaría ver en televisión
  11. RPG con “one-shots” bien respaldados
  12. RPG con campañas bien sustentadas
  13. Entornos evocadores
  14. Personajes fascinantes
  15. Gran equipamiento para los personajes
  16. Rápido de aprender
  17. Una comunidad RPG cautivadora
  18. Momentos de juego memorables
  19. Sesión sensacional
  20. Aventura increíble
  21. Campaña clásica
  22. Notable personaje no jugador (NPC)
  23. Jugador sin igual
  24. Aclamados consejos
  25. Dados deseables
  26. Magnífica pantalla
  27. Maravillosa miniatura
  28. Excelente artilugio para “gamers”
  29. Impresionante aplicación (app)
  30. Persona con la que te gustaría jugar
  31. Juego o jugador que echas de menos

Alternativa - Una anécdota sorprendenteSi no te gusta ninguno de estas sugerencias, ya sé que son de última hora, puedes optar por un conjunto de temas para #RPGaDAY completamente diferente. Sugeridas por Skala Wyzwania, estas ideas son muy divertidas e incluso hay un gráfico muy atractivo para esta versión. 

Sólo tienes que mirar el día a la izquierda, elegir el tema y tirar un d10 para descubrir qué deberías hacer con ese tema ese día. 

Genial, gracias Skala.

  1. Runas
  2. Bosque
  3. Demonología
  4. Cosmos
  5. Hadas
  6. Portal
  7. Ciudad olvidada
  8. Experimento
  9. Héroes
  10. Steampunk
  11. Invasión
  12. Mundos paralelos
  13. Zombis
  14. Despertar
  15. Genética
  16. Mazmorra
  17. IA (inteligencia artificial)
  18. Maldición
  19. Holograma
  20. Batalla 
  21. Desastre
  22. Espacio interdimensional
  23. Ritual
  24. Antiguo
  25. Mutante
  26. Tatuaje
  27. Transformación / Cambiar de forma
  28. Mimeto (Mimic)
  29. Caballero
  30. Trampa 
  31. Dragones

Cada día tira un d10 para seguir la sugerencia

Resultado

  1. Describe un monstruo
  2. Crea un personaje no jugador (NPC)
  3. Escribir una misión para el tablón de anuncios
  4. Inventar un objeto
  5. Escribe una leyenda o un rumor 
  6. Crear una tabla al azar
  7. Crear una mecánica sencilla
  8. Presentar una idea para un encuentro aleatorio
  9. Escribir un diálogo escuchado a escondidas
  10. ¡Dibuja!

---

Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 30 July Log of the Demeter (Cont.)

The Demeter nears England, but so few crew remain.

Dracula - The Hunters' Journals


30 July.—Last night. Rejoiced we are nearing England. Weather fine, all sails set. Retired worn out; slept soundly; awaked by mate telling me that both man of watch and steersman missing. Only self and mate and two hands left to work ship.


Notes

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

Dracula must be absolutely gorged at this point. 

The High Witchcraft Tradition

The Magic Circle - John William Waterhouse
I have been on a mini vacation to see my wife's family. They all moved down south. Personally, I dislike going south of Joliet, IL but that is me.  Anyway they are all huge card players staying up till the wee hours playing. That is cool, I got to watch the Olympics. You don't see me talking a lot about sports here though I am a life-long St. Louis Cardinals fan and a complete Olympics junkie. I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I love the Olympics.

With some projects done, and others on hold (Basic Bestiary. Waiting for more art), I started a new project over my extended weekend.

The High Witchcraft Tradition

Well..."new" might be the wrong word.  

I have a lot of notes from other projects that didn't quite fit or didn't get developed enough to get added. Plus this is a book I have been picking at for a while and have been calling my "Last Witch Book."  If it is that remains to be seen, but I do have some great ideas.

Here is the shape of the book so far.

High Magic

It will include the use of High Magic, so magic that invokes spirits, demons, angels and the like. I would also like to include High Magic options for Magic-users. A bit like my Hermetic Mage Prestige class I did for 3.x.

Advanced

This book will be my first "true" book for the Advanced era. So compatibility with OSRIC, Advanced Labyrinth Lord, and Old-School Essentials Advanced is implied. Originally this book was going to be part of my "Basic Witch" series and focus on how I mixed AD&D 1st ed with the Expert set back in the day. I still might do that. I have a lot of ideas for that sort of play, but this is not the book for that.

Plus I will freely admit I am not as enthusiastic for D&D's future as I once was. I will buy D&D 5R, I will even likely play it a few times. But as much as I love digital and online games, that is not my preferred mode. 

So instead of endlessly complaining about it, I am just going to focus my efforts into the types of games I DO enjoy playing. If you are looking for ragey click-bait, you won't find it here.

Best of the Old, Best of the New (Maybe)

I love my old-school games. I also am rather fond of new-school games as well. For me it has always been about maximum fun. So I would love to go back over some of the newer developments in games and see what can be ported back over. This one is not a guarantee. My focus first and foremost is a witch book from circa 1986.   

Cover Art

For this book I am going to commission some original cover art. I have already been sending out emails to artists I want to work with and ones I have worked with in the past for this. And as much as I love the Pre-Raphaelite covers I have used in the past, I have something specific in mind for this one.

Waterhouse's "The Magic Circle" above was one of the ideas I originally had. I am, of course, sad not to use it for this book, but I also want something new. 

I want this book to be really good. I want it to challenge my writing ability and game design ability. Plus I also want it to be able to cover any "so-called" witch written about in the "Advanced-era."  If someone else's book/game/adventure set in the same era with the same or similar rule system and they have a witch character, I want my rules to be flexible enough and comprehensive enough that you could play that character using my rules. Lofty? Maybe. Do able? Certainly.

Potential High Witches

I have been tossing this idea around for a few years now. I finally hit a critical mass of notes to make it a real book. For me as much as for you, here are my posts about it. 

Links to relevant posts

Monday, July 29, 2024

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 29 July Log of the Demeter (Cont.)

The Demeter suffers more deaths.

Dracula - The Hunters' Journals


29 July.—Another tragedy. Had single watch to-night, as crew too tired to double. When morning watch came on deck could find no one except steersman. Raised outcry, and all came on deck. Thorough search, but no one found. Are now without second mate, and crew in a panic. Mate and I agreed to go armed henceforth and wait for any sign of cause.


Notes

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

Dracula is hungry, and he will make himself appear younger by using the blood and life of this crew. 

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 28 July Log of the Demeter (Cont.)

The Demeter travels through storms.

Dracula - The Hunters' Journals


28 July.—Four days in hell, knocking about in a sort of maelstrom, and the wind a tempest. No sleep for any one. Men all worn out. Hardly know how to set a watch, since no one fit to go on. Second mate volunteered to steer and watch, and let men snatch a few hours’ sleep. Wind abating; seas still terrific, but feel them less, as ship is steadier.

Notes

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

These storms are caused by Dracula. Both to weaken the crew and speed his journey to England.

Saturday, July 27, 2024

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 27 July Mina Murray's Journal (Cont.)

 Still no news from Harker.

Dracula - The Hunters' Journals


27 July.—No news from Jonathan. I am getting quite uneasy about him, though why I should I do not know; but I do wish that he would write, if it were only a single line. Lucy walks more than ever, and each night I am awakened by her moving about the room. Fortunately, the weather is so hot that she cannot get cold; but still the anxiety and the perpetually being wakened is beginning to tell on me, and I am getting nervous and wakeful myself. Thank God, Lucy’s health keeps up. Mr. Holmwood has been suddenly called to Ring to see his father, who has been taken seriously ill. Lucy frets at the postponement of seeing him, but it does not touch her looks; she is a trifle stouter, and her cheeks are a lovely rose-pink. She has lost that anæmic look which she had. I pray it will all last.


Notes

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

The plot, unbeknownst to our heroes is moving forward. 

The Ring is the Holmwood Family estate.

Friday, July 26, 2024

Dracula, The Hunters' Journals: 26 July Mina Murray's Journal

 Mina is getting increasingly worried about Jonathan.

Dracula - The Hunters' Journals


26 July.—I am anxious, and it soothes me to express myself here; it is like whispering to one’s self and listening at the same time. And there is also something about the shorthand symbols that makes it different from writing. I am unhappy about Lucy and about Jonathan. I had not heard from Jonathan for some time, and was very concerned; but yesterday dear Mr. Hawkins, who is always so kind, sent me a letter from him. I had written asking him if he had heard, and he said the enclosed had just been received. It is only a line dated from Castle Dracula, and says that he is just starting for home. That is not like Jonathan; I do not understand it, and it makes me uneasy. Then, too, Lucy, although she is so well, has lately taken to her old habit of walking in her sleep. Her mother has spoken to me about it, and we have decided that I am to lock the door of our room every night. Mrs. Westenra has got an idea that sleep-walkers always go out on roofs of houses and along the edges of cliffs and then get suddenly wakened and fall over with a despairing cry that echoes all over the place. Poor dear, she is naturally anxious about Lucy, and she tells me that her husband, Lucy’s father, had the same habit; that he would get up in the night and dress himself and go out, if he were not stopped. Lucy is to be married in the autumn, and she is already planning out her dresses and how her house is to be arranged. I sympathise with her, for I do the same, only Jonathan and I will start in life in a very simple way, and shall have to try to make both ends meet. Mr. Holmwood—he is the Hon. Arthur Holmwood, only son of Lord Godalming—is coming up here very shortly—as soon as he can leave town, for his father is not very well, and I think dear Lucy is counting the moments till he comes. She wants to take him up to the seat on the churchyard cliff and show him the beauty of Whitby. I daresay it is the waiting which disturbs her; she will be all right when he arrives.


Notes

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

So Lucy is walking in her sleep. Sleepwalking was of great interest to the Victorians both from the Spiritual and Scientific frames of mind. It was believed that the sleep walker was "between worlds" and had access to knowledge or wisdom. 

Debate goes on. Was Lucy sleepwalking because she was under Dracula's thrall already, OR was she more susceptible of Dracula because of her history of sleepwalking?  I believe it was the latter. Her father had it and Lucy represents the "Old World" of England vs. Mina's New World of England. So Lucy still has a foot in that other, older, and more spiritual world. 

This also hints at the duality of Lucy. The innocent bride to be now and later the horrifying "Bloofer Lady" to come. This too was part of Victorian pop-psychology of the time. See the "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" for a more developed example of this. 

There is a solid implication here. Lucy, in her innocence, makes her a "tasty" target for Dracula. We have seen in many movies that while Lucy is Dracula's appetizer, Mina is the meal. She is described by Van Helsing as being "remarkable" and having a "man like mind." All Victorian for Mina is smart and shrewd.  So. What sort of Vampire would Mina have been? Terrifying to be sure. I think this is a bit that Alan Moore grabbed onto in "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."

We are really just getting introduced to Mina still. But she is, as I'll show, the real star and the real hero of this tale.