Here is a question I am pondering this snowy Friday.
How much sex and/or nudity is "too much" in an RPG?
I know the stock answer is "depends on the person". Well in this case the person is you.
I recently bought some art for inclusion in a new book. One piece I got is a full frontal of a woman. It's line art, and not "porn" but certainly more than you would have seen in say the Monster Manual of 1979.
I briefly touched on this before.
I have picked up some books recently that featured a fair bit of nudity of some sort another.
In the Teratic Tome it is meant to horrify, in Sisters of Rapture it is meant to be alluring.
For me. I guess I don't really know.
I mean I buy these games to play so the art is great, but are the words with it good?
I am an adult, but my kids also like to play and read my books. So some books I stick on the higher shelf for now. My oldest does have his own 1st Ed Monster Manual, but he also has access to the internet.
I try to be honest with myself and say yes I like looking at sexy women, but don't want to objectify people either.
Plus why am I squeamish about this and not the violence? I have spells in The Witch that send out waves of necromatic power to twist, break and slash people for crying out loud.
I do know what I like.
Share your thoughts.
What would you buy?
Friday, January 25, 2013
D&D PDF reveiws
For these D&D PDFs I will review the content as it is with the intended version in mind. I'll also look at these in terms what you can get out of this for any other version of D&D. Finally I'll look PDF conversion itself.
Deities & Demigods (1e)
Deities & Demigods was the first Hardcover D&D book I ever purchased. So it is fitting then it is the first of the re-release (1/22/2013) of the D&D PDFs that I have purchased.
First of this is book is an update on the old OD&D Gods, Demigods and Heroes. Presented here are the gods (greater and lesser), demigods and heroes of 15 pantheons. Included are: American Indian Mythos, Arthurian Heroes, Babylonian Mythos, Celtic Mythos, Central American Mythos, Chinese Mythos, Egyptian Mythos, Finnish Mythos, Greek Mythos, Indian Mythos, Japanese Mythos, Nehwon Mythos, Nonhumans' Deities, Norse Mythos, and Sumerian Mythos.
There is plenty of information for build your world myths and the multivesre around your world. This also features the first update to known planes that appeared in the Player's Handbook.
The layout is somewhat like a Monster Manual, which is unfortunate. I can say that back in 82-83 that is exactly how we used it.
The art is now classic in my mind, with some of the biggest names in D&D/TSR at the time.
If you are playing newer editions then all the gods you know about had their start here in this book. All the other deities books are sequels to this one.
The PDF is clean and easy to read. There has been some post-scan cleanup on it so the pages appear very white and not scanned in white.
I feel as good about my purchase today as I did 30 years ago.
D&D Basic Set Rulebook (Basic)
If you are like me then this is it. THIS is what D&D was. Sure I had read a friends Holmes/Blue-book Basic set and I knew of AD&D through the Monster Manual. But this is the D&D book that started it all for me. This is the one that set fire to my imagination.
This is a complete set of rules. Character creation through to 3rd level. Monsters, treasures, dungeons. Everything that ever was or will be D&D had it's start right here (more or less). Honestly this book is not worth 5 stars here. It is worth 6 out of 5.
I almost would say that if I could only play one version of D&D ever, then this might be the one. It lacks the complexity of AD&D or 3e, but anymore I see this as a feature.
64 pages plus cover. Marbleized dice and crayon not included.
D&D RPG Starter Set "Quickstart" (4e)
Everything you need to start playing D&D 4e except for people, dice and some monsters.
You have heard a lot about this game to be sure, but the proof is always in the playing. At the incredibly low price of Nothing you can see how the most current version of D&D (as of this writing) plays.
H1 Keep on the Shadowfell & Quick-Start Rules (4e)
The first module of the great Orcus/Raven Queen campaign for 4e. The module itself tries to harken back to another Keep; The Keep on the Borderlands, but the feel here is very, very different. There is a lot more going on and it can feel very combat heavy and even a touch predictable. But that is fine for a 1st adventure. Everyone is still too busy figuring out moves and markingins and surges to worry whether or not rumor X or rumor Y turns out to be true.
The big feature of this module though is also the quick start play rules. There is lot here that can help the new 4e player and DM. So it you are at all curious about 4e then give this one a look.
Adventurer's Vault (4e)
Tons and tons of magic items for your 4e games. Broken up basically the same way they always have been. Armors, Weapons, Swords, Potions, Wands, Rods, Staves, and Miscellaneous. At 250+ pages with multiple items per page this is a packed book and there is something here for everyone.
Looking at this with an eye towards other editions, you could convert these to 3e without much difficulty. Other editions have more or less the same items (or similar ones) in edition specific books (The Book of Marvelous Magic comes to mind). But still a good selection for the money and a must have for the serious 4e player.
The art is top notch and the PDF is straight from the digital source file.
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (3e)
The 3rd edition update to the classic Gygax intro adventure.
Return to the The Temple of Elemental Evil has a new generation of characters returning to the Village of Hommlet (where time seems to have stood still) to investigate the new uprising of evil.
Designed obviously to appear to adults who were kids when the original T1 and ToEE came out, it looses none of it's appeal.
Regardless what version of the game you play, if you ever played the original ToEE then pick this up.
If you have never played or run the original, but are a fan of the 3rd game, then certainly pick this up.
This is one of those adventures that should be republished for every edition of D&D. Great to start with and run some 1st level characters through but dangerous enough to merit coming back to at a later time.
Besides who doesn't want to go up against ultimate evil, stare in into it's ugly face and say "come get some!"
This PDF is in great shape.
Deities & Demigods (1e)
Deities & Demigods was the first Hardcover D&D book I ever purchased. So it is fitting then it is the first of the re-release (1/22/2013) of the D&D PDFs that I have purchased.
First of this is book is an update on the old OD&D Gods, Demigods and Heroes. Presented here are the gods (greater and lesser), demigods and heroes of 15 pantheons. Included are: American Indian Mythos, Arthurian Heroes, Babylonian Mythos, Celtic Mythos, Central American Mythos, Chinese Mythos, Egyptian Mythos, Finnish Mythos, Greek Mythos, Indian Mythos, Japanese Mythos, Nehwon Mythos, Nonhumans' Deities, Norse Mythos, and Sumerian Mythos.
There is plenty of information for build your world myths and the multivesre around your world. This also features the first update to known planes that appeared in the Player's Handbook.
The layout is somewhat like a Monster Manual, which is unfortunate. I can say that back in 82-83 that is exactly how we used it.
The art is now classic in my mind, with some of the biggest names in D&D/TSR at the time.
If you are playing newer editions then all the gods you know about had their start here in this book. All the other deities books are sequels to this one.
The PDF is clean and easy to read. There has been some post-scan cleanup on it so the pages appear very white and not scanned in white.
I feel as good about my purchase today as I did 30 years ago.
D&D Basic Set Rulebook (Basic)
If you are like me then this is it. THIS is what D&D was. Sure I had read a friends Holmes/Blue-book Basic set and I knew of AD&D through the Monster Manual. But this is the D&D book that started it all for me. This is the one that set fire to my imagination.
This is a complete set of rules. Character creation through to 3rd level. Monsters, treasures, dungeons. Everything that ever was or will be D&D had it's start right here (more or less). Honestly this book is not worth 5 stars here. It is worth 6 out of 5.
I almost would say that if I could only play one version of D&D ever, then this might be the one. It lacks the complexity of AD&D or 3e, but anymore I see this as a feature.
64 pages plus cover. Marbleized dice and crayon not included.
D&D RPG Starter Set "Quickstart" (4e)
Everything you need to start playing D&D 4e except for people, dice and some monsters.
You have heard a lot about this game to be sure, but the proof is always in the playing. At the incredibly low price of Nothing you can see how the most current version of D&D (as of this writing) plays.
H1 Keep on the Shadowfell & Quick-Start Rules (4e)
The first module of the great Orcus/Raven Queen campaign for 4e. The module itself tries to harken back to another Keep; The Keep on the Borderlands, but the feel here is very, very different. There is a lot more going on and it can feel very combat heavy and even a touch predictable. But that is fine for a 1st adventure. Everyone is still too busy figuring out moves and markingins and surges to worry whether or not rumor X or rumor Y turns out to be true.
The big feature of this module though is also the quick start play rules. There is lot here that can help the new 4e player and DM. So it you are at all curious about 4e then give this one a look.
Adventurer's Vault (4e)
Tons and tons of magic items for your 4e games. Broken up basically the same way they always have been. Armors, Weapons, Swords, Potions, Wands, Rods, Staves, and Miscellaneous. At 250+ pages with multiple items per page this is a packed book and there is something here for everyone.
Looking at this with an eye towards other editions, you could convert these to 3e without much difficulty. Other editions have more or less the same items (or similar ones) in edition specific books (The Book of Marvelous Magic comes to mind). But still a good selection for the money and a must have for the serious 4e player.
The art is top notch and the PDF is straight from the digital source file.
Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil (3e)
The 3rd edition update to the classic Gygax intro adventure.
Return to the The Temple of Elemental Evil has a new generation of characters returning to the Village of Hommlet (where time seems to have stood still) to investigate the new uprising of evil.
Designed obviously to appear to adults who were kids when the original T1 and ToEE came out, it looses none of it's appeal.
Regardless what version of the game you play, if you ever played the original ToEE then pick this up.
If you have never played or run the original, but are a fan of the 3rd game, then certainly pick this up.
This is one of those adventures that should be republished for every edition of D&D. Great to start with and run some 1st level characters through but dangerous enough to merit coming back to at a later time.
Besides who doesn't want to go up against ultimate evil, stare in into it's ugly face and say "come get some!"
This PDF is in great shape.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters
Yeah...looks like pure cheese, but I'll go see it.
Opens tonight at midnight.
http://www.hanselandgretelmovie.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel:_Witch_Hunters
Opens tonight at midnight.
http://www.hanselandgretelmovie.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel:_Witch_Hunters
We lost two good men out there
Two longtime bloogers are hanging up their...gloves? shoes? what is a good analogy here? closing their laptops? keyboards...
Anyway. Two blogs are shutting down at least for the time being.
Tommy Brownell of The Most Unread Blog on the Internet. Ever. is closing shop due to a massive hard drive failure.
http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-end.html
I enjoyed Tommy's reviews and always looked at them as the games I should also be reading.
He does plan to keep it up so his posts will remain.
Sword & Shield is going on a hiatus.
http://swordandshieldrpg.blogspot.com/2013/01/hiatus.html
In enjoyed the old-school vibe from this blog and Fenway5's/Christopher's take on various topics. Hope to see this blog back sometime in the future, but I will continue follow his other blog Heroes & Other Worlds.
It is always too bad when a blog leaves the scene, at least in this case we got a chance to say good bye.
Anyway. Two blogs are shutting down at least for the time being.
Tommy Brownell of The Most Unread Blog on the Internet. Ever. is closing shop due to a massive hard drive failure.
http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-end.html
I enjoyed Tommy's reviews and always looked at them as the games I should also be reading.
He does plan to keep it up so his posts will remain.
Sword & Shield is going on a hiatus.
http://swordandshieldrpg.blogspot.com/2013/01/hiatus.html
In enjoyed the old-school vibe from this blog and Fenway5's/Christopher's take on various topics. Hope to see this blog back sometime in the future, but I will continue follow his other blog Heroes & Other Worlds.
It is always too bad when a blog leaves the scene, at least in this case we got a chance to say good bye.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
A game without combat
So I am reading this new book and it is really good with interesting characters and a great, well developed world and background.
But there is nothing really in the way of combat.
This got me thinking. How would you do a game based on a property that has very little in the way of combat or even conflict.
A good example (but not the book I am reading) is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Great series of books, but not big with the "killing things and taking their stuff" though in HHGTTG there are some "Goals". "Did I get on the right ship?" "Do I know where I am going?" "Do I have my towel?"
So what are your favorite combat-less systems?
But there is nothing really in the way of combat.
This got me thinking. How would you do a game based on a property that has very little in the way of combat or even conflict.
A good example (but not the book I am reading) is Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Great series of books, but not big with the "killing things and taking their stuff" though in HHGTTG there are some "Goals". "Did I get on the right ship?" "Do I know where I am going?" "Do I have my towel?"
So what are your favorite combat-less systems?
White Dwarf Wednesday #49
Ian Livingstone comments on the Orwellian overtones, or lack thereof, of today's gaming. Honestly it seemed like a weak linking to me. It's 1984 and you need to say something about 1984. Interestingly enough I read 1984 just the year prior. Never really thought there was much for RPGs in it. Computer gaming yes, but not TTRPGs.
Up first is Shuttle Scuttle by Thomas M Price. This is the mentioned multi-system adventure. This one supports Traveller (natch), Space Opera and Laserburn. I'll admit, I have never heard of Laserburn and I am sure it is not one I forgot. Now as a general rule I love multi-system products. I like them for their own value but also for the insight they give on conversions. The adventure is 4 pages, so not a bad deal really.
Open Box has reviews. Up first is the Monster Manual II for AD&D by TSR. Megan C. Evans gives it a 7/10 stating that there too many high level monsters and no "good" aligned monsters. Up next Marcus Rowland reviews a couple of solitaire adventure books by Puffin Books/Steve Jackson, Starship Traveller and City of Thieves. They get 9/10 and 8/10 respectively. We get some Traveller expansions by GDW,
Supplement 12 - Forms and Charts, Supplement 13 - Veterans and Adventure 9 - Nomads of the World Ocean. Again Andy Slack is on Traveller duty, but he gives the first two a rare 2/10 and 3/10 claiming that most of this is available elsewhere. Adventure 9 gets a more respectable 9/10. Jon Sutherland takes on the classic Mercenaries, Spies and Private Eyes. Though he doesn't seem to think so giving it and it's adventure, The Jade Jaguar, a 4/10 and 3/10.
Critical Mass has a bit on the book The Neverending Story. The upcoming movie is mentioned, but honestly could anything prepare us for Limahl?
Chris Felton has Clay to Marble: Construction in AD&D. A neat little article with guidelines for constructions times. I seem to recall reading this years ago since some of this sounds very familiar.
Thurd the Barbarian goes up against the evil Necromancer. Not sure if this is the Necromancer from #35 or not. ;)
Dave Morris has some variant rules for RuneQuest in Runes in the Dungeon. Skills groups and other rules to help build D&D-like characters. In particular I like the "witch" rules. I would expand it into a 120 page book, but that is just me. RuneRites is up next with various questions and answers.
StarBase has more fleets for your Traveller game.
Letters covers mostly praise for Irillan and the new look of WD.
The Key of Tirandor Part 1 is a new campaign for levels 6-9 by Mike Polling. This part is five pages and includes 6 PCs. It looks quite interesting to be honest.
There is more of The Goblin Cult of Kernu for RuneQuest, but like I mentioned before it is interesting enough and flexible enough to use in D&D.
Travellers is next trying to fit in any and every sci-fi in joke and reference it can. I am not sure I can even find the story here to be honest. There is though an 2000 AD comic feel to this one.
Super Mole is back as an RPG "gossip" column. Normally I like these sorts of things. Much for the same reasons I like previews in the movie theaters, I like to know what is coming up. Reviewing a 30 year old gossip column though is odd to say the least. What is interesting is not what was going to come out, but what didn't. Though there are some bits that are interesting. Such as Rose Estes leaving TSR. There is a bit about Mayfair vs. TSR and the eventual fate of what will become the loved BECMI sets. Mole does not predict I at all.
Fiend Factory features Insect World this month with the Skullcatcher, Giant Praying Mantis, Giant Moth and the Golden Beetle. Serviceable, but nothing special.
Treasure Chest covers Illusions and Illusionists. I can't help but feel a lot of work was being put in to making the Illusionist interesting and cool and having it all sort of fall flat. I did have an Illusionist character back in the day. As much as I liked the guy I still felt and feel that he was really nothing more than a weak Wizard. Obviously I thought the Witch was a better choice as a class. I think I was even getting all my materials together at this point for my very first witch class.
The survey results from #45 are in. Long story short, most people like most things about WD. There are not a lot of surprises here really. Microview and Counterpoint were the lowest rated articles. Of the recent features, The Dungeon Architect was #1, followed by Irilian, the Town Planner, Dealing with Demons and The Necromancer. Lew get's his revenge.
Issue 44 had the best art work proving once again that near-nudity sells. Dragon and Imagine are the two other magazines most often read/bought in addition to WD. AD&D, RuneQuest and Traveller are the top 3 games played. Followed by D&D, T&T and Call of Cthulhu. Home computer ownership is about 50/50 and most of the ones that do own them do play games on it. 98% of the readership is Male and the median age is (was) 15. Yeah. That was me.
Gobbledigook gets deep. And we end with the normal small ads/classifieds and ads.
A good issue. Not an inspired one to be sure, but solidly good.
We are going into the 50s now where my memories of them are less solid. I was not reading WD much into and past 1984. I was solidly into Dragon at this point, but I still enjoyed WD and picked it up again in 1987 or so with some of the back issues going back to the 60s.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)