Role Play Rally, Austin TX July 16-17, 2016

Booyah!

roleplayrally.com

South Austin Two day RPG Convention.  Role Play Rally is 100% Adventurer's League. Which fits into my recent interest in AL. I mostly DM and was really jonesing to play (as a player).  I knew I couldn't commit to a campaign or regular schedule.  Adventurer's League to the rescue. It has downsides, because it's rarely the same group or DM, there less campaign/character/story building.  But you can take and play your character anywhere. Back to Role Play Rally ...

The highlight is the "Reclamation of Phlan" Epic. Multiple groups will be playing the same adventure at the same time.  One table's actions can impact the others. It's neat concept and I'm excited to be participating as a DM.

See you at Role Play Rally!

5ed Inspiration is the Carrot, How about a Stick?

Inspiration is a 5th edition D&D mechanic to "reward" roleplaying. [You may lose inspiration to have advantage (roll d20 twice take best result)].  I loath roleplaying rewards. They inhibit actual roleplaying and have everyone instead doing all sorts of unintended consequences just to get the reward. Getting even farther out of character and into meta-game land.

Roleplaying is it's own reward.

Chasing after mechanical effects is not roleplaying. It's forcing this bland stereotype "ideal" into every situation until one is rewarded with inspiration. Then they forget about any RP until they've used that inspiration and need to "earn" it again.

I (suspect) not every table devolves into that. But that is the social pressures this rule pushes people towards. Why do that? If people like to roleplay, they'll do it. Given an environment that is conducive and not punishing to RP and it will occur, naturally. I'm personally not much of a voice/acting type roleplayer. But, I do strongly like to be "lost in them moment" to "live in the fantasy world" and not meta-game or break the fourth wall. All these things are conducive to roleplaying. Whereas yelling across table you're at 3 hitpoints and need healing, or mentioning in every other sentence cause you're CE you steal from party or kill baby orcs, or whatever other infantile idea you have of what "evil" means. [ranty aside cause I'm in ranty mood: real evil would make the game so dark and distasteful, few would enjoy playing it].

Punishment (negative reinforcement if you want to pretend to be PC) is far less prone to unintended consequences than reward systems and seems more effective in my experience. Or, possibly, I'm just a dick.

The Furies

Players (not characters) earn a Fury token every time they:

 - directly mention a game stat; Hit Points Alignment, Ability Score, class ability Spell slots, levels, XP, etc

 - cheezily attempt to circumvent above by saying shit like "I feel like I'm at 1/2 my regular health"

 - other actions deemed by Referee or Player as "meta-gaming" or "breaking the fourth wall" (perhaps only repeated occurrence after 1st warning & explanation)

Exceptions for direct responses to Referees questions, explicit rules questions/clarifications.

Unlike Inspiration, Furies accumulate. The Referee may take back a Fury at any time to give character player is controlling disadvantage [roll 2 d20 take worst result].

Players will fucking hate this. So much, I'm sure that I will soon not have cause to pass out Furies. The table will shift from "game talk" to "in character talk". People will feel comfortable roleplaying if they want. And some might even fall into it without realizing. Ideally, play emphasis will shift from mechanics, fighting, accumulation of more mechanical benefits to "adventure" and pursuing in character desires. At least a Referee can dream.

12 Ways to Stop Sounding Metagamey

Written by not me.  Not even found by me.  I read them in excellent Roleplaying Tips Weekly.  Who included them with permission from www.leonineroar.com/

Several are 4edisms and a couple I don't agree with But the "spirit" of the list was good enough for me to blog it.  Click to get the original full article, it's worth a read.


12. Stop talking party roles.
11. Stop calling D&D a game it’s not. [yes it is]
10. Describe your actions instead of reading off a skill and rolling a die.
9. Roleplay your social skill checks.
8. Stop giving gamey play-by-play.
7. Stop calling them short and extended rests.
6. Don’t go ‘Bag of Numbers’ on us.
5. Roleplay during combat.
4. Abort Tactical Metagame Mission Conference Discussion Delta Niner.
3. Stop calling them powers.
2. Stop saying “I Spend an Action Point!”
1. Stop Sleeping in the Damn Dungeon.

October Gaming

One of Austin's local game groups usual meeting place a FLGS closed it's doors a couple months ago.  So, we've been playing at my house.  Yesterday's session was the first in my new (since move) "Game Room".   Here's some pics of our 1st/2nd AD&D action.  If you're in Austin, TX area and want to game (of anytype)  get in touch, I probably know where/who to go for that.

Frogs! Slimy, bulging eyed frogs. Love'm. Their watery lair was packed with loot.

Maybe I should have had everyone smile/look excited before pic, eh? :)

Teamwork! Thief goes onboard ship, everyone else stands as far away as is physically possible.

Our illustrious GM, actually everyone in that pic GMs now and then.
See that big ass grin, that's cause his frogs be chomping up our party:( 

"The Wilderness Alphabet", a review

[Several months ago a kindly dude, James Pacek, asked me to proofread a project he had been working on.  A while after (but still several months ago) he sent me a gratis printed copy of his project, "The Wilderness Alphabet" (thanks James!).  I've owed him a review for a long while now (sorry it took so long).  This is one slick supplement, I would be enthusiastically reviewing it even had I not received a free copy.]

In the mold of "The Dungeon Alphabet"'s randsomely description of the dank below, "TheWilderness Alphabet" takes on the great expanse of adventure between civilization and the local mad wizard's dungeons.  The subtitle says what this fun, little book is all about.

"A Collection of Random Charts, Tables, and Ideas for use with various Games of Imagination."

[aside: Games of Imagination, that's pretty bad ass description of how I view RPGs.  Very much like that "game" is first.  Imagination encompasses much more of the fun I have than 'role playing' (which always made think of maid costumes...).]


Digest sized, little more than 60 pages, nicely printed and perfect bound by Lulu, $9.00.  The cover art is
 great.  In fact the whole design/art direction of the book is great.  One of the best "indie self-publication" (and I imply no belittlement by that label) I've seen.  The art is mostly public domain.  But there's lots of it and it has been expertly chosen/laid out. Greatly complimenting the various charts and tables.  Just like the in the best RPG products the art spurs the reader's imagination and gets their ideas flowing.  Included is a list of illustration credits.  It's not only classy to give attribution but also enables the reader to pursue a particular artwork or artist that caught their fancy.  A small touch, but a nice one.


"The Wilderness Alphabet" contains 26 "chapters". One for each letter of the alphabet (in case you were vague on the concept).  Not satisfied with just those the author included additional material at the end; Bonus Tables (undead, places, powers, weapons and the like), Colorful NPCs, Strange Sounds, Gods and Goddesses, Mines and an alternate letter 'L' is for Labyrinth.  Built into the Table of Contents for the 'letter' chapters is a d100 chart, very cool.  One feature I especially like is how the author has put little anecdotes from his own games/campaigns here and there. For example;

"... an annual tournament called the "Mythrilman" competition. Fighters Paladins and Rangers (some Monks too) would compete in a series of three events. Each event testing a different element of their martial prowess. ..."

Mythrilman, that's straight up cool.

Overall "The Wilderness Alphabet" is a great book/tool for DM's, I highly recommend it.  It's handy, short (not overwhelming), fun to read and use.  It inspires.  Immensely useful when creating a wilderness (I recently used it to help fill in some blank spots on my GnG campaign map).  Or even more so, for when your players take the "other" road.  The one that leads to "you have no idea".  Call a 5min snack/bathroom break.  Grab your copy of "The Wilderness Alphabet", some dice, and rock out.  Games of the Imagination indeed!

Temple of Elemental Evil PC Game at GOG

$6.00  The Temple of Elemental Evil

[I've bought a few games from GOG, had no problems / recommend them.]

[UPDATE: I forget to mention the Circle of Eight forum/community that maintains patches and mods for this game.  The patches are necessary! http://www.co8.org/forum/. See also http://www.sorcerers.net/Games/ToEE/index_misc.php]

Many people hated this game. They were wrong.  If you like turn based, party building, D&D and can get over the 3.5ness (btw it follows the 3.5 rules very well, in fact I learned 3.5 from this game) then ToEE is a game you should play.

suck on my Ice Storm bitches!

I've talked (ranted) about ToEE (PC game and original adventure) before and don't have time to "sell' it to you now.  Search this blog for toee or the internet for; njharman toee.  But, really for "$6, don't even hafto get up from your chair" you owe yourself to check it out.

Worldwide D&D Day: Gamma World

[Announcement from my FLGS's newsletter... I'm excited but fear the worst.]


Grab a friend and get ready to celebrate the launch of the new D&D Gamma World Boxed Set. Mutate a brave new hero and be ready to take on just about anything! Experience the return of an old classic in a new play experience using the D&D 4th Edition rules engine! The D&D Gamma World game is a fast, furious romp through a post-apocalyptic Earth where mutant heroes face-off against killer robots, alien weirdness, and strange irradiated creatures.

Gamma World Game Day: Trouble in Freesboro

It’s shocking how the Big Mistake completely obliterated some places while others got by relatively unscathed. Freesboro falls into the latter camp, but if Genghis Tangh has his way, life will never be the same for the mutants of Gamma Terra. Delve into the origins of the Big Mistake as you take on Tangh and his forces! Pick up a D&D Gamma World Boxed Set, a few booster packs of power cards, and create your own characters in an exciting new Game Day experience! A D&D Gamma World Game Day adventure designed for 4-6 characters of 1st level.

An exclusive 4-hour adventure called Trouble in Freesboro, written by Robert Schwalb, includes an online feature to the game that if accessed during game play can provide the players with a valuable clue. Players purchase 2 D&D Gamma World booster packs and create their own characters when they arrive at a participating location to play. DMs are required to have a copy of the D&D Gamma World Boxed Set and the adventure materials, available prior to the event day in the game day kit, to prepare to run their game. In addition to a poster map and the adventure, the game day kit also contains 2 different D&D Gamma World cards, available nowhere else, and awarded to players and DMs just for participating!

Dragon's Lair Comics & Fantasy® Austin

WHEN: October 23, 2010 REGISTRATION: Register Here!

• Session I: 1:00 PM
• Session II: 6:00 PM

We'd Just Been Absolutely Out Roleplayed

A post of screen shot from some forum from Reddit.com. 

The Text

I recall a group almost ten years ago where "THAT GUY" was a relatively new player to our group and we'd agreed the game was going to be about mid-high fantasy ND heroics - So he shows up with this drunken old man lout of a fighter. Meanwhile were all playing young kind of weeaboo anime hero types.

We tolerated him and how often he'd talk about how drunk, smelly. and generally obnoxious his character was. He would use metagame knowledge to make fun of our characters in character, laughing at us when we'd get knocked out, calling us cowards when we failed our fear checks, and the OM would take pity on us and just kind of give us "let it slide" looks and let us take rerolls.

We'd bitch about it between sessions and we sort of grew to hate the guy as a player: His character would go onto long diatribes about dungeons and gold and how useless we were and we'd get into hour long arguments where the OM would constantly have to remind us all to "keep it IC " Anyway this campaign goes on for at least a year, and the storyline is kind of climaxing and a OMNPC gets kidnapped, so after another argument session we get convinced by THAT GUY" to take a suicide mission and storm a castle, and he s basically yelling at us IRL we have to do it.

So when we agree, he leaves the room with the OM for a few minutes. and we assume this s all some metaplot how his going to fuck us over and steal our shit. They come back in as if nothing had happened. Session continues but we're all on guard. assuming something is up. We storm the castle or whatever, and have a lot of fun, not really noticing that this guy has stopped being so obnoxious. He hasn't once mentioned how his character reeks of whiskey or onions or whatever, though he wastes a good five minutes explaining how his character shaved his beard. Whatever. we just assume the OM talked to him about how it was annoying us. Epic battles ensue and Fast forward to face off with the BBEG. some Lich thing and the fight isnt going so well.
We're getting spanked. our Cleric is down. and Mr. Fighter has a haste and out of nowhere he goes. "I rush to Cedric (the Cleric) and slap him 'GET UP YOU COWARD'." At this point I groan but the OM is like "Cedric, you're back up with XX HP." Then Mr. "Fighter" goes "I turn to the Lich and I smite him." And suddenly it clicked for all of us.
Fucker had been playing a Paladin the entire time. His insults were his lay-on-hands and calling us out as cowards were his Anti-fear aura. He wasn't That Guy." 'we were "that guy" and we'd just been absolutely out roleplayed for almost a year.

The discussion page on Reddit.