Ive finally gotten to the bottom of the L5R problem, and it wasn't me.
Being a bit of an empathic, I was picking up on the general attitude towards the game from the other players and it was manifesting itself into my own negative thoughts.
To be fair, the GM was winging the game to suit our whims within certain of his own boundaries of the overall story he wanted to tell.
So we agreed amongst the players who were attended that we should rest the game indefinitely and maybe return to it some time much later in the future.
And in its place, I'm running Mutants and Masterminds 2nd edition superhero campaign.
edit 2014 - I later discovered that several of the players also had issues with the Asian names and nomenclature which added to general confusion.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Something is Going Wrong, and I dont know what
Something is going wrong with our RPG group and I dont know what.
We're still playing Legend of the Five Rings, a game I adore before we started playing earlier this year, and having played it for the first time, I still love it to death. But I have found myself for the 3rd time in as many sessions really not enjoying the session at all.
Firstly we have 2 new players, one is a go along with the crowd kind of guy who is intelligent, smart and funny, but enjoys playing the intelligent warrior type. The other player is a post university student who is careful in his actions and thought processes.
Added to this mix a turbulent few weeks, different venue for each session, plus a couple of players finding it temporarily hard to get to the game (only short term).
My problems is I really am not enjoying it at all. Now I dont know if its ME, the new PLAYERS, the GAME/GM, or the GROUP.
I need to analyse this a little further, but I need to work fast, as at this rate, I would have clocked up almost a month's worth of gaming wherein Im not enjoying myself.
I intend to discuss this with the GM, who is also a good friend of mine too.
We're still playing Legend of the Five Rings, a game I adore before we started playing earlier this year, and having played it for the first time, I still love it to death. But I have found myself for the 3rd time in as many sessions really not enjoying the session at all.
Firstly we have 2 new players, one is a go along with the crowd kind of guy who is intelligent, smart and funny, but enjoys playing the intelligent warrior type. The other player is a post university student who is careful in his actions and thought processes.
Added to this mix a turbulent few weeks, different venue for each session, plus a couple of players finding it temporarily hard to get to the game (only short term).
My problems is I really am not enjoying it at all. Now I dont know if its ME, the new PLAYERS, the GAME/GM, or the GROUP.
I need to analyse this a little further, but I need to work fast, as at this rate, I would have clocked up almost a month's worth of gaming wherein Im not enjoying myself.
I intend to discuss this with the GM, who is also a good friend of mine too.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Legend of the Five Rings
We played L5R last night, and despite the low player number (GM + 2 Players + 1 New Player) it went rather well.
4 of the players couldnt make it, all for genuine reasons. Im well aware of the summer break being a big issue for getting players back on the RPG wagon.
Still it gave me the chance to catch up on my notes, create a new character for the new player and get underway with a small side-trek to introduce combat and more background story.
One of the nice side-effects of running a smaller group of characters is that they get to perform roles they dont normally entertain. So our resident ninja/shinobi was virtually forced to fight face-to-face as opposed to sitting in the trees and picking off targets.
Next week we should be back up to our normal quota of players 7 + 1GM.
One other bit of good news was I got my hands on Legend of the Burning Sands.
Using the same system as L5R, this game has been promised for over 10 years, something the back-blurb at least is honest in mentioning. Its still in its sellophane wrap having been bought on my behalf from www.leisuregames.com. Im looking forward to a quiet evening this week to savour every page.
4 of the players couldnt make it, all for genuine reasons. Im well aware of the summer break being a big issue for getting players back on the RPG wagon.
Still it gave me the chance to catch up on my notes, create a new character for the new player and get underway with a small side-trek to introduce combat and more background story.
One of the nice side-effects of running a smaller group of characters is that they get to perform roles they dont normally entertain. So our resident ninja/shinobi was virtually forced to fight face-to-face as opposed to sitting in the trees and picking off targets.
Next week we should be back up to our normal quota of players 7 + 1GM.
One other bit of good news was I got my hands on Legend of the Burning Sands.
Using the same system as L5R, this game has been promised for over 10 years, something the back-blurb at least is honest in mentioning. Its still in its sellophane wrap having been bought on my behalf from www.leisuregames.com. Im looking forward to a quiet evening this week to savour every page.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
L5R Pt 3 & 4
Our GM is ready to start running the 3rd and 4th parts of his Legend of the Five Rings campaign, with the added extra element of the recently released, Legend of the Burning Sands, an addon that AEG has been promising for over 10 years.
Its the first session after my summer break, and I came back to the group finding out that as usual its hard to get everyone back into the routine again.
Of the 8 of us playing, 3 are out of action due to work, holiday or family pressures, but normal service will resume. I dont mind this as it moves the emphasis around between the players. If one player/character is a little loud and likes to be the centre of attention, when they are not there for a week or so, the dynamics of the group and adventure changes, and generally for the better (only int he short term.)
Gurth, our GM for L5R, has written parts 3 & 4 back to back and will run them as such. I have been taking lots of notes as we play, as I have a terrible memory between sessions, and as the resident Scorpion, I need to keep up to date with all the intrigue going on. I am not sure I will write them up until after the campaign is over, as Im not the greatest fan of "actual play".
Its the first session after my summer break, and I came back to the group finding out that as usual its hard to get everyone back into the routine again.
Of the 8 of us playing, 3 are out of action due to work, holiday or family pressures, but normal service will resume. I dont mind this as it moves the emphasis around between the players. If one player/character is a little loud and likes to be the centre of attention, when they are not there for a week or so, the dynamics of the group and adventure changes, and generally for the better (only int he short term.)
Gurth, our GM for L5R, has written parts 3 & 4 back to back and will run them as such. I have been taking lots of notes as we play, as I have a terrible memory between sessions, and as the resident Scorpion, I need to keep up to date with all the intrigue going on. I am not sure I will write them up until after the campaign is over, as Im not the greatest fan of "actual play".
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Back from the Med
After a 2 week jaunt throughout the island of Corfu, Im back, and pumped up with ideas for both my MERP campaign, and also a couple of other game ideas.
Firstly because it was just me and the wife, I was able to read a lot as well as undertake lots of reading too, which in part was the inspiration for the games, but also because I was without the usual distractions of TV, the Internet, and phones as well as work, I was able to focus on writing, and lots of it. Pen and paper, no word processing here.
Although the MERP campaign has already been written, I wrote in during my barren playing days in the early 90s, it was written in a vacuum, without play-testing. As I may have previously mentioned, this is the 4th time I have attempted to run this game, and so therefore the early parts of the game are "well-oiled". So far they have enjoyed the comfort of Bree, and gotten to know the surroundings and the people rather well. Every encounter revealing a little more of the dark plot ahead. Now I am moving onto what I would class as 2nd stage of the game, and has yet to be even play-tested, let alone proof-read. Still I am sure in the intervening years I have got better at running and winging games without the facade falling away.
The next stage is therefore the apparently simple journey to the ruins of Rivendell (this is the 4th age afterall) to see the wisdom of the few that remain, and get answers to why there are many factions of orcs roaming what used to be considered safe lands. As a stream of consciousness I wrote 12 pages of A4 notes in one sitting without pause. There was quite a bit on my mind.
The other material I began work on was the early stages of a Superhero game, but I want to "poll" my group and see what they would expect or want from a superpowered game.
The other major focus on my writing was Dune. No no no. Im not one of the lucky who bought a GenCon copy or each paid out over £ 150.
I am ashamed to say I have acquired a PDF copy of the book, and what little I have read, its rather bland and uninventive. Regardless I will use it as the basis for a Dune campaign. For me, I am sufficiently happy to use a simple home-brew system using coloured counters representing traits along with a "troupe" style of play. I also possess a "printers error" copy of the Dune Encyclopedia which is all the background material I need to run a game.
Firstly because it was just me and the wife, I was able to read a lot as well as undertake lots of reading too, which in part was the inspiration for the games, but also because I was without the usual distractions of TV, the Internet, and phones as well as work, I was able to focus on writing, and lots of it. Pen and paper, no word processing here.
Although the MERP campaign has already been written, I wrote in during my barren playing days in the early 90s, it was written in a vacuum, without play-testing. As I may have previously mentioned, this is the 4th time I have attempted to run this game, and so therefore the early parts of the game are "well-oiled". So far they have enjoyed the comfort of Bree, and gotten to know the surroundings and the people rather well. Every encounter revealing a little more of the dark plot ahead. Now I am moving onto what I would class as 2nd stage of the game, and has yet to be even play-tested, let alone proof-read. Still I am sure in the intervening years I have got better at running and winging games without the facade falling away.
The next stage is therefore the apparently simple journey to the ruins of Rivendell (this is the 4th age afterall) to see the wisdom of the few that remain, and get answers to why there are many factions of orcs roaming what used to be considered safe lands. As a stream of consciousness I wrote 12 pages of A4 notes in one sitting without pause. There was quite a bit on my mind.
The other material I began work on was the early stages of a Superhero game, but I want to "poll" my group and see what they would expect or want from a superpowered game.
The other major focus on my writing was Dune. No no no. Im not one of the lucky who bought a GenCon copy or each paid out over £ 150.
I am ashamed to say I have acquired a PDF copy of the book, and what little I have read, its rather bland and uninventive. Regardless I will use it as the basis for a Dune campaign. For me, I am sufficiently happy to use a simple home-brew system using coloured counters representing traits along with a "troupe" style of play. I also possess a "printers error" copy of the Dune Encyclopedia which is all the background material I need to run a game.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Vampire in the Wings?
No game this week, as previously mentioned, but we did have a summer jolly last night (Saturday) and got drunk to the early hours on the morning in our cowboy and indian themed party.
During the drunk preceedings we think we maybe have recruited a new player with the lure that we dont just play fantasy and science fiction, but horror games like Vampire.
Oddly enough I passed it off as drunk ramblings, but today I have received 2 phone calls from people saying they want in on a Vampire game. Who am I to disappoint, but there is the small matter of MERP to finish first.
During the drunk preceedings we think we maybe have recruited a new player with the lure that we dont just play fantasy and science fiction, but horror games like Vampire.
Oddly enough I passed it off as drunk ramblings, but today I have received 2 phone calls from people saying they want in on a Vampire game. Who am I to disappoint, but there is the small matter of MERP to finish first.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
MERP, Holiday and Hawkwind (Starblazers)
An odd mix to talk about, but there you go.
The MERP campaign has finished it's first "book". They have discovered a growing plot in the north, specifically around Angmar and are about to travel to Rivendell for a meeting of great minds. Yes its full of cliches but the players are loving it.
Im off for 3 weeks to Corfu, its my first holiday of the year, and I intend (apart from spending copious amounts of time with my wife) to read 2 or 3 books whilst on the beach. Rumbling through my unread collection (which is shocking despite having not bought any books for almost 5 years) I think Im going to settle on 3 books - 2 fantasy, and 1 sci-fi. I havent made my mind up and it may yet change.
Still very excited about the Starblazers RPG, and been listening to my version of the Rock n Roll soundtrack to go with the game. Hawkwind - Master of the Universe album. Very prog/space rock, totally incoherent and derided, but to me Hawkwind used to make the kind of noise which goes perfectly with the space opera style that Starblazer would expect.
The MERP campaign has finished it's first "book". They have discovered a growing plot in the north, specifically around Angmar and are about to travel to Rivendell for a meeting of great minds. Yes its full of cliches but the players are loving it.
Im off for 3 weeks to Corfu, its my first holiday of the year, and I intend (apart from spending copious amounts of time with my wife) to read 2 or 3 books whilst on the beach. Rumbling through my unread collection (which is shocking despite having not bought any books for almost 5 years) I think Im going to settle on 3 books - 2 fantasy, and 1 sci-fi. I havent made my mind up and it may yet change.
Still very excited about the Starblazers RPG, and been listening to my version of the Rock n Roll soundtrack to go with the game. Hawkwind - Master of the Universe album. Very prog/space rock, totally incoherent and derided, but to me Hawkwind used to make the kind of noise which goes perfectly with the space opera style that Starblazer would expect.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Life after MERP
So whats next on the GM front?
Well, we have L5R all ready from our other GM, which I believe is going to be a double barrel campaign, i.e. he is going to be combining 2 adventures into 1.
This suits me fine as it gives me more time to canvas for whats next and give me time to develop some ideas.
Off the top of my head;
Werewolf: Dark Ages - I need to finish off the 3rd part in my time-travelling trilogy.
MERP - I'm sure the guys wont let this game disappear, as they all seem to be having a blast.
Deadlands - this one kinda died because of 2 players who didnt like the system or the world. Of the remaining players, they all loved it. Of the 2 players who didnt like the game, 1 has left and the other is an infrequent attendee.
And as for new games, well there is Hollow Earth Expedition a pulpy action game that manages to merge every element of the genre I love. And then there is the very new Starblazers RPG, a space opera RPG I have been anticipating for a year or so now.
I am sure there are others, like RuneQuest, a game I had prepared before MERP took over, that Id like to run, say a Big Rubble/Pavis game.
Well, we have L5R all ready from our other GM, which I believe is going to be a double barrel campaign, i.e. he is going to be combining 2 adventures into 1.
This suits me fine as it gives me more time to canvas for whats next and give me time to develop some ideas.
Off the top of my head;
Werewolf: Dark Ages - I need to finish off the 3rd part in my time-travelling trilogy.
MERP - I'm sure the guys wont let this game disappear, as they all seem to be having a blast.
Deadlands - this one kinda died because of 2 players who didnt like the system or the world. Of the remaining players, they all loved it. Of the 2 players who didnt like the game, 1 has left and the other is an infrequent attendee.
And as for new games, well there is Hollow Earth Expedition a pulpy action game that manages to merge every element of the genre I love. And then there is the very new Starblazers RPG, a space opera RPG I have been anticipating for a year or so now.
I am sure there are others, like RuneQuest, a game I had prepared before MERP took over, that Id like to run, say a Big Rubble/Pavis game.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Burning Sands - The L5R Game they have been promising for years...
According to the Leisure Games website AEG have finally gotten their finger out of their asses and will be publishing This.
Legend of the Burning Sands is the add-on game which was heavily featured in the L5R Collectible Card Game, but got overlooked when it came to making it a role-playing game.
Certainly it was the lure of playing something akin to Arabian Nights and all of its derivative genre, whilst maintaining the system of L5R and its ethos.
Definitely one to pre-order.
Edit 2014 - what a load of rubbish, a poorly fluff ridden book that added little to the game.
Legend of the Burning Sands is the add-on game which was heavily featured in the L5R Collectible Card Game, but got overlooked when it came to making it a role-playing game.
Certainly it was the lure of playing something akin to Arabian Nights and all of its derivative genre, whilst maintaining the system of L5R and its ethos.
Definitely one to pre-order.
Edit 2014 - what a load of rubbish, a poorly fluff ridden book that added little to the game.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Penultimate MERP Session
This Sunday sees the penultimate session of my MERP campaign before we head back to Legend of the Five Rings.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as well as wanting to return to it.
One of the problems Ive battled with is maintaining the Tolkien feel of the game which on a personal level I think I have failed on. I canvas the players to get their opinions regularly as I often find out that my perception of how the game is going rarely matches up to the players opinion.
For instance, when I ran my 7th Sea game quite often Id have what I would class as a bad session and the players said they have a great time. And when I ran what I thought was a good session, they said that it was incredibly enjoyable.
With this MERP campaign I have sown seeds of foreshadowing and set up story elements for later in the story. Im pleased that 2 or 3 of the 5 players are keeping detailed notes, partly at my suggestion, but mostly because of the rich nature of the game there is a lot going on.
I have managed to get the players used to low atmospheric music, and candlelight to enhance the mood, as well as encouraging the players to not debate their actions for hours at a time, but rather to act. Because if they don't act then the enemies act anyhow. This way I found that the characters and heroes' nature comes out. That heroes leap into battle and defense of the weak, whilst cowards slink to the back.
Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as well as wanting to return to it.
One of the problems Ive battled with is maintaining the Tolkien feel of the game which on a personal level I think I have failed on. I canvas the players to get their opinions regularly as I often find out that my perception of how the game is going rarely matches up to the players opinion.
For instance, when I ran my 7th Sea game quite often Id have what I would class as a bad session and the players said they have a great time. And when I ran what I thought was a good session, they said that it was incredibly enjoyable.
With this MERP campaign I have sown seeds of foreshadowing and set up story elements for later in the story. Im pleased that 2 or 3 of the 5 players are keeping detailed notes, partly at my suggestion, but mostly because of the rich nature of the game there is a lot going on.
I have managed to get the players used to low atmospheric music, and candlelight to enhance the mood, as well as encouraging the players to not debate their actions for hours at a time, but rather to act. Because if they don't act then the enemies act anyhow. This way I found that the characters and heroes' nature comes out. That heroes leap into battle and defense of the weak, whilst cowards slink to the back.
Friday, July 4, 2008
MERP - Bree Campaign
So this Sunday is the 3rd session in my fill-in MERP game. One of the players in the group has permanently has quit because he didn't like the way we chopped around the games too much.
Had I know he was going to quit (and the writing was on the wall weeks beforehand) I'd have gone back to Deadlands for a "season", a game which the departed player had immense dislike for.
As it stands now there is 7 of us, which is a lovely sized group, I think we have room for one more player, and I have my sights set on one guy in particular who has been out of the gaming scene for a few years.
Going back to MERP, because its the first time I've run it since the trilogy of films came out earlier this millennium, there are high levels of expectation both from me and the players. The hardest part of running MERP is not the looking up of tables and charts (a less bothersome task than when I ran Rolemaster), but rather keeping the feel and flavour of Tolkien's world. MERP is a game at odds with me as a GM because of the magic.
The magic rules for MERP really spoil the game, and trivial daily spell items and even 1st level spells can impact the game on a regular basis more so than Gandalf ever could dream of. The way I have found to reign in their wanton power is to have consequence. Everything they do has consequences.
You want to start pulling of magical powers? Fine, then the locals populace are going to be turning to YOU to solve their problems. The roving band of black orcs are looking at taming a part of Rhudaur , then they need to eliminate the problem "party" first.
Had I know he was going to quit (and the writing was on the wall weeks beforehand) I'd have gone back to Deadlands for a "season", a game which the departed player had immense dislike for.
As it stands now there is 7 of us, which is a lovely sized group, I think we have room for one more player, and I have my sights set on one guy in particular who has been out of the gaming scene for a few years.
Going back to MERP, because its the first time I've run it since the trilogy of films came out earlier this millennium, there are high levels of expectation both from me and the players. The hardest part of running MERP is not the looking up of tables and charts (a less bothersome task than when I ran Rolemaster), but rather keeping the feel and flavour of Tolkien's world. MERP is a game at odds with me as a GM because of the magic.
The magic rules for MERP really spoil the game, and trivial daily spell items and even 1st level spells can impact the game on a regular basis more so than Gandalf ever could dream of. The way I have found to reign in their wanton power is to have consequence. Everything they do has consequences.
You want to start pulling of magical powers? Fine, then the locals populace are going to be turning to YOU to solve their problems. The roving band of black orcs are looking at taming a part of Rhudaur , then they need to eliminate the problem "party" first.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
John Wick's Dirty Words
I am unashamedly a fan of John Wick (
wickedthought). Both as a GM and as a games designer. He is, afterall, responsible for 2 of my favourite role-playing games, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. He has also written Orkworld, a game which I treasure.
Well now he has started doing video blogs on youtube which he links to on his Livejournal account using the "Play Dirty" tagline. In it he gives out words of wisdom which I recommend to any GM. Yes he is opinionated, and some people have a real problem with him, but invest just 10 minutes and see if it is worth your time checking him out for the future.
John Wick - Play Dirty
wickedthought). Both as a GM and as a games designer. He is, afterall, responsible for 2 of my favourite role-playing games, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. He has also written Orkworld, a game which I treasure.Well now he has started doing video blogs on youtube which he links to on his Livejournal account using the "Play Dirty" tagline. In it he gives out words of wisdom which I recommend to any GM. Yes he is opinionated, and some people have a real problem with him, but invest just 10 minutes and see if it is worth your time checking him out for the future.
John Wick - Play Dirty
John Wick's Dirty Words
I am unashamedly a fan of John Wick (wickedthought). Both as a GM and as a games designer. He is, afterall, responsible for 2 of my favourite role-playing games, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. He has also written Orkworld, a game which I treasure.
Well now he has started doing video blogs on youtube which he links to on his Livejournal account using the "Play Dirty" tagline. In it he gives out words of wisdom which I recommend to any GM. Yes he is opinionated, and some people have a real problem with him, but invest just 10 minutes and see if it is worth your time checking him out for the future.
John Wick - Play Dirty
wickedthought). Both as a GM and as a games designer. He is, afterall, responsible for 2 of my favourite role-playing games, 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings. He has also written Orkworld, a game which I treasure.Well now he has started doing video blogs on youtube which he links to on his Livejournal account using the "Play Dirty" tagline. In it he gives out words of wisdom which I recommend to any GM. Yes he is opinionated, and some people have a real problem with him, but invest just 10 minutes and see if it is worth your time checking him out for the future.
John Wick - Play Dirty
Monday, June 30, 2008
MERP and Ever After
2 sessions into my MERP adventure/side trek, which has the capability of going to a full campaign and having lots of fun with it.
The other DM in our group, he who is running the Legend of the Five Rings campaign, is mooting that he'd like to run a Godlike game. Godlike, for those of you who haven't heard of it, and I don't blame you for not, is a game set during the major WW2 conflict zones wherein some, all or none of the players are "Talents". Talents being super-powered heroes.
What makes godlike different from other superhero games is (a) the 1 die roll combat, damage and location system, but also (b) the fact that there is no spandex to be worn. Just because you are a hero, doesnt make you bullet proof.
Its an interesting idea, not one Im super crazy about, but seeing as Greg Stolze designed the gaming system, based on a concept idea by Dennis Detwiller, is enough to make me sit up and pay attention.
The other DM in our group, he who is running the Legend of the Five Rings campaign, is mooting that he'd like to run a Godlike game. Godlike, for those of you who haven't heard of it, and I don't blame you for not, is a game set during the major WW2 conflict zones wherein some, all or none of the players are "Talents". Talents being super-powered heroes.
What makes godlike different from other superhero games is (a) the 1 die roll combat, damage and location system, but also (b) the fact that there is no spandex to be worn. Just because you are a hero, doesnt make you bullet proof.
Its an interesting idea, not one Im super crazy about, but seeing as Greg Stolze designed the gaming system, based on a concept idea by Dennis Detwiller, is enough to make me sit up and pay attention.
Monday, June 16, 2008
MERP PDFs Online
Life is starting to get back to normal after a break with no internet.
Our Legend of the Five Rings game has ended its 2nd story arc and has gone on the back-burner for a couple of months whilst I run one of the following games. I tried to woo my group with either RuneQuest, MERP, Vampire or to give 3/4th Edition DND a shot.
Oddly they all jumped on RuneQuest, until I realised that I have left all my RQ material with my parents in Spain.
So with less than a week to go, I have decided its going to be MERP, which the crew seem happy to indulge me on. Whilst searching the internet for character sheets, as Ill be using the 2nd Collector's Edition of MERP I stumbled across this website which not only is a great source of MERP related goodies and information, but is also home to virtually every ICE/MERP product in PDF form.
www.merp.com
Now I have no idea of the legal nature of a website holding such documents, after all its illegal isnt it? The website does appear to claim that seeing as ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises) doesnt exist, or that TE (Tolkien Enterprises) has no claim over these products, they are essentially public domain.
Either way, ICE and TE have issued Cease & Desist order and managed to get them to removed a couple of the PDFs listed.
I cant imagine they will exist for long, so Ill leave it to your conscience as to whether you want them for free or buy them on Ebay.
Our Legend of the Five Rings game has ended its 2nd story arc and has gone on the back-burner for a couple of months whilst I run one of the following games. I tried to woo my group with either RuneQuest, MERP, Vampire or to give 3/4th Edition DND a shot.
Oddly they all jumped on RuneQuest, until I realised that I have left all my RQ material with my parents in Spain.
So with less than a week to go, I have decided its going to be MERP, which the crew seem happy to indulge me on. Whilst searching the internet for character sheets, as Ill be using the 2nd Collector's Edition of MERP I stumbled across this website which not only is a great source of MERP related goodies and information, but is also home to virtually every ICE/MERP product in PDF form.
www.merp.com
Now I have no idea of the legal nature of a website holding such documents, after all its illegal isnt it? The website does appear to claim that seeing as ICE (Iron Crown Enterprises) doesnt exist, or that TE (Tolkien Enterprises) has no claim over these products, they are essentially public domain.
Either way, ICE and TE have issued Cease & Desist order and managed to get them to removed a couple of the PDFs listed.
I cant imagine they will exist for long, so Ill leave it to your conscience as to whether you want them for free or buy them on Ebay.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Deadlands Part 1
Deadlands started this weekend and with mixed emotions I thought it went well.
Despite it being a character creation/finishing off session, plus an introduction to the world of Deadlands, and then followed by a way of getting all the characters together, the party still managed to "burn" its way through half of the pre-written adventure, the 3rd Dime Novel, Independence Day.
I had anticipated it would last 4 or 5 sessions, but these guys are on fire and doing well. The reason I started with Dime Novel 3, is because I had already run with 2 of the same group the first two Dime Novels all of which went very well.
I loved having the playing cards and poker chips in my hands, the game system really helps the wild weird west feel.
I mentioned at the beginning the session was with mixed emotions. The reason I said that was because one of the players has decided to withdraw from the group claiming he is gaming too much to want to participate. There were other reasons, e.g. he said he didnt really feel the wild west was a game for him, but fuck it, Im not letting a player hold the rest of the group to ransom. Im sticking with deadlands as the other 3 players want more. Ive pandered to a player in the past and it never works out.
Im struggling to keep the group together as despite it changing and morphing over the last 8 years, I still see this group as mine, but Im not foolish enough to think it is only I who matters. I am trying to recruit a couple of new players, we shall see how that goes, plus I am tentatively thinking about merging this group with another, but that will require some serious thought.
Despite it being a character creation/finishing off session, plus an introduction to the world of Deadlands, and then followed by a way of getting all the characters together, the party still managed to "burn" its way through half of the pre-written adventure, the 3rd Dime Novel, Independence Day.
I had anticipated it would last 4 or 5 sessions, but these guys are on fire and doing well. The reason I started with Dime Novel 3, is because I had already run with 2 of the same group the first two Dime Novels all of which went very well.
I loved having the playing cards and poker chips in my hands, the game system really helps the wild weird west feel.
I mentioned at the beginning the session was with mixed emotions. The reason I said that was because one of the players has decided to withdraw from the group claiming he is gaming too much to want to participate. There were other reasons, e.g. he said he didnt really feel the wild west was a game for him, but fuck it, Im not letting a player hold the rest of the group to ransom. Im sticking with deadlands as the other 3 players want more. Ive pandered to a player in the past and it never works out.
Im struggling to keep the group together as despite it changing and morphing over the last 8 years, I still see this group as mine, but Im not foolish enough to think it is only I who matters. I am trying to recruit a couple of new players, we shall see how that goes, plus I am tentatively thinking about merging this group with another, but that will require some serious thought.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Storygames (White Wolf et al)
I think Ive finally sussed out what I hate White Wolf and their storyteller game system. Its not because of the overly detailed and unnecessary background or the false tempting of you becoming a goth monster. Oh no, its something much more fundamental than that.
When I run a role-playing game, it is just that, a game in which we assume roles and we have fun with the way the dice roll. With WW, its more about the story. So in essence, DND is a collective game in which the GM decides to the plot and the encounters and impartially alters the game according to the actions of the players and hence the players are telling their own story and making their own legends happen. With say Werewolf or any of the other games in the WW stable, its more about the GM (or quite rightfully Storyteller) telling the rest of the players stories about their character, with little or NO real valid input from the player.
Its almost childish in its simplicity. The player creates a monster/character that they want to play, give it to the Storyteller to come up with a fun and exciting and dangerous and epic adventure about their character.
Well I have news for you. As the GM I'm too fucking busy running the game interpreting the rules to be babysitting for a bunch of werewolves.
animalball (64.234.17.78)
evilref (86.41.97.203)
lawbag (83.104.27.178)
When I run a role-playing game, it is just that, a game in which we assume roles and we have fun with the way the dice roll. With WW, its more about the story. So in essence, DND is a collective game in which the GM decides to the plot and the encounters and impartially alters the game according to the actions of the players and hence the players are telling their own story and making their own legends happen. With say Werewolf or any of the other games in the WW stable, its more about the GM (or quite rightfully Storyteller) telling the rest of the players stories about their character, with little or NO real valid input from the player.
Its almost childish in its simplicity. The player creates a monster/character that they want to play, give it to the Storyteller to come up with a fun and exciting and dangerous and epic adventure about their character.
Well I have news for you. As the GM I'm too fucking busy running the game interpreting the rules to be babysitting for a bunch of werewolves.
animalball (64.234.17.78)
18th Mar, 2008 17:43 (local)
I think that's a pretty simple division that I think I agree with. Granted, different systems can be played different ways. But generally I think you're correct in the differentiating game play styles of 3.5 and WW.
evilref (86.41.97.203)
18th Mar, 2008 21:46 (local)
The question of how much the "storyteller" tells a story is not really about White Wolf. It's just down to personal style. I prefer to tell a story myself -- but not about immature teenage vampires, thanks.
lawbag (83.104.27.178)
19th Mar, 2008 14:54 (local)
the observation came out of running a pure fantasy game (Rolemaster/Freeport campaign) on the back of running Werewolf The Apocalypse and the comparison in the amount of in and out of game work required.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Conventions? Whats the Point? (Old Blog)
This is likely to be a rant I will come back to, but I have to ask the question, "Whats the point of RPG Conventions, or indeed conventions in general?". Don't confuse this with trade shows which are entirely different beasts, but having read some reviews, experiences and issues with conventions I must ask Whats The Point?
The only attractions I can see is
(a) meeting gamers from other parts of the country (or world) "oh cool, you have 8-sided dice too!"
(b) finding out about games you might not have seen before from publishers you never heard before, and if you are reasonable getting your own signed copy too.
The Main Reasons for Not going
(a) meeting people you would never normally want to be seen dead with
(b) playing a demo game run by the creator of the game, buying the entire line (rules and 2 supplements) to find the game sucks, and the only person who could run the game was the creator.
(c) signing up for games which dont actually exist due to the GM signing up "ghost" games to ensure he gets in free and gets reduced accommodation.
(d) having a well thought out convention game ruined by ignoble/ignorant cock heads. What is the attraction of running a con game?
(e) staying in accommodation that is poor at best with people you dont really know. As has been mentioned, gamers arent the most hygenic of folk.
Usually these conventions are a 2 or 3 day affair. I can think of many good games to play with my group that why do I feel the need to meet strangers and play with them. The worst kind have to be the group that goes to a convention to play their game there? Erm, why.
Sorry not a very clever or even well thought out rant, but in the few conventions I have been to over the years I found no good reason to go, other than being with friends.
Originally posted 1st February 2006
The only attractions I can see is
(a) meeting gamers from other parts of the country (or world) "oh cool, you have 8-sided dice too!"
(b) finding out about games you might not have seen before from publishers you never heard before, and if you are reasonable getting your own signed copy too.
The Main Reasons for Not going
(a) meeting people you would never normally want to be seen dead with
(b) playing a demo game run by the creator of the game, buying the entire line (rules and 2 supplements) to find the game sucks, and the only person who could run the game was the creator.
(c) signing up for games which dont actually exist due to the GM signing up "ghost" games to ensure he gets in free and gets reduced accommodation.
(d) having a well thought out convention game ruined by ignoble/ignorant cock heads. What is the attraction of running a con game?
(e) staying in accommodation that is poor at best with people you dont really know. As has been mentioned, gamers arent the most hygenic of folk.
Usually these conventions are a 2 or 3 day affair. I can think of many good games to play with my group that why do I feel the need to meet strangers and play with them. The worst kind have to be the group that goes to a convention to play their game there? Erm, why.
Sorry not a very clever or even well thought out rant, but in the few conventions I have been to over the years I found no good reason to go, other than being with friends.
Originally posted 1st February 2006
Round Up of Events
I ran, what was supposed to be the final episode of Freeport (Rolemaster rules) and we missed the ending by an hour. So last session will happen this week and will have to dovetail with Deadlands. We did have a seat reserved for GG had he been watching in on the session to view the action and adventure. The session, whilst playing too long (i.e. the players got sidetracked and spent a lot of time doing heroic stuff not related to the adventure, but still important to them) did generate some fantastic solutions to difficult problems.
For instance, the docks of Freeport were locked down by Black Orcs who had occupied the town ensuring no boats entered the port or left. This left the players with a massive problem as they had an injured member of the party who they couldnt move (due to some serious criticals - thanks Rolemaster :-) ). But they injured party member could only be reached by boat as they had recently explored a rocky dungeon just off the coast of Freeport. What made matters worse was that the identity of the injured party member (a cleric no less) was well known to the black orcs and they had themselves offered a large reward for the cleric's capture.
One player, our resident rogue, went up to a pair of black orcs and offered the cleric up as a bounty as long as they shared the reward with him. The other players complained as they thought the rogue had sold the cleric up the river. This was made all the more tense as the rogue and cleric had had a long standing disagreement and had discussed this very situation before, i.e. selling the cleric out to the bad guys.
In return for helping the orcs and sharing the reward, they would need a boat to get there. And the rogue pretended to be "weak" meaning the orcs not only stole a boat to aid the party, but also rowed to the cave.
Suffice to say that the party ambushed the poor orcs and the cleric was saved, but not before choice words were spoken between the two protagonists.
For instance, the docks of Freeport were locked down by Black Orcs who had occupied the town ensuring no boats entered the port or left. This left the players with a massive problem as they had an injured member of the party who they couldnt move (due to some serious criticals - thanks Rolemaster :-) ). But they injured party member could only be reached by boat as they had recently explored a rocky dungeon just off the coast of Freeport. What made matters worse was that the identity of the injured party member (a cleric no less) was well known to the black orcs and they had themselves offered a large reward for the cleric's capture.
One player, our resident rogue, went up to a pair of black orcs and offered the cleric up as a bounty as long as they shared the reward with him. The other players complained as they thought the rogue had sold the cleric up the river. This was made all the more tense as the rogue and cleric had had a long standing disagreement and had discussed this very situation before, i.e. selling the cleric out to the bad guys.
In return for helping the orcs and sharing the reward, they would need a boat to get there. And the rogue pretended to be "weak" meaning the orcs not only stole a boat to aid the party, but also rowed to the cave.
Suffice to say that the party ambushed the poor orcs and the cleric was saved, but not before choice words were spoken between the two protagonists.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Freeport Trilogy Coming to an End
Ill post links to the full review of the trilogy, but generally my feeling to the adventure trilogy is I feel let down. I was hoping for some piratey naval high fantasy adventure, but what I got was down and dirty low fantasy more akin to Warhammer FRP
Friday, March 7, 2008
E Gary Gygax
I deliberately not posted anything regarding his death on this blog as I dont feel there is anything else to add to the combined heart-felt loss at his death.
I think it is fair to say that without Dungeons and Dragons, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, (2 games I didn't really play much as I cut my teeth on Tunnels and Trolls and RuneQuest and neither of which would exist without the 2 aforementioned games) there would be no role-playing games, pencil and paper or computer/console games.
These games have shaped my life more than I could possibly imagine. I genuinely could not envisage my life without role-playing. Thanks to GG I really did conquer new worlds, meet new people and kill them!
I think it is fair to say that without Dungeons and Dragons, Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, (2 games I didn't really play much as I cut my teeth on Tunnels and Trolls and RuneQuest and neither of which would exist without the 2 aforementioned games) there would be no role-playing games, pencil and paper or computer/console games.
These games have shaped my life more than I could possibly imagine. I genuinely could not envisage my life without role-playing. Thanks to GG I really did conquer new worlds, meet new people and kill them!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Goodbye to Romance (Old Blog)
Like any good thing, it must come to an end. Thats assuming that RPG.net was ever a good thing. Reading the comments on the sponsored links thread it is very clear they are staying, despite mixed feelings. Anything which modifies my postings or comments has to be evil, which is funny considering the only reason for doing it, according to the Moderator Shannon is for money! I've heard all the arguments and decided to leave.
Saying that there might be "something you like" or "you never know if they are advertising a product or service you want" just stinks. Well, I shall be doing whatever I can to close my account.
What I find odd is that in the UK I could set up an identical server situation, with the required level of bandwidth, domain name and storage capacity for roughly £120.00 a month. The costs they quote are either extortionate (i.e. they are being robbed) or they are creaming healthy profits off the top because of the amount of traffic they are generating.
Best wishes for the future.
EDIT - I cant find a way to delete my account, logging onto it to find out more will only encourage them more to point out my last log-in attempt. Im sure they wont miss me, but then I dont give a fuck.
EDIT - Lets see how long I can go without actually looking at the site.
Originally posted 01/02/2006
Saying that there might be "something you like" or "you never know if they are advertising a product or service you want" just stinks. Well, I shall be doing whatever I can to close my account.
What I find odd is that in the UK I could set up an identical server situation, with the required level of bandwidth, domain name and storage capacity for roughly £120.00 a month. The costs they quote are either extortionate (i.e. they are being robbed) or they are creaming healthy profits off the top because of the amount of traffic they are generating.
Best wishes for the future.
EDIT - I cant find a way to delete my account, logging onto it to find out more will only encourage them more to point out my last log-in attempt. Im sure they wont miss me, but then I dont give a fuck.
EDIT - Lets see how long I can go without actually looking at the site.
Originally posted 01/02/2006
Friday, February 1, 2008
Freeport then Deadlands
The Freeport/Rolemaster ship is finishing its final leg of its journey, as the Deadlands cruiser warms up in the dock.
Everything is ready for Deadlands, chips, dice, books, laminated reference sheets, maps, even sweets! But can I find a shop that sells playing cards? Can I fuck.
w00hoo (193.60.52.11)
lawbag (90.206.245.211)
Everything is ready for Deadlands, chips, dice, books, laminated reference sheets, maps, even sweets! But can I find a shop that sells playing cards? Can I fuck.
w00hoo (193.60.52.11)
5th Feb, 2008 13:49 (local)
If this is still the case, are you looking for something special?
Only I bought quite a few for the 1st ed Deadlands game I run at Cons.
Corner shops tend to sell dirt cheap packs of 'plain' playing cards if you just want cards.
Board Games shops (and so I guess some toy shops) sell funkier cards if you're after something a bit nicer. Compendium in Greenwich where I work has a load, for instance.
If you look around on line you can buy 'proper' 19th C style poker cards with no indices, just the shapes (i.e. 8 hearts on a 'blank' card). The only thing to be careful of is that those sort don't always have Jokers. With one of the packs I have I've had to 'create' jokers by amending the 'history' cards that came with them. Generally an internet site will tell you the number of cards in the pack and provided there are 54 you'll be able to do something.
For more flavour, there are decks out there with the Confederate and Yankie generals pictured on the playing surfaces. I've a particularly nice set with stills from Wild West films on them.
I've only come across one deck actually made by Hoyles but it was a jumbo print one. I still look around, but haven't become obsessed enough to actually seriously search them out. I have to admit to owning a copy of Hoyles card games though... :-)
Hope some of that helped.
Only I bought quite a few for the 1st ed Deadlands game I run at Cons.
Corner shops tend to sell dirt cheap packs of 'plain' playing cards if you just want cards.
Board Games shops (and so I guess some toy shops) sell funkier cards if you're after something a bit nicer. Compendium in Greenwich where I work has a load, for instance.
If you look around on line you can buy 'proper' 19th C style poker cards with no indices, just the shapes (i.e. 8 hearts on a 'blank' card). The only thing to be careful of is that those sort don't always have Jokers. With one of the packs I have I've had to 'create' jokers by amending the 'history' cards that came with them. Generally an internet site will tell you the number of cards in the pack and provided there are 54 you'll be able to do something.
For more flavour, there are decks out there with the Confederate and Yankie generals pictured on the playing surfaces. I've a particularly nice set with stills from Wild West films on them.
I've only come across one deck actually made by Hoyles but it was a jumbo print one. I still look around, but haven't become obsessed enough to actually seriously search them out. I have to admit to owning a copy of Hoyles card games though... :-)
Hope some of that helped.
lawbag (90.206.245.211)
5th Feb, 2008 20:09 (local)
thanks for the info. havent seen your entries on livejournal of late, mustbe on holiday or summfink.
I did manage to get a couple of decks from a cornershop as you suggest. I felt like a dodgy desperate gambler desperate for a new deck of cards to help my next fix.
I did manage to get a couple of decks from a cornershop as you suggest. I felt like a dodgy desperate gambler desperate for a new deck of cards to help my next fix.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ghost-Towns and Deadlands
As you may know I am about to finished the 3rd part of my heavily de-railed Rolemaster/Freeport campaign. After that I head back to the Wild West with Deadlands, probably my favourite game after 7th Sea.
Having not looked online for several years, its been that long between running sessions, that I tried again online to ponce some ideas and adventures from websites and fan-created sites.
Like the proverbial ghost town, most of the sites are dead, usually displaying a proud moniker of "Last Updated xx/xx/1997".
Which is either a fitting tribute to the game or just something that is very sad.
Having not looked online for several years, its been that long between running sessions, that I tried again online to ponce some ideas and adventures from websites and fan-created sites.
Like the proverbial ghost town, most of the sites are dead, usually displaying a proud moniker of "Last Updated xx/xx/1997".
Which is either a fitting tribute to the game or just something that is very sad.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Exile Update
Just an exile update, its been almost 24 hours since I have posted to RPG.net due to their adoption of sponsored links.
I made the unfortunate mistake of keeping my profile logged on while I visited to get replies to my protest, and Valandil (bless him and his avatar) notices I had actually logged on at 2:38am (yeah like Im actually awake at that hour! - I do have a day job).
So to clarify I have logged off my profile, but I doubt they will highlight my absence, my boycott is for making posts.
Im feeling sick now at the homo-erotic fauning over Cessna that is due to begin. I fully predict (Nostradamus hat on) that the internet equivalent of candle-lit vigils will be held, and a countdown to the day when he finally returns as the champion of RPG.net.
To support his cause, I have banned myself from my own forum for a period of 2 weeks as well.
Originally Posted: 31/01/2006
I made the unfortunate mistake of keeping my profile logged on while I visited to get replies to my protest, and Valandil (bless him and his avatar) notices I had actually logged on at 2:38am (yeah like Im actually awake at that hour! - I do have a day job).
So to clarify I have logged off my profile, but I doubt they will highlight my absence, my boycott is for making posts.
Im feeling sick now at the homo-erotic fauning over Cessna that is due to begin. I fully predict (Nostradamus hat on) that the internet equivalent of candle-lit vigils will be held, and a countdown to the day when he finally returns as the champion of RPG.net.
To support his cause, I have banned myself from my own forum for a period of 2 weeks as well.
Originally Posted: 31/01/2006
Friday, January 11, 2008
Deadlands Rises Again
One more Legend of the Five Rings session which will be followed up by by the 3rd and final part of the Freeport trilogy using the Rolemaster system.
Once that is completed I have offered up a few game to run, and the one that most people are keen to play is Deadlands again. This is one of my personal favourites to run, and when I do, this will be the 4th time I would have run a campaign. I love the system and the way the mechanics tie in perfectly with the genre. I love the wild west mixed with the horror, and one of the few games, other than Call of Cthulhu that manages to conjure up the right atmosphere as well.
It was also one of the first games I got into that had a new concept (but which was quite rampant in the late 90s) the idea of the metaplot, a story that exists outside of the game you run or play and provides background and backdrops for the regular game.
I have pretty much everything in print for the game, and will be continuing on with the excedllent Dime Novels.
Once that is completed I have offered up a few game to run, and the one that most people are keen to play is Deadlands again. This is one of my personal favourites to run, and when I do, this will be the 4th time I would have run a campaign. I love the system and the way the mechanics tie in perfectly with the genre. I love the wild west mixed with the horror, and one of the few games, other than Call of Cthulhu that manages to conjure up the right atmosphere as well.
It was also one of the first games I got into that had a new concept (but which was quite rampant in the late 90s) the idea of the metaplot, a story that exists outside of the game you run or play and provides background and backdrops for the regular game.
I have pretty much everything in print for the game, and will be continuing on with the excedllent Dime Novels.
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