Homage to Hackmaster? (Old Blog)

After putting it off for years, I finally played in my first proper DND3.5 campaign. The GM is experienced but hasnt run a game in a fair few years, but the players are ready to give it a try, including me.

It didn't take long for us to realise that no matter how hard you try, combat is just a series of attempts to roll high on a D20 to hit the monsters. Now there is nothing wrong with this, its just that whatever role-playing attempts are made, e.g. descriptive methods of attempting to gain an advantage over a monster or situation or any combat edge is nullified because it isnt in the rules. It doesnt really matter what kind of character you are, its all about your Base Attack Bonus!

Well we intend to finish the short Eberron campaign, simply because he bought all the books and because we do have fun as a group, but not with the game itself. One new player commented about how little role-playing we did, and here is the perfect example of game which discourages role-playing to gain any advantage. Its closer to Hackmaster, in a weird way, DND is a badly implemented and unknowing tribute to Hackmaster. I would be happy to never play a D20 game again. Sorry.

Originally posted 16/01/06

Bookmarks Pt 2 - Jeff Rients

Jeff Rients is or was a regular at the old RPG.net forum, and was one of the early adopters to join the rival and more open forum therpgsite.com.

Now this isnt a little rant about rpg.net, Ive done that in past blogs and on my other gaming rant blog, but rather why Jeff Reints' is a bookmark.

Putting it simply Jeff has some good ideas on the gaming industry, but mostly on what it takes to make a good game better. He has created a three-fold gaming system/style which seems to work for most things.

He finds 5 random links himself that he finds interesting and posts them all up. They all have a gaming theme.

Whilst it is fair to say he has gone off the boil of late, he still is worth me checking in on him at least once a week.

jrients (4.159.104.147)

19th Nov, 2007 03:19 (local)

Thanks for the kind words. I'm unfamiliar with the phrase "off the boil", but I think I follow. I'll readily admit my material has taken a bit of a left turn recently, but then so has the rest of my life.

Please take anything I say about the industry with a large grain of salt, especially when I try to make predictions. I've pretty much given up on gaming industry prognostication after a string of spectacular failures.

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lawbag (81.137.161.230)

21st Nov, 2007 13:47 (local)

I tried to be honest about my opinion.
Unlike the 'pundit though, you do occasionally talk about your family which does make you human.

Thanks for the comments.

As for "off the boil", imagine the finest cuisine put on the "back burner" of a cooker, and it starts to simmer as opposed to boil. So what I was saying was, that the quality is still there, but either not to my taste, or building up for a return to form.

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Ill Breeds Boredom

Been off ill over the last 2 days, which has kind of pissed me off because it looks as though my visit to Dragonmeet may well be cancelled, which is a shame as I had fully intended to get a copy of StarBlazer RPG, En Garde, jonnynexus' book, Games Night and a couple of Legend of the Five Rings books.

Im still holding out being able to make it, but I suspect if I do, Ill end up driving as opposed to leaving it up to public transport.

angusabranson (84.9.37.116)

30th Nov, 2007 09:58 (local)

To soften the blow a little if you can't make it - the Starblazer Adventures book isn't going to be ready for Dragonmeet. Everyone worked really hard to try and get it completed but time was against us.

Chris will be running some Starblazer games though and have prints and sample chapters available to look at.

But sadly no book :(

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En Garde Forum is now Up

Just an update to say month turn 1 has been completed, still looking for new players, and that we have a new forum up in place.

Parisian Duellists

L5R - Whats Next

Seeing as its not me who is running Legend of the Five Rings, it does give me a chance to reflect and get ready for next games to come.

I have the desire to finish the Freeport Trilogy as it has an ending worthy of the effort - even if the group are heading in the wrong direction.

But as to what comes next, well thats an open book as far as I am concerned, but I do have a few "pages" bookmarked.

Firstly, Serenity. I really would like another player or 2 to join in the boost up the crew numbers. There is a story to tell and I suppose Id be happy to finish that off with the current group, but I doubt I'll continue as part of the success of the game is the dynamics of the group.

Here are a few of the other games that I have chosen to run, and curious to know what other people think of whats on offer.

Werewolf: The Dark Ages - yes I know I said Id never run this 3rd part, but I find the idea alluring still to run a game set in the dark ages. Not because the skies were black, but rather the period of history where we know so little of the occurings.

Twilight 2000 - there are enough military and gun nuts in the group that this could be fun, I think having grown up in the 80s, calling myself a child of the bomb, its fair to say I'd like to run a game set in the era (which is now history rather than the future.)
Engel - angels and demons in a devastated future, I've wanted to run this the moment I heard about the game, let alone actually now owning it. I am not 100% sure Ill run it as a D20 game or use the Arcana system which is available online

Orpheus - a role-playing game about a ghostly detective agency, limited short run campaign written by White Wolf

Deadlands - carrying on from where we left off

I have a few one-shots lying around that might be interesting;

Judge Dredd - the original Games Workshop flawed edition

Paranoia - the new XP edition

&

Warhammer 40,000 RPG Demo Adventure - we are all fans of the WHFRP game, and this should just be a perfect extension of the game. I loved Fading Suns RPG, and this game will be even bleaker than that little effort.

Bookmarks Pt 1 - The RPG Pundit

http://www.xanga.com/RPGpundit

One of the most interesting bloggers around. Thats assuming you like controversy, role-playing games, hard-line gaming opinions, pipe-smoking (which I don't but I overlook it) and lots of interesting political debate and information on Uruguay.

The RPGPundit, to give him his correct title, is a kind of internet personality who cares little for the people he may upset with his rants. He campaigns strongly against a generation of role-players whom he dubs the "swine". By definition, a swine is someone who deems role-playing games to be some sort of high art, and that by playing (through acting and narration and other nonsense) are in some way raised above the masses who role-play for fun or social interaction. He specifically targets Ron Edwards and his Forge forum with his GNS theory as well as the entire catalogue of products produced by White Wolf for its World of Darkness role-playing games.

I thoroughly recommend you reading his blog from the beginning, I believe he started back in November 2005, but he does repost some old classic posts just to confuse his readers.

Amongst his credits are writing Forward to Adventure, a role-playing game based on old school gaming, administering http://www.therpgsite.com forums and rpg portal, and running numerous historical based campaigns.

You might not agree with everything he writes, but at least he does have something interesting to say.

En Garde PBEM

Just a short note to all those who read this blog that there is a PBEM game of En Garde currently underway. It just started this month (October 07).

The link is below;

Email

orchq@hotmail.com

or visit the group

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Engarde_Parisianduelists/

PRESS RELEASE (For what its worth)

orchq wrote:

Hi All I wish to run an email based game of En Garde. Any one interested in playing let me know. If I can get about 10 players this will become viable. En Garde! is a semi-historical role-playing game in which characters take on the personality of a gentleman in 17th or 18th century France. It was originally published by Games Designers Workshop, but after they discontinued the game, it was reprinted under license by The Small Furry Creatures Press (SFCP). En Garde! provides a simulation of swashbuckling as seen in Errol Flynn films, Cyrano de Bergerac and the Three Musketeers. Players take on the role of a Parisian gentleman in a situation where status is a goal to be achieved above money and social climbing is a way of life. Characters attempt to gain power and glory by being seen in society, using people, cultivating friends in high places, winning the hand of fair ladies and, of course, by fighting duels to uphold ones honour. Rivalry is intense and friendships a valuable commodity. En Garde! is open-ended in its objectives, like many other role-playing games. Characters come and go in a historical situation that continues to progress. Within the game, a character's objective will be to become the most notable person in Paris, along with which go wealth and power. How long he will stay at the top will depend on his wit, since there will always be plenty more people prepared to do the dirty on him in their own quest for status. The nature of the game makes inter-player communications a necessity, since it is often extremely difficult to progress alone. This makes for a very friendly game, where players group together for mutual assistance and often come into other players or groups with conflicting interests. Most games have a very lively "press" where characters' views are exchanged in an often heated but (almost) always polite and genlemanly fashion. The game will appeal to anyone who enjoys role-playing, history and negotiation in games. Cheers az