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.
Friday, July 11, 2008
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.
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