Abd al-Qadir al Jaza'iri
John Woolman
I spend a lot of my time reading, thinking, and writing about heroes. I think it's about time I mentioned these two men. Their stories deserve to be read.
Visar inlägg med etikett The Storyteller. Visa alla inlägg
Visar inlägg med etikett The Storyteller. Visa alla inlägg
lördag 2 april 2011
fredag 28 januari 2011
Let's Jam
Short post, just came upon a neat little description at GnomeStew that I felt I should share:
"My enjoyment had shifted from crafting stories and being the director, to one more like a drummer in a jazz band. My job was to lay down an interesting beat and let the players come in and do their thing." - DNAphil
This is actually a very good description of what GMing is like when you're going for an open-ended story with lots of player input. The beat is crucial to the music: Without beat, there is no music. At the same time, the beat is rarely at the foreground. While the occasional drum solo is nice, that's rarely the most impressive part - what you really want to hear is someone going crazy on the saxophone.
"My enjoyment had shifted from crafting stories and being the director, to one more like a drummer in a jazz band. My job was to lay down an interesting beat and let the players come in and do their thing." - DNAphil
This is actually a very good description of what GMing is like when you're going for an open-ended story with lots of player input. The beat is crucial to the music: Without beat, there is no music. At the same time, the beat is rarely at the foreground. While the occasional drum solo is nice, that's rarely the most impressive part - what you really want to hear is someone going crazy on the saxophone.
torsdag 10 september 2009
Transcendent Rules Analysis II
I've been fishing the forums for some more rules-tinkering, and here are two interesting ideas I found in a fixer's thread. Really, the only one interested in this is me, but I'm leaving it here as a note to self. So just go ahead and ignore this post, everyone.
Houserule 1) Perfect Defenses have increased cost when used against Perfect Attacks. The UFIO rule still very much applies, so the Perfect Defense still always wins - but when used against a Perfect Attack, it also costs 1 WP. This makes Perfect Attacks a lot more scary, since they're very straining for your resources. This rule isn't perfect, and it mostly duct-tapes over a hole in the system rather than actually fixing anything, but it was interesting enough to deserve a mention. It works as a temporary fix to the PD-PA unbalance.
Houserule 2) Hardness is applied after soak, not the other way around. In order for this rule to work sensibly, static Hardness values are reduced by 1/4 and DoOM sets Hardness to (your Essence). This means heavy armour is a massive, gigantic problem since you need to land a really good hit in order to do any damage. It also makes high soak a much, much more powerful means of defense, which is good at high Essence, where even Adamant Skin Technique begins turning useless because a good hit can still make your ears fall off or murder all your relatives (sorry about that, Vincent!). By allowing soak to stop ping damage in this way, you improve its power against all non-Sidereal attacks at least.
Houserule 1) Perfect Defenses have increased cost when used against Perfect Attacks. The UFIO rule still very much applies, so the Perfect Defense still always wins - but when used against a Perfect Attack, it also costs 1 WP. This makes Perfect Attacks a lot more scary, since they're very straining for your resources. This rule isn't perfect, and it mostly duct-tapes over a hole in the system rather than actually fixing anything, but it was interesting enough to deserve a mention. It works as a temporary fix to the PD-PA unbalance.
Houserule 2) Hardness is applied after soak, not the other way around. In order for this rule to work sensibly, static Hardness values are reduced by 1/4 and DoOM sets Hardness to (your Essence). This means heavy armour is a massive, gigantic problem since you need to land a really good hit in order to do any damage. It also makes high soak a much, much more powerful means of defense, which is good at high Essence, where even Adamant Skin Technique begins turning useless because a good hit can still make your ears fall off or murder all your relatives (sorry about that, Vincent!). By allowing soak to stop ping damage in this way, you improve its power against all non-Sidereal attacks at least.
söndag 6 september 2009
Transcendent Rules Analysis
I doubt this will interest anyone really, but it interests me, so I'm writing it down anyway.
Grappling is usually a complicated maneuver in most roleplaying systems. It's a move that's bound to evoke some groans from the GM because it's time-consuming and inevitably more complicated than just punching someone in the face - naturally, because punching someone in the face is the "standard" mode of combat, and obviously wrestling is much different.
In most systems, grappling works like this: You make an attack roll. On a hit, you have successfully initiated grapple. On your next action, you're permitted to start using that grapple; inflicting damage, holding the opponent down, whatever you fancy. On their turn, the opponent gets the option to act first - this balances the system somewhat as your character is likely to virtually always have friends on his side, so if he wrestled the enemy into submission immediately, they'd all get a free turn of kicking the grappled guy. As it stands, most game systems allow the opponent to try and break free before your friends can kick him.
Exalted works differently. In line with Exalted's high-action wuxia style of combat, they've been highly successful, I think, in making a grappling style that feels suitably kung-fu. The system is so sleek and simple that I'm surprised I hadn't seen it before, actually.
In Exalted, a grappling works like any old martial arts attack - roll to hit, and if you hit, good to be you. At that point, you have three options: Choose to inflict damage (by headbutt, knee-to-the-groin, whatever maneuver works at close range), choose to wrestle the opponent into submission, or perform a throw. All of these effects are immediate - there's no wait, no grappling check, no nothing. If you grab a hold of your opponent, you can immediately inflict damage or toss him over the ravine's edge. Mechanically, there's almost no difference between grapple-headbutt and an ordinary attack, except the grapple attack does slightly less damage.
There are catches balancing up this speedy system, though. First of all, the damage is slightly lower than if you had just kicked or punched your foe. Second, unless you go for the "throw" option, you're engaged in grappling with the enemy - which can be a problem. In Exalted, your defense is always a static rating; not so once you're engaged in grapple - then it has to be rolled. This makes defense against an already-grappled opponent much less reliable, which means that all-out wrestling becomes a calculated risk - especially in a game where an opponent's knee-to-the-groin can do things like make your ears fall off.
I like how they've done this. The grappling system is still more complicated than regular fighting, but if all you're going for is a cinematic effect, like a throw or a "I grab him and bite his leg"-attack, it works with a single roll. There's much less to keep track of than in other systems.
Grappling is usually a complicated maneuver in most roleplaying systems. It's a move that's bound to evoke some groans from the GM because it's time-consuming and inevitably more complicated than just punching someone in the face - naturally, because punching someone in the face is the "standard" mode of combat, and obviously wrestling is much different.
In most systems, grappling works like this: You make an attack roll. On a hit, you have successfully initiated grapple. On your next action, you're permitted to start using that grapple; inflicting damage, holding the opponent down, whatever you fancy. On their turn, the opponent gets the option to act first - this balances the system somewhat as your character is likely to virtually always have friends on his side, so if he wrestled the enemy into submission immediately, they'd all get a free turn of kicking the grappled guy. As it stands, most game systems allow the opponent to try and break free before your friends can kick him.
Exalted works differently. In line with Exalted's high-action wuxia style of combat, they've been highly successful, I think, in making a grappling style that feels suitably kung-fu. The system is so sleek and simple that I'm surprised I hadn't seen it before, actually.
In Exalted, a grappling works like any old martial arts attack - roll to hit, and if you hit, good to be you. At that point, you have three options: Choose to inflict damage (by headbutt, knee-to-the-groin, whatever maneuver works at close range), choose to wrestle the opponent into submission, or perform a throw. All of these effects are immediate - there's no wait, no grappling check, no nothing. If you grab a hold of your opponent, you can immediately inflict damage or toss him over the ravine's edge. Mechanically, there's almost no difference between grapple-headbutt and an ordinary attack, except the grapple attack does slightly less damage.
There are catches balancing up this speedy system, though. First of all, the damage is slightly lower than if you had just kicked or punched your foe. Second, unless you go for the "throw" option, you're engaged in grappling with the enemy - which can be a problem. In Exalted, your defense is always a static rating; not so once you're engaged in grapple - then it has to be rolled. This makes defense against an already-grappled opponent much less reliable, which means that all-out wrestling becomes a calculated risk - especially in a game where an opponent's knee-to-the-groin can do things like make your ears fall off.
I like how they've done this. The grappling system is still more complicated than regular fighting, but if all you're going for is a cinematic effect, like a throw or a "I grab him and bite his leg"-attack, it works with a single roll. There's much less to keep track of than in other systems.
söndag 5 juli 2009
Exalted Blitzball!
Exalted Blitzball
I only had time to skim through the text now as I have to shower and stuff before I go off to Sara, but this actually looks like it could be fun to use in a game...
I only had time to skim through the text now as I have to shower and stuff before I go off to Sara, but this actually looks like it could be fun to use in a game...
lördag 6 juni 2009
Ghost Stories
"Geist: The Sin-Eaters is a game about that kind of ghost story. It’s a game about death, to be sure, but it’s also a game about vibrant, passionate life. It’s a game about endings, but it’s also a game about resolutions (and no, they aren’t necessarily the same thing) and fresh new beginnings. It’s a game about the dead, but it’s also very much a game about the living and how a close proximity to death can supercharge your life. It’s a game about risk-taking and thrill-seeking, about memento mori sugar skulls and drinking rum at the crossroads. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. Stare oblivion in the eye and spit in it."
--from White Wolf's website.
--from White Wolf's website.
tisdag 2 december 2008
Status Report
Reporting my Status: It is kind of okay. I'm reading Iceye's new advent story, it is not what I had expected, not by far, but we'll see where it goes - and it intrigues me. I dare not say whether or not I like it yet, we'll see...
As for school, it is murdering me. I don't have the energy to attend all the classes, but I can't afford to miss any useful classes. Problem is I have no way of knowing which ones are useful and which aren't. But - only two weeks remain of the hard stuff now, then I should have a week to sort of wind down before Christmas. If I fail anything, it'll be the calculus exam, which is early. It'd suck if I did, though.
I'm hoping to see most of y'all people sometime during the Christmas holiday, before it's back to the mill of doom. Hopefully I'll have more free days next term, I could come visit y'all peeps - those of you who are not in the military, then, you'll have to warn me when you're free for visitations.
For fun these days, I play Civilization 2 when opportunity presents itself. Occasionally I play Exalted, when I feel like being a dumbshit and missing classes the day after. I did that yesterday, which is why I'm blogging now at 11.35. But, I take pains to only miss algebra, which is so far an easy subject.
To make this blog episode more interesting than just slices of my life, here is a short-short story:
"When I woke up this morning, I heard a loud rumble. It was strange, because it sounded like thunder, but there were no clouds. Looking outside, I saw some people standing around, confused as to what it might have been. I got dressed and went to school, looking around to see if I could spot any falling trees or something. Nothing. On my way there, more strange noises occurred - people looked mildly confused, but nobody reacted to the loud, wailing alarms that started sounding from - again, seemingly nowhere. It got worse and worse, and I could hear screams in a distance, and more loud rumbles - almost like booms, almost like explosions.
It sounded like war. But - why couldn't I see it? Where did all these sounds come from? The alarms kept resounding as the booms and screams died away. Then, as I finally reached my destination, I saw a terrifying sight;
before the school building, people were lying tossed about like dead leaves. It looked like they'd been killed by an explosion - but nothing around them was damaged, not even their clothes.
The alarms kept screaming."
As for school, it is murdering me. I don't have the energy to attend all the classes, but I can't afford to miss any useful classes. Problem is I have no way of knowing which ones are useful and which aren't. But - only two weeks remain of the hard stuff now, then I should have a week to sort of wind down before Christmas. If I fail anything, it'll be the calculus exam, which is early. It'd suck if I did, though.
I'm hoping to see most of y'all people sometime during the Christmas holiday, before it's back to the mill of doom. Hopefully I'll have more free days next term, I could come visit y'all peeps - those of you who are not in the military, then, you'll have to warn me when you're free for visitations.
For fun these days, I play Civilization 2 when opportunity presents itself. Occasionally I play Exalted, when I feel like being a dumbshit and missing classes the day after. I did that yesterday, which is why I'm blogging now at 11.35. But, I take pains to only miss algebra, which is so far an easy subject.
To make this blog episode more interesting than just slices of my life, here is a short-short story:
"When I woke up this morning, I heard a loud rumble. It was strange, because it sounded like thunder, but there were no clouds. Looking outside, I saw some people standing around, confused as to what it might have been. I got dressed and went to school, looking around to see if I could spot any falling trees or something. Nothing. On my way there, more strange noises occurred - people looked mildly confused, but nobody reacted to the loud, wailing alarms that started sounding from - again, seemingly nowhere. It got worse and worse, and I could hear screams in a distance, and more loud rumbles - almost like booms, almost like explosions.
It sounded like war. But - why couldn't I see it? Where did all these sounds come from? The alarms kept resounding as the booms and screams died away. Then, as I finally reached my destination, I saw a terrifying sight;
before the school building, people were lying tossed about like dead leaves. It looked like they'd been killed by an explosion - but nothing around them was damaged, not even their clothes.
The alarms kept screaming."
tisdag 9 september 2008
On Justice
Once upon a time, there were three brothers living in a cabin in the forest. It was a rather pleasant little forest, one of those comfortably black forests which is not quite black enough to contain bandits but quite black enough to contain a fairy tale. The cabin was, likewise pleasant - not too big, not too little, just spacious enough for three brothers to live and work in. Well, not all of them worked, of course.
The eldest brother was a blacksmith, and he worked hard all day to make ploughs and bridles and buckles and knives to sell in town; it did not make him rich, but it did give him enough money to buy food for himself and his brothers. The second eldest brother was a student - he had convinced his elder brother to buy him a Book of Wisdom, and he spent all day studying this book, except when the oldest brother asked him to go fetch a pail of water, or some firewood. The youngest brother, finally, was a poet; he did not quite work as hard as the eldest - indeed, not even as the second eldest. Instead, he spent his days sitting around the cabin, pondering what rhymed with "orange".
One day, which seemed to become a quite ordinary day, the eldest brother woke up to find that he didn't have enough firewood for his smithy. He'd been given a rather large order of one hundred belt-buckles, and he was anxious to get started with his work, so he lunged out of bed, took the last of the firewood and started up the smithy. As soon as the iron had softened ever so slightly he began clanging on it, and he made such a noise that he woke up his brothers even though they slept some distance away from the forge. As soon as he saw them coming, he turned to them and said "Brother scholar, you must go out and fetch for me more firewood, or I shall not get this order finished in time."
But the scholar, who was indeed quite a busy man, replied "I must study to-day, for soon there shall be a Professor travelling through town I hear, and if I impress him enough with my wisdom, perhaps he will teach me though I have no money to pay him. Let Brother Poet go, instead." So Brother Blacksmith turned to Brother Poet, and said to him "Fetch me some firewood, or I shall not get this order finished in time." Brother Poet wanted to object, saying that he had just figured out a good rhyme for "yellow", which wasn't quite the colour he intended but was still better than being stuck on "orange", but Brother Blacksmith did not want to listen, so Brother Poet had to go out in the forest and fetch some firewood, despite his protests.
So, he took a few ambling steps into the forest, and started picking sticks - but as poets' minds do, his mind wandered, and soon he found that he had followed a pretty bird instead of picking up sticks, and not too much later he was lost. In this part of the forest, there was a pretty green meadow surrounded by lush, green forest. As poets very much like pretty places, he sat down to rest for a bit to figure out where he was. As he did so, he saw something glitter in the grass. Picking it up, he found it was a bejeweled bracelet, no doubt one that was once used by a Princess. Delighted, he decided to run back to his brothers to tell them the good news.
After having spent some more time lost in the forest, he returned to his brothers in the after-noon, when they had both taken a pause to drink a cup of hot water (they could not afford tea, you see). Triumphantly, Brother Poet raised the bracelet and displayed it to his brothers. "See what I have found!" he said. The three brothers were very delighted, and embraced him, and kissed him. They let him tell the story of how he had found it, and as soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Blacksmith stood up and spoke.
"It is only right that I should have this bracelet. I have been working to feed you, brother Poet, and you, brother Scholar, since we were but children. If not for me, you would not have food on the table. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my work has been the greatest."
As soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Scholar stood up and spoke. "It is only right that I should have this bracelet.", he said, "The Book of Wisdom says that riches should go to those who have need of it; what's the bracelet to you? Food on the table we have, and poetry doesn't cost a penny. If I have this bracelet, I may sell it, and with the money I can pay a Professor to give me Education. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my need is the greatest."
As soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Poet stood up and spoke. "It is only right that I should have this bracelet.", he said. "Was it not I who found it in the forest? Besides, I am a Poet, and I understand beautiful things; the two of you would merely sell it for money, but I appreciate this bracelet for what it is, not for what it is worth. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my love for it is the greatest."
Which of the brothers should have the bracelet?
The eldest brother was a blacksmith, and he worked hard all day to make ploughs and bridles and buckles and knives to sell in town; it did not make him rich, but it did give him enough money to buy food for himself and his brothers. The second eldest brother was a student - he had convinced his elder brother to buy him a Book of Wisdom, and he spent all day studying this book, except when the oldest brother asked him to go fetch a pail of water, or some firewood. The youngest brother, finally, was a poet; he did not quite work as hard as the eldest - indeed, not even as the second eldest. Instead, he spent his days sitting around the cabin, pondering what rhymed with "orange".
One day, which seemed to become a quite ordinary day, the eldest brother woke up to find that he didn't have enough firewood for his smithy. He'd been given a rather large order of one hundred belt-buckles, and he was anxious to get started with his work, so he lunged out of bed, took the last of the firewood and started up the smithy. As soon as the iron had softened ever so slightly he began clanging on it, and he made such a noise that he woke up his brothers even though they slept some distance away from the forge. As soon as he saw them coming, he turned to them and said "Brother scholar, you must go out and fetch for me more firewood, or I shall not get this order finished in time."
But the scholar, who was indeed quite a busy man, replied "I must study to-day, for soon there shall be a Professor travelling through town I hear, and if I impress him enough with my wisdom, perhaps he will teach me though I have no money to pay him. Let Brother Poet go, instead." So Brother Blacksmith turned to Brother Poet, and said to him "Fetch me some firewood, or I shall not get this order finished in time." Brother Poet wanted to object, saying that he had just figured out a good rhyme for "yellow", which wasn't quite the colour he intended but was still better than being stuck on "orange", but Brother Blacksmith did not want to listen, so Brother Poet had to go out in the forest and fetch some firewood, despite his protests.
So, he took a few ambling steps into the forest, and started picking sticks - but as poets' minds do, his mind wandered, and soon he found that he had followed a pretty bird instead of picking up sticks, and not too much later he was lost. In this part of the forest, there was a pretty green meadow surrounded by lush, green forest. As poets very much like pretty places, he sat down to rest for a bit to figure out where he was. As he did so, he saw something glitter in the grass. Picking it up, he found it was a bejeweled bracelet, no doubt one that was once used by a Princess. Delighted, he decided to run back to his brothers to tell them the good news.
After having spent some more time lost in the forest, he returned to his brothers in the after-noon, when they had both taken a pause to drink a cup of hot water (they could not afford tea, you see). Triumphantly, Brother Poet raised the bracelet and displayed it to his brothers. "See what I have found!" he said. The three brothers were very delighted, and embraced him, and kissed him. They let him tell the story of how he had found it, and as soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Blacksmith stood up and spoke.
"It is only right that I should have this bracelet. I have been working to feed you, brother Poet, and you, brother Scholar, since we were but children. If not for me, you would not have food on the table. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my work has been the greatest."
As soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Scholar stood up and spoke. "It is only right that I should have this bracelet.", he said, "The Book of Wisdom says that riches should go to those who have need of it; what's the bracelet to you? Food on the table we have, and poetry doesn't cost a penny. If I have this bracelet, I may sell it, and with the money I can pay a Professor to give me Education. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my need is the greatest."
As soon as he had finished speaking, Brother Poet stood up and spoke. "It is only right that I should have this bracelet.", he said. "Was it not I who found it in the forest? Besides, I am a Poet, and I understand beautiful things; the two of you would merely sell it for money, but I appreciate this bracelet for what it is, not for what it is worth. Clearly, I am the one who should have the bracelet, for my love for it is the greatest."
Which of the brothers should have the bracelet?
måndag 18 augusti 2008
The Rise and Fall of Creativity
So, within the past few days, I have spoken quite a bit with Sara, David, Love, Da-Ryun, and Björn - some encounters one-on-one, some in great groups.
The time between these encounters, I have been writing. And I have discovered how much interaction fuels the fire of my creativity. It's peculiar, really, since the things discussed are quite unrelated - it just seems like being with people in ways that I like makes my brain want to do completely unrelated, very creative, and a bit useless, things. Which, to me, is a great thing.
It's not like I write a whole lot, really - my text is rather sparse - but I'm satisfied with what I've got so far, and I have a few more ideas that can be squeezed out of my head. This is all good, because it distracts me from the turbulent times up ahead - school starting, moving, cleaning apartments, et cetera, et cetera. The one problem I see is that once those turbulent times actually start, they might drown out my creative phase. Which would suck, in my opinion.
Not that I think people care a lot, but I will summarize what I've written and planned in this week below, for me to read and look proud at.
The first chapter for a Dragon-Blooded game, called The Fifth Virtue. In the first chapter, we discover just how cruel Lady Mnemon can be, and meet with Prince Saigoru, a major hottie. We also meet a ready-made character for Madde; Madra Sil Kalyna, a wild and free duchess.
The continuation of the Denandsor adventures of Cherubael & Kali, involving a bucketload of danger with a sprinkle of essential puzzle. In this episode, the heroes must face their fears, but if they succeed their rewards will be great - and perhaps, a bit surprising... Yet, the consequences of failure are far worse than the heroes would imagine.
Very haphazard and random notes (not yet finished) planning the future of New York, as shepherded by Jack Hudson and Karen Lennox. This time, a serial killer is on the loose and Robin is in deep trouble - despite her powerful magics. Jack meets an old friend, and Karen finds herself in unfamiliar territory.
The fourth (I think) chapter of the Chronicles of the Bronze Falcon, in which we meet the Drug Khans of the East, including an unexpected guest, and perhaps have time to discover a hidden ninja clan, this one aspected towards Water. Also, we get to follow the education of Er, as he finds himself a new sifu...
Extremely sketchy notes for the Final Showdown in Berlin, where Gabriel reveals a secret, Killian is forced to negotiate, and Lucien... well, we'll see what he does, won't we?
I think that's pretty creative for what's been done in the mere span of a week. And, as mentioned above, the week has been filled with pleasant discussion and, to some extent, cuddling as well - so I've been time-effective here, if I may say so myself.
Now only to handle the packing, and soon I'll have to be efficient for real-life reason. Maaan, why can't that be as fun?
The time between these encounters, I have been writing. And I have discovered how much interaction fuels the fire of my creativity. It's peculiar, really, since the things discussed are quite unrelated - it just seems like being with people in ways that I like makes my brain want to do completely unrelated, very creative, and a bit useless, things. Which, to me, is a great thing.
It's not like I write a whole lot, really - my text is rather sparse - but I'm satisfied with what I've got so far, and I have a few more ideas that can be squeezed out of my head. This is all good, because it distracts me from the turbulent times up ahead - school starting, moving, cleaning apartments, et cetera, et cetera. The one problem I see is that once those turbulent times actually start, they might drown out my creative phase. Which would suck, in my opinion.
Not that I think people care a lot, but I will summarize what I've written and planned in this week below, for me to read and look proud at.
The first chapter for a Dragon-Blooded game, called The Fifth Virtue. In the first chapter, we discover just how cruel Lady Mnemon can be, and meet with Prince Saigoru, a major hottie. We also meet a ready-made character for Madde; Madra Sil Kalyna, a wild and free duchess.
The continuation of the Denandsor adventures of Cherubael & Kali, involving a bucketload of danger with a sprinkle of essential puzzle. In this episode, the heroes must face their fears, but if they succeed their rewards will be great - and perhaps, a bit surprising... Yet, the consequences of failure are far worse than the heroes would imagine.
Very haphazard and random notes (not yet finished) planning the future of New York, as shepherded by Jack Hudson and Karen Lennox. This time, a serial killer is on the loose and Robin is in deep trouble - despite her powerful magics. Jack meets an old friend, and Karen finds herself in unfamiliar territory.
The fourth (I think) chapter of the Chronicles of the Bronze Falcon, in which we meet the Drug Khans of the East, including an unexpected guest, and perhaps have time to discover a hidden ninja clan, this one aspected towards Water. Also, we get to follow the education of Er, as he finds himself a new sifu...
Extremely sketchy notes for the Final Showdown in Berlin, where Gabriel reveals a secret, Killian is forced to negotiate, and Lucien... well, we'll see what he does, won't we?
I think that's pretty creative for what's been done in the mere span of a week. And, as mentioned above, the week has been filled with pleasant discussion and, to some extent, cuddling as well - so I've been time-effective here, if I may say so myself.
Now only to handle the packing, and soon I'll have to be efficient for real-life reason. Maaan, why can't that be as fun?
tisdag 27 maj 2008
Ideas
I'm having too many ideas lately, so I'm going to write them all down here. Needless to say, they're all for roleplaying games because I'm so single-minded you wouldn't believe it. I'm a bit like Henry Lee Lucas except I make creative games instead of creative murder.
If anyone's interested in any of them, feel free to tell me and I'll develop that idea. As it is now, I don't have much more than what you see here – but like I said, call dibs on something and I'll flesh out a story from it.
Beyond Countless Doorways
There are many tales about people finding a door to another world. This story, however, played with Arcana Evolved rules, isn't about someone finding a door. This story is about someone finding a key. It's not just any key, though – it's a key that opens any door. The twist is that the doors it opens don't obey the laws of Behind and In Front Of – rather, the key opens doors between planes of existence.
Pretty soon, though, the key draws the attention of Something. Now, in order to keep the key from falling into the hands of evil, you must run – and you must run beyond the countless
doorways, in an attempt to find someone or something capable of fighting back...
Worlds Collide
The Diamond Throne is a very free world. It's a world where men and women, humans and sibeccai, tall and tiny are all treated as equals. Imagine, then, the sudden disaster when two planes of existence suddenly synergize, violently crashing into one another and opening a gateway to a world where such freedom isn't taken for granted. In the world of Scarlet, men are the dominant race and all other species are seen as ”lesser”. Oh, and that's men, as in not women.
Enter a story where a Champion of Freedom might find himself fighting side by side with a Champion of Feminism, as the values we take for granted experience some turbulence in an interplanar culture crash.
The Invisibles
Set in the World of Darkness, this story asks us what happens when completely ordinary people suddenly gain the power of complete and utter invisibility. Fading from the world around them, they don't exist on paper, don't detect on security cameras, and can easily go wherever they please. They are Shadows, people who only barely exist, people whom the world itself only barely registers. In a world with so much paperwork, what does utter anonymity mean? Is it dangerous? Is it a saviour? Is Anonymous really legion? Does Big Brother really see you?
Heavenly Father
When a few deeply religious people from the same church suddenly find themselves changed into bestial monsters, how do they deal with it? When they suddenly find out that animism is true and that spirits dwell in everything, what becomes of their faith? When everything seems lost, does God still hear them? This Werewolf: The Forsaken game draws upon themes from the Book of Job, asking us if God hears prayer, if God really works in mysterious ways and, indeed, if God exists at all or is just a shadowy illusion, made by a multitude of miracles.
Beloved Mother
This is a tale about a shattered family, played out from the perspective of orphans who have lost both their parents and live with a cold and distant uncle in an environment where nobody seems to love them. But when they eventually discover that branches of their family still prosper, and when they learn that their mother may still be alive – suddenly hope flares up once more.
And hope will flare indeed, for the twist to this story is that the poor siblings are Terrestrial Exalted, Chosen of the Dragons. Will they be able to reforge their broken family, or will they too fall apart, driven by their own ambition? Is blood thicker than water, and does a hero still need her mother?
The Light Fantastic
Magic is fascinating. Magic is beautiful. Magic is power.
Enter a group of Exalted sorcerers – Solar, Lunar or otherwise, who have come to understand this truth. Banding together for the sake of their own ambitions, these sorcerous heroes seek the Light Fantastic, a legendary artifact said to exalt any sorcerer to levels hitherto undreamed of in Creation.
In a world where Exalts wield the power of the gods, though, such an artifact must be incredibly well hidden. This treasure hunt adventure is more than just a search for gold and jewels – this is a quest for power so tremenduous that it's never before been seen. But magic is not a simple trifle you stuff in your pocket – the Light Fantastic requires the right state of mind and an enlightened soul, something which cannot be dug up in a treasure chest. Not only must our heroes seek the artifact itself, they must also learn the true nature of magic – a quest, perhaps, even more difficult.
Steampunk Swashbucklers
Experience the future of the Diamond Throne as our hapless heroes accidentally deepfreeze themselves for a thousand years. Awakening, we find a world where gunmages wield gunblades against steamgoblins in steam-driven airships with steam on them. And guns. And stuff.
Okay, so this idea is a little unpolished so far, I'll be the first to admit it.
I reckon that's all I have so far. If anything interests you, give me a comment.
onsdag 5 mars 2008
Live Forever
Gamers across the world are saluting him, and I won't be late to join them.
There was a man who reinvented storytelling. I'm not sure if you know how much his works meant to me, but I'm fairly certain that you can guess. What he did was not merely reinvent an ancient artform, however: He invented something new, something which has been my hobby, my art, my medium, and on occasion, my life.
E. Gary Gygax, inventor of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away the 4th of March this year. The invention of this game and the other games that soon followed is by no means something he did alone - it involved thousands of people refining, developing, and first and foremost, playing. Some of these gamers I have been fortunate enough to know - the vast majority, not. And of course, I have never even met Mr. Gygax myself. I still say, though, that without his invention, I would live a wholly different life, a poorer life. Monte Cook's words are the ones that best describe what he has meant for me and thousands among us:
"With his help, I have traveled to unknown lands. I have created unknown lands."
The first Dungeon Master is dead. May his legacy live forever.
There was a man who reinvented storytelling. I'm not sure if you know how much his works meant to me, but I'm fairly certain that you can guess. What he did was not merely reinvent an ancient artform, however: He invented something new, something which has been my hobby, my art, my medium, and on occasion, my life.
E. Gary Gygax, inventor of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away the 4th of March this year. The invention of this game and the other games that soon followed is by no means something he did alone - it involved thousands of people refining, developing, and first and foremost, playing. Some of these gamers I have been fortunate enough to know - the vast majority, not. And of course, I have never even met Mr. Gygax myself. I still say, though, that without his invention, I would live a wholly different life, a poorer life. Monte Cook's words are the ones that best describe what he has meant for me and thousands among us:
"With his help, I have traveled to unknown lands. I have created unknown lands."
The first Dungeon Master is dead. May his legacy live forever.
onsdag 30 januari 2008
Some Theoretical Discussions, Mostly With Myself
Since I didn't really have anything useful to blog about today, I'll write a bit about roleplaying. As usual, if I bore you, you might feel like hugging a dinosaur instead of reading my blather. Actually, hugging dinosaurs is recommended anyway, on account of dinosaurs and hugs both being awesome inventions.
I hereby proclaim myself the king of random links, incidentally.
Lately I've been noticing a lull in my planning things. Those who have seen me work in the roleplaying-happy mode have probably noticed that I spit out a handful of ideas every week, write down a few random settings, hooks, characters, plots, or stories - mostly as part of an ongoing campaign or chronicle, but sometimes just loose ideas that I might incorporate in a game sometime in the future.
However, most of the games I've been running for the past month or so, excepting the AE-campaign over New Years', have been more or less entirely improvised. Adding to that, some of the best games have been entirely improvised, like the last session of Berlin, or the whole Mutant: The Mutationing storyline. This has made me awfully insecure when I plan things, because I feel as though a lot of the time my planning doesn't really amount to anything. And, when I sit down to plan something out, I find that I can't really think of anything because I'm getting used to thinking on my feet - complicated 13-step plots just don't come as naturally anymore.
I've been thinking I should probably do things more the Berlin way, letting stories grow out organically - basically playing and seeing where the story ends up, just writing down new setting details and NPCs on the fly. The problem with this is, I rather enjoy having a master plan which is good to fall back on, plus, I can't really work on my favouritest hobby of all times without players if I'm to improvise all the time. So I don't really know - people tend to say my improvising usually turns out better than my planning. Does this mean I should plan less?
I also have some difficulties figuring out how to plan things up ahead; I want to give players as much freedom as possible, but obviously the only way I can maximize freedom is by not planning at all, or nearly nothing at all. Locations and people generally require people to actually visit them, which needless to say is nearly impossible to plan out without enforcing things. Usually there's no problem with, say, "The treasure map leads to Mount Dumb", but it becomes boring very quick if there's only one route to Mount Dumb, giving no choice whatsoever about how to get there. Or so I think, at least. The solution here is obviously to plan a lot, which can be fun but also frustrating.
Events are highly different, because they can be thrown in when the action stalls - things like "Your girlfriend bursts in, crying 'Max is dead!'" or "Suddenly, the assassins sent by Xiao Bong leap towards you!" The problem with events, though, is that they usually don't happen in a vacuum. I can't really plan the above events out without having some reason for the characters to be involved with Max or Xiao Bong. That is where plans get really tricky - core characters like that are part of the setting, and the setting doesn't really come alive until the characters have interacted with it. Hence, I can plan a setting but I can't plan for it to live, and a setting that doesn't feel coherent or relevant just won't work.
In conclusion, then, I think location-based games (like most fantasy games and games with a tactical element) are handled easily - for more freedom, plan more options. This is fine, and I rather enjoy it usually - but few games are entirely location-based, unless they're vanilla dungeons. NPCs can work this way, too, but they tend to become very flat if they're just part of a plans-web; they simply need an element of personality, and if you try to dodge stereotypes and make NPCs unpredictable (which makes them feel more real), the problem is it becomes very hard to plan them. Thug #3 just attacks you. Ariel Hanna Seraphina Hummerstungerdoppelbergsson might on a whim decide she likes you if you snap a comment which suits her personality. Big difference in the theoretics behind those two characters there.
I suppose the solution with events could be to plan a bunch of events that seem to hang together coherently, and then prune them away as they become irrelevant. It's sad, but it's much easier to cut things out on the fly than add them on the fly. And, well - planning things definitely keeps them from becoming completely stupidly sucky, even if it's no guarantee for a great game.
Back to the writing board then, I suppose.
I hereby proclaim myself the king of random links, incidentally.
Lately I've been noticing a lull in my planning things. Those who have seen me work in the roleplaying-happy mode have probably noticed that I spit out a handful of ideas every week, write down a few random settings, hooks, characters, plots, or stories - mostly as part of an ongoing campaign or chronicle, but sometimes just loose ideas that I might incorporate in a game sometime in the future.
However, most of the games I've been running for the past month or so, excepting the AE-campaign over New Years', have been more or less entirely improvised. Adding to that, some of the best games have been entirely improvised, like the last session of Berlin, or the whole Mutant: The Mutationing storyline. This has made me awfully insecure when I plan things, because I feel as though a lot of the time my planning doesn't really amount to anything. And, when I sit down to plan something out, I find that I can't really think of anything because I'm getting used to thinking on my feet - complicated 13-step plots just don't come as naturally anymore.
I've been thinking I should probably do things more the Berlin way, letting stories grow out organically - basically playing and seeing where the story ends up, just writing down new setting details and NPCs on the fly. The problem with this is, I rather enjoy having a master plan which is good to fall back on, plus, I can't really work on my favouritest hobby of all times without players if I'm to improvise all the time. So I don't really know - people tend to say my improvising usually turns out better than my planning. Does this mean I should plan less?
I also have some difficulties figuring out how to plan things up ahead; I want to give players as much freedom as possible, but obviously the only way I can maximize freedom is by not planning at all, or nearly nothing at all. Locations and people generally require people to actually visit them, which needless to say is nearly impossible to plan out without enforcing things. Usually there's no problem with, say, "The treasure map leads to Mount Dumb", but it becomes boring very quick if there's only one route to Mount Dumb, giving no choice whatsoever about how to get there. Or so I think, at least. The solution here is obviously to plan a lot, which can be fun but also frustrating.
Events are highly different, because they can be thrown in when the action stalls - things like "Your girlfriend bursts in, crying 'Max is dead!'" or "Suddenly, the assassins sent by Xiao Bong leap towards you!" The problem with events, though, is that they usually don't happen in a vacuum. I can't really plan the above events out without having some reason for the characters to be involved with Max or Xiao Bong. That is where plans get really tricky - core characters like that are part of the setting, and the setting doesn't really come alive until the characters have interacted with it. Hence, I can plan a setting but I can't plan for it to live, and a setting that doesn't feel coherent or relevant just won't work.
In conclusion, then, I think location-based games (like most fantasy games and games with a tactical element) are handled easily - for more freedom, plan more options. This is fine, and I rather enjoy it usually - but few games are entirely location-based, unless they're vanilla dungeons. NPCs can work this way, too, but they tend to become very flat if they're just part of a plans-web; they simply need an element of personality, and if you try to dodge stereotypes and make NPCs unpredictable (which makes them feel more real), the problem is it becomes very hard to plan them. Thug #3 just attacks you. Ariel Hanna Seraphina Hummerstungerdoppelbergsson might on a whim decide she likes you if you snap a comment which suits her personality. Big difference in the theoretics behind those two characters there.
I suppose the solution with events could be to plan a bunch of events that seem to hang together coherently, and then prune them away as they become irrelevant. It's sad, but it's much easier to cut things out on the fly than add them on the fly. And, well - planning things definitely keeps them from becoming completely stupidly sucky, even if it's no guarantee for a great game.
Back to the writing board then, I suppose.
tisdag 6 november 2007
Beautiful Madness
I'm terribly sorry about the double-post, you guys, but if I could rant a little about how difficult it is to design cults and do horror, I think I should rave a little about how intoxicatingly addicting I find Changeling: The Lost to be.
Changelings are threatened by insanity, especially in the form of a fractured and slowly decaying personality. That this appeals to a favourite theme of mine (the destruction or altering of someones' identity) is only the first part of the equation.
Changeling manages to take the social/political approach to plotlines possessed by Vampire, and mingle it with the mysteries and close brushes with the supernatural of Mage. Add to this the element of fairy-tale magic, and there's a perfect recipe for a game system (and setting) that can be tweaked and altered according to the wishes of those who tell the story. There's no real problem to make a society of changelings bent on controlling mortals - they have good reason to, and can be just as abusive as vampires, meaning the social aspects can be highlighted. You can also twist the tale the other way, making the changelings relatively benevolent and unified against the mysteries of the World of Darkness.
So why do I post about this? Because it's a problem. It's too big for me to use. It's a giant-sized palette, and whichever way I do it, I feel as though I should use slightly more or slightly less of some hues. Too much of something good...
I think my inspiration is on fire.
Changelings are threatened by insanity, especially in the form of a fractured and slowly decaying personality. That this appeals to a favourite theme of mine (the destruction or altering of someones' identity) is only the first part of the equation.
Changeling manages to take the social/political approach to plotlines possessed by Vampire, and mingle it with the mysteries and close brushes with the supernatural of Mage. Add to this the element of fairy-tale magic, and there's a perfect recipe for a game system (and setting) that can be tweaked and altered according to the wishes of those who tell the story. There's no real problem to make a society of changelings bent on controlling mortals - they have good reason to, and can be just as abusive as vampires, meaning the social aspects can be highlighted. You can also twist the tale the other way, making the changelings relatively benevolent and unified against the mysteries of the World of Darkness.
So why do I post about this? Because it's a problem. It's too big for me to use. It's a giant-sized palette, and whichever way I do it, I feel as though I should use slightly more or slightly less of some hues. Too much of something good...
I think my inspiration is on fire.
måndag 5 november 2007
World of Darkness
So I've been working on how to portray cults in a good light as of late, and I gotta say, I need to study up on my Call of Cthulhu. Cults are fascinating, but I can't get them just right - either they wind up too much hoods-and-robes á la Indiana Jones, or they become too harmless to really seem like a threat.
The difficulty, I think, lies in trying to portray the Evil that Men Do, for after all, not every threat has to be supernatural. So I drop them into a creepy little place and have a sacrifice or two - and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "CTHULHU". Honestly. I have too much a pull towards portraying the supernatural, but I could use a healthy dose of just good old humans doing some good old evil. If anyone has suggestions for how tell a story about a cult (aside from Eyes Wide Shut), feel free to add in a comment.
Otherwise I'm working on stories for Mage, but I keep getting tangled. Somehow I'm not entirely pleased with myself. Mysteries are like ketchup - first it's simple, then it's simple, then suddenly you've lost track of the storyline yourself. And then in the process of cleaning it up, things go back to being simple again. Something tells me I should just improvise.
Spoiler alert: There will be cults in the Mage game too. Yeah. It was the best idea I could come up with, after having worked on cults all day.
The difficulty, I think, lies in trying to portray the Evil that Men Do, for after all, not every threat has to be supernatural. So I drop them into a creepy little place and have a sacrifice or two - and then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like "CTHULHU". Honestly. I have too much a pull towards portraying the supernatural, but I could use a healthy dose of just good old humans doing some good old evil. If anyone has suggestions for how tell a story about a cult (aside from Eyes Wide Shut), feel free to add in a comment.
Otherwise I'm working on stories for Mage, but I keep getting tangled. Somehow I'm not entirely pleased with myself. Mysteries are like ketchup - first it's simple, then it's simple, then suddenly you've lost track of the storyline yourself. And then in the process of cleaning it up, things go back to being simple again. Something tells me I should just improvise.
Spoiler alert: There will be cults in the Mage game too. Yeah. It was the best idea I could come up with, after having worked on cults all day.
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