May 2013
19 posts
Stormwriting: What It Is and Why You Should Try It... →
geekincognito:
Freewriting + Improv = Stormwriting.
I am totally using this.
did somebody say improv?
My IRL RPG group, ladies and gentlemen
Me: I think I want this RPG to have more serious roleplay.
Dave: I want to be a Celestial Wizard from a noble background.
Me: Brad?
Brad: I WANT TO BE A TROLLSLAYER THAT TALKS LIKE RANDY SAVAGE AND IS NAMED SANDY RAVAGE.
That's Unpossible: NPCs That Don't Suck →
gamenightswith:
Let’s face it: your NPCs probably suck.
Mine did, and often do. Gaming’s special this way. There’s isn’t any other pursuit that demands you invent potentially dozens of characters a night. Novelists, screenwriters, dramaturges all struggle with character….
for future reference. This is the simplist I have seen NPCs explained. Awesome.
4 tags
Lost in La-Mulana
I fell down the videogame rabbit hole playing La-Mulana on Steam. It is a remake of the game homebrewed for the Commedore(?) system. The game is about exploration and has the reputation of being very challenging. Despite having the ability to warp out of the dungeons at will, heals are hard to come by in the depths, and the puzzles… the puzzles!!
I have been locked in for 8 hours,...
That's Unpossible: Vreeg's Rules of Setting Design →
m00nd0g:
Vreeg’s first Rule of Setting Design Make sure the ruleset you are using matches the setting and game you want to play, because the setting and game WILL eventually match the system.
Corrollary to Vreeg’s First Rule The amount of rules given to a certain dimension of an RPG…
“It is a part of mankind to play games. We played in the Stone Age. We played in...”
– Klaus Teuber (via maxistentialist)
2 tags
Be sure to grab a jewel dream
I was in Sweden on a tour bus. We stop at a resort, when someone tells me robberies happen in the jewlery store all the time. If one happens, be sure to grab a jewel because nobody will notice. I go in the store, when sure enough, a lone bandit was holding up the place. A spark of good Samaritan kicks in and I tackle the guy. We fall on one of the display cases. It shatters, spilling jewels...
“Unless you’re being rude, offensive, abrasive, or selfish, you’re probably doing...”
– http://www.gamingaswomen.com/posts/2013/05/game-mastery-files-finding-your-gaming-zen/ (via unpossiblelabs)
I need to post this on my GM screen. I don’t need a quick reference for the rules. I need this.
2 tags
I love lamp
On a good day, I feel like this:
But then, most days I feel like this:
&& i'm addicted to words and they're useless.:... →
corruptionpoints:
If there is one singular fact you all should know about me, it is this: I really enjoy Earthbound for the Super Nintendo. It remains as one of many games that I play annually and a game that has very much help shape my theories on design and my choice to become a Game…
1 tag
Viva Las Vegas
Heading off for a different type of gaming this week. Where my nose is in the strategy guides, studying, memorizing, fantasizing… Sorta like RPGs lol
My poison is Blackjack, though it is hard to find a table where I can stomach the min bet (I’m still cheap, afterall!) I find BJ to be rewarding and cerebral enough, and, if you’re with the right group of people, can be quite...
“Gamers gotta game.”
– This is my friend Emerson’s motto. I joined his small gaming group three years ago. At the time, I thought Gamers gotta game was mostly a humorous restatement of the obvious. After all, he always said it on Friday nights, when we were all assembled and ready to, well, play a game.
But over time my...
That's Unpossible: Real Life Intrudes →
unpossiblelabs:
I don’t know Chris Chinn, aka Bankuei. In fact, I only discovered his Deeper in the Game: From Geekdom to Freedom blog recently. But it’s no exaggeration to say that if you’re really into tabletop roleplaying, his blog posts are mandatory reading.
Today he announced he’ll be too busy to…
“As a Storyteller, you can motivate characters with environmental comforts and...”
– Good stuff from Discomfort as Motivation, from the ST Wild: On Roleplaying blog. (via unpossiblelabs)
April 2013
15 posts
Forge Midwest, sinuses, and Our Last Best Hope
GenCon can be overwhelming. The long lines, the crowded hallways, the gigantic event lists… Forgoing GenCon ‘13, I decided to hit “Forge Midwest”. Forge had been running annually in an unassuming hotel in Madison, Wisconsin for a little over five years. The convention conjures up about 50 to 60 gamers who play board games and RPG, mostly of the indie variety.
I...
2 tags
Conversations
I think I have come to hate social mechanics in d20 games. Intimidate and Diplomacy just don’t cut it for me. First, Diplomacy is not an opposed roll. So, beef up that stat and you could rule the world. Intimidate, while effective in combat, I find it annoying in social context. For both stats, what does a failed roll get you? Not much, if not a whole lot of nothing. Which sucks for...
Oh DMing
DM: You have been instructed to infiltrate this organisation. Here is where you can find someone who may have some information
Players: Okay, let's interview him. THEN LET'S KILL HIM, AND THEN STRING HIM UP AGAINST THE DOOR TO THE TAVERN WHERE A KNOWN MEMBER OF THE ORGANISATION WE'RE TRYING TO INFILTRATE HANGS OUT!!!
DM: *Whimper*
And then they have an entire organization against them and the party wonders what they did wrong
5 tags
Getting in character or Overstudy of the year
Tonight is our last rehearsal for the community theater play. I was able to get on stage the week before all my family and friends come to see. It has been almost 10 years since I last performed any production, and more than 15 years since my last play performance. Man, what I have been missing all these years!
Gigantic boost in confidence. The cloud over my head is gone. Instant friends,...
3 tags
Creativity and Highly Sensitive Persons →
A fascinating article about the many faces of creatives
3 tags
All other ground is sinking sand
Ignoring Mr. Inner Critic as best I can (and I’ve made progress in this regard) my “sandbox” game came to a grinding halt today. And that is ok. As a matter of fact, I am lucky and proud to be gaming with the group we have.
Prep for this session was hard. The scope of the sandbox campaign was just too large. I could over-analyze this to death, so I will just sum it up...
1 tag
That's Unpossible: The Language of Roleplaying →
unpossiblelabs:
Language is constantly shifting, reacting, and changing. For example:
In the 1980s, D&D was a fantasy roleplaying game (FRP). If you told a friend you were going to go do some fantasy roleplay, they’d either think you were into exotic sexual practices or were going to play a game like D&D.
…
March 2013
26 posts
2 tags
It's a matter of time
The single greatest barrier in gaming…time. Missed out on a game day and I was looking forward to playing Leverage to get a new perspective. But, a play rehearsal got in the way. Actually, a pink eye infection gotten in the way too, so I suppose it was meant to be.
Gaming is still suspended until mid-April. The play and family functions are taking up the majority of my time. I got the...
2 tags
Diplomacy revisited →
This makes sense.
“ #dnd tip: Never be afraid to roll for skills your character isn’t good at and...”
– (via brave-or-grave)
I LOVE ROLLING SKILLS I HAVE NEGATIVE ROLLS ON (via literaryfirearms)
Inadvertently Collecting Tabletop RPGs
unpossiblelabs:
My game collection (print & PDF) currently includes three that I’ve not yet played: Nova Praxis, HeroQuest, Traveller (Mongoose), Atomic Highway, Cosmic Patrol, Degenesis, Donjon, Savage Worlds, and Swords & Wizardry. As Charlie Brown would say, “Good grief!”
In my defense, only two of those are print books. What about you? How many RPGs have you acquired in hopes of...
1 tag
The mind of a gamer
My brain is racing with rpg ideas. It will not stop. It is like my mind is kicking and screaming as I drag it back to work.
That's Unpossible: The Disconnect Between D&D and... →
unpossiblelabs:
This post from Robert J. Schwalb reminds me of the immense chasm between D&D and other pen & pencil roleplaying games. I can’t help but think of the international beer market. I know that sounds weird, but bear with me.
Judging by the amount of television marketing for Anheuser-Busch and Coors…
