tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13049223686855952024-03-05T04:01:14.532-08:00Fictions & FragmentsHansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-44125652817150991422019-10-10T11:05:00.001-07:002019-10-10T11:05:22.409-07:00Big Bad Con - about me<div class="css-1dbjc4n r-18u37iz r-thb0q2 r-1mi0q7o" data-testid="tweet">
<br /></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="r-18u37iz">As a longer version of my Twitter (@HansCTweets) <a class="css-4rbku5 css-18t94o4 css-901oao css-16my406 r-1n1174f r-1loqt21 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0" data-focusable="true" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BigBadCon2019?src=hashtag_click" role="link">#BigBadCon2019</a></span><span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> intro:</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFPI9Ze9nZ0OZkr81gfWRx4c5SS3G8n4tehUMh51pG-4K8wSdmwA2Wny3Uy0N0MhnHnA_q5dyo0frD5b_xVxi9j6U51h4voN4p9gDGELASOlBfovlFZ2bOa3BFmAO199DRpbqybPmNyM/s1600/IMG_20190814_090213456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="1600" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFPI9Ze9nZ0OZkr81gfWRx4c5SS3G8n4tehUMh51pG-4K8wSdmwA2Wny3Uy0N0MhnHnA_q5dyo0frD5b_xVxi9j6U51h4voN4p9gDGELASOlBfovlFZ2bOa3BFmAO199DRpbqybPmNyM/s320/IMG_20190814_090213456.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Hi, I’m Hans! I use he/him pronouns. </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I like to make, hack, run and play games. I do want to talk to you about games.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">OK with photos and physical contact but please ask!</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Very easily distracted and hyperfocused.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I drink coffee constantly but no alcohol.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-1blvdjr r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-19yat4t r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" lang="en">
<br /><div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I’m here to meet people, play games, be excited and pick up cool stuff! </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Won’t get to the Con until 6 on Thursday, maybe as late as 8 Friday, but all day Sat and Sun!</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I will be volunteering as a Ranger greeting on Saturday 2-5pm and hosting Games on Demand Sunday 8am-12noon.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Big Bad Con is going to be my first con in a while. I'm looking for new opportunities and to connect with new friends. I've done a lot of streaming and online games lately and would really love to expand upon that.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">I've also started many RPG projects and would love to get more incentive to see them finished. There are a bunch of examples here on the blog and even more lying around in my Google Docs!</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Tabletop RPGs were the first place I found friends, community and a voice as a young person. As I've grown they've always proved my best way to meet and appreciate new people. This weekend is all about that for me. I'm trying to leave space to learn, play, connect and shop, but I have a few games scheduled to play as well as several panels and events.</span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"><br /></span></div>
<div class="css-901oao r-hkyrab r-1qd0xha r-a023e6 r-16dba41 r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-bnwqim r-qvutc0" dir="auto" id="tweet-text" lang="en">
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">If you see me, please say hi!</span></div>
<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0"> </span></div>
HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-22331294686924678152019-10-08T15:45:00.000-07:002019-10-08T15:45:44.893-07:00Big Bad Con - before the conFirst, I love this title, which sounds like some kind of prequel novel!<br />
<br />
Getting ready for Big Bad Con is reminding me that I have lots of outlets for sharing my creativity with people.<br />
<br />
I meant to go to Big Bad Con last year. I didn't get things together, which may have been some kind of anxiety or executive dysfunction. It's been a long time since I gamed with people I've never met in public and I'm honestly nervous about how I'm going to come across and what I'm going to do.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.bigbadcon.com/">https://www.bigbadcon.com/</a> <br />
<br />
But I need Big Bad Con too. Some of the reasons:<br />
To meet people I've come to appreciate online in person.<br />
To make new connections and be inspired.<br />
To challenge myself, because the more people you tell you will do something, the better chance you actually do it.<br />
<br />
I find myself interested in developing new games, streaming new shows and making more creative collaborative projects. This is going to be a great opportunity.<br />
<br />
Here's my scheduled events:<br />
<b>Thursday, Oct. 10</b><br />
Arrive at 6pm<br />
Opening Ceremonies 6-7pm<br />
Soda Pop Social 7-9pm<br />
<br />
<b>Friday, Oct. 11</b><br />
Arrive at 7pm?<br />
Turn: Reunion at Salmon Cove 8pm-12mid<br />
<br />
<b>Saturday, Oct. 12</b><br />
Arrive at 8am?<br />
Numenera: The Resonating Song 9am-1pm<br />
Greeter 2-5pm<br />
Something is Wrong Here 8pm-12mid<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday, Oct.13</b><br />
Arrive at 7am?<br />
Games on Demand Host 8am-12pm<br />
Designing Out in the Open 12-1pm<br />
Circle Theory and Other Narrative Design Tools 2-4pm <br />
<br />HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-13807658120014058212019-05-01T08:51:00.002-07:002019-05-01T08:51:45.521-07:00Playing games: when not to rollWhen you're playing a game, there are times you don't want to roll.<br />
<br />
Playing any version of an RPG, such as Dungeons & Dragons, there are things that you need to accomplish and things you want to accomplish.<br />
<br />
The things you <b>need</b> to accomplish are the things that make sure everyone has fun and feels supported.<br />
<br />
When I say 'fun' I don't mean that their characters win. I mean that they are able to be in a social situation with friends that makes them feel comfortable and like they'd want to return.<br />
<br />
When I say 'feels supported' I mean that they should be able to express how they feel about the game and the way they are able to interact with the other players.<br />
<br />
When I play a game, I do it to share an experience with others. If they're not my friends at the start of the game (probably because this is the first time we've played together), I treat them like I want to be their friends by the end. I've made some mistakes doing this. They've mostly been giving people the benefit of the doubt and expecting things will resolve well.<br />
<br />
Because of this, in my latest game session when things got to a 'player versus player' moment, I decided a roll wasn't the right thing. The situation was with two players whose characters had conflicting motivations. One wanted to save people. One didn't.<br />
<br />
That by itself was manageable and the players were both very respectful to one another. However, the situation, the idea that the game was built with a system that told me how to resolve the situation, and that it was randomized, didn't appeal to me. Most of the mistakes I've made running games are expecting that the random result of a roll would make both people happy.<br />
<br />
My experience is that it won't. It will make one person feel bad and one feel good. It will enforce a competitive sense of play. It will call attention to safety tools but may make people feel disinclined to use them because they will feel 'weak'.<br />
<br />
Like players of video games that have Easy and Hard modes, the point of the safety tool is to allow people to enjoy the game. Easy isn't worse. Hard isn't better. At least, they shouldn't imply that they are. Safety tools also aren't there to decide who is stronger (able to bear more trauma and uncomfortable gameplay). They are there to support people and allow everyone to have fun.<br />
<br />
So the decision in this case was that, as GM, I would ask both players what they wanted as an outcome. I would disallow anything that seemed to weaken one character over another. There would be an agreement on how play would proceed. There were no checks, no points spent.<br />
<br />
In the end, it allowed both players to express their positions, decide on how they wanted to see the situation resolve, and let me as GM feel like I supported the players.<br />
<br />
Not everything needs a roll. Not everything should be random. People come first.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-47012944488295508822019-04-12T14:31:00.000-07:002019-04-12T14:31:36.469-07:00Dragon's PoolHere's a pitch for a new game setting for D&D I'm working on. First, I recommend you read <u>Shadow of the Fox</u> by Julie Kagawa. I'm enjoying it a lot; it's a fantasy Japan with a lot of great characters and fun over-the-top fantasy.<br />
The Dragon's Pool is an Asian-inspired setting that focuses on the mystical and magical. Long-term goals are to zoom out and see the lands of China, Korea, Mongolia and southeast Asia (Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia). Short-term, Dragon's Pool will focus on a mythic Japan and the sea that surrounds it.<br />
<br />
Some of the homebrew topics I'm dealing with are the yokai (monster) races of Kitsune and Tanuki and a lot of mapping D&D Classes and Archetypes to Asian tropes. You can follow along for more and also check out the World Anvil page at <a href="https://www.worldanvil.com/w/dragons-pool-hans">https://www.worldanvil.com/w/dragons-pool-hans</a>HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-72411922810169282412019-02-06T08:38:00.000-08:002019-02-06T08:38:01.658-08:00Cypher Mon - Monster Battling Cypher Hack PremiseI'm taking the long way around to another Cypher System hack. There is a lot to love about the Cypher System; in this case I want to emphasize the ease of creating NPCs and other entities by level.<br />
<br />
The Cypher System uses levels to abstract everything outside of player characters. They're generally rated 1-10 with 10 being the best. When you compare 2 things and they have different levels, the one with the higher level wins.<br />
<br />
You can make quick decisions based on that system or do things in a more granular fashion using these same rules.<br />
<br />
<br />
So here are some things I want to lay out in Cypher System for a monster battling setting.<br />
<br />
1. Easy monster creation and ways to classify weakness/strength based on type. This would be something like:<br />
<br />
Splash (Level 3 Water Mon)<br />
Water Type is Strong against Earth types and Weak against Wood types.<br />
<br />
2. Character Types based upon Monster Battling. Revising the default types of Cypher (Warrior, Adept, Explorer, Speaker) to be based around Monsters.<br />
<br />
Warriors --> Monster Battlers<br />
Adepts --> Monster Scientists<br />
Explorers --> Monster Tamers<br />
Speakers --> Monster Breeders<br />
<br />
Their abilities will be re-worked to focus on when they are most powerful and effective.<br />
<br />
3. Rules/systems for monster raising, monster improvement and turn-based monster battling.<br />
<br />
Keep an eye here for more details as things evolve!<br />
<br />
<br />HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-50234580600058232512018-12-27T12:54:00.002-08:002018-12-27T12:54:35.380-08:00New 3d Printer, New 3d Prints!I was lucky to get a new 3d printer for Xmas! It's a Creatlity Ender 3.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxMkahgKnBahcitHf4ZIgKX90QHpts1uZKyuDu34QaPVE5pR_-qwFFS1oZe8kX-wg4s-CG3cgV01t_v-SY_NAKhTT23uYAfAZhTDB6DXPWAuzVdDaiaom6A0IhuoW-OJ0_Ya18kjVrT4/s1600/IMG_20181225_134828953.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyxMkahgKnBahcitHf4ZIgKX90QHpts1uZKyuDu34QaPVE5pR_-qwFFS1oZe8kX-wg4s-CG3cgV01t_v-SY_NAKhTT23uYAfAZhTDB6DXPWAuzVdDaiaom6A0IhuoW-OJ0_Ya18kjVrT4/s320/IMG_20181225_134828953.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creality Ender 3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had asked for this when I saw the Ender 3 was on sale on Black Friday. I wasn't planning on putting it together on Xmas (3 meals to cook and Legos to build), but my wife encouraged me and I'm glad she did. It took 1 hour and 45 minutes to put together. That included looking at an assembly video by Fat Dragon Games on YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/me8Qrwh907Q">https://youtu.be/me8Qrwh907Q</a> and doing basic calibration.<br />
<br />
My previous printer took 2 nights (6 hours?) to assemble the first time, half that time the second. The Ender 3 comes with lots of pre-assembled parts and it very solid. Easy to put together, probably even for a first timer, though the video is very helpful.<br />
<br />
The quality has been great. The features on the printer are great. Looking forward to doing more with this new printer. I'm especially excited by the number of hobbyist 3d mini and terrain printers that use the Ender 3 and share their profiles (printer settings) online! It's opening up a whole level of collaboration and practice I've not experienced before!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZb6l_bYi-Y4-IPDg-WYKY6ZhO0dEW2NtdQgt4Ksp8zYdsZBVAAmWc7ZL3sUVbvGjqpB3xifz_ZfhuhGXx4DaNtYtYmQ-rtaliM1D0mnPHC5VU46vb1yn5aGntucG6g13MbroBeQFBHk/s1600/IMG_20181226_210111120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijZb6l_bYi-Y4-IPDg-WYKY6ZhO0dEW2NtdQgt4Ksp8zYdsZBVAAmWc7ZL3sUVbvGjqpB3xifz_ZfhuhGXx4DaNtYtYmQ-rtaliM1D0mnPHC5VU46vb1yn5aGntucG6g13MbroBeQFBHk/s320/IMG_20181226_210111120.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side by side print comparison. New Ender 3 model on left, old A8 on right. Both are quick prints with stock settings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My previous printer is an Anet A8. This is an OK printer that taught me a LOT. I've actually had 2 A8s and each has had the same problem- poor electrical connections that lead to plastic being melted and destroying connections. This isn't necessarily an ending problem, but with the first I spent $75 in new parts before it got really dangerous. With the second, I passed. The new printer is well rated and recommended by lots of hobbyists. On sale, it cost $7 more than the A8.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-35378789343025284592018-10-08T12:51:00.001-07:002018-10-08T13:04:41.631-07:00Stakes - A Short RPG<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-50d6b8f2-7fff-3416-b097-e135f8fe9e2d" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 3pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 26pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Stakes</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 16pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #666666; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 15pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Save the world or survive the night</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A game for 2 or more players, 1 acting as Guide. The other players are Survivors, describing how they work to survive.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Guide describes the Results of their choices.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The formatting on this as a webpage is terrible, so if you prefer to read on Google Docs, you can do so here:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AS8-2qrUUMdXoxqfs97hcCVRXILqreOnFV5beY3ozWM/edit?usp=sharing">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AS8-2qrUUMdXoxqfs97hcCVRXILqreOnFV5beY3ozWM/edit?usp=sharing</a> </span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Playing a Survivor</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When you play a Survivor, you are stuck in the woods far from civilization. You have a simple goal: survive. There are eldritch</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">horrors at your heels and not enough time to finish all that must be done. To win the game, you need to Get Out.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What you have</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You have 2 hands so you roll 2 dice (normal six-sided dice). Roll them at the same time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you get a odd number, you get a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">mysterious occult item.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you get an even number, you get a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">practical powerful item.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If your dice match, you get to have one more item than usual. Roll again with 3 dice. If all 3 dice match, you’re going to get</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">4 items. You have to roll all 4 dice at once and continue this process.</span></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mysterious occult item suggestions</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">An amulet with the symbol of the ‘evil eye’ upon it</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A human finger bone, maybe of a saint, maybe of a witch</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A mason jar half-full of red fluid</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A page ripped from an ancient tome</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">An old cloth doll missing an eye</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A whistle made of silver</span></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Practical powerful item suggestions</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A shotgun with 1 shell</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A wood axe</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A tool box full of tools</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A glass bottle full of gasoline with a rag in its mouth</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The keys to a jeep</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">A long, heavy steel chain</span></div>
<br />
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">How You Got Here</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You have these cool things. How did you get them? Why are you lost in the woods? Have some fun thinking about</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">these things to set the mood for your game.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Playing the Game</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The general flow of play is:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Players describe how their Survivors try to Get Out (Try Things).</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Guide describes how their items are taken away (Results).</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Get Out</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You want to survive. You need to Get Out. To do so you’re going to need some items. If you got what you needed, great.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You just have to keep them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you didn’t get what you need, or if you lose it on the way, then you need to find things.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">To Get Out, at the end of the story you need to have the correct combination of items. If you do, you Get Out.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you don’t, you’re stuck here.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Getting Out is not something you do all at once. For example, if you need to have a mysterious item and</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">a practical item to Get Out, you could do the following:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Use the mysterious item to determine the best way out of the woods.</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Use the practical item to escape the woods and Get Out.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Trying Things</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">To Get Out, the other players are going to try things. They have 2 choices in how to proceed. They can either:</span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Give up one of their items in the expected way.</span></div>
</li>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This means that a practical item is used practically (a key unlocks and turns on a jeep) or a mysterious item is used mysteriously (the finger bone points the way out of the forest).</span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: lower-alpha; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When the player makes this choice, they have used up the item. The Guide will narrate the scene until the item is no longer of use, then take it away.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For example, if the Survivor is now using the jeep, driving through the forest, they lose it when the jeep goes over a hole, cracking its axle and stalling in the mud.</span></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Trade 2 items of 1 kind for 1 of the other.</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If the players want to trade practical items for a mysterious item or vice versa, they may do so. The Guide will narrate a scene where that happens.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 72pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For example, trading a box of tools and a wood axe for a pendant with the evil eye upon it might involve breaking into an old shack and breaking open a locked cabinet to retrieve the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">mysterious amulet inside.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Raising the Stakes</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes Survivors get what they need to Get Out right away. This is especially common when there is only 1 Survivor. When a player decides to Try Things and gets the result they need to Get Out</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">(use a practical item when you need a practical item, v.v.), the Guide should indicate that they know what to do to Get Out, and that the Survivor has the opportunity to Raise the Stakes.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When you Raise the Stakes, you can take something back that your Survivor has lost. You aren’t just going to win, you’re going to make the things that stalk you pay.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tell the Guide what your Survivor wants to find in game and that you want to Raise the Stakes. They roll a die to represent the new challenge. This doesn’t stop you from Getting Out, but you may not</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">get what you want. Use an item to Try Things (but don’t forget what you need to Get Out! You still need that). If you are successful, you get the thing you wanted.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For example, Terry the Survivor has what they need to Get Out. Their player Kris decides to Raise the Stakes and wants to go back into the woods for Terry’s college professor. They have a practical</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">item they haven’t used so the Guide rolls a die. If Terry has the right item to solve this challenge, they will rescue their college professor. If not, the professor won’t be saved but Terry will still Get Out.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Finding Things</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For game purposes, an item can always be substituted for any item of the same type with no penalty (practical for practical, mysterious for mysterious). Gaining an item can be done by spending 2 items</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">of the opposite type, as described in Trying Things.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you can’t do that, you can Find Things at a cost.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When Survivors want to Find Things, they still have to lose an item. They might need 2 items of a type but only have 1, or they could only have 1 item total.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">To Find the Thing you want, you lose the item. The Guide rolls a die to see if it matches </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">the type that you want.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> That means odd for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">mysterious occult</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> or even for </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">practical powerful</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">. If they get the opposite</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">result, you won’t Find a Thing. You lose the item and gain nothing.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Playing The Guide</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Being the Guide is different from being a Survivor. Guides win when everyone plays the game and has a good experience. They should understand the ways they can act in the game and what is considered</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">a ‘winning’ result. As the Guide, you need to treat all players fairly and respect the rules. You need to make sure players know when they’re making progress and when they’re about to succeed or fail. You can</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">remind them of rules but don’t guide their decisions.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Setting the Stakes</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">At the start of the game, roll 1 die for each Survivor. These dice will tell you what they need to Get Out. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you roll an odd number, they need a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">mysterious occult item</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you roll an even number, they need a </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">practical powerful item</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you’re rolling more than 1 die and they all match, add an item to what the Survivors need to Get Out. That means if you’re rolling 2 dice and they match, the Survivors now need 3 items to Get Out. Roll 3</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">dice to see what they need.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If you have just 1 Survivor, roll 2 dice but keep them different (color, location) and if they match, the Survivor needs 2 items to Get Out. Roll 2 dice and find out what they need. Ignore other matches.</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The default position of the game is that Survivors will not know what they need in order to Get Out. Record the results and let the Survivors complete them in any order.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Guide will inform Survivors of the success or failure of their choices by marking progress.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">If the Results of play include making progress towards Getting Out, be sure to show that. Keeping players informed of the progress required to Get Out can be a good way to keep the tension in play low</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">and make sure everyone has fun.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Describe Results</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Survivors describe how they try to Get Out. They can make up locations, talk about their processes and describe everything they want about what they do. As Guide, you describe the results. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">For example, when the Survivors use a wood axe to break into an old abandoned cabin, you describe what they find.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When the players make progress towards Getting Out, Mark Progress, but also describe the scene. How does the cabin help them get out? In the above example, when the Survivors got into the cabin,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">they made progress. As Guide, you mark it where the players can see it, then describe what they found. Maybe the cabin had a map inside that clearly marks the path out of the woods. Perhaps instead the</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">cabin had a phone and the Survivors call for help. As one last idea, the cabin could have a working snowmobile and the keys hanging on a peg inside.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Mark Progress</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">To show the Survivors that they are getting closer to the end of the story, you need to Mark Progress. For each of the dice you rolled to establish the stakes in the game, leave a visible marker on the play surface.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">This could be a progress bar, a set of markers like plastic skulls or game pieces, or a set of coins that get turned over or removed with each play.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The End</span></h2>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Final Item</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When you get to the last item the Survivors need to Get Out, you have to make it big. Narrate a scene filled with tension and excitement. Play up the importance of the item and how it makes a difference. Make</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">things sound amazing. Let the players describe their Survivors’ actions but you describe the Results.</span></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Failure</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Not every group of Survivors makes it out. If your group does not, make their final scene exciting and end on a cliffhanger. Describe the Results and when the Survivors find out they don’t have what they need,</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">fade out on a scene that goes to black as the Survivors are trapped in the woods....</span></div>
<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 4pt; margin-top: 16pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #434343; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13.999999999999998pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Success</span></h3>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sometimes you get lucky. If the Survivors have what they need at the end, they Get Out. Describe where they find themselves and what they’ve left behind. It’s a success, but will they want to go back in? Maybe</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">there’s something they need back there still.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Ideas for a Harder Game</span></h1>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Higher Stakes</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">You could roll 1 additional die for the Stakes at the start of the game. In a 1-Survivor game, that means they need 2 items to Get Out; something that seems highly unlikely. For larger groups, the additional stakes</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">might even things out.</span></div>
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Knock Out Players</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When a Survivor uses all of their items, they are Out. Like many classic horror movies, the Survivor gets left behind. No Survivor should die, because someone might go back for them later.</span></div>
<br />
<h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 18pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Complete Stakes In Order</span></h2>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When the Stakes are higher with 2 or more Survivors, require them to be solved in order. To progress towards Getting Out, the Survivors have to pick the right items or they do not make progress.</span></div>
<h1 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 6pt; margin-top: 20pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 20pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">License</span></h1>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Stakes - a Short RPG by</span><a href="https://fictionsandfragments.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Hans Chun</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> is licensed under a</span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Based on a work at</span><a href="http://fictionsandfragments.blogspot.com/2018/10/stakes-short-rpg.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">http://fictionsandfragments.blogspot.com/2018/10/stakes-short-rpg.html</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">.</span></div>
HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-61124975827282678962018-09-13T14:53:00.001-07:002018-09-13T14:55:08.352-07:00Level 0 Characters for 5eLevel 0 characters are a topic I didn't know I wanted to write about until @DnDEdition tagged me in a post describing a homebrew approach to Level 0 characters.<br />
While I like the creativity they put into their Level 0 character generation process, here are my thoughts on using Level 0 characters.<br />
<h2>
Level 0 character generation</h2>
Follow the steps described in the Basic Rules/Player's Handbook as follows: <br />
<ol>
<li>Choose a Race</li>
<li><i>skip Choose a Class.</i> Your base Hit Points are 6.</li>
<li>Determine Ability Scores</li>
<li>Describe Your Character</li>
<li>Play the game. </li>
</ol>
<h3>
Race</h3>
Your choice of race will influence your Ability Scores and Skills. At Level 0, this can be especially important. A magical Cantrip is a potent spell and a Skill Proficiency is something most characters will not have.<br />
<br />
If you use Variant Human rules including Feats, you should grant the Feat at this stage. It may not have the same effect for a Level 0 character as for a standard Level 1, but that seems appropriate.<br />
<h3>
Skip Choose a Class</h3>
The major difference between Level 0 and Level 1 is the benefit of a Class. Classes determine Hit Dice, Proficiencies and much more. At Level 0 you get none of that.<br />
<br />
Since the smallest Hit Die for any class is a d6, use 6 Hit Points as the base Hit Points for your Level 0 character. Characters who choose classes with more Hit Points gain those at Level 1.<br />
<h3>
Determine Ability Scores</h3>
Do this like you usually do. Pick a method and generate your Ability Scores. Apply bonuses from your Race.<br />
<h3>
Describe Your Character</h3>
The most significant step of Describing Your Character will be choosing a Background. This is intended to reflect a character's previous life and training, so it serves as the source of Proficiencies and Equipment your Level 0 character will receive.<br />
<br />
Use a Proficiency Bonus of +2 for these Proficiencies, as well as any granted by Race.<br />
<br />
In my opinion, this gives you some direction for how your character will act and grow. If you wanted to have Level 0 characters who are children or young adults you could decide to give part of a Background or use none at all.<br />
<br />
You can still describe all of the other components of your character's description, such as Alignment, Bonds, Flaws and Ideals, but I imagine that Level 0 characters are most interesting to players that want to determine these details through play. Your Level 0 character may be in the middle of experiencing the events that influence their later description.<br />
<h3>
Playing with Level 0 Characters</h3>
There's a big challenge in playing Level 0 characters. You won't have many Hit Points, Proficiencies or any Class Abilities. This makes you pretty vulnerable and below the average in terms of capabilities, so take advantage of this short time to play a scene of personal significance.<br />
<br />
As Level 0 characters coming together, this is probably a moment that is formative for your later campaign; think about how you all met and what things became important to you.<br />
<br />
Consider this a golden opportunity to make future friends and <b>experience defeat.</b><br />
<br />
Play Level 0 for exactly one session. Level the characters up and come back for Level 1 next time.<b> </b><br />
<h3>
Experiencing Defeat</h3>
No one likes losing. Yet, everyone loves a good villain. A Level 0 game is a great opportunity to showcase characters that are interesting and come together in the face of a threat, specifically one that will come back later in the game (at Level 1) to cause trouble for the characters again.<br />
<br />
At Level 0, lose. Let the villain defeat the characters and throw it in their face. Leave them broken and alone, unworthy of being finished off. Then let them come back at Level 1 for revenge.<br />
<br />
This doesn't have to be combat; it could be a social defeat or a puzzle that must be solved to enter a dungeon. Have fun with defeat and let it shape your character.<br />
<br />HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-90183010513450080532018-08-28T08:48:00.001-07:002018-08-28T08:52:26.209-07:003d Printer Dungeon TilesAfter having a 3d printer for a while and getting deep into printing 3d dungeon tiles, I've finally gotten around to printing a pretty good number of them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMJWxdE6uk9CVBHz8Ar-msEy51etmGev-Hu7v0tpJ7AW5XBOBFx3H_f7dD9FpQbrxjuPOn6fN8JcF8jHJsWYSoFCjCQjf8ndEvKUT6sQh4JC0eEalMP3iGneW3vGokwSFIPyeLS6bTB0/s1600/IMG_20180810_203129660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dungeon tiles arranged to make a set of rooms" border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1600" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMJWxdE6uk9CVBHz8Ar-msEy51etmGev-Hu7v0tpJ7AW5XBOBFx3H_f7dD9FpQbrxjuPOn6fN8JcF8jHJsWYSoFCjCQjf8ndEvKUT6sQh4JC0eEalMP3iGneW3vGokwSFIPyeLS6bTB0/s320/IMG_20180810_203129660.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vOMm3-qPvfnb5dv4tUt4aVt7a3AseCzadIr-t7QmejF0eoQj3aMPKsu0BCh7xHWUuVZCDExxHXuJmhdcCIu9KQwdn2Mk0OCcsno59OmFjZ9zTb9Tik9GpaNQI2plNRAc4zYbDuNZtv0/s1600/IMG_20180809_223158212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dungeon tiles arranged to make rooms showing door" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vOMm3-qPvfnb5dv4tUt4aVt7a3AseCzadIr-t7QmejF0eoQj3aMPKsu0BCh7xHWUuVZCDExxHXuJmhdcCIu9KQwdn2Mk0OCcsno59OmFjZ9zTb9Tik9GpaNQI2plNRAc4zYbDuNZtv0/s320/IMG_20180809_223158212.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
These are Fat Dragon Games brand Dragonlock 3d tiles. They are available on DriveThruRPG and they have a free set you can try. <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197128/DRAGONLOCK-Ultimate-Free-Sample-Set?cPath=587_24363">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197128/DRAGONLOCK-Ultimate-Free-Sample-Set?cPath=587_24363</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCnErMb9Oy4bnBfvuN7nPsL6vUWF7_eO2x-ZbvgUD4D475A9A9coyqAgyxCyvBLtmfx2QLprsjLSqruXWjVuH-iXhknSdfH6mGIWfpI3dKkeMwo75E8tixUKH28OQEi-Q8KyQIec-5GQ/s1600/IMG_20180813_205828736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lots of 3d printed tile walls" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCnErMb9Oy4bnBfvuN7nPsL6vUWF7_eO2x-ZbvgUD4D475A9A9coyqAgyxCyvBLtmfx2QLprsjLSqruXWjVuH-iXhknSdfH6mGIWfpI3dKkeMwo75E8tixUKH28OQEi-Q8KyQIec-5GQ/s320/IMG_20180813_205828736.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
For a general cost breakdown, the printer I use cost $175 with shipping and required assembly.<br />
<a href="https://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-kits/pp_337314.html?wid=1433363&currency=USD&vip=4264393&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ZPcBRBkEiwA-avvk-L2AlIF-Gxq7fnZD7SX_QnUwC6c_b7GnZBloRLMB7Um2sS-wyOmMhoCJPkQAvD_BwE">https://www.gearbest.com/3d-printers-3d-printer-kits/pp_337314.html?wid=1433363&currency=USD&vip=4264393&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ZPcBRBkEiwA-avvk-L2AlIF-Gxq7fnZD7SX_QnUwC6c_b7GnZBloRLMB7Um2sS-wyOmMhoCJPkQAvD_BwE</a><br />
Printer filament is about $20 per 1kg spool.<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/HATCHBOX-3D-Filament-Dimensional-Accuracy/dp/B00J0GMMP6/ref=sr_1_3/130-5385302-1079852?ie=UTF8&qid=1535471483&sr=8-3&keywords=filament+pla+hatchbox">https://www.amazon.com/HATCHBOX-3D-Filament-Dimensional-Accuracy/dp/B00J0GMMP6/ref=sr_1_3/130-5385302-1079852?ie=UTF8&qid=1535471483&sr=8-3&keywords=filament+pla+hatchbox</a><br />
The models are typically $9.99 per file set.<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/166074/DRAGONLOCK-Ultimate-Dungeon-Starter-Set?src=hottest_filtered">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/166074/DRAGONLOCK-Ultimate-Dungeon-Starter-Set?src=hottest_filtered</a><br />
With these things together, not accounting for time and labor on my part, I think tiles cost about 80 cents per piece.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2APPS__zpfewScx_Ma7kT254aKBNXgdzYBjBxzgUV918_enoroenBeErMvX39CIZM7UAlk405axVgHpMrNzpAbVgvFT4wz3geMwrz_ojc9C3WZ4RH02t-UjisnfYjAKYzvl7IJBmt63k/s1600/IMG_20180808_201215007_LL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Details of pillars, alcoves and other tile features" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2APPS__zpfewScx_Ma7kT254aKBNXgdzYBjBxzgUV918_enoroenBeErMvX39CIZM7UAlk405axVgHpMrNzpAbVgvFT4wz3geMwrz_ojc9C3WZ4RH02t-UjisnfYjAKYzvl7IJBmt63k/s320/IMG_20180808_201215007_LL.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7CsORQDppgXOhgqU6Xa1uNQyu1OVMsqT9Mw9WKNtHpYjJJioitWUfAPIO0HXbGqwuXFR5uz6Pd6JYG-nOTOyIGg7yPT2EzwaJ8Ki8AILdX39L3AENGLv7Qja0zfPcXpXjz5eiBeQXXM/s1600/IMG_20180808_201229976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cavern tiles" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7CsORQDppgXOhgqU6Xa1uNQyu1OVMsqT9Mw9WKNtHpYjJJioitWUfAPIO0HXbGqwuXFR5uz6Pd6JYG-nOTOyIGg7yPT2EzwaJ8Ki8AILdX39L3AENGLv7Qja0zfPcXpXjz5eiBeQXXM/s320/IMG_20180808_201229976.jpg" title="" width="240" /></a></div>
None of my 3d tile models are as high quality or durable as Dwarven Forge's top of the line dungeon tiles, but the cost and ability to produce what I want makes up for that, to me. The biggest thing I want out of dungeon tiles is the ability to quickly create fun 3d setups for Dungeons and Dragons with a set of tools that won't be harmed when my kids play with them.<br />
Previous to this, I've done a lot of projects with cardboard and foam but these haven't held up well with time. The 3d printed tiles combine higher durability with low individual costs to keep things reasonable for me.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-34487185278653775002018-08-17T11:00:00.001-07:002018-08-17T11:00:28.623-07:00Preparing for NaNoWriMo 2018Last year I did NaNoWriMo. I really wanted to challenge myself to finish a story. I did it; I managed 50K words in a story called 'Dungeon School' where students learned how to handle themselves as real adventurers for their future careers, in the spirit of Dungeons & Dragons.<br />
<br />
I liked a lot of things about the story but it was still very formulaic. It reminded me of Harry Potter with a little bit of high school love interest anime as well.<br />
<br />
I plan to do NaNoWriMo again this year. Currently I'm kicking around an idea about a magic portal bringing D&D style fantasy people into the modern day. Deal with identity and escape, probably have some fun conflict between how the world works and how we resolve problems in fantasy games. We'll see if I stick with it. I'm even considering putting it here, on the blog.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-80952828177582425712018-08-06T12:52:00.000-07:002018-08-06T12:52:02.670-07:00Pathfinder Playtest ThoughtsThe Pathfinder Playtest is going on now.<br />
I am really enjoying everything about it! Unexpectedly so, as well.<br />
<a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderplaytest">http://paizo.com/pathfinderplaytest</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderRPG/Test.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://cdn.paizo.com/image/content/PathfinderRPG/Test.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I played D&D 3 and 3.5 in their time. When I first heard about Pathfinder several years later, it seemed like a great way to preserve what I knew of D&D at a time when 4th Edition seemed like something different than I wanted.I ended up with a couple of Pathfinder books, then later a digital bundle of supplements.<br />
<br />
I don't think I ever used them once. By the time I got over my gaming hiatus, D&D 5th Edition was out and I liked it a lot. There was the influence of Critical Role and lots of local opportunities to run and play games, so I dived into D&D5e.<br />
<br />
I recently got a copy of Starfinder. I love the art but I ran the game for about 3 hours total and have no desire to go back. Starfinder has some interesting ideas but ends up very complicated; as a GM, it's more effort than I want to put in when prepping and running a session.<br />
<br />
My initial hesitance to look at Pathfinder Playtest came directly from my Starfinder experience. I finally took a look on Friday last week and haven't stopped looking at it.<br />
<br />
Pathfinder Playtest has managed to keep the broad character options of Pathfinder, with the selection of Feats to customize characters, while <b>drastically</b> simplifying combat, task resolution and the rulebook in general.<br />
<br />
Character creation is has a streamlined approach that gives options but doesn't require a lot of research. You select an ancestry, a background and a class. All provide Feats and give room for customization. I really like the new version of Ability Score generation used in the Playtest. You start with all Abilities at 10, make a number of 2-point Boosts and you may have a 2-point Penalty to subtract. Very simple and it gives a lot of room for character customization.<br />
<br />
The Background options are great. They have lots of flavor, play off the Pathfinder specialty of using Feats to customize characters and feel like they have a lot of variety.<br />
<br />
The Classes are similar to what you would see in Pathfinder 1 or various D&D editions; one I really like is the spellcaster Counterspell Feat (no more separate spell, just a Feat). It simplifies and directs gameplay. Many things feel like they really determine play style when selected, but there are also concrete rules in the game for changing Feat selections and Class ability selections, which is a really cool addition for a game that may be many peoples' first roleplaying game.<br />
<br />
The general way of playing the game is simplified. You have a modifier to Checks, which is typically an Ability + Proficiency, you add a single Bonus and subtract a single Penalty. That's a <b>huge</b> update on Pathfinder modifiers that I love.<br />
<br />
There are lots of other gems in the books, which everyone should check out at paizo.com for themselves, but also really like a couple small things:<br />
<ul>
<li>The beast rules are in the Bestiary, not the main book. I never like flipping between books and building monsters and encounters belong in the Bestiary. The Environment rules are there as well, which makes less sense to me, but still helps the organization.</li>
<li>The simple chart used for determining Difficulty Class makes the whole game work. It was my first bookmark on the PDF; I imagine that it will be the most important page in the book.</li>
<li>Multiclassing uses Archetypes and Feats without taking you out of your main class. I think that's an interesting choice that may play out well. </li>
</ul>
My biggest concern, not having played the game yet, are Recovery Saving Throws. When you go to 0 HP, you have to make your Recovery Saving Throws against the Ability or Spell that knocked you out. This is a Fortitude Saving Throw, so characters have a bonus that includes their Constitution modifier and their character level at minimum. The DC ranges from 12-49. This could be really good for characters with a high modifier and really bad for those without. I'm interested to see how that plays out in-game.<br />
<br />
Overall, I'm really excited about the options in the Pathfinder Playtest. I'm much more likely to play and run this than Pathfinder 1. The direction of the game has a lot of potential.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-91109513643688133002018-08-01T21:45:00.001-07:002018-08-06T14:06:05.978-07:00Monster Pets - A small RPG<h2>
Monster Pets</h2>
<h3>
A small RPG for quick interactions</h3>
Everyone has a Monster Pet. These small creatures need the companionship and care of a human to reach their fullest potential. The best Monster Pets get lots of socialization so that they grow up caring and courageous. As a Monster Raiser, you get to help your Monster Pets to achieve their very best!<br />
<h4>
Making a Monster Pet</h4>
Your Monster Pet has 4 statistics: Bravery, Calm, Energy and Obedience.<br />
<br />
When you make a new Monster Pet, choose 1 statistic to be a 4, 1 to be a 3, 2 to be 2s; your statistics could look like this: Bravery 4, Calm 3, Energy 2, Obedience 2.<br />
<br />
Think about making a sketch of your Monster Pet. This is one of the most fun things about Monster Pets- describing them to your friends when they interact!<br />
<h4>
Raising a Monster Pet</h4>
Having lots of interactions with your Monster Pet is the best way to have it grow up and build its statistics. Every time you have an interaction, there's a chance your Monster Pet will grow and improve.<br />
<br />
When you meet another person with a Monster Pet, ask them if they'd like to have your pets interact. If they agree, ask them to roll a die. The result of that roll is the interaction's risk.<br />
<br />
Pick one of your monster pet's statistics to challenge the risk. If the statistic is greater than the risk, your monster pet succeeds at the interaction.<br />
<br />
The other person also chooses one of their monster pet's statistics to challenge the risk with. If that statistic is higher than the risk, their monster pet passes at the interaction as well.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeY6lQwCBXaePkwsShSJzgOv1hDq9wP5E7R-gY887RP_7gTm6Js6dKmNFDC-xte4lh4LeF0vkAraL1uoyia5WObwnH9wkXm8hYurxYrmRBWDzS62HNFmZ_oAZrtoJl7cvtip2UnFr3ag/s1600/IMG_20180804_090843104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkeY6lQwCBXaePkwsShSJzgOv1hDq9wP5E7R-gY887RP_7gTm6Js6dKmNFDC-xte4lh4LeF0vkAraL1uoyia5WObwnH9wkXm8hYurxYrmRBWDzS62HNFmZ_oAZrtoJl7cvtip2UnFr3ag/s320/IMG_20180804_090843104.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good feedback from early playtests</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
Passing Interactions</h4>
When your Monster Pet passes an interaction, they gain +1 in the statistic they challenged the risk with. This also describes how they acted in the interaction.<br />
<br />
For example, if your Monster Pet has a Bravery of 3 and the risk of the interaction is 2, your Monster Pet passes. During the interaction, they act bravely, holding their head high and proud. Your Monster Pet's Bravery raises to 4.<br />
<h4>
Failing Interactions</h4>
When your Monster Pet fails at an interaction, they do not raise the statistic they used to challenge the roll. If there is another higher statistic, the highest statistic determines how they behaved instead. If there is no higher statistic, the Monster Pet acts frightened and shies away from the interaction.<br />
<br />
For example, a Monster Pet has a Bravery of 3 and a Energy of 1. In an interaction the risk is 2. The player decided to challenge with Energy but the Monster Pet has failed. Instead of acting energetic, the Monster Pet acts brave.<br />
<br />
Circle the statistic you used to challenge the interaction. The next time you interact with your Monster Pet, you can roll the die one more time. If your Monster Pet passes this risk, they pass the interaction.<br />
<br />
If they fail on this result as well, they do not get to circle the statistic again.<br />
<h4>
Monster Pets Grow Up</h4>
When a Monster Pet raises a statistic to 6, they are considered grown. They will need to be released into the wild to live their best monster lives; they may become parents of vast broods of monsters- someday their offspring may come to you as your new Monster Pet!<br />
<br />
You may not want your Monster Pets to grow up right away. The best and strongest Monster Pets raise all of their statistics as high as possible.<br />
<br />
When your Monster Pet grows up, add up their statistics. This total is the value of the Monster Pet. As a reward for raising a Monster Pet:<br />
<br />
You can make a new Monster Pet with statistics equal to this total<br />
<i style="font-weight: bold;">or</i><br />
you can add the total to your Monster Raiser score. Your Monster Raiser Score starts at 7.<br />
<br />
Example: Thorntail has grown up. Their final statistics are Bravery 6, Calm 3, Energy 3, Obedience 4. Their Monster Pet value is (6 + 3 + 3 + 4) = 16.<br />
As Thorntail's Monster Raiser you can choose to raise a new Monster Pet with 16 statistic points (5 more than average)<br />
<b><i>or</i></b><br />
you can add 16 points to your Monster Raiser Score. You start with 7 points, so you now have a Monster Raiser Score of (16 + 7) = 23.<br />
<h4>
Monster Raiser Score</h4>
Your Monster Raiser Score is a mark of pride among Monster Raisers.<br />
<br />
At your starting Monster Raiser Score of 11, you are a Hobby Monster Raiser.<br />
<br />
When your Monster Raiser Score reaches 25, you are considered a Master Monster Raiser.<br />
<br />
When your Monster Raiser Score reaches 50, you become an Expert Monster Raiser.<br />
<br />
When your Monster Raiser Score reaches 100, you gain the title of Legendary Monster Raiser.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-67553173423477989312018-07-28T14:16:00.001-07:002018-07-28T14:16:46.016-07:00Game Prep Lessons LearnedI just ran my roughest game in a long, long time. The issues in the game were things that could have been prevented or mitigated, but instead I had to do damage control and bring things to a halt.<br />
Some of the lessons I learned (again):<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Safety tools need to be introduced.</li>
<li>Use a session zero or pre-session to assess how a group works together..</li>
<li>No game is better than bad game.</li>
<li>If you want to use something during your game, prep it.</li>
</ul>
<h3>
Safety tools need to be introduced</h3>
<div>
No one wants to cause a problem or halt a game. Everyone came to play, so players will put off a lot before they find themselves objecting to the direction of the game. As a gamemaster (GM) I outlined a series of safety tools and put them in the game prep area. I congratulated myself on doing that before I even put in character creation steps. Then I promptly left them alone until there was a problem.</div>
<div>
When there was conflict between players, I could have handled it sooner. When I did handle it, the offended player said they had thought about X-carding the situation. I said that they should have (which sounds like a jerk move in retrospect) and brought the game to a halt to discuss the offensive situation.</div>
<div>
How many times could I have missed a cue that would have been prevented by a safety tool? Could I have prevented the situation from happening at all? <b>What part of the game is more important than player safety?</b> None. My fault. My error. I want to do better next time.</div>
<h3>
Use a session zero or pre-session to assess how a group works together</h3>
<div>
When I prepped the first session of the game I was lucky enough to have a web conferencing test that brought the players together. That gave everyone a chance to get comfortable and talk together. I let it slide at that point and didn't do a joint character creation session. I got two character concepts in advance out of 6. The other 4 showed up at the game. I had 2 players with 'Evil' alignments; something I would generally want to talk about.</div>
<div>
I proceeded to run the game like I normally would. This was a poor choice.</div>
<div>
For a second session, I introduced a new player with no preamble. There was immediate conflict and confusion.</div>
<div>
While none of that is the fault of the new player, I should treat the idea of a play group as important. If people have agreed to play together and put time into character creation together, adding a new player should be a meeting of minds and sharing of ideals for play. Things didn't go smoothly. I had ignored several entreaties by the new player - maybe they shouldn't join, maybe it wasn't worth playing just once - but it's someone I like to play with. I wanted to include them. They had a terrible time.</div>
<div>
If I had stuck to the goal of introducing people and talking about the game in advance, it wouldn't have happened because a) the people in the session zero are the ones that get to play and b) because they might have decided they didn't want to play together before the game happened.</div>
<h3>
If your game has a game 'master', they are the advocate for the players</h3>
<div>
When you invite people to play a game with you, or agree to run a game for others, you take on one role above all others: you agree to advocate for them.</div>
<div>
They don't have to win. They don't have to have their characters survive. But when those people are uncomfortable, you need to take action. The minimum should be addressing the behavior of the players and discussing where people are at. If anyone wants to stop, help them stop. If anyone is being silent, ask their opinion. Make sure everyone wants to continue.</div>
<div>
Other roles are important, but the main role is to make sure people want to play.</div>
<h3>
No game is better than bad game</h3>
<div>
When things get bad, stop. When someone is unhappy, stop. When you're tired, stop.</div>
<div>
It's better to end a game than let it get bad, or let it keep being bad.</div>
<h3>
If you want to use something during your game, prep it</h3>
<div>
Most of the things that happened during this game happened at times I was fiddling with Roll20 and OBS. I was switching scenes, adding tokens, etc. The token adding process in Roll20 was SLOW. I need to figure out what was wrong there, but I also need to pay attention to the players. If I had just been watching them and not prepping new scenes, I could have been faster to address offensive content.</div>
<div>
I also could have totally eliminated Roll20 and OBS and run the game. That was my decision. If I want to use tools, I need to be prepared for them. At home, I have prepared tiles, minis, maps, etc after years of gaming. Online, I'm learning. I need to prep more for online games until I can handle my GM duties as above as well as my prep.</div>
<h3>
If you want to learn from it, try again</h3>
<div>
None of this is stopping me. In fact, I'm more determined than ever to run online games with diverse people. Next time, I'll be better prepared. Some of the tools I'm thinking about include:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Player surveys to prepare for the game</li>
<li>Inform players of time of play and frequency in advance</li>
<li>Plan short arcs (2-3 sessions)</li>
<li>Look for games that have the right tone</li>
<li>Explain and show safety tools</li>
</ul>
<div>
I look forward to the follow-up to this article where I've successfully made an online game work well.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-56931445892921315882018-07-24T11:52:00.001-07:002018-07-24T11:52:05.160-07:00Eberron IdeasOK, last week I had a D&D campaign I wanted. This week saw the release of the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron, which has just about everything I wanted.<br />
The Guide is well done and explicitly calls out examples of races that do not follow the common trope, including 'monstrous' races like gnolls that have working societies and codes of honor.<br />
Eberron has also always been great at having a fun level of magic and adventure. I'm excited to read more.<br />
I think my idea Eberron campaign would start in a city like Sharn, have a few episodes devoted to city politics and inter-House intrigue with the Dragonmarked Houses, then continue into an exploration arc in an area like Xendrik. From there, I would try to visit on some interesting monster civilizations and return to Sharn for a Dragonmarked House follow-up. There would be elemental airships and lightning rails for sure.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-33996805768860012862018-07-20T13:53:00.001-07:002018-07-20T13:53:09.175-07:00D&D Campaign: Relics of the PastI've had a random shower thought about a D&D homebrew world I'm encouraged to pursue:<br />
<br />
The world has lived through a generational event- war, followed by extreme isolationism. The humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and many other races separated themselves from the world, building the strongest fortresses possible. There they guarded their treasures and noble families, securing them against their foes.<br />
<br />
As time passed, all of these fortresses fell to ruin. There were still people in the world: all the races had their cast-offs and undesired who had been left in the world. Others were conscientious objectors. Some were religious pariahs following ancient traditions.<br />
<br />
In current times, people live in smaller communities. They have learned to accept one another and band together. The ruins of these ancient fortresses loom over the land. Their ancient traps and spells make them dangerous places to explore. Adventurers are valuable and well-received in the hope that they can make these sites safe once again.<br />
<br />
The game setting will be large areas of open territory where people live in sparsely populated rural communities, with some large very metropolitan centers of civilization where technology and magic are beginning to rise once again. Ancient ruins dot the countryside and are adjacent to many towns and cities.<br />
<br />
Each ancient race has very unique and memorable styles of architecture. Large open buildings for the humans, in the style of Chinese architecture. The elves has low, squared buildings covered with rooftop gardens reminiscent of illustrations of Babylon. The dwarves form large domes with highly decorative interiors, both above and below ground. The orcs build into the sides of canyons and mesas, burrowing deep tunnels into the earth. Dragons and dragonborn have ancient pyramids where the dragonborn would labor to exalt a particular dragon.<br />
<br />
Some of the disasters that befell the ancients were demon cult worship, a plague of sentient undead and succumbing to the thral of powerful magics. These things all contributed to the ancient civilizations fighting and falling into ruin.<br />
<br />
More to come as this idea develops!HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-76461392404172815052018-07-16T08:37:00.001-07:002018-07-16T08:37:10.782-07:00No Thank You Evil Hack - 3 WishesNo Thank You, Evil! (NTYE) by Monte Cook Games (MCG) is a lot of fun. It's designed for kids, but they let adults play too. I've had the opportunity to play it adult-to-adult and to run it for mixed groups and I love it.<br />
<br />
Like all games I love, I want to do more with it. There's a Netflix show called True and the Rainbow Kingdom that is incredibly popular with our kids. The premise of the show is that the protagonist, True, a young girl who lives in the Rainbow Kingdom, solves problems that occur with the help of magical wishes, each of which is a tiny being that reminds me of a Pokemon. They all have names and special powers which are useful in different situations.<br />
<br />
In NTYE you get 3 Treats at the start of the session, which you use to ask your Companion to deal with problems. The Companion is a Robot Dog, a Big Bad Wolf, a Little Sibling, etc. and they are the conduit through which players access Cyphers, a staple of MCG designs. These are always fun and creative ways to deal with problems that are outside a character's abilities and are highly mutable. In my opinion, a goal for a MCG session is to use all of your Cyphers.<br />
<br />
So instead of a Companion, I want to arm each player with their three Treats and tell them they will get 3 Wishes. To use a Wish, they have to hold up their Treat and say what the Wish they are asking for is. A Wish has a name that relates to its function, and a power. For example, a Wish on True is Pom-Pom, a wish that makes whatever you say much louder, like a megaphone.<br />
<br />
During the session, I plan to introduce a main problem that the players will try to solve and a number of smaller obstacles on the way. To solve the problem, they need to deal with those obstacles as they become evident. In an episode of True, the protagonist usually discovers the problem, then asks for her wishes and returns to solve the problem.<br />
<br />
Here is my example scenario: It is a super hot day. The gumdrop tree on Sunshine Hill is so hot that its gumdrops are melting and running down the hill making everything super sticky. On the hill along with the gumdrop tree is a bicycle racetrack and a super slide that goes all the way down to the bottom.<br />
<br />
Main problem: Sticky gumdrops due to heat<br />
Additional obstacles:<br />
<ul>
<li>Bicycles stuck on track, possible traffic jam or accident</li>
<li>Super slide is not slide-y</li>
</ul>
So if you had 1 player and 3 wishes, they could use their wishes to:<br />
1. Cool down Sunshine Hill, stopping the sticky gumdrops<br />
2. With the gumdrops cooled, the residue on the bike track and slide becomes hard. They could have a candy-eating wish, a smashing wish or some other way to deal with the gumdrops.<br />
3. Someone could be in peril. They might be riding their bike towards a barrier or their could be stuck on the sticky slide. A wish that saves them by roping them in, lifting them up, creating a bouncy trampoline, or some other way to save them.<br />
<br />
I think it would be a great chance to emphasize creativity and reward originality to let them deal with the problems in the way that sounds best to them. If something seems really difficult, they could have to roll a higher number. The ability pools and point-spending system of NTYE gives a very flexible way to deal with difficulty that kids seem to like and appreciate. I also find it very common at our house to have kids give each other points to pay the cost of their rolls. I love that.<br />
<br />
So if you want a fun hack for creative kids to play NTYE in a new way, try this and tell me what you think!HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-19774864428566697332018-06-26T09:11:00.001-07:002018-06-26T09:11:54.550-07:00Streaming RPGs - First StepsThis week I've started preparing for an online streamed Starfinder game. Because I've been looking through so many resources, this seems like a good time to outline what steps I've taken. It can be hard to figure out how to start streaming a game.<br />
<br />
First, I needed players! Last week on Twitter I put out an open call for players. That worked well for me because I have a certain amount of reach on Twitter now.<br />
<br />
I set up a Discord server to plan the game and coordinate the pre-play items, like sharing safety tools we would use and the rules for Stafinder. I invited each potential player to the server. The benefit was allowing open discussion of the game on a private service. This could have been a Twitter or Facebook Messenger group message but I wanted to use Discord for voice during the game, so it seemed like a good time to learn Discord.<br />
<br />
An additional benefit of Discord is having multiple channels, which allowed me to use one for General Chat, one for Character Creation notes and one for Game Planning.<br />
<br />
Starfinder became the game of choice for the stream based on a few factors:<br />
<ol>
<li>I am interested in the game! Always a good start.</li>
<li>The rules are available in a System Resource Document online. This makes it so much easier to incorporate players and allow them to know how the game will function.</li>
<li>It's not over-saturated but it is new. Many people are playing Starfinder but it seems like a game you can play and stand out a bit. I also appreciate the direction that the design team took in using existing Pathfinder to craft Starfinder. It's simpler and more direct but still has a lot of flavor and options.</li>
</ol>
Once I had the Discord set up I followed an article from Roll20.net on how to set up OBS for streaming. I incorporated my Twitch stream key and got rolling. Streaming worked fine; to add voice I used the Discord OBS Streamkit overlay. This added a voice widget to the OBS scene. I turned off the visibility on this.<br />
<br />
Next I worked on creating an overlay. I had an idea of how many cameras I wanted to use so I laid out these views on the OBS scene using Browser Sources, then created the overlay. I did this with GIMP, a graphic program that is free for Linux, Mac and Windows. This let me import an image and cut holes in it. I matched those holes to the Browser Sources.<br />
<br />
So I have a OBS overlay with proper Discord voice channel support. I have a main window that can display the Roll20 screen or another web browser source. Next will be adding video to the player and GM windows.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-35273778944307776332018-05-26T18:45:00.002-07:002018-05-26T18:45:58.702-07:00HP in Genesys - TalentsThese are some quick ideas about Talents for Harry Potter characters.<br />
<br />
The first are Rank 1 Talents for characters by house, expanding their Career Skills.<br />
<h4>
Gryffindor</h4>
Rank 1 - Gryffindor Student: Cool becomes a Career Skill for you.<br />
<h4>
Hufflepuff</h4>
Rank 1 - Hufflepuff Student: Survival becomes a Career Skill for you.<br />
<h4>
Ravenclaw</h4>
Rank 1 - Ravenclaw Student - Perception becomes a Career Skill for you.<br />
<h4>
Slytherin</h4>
Rank 1 - Slytherin Student - Skulduggery becomes a Career Skill for you.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-40791771262935800282018-05-25T12:50:00.000-07:002018-05-25T12:50:39.978-07:00Describing difficulty to playersDescribing difficulty to players<br />
<br />
Some RPG games have player mechanisms that affect success.<br />
In D&D there's Inspiration, Advantage and a number of race/class abilities that can affect rolls.<br />
In Numenera and all the other MCG games you can spend from your Ability Pools to affect success.<br />
In Star Trek Adventures you can spend Momentum, use Talents, use Foci, etc.<br />
<br />
Some games like Apocalypse World tell the players exactly what they need to succeed: 7-9, 10+, etc. But for these other games you need to know what your target for success is to play the game in the best way possible- which to me, means have fun, feel like you have knowledge and agency in game).<br />
<br />
Explaining the rules to players is a part of the job for anyone inviting others to play a game. You can tell them to read the book, recommend they check out an article, or do anything beforehand, but at the time the game is taking place, if you want to run the game, you have to help players engage with the rules, including explaining things as many times as it takes to make sense.<br />
<br />
Quick aside: you also need to listen to the players and make sure your explanations are making sense and relevant to what they have asked for. A reminder to me and to everyone else.<br />
<br />
So in all these games, explaining target numbers is a part of the expectation of play. Not doing so reduces player agency and makes the game more adversarial. You should want your players to feel like they get the most from their abilities.<br />
<br />
If they get Advantage, spend Effort, use their Determination, etc, you want them to use it where it counts, not because they don't know how high they need to roll. There is fun in suspense but your players are trusting you to play fair and present them with interesting challenges.<br />
<br />
Keep it interesting but empower your players to make the best decisions they can. Tell them ACs, TNs and Difficulty #s.You don't need to tell them how many HP a creature has or what their weaknesses are. But you might want to give them a chance to figure it out.<br />
HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-27112225371239650842018-05-24T14:44:00.002-07:002018-05-26T18:44:31.195-07:00HP in Genesys - CareersCareers are an important way of defining core skills for a character type. Since all the HP characters are Hogwarts students, I tried to frame Careers like cliques, describing how the character expresses themselves and their motivation at school.<br />
<br />
The Careers I decided upon are Athletic, Mischievious, Popular and Studious. Everyone gets Arcana as a Career skill, because a HP game is going to rely upon using magic.<br />
<h4>
Athletic</h4>
Athletics<br />
Discipline <br />
Coordination<br />
Perception <br />
Piloting (as Riding(Broom)) <br />
Resilience<br />
Brawl<br />
Leadership<br />
<h4>
Mischevious</h4>
Alchemy (as Potions) <br />
Coordination<br />
Skulduggery<br />
Stealth<br />
Streetwise<br />
Arcana <br />
Deception<br />
Negotiation<br />
<h4>
Popular</h4>
Cool<br />
Vigilance<br />
Arcana <br />
Charm<br />
Coercion<br />
Deception<br />
Leadership<br />
Negotiation<br />
<h4>
Studious</h4>
Alchemy (as Potions)<br />
Discipline <br />
Mechanics<br />
Medicine<br />
Vigilance <br />
Arcana<br />
Knowledge(Magical)<br />
Knowledge(Magical Creatures)HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-57641645429465901852018-05-24T14:44:00.001-07:002018-05-24T14:44:36.473-07:00HP in Genesys - SkillsGetting into Careers reminded me that Genesys Skills need some updating for Harry Potter!<br />
<br />
The basic skills in the game include:<br />
<h4>
General Skills </h4>
Alchemy --> Potions<br />
Astrocartography (removed)<br />
Athletics<br />
Conputers (Muggle skill)<br />
Cool<br />
Coordination<br />
Discipline<br />
Driving (Muggle skill)<br />
Mechanics<br />
Medicine<br />
Operating<br />
Perception<br />
Piloting --> Flying(Broom)<br />
Resilience<br />
Riding --> Riding(Animal)<br />
Skulduggery<br />
Stealth<br />
Streetwise<br />
Survival<br />
Vigilance<br />
<h4>
Magic Skills</h4>
Arcana<br />
Divine (removed)<br />
Primal (removed)<br />
<h4>
Combat</h4>
Brawl <br />
Gunnery<br />
Melee<br />
Ranged<br />
<h4>
Social</h4>
Charm<br />
Coercion<br />
Deception<br />
Leadership<br />
Negotiation<br />
<h4>
Knowledge</h4>
Knowledge --><br />
<ul>
<li>Knowledge(Muggle)</li>
<li>Knowledge(Magical)</li>
<li>Knowledge(Dark Arts)</li>
<li>Knowledge(Magical Creatures) </li>
</ul>
<br />
This is a very general mapping of skills. At this point there's no need for heavy redesign but some of the skills have little use in Harry Potter. Others, like Divine and Primal don't reflect the world that we've seen so far through the stories.<br />
<br />
In terms of Arcana, I think that the Augment spell as described in the Magic rules of Genesys should be available through Arcana but that Conjure does not seem appropriate for HP style magic. I agree with how other spells are categorized.<br />
<br />
To use magic, a character needs to have a magic wand. This Magical Implement functions as described in the Genesys rules; some particular cores and woods may give effects for spellcraft. There are also some cool rules for Magical Implement Materials in Realms of Terrinoth.<br />
<br />
A character suffers setbacks for casting silent spells as described in the Core Rulebook.HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-65066355802739901842018-05-24T13:05:00.002-07:002018-05-24T13:05:52.185-07:00HP in Genesys - ArchetypesI like Harry Potter. It's something I can share with my whole family, because everyone is a fan, so it's a constant interest of mine to see Harry Potter and the Hogwarts world in RPG systems.<br />
Genesys seems like a very good candidate for this. It has a very open magic system that seems like it would work well with HP.<br />
Something I enjoy about the idea of Genesys is the narrative dice system. My goal in creating an HP game is to have a co-GM game where my wife and I can play without feeling the burden of creating stories rests on either of us.<br />
I'm also happy that Genesys uses incremental (non-level) character gains. It seems to me like it fits the HP model well.<br />
<br />
So running down character creation step by step in Genesys, first you need a Background for your character. This is more descriptive than statistical. You answer questions about your character's life and upbringing pre-game.<br />
<br />
In my HP example, I want to start with Year 1 Hogwarts students, so the Background would cover things that occurred for the character up to age 11.<br />
<br />
The big question for HP is whether your character's family is Muggle, Magical or a mix. I think this is best represented in Genesys using Archetypes rather than Backgrounds. For characters with a mixed family background, i.e. one Magic-born and one Muggle parent, use the Archetype that describes how the character grew up, or the one you like best.<br />
<br />
Archetypes in Genesys are starting skill and experience packages. They also have special Archetype abilities that are like starting Talents for your character.<br />
Things I want to empasize in these starting Archetypes:<br />
There is no difference between Muggles and Magic-born. Therefore I plan to offer no statistical difference between them.<br />
The starting skills reflect life experience. Magic-born are more likely to understand magic, Muggles the mundane.<br />
<h4>
Archetype: Muggle</h4>
Brawn 2 Agility 2 Intellect 2 Cunning 2 Willpower 2 Presence 2<br />
<b>Starting Wound Threshold :</b> 10 + Brawn<br />
<b>Starting Stress Threshold:</b> 10 + Willpower<br />
<b>Starting Experience: </b>110<br />
<b>Starting Skills:</b> A Muggle starts with one rank in Knowledge(Muggle) during character creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points and may not increase Knowledge(Muggle) above rank 2 during character creation.<br />
<b>Unexpected:</b> Once per session as an out-of-turn incidental, you may move one Story Point from the Game Master’s pool to the players’pool. (same as Average Human in Genesys Core Rulebook)<br />
<h4>
Archetype: Mixed</h4>
Brawn 2 Agility 2 Intellect 2 Cunning 2 Willpower 2 Presence 2<br />
<b>Starting Wound Threshold :</b> 10 + Brawn<br />
<b>Starting Stress Threshold:</b> 10 + Willpower<br />
<b>Starting Experience: </b>105<br />
<b>Starting Skills:</b>
A Mixed character starts with one rank in Knowledge(Muggle) and one rank in Knowledge(Magical) during character
creation. They obtain these ranks before spending experience points and
may not increase Knowledge(Muggle) or Knowledge(Magical) above rank 2 during character
creation.<br />
<b>Adaptable:</b>You character removes 1 Setback (1 Black) from any Social checks they make to associate with either Muggles or Magic-born. They add 1 Boost (1 Blue) to any checks made to deal with either Muggle or Magical items.<br />
<h4>
Archetype: Magic-Born</h4>
Brawn 2 Agility 2 Intellect 2 Cunning 2 Willpower 2 Presence 2<br />
<b>Starting Wound Threshold :</b> 10 + Brawn<br />
<b>Starting Stress Threshold:</b> 10 + Willpower<br />
<b>Starting Experience: </b>110<br />
<b>Starting Skills:</b>
A Magic-born starts with one rank in Knowledge(Magical) during character
creation. They obtain this rank before spending experience points and
may not increase Knowledge(Magical) above rank 2 during character
creation.<br />
<b>Practiced:</b> Once per session as an out-of-turn
incidental,your character may spend a Story Point as an incidental. If they do so, during the next Arcana or Knowledge(Magical) check they make during that turn, you count their ranks in the skill being used as equal to their Intellect.<br />
More HP ideas in Genesys coming soon! If you have comments on these Archetypes or the idea of HP using Genesys, let me know with a comment!HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-55045718202768393842018-05-11T09:41:00.000-07:002018-05-11T09:41:42.161-07:00Using Backgrounds to Populate a CampaignAs an idea for starting or fleshing out a campaign, consider using the characters' backgrounds to help you determine the important people and places of your starting campaign setting. Backgrounds are a great tool for describing how characters relate to the game setting, so lean into it and use them to make your initial location matter to your players.<br />
<br />
Start your game prep with getting your players together and having them make characters. This can be done in person, which is a terrific way to see how people work together and get them comfortable collaborating on story ideas, or online using something like a shared chat. In this example, the key element of the characters will be the Backgrounds.<br />
<br />
When you're talking over backgrounds with your players,
think about how likely they are to be useful in the game. If your game is a one-shot
or short campaign, make sure the background will see some use! In a
city or town game the Outlander's background feature may not see a lot
of use. Some players may want to choose a different background; others
may be more interested in the idea of being an Outlander than the
mechanical benefits.<br />
Once you finish initial character creation you'll have a group of characters that each have distinctive backgrounds. Think about your starting location for your game. Ideally this is small and singular. A village, a city, a wild spot on a map. Think about what your players have chosen as characters, too. If you have a lot of characters with city backgrounds, like Urchin, Entertainer and Sage you may want to start in a city location. If you have character backgrounds like Outlander you may want to start in the wilderness. Talk to your players about what you want to run and what they want to play.<br />
<br />
Whatever you pick for your starting location, make it the only one within a reasonable distance. If it's a city, don't think about the whole city. Your city may be separated by geography (rivers, heights), social boundaries (walls, guard posts) or cultures (an inner city of elite nobles, an outer city mix of lower classes). Have a single district that you can break out.<br />
<br />
Once you have a starting location the group is interested in, start making a map. This can be a thought diagram or a list of ideas more than a physical map, but having an idea of how things relate and how close they are can be helpful.<br />
<br />
Pick a player to go first. Look at their character's background. Most backgrounds give a sphere of influence where the character can receive free lodging and assistance. The Acolyte, Entertainer and Folk Hero are good examples of this. Ask that player about their background.<br />
<ul>
<li>Where did their character come from?</li>
<li>Where do they now gain that aid?</li>
<li>Is this a popular or important local feature?</li>
<li>Is it a permanent fixture or something passing through? </li>
</ul>
Have them name a place and put it on your starting location map. An Acolyte could add a monastery, church or cathedral. An Entertainer could add a tavern or village green but they might add a stadium or carnival site instead. A Folk Hero could add the site of their great victory, a local enemy or their family farm.<br />
<br />
Other backgrounds make it easier for your character to move and travel. The Outlander, Sailor and Urchin are examples of this. For the characters with this sort of background, ask the player:<br />
<ul>
<li>Where did you come from?</li>
<li>Where have you been before? </li>
<li>Where have you dreamed of going?</li>
<li>What is this area like? </li>
</ul>
Get them to contribute an idea to your location map. An Outlander could contribute a fantastic landmark like a volcano, a cave that looks like a dragon''s mouth, or a valley that stays filled with fog year round. Sailors might add a port, a river, or a lake.<br />
Try to stick to your initial location; if you're doing a town or city location, focus on the features of that town or city- a city gate that only opens for the guard, the wizard academy that sends sparks over the river, the bridge where you saw a ghost one night.<br />
<br />
Let all your players go around and add a location. Leave some space for new ideas; you might have a player join late or you might have an idea (from you or another player) that you need space for. After a first round, look at what you have. Does it seem like enough to go on? Are your players interested in the process? If it seems like you all want to add more, go ahead! When you feel like you have enough material to start, get started. Give everyone a prompt related to a location on the map.<br />
<br />
For example, in a party with an Acolyte, a Guild Artisan and an Outlander, you could choose the Cerulean Temple as your starting location. Here are some sample prompts:<br />
<ul>
<li>(to the Guild Artisan): What has the Temple asked your Guild to craft for them? Will you be making it? Have you ever made something like this before?</li>
<li>(to the Outlander): What scent or sound drew you to this Temple today? What far off place does it come from and what does it remind you of?</li>
<li>(to the Acolyte): What important Temple person has asked for your assistance today? How do they treat you? Is this a typical duty for you?</li>
</ul>
Don't try to make it a combat encounter or a quest. Just let the players get comfortable with one another and let their characters mingle. Have a few rolls to get the game flowing and focus on the interactions. With a short 15 to 30 minute scene you can get all the players excited for next time. For the best outcome, consider having the end of the session wrapping up the intro and leaving a cliffhanger.<br />
<br />
For example, in the provided sample you could end by having the Guild Artisan roll to see if they completed the Temple commission to satisfaction, then reminding the Outlander about the unusual smell, the one they last smelled in the fog-covered valley when they encountered the animated vines that protected a sacred tree. The Acolyte goes into the basement of the Temple, doing their chores and cleaning the building, where they find a small potted plant hidden behind an urn. That's when they notice the vines snaking out of the darkness towards them...<br />
<br />
Have fun creating your campaign together!HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-3894657806202975922018-05-04T12:20:00.000-07:002018-05-04T12:27:01.705-07:00Back to WorkI haven't posted anything in a while!<br />
<br />
It's been a busy time. Day job work has been more intense and I've done less direct game design and more game running. I've also had the very pleasant opportunity to play Dungeons & Dragons on a schedule that works for me via play-by-post!<br />
<br />
So all in all, while there's been a change here, things are continuing like normal.<br />
<br />
But I wasn't posting here, and sharing my game ideas has always been an outlet for me, even if no one reads or comments on them. I like to keep myself accountable for designing and adding to the conversation on games.<br />
<br />
I've read a lot of fantastic blogs lately including work by Rob Donaghue of Fate and a developer on Pathfinder who also is making an RPG called Delve.<br />
I've been reading about representation, diversity and how to keep your gaming group strong and feeling like their ideas are included in the game.<br />
I've been playing more, and trying to give the lead away to the players more.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9np8SjLVbFnEOXJA-chAt5oS7DkFDeysKGXsviSg1MUyyUgw9-2PMy23J8sOAFOyq8xQfrosc6IexZDzBq0G-dgoSbN22z3Gf0kNzj9OHUxbIsloQjIec8bRcRzlP3xQQhZ8N-muD_y8/s1600/IMG_20180422_092232632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9np8SjLVbFnEOXJA-chAt5oS7DkFDeysKGXsviSg1MUyyUgw9-2PMy23J8sOAFOyq8xQfrosc6IexZDzBq0G-dgoSbN22z3Gf0kNzj9OHUxbIsloQjIec8bRcRzlP3xQQhZ8N-muD_y8/s320/IMG_20180422_092232632.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing a game of Lego Dungeon with the kids!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've also been working on a game system design with 2 keystones:<br />
<ol>
<li>Being able to run the game in a GM-less/automatic fashion without additional systems in place. The key mechanics are exposed and obvious to players so they can advance the game accordingly. I always love co-op board games and would love a game where I could write the scenario then play fairly while sharing the story.</li>
<li>Failure that results in the game moving forward. I don't want endless numbers of similar checks and I don't want the failure to be an end state; I want it to move the game forward and be part of play. So the game revolves around states like scenes that change </li>
</ol>
I'm going to keep working on it but I'm also getting to the point where the design is less fun, so not too hard.<br />
<br />
Final note: I'm going to spend more time with the Cypher System. I love it, it's fun, it's easy to use and makes me happy. I have done some work with it and love the community behind it.<br />
<br />
My next project is going to be something modern-day mythic but I haven't fleshed it out; I just know what I want.<br />
<br />
If you read this, thanks for taking the time!HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1304922368685595.post-22207775712456092472018-03-16T15:22:00.004-07:002018-03-16T15:23:25.281-07:00Build a DungeonSince I've begun working with 3d printed tiles I've noticed that there aren't a lot of resources on setting up your own dungeon using tiles.<br />
My previous builds have all been flat cardboard tiles. There are a lot of things I love about flat cardboard tiles:<br />
<ul>
<li>No walls get in the way of the player view.</li>
<li>You can always build vertical surfaces for important elevation.</li>
<li>No planning space is lost because of tile size.</li>
<li>They are FAST and easy to make!</li>
</ul>
3d printed tiles, like commercially-purchased dungeon tiles, have a different place in a game. There's time and expense in making or purchasing the tiles and painting them.They are awesome show pieces but there's a very different level of investment.<br />
<br />
Also, it seems like most easily found dungeon maps aren't easily duplicated in dungeon tiles. With either 3d printing or commercial purchase there are several different distinct tile shapes- floors, walls, corners, doors, etc. I wanted to have an idea of how many of each I might need, so I started with looking at the Dwarven Forge Game Tiles Set as a guide. The basic Dwarven Forge set has: 14 walls, 6 corners, 12 floors and 2 doors. Each of these tiles is 2" x 2", which is 10' x 10' in D&D game scale.<br />
<br />
Quick disclaimer: the price of my 3d printer was about $175.00 USD delivered. 3d printing PLA filament has been about $30 per reel, but my latest order is only $18. The major cost here is <b>time</b>. I do about 5 tiles a day between morning and evening hours. I could do more but don't want to drive my family crazy with printer noise.This base tile set from Dwarven Forge is only $55. That's pretty affordable and would eliminate all this time spent. But I like to make stuff.<br />
<br />
So here's a few pictures of my current pile of tiles. This is all Fat Dragon Games Dragonlock Ultimate Dungeon from the Starter Set. I printed in black and white because I ran out of filament and decided this could be a good way to distinguish between the different tiles at a glance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zCzKR0fl8QuDAEBx7DFhBwNLsGcQZbYirzCaNcHb6YecoEHSv8jfda3w0F79UpqpIGnJX39nd8F-RBD3P9lHSgCSmnlCx9-cXbSxAjuzV6atA7P9LuelogGmvr0Ez9byzpIkXlLuET4/s1600/IMG_20180316_063747788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="connected chambers with zig-zag hallway" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zCzKR0fl8QuDAEBx7DFhBwNLsGcQZbYirzCaNcHb6YecoEHSv8jfda3w0F79UpqpIGnJX39nd8F-RBD3P9lHSgCSmnlCx9-cXbSxAjuzV6atA7P9LuelogGmvr0Ez9byzpIkXlLuET4/s320/IMG_20180316_063747788.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h9gf6v5xn4ONTGGmJz5dh65KMlu0fPwGA5VPvaf0Fc7WMnTx-a6Q2oJHKQSrTop-j_naW7y25x5MJpyW226WnmZyxLj9A3lve9nwldr6DpOLppTekT6hiSfM9A1HlPHcjBZLVXnPShQ/s1600/IMG_20180316_063334190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="square chamber with stairs" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0h9gf6v5xn4ONTGGmJz5dh65KMlu0fPwGA5VPvaf0Fc7WMnTx-a6Q2oJHKQSrTop-j_naW7y25x5MJpyW226WnmZyxLj9A3lve9nwldr6DpOLppTekT6hiSfM9A1HlPHcjBZLVXnPShQ/s320/IMG_20180316_063334190.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtyLDmChfXZr2UPvbJgBTeLgPHtliScg0YVIsKwoXptXgHWG269gcSFatVZebOBGA1F-ptEiu_aumMM-_T_bQKbSiYosnjGGpquxjjYQeiFAknOBja9vQ1gkVBR2pG8mvuTigmZWh-ZQ/s1600/IMG_20180316_063202533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rectangular chamber with branching hallways" border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTtyLDmChfXZr2UPvbJgBTeLgPHtliScg0YVIsKwoXptXgHWG269gcSFatVZebOBGA1F-ptEiu_aumMM-_T_bQKbSiYosnjGGpquxjjYQeiFAknOBja9vQ1gkVBR2pG8mvuTigmZWh-ZQ/s320/IMG_20180316_063202533.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The next few Build a Dungeon posts will try to give some basic builds for 3d printed or Dwarven Forge style dungeon tiles!<br />
<br />HansChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10958289201938321880noreply@blogger.com0