That was a session where I didn't do much. Listen to my tale, and discover why.
BTW, that's not why I delayed describing it for so long. I just didn't find the time, that's all.
***
The session involves the PCs micromanaging a brothel. If such things bother you, try to skip the part in italics that begins with "while waiting for Da Su Su, we got bored".
***
After the Unkept Lion appeared and announced having got an appointment with the guy who organized the murder of his master, we started making a plan.
The plan he had come up with was to pretend our clan's head had a dislike for Da Su Su. So, they'd meet to discuss how to turn the Two-Timing Cockerel against her, in the hope that him killing her would let them live without hiding. We started discussing it (there were, shall I say, some inconsistencies in his plan...unsurprising for a guy who spends most of his time drunk, I know). I was there as part of the Yu clan who has his reason to tell us the best way to achieve that.
My IC wife just told us, basically, that "all men are stupid, but we put up with you because the sex is good". She's full of tact!
Then she explained that she's just going to go to the teahouse first. When they arrived, she'd serve them wine. Then they'd go to sleep. And I'd hire people to carry them out and to a house we've rented (isolated, near the edge of the village). There, we'd pretend to kill the Unkept Lion during interrogation, so the Broken-Face Ogre would confirm it to Da Su Su, if necessary.
As she likes saying, sleeping powder isn't poison. And the best way to dupe Da Su Su is to give her some evidence (we'd witnessed how easy it was to get her to believe).
I went to the municipalitiy and "recognised" the body of a random homeless man having died from hunger, disease or something. At least the guy would get a proper cremation before Da Su Su arrived - which is better than what he'd get otherwise. And I burned some paper money for his spirit to apologise for misnaming him - but he'd at least have a name on his grave. The municipality, not knowing the names of the homeless, tends to bury them in the cheapest coffins with no names.
I was more generous with Da Su Su's money.
And then we started to act, and everything went according to plan. My wife remained unrecognised, the sleeping powder I'd bought from a local herbalist worked like a charm, and the Broken-Faced Ogre woke up in the basement of the house to see the bleeding body of the Unkept Lion hanging from chains from the roof.
"My wife got carried out", I explained. "Now listen. I'm going to make that simple: you tell me where the sword is, and I'll show some mercy."
"What sword?"
"Have you stolen other swords as well, on top of that of your late master? You have no shame!"
"Yeah, like I'm going to tell you. Even if you torture me..."
"I'm not going to."
"What?"
"I'm not that kind of guy that would do that".
"So why would I tell you?"
I pointed to the body.
"As you can see, however, my wife finds it fun. I'm here because I don't want to use that on you, too..."
The realization passed through his still opiates-clouded mind. He spat, however.
"Is that your last word? I urge you - deal with me, not with her!"
"Are you going to release me if I tell you?"
"No. But after I find the sword, I'm going to kill you before Da Su Su gets here".
Yes, he got the short end of the stick. But I didn't like him, and not because of the scars. If you can kill your Shifu (teacher-father), you can murder your own parents, too!
And who would want to show clemency to someone who's able to murder his parents? Every action should have its just reward.
The Unkept Lion got a better deal than he deserved, if you ask me. This guy was going to get exactly what I had in store for him.
"Fuck you!"
"Wrong answer. I'm not into men."
I went outside, and nodded at my wife. Well, now she had to confirm the reputation she had gained by "killing accidentally" the Unkept Lion!
"I told you you're wasting time", she answered, and went in.
***
After a while (I went to make tea, so didn't witness the scene), my wife went out and nodded.
"He didn't speak. Proceed as you had planned. The moron repeats 'You can't do anything worse to me than killing me'".
I went to take my pen, and wrote the following.
"Respectable Da Su Su,
I am delighted to report that Heavens rewarded our great efforts on your account by capturing two of your father's murderers, the male ones! One of them - alive.
Luckily, the Unkept Lion said, before he died due to, ahem, enhanced interrogation techniques being applied maybe a little too zealously, that the other guy had the sword. He does, however, refuse to tell us where it is hidden, and I'm loathe to authorize my wife to continue applying the same interrogation methods, lest he suffers the same fate as the late, Unkept (and Unlamented) Lion.
If he couldn't be made to talk, I'd prefer having him fall to your hand. You have a personal grudge against him.
Our current address is..."
He was going to realize that there's worse things I can do to him.
Please note: we really weren't planning to lament the loss of the Unkept Lion. Who was, now, the Well-Groomed Lion - we decided that the best way for him to hide would be to change his signature fashion style, and he agreed.
He was indeed unrecognizable, is all I can say.
***
While waiting for Da Su Su, we got bored. And then we included the head of my security (and current student) into our family entertainment. She didn't mind.
And then we purchased the only decent brothel around, and started improving it. The owners were previous workers - we made them managers, but since they were still bosses (we didn't plan spending much time there). Luckily, there were some newbies, too, that we could train to perform better - though there's also demand for untrained service, for some reason. I got the hard task of teaching her everything I could, so she'd make lots of money when we sold the right to be her first client on an auction (in a bigger city).
We're also going to be looking for talented girls who might like to join our new establishment. Though that's unlikely before we get to a bigger city.
The things we do to pass the time!
Also: Stunning Beauty Team is really into micromanagement, is all I can say.
***
Then Da Su Su arrived, commended us and took her father's murderer. Before dying, he admitted where he had left the sword. Of course, she sent us to retrieve it (probably assuming that she's paying us anyway).
Well, off we went. The trip south (we're near Huisheng) went easy.
If we don't count the Firelance brothers and their bunch, that is. Well, I guess that wasn't all of them.
As it was, my wife noticed them, while I was looking at her ass. (Yes, botched!) She warned me there's people in the bushes.
I went closer, pretending I'm going to take a piss at a nearby tree, which had a couple bandits on the other side. On my way, I tried to discretely perform the "power-up" part of the Heart-Breaking Shot.
In response, they started shooting at me with the fire spears. I took a couple hits on my iron body, and with an yell, punched the tree in front of me so hard it bent and smashed the two bandits.
Two down. My wife had, meanwhile, disappeared in the crowns of the trees. Well, one of us is a Lightfoot (Qing Gong) specialist, and the other one has mastered Iron Body! No punch can harm me!
Secure in my Nei Gong invulnerability, I looked at the bandits and started giving them a piece of my mind. I mentioned their skills or rather, lack thereof, their ancestors and their notoriety, comparing it to that of dogs. Except dogs have skills and have earned at least a measure of fame.
As it was, that earned me the attention of their two leaders. They tried replying, but fighting a battle of words with a scholar was...out of their league, putting it simply.
So they attacked. The bastards were fast! I took the first attack on my Iron Body, and tried to smash one of them in the face. I was sure to be able to shrug off the second guy's attack as well.
Then I realised that my gut hurts when I'm trying to move, and I dropped, mercifully losing conscience. I had been stabbed already!
The hits that hurt the most are those you don't see. You can't really apply your Nei Gong, either!
When I woke up, my wife had dispatched them. She says there were 21 in total, so it didn't take long. (It also helped that she's a kicking specialist, and those guys seemed to be poor at kick defence).
Most of them were even alive! I meditated my way to recovery, and insisted that we let them tied up in the crowns of trees. They were going to fast for a couple days, while we recovered the sword, and then we'd return and lead them to the closest city to give them to the authorities.
We did recover the sword (and some gold...the Broken-Faced Ogre had been hiding stuff he amassed there, and it seems he had been stealing from his clan long before he murdered the leader).
On the way back, we found no bandits...and no bodies, so it wasn't the work of predators (as I'd been afraid might happen). My wife didn't exactly appreciate that, and I had to live with the "told you we had to kill them" nagging. She had been angry at them for stabbing her husband, and she doesn't like fighting anyone twice!
"But it was the right thing to do!", I argued.
"Men! You're lucky I'm here to save your righteous ass!"
Let me tell you, that single word didn't mean that I embodied the best qualities of the male gender...but at least she cared about me enough to beat 19 men in order to save me!
Well, now we just have to see if the guys my wife had beaten would be looking for payback. Want to bet? I'm saying they'd try something.
We'll see next session.
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Orc Sorcerers are knife-based
I decided to create some characters for the new year. I don't really expect to use them, though who knows?
First: I wanted a crunchy system.
Fantasy Craft made a nice choice. And since I'm doing d20, might as well go for a magic-user!
***
Gruummarco
First: I wanted a crunchy system.
Fantasy Craft made a nice choice. And since I'm doing d20, might as well go for a magic-user!
***
Gruummarco
Male
Human (with some orc blood)
Str 13
Dex 13
Con 9
Int 18
Wis 13
Cha 12
Base Speed 30 ft
3 studies
+5 Bonus with Knowledge Checks
5 Languages (Native included)
Slow and Steady
Charming: Once per session, improve Disposition ofnon-adversary by 1
Spellcasting and Intimidate are Paired skills
Terrifying Look: +4 to the DC of Stress Damage
Tricks and Actions:
Canny Swing
Parry
Feats: Orc Blood+Lost Tribe: Gruelling Combatant
Subtle and Quick to Anger
Knife Basics (Stance: Wicked Dance)/Lightning Reflexes (+3 Reflex)?
Class Skills:
Bluff 4
Crafting 1
Impress 4
Intimidate 4
Investigate 4
Medicine 2
Notice 4
Prestidigitation 4
Resolve 4
Ride 1
Search 4
Sense Motive 4
Spellcasting: 4
Vitality: 5
Proficiencies:
Edged Forte
Arcane Adept:
4 additional 0-level spells
Spend 1-3 AD (unexploding) to gain that number of spell points as a free action
BAB: +0 (+4 Edged, +1 otherwise)
Def: +0 (+1)
Init: +1
Lifestyle: +1
Legend: +1
SP: 2
Fort: -1
Ref: +1
Will: +3
Spells: Campaign-dependent, obviously, so I'm not going to pick them.
OK, so we have a human living in a cosmopolitan city, whose grand-gradn-grand-mother was an orc ("my green cutie-pie!") He still has relatives among the orcs, and learned the basics of knife-fencing that is rumoured to be taught by said grand-grand-grand-mother...or at least, enough of it to kill many people.
If he could stay alive. He's not as fast as his father, though, being more of an intellectual.
Instead, he focused on noticing dangers so he wouldn't get in, and intimidating people who had heard about his family style into not fighting. That got him through adolescence on the streets.
And after that, his power was backed by magic.
***
That was good, but it was also a bit...seriously, just how long is that thing? And I don't mean his history.
Then I decided to try something lighter. And that's how we got...Elfrid.
***
System: Mongoose Traveller v2.0 (a.k.a. MgT2e)
Elfrid C6784A
Age 44/46 (if you fail a survival roll, do you still add a full 4 years, or just 2?)
Athletics 1 (Strength), Deception 0, Gambler 1, Gun Combat 0, Jack of All Trades 1, Melee (Unarmed) 1, Recon 0, Persuade 0, Stealth 1, Streetwise 0
Rival-Prison Guard
Blade, 1200 Cr
Born in a well-known family, and having lived in relative comfort, Elfrid decided to steal from people he knew. After all, he'd never met anyone as strong as himself, so he reasoned he could knock a guard on the head if need be.
That was his first mistake. The second was not noticing a sensor...
He was sent in prison for years. Years became decades as he racked up other crimes, having joined gangs in prison (though he was, luckily, neither a victim nor a participant in the infamous prison riot of 15 years ago). A prison guard took a dislike to him, however, and helped make his life hell.
In the end, he relized even good behaviour (he tried that as well) wouldn't help him get parole. Not before age had made him lose his strength, slowed his reflexes...and a shiv, or just a flurry of kicks once he was down, would likely do the rest.
So he joined the infamous prison escape from last year. Somehow, it did succeed in sneaking on a shuttle.
He's still on the run. But then, it means he's still free, too!
***
OK, I like them both. In fact, I like Gruummarco a bit better, as a character...but he's got a better balance between mechanics and fluff, in my book.
I was tempted to make Elfrid test for being a psionic (after he got out), but at the end decided against it.
I can always add it. And a debt would help propulse him into adventures!
OK, so we have a human living in a cosmopolitan city, whose grand-gradn-grand-mother was an orc ("my green cutie-pie!") He still has relatives among the orcs, and learned the basics of knife-fencing that is rumoured to be taught by said grand-grand-grand-mother...or at least, enough of it to kill many people.
If he could stay alive. He's not as fast as his father, though, being more of an intellectual.
Instead, he focused on noticing dangers so he wouldn't get in, and intimidating people who had heard about his family style into not fighting. That got him through adolescence on the streets.
And after that, his power was backed by magic.
***
That was good, but it was also a bit...seriously, just how long is that thing? And I don't mean his history.
Then I decided to try something lighter. And that's how we got...Elfrid.
***
System: Mongoose Traveller v2.0 (a.k.a. MgT2e)
Elfrid C6784A
Age 44/46 (if you fail a survival roll, do you still add a full 4 years, or just 2?)
Athletics 1 (Strength), Deception 0, Gambler 1, Gun Combat 0, Jack of All Trades 1, Melee (Unarmed) 1, Recon 0, Persuade 0, Stealth 1, Streetwise 0
Rival-Prison Guard
Blade, 1200 Cr
Born in a well-known family, and having lived in relative comfort, Elfrid decided to steal from people he knew. After all, he'd never met anyone as strong as himself, so he reasoned he could knock a guard on the head if need be.
That was his first mistake. The second was not noticing a sensor...
He was sent in prison for years. Years became decades as he racked up other crimes, having joined gangs in prison (though he was, luckily, neither a victim nor a participant in the infamous prison riot of 15 years ago). A prison guard took a dislike to him, however, and helped make his life hell.
In the end, he relized even good behaviour (he tried that as well) wouldn't help him get parole. Not before age had made him lose his strength, slowed his reflexes...and a shiv, or just a flurry of kicks once he was down, would likely do the rest.
So he joined the infamous prison escape from last year. Somehow, it did succeed in sneaking on a shuttle.
He's still on the run. But then, it means he's still free, too!
***
OK, I like them both. In fact, I like Gruummarco a bit better, as a character...but he's got a better balance between mechanics and fluff, in my book.
I was tempted to make Elfrid test for being a psionic (after he got out), but at the end decided against it.
I can always add it. And a debt would help propulse him into adventures!
Monday, 26 December 2016
Multiple HPs?
In continuation of my previous idea: what if a (d20-styled) adventurer had multiple XPs and multiple HPs, each named after different gods?
You're a Barbarian. You have X hp from god A, Y hp from god B and Z xp from goddess Z?
It seems hard to remember. Writing it down on a character sheet, however, would remove the problem.
Hmm...that raises some questions.
The god of Fighters, the goddess of Magic, the goddess of Shadows? How many gods should there be?
Do I want a god of Songs, a goddess of Fertility?
Split the god of Fighters in a god of Excelence (with his sub-aspect of Arts and sub-aspect of Crafts) and a god of Violence?
The important question, if I decide to go there, are two:
Does "gods' Vitality" apply to different body locations, making it a hit location system?
And do the NPCs get "demon HP", or can adventurers gain it by dealing with demons as well? How does it interact with the HP granted by gods?
Decisions, decisions!
You're a Barbarian. You have X hp from god A, Y hp from god B and Z xp from goddess Z?
It seems hard to remember. Writing it down on a character sheet, however, would remove the problem.
Hmm...that raises some questions.
The god of Fighters, the goddess of Magic, the goddess of Shadows? How many gods should there be?
Do I want a god of Songs, a goddess of Fertility?
Split the god of Fighters in a god of Excelence (with his sub-aspect of Arts and sub-aspect of Crafts) and a god of Violence?
The important question, if I decide to go there, are two:
Does "gods' Vitality" apply to different body locations, making it a hit location system?
And do the NPCs get "demon HP", or can adventurers gain it by dealing with demons as well? How does it interact with the HP granted by gods?
Decisions, decisions!
Saturday, 24 December 2016
And now I almost want to write my own d20 game...almost
I'm still not sure whether I do.
But if I try my hand at it, we all know it would have a Wounds/Vitality split (and maybe Hit Locations...you know me).
In it, Vitality wouldn't be a matter of skill. Everyone has skill, including those that get disembowelled on multiple battlefields!
Vitality, however, is the semi-magical resource of imbuing your skill with magic. It happens at the will of gods and demons who enjoy watching the struggles of adventurers (and other, even more unwholesome, sorts).
Said resource is used for only one thing: to prevent deadly blows (Wound damage). It both gives them a better chance in another adventure, allows them to try more entertaining adventures, and makes sure a favourite "star adventurer" in the gods' reality show isn't going to be retired too soon.
Maybe I should try that? I could use some retroclone or with Fantasy Craft to begin with, and see how my players would react. I've got enough people in my group who dislike HP that it would be an interesting experiment if I can design a suitable character sheet that's not obviously related to the d20 system...
(The above idea was based on the fact that most people agree that if a Godbound or Exalted character has a crossbow pointed at him at point-blank range, what we can expect is him dodging to taking the attack on his chest and then disarming, knocking out or killing the attacker.
But the same people have an issue with an adventurer's HPs allowing him to do the same. Is the difference magic/divine power?)
But if I try my hand at it, we all know it would have a Wounds/Vitality split (and maybe Hit Locations...you know me).
In it, Vitality wouldn't be a matter of skill. Everyone has skill, including those that get disembowelled on multiple battlefields!
Vitality, however, is the semi-magical resource of imbuing your skill with magic. It happens at the will of gods and demons who enjoy watching the struggles of adventurers (and other, even more unwholesome, sorts).
Said resource is used for only one thing: to prevent deadly blows (Wound damage). It both gives them a better chance in another adventure, allows them to try more entertaining adventures, and makes sure a favourite "star adventurer" in the gods' reality show isn't going to be retired too soon.
Maybe I should try that? I could use some retroclone or with Fantasy Craft to begin with, and see how my players would react. I've got enough people in my group who dislike HP that it would be an interesting experiment if I can design a suitable character sheet that's not obviously related to the d20 system...
(The above idea was based on the fact that most people agree that if a Godbound or Exalted character has a crossbow pointed at him at point-blank range, what we can expect is him dodging to taking the attack on his chest and then disarming, knocking out or killing the attacker.
But the same people have an issue with an adventurer's HPs allowing him to do the same. Is the difference magic/divine power?)
Thursday, 22 December 2016
Which editions of D&D and related games I like most
What prompted me to write this was a forum thread on TBP. As it's my opinion, and reflects quite well my priorities, I might as well post it here, and check it back in a year or five.
1. DCC, because...well, if you haven't heard of DCC, it's got the best mechanics for S&S I've seen in quite a while (Mighty Deeds and Patrons FTW, baby!)
2. Crimson Blades, because it has the second best mechanics for S&S (I mean the Chainmail-inspired version, but whatever...summoning FTW!)
3. Low Fantasy RPG and The Nightmares Underneath, because both are great for a suitably horror-ish world, with mechanics that reflect this.
4. OD&D, because it started it all and can be great with a suitably open-minded GM (like TheWyzard was on this forum).
5. Mastercraft (the system behind Spycraft 2.0+ and Fantasy Craft), because sometimes you want to have all those modifiers on your character sheet...and because it was doing background packages before they were in vogue, and because it gave easy ways to keep the NPC stats simple even on 20th level - a major failing of 3e, if you ask me.
6. Beyond the Wall, because if you want to run Young Adult fantasy? That's the way! And if you don't want YA fantasy, it's still worth looking at the chargen, the magic system and the GMing chapter...also at the way the classes actually fit the archetypes.
7. Crypts and Things, because you can never have too much S&S rules, and it does nice things with the magic system and chargen.
8. Scarlet Heroes, because when you want a single-PC game, that's the way to go...and because it's got a kick-ass setting (Red Tide setting, which includes the best system for managing your domain across the OSR games I've seen).
9. ACKS, because the class-building and the abilities are great, and it puts more emphasis on the "endgame" (but it's behind Scarlet Heroes, because I like Red Tide's approach to domain management).
10. Five Ancient Kingdoms, because it takes inspiration from fairy tales like 1001 nights, and makes it fun to play.
11. Spellcraft and Swordplay, because its Chainmail-inspired mechanics are a thing of beauty for a world like 16th century Europe.
12. 13th Age, because the One Unique Thing, the Escalation die and the Icons are great ideas...and also because the dagger dealing more damage in the hands of a rogue than in the hands of an warrior is an approach worth keeping in mind.
13. Lamentations of the Flame Princess, because nothing screams "Gonzo" quite like it, because it's got great adventures and because it started my interest in OSR editions.
14. Empire of the Petal Throne, which was the first setting...and what a setting!
15. Flying Swordsmen, because at least trying to make d20 wuxia should count for something, regardless of what anyone thinks about it being successful, or not.
16. AD&D 2e because frankly, it starts to lose the major advantages of the TSR/OSR games without much to replace them (or not until late in the edition, AFAIK).
17. Iron Heroes, which I've never played, but has a good approach to the classes, and suggests ways to resolve some of the issues of the edition it's based on.
18. 3.5/PF, because it's so broken it hurts...and it's trying to be a balanced game.
19. 5th edition, because it's current and it's somewhat better for my style than the previous one, but in trying to be all things at once it doesn't quite succeed at most of them.
20. D&D 4th edition, because it's the best edition that was made for a style of playing that's totally unlike the one I like.
1. DCC, because...well, if you haven't heard of DCC, it's got the best mechanics for S&S I've seen in quite a while (Mighty Deeds and Patrons FTW, baby!)
2. Crimson Blades, because it has the second best mechanics for S&S (I mean the Chainmail-inspired version, but whatever...summoning FTW!)
3. Low Fantasy RPG and The Nightmares Underneath, because both are great for a suitably horror-ish world, with mechanics that reflect this.
4. OD&D, because it started it all and can be great with a suitably open-minded GM (like TheWyzard was on this forum).
5. Mastercraft (the system behind Spycraft 2.0+ and Fantasy Craft), because sometimes you want to have all those modifiers on your character sheet...and because it was doing background packages before they were in vogue, and because it gave easy ways to keep the NPC stats simple even on 20th level - a major failing of 3e, if you ask me.
6. Beyond the Wall, because if you want to run Young Adult fantasy? That's the way! And if you don't want YA fantasy, it's still worth looking at the chargen, the magic system and the GMing chapter...also at the way the classes actually fit the archetypes.
7. Crypts and Things, because you can never have too much S&S rules, and it does nice things with the magic system and chargen.
8. Scarlet Heroes, because when you want a single-PC game, that's the way to go...and because it's got a kick-ass setting (Red Tide setting, which includes the best system for managing your domain across the OSR games I've seen).
9. ACKS, because the class-building and the abilities are great, and it puts more emphasis on the "endgame" (but it's behind Scarlet Heroes, because I like Red Tide's approach to domain management).
10. Five Ancient Kingdoms, because it takes inspiration from fairy tales like 1001 nights, and makes it fun to play.
11. Spellcraft and Swordplay, because its Chainmail-inspired mechanics are a thing of beauty for a world like 16th century Europe.
12. 13th Age, because the One Unique Thing, the Escalation die and the Icons are great ideas...and also because the dagger dealing more damage in the hands of a rogue than in the hands of an warrior is an approach worth keeping in mind.
13. Lamentations of the Flame Princess, because nothing screams "Gonzo" quite like it, because it's got great adventures and because it started my interest in OSR editions.
14. Empire of the Petal Throne, which was the first setting...and what a setting!
15. Flying Swordsmen, because at least trying to make d20 wuxia should count for something, regardless of what anyone thinks about it being successful, or not.
16. AD&D 2e because frankly, it starts to lose the major advantages of the TSR/OSR games without much to replace them (or not until late in the edition, AFAIK).
17. Iron Heroes, which I've never played, but has a good approach to the classes, and suggests ways to resolve some of the issues of the edition it's based on.
18. 3.5/PF, because it's so broken it hurts...and it's trying to be a balanced game.
19. 5th edition, because it's current and it's somewhat better for my style than the previous one, but in trying to be all things at once it doesn't quite succeed at most of them.
20. D&D 4th edition, because it's the best edition that was made for a style of playing that's totally unlike the one I like.
At least it's a 20-items list...though anything over 15 isn't a good number.
Monday, 19 December 2016
Unfettered or Fettered: GMing styles and modules
"Before I learned how to play
and GM with gamebooks and RPGs, playing pretend was testing whether you
could deal with X, and ALSO was telling a story, AND the story had to
make sense - that includes not violating what I know of munitiae like
sword swings and your state of mind when someone is trying to push a
blade into your skull*.
When I learned gamebooks, and later RPGs, I discovered the Three-fold theories (both of them!), and suddenly the game EITHER was about what you do to deal with X, OR about telling a story, OR about respecting and exploring munitiae like sword swings or conversational tactics, or whatever.
Now I understood Unfettered GMing, also known as Lazy GMing, and I'm just running a game that explores the munitae of details, and that produces a story, and people at the table treat it as a game."
Asen R. G., your host
Ok, that was a rather clumsy way to paraphrase well-known sentence ("Before I learned martial arts, a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. When I studied martial arts, a punch was no longer just a punch and a kick was no longer just a kick. Now I understand martial arts, and a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick." - Bruce Lee, who was in turn paraphrasing Takuan Soho, AFAICT).
Anyway...
After reading Ron Edwards's Sorcerer (the annotated edition), I noticed that he's saying the campaign when he was "just playing the NPCs, and this generated the narrative" as one of his most successful ones).
I'm doing the exact same thing "the father on Narrativism" recommends - although I consider myself a Simulationist. Then again, I've heard the same advice from mainly Gamist players.
Yeah, the divisions in the RPG hobby are mostly BS, indeed.
I had discovered the "just play the NPCs" GMing approach in, more or less, the same fashion as Ron Edwards. I was running a game; the game was set up with interesting characters from both sides of the screen. There were conflicts and alliances between them to give a pause to any Vampire chronicle.
So I just asked myself "why the hell should I prepare it in advance, if the players aren't going to do what I expect anyway - and I find it fun to catch this kind of surprise shots and return them?"
The answer was "no fucking reason in Hell", and so I ran the next session... two hours after the one that had just finished.
At the end, I had more material than I had before, because no PC ran from conflicts. The players laughed, and cried - for real, not roleplaying - and were exhilarated.
Years later, I almost got a beating when I announced ending the campaign...
But all of this was because the players knew that risking your character is fun. To the PCs, that's no doubt the analogue of playing extreme sports...but then most PCs should be extreme sports enthusiasts.
The end conclusion is, to me: You need to teach unfettered roleplaying to the players, if it doesn't come naturally to them. After that, you can be the Unfettered GM.
Most books teach you to be the Fettered GM. Take an adventure, self-made or not. Start the PCs so and so, says the adventure. X happens... After that, Y happens. After that, Z happens (and hopefully, that means you get to meet Zorro). That's how I began running games, too.
But right now, I only need a setting book and easily applicable rules. Everything else, including genre supplements? Yeah, nice, but largely unnecessary. "Just play the NPCs", and if it needed to be said, make them interesting. (Nobody is completely uninteresting in real life, either. If you didn't learn that in English classes, learn it now, and practice. Talk with a boring guy and find something that makes him non-boring).
I mean, the guy that makes your accounts might be a Combat Sambo champion (yes, I know such a guy!) The plumber next door might be an ex-convict, or just having had an interesting youth. You** probably have a hobby that's out of the ordinary for your profession - namely, roleplaying. And you're reading RPG-related blogs! In your FREE time! Seriously, do you have any idea how obscure that is to everyone else? (I guess you have an idea, indeed).
Yeah. People with no unexpected interests and skills are so rare, this makes them interesting. So, yes, it's impossible by definition to be boring.
Don't be afraid your sessions would be boring - just make them interesting.
You don't need pre-planned adventures for that. You just need to have the GMing tools internalised, too. And that means "playing the NPCs as logically as you'd play a PC".
And if your playing PCs is lacking, you should work on that.
Or maybe I should just write a module the way I imagine it should be done.
*Yes, that's for the kind of first-hand experience that I haven't asked for.
**The "you" that's reading an RPG-related blog.
When I learned gamebooks, and later RPGs, I discovered the Three-fold theories (both of them!), and suddenly the game EITHER was about what you do to deal with X, OR about telling a story, OR about respecting and exploring munitiae like sword swings or conversational tactics, or whatever.
Now I understood Unfettered GMing, also known as Lazy GMing, and I'm just running a game that explores the munitae of details, and that produces a story, and people at the table treat it as a game."
Asen R. G., your host
Ok, that was a rather clumsy way to paraphrase well-known sentence ("Before I learned martial arts, a punch was just a punch and a kick was just a kick. When I studied martial arts, a punch was no longer just a punch and a kick was no longer just a kick. Now I understand martial arts, and a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick." - Bruce Lee, who was in turn paraphrasing Takuan Soho, AFAICT).
Anyway...
After reading Ron Edwards's Sorcerer (the annotated edition), I noticed that he's saying the campaign when he was "just playing the NPCs, and this generated the narrative" as one of his most successful ones).
I'm doing the exact same thing "the father on Narrativism" recommends - although I consider myself a Simulationist. Then again, I've heard the same advice from mainly Gamist players.
Yeah, the divisions in the RPG hobby are mostly BS, indeed.
I had discovered the "just play the NPCs" GMing approach in, more or less, the same fashion as Ron Edwards. I was running a game; the game was set up with interesting characters from both sides of the screen. There were conflicts and alliances between them to give a pause to any Vampire chronicle.
So I just asked myself "why the hell should I prepare it in advance, if the players aren't going to do what I expect anyway - and I find it fun to catch this kind of surprise shots and return them?"
The answer was "no fucking reason in Hell", and so I ran the next session... two hours after the one that had just finished.
At the end, I had more material than I had before, because no PC ran from conflicts. The players laughed, and cried - for real, not roleplaying - and were exhilarated.
Years later, I almost got a beating when I announced ending the campaign...
But all of this was because the players knew that risking your character is fun. To the PCs, that's no doubt the analogue of playing extreme sports...but then most PCs should be extreme sports enthusiasts.
The end conclusion is, to me: You need to teach unfettered roleplaying to the players, if it doesn't come naturally to them. After that, you can be the Unfettered GM.
Most books teach you to be the Fettered GM. Take an adventure, self-made or not. Start the PCs so and so, says the adventure. X happens... After that, Y happens. After that, Z happens (and hopefully, that means you get to meet Zorro). That's how I began running games, too.
But right now, I only need a setting book and easily applicable rules. Everything else, including genre supplements? Yeah, nice, but largely unnecessary. "Just play the NPCs", and if it needed to be said, make them interesting. (Nobody is completely uninteresting in real life, either. If you didn't learn that in English classes, learn it now, and practice. Talk with a boring guy and find something that makes him non-boring).
I mean, the guy that makes your accounts might be a Combat Sambo champion (yes, I know such a guy!) The plumber next door might be an ex-convict, or just having had an interesting youth. You** probably have a hobby that's out of the ordinary for your profession - namely, roleplaying. And you're reading RPG-related blogs! In your FREE time! Seriously, do you have any idea how obscure that is to everyone else? (I guess you have an idea, indeed).
Yeah. People with no unexpected interests and skills are so rare, this makes them interesting. So, yes, it's impossible by definition to be boring.
Don't be afraid your sessions would be boring - just make them interesting.
You don't need pre-planned adventures for that. You just need to have the GMing tools internalised, too. And that means "playing the NPCs as logically as you'd play a PC".
And if your playing PCs is lacking, you should work on that.
Or maybe I should just write a module the way I imagine it should be done.
*Yes, that's for the kind of first-hand experience that I haven't asked for.
**The "you" that's reading an RPG-related blog.
Sunday, 18 December 2016
Stunning Beauty Chronicles, part 3rd (WHoOG)
And there it is, we had another session.
Last time we left where the party, the head of our clan Two-Timing Cockerel (TTC) and the probably future clan head (his daughter, Yu Bijun) had summoned the fifth brother of the TTC, Bantering Peacock, to answer to our accusations of betraying the clan.
He did try to refuse. An actual peacock might have done a better job. I guess he didn't expect to be accused, and wasn't prepared.
(The GM rolled for his deceit the lowest possible result that's not a fumble. That wasn't the last time this night that the dice were showing a sense of dark and twisted humour).
TTC was quietly livid. I guess there's two kind of people he doesn't like: those who betray their family, and those that are more beautiful than him? That's purely my speculation, of course...
"So listen...those youngsters have a point..."
"But brother..."
"Shut up! As I said, they have a point...and I've got an year to live. If you can, until then, find proof of your innocence, we'll forget about this. If you can't find proof of your innocence, I'm going to expel you from the clan. And if in this year they can find proof of your guilt, I'm going to expel you and then tell Da Su Su about you. I'm going to fight her for your sake, she's going to kill me, then kill you as well. Now go. You can go as well, daughter dear."
At the end, TTC managed to find a way to die fighting an enemy with stronger kung-fu, after all.
Then he turned towards me, and gifted me with my own ghost teacher. It's the ghost of a scholar in a calligraphy brush.
"I need to give it to someone, and Yu Bijun isn't much about learning. You're my hope for a good owner of that pen. He can teach you a lot about the classics."
I bowed to him, bowed to the ghost, thanked them both profusely for giving me the opportunity, and then retired at the sign of the clanhead.
My wife later told me that he gave her permission to learn the secret clan techniques. "You seem to hate Da Su Su, and you're family."
"I think she's a crazy bitch!"
"Great! Someone will need to avenge me, after you find the proof. Study the clan's secret teachings until you can do that! And someone will need to help Yu Bijun in dealing with the clan...I count on you and your husband for that."
TTC has really thought it through.
Later, we met and spoke. Deciding that we need to find one of the two letters he had prepared for Da Su Su, and compare with his writing, I went to the clan's archives and confiscated two letters written by Bantering Peacock.
Then I went to find the place the fence had lived with other losers. I gave away several spades, and received access to his place, and their help in searching the room. We found a letter under a floorboard.
"Give that letter to an agent of the bitch. She'll reward you."
Well, as we know, her agent had actually killed him (because "he seemed shifty"), but Bantering Peacock had already achieved what he was trying to.
Then I went home, and summoned the pen-ghost.
"I'm honoured to be in your presence...but before we begin the studies, can we try some real practice? Can you tell me whether these three have been written by the same person?"
After a short study, the answer was:
"I'd say they are, though he tried to change his writing in this one."
Bantering Peacock, I concluded, was only marginally smarter than Da Su Su. That was enough for her, but she had actually hired us...and that sealed his demise.
So we went back to TCC, and I prepared a report with uncle Bantering Peacock's transgression.
I also wrote a date...two days before TCC's 46th birthday, since he needs to be dead by then. Almost a year from now, and he can enjoy it, knowing he's going to have his "beautiful death": killed by a worthy opponent that's NOT a family member.
(Readers of the whole saga would know why).
That done, we tried to second-guess what has happened 15 years ago, with TTC's help. My wife posited that whoever has killed their master, had his sword, and tried to usurp his clan, would try to start his own school once it was clear they wouldn't succeed getting the command of the clan.
So we went to the same region where the clan has been located. We only had to scour the environs and the neighbouring provinces! No work at all, right?
I also had a back-up plan. At least one of those guys has been beautiful. I assumed he was used to, ah, female company. So, with us having a bordello, I decided to talk to other "brothers of the Green Forests"/members of LuLin (the community of the criminals - entertainers also fit there, according to the separation in Ancient China). Maybe someone had noticed a client like this?
It was worth a try...
Well, long story short, there weren't schools like the one we were looking for.
But while checking for the description of the three, a client commented: "huh, looking for the Bitch, The Con and The Stupid, aren't you?"
I presented myself as a historian (true) looking to write a book on this tragedy (I am considering this, given that I expect to know a lot by the end of my employment). He was willing to talk, once I offered to pay for the wine.
The man, in his 50ies or 60ies, said the Con (the beautiful guy) wanted the power, and persuaded the Three Stupids and his mistress to kill their master. And they were gullible enough to believe. (Much longer story, as it was told at the table). It was sad, because the master had been a righteous man...but the Con just used this to trick his other students into believing he was too weak to head the clan!
I agreed that's sad, alright...
And since then, Da Su Su, looking for her father's killers, had been involved with demons. The man claimed her agents are actually zombies, like hopping dead...who marry her knowing what's going to happen, and then serve her.
Being the administrator of the Silken Robe Bordello, I was outraged. "What? We offer chicks like her for 10 spades the night!"
"Well, no, not like her..."
"Maybe not quite...but compare the price!"
"Anyway. She's rather strong due to the dealing with demons. The best advice is to not fight her!"
"Too late for me."
He was impressed. I told it as it was - I'd cracked her a rib or two, and then reasoned with her.
"You reasoned with her? That's impressive! A hard-headed one, she is..."
"The cracked rib helped, I think...but the arguments helped even more!"
Anyway, the man was getting more and more melancholic. He even asked me whether I believe there can be forgiveness for the five killers.
"For killing your master? That's like killing your parents. Who can forgive that?"
"Yeah, I thought so as well...", he drank again.
"And I see you're still Unkept...Lion."
The Unkept Lion, the last surviving of the Three Stupids, leaned back, suddenly much less drunk.
"Smart one. I'd advise you not to go to Da Su Su or her agents with that news."
I looked at his pitiful figure, knowing he can't kill me...not without revealing his location to Da Su Su.
"Smart? Yes. But I'm not going to go to her. I'm going to offer you a deal...I'd say to Da Su Su I've found your grave - and I know which grave to show her - and you're going to help me find the other two and the sword."
No rolls necessary. We had a deal, and I got whatever info he had.
And then I added.
"But I can't approve of your deed, Unkempt Lion! So no we'll go in the backyard of this teahouse, and I'm going to show you my best kung-fu!"
"You can't punish me more than I'm punishing myself, boy."
"Then go."
Which meant, in short, that he had to keep me alive in this fight. I was under no such obligation.
Of course, he was almost as good as TTC, who's almost as good as Da Su Su herself. There are many steps towards the top of the mountain called "Martial Arts Mastery", and I had barely begun my ascent.
In practical terms, he stunned me at the very start, but waited for me to recover. I'd have stopped at this point, normally, but this wasn't a fight. It was punishment for his sins - before I could forgive him...or at least, forgive him enough to work with him.
And the punishment was to last as long as I could go.
Still, it was a chivalrous thing for him to do.
Granted, all I could do is crack some of his ribs, using some of my magic, and then stress them by locking his hand with Qin Na, which then allowed me to throw him on the ground, hard.
My Iron Body proved inadequate against his hits, which showed much higher mastery - as well as against his throws. Though I must note that his Techniques were just as useless against my attacks. He was just able to take my punishment and keep going.
I used the same combination of techniques as against Da Su Su, followed by a Total Success on Grapple. Overall, I delivered 4 Wounds before being taken out.
He brought me to my room, where I began my meditation. I had used every single technique in "overdrive mode", and I was hurting...
It was punishment for me as much as for him. For deciding to work with him, because he made me pity him, and because I felt he was punishing himself enough.
For those unfamiliar with WHoOG system, I'll translate it in D&D terms: I am 1st level still. He's about 8th or 9th, or whatever level you need before going on to fight demons and stuff as an equal.
I didn't stand a chance to win, but in WHoOG you can decide not to kill an enemy you defeat, by pulling your last blow...which he did with me.
Which means that I needed a couple hours of meditation to recover, and then to meditate until I go to sleep. Which I did.
IC, my wife approved strongly of the deal I had struck with the drunk guy, and showed her appreciation in ways that aren't to disclose outside the family bedroom. So this description ends here.
But he told me that the Con, who had been beautiful enough for our sect once, was no longer anything like this. It seems Da Su Su had scarred his face (and then forgot to mention it - I told you she's stupid, right?) He had even seen him, lately, in another inn. The Con had tried to start a school...but it didn't work, for some reason.
He also believed that the Bitch, as he kept calling her (he means the former lover of The Con, not Da Su Su), was probably keeping in touch with the woman that had married a magistrate, and was masquerading as her. (Da Su Su's agents had found her, but had realised she was a fake lead...for once). So we had two leads for our two suspects!
Next episode of "Stunning Beauty Chronicles":
We have to meet the guy we're looking for and working with him to save him! Watch us plan searching for the Scarred Beautiful Guy, his past mistress, and the sword he stole! Wonder when teaching kung-fu to the chief of my security would get me in hot water!
Expect soon, only on "Characters, Conversations and a Flashing Blade"!
Last time we left where the party, the head of our clan Two-Timing Cockerel (TTC) and the probably future clan head (his daughter, Yu Bijun) had summoned the fifth brother of the TTC, Bantering Peacock, to answer to our accusations of betraying the clan.
He did try to refuse. An actual peacock might have done a better job. I guess he didn't expect to be accused, and wasn't prepared.
(The GM rolled for his deceit the lowest possible result that's not a fumble. That wasn't the last time this night that the dice were showing a sense of dark and twisted humour).
TTC was quietly livid. I guess there's two kind of people he doesn't like: those who betray their family, and those that are more beautiful than him? That's purely my speculation, of course...
"So listen...those youngsters have a point..."
"But brother..."
"Shut up! As I said, they have a point...and I've got an year to live. If you can, until then, find proof of your innocence, we'll forget about this. If you can't find proof of your innocence, I'm going to expel you from the clan. And if in this year they can find proof of your guilt, I'm going to expel you and then tell Da Su Su about you. I'm going to fight her for your sake, she's going to kill me, then kill you as well. Now go. You can go as well, daughter dear."
At the end, TTC managed to find a way to die fighting an enemy with stronger kung-fu, after all.
Then he turned towards me, and gifted me with my own ghost teacher. It's the ghost of a scholar in a calligraphy brush.
"I need to give it to someone, and Yu Bijun isn't much about learning. You're my hope for a good owner of that pen. He can teach you a lot about the classics."
I bowed to him, bowed to the ghost, thanked them both profusely for giving me the opportunity, and then retired at the sign of the clanhead.
My wife later told me that he gave her permission to learn the secret clan techniques. "You seem to hate Da Su Su, and you're family."
"I think she's a crazy bitch!"
"Great! Someone will need to avenge me, after you find the proof. Study the clan's secret teachings until you can do that! And someone will need to help Yu Bijun in dealing with the clan...I count on you and your husband for that."
TTC has really thought it through.
Later, we met and spoke. Deciding that we need to find one of the two letters he had prepared for Da Su Su, and compare with his writing, I went to the clan's archives and confiscated two letters written by Bantering Peacock.
Then I went to find the place the fence had lived with other losers. I gave away several spades, and received access to his place, and their help in searching the room. We found a letter under a floorboard.
"Give that letter to an agent of the bitch. She'll reward you."
Well, as we know, her agent had actually killed him (because "he seemed shifty"), but Bantering Peacock had already achieved what he was trying to.
Then I went home, and summoned the pen-ghost.
"I'm honoured to be in your presence...but before we begin the studies, can we try some real practice? Can you tell me whether these three have been written by the same person?"
After a short study, the answer was:
"I'd say they are, though he tried to change his writing in this one."
Bantering Peacock, I concluded, was only marginally smarter than Da Su Su. That was enough for her, but she had actually hired us...and that sealed his demise.
So we went back to TCC, and I prepared a report with uncle Bantering Peacock's transgression.
I also wrote a date...two days before TCC's 46th birthday, since he needs to be dead by then. Almost a year from now, and he can enjoy it, knowing he's going to have his "beautiful death": killed by a worthy opponent that's NOT a family member.
(Readers of the whole saga would know why).
That done, we tried to second-guess what has happened 15 years ago, with TTC's help. My wife posited that whoever has killed their master, had his sword, and tried to usurp his clan, would try to start his own school once it was clear they wouldn't succeed getting the command of the clan.
So we went to the same region where the clan has been located. We only had to scour the environs and the neighbouring provinces! No work at all, right?
I also had a back-up plan. At least one of those guys has been beautiful. I assumed he was used to, ah, female company. So, with us having a bordello, I decided to talk to other "brothers of the Green Forests"/members of LuLin (the community of the criminals - entertainers also fit there, according to the separation in Ancient China). Maybe someone had noticed a client like this?
It was worth a try...
Well, long story short, there weren't schools like the one we were looking for.
But while checking for the description of the three, a client commented: "huh, looking for the Bitch, The Con and The Stupid, aren't you?"
I presented myself as a historian (true) looking to write a book on this tragedy (I am considering this, given that I expect to know a lot by the end of my employment). He was willing to talk, once I offered to pay for the wine.
The man, in his 50ies or 60ies, said the Con (the beautiful guy) wanted the power, and persuaded the Three Stupids and his mistress to kill their master. And they were gullible enough to believe. (Much longer story, as it was told at the table). It was sad, because the master had been a righteous man...but the Con just used this to trick his other students into believing he was too weak to head the clan!
I agreed that's sad, alright...
And since then, Da Su Su, looking for her father's killers, had been involved with demons. The man claimed her agents are actually zombies, like hopping dead...who marry her knowing what's going to happen, and then serve her.
Being the administrator of the Silken Robe Bordello, I was outraged. "What? We offer chicks like her for 10 spades the night!"
"Well, no, not like her..."
"Maybe not quite...but compare the price!"
"Anyway. She's rather strong due to the dealing with demons. The best advice is to not fight her!"
"Too late for me."
He was impressed. I told it as it was - I'd cracked her a rib or two, and then reasoned with her.
"You reasoned with her? That's impressive! A hard-headed one, she is..."
"The cracked rib helped, I think...but the arguments helped even more!"
Anyway, the man was getting more and more melancholic. He even asked me whether I believe there can be forgiveness for the five killers.
"For killing your master? That's like killing your parents. Who can forgive that?"
"Yeah, I thought so as well...", he drank again.
"And I see you're still Unkept...Lion."
The Unkept Lion, the last surviving of the Three Stupids, leaned back, suddenly much less drunk.
"Smart one. I'd advise you not to go to Da Su Su or her agents with that news."
I looked at his pitiful figure, knowing he can't kill me...not without revealing his location to Da Su Su.
"Smart? Yes. But I'm not going to go to her. I'm going to offer you a deal...I'd say to Da Su Su I've found your grave - and I know which grave to show her - and you're going to help me find the other two and the sword."
No rolls necessary. We had a deal, and I got whatever info he had.
And then I added.
"But I can't approve of your deed, Unkempt Lion! So no we'll go in the backyard of this teahouse, and I'm going to show you my best kung-fu!"
"You can't punish me more than I'm punishing myself, boy."
"Then go."
Which meant, in short, that he had to keep me alive in this fight. I was under no such obligation.
Of course, he was almost as good as TTC, who's almost as good as Da Su Su herself. There are many steps towards the top of the mountain called "Martial Arts Mastery", and I had barely begun my ascent.
In practical terms, he stunned me at the very start, but waited for me to recover. I'd have stopped at this point, normally, but this wasn't a fight. It was punishment for his sins - before I could forgive him...or at least, forgive him enough to work with him.
And the punishment was to last as long as I could go.
Still, it was a chivalrous thing for him to do.
Granted, all I could do is crack some of his ribs, using some of my magic, and then stress them by locking his hand with Qin Na, which then allowed me to throw him on the ground, hard.
My Iron Body proved inadequate against his hits, which showed much higher mastery - as well as against his throws. Though I must note that his Techniques were just as useless against my attacks. He was just able to take my punishment and keep going.
I used the same combination of techniques as against Da Su Su, followed by a Total Success on Grapple. Overall, I delivered 4 Wounds before being taken out.
He brought me to my room, where I began my meditation. I had used every single technique in "overdrive mode", and I was hurting...
It was punishment for me as much as for him. For deciding to work with him, because he made me pity him, and because I felt he was punishing himself enough.
For those unfamiliar with WHoOG system, I'll translate it in D&D terms: I am 1st level still. He's about 8th or 9th, or whatever level you need before going on to fight demons and stuff as an equal.
I didn't stand a chance to win, but in WHoOG you can decide not to kill an enemy you defeat, by pulling your last blow...which he did with me.
Which means that I needed a couple hours of meditation to recover, and then to meditate until I go to sleep. Which I did.
IC, my wife approved strongly of the deal I had struck with the drunk guy, and showed her appreciation in ways that aren't to disclose outside the family bedroom. So this description ends here.
But he told me that the Con, who had been beautiful enough for our sect once, was no longer anything like this. It seems Da Su Su had scarred his face (and then forgot to mention it - I told you she's stupid, right?) He had even seen him, lately, in another inn. The Con had tried to start a school...but it didn't work, for some reason.
He also believed that the Bitch, as he kept calling her (he means the former lover of The Con, not Da Su Su), was probably keeping in touch with the woman that had married a magistrate, and was masquerading as her. (Da Su Su's agents had found her, but had realised she was a fake lead...for once). So we had two leads for our two suspects!
Next episode of "Stunning Beauty Chronicles":
We have to meet the guy we're looking for and working with him to save him! Watch us plan searching for the Scarred Beautiful Guy, his past mistress, and the sword he stole! Wonder when teaching kung-fu to the chief of my security would get me in hot water!
Expect soon, only on "Characters, Conversations and a Flashing Blade"!
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