In Which The Warlock Leaves Some Plot Hooks Unattended...

Well, friends and neighbors, it's appearing more and more that our The Flood campaign will be racing towards its conclusion by the time that spring rolls around.  Our posse has but 4 glyphs to find in order to bring about the climactic end to this Deadlands excursion.  But, that doesn't mean we're close to being done.

The object of Jayne Cobb's desire...

You see, my Friday night group's been slowly sinking deeper and deeper into a heap of trouble.  Their continual dealings with Big Ears Tam in Shan Fan--specifically his "delicate little lotus blossom," the cybernetic scrapper Mary Ellen Hardigan--have earned them the enmity of pretty much everyone in Kwan Province, the employees of Iron Dragon, and quite a few others.  And, now that the group has agreed to take on a spy mission for Tam, Emperor Norton and Warlord Kwan might just have their revenge for the loss of the Abysmal!

But, that's not all.  After FridayNightWill's possession in Jehosephat Cemetary, the spirit in his head has begun communicating with him in most interesting ways.  With a great roll to scope out the goings-on in Kwan's castle, Jayne Cobb got a great glimpse of Kwan's ancestral daisho...which, after Cobb's vision fuzzed out and the spirit took control, glowed with an intense arcane aura.  Needless to say, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head!

The mysterious Ramirez, perhaps?

And that's not all our good buddy Will saw.  Rather, they caught a glimpse of a truly enigmatic figure.  You see, back when the posse first managed to meet Big Ears Tam, the group ended up being embroiled in a huge underground 'kumite'--a martial arts tournament held by a ruthless dojo.  Mary Ellen, of course, represented Tam.  However, the rest of the group spent quite a bit of time roaming about the stadium, placing bets and scoping out the fighters.  One of them, particularly, stood out...a fencer known on the stadium-sheets as Ramirez.  Ramirez had won several rounds, advancing to the quarter-finals....only to utterly disappear.

Naturally, the mystery man Ramirez made another appearance at Kwan's little soiree, much to everyone's shock.

Yet the mysteries keep piling up.  Who are the Children of Hasteli?  Where's that final glyph, which the party can't seem to find?  Why is there a Hechler & Koch MP5 in Master Antiquarian Wu's shop?  And, what's the deal with Eddie, the totally-unharmed man that the party found in Rock Island Prison?

Needless to say, there's a lot still to come! 

In Which The Warlock Has Too Much Plated...

Sorry, but it's a short entry this time, fellow gamers.

I've been staring at a computer screen all weekend, working on a pretty large segment on an upcoming book for The Laundry:  tentatively titled "Cultists Under the Bed". 

Because of this, I'll save the bigger details on what's been going on in The Flood, as well as what else I've been working on for the mid-week entry.  For now, you'll just have to be sated with my upcoming convention schedule for 2012!

In Which The Warlock Mulls a Manifesto...

Once again, my compadre at The JourneymanGM has stumbled upon something of particular interest.  This time, it's a Reddit page, entitled "My Gamemaster Manifesto".  Essentially, each manifesto is a series of pledges or promises each makes to their players, as part of the game's fundamental social contract.

A fair amount of these elements are very similar to one another, or are the sort of things that simply go without saying for me.  In other cases, the statements are simply impossible to guarantee, making a guarantee less than worthless.  Saying "I will provide a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end" or "I pledge to create a game that is fun for both myself and all players at the table".

So, given those caveats, here's my own list...with a few items that deviate a bit from the norm.

1.  I pledge to challenge you as a player and as a character while at the game-table. 
When I run a game, I intend to challenge the interests, the desires, the strengths and the weaknesses of your character, but also those of you as a player.  Whether that means taking advantage of character flaws on your character sheet or pushing your own tendencies as a player, I will not be complacent in challenging you during the course of the game.

2.  I will help you play the character you want to play.
Your character is your purview and, barring certain occasions befitting the plot, you are the final arbiter of what goes on your character sheet.  If I am running a game, it's because I feel that I have a degree of system-mastery over that game.  Further, your character is a primary player in the grander plot.  If you are having difficulty with either portion, I will offer unbiased, honest feedback on how to approach your character.  However, the final decision as to any character changes belongs to you as a player.

3.  I will make the game as interesting and accessible to all members of the table as possible.
Fun is subjective.  I can't make you have fun.  What I can do is make the game accessible and active, which makes it more likely that you will have fun.  What we do at the table may not be to your taste.  If that's the case, you're welcome to bow out.  However, I intend to make our shared storyline interesting to you and accessible to someone not necessarily a fan of the given genre conventions.

4.  I pledge to be true to the given genre.
If I'm running a horror game, you should expect cults, creeping monstrosities, and ancient terrors.  If I'm running a steampunk game, you should expect airships and mad science.  This is true for both my own creations and for those brought to the table by others.  I will be vigilant in maintaining a truth-in-genre for all of my games.

5.  I will bring something new to the table each session.
I will not be complacent as a GameMaster, and will challenge myself with each session that we have.  I will not rely on 'old tricks' or previously-used techniques simply because they worked once, but rather will refine and hone my technique with each game, each plotline, and each session that we share.  Gaming evolves, and so shall I.

6.  I will call attention to the positive and the negative.
When you (as both a character and as a player) do something cool, you will receive the attention and adulation deserved.  You deserve the opportunity to shine.  If the inverse is true, I will speak up, so that the offending behavior/tactic/what-have-you is not repeated.  I will not be content to sit back or be passive-agressive in my dealings with you, simply to have another player at the table.

7.  I will be open to feedback and will be easily accessible.
Gamemastery is a form of writing--a specialized and shared form of writing, but writing nevertheless.  Writing cannot take place without revision.  I will listen openly and share honestly about my design and development process and take thoughtful feedback under deep consideration. 

Thoughts?  Additions?  Subtractions?  What do you think?

In Which The Warlock Contemplates Some Criticism...

A few posts ago, you might remember my review of Dragon Age: Origins, which I finished over the holiday break (after only a year of having it sit on my shelf!).  Well, what you didn't see is my Facebook feed, which absolutely lit up with anti-recommendations when I mentioned my eagerness to pick up the sequel, Dragon Age II. Apparently, many of my acquaintances and the like were only the tip of the iceberg.  In fact, the negative reviews for DA2 seemed to outstrip the positive ones by far!

Call it stubbornness.  Call it a determination to go my own way.  Call it raw curiosity.  I bought DA2 anyway. 

And, you know what?  I greatly prefer Dragon Age II to its predecessor, as it made significant improvements in nearly every aspect of both game, characterization and story.

But, before I begin my diatribe, let me just put this here:  SPOILERS AHEAD!  BEWARE!

My biggest problem with the original Dragon Age was its generic storyline.  From the very start, your character was the last of the Grey Wardens, attempting to unite the sterotypically fractions factions of elves, mages, and dwarves against a tyrannical usurper and an incoming totally-not-orcs horde.  the story could have been easily written by a 12-year-old Dragonlance fan, with only a few stand-out questlines where the story shines.



Varric, telling his story to the Inquisitor...

Dragon Age II rectifies this beautifully by tightening up the narrative structure.  While the idea of the epic, world-spanning quest in DA: O is good in theory, in reality it's just unwieldy.  The narrative of DA2 is told through the words of Varric Tethras, one of your characters' companions.  However, the vast majority of the action in DA2 takes place in Kirkwall, a city in the Free Marches, to which your family has just migrated from fallen Lothering--a locale from the first game.  Destitute and looking for work, your main character finds themselves making a name for themselves by attempting to become a partner in an expedition to a dwarven ruin. 

However, following various twists and turns, the main character finds themselves in the midst of a city rife with its own problems.  A delegation of the militant Qunari have taken up residence in the city, gangs roam the night, and the Circle of Magi have been butting heads with their Templar and Chantry overseers.  Hawke (the main character) and their band of motley adventurers quickly find themselves in over their heads, confronted with a coming conflict that none seem to be able to prevent...but more on that later.

One of the biggest improvements DA2 made came in graphics, particularly backgrounds.  Often, the backgrounds in DA: O were fuzzy or undefined, and they definitely showed their age, as a game from nearly 5 years ago.  But, worst of all, they felt stock and generic. 

The Wounded Coast--one of the most gorgeous areas
in Dragon Age II!

In DA2, however, the backgrounds and setting is used to its utmost.  Each district of Kirkwall has its own feel and theme, from the posh gardens surrounding the Chantry Courtyard in Hightown to the dingy, unkempt slums in Darktown.  Each area has its own design and attitude, which makes the city feel like a living, active place.  It becomes easy to tell where you are as you navigate through the city by night or day, simply by landmarks and background elements.  The view out over the sea when in the Wounded Coast area simply has no parallel--it's a beautiful, visually stunning area, which made my jaw drop for the first time since reaching the Arreat Summit in Diablo II.

Similarly, combat is much improved in DA2.  While the traditional classes of warrior-rogue-mage return, the classes are able to interact through "cross-class combos" that provide additional damage or benefits.  For example, if a mage casts Winter's Blast, the target may become frozen, which allows a warrior to deal higher damage.  Similarly, if that warrior uses a Shield Bash, the target is knocked off-balance, allowing a rogue to take advantage.  With the party AI greatly enhanced--coupled with 20-odd customizable tactics slots available for each party member--it's easy to take advantage of these ability combinations. 

While the game suffers slightly with combats that perhaps run too long, and the "wave" mechanic of dropping additional baddies into a scrum grows a little tiresome, I didn't find myself bored with combat as I did in DA: O.  Previously, I simply mowed everything down while my party mopped up behind me.  In DA2, I felt active and involved, choosing high-priority targets and hunting them down, alternating control of my character with those in my party:  Varric (a surface-dwelling "legitimate businessman"), Isabela (a ship-less lusty swashbuckler), and Merrill (my love-interest, an apostate elven mage).  I always felt like I had something to do, or some new strategy to try.  Plus, the game removed much of the "equipment-juggling" that tends to overcomplicate and clutter many party-based role-playing games, which was a much needed design choice.

My favorite portion of this game, however, comes in one simple piece of understanding, which many critics and even fans seem to have overlooked:  the story of Dragon Age II is a tragedy, not a heroic epic. 

Under the framing narrative of Varric telling the story of "The Champion of Kirkwall" to a Chantry interrogator, Varric's tone throughout the cut scenes is one of loss, wistfulness, and memories of "better times".  And, why shouldn't he feel this way?  Nearly everything that Hawke and his companions build up over the course of the 7 years together in Kirkwall comes crashing down, as their own actions spiral out of control.

The result of all Hawke's works...up in flames...

Case in point:  Varric himself.  Hawke, Varric and the rest are betrayed by Varric's brother at the end of Act I.  When Varric's brother resurfaces, he has gone insane, and Varric is forced to kill his own brother out of mercy.  But that's not all!  Merrill's pursuit of elven history costs her teacher's life, if not the lives of her entire clan.  The mine that Hawke invests in--giving hundreds of migrant Fereldans employment--is burned to the ground and destroyed.  Hawke's own mother is drawn in, then killed by a serial killer who escaped Hawke's investigation in years prior.  Anders, a mage companion, spouts rhetoric not heard outside of Malcolm X or Magneto, decrying the templar oppression from his Darktown clinic, all the while he plans a terrorist attack to start "the coming war". 

Hawke's story is one of loss, over and over again.  It's the story of the rise and fall of power in amongst a maelstrom of rival factions.  Throughout the game, I found my dialogue choices again and again trying to unite rival factions, even as they took up arms against one another.  However, I swiftly found a group of moderates--a group of nobles looking for someone to put on an empty throne, following the death of Viscount Dumar.  In a last-ditch effort, my Hawke threw her name in as a potential replacement...only to find that Anders' actions had brought about the very war that Hawke was about to prevent.

This!  This is tragedy!  This is drama!  This is the sort of storytelling that can elevate video games to that oft-mused category of "art". 

Yes, there are flaws.  As I mentioned, the continual waves in combat grow tiresome at times.  The various dungeon locales are repeated--albeit with some minor changes--fairly often.  And, it would have been nice to have more interaction with two of the major players--the head of the templars and the head of the magi circle--before Act III.  But with varied and interesting combat, spectacular visuals, and a story that breathes and revels in pathos, there's no comparison:  Dragon Age II far outstrips its predecessor.

In Which The Warlock Presents His Nefarious Plot...

Apologies for the slightly late entry, but I wanted to hold off until I actually sent off the e-mail to FridayNightWill with the fate of his gunslinger!

Take a gander!

As you drift in and out of consciousness, the shamaness' magic streams over you and through your mind. Images flash into your mind.

All you can hear, though, is the screaming: the wailing and gnashing of spectral teeth, ephemeral fingernails against a stone slab. Screaming, crying, begging, all you can remember is wanting to be free again.

You remember vividly who put you here. You remember the years spent in Rock Island Prison, facing torment after torment, at the hands of Grimme and his men. But you would not renounce your faith...you would not give in. That's when the butchers came, and flayed you alive. That's when they put you here...in this stone tomb.

You remember nothing from your life before. Your memories are hazy, and only come in fragments. You remember a great crowd, speaking before them and leading them across a vast waste. But aside from that? Simply faces in the mist...not even your own name.

 

 

Okay, that's the flavor text. Here's the meat.

 

 

Something (or someONE!) is living in your head now. A spirit from the graveyard is in your head, with its own motivations, ideas and desires. Above all else is vengeance, coupled with the mystery of who you really are...

 

 

Sometimes the mind acts on its own. When it does, it has a power you've never felt, coursing from some unseen source. Unfortunately, sometimes it wants control...and it knows how to get it.

 

 

Occasionally, I'll ask for an opposed Spirit test. You want to win these. Otherwise, you may find yourself in some dire straits!

 

 

Good luck!

In Which The Warlock Finds a New Way to Challenge a Player...

Now that our holiday festivities are over, we've finally gotten back in the swing of things with our weekly games out here.  "The Flood" has really started to heat up, as our posse have managed to track down a displaced group of Hopi and Apache Indians, calling themselves the "Necessity Alliance".  Believing that these natives could hold the key to stopping Reverend Grimme's reign of terror, the posse agreed to help find the shaman Sees-Far-Ahead, tracking him--in a rather grisly way:  the severed finger of the shamaness Born-in-a-Bowl--to the Jehosephat Valley overlooking the City of Lost Angels.

An image of Jehosephat Valley...in Jerusalem.
Still, not a nice place to be!

Jehosephat Valley, in the public's eye, is the "potters' field" for Lost Angels--those not of the faithful are buried here in tasteful, if austere, accomodations.

In reality, Jehosephat Valley is deadland.  As in:  Terror Level 6, "Bad Things Live Here" deadland.  In reality, it's where the bones from all of the victims of Grimme's Sunday-afternoon 'feasts' get discarded. 

After sneaking into the cemetary, the posse ran afoul of the Jehosephat minister...who swiftly recognized two of the group as wanted fugitives from Lost Angels, and leapt into action.  Fleeing the guards, deeper and deeper into the cemetary, as the sun refused to rise...the group saw it:  the living, charnel bone-piles discarded by Grimme's feasts.

Now, this is where FridayNightWill got himself into trouble.  You see, Born-in-a-Bowl's finger, still twitching and writhing, had freed itself from its box and began bounding along the path, deep into the charnel wastes....leading Will right into the path of some vicious bone fiends.

Separated from the group--the rest were fending off a legion of Guardian Angels--Will fell beneath the blows of the bone fiends, falling unconsious...

...and that's when it came to me.  You see, the bone fiends aren't the only denizens of the Jehosephat Valley graveyard.  Rather, there are quite a few errant spirits roaming the boneyard, and despite the fact that the PlatinumChick's shamaness managed to get Will back on his feet, there are going to be consequences for this one...but that will have to wait for our next session!

In Which The Warlock Totally Called It...

A few posts ago, you may recall The Journeyman GM and I making some predictions as per the potential of an upcoming edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

Well, lo and behold:  it looks like we were right.  In the latest "Legends and Lore" column, Mike Mearls officially outed the current development of a new edition of D&D.

As you can imagine, I'm not particularly surprised.  When Monte Cook came back on board and the 4e release schedule slowed to a crawl--much as it had at the end of 3.5e's run--it was fairly easy to tell that something was amiss over in Seattle.  When word started creeping in by other industry insiders, such as Margaret Weis, it's hard to deny that something isn't going on.

Honestly, I'm sort of looking forward to a new edition.  While I love many things about 4e--the rise of the non-caster character, archetypes such as the warlord getting their due, and the entire ritual system--I almost can't bring myself to play the game anymore.  The reliance on minis-based combat, the similar-feeling powers, and the labyrinthine character sheets (particularly in Paragon tier and beyond) just got to be too much.  When a character sheet hits 8 pages, there's simply too much to go through!

My biggest worry, however, is summed up best here:  in an article for the New York Times by Ethan Gilsdorf.

When 4e came out, the gamer market fractioned.  For over a year, Paizo's Pathfinder has either matched or outsold D&D, as disgruntled fans sought their fix elsewhere.  I've been a devoted D&D player since 7th grade, and I haven't touched the game since this past Origins.  Before that?  Almost six months prior.  Other games--which tend to have a longer shelf life, simpler rules, and faster play around the table--have attracted my attention.  I don't see that changing, to be honest.

It's been stated over and over in the few days since the new edition's announcement that the hope is for a "reunification" of the fractured gamer community.  I can only hope that this is going to be the case...

In Which The Warlock Ends an Age...

As I've mentioned a few times over the past few entries, I finally managed to play through Dragon Age: Origins--the BioWare-developed fantasy opus, billed as a spiritual successor to my beloved Baldur's Gate series, which I still have installed on my laptop.

I've been hesitant to write a review for DA: O, though, because my feelings towards the game have been more than a little conflicted.  While there's been a lot to love in the game, I can't help but feel that certain changes could have really put this game up over the top.

Building my Dwarf Warrior

One of the best things about DA: O comes from its titular origins--depending on your choice of race (Elf, Human, or Dwarf) and class (Warrior, Mage, or Rogue), your character's quest against the Darkspawn began with an opening interlude, centering on your character's family.  Deciding to play the "dwarfiest dwarf ever", I settled on the Dwarven Noble opening, in which I was the second son of King Endrin Aeducan, and was swiftly embroiled in the byzantine turmoil of dwarven ascension politics.  Finding myself on the receiving end of a brutal backstabbing, I was exiled to the labyrinthine Deep Roads and fought my way to an encampment of Gray Wardens, whom I ended up joining.

Playing as a Warrior, I swiftly gravitated towards two-handed weapon talents...and promptly cleaved my way through the game.  Even without a shield, my main character was a juggernaut of destruction, simply hacking through most enemies.  The "darkspawn"--a not-quite-orc, not-quite-undead horde that swept across the continent of Ferelden--simply posed little challenge. Even my basic "auto-attacks" dealt upwards of 100 damage per swing, felling enemies with a single slash.  Often, combat simply meant switching between targets as I faced one, then another, then another...occasionally whipping out a multi-target slash when surrounded, or a high damage ability when facing a major foe.

Even "red" enemies, with increased hit points and special abilities, were little more than meat sacks ready for me to hack through.  While the game itself was artfully developed, the enemies grew...well, boring.  Some true weirdness in a dwarven tomb was a welcome change, fighting against the hideous "Broodmother", but monsters like that proved to be the exception, rather than the rule.  Similarly, the trip through a corrupted mage tower was suitably icky, but that section was marred by a lengthy (and mandatory) puzzle section, which frustrated me much more than it entertained.

Morrigan and Leliana:
Two of my lovely companions in DA: O

The strength of a BioWare game, however, comes from its character writing.  And, truly, the developers did not disappoint on this front.  In amongst my numerous NPC options, I gravitated towards the sarcastic (though somewhat naive) warrior Alistair, the cynical mage Morrigan, and a "recovering" bard/assassin named Leliana, with whom I began a fledgling romance.  I found myself constantly talking with my NPCs, hoping for new dialogue options or a new sub-plot.  Since playing on the "Ultimate" edition, my game came pre-loaded with an additional option to play with--the golem Shale, whose barbed commentary was utterly hilarious.  While I would have liked to see a few more NPC-specific side-quests, the sheer depth that DA: O has in terms of followers make it worth listening to every cut-scene and dialogue.

Honestly, would you trust someone
who looked like this? 

Unfortunately the plot itself didn't quite hold up to the high standard set by character development.  A bog-standard fantasy plot, you find yourself betrayed at the outset of the game by a moustache-twirlingly evil advisor to the king, as he bids for control of the throne.  Surviving a vicious darkspawn attack, you find yourself assembling a cadre of allies--mages, elves, dwarves, and humans--to help dethrone the usurper and stave off the darkspawn invasion.  Naturally, each of these factions has their own problems, which it's up to you to solve, if you want their aid in the coming coup and war.  While this plot is structurally sound and full of great NPCs--including the elven warden Zathrian, who made me want to cleave my PS3 with a broadsword out of sheer rage--it's nothing particularly new or innovative. 

The brooding Jon Irenicus,
voiced beautifully by David Warner.

I think it's the lack of a solid villain that keeps DA: O from really achieving greatness.  In Baldur's Gate II, we were treated to the simultaneously sympathetic and aggravating Jon Irenicus, whose dialogue absolutely stole the show in every cut scene he was present in.  Irenicus was voiced by the spectacular David Warner, who may be best known for voicing Ra's Al-Ghul in Batman: The Animated Series, lending Irenicus a cultured menace perfect for villainy.  Dragon Age: Origins simply doesn't have a villain of that calibre.  While Teyrn Logain--the aforementioned usurper--is meant to fulfill the villainous role, he simply doesn't have enough screen time to develop properly.  It's hinted that Loghain feared a foreign invasion and lost faith in the current king, leading him to try for the throne, but Loghain simply lacks the development to feel fleshed-out.

Despite my nitpicks, I really enjoyed my time through Dragon Age: Origins.  Immediately after completing the main campaign, I found myself playing through "Witch Hunt"--a downloadable "epilogue" based around the fate of Morrigan, my sardonic mage companion.  I'm already planning to make it through the expansion pack "Awakening" over an upcoming holiday weekend, as well as picking up Dragon Age II.  While reviews of DAII are mixed, its smaller-scale plot and more dynamic gameplay may be more up my alley.  We shall see, I suppose!

In Which The Warlock Ushers in a New Year...

Ahoy, fellow gamers!  Sorry on the delay, but I was doing my best to enjoy my holiday and recover to the best of my ability.  Both the PlatinumChick and I have been fighting through upper respiratory infections since around the 20th, which we're only now starting to get over.  However, we did manage to have a geek-tastic holiday, which is what matters!

Always the enthusiastic Savage Worlds player, the PlatinumChick got me a copy of the SW "Action and Adventure" decks for Christmas.  I'd been eyeing these up for a while, ever since The JourneymanGM started using the cards in his "Heart of Darkness" trilogy.  They'll definitely make for a great addition as my players finish out "The Flood".

I also managed to finally fight my way through the remainder of BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins, in anticipation to start the sequel.  While I'd love to spill the beans on my opinions here, I'm going to hold off until this weekend, to better accumulate my thoughts.

However, I do have something special for you!  Following last year's culinary experimentation, I felt that I needed to one-up myself at this year's New Year's Eve party.  As such, I decided to go whole hog...or rather, whole bird, so to speak:  a bacon-wrapped Turducken roll!  I'd originally intended to wrap a full turducken, but with only 15 or so party-goers this year (compared to the nearly 30 last year), it was simply more prudent to use the roll.

So, take a look, and make sure not to drool on your keyboard! 

The fully wrapped roll, pre-cooking...

That same roll, fresh out of the roaster!

A victorious PlatinumWarlock!

The many delicious layers...laid bare for all to see...

In Which The Warlock Wishes Well!

Happy holidays, fellow gamers!

Just stopping into remind you that I'll be taking the next week or so off, enjoying my holiday break (and hopefully recovering from this respiratory infection while I'm at it!). 

But, before I go, some exciting news:  I've been pegged to work on a second book in The Laundry series for Cubicle 7!  I'll have more information on this one for you, as I'm allowed to divulge more details.

Cheers!

In Which The Warlock Drools All Over the Keyboard...

This past Saturday was one of the more relaxing we've had in a while, as the holiday season has been rolling on.  The PlatinumChick and I, along with ChaoticFrederick and GeoMike, headed off to Columbus to see the WildLights exhibit at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.  Also joining us was the PlatinumChick's good friend WoWSonya, who we don't see nearly often enough.

That made for a great afternoon, but the bigger treat came for me that night.  You see, friends and neighbors, WoWSonya's husband Sean had recently received a beta key for Diablo III!  Oh, man!  The envy, it must have been streaming off of me when I first heard the news.

Luckily for me, Sean is of the generous sort, and once we returned from dinner, he logged me onto his Battle.net account and let me have at it!  I'm pretty sure that you could see my grin from orbit, as I slid into his computer chair and started my quest. So, as you might expect, here are my observations on a single playthrough of the Diablo III beta!

 I wanted to be able to jump into the action as soon as possible, without having to worry about fragility or spells, so I knew the Barbarian would be a great fit.  I typically played a Paladin in Diablo II, and tend to favor melee classes in most computer games, and I wasn't about to change here.

First up, the gameplay feels like I'm sliding back onto a comfortable couch.  The feel of the game immediately brings back memories of Diablo II, with primary skills attached to left and right mouse buttons, and other skills linked to hotkeys.  But, while the gameplay felt familiar, it simultaneously felt more...advanced?  That's not the right word, but it's close.  It was incredibly easy for me to pick up, though I did move around my hotkeys, setting my non-mouse skills and potions onto the home keys, for easy motion.

The mighty Barbarians of Mount Arreat

In Diablo II, characters typically advanced one or two skills--my Paladins typically favored an offensive aura like Holy Shock or Holy Freeze, coupled with Zeal--a low mana cost skill that delivered up to five incredibly fast melee hits with a slight damage buff on each.  In DIII, however, you have an entire range of skills at your disposal, which you can swap any time you return to town.  While I enjoyed trying out all of the offensive skills--I didn't care much about buffs or defensive skills--I quickly found a combination that worked well for me:  Cleave (a multi-hit swing that generated the Barbarian's resource:  Fury), Hammer of the Ancients (a close-range, massive-damage Fury-spender), and Weapon Throw (a long-range toss of a barbed axe, dealing tons of damage and "snaring" the target).  I did, however, trade out Hammer of the Ancients for Ground Stomp, which dealt sizable damage and stunned all enemies near my barbarous avatar.

Since none of these skills were reliant on skill points or the like, they always worked at their full capacity.  Really, there's very little number-crunching necessary in Diablo III.  Even the four primary stats are simply representatives of how much damage, critical chance, health and the like your character has.  While some have decried this as a lack of customization, it really serves to get you back into the action faster--there's no need to stop the zombie-smashing!  And, really--by the time I finished the beta, I was level 10 and had about 12 skills to choose from, which made for plenty of choices already.  And with the rune system still on deck?  Yeah, choice won't be a commodity here.

Hammer of the Ancients smashes a Cultist
in the Diablo III Beta!

One thing that struck me, however, is how beautiful this game looks.  Details are everywhere, and nearly everything can be targetted and destroyed.  I was in awe of the blood spatter as I smashed a zombie into the ground with Hammer of the Ancients, then followed up with a Cleave that sent the zombie flying back, with its head neatly severed and spinning on the ground.  After acquiring the services of the blacksmith, Haedrig, I picked up an enchanted two handed sword.  At first glance, the detail was quality, with a sharp-looking wavy blade and a squared-off hilt, but when I zoomed in, I found that not only did the hilt have a uniquely-designed pommel, but also an etching of an eye on the lower portion of the blade!  Gorgeous!

The visceral nature of combat, though, may be the best part.  Watching zombies ragdall as I Cleaved through them, hacking my way through barrels and watching the rings scatter across the floor, stomping the ground and seeing baddies stagger backwards...this is the visceral, full-bodied feel of a game that's never going to be tiresome. 

Whenever it manages to come out, Diablo III is going to be a massive blast.  Can't wait!

In Which The Warlock Mulls Choice and Consequence...

With the holiday season in full swing and preparations already being made for the impending ChrismaHannuKwanzaRamadanaFest, retailers have been eager to get the newest releases of video games on the shelves, ready for all of us eager consumers to gobble up in amongst our holiday feasting. 

Probably the most notable release this season has been The Elder Scrolls V:  Skyrim, a pseudo-Nordic role-playing game that's gotten rave reviews and has already won "Game of the Year" from Spike TV's Video Game Awards.  Its fans--including a certain TripleCritting DigitalKat--are rabid and voracious, and the game has already spawned its own series of memes, particularly regarding a number of guards having taken arrows to the knee.  Further, Skyrim is produced by Bethesda, who has put out quality work in the past and is revered amongst computer and video game developers.

And yet...I find I just can't get interested in this game.  And, finally, I figured out why.

In my (massively limited) spare time, I've been fighting my way through BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins.  My parents bought me the Ultimate Edition--which contains all of the major downloadable content--last year, and I'm still only about halfway through the game.  While the plot is fairly simplistic, revolving around the acquisition of allies against a usurper-king, Dragon Age's storytelling is strong, and the choices that you make have a lasting effect on the game itself. 

Is it worth killing him, to get rid of the demon in his body?

For example, I just completed a quest in which a duke's son became possessed by a demon.  Unable to exorcise the demon myself, I was forced to choose whether to:  a) kill the child, and the demon along with it, b) exorcise the demon, using the blood of the child's mother as a focus (thereby killing the mother, but saving the son), or c) risk traveling to a nearby mage tower to recruit help.  I opted for the third option, cashing in a favor from the mages, but at the expense of their help in a later battle.   

Every choice I made during that series of interactions had drastic repercussions on the remainder of the plot.  Had I chosen to kill the child (or the mother, for that matter), the people of the town would have likely refused to aid me, which was the point of traveling there in the first place!  But, my dwarf wanted to do the "right" thing, trying to save both, even if it meant losing the chance for help later.

While Dragon Age nominally gives you freedom in choosing the order of quests or locations, the game is fundamentally linear.  You travel to one place, solve problems there, then move on to another place.  Occasionally, you'll revisit locations to complete sidequests or the like, but by and large, the story elements are neatly contained, and provide finite, completable goals with lasting consequences.

While my experience with Skyrim has been limited, such hasn't been the case.  The world around you may be graphically gorgeous, massive in scope, and as open as a 'sandbox' gets, there's simply no feeling of impact.  The choices and actions within the game are like so much screaming into the wind--there's no sense of repercussions.  You can massacre an entire town, rob every NPC blind, or fill your house with the heads of your fallen enemies...and no one seems to care.  At all.  There are simply no repercussions for your character's actions, which leads to...well, me not caring.  If my actions aren't going to have a real impact, then what's the point?

I'm finding the same issue between the original Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Arkham City.  While Arkham Asylum allowed you to revisit areas, the plot proved to be a masterpiece due to its linearity.  You always knew exactly what you needed to do next, because one objective led directly to the next.  While this might seem simplistic, the unity of theme and effect made for a game experience that was without peer.  However, in Arkham City, the plot becomes much less linear, as the designers sacrificed unity of effect for the sprawling, open-world feel of a full city.  While this makes for a much more freeform game, the game's tight focus is dropped for the sprawling feel, leading to a less unified experience.

This has been my issue, similarly, with so-called "sandbox" roleplaying experiences.  Lacking a centralized plot or storyline, I often find that the PCs have little to do aside from what are typically seen as "side missions".  The "submissives"--to use the terminology from my prior entry--find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being dominant, while the GM's role is reduced to rules-arbiter and world-builder, rather than author-director.

I'm not saying that Skyrim, Arkham City or that sandbox games are bad--they simply show a trend that I, personally, don't really care for:  the fact that many gamers are willing to sacrifice quality storytelling for a perceived freedom.

In Which The Warlock Postulates Verbage and Bondage...

In my recent games, it's become more and more apparent that games have begun to fall into a continuum of sorts, when talking about set pieces.

As most English teachers can tell you, verbs come in two sorts: active and passive. Active verbs imply some sort of action: run, jump, climb, eat, eviscerate, disembowel, etc. Passive verbs come from the declension of the infinitive "to be"--is, are, was, were...all of these are passive voice verbs.  Writers typically try to avoid passive voice verbs, by and large, but there are several times where passive voice may be more appropriate to a situation or character.   

As GMs, we all like to think our games run in the active voice, but rarely is that truly the case. Rather, we're often most content to be on the receiving end of our entertainment. The start of "The Flood" provides a great example of this phenomenon. It seems like a very active-voice introduction--steam wagon battles and ghost-rock bombs drive the plot forward at breakneck speed. But, in actuality, the PCs are merely witnesses, and not participants in the majority of the action. While the Great Rail Wars reach their culmination, the PCs get to watch their NPC counterparts hog the spotlight. This isn't meant to be a knock against the campaign--my players have loved it and I've really enjoyed running it for them--but for all the high stakes, the PCs are skating around under the radar rather than rolling with the movers and shakers.

Much has been made of so-called "sandbox" gaming, where the plot is entirely driven by PC actions and motivations. And, truly, in ideal terms, that would provide a more active gaming experience. However, this requires significant buy-in from all players at the table, with prep work spread across numerous people.

Anthony Bourdain clearly has
the Two-Weapon Fighting edge...

My favorite foodie, Anthony Bourdain, describes the act of eating as a fundamentally submissive, passive experience. Done correctly, Bourdain claims, a diner should feel comfortable enough to hand their minds and palates over to the chef and simply savor. The chef, in essence, dominates the show, determining each flavor, each texture, and each experience as they intend it to be.

Perhaps in this vein, good game mastery, like the act of cookery, should fundamentally be a dominant, active act? But then, what of the active player, eager to break off in new directions? They're in a different position than the eater, whose role has intrinsically less input. Should a gamer be penalized for positive actions that add to a game? Of course not!

Fun...and good for theorizing on
proper Game-Mastery?

As strange as it is to say, the best analogy I can provide would actually come from BDSM, of all places. If a game master is a dominant, then the ideal player would be a submissive that struggles and resists, providing input and suggestions that provide intrigue and nuance to the established norms of the game. And, as one might imagine, the best Dungeon Master (in both senses of the term) is the one that knows when to back off, and let the players play.

As with all things, balance and variety serve as the keystone. While a player might be dominant in one game, they may come off as submissive or passive in another. Similarly, a quality GM should be able to alternate control of the game, passing dominance back and forth amongst players, all the while loosely holding the reins of the ongoing story.

In Which The Warlock Compares Editions...

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I'd been prepping my Friday night Deadlands group for a what I've been terming an "interlude".

You see, we finally reached the halfway point of our exploits in "The Flood", with the posse gaining several significant allies and having gained a massive enemy in General Kwan, to say nothing of their ongoing struggle against the Church of Lost Angels.  Taking some rest and relaxation in Shan Fan, the posse got to kick up their heels, while I prepped my players for a fast foward.

I'd been itching to break out Hell on Earth for quite a while, but I'd never managed to play the original game that led to Savage Worlds.  That, naturally, has changed.

"All the way to Reno..."

I spent the last two weeks--in amongst some ongoing illness--writing up six experienced pre-gens in the Hell on Earth rules, as well as something of an "alternate timeline" scenario, in which the players' actual Deadlands posse had failed, and Reverend Grimme was free to spread his cult all the way into the 21st Century.  With a horde of Grimme's Faminites heading towards Reno, it was up to our far-future posse to lead the defense of the Biggest Little City in the Wasted West.

Our new posse included:

• Edward Castellan--a New Templar from Boise, wielding a massive sword and a sub-machine gun.
• "The Main Man" Marlow--a self-styled road warrior out of Junkyard, complete with chainsaw!
• Leslie K. Marvin--a Junker from Junkyard, and the creator of several robotic combat drones.
• Garret Walker--a Librarian from Sacramento, with his pet bobcat, Felix.
• "Doc Neutron"--a heretic Doomsayer from Carson City, capable of blasting foes with raw radiation.
• Carrie Ann Waltrip--a Harrowed bounty hunter, who's traveled all over the Wasted West...

While the group loved the change in feel--moving from the steampunk craziness of Deadlands to the desperate post-apocalypse of Hell on Earth--it's the change in rules that really stood out the most.  Playing Savage Worlds before this rules-set made the flaws in it stand out particularly highly.

A result of the hit locations
in Hell on Earth...

Particularly, the multiple damage systems were particularly difficult to remember.  While I don't have issues increasing the wound modifiers up to -5, I kept forgetting to deal Wind damage on normal attacks.  Also, I had to keep reminding my players to roll a d20 for hit location for every damaging attack, which added an additional roll and slowed down combat significantly.  FridayNightWill had a great moment while fighting against some undead Faminites:  playing as "The Main Man", he chainsawed off a Faminites legs and right arm, before finally managing to get a head shot.  It looked like infamous "Black Knight" scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as the undead thing would Not.  Give.  Up.

Also, the sheer number of stats seemed to be really excessive.  Hell on Earth has a separate stat for "Scrounging" and "Survival", which seemed to be a pretty large disconnect for some of my players.  But, on top of those, there's also a "Search" stat.  What does one do when you're looking for a spare part?  Is it "Scrounging" or is it "Search"?  The streamlining done in Savage Worlds--looking for that spare part would be a straight up "Notice" check--seems much needed.

While our foray into the original rules for Hell on Earth is going to be short-lived, it's been an interesting (and fun!) experience.  I purchased Hell on Earth primarily for the plot points and the setting info, and that hasn't disappointed me in the slightest.  When the "Reloaded" version comes out, though, I'll be the first in line to switch over.

In Which The Warlock Ruminates Revision...

One of the things that any writer learns swiftly is that first drafts are usually a pile of crap. Put out quickly, in a fit of creative frenzy, first drafts almost always have massive flaws which only get fixed during the arduous, painful process of revision.

While working on WEGS products with El Willy, revision is the sum totality of my job. Not just for grammatical errors, mind you, but rather for content and context, to say nothing of the actual game mechanics themselves! I have something of a running joke with El Willy regarding the Dungeoneer from the "Ultimate Dungeon Party" due to the many versions of Hew and Jab we ran through.

When working with the other freelancers on "The Mythos Dossiers" for Cubicle 7, however, revision was a group effort. After completing a draft, we'd upload the document to a series of Google docs, which were then available for mark-up and changes as needed. Ideas and commentary ran freely, and I still have a whole series of e-mails, detailing commentary on ideas between writers.

And now, two sessions out from the end of my alpha testing for Cold Steel Wardens, I'm finding myself wondering how to go about revising this mess.  While I have quite a few notes of my own, I'm finding the lack of conversation a little frustrating.  While my players have been good about providing feedback, and I seem to be asking important questions, my time with them is limited and the "Q&A" portion of our sessions often comes at 10:30 at night, as we're heading out the door.   That doesn't exactly make for great discussion, particularly if I've been up (as usual) since 6:30 for teaching.

I've thought about contacting a freelance editor--I have a few names that I'd go to, primarily contacts I've made through running games or talking with industry people--though I can't say that I have the cash to pay someone in that position.  So, I'm figuring that my revisions will be a solo effort...

...which is fine.  Really.  Most of the drafting for CSW was done in July, meaning I'll be coming back at it with a fresh head, ready to tear it apart.  In fact, that's just what's happening with my other ongoing writing project:  The Pendulum Method.  Yup!  Pendulum!  Remember that one?  Yeah, I've been taking a look at that once again, with my eyes on expansion. 

And, at the top of the list for that?  A defense of "adverserial game-mastery"...

In Which The Warlock Returns from the Void...

Apologies for the extended absence, amices.  Both the PlatinumChick and I got sick last week and are just now starting to get over it!  Between the hacking and coughing out here, we haven't had a chance much to game, though I've been working on my Hell on Earth one-off during the downtime at work.

Old school gaming meets
the technological age!

What's new, though, is my technological edge!  Through some means that I'm not privy to discussing (don't worry, they're legal means!), I found myself in possession of a brand-spankin'-new iPad 2! 

While I'm obligated to use this iPad at work as part of a new initiative, the iPad is unequivocably mine and can be used for pretty much anything I see fit....including gaming!  Obviously, my massive amount of PDFs will go into GoodReads and iBooks, but beyond that, I'm a little stumped.

I'm already familiar with a few 4e D&D and Pathfinder apps that exist, but I'm already on the lookout for more.  While TheJourneymanGM's secret senior thesis isn't quite done yet--though I'll be sure to download it when it is!--I need some more!

So tell me, gamer nation--what should I have on my new device?  What's proved useful, and how?

In Which The Warlock Lets Slip the Crows of War!

It occured to me on Friday, as I was driving home, that earlier that evening was the first time I had run some WEGS in almost 6 months!  The last time I'd lain out the battlemat to preach the Cold Roll Gospel was at Origins this past June--needless to say, it's been a while!

So, when the opportunity came up a few weeks ago to spend an evening throwing down the 2d10 and dd6, I took advantage of the opportunity.  And, boy am I glad I did...it may well have been one of the best WEGS games I've ever thrown down. 

I honestly wasn't expecting much on Friday--the attendance was a little sparse at first, as I sat outside our room with my minis case and my Copper Pot, but soon we picked up 5 players and got the game underway.  I was running a WEGS classic--the Thanksgiving-themed "Hobgobble's Eve"--which I'd run numerous times before. 

I decided, though, that in addition to the normal Arks--Warrior, Ranger, Trickster, Mage, and Sage--we'd also be pulling out the "Ultimate Dungeon Party".  Pleased with this decision, they spared no time in pulling out the Monk, the Sneak, and the Dungeoneer.  But that wasn't enough...no, no, no.  Rather, MissAmber decided to pull out one of my playtest items--El Willy's beta Nekromagicker!  Not willing to disappoint, we rolled on out!

As we wrapped up Arkreation, one of my players asked me, "How much Copper do we get?!"  I smiled and replied, "None..." then proceeded to explain that the Arks tonight were convicts, all inmates of the Prison City of Ikksplat, who have escaped from the city walls into the surrounding Trollspittle Swamp.  Fleeing from the Ikksplatian Guards and their relentless War Dogs, the Arks quickly found themselves hip-deep in swamp-water and in the prescence of some wild Turdragons.

Pluto, Goddess of Undeath,
ready to cast and blast!

It's at this point that I have to extol the powers of MissAmber's Nekromagicker, Pluto.  Wielding some "Boneshaker" and "Boneblast", it seemed like every other round she was ripping out some poor Hobgob's skeleton or crushing his bones into powder!  I don't think she failed a single "Sense: Undeath" roll in the entire game, and was able to pump off spell after spell, decimating my minions. 

In the second encounter, she singlehandedly took on Granny Umm-Lumm, taking her out in two rounds, then going after Granny's beloved Fifi!  The other characters did fairly well--aside from our lone Ranger, who couldn't seem to deal any damage whatsoever, and was constantly in threat of getting cornered.  Pluto got even more deadly following a lucky draw from the Trove deck, picking up a Dragonscale Vest with two Resist skills, which really bailed her out in facing Grampy Umm-Lumm!

Oh, yes...the final encounter.  Grampy Umm-Lumm's den was full of Hobgobs, including two cowardly 4/44 Rangers who had escaped down the stairs rather than face the wrath of Pluto and her minions!  But the big story, of course, was Grampy himself, riding his massive War Turdragon and wielding his fiery spear, with his paired War Crows flapping in the midst of the melee.

The War Crows were the real story here.  While they're basic 6/66 Tricksters, they have one thing going for them:  the Eye-Peck.  Instead of attacking as normal, the War Crows can attempt to gouge out an Ark's eye.  They need a phenomenal roll to do so--only an 01% to 06% will do!-- but it's a devastating attack, which inflicts a Double Lost Action Phase and reduces an Ark's Ruggedness, Stealth, and Prowess ranks by 15...each!

In the midst of a chaotic melee, my dice decided to finally show up.  Against our Dungeoneer, I rolled an 03, with only a fractional chance for him to avoid the War Crow's talons.  With a 5 on the Damage Die, he was brought to nearly 0 Wounds with one shot, clutching his ruined eye socket!  And, not two rounds later, I managed an 01 against our Monk!  Again, a ruined eye! 

But, as per the usual when I run WEGS, my minions fell.  After pulling himself out of the Double Lost Action Phase, our Dungeoneer flew into a berserk rage, Hewing down both War Crows with a Wicked Success!  However, it was Pluto who stole the show.  After taking down the War Turdragon, she turned her attention to Grampy.  But after Grampy fell, MissAmber came up with a glorious idea--use System Shocker to raise the War Turdragon!

The fruits of Pluto's labor!

I warned her, of course, that this would have a pretty sizable Spoint cost, and would take a pretty fantastic roll to pull off.  But, she simply gestured to her sizable stack and picked up her dice.  Wouldn't you know it...Wicked Success!  With Grampy and his War Crows down, and Grampy's pet now a massive draconic skeleton under Pluto's control, the remaining Hobgobs simply surrendered, awaiting their fate. 

What's best in gaming?  Seeing your players come up from the table with all smiles, swapping stories of fantastic die rolls, heroic action, and potential characters for next time.  That's the way it should be.

In Which The Warlock Plans Something Nefarious...

Welcome to the Wasted West, amigo!

When I originally pitched the idea of playing Deadlands to my group, they were really jazzed.  Little did I know that they were more jazzed about the post-apocalyptic sister setting, Hell on Earth, after I had left the corebooks out following our yearly trip to Origins.  The idea of playing a gunslinging Law Dog, a radiation-blasting Doomsayer, or a crafty Junker really had FridayNightWill and Chris I primed for some dice-chuckin'. 

We started The Flood and, while they were a little disappointed that the archetypes from Hell on Earth weren't available, they've really been enjoying their excursions in the Weird West.  However, I can't help but feel like they might have missed out on something...and that's something that I hope to remedy!

You see, friends and neighbors, I have a plan.

The Friday night group's just reached the halfway point of the Plot Point campaign in The Flood.  They're about to have a huge info-dump of plot loaded on them, and the real quest to take down Reverend Grimme and the Church of Lost Angels will begin in earnest.  As such, this makes the perfect spot for a dramatic interlude!

But, I don't want this to be any simple 'cut-scene'.  No sirree!  Rather, I have something bigger planned...

Stone's ready to turn Reno
into a real "Boomtown"!

Taking a page from my Pendulum theory, we're going to "flash-forward" for a few sessions, to the Wasted West--nearly 200 years after the events of The Flood.  Under the assumption that everybody's favorite gunslinger--the infamous Jasper Stone--managed to kill our heroes before they took out Grimme, the good Reverend's cult will have spread across the post-apocalyptic wasteland.  For this one-off, my players will be taking the roles of a veteran group of wasters, fleeing from Grimme's Faminite hordes to the ruins of Reno, Nevada.

While I'm still formulating the plot, the characters are slowly coming together and my outline will surely follow, I have a good feeling about this little foray into the Wasted West.  The characters already have a "Seven Samurai" feel, and the defense of Reno will really make for a fantastic set-piece. 

As always, I'll be sure to keep you updated on how things are going! 

In Which The Warlock Contemplates Gamer Type...

I've spent quite a bit of time in the past discussing the various "player-types", as put down by the inestimable Robin Laws.  However, it seems that there's another kid on the block:  BrainHex.  BrainHex is a survey put forward by International Hobo, who's have been putting forward successful books on narrative in video games for several years now. 

BrainHex:
Where video games meet science!

I found it interesting that their seven primary categories of gamer--Seeker, Survivor, Daredevil, Mastermind, Conqueror, Socialiser, and Achiever--are each linked to a separate element of the neural system, implying stimulation of a different area. 

I can't say I was too surprised at my results:  I ended up as a Conquerer (with a rating of 17), with Achiever and Mastermind following close behind (each at 14).  When I play video games, I tend to focus much less on story or character interactions and more on strategy, as well as advancing the plot.  All in all, pretty different from Laws' types!

What's more, the tendencies of the other gamers following my same mental type have tended to enjoy the same types of games as I--action/rpgs, full-on role-playing games (including my beloved Chrono Trigger), and real-time strategy games.  Uncanny!
Take a few minutes to support these guys in their research--you'll enjoy it, I'm sure!

In Which The Warlock Contemplates the Worst...

As I've mentioned in my effusive praise for Play Dirty, I take great pride in being a "Wickian" GM.    My players appreciate a bit of sadism on my part, as I do my best to continually challenge their intellects, their characters' morality, and their own ability to cope with trying circumstances.  And, I've got to say, there's a ton of enjoyment in making my players rack their brains on a situation that really pushes their comfort zone as players.

Mary Ellen, perhaps?
This cosplayer did a fantastic job!

A few weeks ago, my Friday night Deadlands group was on the receiving end of such a 'rude awakening', as they've found themselves in the crossfire between rival Chinese-immigrant gangs in The Flood.  Taking up the the mantle of Big Ears Tam's champion in an underground martial arts tournament, ChaoticFred's "scrapper" mowed her way through the competition--literally!  As in, with a bionic buzz-saw arm!  But, as Mary Ellen Hardigan ripped her way through her final opponent, her traveling companions were aghast--that kung-fu fighter was the very leader of the 37th Chamber, with whom the posse wrangled a peace treaty several sessions earlier!

While the posse's new doctor companion was able to save the martial artist's life, he neglected to realize exactly what Big Ears Tam would do to someone who attempted to take out his prize-fighter...and that's even worse!  Needless to say, things didn't exactly end well for that fighter!

A great resource for more
"Dread Possibilities!

What really gets my attention, though, is when gamebooks facilitate this sort of GMing, providing possibilities to really challenge players, pushing even the most experienced, jaded gamer into action.  In 3.5e D&D's heyday, the Ravenloft books (by White Wolf-subsidiary Sword and Sorcery Publishing) did a spectaculary job of this.  In their setting material, the authors included several sidebars noted as the "Dread Possibility," each of which detailed the worst possible result for whatever plot element was being discussed. 

The "Dread Possibilities" ranged from noted monster hunters going mad from lycanthropy, to patrons being allied with shadowy cults, to a noted wizard falling in love with a noted (and thoroughly evil) noblewoman.  In all cases, though, these ideas push players to their utmost and, used in moderation, make for stories that no player will ever forget.

So, long story short, I 'appropriated' the idea.  As I've begun making my way through the final stretch of Cold Steel Wardens, the majority of my time has been focused on my setting--an amalgam of Iron Age cities that I'm tentatively calling Greensburg.  And, sure enough, I've included my own sidebars:  "The Lights Go Out..."

Here's a sample section, from my information on Greensburg University Medical System, the area's premier medical provider...

The Lights Go Out…--Greensburg University Medical

So, the rumors are true.  An underground union has emerged at Greensburg University Medical, and a massive walkout is in the works.  The union is being led by an angry young janitor named Mark Holp, who has worked at Miatanka Hospital for 6 years.  If the walkout and strike go as planned, GUM will be crippled, as nearly 1/3 to ½ of their workforce simply leaves.

What no one knows—not even Mark Holp himself—is that the would-be union leader is a metahuman, with a latent genetic anomaly allowing him to control light.  Holp has been present at several “unexplained incidents” that were a product of his untrained, uncontrolled mutant ability.  Triggered by intense emotions, these incidents have grown in frequency over the past few months, as Holp’s frustrations with GUM have reached a boiling point.

As such, the Heroes could face not one but two meltdowns—the utter disassembly of Greensburg’s premier health network, but also the emergence of a powerful metahuman with a grudge to pick against his employers.  And, the longer it takes to get the fledgling union to the table with the GUM executives, the more lives are lost as Holp attempts to gain control of his out of control powers.