30 Days of GameMastering--Day 29!

Just two more entries to go in Lindevi's "30 Days of GameMastering" challenge!  Let's dive right in!

Teaching the game:  how do you sell players on the system while running a demo or convention game?

While I don't run games online, I do run them at conventions, as you followers of this blog well know.   Even before starting Cold Steel Wardens, I demoed WEGS and Pittsburgh 68, to say nothing of my numerous convention games at Origins and the many local conventions here in the Miami Valley.

Everyone has a different schtick!
Keep your PCs unique!

Firstly, I make sure to play up the major themes and archetypes in any game that I'm running.  This helps provide your players a jumping-off point, as well as helps them to understand the setting better.  For CSW, my pre-generated characters all echo already-existing comics characters and I describe them as such.  Dusk, for instance, is an unabashed pastiche of Nightwing, while Veritas is a slightly less psychotic Rorschach.   In my Deadlands one-shots, I included very archetypal Old West characters:  a big-game hunter, a riverboat gambler, a 'lady of the night', and an Indian ambassador.

However, this emphasis shouldn't just extend to your pre-generated PCs.  Rather, you should ensure that your adventure itself emphasizes the core themes of the setting.  One of my most successful convention games--the Deadlands one-shot included over in my free gaming materials:  "Westbound on the San Juan Express"--played this angle up with emphasis.  "Westbound..." emphasized the alternate history angle of the setting, as the PCs were hired to escort Samuel Clemens to Denver to deliver a speech, but also touched on the occult/horror theme, as the game also featured a mysterious Harrowed and a batch of walkin' dead, hidden away in the cargo cars.

I also try to ensure that PCs all have interesting, unique things to do and don't step on one another's toes.  In my "Reno Six-Pack" of Hell on Earth adventurers, I do include three 'spellcasters', but all three use different powers:  the Templar focuses on healing and self-buff powers, the Doomsayer blasts things with radioactive energy, and the Junker has Tesla-based gadgetry.  Even though the mechanics of their spellcasting is nominally the same, their form and function differ greatly, providing niche protection and covering unique bases.  Further, the non-caster characters cover numerous unique skills.  The Road Warrior, obviously, is the best at driving and piloting checks, but is also a terror in melee, wielding a mini-chainsaw.  The Harrowed gunslinger makes for an expert marksman, but is also a capable tracker and scout.

Taking the pain out of the system's learning curve also helps aid play.  After players pick characters in a CSW one-shot, I walk them through the character sheet, using one of the non-chosen characters.  In doing so, I also demonstrate what certain rolls look like, particularly showing how certain modifiers (for CSW, mainly Skill Specialties) fit into a given roll.  This tends to speed things up, though I often start each one-shot with an 'easy' encounter, where the players can get their feet wet in an environment that isn't going to harm them drastically.

Lastly?  Remember it's just a game.  For a one-shot--especially at a convention--it's a much better idea to fudge some rules for the sake of the game moving forward and players having fun.  Getting hung up in minutia, particularly with new players, isn't worth the hassle.  Make sure everyone's having a good time and that they leave the table satisfied.

30 Days of GameMastering--Day 23!

If you don't know the drill by now....Lindevi, "30 Days of GameMastering", challenge, go!

What effects do system mechanics have on story?

When I started gaming, I was a big supporter of the d20 System.  One system that could do potentially everything?  A unified, easy-to-understand mechanic that just so happened to line up directly with the world's most popular roleplaying game?  Sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, in practice, results were always sort of mediocre.  While certain ports of the d20 System--notably Call of Cthulhu d20--managed to maintain atmosphere and tone, many other interpretations of the system (even by big publishers) were bloated, flavorless, and just 'meh'.  d20 Apocalypse was like that for me:  while the post-apocalyptic feel in gaming has always been ripe for great ideas, but the quintessential d20 post-apoc sourcebook left me unimpressed.

Over time, I came to realize a hard lesson:  just because you can make something in a generic system doesn't mean that you should.  Thanks to The Journeyman GM, I love Savage Worlds and its various settings, though truth be told, I can't see myself ever running a true horror game in SW.  Savage Worlds was built to emulate a pulpy, adventuresome feel, with Bennies and streamlined damage that allow for quick recovery.  In a horror game?  You don't want either of those things.  And, while Deadlands certainly contains aspects of horror, it's hard to truly be "scared" when you're playing a hard-bitten gunslinger, a mad scientist, or Gambit from the X-Men.

The right tool for the right job.

Game design is a unique animal:  it's a strange marriage of mathematician and creative writer that calls upon every spare neuron in your brain.  However, it takes both to make a great game.  A game tied too heavily to its mechanics feels generic and like math homework.  A game tied too heavily to its theme feels ephemeral and tacked on.

Think of game mechanics in terms of a tool box.  If you were going to hang a picture, you'd use a hammer and a nail.  You might instead use a drill and screws.  However, you probably wouldn't decide to use a wrench and spackle, even though they might possibly be able to hold the picture up.  The same thing goes for game mechanics.

This guy just lost some SAN points...

The best games use their mechanics to support their theme.  Call of Cthulhu encourages diverse skill use by tying advancement to using skills throughout the game.  CoC emphasizes the descent into madness through its ubiquitous "sanity spiral" wherein failing Sanity tests not only can drive you crazy now, but also makes you more likely to fail further Sanity tests.  Cold Steel Wardens emphasizes brutal combat and psychologically damaged heroes, spending an entire chapter (in a nominally superheroic game) detailing Injuries and Psychoses.  Dresden Files uses Aspects and very broad skills to emulate the flexibility of its arcanely-powered characters.

In the end, you've got to use the best tool for the job.  And, while something like d20 or GURPS or d% might be able to do the job, why not choose a more specialized tool that makes your job easier?  In this brave new world of digital publishing, there are games to emulate nearly every genre imaginable:  don't be afraid to give something new a try!

30 Days of GameMastering--Day 19!

Okay, brief warning before this entry in Lindevi's "30 Days of GameMastering" challenge:  this one might be a touch triggery for those sensitive to certain issues.  Apologies in regards to my fully admitted poor judgement, though I believe this story is worth telling.

What was your worst session and why?

This is a story that I don't tell lightly, because despite my cynical nature, I try to focus on what's good and what's exciting in the gaming world.  While I've gone on my share of rants--mostly regarding the upcoming D&D Next and my issues with Monte Cook and Mike Mearls--I tend to only review things in a positive manner and do my best to provide constructive criticism at every level of a game's development.  But this session stands out as my absolute worst; I feel guilty about it to this very day.

Roxanne Butler:
our unfortunate Huckster.

When I was running my Dark Tower/Deadlands crossover, the PlatinumChick played as Roxanne Butler:  a card-slinging New Orleans Huckster, trying to find her missing father.  Roxanne had worked for years as a "lady of the night", using her Huckster abilities to delude her 'johns' into believing they'd had a sexual liason, while actually preserving her virginity.  Roxanne came coupled with numerous bonuses to persuasion and charisma, often serving as the party 'face'.

While in Alderman's Creek, a small town plagued by numerous problems, Roxanne went off on her own to investigate a Paul Ashby, a preacher with particularly loose morals, who might have some leads on the town's issues.  The intention, naturally, was to use her feminine wiles to convince the preacher into revealing something of note.  I had intended to play up Ashby as being overly aggressive, resulting in a more difficult interrogation.

What I had not anticipated, however, was that scenario devolving into an in-character, attempted rape.  Lost in game-space, the scenario quickly degenerated into an ugly scene of the Ashby pinning Roxanne down and attempting to penetrate her.  Luckily, Roxanne was able to escape as one of the posse's followers shot Ashby before he could complete the deed.

I fully admit--as a GM, I was in the wrong in narrating/GMing this scene.  The description of this scenario was overly graphic and traumatizing.  I really have no excuse for my actions in this regard; that night after the session, I actually made a full written apology to my players afterwards and offered to retcon the scenario, but the damage itself was already done.

Now, I have no issues with including sexual material in my game.  In one of the playtests of Cold Steel Wardens, my players actively pursued a lead to a BDSM dungeon, hoping to find some information on a recent visitor.  However, sexual content and sexual assault are two very different animals.  In this Deadlands game, I neglected my players' personal comfort in favor of letting the dice fall where they may, and there's simply no excuse for that.

I can't stress this enough:  you've got to know your players and know their limits.  I crossed my players' limits, inexcusably, though they were kind enough to forgive me and give me the benefit of the doubt going forward.

So, what can I say?  I've learned a harsh lesson from this experience, reminding me of something very valuable.  As a GM, your job is to provide entertainment and amusement for your players--not to play things out 'realistically', especially without giving thought to the consequences.  Be aware, be sensitive, and when in doubt:  err on the side of PG.

30 Days of GameMastering Challenge--Day 18!

Lindevi's beating me to the punch in her "30 Days of GameMastering" challenge.  Let's fix that!

How do you handle rewards, be they XP, magic items, or gold?

Full disclosure?  I hate bookkeeping.  Even while teaching, the act of grading papers and filing student records nauseates me.  Keeping track of player XP and doling out parcels of magic items is tantamount to extra work on my part, which I can't stand.  To me, each second that you spend with the details of minutia like XP tallies is less time that your party is actually out earning that XP!

As such, I very rarely use a true "advancement" system by rule.  Rather than tallying up XP for each character individually, I have a hard and fast rule of "level up every third session".  That way, players still get to watch their favorite characters advance and grow more powerful, while eliminating the need to tally XP or penalize players for having life get in the way.

Loot!  Glorious loot!

For the same reason, I very rarely dole out magic items en mass either.  Rather, I tend to favor the "inherent bonuses" option common in D&D 3.5e and 4e, which provides the same mathematical bonuses without suffering any mathematical imbalances.  If a system doesn't offer such a system and magic items are an expectation, I try to encourage my players to build a "wish list" of items that they feel would fit well with their character over time.  Having a list for each player lets me prepackage items that the players actively want, which satisfies them and makes my job as GM easier.

However, when I do hand out magic items, I do my best to ensure that they're unique and flavorful.  Warlord Kang's daisho from our run-through of The Flood, for example, was inhabited by the spirit of Kang's murdered brother, inciting any who wielded it into an unholy rage.  Maerlyn's Grapefruit, from my Dark Tower/Deadlands crossover was scry on others or to cast any spell...but with potentially disastrous results.
The key thing for rewards, though, is that they have to feel special.  A generic +2 sword?  No one gets excited about that.  But when those elements have a background, unique powers, or plot significance?  That's when the cream rises to the top, friends.

30 Days of GameMastering--Day 5!

It's Day 5 of Lindevi's 30 Days of GameMastering challenge; let's do it!

Stealing like an artist:  what inspiration have you drawn from other games, books, movies, etc.?

I'd be an utter liar if I didn't say that I steal ideas shamelessly.  When I come across something interesting, I find a way to toss it into my games.  I use maps from adventures with NPCs from other systems and plot points from random campaign settings.  Anything that makes my game more fun is fair play.

One of my most successful intellectual thefts came in appropriating Stephen King's The Dark Tower mythos and pulling it into Deadlands.  Roland's quest, Blaine the Mono, and Maerlyn's Grapefruit fit into the Deadlands universe like a hand in a glove, with my players meeting a number of movers-and-shakers in both mythologies.

However, the entire point of that campaign was the crossover there.  In terms of stealing an individual element, let me go back to a campaign from long ago:  the Heroes Unlimited game that inspired Cold Steel Wardens.

A must-own for any
Call of Cthulhu fan!

One of the major NPCs that I had intended on using extensively was a bar owner known as Stephen Alzis.  Stephen Alzis was the owner of the Shining Star Bar and Grille in Hub City and actually employed L-Train's vigilante, Lockshanks, as a part-time dj.  Alzis was an enigmatic figure whose most notable interaction with the party occurred when Lindevi's psionicist, Scheherazade, attempted to read his mind.  Wracked with visions of horrific madness, Scheherazade passed out from sheer psychic overload and was plagued by dreams of otherworldly vistas for weeks afterwards.

Stephen Alzis, as a character, comes word for word from the fantastic Delta Green sourcebook, and will soon be its own game.  Alzis's stat block, in its entirety, reads as such:

"Stephen Alzis is many things.  Vulnerable is not one of them."

He's a Cthulhian wild-card of the highest order, able to be whatever you need him to be...and I couldn't pass that up.  While I couldn't appropriate such a character for Cold Steel Wardens--that'd be a huge disrespect to Delta Green, which I love--Alzis' influence can certainly be felt in CSW's seedy underbellly...

30 Days of GameMastering--Day 4!

Today is Day 4 of Lindevi's 30 Days of GameMastering challenge, so let's get on into it!

Do you use pre-published adventures or do you write your own?

Pre-published adventures really do have a great place in the gaming community:  they provide new GMs with a great way to provide a complete, self-contained storyline complete with everything necessary to run the game.  Moreso, they provide GMs with limited preparation time an easy way to provide a quality adventure. For a long time, there was a prevailing opinion in the games industry that "adventures don't sell".  If nothing else, Paizo's numerous Pathfinder campaign paths have proven that perspective incorrect; well-written, well-paced adventures can sell like hotcakes.

For the most part, though, I try to write my own adventures, whether that's a full write up--usually for my convention games or for items I intend to publish--or an ad-hoc, ad-libbed adventure.  My current Planescape game is mostly done ad-hoc, though I do have an overall outline structure for the campaign.  And, truly, I find that my ability to GM extemporaneously allows players a greater amount of freedom, which most players like.

It's huge!
And The Last Sons is even bigger!

However, I'm not averse to using pre-published adventures:  I had a blast running my group through the Deadlands plot-point campaign, The Flood, which took us about 10 months (meeting near weekly and playing for about 4-5 hours per session).   While I used the bulk of the structure of The Flood, our group's playthrough included several diversions all over the Great Maze.  The same thing happened when I ran Robert Schwalb's "Tear of Ioun" series for 4e D&D.  While we used the fundamental structure of these adventures, we also weren't afraid to go off the rails.  Our "Tear of Ioun" resulted in an aberrant siege the players' dwarven fortress, a confrontation against an undead barbarian, and a climactic battle against a Cthulhoid horror at the top of a ruined, crumbling tower--none of which was in the adventure series itself!

At the very least, think of pre-published adventures as a mine for ideas.  Even if you're not using the adventure as it stands, any great adventure is full of maps, NPCs, and great plot hooks.  Go do some mining!

In Which The Warlock Posts Another Freebie...

It's been a while since I've updated my Free Open Gaming Materials, so it's high time that I give you guys another treat.  And, since I'm running this one over at Wittenberg this weekend, it seemed fitting to toss up this one:

Killer Clowns 2:  Return to Dempsey Islands--an adventure for Hell on Earth Reloaded.

The original Killer Clowns module--a Hell on Earth "Dime Novel" romp by the spectacular John Goff--made for a great trip through a haunted amusement park, complete with the titular killer clown automatons.  However, the adventure was fairly short (as most Dime Novels were) and didn't go deeply into the amusement park theme.  And, considering that yours truly used to work in an amusement park...I couldn't help but take a shot at this one!

The above link has all the elements you'd need to run this adventure:  a full outline of the scenario, stats for all kinds of nasty automatons in the park (including variants for the base killer clown, based on which "area" of the park your wasters are in), a time-charting table, a park map, and even a new table for scavenging items in the park.

This scenario works great with the "Reno Six-Pack" of pre-gens I've already posted in Open Gaming Materials folder.
And, of course, if you're in the Springfield area this Friday, you're welcome to stop on by!

In Which The Warlock Peruses the Perfect Party...

For those of you that were hoping for more cross-blog shenanigans, never fear:  it's just The Journeyman GM's turn to host our info.  This time around, we take a look at one of his games--his Deadlands "Heart of Darkness" conversion!

In the meanwhile, I wanted to spend a little time talking about a recent game that really blew me away, which is only more fitting considering the time of year!

I'm talking, of course, about the PlatinumChick's Call of Cthulhu game, "Welcome to Zendik Farms", which I ran for the first time this past Friday for the WittKids.  I've spent quite a while running over-the-top steampunk action in Deadlands, and it had felt like ages since I'd actually run a true 'horror' session.  Upon arriving, the PlatinumChick and I found ourselves with no less than 11 players--more than enough for two full tables.

I've got to say, though:  I think I ended up the beneficiary of that division, though.  My table was nothing short of immaculate, with a series of spectacular role-players who bought into the nihilistic, cult-driven storyline like none other.

If you haven't played the PlatinumChick's "...Zendik Farms" scenario before, you're missing out.  Based on an actual real-life cult (from which people have actually escaped!), the scenario seems simple on the surface:  characters start on what seems like a relaxing excursion to an organic arts community.  But, the plot delves into deeper secrets and horrors, the longer that the investigators stay.  No session ever truly plays the same way twice, as the farm itself provides a mini-sandbox for the investigators to play through.

So, let's talk a little about my players.  I was excited to have Lindevi (also known as DigitalKat) on board, as she was aching to play in horror game as much as I had been aching to run one.  She's well known my capacity for Wicked GMing, having played in my Deadlands "Follow the Walkin' Man" campaign as well as a Ravenloft one-shot I'd run years ago:  "An Incident at Ravencroft Asylum".  Lindevi was coupled by a familiar face from our Friday night sessions, Chris I!

I knew these guys could role-play.  I see it on a regular basis, as they delve into deep character interactions and difficult moral choices.  What I didn't know was how much the other three would get into it--two WittKids and a community member totally new to the Guild, LatinJoseph.  The three of them played their parts to the hilt, with WittDrew even converting to the Zendik cult partway through the scenario!  The stark looks of horror on the others' faces as their comrade willingly started going along with the farm's plans was priceless--you can't script emotional responses like that!

The segment of the game that struck me most, though, was the willingness for players to put themselves in vulnerable positions.  Characters continually committed that "cardinal sin" of splitting the party again and again, even isolating themselves with members of the cult.  LatinJoseph astounded me, leaving his traumatized college activist alone with Zendik scion Fawn, all the while under the effects of various psychotropic drugs.

I've posited before that the social contracts inherent to role-playing games are fundamentally a variation on the same relationships and contracts held between dominant and submissive members of a BDSM-style relationship.  I've been doing quite a bit of research into this concept, actually, in the hopes to expand my theory into an essay suitable for my upcoming Pendulum Method compilation.  LatinJoseph showed his flexibility and versatility in storytelling by allowing his character to submit to the given plot element:  the psychopathic Fawn.  His metaphorical submission allowed for fantastic role-play opportunities in that his own character slowly came out of their psychotropic haze (which he portrayed spectacularly!) but also for Lindevi, whose then-insane investigative reporter did her best to save LatinJoseph's college student!  By relinquishing a degree of control in the scene, that narrative power was magnified and spread out through my own NPCs, Lindevi's character, and even through himself!

It's okay to give up control
once in a while!  Cut loose!

Throughout the course of the game, the role of 'dominant' was passed back and forth between players and Keeper almost seamlessly.  Lindevi herself took the reins when a horrific event caused her reporter to lose a significant amount of Sanity, leading her to take WittSean's character hostage!  WittSean rolled perfectly with the scene, mentally handing over control of the scene to Lindevi.  Later on, Chris I's housewife stole the show, overturning tables in a desperate, last-gasp stand against the Zendik faithful.  However, the narrative power swiftly changed hands to WittSean's crisis of conscience:  does he betray his 'innocent' friends or does he believe the idyllic truth put forward by Wulf Zendik?

It's that sort of continued, extensive power exchange that takes an average table and makes it a good one or, in the case of this group, takes a good group of players and pushes them into an evening of phenomenal gaming.  This group's ability to build opportunities for one another through narrative power exchange allowed them to achieve some of the best table-based role-play I've ever seen.  When we staggered out of our room in Shouvlin at nearly 12:30 that morning, the group was worn, beaten down, and thoroughly smiling.  And, after a long session of dominance and submission, that's about all you ever want...