In Which The Warlock Presents Sam Clemens...

With this year's Origins on the horizon, I've been feverishly trying to get everything in order for our games.  I've been checking items slowly off of my to-do list, but every time I seem to make some progress, more and more get added!  While I finished my preparations for my ICONS scenario--"The Near-Orbit Mass-Driver Blues", I have yet to touch SunnyVale Acres...primarily because El Willy needed me to do an additional run-through on the "Ultimate Dungeon Party" and because I took a day to apply for a part-time position with Green Ronin Publishing!

But, with things slowly falling into place, I wanted to make sure that I got to take a crack at this month's RPG Blog Carnival, hosted for this month at the Dungeon's Master blog.  This month's topic?  Gaming characters, inspired by real-life.  Well, whoo!  Deadlands has that one in (pardon the pun) spades!

As such, take a look at the star of my Origins scenario, the inimitable Samuel Clemens, better known to many as Mark Twain!

I wanted to reflect a version of Clemens that wasn't overpowered--someone who could hang with the PCs if he had to, but whose life definitely took him a different direction.  Clemens' focus on writing and politics show his strengths, but damned if he isn't just the luckiest bastard this side of the Mississippi! 

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)—Cantankerous Author                          XP:         40

Stats:

Strength:             d4                                                           Charisma:            +4

Agility:                  d6                                                           Grit:                       3

Vigor:                    d4                                                           Pace:                     5

Smarts:                 d10                                                         Parry:                    5

Spirit:                    d10                                                         Toughness:         5

Hindrances:

Big Mouth (Minor)

Habit—Drinking (Minor)

Elderly (Major)

Edges:

Luck

Improved Luck

Scholar (Writing and Politics)

Tough as Nails

Charismatic

Noble

Jack of all Trades

Skills:

Know: Writing—d10 (+2)

Know: Politics—d10 (+2)

Persuasion—d10 (+4)

Taunt—d8 (+4)

Streetwise—d8

Fighting—d4

Shooting—d6

Guts—d6

Notice—d6

Investigation—d4

Boating--d6

Swimming—d4

Key Gear:

Mint Julep

White Suit with Black Bolo Tie

Cigar

In Which The Warlock Test-Posts...

If you guys out there in blog-land can see my blog, would someone please write a comment?
My blog was nearly removed erroneously by Blogspot for some reason, but I think it's since been restored.

Thanks!

[Edit--It seems like things are back in working order, I guess.  Thanks!]

In Which The Warlock Petitions Your Support...

It's not often I ask you, my few and faithful readers, to assist me with anything, so I'm going to ask now.



Please don't exclude our educators, GAMA!

This past May, GAMA--the organization behind the Origins Game Fair--announced the future dates for Origins 2012 and 2013.  In both cases, the Fair will be taking place the weekend after Memorial Day, during the last bit of May and the first days of June.  This is a massive change, in that Origins is traditionally held during the last week of June, occasionally stretching into the first few days of July.

However, this change comes at the expense of a massive segment of the gaming population.  The project dates of the next two Origins Game Fairs run concurrent with the last week of school for Dayton Public Schools, Cincinnati City Schools, the Ohio State University, and many other institutions throughout the Ohio Valley.  Columbus Public Schools, in fact, will still be in session until June 14th, 2012. 

This shift in date prevents educators, librarians, administrators, and pretty much anyone who works in the education field from attending the next two Origins Game Fairs.  With only limited time off during the year, educators are outright unable to use personal or professional days to take time off during the end of the year.  Further, families with school-age children will be unable to attend, as students are discouraged from missing end-of-year activities like commencement ceremonies, final exams and more.

The date change flies in the face of an amicable relationship between the community of educators and GAMA, as Origins has always held a special track of events specifically to cater to educators.  Similarly, this move is a slap to parents of school-age children, who have previously been among Origins' target audience, complete with "family friendly" tracks and a "kids-only room" run in conjunction with Mayfair Games.

It is my belief that Origins will face a sizable and crippling drop in attendence, as the communities of educators and of school-age families are unable to attend.  I value Origins as a convention--it's been, by far, my favorite gaming convention since I began attending.  Frankly, it both disappoints and even frightens me to think that this may be my last Origins Game Fair, simply because of my profession.  Even if you are not an educator, even if you do not have school-age children, this change affects you:  how many of your GMs or fellow players were teachers?  How many volunteers and vendors have school-aged children?

If you feel as I do, please sign the petition that I've created, hosted here:  PetitionOnline--Origins Date Change. 

Nothing changes unless we, as a gaming community, speak up!

In Which The Warlock Invades the Wasted West...

One of the great things about the Dayton area isn't just the numerous gamer population or the 4 friendly-local-game-stores in our vicinity.  We also have a great series of stores to support the gaming addiction that aren't just specialized in minis, dice, and games...

Welcome to the Wasted West!

In fact, it's at one of those stores that I managed to find a real set of treasures!  In amongst the shelves at Half Price Books, I managed to pick up a copy of Solid! The d20 Blaxploitation Role-Playing Game, as well as a copy of Deadlands: Hell on Earth, the 'sequel' to the original Deadlands game.  "Oooh!" said I.  What a relic!

With both of these, I headed to the checkout counter happy as could be, as you might imagine, but I was somewhat unprepared for exactly what I picked up.


While I had been somewhat down on Hell on Earth for its seemingly odd continuation of the Deadlands metaplot, I've got to say:  the mechanics and sheer uniqueness of the classic version more than make up for this!  Just when you'd think that you can't do much more with a "Mad Max"-esque, post-apocalyptic setting, just add some Hell on Earth!  So many possibilities, like my favorite, the Doompriests--believers in mutation and radioactivity as paths to power.  With powers like "Atomic Blast" and "Nuke", how could you go wrong? 

One of the big draws that Deadlands has for me is the unique magic system that each class has. Where, in a game like D&D, most magic-users felt the same--pick X spells of Y level; you have those memorized until you sleep next--Deadlands bucked that trend. Hucksters cast spells by playing poker against otherworldly demons, Shamen had to appease the Spirits by performing tribal medicine rites, while Blessed simply prayed for an answer. 

But the real key comes in how different a Doompriest feels from any other arcane backround, even a Syker, though they use the same arcane resource:  Strain.  Where a Doompriest excels in combat, surviving in radioactive wastes, and in powering items and the like, the Syker's focus lies more--and fittingly so--on espionage, getting powers of disguise and subterfuge rather than straight-up damage.  A New Templar, similarly, gets subtle 'divine gifts' that aren't even activated like the other powers.  They're simply "always on", providing that extra divine edge to a Templar's abilities that push him into victory.  Each arcane background has a different feel and focus, which makes them really unique and fun to play.
 

From the upcoming "Deadlands" comic book...

I find myself in a unique position right now, as Pinnacle Entertainment has already announced a "Reloaded" version of Hell on Earth, meant to use the generic Savage Worlds ruleset as a core mechanic.  While I liked the newest incarnation of Deadlands: Reloaded, I do feel that some of the arcane backgrounds are a little too similar.  Hucksters are fine, still using the poker-based mechanic, but the Martial Artist, the New Scientist, and the Shaman all use power points in some manner, and have quite a few commonalities in their available powers.
At one point, in "Follow the Walkin' Man", I had 5 characters with arcane backgrounds--a Huckster, two Blessed (a priest and a Voodoo houngan), a Martial Artist, and a New Scientist.  Aside from the Huckster, there was little difference in the powers being slung about, which led to an almost "generic" feel. 

Luckily, I had some really quality players in that game--the PlatinumChick, Will the ManMan, Chris the III, and DigitalKat, among others--that added their own descriptors and made the game really take shape.  Plus, it seems like with Pinnacle's upcoming 1880 Smith and Robards' Catalog, there'll be some changes made to the Weird Science rules, making them a little more separated from the other backgrounds.

I really hope that Pinnacle, as they move forward into Hell on Earth, keeps the individual nature of the arcane characters.  Seeing the high quality of the Deadlands products so far, I have little doubt that they're going to do their best, so it'll be interesting to see what comes next from them!

In Which The Warlock Continues to Muse on Skills...

I wanted to continue the discussion on skills/powers use into this week's entry, as I find myself looking at something very old, to come up with something very new.

Play this game!  Why aren't you playing it yet?!

You see, friends and neighbors, I've been playing Chrono Trigger again.  Now that it's out on the Wii Virtual Console, and the school year's been winding down, I've actually found some time to sit down and enjoy one of the true classics of console RPGs.  What?  You haven't played this yet?  Seriously, if that's the case, shut down the browser, go buy a PS1/DS/Wii and play this game--you owe that much to yourself.



One of the neatest things about Chrono Trigger was its Tech/Combo system.  While each character had a list of 9 or 10 skills they could access--ranging from magic or physical attacks, to healing and buff skills, to more situational skills--these skills could be combined for greater, more powerful effect.

Case in point:  Crono, the main character, gets a basic sword attack called SpinCut.  By itself, it typically deals twice as much as a normal attack, with a better chance of landing.  However, when combined with Lucca's Fire attack, you could access FireSword:  Lucca lights Crono's sword aflame before he strikes, dealing a signficantly larger amount of damage than either SpinCut or Fire alone.  In order to do so, you needed only have Crono and Lucca act together, rather than separately, and ensure that you had enough magic points to fuel both Techs.

These Double and even Triple Techs ran through all 7 major characters, ranging from the lowly, yet effective X-Strike (Crono and Frog, available at level 7 or so), all the way up to the mighty Triple Raid (Crono, Frog, and Robo, available around level 25ish).  The more powerful the individual techs, the more impressive the overall result. 

In all of my years of gaming, I've never managed to come across a single system that allowed for the combining of abilities like Chrono Trigger.  Admittedly, the bounds of player imagination are difficult to balance, but a good GM can self-balance by apply continual threat.  After all, how can Marle manage to pull off IceSword 2 with Crono, if she's busy casting Haste and Cure 2?  A Double or Triple Tech is meant to be a spectacular attack, unleashed at pivotal points.  Perhaps limit it through Action Point usage, or though a Power Point system similar to the psionics rules?

While this would take a ton of work, in some regards, allowing players to come up with their own Techs and Combos between Encounter and Daily powers would allow for some really neat buy-in from players and some intreguing creative results.  After all, who wouldn't want to perform the classic "Fastball Special" made famous by Wolverine and Colossus?

The "Fastball Special"

Okay, truth in blogging:  I did have some players try this once.  In a near-epic level mini-campaign I ran, the players fought an evil druid creature in the roots of Yggdrasil.  The infamous Nick, playing a necromancer, raised one of the druid's henchmen--a dire wolverine--from the dead, while EEE's artificer instructed his contruct minion to pick it up and throw it at the druid.  Who knew, friends and neighbors, that an undead dire wolverine weighed as much as a VW bug?!

Again, it's not likely to see this sort of thing come into play any time soon, but a gamer can dream, can't he?

In Which The Warlock Needs Larzuk to Socket his Weapon...

One of the biggest attractions for me in terms of 4e D&D is the varied and unique nature of the power system.  When nearly every class gets new Encounter and Daily powers at various levels, one would think it would become hard to itemize all of the different bonuses, cookies, and wound dice that get tossed around between powers. 

To be honest, for all of the flak that they take (from yours truly, even), the guys at Wizards of the Coast have done a pretty solid job of both keeping things balanced and in maintaining the flavor of each class.  A fighter gets powers that mark and punish enemies for moving away.  A paladin, while in the same role, gets more healing and buff cookies, and deals a lot more radiant damage--fitting, for a holy warrior.

But, there are other good ideas out there, too...what say we come up with some creative plagiarism, shall we?

A game that I've been slowly, agonizingly anticipating is Blizzard's upcoming Diablo III.  Yes, friends, I was a DII junkie--I still have a level 70-something Holy Shock paladin around here somewhere, decked out in uniques and rares.  Last night, though, Blizzard debuted some new videos demonstrating a new mechanic to Diablo III:  that of skill-based runestones.  You can check out the full series of videos here (Diablo III--Runestones)  to get an idea of how this works.

Diablo III's Witch Doctor casts an Acid Cloud

Essentially, each type of runestone changes trappings and effects of the skill.  While remaining mechanically similar--in each case, the Acid Cloud deals ongoing damage acid damage, followed by an additional, smaller effect--the change in the cookies makes all the difference.  One rune changes the skill to a puked-out cone of acid, while another turns it into an immediate burst, stemming from an exploding corpse!  While in all cases, those cookies are still a tasty delicious treat, it's like replacing your chocolate chip with white chocolate and cranberries!

Imagine, my lovelies, if D&D could manage to work this way!  Rather than taking a set Encounter power at each level, you could instead assemble your own from a table.  The runestones in Diablo III are separated into seven tiers of quality...much like D&D has Encounter powers at levels 1-3-7-13-17-23-27.  Let's say that, for example, you're building a level 1 Wizard.  You might start with a base level 1 Encounter power that deals 1d8 damage of a specific type...call it lightning, for the time being.

Then, you'd get to pick a an option or two from a table of choices, based on what you'd like that power to do.  Among other things, perhaps you could:

• Push X squares.
• Daze the enemy
• Deal an extra d8 damage.
• Make the attack into an Area Burst 1 or a Close Blast 3.
• Slow the enemy.
• Attack two creatures, rather than one.

In each case, no two powers would look alike!  You could easily start off with a "Chain Lightning" type spell that attacks two creatures, dazing them, or turn the spell into a more druidic "Call Lightning", calling down a column of lightning from the heavens in a burst, knocking enemies backwards.  Two spells, relatively equivalent in power, that come from the same pool...and the options are left in the hands of the player.

At higher levels, you'd get more "sockets" that you could use for customizing your powers, as well as be able to pick from "better" tables.  You'd still be able to pick from lower tables, but would be able to name, customize and prioritize your powers based on what you want!  Naturally, the table should be customized for each "archetype"--a rogue-type would probably have to make a much more significant investment to be able to teleport than a mage-type would, simply because it's out of their purview. 

While I really love this idea for its customizability and its flexibility, I can't imagine ever seeing something like this take effect.  It's simply too flexible, too individualized to fit into tournament-style or "sanctioned" play.  Unless there were a way to standardize the selection process--which a good solid Character Builder could do, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon--it'd be too difficult to implement.

But, maybe...someday...

In Which The Warlock Makes a List and Checks it Twice...

Man, I just can't seem to stick to my schedule in recent days!  Yesterday, the PlatinumChick joined Lion-O, EEE, and Will the ManMan for a summer excursion to go see Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.  As such, the weekend blog entry was relegated to today. 

You see, in amongst all of the chaos of the school year ending, I've been compiling exactly what I have to do this summer.  All in one place, it's a little frightening, children!  Take a look:

June:

• Revision for SunnyVale Acres
• Begin work on [EXPURGATED RESULT] for Cubicle 7.
• Finalize ICONS scenario:  "The Near-Orbit Mass-Driver Blues"
• Character Sheets
• Table Tents
• Revised Outline and Villain Stats
• Revisions of Origins Scenarios:
• Deadlands--"Westward on the San Juan Express"
• WEGS--"...WEGSthulhu"
• CoC--"Chrysalis"
• D&D--"Lawfully Blonde"
• Prepare game supplies for Origins
• Minis
• Scenarios
• Character Sheets/Table Tents
• Pack for Origins
• Buy gamer chow and other necessaries
• Pack suitcases
• Origins 2011
• Run 6 games
• Play in various events.
• Live-blog notes for seminar--"Dirty Secrets of Game Design"
• Handle donations for Sauer family.
• Buy swag!
• Live-blog (with photos!) each night.
• Contact Slugfest Games, re: SunnyVale Acres

July:

• Mail out donations to Sauer family.
• Continued work on [EXPURGATED RESULT].
• Outline and write manual for Lumberjack Wars
• Begin revisions on "The Yawlamoo"--2-3 passes.
• Process game feedback forms from Origins.
• 5 day weekend in Reading, PA for wedding.

August:

• Organize day-trip to GenCon Indy.
• Revise and rebuild Dungeon Slam
• Finalize drafts for [EXPURGATED RESULT].
• Submit SunnyVale Acres to interested parties.
• Prep for next school year
• Shopping
• Syllabus and lesson plan organization.

As you can see, friends and neighbors...this is going to be a busy, busy summer!  If I thought I wrote a lot earlier, I've got even more on my plate now!

In Which The Warlock Swings on the Pendulum Once More...

Excitement, friends and neighbors!  My first draft of The Pendulum Method is done!  Sitting at 17,000 words, I'm really looking forward to see what comes of this.  With revisions set to begin--among my other massive slate of projects--this should really be impressive!

And, since this month's RPG Blogger's Carnival (May) deals with Mixing Genres, I figured there'd be no better way to celebrate than by posting a preview of the most dramatic type of Pendulum adventure:  that of Genre and Theme.  Enjoy this sneak preview of the introduction to Section IV:  Pendulum of Theme/Genre!

A Pendulum in Theme/Genre—Finding an Eternal Champion

Out of the three forms of Pendulum adventures, those of Theme or Genre may be the most difficult form to re-create and run.  Doing so requires an incredibly flexible GM, as well as a group that is willing to take on continual challenges both in the context of the game and around the table, as the game itself evolves and changes around them.

The premise behind a Genre-Pendulum adventure stems from an evolution of the Time/Setting-Pendulum concept, though also contains elements of a Character-Pendulum adventure.  It is this blending of ideas that makes a Genre-Pendulum adventure difficult for a GM to run, and difficult for a player to be fully invested in.  However, with a little practice, some quality GM skills, and an enthusiastic group of players, the Genre-Pendulum game can be one that your table will never forget!

In a Genre-Pendulum adventure, the GM changes not just the time period or setting of the adventure, but the entire genre of said adventure midway through.  This concept may be an ongoing conversion—one genre drifting inexorably into another—or in motions more similar to the Pendulum structure previously detailed.  However, in both cases the characters within that adventure also morph and change to reflect their surroundings—while the characters are fundamentally the same, their mechanical abilities and skills are altered to reflect the setting in which they take place.

One classic, if inadvertent, example of a Genre-Pendulum adventure comes from Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu sourcebook, Strange Aeons II.   In it, the adventure “Time After Time” begins simply enough—the character portray members of an FBI raid on a New England cult house.  However, as the characters are overwhelmed by the cultists and die off, it becomes increasingly apparent that all is not what it seems.  The characters, in fact, were nothing more than memories projected into the past by mi-go scientists.  Naked, bereft of identity, and far from “home”, the characters must find some way to escape from the mi-go hive without alerting the creatures to their presence.

That’s one dramatic shift!  What started as a noir-era, 1950s investigation ends with a soul-crushing escape from a dystopian future nightmare!  That fundamental dramatic shift epitomizes Pendulum theory at its core—by asking players (and the GM!) to shift gears so abruptly, an emotional high is reached and tension is maximized.

However, the real genius of this adventure stemmed from its seamless transitioning.  The disconnect felt when the characters are suddenly wrenched from the 1950s into a totally different setting is palpable, yet the mechanics flow from the original character into their new body in a near-perfect manner. 

The greatest advantage found in a Genre-Pendulum game stems from its sheer diversity in scene and malleability.  Fred from the strictures of published campaign settings or even a single pseudo-historical period, the GM is free to create adventures the can truly span the entirety of time and space.  Games that previously seemed difficult or impossible—such as a replication of Michael Moorcock’s Multiverse, complete with Eternal Champion(s), or a game based on Zak Snyder’s film Sucker Punch—now become feasible, even alluring.

One major difference between Genre-Pendulum adventures and its Pendulum-predecessors typically falls in scope.  Where it can be easy to finish a Setting or Character-Pendulum adventure in a single sitting—typically a 4 hour convention slot, or a single night of gaming with friends—Genre-Pendulum adventures tend to take significantly longer, and can even serve as the basis of an ongoing mini-campaign.  The dramatic shifts within a Genre-Pendulum adventure can be so drastic, so encompassing, that multiple sessions are necessary simply to accommodate these changes. 

Mind you, that’s not a bad thing!  One of the biggest complaints from gamers is a dearth in variety.  Oftentimes, both players and GMs feel burnt-out after numerous sessions in the same setting, same genre.  A Genre-Pendulum adventure addresses this problem head-on, providing numerous degrees and opportunities for both change and variety.  In addition, in the style of Moorcock’s aforementioned Eternal Champion, a Genre-Pendulum series of adventures offers different and unique looks at the same character, as each iteration of a given character, NPC, or locale provides a different perspective on what is fundamentally the same idea.

In Which The Warlock Misses the Mark...

First off, apologies for the missed entry this week, assorted gamers.  This one wasn't actually my fault, though--Blogger was down for a bit, due to some technical issues, so even when I went to put up an entry on Thursday, I wasn't able to.  As such, here we are.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing I missed.

Rather, I've been working with El Willy on revising the WEGS "Ultimate Dungeon Party"--a series of advanced Arks set to debut at Origins this year.  Containing the Monk, Templar, Dungeoneer, Warlock, Glaivemaiden, and Sneak, the UDP really has some great content to it, all in a little 54 card deck!  However, I haven't gotten a chance to play with it yet, and told El Willy that I'd give it a go at Wright State's Glory Con this weekend...

I'm not going to mince words here.  Wright State's gaming scene is massively frustrating.  They did absolutely minimal advertisement for Glory Con; we didn't even hear about it at Wittenberg until Gem City ComicCon, where they had a half-page ad in the con's on-site book. 

The last time we went to Glory Con, the amenities were nice, but there were next to no events whatsoever.  EEE and I ran the WEGS classic "Return to Castle von Yumenstein..." for three sessions, but our table by itself made up most of the events in total.  Overall, things were poorly organized, poorly advertised, and poorly set up.

It appears that things haven't changed. 

I arrived at WSU today, ready to throw down the UDP, only to find a totally blank room.  Walking around the WSU Student Union, with an armload of minis and other WEGSing supplies, I managed to find my way to the bookstore, where the clerk was kind enough to pull up the university events list.  Glory Con, apparently, is only tomorrow...as opposed to the 14th-15th date, in the ComicCon ad. 

This could have been easily prevented, if the WSU group had a website or responded to e-mail (I've personally e-mailed the current president, only to receive no response whatsoever).  Even a Facebook page would be helpful, in both advertising and organization.  No such luck.

Honestly, guys.  Get your poop in order.

So, it appears that I have a free evening for once.  That means that I can finish out some of my major projects right now.  I'm about 1,000 words away from being done with Draft 1 on "The Pendulum Method", which will be sitting at 16,000 words total.  And, as mentioned, there's also the UDP, which is a total blast. 

Time for me to limber up those fingers, friends and neighbors.  I've got to get started!

In Which The Warlock Breaks in Some New Bones...

Just as with most gamers, we're a little dice-nutty out here.  We love dice in all of their incarnations.  I have more than a few sets of Lou Zocchi's GameScience precision dice, a set of Q-workshop's Call of Cthulhu dice, and even bought EEE and the Patriarch each a set of glow-in-the-dark Arkham Horror dice for Christmas two years ago.  Will the ManMan and Chris III even make a habit of using d30s to determine their characters' birthdays!

But, when I got an e-mail from a blogger/dice-crafter about his new store, I was blown away...here's a guy who really has a handle on the dice-crafting!

Unconventional Dice

From tubular (literally, and figuratively!) dice made from aircraft-grade aluminum, to more standard etched dice with a variety of pop culture symbols, to dice with literal screws built into them, he's got it all!

Check out his eBay store here:  Unconventional Dice eBay Store

In Which The Warlock Games Too Much to Blog!

Apologies on the missed entry, friends and neighbors.  This weekend's been beyond hectic, with enough dice being rolled to make the Bellagio jealous!  It's no small irony that I've spent so much time gaming in the last few days that I haven't even gotten a chance to update my gaming blog...

But, that changes now. 

Friday night got us off to a storm of gaming, as we tried out our full-conversion of Arkham Horror for the first time.  Tyrian Horror, as we're calling it, came together beautifully.  When ChaoticFrederick unveiled the board, I was in awe--I had expected to be a quick scan-and-print job; but he brought out a massive, laminated, full-color board!  Absolutely gorgeous. 

The game ran surprisingly smoothly, too.  With 7 players around the table--ChaoticFrederick himself joined, as well as guest appearances by the PlatinumChick and ChainMailleSarah--the game did run long, but that was primarily due to the sheer number of players.  The encounters and Mythos cards really helped capture the feel of Tyr, but the board and the characters were what made it.  Superimposed over the City of Tyr map from the 4e Dark Sun Campaign Setting book, the locations ranged from the Ziggurat of Kalak, down to the depths of Under-Tyr. 

I mean, really, the pics speak for themselves!

Jess and Chris I examine the Encounter Chart!

Our full Tyrian Horror set-up...

Fred looks over the board, anticipating his next move...

Actorios, complete with Sword of Glory and...Tommy Gun?!

If that wasn't enough, the next day was the WittKids' annual trip to FOPCon!  Scheduled to run two sessions of WEGS and another of Deadlands, I had a full day of gaming on the docket!

Really, this was a good rehearsal for Origins, which is slowly-but-surely rising on the horizon.  While my sessions went off really well--though, unfortunately, my last WEGS game didn't go off--I did find a few minor issues with my write-up of WEGSThulhu.  I had totally forgotten to write in the Chapter Rewards for each section, which led to some confusion as we finished the first encounter!  But, throwing down the Cold Roll Gospel did give me a chance to take a look at something new--the always-crafty El Willy e-mailed me a playtest version of a new Ark:  none other than the Warlock!  Full of hellfire and brimstone, this guy made for a massive change around the table, compared to the prior Mage-based Arketypes...

Deadlands, though, ran absolutely perfectly.  I couldn't have asked for a better table of players--the fellow playing Ricky "The One Armed Bandit" Parker, spent the entire session with one arm behind his back, shuffling his deck of cards with one hand.  Spectacular!  Couldn't beat it with a stick!

As I mentioned, my last game didn't go off, which meant that I got to sit in on EEE's Deathwatch scenario.  While we were getting our butts handed to us by beasties of Chaos and their accompanying Chaos Space Marines, I'd forgotten how much fun the maelstrom of the Dark Heresy line of games really are.  Brother Octavian, my tactial marine, engaged in a swift descent into madness, while Apothecary Lucian avenged his (rather explosive!) death, by hewing into the lead Chaos Marine with his chainsword. 

Just as the night ended, as our fellow gamers packed up, our party went once more around the table, hoping to take down the massive Chaos Captain.  And, lo and behold, the dice spake once more:  Lucian lucks out with an 03 on the percentile, hewing through the Chaos Captain's power armor with that mighty chainsword, bringing him to his knees...a great end to a great day of gaming all around.

I'm loathe to put all of the great pics from FOPCon 3 here, so I'll just link you to the album on Facebook:  FOPCon 3--Return to the Scene of the Con!
If that wasn't enough gaming action, that Sunday brought even more:  the finale of our ongoing Deadlands:  Follow the Walkin' Man campaign.  While LuckyDee wasn't able to make it, our posse rounded the table one last time for some resolution to the ongoing plot arcs.

Chris III's prospector-Agent Yukon Cornelius and Will the ManMan's replacement character, Texas Ranger Jason Cauldwell both decided to climb the Dark Tower...I won't spoil the end of the Dark Tower books for you, but suffice to say that their end was true to the end of Book 7.

The PlatinumChick and KungFuJake's characters, though, traveled south to Tombstone, where Bat Masterson was already meeting with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and Sam Pelfrey...better known as the Arizona Kid.  Deciding to join up with them against the Cowboy Gang, they were shocked to find out that a new influx of Chinese immigrants had flooded Tombstone--led by Xu Lei's villainous brother, Shang Lei!  Shang had taken possession of the medallion once possessed by Xu Lei's ancestors, gaining massive arcane powers...

...but they weren't enough for our heroes!  In a blaze of bullets, kung-fu kicks, and hexes, the heroes prevailed.  Roxanne ended up marrying Bat Masterson, then pursuing her father up the West Coast, eventually finding him in Winnipeg, Canada.  Xu Lei returned to China with his defeated brother in tow and the cursed medallion in hand.  And so, they lived happily ever after.

Whew.  That's a lot of gaming!  Now, it's onto the next bit...who knows what's going to come next?

Oh yeah!  This is officially my 250th post!  Woot!  Thanks for the support, all!

In Which The Warlock Rebuilds...

With ChaoticFrederick prepping our imminent "Tyrian Horror" game, a ton of work needed to be done.  Character conversions, encounter tables, new allies, an entirely new board...this was a lot of work!

Lucky for us, we had an ally in the preparations.  You see, a fellow named Christopher Jennings had put together a neat little utility, with Fantasy Flight's blessing.  The result?  Strange Eons--a homebrew utility program that lets you build your own Investigators, Items, Allies and more! 

Simply put, Strange Eons is gorgeous.  It's quick to learn, and the results speak for themselves!   Take a look at Actorios, rebuilt as an Arkham Horror investigator! 

Front Side--Actorios

Reverse Side--Actorios

In Which The Warlock Needs an Elder Sign...

Ia, ia, friends and neighbors!  Finally--after too many weeks of cancellations and other engagements--we managed to resume Chaotic Frederick's Dark Sun game.  Though we only managed to have three players at the table, the plot still forged on with Actorios, Berd, and Tanka delving into Under-Tyr in order to find an abandoned gateway to Raal.  That is to say, the Moon!  Well, one of them, anyway...

Saving Tyr is a hard job to do...

But with one our spell-shards planted firmly on Raal, we arrived back in Tyr only to find that something quite drastic had happened.  True, we had succeeded in our quest to open a gateway to Raal for House Wavir to use as a water-hauling venture.  The lush jungles of Raal would provide a fresh water source for Wavir to sell, undercutting their rivals and taking complete control of the water market.  But in doing so, we also opened a series of other rifts throughout the city, with monsters pouring into Tyr and raging through the various districts!

Wait a second...that sounds familiar!  That's Arkham Horror!

Fire up the Doom Track!

Yes, indeedy, friends and neighbors.  Chaotic Frederick is, as we speak, working on a conversion of Arkham Horror, set in Tyr.  We'll be playing converted versions of our own characters, attempting to stem the tide of horrific beasties before the Free City gets overwhelmed by otherworldly horrors.

I'll be frank here:  I love Arkham Horror.  It may well be my favorite board game.  Its mechanics, while complex, are streamlined and compact enough for the game to be easy to understand.  While the game is quick to master even, it maintains a level of difficulty that makes playing the game interesting every time.  And the expansions?  Ohhhh, the expansions!  While there are better and worse ones, they maintain a degree of quality that's really unseen in other games.

I have really high hopes for this next session.  Once ChaoticFrederick gets the last of the rules and conversions put together, I'll see about posting some pics of our Tyrian expedition, as soon as possible!

In Which The Warlock Contemplates...Nothing.

So, the saying goes that "absence makes the heart grow fonder".  Yeah...something like that.

Friends and neighbors, I'm going through gaming withdrawl.  "Heresy!" you probably cry, "Warlock, you run a gaming blog, are in two weekly campaigns, and run demos on the Ohio convention circuit.  How can you possibly be going through withdrawl?"

Simple, my lovelies.  Much of my gaming seems to be coming to an end for a while.

My upcoming gaming schedule...?

Deadlands is just about over for us.  While I'm going to save up what's happened for a later post, after our final session, we have just that left:  one session.  The campaign had gone fairly well, all told.  I have some regrets about it, dealing specifically with certain choices I made as a GM, but overall I was pleased with the result.  I think the players had fun, which is what matters.  Some continuity in amongst the players would have been nice, though...losing DigitalKat halfway through sucked, and while LuckyDee and KungFuJake wake were welcome additions, they only joined after two other players had dropped out.

Similarly, our Dark Sun game is heading towards its conclusion.  ChaoticFrederick received an opportunity to work at a government jet-propulsion laboratory in California for three months, so we're trying to wrap up our adventures in Athas before then.  Unfortunately, this game's provided me quite a bit of consternation recently...we haven't actually had a session in nearly a month!  Actorios' story has been sitting on idle since then! 

FOPCon 3!  Return to the Scene of the Con!

The con circuit, while not quiet, has abated for me momentarily.  Next on the docket is FOPCon, in Huber Heights, which is always a blast.  FOPCon's run by Doug and his friends, who really pour their heart and soul into showing people a good time.  The F.O.P. hall where FOPCon is held is comfortable and spacious, but the best part of FOPCon is the food!  There's a ton of house-made food sold at FOPCon, but as a GM...the food is free!  Yes, free!  Om nom nom, indeed!

But, with that, my gaming options slowly die off.  There's been some interest in me running a short campaign of The Laundry, which seems appealing, especially as I work my way through reading "Black Bag Jobs", a series of Laundry adventures.  (Oh, you say, it's not out yet?  There are advantages to being a freelancer...)  However, I've had an itch to run some sandbox-style, no frills D&D.  With several of the WittKids staying on campus over the summer, I may just get my wish...

Oh, and speaking of Witt:  we have a new banner!  Take a look at this hotness:

Awesome, no?  Just wait till you see it hanging up at this year's Origins Game Fair!

In Which The Warlock Plugs for a Friend...

Short post for you this weekend, friends and neighbors.

The lovely and talented Kit has finally gotten her long-awaited webcomic off the ground!  We've been eagerly waiting for it around these parts, and it's been great to see her getting back into the swing of things.

Kit's another of our WittKids, now graduated, married, and wonderful out on the other side of Columbus.

Drop on by her site and enjoy some Blatherskite!

In Which The Warlock Continues a Tirade...

Quite a few posts ago, I found myself more than a little outraged at the words of one of the admired grognards of D&D--Mr. Mike Mearls.  Okay, outraged is a little much, but his "Legends and Lore" column, on the Wizards of the Coast site got me a little bit riled.  And, of course, here we are, several weeks later, and I'm still more than a little peeved.

Mearls! *shakes fist*



The last two of Mearls' columns have dealt with game balance (found here: Balance of Power, and here: Fighters vs. Wizards), which is a pretty massive issue, all around.  Most games want to be considered 'balanced', and I have yet to come across a gamer who doesn't want a degree of balance in their game.  Balance, in this sense, doesn't necessarily mean that things should be on the same exact level, but rather that things are relatively equal in comparison to one another, in this case, the various classes.  Considering that, by and large, we're dealing with qualitative analysis here--I'll let the Munchkins out there argue over feat choices for max DPR--this is obviously subjective material.

Mearls' presentation is fallacious from the very start.  He references 1st edition D&D as a paragon of a sliding scale, in which a Fighter (Fighting Man?  Warrior?  Call it whatever you want...he's still a guy with a sword) is essentially like playing on "easy mode" for the entry levels.  "You had more hit points, better AC, access to weapons," Mearls says, "...when it came time to use the rules to determine if you lived or died, the fighter had a leg up at low levels.  He continues this assertion with the progressive rise of the magic-user (mage/wizard/etc.) in power, as they begin to be able to cast world-breaking spells like Wish, Shapechange, and *gasp* Fireball. 

Illogical penguin is illogical.

But, in doing so, Mearls sets up nothing more than an "either/or" fallacy, also known as the False Dilemma.  Based on his statements, either you become a fighter, thriving at 3rd level before becoming irrelevant around 10th, or you become a magic-user, suffering through the first 6 levels before you get a few area-effect spells and dominate the game.  Either you get to enjoy the start of the game, mashing kobolds and orcs into the ground with your mighty +2 Flail, or you get to enjoy the late-game, blasting devils and abominations from existence with Mordenkainen's Magnificent Malconvocation. 

I outright reject this dichotomy.  The fundamental premise of a game is fun.  Remember that?  Fun!  It's not fun to have 3 hit points and to get taken out by a housecat, as Mearls fondly jokes about.  Similarly, it's not fun to sit on the sidelines while your mage friend nukes everything between here and Waterdeep with Fizban's Fabulous Flamethrower.  There's a sweet spot in between--around 7th level in 2nd edition, raised to 9th or 10th in 3rd/3.5e--that everyone gets to feel important at some point, but even then, the magic users outstrip the fighting classes at upper levels, in terms of both options and in terms of ability, while fighter-types dominate the low levels, due to relative survivability. 

The idea that you can only have fun at certain levels, the idea that you can only have fun together at even fewer levels, and that your character can and should only be effective at certain points, is contrary to the very premise of playing a co-operative game.  Instead of "we have fun", it devolves into "I have fun, then you have fun...if the campaign lasts that long." 

Truth be told, 4e's done a fairly admirable job of finding the elusive sweet spot--wizards don't feel as frail, and can occasionally even take a punch, while fighters and other warriors have abilities that keep them on par with their mythic and literary counterparts.  But, Mearls' argument seems to fly in the face of this logic, as he compares this inversely-proportional relationship favorably to deck-building in collectable card games:  where some decks are built to win now, others favor a slow build-up and a powerful endgame.

The problem with Mearls' ideas stems from the fact that no player plays D&D in a vacuum.  If I were playing a video game--let's use Blizzard's seminal Diablo II as an example--it would be fine for me to place myself on that continuum.  If I wanted, I could build a character in DII that would do very well in the act that I'm currently in:  given a Barbarian, for example, I could put points in the level 1 skill "Bash" and pump up the Mastery skill for whatever weapon I wanted to wield.  It wouldn't necessarily be very good for the end-game, but for the start of the game, I'd be a powerhouse.  Inversely, if I wanted to build a character to succeed in "Hell" difficulty, I would reserve my skill points for some of the later, more powerful skills like "Whirlwind" or "Berzerk".  Yes, I'd be crippled for the time being, but I'd be able to take on Diablo and Baal with better high-level skills.

That's great for playing solo, because it's my choice, but D&D doesn't work like that.  It's a social activity.  It's not fair or even remotely reasonable to implicitly ask one, two, or more players to essentially step aside, because "your class isn't important yet/anymore".  True, the role-playing aspects of D&D and other games place a limit on this, but the idea that this sort of thought-process is still pervasive, even celebrated, at the world's largest rpg-publisher is baffling.

Pitiful 3rd level cult sorcerers are
no match for Conan'smighty Cleave feat! 

It strikes me as particularly odd that, in a game that epitomizes the idea of the "triumphant hero"--the typical D&D character ascends from meager beginnings, graining power and prestige until they are giving noogies to demon lords and hanging out in not-Valhalla with not-Thor--that a traceable curve cannot be reached that runs concurrent, regardless of class.  The "tier" system in 4e is a start, as is Savage Worlds's various tiers (Novice/Veteran/Expert/Heroic/Legendary), but they do little to address the perception that a high level fighter can't hold a candle to a high level mage, or that apprentice mages should have to run in terror from their own familiars. 

Mearls' argument also runs on the assumption that most campaigns start at 1st level and run through the gamut of the game.  This strikes me as particularly confusing, as Mearls and others at WotC have cited in the past numerous times, that this is not the case.  In fact, it's an exceptional rarity.  As it turns out, most home games take place between 6th and 15th level, in that aforementioned "sweet spot", and only run in a given campaign for about a year to a year and a half.  If that's the case, and the marketing department knows this....why support a paradigm that intentionally deviates from what the market is telling you that it wants?!

All the data in the world doesn't do any good, if you don't actually do anything with it.  If the people want game balance, then that's what your design aim should be.  If people are going to play as a group, then you need to accomodate that as a goal.  And, if you're going to shoot for a "sweet spot", don't build mechanics that inherantly defy that aim!

In Which The Warlock Achieves Pathos...

It's been a while since I've spent some time talking about my Deadlands game.  To be honest, it's been a while since we've actually been able to play in my Deadlands game!  Things seem to keep getting in the way, between WittCon, Wittenberg's spring break, and other interferences, it seemed like ages since we actually got to sling some dice!

Following the explosion of the San Juan Express, the PCs found themselves marooned, hungry and cold, on the banks of the Arkansas river along the Purgatoire River Gorge.  Their gear fouled, they began searching around...only to find that Pablo Morales, one of Reverend Jacobson's beloved flock, had gone missing.  Fearing treachery, the group sought to find him, but were stymied by the potential prescence of the infamous Wicheta Witches, now armed with Hellstrome Industries gatling-weapons.

Black Thirteen, in all its terrible glory...

But that's not where their troubles ended!  Found by a fallen priest named Donald Callahan (Wolves of the Calla, anyone?), they were alarmed to find that he was, in fact, from an entirely different world--one in which some fellow named Ronald Reagan was president, and the Union won the Civil War!  Further, Callahan was in possession of Black Thirteen--the corrupted black orb of Maerlyn's Rainbow, which had powers far beyond that of Maerlyn's Grapefruit, the orb Roxanne Butler stole from Jeremiah Riggins.

And, if that's not bad enough? Callahan bore even more bad news--Roxanne was possessed by the manitou spirit of Josiah Riggins, and would give birth to an often-feared demonic child, if the spirit were to stay within her.  The only place nearby to exorcise the demon?  The North Church Cemetery chapel, in Derry's Ford.

Oh, yes. A town called Derry. In a game based on a Stephen King book.

Naturally, this brought the inevitable confrontation with the vampire lord Kurt Barlow, who rallied the town's vampires against Pere Callahan once more.  A murder of crows burst through the church, followed by some of Barlow's thugs....then Barlow himself, leaping through the stained-glass window onto the altar where Roxanne lay. 

The melee that followed may well have been the most difficult that I've run in this campaign, on both sides.  Wound chips flew back and forth, as Barlow and Callahan grappled over Black Thirteen.  Xu Lei and Yukon Cornelius pulled out the old "Throw-then-shoot the dynamite" trick, before whipping out their swordcane and hellfire carbine, respectively.  Roxanne slipped her bonds and started casting with Maerlyn's Grapefruit...only to have her perennial nemesis, cousin Wilbur Whateley, arrive on scene.

RIP, Rev. Elijah Jacobson. October 1, 1879

All this was just too much for poor Elijah Jacobson.  His flock panicking, the sight of the hideous Barlow leaping through the stained-glass, fangs bared, overtaxed his heart.  A failed Guts roll, and an ill-timed Natural 20 on the fear chart....Rev. Jacobson was down for the count.  Nine grueling rounds later, both Barlow, his vampiric henchmen, and Whateley were dead...but so was the good reverend.

Driving home afterwards, the PlatinumChick turned to me and said, "Y'know, I feel really bad about him dying."  In character, Roxanne and the Reverend often butted heads, primarily due to her "sinful profession", but in the end, he died while attempting to save her...

"Call no man happy who is not dead!"

The Greeks define Pathos as the "feeling of pity" one feels, typically accompanying the suffering and fall of a tragic hero.  Truly, the late Reverend Jacobson was exactly that.  Leading his flock across the Weird West, hoping desperately to find his dearest Annabelle, Jacobson faced horrors beyond reckoning.  While his quest led him across the western states and brought great good to many, his ultimate goal of destroying the fiend Grimme was never met.  Annabelle remains lost.  And, in the end, the Dark Tower eludes him...

A few entries ago, we spoke about the depth of death within the scope of roleplaying.  Truthfully, Jacobson's death makes for a fine example of this. 
Ever want to evoke true emotion?  Don't be afraid to let the chips fall where they may...

In Which The Warlock Posts on Three Cons...

As the weather heats up, so does the convention season.  And, lo and behold, it's finally broken 70 degrees out here in Flatland, which means that dice-slinging is on the horizon.

Alas, poor Den Con...I'll make it next year...

After a quality start to the con-season at WittCon, I was excited to have Den Con 2011 on the horizon.  The WittGuild's been trying to build relationships with area universities and gaming organizations, and Denison's group has been really busy, building a game library and gamer culture in Granville.  With them so close to Columbus (and The Big O), it's good to have some friends and neighbors up yonder...

...that is, it would be.  Unfortunately for me, the PlatinumChick came down with a nasty stomach virus Friday night, after my Laundry one-shot at Witt.  At 2 am, she was begging me to stay home with her, and I gave in.

I immediately felt horrible about it--not about the fact that my wife needed me; I have no regrets in that regard--but rather in a realization.  I've been running convention one-shots of various games (primarily WEGS) for almost 8 years now.  This was the first time, in all those years, that I've had to cancel.

I e-mailed Mr. Mike, the head of Den Con 2011, immediately, but still haven't heard back.  I'm hoping they're willing to have me back next year.  The WEGS train has to roll on!  Granville needs to hear the Cold Roll Gospel sooner than later!

Dayton's own Comic Book Extravaganza

But, with that cancellation, the PlatinumChick and I were able to sleep in and, on Sunday, meet L-Train, EEE, and NuJosh for a trip to Dayton's Gem City ComicCon, held at Wright State University.  I don't typically get to do much trolling for floppies at Champion City ComicCon, as I'm usually helping to run the game room, so it was nice to be able to peruse the vendors from all over the Miami Valley and beyond. 

I have come to a conclusion, though, regarding comics vs. gaming conventions, stemming back to our trip to C2E2 last year.  Overall, I tend to be much less a fan of comics conventions, simply because there's less to do.

At a typical gaming convention, I can always find something that piques my interest.  I might spend some time trolling around the dealer hall, then drift over to a Paint-and-Take event, then play a one shot or borrow something from the board-game library to play.  If I'm feeling ambitious, I'll go to a panel, or visit some of the small-press places, to find out what's on the docket for the coming release schedule.  Sometimes, I'll even try to do a little schmoozing with some of the muckitty-mucks at various gaming companies, trying to get my name out there.  Fundamentally, there's a variety of events, so that if I get bored at one, I can move on to something different with little difficulty.

At the comics conventions I've been at, the inverse is true.  While there might be some panels or artist/writer booths that I'd visit, the prime attraction is only the dealer hall.  And, truth be told, there just isn't enough variety in what they're selling to really appeal.  When you've trolled through case after case of Ultimate Spider-Man trade paperbacks, all priced relatively closely, things tend to get a little repetitive.  There just isn't enough variety in stock or items to keep my attention.


Dealer hall from GenCon Indy 2010


But you might say, "What about the gaming dealer hall?  Isn't it all the same stuff there?"  Well, yes and no.  While there are some similar games that get sold everywhere--d20 supplements, current edition D&D items--most of the vendors are more specialized.  Either they'll sell for a specific company--the SJGames booth comes immediately to mind--or they'll focus on a specific aspect of gaming.  There are booths specifically that sell minis, booths that sell dice or battlemats, booths that sell chits and other knick-knacks that are gaming-related.  There's enough variety that one can avoid just seeing the same items in box after box, on shelf after shelf.

What shocked me most at Gem City, though, was not something I found in the longboxes.  Rather, it was something from their program that blew me away:  Glory Con.  Yes, Wright State's apparently back, having a gaming convention once more. 

The last time we went to Glory Con, it was something of a disappointment.  While the creators had ample room and a quality vendor, in Bell Book and Comic, there was no real schedule, and EEE's and my classic WEGS module, "Return to Castle VonYumenstein, Part VI:  The Revengening! (a Prequel)" was one of the few actual games being run.  I'm hoping to see some more information on Glory Con in the near future.  I would have provided a link, like the conventions above, but there's no website or Facebook page to be found...

Time shall tell, I suppose.  Besides, what else am I going to do on a lazy Sunday afternoon, than chuck some dice?!

In Which The Warlock Evolves His Topography...

(Note:  This entry is part of this month's RPG Blog Carnival.  This month's host is A Character for Every Game.  Go check them out!)

I find myself in something of a conflict.  Quite a few entries ago, I found myself straddling a bit of the 'rules-lite/rules-heavy' fence, in the various games that I personally enjoy.  I've been enjoying 4e D&D, despite never investing in minis or battlemaps prior to this edition.  I'd never needed to, truth be told.  My prior 2e and 3/3.5e games all worked quite well with just free-form gaming.

But, therein lies the rub, friends and neighbors.  You see, I can't draw for the life of me. 

Now, for most of my games, this isn't a problem.  In my experience, if you're asking to use a tactical battlemap when playing Call of Cthulhu or even Stargate SG-1, you're doing it wrong.  The games are just meant to focus more on problem-solving and character interactions rather than shifting two squares diagonally and unleashing a Radiant Ultimate Smite with your +4 P90.  Same with ICONS, with its rules-light approach.  When powers are abstracted as much as they are in ICONS, there's no reason to whip out a full map.

But...then there's WEGS.  Ah, WEGS.  My old-school indie love.  WEGS borders on tactical minis game, with its focus on "clearing the battlemat" and earning that elusive Rank Bump.  But, coupled with that, WEGS exhibits a unique tendency:  the idea of the "empty" battlemat.

You see, in all of the WEGS games I've managed to both run and play, I very rarely put forward an actual "finite" map.  Rather, the map usually consists of found items, and terrain that comes randomly.  Take a look below...

Map from "Dungeons OR Dragons" at Champion City ComicCon 2010

I didn't have to plan this map.  It really doesn't even make sense to, all told.  Rather, I improvised.  With a good set of markers, my old HeroQuest terrain, and a selection of WotC's Dungeon Tiles, it's not hard to slap down a few things that "belong" in the area and go from there.

For the above map, I figured that a dragon would probably have at least a few things of "normal" size around, particularly if it liked to mess with magic.  As such, I tossed down the HeroQuest altar, with a chest nearby, and a cabinet, the alchemist's bench, and a table nearby for magical "experimentation".

As for terrain, rubble makes sense, if a dragon is landing and taking off regularly.  And the blast, near the top of the map?  Well, a breath weapon does leave marks!

At this point, you're probably wondering, "well, what's the point?"  Well...that is the point.  There's isn't one.  For as good of maps that we can find, for as much internet scouring as we do, we don't always need all of the accoutrement!  The best maps, the most utilitarian and functional gaming aids, often come from necessity.

All told, just use the tools you have at hand.  The variations you can come up with will speak for themselves!

Has anyone else ever experimented with "found" or impromptu mapping?  Let us know how it turned out!