Good Gaming Blog

Monsters and Manuals, a great site for good gaming, just celebrated its 1st anniversary last week. Since I’ve been reading the blog for awhile now, I figured I’d hip my readers to some recent topics on the site which are thoughtful and thought provoking:

-Theory of Demihumans: A lot of solid thought put into this post, with some great citations.

…

-A Rant on the Use(ful/less)ness of Class: Don’t let the names of classes define your character (this prevents me from writing up the exact same rant again .

And of course The Writer’s Choice for best entries of the year. None of these will disappoint .

Give them a read; they’re worth it. While I’m at it, NiTessine in the deep freezing wastes writes an amusing and amazing blog. Check his stuff out; his rants on various issues in the industry are always top-notch.

As Always, Good Gaming,

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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Just got done with a large amount of mind-numbing work on various projects at the homestead, so I figured I would post a list of what has been keeping me relatively sane over the last few days of 3-day weekend madness.

=The Chatty DM just posted a great discussion on Dungeon Reality Shows. Definitely give some props, and your suggestions, to the pot so that these ideas could percolate and make up for an interesting setting.

=Johny Drain posts an excellent set of blog roundups on a (somewhat erratic) basis… this is going to be my ‘browse while doing other things’ list, but

=Groknard is throwing up his own update blogroll for those who like the SF side of the SF&F equation (especially ST) when it comes to homebrewing. It’s hit or miss for the fantasy reader, but the information on Atomic Sock Monkey’s PDQ is definitely worth it as it points to a great little freebie list (reposted here) that is worth checking out.

=Gnome Stew’s John Arcadian andWalt Ciechanowski wrote up a great two-fer on collaborative DMing which actually gave me some insight into some entertaining possibilities when it comes to a different style of play and mastering.

Short roundup as I need to get some rest, but check these out and get back to me on anything which proves interesting.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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10.) Scottish Dwarves/Hippie Elves/Lazy Halflings.
09.) Harry Potter Wizards
08.) Woe is Me, I’m a Demon/Vampire/Outcast.
07.) I’m a Half-breed, so I am the Product of a Sad Background.
06.) Bards Sucking.
05.) Anthropomorphic Animals With No Real Reason Behind Them.
04.) Anything Inspired by Anime.
03.) Grimdark Everything.
02.) “I am the Greatest!” NPCs (Especially DMPCs.)

And, the Number 1 Trope I am Tired Of . . .

The Dungeon. Why exactly are there immense dangerous locales shaped into the earth where creatures roam about… for no G-dly reason?

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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Fascinating Article on the requirements of a DM over at Gnome Stew. Kurt Schneider makes some brilliant points… check it out .

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I have attempted to write this blog post several times without coming off as snooty. Perhaps it is the sickness which has curtailed most of my writing efforts for the past weeks, or perhaps it is just the cloudiness of the medications which are getting me through said sickness, but I find it difficult to deliver this piece of flotsam advice in a manner becoming of the true gist of the whole piece. Mostly this came from sitting in bed discussing gaming with a friend across the world online at the moment when 2008 drew to a close.

I was bedridden (and remained so until yesterday) and miserable, and they were fighting off a considerable amount of alcoholic bliss to continue the discussion. We discussed the GG Blog, a couple of other pieces, the newest things in various editions and rulesets… then we began to discuss a horrific DM experience which my friend had had in his travels. We’ll not discuss the horrors of said experience too deep . . . suffice to say, it was bad enough that I became woozy and ill-at-ease from laughing too hard at 1 in the morning. We both wondered why DMs suck so badly these days, and why there are so few ‘good gamers’ out in the hinterlands with the spread of the Internet and its bounty of information.

The next day I had my resolution; I will convert a group of players to competent DMs in the next year. I will take a group of players who seem to be the worst, most despicable ‘Bad News Bears’ group of ne’r-do-wells in the history of gaming and I will turn at least half of the group into solid DMs.

And here’s why it will never work . . .

Learning to be a good DM doesn’t start in a vacuum. It doesn’t start with your first game, and it doesn’t start with someone telling you all of the secrets of the process. I could write a hundred articles on this blog and have it be more popular than Google . . . yet I cannot make any individual reader a better DM than they themselves want to be. I feel I lucked out in my gaming experience, as I would guess most allegedly good DMs would attest, and had a perfect storm of good, reliable players, great DMs, and a location which was fit for play at the worst of times and amazingly suited for gaming at the best.

Environment can produce great DMs, but it also takes a lot of work. For every good session I run I had probably ten horrific, pre-teen nightmare wish fulfillment games that I either played in or (to my horror in admittance) DM’ed in my younger days. For every good artifact or backstory I’ve probably burned through a hundred poor, ill-fitting, or just silly ideas. I utilize tropes, backwards concepts, archaic gaming jargon and styles . . .

but I learned at the heels of giants. Guys who were unrepentant destroyers of PCs, whose various story arcs could inspire madness just in their labyrinthine twistings and turnings. I had the luck of spending a couple of years with a safety net, a couple of campaigns of being a co-DM to some of the worst PC beatdowns I have seen to this day.

And that doesn’t really exist anymore. In this gaming culture there are too many players, DMs, and writers who believe that everything just comes together. Decades of experience behind me, I can tell you that if that were the case most of the bloggers on RPG topics would be sitting on gold-plated thrones dispensing wisdom via ruby-keyed laptops while sipping the finest colas from chalices shaped like d12s.

I own none of these things, and it saddens me.

My Resolution is to form a new group, bringing in some of the best players and DMs I can find, and then indoctrinating some of these new players into the ways of the old. And then, maybe, showing these snowflakes a little of how it’s done.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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Working on some materials for a contest known as the Great Conjunction… figured I may get some input.

Birth, Blood, Bone, Bile, Breath, and Bearing

Birth –
Monday’s child is fair of face,
Tuesday’s child is full of grace,
Wednesday’s child is full of woe,
Thursday’s child has far to go,
Friday’s child is loving and giving,
Saturday’s child must work for a living,
But the child that’s born on the Sabbath day
Is fair and wise and good and gay

The effect of the place or time in which the character was born. Birth is a vital Statistic, but it is not numeric. In fact, Birth is the day of the week in which the character was born. Each day of the week possesses its own power, and certain special days or times may possess different effects as determined by the Talespinner.

Blood – The character’s ability to take physical injury. Blood is affected by attacks which wound the body alone, including any mundane effects.

Bone – The character’s last physical resort. Bone is damaged by great effects, when the body can no longer take abuse, or when the character has worn down his reserves in any ability.

Bile – The character’s stamina, the will for the body to go on. Bile is affected by that which wears at the character’s body, through hunger, disease, or curses.

Breath – The character’s mystic power, the breath of life. Breath is also Spirit, and anything which would affect the spirit of a character draws out his Breath.

Bearing – The character’s will upon the world around him. A character’s bearing need not be positive; the wily old coot and the aide-to-camp may have equal amounts of Bearing. Bearing is a vital statistic to the power of effect which a character may take on.

Determining Attributes:

First, one should determine one’s birthdate. The day need not be precise unless the player is determined to be bound to a specific day and gain the benefits of that day. A birthdate grants access to three basic Paths to life.

Monday – Monday’s child is fair of face. Leaders and beauties, children born on Monday are looked upon favorably by their peers, but sometimes seem aloof from the ways of the more complex paths around them. The Debutante, the Groomsman, and the Bachelor all serve as archetypes of Monday.

Tuesday – Tuesday’s child is full of grace. Faithful and fated, Tuesday imbues its children with forces of favor. Though each person who takes on the nature of the day goes in a different direction, children of Tuesday manifest their powers in several unique ways. The Vicar, The Hustler, and The Handyman are common archetypes of Tuesday.

Wednesday – Wednesday’s child is full of woe. Feared for their constant obsessions, the children of Wednesday are usually misunderstood. Most children of Wednesday are melancholic, only truly happy when there is something going wrong for themselves or for others. The Hexer, The Hack, and the Hag are each archetypes of Wednesday.

Thursday – Thursday’s child has far to go. The journey is what is important for the children of Thursday. Thursday’s children prefer to fight the good fight and wander the world on paths that will lead them to the next town. The Hobo, The Warden, and The Gypsy are common archetypes of Thursday.

Friday – Friday’s child is loving and giving. Whether giving of body, spirit, or lucre, Friday’s children are happiest when doing something for their fellows. The Healer, the Ne’r-Do-Well, and The Lover are common archetypes of Friday.

Saturday – Saturday’s child must work for a living. Builders, dreamers, and makers, Saturday’s children propel the world through their hands and minds. The Artist, the Crafter, and the Poet are common archetypes of Saturday.

Sunday – But the child that’s born on the Sabbath day Is fair and wise and good and gay. Supposedly favored, Sunday’s children use their wits and their judgment to get them where they need to go. The Judge, The Straight-Arrow, and The Hero are all archetypes of Sunday’s Children.

Holiday Children – A Child born on a Holiday usually have a destinies aligned with their holiday. The Patriot, children born on July 4th, or the Renewer, born on January 1st, are examples of Holiday children.

_-

The Five Bodily Attributes – Blood, Bone, Bile, Breath, and Bearing.
Choose – 4/3/2/1/0 and assign to each attribute. Use the Attribute rating as a bonus to any dice pool which would be associated with the following affinities:

Blood – Vitae, the force of life. Blood and Bone combined determine the amount of Health a character possesses. Blood also assists in Knacks which are associated with Protection, War, and Water.

Bone – Petra, the force of toughness. Bone and Blood combined determine the Health of a character. Bone also assists in Knacks which are associated with Durability, Earth, and Transformation.

Bile – Cholera, the force of will. Bile and Breath determine the top Talent of any Knack. Bile also assists in Knacks which are associated with Destruction, Cursing, or Command.

Breath – Spira, the force of creation. Bile and Breath determine the top Talent of any Knack, and Breath and Bearing determine the top Force of any Knack. Breath assists in Knacks which are associated with Creation, Healing and Joining.

Bearing – Portia, the force of self. Bearing and Breath combine to determine the top Force of any Knack. Bearing has effects on Knacks associated with Self.

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EDIT: For terms referenced in this article please pursue The Other Articles in the Series .

In the last installment we discussed Bruiser, Abused, and Defender minions. Today we will discuss some of the more interesting minion types. However, ‘minion’ is a loaded term these days. Let us rather define Minion as ‘leverage units’. Really, an enemy is an enemy, but a minion provides leverage for the Big Bad. Each minion should provide this leverage, and nothing else… no need for 1 HP, just serve as your own little unit of HP, AC, and effect.

Now, onto the three minions to discuss here:

-Aiding: These minions are the healers and squealers. Defenders protect the Bad, Aides give some assistance to help the Bad protect itself. The negative-essenced undead which provide an aura of negative-energy healing for their lich? A mage who gives some buffs to the royal villain? Aides. Aides are usually ‘quiet targets’; they can be some distance away, and their skills usually lend to being less-than-stellar warriors.

-Arcane Threat: Magic Bruisers, Arcane Threats lay down a nice fat line of elemental (or other) damage. Not usually mages themselves, an Arcane Threat will break skull totems, UMD a wand, or just break open a sweet can of magic energy to cover. Arcane Threats are even weaker than Bruisers, big ol’ Glass Cannons.

-Suicidal: Kamikaze threats. Think of Bombs from Final Fantasy; while an Abused provides by being damaged by others, Suicidals are walking effects waiting to trigger themselves. Exploding poisonous constructs? Check. Suicidal creatures work well with manipulative masters, serving as fanatics which can be thrown about to do damage (or other negative effects) without PC targeting.

Completion of base types… next, we’ll give some hard examples.

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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As discussed in the previous entry I really wanted to give the Ostari some ‘special’ style. Their magic would still follow many of the paradigm set by classic D&D, but be presented in a unique way. Thus, I wanted to come up with specific and different paths to solutions which I saw were not present in your average D&D game. Spellcasters, overall, get a lot of nifty little tweaks and talents because of their ability to cast spells . . . however, it is the rare setting where magic isn’t seen as something which is not above the average, a power which shouldn’t be trifled with. Even in this setup it is a rarity when magic ‘rises up’ above what is presented by your average crunch and fluff configuration. A lot of people want Merlins walking around their setting . . . I usually prefer more of a scientific approach. To me, magicians of all types (divine, arcane, what have you) are utilizing energy in a way which gives power through clever efficiency. In his series The Dresden Files, Jim Butcher asks which is more impressive (and I paraphrase): a large truck which steams and throws exhaust to move a load, or a small car which does the same with only a couple of AA batteries?

I think that creative and effective use of magic relies on getting the most ‘bang for your buck’, and understanding that because magic is an energy there will always be some sort of buffer, a resistance which can be fought against (and waste energy) or given into and went with to produce smaller but effective results.

It is through this reasoning that the Grey Ways, Councilor Birds, and magebanes became integral parts of the campaign setting in which the Ostari Imperial State is derived.

I’ve enjoyed the concept of each type of magic being different. I think that psi and arcane/divine spells should be treated as two separate entities, and that resistance should not necessarily apply retroactively to each other except for at a base level. Basic Spell Resistance applies to Psychic Resistance at half-rate; a psychic can penetrate a mage’s defenses and vice versa unless each takes measures to prevent the other from gaining the upper hand. On the other side, mages would split their resources and thus require outside assistance to boost their abilities to defend against their own kind. A clever ornithologist (a talented awakener) began working on a creature which could do just this. That creature is known as a councilor bird.

Councilors look like large Kingfishers (around the size of an owl or similar) with bright blue or purple plumage. Mages take on councilors as familiars and cohorts; though unable to speak in human tongues councilors have the ability to communicate in a piercing shrill and, as mages and others who obtain them as familiars will denote, they have a very intelligent and observant way of thinking and can understand common tongues. A councilor bird’s greatest talent, however, is its sweet song. In effect, councilor birds can perform countersong as a bard of half of their master’s level. Some councilors, who are usually known as Imperial councilors, gain rudimentary spellcasting abilities. These birds usually are trained as adepts, and serve as fine henchmen to mages or others who may need a boost up against those who would attempt to charm or cajole them through the use of sonic magic.

Councilors live as long as Grey parrots, but only Imperial councilors may gain class levels, and there are a handful of these birds who actually become talented mages or bards (though do to their size they rarely use material components unless they have an aid who can present them with the materials to use).

The Grey Ways is more difficult, and derives from good ol’ fashioned spell resistance. Remember the types of spell resistance when even good effects were stopped? Yeah . . . good times. The Grey Ways and their practitioners have culled these abilities in new and frightening ways. The first skill that Grey Walkers master is the ability to protect their charges; like shield guardians (or d20 Modern Bodyguards) Grey Walkers can absorb some of the damage that their superiors would normally take (we kept with the Shield Other level of half damage). The greater talent lies in the Grey Walkers ability to manipulate its spell resistance.

Grey Walkers are required to have some form of spell resistance. Most take it through a basic route (they are treated as Hagborn) but they can impart their resistance towards a target. At first they learn to shield their master; then they learn to channel that resistance through their weapons, actually reducing a rival’s spell resistance. Next, they learn to ‘disrupt’ spells (similar to the mage slayer feat against magical concealment and AC) with focused dispelling abilities. Their greatest ability, however, is suppression of the magic items which are carried by their enemies. In all, Grey Walkers are an excellent NPC Class for the guardian of a mage, which by level 13-15 should be able to cause major problems for someone who enjoys using their Staff of Power and Robes of Awesomeness.

At some point I will present the effects presented by different Grey Walkers, and give a Level appropriate ‘replacement’ slot for the ability. Grey Walkers are never mages; rather, they serve as warriors (or, in the very rare case of a failed Sucuran initiate, psychic warriors or Book of Nine Swords styled warriors).
These are just here as concepts . . . mix and match as you will. I’m going to step away from the Ostari in the next few posts, and focus on more advice blogs and shorter posts. If you have any comments please leave those . . . I always enjoy hearing good feedback.

Good Gaming,

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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Good Gaming Gazetteer: The Orphan’s Guard, the Children of Sucur, and the Mysteries of the Sucuran.

Embrace the Grey and Rise towards the Sun Motto, The Orphan’s Guard.

Cast Away the Chains of Birth and Battle for the Lord of Dreaming – Motto, Children of Sucur.

There are many who look down on the institution of the Orphan’s Guard as an abomination. There are some who believe that this organization, made up of the children of refugees cast away by the Parlinian government, is an affront to human decency and must be cleansed from the earth. Those who march under the banner of the Orphan Son know only of the eternal battle to which they have been pledged, and the great responsibility they harbor as leaders in the battle against the very decay of the Empire.

The Guard, founded under the name of Tyrus IV the Orphan Son and Pretender to the Throne of the kingdom of Aurelia, was founded as another route to citizenship. Those refugees unable or unwilling to become Servitors could pay a terrible scutage; two children given over to the Great Orphanage and raised to become soldiers of the Imperial State for every man, woman, or child raised to full citizenship. These children were to be born in a place known as the Deep Silences, a large necropolis created during the period of the Imperial Seal’s reign over the city, and their mothers immediately removed from the location. Ostari custom regards the cycle of life as one of resurgence; only recently were the children of the Emperor not born and raised in similar circumstances in the Quiet Tombs of their ancestors until such a day when they could undertake the Test of Passage and be granted the Mark of the Imperial Seal on their chest as a sign of true Imperial birth.

Children in the Deep Silences are well-fed and cared for; they are given lessons from an early age in warcraft and any specific talents which are witnessed by their instructors are encouraged. The Guards are given daily indoctrination in the teachings of the Orphan, as seen in the Oath of Service:

We learn from the dead to remain alive. We learn from our lessers to be great. We gain strength from our weakness. We gain faith in our disbelief. We seek honor in the taint of our father’s gaze. We seek hope in the darkest reaches.

Those raised in these deep, dark reaches are paler than most ruddy Ostari, and turn sickly when exposed to normal healing draughts and magic from clerics who channel positive energy. This strange nature imparts another advantage; most Orphans are trained in the arts of the Grey Ways.

The Grey Way, a talent found amongst certain Zajahran mystics and the occasional rogue talent, is a discipline which teaches the powers of defense. Those who begin to ‘walk the Grey’ become talented in focusing their minds and bodies into a denial of the energies of magic. In effect, a Grey Walker learns a way to disrupt magic protections, effects, and even items around them through a focusing of will. Though not all Orphans become Grey Walkers, those that do are highly revered by their fellows, and many find themselves amongst the highest guardians of the Emperor or as guardians of members of the Sorcerers Imperial. Members of the Orphan’s Guard are granted full citizenship along with a small parcel of land after thirty years of service except for in the case of the Children of Sucur.

Though Grey Walkers are rare, the most rare of all Orphan Guards gain access into the Children of Sucur. Sucur, a mortal manifestation of the creator’s will, gave name to the order due to the traits which Sucuran guards take on. Those martial members of the Orphan’s Guard who have shown merit in the service to the Imperial State are granted the gift of Sucur the Preserver’s embrace through the Ritual of Steel.

An Orphan, uniquely attuned through discipline to the essence of the world beyond human perception, is given a fortnight of feast. Eight Sucuran are created at a time, each representing one of the pillars of Sucur’s Eight Teachings (Loyalty, Faith, Community, Discipline, Mind, Prowess, Courage, and Charity). After the young men have been bonded in flesh to a woman who has been assured of bearing their child the Sucuran are gathered in the Teaching Place, where spheres representing the Eight Teachings sit along with eight Sucuran honor-suits. Sucur’s priests come and willingly sacrifice the eight youths, and their spirits are separated; the ‘impure’ urges and desires are cast away, while the ‘purified’ soul is placed within the honor-suit. Each Sucuran warrior is assigned to his specific Corps, and there are currently around sixteen hundred Sucuran warriors, separated into the eight Corps around each Teaching. These groups of Sucuran warriors lead a group of similarly soulbound known as the Alfini Teyri (discussions of the Alfini Teyri will appear in the gazetteer for the former capital of Central Naschia).

The Bearers of the Teachings (as the women who carry children of the Sucuran are known) are looked after in a beguinage setting. The children of the Sucuran are strange creatures, and many wonder whether these children are truly human at all. However, the Imperial Seat takes these true Children of Sucur away from their mothers shortly after their fifth birthdays, and few could guess at the secrets which hide within a small island off the western coast of Ostar known only as Hospice.

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(Cross-posted from ENWorld)

This is the Introduction to the City of Parlinia and the thought experiment behind the Imperial States of Ostar. Ostar was a popular locale in one of my old campaign settings; a powerful imperial magocracy which has served as boon and bane to many groups passing through the setting. With that introduction let’s take a look at some of the basics of the Imperial States.

The following my be assumed of the Imperial States of Ostar:

- The Ostari magocracy’s ruling class is made of patrilinearally successive meritocratic posts assigned through the auspices of the ruling house. Many of the provincial lords have large attached families; the Emperor himself is polyamorous, accepting the ‘gift of company’ from those up-and-coming socialites who want to possibly be the Bearer Imperial to the latest heir.

- The Ostari magocracy embraces all cultures: from the nomadic horse tribes of the Mescari to the quick brutal magic of the Zajahran, Ostari envoys recruit those who wish to defect from their current holdings. Highly talented mystics may gain land grants or access to Imperial holdings for their service to the Empire, and young talents are granted the right to attend Imperial trainings.

- The Ostari believe in a form of mystic mercantilism brought about by the state sponsored philosophy known as the Great Wheel. Ostari merchants are taught to seek magic items and mystic talent on their tours, and that there is only a limited amount of talent which can be gained by the state, and that the Emperor will be well-pleased to possess all of the magic talent in the world if possible.

- The Ostari separate the mystic from the mundane; provinces in the Old Empire, mostly filled with refugees and those who were pensioned in the military do not gain as much Imperial assistance. Though it would be rare to find an outpost without everburning torches or at least one well-outfitted weatherwork, the Empire will not ‘waste resources’ to protect a Mundane location if a city of mystics is also in danger.

- The Imperial Forces are well-supplied and outfitted for their use. The Great Battlements, powerful sites of Imperial prestige, are found in great cities. Even the smallest outpost will find some bureaucrat with basic mystic talents there to deal with the Greater Good.

————-

Considering all of this basic information I will be presenting the City of Parlinia. A city which would be considered a bustling metropolis outside of Ostar, it is the fifth largest city of Ostar. A stable population hovering around 56,000 exists in the city proper, but the more interesting aspect of Parlinia is the specific need it serves in the Imperial architecture.

Parlinia is an asylum city. Any willing to hire on to become part of the Parlinian Order of Service may gain Ostari citizenship, but the costs of the Order can be great. The next post will go in-depth on Parlinia, the Order, and its place in the Ostari hierarchy.

—

Good Gaming,

Slainte,

-Loonook.

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