I know I usually post a humorous clip for Wednesday but not this time. While Firefly was a mish mash of SciFi and Western, Slingers is SciFi meets Oceans 11. We’re talking smoked filled casinos and ingenious heists. It sounds like a really cool idea for a series. But you know what, it might make a damned good RPG campaign too. Just a thought, folks. Run with it.
Let’s hope that this one gets the green light.
Sep 012010
Aug 302010
So the two big things rattling the cages of the D&D blogosphere are D&D Essentials and the new Favor Cards.
I admit that I am not a 4th Edition fanboy. I bought my Core Books, ran an adventure and pretty much shelved the whole thing. There just too many things that made me scream, “WTF!” But from what I’ve seen so far, I just may give Essentials a chance. But I still feel like the guy who burned his hand on a hot stove and then immediately tried again just to make sure it was still hot. So, I approach the Essentials line with some trepidation.
Some folks are saying/complaining that the new builds are too much like previous editions. That’s a good thing, IMHO. The Monster Vault and Rules Compendium right now I’m luke warm on. Much of it is rehashing/updates of old material so I’m in a wait and see pattern. The two Heroes of . . books just should have been one book for players.
The Starter Set sounds good and I’ll probably pick it up. But being a creative grognard, I just might pick up the Start Set and house rule/reverse engineer everything else from the core books.
Now what can I say about The Fortune Cards? You’ve probably heard the old saying, “It’s good and original but that part that’s good ain’t original and the part that’s original ain’t good.”
A deck of cards to give players a little control over scene. You know like the Savage Worlds Adventure Deck or the Paizo Plot Twist Deck. It’s a really cool idea and can add a ton of fun to a game.
It’s collectible. What? Wait. $4 for a boost pack. Really? C’mon, guys. I know you need to pay the bills but don’t you think that this pushing it? Since I already have the Paizo and Savage Worlds deck, an imagination and a printer, I’m pretty sure that brew this up on my own.
Of course, some might say, “Hey dude, you don’t play 4th Edition. What do you care?” Because I still want to like 4th Edition. There many mechanics that I think are great but too many that just don’t suit me. I still hold out hope.
Aug 292010
Last year, I missed my favorite local convention but this year I went despite the pounding my my bank account has taken over the last few months.
The great thing about this convention is that gives me a jolt to the creative centers of my brain. Being around so many creative people and hearing their horror stories, their success stories and just plain amusing anecdotes is my equivalent to a spa weekend. I come out of it feeling refreshed, re-energized and ready to get back on track with my own projects.
It was a great weekend and hope to see many more great people next year. Now, I need to shut up and write.
Aug 262010
Off to Armadillocon 32. Unfortunately, I missed it last year but this year I’ll going and recharge my geek mojo
While it’s primarily a literary science fiction convention, there will be open gaming and a Munchkin Tournament. There’s plenty of great guests and the panels are pretty good. A great time shall be had by all. So if you happen to in the area stop by the con. Or if you’re there maybe give me a shout out.
This was a pretty big geeky hit last week and for those of you that missed it. It’s another music video and that is not kid or work safe. So you have been warned.
F*ck Me, Ray Bradbury – watch more funny videos
Aug 232010
Once again Banesfinger showed up and inspired me again with his comments on the old Savage Worlds: Whiff & Ping. This got me thinking about the crunchy bits of games and who I choose what rules to use for which campaign.
Since these thoughts started with Savage Worlds, I’ll start there. I totally admit that I love Savage Worlds but I also know that it’s not the best fit for every game. Savage Worlds is great at handling big fights. The combat is quick and easy to manage. Most folks think that it’s just a pulp style game and it works great for that. You throw all the cinematic options and it can be a fun and high speed game. But it also works great if you to the opposite end of the spectrum and go total gritty. I’m talking you need to show up with three ring binder full of characters just in case. Just look to Realms of Cthuhlu to see some nasty tips on turning the screws. It can be a fast and bloody game, too.
Of course, I can’t really do this without talking about a few other games too. Yeah, Dungeons and Dragons and it’s current forms. I’m including both 4th Edition and 3.55/Pathfinder in this. Here’s the thing. As D&D has evolved it’s become it’s own genre. Yes, there are house rules and third party supplements that barely change the game when it boils down to it. It’s still pretty much the same game with its own unique feel. There’s nothing wrong with this. As a friend of mine says, “It is what it is.”
And a little on one of my new favorites. Of course, I’m talking about FATE. I’m also including it because it’s so different than Savage Worlds or D20. Fate is not tactical or minicentric. You’re not planning feat trees to optimize your character. The basic rules are very lite and lean towards narrative or story type games. Yes, you can tell stories with any game. It’s just FATE has good mechanics to encourage this and back it up.
Let’s take high fantasy, D&D’s normal genre. For Savage Worlds, you can take Hellfrost and the Fantasy Companion and there you go. A High Fantasy Campaign. Let’s use Legends of Angelerre for FATE. Now as Game Master you can create the exact same game world with each these but end with vastly different campaign atmospheres. None of them is better or worse than the others. Just different. Pick and choose what is important to you and players and run with it.
I’ve been around the game table a time or two and know that just because you love a set rules it may not be the best for the campaign. Sometimes you just have to pick which of your children are your favorite.
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