Posts

An Encounter with Goblins

-
Image
What follows is a case study. It began with a random encounter result of goblins. Then the LEDGE method (outlined  here ) was applied. It produced a module-worthy encounter. It was then run in actual play. This is a recap of that play identifying the critical parts of the encounter through the lens of the LEDGE method. Unbeknownst to the party, one of the NPCs they disclosed their quest to was secretly a spy. Because of this indiscretion, the enemies in the following encounter knew the PCs were coming and had set up an ambush. The party consists of: Kizya , Female Human Champion ( 7th level Fighter ) Zoltar , Male Human Magsman ( 8th level Thief ) Nadja , Female Human Magician ( 6th level Magic-User ) Jada , Female Half-Elf Prefect Thaumaturgist ( C5/MU5 ) Zogath , Male Half-Orc Curate Myrmidon ( C4/F6 ) Viktor , Male Human Myrmidon ( 6th level Fighter ) Nadja also made the mistake of drinking liquor at the tavern from the bartender’s personal stash and is suffering from such a
Post a Comment
Read more

The LEDGE Method: 5 Things to Consider When Designing Encounters

-
Image
Some gamers like to play and/or run RPGs with a real story bent. And some story buffs like to take a "fractal" approach to stories, where each scene in the telling of a story is a mini-story in itself. Me, personally, I prefer to never lose sight of that roleplaying games are games. But unlike some of the prevailing theories out there, I feel good game, good story, and logical coherency actually work best in tandem. And so I think even gamers who aren't necessarily trying to create a story in their games will find these ideas make encounters more interesting. First, I'll say I have actual reasons why I feel different styles actually work better together rather than separately. It's not just a warm and fuzzy sentiment for me. It's because when I get into some heavy duty thinkers, like famous psychoanalyst Carl Jung and legendary economist Ludwig von Mises. I couldn't help but notice that the anatomy of Jung's conception of a story correlates strongly to
1 comment
Read more

Gygax vs History

-
Image
 About 18 years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Gary Gygax at a special event at the now defunct Higgins Armory in Worcester, Massachusetts. The curator there was extremely knowledgeable in medieval weapons and armor, and they were able to boast at the time to be the only group of researchers in the world translating and putting into training and practice medieval German combat training manuals. The event, of course, included Q&A with Gary and a book signing. But it also featured a debate between Gary and the museum curator over the use of polearms in medieval combat. The curator held the safe and boring position that the wild and bizarre designs on polearms were strictly ornamental, or perhaps designed for intimidation, and were completely useless in combat. Gary took the position that, no, you actually could learn to use all those specialized and intricate heads. Gary was never one to take the label of "expert" lightly. Although he was well read and knowledgeable, h
Post a Comment
Read more

[LA] Avatar Creation

-
Image
STEP 1: Choose Race Lejendary Essentials offers the selection of Human, Dwarf, Ilf, Kobold, and Oaf (Typical and Major). In addition, the Lejendary Rules for All Players offers Gnomes, Orcs (Greater, Lesser, and Common), Trollkin, Wylf, and Veshoge. For new players, we recommend playing a Human. STEP 2: Determine Knacks and Quirks Orcs, Oafs, and Veshoge Avatars have a specific number of Knacks and Quirks they begin with. Other races are assumed to begin with 1 Knack and 1 Quirk. The primary purpose of Knack and Quirks is to keep Alfar Avatars varied and mysterious, and so for Alfar they should be interpreted as extremely as possible. In my game, Humans are 90% likely to possess a Knack and only 50% likely to possess a Quirk. STEP 3: Assign Points to Base Ratings You may wish to look ahead to which Abilities you will want for your Avatar. Some common distributions for Humans, and the Orders that best fit with them are: 60/32/8: Mariner, Noble, Outlaw, Soldier 55/35/10: Mariner, Noble,
Post a Comment
Read more

[LA] An Introduction to Lejendary Adventure

-
Image
Lejendary Adventure (abbreviated as LA) is a role-playing game created by Gary Gygax. Now that we've got the wikipedia blurb out of the way, let's get right into it. How do you play it? Here's what you need to know. At the game's core are its Base Ratings (BRs). These are Health, Precision, and Speed with an optional fourth rating of Intellect. These are often likened to the Attributes of D&D. However, I would disagree with this assessment. Health is most analogous to hit points, Precision to THAC0, and Speed to Movement Rate. The main function of the optional Intellect BR as referenced in the game rules is as a resistance to mind control. Also note that old-school D&D generally didn't assign Attributes to monsters. In LA, the three BRs form the core stats of all monsters. Supplementing the Base Ratings are Attack and Defense modes. Again, you will find these as statistics for all monsters, listing their natural attack and defense capacities. For characters,
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Steps for Selling 5E Players on Your 1E Game

-
Image
A great RPG adventure can transcend the particular rule set you are using, but at the end of the day, you have to settle on some particular set of rules, RPG, and edition to use. It's usually wise for GMs to go with a system they're familiar with and comfortable running. Long time, old-school GMs have had decades to gather experience creating and running adventures, and there's no reason those great adventures would be unappreciated by newer players. Thus we arrive at the question of, if you're a DM who works best with 1E, how do you get players who prefer 5E to give your game a try? Here are my 5 steps for breaking down the barrier. STEP 1: If these gamers don't really know me, a quick introduction, one that puts them at ease. But the real key is to find out what they get out of RPGs in general and/or 5E specifically. " Hey, I've got some adventure ideas I've been working on that have me pretty excited, and I'd like to try to run them, but
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Avoid this Fatal Sandbox Error

-
I think one of the big mistakes people make when trying to run a sandbox campaign is taking the idea of "You're free to explore" so seriously that you avoid anything that might nudge them in a certain direction. But isn't it the nature of choice that you prefer the option you chose over all the alternatives? If players have no reason for wanting to go in one direction over others, it's not much of a choice. So look for ways to break up the symmetry of the sandbox. These don't necessarily have to be big, elaborate plots. Though a good sandbox ought to have NPCs hatching plots. When things go wrong, it could generate a mystery to solve. Or it might just land in the PCs laps. But it doesn't have to be that plot-heavy. When I was experimenting with Appendix A (random dungeon design), I started tossing in a chance for a roll on Appendix I (dungeon dressing), particularly in empty rooms and at corridor intersections. The dungeon dressing tables include thi
Post a Comment
Read more

[AD&D] Stealth Sans Skills

-
Image
A question that comes up a lot is how do you handle stealth for non-thieves in AD&D? A lot of people expect there to be some kind of default probability, less than that of a 1st level thief, but some sort of probability in the same vein as the Thief Abilities. Some veteran AD&D players simply allow the surprise check to work as a de facto stealth check, with Thief Abilities representing skill above and beyond that. But that seems to raise more questions than answers. How exactly is Move Silently or Hide in Shadows supposed to be integrated with the surprise system? There is something in the PHB to suggest that being silent would boost the surprise probability from 2 in 6 to 3 in 6, as would being unseen, and both would boost it to 4 in 6. So what do you do? Call for a hide in shadows check, a move silently check, and a surprise die roll just for a thief to sneak about? I can understand how the extra stealth skills of a thief would enhance the surprise ability, leaving the a
Post a Comment
Read more

Dungeons That Make Sense

-
I view the phrase "make sense" with suspicion. Because at the end of the day, what it's always really going to be is "make sense to my puny human brain," and I don't think anything, in the real world or fantasy world, is obligated to make sense to puny human brains. In fact, I've done some experiments in creating dungeons straight out of Appendix A. What I found is that in designing dungeons that way, you take on something very similar to what the first-hand experience of players going through the dungeon will have. By not knowing from the start what this dungeon is supposed to be, I found my mind constantly working to figure it out. In other words, the dungeon didn't have to "make sense"--my brain would try to make sense out of it. At first, things wouldn't make sense at all. Not enough information to draw any conclusions. And this had me endlessly curious to find out what was behind the next corner. This is HUGE. You read any advice o
Post a Comment
Read more

Style vs Approach

-
Image
Style vs Approach in Playing RPGs How Your "Play Style" Is Holding You Back For some reason, the term “play style” has always struck me as somewhat suspect. What does it actually mean? In terms of how it’s used, and I don’t think many will say otherwise, play styles vary according to preference. There are many of them. No one way is right. They allegedly must match up well at the game table for everyone to have the best possible experience. If play styles do not mesh well, it leads to unsatisfying play and can sometimes even result in bad feelings. We like to acknowledge the “play style” of others as a reminder that there are many different ways people can have fun playing RPGs, that the way others play may not be our cup of tea, but as long as they’re having fun, that’s all that matters. So what could possibly be suspect about this? Well, for starters, if there are so many different ways to play the game, and if play styles have to sync up when several different people
Post a Comment
Read more