Finally, Gen Con Event Luck (Torchbearer RPG)

My oldest son and I are attending Gen Con together this year. It's pretty cool in that it will be the first time I've been in the United States during Gen Con in about 7 years. Without the Army to send me somewhere else during the big convention, I thought it might be neat to take my son. This will be my third Gen Con (I went in 2000 and 2002) and his first.

The first year that I went, I barely did anything but wander around the dealer room, bleary-eyed and overwhelmed. My second Gen Con was a little more successful as my friends and I played in the D&D Open Tournament that year. Unfortunately, that event took up most of our available gaming time.

This year, my goal was to sign up for a few different events that not only featured my favorite games, but also gave me a chance to game with some of the designers whose work I enjoy. I'm not a fan of gamer celebrities, but I do see the value in having the author of a module running his or her work for you right there at the table.

Alas, I underestimated how quickly this stuff would sell out. I was on the Gen Con site just as soon as the event registration opened up, but everything I wanted to do was gone way before my wishlist ever hit the queuing process.

Mutant Crawl Classics with Jim Wampler? GONE

Anything DCC from Goodman Games at all? GONE

Fortunately, thanks to some events that only recently became live on the site, I managed to snag tickets to an author-run game.

I've had Torchbearer sitting on my shelf ever since its Kickstarter campaign. I love the physical book, but I am NOT an indy RPG guy. Every time I read through the rules, I come away feeling like this game is very cool, but also way outside my wheelhouse.

A month or so ago, my son expressed similar feelings. Leafing through the book, he said to me "Dad, we really should figure out how to play this game. It just looks cool!"

Well, request granted, son. He and I are now signed up to play the Torchbearer RPG with the guy who came up with the concept and helped write it, Thor Olavsrud. If I can't learn the game under one of its co-authors, then I'm a lost cause.

Plus, I'm going to see if he'll sign my book.

Petty Gods Is Now A Real Thing

Yeah, I'm a bit late to the party here, compared to other bloggers. However, since I originally posted to complain about one of my two contributions not appearing in the temporary version of the book that Greg Gorgonmilk was putting together, I thought it only fair that I officially announce this:

Petty Gods in now a real thing that you can download (for free) from RPG Now. It's pretty gonzo, but chances are you can find a deity in here to inspire your D&D or D&D-like game.

At 378 pages for free? You pretty much can't go wrong.

As for highlights (beyond my own two submissions), I thought that the inclusion of the Barsoomian Gods was cool. It's presence reminded me of the Cthulian Mythos that appeared in the early printings of Deities and Demigods. Speaking of the mythos, the Petty God most likely to see use in my home games is the Yellow King. Whisper Will has a little cool flavor that could easily be dropped into most campaigns, with the occasional leashed dog showing up at crossroads to temp the superstitious.

On a less serious note, I'll give a nod to Yessir. I was a Soldier, after all. Many is the time I've grinned and bared my fate while carrying out some very stupid instructions.

Celebrity Dungeon Masters?

I find something very unappealing about viewing tabletop gaming (or any hobby in general) as if it’s some kind of important cultural identity. I don’t personally find a lot of value in tying my personal worth to a niche hobby, even one that I greatly enjoy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bothered by taking the game seriously. I’m a pretty obsessive RPG fan myself. I know more about the history of Dungeons & Dragons than any person really needs to know. My hobby is pervasive, going beyond the actual play of the game. I spend a lot of my limited free time tweaking rules, home-brewing game systems, or working on campaign ideas. I’ve got my own campaign world that has existed (mostly in my head) since my buddies and I first explored its lands some 20 years ago.

You know, just like you.

And that’s the thing. There are casual gamers, to be sure, but the most vocal gamers, the ones you’re bound to notice online, share an interest in RPGs like one could call, dare I say, geeky. They are not, however, worthy of celebrity.

These folks I’m talking are almost exclusively professional game designers, but I’m not really writing about people who are well-known just because they write the books that you and I are buying. No, the gamer celebrities have a certain cult of personality about them, an aura of sorts that springs up whenever some blogger is speculating on an upcoming project or recounting some recent con experience.

The inspiration for this post came when I stumbled on an old blog post about the “Greatest Dungeon Masters in the World”. One particularly famous DM was praised for creating his own worlds, his math and cartography skills, and for the fact that he actively plays the game.

So, he’s basically just like every decent DM I’ve ever met?

I’m not trying to disparage anyone here. I’m not knocking on this particular person, as I’m sure he truly is a good DM. However, I find the gushing torrent of flattery to be a real turn-off. Do we need celebrities in our hobby? Is being a good DM even quantifiable to the point that one could be “the best in the world”? I’d take that phrase as hyperbole if it didn’t show up all over my Google search.

This is all fueled by a few pseudo-celebrities that seem to take all this make believe as very serious business. These are the types to get bent out of shape about “gamer issues” and their “contributions to the culture.” Maybe I’m getting too old for this or something, but I’m not part of any cultural movement related to playing games. I use my hobby as an escape and a distraction. I’m not interested in electing a Homecoming King of the Nerds.

I DO have my own favorite designers. I used to really dig Monte Cook and feel that his spearheading of PDF gaming products was a great innovation (his design has gone in a direction that doesn’t interest me). I’m also a fan of Gary Gygax as the “father” of D&D and RPGs. Were Gary alive today, I’d love a chance to play at his table, not because I think he’s some kind of uber-DM or something, but for the sheer novelty and nostalgia of it.

But pretending that all this is more than just a silly game we like to play? Creating a hierarchy of cool kids in the gaming world based on their ability to churn out common-sense DMing advice and run D&D games on Youtube*?

That’s just not for me.

* Who wants to watch other people play RPGs? I AM getting old, but that sounds utterly boring)

Mark of a Beastly Kickstarter

Pardon my pun in the title.

I strolled over to check on the Silent Legions Kickstarter yesterday and noticed something...

Oh good, they're up to 666 backers. Wait, WHAT?

Quick, nobody else back this project.

Ok, so that's not what I actually want. I wish Kevin Crawford (whom I secretly suspect to be a caffeine powered robot) as much success as possible.

Still...if this project had stopped right there it would have been a very poetic coincidence.

Why is Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition So Expensive?

On the day I backed the most excellent Silent Legions Kickstarter, I had first contemplated buying the brand new 7th Edition of Call of Cthulhu. Thanks to a cool group of gamers I met in Korea, I finally got to take Chaosium's version of the game off my always growing list of "games I own but have never played" last year. We played in a food court, under florescent lights, surrounded by Burger King and Taco Bell patrons, and it was still fun.

Better yet, my oldest son played with us and had a good time. I passed on the original Kickstarter but was watching with great anticipation for the new edition to finally see release. For those who don't know, Call of Cthulhu is not a game that changes much from edition to edition. Unlike, say D&D, which is basically a totally different game every ten years or so, a new edition of Call of Cthulhu basically just means cleaned up typos, maybe a format change here, a little rules tweak there, and some new cover art.

With the 7th Edition, however, the designers decided for the first time to make a few substantial tweaks to the game. Now, according to my limited understanding, none of these changes are on the radical level of, say 3rd to 4th edition D&D, but they're a pretty big deal to a game that has remained largely the same for decades. I was intrigued enough to seriously consider purchasing the new rules, even though I own a copy of both 5th and 6th edition.

The Kickstarter, like most Kickstarters, ran rather late. I'm not privy to backer updates, but the original project was supposed to deliver October of last year. So, what, 14 months past schedule? Not quite Appendix N Adventures here (2 years, 5 months counting and STILL waiting), but late. Whatever, though, right? The books are out!

Over on the Chaosium website I found the Keeper Rulebook, which it describes thusly:

"This book, the Keeper Rulebook, contains the core rules, background, guidance, spells, and monsters of the game. It is intended for use by the Keeper of Arcane Lore (the Keeper) — that player who will present the adventure to the other players. You must have at least one copy of this book to play Call of Cthulhu. The other players, the Investigators, should have one or more copies of the Investigator Handbook, containing expanded rules for character creation, skills, occupations, equipment, and more."

Oh, crap, so I need two books to play? The game is traditionally a one book system, but I'm a D&D guy, so I'm cool with the concept. So, how much for the Keeper Rulebook?

$27.95

For a PDF. Not a PDF and a hardcover, mind you. Just the electronic download.

That's a bit pricy for what essentially boils down to some bandwidth, but ok. How about the other required book?

$22.95

So, if I want to run Call of Cthulhu for my son, all it would cost me is $50.90 for 2 PDFs?

I understand the high value roleplaying games provide for the cost and I'm all about Chaosium making a profit. However, the book was Kickstarted. They already got $561,000 to make sure this book is a reality. These PDF sales are just gravy for them. I can only speak for myself, here, but when I like a book I own in PDF and plan to use it at the table, I generally buy a print copy as well. A print book I'll pay $30-$60 for, depending on quality, and possibly more if it's a really nice item. Chaosium has taken the money I'd have spent on 2 print books and 2 more reasonably priced PDFs (say, $10 each?) and transformed it into $0.

Electronic publishing is a very new thing and I'll be glad when it sorts itself out economically. I know I'm quibbling over a relatively small amount of money here ($200 or so), but the only way I can vote is with my dollar. With bigger companies like Apple and Amazon, I expect the price fixing ($8 for an ebook version of a 30-year-old novel that I can get in print for $2? Thanks Amazon!). With a small company like Chaosium, though, it really irritates me.

The book exists. In order to make the book, you had to create electronic versions, so those exist by necessity. I will give you more money in the long run (as opposed to zero money) if you lower your damn price.

I can't believe I'm the only gamer who thinks this way, am I? Is Call of Cthulhu such a niche product that this is where the market has naturally set the price, or are we being gouged for what is essentially electrons and bandwidth?

Puzzle Box

The Puzzle Box

During a recent session of Rise of the Runelords, an attempt to teleport from a remote region back to Sandpoint went awry. According to the rules, the misfired spell was supposed to send the PCs to a similar area, defined as “an area that's visually or thematically similar to the target area.” As they were aiming for the Rusty Dragon Inn, it seemed clear that they should be in a tavern somewhere, but where? I pulled out the Inner Sea World Guide and had them generate a random number using some wacky zocchi dice. A few rolls later, we determined that the hapless adventurers had somehow landed in the city of Katheer, the capital of Qadira (gateway to the east). What would a startled, pseudo middle-eastern barkeep do if a few adventurers materialized in his business? Try to sell them something, of course!

 

When I was in Turkey, one of my favorite memories was browsing through the wares of the various shops in the area known as “the alley” just outside the Air Force base there. So, adapting my best Turkish accent, I began to recreate that experience at the game table. Recovering quickly from his initial shock, the friendly merchant launched right into a sales pitch. While his son brought hot tea to these new customers, the man began to demonstrate the quality of his many fine, hand-carved puzzle boxes. I must have done a fairly convincing impression, because one of my players immediately gave up some of his hard-won gold for his own, authentic, Qadira puzzle-box.

 

Presented below are the stats for the item, more a curiosity than a useful hiding place. The flavor text is written for my own home-brewed world of Terren. For a Pathfinder campaign, assume these items come from Qadira rather than Hzar. There are two versions below, with stats for different rule sets.

 

D20 VERSION

 

Puzzle Box: This carved wooden box can only be opened using a specific combination of twisting parts, hidden buttons, and sliding panels. Puzzle boxes are one of the many exotic wares for sale in the Hzari caravans that travel the great trade route merchants call the River of Spices. The overall complexity and number of steps required to open each box varies, from two steps for the simplest puzzle boxes to hundreds for particularly intricate versions. Most puzzle boxes are of the five-step variety, as the Hzari consider five to be the luckiest of all numbers.

Opening a puzzle box requires one or more rounds and a successful Disable Device check, as shown below. A character makes this check with a +10 bonus if he knows the correct pattern for that specific box.

 

Complexity	Disable Device	Time to Open	Cost
Simple	DC 10	1 round	25 gp
Moderate	DC 20	1d6 rounds	50 gp
Complex	DC 30	2d6 rounds	250 gp

 

 

5E VERSION

 

Puzzle Box: This carved wooden box can only be opened using a specific combination of twisting parts, hidden buttons, and sliding panels. Puzzle boxes are one of the many exotic wares for sale in the Hzari caravans that travel the great trade route merchants call the River of Spices. The overall complexity and number of steps required to open each box varies, from two steps for the simplest puzzle boxes to hundreds for particularly intricate versions. Most puzzle boxes are of the five-step variety, as the Hzari consider five to be the luckiest of all numbers.

Opening a puzzle box requires one or more rounds and a successful Dexterity check, as shown below. A character makes this check with advantage if he knows the correct pattern for that specific box.

 

Complexity	Dexterity Check	Time to Open	Cost
Simple	DC 10	1 round	25 gp
Moderate	DC 15	1d6 rounds	50 gp
Complex	DC 20	2d6 rounds	250 gp

 

 

 

D&D 5E Rules: Foresight

Like a lot of D&D fans, I’m digging into the new 5^th Edition to see what makes it tick. There is a lot that’s familiar, and my overall first impression is good, but it will take an actual playtest and a decent chunk of time to really find the new game’s merits and warts. One easy thing I can do is take a look at rules that I don’t care for in 3E and see if and how they’ve changed in the latest version.

To start things off, I’m going to look at a spell that has gotten quite a bit of derision from my
longtime 3E/Pathfinder players. That spell is Foresight, a 9^th level arcane spell that seems rather underpowered. Read on for a brief summary of the spell’s effects in 3.5/Pathfinder and 5^th Edition, followed by a brief discussion of the differences.

3.5 / PATHFINDER VERSION (BOTH IDENTICAL)

Foresight 

Level: 9

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Duration: 10/min per level

This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell.

For the duration of the spell, you are never surprised or flat-footed. In addition, the spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC.

When another creature is the subject of the spell, you receive warnings about that creature. You must communicate what you learn to the other creature for the warning to be useful, and the creature can be caught unprepared in the absence of such a warning. Shouting a warning, yanking a person back, and even telepathically communicating (via an appropriate spell) can all be accomplished before some danger befalls the subject, provided you act on the warning without delay. The subject, however, does not gain the insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

What does that second part mean? Is the GM supposed to allow the subject a kind of “do-over” against a triggered trap or other avoidable danger? It seems like that's the intention, and it's certainly more powerful than a mere +2 AC / Save bonus, but it lacks any kind of game mechanic to support it.

Why is the lesser spell effect detailed while the (potentially) greater effect left totally to abstraction? I'd accept such a spell in a less detail-oriented game like Basic D&D, but in Pathfinder, this seems to imply the spell is very underpowered for it's level. It basically boils down to nothing more than a meager bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

D&D 5^th EDITION VERSION

Foresight

Level: 9 Spell

Casting Time: 1 minute

Duration: 8 hours

While under the effect of this spell, the caster can never be surprised. He gains advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. In addition, other creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls against the target.

DIFFERENCES

The 5^th Edition version has a longer casting time (1 minute vs 1 standard action), but lasts effectively all day (8 hours vs about 3 hours). As to the effects, the meager bonus of +2 to attacks and reflex saves is replaced by advantage to attacks, ability checks, and saves and disadvantage on attacks against the target.

While the math behind advantage and disadvantage is a bit complicated (see here for more), it basically boils down to a +5 or -5 modifier. Thus, we could say that the spell gives a +5 bonus to attacks, ability checks, and saves and gives all enemies a -5 penalty to all attacks against the target for 8 hours. Perhaps not as obviously powerful as other 9^th level spells (power word kill, for example), it has certainly been beefed up from 3E.