Well, my plans for the setting creation session have been put on hold for the near future. The majority of my players, and myself, are still in school so it's crunch time right now and everyone is buried under assignments. Just about everything is on hold.
Thus today shall be some of my musings on RPGs.
I like investigating various rule systems. This stems from my love of making rules. I love modifying rules so that they better represent what I'm trying to accomplish, and I don't fret too much about the balance of those rules. However, I'm getting off track.
My investigations have lead me to a number of rule sets that I enjoy and have run. My table top RPG history looks like this: 2e D&D, a variety of homebrews based on 2e D&D, 3e D&D, a number of homebrews based on 3e D&D, Serenity RPG, a long running homebrew based on Serenity, d20 Modern (combined with d20 Past AND Future), a Dark Heresy one shot, and finally BESM 3e. I've also read some of the rules for 2e Exalted, Fantasycraft, Vampire the Masquerade, Shadowrun 4e, and Spirit of the Century.
I've obviously tried a wide variety of games with a wide variety of players. Each player has had their own level of the knowledge of the rules, and each game has had its own level of detail. What I've found from play is that the games with more detail give the players more control than the GM (when there are players who know the details). For example, if the GM's made a big bad evil guy/gal (BBEG) and the GM has broken a few rules to make the battle more interesting (such as giving the BBEG abilities that don't exist in the rules or that they "shouldn't" have because of rules restrictions), and a player spots the broken rules, they may complain that the rules have been broken and make a big fuss about it. This could potentially ruin an entire campaign if it becomes a big enough issue, and at least will ruin the moment.
I have been on both sides of the GM screen and experienced the other side too: if I want to do something, say hold onto the mast of a ship as it rocks in a storm so that I don't fall down, and the GM tells me that it won't have any effect mechanically because there is no provision in the rules for such an action, then I'll feel like I've been cheated out of some fun.
So there's two causes of this problem, one is overly detailed rules, the other is "rules lawyers" (whether they are the GM or a player). The only real solution is to create a game where everyone has a similar idea of what constitutes fun. If that's doing awesome stuff whether or not the rules allow it, that's fine, or creating consistency through the rules, that's fine as well. Personally, I prefer the former to the latter, and I try to accommodate the players' desires unless I think it could set a house rules precedent that could bite me in the ass later. Fun is where it's at.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
In The Beginning... There Were Cliches
The purpose of this blog is twofold. First I plan on using it to collect my random musings about role playing games. Second I plan on chronicling the RPs I'm involved with, primarily the Age of Heroes RP that I will begin on Saturday.
The Age of Heroes is a setting that has yet to be created. So far the idea is that it will be themed around the idea of epic heroes who serve in a world of meddling gods. A world where heroes are not just legends, they've been seen just two towns over. Or so you've heard. The Players will play characters who are either mortals raised high through their skill, the children of gods, powerful spirits, or even minor gods. Think Odysseus, Samson, or Gilgamesh.
The game's structure will be largely episodic, with each quest being one or two sessions long and contributing to the overall setting. I really want my players to have the feeling that they are changing the world. Additionally, the cast of each session will be changing. I've realized that I have at least 8 good players in my group, and there are more "fringe" players who I'd like to play with more. Thus, a rotating cast where each quest may have a different combination of involved heroes.
All this is getting ahead of myself, however, as the setting is not yet created. I plan on creating the setting with a group of the players using the Dawn of Worlds rules. Dawn of Worlds is a game where each player plays a god who is involved in the shaping of the world, starting with its geology, moving onto the creation of the inhabitants, and then having the inhabitants interacting. There is no way to "win," it's a game designed to build settings.
I'm not going to be playing it straight though. I'll be incorporating some house rules, mainly the idea of domains. I thought it would flesh out the pantheon better if each god had domains that they played towards. Each domain will have multiple aspects, an aspect being a related area of a domain that the player has a focus on. Whether they choose to focus on a single aspect, multiple aspects, or combine their aspects in an interesting way is up to them. The players will take turn drawing domains out of a hat until there are no domains left. They can then trade one domain to another player who is willing to part with a domain as well. Every action that a player takes that can be related to a domain of theirs (or one of their domains' aspects) will give them a benefit, either reducing the cost of the action or getting a bonus to a dice roll. The domains and their aspects are as follows:
1) Air/Lightning
2) Animals/Plants
3) Chaos/Freedom/Change
4) Creation (building)/Cities
5) Commerce/Wealth/Greed
6) Death
7) Destruction/Murder
8) Earth/Farming/Stone
9) Fire/Hearth
10) Glory/Hope
11) Knowledge/Skill
12) Law/Responsibility/Justice
13) Life/Healing
14) Love/Lust
15) Luck/Fate/Trickery
16) Moon/Darkness
17) Strength/Protection
18) Sun/Light
19) Travel/Communication
20) War/Tactics
21) Water/Ice/Sea
Hopefully playing such a session will cause the players to all have an investment in the setting. I plan on digitally recording the session and then paraphrasing it into a history of the setting. A possible arduous task. However, I have high hope for this game, and I think I'm up to the task.
The Age of Heroes is a setting that has yet to be created. So far the idea is that it will be themed around the idea of epic heroes who serve in a world of meddling gods. A world where heroes are not just legends, they've been seen just two towns over. Or so you've heard. The Players will play characters who are either mortals raised high through their skill, the children of gods, powerful spirits, or even minor gods. Think Odysseus, Samson, or Gilgamesh.
The game's structure will be largely episodic, with each quest being one or two sessions long and contributing to the overall setting. I really want my players to have the feeling that they are changing the world. Additionally, the cast of each session will be changing. I've realized that I have at least 8 good players in my group, and there are more "fringe" players who I'd like to play with more. Thus, a rotating cast where each quest may have a different combination of involved heroes.
All this is getting ahead of myself, however, as the setting is not yet created. I plan on creating the setting with a group of the players using the Dawn of Worlds rules. Dawn of Worlds is a game where each player plays a god who is involved in the shaping of the world, starting with its geology, moving onto the creation of the inhabitants, and then having the inhabitants interacting. There is no way to "win," it's a game designed to build settings.
I'm not going to be playing it straight though. I'll be incorporating some house rules, mainly the idea of domains. I thought it would flesh out the pantheon better if each god had domains that they played towards. Each domain will have multiple aspects, an aspect being a related area of a domain that the player has a focus on. Whether they choose to focus on a single aspect, multiple aspects, or combine their aspects in an interesting way is up to them. The players will take turn drawing domains out of a hat until there are no domains left. They can then trade one domain to another player who is willing to part with a domain as well. Every action that a player takes that can be related to a domain of theirs (or one of their domains' aspects) will give them a benefit, either reducing the cost of the action or getting a bonus to a dice roll. The domains and their aspects are as follows:
1) Air/Lightning
2) Animals/Plants
3) Chaos/Freedom/Change
4) Creation (building)/Cities
5) Commerce/Wealth/Greed
6) Death
7) Destruction/Murder
8) Earth/Farming/Stone
9) Fire/Hearth
10) Glory/Hope
11) Knowledge/Skill
12) Law/Responsibility/Justice
13) Life/Healing
14) Love/Lust
15) Luck/Fate/Trickery
16) Moon/Darkness
17) Strength/Protection
18) Sun/Light
19) Travel/Communication
20) War/Tactics
21) Water/Ice/Sea
Hopefully playing such a session will cause the players to all have an investment in the setting. I plan on digitally recording the session and then paraphrasing it into a history of the setting. A possible arduous task. However, I have high hope for this game, and I think I'm up to the task.
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