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The Main Event is an alumni of Dickinson College and The University of Miami Law School. He writes dungeon mastering advice in his Pain of Campaigning series. Now a practicing attorney in Maryland specializing in Wills, Trusts, and Estates, The Main Event is an aspiring author and always looking for new clients or avenues of publication. Email him or follow him on Twitter.
The Guest DM
Occasionally, DMs need a break. In long-running highly developed game worlds players may find that there are parts of the campaign or the world that they are particular interested in. If they notice that the DM needs a break, but is still is gung-ho about his game, this presents a golden opportunity. Running a single adventure in the regular DM’s game world is an unusual break for him and a change of place for the players. To be successful requires communication between the standard DM and the guest DM, an understanding about the place in the campaign of your solo adventure, and the right personalities to embrace and enjoy the role reversal.
First, the anecdotal example I’m using: I am part of a long running SAGA Star Wars campaign. Its timeline began after the end of Revenge of the Sith and has already seen one set of 19th level characters enter semi-retirement. Amongst those characters was my accidental Jedi Master. My DM and I agreed it was time to put him on a bus because he had hung around too long and didn’t fit the fluff of the era. He started off as a guest character/macguffin doomed to die, but for whatever reason he managed to keep escaping his destined fate. So, I agreed to have him leave. He took a power that let him masquerade as if he was a dark side character and secretly “joined” the Emperor and his Empire with the identity of an Inquisitor he had vanquished. Now, the new PCs were being sent in to infiltrate his compound (at my suggestion) and I offered to run it as a “reverse dungeon.”
For starters, this Star Wars game is very big on its in-game canon. As such, weeks ahead of time I made a nice flowchart of the adventure to show what would happen. Last minute adventure prep is not the way to go here. The nuts and bolts of the adventure were fine, but my DM made sure to insert the correct proper nouns into the mission fluff. It was a bit more formally planned than usual for me, but I felt it was important to assuage any concerns about me planning on giving the party millions of credits to ruin the game. For the procrastinating DMs out there, this is a bit of a change, but it’s a sacrifice that has to be made in such a collaborative effort. If you try to run an adventure like this, be prepared for tinkering of some kind. It may be with the core of the adventure itself, however, the important thing is to make sure that you’re on the same wavelength and not get too married to any one idea. Campaigns are the DM’s precious baby, and it’s only natural that they may be a bit of a helicopter parent when it comes to loosening the reigns.
Second, you want to make sure you know about where your adventure takes place in the campaign as a whole. In my example, the DM has been using three parties on a rotating basis. He wanted a story option that would explain phasing out one party (if the players chose to do so) and a way to gracefully have a character whose player left bow out. This was done by having the entire “mission” against my old character be an elaborate ruse for him to make contact with Rebel elements and hire the mercenaries that undertook the attack against him. It could also be a simple side quest without any real tie to the game at large. Even so, you can always ask to use certain minor NPCs to give them more development in the game world as a whole. Be wary about making the adventure revolve around your current character. Bringing back retired favorites for a cameo is fine, but don’t have the game devolve into a wankfest.
In addition, both the DM and the DM-substitute need to be easy-going enough to allow their creativity to be tinkered with. In my case, the regular DM and I have played games with each other for nearly 15 years. We respect one another’s playing and DMing, so it was not a hard sell. Even so, he had to deal with my general disinterest in Star Wars equipment and pseudo-science during the adventure and I had to deal with his “interpretation” of the character he was playing (read: he was hamming it up as a player). It was all well and good, but you have to willing to accept the differences in the game. Moreover, you need players that are willing to accept an abrupt change in style. While I blew at least four different rules calls during the game, I also let players automatically succeed more often even if the rules called for a check. I killed off mooks that were close to dead rather than meticulously keeping track of hit points. In the end, you just have to have a group that’s focused on fun and unique play over consistency and regularity.
Guest DMing can give a player a chance to flex his DMing muscles, the old DM a brief respite, and a chance for a new take on the game world and the game itself for the players. It requires collaboration, a good working rapport, and an open-minded group, but the opportunity and uniqueness of the change is well worth the effort.
Tabletop RPGs and Music: The Beautiful Thieves
Inspiration for adventures, campaigns, and characters oftentimes come from the same shared geek sources. If your play group is a mirror of your social circle, chances are you share the same touchstones of inspiration: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, a few book series, some choice TV shows, and shared experiences from the past. As such, if I were to introduce a debilitated gunslinger to my RPG group the would roll their eyes at me and say “Doc Holiday from Tombstone, AGAIN?!” While it’s perfectly legitimate (and even encouraged!) to use shared sources as fodder for your RPGS, sometimes using an unusual source subject to interpretation is superior. Music can be evocative of particular emotions and aesthetics, but possess lyrics sparse enough to spark imagination and allow you, as the GM/DM or player creating a character, to own the concept while still owing your inspiration to another source.
Every RPGer struggles to make their game special. No one wants to run a forgettable, generic game. In my opinion, music can very easily fuel ideas for unique campaign settings, adventure, or character concepts. As a player, in TheGame’s notorious Kitchen Sink D&D game, I chose Frog from Chrono Trigger’s theme song for my idealist psionicist team leader, Levi Black (kudos if you figure out where I ripped that name off from). Hearing that song, even today, really puts me in the character’s shoes (sorry Frog you were great too!) As a GM I offered an XP bonus to anyone that picked a character theme song and explained to me why they chose it. When I was planning adventures I’d key up those songs to help me evoke the character and their attitude and persona. [Read the rest of this article]
The Plot Kill
Like the unfettered dawn shall he blind us, and burn us, yet shall the Dragon Reborn confront the Shadow at the Last Battle, and his blood shall give us the Light. Let tears flow, O ye people of the world. Weep for your salvation.
– Wheel Of Time Series, Prophecy of the Dragon.
In the ongoing debate of killing of PCs and total party kills, one aspect of PC death is often left out: The Plot Kill. Having turned Plot Kills into defining campaign moments and having received some memorable Plot Kills myself, I think the concept warrants discussion.
First, to define Plot Kill: situations in which the DM plans for a PC death and executes either with or without mechanics. Examples could be playing out a “Last Stand” against a never ending horde of minions (played out to see how long the other characters actually have to make an escape) or requiring a PC to sacrifice himself to contain the essence of a mad god (no roll required). In this article I am going to discuss the guidelines of planning a Plot Kill, advise DMs on how to handle these occasions, and make a case to DMs for turning EVERY PC death into a Plot Kill. [Read the rest of this article]
Lost: Mostly Filler, but with a Dash of Desmond, Things Look Up
SPOILERS ABOUND. I also assume familiarity with the show. This is an editorial/rant!
First, before we get to the dreamy Desmond’s delicious deliverance to the show, let’s take a look at why Season 6 of Lost has been filler up until now. The major plot points of the first part of Season 6 were: The Flash Sideways Reality, The Lostaways and the Temple, and UnLocke Is Evil. These plot arcs are the primary reason for the show sucking so badly. However, hope is on the horizon and its name is Desmond.
Rather than learning about what HAS happened to the characters or what WILL happen to them, we get a glimpse of what COULD have happened in some other as of yet undefined alternate time line. This was intriguing at first, during the Season Premiere LA X as we tried to figure out WHAT we were seeing, but the cuteness faded quickly as every ‘sideways’ view showed us “shocking” twists on our favorite characters. It became rote that if some new person was showing up in the Flash Sideways they’d have been on the show… before! How shocking. Our characters were the same people, but their lives took VERY different turns (sometimes). Now, having a potpourri of past characters randomly doing new, related but different things in this alternate reality has one major problem: No One Cares. Over the first part of the season we have no reason to care about this bizzaro-characters. They aren’t really related to OUR characters. Now, in the Desmond-centric Happily Ever After we learn that the alternate reality is “wrong”, it needs to be fixed, and some of the characters know that it requires fixing. One problem: all the previous episodes’ Flash-sideways were dull and uninspired when we watch them. Regardless of the foreshadowed plans to make the Flash-sideways an integral part of the show’s resolution, it doesn’t excuse a set of hokey side-plots that we’re given no reason to care about as they unfolded.
We spend much of this season marooned with various characters at a temple filled with Jacob’s followers: including an enigmatic Japanese businessman/kung-fu master and Sol Star John Lennon A Guy Named Lennon. Nothing happens here. Really, nothing happens here we don’t already know. Sayid’s resurrection and taint afterward? That’s not a big deal, we already knew about the bad effects of Resurrection from Richard Alpert and Boy Ben’s resurrection. What about the new characters? Surely they have a role? [Read the rest of this article]
2009 Retrospective on 4e: The Reality of the Relationship
2009 was the year I reentered the world of gaming in full force. During law school I kept an interest, but played pencil and paper RPGs infrequently, and only out of town. I eagerly followed and consumed all 4e materials. I applauded its newfound sense of balance and streamlined system for enhanced ease of play.
Then, I played it. Entering two games at paragon tier, I got to examine the system. It’s been fun. With streamlined simplicity it has given real number crunchers enough to min-max (though they lament the broken combos of yore) and the casual gamer the means to compete without being forced to spend too much time. For me though, some aspects of 4E stand out as ugly warts on a smooth and well conceived gaming experience. So now, the honeymoon with 4e is over. 4e and I spent our days in bed cooing softly in one another’s ear, and now it’s time to take stock of the situation. It’s time to codify my biggest gripes about 4e.
[Read the rest of this article]
First Impressions Review: "Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay" 3rd Edition
Standard Disclaimers
I received this game as a gift, but not as a review product. I have never played any edition of WFRP and, in fact, still haven’t played this game. I’ve read through all the rules at least once, but I’m sure I still have a few misconceptions. I am very familiar with the setting, having played Warhammer (40k and Fantasy) avidly for about five years (1996-2001).
Good
For a game with a hefty price tag, WFRP is still a game that values economy. Its books are brief, covering the general rules without getting down to the nitty gritty of every character’s special powers. Players have a card or physical object representing every action they take, every adjustment to be made, and every passive ability they possess. There’s no excruciating references to a book needed, it’s all right there.
That sort of philosophy permeates the game. All actions are resolved based on totaling up various good dice (skill, ability, aggressiveness, conditions) and bad dice (conditions, defense) for one simple roll. As a GM gets more comfortable with it, it could become a powerful and versatile system. Tracking is done visually: there’s virtually no math (other than counting up results in dice pool) and completely and intuitively incorporates a number of aspects in the game.
Spell casting is a cool twist on the basic system that reflects the fluff of the Warhammer universe. Experience is simple and characters have something to advance after every adventure. In my estimation WFRP is a powerful, deep system that if used properly gives players and DMs a satisfying immersive and flexible system. [Read the rest of this article]
Pain of Campaigning: Literature and Adventure Planning
Despite stereotypes that say otherwise, gaming groups are not monolithic in their cultural consumption. Most groups have a few shared interests (anime, sci-fi movies, etc.) and a few niche interests (history, literature, comics, etc.) This can readily be used to your advantage. This is where I’m most likely to borrow (rip off) ideas directly from books, film, and television. My Running Man-inspired adventures ended up being such a hit that they are demanded in literally every game I run. Players can’t get enough of facing off against Buzzsaw, Dynamo, and Sub Zero re-imagined over and over again.
However, much of gamer culture is shared and it’s not very interesting to rip something off that everyone instantly recognizes and inevitably metagames for. That’s where literature comes in. [Read the rest of this article]
Review: "Fantasy Craft"
Fantasy Craft is a D&D 3.0 OGL full-service RPG that boasts a robust set of classes, innovative and interesting feats, and a refreshing skill-based system of spell casting. With systems for item crafting, downtime for players, acquisition of holdings, prestige, and reputation it fills a gap that many have criticized as absent from the current 4.0 rules set. Fantasy Craft is an excellent product, with great ideas, but realistically won’t manage to penetrate my busy gaming schedule.
Good
Whereas Pathfinder sought to ‘patch’ D&D 3.5, Fantasy Craft takes the core of the OGL 3.5 and uses it to build a game that could best be described as first cousin rather than a sibling. Frankly, I like it more than trying to salvage the most cumbersome aspects of 3.5, but even for those with affinity for the old stuff it’s close enough to warm the cockles of the nostalgic 3.5 gamer. There are plenty of classes, many of which are tooled for things OTHER than combat (gasp). The upshot is that Fantasy Craft spends ample time supporting things other than combat, so that these classes are viable.
Spell casting is done entirely with skill based system and encounter-based skill points. Tons of feats help customize your spellcaster’s abilities within this system so that no two spellcasting PCs should come out the same. “Divine” magic works in a sort of modified 3.5 domain style system (called Alignments) that provide a satisfying set of rules and flavors to separate the divine from arcane casters (to use 4.0 parlance). If there’s one place that the system is different than 4.0 is that different character types FEEL very different. For some, this is a great draw, for others this smacks too much of the unbalanced older days of D&D. For me, it’s a neutral aspect, I miss the variety of old D&D, but I’m glad that I can finally play a rogue and not suck ass.
Fantasy Craft’s treatment of social stats, adventuring downtime, holdings, and more are one place I would say its definitively better than any other rival I’ve come into contact with. It’s quite possible to cannibalize these aspects to fit into any d20 type game. It’s not a perfect fit into all games, but the rules on Reputation, Prizes, Favors, Holdings, and Down Time are well thought out, balanced, and satisfying numeric solutions to the rather difficult task of fairly adjudicating these sorts of actions in most fantasy RPGs. For anyone that has thought about taking their campaign away from the adventuring-only archetype this provides tons of great ideas and guidance to make that process simple, satisfying, and ultimately rewarding for both DMs and Players.
Bad
The system has its prestige/paragon path equivalents (called expert classes), but these are woefully limited in the initial book. With eleven base classes and only six expert classes it seems like most players would be forced trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Although the system freeing supports multi-classing akin to 3.5, this section is just very skimpy and unsatisfying. Moreover, Fantasy Craft dangles the existence of Master Classes (which I assume will be like epic destinies, but more ‘grounded’ in fantasy realism?) but provides no support for it. As someone that favors the paragon tier or equivalent thereof, the lack of content in this area is irksome.
Ugly
The biggest problem with Fantasy Craft for me, is the “buy in.” D&D 4.0 is a system that my gaming group adopted readily and enjoys. I enjoy it and I play in a number of ongoing 4.0 games currently. So, despite all my praise for Fantasy Craft, ultimately, I doubt I’ll put my money where my mouth is and start playing it. Moreover, although it takes the 3.0 engine to its limit, when you compare the very cool feats a lot of fighter/warrior/combat characters take and the ‘tricks’ they grant (AKA powers/maneuvers) these classes still end up seeming extremely confined to their 4.0 counterparts with a host of powers for every situation.
Make no mistake, Fantasy Craft is an awesome system with lots to offer, but for me, personally I don’t see it occupying a space in my gaming life. I fear that that very same concern is the system’s greatest hurdle to success as a stand-alone RPG alternative. That being said, this offering has me very interested in their upcoming Mistborn RPG as I am huge fan of the series.
Rating: B+. Hit!
Want to learn more about Fantasy Craft? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Fantasy Craft (Atomic Array 032)
- Game Cryer: Review by Chris Perrin
- Questing GM: Questing with Fantasy Craft
- allgeektout: What Fantasy Craft Has to Offer
- Campaign Mastery: Mine Fiction for Campaign Qualities
- Emerson’s Bookshelf: Fantasy Just Got Crafty
- Critical Hits: Critical Review
- Fear the Boot: Fear the Review
- Gnome Stew: What Fantasy Craft Brings to the Table
- Uncle Bear: Fantasy Craft Chargen
- Flames Rising: Dark FantasyCraft Review
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Being a Good New Player
So often the focus of my articles is DMing. However, in a few short weeks I will be doing something unusual: joining The Game’s regular D&D game. I’m going to run through the considerations of making a character for a game that has been run for a considerable time (the party is starting off paragon level).
- Basic Concept: This one is deceptively simple, but it worth noting. Just ask the DM any idiosyncrasies he’s using in the rules or setting. It really helps to at least give the DM a chance to guide you towards (or away) from stuff that’s not going to work well.
- Background: Even if you’re an active participant in D&D sessions its unreasonable to expect your character to show up in a ground and suddenly become the star. Keep this in mind, and leave an open ended and malleable background so the DM can easily fit you into his story, the other players have reason to accept you, and you have reason to join them. A mystery or powerful enemy are good hooks for a DM to use, but don’t make them too detailed. Give the DM just enough rope to hang you with as he pleases.
- Party Members: Find out what other characters are in the party. Nothing can turn a group against you like creating a character that makes another long-running party member irrelevant. Using the 4E nomenclature, this doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t play another striker alongside with a melee Ranger , but it means you probably shouldn’t head to the Wizard’s character optimization board to make a sweet paragon half-elf dagger master that cherry picked the ranger’s twin strike feat and out performs him in every way in combat with two weapons. That being said, nothing wins you a spot in the party like actually doing something useful. Don’t be the new guy that makes a character that brings nothing to the table other than another person to placate. A new player does not have to be a combat monster, but definitely have a few things you can do to lend a hand. When you discover what the party has, make something that can fill a niche that they may need.
- Sharing Your Info: A lot of players simply announce their character’s name, describe them, proclaim their epic destiny, and then sulk when their goals and motivations are summarily ignored. Everyone wants to have their moment to shine, but the best way to do this is inform the DM about your character ahead of time, talk to yourself unobtrusively with other characters (in game), and then wait for your turn in the spotlight.
So, putting my own rules to use I came up with the following basic concept: A Deva Avenger that has not in fact recently died, but instead experienced some unknown trauma. In fact, the Deva has enemies now and can’t even trust their usual avenues of aid. Hence, they are sworn to the Raven Queen and are seeking outside sources of power from unusual, and perhaps risky, avenues (Paragon Path: Student of Caiphon). With enemies abound and some questionable allies my character is going to walk the fine line between Deva and Rahkshasa and traffic with immortals and higher powers. A lot of knowledge skills should adequate reflect his learned background, which he hopes will help him navigate the murky corridors of power. I then whipped up a quick short story to sum up what his existence to my new DM…. Enjoy! [Read the rest of this article]
Review: The Darkness that Comes Before
Background: I bought R. Scott Bakker’s first book purely based on its appearance on ‘top fantasy’ lists and its comparisons to the ‘realistic’ fantasy authors of Steven Erikson and George R..R. Martin. Bakker comes from an English critique and Philosophy background and it shows. His prose is often quite moving: either beautiful in its poetry or sickening in its brutality. His characters, setting, and background all teem with philosophical underpinnings. Set in a world mirroring Europe and the Middle East during the First Crusade the book is schizophrenic in its soaring heights and puzzling lows.
Setting: The characters all have odd names (quasi-Germanic?)- more so than typical fantasy, so much so that I have trouble remembering the characters by name (which is a problem). The world of oddly named characters has already been destroyed by one Apocalypse. Another is sure to follow, at least according to the Quixotic order of Sorcerers, The Mandate. Cursed with dreams detailing the recollections of their founder’s experience during the first apocalypse, they know with certainty that the Apocalypse is real, but after years of vague warnings the Great Factions of the world ignore them. The world’s great religion has experienced a renaissance under a new pope-equivalent and a Holy War is imminent. Great Factions jockey for position amidst alliances of heathen sorcerers and scheming religious orders. In the midst of this volatile setting, an outlander monk emerges with powerful, unique knowledge that is sure to change the course of history. Overall, the setting is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The depth and richness of the book is engrossing and thought-provoking. When I wasn’t reading it, I often found myself considering the world and the story, which is high praise indeed.
Story: The plot and the characters are fascinating and maddening in equal turns. First, my qualms: The titular “Prince of Nothing” is a do-it-all to the worst degree. Bred for intellect, practitioner of the “Logos” philosophy, superb combatant, able to read people’s thoughts through their facial twitches, and crafter of perfect statements for nearly every situation, the character is maddening in his perfection. Although his “gee whiz” powers are adequately explained, the idolatry, worship, and praise heaped upon him in his (so far) limited screen time is tiresome. Secondly, all the female characters of note are highly sexualized and often brutalized. Now, I’m OK with characters being raped, beaten, and treated like shit: those types make for better stories than those living idyllic lives. However, the absence of a single female character that isn’t defined by her sexuality is troublesome.
That being said, there’s a lot to love in the book. The main character, a wizard/spy with low self-esteem, is likeable and relatable for his failings. He’s a great stand-in for every person that’s been forced to give up what they love for their career. The scheming royal family is delightful in their paranoia and arrogance. The typical barbarian archetype gets nicely twisted and featured. The book definitely feels like “Book 1” as it’s more meant to set the stage than really go into depth. The climax is adequate, but leaves the reader with more questions than answers.
Overall: B. Ultimately, the book’s glaring issues detracts from a story that I read in record time. I believe that the female characters will manage to stop being whores (literally in one case) and develop, but I’m concerned that the sequels will focus too much on the Jesus stand-in/Canon Sue to the point where I’ll grow annoyed (see Sword of Truth for this type of decay). Despite its flaws, it’s a visceral kick in the face of a fantasy novel that endeavors to tackle philosophy, religion, and politics.
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