So,
I have been experiencing something of a productive spell of late - I finished and ran the Sci-Horror scenario I had been kicking around for ages and it went down well with the group. I've pretty much got all the material to run a nice long Gaslight Cthulhu campaign and on top of that, I've thrashed out enough detail to cobble together a whole introductory adventure for the fantasy setting I have been plodding away on for some time, AND I can even run some Clockwork and Chivalry! I can't wait til it's my turn to GM again!
I am a staunch BRP supporter when it comes to tabletop roleplaying. I will play (and have) many other systems but I am a BRP guy by and large (and you can't argue with a system that is so modular and scalable with so many plugins to evoke the flavour of basically anything you can envisage).
As such it comes as no surprise that the BRP based Rune Quest 6th edition is a gem of a book. I have ported a lot of the work I had done in terms of setting and mechanics over to RQ 6. Basically, RQ 6 is now my go to for Fantasy based gaming mechanics along with select bits from the main BRP book. I don't think RQ 6 is better than BRP, but I do think it is better for the type of fantasy I want to run (though fantasy is something of a love/hate relationship for me - I usually feel much more comfortable working with Scifi/horror/reality based settings if it's me GM'ing) RQ 6 proves how good BRP is, and I recommend it to anyone with BRP if only for the excellent magic systems which account for nearly a third of the book as a rough guess. I feel like RQ 6 has allowed me to create the sort of fantasy game I wanted to - fairly gritty detailed and with dangerous, consequential combat, and a robust and effective magic system, kept in check by limited use due to slow refreshment of Magic points.
My only gripe is I could not find a soft cover option - I am one of those weird people who actively dislikes hardback books if it's something I plan to be working from regularly. That said there is no arguing with the fact that it's a very handsome product and the binding is perfect.
I am glad that it did not include the Glorantha material - I have no gripe with the setting but it's something that can be added as supplements and leaving it out has allowed for loads of more useful content that maintains the "toolbox" nature of BRP.
Big thumbs up to The Design Mechanism (see linky) for a cool product.
Saturday 4 October 2014
Thursday 14 March 2013
LCG's from FFG are your new BFF if you were into CCG's? Acronym meltdown!
Well, what was meant to be a daily thing has turned into a biannual thing it seems! haha!
I do have some excuses for not having posted, not least of which being the preparation for and arrival of my 2nd little girl. That and it's my blog and I can do it whenever the hell I want!
LCG : Living Card Game : Rather than random "booster packs" as seen in Collectable Card games, the card pool is increased via fixed, regular packs or box sets.
FFG : Fantasy Flight Games : An American company set up to leech money from my wallet and jeopardize my children's aspirations to higher education.
Anyway onto the meat of this post, namely how awesome I think LCG's are. In the mid 90's I would go to the gaming shop upstairs from the entrance of the Liverpool palace -anyone remember that? it was a great place to get cards and miniatures and RPG's as well as Virgin (yes, Virgin did gaming stuff then!) and of course Quiggins (a pity I didn't know the owner of Quiggins was a bigoted racist cunt at the time) - and spend some of my hard mooched (I was 14) money on Magic the gathering cards. It was a great little game and I enjoyed it along with all the Warhammer I could afford (not much).
Fast forward to now and the LCG model pioneered by Fantasy Flight Games is the new noise in card games. I like it. I like it because I know what I'm getting. I like it because even if I decide to go ahead and collect everything for a given system it is a) still cheaper overall than trying to get everything for the current iteration of a CCG format card game and b) I know exactly how many purchases (and how much) I need to spend, and I like it because the gameplay, for my money, is more tactical, more interesting, and makes excellent use of the themes (caveat: I have not played the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones LCG's and so cannot comment on them).
First up (and my favourite) is the Call of Cthulhu LCG based on the works of one Mr Howard Phillips. Despite holding some rather iffy opinions, some of which might chime in common with Mr. Quiggins the simple facts are that in the main, the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft rocks balls. The game itself does a really good job of making the most of the theme and the game s pretty strategic when it gets down to it. Sure, you can crank out the big nasties (especially in a Shub-Niggurath deck) but the game equally rewards a more considered approach and taking on the mantle of Miskatonic University or one of the other human factions is just as fun.
Negatives:
> If you don't like, or get the Cthulhu mythos then some of it may fall flat and you will be left relying on the mechanics (which are fine) of the game for enjoyment.
> The game mechanics work very well and help evoke the setting, but there is no denying that it's probably the most complex LCG to learn (and certainly requires a lot more effort to understand than Magic: The Gathering). he timing structure in particular can be pretty complex. Granted, FFG have published a detailed step by step FAQ for the timing but even so....
> It's one of the older LCG's (I think only Game of Thrones is older). This is nothing against the game itself-far from it (as I say it;s my favourite) but for the collector or gamer who wants it all, there is a potentially daunting card pool out there. This is only a problem if you want to get everything but it may be worth bearing in mind.
Positives:
> It makes fantastic use of the setting and each faction really does feel like it has a unique play style and flavour.
> Factor in the above point with the fact that each faction has severable viable strategies and moreover 2 faction decks are workable and you can imagine that there is a wealth of deck building strategies. This game rewards planning and strategy.
> Playable out of the box - drop the money on the Core set (somewhere around 25 quid) and even if you never buy another card, this will serve you for a long time - you can certainly get your money's worth.
Warhammer Invasion is, of course, based on the popular IP owned by Games Workshop and again, FFG have managed to evoke the flavour and feel of the theme. The gameplay is rather more battle-oriented than most other LCG's as is both correct and understandable, with the players controlling both huge armies and notable personages from the Warhammer world in card form. The game has a very interesting set of card draw and resource gathering mechanics and even without the Warhammer IP theme, I think this game would work ell mechanistically speaking. That said, the system works very, very well with it's theme and it really does tap into the races and cultures of the setting.
Negatives:
> It can be easy to work yourself into an untenable position very quickly in this game. This is in part due to how the unique way system works and requires you to balance resources, defence and hand management which is actually something of a positive
in the long term, but in the short term, if you don't like/aren't willing to learn the game on it's own terms and accept that you will get things wrong along the way then you may get frustrated.
> Only 6 distinct factions. Granted it was unlikely all the races of the Warhammer world would get their own faction in game, if only for game balance reasons, but many people have been put off, simply because their favourite race is only playable via neutral cards.
> The nagging feeling that somewhere down the line Games Workshop is getting money from you if you buy into this game!
Joking aside, GW make many (including myself) feel incredible ambivalence at best. and it could be a factor in your purchase.
Positives:
> Does a great job of putting you right into an epic struggle between nations in the Warhammer setting and has a big "playing for all the marbles" feel.
> Is full of character and each race plays both uniquely, but also in a manner that is consistent with the lore. This is important as it could have been a case of one but not the other. They are all satisfying choices and the card pool has reached a point where there are several viable strategies for each.
> There is a card called Troll Vomit. This is a positive consideration in anyone's book!
> Relatively simple rules, combined with a fantastic set of mechanics. You are constantly evaluating the play field and having to choose between acquiring resources, improving your ability to draw, and maintaining defence across all zones while still having the ability to mount a credible offense against the opponents kingdom. It all makes for compelling play.
Android: Netrunner is directly based on the Netrunner CCG designed by Richard Garfield (he of Magic the Gathering fame) back in the mid 90's. I borrows heavily from this previous iteration and many of the core tropes are carried over from the original. The details of the setting may have changed to be more in line with the "Android" universe but the basics remain the same. What we are looking at is an asymmetrical game in which one player is the runner, a desperate but talented hacker striving to snag some classified data or information from a global mega corporation.
The other is the corporation in question and is willing to use any and all of it's considerable resources to keep it's secrets safe.
Negatives:
> Some aspects of the rules can take a little getting used to and despite having played a number of games, myself and my regular opponent have still gotten things wrong from time to time. This in no way diminished our enjoyment however.
> The asymmetrical nature of the game may not be to everyone's taste and it can take a bit of getting used to if you are more familiar with games that have each player start on a level playing field.
> As a fairly new game the cardpool is fairly shallow right now (so far just the core set and the first 3 datapacks from the first cycle). In all fairness this is not an issue as the game is perfectly playable without anything else beyond the core set, and the expansions will be coming thick and fst for the forseeable. As such this is only an issue (and a minor one at that) for those players who play intensively and are eager to get deck building asap.
Positives:
> The game mechanics are great in and of themselves and serve the setting very well - you really do feel like a hotshot runner - loaded with talent but one step from disaster or the all powerful megacorp, ruthless and with near unlimited resources, but monolithic and constantly stung by this upstart little hacker!
> A great LCG to get into at this point - it is new enough that collecting everything is a and staying on top of th release schedule is a realistic prospect even for the casual player who happens to get bitten by the completionist bug, but at the same time there are just enough packs out that even the most fervent gamer who falls in love with the game and has to start deck building can open up the card pool.
> The above point (still relatively new, but with stuff out) means that it is currently very popular, so it's the LCG you are most likely to get a game of should you turn up at your local gaming store looking for a pick up game.
Another big license for the boys from FFG!
This obviously has a lot going for it just based on the Star Wars name, but nder the hood so to speak, there is a lot to be impressed with. While not going as far as Netrunner, it can be seen as almost asymmetrical in the sense that the Dark side can play a very different game to the light side. The Death Star dial effectively imposes a time limit on the game (i.e., if the Light side doesn't meet it's victory conditions within 12 turns or else manage to slow the dial then the Dark side wins) and so this encourages a certain amount of aggressive/decisive play by the light side player. It also looks like a genuine attempt to add something new to deck building thanks to the way in which decks are constructed in "pods", with fixed cards being compulsory picks tid to certain objective cards.
Negative:
> So far it's just the core set - the first cycle and even the deluxe expansion have been announced but so far none are available just yet. Hardly a problem as the game is more than playable with the core set, but it might be a while before you can really get to deck building and that might be an issue for some people at the present time.
> You may not like the way in which this game handles deck building. Personally I'm intrigued and feel it might add a lot of tactical considerations when putting a deck together, but I think this choice may well prove to be a marmite decision by FFG.
Positives:
> Obviously has a strong brand behind it and a company that knows what it is doing, so it should do very well and ensure a well supported product with a good pool of opponents in most areas.
> The strong contrast between the two sides and the good variety of factions in each allow for plenty of possible deck building opportunities onve those first couple of cycles and the big box expansion hit.
If you are interested in getting into an LCG then the very best thing to do is check out a tutorial video for the game in question on the FFG website, and then see if anyone in your area is playing and look into getting a couple of games under your belt. If it's for you, then welcome to LCG gaming!
I do have some excuses for not having posted, not least of which being the preparation for and arrival of my 2nd little girl. That and it's my blog and I can do it whenever the hell I want!
LCG : Living Card Game : Rather than random "booster packs" as seen in Collectable Card games, the card pool is increased via fixed, regular packs or box sets.
FFG : Fantasy Flight Games : An American company set up to leech money from my wallet and jeopardize my children's aspirations to higher education.
Anyway onto the meat of this post, namely how awesome I think LCG's are. In the mid 90's I would go to the gaming shop upstairs from the entrance of the Liverpool palace -anyone remember that? it was a great place to get cards and miniatures and RPG's as well as Virgin (yes, Virgin did gaming stuff then!) and of course Quiggins (a pity I didn't know the owner of Quiggins was a bigoted racist cunt at the time) - and spend some of my hard mooched (I was 14) money on Magic the gathering cards. It was a great little game and I enjoyed it along with all the Warhammer I could afford (not much).
Fast forward to now and the LCG model pioneered by Fantasy Flight Games is the new noise in card games. I like it. I like it because I know what I'm getting. I like it because even if I decide to go ahead and collect everything for a given system it is a) still cheaper overall than trying to get everything for the current iteration of a CCG format card game and b) I know exactly how many purchases (and how much) I need to spend, and I like it because the gameplay, for my money, is more tactical, more interesting, and makes excellent use of the themes (caveat: I have not played the Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones LCG's and so cannot comment on them).
First up (and my favourite) is the Call of Cthulhu LCG based on the works of one Mr Howard Phillips. Despite holding some rather iffy opinions, some of which might chime in common with Mr. Quiggins the simple facts are that in the main, the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft rocks balls. The game itself does a really good job of making the most of the theme and the game s pretty strategic when it gets down to it. Sure, you can crank out the big nasties (especially in a Shub-Niggurath deck) but the game equally rewards a more considered approach and taking on the mantle of Miskatonic University or one of the other human factions is just as fun.
Negatives:
> If you don't like, or get the Cthulhu mythos then some of it may fall flat and you will be left relying on the mechanics (which are fine) of the game for enjoyment.
> The game mechanics work very well and help evoke the setting, but there is no denying that it's probably the most complex LCG to learn (and certainly requires a lot more effort to understand than Magic: The Gathering). he timing structure in particular can be pretty complex. Granted, FFG have published a detailed step by step FAQ for the timing but even so....
> It's one of the older LCG's (I think only Game of Thrones is older). This is nothing against the game itself-far from it (as I say it;s my favourite) but for the collector or gamer who wants it all, there is a potentially daunting card pool out there. This is only a problem if you want to get everything but it may be worth bearing in mind.
Positives:
> It makes fantastic use of the setting and each faction really does feel like it has a unique play style and flavour.
> Factor in the above point with the fact that each faction has severable viable strategies and moreover 2 faction decks are workable and you can imagine that there is a wealth of deck building strategies. This game rewards planning and strategy.
> Playable out of the box - drop the money on the Core set (somewhere around 25 quid) and even if you never buy another card, this will serve you for a long time - you can certainly get your money's worth.
Negatives:
> It can be easy to work yourself into an untenable position very quickly in this game. This is in part due to how the unique way system works and requires you to balance resources, defence and hand management which is actually something of a positive
in the long term, but in the short term, if you don't like/aren't willing to learn the game on it's own terms and accept that you will get things wrong along the way then you may get frustrated.
> Only 6 distinct factions. Granted it was unlikely all the races of the Warhammer world would get their own faction in game, if only for game balance reasons, but many people have been put off, simply because their favourite race is only playable via neutral cards.
> The nagging feeling that somewhere down the line Games Workshop is getting money from you if you buy into this game!
Joking aside, GW make many (including myself) feel incredible ambivalence at best. and it could be a factor in your purchase.
Positives:
> Does a great job of putting you right into an epic struggle between nations in the Warhammer setting and has a big "playing for all the marbles" feel.
> Is full of character and each race plays both uniquely, but also in a manner that is consistent with the lore. This is important as it could have been a case of one but not the other. They are all satisfying choices and the card pool has reached a point where there are several viable strategies for each.
> There is a card called Troll Vomit. This is a positive consideration in anyone's book!
> Relatively simple rules, combined with a fantastic set of mechanics. You are constantly evaluating the play field and having to choose between acquiring resources, improving your ability to draw, and maintaining defence across all zones while still having the ability to mount a credible offense against the opponents kingdom. It all makes for compelling play.
Android: Netrunner is directly based on the Netrunner CCG designed by Richard Garfield (he of Magic the Gathering fame) back in the mid 90's. I borrows heavily from this previous iteration and many of the core tropes are carried over from the original. The details of the setting may have changed to be more in line with the "Android" universe but the basics remain the same. What we are looking at is an asymmetrical game in which one player is the runner, a desperate but talented hacker striving to snag some classified data or information from a global mega corporation.
The other is the corporation in question and is willing to use any and all of it's considerable resources to keep it's secrets safe.
Negatives:
> Some aspects of the rules can take a little getting used to and despite having played a number of games, myself and my regular opponent have still gotten things wrong from time to time. This in no way diminished our enjoyment however.
> The asymmetrical nature of the game may not be to everyone's taste and it can take a bit of getting used to if you are more familiar with games that have each player start on a level playing field.
> As a fairly new game the cardpool is fairly shallow right now (so far just the core set and the first 3 datapacks from the first cycle). In all fairness this is not an issue as the game is perfectly playable without anything else beyond the core set, and the expansions will be coming thick and fst for the forseeable. As such this is only an issue (and a minor one at that) for those players who play intensively and are eager to get deck building asap.
Positives:
> The game mechanics are great in and of themselves and serve the setting very well - you really do feel like a hotshot runner - loaded with talent but one step from disaster or the all powerful megacorp, ruthless and with near unlimited resources, but monolithic and constantly stung by this upstart little hacker!
> A great LCG to get into at this point - it is new enough that collecting everything is a and staying on top of th release schedule is a realistic prospect even for the casual player who happens to get bitten by the completionist bug, but at the same time there are just enough packs out that even the most fervent gamer who falls in love with the game and has to start deck building can open up the card pool.
> The above point (still relatively new, but with stuff out) means that it is currently very popular, so it's the LCG you are most likely to get a game of should you turn up at your local gaming store looking for a pick up game.
Another big license for the boys from FFG!
This obviously has a lot going for it just based on the Star Wars name, but nder the hood so to speak, there is a lot to be impressed with. While not going as far as Netrunner, it can be seen as almost asymmetrical in the sense that the Dark side can play a very different game to the light side. The Death Star dial effectively imposes a time limit on the game (i.e., if the Light side doesn't meet it's victory conditions within 12 turns or else manage to slow the dial then the Dark side wins) and so this encourages a certain amount of aggressive/decisive play by the light side player. It also looks like a genuine attempt to add something new to deck building thanks to the way in which decks are constructed in "pods", with fixed cards being compulsory picks tid to certain objective cards.
Negative:
> So far it's just the core set - the first cycle and even the deluxe expansion have been announced but so far none are available just yet. Hardly a problem as the game is more than playable with the core set, but it might be a while before you can really get to deck building and that might be an issue for some people at the present time.
> You may not like the way in which this game handles deck building. Personally I'm intrigued and feel it might add a lot of tactical considerations when putting a deck together, but I think this choice may well prove to be a marmite decision by FFG.
Positives:
> Obviously has a strong brand behind it and a company that knows what it is doing, so it should do very well and ensure a well supported product with a good pool of opponents in most areas.
> The strong contrast between the two sides and the good variety of factions in each allow for plenty of possible deck building opportunities onve those first couple of cycles and the big box expansion hit.
If you are interested in getting into an LCG then the very best thing to do is check out a tutorial video for the game in question on the FFG website, and then see if anyone in your area is playing and look into getting a couple of games under your belt. If it's for you, then welcome to LCG gaming!
Friday 22 June 2012
Stone Age
First time play of this last night with game group. I can heartily recommend it - probably one of the best worker placement games I've ever played and I say that as an owner of it's Rio Grande Games stable mate Puerto Rico!
If you can pick up a copy of it I urge you to do so. The only downside is it's four player and our group averages five or more so last night 2 people had to play as a team! Fantastic game at any rate
 |
| You have HOW MANY Victory Points? |
Wednesday 20 June 2012
Shadowrun
Rightyo, for the first "proper" post I thought we could start things off with, of all things, a review! Since it is the first relevant (well, that's a relative term but you see where I'm coming from) post I felt it apt that I start with a review of what is my first ever true RPG experience that wasn't D&D (shudder) - Shadowrun.
If all you know of Shadowrun comes to you via the recent online shooter (which was by all accounts not great as a game, and worse a total waste of the license) then you are missing out. That said the mid 90's game on the 16 bit systems was great - if you must sample it in videogame form, then do it that way.
Shadowrun 3rd edition is, it has to be said, not a huge evolutionary leap from 2nd edition. I cannot comment on 4th ed having never played it but 3rd ed can be picked up cheaply enough second hand as are the majority of the supplements. Also it is a source of very fond memories for me. The USP is without doubt it's setting. A semi-dystopian future where mega-corporations have the money and muscle to dominate governments, fans of Bladerunner and (the fan of) Johnny Mnemonic will feel comfortable with most of the material.
It takes this near future and just to shake things up further gives it an injection of magic and mayhem. Earth enters a new, "6th age" linking it in with the prophesied end of the Mayan (and wrongly distorted into an end of of the world scenario by basically everyone else since, particularly by one singularly awful film). Magic returns to the world (as it had existed in previous "ages" and basically, things go batshit crazy as a percentage of the worlds population transform into mythic creatures.
If all of this sounds like a relatively thinly veiled excuse to have a game where D&D races live in a world of computer hackers and a handgun can be used in conjunction with a fireball spell then.......you're pretty much right, but it works dammit! And one or two missteps aside the majority of the supplements and published material manage to make a lot of what could be ridiculous - even by RPG standards - feel unforced and natural within the premise of the game.
As far as game mechanics go, it uses target numbers and a rather pleasing bucket's o' dice approach - basically the better you are at a given thing the more dice you will roll and thus the more likely you will be to hit the number you need. That is a good thing for several reasons which I shall go on to document at a later date in another post.
Complexity is an area in which, it has to be said, Shadowrun can suffer. It is perhaps not easy to recommend as a first system for a GM and players likewise can find it all a bit daunting simply because the setting and the occasionally hard to follow combat system means that newcomers can feel a little stranded. With a GM who knows his stuff and is patient however, such issues can be overcome quickly and indeed it can a perfectly suitable introduction to the hobby.
I like that Shadowrun is one of those games that just makes you feel that you don't need the supplements as well. The setting is rich and detailed enough that you feel you can construct a campaign of your own as easily as one ever can when undertaking such a mammoth task - indeed this is exactly what I am doing for my gaming group as we speak.
Ironically given it's world of tomorrow setting, Shadowrun is very much a game of it's time. Grunge ruled music, generation X worried about the state of the planet and the rise of Corps in real life, we read "the Crow", Goth was still a vibrant and relevant sound existing quite happily next to standard rock and Grunge and the internet was something that was exciting and a vogueish plot hook for films rather than a device to look at cat based lulz and sending friends things to pass on to 150 other people so their eyeballs don't melt and they find their true love.
Getting ready to run it again in the present I am acutely aware that one or two of the prospective players might not "get" the mood. What I said above should have had a caveat- Shadowrun is not the world of tomorrow - it is the world of tomorrow through the filter of the early/mid 90's. With Elves and Trolls. I am going to go through my library and create a Shadowrun mix Cd for when we play as I have just realised how awesome and diverse such a thing would be. In many ways going through Shadowrun in preparation for writing up a campaign has been like opening up an old toy chest-I have been taken back to that magical period between 10 and 15. Shadowrun needs to be played-you really owe it to your group. It is unique, eclectic, silly and fun. It has aged a little badly yet remains somehow relevant and the spirit is still there. I am looking forward to running it a hell of a lot.
And the trench coat and combat boot look is still awesome!
If all you know of Shadowrun comes to you via the recent online shooter (which was by all accounts not great as a game, and worse a total waste of the license) then you are missing out. That said the mid 90's game on the 16 bit systems was great - if you must sample it in videogame form, then do it that way.
It takes this near future and just to shake things up further gives it an injection of magic and mayhem. Earth enters a new, "6th age" linking it in with the prophesied end of the Mayan (and wrongly distorted into an end of of the world scenario by basically everyone else since, particularly by one singularly awful film). Magic returns to the world (as it had existed in previous "ages" and basically, things go batshit crazy as a percentage of the worlds population transform into mythic creatures.
If all of this sounds like a relatively thinly veiled excuse to have a game where D&D races live in a world of computer hackers and a handgun can be used in conjunction with a fireball spell then.......you're pretty much right, but it works dammit! And one or two missteps aside the majority of the supplements and published material manage to make a lot of what could be ridiculous - even by RPG standards - feel unforced and natural within the premise of the game.
As far as game mechanics go, it uses target numbers and a rather pleasing bucket's o' dice approach - basically the better you are at a given thing the more dice you will roll and thus the more likely you will be to hit the number you need. That is a good thing for several reasons which I shall go on to document at a later date in another post.
Complexity is an area in which, it has to be said, Shadowrun can suffer. It is perhaps not easy to recommend as a first system for a GM and players likewise can find it all a bit daunting simply because the setting and the occasionally hard to follow combat system means that newcomers can feel a little stranded. With a GM who knows his stuff and is patient however, such issues can be overcome quickly and indeed it can a perfectly suitable introduction to the hobby.
I like that Shadowrun is one of those games that just makes you feel that you don't need the supplements as well. The setting is rich and detailed enough that you feel you can construct a campaign of your own as easily as one ever can when undertaking such a mammoth task - indeed this is exactly what I am doing for my gaming group as we speak.
Ironically given it's world of tomorrow setting, Shadowrun is very much a game of it's time. Grunge ruled music, generation X worried about the state of the planet and the rise of Corps in real life, we read "the Crow", Goth was still a vibrant and relevant sound existing quite happily next to standard rock and Grunge and the internet was something that was exciting and a vogueish plot hook for films rather than a device to look at cat based lulz and sending friends things to pass on to 150 other people so their eyeballs don't melt and they find their true love.
Getting ready to run it again in the present I am acutely aware that one or two of the prospective players might not "get" the mood. What I said above should have had a caveat- Shadowrun is not the world of tomorrow - it is the world of tomorrow through the filter of the early/mid 90's. With Elves and Trolls. I am going to go through my library and create a Shadowrun mix Cd for when we play as I have just realised how awesome and diverse such a thing would be. In many ways going through Shadowrun in preparation for writing up a campaign has been like opening up an old toy chest-I have been taken back to that magical period between 10 and 15. Shadowrun needs to be played-you really owe it to your group. It is unique, eclectic, silly and fun. It has aged a little badly yet remains somehow relevant and the spirit is still there. I am looking forward to running it a hell of a lot.
And the trench coat and combat boot look is still awesome!
First post. Being in the main the first post
First of all a big Hi to anyone reading this.
I shall say a goodbye in advance now to the 99% of people who stumble on this and immediately navigate to something far more interesting within seconds of realizing what the
subject matter is if it were not apparent from the off. To those people I apologize in advance if the name led you to believe this blog was some sort of saucy cavalcade of non-stop erotica, rather than the putrid ramblings relating to oddly shaped dice, exorbitantly priced card and plastic and general geekery that it really is.
If you saw the words "role-playing" and envisaged something exciting and carnal I am afraid that there is pretty much nothing sexy within and the only safewords you will ever need to utter here are (as you will no doubt be aware if you have ever been inside a gaming store) "Deodorant! for the love of God Deodorant!"
If by some miracle you are still reading this, then I suppose on the off chance it should be of interest an explanation of the name..............
Essentially in the early stages of our relationship when my partner found out that my overtly geeky behaviour extended to RPG's and wargaming she asked if I was the type of "gamer" who "wore a cloak" (it turns out she knew a few LARP'ers at uni). I flatly denied this as I do not, but the mantle (hah-see what i did there) of cloak-wearing stuck. To this day when I announce I am on my way out to my weekly gaming session she will tell our daughter to ask daddy if he has his cloak.
So there you have it, a reason for the rather odd name-a rather "you had to be there" answer I shall grant you, but never-the-less. Count yourself lucky, it could just as easily have been called (thanks to a bit in a Red Dwarf episode-bonus points if you can tell me which one) Tales of the Soapy Frogs and the rampant Wildebeest.............
I shall say a goodbye in advance now to the 99% of people who stumble on this and immediately navigate to something far more interesting within seconds of realizing what the
subject matter is if it were not apparent from the off. To those people I apologize in advance if the name led you to believe this blog was some sort of saucy cavalcade of non-stop erotica, rather than the putrid ramblings relating to oddly shaped dice, exorbitantly priced card and plastic and general geekery that it really is.
If you saw the words "role-playing" and envisaged something exciting and carnal I am afraid that there is pretty much nothing sexy within and the only safewords you will ever need to utter here are (as you will no doubt be aware if you have ever been inside a gaming store) "Deodorant! for the love of God Deodorant!"
If by some miracle you are still reading this, then I suppose on the off chance it should be of interest an explanation of the name..............
Essentially in the early stages of our relationship when my partner found out that my overtly geeky behaviour extended to RPG's and wargaming she asked if I was the type of "gamer" who "wore a cloak" (it turns out she knew a few LARP'ers at uni). I flatly denied this as I do not, but the mantle (hah-see what i did there) of cloak-wearing stuck. To this day when I announce I am on my way out to my weekly gaming session she will tell our daughter to ask daddy if he has his cloak.
So there you have it, a reason for the rather odd name-a rather "you had to be there" answer I shall grant you, but never-the-less. Count yourself lucky, it could just as easily have been called (thanks to a bit in a Red Dwarf episode-bonus points if you can tell me which one) Tales of the Soapy Frogs and the rampant Wildebeest.............
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