recession-proof gaming IX: kicking it old school

There's lots of excellent old-school stuff out there.  If your gaming budget is cut in the post-financiapocalyptic wasteland, then download some stuff, get your dice and go old-school - the retro-clone community is prolific and the quality is comparable with the stuff you dragged off from the gaming shops of old (or not so old if you have a knowledgeable FLGS).

Dark Dungeons - A retro-clone of the Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia, with the right DM will take your character to the dizzy heights of 36th level and immortality.  It's author Blacky the Blackball has done a great job of converting a comprehensive rules set and provides PDF, softback and hardback (yes the last two will cost but the price is insanely reasonable).  Even the errata (all one page of it) is freely available.

Monsters of Myth - plenty of monsters for OSRIC provided by the First Edition Society.  The monsters offer some interesting twists and are reminiscent of the monsters you'd find in the old White Dwarf Fiend Factory articles.  Some nice takes, personal favourites include the bedlam witch, deceived of Set, ice creeper and kheph.  Artwork is reminiscent of the old 1E Monster Manual and is also available in print. 

Terminal Space - D&;D in Space has often been attempted, since the days of Metamorphosis Alpha and that little trip to the Barrier Peaks.  Now there's a retro-clone using 1974 rules that walks the walk and fits in Traveller-esque spaceship design with Mi-Go brain canisters.  Heady stuff begging to be homebrewed with Mutant Future in a post-apocalyptic spacefaring fantasy adventure.

Tools
Wonderful combat wheels for Labyrinth Lord and Sword & Wizardry courtesy of Jed Mc.  What makes these cool is the relatively minimal work needed to assemble these - it would be nice to see other games given this kind of love.
 
Rapid fire NPCs needed?  Classic Dungeon Designer Netbook #4 has all you need and lots of tables in the manner of the 1E AD&D supplement The Rogues Gallery.  Kellri also has a lot of good stuff worth taking a look at - while the blog hasn't been updated in some time, there are some gems to be found.


Modules
Yes, you're probably strapped for time as well aren't you?  Fear not, module support is plentiful but here's a few to get you started on your way.


Temple of the Ghoul is a 1st - 2nd level scenario well worth your time.
The Outpost on the Edge of the Far Reaches is a 1st - 3rd level scenario by The Warlock's Home Brew.
And the One Page Dungeon Codex 2009 is lots of phenomenal adventures in itty-bitty living space.

summer thoughts - review : kobold guide to game design volume 3

Lots of words have been written on the concepts of game design in the last few years and there's a lot of wisdom to be found using a search engine.  Game design has become one of those multidisciplinary fields that has people reaching to apply their own lenses to make sense of.  This book provides a clearer lens than most, provides a concise overview of the field and touches on design specifics, organising concepts and collaborative working among other things.

Before I proceed further, may I just say... 
Token Disclaimer - This review is based on a PDF provided by Open Design.
Review: 4 kobolds.  The scholarly air gives this book gravitas.  Some conclusions may provoke thought and discussion among your theorist and designer pals who will thank you for this as a present.  Hardcore Open Design fans may recognise some elements.

Now I've got that out the way, let's roll.  Apart from the cover art, there was no internal art.  This gives the book a scholarly feel and it's fitting as the tone of the book speaks from experience - contributors include known faces like Ed Greenwood, Monte Cook, Rob Heinsoo and Colin McComb as well as Wolfgang Baur - all of whom have had hands in classic RPG material. 

Chapter 1 is an overview of the concept of design.  Wolfgang Baur acknowledges the role of diverse designs and notes the impact of story games like Mouse Guard and interesting design decisions around the current system market while pinning the tail on the donkey of good design in tabletop games.  

Chapter 2 takes on designing RPGs for tabletop and computers.  Colin McComb (who gave us Planescape: Torment and the Complete Elven Handbook) takes on the dichotomy of detail and human interaction and leans to the former as the future while hoping both are served well by their designers.

Chapter 3 engages with creative thought, Wolfgang Baur offers a model borrowed from Borrowing Brilliance (David Kord Murray) which itches to be tried on a couple of stalled projects I'm working on.  This chapter is something that will kindle future gaming products and is one of the high points of the book.

Chapter 4 handles the high and low of creation and design, Wolfgang Baur revealing the dark truth that behind every finished manuscript is a lot of hard work.  Punches are not pulled and personal demons are hinted at with the wisdom that execution makes the difference between pipe dreams and product.

Chapter 5 deals with mechanical ruminations but could be applied equally to setting.  Rob Heinsoo, design lead for 4E and the sublime Underdark shows subtle craft in taking design cues from both the classics and the innovations of peer systems like Agon to create your own unique snowflake with teeth.

Chapter 6 takes on combat systems.  Colin McComb demonstrates aplomb in providing a simple percentile system for a modern system that looks naggingly familiar.  This chapter is good for those who love hacking system mechanics and provides a thumbnail sketch for further exploration.

Chapter 7 is about weaving plot.  Ed Greenwood gives a lesson in plotting that draws on the roots of good and evil while showing the value of weaving multiple plots, using deception and finding those hot buttons to push so that players will keep choosing to face the peril.

Chapter 8 takes on location.  Wolfgang Baur exhibits the significance of setting as the spice for the meat and potatoes of adventuring.   Considering what makes a setting distinctive, credible and deserving of attention in concise ways makes this another powerful chapter.

Chapter 9 handles game balance.  Monte Cook explains how system may not be enough to ensure balance, takes on providing face time without having to hobble participation and touches on the wisdom of being a good participant.  It's been said before here (and expanded on) yet it's value hasn't diminished.

Chapter 10 covers the Old School darling of sandbox design and event-driven activities.  Here Wolfgang Baur reveals even the most anarchic sandbox has boundaries, order need not mean oppression and is sometimes necessary for rewarding play, reinforcing the wisdom of Chapter 7.

Chapter 11 handles collaboration.  This is perhaps the most powerful chapter of the book and Wolfgang Baur reveals the human frailties tied to collaborative design with a deft and compassionate hand and some tactics to use if you want to succeed and still be respected in the morning.

Chapter 12 deals with failure and recovery.  Churchill defined success as the ability to move from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm and Wolfgang Baur rounds this off with pragmatic hints on how to deal with the 'oops' moments of your designs and how to honour mistakes, defend decisions and get out the way.

This book is efficient.  While I disagree with some of it's conclusions (subject for another post) it presents it's arguments efficiently and where possible with examples.  I've been critical of game designers bemoaning their lifestyle in the past yet this book avoids that trap even in Chapters 4, 11 and 12 where the temptation was strong. The real virtue of this book to aspiring designers is that it has a healthy dose of reality without falling in the "You're all doomed dreamers!!" pundit trap.  While there's a summertime malaise in effect, this is a shot of design adrenalin.  It won't cure a hopeless case but will give a kick to get you off off the operating table and we will be seeing the ripples caused by this book for some time.

inns & taverns - the throne and ferry

A ferryside inn sat on the shore of a river island, the Throne And Ferry has faded like it's royal founder, now dead forty winters.  It's sign, a gilded throne over waves is lit by a sheltered fire and visible from the other side of the river even at night.  The fire serves to warm the ferry's operators, a pair of surly broad-shouldered and narrow-minded ex-soldiers.  The stair leading up to the inn is immaculately carved stone blocks leading up to a covered porch whose warped timbers let in rivulets of rainwater during any protracted rainstorm.  The inn is usually quiet with no more than six people normally inside even on a rainy night.

Inside the two-storey inn are immaculately-polished dark stained timbers, hung with trophies from across the country, the inn is structurally sound if a little drafty.  Snarling bears, boar-heads and racks of antlers hang from the walls.  A large stair (which creaks atrociously) leads to a common room and rough-hewn quarters for the staff (nine in all) and four guests with stabling for seven horses attended by a toothless, mute ostler capable of great things with a comb and pocket knife.  Three large benches are arranged in a U-shape with an open side for entertainers and serving staff to come and go are surrounded by numerous high-backed chairs positioned by the walls.  Among them is a throne with arm-rests carved as walking bears and inlaid with golden oak leaf designs so someone seated in it appears to have a halo of gold around their head. 

This seat of kings is fiercely guarded  by the landlord Isbarr, a grizzled and scarred former pageboy to the old king, now an old, cynical ex-huntsman to the current king.  He will be harsh to anyone who dares that seat but will treat others with courtesy (a little strained perhaps) who comes visiting.  The rest of his staff are extended family, other notables include his sister Rowena, a fair cook and former field surgeon and her husband Morrin, a whip-thin, brilliant scholar yet disastrously inept carpenter responsible for the rickety porch and stairs whose groans have inspired at least one bard to sing of 'young lovers thwarted by the groaning stair' much to Isbarr's frustration and Morrin's chagrin.

The fare is notable.  To drink there is a good selection.  A strong brown ale and reasonable pale pine ale that is brewed by Isbarr according to a family recipe keep most customers satisfied.  Casks of traded ales and rough wine round out the roster along with a potent local herbal liquor sold by riverfolk that tastes of aniseed called 'blueshine' for the halo flames take on when you drink it.  For food there is game pie (a mixture of pigeon and rabbit baked with duck egg and flavoured with herbs), a thick yet tasty 'hunter's broth' with various vegetables and meats boiled into a glutinous soup served with rye bread, thick coiled sausages flavoured with forest herbs and for those willing to spend gold, a fine cut of smoked pork served with fine cheese and a keg of pine ale.

Accommodation is basic, the common room holds nine in comfort, twelve in familiarity and fifteen at a pinch.  The apartments are rustic yet near-obsessive care has been taken for years with them and the mattresses are comfortable enough for royalty wishing to enjoy a hunting trip.  If the guests in the apartments are nobles or deal with nobility Isbarr will personally oversee the care of those staying in the apartments and advise servants who customarily do for their masters about the finer points of the accommodation, when is a good time to get  hot water and where to find fresh flowers for a lady.  Rowena has offered surgeon's help to guests injured in various pursuits and the ostler is also an exceptional barber-surgeon in his own right.

The Throne and Ferry serves occasionally as a stopping point for some merchants and nobles whose families knew of Isbarr and his family.  Most others avoid it seeking to curry favour with the current court, though the hunting on the island is excellent, most people hunting there tend to travel by flat-bottomed boat in the dead of night, preferring to avoid Isbarr and his kin.  These hunters (some may call them poachers) rarely risk flogging by the local sheriffs who view the Throne and Ferry as a quaint, backwoods inn owned by a family trading desperately on past glories.

inspirational stuff

Gaming magpie?  Why yes!  We all borrow stuff, anyone who says otherwise is trying to hide their sources.  Yet sources reveal a lot about games and this month's RPG Blog Carnival is all about your inspirations outside of gaming.

Music deserves it's own post so I'll just stick with the top five books and comics that shaped my gaming first.

1. Beowulf - Hard not to mention this one given it's provenance as one of the first English stories.  Monsters with corrosive blood, a mother who is twice as bad as her child, boasting and court rivalry, fatal showdowns with a dragon and matter-of-fact heroism.  Does any of this sound familiar...?
2. From Hell -  Alan Moore's take on Jack the Ripper shows obsessive research and while the end is unconventional (what did you expect?) it is a powerful story set in a horrific metropolis where people are driven by forces beyond their control.  Good Victoriana/urban noir fuel.
3. Ramayana - Epic battles, gods reincarnated as heroes, invulnerable demon kings, kidnappings, magical weapons, nonhuman and more.  Told and retold across Asia, this is a model for epic games and dynastic intrigues as well as a demonstration of virtues.
4. Shakespeare's Tragedies - Shakespeare does dark spectacularly well - those needing grim and gritty can take a look at King Lear, Macbeth or Titus Andronicus.  For intrigue, Othello and Julius Caesar and when it comes to doomed romance, what better than Romeo and Juliet?  
5. Slaine - Pat Mills and 2000A.D. have a lot to answer for.  Before the d20 and RuneQuest settings by Mongoose, there were drune lords, flying ships, gae bolga, magical cauldrons, otherworldly weapons, malevolent shapeshifters disguised as helpless maidens, towers of glass and plenty besides.