31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 13

This will be my last question for the year. Largely because I just didn't receive any more.

That's OK though. I'm cool with it. I have a number of things I want to talk about before the year ends and I'm working on a special project or two that could certainly use some time and attention. 

With that, I'm happy to have received this question in particular because it relates to something I've done very successfully several times but haven't talked about very much.

Question (Lucky) #13 comes from my pal Nick again...

Do you have any thoughts on GMing for only a single player and how it differentiates from GMing for a more typical multi-player group?

I have run what I refer to as 'One-on-One' campaigns, games involving a Gamemaster and a Single Player, quite a few times over the years. Some of them lasted a decently long time. Among the most memorable ones were a Dungeons & Dragons 3E (Modified and Houseruled) with my ex-wife Selina, two separate classic Traveller campaigns (the 2nd of which lasted almost 3 years of nearly daily play) also with Selina, and a FASA Star Trek game with my friend David Concepcion. The late, great Dave Cotton and I had a One-on-One campaign of sorts, although it was more like a series of six One-on-One adventure sessions united by the same character and setting but split across a two year period. 

To me, the essence of Tabletop Roleplaying Games is the dynamic between the player or players and the Gamemaster. In this relationship, I tend to default to thinking like and being the GM. However, I have also been a GM who focuses on the players' fun. As I said to a friend and player of mine recently, "[At the most basic level] I am going to have fun as the GM regardless, so my goal to make sure all the players have a good time."

Let's be honest, [as the GM] I am getting to do what I love doing. I'm world-building, following established and emerging narratives, getting to create and portray NPCs, etc. That's just what the GM does and that's why I enjoy doing. Any real effort on my part is in making sure everyone participating is having as much fun as I am. Unless of course I am not having fun. It certainly happens. Some flaw in the way I've set things up, the players not liking what I'm dishing out definitely occurs from time to time. My approach to the next attempt remains pretty much the same, focus on the players fun as mine is just going to come naturally if [mostly] everything lands.

With a single player and GM situation, this is easier to accomplish. If you really get that one person and they get you, the rest is a piece of cake. You know that if you two are generally on the same page, things will move a lot more smoothly. That said, One-on-One games do come with their own challenges. The most notable of which is that, depending on how you prep and execute your games, it can be a lot of work for the Gamemaster. You aren't just the NPCs, the World, and the arbitrator of the rules...you're Everything and Everybody. 

Normally there would be other Player Character's interacting with what is now the singular 'main character' and that doesn't just mean banter and conversation. The lone PC only has certain skills and abilities and if you want them to be able to go on traditional adventures, they are going to need a team to go with them. The GM is no longer just the NPCs the Party meets, the GM is the Party! And those they meet. And everything else a GM always is. 

Not going to lie, that can be alot, even for someone like me who thrives on that kind of thing. Is it worth it? I believe it is. I believe it SOOO is. Seriously, some of my best games have been One-on-One and here's the twist; I've had a number of One-on-One campaigns turn into regular ones. With David Concepcion's Star Trek: Renown campaign, people would overhear us playing, if not straight up listen in, and ask if they could join. A few of my Winghorn Guard/Aerth/D&D-But-Not games went this way as well. 

All in all, I think its a wonderful endeavor but you've got to prepare yourself. It can be tricky and it can wear you out but based on my own experiences, One-on-One games can really be great fun.

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Barking Alien

What Else Is There To Do?

In a previous post - All We Do Is Fight - I lamented that when playing most Fantasy RPGs, it seems like the sessions consist of one uninspired battle after another and little else. 

This isn't really the case of course; there are usually roleplaying moments sprinkled here and there. Even so, the overall feeling I get is that of a monotonous slugfest and I end up getting pretty bored pretty quickly. 

As noted in the commemts of my prior post, most Open World/Sandbox RPGs in other genres don't appear to suffer this problem or at least not to the same degree. Let's see if we can import some ideas from those games over to Fantasy and answer the burning question, 'What else is there to do in a Fantasy game besides Combat?'

First, let's go over non-combat activities one might undertake during a typical dungeon crawl. It kind of surprises me that I've not seen these used much (if at all) in the last half dozen or so Fantasy outings I've participated in.

Other things you can do in a dungeon include: Environmental Hazards, Exploration and Mapping, Negotiating with Intelligent NPCs, Puzzle and Riddle Solving, and defeating Traps.

Great, now that that's out of the way let's go have some real fun...

Build

I wrote earlier this year about my penchant for having the Player Characters in RPGs not be Murderhobos but rather have a Base, a place to call headquarters and/or home. In old D&D I recall that building a stronghold of some kind was a thing at 10th level or what have you but why? That is, why wait until then? With the amount of gold and other treasures the PCs amass by the half-way mark (somewhere between 5th and 6th level lets say), a decent sized party of adventurers should be able to afford a small domicile in the campaign city or even a decently large place on the outskirts on the outskirts of one of the smaller towns. 

Building isn't limited to bases. In one of my Winghorn Guard campaigns, the PCs were assigned to an outpost in what would best be described as a environment much like that of New Mexico. A 'Keep on the Borderlands' if you will (wink). Water was scarce and farming difficult. This got two of the Player Characters thinking. One was a mechanically minded Dwarf and the other an Eastern Monk/Mage type who could command water (think a Waterbender from Avatar: The Last Airbender). Together they worked to aid the Baron and his people by helping to construct additional wells and an irrigation system.

Another campaign saw the PCs discover an old, abandoned port town with a dilapidated pier and docks. They vanquished the undead sea monster that haunted the place and as a reward as the King if he would grant them the port so they could restore it. He agreed and over the course of the campaign they turned the ruined town into a thriving place once again. 

D&D PCs do so much destroying. Try Building something for a change!

Explore

I've always wanted to run a Fantasy version of Traveller or Star Trek; the Player Characters are the owners of or officers on a Sailing Ship, traveling across the open sea to find far off lands, meet new peoples and monsters, and discover the ruins of ancient civilizations. I've come close, using elements of this idea to influence other campaigns I've run (see below) but I've never done a game dedicated to exploring the Magical Medieval Final Frontier.

This could link to many of the other ideas such as Commerce, Politics, and of course Survival. Maybe you're not just exploring for its own sake but in order to open and expand trade routes. Your kingdom could be on the look out for resources but so are rival kingdoms in the same vicinity. Once you reach your new, uncharted land you're going to need to find food, shelter, and a way to adapt to the climate and terrain. Plus, there will surely be people and/or monsters there so Social Interactions and Combat are a possibility as well. 

One of the things I love most about Space Adventure Sci-Fi is that the PC group usually has their own Starship. I've discussed this many times but a Starship provides a safe haven, a means of transportation, a weapon, and many other features that spice up a campaign, giving the PCs and the GM more adventure options. Why can't a D&D party have a seagoing vessel that serves much the same purpose? Perhaps XP and/or Gold can be spent customizing their ship. They could go on a quest to have the ship enchanted to do something incredible like travel underwater or have the figurehead at the prow speak. The ship itself yelling out, "Pirates on our Starboard!" or "Land Ho!" would be awesome. 

Maybe an XP bonus if you're the first to discover and name a new land, species, etc.?

Trade

Trade is a major element of the Traveller RPG and to be honest, I've always wondered why it isn't a big part of Medieval Fantasy games. Not only are Fantasy RPGs classically driven by an obsessive search for wealth but they paradoxically have little to actually spend that money on. Hopefully this section will give players and GMs some inspiration on what to do with all that coin. After all, you have to spend money to make money.

Sell: Crawling into underground labyrinths in order to slay horrible monsters and steal their valuables is no way for a decent person to make a living. Don't you have any marketable skills or talents? If so, have you ever considered starting your own business? You know, selling your services or crafts to those with capital who are in need of what you've got? 

In campaigns past I've seen Player Characters start and run taverns, mercenary companies, and a shop that buys and sells magical components and items. One idea I like related to this is having a set of alternative, lower level PCs who can mind the store while your main PCs go off on adventures to find materials, ingredients, suppliers, etc., or vice versa. You could also mix and match in a 'Troupe Play' style similar to Ars Magica.

Does your business have to pay taxes to the Duke? Protection money to the Thieves' Guild? Maybe you've got some kind of deal with the powers that be in exchange for the PCs assistance when special circumstances arise. I hear you can get a major tax cut if you're the party that killed the invading goblin horde. 

Shop: Shopping is the bane of many gamers' existences, gamemasters and players alike. I've spoken to more than a few gamers who simply hate 'shopping episodes'; session where nearly the entire time is taken up by buying gear. Others absolutely love to go shopping in-game, sampling the wonderous wares of a medieval marketplace and interacting with a multitude of merchants.

Personally, I'm in the latter camp but with a distinct caveat; I like shopping trips the way I do them (and any GMs who handles them in a similar way). Basically, if you want to spend X number of silver and gold coins on more rope, some flint and tinder, and another 20 arrows, you can just do so. You don't need to roleplay that out. That's 'off camera', behind the scenes type stuff.

You roleplay shopping when you want to order a custom suit of armor for your familiar from a lady blacksmith your contact in the next town over recommended. You can discuss details, negotiate price, get to know this unusual smith and maybe add a new contact to your list in the process. You roleplay shopping when you want to get the lowdown on local gossip and rumors from the Barkeep who's Tavern you've been frequenting for nearly a year of adventures by now. 

My players have gotten to know many a shopkeeper, tavern wench, and traveling merchant over the decades of gaming in my D&D-But-Not world of Aerth. In that time they've gotten discounts, rare items, invites to special events, made contacts, friends, created rivals, and generally had a blast. Sprinkle in some unusual kiosks and storefronts selling exotic foods, rare potions, and even fantastical familiars and your players will be begging to visit the marketplace!

Don't think of shopping as merely an exercise in bookkeeping but an opportunity for world-building and roleplaying but with potential mechanical bonuses to boot!

Finally, something has to be said for a full on Merchant campaign, modeled on many a classic Traveller game as mentioned above. Forget simply buying and selling, you could be the ones transporting goods across the great seas of your world! Navigating safer and/or faster routes, dealing with pirates,  making deals that benefit entire nations and drop a pretty penny in your own pockets as well. 

I feel like am barely scratching the surface here. There are sooo many other things a PC/Party could get into I would need a whole book to discuss them all. There's Crafting Items, Creating Spells, Politics and Court Intrigue, Religion, and of course, Romance. The toughest part of making this post was trying to figure out where to begin and where to end!

I'll finish here for now but I'd love to hear from you all out there - What non-combat activities do you and/or your gaming group enjoy? 

Now on to more harrowing Halloween fun...

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Barking Alien

All We Do Is Fight

One of my biggest disappointments when I play Fantasy RPGs as a player is that it all comes down to combat. 

What? This again?!

It often starts out very promising; there's a story afoot, a chance for exploration, possible character interactions, and then...the fighting starts. The problem is, it never stops. It's followed by another encounter with hostiles, and then another, and before long everything you do ends in violence. 

Sure, Combat is a major element of TRPGs in general and let's be clear, I'm not a gaming pacifist who never wants to see some action of the physical conflict variety. It just feels as if in most of the Fantasy games [specifically] I've been in, that's all there is. 

At best, World-Building and Character Interaction feel a little on the light side. At worst, the game is just one boring fight bleeding into the next, none of them particularly distinctive or memorable. Fantasy, for all its tactical features, wide-range of weaponry and armor, and of course magical spells, features some really boring combat. 

I'm not sure what it is about Fantasy combat but I usually find it very bland and flat. It doesn't feel kinetic or dynamic as I've suggested incorporating in the past.  Part of the issue, in my experience and opinion, is that Fantasy combat is always so heavily regulated. The place where the crunch is loudest in these sorts of games is often in the encounter mechanics, making fights long, slow, and tedious.

There is also the typical Pass/Fail nature of the Attack Rolls in the majority of Fantasy games. As I've discussed elsewhere, this often results in a situation where if you didn't build your character 'correctly', you are likely to miss fairly often. A miss, followed by a round of other people's actions, followed by the high chance of missing again results in wondering why you're even there. In a small party of 3 players and their PCs this might not be so bad but imagine a [decently sized] group of 5 or more participants. It can be grueling for even the most patient of gamers.

So what can be done?

Don't play Fantasy Games. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. 

What? You want more? Fine. I've really spoiled you all...

I think some ways of improving the bog standard Fantasy fight are probably pretty obvious; changing up the terrain, actually making said terrain matter mechanically, using opponents placed above and/or below the battlefield, and use of evocative descriptions. Nothing you haven't heard of or thought of before.

That said, please bare in mind that 'mechanically mattering terrain' need not only hinder or impede the PCs. It should be something they can use as easily as it might be used against them. I've had PCs in snow covered Tundra slip on the icy ground or have their actions penalized because of the frigid cold but also let them throw snowballs at opponents and escape by sliding down the snow covered hills on their shields. 

Battle in the sky, underwater, while swinging across a jungle chasm on vines, or any other non-typical way of trading blows with adversaries!

I also think a Fantasy game that functions less like a 50+ year old wargame and more like...get this...a Fantasy game...might be really fun. I always find it hilarious that in a game of flying carpets, elves shooting fiery balls of death from their hands, and treasure chests that try to eat you, so much attention is paid to...teehee...tactical realism. Realism! Bwahahaha-ha-ha!

Fantasy? Yes.

Realistic? Muwa-Bwahahaha-ha-ha!

It's pretty clear to me that most Game Designers haven't been in any real fights. I'm not talking about serving in the military; that is a completely different experience that has very little to do with the kind of combat you see in most RPG campaigns. Complex strategy doesn't really apply when five or six people jump four others in a dark, dank tunnel or the your group of pals is suddenly accosted by a bear-sized chicken covered in scales with a snake-like tail.

Let's see some moves like finding that one weak spot in a Dragon's armored body or spraying an area with holy water or greek fire to watch a horde of undead burn. Sure, it's super exciting to have the power of...um..*read read read*...not getting a penalty in Mounted Combat. Cool. Wow. I am beside myself with how great that -yawn- is. 

Finally (for now...), give the players something else to do. What can happen in your world of mystery, magic, and monsters shouldn't be limited to just stabbing things or bonking them on the head. Yes Combat can be great for getting the blood pumping and the mind racing but if that is all there is it makes the game seem simplistic and unimaginative.

It's like looking out upon a grand vista of wonders and saying, "Can you believe all this is open to us? Let's go find an animal and hit it with a rock."

Really? That's the best Fantasy can do?

Humans. *Shakes head*

In a follow-up post I will discuss other things PCs could be doing other than fighting. I will also introduce an idea that I've talked about before but which appears to blow people's minds when I bring it up.

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

The Bright Side of Light Games

JB, Wizard King of Curmudgeons, made a post on his blog B//X BLACKRAZOR wherein he speaks extensively (and then some!) about the 'wrong-bad'TM evils of 'Light Games'.

I recommend going over there and reading it, though be aware it might take some time to do so, perhaps even multiple sittings.  

The post gave me the idea to write one of my own about how awesome Light Games can be, as many of my current favorites fall into that category.

To be clear, this isn't a 'Point-Counterpoint' response and I don't intend to get into a debate with JB. His reasoning and opinions are his own and needn't be argued with by the likes of me. He is a very particular fellow with a very particular view of a very particular game.

I don't like that game. I don't enjoy playing or running it. I would much rather spend my limited free time with the great many games I do enjoy and, as stated, a lot of these would be considered 'Light Games'. 

Now, Light Games is not a term I think I've heard or seen very often, so you'll see me interchange it here with the term I'm more accustomed to, 'Rules Lite'. Also, I will be addressing the subject in very general terms, mentioning specific TRPGs as examples or points of reference when and where it's useful. 

Take it Light

Let's get the obvious and expected reasons for liking Rules Lite games out of the way first; Simpler rules and fewer of them means the game is easier to learn, explain, prep for, run, and play. In addition, play is usually faster as everything from Character Creation, to Combat, Task Resolution, and Experience/Character Improvement has less complexity to it. 

As we get older we have more responsibilities and less free time. Assuming the average adult TRPG enthusiast has maybe 24 free hours of leisure time and only 4 or 5 of those alloted to actually playing their game of choice, do you want to spend that time agonizing over mechanics and looking up rules in your preferred corebook during a session or would you rather use that time to do research, find cool images, and then hit the ground running and proceed at a smooth, exciting pace?  

I'm sure for some the answer is, "I like worrying about all 6 PC's Encumbrance Initiative Modifier! Give me so much crunch my breakfast cereal is gravel!" Well OK then, go for it! Knock yourself out. For the rest of us, we want to get to the part where we explore the game world and defeat monsters. We'll be doing just that while you're still looking up the Movement Rules by Terrain and Weather in Chapter 25.B. 

A Little Light Reading

In the time it takes to learn, let alone master, some of the more crunchy, complex TRPGs, one could get a working knowledge of a half dozen Rules Lite games. This allows you and your group to sample a variety of different approaches to mechanics, genres, and settings. One of the big hurdles I heard about when trying to get gamers to try a new games is they don't want to take the time to learn a whole new set of rules. That makes sense if you are only familiar with rules that take a long time to learn. 

Learning 6 Rules Lite games in the time it takes to learn one Rules Heavy one may sound like an exaggeration but consider my own experience and obession passionate interest in Japanese Tabletop Roleplaying Games.

It took me less time to fully translate and understand Meteor City-Star Rainy Days, Tokyo Ghost Research, and the recently obtained Zookyo Island (basically a Crime Drama/Thriller take on Disney's Zootopia) then it did to get a handle on the Cypher System. Cypher isn't super Rules Heavy per say but compared to the the games I mentioned above, it feels almost cumbersome.

I've said many times in the past that my feeling is most RPGs are 20-30 page workable games buried under 300+ pages of overthinking and unnecessary junk. Sometimes you'll find a game where those 30 pages are more than workable; they're downright good! Maybe really good! It's also possible some of those 300+ extra pages contain some interesting and useful stuff. It just like game designers over design and over write the majority of games on the market.

Cypher comes in at 450 pages [for the PDF]. Meteor City is 58 pages, Tokyo Ghost Research is just 28 pages, and Zookyo Island is 40 pages respectively. That makes those three games together 324 pages less than Cypher. See what I mean? Much easier to read through all of those in less than half the time it would take to read the core Cypher rulebook. 

My point isn't 'Smaller is Better'. My point is simpler and less complex is easier to comprehend and explain to others. It's each to remember as well. If done well, it means a more direct design that gets to the crucial features quickly.

Light on My Feet

Another benefit related to the above is the ability to ad lib and improvise feels much easier in Rules Light games. There is less of a concern/fear that making a decision on the fly is going to have rippling ramifications that 'ruin the game' for everyone involved. 

Especially with games where the base Task Resolution mechanic is the same for virtually any and all actions, if you are unsure how to ajudicate something, default to that base mechanic. Easy peasy. And once again, since a mistake or bad call is unlikely to impact a dozen other sub-systems, if your judgement wasn't perfect you come up with something better for next time without much muss or fuss. 

In full transparency I just couldn't get into the Cypher System and complete acknowledge my difficulty in wrapping my head around it isn't due to its complexity but rather how the rules are explained and all the subsystem elements that I find don't gel with my gaming style. 

Light on Calories, Heavy on Flavor

I'm a tinkerer. It's who I am. I like to customize, modify, kitbash, and adjust things just so. 

It is much easier to change or even add rules to a Light Game. Too many houserules and adjustments to a Rules Heavy RPG can result in the whole thing collapsing around your ears. Rules Light games are far more forgiving in this regard. 

I remember my first [and arguably] most successful long term 'Well Known Fantasy RPG' campaign. Over the course of the 4 years or so that I ran it (which included playing it several hours each day, Monday through Friday, in the Summers) I made a lot of modifications and houserules. Each one was specificallydesigned to give the game, the world, and the characters a certain feel. Eventually, I looked at my book of notes on the game and wondered, 'Am I really even playing Well Known Fantasy RPG anymore? If not, why am I still using it at all? Why not find or make a game that does all these things I want to do?' 

I admit it was fun to customize Well Known Fantasy Game but in the end I switched to a simpler, less rigid, more flexible set of rules that suited the game I was running much better. 

***

I could go on and on with this subject (not unlike JB did with his post) but I have other projects going on I'd like to get to - many related to what would definitely be considered Light Games. I hope I gave you some idea of why I personally love Rules Lite games so much. Honestly some of my favorite RPGs right now are Rules Lite and I would rather run and/or play any of them a thousand times over than have to sit through one of the clunky, slow dinosaurs of gamings heyday. 

Yes, I do love Champions [4E], Yes, I love Traveller. Those are the exceptions though, not the rule. 

Sign me up for ALIEN, Footprints in the Night, Ghostbusters (Original, InSpectres, Mine), Meteor City - Star Rainy Days, Smurfs, Star Trek Adventures*, Super Happy Sentai Hour, Teenagers from Outer Space, Tokyo Ghost Research, Zookyo Island, and more...

Stay tuned and see what pops up next,

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Barking Alien

*Star Trek Adventures is arguably not Rules Lite but it is essentially a much less complex game than any of the previous versions of Star Trek. In addition, I find it really easy to run and to me it has the same feel as many of the Light Games I enjoy. 

I also ignore 30% of the mechanics. 

Bye now!

All About That Base

I feel like my previous post was a little all over the place, at least by my standards. It was a sort of 'stream of consciousness' brain dump of thoughts that have been on my mind for a while now regarding Bases in TRPGs.

Thing is, I didn't really address the most important aspects of Bases:

• What is a Base in a TRPG context?
• Why have Bases/What are they for?
• What do they do and what can you do in them?
• How do you improve your Base?

What is a Base?

We'll start with a definition, this one [which purtains to a location] from Merriam-Webster:

a center or area of operations

The company has its base in London.

such as

(1) a permanent military installation, a naval base - The troops were ordered back to base.

(2) the place from which a military force draws supplies

(3) a place where military operations begin

This is a fine explanation of the term but I'd like to define it a bit further in the context of Tabletop RPGs and my own personal meaning. 

A defined area used as the center of operations for a group of RPG characters. 

The PC detectives returned to their base to analyze the clues they'd found.

In addition to giving the PCs and/or NPCs in a TRPG a place from which to organize and execute their plans and actions, Bases may contain but are not limited to:

(1) Living Quarters, a Kitchen/Galley, Lavatories, and other basic living amenities.

(2) Security systems or other technologies and ways of protecting the Base.

(3) Rooms to assist in PC tasks such as Research, Inventing, and even Skill Training. 

(4) Storage of Gear, Loot, Pets, Vehicles, etc.

Now that we have an idea of what we're talking about, let's address why we're talking about it.

Why have Bases/What are they for?

The best part of PCs having a Base [IMHO] is that they become instantly more involved, invested, and immersed in the campaign. Why? Once they have a Base, the players and their characters own a part of the world. The Base may belong to the PCs or they might be in-charge of it on behalf of a larger power but either way, a piece of the game setting basically belongs to them, it's theirs. This is huge in my experience. 

There are also practical, in-game reasons to have a Base. Players, and therefore their characters, love to make plans and having a relatively safe, central place to do so is helpful. It keeps the PCs focused, organized, and gives you the ability to create and dish out handouts more easily. What do I mean? If you want to give the players a map of the region they're heading to you can have one of them [or an NPC] lay it out on a table or tack it up on a wall. What table? What wall? The one in their Base obviously. 

When PCs get their butts handed to them by a particularly tough opponent, where do they go to lick their wounds (or ya'know, receive much needed medical attention)? Their Base! This often elevates the players' moods after a big loss and increases their determination to beat the enemy the next time they're encountered. 

GM: "You all limp back to your hideout and nearly collapse as you enter the main room."

Player 1: "Damn. We got our a$$e$ kicked! Who the hell was that guy?"

Player 2: "No idea and right now I don't care. I'm going up to my room and going to bed."

Player 3: "Not yet. Let Doc check you out first. That goes for all of you. (To the GM) I'll get Doc on the phone and tell'em what happened, then I ask him to come on over ASAP. While we're waiting for him to arrive I help everybody find a comfortable spot. Player #2 is hurt the most so I'll lay him out on the counch."

Player 2: "Thanks man."

Player 4: "Hey, don't put me in the big recliner. I'd hate to get blood all over my favorite chair."

What about storage? A place to keep your stuff? PCs in many games obtain items on the regular, from looted treasures to scientific samples, and then they...what? Sell them? Leave them there? Throw them away? I mean really, what is the point of obtaining stuff with no place to put it? Sure, you could find a Magic Wand and then immediately use it until it runs out of...charges ('cause Wands run on batteries I guess)...but what if you could do something totally insane like putting it away until you needed it. 

I know, I know. I'll give you a minute. Deep breaths. You good? OK, we'll keep going.

What if you could keep ancient relics, alien technology, or heck, giant pennies and playing cards in a secure chamber in your headquarters? I'm down with that 100%. It's not just items either. You can store your horse(s), Speeder Bikes, a Pogo Plane, or other livestock, pets, or vehicles in a Base. Assuming you have the space that is. 

What can Bases do and what can you do in them?

Aside from having a place to meet, plan, recoup, and store things, what other uses does a Base have? That depends a lot on what your Base is and what its capabilities are. Here, some specific examples are necessary to best illustrate the options available to Player Characters and their GMs. 

Think about Ghostbusters (I often do). I mentioned having a GB Headquarters in my post on creating a Franchise a while back but let's take another look at it. What does a Ghostbusters Franchise HQ have, do, and possibly need?

We know it probably has an office or at least a front desk for whomever is answering the phone, doing the accounting, and dealing with the EPA. It has an Ecto-Containment Unit used to store captured paranormal entities. It has a garage to store your Ecto-vehicle. It might also (optionally) have/need sleeping quarters, a small kitchen and place to eat, a library, and a workshop for repairing and developing gear. All useful areas that add to the Franchise's members ability to do their jobs. In my kitbash homebrew version of the Ghostbusters RPG this would play into and modify your Franchise Dice. 

A Space Station or Superhero base might have Sensors to detect danger or Deflector Shields to repel enemy attacks. They might have enhanced Medical Facilities or a Computer Archive to aid in research. Bases are like really large multifunction magic items that can aid the PCs in their quest to do, um, whatever it is they do. Depending on the rule mechanics you're using the Base could provide a bonus to Skill use (Smurfs does this). 

I recommend the team's Base not start out with everything they want or need. The basics sure, appropriate to the genre/setting and narrative of course, but leave some room for the PCs to add and customize the Base to their liking and requirements, some of which they'll discover as they adventure. 

How do you improve your Base?

Since this post is system agnostic, I am going to paint with broad strokes here.

Essentially, what the PCs' Base begins with is very much up to the GM and what would make sense for the game being played. It is possible, as noted in the previous post, to take over a site that already has a certain amount rooms and components that would be 'a given' for the such a place. For example, if a team of PC Superheroes take over the headquarters of a previous super group that's no longer around. The location may already have much of what the PCs need, requiring only that they restart the power plant and do a few repairs.Similarly, a Horror PC group may have inherited a Haunted Victorian Mansion, which will be covered in dust and cobwebs but still basically be what it has always been, a Mansion. 

It is also not uncommon for a group to be given a Base by a larger political entity or organization. They could, for example, be awarded an abandoned tower by a King or other noble. In these instances, the location isn't necessarily owned by the PCs but rather operated by them on behalf of someone else. Perhaps Starfleet has assigned the PCs as the Captain and Command Crew of Outpost 16-Gamma, a small deep space station on the border of the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants. It is theirs to run but they operate it for Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. 

If the PCs are starting from scratch with an empty plot of land, they'll need an in-game source of income or influence that allows them to build a Base on such a site. Maybe one of the team members is a billionaire industrialist or were left the property by their uncle who mysteriously disappeared. 

Before I go off on even more of a tangent, let's assume you have your Base. Now after a big night of adventuring, crimefighting, or studying the planet below you realize you are either missing something or you figure out some things that would make your job a lot easier. 

Games that have Base-Building rules as part of their DNA usually require PCs to spend Experience Points and/or Money to improve a Base. Otherwise, they may feature separate 'Building Points' used specifically for creating and modifying Bases. Another option commonly encountered is in point-based games like Champions/The Hero System, where XP that can be used as Character Points to improve your PC can be converted into Building or Creation Points at an established exchange rate (say 1 Character Point can be traded in for 5 Build Points or the like). 

A technique I use in Star Trek is to upgrade the PCs' headquarters [or starship] at the end of a series of roughly a dozen adventures (not sessions); what I call a 'Season'. This works best, IMO, when the Player Characters work for a larger organization or power that does the upgrades for them, such as Starfleet Command in this case. It is a 'free' reward for the great job they've done but at the same time the PCs are definitely 'just doing their job'.

In the upcoming 'The Smurfs Roleplaying Game' each Smurf PC gets their very own Mushroom Cottage Smurf House [as I've mentioned a number of times before]. Experience Points in this game are, as of this writing at least, called Build Points. Players may spend these points to improve their Player Characters, Equipment, and/or your Smurf House. Each single point gets you a single room/amenity which has the dual function of doing whatever it is the feature you've created does plus giving you a bonus to a Safety Roll. Safety Rolls are made whenever your character is incapacitated or unconscious, enabling your Smurf to suddenly awaken safe and sound in the bed in their Cottage (more on this in a future post most likely).  

I feel like I could keep talking about this subject ad infinitum. Seriously, there are so many other ideas I could put forth and I am really curious what your experiences have been with Bases. I'd also be happy to discuss Bases or answering any questions anyone might have on using this concept in your campaigns. 

Might have to do a post with some sample Bases in the near future. Something like 'The Top 5 Bases I Have Known' or some such. Hmm. 

Later Days,

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Barking Alien

All Your Base Are Belong to Us

Bases. Boy, do I love Bases.

Headquarters, Hideouts, Clubhouses, and Secret Sanctuaries, I am a huge advocate for the PCs in a tabletop RPG having somewhere to call home sweet home. One of the [albiet many] reasons the old school idea of the Murderhobo never clicked for me is that most of my heroes aren't aimless vagabonds. 

Batman has the Batcave, Captain Kirk has the Enterprise, the Fantastic Four the Baxter Building, and the Ghostbusters their Firehouse. Most heroes of Comics, Manga, Anime, TV, and film, especially those who work with a team, have a Base from which they head out to investigate problems and return to in order to analyze the clues they found, get the right gear for the job, and/or have a quick meal to keep up their stamina. 

Unfortunately, few games have great Base-Building mechanics. Those that do include a decent number of Superhero games - since that is a genre where Bases are common - and Science Fiction games of the Space Adventure variety. In the latter case, Base-Building usually appears in the form of Starship Construction but often covers both Orbital and Planetside Stations. A wonderful aspect of the Computer/Video Game 'No Man's Sky' is your character's ability to construct all sorts of cool outposts on the alien world of your choice. 

And of course as I've mentioned before, the upcoming SMURFS RPG has Base-Building rules for your very own Mushroom Cottage. Dang I like that game!

Since each system has different mechanics for handling the creation of Bases, I am going to go rules agnostic and focus more on ideas for what you can do with the concept in any game.

Base Assumptions

When creating a base, the key things you need to decide on are what form will it take, where is it located, and why is it there.

That last bit may seem rather obvious; after all, 'It's there because we need a base', right? Well sure, in a meta-sense, but let's get a little more analytical and creative.

What I'm really getting at is what are the Base's Origins. Before it was your group's headquarters, what was it and what purpose did it serve? It could have been nothing of note, you can even decide it was an empty plot of land bequeathed to the PCs by the local Duke as a reward for ridding the land of a monstrous beast. Perhaps it was a parking lot purchased by the team's billionaire industrialist.

It could also have been:

• An abandoned Space Station left behind by earlier interstellar explorers. 
• The former hideout of an old Supervillain. 
• A foreclosed upon Victorian House in the middle of the woods (possibly Haunted)
• An old Police Station in a rough part of town.

This little touch gives the location or the edifice itself a little more character and adds to your overall World-Building. It also opens up possibilities for adventures connected to the Base itself, likely tied to its past history 

Example: In the original Winghorn Guard campaign (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition w/ lots of House Rules), after the PCs went through the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks Module, they set about clearing the place out completely and eventually converting it into a base for their team. I fleshed out a bit more of the 'Mountain's' background and the PCs were constantly finding new secrets, capabilities, and dangers within their unique, adopted HQ.

Underwater Base from No Man's Sky

The next thing I'll address is where the Base is geographically. You know what they say, 'Location, Location, Location!'. This really depends on your campaign and it's tricky to discuss this in generic terms since a Base's placement will be tied to a number of rather specific genre and setting elements. 

Consider the nature of your campaign...

Are you local heroes or criminals, mostly operating in and around a single neighborhood? Conversely, does your party protect a large city, a state, a country, or an entire planet? The Ghostbusters can easily cover New York City from their Firehouse on NYC's Lower East Side but its gonna take a while for them to drive the Ecto-1 to the outer burrows or Upstate NY. Clients might need to call one of the Franchise Offices if there's a Class IV Repeating Phantom in Southern New Jersey. 

Is this a Secret Hideout like the Batcave or a publically known location like Avengers Mansion? One is underneath a remote hill some miles outside of Gotham City (a fictional city), while the other is on the Upper East Side of New York City near Central Park. This strongly effects how those using the facilities interact with other people and vice versa; from average, everyday people to law enforcement to their disgruntled enemies. How accessible is the Base to the public?

The cost of operating the Base might be a concern if tracking resources is part of your game. A group of 'Kids on Bikes' hanging out in an old bomb shelter would be focused on snacks, a way to generate power, etc., while a Private Detective Agency would be worried about the rent, the phone bill, and maybe paying a receptionist/secretary. Here Location matters because its a lot cheaper to maintain a Treehouse in your backyard then a fancy townhouse in London's Notting Hill or Knightsbridge. 

Seven Dwarfs' House by Seiji Yoshida

Now let's talk Form, as in 'What Form does the Base take?'. Arguably this could have been the first thing I addressed but I really wanted to put the idea of a Base having a 'past life' front and center.

As with other aspects of this subject, the Form a Base takes is highly dependent upon the milieu in which you're running or playing your game. What general points can I make here? Well...there are some notes I can make based (no pun intended) on considerations I've made in past campaigns. 

First, when it comes to the size of the Base, one should choose a structure that is somewhat larger than you need it to be. This gives you room, in both a literal and figurative sense, to modify and expand the hideout in question. To put it another way, if you have a 3 or 4 person group of PCs, don't have them occupy a 3-4 person Base. Ideally, their HQ should have the capacity to house and support 6 members, their gear, etc. What if one of the PCs wants to add a laboratory several sessions in? What if a friend hears about your game and really wants in? I'm just saying, leave yourself a little extra space.

Second, have the Form of the Base share the same character as the PCs and the premise of the game. A grim and gritty group of rookie ne'er do wells is unlikely to operate out of a fancy locale. Give'em a place with problems - a leaky roof, right over a train station, and/or next to nosy neighbors - the objective being to reinforce the theme of their lot in life. The opposite is true as well; a government backed, top secret espionage agency should be operating out of a state-of-the-art black ops facility. Of course, if the spy agency is based in a decommissioned bomb shelter or the crooks have a luxury highrise, we know there is the potential of an intriguing story there. 

The Baxter Building, Home and Headquarters of The Fantastic Four

Marvel Comics

As I've said in the past regarding Starships, the above is designed to give the Base its own personality. It makes the place a more direct part of the group and the campaign. 

As your game goes on, the Base will likely improve [or deteriorate] right alongside the PCs. When the team's reputation, roles, abilities, and so forth change, the Base will change as well, reflecting the state of PC party.

From Haunted Houses - Ghosts and Spectres, an Usborne Pocketbooks Publication

There is so much more I could say about Bases and may in a follow up post if there is any interest. Let me know if there is something specific you'd like me to cover. Do you and your group love Bases too? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

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Barking Alien

PS: Yesterday was the birthday of my dear departed friend David Cotton. Happy Birthday Dave. Miss you a ton.

Today happens to be my birthday so...Happy Birthday to me I suppose.

Command Crew to the Bridge

I thought it prudent to follow up my last post with the words of the players involved in our long standing Star Trek Adventures RPG campaign, Star Trek: Prosperity.

I posed to them the question, 'Why do you think Star Trek: Prosperity has lasted so long?"

Before I tell you what they said/wrote, I thought I'd give you all a brief, up-to-date rundown on our four Player Characters. 

Our Commanding Officer, Captain Ann Fletcher (played by Dan), went from young woman to watch to a well respected and regarded officer, a favorite of the Beta Quadrant's Starfleet Admiralty. Born and raised in the Sol System Asteroid Field, the Captain's teen and young adult years remain a bit of a mystery but definitely include some rough and tumbler years. She has a strong will, unflinching beliefs, and a goal of unifying every intelligent species in the galaxy in mutual friendship and respect.  

Commander Solok, our former First Officer and Chief Science Officer, published a number of papers on Precursor Science and Technology touted as ground-breaking by scientists across the UFP, particularly the Vulcan Science Academy. Mr. Solok has temporarily taken a leave of absense from Starfleet after marrying the Prosperity's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Margaret 'Maggie' Hanover. The player now plays the up-and-coming young Helmsman Charlie Wilder, a natural born pilot (Solok and Wilder played by Leo).

Commander Solok of Vulcan

Former First Officer and Chief Science Officer

The ship's Chief Engineer, Andorian officer Tha'ar Bhoth (played by Alex), was promoted to First Officer and now serves with both distinction and a constent feeling of having to live up to his predecessor. Bhoth is a man of two worlds, with his dedication to the UFP and Starfleet pulled and pushed by his relationship with the Andorian Imperial Guard, where his father serves as a well-respected General. 

Finally, last but not least, Lt. Commander Rhys Carr (played by Arthur) started out as our Chief Communications Officer, was transferred to Chief of Security, and finally promoted to Chief Science Officer. Earler in Carr's Starfleet career (prior to the start of the campaign) he served as a Crytanalyst and that played a big part in his role as Chief of Communications. He was able to decypher the iconographic language of the Precursors and developed an improved algorithm for Universal Translators that greatly enhanced First Contact operations for years to come. 

Now, on to the players' comments...

"A longstanding mutual commitment that come what may, by the end of the session, Star Trek wins." Dan - Captain Fletcher

 ​“ First, the opportunity to portray a character for years and having them evolve and change though game play. Star Trek is a unique RPG setting that encourages communication over conflict, compassion over cruelty, and exploration over exploitation. Even as the world seems to prefers the later over the former, it’s comforting to be able to listen to our better angels. ”  Leo - Commander Solok / Lt. Wilder

“A fanatical love of and desire to live in Star Trek. The satisfaction of contributing our own stories in said universe. Love of each other at the table...a damn good ship design!” Alex - Commander Bhoth

"First, I truly love Star Trek and heartily welcome the chance to live in that universe for even a few hours a month. Second, I don’t have the opportunity in any other medium to not be the 'main character' and flex a player character’s interpersonal skills muscles on an ongoing basis. (There is no “I” in team. Except in Klingon. And then it’s more of an “eye”.) Lastly, to quote Professor Higgins, I’ve grown accustomed to your faces." Arthur - Lt. Commander Carr

The crew has spoken! The Voyage Continues...

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Barking Alien