31 Questions For Barking Alien - Phase II - Question 3

Our third question of the month comes from the jolly JB of B/X BLACKRAZOR fame/infamy. The question is simple enough that I could answer it was a Yes/No and if Yes a list of names but that doesn't make for engaging internet content. Funny enough, neither will this! 

Enjoy!

Do you ever attend (gaming) conventions out in your neck of the woods, and if so, which ones? 

I live in New York CIty and believe it or not, there aren't and haven't been a large number of Gaming Conventions in my home town. Now, not a lot of cons doesn't mean none. If you include the Greater Tri-State Area (New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut - as well as Philadelphia) as my 'neck of the woods', you up the number of conventions considerably.

It's been a while since I've attended any cons but in the past I've been an [irregular] regular at Dexcon (NJ), Shorecon (NJ), and of course RECESS (NY). To my knowledge, all of these conventions are no longer in existence (though I'm not sure about Dexcon - that sometimes goes away for a while and then reappears). There was also a great one in Cherry Hill, NJ that the late, great Allen Halden invited me to a few times (can't recall the name). 

I've been lucky enough to find gaming going on at various Anime Conventions (local and beyond), where I have gotten the chance to play Japanese TRPGs; cons such as Katsucon (originally Virgina, Washington DC), Otakon (originally Baltimore), and several small NJ events.

As a final note: I've worked as a Retail Dealer at a number of conventions and as an Event Coordinator for a Convention Producer. Between those occupations and numerous industry friends and contacts I've attended a great many cons for free. Nowadays, having to pay to get in, I am much choosier about which ones I go to. 

That's another down and (hopefully) a lot more to go...

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Barking Alien. 

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 15 and 16

 

I'm kind of bending the meaning of the prompts today but I've wanted to tell this story for sometime and this seems as good an excuse as any. So far this RPGaDay event has been pretty boring and I want to do something a little more engaging (at least for me). 

I was at an Anime Convention with a strong Gaming presence in the Winter of 1994 when I came upon a table selling a bunch of Japanese RPG Magazines [in addition to various Manga titles and Artbooks]. Talking with one of the employees, I found out he was running a session that evening featuring a 'Mini-Game' from the September 1994 issue of RPG Magazine. He invited me and a friend to join him and we said sure. 

The game...'Burning Spirits'. 

At least, I think that's what it was called. That might have been the name of the adventure, the article in the magazine, or even something else. I wish I could recall. All I know/remember is that the game was a Street Fighter-esque Martial Arts RPG with a super-cool combat system. I'm getting ahead of myself though...

The GM had a number of pre-generated Player Characters, each an over-the-top cliche' combatant reminiscent of such side-scrolling fighting video games as Street Fighter II, Fatal Fury, and King of the Fighters. Each PC had its own agenda as well as wanting to take down the world-spanning criminal organization 'Dark Inferno'. 

My character was a Native America wandering hero who traveled across the country helping people in the vein of 'The Incredible Hulk' or the 'A-Team'. I added that he focused on helping his fellow Indigenous Americans, basically going from community to community helping out where he could and fighting off agents of Dark Inferno. His combat style was a mix of Traditional American Wrestling and some Special Moves related to Bear Hugs, Leg Locks, and Throws. He was very Big (Tall and Wide), very Strong, and very Tough.

My buddy played a Bruce Lee inspired Chinese-American Secret Agent whose specialty was Chi-Focused Punches and Spinning Kicks. He had some of the wildest Special Move combos including a Flurry of Blows that ended in a Leaping Upper Cut. 

T. Hawk and Fei Long of the Street Fighter Video Game Franchise.

Definitely not our characters.

Definitely. 

The key thing I remember is that the rules for Martial Arts Moves was similar to, though simpler than, the way spells and magic are handled in Ars Magica. The characters each have a number of Actions based on a Speed Score (I believe). They start with a Stance that they can declare before a fight that can give them bonuses during it. An Attack Stance added to Attack and Damage, a Defense Stance makes you harder to hit and reduces damage, etc. If you don't have time to set your Stance you need to take an Action to set it up which gives you one less Action in a round. Like Ars Magica Mages have ratings in Techniques and Disciplines, Burning Spirit Characters have Attacks, Defenses, and...maybe also Techniques? It's been so long. 

Attacks were things like Punch, Kick, Hold, and Throw.  Defenses were Block, Deflect, Redirect, or whathaveyou. Techniques involved how it was done or what was the goal - Rapid (multiple Attacks or Defenses that cause or reduce less damage), Position (end up behind someone or send them out of Hand-to-Hand range), or Force (spend two Actions on one Attack to cause extra damage and weaken an opponent, reducing their stats). 

A PC could, for example, take an Attack Stance and combine Punch with Rapid to throw a whole lotta blows at an opponent using Defense Stance-Block-Rapid to try and avoid them. In addition there were Styles: different sets of moves that gave various modifiers but told the opponent what Martial Arts school you were using. For Example: Wing is using Crane Style. He sets an Attack Stance and tries a Force Kick against Yumi. Unfortunately, Yumi recognizes he's using Crane Style and uses her Aikido Style with a Defense Stance to Redirect the kick so Wing hits his friend Danny and send the latter flying.

It sounds like a lot to remember but it really wasn't in practice and much of it is deciding what move you wanted to make at the last possible moment. Combat was really flexible. You were locked into an Action once you chose one but you didn't necessarily need to decide until you were ready. One of the Stat/Skill combos let you choose AFTER seeing what your opponent was going to do. If the opponent wanted and had the right Stat/Skill combo, they could 'cloak' their Action choice, forcing you both to move simultaneously. I am not sure I'm describing it well but it was so cool. I've played the White Wolf Street Fighter RPG and this was sooo much more fun. It felt like the perfect merging of Video Games and Anime. 

Our finale fight was in a loft apartment in a skyscraper in NYC. The Big Boss bad guy was throwing a party and our PCs had crashed it. While two of us took on the villain, my pal and I and one other took on a horde of goons. Like a freaking army of endless thugs. I was Bear Hugging two guys at once and throwing dudes into three other dudes and having a blast. My buddy had a Special Move that sent opponents 20 feet as long as it was split between Up and Away. Imagine it like this: He could Punch or Kick someone 5 ft. Up in the air and also 15 ft. back and Away. He could knock someone 10 ft. up and 10 ft, backward. He used this to Punch and Kick a number of henchmen into the ceiling or out windows. A lot of hysterical combinations with the environment and the moves of the other characters. 

Anyway, I used to have the issue above in my collection but I lost it some years ago. As I do not read Japanese, I don't know getting it again would help. I am not even sure the basic rules were in the issue. It might have just been an adventure that the GM was using for a separate game he already owned. Who knows?

Anyway, that's my tale. Hope you liked it. Let's see what's next...

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2023 - Day 14

 

Like questions 1, 3, and 4, there is apparently quite a bit of interest and importance placed on when and where a game is purchased. I guess I can see there being something to this; the time, place, and other circumstances around buying a game can certainly effect one's feelings toward it.

What were we talking about? Oh yes, my favorite CONVENTION purchase. Got to go with Sketch, which is the same answer I gave back in 2014. I haven't played Sketch in a really long time and that makes me sad. I really love this game.

 

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2022 - Bonus Round

The RPGaDay 2022 'Event' is over and underwhelming is an understatement. 

Six questions that amount to 'Tell me about your character'? Three on the RPGaDay Challenge itself, including the gripping philosophical conundrum 'When did you start participating in this'? Really? REALLY? C'mon, put a little effort into it or don't bother. 

With the whole RPGaDay 2022 being what it was, I am practically beside myself to post something for this bonus round...

As noted before, I don't like tagging people, so I won't be doing that. I really couldn't even if I did want to in the case of this story as none of the players were close friends of mine and I lost track of them all years ago. 

One Saturday when I was in my early 20s, must have been around 1990 or '91, I went to a 'local' RPG Convention in New Jersey. I met some great people, played some great games, and ended up having a conversation on game design, theory, and all the other big life questions with a bunch of people into the late hours. One or two were regular acquaintances, a couple were friends of friends, and a couple were people I'd met that day. One was a woman who...well...instant crush. 

Anyway, it got late, a lot later than intended and I was kind of dreading the long train ride into New York City. The nippy Autumn weather was no problem for me but it was drizzling and foggy. I considered calling up a friend who lived in Jersey to see if I could crash there when two of the people I'd been talking with said I could stay overnight in their hotel room if it was cool with the third occupant and I had no issues. It was all good and I slept there that night. 

Except I didn't sleep. None of us did. Intrigued by my ideas and approach to gaming from our earlier conversation, my three impromptu roommates wanted me to run them through a short, makeshift session of something. I said sure. Then one of them said, "Hey, we should see if we can get some of the others [from the earlier conversation group]."

Everyone nodded in agreement and so I said, "Sure. What the heck."

Sometime later, with coffee and snacks, we ended up in a room in the hotel probably used for meetings or as a lounge. I can't recall exactly. I just remember a big room, a couch, some chairs, and a coffee table. Some of use were in our clothes from the day before but I remember Crush Girl was in her PJs. 

Here's how the game went down...

Medieval Fantasy. A Dungeon Crawl That Wasn't. I had everybody take a piece of paper and told them to write down their Character's name, a nickname or title, their 'Race', and three things they were good at, one thing they weren't.

Their last task was to come up with a question they wanted to ask one of the other characters. When they were all finished with their PCs, they asked each other one question each. Some of the questions were like:

'How do we know each other?'

'How'd you get that title/nickname?'

'Do you have any hobbies?'

'What Monster scares the bejeezus out of you?'

Finally, I asked them all, 'Why are you doing this? Adventuring is a hard life. Dungeons are freakin' dangerous. Why risk it?' The answer to this formed the key elements that drove the adventure. To put it another way, I focused on their personal backstories and their interactions with each other with pit traps and goblin hoards being the framework and backdrop of the game, not the main event. 

It blew them away. Many were Anime fans and said it reminded them of their favorite Manga and animated series. It had humor but they also feared for their character's lives. I remember someone saying they cared more about their character here than in the home game they'd been playing in for months by that point. 

It felt great to get the praise of course but it was also just a really fun session. It lasted well into the morning and I ended up sleeping three hours and then going to the con for a second day. 

If there is any interest, I'll write up the characters as best I can recall them and even a little about the adventure. I'd forgotten about this game for years, decades honestly, only to have it come back to me in a recent conversation with a fellow online regarding great one-shots.

 

Art by Me by Midjourney

Thanks for checking out the post. Look around the blog and see if there's anything else that might interest you. 

Next month...we're going to SPACE...

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Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - XERET XEET

Every good Character Design Challenge needs a Star Trek entry. The question is which character to use?

After all, I've run dozens upon dozens of Star Trek campaigns and one-shots and seen hundreds of characters. I could probably fill the entire 31 Days / 31 Characters Challenge with Star Trek personas without batting a bat'leth. What I need is one that stands out because it was unique, different, unusual in some way...

Wait a second. I got it.

Character: Xeret Xeet

AKA: Lieutenant Commander Xeet

Player: Adam Dickstein and Andrew (I don't remember his last name).

System: Star Trek, The Role Playing Game - FASA Deluxe Edition

 

Convention Two-Parter: The Battle of Midway

Gamemaster: Mark (I don't remember his last name) and Adam Dickstein

Circa: 1989 (I believe)

Origins: In 1989 I attended a local* RPG convention, mainly to meet with some friends and the guys I knew from West End Games. 

I bumped into a fellow I'd met a few times at my FLGS, The Compleat Strategist, who just so happened to be running a game of FASA Star Trek. He had an opening and invited me to play, knowing what a big fan of Star Trek gaming I am.

As I often do at most conventions where pre-gens are given, I waited to pick last. I've learned that most people don't like playing the kinds of characters I do, so after everyone else argues over the badasses I get my pick of the fun weirdos. Sure enough I was left with my obvious choice; the USS Midway's Chief Science Officer and Third-in-Command - Lt. Commander Xeret Xeet, a member of the Bzzit Khaht species. 

After a great first session I learned that this was a two-parter, with the second half to be run later that day. Over comes one of the organizers in a bit of a panic. The GM for Part II never showed up. Eventually we find out he was really sick - food poisoning or something - and he won't be able to run. Mark, the GM of Part I, was due to run something else in the same time slot. Without warning, Mark suggests me for the job. He sells it hardcore, "Nobody knows Star Trek or the FASA game like this guy!".

How could I say no? 

When I started Part II I made sure to have the same characters present and most were played by the same players. There were two people missing and two new people at the table, so one of them needed to be the Engineer and the other my Science Officer. A fellow a bit younger than me saw the picture of Xeet and fell in love with him. His portrayal was fantastic, though different from mine as I will explain below.

USS Midway, A Loknar Class Frigate

Mark III Refit

Backstory: The following (paraphrased of course) was noted on Lt. Commander Xeet's character sheet:

Xeret Xeet is one of the few Bzzit Khaht currently serving in Starfleet and perhaps the highest ranking to date. It is a position of great prestige and honor but one he feels pressure living up to. 

Xeet was first assigned to Scientific Research and Survey vessels for two 3-year terms before later serving one 5-year Exploration mission aboard the USS Valiant. He has just completed a 3-year mission aboard the USS Midway and has been promoted to Lieutenant Commander/Third Officer and Chief Science Officer. He now begins his second 3-year mission (within 6 months of the session). 

 

Xeet specializes in Xenobiology and Xenobiological Psychology. He studies and has knowledge of various alien life forms and how their biology affects their behavior. 

Overview: The Battle of Midway seemed a simple scenario on the surface.  

Our vessel enters a star system wherein an intelligent civilization is signaling the Federation/Starfleet for aid. The civilization is located on one of the inner planets and between us and them is a large asteroid field. It isn't too difficult for a ship like the Midway to maneuver through the field but hiding deep within it are a number of Klingon vessels. When we reached about half-way through the field, the Klingons attacked. 

There turned out to be a lot more to it however. The Klingons were well outside the Federation-Klingon Border. How did they get there undetected? It turned out the leader of the Klingon Squadron had a personal grudge against our Commanding Officer.

Why was this Klingon out for revenge against the Captain? There really were advanced aliens on the inner planet. Did they actually call for help, was that just part of the trap, and did they know more about our predicament then we did?

While a good portion of the first session dealt with Starship Combat, there was also quite a lot of Role-Playing mixed in as we get to know the crew in a trial-by-fire. I played Lt. Commander Xeet as a man a little out of his depth. He was definitely intelligent and competent but not accustomed to actual battle conditions. He didn't want to let his friends and crewmates down but I made it clear he was out of his element. 

The GM and my fellow players game me a commendation me for original thinking - heheh - but seriously; everyone remarked how well I had done at making Xeet feel three-dimensional. They said he appeared overwhelmed and flustered by the situation but at no point did I display being 'bad' at my job.

In the second half of the game when I was the GM and Andrew played Xeret Xeet, there was a lot more investigation, mystery-solving, and science as the crew tried to unravel the plots and subplots behind the ambush. Here we see a very different Xeet - one who is charged with doing what he does best. Counter to my portrayal, this is Xeet completely in his element and doing what he longs to do, exploration and science. It was a different take on the character, yet one that fit perfectly with what had been seen before.

The Highlights:

Early in the first session I made a point that Xeet's species, the Bzzit Khaht, release a somewhat offensive odor as a by-product of their respiration and underwater adaptions. He wears a deodorant that makes it considerably less powerful. I added that when nervous (breathing heavy) the odor is stronger and the deodorant less effective.  

I recall a moment in the first part [in which I played Xeet] where I responded to commands from the Captain and called out the readings while also giving additional information and ideas to other PCs. I mimed it all, physically moving like a frantic officer pressing buttons and looking from monitor to monitor. The look on my face and the quick, jerky movements I used made everyone else feel a sense of urgency. At the same time, it made our Vulcan Navigator lean in towards me and try to calm Xeret down. 

I can see the scene in my head and recall the faces of the other players. I made them - through the situation - feel tense but also implied it was specifically too intense for Xeret. 

The moment in Part II that stands out the most for me was when the PCs were arguing about what to do with knowledge that the native lifeforms on the planet were technologically advanced to roughly the 20th Century and were not Warp Capable. Did involving them violate the Prime Directive? The Klingons had essentially forced the crew of the Midway into doing just that by faking a Distress Call that made us contact the alien world. The PCs could not decide how to proceed. 

Lt. Commander Xeet walked up to the Captain and suggested that since the damage was done, why not ask the aliens how they feel about the situation. Explain the Prime Directive, note our concerns, ask the rulers what they think is best for their people. Interestingly, Andrew (Xeet's player in the second half) already guessed how the aliens would answer. He picked clues I'd mentioned indicating these beings would be overjoyed to learn they weren't alone in the universe. 

Game Info:

It was so long ago I couldn't even begin to say what his stats were, though I recall Xeret Xeet was quite Intelligent, fairly Dexterous, and far better at Science related skills than any other type by a considerable margin. 

Well that's it! Challenge Complete! Break out the Romulan Ale! It's time to move on to...What? What's that? Not finished? Sure we are.

Let me explain...

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Barking Alien

 

Is It Wrong to Try to Put Anime in Dungeons and Dragons?

 A comment on my last post by JB of B/X BLACKRAZOR awoke a memory that had previously been lost to the mists of time. 

At a gaming convention in New Jersey I attended sometime around 1993 or '94 (most likely ShoreCon or DexCon), I saw a listing for an RPG one-shot that read...

DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS - ANIME STYLE!

Come if you like Dungeons and Dragons,

Stay if you love Japanese Animation!

The Japanese Edition of the D&D Rule Cyclopedia released in 1994

I was, unsurprisingly, intrigued.

I had lost my taste for D&D already by that time but I was at a high point in my interest in Anime and Manga. I signed up for the event, got in, and soon found myself sitting at a table with a diverse mix of players who all had one thing in common - they were all, to varying degrees, fans of Japanese pop culture media and entertainment.  

There were six players plus the Dungeonmaster. Male GM, four guys - including myself - and two gals. Most of the fellas were hardcore gamers who also really liked Anime. 

The two female players were a hardcore gamer just getting into Anime and a diehard, cosplaying Otaku who was just getting into gaming. The latter was named Roni (short for Veronica) and I had an instant crush on her. She and her character were a big part of what made this game so memorable. 

The DM introduced himself, explaining he'd been gaming since the early 70s, was stationed in Japan for a time, then lived there for a bit before coming back to America. He was a big Anime and Manga fan and had run TRPG games for friends - both American and Japanese - while overseas. Those experiences gave him the idea for this session

There were a dozen pre-made character sheets laid out in front of us and we took turns choosing our PCs. All the sheets featured a cool Anime/Manga art style illustration. 

At this point I should note that the game rules were modeled after the BECMI version of Dungeons and Dragons, something I know very little about from first hand experience. My friends and I went from Basic to Advanced, rarely paying much attention to the expansion of the Red Box rules.

On top of this, the DM had given the PCs unusual Class/Race names consistent with what you might see in Anime, Manga, Japanese Tabletop RPGs, or Japanese Video Games. Mechanically everything corresponded to BECMI D&D but was renamed and/or re-skinned to give it an Anime flair. That said, I have to assume he made numerous rule modifications because I have rarely ever had that much fun playing D&D. It all moved so fast and so smoothly that if I didn't know he was running D&D I would swear he was running anything but D&D.

The session began with an introduction and a 'recap' of the fictional Anime series we were now a part of, Dungeon Delver . This was a 'Previously on ' type situation. Our session was billed as the most recent episode of the show, some dozen or so episodes in. We each then drew an index card that gave us a secret subplot element to help inform our role-playing throughout the session. 

The combination of these two components absolutely grabbed all the players, immersing us in this game automatically. The session - its theme, style, and story - became something to invest in as it was 'more than a one-shot'.

The plot of the 'series' revolved around returning a mysterious and beautiful young woman back to her distant homeland. She had awoken in an unfamiliar place where the PCs accidentally stumbled upon her while unsuccessfully trying to find treasure and adventure. 

The truth was revealed (at some point) that she was an other worldly being, basically a Goddess, removed from her land so evil forces could corrupt the place and take over. The main villain was her sister, an evil Goddess who resented the love and admiration that the caring, good aligned Goddess had received from the people of their land. 

The session itself took place in medias res, with the PCs in various positions on and around a bridge amid jungle covered ruins. The bridge was high above water and there were waterfalls everywhere, pouring out of the remains of this ancient, forgotten city.

A unique flying monster hovered overhead, speaking to the party in a charming yet thoroughly sinister tone. From the foul creature - who disgusted our Priestess but our Mage flirted with - we learned that the our enemy, the evil Goddess , had placed a cursed artifact in one of the structures in these ruins in order to twist the jungle and infect it with her darkness. Our goal was to find and remove or destroy the item before its curse could spread through the region. 

What followed was in most ways classic Dungeons and Dragons, the party searched through the ruins, fought lizard men and undead, bested traps, found treasure and magic items, and all the things one would expect to engage in and encounter in a 'Dungeon Crawl'.

However...Combat was fast, furious, colorfully described and cinematic. People leapt into the air to come down on enemies from above, charged up spell attacks for extra power, had the unusual power here or unique magic item there and nearly every moment was filled with banter or pathos. 

There were arguments of philosophy, romantic reveals, plots twists and turns akimbo! More happened in that 4 hour time slot than I've seen occur over several sessions of a standard D&D campaign. Sure, part of it was a great DM and the knowledge that he had to tell a satisfying story in 4 hours. That doesn't lessen the fact that he did just that! I attribute a big part of that to his 'gimmick' of making it feel like an Anime. 

Do you know what the game lacked? Strict adherences to Casting Times, Range, how many torches we had and how long they'd last, Weapon Speeds, and the all important Encumbrance. 

Yeah, no.

No one cared and no one missed it. It didn't need to feel like a survival game or a chore. It needed to feel like a fast paced Japanese cartoon and it did. It smelled and tasted like one for crying out loud. A touch of romance, a sprinkle of comedy, and heaping ladles full of action and suspense. Not suspense created merely through die rolls but by the situation at hand, the choices of the players, and the nature of the setting and genre. 

Give me the worst parts of this a thousand times before the best 'traditional' D&D. 

Oh yeah, before I go our characters were:

Cursed Thief: Gray Mouser-esque rogue who gained random animal attributes/appearance if he used magic scrolls. Started game with cat eyes and one arm covered in black feathers. Goddess promised to cure his curse once she was returned home. Thinks more about this than the party. 

Dwarf Berserker: (Me): Dwarf with huge gauntlets that did damage as if armed with hammers. Can create Earthquake/Thunder Strike-like effects with gauntlets (X number of times during session). Sworn to protect Magical Girl because her mentor saved his life.

Elf Faerie Friend: D&D BECMI Elf whose spells were described as summoned fae performing the effect. Secretly in love with Priestess but she is nervous around other Elves. 

Magical GIrl: (Roni) Anime cute, witch-themed female Wizard with a magic staff. She can ride staff like a Witch's broom but only like a Star Wars Speeder Bike. Can't go high in the air. Has a black cat familiar. Crush on Dwarf but afraid to tell him. 

Mighty Warrior: Human Fighter with a honking big sword. Sword can charge up with Magical Energy and deliver devastating blow (X number of times during session). Doesn't trust Thief and also has a crush on Priestess. 

Summer Priestess: Female Cleric with Sun/Summer/Tropical motif. A sort of Druid/Shaman/Traditional Cleric combo actually and very cool. I would love to see something like this portrayed elsewhere. Not interested in either of her suitors because of her devotion to accomplishing the quest at hand. Kind of the team leader. 

OK, that's all for now. Another post majorly delayed by life and the inability to find or make good illustrations for it. Ugh. Sometimes I'm not sure why I bother. 

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

A First Step Into A Larger World

I apologize for the lack of posts this Summer. My business has really picked up and it's done so in the awful heat and humidity of a New York heat wave. I am a Winter Child, born during a February snow storm. This heat takes a lot out of me. Even if I wasn't so busy, the temperature would still leave me pretty exhausted. 

I am taking a short break from discussing Pixar Superheroes to address something else rather, well, incredible (Heh. See what I did there?).

Fantasy Flight Games has recently released the Star Wars: The Role Playing Game - 30th Anniversary Edition, reprinting the original Core Rulebook and Sourcebook of the 1987, West End Games RPG that changed the course of Star Wars canon forever.

Enough has been said about the impact of the original game on the Expanded Universe and even the movies, and animated series that I needn't reiterate all that here. I mean I could, I'd enjoy it, but that's not what I want to do with this post. Instead, I'd like to tell you about my first encounter with the Star Wars D6 RPG way back in 1987. 

My apologies if I've told this story on the blog already. I honestly thought I had, but couldn't find it in a cursory look through past posts. It is a tale I've told to friends and fellow gamers over the years and it may be those recollections I am remembering. 

Here we go...

Sometime between December of 1987 and February of 1988, I was asked to GM at an RPGA Event in New York City. The event was called Crusader Con or Crusade Con, I forget exactly. There were more than two dozen Gamemasters, and over a hundred and fifty attendees were expected. 

That weekend, NY was hit by the mother of all snowstorms. We're talking full on blizzard. 

If memory serves, all of the staff and GMs were able to attend but only about half the attendees showed up. The end result was that each referee ran one session and then had nothing to do for hours on end. They couldn't just leave, as part of the event was an award ceremony at the end wherein the best players (voted on by their GM and fellow players) and the best GMs (voted upon by their players) would receive a gift certificate for the Compleat Strategist (NYC's friendly local game store par excellence!).

At some point I decided to leave the hotel where the event was being held to grab some lunch. I went with some fellow GMs I had become acquainted with and passed a room with three other Gamemasters playing a game. I had spoken to one of the three at length earlier in the day and asked if he needed me to pick anything up for him. He was gracious but told me he'd already gone out to lunch and just got back.

It was then that I noticed the book in front of him had images from...Star Wars. A huge Star Wars fan, I was surprised that I didn't recognize the book. Wait...there were dice on the table. The three guys were clearly gaming but...

"What Star Wars book is that?", I asked.

"It's the Star Wars Role Playing Game. It just came out. I picked it up at the Strat (common nickname for The Compleat Strategist in NYC). We're going to try to create characters and see how it goes. I'll tell you about it when you get back."

My new found friends and I spent our lunch break discussing the Con, the styles and techniques of the various GMs we'd met, and other 'shop talk' you'd expect referees at a game convention to discuss. At the same time, I couldn't stop thinking about the new Star Wars game book. I was eager to learn more, see more, and to get it myself. 

After about 45 minutes or so, we headed back to the convention. 

When we got back upstairs I walked to the doorway of the room where I had left the three fellows and the game that had me practically vibrating with anticipation. 

As I approached I could hear them speaking excitedly and the sound of dice clattering. I didn't want to interrupt but I had to know how character creation was going. Also, why did it sound like the most action-packed character generation session I'd ever heard?

After observing from the doorway for a few moments, unable to quite make out what was going on, I cleared my throat and said a friendly, "Hey guys...". I was quickly and politely as possible waved off. 

"Can't talk right now. In the middle of a big battle!", my acquaintance exclaimed.

"Wait...", I started, "You already made two characters and got into an adventure? In 45 minutes?"

"Yeah", he said.

One of the others added, "This game is awesome!"

There is more to this tale, but I think I've reached the part that illustrates a point I want to make. Yes, there was a point to all this you salty little Porg bottoms. 

Up until the Star Wars D6 game, it seemed serious RPGs were often quite complicated and crunchy. Comedic games - Ghostbusters, Paranoia, Toon - were simpler and usually more rules light. A serious Action/Adventure game, especially one involving Space Travel and Ray Guns, that was also quick and easy play was quite revolutionary at the time. 

When I got the game myself and read it over (and over and over), I couldn't believe how well it managed to hit the mark between detail and ease. It was both lightly textured and amazingly fast. To this day, even with the added material and mechanics of of its Second Edition, Star Wars D6 remains, IMHO, the best system for the kind of stories I want to tell in that universe. 

West End Games' Star Wars: The Role Playing Game is a treasure, a brilliant masterpiece of simple gaming ingenuity. I love it, and I am overjoyed to have this 30th Anniversary Edition in my collection. 

May The Force Be With You!

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

Con Games

My fairly recent post about a friend's poor experience at his first Gen Con received a number of interesting responses, and all positive I have to say. Kudos Barking Alien readers. It would seem my demographic isn't the one containing the players my friend had to deal with.

While I did get some comments here on the blog, I also received messages via email, Facebook, and Google Plus.

One such Google Plus message was from Charles Atkins, friend of the blog, an amazing blogger in his own right, and forerunner of an advanced race of people who intend to conquer the universe using only donuts, and beer.

OK, one of those may not be entirely true. I consider him a friend to the blog, but I have no idea how he feels about it.

On Google Charles wrote:

"I meant to ask you this when I read it [the His First Time post] last night but what games do you think attract certain types of people?"

My response was:

"That may be a loaded question in my case (personal experience, and preference) but for example, Rolemaster draws a different crowd than Golden Sky Stories. Not that someone couldn't enjoy both, but they are certainly oriented towards two different play styles.

This may be worth a post in and of itself."

 

Charles then wrote back:

"It absolutely would be because for people like me, who haven't been to a convention of rpgs it would be nice to know kind of what sort of personalities gravitate towards which games. Though it might be one of those posts that gets a bit . . . confrontational for some folks."

Indeed Charles.

So who's ready to open up a can of wyrms? Well alright then...

First let me start with a bit of a caveat.

I have a certain gift for picking the winners when it comes to things like games at conventions.

I know, it sounds crazy, but I also haven't seen a bad movie in years either.

I've worked at least two different jobs, for a combined total of six years, where my ability to see patterns, and project the outcomes of things has helped me in the positions I held. I'm really good at looking for certain clues, details, tell-tale signs, that something is going to work, or not.

It's not fool proof. I'm not psychic, or anything. It's not like I can tell what the winning lottery numbers will be. I just have a knack for noticing things that tip me off when something seems like it wouldn't gel, especially if it wouldn't gel with me.

The question, the real trick you see, is whether, or not I can teach that to you.

Furthermore, even if I can, it is distinctly possible that I might shy away from a game you (any one of you) might think is perfectly fine. The particulars I'm looking for may not be your particulars.

That said, I will impart what I can.

Those of you who are sensitive, and easily offended when someone criticizes your favorite  games, game style, or what have you, this may be a good point in the post to go do something else. Seriously. I am going to say some things a lot of gamers aren't going to want to hear/read. I am also going to say some things even I don't agree with, things I wish weren't the case, but they are, or have been in my experience.

 

Barking Alien Tips for

Picking A Good Game at Cons 

 

Read the Games Descriptions Carefully - Watch Out for Red Flags

 

This should go without saying, but sometimes, often even, you can tell if you are going to have an issue with the game right off the bat if the games description contains conflicting information, vague explanations of things that are of key importance, and the like.

 

For example: A Champions game that says it will focus on characterization and role-playing, then says to be sure your character is a 250 point character, with an OCV, and DCV of at least 9, and a 60 point major attack power.

 

Yeah. Slugfest with rules lawyers disguised as a role play opportunity.

 

Go For Beginner Games, Even If You're Not Really A Beginner

 

Games listed as being for 'beginners', or that are 'beginner level' are usually ones that don't penalize you for lack of rules knowledge. Therefore, they end up with space here and there for character moments, and witty banter among the party. The adventure itself is rarely less deep, nuanced, and complex than any other game. It's just that the rules are a bit de-emphasized.

Also, if everyone there thinks everyone else is a novice, even if they're not, the participants are usually going to cut each other a little more slack.

  

Go Old School If You're Old School. Don't If You're Not

Have you been playing RPGs since the fat, grey-haired, bearded guys were fat, pasty faced kids? No? Then don't bother playing one of their games.

If you really want the experience of playing one of the RPGs from the Golden Age of gaming, that's awesome. Get one of your older friends to run one for you. Don't do it at a Con. The games the Grognards play are for Grognards. If you aren't one, don't even bother.

Games to avoid in this regard are Basic D&D, Advanced D&D 1st Edition, perhaps Chivalry & Sorcery, Rolemaster/Middle Earth Role Playing, and anything else that was printed before 1980.

This is less a reflection of the games themselves, and more the people who tend to be attracted to those types of games. Especially at Cons.

If It's The First In a Series, Try to get the Trilogy

I notice that games with multiple sessions, on different days, tend to be good. GM's planning out a series of related sessions at a show like Gen Con are focused more on story then not, and thinking of a bigger picture.

It's not a guarantee that the exact same player group will participate in all the sessions, but another bonus is that if a few do you know those people! You know how they're going to be, and you can react accordingly. You can get into the next one if there's an opening, or dump it if they were numb nuts.

If You're One of Those Guys Who Likes Playing Female Characters, Consider Not Doing That

 

I know I'm going to get flak for this one, but hear me out.

 

I have no problem with men playing women, women playing men, nor any gender playing any other at my home table. I am cool with it, my players are cool with it, and we are generally not judgmental people (especially me personally).

 

At a Con, there is no way to tell if the person sitting next to you is going to be a jerkwad. If you don't know the group, and/or the GM personally (or at least pretty well), why chance being the butt end of some moron's harassment.

 

You're a guy, and you want to play a female PC, that's great. Do it when you get back from the Con.

 

Now, that's my recommendation, but not my personal feelings on the matter. My personal feelings are play whatever the heck you want to play, no matter who, and what you are. If someone has a problem with that, stop the game with a time out, and verbally rip them a new a-hole.

 

My recommendation above is for the non-confrontational types who just want to game, and didn't come to the show to start a gender equality movement. While in many ways that is exactly what's needed, there are times where it just isn't in you.

Please bare in mind, we are living in the era of Indiana's state government passing the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

This state, where our beloved Gen Con is being held, is not a hub of acceptance, and understanding.

Lastly...

If You Regularly Play With An In-Person Group of Friends,
Go Over Your Con Game Choices With Them.

In Person. Because They Know You. And They're Your Friends.

If I've been gaming with someone for a few years, I get a good inkling of what they like, and what they don't. I can usually gage whether, or not a game is right for them, based on the game's description, and the fact that I know the person.

Knowing an individual's sensibilities, and preferences makes it easier to help them pick a game that's right for them. Sometimes there are things they don't even realize they say, or do that might point out the game that's perfect for them, or help steer them clear of a bad match-up.

There are probably other things I could think of, and if I do I will be sure to post them. The bottom line is, don't be a jerk. If everyone followed that one, simple rule, this list would be unnecessary, and every choice would be a great choice. Until then, pick smart.

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Barking Alien

His First Time

Thursday, July 30th, through Sunday, August 2nd, Indianapolis, Indiana was once again the host of what is touted as 'The Best Four Days In Gaming', the 48th annual gaming convention known as Gen Con.

According to the Gen Con website's Post Show Report, Gen Con 2015 set a new attendance record with a unique attendance of 61,423 and a turnstile attendance of 197,695.

Apparently, Gen Con has more than doubled in attendance since its 2010 show.
 
As someone who loves gaming, and is a fan of conventions of this nature, I have attended Gen Con in a personal, and professional capacity at least half-a-dozen to a dozen times. Each, and every time I had a great experience, and I look forward to going again in the future.

For many years now I've planned to go in 2017, come hell, or high water, as that August would mark my 40th year in the gaming hobby.

This year I was unable to go, but a few of the players in my Barking Alien Gaming Group went, including my friend Will. It was Will's first Gen Con. I was very excited to hear how his trip was, and what he thought of the show.

I met Will [as well as Hans, and Steve, two of my other players, and most of my other group - Dan's Group] at a local convention here in New York City called RECESS. Sadly, RECESS is not longer being run. A very sad, and unfortunate thing indeed.

Will was expecting, hoping, for RECESS on a grand scale.

Here is what he experienced.

***

 

Me: OK Will, give us your stats. Let's have your age, gender, place of origin, and how long you've been gaming for.

Will: I'm 32, Male, born and raised New Yorker, and I've been playing RPGs for 4 years, though I've been wanting to get into it since I was 10.

Me: How did you first learn about Gen Con?

Will: I learned about Gen Con from fellow RPG gamer friends (Ray and Steve).

Me: What made you decide to go?

Will: I had grown tired of going to conventions a few years ago, primarily from Otakon, Katsucon, and NY Comic-Con. I was hesitant to go again even when I found out so many of my friends were going, but then my wife said we were going, so I signed up.

(Incidentally his wife, Emi, is a lovely, funny, and all around awesome person who is totally not into table top RPGs. She likes computer/video games, computer/video RPGs, and board games. She is also into other aspects of fandom).

Me: What were your expectations (if any) going in?

Will: I was expecting a four-day long NYC RECESS, with a dealer's room like Comic-Con, and crowd levels like Otakon.

(Note a bad description actually).

Me: What were your first impressions when you arrived?

Will: My first impression was that it was just like Otakon in crowds, though far fewer people in costume. 

(Otakon is the largest, East Coast Anime, and Manga Convention. Last year's Otakon, its 21st annual event, had an attendance of 33,929 unique memberships, and an estimated turnstile attendance of 109,000. Gen Con is nearly double its size).

Me: What was your favorite experience while you were there?

Will: My favorite experience at Gen Con was at a late-night Zombie Escape the Train game where a father and his nine-year old son were part of the game. Not only was the game good, and I got to play my character and make some epic saves, it was heartening to see a father and son game and just get into it together. 

Me: What experience did you find most disappointing?

Will: My most disappointing experience was at a Champions game where I found myself the target of [another] player's awkward sexual harassment just because I was playing a female character. I don't care if he was playing in-character, it was jarring, and I felt very uncomfortable and didn't know what to say or do about it in the moment. I hadn't expected it, and hadn't ever experienced anything like it before.

(Suffice to say, this guy was an asshat, but so, in my opinion, was the GM of said game. If you don't see one of your players is harassing another, and ruining their enjoyment of the game, AT A PAID EVENT NO LESS, you yourself are a double asshat).

Me: How would you describe your overall experience?

Will: Overall, I was disappointed. I went in expecting RECESS, and instead I found half my games dominated by old, obese, men who played their games like assholes, and the other half dominated by GMs who didn't really know what they were doing. I am told by friends that it was in part my fault for my choice of games, and I guess it's true since I'm new to RPGing and have no idea which systems, and stories will attract which kinds of players and GMs.

(RECESS was extremely diverse, with gamers of all ages, ethnic backgrounds, genders, and interests. It was the entire melting pot of New York City, NY represented in a small get together of game fans.

Upon hearing about some of Will's choices, yeah, as a veteran of many games, and many conventions I probably could have steered him clear of some of his bad experiences. At the same time, I shouldn't have to. We should be doing everything in our power to make newcomers to the hobby welcome.)

Me: What is your biggest take away from your first Gen Con experience?

Will: My biggest take away is 2-fold. First, the people, both GMs and players, are more vital to the game than anything else. Second, veteran players seems to know which games attract which kinds of people, something I was very much not privy to ahead of time.

Me: What is the one thing you might do differently if you went again?

Will: If I could change one thing, it would be to let a veteran-player friend choose all my games for me. I chose based on my interests. What I needed was to choose based on what kind of people would attend each game.

Me: Would you go to another Gen Con?

Will: Honestly, I wouldn't attend Gen Con again even if I was paid to go, but my wife is likely going to want to go again, so, I'll probably go again while trying to make the most of it by employing my previous answer.

***

 

 

It is my hope that Will gives it another go. Further, I hope I get to go with him.

I have always really enjoyed Gen Con, and the overall feeling Will has for the show makes me very sad. I would very much like him to have at least as good a time at Gen Con as I've had in the past.

Thank you Will for allowing me to post this 'interview'.

Look forward to gaming with you soon.

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Barking Alien