A New Hope

Earlier this month I had the honor and privilege of running West End Games' Star Wars, The Roleplaying Game - one of my all time favorite RPGs - for three of my very long time and very dear friends. The game was run over Discord and went for three hours.

It's a challenge for me to put into words how good it felt to game with these fellows once again after nearly 20 years. Aside from getting to play with three people who are very special to me, playing with these guys has truly rejuvenated me. It was a breath of fresh air to game with three players who want to play the kind of game I want to run. 

I first met and became friends with Keith Conroy, Aristides Iliopoulos (sometimes referred to by his nicknames Aris or Artie), and Jason Narvaez while working at The Forbidden Planet between 89 and 91. I was introduced to these fine fellows by our mutual friend Vlad Rients (you can watch Vlad, Keith, Aris, and their pal George chew the pop culture fat on the YouTube channel The Podcast Cosmic). These fellows were also in my Tales from The Rim campaign group.

There is a lot more to our friendships than this though; Aris and I worked together at the Forbidden Planet. Keith helped me choose the Groomsmen's suits for my wedding. Jason was my Best Man. These guys, like a very select few others in my heyday of playing TRPGs have long since gone from 'people I gamed with' to family. I couldn't be happier getting to play with them again. 

The campaign, entitled 'STAR WARS: Gray Territories', is set in the same timeframe as the Disney+ series 'The Mandalorian'. approximately five years after the destruction of the second Death Star and the death of The Emperor at the Battle of Endor. I will discuss the details of the campaign in a later post and probably do a breakdown of the 'Episodes'.

Here and now, I simply want to say how and why this campaign - which has only had one session as of this writing - has already rejuvenated my love of RPGs and helped to shrug off the feeling of 'Gaming Ennui' I've been experiencing lately. 

These guys approach gaming differently from my other groups. That different approach can best be summed up as 'exactly the way I do'. Much like my A&D High School Group, these fellows and I aren't just on the same page; we wrote that page together as a team. We want the same things out of the game. We move and think at the same speed. We get it and each other in a way that could only come about if you'd been there, if you know what I mean. 

It is really freeing to be able to run a game as well as I can because the group is good enough, quick thinking enough, and immersed enough to handle that. Likewise, I need to be at the top of my...well...game as it were...to keep pace with this crew. Exhilarating. Nothing like it.

I will end here for now. I apologize for the long delay but I just haven't felt motivated to post lately. Tired from an increased work schedule (a good thing) and a lack of enthusiasm as mentioned above and in my previous post. Feeling a bit better now and looking forward to the rest of the year. 

Talk to you soon and May The Force Be With You!

AD

Barking Alien

31 Days / 31 Characters - CARLACC ACEN

This post commemorates a fallen character as well as a friend I lost touch with long ago. Sometime after this campaign we disappeared from each others' lives and I've always thought that was a damn shame. Junior, this one's for you.

Character: Carlacc 'Junior' Acen

AKA: The Crazy Ace, Blue Seven/Blue Ace

Player: Junior

System: Star Wars, The Roleplaying Game, 2nd Edition - West End Games

 

Campaign: Star Wars: Tales from The Rim

Gamemaster: Adam Dickstein

Circa: 1992-1993. It is possible I am off by a year or two. It occurred a year before my Ever The Brave campaign, though the story [in universe] is set after that one chronologically. 

Origins: My friend Junior was a very cool and dapper fellow, always well dressed as I recall, who frequented the uptown Forbidden Planet when I worked there. We would talk comics, movies, and all the usual geek stuff. He certainly didn't look like a geek, with his tie, leather shoes, and stylish haircut but he was definitely one of us. 

One day, he overhead myself, two other employees, and two other friends talking about starting a Star Wars RPG campaign. He was hugely excited. Junior had only played D&D as far as I know and was a big Star Wars fan. The others, some of whom already knew him from the store, made it clear they were totally down to have him join in. 

He showed up with a very clear idea for his character - Carlacc Acen, Brash Pilot and former member of the Rebel Alliance. Also, a guy who wasn't necessarily firing on all thrusters...

Backstory: Carlacc Acen Junior was a Rebel Alliance X-Wing Pilot who first flew during the Battle of Endor. He became a New Republic Pilot following the end of the Galactic Civil War. A relative rookie, he scored numerous kills against TIE Fighters and Interceptors over Endor and in a number of post-Endor operations against the Imperial Remnants. His original callsign was 'Blue Seven' but eventually earned the nickname the 'Blue Ace'.

Many wondered if Acen was using The Force when he flew, as his split second timing and wild maneuvers would be next to impossible for even the most seasoned of pilots. Acen always attributed it to luck he owed the universe that would most likely come to collect some day.

During his last mission with the New Republic Navy, his squadron had been set up by bad intel and was completely wiped out except for Acen, who ended up being captured by the Imperials. Something happened to Carlacc after a year in Imperial captivity and when he was finally transferred to a Victory Class Star Destroyer for transportation to 'Penal Colony Double Zero' he was considered a bit unhinged. 

When the Star Destroyer he was on was attacked by the religious sect known as the Ho'Ken'Tota, Acen teamed up with several other prisoners to escape and carry out justice against the remains of the Galactic Empire being run by the mysterious Prakken Drol. 

Overview: Carlacc Acen's appearance is no accident - Junior specifically said he wanted him to look like Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon. He imagined a former Rebel turned Republic Pilot who was constantly holding Survivor's Guilt at bay but just barely. 

While initially portrayed in a comedic light, Junior would periodically give much more serious glimpses into Acen's state of mind and the brief but meaningful moments really stood out. I have not idea if the subject was one Junior knew from experience or whether he had simply read a great deal about it and wanted to explore it as a character concept. In either case I feel like he managed to balance the elements of the character very well and it definitely left me considering Carlacc Acen to be one of the most interesting Star Wars characters I've encountered in a game. 

The Highlights:

Carlacc was always good for snappy one-liners, reckless actions, and daring saves of his teammates - though they saved him as much if not more often. Indeed it was his friendship with the rest of the team that eventually helped him to come to terms with his past experiences and look forward to the future.

That said...

In the final session of Tales from The Rim, Carlacc is piloting a starfighter the PCs helped design and test, the Incom/Subpro Z-100 Skulldiver, against the forces of the team's nemesis Prakken Drol (a former Jedi Inquisitor). With members of the PC group split between fighting Drol personally and handling his swarm of TIE fighters in space, Acen realizes it is a delay tactic so villain can launch an invasion of the planet below. 

Carlacc Acen's personal Z-100 Skulldiver Starfighter.

Illustration by Aristides Iliopoulos - Colors by Me

With his trademark laugh and some banter to his Astromech Droid R2-D12, Carlacc flew straight for the bridge of Drol's Interdictor Class Star Destroyer, firing everything he had while on route. This included the fighter's nose mounted Ion Cannon and several Concussion Missiles, rendering much of the Destroyer inoperable in seconds. With a loud 'Yahoo!', Acen crashed his vessel into the Interdictor's command center in a blossoming explosion that killed the vessel's Captain, Tar Moloff, as well as Carlacc himself. 

His final words before the 'Yahoo' was, "I decide when my luck's run out'. 

Game Info:

Carlacc Acen's original Character Sheet:

While not noted on the sheet, Carlacc Acen usually fought with a blaster in each hand when in ground combat. His favorite combo was his trusty Blaster Pistol and a stolen...er...liberated Imperial Trooper Blaster Carbine in the other (a shorter version of the Stormtrooper E-11 Blaster Riftle). His Astromech R2-D12 was red and white which was the subject of arguments between the robot and his owner, who thought D12 should be blue to go with Acen's 'Blue Ace' motiff.

Notes:

I don't remember the player's real name. 

Our group, myself, and everyone I know that knew him called him 'Junior'. As you can see by his original character sheet, he never filled in 'Player's Name'. We called him Junior so much that even though I [as GM] try to address the players by their Character's names during the game, I would always end up calling Junior 'Junior'. It was decided that it was his PC's nickname as well. 

I know where he worked and I've tried to find him or find out what became of him but to no avail. Junior, if you are out there and you read this post, check me out on Facebook. I'd love to hear from you again ol' friend. 

It should be noted the Junior the Player was an African American Male in his early 20s. Carlacc Acen looks like Mel Gibson. That is what he wanted so that's what he got. 

Legacy: In my Star Wars RPG Universe there is a New Republic Flight Training School named after Acen located on the planet Kolindoor. 

Additionally, PC Jeard'en Kaine and NPC Naena Moondrift married and had a child and the boy's middle name is Carlacc. He is often referred to as 'Junior'. 

From the legends of a distant galaxy to adventure in the Victorian Age, meet the well-armed young inventor DIETRICH ARMBUSTER and the world of Gear Antique!

AD

Barking Alien

VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES - FOUR FOR FREEDOM!

Here's a special treat for those of you who've been following this blog, and specifically my posts on past campaigns that I have run. This one is a doozy, and another I've been wanting to talk about for a very long time. It's not so much the campaign itself that's interesting, but the participants, and the backstory.

Ladies and Gentlemen...and if identify yourself differently more power to you!...introducing

Campaigns I Have Known - Celebrity Edition!

Wha?

Pay close attention, and you can follow along with the home game.

First...a little set up...

Let's begin in 1985-86.

I was visiting NY's premiere game store (IMHO), The Compleat Strategist, at their Upper West Side location (technically Midtown West)*, when I saw a friend of mine who worked there. He gave me a warm welcome, as I realized I hadn't seen him in quite a while. When I asked what he'd been up to, he said he had been in California shooting a movie.

I was vaguely aware he was an actor, but a real Hollywood movie? Awesome! I asked when it was going to come out, and what role he played. He seemed a bit taken aback, even hurt.

My Friend: "You didn't see it? I..Wow...I figured you of all people would've seen it. It was really popular, a comedy, and it had mad science Sci-Fi."

Me.: "Whoah. Maybe I did see it. Did you have a big part?"

My Friend (Kind of crestfallen): "Yeah. I was...a co-star. One of the stars of the movie."

My buddy from the Compleat Strategist starred in a Sci-Fi Comedy and I didn't know? Impossible.

Me: "What movie?"

My Friend...Ilan: "Weird Science."

Me: "..."

*Brain suddenly makes a connection it should have made already on its own*...

"HOLY S%^&!!!" (Very possibly my first experience with swearing out loud in public)

I know that guy!

I just...didn't know I knew that guy.

It wasn't that I had forgotten the movie. It wasn't that I'd forgotten my friend. No. My brain simply did not equate the guy I knew at the Compleat Strategist with the fellow in the film. In my mind's eye that were two separate, distinct, completely different people.

Instead of being upset, he laughed. So did I. For a while, I frequented that location more, just so I could hang out, and talk to Ilan.

Sometime between 1987, and 1988. I had graduated the High School of Art and Design, and would soon be attending Pratt Institute. I got a job working at the Forbidden Planet's Upper East Side location (really Midtown East)*.

While working there I made friends with some of the regular customers, especially if we had shared interests. At some point, I met two fellows who were working on an independent comic book.

One fellow was Joseph Naftali, a younger guy (well, younger than me) who had a darn cool idea, the money to back the project, and just needed an extra writer, or two and a few other artists. He was hoping to start with an anthology book. We started talking, and I helped him edit some ideas, pitched a few new ones, and the next thing we knew we were pals, and working together.

The other fellow should be known to some of you if you're familiar with Superhero RPGs. His name is Storn Cook. Yep, that Storn Cook. For those unfamiliar (and too lazy simply click on a link - I mean c'mon!), Storn is an illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous RPG products including Champions, and Mutants & Masterminds. Storn also became involved in the comic book project, including doing the back cover ad for a story by yours truly intended for the second issue.

A week, or so later, Storn and Ilan come in to the Forbidden Planet in full Kendo gear, covered head-to-toe in mud. They'd been to a Kendo class in Central Park, only to fall down a hill made super slippery by rain the previous day. Every female employee there bugged me to introduce them to these two. A lot of swooning went on I can tell you that.

Now hold on...these two knew each other? Of course they did. Millions of people in New York, yet somehow the world of geeks was strangely small.

So I talk to Joe, Joe talks to Storn, Storn and Ilan talk, and they get a fifth guy named Grey**. We all meet at Joe's place - a very impressive, multi-level home hidden in New York's West Village. With a gaming table set up in the basement, this eclectic group got together to play a short campaign of Villains and Vigilantes.

Campaigns I Have Known

Proudly Presents...

VILLAINS AND VIGILANTES -

FOUR FOR FREEDOM

At this point we...OK I...have a problem. I remember the players quite well. I remember the characters quite well. I am not 100% sure who played who. So embarrassing. I'll do my best. 

UPDATE: I'm pretty sure I have it right.

We created the characters together using V&V 2nd Edition, and a little house-ruling on my part, but not much. I allowed for certain choices in addition to the roles. Also, although default V&V has the players play themselves, we created fictional secret identities for these characters.

Title: VILLAINS and VIGILANTES - Four For Freedom

System: Villains and Vigilantes (Fantasy Games Unlimited), 2nd Edition.

Circa: 1987-1988. There were only six sessions unfortunately.

Player Base: In 1987-1988 I was 18-19 years old I believe. I know Ilan and I are the same age. Storn probably is as well, or close, and the same goes for Grey. Joe is younger by a couple of years I think.

So to be clear, I was the GM - Joe, Ilan, Storn, and Grey were the players.

Characters: The four heroes were...

The Resolute (played by Storn C.)

The team's de facto leader (most of the time), Resolute was a former government operative combining a super soldier formula, bionic enhancements, and high tech gadgetry and weapons into one potent combination. He specialized in military tactics, stealth, and had a host of military, police, and other government contacts.

If I remember correctly, he had Heightened Dexterity, Heightened Senses, Heightened Expertise, a Speed Bonus, Martial Arts, and a suite of weapons including a Blaster Rifle, a Stun Pistol, and a lightsaber-like Energy Sword.

His weaknesses included Electrical/Lightning attacks which caused him extra damage, and potentially shorted out his abilities, and a psychological drawback that gave flashbacks to some previous conflict he can't clearly remember (possibly implying that turning him into Resolute saved his life).

For some reason I now picture him as being very similar to Soldier 76 from the Blizzard Entertainment computer game Overwatch.

Attitude and personality-wise, Resolute was a dry humored, somewhat sarcastic, slightly rebellious version of Captain America. A Captain America born of the 1970s and 1980s instead of World War II, and the 1960s (when he was brought back to life).

The Obscure (played by Ilan S.)

Our mystical specialist was Obscure, a strange individual whose origins remained a mystery throughout the game.

While he definitely had a physical form while hanging out at the team headquarters, or when talking to the police, Obscure spent most of his time in a semi-gaseous state. Below the waist, from within his cloak, and often circling about his hands were billowing  clouds of gray-black fog, or smoke.

He was well versed about all things magical, and supernatural, could read ancient languages, including runes, and hieroglyphics, and could even speak with spirits, ghosts, faeries and the like.

Powers included Flight, Darkness Control, Intangibility, and a number of smoky looking Magic Spells.

His only real weakness was candles, the light from which could harm him...or weaken him...or drive him off. I forget. I also forget if it was just any candles, or a specific type.

Obscure always maintained an air of being wise, macabre, and 'terribly mysterious'. If Resolute was the brains of the operation, Obscure was the soul of the team.

The Cosmic (played by Joe N.)

I liked all the characters here, but I really liked this one.***

An extraterrestrial humanoid from a species so 'sufficiently advanced', it is difficult to identify whether we are talking about a machine, a living creature, energy, or something else. This unusual 'physical form' gave the character his amazing powers, but also an interesting perspective on life on Earth.

While understanding many space related subjects, and being familiar with various alien species, starships, and the like, Cosmic himself was from a region of space so distant he could not identify it on our star charts. It was assumed he had traveled through a worm hole from another galaxy entirely.

Cosmic's powers included Flight, Force Field, Telekinesis, Telepathy, and a cool, weird shape-changing ability that allowed him to become two-dimensional, stretch (but when he stretched his arm for example, the rest of him became either thinner, or shorter in height), and other tricks dealing with altering his size, mass, and density. The idea being he wasn't so much a solid being as a certain amount of psychic energy taking a humanoid form.

He had a weakness to magic, as it did not obey the same laws as the perceivable, and understandable universe according to the character.

Most of the time Cosmic was inquisitive, child-like, and very reminiscent of the Silver Surfer. During battle however, he became a focused, disciplined combatant. The personality switch was so distinct, and clear cut it was almost like someone with multiple personalities.

Was he possibly a gestalt being made of the thoughts of different individuals?

[I am pretty sure this was Joe's character. I am almost positive he came up with the idea. See Bonus features for a funny story about this PC's creation.]

The Maverick (aka The Wild Card, played by Grey B.)

Last but not least was a very unpredictable hero named The Maverick, who many referred to by his nickname 'Wild Card'. Maverick's origin was that he was created by a group of villains (possibly the notorious InterCrime) to defeat a well known superhero, but the programming didn't stick. Maverick instead turned on the villains and dedicated his life to using his abilities for good. 

[I may be wrong, but I think Maverick was the prototype for a planned army of such beings].

Maverick was very knowledgeable about InterCrime, super villains, and crime in general. He had a number of underworld contacts, and knew the location of a few secret lairs. Maverick was also the team's best driver, and pilot.  

Mavericks powers are kind of strange. In addition to Adaption, Regeneration, and Willpower, Maverick would randomly manifest different powers based on the situation he was in. For example, if trapped in a burning building he may attain the ability to shoot blasts of water, flame on himself, find his skin coated in an asbestos-like material, or simply gain superspeed so he could run out of there. (In manner ways the character resembled Shane Goosemen, from the animated series 'The Adventures of The Galaxy Rangers'.

Maverick was, as you can probably imagine, the loose cannon, 'Wolverine' character on the team. He didn't talk much, was soft-spoken but authoritative when he did speak, and extremely protective of civilians (especially the very old, the very young, and the infirm).

Synopsis: The plot (and I use the term loosely here) was pretty simple. The campaign was really just an excuse to run, and play superheroes with a cool bunch of guys.

I decided to start with the module that comes with the V&V 2nd Edition boxed set, Crisis at Crusader Citadel. I made some minor modifications, then proceeded to run more of the pre-made adventure modules, tweaking them and adding elements to tie the superhero sandbox game into a single narrative. It went something like this...

One bright Monday morning, four superheroes show up at the front entrance of Center City's famous Harmon Building, the top of which serves as the headquarters of the world's greatest superhero team, The Crusaders! 

Each new hero has been invited by one or more of the Crusaders to potentially join the team. Unfortunately, there is only room for one additional member. The assembled newbies will have to be interviewed, and possibly compete in a try-out test.

It soon becomes clear that the Crusaders are not home. Their AI Computer indicates that an emergency has taken them off-world. The Center City police, who were been aware that the Crusaders are unavailable (but kept in secret by order of the Mayor to prevent villains from thinking the city is an easy target), ask the new heroes if they can help out with a rash of technology thefts. The four gladly agree to assist.

It doesn't take long for the PCs to learn that the Crusaders' arch-enemies, The Crushers, are up to something big. It turns out they've captured and imprisoned the Crusaders within their own base!

After defeating a few of the Crushers to gain additional information, the new heroes proceed to return to The Crusader Citadel where they are able to free the Crusaders, and defeat the Crushers. When the Crusaders lament that they wish they could add all four fellows to their roster, the new supers decide to decline membership in the Crusaders to form their own team called The Four For Freedom.

As they proceed/progress through a number of other harrowing capers, the group learns that the sinister super villain Bloody Sunday has been behind all their troubles. Angry over the perceived failure of superheroes to protect himself, and his family when he was a child in a war torn region of the world, Bloody Sunday attempts to engineer the defeat/destruction of the superhero community.

He is eventually defeated and captured in a public battle with the Four For Freedom.

Appendix N: In addition to obvious influences such as the Byrne/Claremount X-Men, the Wolfman/Perez Teen Titans, and the like, I was also strongly influenced by The Seven Soldiers of Victory, and Watchmen. 

Villains & Vigilantes products, with their implied, but never truly fleshed out universe were also a major source of inspiration.

Bonus Features:

* The Uptown Compleat Strategist, and Forbidden Planet are sadly long gone, having closed their doors many years ago now.

** Grey's full name was Grey Bowman. Grey Bowman. Is it me, or does that sound like the name of a superhero character right there? The Green Arrow - The Grey Bowman. Seriously.

So I said to Grey, "You should create an archer character called the Grey Bowman." He stared at me like I was speaking another language. I kept trying to not only sell him on the idea, but also explain why he should embrace the fact that his name was sooo damn cool. He didn't get it. It simply would not click. 

Ilan pulls me aside and says, "I know you think it's an amazing idea, but you have to understand that to him you're suggesting he create a character named 'Adam Dickstein'. To him it's just his name. Same as with you."

"OK...I guess...except my name isn't freakin' GREY BOWMAN!" O_O

Towards the end of the campaign the villain has some other (NPC) heroes tied up including The Grey Bowman. I had drawn a picture, and I showed it to him. Grey stares at it for a moment and goes, "Ahh. Now I get it. Man. That is cool." LOL

*** Joe says to the group after trying to think of a background for Cosmic, "Hey guys, I've come up with a background for my character.

He is an alien, right, and he's sent away from his homeworld when it gets destroyed. He arrives on Earth, and...and is raised and taught Human values. Human rights, defending the weak, etc. He decides the best way to pay the people of the Earth back for allowing him to walk among them is to protect them from danger as a Superhero! 

What do you think?"

We all looked at him, dumbfounded, for what felt like a long time. Finally, someone said, "It'll never sell", and we all burst out laughing. All but Joe. He couldn't figure out what we thought was so funny.

"Seriously man? That story is just a little familiar no?"

"Familiar?", Joe replies a bit insulted. "What do you mean?"

"SUPERMAN! Joe, that's the origin of Superman."

Joe starts to say, "No! NO! It's nothing like Superman it's...it's...", and then suddenly Joe is laughing. "The way I told it, man, I said only the parts that sound like Superman's story. I left out all the details that...Hahaha!"

Joe retold the story, and honestly, it was pretty great. It wasn't like Superman at all. The whole thing was a great lesson in how to convey information.

***

Sadly, I didn't really keep in touch with the group as the years went on, except Storn who I periodically talk to on Facebook in various gaming, and art related discussion groups. 

Ilan left the film, and television entertainment business to become a professor of medieval studies. For a time he was a contributor on at least two gaming blogs, and a podcast - Forces of Geek, and Talk Wargaming.

Well, that's my story of playing a short, but awesome campaign of V&V with a very interesting group of people. Hopefully I will be able to more such stories out next month than I did this month.

That's out show! Good night everybody!

AD
Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2015 - Day 30

Oh man, I haven't exactly been looking forward to this entry...

I don't put a lot of stock into the whole 'celebrity role-player' thing.

I mean, I think it's kind of neat if I learn that an artist, actor, writer, or director whose work I like played RPGs as a kid (or still does), but that's about it. It's neat. Nice to know. That's all.

The one exception* is Robin Williams.

I

t says 'Favorite RPG playing celebrity', but it does not specify living, or deceased. Sadly, to answer the question in all honesty, I must acknowledge that my choice falls into the latter category.

Between 1988 and 1992, I worked at the Forbidden Planet, one of New York City's prime pop-culture, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and comic book retail stores. Perhaps the biggest, and most well known at the time. I mainly handled the toy section, eventually being an assistant buyer for import toys, and models, the main buyer for RPGs, and related products (like dice and miniatures), and eventually an assistant manager.

Robin Williams was a regular customer, visiting the store every time he was in New York.

I was a huge fan of his, but reigned in my enthusiasm each, and every visit so as not to make him uncomfortable. Most of the staff did the same, with the exception of one, or two who were just so star struck they couldn't help it I suppose.

Over time, he came to ask for me specifically when he came in. I helped him with a number of products, and sometimes we just talked the way fans talk. We'd discuss a particular Anime, Japanese die-cast robot toy, or what film he was working on, or had just finished.

I'll never forget him coming in just after he finished shooting Hook. He looked terrible. He was visibly tired, almost exhausted, and very thin. He didn't stay long. I didn't ask him about it, but did what I could to make him feel like we (the staff) appreciated him coming by. I think that meant something to him. I could see it on his face.

Then there was the time...

I would come to learn that he had played D&D, and a few other games, and at the time got into an occasional game of Warhammer, and Warhammer 40K.

I have a lot of memories of him from those four years. At least one, or two a year that I can easily recollect. The staff, and I never treated him like a celebrity. We treated him like a person. He repaid the gesture in kind.

My favorite celebrity who gamed? No question. The one, the only, Robin Williams.

Rest in Peace fellow gamer.

AD
Barking Alien

An Old Dog's Tricks

I have decided that for January of 2013 I would start the year off with something different. Inspired by Noisms and both encouraged and challenged by some of the comments to my previous post on the subject, I am going to be doing a series of 'Gamemaster Advice' posts entitled 'Old Dogs Tricks'.

Now, before I begin this first post in the series I want to put forth two very important claims that hardly matter at all.

First, my Gaming Geek Cred:

I've been playing RPGs for 35 years, largely as a Gamemaster. I have run practically every RPG published (and some that weren't) prior to 1995. From 1995 to present I have still GMed and/or played a huge number and wide variety of RPGs. In recent years, having created a number of games of my own design or modified existing ones to my own specific tastes, I tend to play my favorites more often than trying new ones. As time and funds and accessibilty allow, I do still enjoy playing games I've never played before.

I was the RPG buyer for the Forbidden Planet stores in the New York City for 3 years and worked at The Compleat Strategist in NYC for 2. I have done demo games at conventions and game stores for Wizards of the Coast, Last Unicorn Games, West End Games and a number of independant game companies. I have GMed at NerdNYC's RECESS Game Day Event about 5 or 6 times already. I have professional gaming credits in West End Games' Star Wars D6 books and Last Unicorn Games' Star Trek RPG. I currently use RPG principles to teach 2nd to 6th grade students in Brooklyn how to improve their reading, writing, notetaking and speaking skills.

Second, none of that matters.

I do not know you. I do not know your players, what they like and what they don't. The vast majority of you enjoy Dungeons & Dragons in some form. I don't like that game. I am no one to tell anyone what to do or how to do it when it comes to something so personal as gaming.

Except...

Where these two factors cross is experience. In my personal experience, in the gaming circles I have been a part of, I am constantly asked back to run games for players I have campaigned with in the past. There have been several campaigns I've run in which players have crossed two or three states to get to the games. People nearly always leave my gaming table asking when we are running the next session.

If the above, and only the above, is not happening for you, than maybe, just maybe, there is a chance that I may have some tips that can help.

Wish us both (all) luck...

AD
Barking Alien

On a related note, ERIC! at Chronicles of Ganth is also on the Gamemaster Advice bandwagon. although his approach is somewhat different than I expected its definitely woth a look see. Check it!

Secret Origins - Part III

From the first game I ever played in August of 1977 until the summer of 1978, I only got the chance to game a dozen times or so. Between school, family and, well, being 8-9 years old, I really didn't have a lot of control over my time. It wasn't until I started summer camp again in early June of 78' that my passion for RPGs would kick into high gear.

My good friend David Pollack brought the Basic Set of D&D to camp. Although I don't recall which version it was, I do remember it looked different from the one Tom had used to introduce me to the game. When David asked if anyone was familiar with it I said I had played it a bunch of times.

"Great," David said, "you can be Dungeon Master".

Once I was on the other side of the process, creating adventures, characters and worlds, I realized that I had found my calling. I DMed constantly after that, with more and more friends wanting to join the games I ran. Soon, having 7 or 8 players on an adventure was normal for me.

Between 78' and 82' I would play a ton of D&D. I finally got my own copy of the Basic box (Erol Otis cover) in 80' or maybe 81'. In the later half of 82 I began a campaign that would last about three and a half years of real time. I have used, reused and modified that world setting ever since I still run games in it to this day. I also discovered other games like Boot Hill, Gamma World and Traveller. While they were fun, I stuck with D&D for the most part, adding in superhero style abilities and adventures to a world quite unlike medieval times.

In the early fall of 1982, my friends and I made the sojourn from distant Brooklyn to New York City to find a store we had heard about called 'The Forbidden Planet'. A true adventure as harrowing as any we had rolled dice to conquer, we finally found the place after getting lost and walking a mile or two to get there.

For those unfamiliar with the place, its a comic book store, book store, game store, model shop, toy store and much more all rolled up into one. Its older location, the one I am describing here, even more so. I would end up working at its now long defunct but thoroughly awesome Midtown East location from 1989-1992, serving as Asst. Manager at one point. Man those were fun times. Anyway, back to the story...

While at the Forbidden Planet I came across a game called 'Villains & Vigilantes'. It was...could it be?...a Superhero Role Playing Game?! I couldn't believe my eyes and read over every inch of the box at least twice. I reached into my pocket and realized I only had half the amount needed to buy it. I called over my friend Martin Lederman and read him the back of the box, which was illustrated to look like a page in a comic book by the awesomely awesome Jeff Dee. For good measure I read it in my best Ted-Knight-Superfriends-Narrator voice. Once he stopped laughing, Martin agreed to split the cost and we purchased the game.

V&V was very D&D-like, which helped us to understand it and convince others to play. The more I played however, the less I wanted to go back to D&D. It was not long after this that I discovered the Star Trek RPG and largely said good bye to Dungeons & Dragons as my mainstay game.

I guess the reason I wrote these three 'Secret Origin' tales was to give both myself and the reader some perspective on why I write what I write and how my view of things in gaming got to be the way they are.

My motivations and those of my players were not hack-and-slash but based on the heroic fiction we were exposed to at an early age, namely Silver Age comic books and Star Trek. We also understood the dangers of crime and the cold war mentality much easier than we did medieval society, which was essentially alien to lower-middle class, city dwelling, pre-teens of the 70's and 80's. We lived in NY and therefore had easy access to lots of players so big groups and 'splitting the party' was normal and necessary. We didn't focus on the rules but on the fun and creativity of gaming so rules lawyers and a love of crunchy systems was rare. Once we found games stores like the Compleat Strategist and Forbidden Planet and could get there easily by train we spent our allowances or pay on games by the score. Playing lots of different games gave us a different view of what worked for us and what didn't.

I hope you've enjoyed taking this little trip down memory lane with me. Now that the foundations are out of the way, I intend to use the next few posts to illustrate some (hopefully) cool ideas I have for Superhero gaming. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

AD
Barking Alien