Journey of A Fallen Star

With Exploration Driven campaigns on my mind and inspired by a comment I received from Timothy Brannan, I thought I'd share my memories of a favorite game I ran that very much fit this theme.

Starting out as a One-on-One campaign with my childhood best friend Joe and expanding to include a small group of additional players, this game is one of my first full-on open world Exploration outings. 

Journey of a Fallen Star

The campaign began with a falling star blazing through the sky and crash landing in a mountainous region in the North East hemisphere called. It exploded upon impact and the flash and billowing smoke could be viewed for several miles, if indeed there had been anyone to see it. 

As it turned out, there was. A Dwarf Rogue, cast out by his kin and searching for Starmetal to get back into their good graces, just happened to see the meteor strike. 'STARMETAL!', he thought aloud and rushed to see what he could find. 

When the Dwarf arrived the impact crater was fairly large, likely deep, and a bright light glowed from within it. He found himself walking closer and closer, even though his inner voice told him to run. As the smoke cleared and the glow dimmed, he saw a...a figure...a person? Yes, someone was standing amidst the flecks of burning metal and rock! 

Eserwun Starfall / SR-1

It was an Elf (he assumed), clad in some kind of fancy magical armor. He stood completely motionless, as if frozen in time. Then...suddenly...the helmeted head turned towards the Dwarf.

The Elven Knight in enchanted armor spoke a language the Dwarf did not understand, his voice powerful and hollow...eerie. "See here Sir Knight! I do not understand you. Do you not speak the Common tongue?", the Dwarf shouted.

Strange quiet noises, like cricket chirps and flute playing, came from within the Knight's visor. "I do. Where am I? Who are you?", the Elf asked in that same disconcerting voice.

"You are in the Crystalrock Mountains. South of the Dwarven Halls of Crystalright. I am Enut Deepshadow, a...prospector of these parts. Who are you?", Enut said, feigning as much confidence as he could muster.

"I am...S...I am...", the Elf began, seemingly having trouble recalling his own name. "I am SR-1 of the Third Interstellar Legion. I...may be damaged."

Enut Deepshadow

The Dwarf moved closer, his demeanor friendly. He reached his hand out, though he still stood some distance away from the Elf. "Eserwun you say? Well, I'm not surprised you're injured. Falling from the sky will do that", Deepshadow said with a chuckle. The Elf did not laugh. He did walk to meet the Dwarf however and reached out to shake his hand. 

So began the travels of 'Eserwun Starfal'l and Enut the Dwarf. The former searching for his missing memories, some lost weapons and gear, and out to slay the Six Demons of The Void. The latter serving as Eserwun's guide, his squire, and before long, his friend. 

Joe, playing Eserwun Starfall, would look at the map I drew and if anything interested him he would point it out and ask , "What do you know of this place?" I would give him the knowledge the Dwarf had on the location and he would decide to go there or not.

Yellow Dots indicate places visited by Eserwun Starfall during the campaign. 

 

Sometimes he would stop random merchants or pilgrims on the roads and simply ask them, "Greetings and well met! Have you heard any strange tales recently? Any mention of swords with blades of blue light or monsters you've not heard of before?" All in hopes of getting a lead on any of his goals. 

My favorite instance of this was when the two adventurers came upon highwaymen waylaying a trader and his family. They beat the brigands senseless! Afterwards, Eserwun held one over a cliff ledge and said, "Speak the truth and I will not drop you. Have you heard anything about 'Demons of The Void'?" The thug said there was someone calling themselves that in such-and-such city and gathering a small army of sellswords. Eserwun picked him up off the ground, thanked him, and let him run away. 

Eventually word of the campaign spread and friends of ours wanted in. I used this as an opportunity to expand the map. Eserwun and would travel to a new place that wasn't familiar with and the pair would ally with or hire a local (i.e. a new PC) to guide them through the area.

 The 'Known World' of Ranul.

One time the heroes had heard a rumor of a terrible monster living in a nearby swamp [between Zollner and Vogel] whose description sparked Eserwun's memory - one of the Six Demons of the Void! They get there and meet a Human Warrior (a newly joining PC) who, it turned out, was also after the monster. The character had a Magic Sword that Eserwun claimed was his! It had fallen away from him as he descended to Ranul (the name of the campaign world). 

The two characters almost came to blows but they put aside their differences to track down and defeat the 'Void Demon'. As it turned out, the villain had a nearly identical sword which shimmered red instead of blue. The Warrior gave Eserwun back his sword and took the red one as a trophy. 

In addition to exploring to locate narrative related elements, sometimes the players just looked at the map and said 'what's over here'? Often it was, 'Let's pass through this area on our way to thing we need or want to do.'

They would also explore to find resources like food, water, or shelter. A player would look at the map and point to a body of water ahead and say, 'there's good fishing here' or to a nearby town and say 'if I recall correctly, this place has an excellent market for us to get provisions.' I would nod in agreement and say something like, "Well you're from here so you know best."

By the end the campaign ran for about a year or so (1980-81), playing roughly every other weekend. Sometimes we'd get an extra session in here and there or miss one because of holidays and family stuff. I remember we got to play a few times during the week because of school assembly or the like. Sessions were usually 6-8 hours. Joe was joined by two or three other regulars and two or three players that would pop in and out. 

The idea for the campaign came from Joe, who wondered what would happen if a Futuristic, Sci-Fi Robot landed in Medieval Europe and started hunting Demons and Monster (in truth Alien Criminals). A major source of inspiration was the Marvel Comic Book 'ROM, The Spaceknight'. Looking back on it from 2026 and its a little like the upcoming RPG 'MedivAliens'. 

Oh, in case you haven't caught on by now...

SR-1 was a Robot Soldier from some never specified starfaring society. He was rolled up and created as if he were an Elf Fighter/Magic-User (Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition). His spells were made of 'Sci-Fi Energy' and the visual effects were always bright blue light (like his sword). When he would 'learn' new spells we framed it as if he was gaining access to more of his memories, programs, and capabilities.

While he didn't need to eat, SR-1 did sleep in order to recharge and self-repair. He could do both more rapidly by receiving an electrical discharge. This meant being struck by Lightning or hit by a Lightning Bolt Spell worked like a Cure Wounds Spell. :D

Several female NPCs made advances towards him but he would always raise his hand and calmly say, "I am sorry but I can not", which many took to be some sort of oath of celibacy but it was because he was a robot and not one designed for romance or intimacy. 

Like the Mandalorian Din Djarin, Eserwun would never remove his helmet, even in front of his closest friend. This was on account of having no head or face beyond the visage of the helmet. 

The other Player Characters were all native to Ranul but had often had a weapon, armor, or a piece of gear that had come to the planet from Outer Space. The Human Warrior had the Red Bladed Starsword and our Gnome Illusionist had an Energy Crystal on top of his staff, for example.

Enut our Dwarf NPC was a Thief. Bruce played the Human Fighter. Chris played a Gnome Illusionist and Wanda was a Female Half-Elf Druid. These were the regulars.

Not all of these items fell off of SR-1 during his drop. Some were from the Void Demons as mentioned above, while others had been on Ranul for hundreds of years. 

Ranul itself is our own moon, terraformed and rotating. The Great Moon of Ranul was a dead Earth. In my mind this was set in the far distant future of Gamma World. Elves, Dwarfs, and other such species were the descendants of Humans genetically engineered to survive this world. Goblins, Trolls, and other Humanoids were likely descended from Human hybrid experiments, their DNA spliced with animals or even non-sentient alien creatures. Monsters were Gamma World Mutants, Mutant Animals, Aliens, and even Mutated Aliens. 

Some of the weaponry, gear, and creatures were made by adapting Gamma World material to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1st Edition. Some were homebrew whole cloth.

The ' Six Demons of The Void' were Alien Villains ranging from a Cyborg 'Ogre', to an Organic Armored Lizard Man, to an intelligent Manticore-like creature. Their weaponry and powers were a mix of Monster Manual abilities and Gamma World Mutations.It was never clear (I never decided) if they had anything to do with SR-1's crash on to Ranul, though he did determine hunting them down was his original mission. 

During the course of the campaign we only encountered three of the Six Demons. All were slain but we faced one twice; the Cyborg Ogre was the one with the red sword. The Red Manticore escaped the first time and the PCs eventually tracked it down again and took care of business.. 

So there you have it, a heavily Exploration Driven campaign with a good deal of Narrative incorporated, and Missions created by the PCs themselves. 

That's it for now. Tomorrow we begin the RPGaDay Challenge. 

See you there,

AD

Barking Alien

STAR WARS - THE FIRST CAMPAIGN

This is the last of the Campaigns I Have Known for the month of February, but not the end of the series as my next post will explain. For now, let's discuss another first in my personal hobby history. 

 

If you forced me to choose between my love of Star Trek, and Star Wars, I'd have to choose Star Trek every time, but only because you forced me to pick one. Why would you do that? It's so cruel. Who the heck do you think you are? I...wait...ahem.

I do absolutely love me some Star Wars, as should be readily apparent from the Star Wars Traveller project I started last month, if nothing else. I discovered D&D, and Role-Playing Games in the same year that Star Wars came out. It was inevitable that I would incorporate my passion for that galaxy far, far away into my favorite pastime.

Unfortunately, unlike Star Trek which had an official RPG in 1982, Star Wars wouldn't see one until the awesome West End Games version came out in 1987.

Wait a moment. Think about this for a bit. I mean really think about it.

In 1982 there had only been two films, Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. The 'Expanded Universe' consisted of four novels: 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye', 'Han Solo at Star's End', 'Han Solo's Revenge', and 'Han Solo and the Lost Legacy'. There was also the Star Wars Holiday Special, but the less said about that the better.

That's it. That's all there was to base a campaign on. To be honest, that made it so much easier, and so much better than trying to do it now. Now there are a million non-canon things that are confused with canon, and people have a hissy-fit if you don't include as law that one, ridiculous idea that just happened to be in that one book that was their favorite, but you put down after chapter 2.

This was when Star Wars was focused, pure. When Star Wars was Star Wars.

Well, this Star Wars fan wasn't going to wait for an official RPG.

After a particularly vibrant discussion about Star Wars in the lunchroom of my Junior High School, my friends at the time convinced me to put together a Star Wars RPG. Using an unholy mish-mash of rules from Dungeons & Dragons, Gamma World, and Villains & Vigilantes, I was able to create a workable system.

Here is all I can remember about this endeavor. Like that Star Wars game of many years past, here goes nothing...

Warning: I remember only bits, and pieces of the details of this campaign. If you have any questions about the game, the characters, or anything at all please don't hesitate to leave a comment. I will do my best to clarify.

 

 ***

Campaigns I Have Known

Proudly Presents...

 

STAR WARS - THE FIRST CAMPAIGN

 

 Our Ship - A Corellian Medium Freighter

Based on this early concept painting of the Millennium Falcon
By the incomparable Ralph McQuarrie

Title: STAR WARS - THE FIRST CAMPAIGN

Yeah, this campaign didn't actually have a title. I don't think I titled any of my campaigns from 1982, or earlier. If I did, I probably gave them a title afterwards, even years later.

System: Homebrew/Kitbash. Class/Level system similar to D&D. Special powers based on Mutant Powers in Gamma World, and Superpowers in Villains & Vigilantes. Weapons, Droids, and other technology taken from and/or based on Gamma World. Armor similar to V&V.

Sadly I have very few memories about the rule specifics. I remember that the Jedi Class had four 'Stages'. Levels 1-3 you were a Wanna-Be Jedi. You needed to find some kind of teacher in order to proceed to Levels 4-6, Jedi Apprentice. For 7-9 you are a Jedi Knight. You could stay a Knight or face a great personal challenge and proceed to Jedi Master, Levels 10-12.

Circa: 1982. We played a few days a week for about six months, with each day's session lasting only 4 hours or so. Once, or twice a month, we would meet on a Saturday, or Sunday for full 8 hour sessions. If I had to venture a guess, there were close to a hundred sessions (though possibly a bit less).

Player Base: Our core group consisted of five male players, all about 13 years of age. Other players would pop in and out playing guest star roles on a fairly regular basis. Some of the guest stars had pretty substantial roles, appearing quite regularly.

Our grand finale had about 7, or 8 players.

Characters: I wish I could recall all the Classes I created, the specifics of the Alien, and Droid rules, and many other elements that are completely eluding me. If any of my friends reading this recall anything please let me know.

As with my previous post on Star Trek - Polaris, my memory is a little dicey here. I don't recall all of the PCs' names, and I'm certainly missing a lot of details, but I'll do the best I can.

Jake Sunrunner  - Jedi (played by David F.)

Although all the characters in this campaign were awesome and had their own moments in the sun (or in the case of Tatooine, Suns), the campaign's protagonist was very much Jake Sunrunner. He was the star of the show, no doubt about it.

Sunrunner starts the game as a mechanic, working at a fix-it shop on the desolate, ash-covered planet of Gardine (pronounced GAR-deen). The shop is owned by his uncle, whom he lives with as his parents are deceased.

Jake becomes involved in the adventure of a life-time when a pair of Smuggler types call on him and his uncle to help repair their ship, a modified Corellian freighter. The vessel is old, beat up, and has obviously seen some combat recently but the Sunrunners think they can fix it. The Smugglers indicate they are in a hurry and are willing to pay extra.

Eventually, while moving through the bowels of the freighter, Jake senses something in the cargo hold that is calling to him. He searches for the source of this strange phenomenon until he comes across a small, very old case about the size of a lunchbox. Not sure what it is exactly, he seeks out the Smugglers to ask them, when all of a sudden Imperial Stormtroopers show up to capture the Smugglers and their ship.

Jake's uncle (Jeb, I think) tries to talk to the Stormtroopers, possibly stall them so the Smugglers can escape but they gun him down. The Smugglers, whose ship is not completely repaired, beat a hasty retreat, taking the younger Sunrunner with them.

Jake begins the hero's journey, learning about the Rebellion against the Empire, discovering his Smuggler allies are actually Rebel Agents, and finding out that he is the inheritor of a very special destiny. Jake Sunrunner is strong in the ways of The Force and another with a similar gift, a similar curse, is out to get him.

Jake's first lightsaber, given to him by the Worsellian Jedi, Wossow, had a blue blade. When Jake build's his own, we decided his experiences, personality, and optimism warranted the first golden-yellow blade we'd seen outside of the original Kenner action figure of Luke Skywalker.

Human, Male, Smuggler/Spy (played by Chris D.)

As with a number of Player Characters from this campaign, and others of the time, I can not recall the character's name. A shame too. I remember most of the names from this campaign were great and very Star Wars appropriate.

A typical charming scoundrel of a Corellian Smuggler on the surface, this persona was a cover for an accomplished Rebel Agent and Spy. He was part Han Solo, a little Peter Quill/Star Lord as seen in the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' film, but also a touch of James Bond.

Ithorian, Male, Smuggler/Scout  (played by Raymond G.)

Along with his Human partner, this member of the Ithorian species, commonly called 'Hammerheads', was only posing as a Smuggler to hide his true identity. In actuality, he was a member of the Rebel Alliance and a former Explorer/Scout. The Rebels, and his friends, valued his extensive knowledge of the various planets, creatures, aliens, and spatial phenomena found on the frontier of space.  

Another character whose name eludes me.

 

  Ithorian 'Hammerhead'

 

Concept Art and Costuming

from Star Wars (1977)

Human-Cyborg, Male, Bounty Hunter (played by Bruce D.)

While I can easily remember the name of this character's NPC enemy and arch-rival, the name of the PC itself is gone from my memory banks.

A Bounty Hunter working for the Corporate Sector Authority, this fellow was badly banged up and left for dead after an encounter with some space pirates. Saved and turned into a Cyborg by the Imperial Empire, he eventually escapes them to become their worst nightmare. After a run in with the other PCs he joins up with them and the Rebel Alliance to overthrow the Empire and destroy the CSA.

Had cool armor, a cybernetic right eye, right arm, and right leg. He possessed Heightened Senses, Heightened Strength, and could unusually leap high and far.

Ungawarra -  Wookiee, Male, Soldier (played by Joe C.)

I loved this character. Still do.

Ungawarra was a pale, tawny-brown colored Wookiee who travelled the galaxy trying to pay back the Life Debts of those Wookiees who had died without fulfilling their end of the Life Debt bargain. He would go from world to world and do something for people who had saved the lives of Wookiees at some point.

When he encountered the rest of the PCs, he was engaged in trying to find a Human's stolen droid. During his excursion, Ungawarra ran afoul of the Empire and the other PCs ended up saving his life. Now having a Life Debt of his own, he temporarily stopped his karmic endeavors, promising the spirits of the universe he would return to it at some point.

Guest Stars Included:

A snappy and sarcastic Protocol Droid (played by Martin F.)
A Human-Cyborg, Male, Rebel Soldier (played by Buzz A.)
A Human, Male, Starfighter Pilot (played by ?)

Synopsis: The galaxy is locked in a state of interstellar civil war...you know the score. The fledgling Rebel Alliance fights a desperate battle against the seemingly endless military might of the Galactic Empire.

Enter two Rebel Agents, undercover as of a pair of Smugglers, who are bringing supplies to a Rebel base hidden away on the distant planet Undrador.

In addition to various medical supplies and mechanical components, a contact from Nor Randan gave the 'Smugglers' a small package to take back to Rebel Alliance Command. Unfortunately, Imperial forces are on to them and they are attacked by TIE Fighters as they attempt to jump to lightspeed.

The Rebel Agents escape but their ship is damaged and they are forced to set down on the ash world of Gardine for repairs. That's when they meet up with Jake Sunrunner and the three of them end up escaping together once the Imperials catch up with them.

Sunrunner turns out to be Force Sensitive and the mysterious package the Rebels are carrying is a crystal capable of unlocking the secrets of an ancient Jedi temple. An Imperial Inquisitor named Sinistros knows about the crystal and hopes to obtain it for either himself or to win the favor of Darth Vader.

Sinistros has at his disposal an army of war droids that he designed himself based on a model that pre-dates the Clone Wars. The PCs eventually discover that part of his plan, should he fail to get the crystal, is to lay siege to the Jedi temple with a superior version of these robots called Sinistroids (just short of Anime style Mecha).

The campaign culminated in a multi-part battle between some PCs in ships and starfighters against space worthy Sinistroids, some on the Jedi temple planet against Sinistroid ground forces, and Jake Sunrunner in a lightsaber duel with then Darth Sinistros on the latter's personal battle cruiser.

EPIC!

 

Appendix N: Obviously the films Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, as well as the various Star Wars novels available at the time. The Art of Star Wars and The Art of The Empire Strikes Back were major inspirations. Also, Marvel's Star Wars comic books, the Kenner action figures, Star Wars Radio Plays, as well as the Terran Trade Authority books by Stewart Cowley. Lastly, like Lucas himself, the Lensmen series by E. E. 'Doc' Smith also played a significant role in this campaign's design.

Bonus Features:

The rules system used here was probably my first attempt at kitbashing, homebrewing, or creating my own system. I don't remember the details of the rules well enough to tell you if it was actually any good, but it worked well enough to run the campaign.

The art of concept artists Ralph McQuarrie, Ron Cobb, and the other greats who worked on Star Wars were of course major influences on the campaign. Many of the designs not used in the films became important elements in our campaign. This is something I've done ever since.

The Terran Trade Authority books, filled with illustrations by some of the most fantastic artists of the 1970s, also provided ideas for starships, planets, and other bits, and remains a huge source of inspiration for me when running Sci-Fi games to this day.

A big part of the story deals with Wossow, an old alien Jedi who has been in hiding since the rise of the Empire and the elimination of the Jedi Knights (back then believed to have been accomplished by Darth Vader and his agents). It turns out Wossow's original job was guardian of the crystal that will unlock the temple. He lost it in a fight against Vader, who lost it to the elements of the planet they were fighting on. The crystal made its way from person to person, until an ally of the Rebel Agents/Smugglers recognized it as some kind of Jedi artifact and thought the Rebellion should have it.

Before The Empire Strikes Back came out, a fanzine had a rumor that Luke Skywalker would meet another surviving Jedi and that he would be 'a green, lizard-like creature with pointed ears'. We eventually discover this character to be Yoda but my friends and I had fun speculating what this Jedi might look like.

The sketches we made became Wossow the Worsellian. The name of his species, The Worsellians, comes from the dragon-like alien Worsel from the Lensmen books.

Kenner Star Wars figures were used as 'minis' on occasion.

Well, that's finally done. Whew! It took forever to write this up, but I'm glad I did.

Boy I love Space Adventure games! Seriously! Hmmm. 

We'll talk soon,

AD
Barking Alien

Obscure Thinking

On February 6th, an old school fantasy gaming blog called 'Tomb of Tedankhamen' posted an interesting blog challenge for March, and a mildly infuriating lead in to it. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm too dang sensitive. I apologize here for the mild nerd rage manifesting as barely veiled snark.

I'm doing my best here, OK?

Ahem...

The premise of this particular challenge is 'Obscure Game Blogging Challenge'. By 'Obscure Game' it would seem the author means 'Anything that isn't D&D'.

He begins by noting, "No doubt about it, D&D dominates the gaming scene old and new. That is not necessarily a bad thing, as D&D is a solid game (both in terms of system and genre) with an enormous fanbase. It serves as a ‘lingua franca’ for the gaming community, much as English serves as a global language for the world. As Nelson Mandela said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” Make no wonder then that D&D has captured the hearts of so many for so long."

I don't know how to break it to him, English is:

A) Not the language with the most speakers. That is Mandarin Chinese.
B) Not the language spoken in the largest number of countries. That is Spanish.
B) Not the accepted diplomatic language. That is French.

English does have the second largest number of speakers worldwide after Chinese but it, like the countries that speak it, has something of an inflated ego.

So IMO does D&D.

Granted it was the first and yes, it does have the lion's share of participants and fans, far in excess of any other table top RPG I think it is fair to say, but it does not speak to my heart. Far from it.

Since March is going to be dedicated to my Muppets RPG, I thought I'd do what I've been doing lately with these types of things and answer it all in one post.

I'm crazy like that.

 

  

1 What was the first roleplaying game other than D&D you played? Was it before or after you had played D&D?

It was either Gangbusters or Boot Hill. I am not certain I remember which I tried first.

2 In what system was the first character you played in an RPG other than D&D? How was playing it different from playing a D&D character?

 

One of the above two. I remember the character and world made more sense to me. It was easier to imagine. I had seen dozens of cop and gangster movies and television show and untold number of Westerns.

 

3 Which game had the least or most enjoyable character generation?

 

Early on I really liked character generation in Villains & Vigilantes and Gamma World until I discovered games like Star Trek (FASA), Star Wars (West End Games D6) and others where you could pick the stats and/or skills you wanted. Random generation is OK but I know what I want to play.

 

4 What other roleplaying author besides Gygax impressed you with their writing?

 

Greg Costikyan, Mike Pondsmith, Greg Stafford.

 

5 What other old school game should have become as big as D&D but didn’t? Why do you think so?

Traveller. Traveller should have been to Science Fiction what D&D is to fantasy and in a
fashion it is. Unfortunately, it failed to embrace the changing market properly and got bogged down
in its complexity instead of playing up its flexibility.

 

 

6 What non-D&D monster do you think is as iconic as D&D ones like hook horrors or flumphs, and why do you think so?

No idea how to answer this question. What makes a flumph or hook horror iconic? They are
iconic to D&D  players but trust me, non-gamers have never heard of them. It's not like a
dragon, a unicorn or Pegasus.

What about the Rancor or a Tribble? I bet more people know what a Tribble is than a hook horror.
 

7 What fantasy RPG other than D&D have you enjoyed most? Why?

Probably Ars Magica. I don't like the fantasy genre very much but Ars Magica feels like everything D&D is missing. The setting feels right, the magic is both wondrous and versatile and the monsters are based on real world mythologies. Also, the system, while not perfect, is very interesting and easy to get accustomed to. Character creation is waaay more fun and interesting than D&D for me.
 

8 What spy RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

Haven't played a lot of Spy RPGs but I really loved the James Bond 007 RPG from Victory Games. I wish I could tell you exactly why. It mostly boils down to them getting the feel of the movies and setting correct. Also, some great supplements.
 

9 What superhero RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

I love Supers gaming and I have two main favorites, Champions 4th Edition and Mutants & Masterminds 3rd. I love them because they enable the players and myself to create exactly the character they want, allow for amazing diversity of character and scenario designs and are at the same time somewhat tactical, require the Player and PC to be smart, not just super.
 

10 What science fiction RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

Where do I begin. Science Fiction is my favorite genre and I have a lot of favorites. I think my #1 top pick would be Traveller for that hard science/space opera feel, Star Trek (Last Unicorn Games and FASA) for the space exploration meets cinematic feel and Star Wars (WEG D6) for just being fast paced, easy and flat out fun.
 

11 What post-apocalyptic RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

Not hugely into Post-Apocalypse games but I have had fun with Gamma World, the Japanese TRPG Crash World, The Morrow Project, Apocalypse World and even After The Bomb.
 

12 What humorous RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

All of them. I mean, I love Toon, Teenagers From Outer Space, Hunter Planet, InSpectres, Men In Black, Tales from The Floating Vagabond, Red Dwarf and so many others. I love the ease of play, light on mechanics, heavy on theme. I love the generally upbeat nature of comedic games, even when they are dark comedies.

Did I mention I created a Muppets RPG? Because, yeah, Muppets RPG. Oh and Galaxy Quest. Yeah.
 

13 What horror RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

Another genre I am not really big on but I would have to say either Call of Cthulhu, our homebrewed variant of Chill or our homebrewed variant of Stalking The Night Fantastic. Horror games require a big buy in and than being OK with dying easily. Most are not scary enough. They lose the horror part of Horror in favor of gore and shock. Not the same.
 

14 What historical or cultural RPG have you enjoyed most? Give details.

Not sure my favorite but I enjoyed Bushido and Land of the Rising Sun (despite them being a bit too crunchy), Flashing Blades (same) and of course Boot Hill. Well, OK, our heavily modified, kitbashed and homebrewed Boot Hill. It rocked though for sure.

The questions keep ending with 'Give details'. I wish I could. I haven't played some of these games in a long time. Others I play so often I wouldn't know where to begin. If I had expanded this to the entire month that's probably when I'd be able to really think about more extensive answers.
 

15 What pseudo or alternate history RPG have you enjoyed most? Why?

Hmmm, what games actually qualify in this category? Castle Falkenstein? Space: 1889? Godlike? Heck, even Ars Magica sort of fits in here. Indeed, I love all the games I've just mentioned. I hope I get to run some of them again soon.

I will say that with alternate history games, I don't always use the provided setting but rather my take on the setting. Since these are games because on divergent paths of actual people and events, I  often find history books a better source of ideas than the games themselves.
 

16 Which RPG besides D&D has the best magic system? Give details.

Ars Magica. No question. Magic that can be cast on the fly, or with rote or spell, magic item design and research, Wizard Duels and a host of other rules and ideas that make playing a mage feel like you are doing and being something special.

D&D and its cousins have, IMHO, the worst and least interesting magic system in the history of gaming.
 

17 Which RPG has the best high tech rules? Why?

Depends on what you mean. Hero System/Champions has the most flexible, balanced and yet easy to screw with systems ever. Mekton is fantastic for more than just Giant Robots. It's good for Starships, space stations and vehicles as well. Traveller's Fire, Fusion and Steel was also quite awesome and perhaps the best for individual devices and personal weaponry.
 

18 What is the crunchiest RPG you have played? Was it enjoyable?

I don't like crunchy RPGs overly much and yet, I love Champions. Many people view Champions as very complex and certainly crunchy, but because most of the crunch is behind the scenes and not as in your face during play (at least the way we play it), I think I can accept the level of crunch that runs through it.
 

19 What is the fluffiest RPG you have played? Was it enjoyable?

Most 'fluffy' games are pretty enjoyable to me, though I'm always searching for that sweet spot between rules-lite and crunchy that will give me exactly what I've been looking for in a game. I find it easier to add a little to a fluffy game than take away a lot from a complicated one.
 

20 Which setting have you enjoyed most? Why?

Star Trek is probably my favorite established setting to game in, especially when focused on the era of the original television series. Next would be DC Comics of the Golden Age to right around Crisis On Infinite Earths.

I don't usually like the settings of games.

That is to say, as awesome as the Traveller canon milieu is, MY Traveller canon milieu is much cooler. I have recently read a number of posts in a number of places touting how cool Mekton's setting was. First, Mekton had a setting?! Then I thought about it and realized, oh yeah, it did have a setting of sorts in that 'Algol' thing. Yeah. Never used that in any way.

The default settings of 90-95% of all RPGs that aren't based on some known IP are, well, I'll just say it, they suck. Never use them and if I do it's with major modifications.
 

21 What is the narrowest genre RPG you have ever played? How was it?

Not sure how to answer this one. I mean, is Teenagers from Outer Space a narrow genre game? It focuses on a specific style of Japanese Anime and Manga comedy but, there are hundreds of those and they're very different in the details. Is Star Wars or Star Trek considered narrow because each only focuses on a single IP? Marvel Heroic? DC Adventures?

I really can't, or don't, think of any of these as narrow.
 

22 What is the most gonzo kitchen sink RPG you ever played? How was it?

D&D. It stinks.

But, if we are talking about non-D&D games, I'd have to say RIFTS and Torg, both of which I can't stand.

First and foremost I think both have really weird rules that, for very different reasons, make each game cumbersome, unnecessarily crunchy and no fun for me.

Second (and a very close second mind you), with exception of Superhero games, I really don't like kitchen sink games or settings that try to be everything. I find that they lack a cohesive feel, an easy and accessible theme that can help me see their worlds. When I try to imagine the world of RIFTS, all I imagine is a chaotic mess with no rhyme, reason or purpose.

But wait Adam, didn't you read the 100 pages of source material scattered across a dozen splatbooks so that you know what's going on? Why no, I didn't. I have no interest in doing that. Bugger off you wankers.
 

23 What is the most broken game that you tried and were unable to play?

So many really and still we gave them a try. Except F.A.T.A.L. After casually looking through it I laughed and never touched it again.

The most broken huh? World of Synnibarr?
 

24 What is the most broken game that you tried and loved to play, warts and all?

Fantasy Games Unlimited's Space Opera. I have no clear idea in my head how we played that game but we played the heck of it at one time.
 

25 Which game has the sleekest, most modern engine?

Hard to say. Marvel Heroic, while not really sleek, has a modern and workable system that is a lot of fun to play. I think the One Roll Engine of Godlike and Wild Talents perhaps. Great games.
 

26 What IP (=Intellectual Property, be it book, movie or comic) that doesn’t have an RPG deserves it? Why?

Probably Star Trek. There have been some great Star Trek RPGs over the years but the fact that there hasn't been an official one in a while really surprises me.

Other than that, Galaxy Quest. Seriously. If any company reads this and wants to make a Galaxy Quest game, drop me an email. I have it all worked out. It functions beautifully.
 

27 What RPG based on an IP did you enjoy most? Give details.

Really? Star Trek first and foremost.

After than, believe or not, Star Wars. I am a much bigger Star Trek fan than I am a Star Wars fan but WEG's D6 Star Wars game is a work of art. Pure genius. Hits the Simplicity vs. Detail sweet spot like few others.

And my Muppets game of course. I'm just saying.
 

28 What free RPG did you enjoy most? Give details.

Risus? I think I'd have to say Risus.

I found it so inspiring that I made it the basis of my Muppets RPG before refining and distancing the rules further and further as I went along. Still and all, I think much of my current views on game design, why we make things the way we do and what the point of it all is, has been heavily influenced by Risus.

Standing ovation to S. John Ross. *Applause*
 

29 What OSR product have you enjoyed most? Explain how.

I don't know if there is an OSR product I've enjoyed most. I have enjoyed the ones I have enjoyed all equally. And that equal amount is roughly between 'somewhat' and 'more than a bit'.
 

30 Which non-D&D supplemental product should everyone know about? Give details.

If you play Last Unicorn Games' Star Trek RPG, I can not recommend Steven Long's Spacedock supplement enough. It is, as it is billed, an Advanced Design and Construction Manual for starships, space stations and other large, space capable things in that game and in the Star Trek universe. A labor of love and a work a brilliance. It is also absolutely free. You rock Steven!

Mythic Europe and The Medieval Handbook (various editions) from Ars Magica are supplements I go back to again and again. If you are playing D&D they are probably not needed. If you are setting your medieval fantasy in an actually medieval world, read these books.

Aaron Allston's Strikeforce for Champions is a must have for anyone running a Superheroes RPG. It's a sourcebook and supplement and much, much more. What it is in short is a 'How To' book on running a Superhero campaign by someone who not only wrote for the Champions RPG, but who ran a successful Champions campaign and put down the hows and whys of his success in a guide even a veteran GM would find fascinating and useful. Highly, highly recommended.

31 What out-of-print RPG would you most like to see back in publication? Why?

So many. So, so, so many.

Hunter Planet is often my number one choice for 'Games That Didn't Get A Fair Shake'. I would love to not only see it back in print but I would love to do a new edition, with the creator's input and advice, that expanded and updated the theme a bit. Loved the idea for this game.

Let's see, what 'obscure' RPGs did I cover here? Hmmm...Star Trek, Star Wars, Traveller, Champions, Ars Magica,  Gamma World, Villains & Vigilantes, Mutants & Masterinds, DC Adventures, Mekton, Teenagers From Outer Space and Toon among others.

Yeah. Obscure games.

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Barking Alien

If The Stars Aligned

I'm really pleased that my last post generated some actual discussion. Though it may seem a simple thing to some, its the part of my blog that I really enjoy the most. Don't get me wrong, its always fun standing on my soapbox and shouting madly into the ether but it really feels worthwhile when other voices shout back.

***

In a Facebook post I asked my friends who game...

"The stars align and you have the chance to play your favorite RPG tomorrow with the perfect GM and group. What game is it?"

There were 9 separate responses. The range of players covered people who have gamed with me for anywhere between never and 20 years (there were some responses from friends who game who I've never personally played with). None of those who responded are people that I game with currently. Their ages ranged from mid 20s to mid-to-late 40s. Ethnicities varied greatly. All responders were Male.

1 For Call of Cthulhu
2 For Champions
1 For D&D
1 For Marvel Super Heroes (Classic Marvel RPG) or Mutants & Masterminds
1 For Metamorphosis Alpha/Gamma World
1 For Pathfinder
1 For Shadowrun
1 For Star Trek
1 For Star Wars

In total the post received around 30 comments as we discussed the results and other games we would have added to the list as secondary choices, etc.

My own vote would be Star Trek or Traveller, with the caveat that I'd rather run them than play them.

There were a few surprises in the mix.

I expected the guy who voted for Star Wars to vote for Star Trek. That was seriously jarring. He mentioned really, really liking our old Star Wars campaigns and getting his Star Trek fix recently thanks to Star Trek Online. Personally I feel that statement is a mini-blasphemy but I will let it slide 'cause he is one of my oldest friends.

Another surprise was the vote for Pathfinder, which came from an old friend who moved out to the West Coast and came back recently. This fella was big into Champions, Teenagers From Outer Space, Mekton and other 80's RPGs. Never pegged him as a D&D guy, let alone one who would be into its evolutionary descendant.

One thing I wasn't stunned by was that only two of the nine responses would want to play D&D or a D&D-related game. This simply illustrates what I've noted on this blog many times before; Medieval Fantasy as a genre was simply not the most popular subject for game among the RPGers I've known and gamed with.

***

Tomorrow begins the month of December, last month of the year and very possibly, the last month for the planet if any of the various doomsayers are correct. Of course, they would have to be correct in their understanding of the often misread and mistranslated Mayan calendar and how it applies to the so-called 'End Times'. See you on the 22nd of December.

Now then, I have a plan to do something most unusual for me this December...talk a lot about Dungeons and Dragons.

Specifically, My D&D, the personal 'variant' that I sometimes refer to as D&D-But-Not and D&D-For-Those-Who-Don't-Like-D&D. My biggest fear is that I won't be able to convey how different it is from 'regular' D&D. I've also never shared the rules or setting in all their glory with so many people before. If it wasn't for the potential for planetary extermination and strange celestial events I don't think I would be crazy enough to try.

Wish me luck.

***

Finally, having some thoughts about returning to run something once a month at my FLGS. Not sure what or when or how but the prospect is exciting.

***

Next Stop...Aerth.

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Barking Alien

Blast From The Past - My First Gamma World Character

My first Gamma World PC was...um...Honestly? No clue.

About the only thing I remember about my first Gamma World character was that he may have been a mutated raccoon or posseum and he was killed by a plant monster of some kind.

Yeah.

See, Gamma World characters, especially 1st Edition Gamma World characters, were not meant to be memorable 34 years later. They were not that important. The system that created them was meant to generate a freaky, super creature with bizarre, acid trip powers and weaknesses that would fight other freaky super creatures and most likely perish. Nine times out of ten when I talk to people about Gamma World they can't remember their characters but they can almost always remember how they were killed.

While I do wax nostalgic on GW every once in a while, it's not one of the games I really want to play again or miss playing. Perhaps as I one shot, yes, that would be fun but it's just not the kind of thing I want to pull out for a campaign.

My longest lived guy was from the second or third edition (I forget exactly) and he lasted the entire campaign (some 12 sessions or so). He was a mutant ram with spine/quills like a porcupine. He was pretty bad ass.

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Barking Alien

The Land of Gorch - I Got You Babe

"Psst. Adam. Pssst.""Who's that...I...SCRED?!"
"Yeah. Can I come out and talk to you?"
"Wow. Yeah, sure buddy come on out."




"Thanks. I just wanted to say, on behalf of the Gorch Muppets, we appreciate this thing you're doing here. It's really nice be remembered and recognized."

"Aww Scred. Listen pal, I'm sure you'll get your day in the sun soon. I mean, there's a new Muppet motion picture coming up, Sesame Street is still going strong and Cookie Monster even sang with Jeff Bridges on Saturday Night Live. It's just a matter of time before..."

"What?"

"What what? About Cookie Monster on SNL? Yeah, he sang with Jeff Bridges during a Christmas episode."

"I see. How nice for him. Would you excuse me I have an errand to run."

(Hefts a large club with spikes in it and walks off muttering to himself...)

"Hmm...hope he doesn't do anything rash. Oh well... "

...

First a note I should've made before...

In a Land of Gorch game, I recommend only one character per player, unlike a typical Muppets RPG. The cast was smaller and the setting more specific. Also it helps give the impression that there isn't much life out there in this barren badland dump your characters call home.

All characters are also Customs. The techniques used to build these Muppets are too elaborate to waste on Whatnots.

Relationships

Routines are less about the Routine and more about the Relationships in a Land of Gorch game. A character would be able to say 'Consider My Appeal' as opposed to 'Hold Your Applause' and then receive an Exploding Die when interacting with specific characters in specific, preset ways.

For example:King Ploobis is the husband of Queen Peuta, father of Wisss and secretly lusts after Vazh. Well, it's a secret to Peuta anyway.

If Ploobis wants to make a move on Vazh but it's possible Peuta isn't too far away, he can have the table 'Consider My Appeal' and then an Exploding Die in his attempts to seduce Vazh or avoid detection. Now he's taking a risk of being found out and losing a 'Stay' at the close of the session (Peuta will be furious!) and in a way endangering Vazh as Peuta could vote her off instead! Queens so wronged can be very vengeful.

So Routines become Relationships in Gorch. If you wanted to stretch the meaning, which would be in keeping with the themes of the setting, you could use Relationships to illustrate addictions. That is, instead of a Relationship with a character, your PC could have a 'Relationship' with a thing or a substance like money, booze or craters.

Wisss is a 'Crater Head' and enjoys getting wasted by sticking his head into smoking craters and breathing in the noxious vapors. If this is important to the character maybe (Director and Player should discuss the option) he can hold off on getting Appeal and get an Exploding Die to hide his nasty habit from his mom and dad (Peuta and Ploobis) or his pal Scred.

OK. That's it for Gorch for now. I hope you've enjoyed this little Muppets RPG variant and consider checking out the SNL episodes featuring this nearly forgotten phase of Henson's genius. See you round the tar pits.

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Barking Alien

Muppet Quotes

King Ploobis: Well, it's, uh... looks like the first draft of a letter to Lily Tomlin!

[ Peuta pops up from the crater and reads the letter over Ploobis' shoulder.]

King Ploobis: It says: "Dear Lily Tomlin: I have watched with enchantment your beautiful image, when I can sneak away from my loathsome, degrading, filthy job."

[ Peuta gasps.]

Peuta: Read on, read on.

King Ploobis: Yes. It says: "mi amore enchante, je t'aime, je t'aime." Hunnhh. It says: "PS, Be mine tonight, your slave in love, Scred." And then down at the bottom, it says, "PS, X X X X."

Peuta: Oh! He's in love with Lily Tomlin!

King Ploobis: Grrrunnhh. She has my sympathies.






Here's A Muppet News Flash!

The rose presented to the beautiful and talented Lily Tomlin (I too am a big fan) by way of Scred was actually an unrehearsed surprise gesture from Scred's performer, the amazing Jerry Nelson. You know Jerry as the performer for Floyd Pepper, Julius Strangepork, Sesame Street's Count Von Count, Fraggle Rock's Gobo Fraggle and many others.