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. 

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

Sapsorrow

Previously I said I felt lucky that when a really good idea hits me (or at least an idea that I think is good), it sort of POPS! into my mind complete and fully formed. After that it's all about cleaning off the direct and shining up the details.

Well, this one keeps coming. It hasn't stopped yet. I keep getting new ideas for it and ways to improve it and unfortunately, with the holiday weekend coming up, there is no way I am going to finish this project this month.

I am as sad a sap as Sapsorrow.

 

Now THAT is a sad sight if ever I saw one.

Even as I was getting ready to detail how Legend and Lore work, I began thinking how to refine the ideas for them, as well as considering adding a subsystem called Peril. I am on a roll. And yet...

The more I work on this the more I realize this is exactly the kind of game I would love and my players would not really get into. It's perfect for RECESS and would do very well with my old New Jersey group. For my current New York crowd...no so much.

I will continue to work on this and should have a finished game very soon. I will definitely be running it at the next RECESS Game Day, mark my words!

In regards to a new Fantasy game for my present group of players, I'm sort of back where I started. I say sort of because I have a bit more insight now as to what I want that will also work for them. If D&D is on the Red end of the spectrum and StoryTeller on the Violet End (although really its not. Its more Blue/Indigo), I need to find a way to locate or make a game that's...Green.

Green? Did I say Green?

It seems I walked right into my own metaphor. I knew there was a reason I liked that color.

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Barking Alien

Adventure Time

It's June and a new month (the true start of summer no less), signifies a renewed sense of purpose to get my game blog on, as it were.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Artitificial Intelligences and Non-or-Trinary Sexual Species from the Andromeda Galaxy, It's...ADVENTURE TIME!

Trying to maintain a theme these last two months has not done well by me so I think I am going to skip that approach for now and go back to the tried and true method of spilling out whatever weird concoction fills up in my head.

Ewwww.

I do it to cleanse the palette in a sense, as I have a pretty awesome theme month planned for July. It's one I've been wanting to do for some time and I think next month is the perfect time to (try to) pull it off.

In the meantime, I want to address the 'State of Gaming' for yours truly and also discuss a few ideas I have regarding a project that may allow you (Yes YOU loyal Barking Alien fans!) to join in on a game run by my moi. How's that for incentive to check back!

Why do I hear crickets?

Anyway, the status quo fo yo gaming bro is as follows:

Traveller: Operation Paladin

Run once a month, usually the 2nd Saturday, at The Compleat Strategist, New York City's FLGS.

We have 5 regular players, with 2 on again off again players for a full ensemble cast of 7. The campaign is a science fiction sandbox using a kitbash of the classic Traveller and MegaTraveller rules.

The setting is my personal take on the classic Traveller canon. Very story heavy and character driven. There have been no PC deaths thus far. Almost no combat has actually occurred honestly. A lot of politics, secret agendas, diplomacy and trading however.

This is going very well and is up to the 5th session I believe, with the 6th coming up this weekend (update for prosperity - the session run on June 15th was actually the 7th session of the campaign). I am liking this one a lot.

Champions: New Age Heroics

Run once a month, usually the 4th Saturday, at a public space in NYC. At this point, it looks like we'll have 4-5 players.

The system is Champions 4th Edition, though considerations will be given to adjustments or added material from 5th if the player can convince me its worth using.

The campaign will be set in my previously used Champions Earth Alpha Delta-1 universe, which was based on the nearly 11 year campaign created by my friend William. Part of the draw is that it will be set in the same 'universe' as my every other week campaign and could feature a crossover somewhere down the line. The main premise is a sort of Justice League-Lite or Avengers on the cheap. The PC team will be a B List superteam trying to reach A List in a world where there really isn't an A List superteam outside of those who work for UNTIL / Project: UNITY and Britain's Watch. The USA has no Avengers or JLA anymore. Can these guys be THE team?

This campaign has not yet begun.

Champions: Dark Champions NOW!

Run every other week or so, at a public space in NYC. There are only two players other than myself but I hope to add some more down the line.

This campaign will also be using Champions 4th Edition, with considerations given to 5th edition material based on player input and cajoling.

The campaign is a slightly above street level game focusing on gangs, organized crime and low level supervillains in Chicago. The setting is interesting. We have essentially gone back to Champions Earth Alpha Delta-1 (the setting of our previous campaign 'The New Age of Champions'), but we are pulling the camera in a little tighter on one particular city. It's kind of a new status quo (like Marvel's Marvel NOW) crossed with a darker, grittier Dark Champions outlook. Just started. Literally one 4 hour session so far.

Players liked it, I liked it and their characters are pretty cool. I hope this continues at least for a while. I am curious as to how I am going to cross this over with the other Champions campaign.

Marvel Heroic: Avengers Initiative: The Rookies

The campaign at the learning center where I teach on Sundays is approaching the end of its Marvel Heroic Event Series, designed and destined to finish up in time for the Summer Program to begin in July. At this point the kids, ages 10-13 for the most part, are in dire straights after a mysterious villain attacked them while they were aboard a SHIELD Helicarrier by dropping a Celestial on them from near orbit. If that sounds like it would hurt, you're right. It did.

What am I running next for the kids? Well...I do have an idea but I am going to save the details for another post. Stay tuned.

Trek Tuesdays

As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently in a Google Hangouts Star Trek game (actually two alternating campaigns) every Tuesday night and its been a real blast. Played again yesterday with my alien science officer taking even more of a command role aboard the USS Odin. I may switch my shirt from Blue to Gold.

***

Whoah Nelly! That's a lot of gaming going on don't you think? It doesn't even address the game I am working on for the younger kids class for summer and my Star Trek adventure planned for RECESS. I mean, I couldn't possibly take on another game.

Or could I?

Thinking very seriously about running a Google Hangouts game of my own set either in the Star Trek universe or in my homebrew Galaxy Quest game. I haven't decided anything yet but the ideas are germinating pretty quickly.

Would any site visitors be interested in joining in?

Lots more to see, show and tell on the next episode of Barking Alien!

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Barking Alien

Into Trekness...Ensigns of Command

Campaigns I'd Like to Run: Star Trek: Mission

The idea for this entry actually came to me on the 1st of May when I saw a post with the title "Campaigns I'd Like to Run" over at Age of Ravens. As it turns out, the subject is Lowell's accepted suggestion for the RPG Blog Carnival.

Generally speaking, I pattern most of my Star Trek RPG campaigns after the time honored approach most of the TV series and films have taken. Basically, the PCs are the Bridge/Command Crew of a Federation Starfleet Starship heading out where no one has headed out before.

I've always found it very interesting and a bit perplexing that the default campaign concept for Last Unicorn Games' Star Trek RPG line (the system of choice for yours truly when running my favorite IP) assumes you'll be playing 'lower decks' Starfleet officers. The game is designed around the idea that the Captain and possibly the entirety of the command staff are NPCs. The idea here being that you can get promoted as a reward in addition to standard experience points or drama points.

I've never tried this to be honest. Not really anyway. My memory may be slipping and I may have pulled it off in a one-shot or for a convention game. The true of the matter is that for the most part I have never liked this idea. It does add something to the development of the characters but it takes away their control and decision making opportunities.

While considering this one day, I came up with a way to possibly pull it off. I crossbred it with an idea  for a space station setting I've always wanted to try out. In the end, the campaign focuses on lower ranking officers stationed at a Deep Space Station/Federation Research Outpost in a secluded and mysterious space sector a good distance away from the Federation frontier.

Something like this...(Do you mind if I borrow your format Lowell?)


STAR TREK: MISSION

 

High Concept: Adventurous young Starfleet officers attempt to unravel the mysteries of a newly opened region of space from a small, lonely research station very far from home.

Think: Star Trek: The Original Series meets Ice Station Zebra meets The Thing (John Carpenter original or the Sci-Fi novella Who Goes There by John W. Campbell Jr.).

Actually this is tough the more I think about it. Those films have the right feel of isolation and mystery I am going for but they aren't exactly right for how I picture this series. The thing is, most Sci-Fi series based on or around a space station make the assumption that the station is busy. Perhaps it is a popular meeting place, trade outpost or whathaveyou. Often it's near a wormhole, an important planet or its in a key military location.

This is none of that. This is a research station in Antarctica that someone put there so they could say they were there before someone else put something there.
 

Premise: In the mid-to-late 23rd Century (roughly contemporary with the last year of the USS Enterprise's (1701) first 5-year mission under Captain James T. Kirk) Starfleet makes inroads into a star sector where bizarre spatial phenomena have previously prevented entry. First discovered over 30 years ago, the dangerous and unexplained anomalies have suddenly and completely ceased.

A small research outpost, similar to Deep Space Station K-7 or a TOS version of Regula I, is placed in a system in the sector, its nearest Starfleet or Federation neighbor being a Starbase six weeks away at maximum warp. The outpost is temporary, designed to serve long enough to allow Starfleet to establish a more substantial presence in the region. After that a full scale Starbase will be placed in the Sector.

Player characters are junior officers assigned to the station in various positions (Science Officers, Engineers, Security, etc.). However, instead of spending all of their time on the station and having adventures come to them (a staple of space station based campaigns), the PCs are periodically sent out on different investigative, exploration missions aboard one of the station's Mission Class Couriers.

The campaign title, Star Trek: Mission, is therefore a play on the Mission Class ships going on smaller missions while the overall mission of the research station ties everything together.

Scattered Thoughts:
 

• Prior to about a year before the start of the campaign, the sector of space that serves as the campaign backdrop saw random bursts of energy, some as large, and powerful as a supernova. The bursts were not exactly localized, occurring periodically at random intervals across a 50 light year radius. The source and exact nature of the energy discharges has never been determined. No one knows why the explosions stopped either.
• Everyone and everything will be upgradeable. Meaning: PCs can raise in position and rank, the Mission Class Couriers and Station can be upgraded, the station may eventually be completely replaced with an altogether better space station, etc.
• The setting would be TOS if I had my way but I could adapt it to the TOS Movie Era (Motion Picture to Voyage Home specifically) very easily.
• Some larger ships (though none as powerful as a Constitution Class) will visit the station from time to time with one, or two becoming reoccurring regulars. The PCs will get to join these ships on missions and maybe (hopefully) get to know the Captains and crews. This could lead to the PCs transferring to one of the ships later in the series/campaign, or even taking it over if they reach high enough rank and/or something happens to the original staff.

Mechanical Considerations:
 

• I don't have any distinct mechanical considerations at this time, probably because the LUG rules work for me as they are, and I am much less interested in rule mechanics in general than I am the characters and story. The only possible change or modification I can foresee may involve trying to adapt the old FASA RPG space combat system to LUG. I really liked how every position and specialty was integrated into starship battles. Everyone had a job and working together with a good Captain directing things was the key to winning/surviving.

These are just the beginnings of a work in progress but I figured I would pitch it to you studio execs out there and see what you thought.

OK, off to work. More to come including answers to your questions and my ideas for my Star Trek game for RECESS.

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Barking Alien

Traveller - Prelude To Foundation

Today is the end of January? Already?! Good grief time flies...

I've been so busy lately with so many things (work, games, side projects), I didn't even realize January had slipped by so quickly. At the same time, in a sort of paradoxical way, I was and am acutely aware that the month of February is upon me.

February is a lot of things. My birthday is this month, as is that of my ex-wife Selina, not to mention our old wedding anniversary. Valentine's Day is in February as well. My grandmother, who I still miss very much, was born in February, as was my father, who is also no longer with us.

February is a lot of things for me.

In my attempt to feel more positive about life in general, I am going to focus my attention on a very cool, new thing happening this February...Traveller!

Our campaign starting point and home base. Ain't she epic?

 

On Saturday, Feb. 9th of 2013, I am going to transport nearly 11 players three thousand, six hundred years into the future and begin my first, full fledged Traveller campaign in nearly fours years. In addition, this will be my first real ongoing Science Fiction campaign in nearly that long. I've had several one-shots, brave attempts and false starts but this time I am in the zone and bringing my A-Game. If anyone has any other appropriate sports lingo please let me know. I am terrible with sports lingo.

Getting my notes together and preparing both my campaign book and the players' versions to serve as a guide to the campaign and a place to store any handouts for each of them, I am looking at the following:

There will be 11 players and PCs if everyone shows.

At least 4 of the PCs own a ship (the most I've ever seen in a single campaign of Traveller).

There are no alien PCs (I find that weird. That's just me).

While we've covered most of the major careers, there are a few no one went with that I am very much used to seeing. As of this writing there are no Army characters, Barbarians, Belters, Flyers, Law Enforcement characters, Nobles, Pirates or Rogues. I can't recall a previous campaign with no Barbarians, Law Enforcement and/or Pirate characters.

A good portion of the players (more than half I believe) have a backstory for their characters that fits directly into some of the story happenings I have planned for the sector of space they are in completely without either them or myself having any idea of what the other party was working on.

I am running this very much in a classic, full on sandbox style with the addition of my Storybox idea that their are adventures and stories out there, going on with or without the PCs involvement. They can, of course, get involved. They can also not get involved but the story does not stopped just because they ignore it. There will be ramifications later if no one checks some of these things out. Otherwise, PCs are free to go wherever their brains, brawn, know-how and luck can take them.

 

Spica Sector, Subsector 'J' - Flux

I am super excited about this game. I have been working like a...well...a hard working animal...maybe something that herds or hunts or fetches...it'll come to me.

Expect to see more pre-production notes, production notes and a full on review as we get underway. February is Traveller Month here at Barking Alien!*

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Barking Alien

Incidentally, this is my 601st blog entry. Wow.

*OK, except...I still really want to tell you all about my experiences at RECESS. Also, their is a Supers idea I want to play around with. Alright, February is Mostly Traveller Month here at Barking Alien!

Overworked Overdue Overview

This past week has been rather busy. Scratch that. These past few weeks have been rather busy.

An increase in my work load and the preparation for and execution of two games for RECESS, combined with family and other obligations has significantly slowed my posting to the blog. A bummer, since I am more inspired and jazzed about gaming than I have been in some time.

Well, I never lose my love of gaming, I simply go through periods of liking it and loving it. The love is back and in full force I assure you.

Part of the reason for this is RECESS, which never failed to jumpstart my ideas and I'll admit my ego. There were twenty-six GMs at this particular event and I sincerely hope they all got the kind of feedback and experience I did.

Like, this happened...

I am in a conversation with jenskot/John, one of the fellows who runs the event, when a cute, young lady with glasses bounces up to us.

Cute, bouncing young lady: "Excuse me, Mr. Alien? You're Barking Alien right?"

Me: "Yes...I suppose I am." (I see her name tag - Emi - she looks familiar)

Emi: "My boyfriend was in a game of yours last RECESS and wants to know if you are running anything in the second slot this RECESS. Are you the one doing 'The Incredibles' game?"

Me: "Your boyfriend...? Will! Yes. Yes I am. I remember you now. You were in the Muppets game."

Emi: "Yes! Oh he will be so excited. He really wanted to play in one of your games again. He's very likely to get in. He has ticket #1!"

Will got in, did great and it was in one of the best one-shot games I've ever run. Seriously it was that fun. So fun in fact that Will and another player from that game named Ed (and possibly a third) are joining my once a month Traveller game. Also, people were standing around outside after the event finished and brokedown talking about it. Once again a bunch of people said how great it was right in front of two of the RECESS coordinators, John and Ryan. Hoody Hoo!

I want to talk about sooo many things. That game, the Fraggle Rock game before it and my upcoming Traveller game which is now nearing 11 players! Eleven! Holy Hivers!

A more detailed post will have to wait however, as I am currently off to run my Ars Magica game which has been on hiatus for a few weeks.

Good gaming to you all and talk to you soon,

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Barking Alien

PS: 151 Followers! Ha-cha-cha!

Old Dogs Says...Mass Produce

The post below is a long time coming, having originally been written a week and a half ago. Between January 9th (my last post) and today, January 21st, I have worked nearly 14 days straight without a day off because of my two jobs and one client in particular needing some weekend assistance. Add to that the preparation for running two games at RECESS and then the actual running of said games at RECESS this past Saturday and you can imagine how title time or energy I had for posting.

I am pretty darn exhausted to be honest with you, metahuman endurance or not.

Now, as I get back to production on my upcoming Traveller campaign (which is slowly but surely adding players*), I really want to get these GM advice posts out of the way. I want them over and done so I can talk about so many other things, including my experiences at this past RECESS event and of course the aforementioned Traveller.

While I really can't say if my posts here have been any help to anyone, I can say that I feel validated and more than a little ego boosted thanks to the people at RECESS and NerdNYC. I had one player send his girlfriend to find me and when check to see that it was definitely me running the second session event he was interested in. He had previously been in my Galaxy Quest game and liked it so much he wanted to be in another game of mine. He may end up a regular in my Traveller game as well. I also got the usual kudos for my Muppets RPG (this time featuring Fraggle Rock) and a fellow GM bummed that she had to run something. She apparently told a mutual acquaintance of ours, "Damn. I wouldn't have run something in the first slot if I knew he (Me) was running Fraggle Rock at the same time. I would've played."

So in the end if there are those who read my GM Advice and think, 'Well this guys ideas don't sound all that special', that's just fine. Real people in real games really like what I do. I'm in happy land.

Last thing two things and we can get to the last of the 'Old Dog' posts for now...

I now have 149 followers. Wow. That is awesome. But...I want more. That is, my goal for some time now has been 150. If you don't hate this blog, please recommend it to a friend. Thanks.

Happy Birthday to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.!

OK, let's get to it...

***

This post is not so much GM advice but rather an explanation of how I do a thing that a lot of gaming people see and ask me, "How do you do that and still have time to eat, sleep and pee?"

Well, I eat quickly, don't sleep much and sometimes forget to do that last one.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the actual question is, "How do you generate so many NPCs?"

It's actually really simple. Don't use the system and don't create what you don't need.

I don't think I have ever rolled up a NPC. Ever. I didn't know that anyone did that when I started. The guys who made those TSR modules didn't roll-up the goblins in it. Did they? Or the lord of whatever keep was important to the preface? There were just goblins there. The lord was your patron and they needed a patron lord for the fluff so, they made one. So if I know I need a Spaceport Dockmaster or Captain of the Royal Guard, I don't roll anything, I just write down 'Dockmaster' and 'Captain of the Royal Guard' and throw on some appropriate numbers.

You don't need to know all the stats of a Shuttle Pilot in Star Trek or a Bank Clerk in Deadlands or the guy who sells the adventuring gear in Dungeons & Dragons. You need to know what they're good at and it should be their jobs. If not, that's interesting too but the point is, it isn't necessary to write up a whole sheet on someone who is only there to drive you to the adventure and back.

Here's what a typical D&D NPC 'Record Chart' looks like for me:

NPC Record Chart for Character in a High Elf City

The first thing I need is the character's name. Why? 'Cause somebody is going to ask. It's often the first thing people ask when they meet a NPC and decide to talk to them. For this particular list of NPCs I am using the naming convention my players and I devised for the High Elves of Aerth, my homebrew D&D-But-Not world. Their first names generally sound Kryptonian. Seriously. Not my idea but it was me who first noticed an Elf named Kal-El or Dev-Em StormStrike would not be out of place. Last names are based on the High Elven Family Houses which, for the most part, are based on foul weather. The most popular and common family names are Rain, Hale, Gale, Snow, Blizzard, etc. Noble families include Thunder, Wind, Lightning and Storm, which is the last name of the King and Queen.

The oddities in the above chart are those citizens of the High Elven City who are not, themselves, High Elves. These characters therefore have names that reflect the naming conventions developed for the other Elven cultural subgroups.

Race and gender are next and pretty self-explanatory. Notice that the first names are not always gender specific (meaning there are a number of female characters with male sounding names and vice versa).

Next up is class and level. I have never understood the concept of NPC Classes. I mean, I barely like the idea of classes at all, now you're going to make these things PC and NPC specific? Please. For me, the Baker is the Baker but if I need to know what he attacks as, how many hit point he should get, etc. I have a guide line. Baker - Rogue, 5th level. Sage - Magic User**, 4th level. Blacksmith - Fighter, 6th level, etc. The Baker can't hide in shadows, the Sage doesn't know any spells and the Blacksmith doesn't wear a full suit of Chainmail all the time. The Class/Level combos are just easy ways for me to figure out how skilled and experienced these people are and how many hit points they might have.

Important stats are just that; These are the stats that are important. Everything else is a 0. Average. Don't worry about it as it isn't important. Writing them out this way also means the chart is useful regardless of edition (for the most part).

Something makes this individual special. Somethings it's what they can do, sometimes its what they own. On some characters what I write is more specific, on others more vague. If I were statting out the average citizen as opposed to those  who might be more involved in an adventure, their Ability/Talent/Item entry might be Can Talk Fast, Dwarven Desserts, Heirloom Necklace.

Finally we have notes. These are the things that make this person matter in the adventure or encounter in which you meet them. I usually start small and often more specific than many of the ones I have listed on this particular chart. These are sometimes catalysts for more in depth descriptions later on if the NPC becomes a reoccurring part of the campaign.

So that's basically it. I figure out the bare bones minimum of what I need for quick reference, set up some ground rules, make a chart and then start filling it in. Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's more elaborate.

Check out this one for a TMP era Star Trek campaign:

Well that's about the size of it ladies and gents. Nothing more magical to it than that. My one special gift as a GM may simply be that coming up with names, an element that seems difficult for many, is really easy for me. Yes, my names may seem corny (especially in D&D - but then, D&D names are always corny. Bilbo Baggins. Jon Snow. Krull. Really? Krull is your character's name?!?)

That's the end of the Old Dog segments for now. Need to get to work on Traveller. So happy to finally be back doing Science-Fiction I can't even put it into words. Yet. Maybe next post.

AD

Barking Alien

 *A number of players I met at RECESS are interested in joining in on my upcoming Traveller campaign at the Compleat Strategist in NYC starting this February. NerdNYC - Gamer Networking That Works!

**I wrote Magic User, a name I generally despise, because I don't know what Wizards are currently called in the game of your choice. Mage, Wizard, Sorceror...figure out what works for you.





The Beginning Of A New Year...5613

While 2012 wasn't my best year for everything to be sure, it was a great year for gaming.

As I look ahead to my upcoming Traveller campaign, I can't help and look back at the games I ran or played in 2012.

Somehow, with only 52 weeks in which to enjoy my favorite past time and the fact that I work 6 days a week, I managed to get quite a lot of dice rolling in.

Games I Played In 2012

A few sessions of my friends Hunter X Hunter RPG Homebrew.

And...That's it.

That can't be right. I must've played something else as a player last year. Maybe at RECESS? No...I ran two sessions at each event. Hmmm.

Games I Ran In 2012

Ars Magica
Champions 4th Edition
DC Adventures (M&M 3E)
Dungeons & Dragons / AD&D 1E/ D&D 3E Homebrew Hybrid
Galaxy Quest The RPG / Homebrew
Marvel Heroic Role Playing
Mekton II / Homebrew Variant
Mutants & Masterminds 3rd Edition
Peek-A-Boo Horror / Japanese TRPG/InSpectres Hybrid
Smurfs Role Playing Game / Homebrew
Traveller / Original / MegaTraveller Hybrid
The Muppets RPG / Homebrew - Muppet Show and Sesame Street variations

Probably a few others I can't recall right now.

This year I will be skipping ahead a few dozen centuries to revisit the Third Galactic Imperium and the 'Canon-According-To-Me' universe of the classic Science Fiction RPG, Traveller. I've got to tell you, I'm really excited. I've been working up a lot of ideas and trying very hard to keep up the enthusiasm of the players, as the first session is still over a month away.

Character generation is the biggest hurtle for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the majority of the players don't have a copy of the rulebook for creating a PC. We've been scheduling individual and small group character generation sessions and that has helped but it's slow going.

As I work on this, I am also working on my games for the next RECESS Game Day, which will occur on Janurary 19th. I will be running my first ever Fraggle Rock session of my Muppets RPG and playtesting my hope-to-publish-this-year Ghost Story RPG (fingers crossed).

The future is looking bright for gaming this year much like the last.

Now if I could only get the rest of my life working too...

AD
Barking Alien 









The RECESS Report - Part II

There will be a bit more recap-i-ness coming up after this post and then, onward to some new ideas.

I was only able to talk to a few of my fellow GMs at RECESS and all but for the briefest of  moments. However, one mini-conversation in particular bares sharing but again, not until the recaps are over.

Now you've got something to look forward to and a reason to return to Barking Alien.  Aren't I a clever pooch.

***

Following the Muppets RPG session I went to lunch with my girlfriend Jenn, her friend and hopefully now mine Lisa and my good buddy and GM of our current Hunter X Hunter campaign, Ray. Lunch was good, the beer I had was surprisingly tasty and I was ready to return to the frontlines. The ladies left us to do their own thing and Ray and I went back in to RECESS, he to his game (He ran Marvel Heroic) and me to mine...GALAXY QUEST!

***

'A Riddle, Wrapped In A Mystery, Inside An Enigma'

***

Taking in a little of R&R over at a Thermian Space Station while their vessel underwent some important repairs and upgrades, the commander and crew of the NSEA Daring, NTR-6269, receive an emergency request from the station's Chief Administrator.

It seems the Thermians have intercepted a weak and continually fading distress call from the NSEA cruiser Vindicator. The Vindicator, commanded by our own commander's long time rival, is a tough and powerful ship. What could cause it's CO to call for help?

Highlights!

First - AWEsome Characters!

The Commander was played by my good friend Andy who I know through the group I gamed with and ran for over at my FLGS, The Compleat Strategist. His character, Commander Thaddeus Shaw, was a almost a cross between Futurama's Zap Brannigan and Ben Stiller in Zoolander. He seemed to have the miraculous ability to slip out of his NSEA uniform and into a floor length, velvet robe, complete with martini in hand, and back again in the blink of an eye.

The Science Officer was played by a great guy named Ed who I got the chance to game with at my first RECESS. He played the Security Chief in a game of Starships And Spacemen run by the incomparable E.T. Smith. Here, in the Galaxy Quest game, he did not disappoint.

In addition to being the Science Officer, he was also the Token Alien. A member of the Cerebellian species, his name "To you would be a stream of unintelligible static. Do not try to say it, you do not have the parts. Call me Primus." To say Primus was pompous and full of himself and his vast intellect would be an understatement. He was hilariously, gratingly intelligent. Any time anyone said pretty much anything, Ed would reply, "Yes. I know."

The Pilot was played by a fellow named Don and he worked out a bit of backstory on the actor playing his character, Lt. JG Clive Britten. Originally a popular actor on the British version of 'Galaxy Quest', where he played the Commander, the actor was let go when budget constraints eventually forced the BBC to cancel the show. Now, getting this second string part on the American version, with its better special effects but weaker writing (heheh, so British), the actor has turned to smoking up a bit and trying recreational pharmaceuticals. This last bit has been worked into the character of Clive Britten, an ace pilot hooked on 'Space Drugs'.

A really nice and interesting guy named Will played The Doctor. Will, it turns out, is the boyfriend of Emi, who was in the morning Muppets game. Will played Old Hock, an old country doctor with a preference for moonshine, banjo music and Kentuky Blue Grass underneath his feet. He had replaced a section of the floor in his Med Lab with soil and grew a mini lawn, "Right 'thar on the gol-durn spaceship."

I say Will was interesting because he did several things that impressed me. Most notably, his boisterous, 'Southern Redneck' accent was hysterical and nothing at all like his regular voice which was mellow and subdued. Also, he stated that this was only the 4th or 5th RPG session he had ever participated in. None of his previous games included any form of D&D, so I took a liking to the guy right away (snark!). Furthermore, he felt by creating this neat character, he also created a situation where he didn't interact with the other characters or the adventure very much. Old Hock didn't want to leave his comfort zone and sure as hell thought all this other folks on board were plum crazy. He thought that he may have designed him 'wrong' for the adventure.

I told he that if he was having fun, it wasn't wrong. We make the characters we want to play because before we sit down (especially at RECESS) we really don't know what kind of adventure it's going to be exactly. On the other hand, if you think it would be more fun to get more involved, find a way.

He honestly thanked me, we talked a bit more and I must say, it was a great experience to feel like I helped a new gamer find their gaming zen as it were. He eventually opted to join in by helping get a Shuttlepod over to this alien object we found floating in space. The object absorbed energy from starships but Old Hock had, in the ship's docking bay, an old solar sail shuttle that might be able to get around the issue. He also had some ideas, modified by the all knowing Science Officer, on how to vent oxygen to move the shuttle with resorting to powering up the systems. We imagined his shuttle was held together by duct tape and baling wire. It had a gun rack and an old confederate flag draped over one of the bunks in the back. It was referred to a few times as 'The General Lee'.

Almost forgot, Old Hock was also The Prodigy. What Geordi LaForge has for sight, Old Hock has for hearing. Large headphone like domes with TV antennae sticking out cover his ears enabling him to hear everything from a tiny pin drop to the subspace wake creating by an enemy starship hiding behind the fourth moon.

The Engineer was Shayara 'Zero-Gee' Jones, a firecraker of a young woman played by a firecracker of a dude named Floyd. No one asks why they call her 'Zero-Gee' and she ain't telling. Lots of great Technobabble from Tech Sgt. Jones, who was so in tune with her ship she could feel a power coupling loosen on 'A' Deck while walking through the cargo hold on 'U' Deck. There appeared to be a bit of a rivalry between the Engineer and the Science Officer to see who was smarter and more knowledgeable about NSEA technology and Sci-Fi physics.

Finally, where would Galaxy Quest be without the Glorified Extra, Security Chief Harkin. Yes, he got a name! Actually he did so well, the other players voted him Ensign Harkin by sessions end! With one hit point but jacked up combat skills, this brave and stalwart Crewman (played by a nice guy named Hans) saved the Vindicator with a well timed barrage of Pulse Missiles launched into a time travel slingshot effect that enabled the Daring to save her sister ship and then arrive to warn the Vindicator before it got into trouble in the first place.

Ridiculous you say? What part of 'Sci-Fi-Space-Opera-TV-Show' did you not understand?

In the end, the bizarre space artifact, named 'The Black Spot' by our Science Officer (even though it is not actually black. Nor a spot), turned out to be a manned satellite/space station of an alien species who were merely studying the region of space where the satellite had been placed. With the help of the Doctor, Ensign Harkin made first contact with the sexy, female alien captain before the Commander moved in and presumably made second, third and perhaps even fourths contact with her.
 
Great game, many, many laughs and a wonderful group of guys. I may run this again next RECESS, although I am not sure as there are a number of other things I want to try. We shall see.

***

A lot of inspiration on a good number of topics lately so, more to come.

If you're not hanging out with the cool kids on Google +, come round, take a load off and I'll put on a pot of coffee so we can talk.

AD
Barking Alien