RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 7

'You should not have a favorite weapon, nor likes and dislikes. To become over-familiar with one weapon is as much a fault as not knowing it sufficiently well.'

Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

When it comes to Weaponry in TRPGs, I always lean towards the type that can do more than damage. Versatility is key. Not every situation is a loose nail, so not every weapon need be a hammer.

Perhaps my favorite example of a versatile weapon is the Green Lantern Ring, a device capable of transforming thought and willpower into solid objects and effects made of energy. Likewise the object that inspired the GL Ring, the Lens of E. E. 'Doc' Smith's Lensman series, is a weapon that rarely does direct harm. It is primary a tool for communication and enhanced perception but it also gives the wielder greater capabilities toward winning the day.

What about the Phaser? You can certainly set your weapon to Stun, Kill, or Disintergrate but what about Heat (used by Sulu in 'The Enemy Within' to prevent he and his team from freezing to death), 'Cut' (my players reasoned that it can be used as a cutting tool somewhere between Heat and Disintegrate), and Blast (between Heavy Stun and Kill, inspired by effect depicted in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock). 

Then there's Medieval Weapons. Yeah. Hmm. So...how about that Sportsball? 

The problem with most medieval weaponry is that outside of cutting a rope, the sword and arrow are rarely used for anything beyond hitting and hurting an opponent. Be it axe, mace, or dart, medieval weapons - like many elements of Medieval Fantasy gaming in the Western world - see limited variation. This is something I try very hard to change when I run Fantasy, giving magic swords and other weapons more than one function. 

As you can imagine, I'm not a dagger sort of guy. More the 'swiss army knife' type.

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 7 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

'Good Form'? What is good form in a TRPG context? What game features 'behaviour that conforms to the social conventions of our time'? I seriously have no idea how to answer this. 

Pass.

RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 6

My campaigns feature a good number of NPCs. The genres and settings I like most just lend themselves to this. A Starfleet vessel can easily have 200+ NPCs onboard in addition to the PCs. A world of Superheroes often has other heroes, villains, scientists, reporters, cops, corporations, and all manner of other inhabitants. 

So who are the favored NPCs in my campaigns? Well...

I am involved in multiple campaigns right now and I decided to ask my players who their favorite NPCs are. Unfortunately, there wasn't a consensus. Each player thought a different NPC was the best NPC. I should probably take that as a win.

Therefore, in the interest of being able to complete this entry, I'll cover a few of MY favorite NPCs over the years.

Cool? Cool.

Chloroplax, Sea Drake - The Rangers Guild of Corindel

Aerth / Chronicles of The Winghorn Guard

In his own words, "Chloroplax is this one - See, I am pointing at self. This one here to whom you are speaking in the now time. Is being a Sea Drake. Is like small dragon but is not dragon, is drake. The here now Chloroplax is friend to all Rangers who are friends to all Rangers at Corindel. Is to have understood word speech?"

Ahem...OK so, Chloroplax is a young adult Sea Drake, relatives (in some as yet unknown way) to the Blue Dragons that dwell across the Sea of Pacifica and the Northern and Southern Atlantean Seas. Chloroplax was found badly injured after defending an Aquatic Elf Enclave from invading Locathah. He was found by members of the Rangers Guild of Corindel, who went on to defeat the Locathah with his help. Following the battle, Chloroplax was taken back to the island nation of Corindel and healed of his wounds. Afterwards, Chloroplax would appear in the waters around the land now and again, following the ships of the Rangers Guild, greeting them, and helping them when he could.  

Some 10-15 years later, Chloroplax was declared a fully-fledged [honorary] member of the Corindel Rangers Guild. He is not just a mascot, joining the Rangers on major missions against pirate fleets, sea monsters, and even aiding The Order of The Winghorn Guard. Chloroplax's knowledge of the world below the surface of the sea has been incredibly useful. He is exceptionally clever, though his odd manner of speech can make it tricky for others to understand his plans.

Physically, Chloroplax is a six limbed draconic creature (two 'arms', two legs, and two wings) about the size of a pony or very large dog. He has clawed hands (complete with thumbs) and feet, as well as a long tail. While his wings enable him to fly, they are much more effective at propelling him through the water. He is assisted by webbed extremities and a finned tail. Chloroplax has both gills and terrestrial lungs and can easily breathe underwater or on the surface. His most impressive weapon is his breath, a powerful jet of water strong enough to knock over a fully loaded wagon or rowboat. He can also alter the temperature of the 'water breath' to be scalding hot (just shy of boiling) or freezing cold (but not ice). 

We've discussed Chloroplax's speech pattern but never broken it down in detail. When he was a wee beastie he learned Drake, which is essentially 'pidgin Draconic', but was later taught the language of the Atlanteans (the Sea Elves). Listening to surface dwelling fisherman, merchants, and sailors he taught himself the Common tongue. Unfortunately, the syntax and tense of Draconic dosen't easily map to Common, resulting in the strange version of the language that he now speaks. 

"You are thanked for the reading of the writing of me, the Chloroplax, and the more of this post that there is being in the now. Please be faring well in not just the now but also the going forward!" 

FA1-T3 or 'FATS', Pilot Droid

Star Wars:

FA1-T3 is a modified piloting and astrogation droid purchased from Jawas on Tatooine by Ithorian Explorer [PC] Moga Wombi at some point during the Galactic Civil War. Originally intended to serve as a co-pilot to Wombi, the two traded positions after a year or so together so that the Explorer could focus on operating his scoutship's sensors. About two years later, the pair started working with Mandalorian Bounty Hunter [PC] Colo Nada, who took to calling the droid 'FATS'.

FATS' voice, personality, and mannerisms were based on a mixture of various real world Jazz and Blues musicans, most nobably Thomas Wright 'FATS' Waller. FA1-T3 had deep, smooth barotone voice and often spoke about love, the hardships of the working droid, and gave Colo Nada romantic advise. He was relatively calm under pressure and could be charming in conversation with both biologicals and droids. 

In one adventure, FATS and Wombi tried desperately to land their vessel safely after the craft took considerable damage from attacks by Imperial ships. Unfortunately, the ship crashed on the ashen surface of the planet Gardine (GAR-deen). Wombi was killed, Colo Nada survived but was badly wounded. 'FATS' received damage but 'awoke' believing itself to be Wombi. According to the droid, Wombi's spirit left his body and entered the robot upon his 'death' [Wombi's PC temporarily took over playing FATS). Nada humored him for a time as the two worked together to reach Mos Garda (also known as Garda City), capital city of Gardine. After a misunderstanding with some Gray Jawas, FATS was zapped by one of their Ionization Guns. A contact of Nada's was able to repair and reboot FATS, returning him to his original personality. 

Not long after the two parted ways, with Colo returning home to Mandalore while FATS decided to remain on Gardine. He is last seen drinking some oil-like substance and toasting to the memory of his friend Moga Wombi. In a later campaign run a year or so after the previous one ended, the PCs enter 'The Gray Oasis', a cantina on Gardine, and run into none other than FA1-T3. Introducing himself as FATS, he claims to be a Pilot for Hire with competitive rates since he's a droid. Colo Nada's Player was there playing a new character but said he'd heard of the droid and convinced the team to hire him. 

All in all, FATS appeared in two campaigns, the first being about a dozen or so sessions and the second going for a little more than double that. One element of the robot I never got to reveal was that the Jawas who originally picked him up on Tatooine pulled him out of the wreckage of a starship. In other words, FATS had a history of crashes and surviving them. 

Lieutenant T'Sora, Assistant Chief Science Officer

Star Trek: Prosperity

T'Sora appeared in the very first session of our Star Trek: Prosperity campaign. Later in that inaugural 'season' she is identified as the Assistant Chief Science Officer. She has appeared in nearly every session since. She is the person at the bridge science station when the PCs beam down to a planet and the one who takes over if [the PC] Commander Solok was injured. 

Personality wise she is calm, cool, collected, and of course logical but also regularly delivers biting one-liners. T'Sora is sarcastic, even sardonic at times. She's been shown to be a flawed character; one who uses her biting wit to hide and control her emotions and the fact that her outlook on life is frought with cynicism. She went a bit too far one time, quipping on the hopelessness of a situation when the Captain was trying to maintain positive morale. She was reprimanded and demerits placed on her record. 

Even so, she learned her lesson and tried to be more careful with her words and actions. Eventually, when Commander Solok departed the Prosperity to marry the ship's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Margaret 'Maggie' Hanover, it was assumed T'Sora would take over the position. Interestingly, T'Sora herself did not 'assume' anything and made a case for her promotion to Captain Fletcher and new First Officer Commander Bhoth. Instead, when the newly christened USS Persistance was launched, Captain Fletcher recommended her to that vessel's Captain for the job of Chief Science Officer and she accepted the position. Our former Communications Officer turned Security Chief is now our new Chief Science Officer, Lt. Commander Carr. 

An unrevealed element of her character is that the man she was betrothed to was killed along with all hands aboard the USS Intrepid. While now free to marry someone else, she maintains the tradition of T' before her name in his memory.  

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 6 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

Easy to use? I mean...hmm. Star Wars D6 is one of the easiest games to play and run that I can think of but that's not completely true. There are easier for sure. Faery's Tale Deluxe, Teenagers from Outer Space, and even ALIEN are really simple. 

I'm not really sure where to go with this. Any game you get really good at by playing often over time is going to seem easy to you. My buddy William Corpening finds Champions easy. I find Star Trek Adventures easy, at least my houseruled version of it, though played raw I find it a little slower and harder to run smoothly. 

Yeah. So...next?

RPGaDAY 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 5

Ya' got to have friends,

The feeling's oh so strong!

Ya' got to have friends,

To make that day last long. 

Ah, Companions! The more the merrier I say, at least in the context of tabletop RPGs.

I love creating and encountering the myriad of quirky denizens in a campaign setting and the experience is made all the better if you like them so much you form a relationship of some kind with one (or more).

It might be a mere acquaintance but they could turn into a fast friend, an informant, a business rival, a frienemy, or even a romantic interest. At the very least your PC knows someone in the world they inhabit, which gives them access to more options and information than they have on their own AND makes the universe feel more lived-in. Being able to tap your contacts as a resource when needed, is extremely beneficial. 

Now Companions, well they hit a bit different don't they? These are NPCs who hang around with the Player Characters on a regulars basis. They're part of the group, members of the gang as it were, and for the most part they're there to help. Mostly. Sometimes they are there to add a complication or drain resources but I like to think we are better off with them than without them. 

The players I game with are pretty split on their feelings about Companions.

Half of them aren't fans of NPC Companions being part of party. They don't want too much 'screen time' dedicated to NPCs. 'The PCs are the main characters. The stories should be about them.' And...it is. It always is. These players are largely complaining about an idea not being put into action. Why? Because players.

Now, I will agree that too much focus on the NPCs wouldn't be a good idea. The games we run and play should focus on the PCs for a variety of reasons. Not the least of these reasons is that the players are living people there at the table (really pr virtual). It's a good idea to include them and made them the stars of your show. They'd the campaign's strongest supporters, most active participants, and truly dedicated audience. 

The other half of my player base loves them! They love interacting with them, building relationships, and sure, they can sometimes spend a little too much time doing so. 'Too much' such that it does approach giving the Companions more 'screen time' than they should have. How does  this happen? Well, those involved are having fun. Go figure. Don't yuck the yum of another's enjoyment.

If you don't want the game to focus on NPC Companions, try engaging with the other players/PCs. If you're not doing that, don't be surprised when players gravitate towards hanging out with the NPCs.

Beyond that, trying getting in on the fun. You never know, you might make a friend.

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 5 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

Um...you got me. I got nothing. Is there an RPG with great writing? I mean, most professionally made games have decent, functional writing but great? I am not really sure how to judge this.

ALIEN by Free League is very good. I think it captures the feel of the setting and explains the rules clearly. Let's go with that. 

RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 4

What makes a character in an RPG a hero? Have you ever seen a PC or NPC worthy of the title?

I've seen lots and I'm sure most of you have too. Hard to pick just one. In fact, most of the PCs run by my good friends David Concepcion, Keith Conroy, and certainly Selina Wong would more than qualify.

Today though, I'd like to tell the tale of a hero I've not mentioned before. To make things even more difficult for myself I want to avoid games where being a champion of true and justice is par for the course such as Superhero games, Star Trek, or Star Wars.

Hmm. OK, I got it! Let me set the scene...

Summer Camp, 1980. Six Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1st Edition) adventurers levels 5 to 7 have been exploring The Ruins of Castle Fengest* in search of the fabled Ghost Sword of Apotrop**. Each intends on finding the sword and turning it over to the rightful heir in hopes of gaining a great reward. 

I am the Dungeonmaster. The party consists of:

Dwarf Fighter - Rightful heir promised to ally with Dwarves against Goblin Invaders.

Elf Fighter/Magic-User - Fulfill an oath to the original sword wielder to avenge their death. 

Halfling Thief - Earn enough riches to pay off family debt.

Human Druid - Secure a region of the heir's woods as a Druid Sanctuary.

Human Fighter - Earn his place as a Knight in service of the rightful heir.

Human Ranger - Rid the roads around the ruins of bandit attacks to ensure safe travel.***

The group is most of the way through the haunted ruins of the castle and things are tense. The Dwarf is dead, the Human Fighter (toughest PC they have) is really low on HP, and everyone has taken some damage. The Human Druid has revealed himself to be a coward and mostly self-interested. 

The party is at odds on what to do. Three want to turn back or at least find a 'safe' place to heal up and two want to keep going as they're sure the sword is close. The Dwarf's voice can sometimes be heard echoing the halls, spuring them on. Is it encouragement from their departed ally or a trick of the Ghost Lord of Fengest****? 

A rousing speech by the Human Ranger [and the rest of the group threatening the Druid with bodily harm] gets the team to continue forward. Their next encounter is a boon, defeating several very tough skeletons and gaining a couple of healing potions.  They don't help much but its better than nothing. 

Finally, after besting a riddle trap with the help of the Dwarf's spirit, the party comes face-to-phantom with the Ghost Lord of Fengest, wielding the Sword of Apotrop! Now, the team was up against some major obstacles:

The Ghost Lord could hit the PCs with his Ghost Touch (see below under Ghost Lord of Fengest****) or very solid sword but he was intangible and the PCs couldn't do the same. Only certain spells and magic weapons could hit him and most did little damage (see below as noted).

Anyone killed in the Ruins of Castle Fengest would become a disembodied spirit, trapped within its halls forever, such as the Dwarf, the magic sword's original owner (friend of our Elf), and all the adventurers who'd come before.

The Druid went full @$$&*%#, refusing to heal anyone but himself, barely helping, and mostly hiding. 

The entire team was still low on HP, Spells, and pretty desperate. 

The Human Fighter made a decision and asked the Elf to cover him. The Fighter then downed a Strength Potion and on his next action ran straight towards the Ghost Lord and tried to physically rend the Sword of Apotrop from its ghastly grip. Doing so allowed the Ghost Lord to touch him, draining away his lifeforce as he struggled to remove the sword from the spectre's hand. Finally he managed to pull it free and tossed it back to the Ranger as the Fighter collapsed to the ground. 

The Ranger lept forth and struck the Ghost Lord with the enchanted blade, doing massive damage! The Ghost Lord relatiated but the Sword of Apotrop gave the Ranger protection against the phantom warrior's attack (in the form of a saving throw bonus to take no effects). Everyone in the party (expect the Druid) forfeited their next moves so the Ranger could strike again. And strike he did, mightly and true, destroying the Ghost Lord once and for all! 

With the Ghost Lord gone, all the trapped souls were free. The party could see many of them passing upwards through the floors, walls, and ceilings toward the great beyond. The Ranger and the others gathered around the Human Fighter but it was too late. The brave hero managed to say, "Someone was going to die today. It was either me or all of you. Fair trade I'd say", and his spirit departed skyward as well. 

The team returned to the rightful heir with the sword and their was a great celebration. The Human Fighter was posthumously awarded Knighthood. A plaque with his name adorned the barracks of the City Guard. The heir become Duke and fulfilled all his promises...save one. The Druid was given no land in his woods and was banished from the province, never to set foot on the Duke's soil or stone lest he suffer the blade. 

David P's Human Fighter. A true hero in the truest sense. 

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 3 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

From medieval heroes to modern criminals...

I get bored with the art in most RPGs these days. There's a sameyness to a lot of it. Some games do have their own more individual look and I do like those particular RPGs as a result. ALIEN, Star Trek Adventures, and Tales of the Loop (a game specifically based on the artwork of Swedish painter Simon Stålenhag) are good examples though I do wish ALIEN and STA would change up their styles a little once in a while. 

One of my favorite RPGs with great art is the Japanese TRPG 'SATASUPE', Saturday Night Special, the Asian Punk Roleplaying Game which I've discussed on the blog in the past. Not only is the art cool but its unusual. It has that Japanese Anime/Manga look and yet it doesn't. It's got a street art, funky vibe that is perfect for the game.

While a handful of artists worked on the product, the lead illustrator most commonly associated with SATASUPE is Hayami Rasenjin. Rasenjin (a pen name) is a really interesting fellow (look into him some time) but what I want to focus on is that he's drawn for dozens and dozens of Japanese TRPGs. He wrote what would have been the first Dice Fiction game (but that's a story for another time) and was a playtester on many as well. He has been a major figure in the JTRPG scene.

Anyway, I love his art in SATASUPE. Here are some examples:

SATASUPE Cover Art

Current Edition

More talk about SATASUPE in the near future.

RPGaDay 2024 - Barking Alien Edition - Day 3

From my earliest days in the hobby I had a clear idea of what it meant to be a 'hero' and to create heroic tales. What I didn't understand was how everyone else claimed they too were playing heroes.

I started gaming in 1977 with Basic Dungeons and Dragons. It was introduced to me with the following phrase:

"It's like playing out a comic book. You create a character, go on adventures, defeat villains, and save people!"

At the 8 I was certain I knew what that meant and was excited to give the game a try. I loved comic books. I get to play a game where I create my own hero who fights evil-doers and protects the innocent? Where do I sign?

I also loved Star Trek, Star Wars, and other heroes of movies and television. My father was a policeman. The concept of a heroic character was ingrained into my mind, built upon the examples of Captain Kirk, Superman, Luke Skywalker, the Lone Ranger, and my dad.

We Can Be Heroes...Forever and Ever

We Can Be Heroes...Just for One Day

And so it was that I, and those I initially gamed with, had our characters fighting against evil, rescuing weak and helpless, and making our make believe world a better place. Our enemies were cruel, world-conquerring Clerics and their armies of the Undead, Foul Weather that resulted in floods and lost sailing ships, and the occaisional Legendary Monster bent on eating people in the peaceful village nearby. 

Then one day I had a strange experience...I played with other people. 

That's when I first learned the 'right way' to play D&D. Travel from town to town murdering any citizen who looked at you funny, steal their belongings, and go on to enter the underground homes of intelligent beings and yeah, kill them all too. Don't forget to loot their bodies! Finally, after all that, have the nerve to refer to yourself and your fellow sociopaths as 'heroes'. 

Fast forward to the present and I get it now. D&D, especially back then, was more of a game than a role-playing experience. The mechanics as written rewarded slaying monsters and finding gold as vital components of its mechanics. Additionally, the ideas presented were inspired by and extrapolated from the Fantasy literature popular in that era; the works of R.E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, and of course J. R. R. Tolkien (though I'd argue the main protagonists of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are of quite a different make and model than those of the Conan, Lankhmar, or Eternal Champions books). 

Since we - my early gaming buddies and I - were not coming from that same literary background, we didn't take for granted a lot of the essential elements of D&D and other similar games of the time. We didn't kill anyone who didn't try to kill us and who could be subdued or, better yet, reasoned with. We didn't loot the bodies unless we knew they had something we needed (the key to freeing the kidnapped villagers, our weapons and communicators they'd taken earlier, etc.). Our D&D character were awarded gold and magic items by those whom we'd helped as a thank you for saving them. 

I'm sure it isn't surprising that as time moved on and the hobby expanded my friends and I largely moved away from games where unheroic actions were part and parcel of the setting or theme. The more we played Star Trek, Villains and Vigilantes, Star Wars, Champions, Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space and others, the less we played and even thought about D&D. The closet we came to games the rewarded immoral behaviour was our occasional jaunts into Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, and a handful of others. Even there though, we often started as scoundrels and eventually turned ourselves around to do the right things for a greater good. 

Heroics are still integral to my games and I get a real rush when I see them.

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Barking Alien

BONUS FEATURE: Day 3 of the official RPGaDay 2024 Prompts:

There have been periods of my time in the RPG hobby when I would've said Star Wars D6 or some Superhero game was the one I'd played most often but that isn't true today. It is definitely Star Trek. From FASA's version to playtesting and writing for Last Unicorn Games' edition to my (presently) 8 year long Star Trek Adventures campaign, the final frontier reigns supreme. 

Superhero and Medieval Fantasy Character by combining AI with my own art and coloring. Female Starfleet Officer by Japanese artist Shunya Yamashita.