BARKING ALIEN

Champions Defeated...Temporarily

2012-01-28T16:23:00.005-05:00

Today is the second time in a row and perhaps the fourth time since the first weekend in Janurary that my players have bailed on me at the last second for our Champions game.

End result, Champions is on indefinite hiatus while I explore something else with other players. Unfortunately, I don't know what game with what other players, so I am currently in GM limbo.

This makes me very depressed. As from not having a current game to run, I was really, really enjoying this campaign.

Insert sad, super powered, green puppy howl.

Oh well, back to the drawing board.

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Barking Alien

P.S. Please check out my 10 Questions post and post your answers either in the comments or on your own blog and let me know the link. I'd love to see what you have to say.

Q&A From BA ASAP!

2012-01-27T10:24:00.005-05:00

I invoke the power of initials to bring my own brand of RPG inquiry to the blogsphere in hopes of learning more about my fellow gamer!

(Translates as: I was inspired by Zak's questionaire thingie so I made my own questionaire thingie.)

Do Not Ignore Me!

1) What is the most common type of environment or terrain encountered thus far in your current or most recent campaign?

2) What is the most exotic or unusual environment or terrain encountered thus far in your current or most recent campaign?

3) What environment or terrain type have you never used but always wanted to? Why haven't you?

4) Do you have a combat rule or mechanic from another game system you are using in the game system you currently play, played recently or generally play?

5) In your opinion, what genre has received too little attention in regards to RPGs based on that subject?

6) If a quality RPG on the aforementioned neglected genre came out tomorrow, what would make you buy it? What would prevent you from buying it?

7) Do you find it easier to learn the rules of a game by reading the rule book or by sitting down and just playing it?

8) Name a currently available artist not normally associated with RPGs who you'd love to see do some RPG work.

9) What one book, movie, video, etc. that is not an RPG that you think should be.

10) Can you think of an RPG you've run or played in which the GM (be it you or someone else) used/referenced non-game related books to run the campaign more often then game related books?

Have a great weekend if I don't see ya,

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Barking Alien

A Giant Leap For Mankind...More Like A Stumble In The Dark

2012-01-24T23:26:00.003-05:00

Is this my next big game idea...

Hmmm...could be.

"We' re all aliens...until we get to know one another."

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Barking Alien

Voyage Into The Unknown...Ponies

2012-01-24T19:44:00.007-05:00

I would be remiss in my duties as an advocate of trying something different (as well as a lousy friend), if I did not direct your attention to the blog of the amazing Erin Palette's, Lurking Rhythmically, and her My Life Pony: Friendship is Magic homebrew Unknown Ponies: Failure Is Awesome.

While I can't claim to be an expert on either the new My Little Pony series nor the Unknown Armies system, I do have a passing familiarity with both and this looks like a pretty solid interpretation. I really like the way Erin made the mechanics match the feel of the show and used terms taken directly from the MLP universe. This is the sort of thing I heavily endorse.

If you're a pony fan it's a must! If your an Unknown Armies fan you'll be WOWed. If you just want to take a look at how an IP can be easily and smoothly translated into an RPG, I highly recommend taking a gander.

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Barking Alien

The Secret Is In The InSauce

2012-01-23T23:44:00.007-05:00

Whether adding a few dashes of it to your favorite system or dropping big chunks of another game into it to slowly simmer, you just can't beat InSpectres by Memento Mori for livening up the flavor of an RPG.

I've mentioned this little gem before but I may not have focused on how well Jared Sorenson's InSpectres lends itself to being spliced into the genes of other games to create superhuman hybrids of fun.

The game by itself is excellent. A simple die pool system with a few key mechanical additions to give it it's own identity. Among its game specific rules and concepts are the Franchise Dice that create a sort of mini resource management element, the Confessionals that enable players to directly influence and even rewrite (kinda) game events and a very cool system for having the players' ideas determine the nature of an adventures mystery instead of clues left behind by the GM.

Now a little research reveals that hacks of the game abound, including a game where you play kid supernatural investigators (In-Speckers) and another focused on classic, 'Big' Science Fiction concepts like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Solaris, Contact and the like (InSpace).

When I first got ahold of InSpectres, which is primarily about creating a paranormal investigation and elimination franchise, I harkened back to my days playing the official Ghostbusters RPG created by West End Games (as well as its sequel Ghostbusters International). It struck me that the games were mechanically quite similar. So similar in fact, that a merger of the two (using the Ability Score/Traits from one with the Talents/Skills from the other for example) would result in a game that filled out the sparse Ghostbusters game while adding a bit more crunch and setting to InSpectres.

The result was one of my best campaigns ever if I do say so myself. I ran the game with my friends in New Jersey (sometimes referred to here as the 'NJ Group') and would love to do it again.

So it goes that, about a week or so ago, I was talking to one of my players and best friends about the game 3:16-Carnage Amongst the Stars. I had heard about it but hadn't yet played or run the game. My friend had gotten the chance to actually play it at RECESS.

Awesome game but I needed a hook or something to spark an idea for long term play. As I was reading up on it on DriveThruRPG, I noticed that some time ago I must've put InSpace, the InSpectres science fiction variant, into my cart and never checked out. InSpace is $1.00, so it was a no brainer to pick it up.

Low and behold, new hybrid idea! Carnage Amongst the Stars and InSpace are the perfect match for that under used and appreciated genre of Science-Fiction where two-fisted, laser gun blazing explorers actually come upon phenomena that can make profound changes in the thinking of humanity. Deep philosphical and speculative Science-Fiction with an added action twist thanks to Carnage Amongst The Stars could give you Voyage of the Space Beagle, The Jupiter Theft or Have Spacesuit Will Travel. I'm considering running a Space: 1999 game with this frankensteined system.

In-Speckers might enable me to finally bring another pet project to life. Using the system and its ideas to fill in the gaps lost in translation from the Japanese RPG Peek-A-Boo Horror.

In conclusion, I highly recommend giving InSpectres and its mods a try. I would also love to hear about your unholy, mish-mashed hybrids. What two great tastes taste great together in your book?

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Barking Alien

Year of The Dragon!

2012-01-23T10:58:00.004-05:00

Happy Year of the Dragon Everybody!

Considering who we are this should hold a very special place in our hearts. ;)

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Barking Alien

P.S. Our dragon is 'Red's Blue Dragon' from Fraggle Rock.

P.S.S. I hate Google and Blogger. Hate them. It get less functional everyday and the new interface is gawd-aweful. As we advance we get crappier?

Under A Microscope

2012-01-21T18:51:00.006-05:00

I'm going to try to post something even though...

Blogger is being horrible.
I said I wasn't going to bother.
I should be grabbing a beer and walking TV.

But no. Adam needs to ponder and blog.

***

I got the chance to play Microscope today with my friend Matt and a cool dude named Alex. Alex is developing a campaign world in association with his Obsidian Portal Project 'Bad Wrong Fun' which...well, just go over there and check it out.

I don't believe I've addressed Microscope in detail here before. I have read through it once or twice but never got the chance to actually play it until now. Initially some of the terminology took a a bit of focused attention to put to memory (even then I'm sure I got confused a few times) but the end result is an excellent excercise in world building and role playing.

I say excercise because Microscope is not a traditional RPG. It is indeed more an excercise in story development and even campaign design. Essentially (without ruining things to the point where you don't need to buy it - because you should), the players take turns analyzing and playing out various event in the 'history' of the world they are creating.

Collaberatively, the players in a game of Microscope determine the 'Palette' of story elements they get to choose from and what is right out for the purposes of their story/world. After that, they go around the table and create 'Periods' of time, 'eras' or 'ages' if you will, within the larger timeline. This is followed by 'Events', which are even smaller and more specific goings on.

The player whose turn it is is referred to as the Lens (Matt and I appreciated that from our positions as big E.E. Smith fans). The Lens determines the 'Focus' for the round. From that point forward, all periods, events and scenes much relate to the Focus that the current Lens has established.

The other neat element I recall clearly is the 'Legacy'. Once a Scene from an Event in a Period is finished (hope I got that right), one of the players (first player on the Lens' left? I think so) decides what the Legacy from that round is. A Legacy is an element that the player would like to see come up again. It's basically something from the event or in the scene that you'd like to explore further.

I am sure as heck not doing the mechanic justice. It was fascinating and created instantly epic moments in the chronicles of a world I was unfamiliar with as Alex, Matt and some other players had only created it the week before using a similar though distinctly different game called Dawn of Worlds. Check it out too.

Anyway, this entire post reminds me of a post I want to make about Sandboxes, Settings and the nature of genre versus an established world but...well I don't want to push my luck with blogger. I'll save it for another time.

Thanks for the game guys! Hope to see you again soon,

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Barking Alien

Blogger is Being Blogger - Yep. Sucktastic.

2012-01-20T20:40:00.006-05:00

I may not be able to post much this weekend as blogger is at it's worst in a long time.

I had some cool things to say but it seems blogger is too effed up to let me say them so I am going to do something else.

Hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you soon, maybe on wordpress if this crap keeps up.

Laters,

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Barking Alien

Speculative Engineering I

2012-01-19T09:32:00.013-05:00

How do I know, at this point in my blogging experience, that I am a 'hit'?

Well, I now realize that it may have something to do with my lack of comments. Yes, my lack of comments. Apparently, considering the fairly large number of views my site gets, readers are so stunned by my brilliance they are unable to think and write back intelligible responses. Naysayers are rendered incapable of saying nay! I win the blogging!

So long as it doesn't go to my head.

***
I was thinking about games mechanics the other day and how,while I usually prefer they stay the heck outta my way, I need them to be able to facilitate the kind of games I want to run and create.

Part of the reason for this particular musing is that I am once again working on my 'Project X' RPG that I've mentioned in the past. I intend on self-publishing at least one RPG this year. I have ideas for others but let's get this first one out and see how it goes.

To that end, I have been imagining all sorts of wacky rule mechanics and I've come across one that intrigues me for some reason and yet I am not sure I will be using it for anything. What do you guys think of this idea...

Players have a choice when it comes to taking an action. Any action. They can choose to roll the dice and see what happens or take an automatic Pass or Fail. If you take an automatic Pass you accomplish your goal, succeeding at a skill check or hitting an opponent but suffer some penalty as a result. Likewise, you can declare an automatic Failure and net a benefit toward some other action.

Now this isn't really a new idea as there are some Indie Games that utilize a similar mechanic. In fact, a game call Ghost/Echo is wholly focused on this dynamic with actions taking the form of Goals and Dangers or, in an excellent hack of this that I saw based on Men In Black, Goals/Risks and Benefits/Dangers. I am seeing it slightly differently in my head but reading the concepts from Ghost/Echo, S/Lay w/ Me or Men In Black/Project: Blackbook will give you some idea of my inspirations.

The idea is that by increasing or decreasing the risk or danger to your goal or action, you can gain some kind of benefit. The opposite is also true. You can take the easy way out and automatically succeed but you are going to have to pay back Lady Luck for the assist at some later point in time.

I actually think this would be awesome as a plug it for D&D (whose combat system I find especially boring). You can automatically hit the leader of the Orc tribe this round by next round you fight at -2 because...I know!...because you chipped your sword hitting his armor last round. You could let yourself take a hit on purpose from a strong opponent and gain a +2 to hit him or save versus his attacks the following round because...know that you watched him you can better predict his style. It was chancey but worth the risk.

I actually imagine a considerably more developed system for this idea. Or at least, I think it would benefit from a more developed array of options as to what you would lose or gain for opting to go this route. It would also have to be tested to make sure it doesn't steamroll over rolling randomly. I still would want players who prefer that option to be able to do so.

What do you think?

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Barking Alien

23 Questions With Barking Alien

2012-01-18T09:06:00.004-05:00

This questionaire comes from a young fellow named Zak. Zak writes...

1. If you had to pick a single invention in a game you were most proud of what would it be?

Tough one. Maybe the whole Applause/Star Power and A-B-Cs/Sunny Days thing from my Muppets RPG.

I also really like how I organize my gaming material for a campaign into one big, heavily illustrated loose-leaf notebook.

2. When was the last time you GMed?

This past Sunday, late afternoon/evening.

3. When was the last time you played?

Sometime last month I think.

4. Give us a one-sentence pitch for an adventure you haven't run but would like to.

Sci-Fi heroes transplanted into the bodies of specially designed robots try to repair the space/time continuum using fresh fruit and a small cup of Greek yogurt.

I haven't worked out the details.

5. What do you do while you wait for players to do things?

As a player I take notes or draw.
As a GM I make jokes or odd noises or roll dice to freak the players out.

6. What, if anything, do you eat while you play?

Pretezels are a favorite.

7. Do you find GMing physically exhausting?

It can be. Luckily I have some kind of crazy, mutant power of endurance and stamina related to my insomnia. Even when physically tired I am rarely mentally tired. I can easily game at full bore for 10-12 hours.

8. What was the last interesting (to you, anyway) thing you remember a PC you were running doing?

Marriage proposal to another PC in Erin Palette's L5R campaign as a means of consolidating power for my clan and the two PCs involved.

9. Do your players take your serious setting and make it unserious? Vice versa? Neither?

I have serious settings, non-serious settings and comedy-drama settings. We play the ones we are in the mood for when we are in the mood for them.

10. What do you do with goblins?

A lot of things. Depends on the campaign.

Primarily, in my main D&D-But-Not campaign universe, they are sort of a cross between forcibly relocated Native Americans and the goblins of Labyrinth.

11. What was the last non-RPG thing you saw that you converted into game material (background, setting, trap, etc.)?

An explanation of 'Shield Volcanos' and the geography of some of the larger ones located on the Hawaiian islands as the setting for a supervillain's base in Champions.

12. What's the funniest table moment you can remember right now?

I wouldn't know where to begin. I occaisionally run a Muppets RPG, remember?

This past Saturday, Sweetums opened his mouth to show that the Weapons Grade Grape Pop Rocks had turned his tongue purple...which resulted in him accidentally firing on all of the PCs and NPCs with what amounted to a gatling gun style release of candy coated shrapnel.

13. What was the last game book you looked at--aside from things you referenced in a game--why were you looking at it?

What was the last RPG manual I looked at that I was not using for a game at the time?

Men in Black RPG by West End Games. Last night. On the can. I like to read RPG books in the bathroom. Helps me think.

14. Who's your idea of the perfect RPG illustrator?

Depends on the game. Supers should be drawn by comic book professionals, D-MAC or anyone who gets what comic books look like. For fantasy I prefer DiTerlizzi, Froud, Arthur Rackham and those who have a similar feel. For Sci-Fi it really varies depending on the setting or subgenre. I really don't like the art in most popular RPGs. Not enough diversity.

15. Does your game ever make your players genuinely afraid?

It has. I've made people panic and even cry a little in D&D, Traveller and Ghostbusters.

16. What was the best time you ever had running an adventure you didn't write? (If ever)

Don't remember. The last time I did that I was about 17. I am 42. That was a long time ago. Even then, I probably modified it. Castle Ravenloft maybe?

17. What would be the ideal physical set up to run a game in?

6-8 people around a table with some chairs and snacks. Maybe I don't get the question. What else do you need?

18. If you had to think of the two most disparate games or game products that you like what would they be?

Champions and Faery's Tale Deluxe. I love FTD, which is so simple it makes we wonder why I enjoy Champions so much. Champions is so crunchy that a this point I should just despise it but I don't. It is one of my favorite games.

19. If you had to think of the most disparate influences overall on your game, what would they be?

That's harder. Most of my influences share some commonalities, though they are very different from each other. I don't see any of them as so different they are incompatible.

20. As a GM, what kind of player do you want at your table?

A quick thinker willing to get immersed in the setting or genre. One who thinks about what their character would or could do and not what the rules/stats/etc. say they can do. Someone with a sense of humor.

21. What's a real life experience you've translated into game terms?

My travels to various states in the US and my visits to Canada and England. I try to make sure the players aren't stuck in one spot for their whole campaign. Thanks to my seeing different types of cities and terrains I think my descriptions of different places feel different from each other.

22. Is there an RPG product that you wish existed but doesn't?

Yes. Dozens. Most notably, I wish there was a new Star Trek RPG. I also wish Hunter Planet was revamped and rereleased. Heck, just a decent Sci-Fi/Space Opera game that isn't based on D20 would rock my socks!

23. Is there anyone you know who you talk about RPGs with who doesn't play? How do those conversations go?

There is but it's not a full on or in depth discussion of gaming itself. They appreciate my passion for it and I am glad they let me share my excitement but I know it's not their thing.

***

Thanks Zak and everyone who stopped by. We love getting your cards and letters so keep'em coming. Remember, Barking Alien is for anyone and everyone with a little moxie and a big imagination!

See you next time,

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Barking Alien

Reflections on RECESS

2012-01-17T23:14:00.007-05:00

Attending RECESS is fast becoming my favorite venue for gaming outside of running a long term campaign with my closest buddies.

Since running a long term campaign seems to get harder and harder, the thrice a year RECESS events are starting to feel like oasises in times of gaming drought.

As it stands right now, my Champions campaign is on indefinite hold because one of the three players just got married (Congrats again Jeff!). No matter, that universe is frozen in time until it's needed once more and we move on to something else. But what?

The game most in demand is, of course, my least favorite, Dungeons & Dragons. Granted, my version of D&D is a bit atypical in style but seriously, I just don't want to play D&D. I'm bored of it. Even my own.

This leads me back to my affection for RECESS...

While there is no short supply of people running and playing D&D in its various incarnations (including Pathfinder), I am constantly astounded and heartened by what else I see at the RECESS events.

This past RECESS saw people running a hack of Dogs in the Vineyard, Dread, Leverage, MAID, Psi Run, Steal Away Jordan and even some wacko's homebrewed Muppets RPG. Heheh.

It is an amazing feeling to see this kind of gaming diversity, at least for me. It is moving, inspiring and just so dang cool in my opinion. There are times when it feels like no one is playing anything out there except the one game I don't particularly care for. That can make you feel lonely and even a bit singled out. Then you enter a room of 75 to 100 people and overhear discussions about Gumshoe and Carnage Amongst the Stars.

With all the buzz about D&D 5th Edition coming out, I can't help but wonder what you happen if we actually started teaching our next generation 'next generation' RPGs. D&D, even the original Basic set, is no where near as simple in mechanics or concept as Toon, Faery's Tale Deluxe and even Psi Run. If we started with those and then when on to D&D and others, would we still see D&D have such a dominant position. We as a hobbyist community seem to be reinforcing Wizards of the Coasts prominance ourselves. Even if you play Labyrinth Lord or Pathfinder, you're playing D&D and WotC is the owner of that game.

Start a young player on a diet of diversity and maybe they'll be more likely to taste new things as they grow up. Or, we can continue to feed them Happy Meals and wonder why they end up being so picky the only thing we can get them to eat is Mickie D's.

Sorry, entered rant space there for a bit.

Anyway, one last little tidbit that made me feel great about RECESS...

I walk into the room where they are calling out the numbers each person has so that individual can come up and sign in for their game of choice. I hear someone call me name. I turn and see a fellow I don't recognize. As I smile and go to shake his hand, he tells me that no, we don't know each other. He says he reads my blog. This blog. He tells me how much he enjoys it. Highlight of my day, maybe my week. Thanks again, man.

OK, off to bed and dreams of my new projects. I've got a bunch.

'Night,

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Barking Alien

Muppet Mondays! - RECESS Replay - Part II

2012-01-16T22:39:00.009-05:00

The second game I ran for RECESS was one I've run there before, the Muppets RPG utilizing the characters and continuity (such as it is) of The Muppet Show. For this session however I wanted to do something different. I wanted to incorporate a new mechanic and change the standard Muppet Show episode format into a more open ended game designed to resemble one of their motion pictures (where things seem to be really happening (Real) as opposed to being part of a show (Staged)).

The main inspiration for this adventure was 'The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made', a proposed idea for a Muppet film by Jim Henson, Frank Oz and Jerry Juhl that never came to be.

It went over well, very well in fact, but I can honestly say it almost didn't. I made a few poor choices in how to set up the adventure and I broke a few of my own cardinal rules. Part of the reason for this was that I was exhausted after not enough sleep and the earlier Sesame Street game being awesomely draining. In retrospect however, the fault lies largely with my spending too much time over the previous weeks working on the Sesame Street RPG and the Muppet game's mechanics and not the story for the Muppet game and how to time it out like I usually do.

Eventually I was able to get things back on track, thanks in part to some great players who got what I was going for and ran with it.

***

The Muppets - Big Time Hollywood Movie!

So the plot...

Following their smash hit film, the Muppets decide to begin work on another movie since their comeback motion picture was such a success. Unfortunately, after paying all the actors, the crew, allotting for damages caused by special effects, etc., most of the profits from the movie are gone. The Muppets must therefore produce this new film on an extremely limited budget.

The script and plot ( written by a Muppet staff writer who is not revealed until the end of the session) basically deals with the Muppets trying to make a movie while an unscrupulous film producer attempts to sabotage them so he can steal their story and put it out first. The result is a sort of movie within a movie within a movie as that is exactly what starts to happen around the Muppet studios lot.

When a pair of Pigs kidnap Miss Piggy, it is at first thought to be part of the film (since such a scene is in the screenplay). Realizing it is the real deal, the Muppets team up (near commando style in the case of Sam the Eagle, Gonzo and Animal) and try to rescue her. Some of the best, craziest Muppet moments we've ever had were in this sequence, yet after Piggy is safe we sort of meandered for a moment as to what to do next. Sam and Big Mean Carl step in to interrogate the Pigs and it turns out the plot of the movie is happening in 'reality'.

The Muppets eventually track down the culprit, who has also stolen an experimental special effects item from Muppet Labs. Bunsen reveals he was working on Pop Rocks that basically act like a fragmentation grenade or those Russian missiles that open up to fire lots of smaller missiles (forget the name). Once wet, the kernel sized rocks will break into smaller rocks, firing randomly in all directions at a hundred miles an hour. When asked why he would invent such a thing the fellow playing Bunsen said, "Kermit, do you really think working here PAYS for most of my research? We have defense contracts you know."

Anyway, the big bad ends up being Fleet Scribbler, former 'reporter' from the Daily Scandal who was fired from the Muppet Show beat and eventually from the magazine. He attempted to become a film critic but failed at that as well.

As the player playing Bunsen, Rizzo and Sam the Eagle said, "He couldn't make it as a film critic? Is there anyone more pathetic?"

Eventually he saved up enough money to start his own studio. He hired the recently out of work Moopets and stole a copy of the Muppets' screenplay. Now he is attempt to make his own movie and get it out before the Muppets.

After a massive and mad battle featuring machine gun firing Pop Rocks, Swedish Chef's deadly use of a match and a can of oven cleaner, interruptions from the Newsman, frantic rewrites of the script to change what was happening and Bill Shatner, the Muppets manage to put an end to Scribbler's plans and incapacitate the Moopets.

***

The New Mechanic:

The Budget - Very simply, for this 'Movie Style' adventure, the players had access to a pool of bonus dice that represented the film's budget. Want to make a bigger explosion, summon a cool vehicle, have a famous star make a cameo? No problem but it comes out of the budget. Remember not to blow too much 'money' to soon. You're likely to need some extra cash for that big finale.

***

Highlights...

A newly constructed, virtually life size, Starship Swinetrek, on loan from ILM, piloted by Link Hogthrob and Dr. Strangepork, attempts to head off two Pigs in a truck cab pulling a trailer containing Miss Piggy. The vessel dives from orbit, shrouded in flames due to improper operation of the shields, careening toward the Earth at Mach 20 or there abouts.

To save the two Pigs in Space stars, Gonzo gets on a motorcycle, has the cycle and himself loaded into a cannon and fires himself through a window on the ship to access the bridge. Amazing dialog and rolls result in the ship and its occupants landing safe if not so sound.

Sam the Eagle, Rizzo and Bunsen were played by an older fellow and his wife played Rowlf, Beaker, the Newsman and...I forget. They were both incredible. And by older I mean probably my age or just a tad over - if you guys are reading this I do not mean old! You guys were AWESOME! They uttered some of the funniest lines of the game whether on purpose or accidentally.

Sam uses a huge American flag from his personal collection to blind the front windshield of the truck being driven by the two Pig henchmen. Animal then climbs up on top of the truck and tries to get at the driver but can't. The flag is in his way. Animal begins to chew through the flag to get to the Pig.

Sam: "Kermit, stand him! He is eating the flag! My god there goes Rhode Island!"
Animal: "Mmmm. CA-LA-NIES. Tastey."

Sam: "I don't trust this Shatner fellow."
Kermit: "William Shatner? He was Captain Kirk."
Sam: (Whispering) "He's a Canadian."
Kermit: (Softly) "I'm sure he's a citizen by now..."
Sam: (Whispering forcefully - with menace) "Once a Canadian, always a Canadian."

Sam: "These people are criminals of the worst sort. Jail is to good for them."
Kermit: "What did you have in mind Sam."
Sam: "Three words. GUANtanAMO."

This last line (above) had the entire table in stitches except for one fellow who wasn't there at the time. He had left the table with his young son to use the bathroom and upon returning both father and son wanted to know what he missed. There was no way to tell him because, as one player put it, "So...many...levels." Hopefully he can read it here now.

Another key moment came when one of the organizers of RECESS and a fellow I've had the pleasure of gaming with at a previous event walked by as I said...

"OK, just to be clear. Gonzo, you and William Shatner are on a motorcycle. You are driving. Both of you have a hatchet in each hand. You are driving up to the curb and then wheelie-ing into a jump to smash through the front door of the house. Correct?"

To which I hear the fellow observing behind me say, "This...is the greatest game...ever."

Oh, almost forgot...so the Muppets all enter Scribbler's house but he's nowhere to be found. We notice he has two guard dogs on the back porch. Someone tells Rowlf, "OK Rowlf, you're on!". The woman playing Rowlf proceeds to mimic playing the piano.

The group asks Rowlf what he's doing.

Rowlf: "Aren't I playing us out?"
Scooter: "No Rowlf, this is your chance to shine."
Kermit: "Yeah Rowlf. You can do something here only a dog can do."
Rowlf: "...?...Pee on the furniture?"

We meant talk to the guard dogs to find out where Fleet Scribbler went.

Hilarious group. Awesome portrayals.

The big Muppet Fan couple from the first (Sesame Street) game were back for this one too. The young lady (sorry I am so bad with names - remind me in the comments if you see this) did an amazing Miss Piggy. It wasn't so much the voice but the mannerisms, the style of speech and the attitude. Fantastic.

The young lady playing Gonzo was incredible too. She really nailed his weirdness. She didn't play him as crazy like some do but rather as an eccentric artist who is sure that his ideas are brilliant on a level most have yet to realize. He is bringing both excitement and avant garde culture to the masses. Using flaming torches and the Hungarian Hatchet Dance.

It's all so clear to me know.

***

Anyway, great games, great people, another great RECESS. I actually have some more stories to tell about the event and some things I'd like to say about ideas the event inspired but I'll save that for tomorrow.

Until then,

AD
Barking Alien

Muppet Mondays! - RECESS Replay - Part I

2012-01-16T18:38:00.013-05:00

As I mentioned previously, this past Saturday I attended the first RECESS game event of 2012, running two sessions of my Muppets Role Playing Game. The first was a Sesame Street adventure called 'D is for Dungeon' and the second was a variant Muppet Show adventure called, 'The Muppets: Big Time Hollywood Movie!'.

Where as in the past I've given you guys the complete, play-by-play breakdown as a session recap, this time I'm just going for the highlights. Trust me, there were a lot of them.

At the same time, I will mention that the second of the two had a somewhat slow start. I was really afraid it wasn't going to go over well. For starters, it used a more open ended framework instead of the structure of a typical Muppet Show episode. In order to run a Muppets RPG, you kind of need that structure to give the craziness form, otherwise it can turn into either an amorphous blob of silly or fall flat to the ground and go inert. I feared we were in danger of the latter. It was totally my fault as I'll explain in the next post but I also figured out how to save it about half the way through so 'yay' me.

Sesame Street - D is for Dungeon

So the plot...

As Susan reads fairy tales to some kids and monsters, a few other kids are playing at being knights and wizards. When someone asks, "Were there really Knights andWizards and Kings and Monsters and Castles?" Susan and Gordon clarify that while Knights, Kings and Castles were real long ago, much of the other stuff is from stories.

*POOF!* That's when a wizard shows up and says the magical fairy Abby Cadabby is trapped by a Dragon and an evil wizard in a castle beyond a mystic forest. It's not far actually. It's a few blocks past The Count's castle and the Amazing Mumford's castle. You can't miss it.

The wizard claims he tried to save her but his wand was broken. After convincing various characters to go on a quest to rescue her he heads to Luis and Maria's Fix-It Shop to get his wand repaired.

After facing numerous perils including as a smelly, slimey swamp, a puzzle at the front door, a terrible timpiece and a lightly sleeping Dragon, the heroes manage to reach Abby who is trapped in a large, birdcage like prison. Eventually, it is revealed that the wizard the PCs first spoke to is actually the evil nasty of the castle. In truth, Abby broke his wand while they were dueling before her capture. In the end, the quick thinking of Bif and Sully, Ernie, Snuffleupagus and Elmo saved the day.

***

"I'd like to thank you all for coming and choosing to play this game. I also think we should thank NerdNYC and RECESS for their awesome event. Also, I'd like to thank The Children's Television Workshop, The Association for Public Broadcasting, The Sears-Roebuck Foundation and a grant from The Helena Rubenstein Foundation. And remember, we couldn't do this without the contributions and support of viewers like you."

My opening monologue for the Sesame Street RPG, paraphrased from what we hear before the show airs in New York on the Public Broadcasting Service/Channel 13.

***

Me: "Any last questions before we get started?"
Player: "Yes, on Mr. Snuffleupagus's character sheet it says he has...Snufflekinesis."
Me: "Yes."
Player: "What is Snufflekinesis?"
Me: "What's telekinesis?"
Player: "The ability to move or manipulate objects with your mind."
Me: "Right. So what's Snufflekinesis?"
Player: "The ability to move or manipulate objects with your...Snuffle?"
Me: "Exactly."

***

A fellow by the name of Carl who runs BrickQuest at RECESS played Forgetful Jones and Sherlock Hemlock, among others, totally flooring me with his portrayal of these rather obscure characters. It's incredible but it never fails. At every session someone turns a third or fourth string Muppet into a star.

We had two couples playing and it was awesome. One couple were huge Muppets fans (and in fact, the fellow ran a Fraggle Rock game using the PDQ system on Sunday. Sadly I had to work and couldn't attend. If anyone knows how it went please tell!). The other couple was simply very in sync and did an excellent job playing as the Two Headed Monster (one head per player).

Other notable characters and actions included Bert's player trying to use Windex to clean a swamp, Oscar (played by the same player) ignoring the adventure to bath and play in the swamp, Cookie Monster showing responsibility with Gordon's Metrocard (only to eat it at the very end), Elmo and Mr. Snuffleupagus teaming up to spend Sunny Days and literally Sweep the Clouds away by blowing enough air through Snuffie's trunk (or Snuffle as it is properly called) to part the dark clouds above and let the Sun shine through. This had the effect of ruining the mean wizard's powers and clearing the darkness (much to Oscar's dismay).

***

Here's a Sesame Street News Flash!

A few Easter Eggs and in jokes from the Sesame Street game...

D and M are the letters of the days. As in Dungeon Master, since the whole thing was a D&D parody.

Although the adventure is 'D is for Dungeon', there is technically no dungeon in the adventure. The PCs enter the front of the castle and progress upstairs, higher and higher into the place.

The smelly swamp around the castle is a reference to the 'Bog of Eternal Stench' from Labyrinth.

The description of the castle itself was a homage to Jareth's (David Bowie) castle in Labyrinth and the castle of the Skeksis in Dark Crystal.

The Terrible Timepiece on the second level of the castle was inspired by Jim Henson's 1965, experimental short film, 'The Timepiece'.

The dragon on level three was Delbert, the La Choy Dragon.

When the clouds part at the end, breaking the wizard's spell and freeing Abby, the scene is a homage to the end of The Dark Crystal.

More to come,

AD
Barking Alien

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-16T09:17:00.003-05:00

Please join me today in celebrating the birth and life of civil rights MVP, MLK.

Keep to The Dream,

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Barking Alien

Run Silent, Run Deep

2012-01-12T23:07:00.005-05:00

Just letting you all know that this blog will likely see little attention from me over the next few days.

I am really busy with real life stuff as well as preparing for RECESS this Saturday where I am running two games (Sesame Street and The Muppets: Movie Special).

If that weren't enough, either blogger or my internet is being stupider then stupid and making everything take forever to work if it works at all.

Enjoy the weekend gang. I'm sure I'll have much to tell come Monday.

Laters,

AD
Barking Alien

Who Could Have Predicted A Fifth Edition?!?

2012-01-10T09:51:00.007-05:00

I don't think I ever mentioned this before but...I have a gift.

Not like a new pair of wool socks or a toaster oven. When I say a gift I mean 'The Gift'.

You see, I am Psychic (with a capital 'P'). I knew, about a week after purchasing 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons, that there would be a 5th Edition. Seriously. I am amazing like that.

Barely four years have gone by and we are already seeing the announcement I predicted. Do my powers know no end?!

OK, kidding aside, there will be tons of speculation, commentary and the like about this new edition just as there was for the previous one(s). WotC has made an excellent and well handled PR move by asking fans what they want to see. This is doubly brilliant as it makes it seem like they are listening while simultaneously getting their market research done. But who are they expecting to hear from?

Any fan of 4th Edition (are there any real fans of 4th? I'm sure there are somewhere...) is going to want more of what they have.

Anyone who hated 4th and went over to the OSR is going to ask that things return to the old days.

They certainly aren't going to back track and go 3rd Edition or 3.X or whatever.

So...what could the end result possibly be?

Don't know. Don't care. Not really interested.

I am going to predict that the end result will be better than 4th but no where near as popular as D&D in its heyday. I also predict that this will upset Hasbro, who will wonder why they are not getting the 10-35 year old video gamer or MMO player, thus prompting either unnecessary added rules or a 6th Edition (or both).

This would be a great time to play something else.

I predict most won't.

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Barking Alien

Muppet Mondays! - Creation Myths

2012-01-09T23:40:00.003-05:00

For those who may be unaware of it, Archaia Entertainment has released the first of a series of three graphic novel prequels to The Dark Crystal, which is called Creation Myths...

The book looks beautiful, with excellent interior art and a stunning cover by original Dark Crystal concept artist and personal art-hero of mine, Brian Froud. The stories look interesting, introducing a new character who blends into the fabric and history of Thra (the proper name for the planet on which the Dark Crystal stories take place) as well as Aughra and the Gelflings.

It should also be brought up once more that Archaia plans to release a Dark Crystal Role Playing Game, which will utilize a trimmed down variant of Luke Crane's Burning Wheel system, similar to how it appears in Mouse Guard. As I've noted before, I am not a big fan of Burning Wheel but I do like Mouse Guard quite a bit so I am looking forward to seeing what the rules can do for this setting and vice versa.

Now some, like The Rhetorical Gamer, might say that the story and setting of The Dark Crystal is kind of a closed one. I actually agree. I also think that's too bad. I can definitely come up with some ideas for gaming in The World of The Dark Crystal had the end of the film not shut most of those avenues off.

This brings me, in a roundabout way, to something else I wanted to say regarding IP and licensed setting RPGs.

I'm not sure when I first began using these terms but I tend to refer to IPs and the stories and such that come from them by the labels 'Open' and 'Closed'.

An 'Open' IP setting is one where the greatest story has not or at least might not have already been told. Usually, these settings have the concept of further adventures and other heroes you are not watching built in. If the characters you are watching are not the only heroes in that setting according to the rules of the setting itself, an RPG in that setting is significantly easier.

A 'Closed' setting is one in which the story you viewed or read that introduced you to said setting, climaxed in a definitive ending. The main characters of such an IP are either the only ones of their type remaining or were the only people present when the storied came to a close. Very likely, although not universally, it was they who ended it.

Star Trek is an open setting. Sure the Enterprise is the flagship of the fleet but you know a fleet exists. There are other ships with other captain shown in the canon of the setting. The galaxy is shown to be filled with inhabited planets and alien species, artifacts and stellar phenomena just waiting to be discovered.

Lord of the Rings in a fairly closed setting. This aren't multiple fellowships. There is one. There is only one ring of doom. Other rings exist but they aren't the The One Ring. I mean, it's got the gall to actually name itself, 'The One Ring'. The nerve. Unobtainium indeed.

Likewise, the world of Middle Earth is fenced in a bit but the end of the series. We know that the boats sailing west never return, since essentially they sale toward metaphor. The planet is fairly well mapped or at least part of it is.

Now some may disagree with me and see the vast expanses of unexplored material in Lord of the Rings just waiting to be discovered by bold and adventurous players. Likewise, I have actually heard a number of people say, "Well, my character will never be as cool as Kirk/Picard/insert favorite Star Trek character here, so why would I want to play?"

This is by no means a scientific and/or foolproof means of designating or qualifying an IP setting to determine if it's appropriate for play but it is something that should be considered in detail before you get started. If you think you can make it rock, please be my guest.

I am actually really excited to see this Dark Crystal RPG. It may only give me ideas to add to my D&D-But-Not universe but I hope, I really, really hope, that it gives me ideas on how to run The Dark Crystal.

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Barking Alien

You Remind Me Of The Babe

2012-01-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was the 65th birthday of David Bowie!

Happy Birthday to one of my all time favorite singers, song writers, composers, musicians, singers-who-act-in-trippy-movies, people-with-numerous talents.

You don't look a day over timeless.

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Barking Alien

That Time of Night

2012-01-08T23:55:00.003-05:00

Didn't get the chance to run Saturday and didn't play tonight, resulting in a lot of pent up creative energy flowing through my overactive brain.

I did get to run my game at the learning center, which was awesome as usual. After the inspiring evening I had this past Thursday though, it didn't seem quite enough to quench my thirst for gaming.

The end result is I am here, on the internet, writing a blog post I hope with get me to either focus my thoughts in some productive way or make me so tired of looking at the screen that I decide to go to bed.

Sadly, neither is happening.

Well, tomorrow is another day,

Goodnight Earth,

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Barking Alien

No Game Today

2012-01-07T16:52:00.003-05:00

I originally had plans to run a game today, though I was not entirely sure what it was going to be.

For various reasons, I didn't have all my regular players and therefore no interest in doing our regular game. I also had a abbreviated time slot in my day, which made it impossible to do our usual marathon-by-comparison 8-10 hour sessions.

The end result...nothing. No game today.

Considering what an inspiration high I've been on lately this has me really, really down. It's actually making me feel so frustrated that I don't feel like doing anything at all or something to just waste the day so it passes quickly. I want to go to bed or walk for hours or something. Can't do either. I have plans for the evening.

Oh well. Next week is RECESS.

Have a great weekend everybody,

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Barking Alien

Blockbusters and Art Films

2012-01-06T09:41:00.006-05:00

My good and oft mentioned friend and player Dave is fond of placing my games into one of two categories.

When I run games at the Compleat Strategist that are meant to appeal to a large number of players, he tends to call these my 'Blockbusters'.

When I run smaller games, often featuring some crazy idea that I just need to try out to either prove to myself it can be done or get it out of my system so I can move forward and work on something else, he calls those my 'Art Films'.

The analogy isn't perfect but it is appropriate. Often the games I want to run as Blockbusters are really Art Films I am better off saving for a small group of really open minded gamers who want to give something really nutty a go. I sometimes need Dave to point this out as I don't see it myself.

Dungeons & Dragons (in whatever form), most Superhero RPGs and IPs like Star Wars or Smurfs fit best in the Blockbuster category. Mass market appeal, not deep knowledge necessary and easily playable with a large group of differing tastes.

Ars Magica, Hunter Planet and IPs like Oz or Red Dwarf seem to fall into the Art Film area.

THe Muppets is an odd beast (that comes complete with odd beasts for convenience!). It seems more indie/Art Film in concept and system but seems to appeal to large numbers of people. At least, that's the impression I get from the NerdNYC/RECESS attendees and those you responded positively to the project on my blog.

I guess it has to do with how well known or accessible the subject is.

On a sort of related topic, last night was awesome. I got to attend the event at the Soho Gallery of Digital Art with some of the NerdNYC guys and gals and talk gaming for about four hours with two very different sets of gamers.

One group was old school, die-hard D&Ders, including one fellow who had a White Box signed by Dave Arneson from the fellows formative days playing with Gary and friends in Gygax's basement. These guys were serious. They ate 20 siders and bled charts. OK, maybe not but it was weird for me to be in the presence of those who said stuff like, "OK, he has the highest Intelligence score so he should roll for figuring this out." Gah. Heartburn.

The second group was smaller (of course) but consisted of a good number of people I knew who organize and run games at RECESS. This group discussed wild concepts for games, unusual mechanics and some really innovative approaches that, they admitted themselves, might work and might not. These was the indie gamers and I felt really comfortable walking among them.

The fellows running the event were Tavis (who I knew from RECESS/NerdNYC) and Tim (who had more to do with the art exhibition itself). Tavis is Tavis Allison, author of Adventurer Conqueror King and quite old school. Tim was very indie and is working on this awesomely awesome project that I will hold off speaking about for the moment as it's his baby. It's crazy cool though.

Best part was all these people intermingled, talked without the biting nastiness that you see here on the internet and had a wonderful time. I was incredibly inspired by the whole thing.

But what do I want to produce? Will it be a big budget, extravaganza Blockbuster or a deep and introspective Art Film on the meaning of existance. Any way for it to be both?

Going to try...

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Barking Alien

WIP

2012-01-05T09:37:00.004-05:00

The nifty little acronym of WIP, which stands for 'Work in Progress', fits my current thoughts on licensed RPGs and how to make them function surprisingly well. As successful as I have been with the concept over the years, each time I approach a new one it feels a bit like starting from scratch. I try to look at each IP and find what makes it special to me and what about it lends itself to gaming. For me, even though it could be considered my specialty, IP gaming is still a work in progress.

WIP could just as easily stand for 'Why Intellectual Properties'? Why not just use a published RPG setting or create your own?

Well to answer the latter part first, I do create my own settings. Fairly often actually. For the first part...latter. I mean, later. We'll get to that another time.

In the meantime, let's look at the Pros and Cons of licensing games.

Or...wait. I talk about the Pros all the time. Let me disect the Cons for a change.

CONS

Some of the drawbacks to running an IP based game are:

The players may be too familiar with the setting

The players know all the little secrets of the setting, perhaps because the series it came from is over or one or more of them is just a huge, raving fanatic when it comes to this particular subject. That can be frustrating for the GM looking to expand upon established ideas with ideas of his or her own. It also makes it difficult to surprise the players with the more obscure parts of the setting that you, the GM, intend to bring to the forefront.

The cure for this is often times worse than the problem and is perhaps the single biggest negative issue with licensed or massively popular IPs I see...

In order to make their own mark on an established setting, many GMs will make changes to said setting, ranging from minimal to drastic. At that point, players who wanted to game in their setting for its various canon elements (as well as their personal knowledge of those elements) cry foul and wonder why the GM bothered to say they were running the setting at all.

I have found this to be especially true to tighter, less open ended settings like Middle Earth, DUNE and The Watchmen. I have personally seen this dynamic ruin a potentially cool Forgotten Realms campaign even before it got started.

Now there are several easy ways around this situation.

The first one that comes to mind to is flat out state, right from the start, that you are running an 'Alternate' version of the setting. Seriously, it seems almost silly but I have noticed that if you say you are running a Transformers - Generation One campaign, for example, and you vary the canon even a little, the players will bring hell down on you. If, on the other hand, you say from the beginning that you are running an Alternate Transformers - Generation One campaign, players will be all excited and excepting of an anything-goes mentality.

People are very particular over their chosen favorites. Be warned.

Another way to go is to acknowledge canon but don't really pay attention to it. This is my preferred method. For example, in my Star Trek games set during the original series, James T. Kirk is the Captain of the Enterprise. He is. And that has no baring on who you are or what you are doing really.

Basically, in most of my IP games, the players rarely spend time with the primary characters or events of the series being represented. Those characters exist, those events happened or are happening but the PCs don't cross their paths very often.

In one Star Wars campaign we assisted SoroSuub Corporation and a Rebellion cell on Sullust (home of Nien Numb, co-pilot of The Millenium Falcon beside Lando Calrissian during the attack on the second Death Star) in freeing the planet from the Empire. Rebel Alliance High Command was very pleased as Sullust would make a perfect staging area for their next big mission coming up in just a few days to a week. That mission? The Battle of Endor. Of course, now that Sullust was free and the Rebel fleet was heading there, the PCs were needed on another adventure. The Rebel head Rimward to Endor and Death Star II while the PCs head Spinward to a possible Dark Jedi Outpost.

I have a lot more ideas and thoughts on the subject so please come on back soon.

Oh! Don't forget that I will be at the Soho Gallery of Digital Art tonight from 7-11 pm for the Dungeons And Dragons 'On and Ever Onward' event. Hope to see you there!

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Barking Alien

IP Daily

2012-01-03T09:30:00.006-05:00

Among the gaming circles in which I travel (and have travelled for some time), I am known as the 'Go-To Gamemaster' for RPG adventures and campaigns set in the universes of various licensed properties.

Here on my blog you've gotten to see me address Star Trek, Star Wars, DC Comics, The Muppets, Galaxy Quest, The Smurfs and Ghostbusters, just to name a handful.

Adam runs a good, or at the very least decent, Traveller game but he runs a kickin' Star Trek. My Superhero games are usually pretty fun, sometimes great, sometimes a little weaker than they could be. I've never run a bad game in the DC universe.

Why? What is it about various IPs that make them so appealing to me?

A good question and one that doesn't necessarily have a straight forward answer. It's not like I haven't run a variety of successful games in original settings of my own design. Likewise, I can't imagine running certain IPs because I either don't really care for them or I don't feel there is enough room to move around in that milieu. In this latter case what I really mean is, is there enough of an opportunity to create my own material and add it in without messing out the canon of the setting or taking away from it's well known central characters and/or story?

Generally speaking, when I get an IP, when the concept and theme of it just click for me, it's usually because I see the room to stretch. I know I can pitch the concept to a table of my peers and see a good deal of head nodding and an 'Oh yeah, I know that movie' or 'Yes! Cool show'. Once I have their interest, getting through character creation is easy because the majority of the group with recognize the various elements of their characters and the setting without my needing to go into deep exposition. In New York City in 2012, even if they claim to have never seen the movie, most people have heard of the Force, Jedi and Lightsabers from Star Wars.

This instant familiarity and the pre-constructed nature of most of the things the PCs will initially percieve and interact with, gives me ample opportunity to focus on creating new material. Given the limited amount of time most of us adult gamers have, letting a setting and the players' knowledge of said setting take care of themselves is very liberating. It allows me to dedicate my time and resources to all the things the players don't know about. In other words, the original stuff I am generating and throwing in.

I intend to discuss this subject more as I don't feel we see a lot of dedicated, internet love on the gaming blogs for the licensed RPGs. Sure, old schoolers will mention or even review them and they fit in that nostalgic place in our hearts and minds but are they taken as seriously as Dungeons & Dragons, Traveller or Top Secret? I don't know. I don't feel they are and it's a shame. Besides, James Bond kicks Top Secret's butt.

Oh, be prepared, for this post is also a lead in to my next IP-That-Should-Be-A-Game project...coming soon...

AD
Barking Alien

On D&D and IPs...

One final note. As I've mentioned in the past, another reason I have never been a big fan of D&D style Medieval Fantasy was a lack of TV Shows, Movies and the like when compared to Sci-Fi and Supers. Indeed, other than the 800 pound gorilla wearing a pointed hat, grey robe and bearing The One Ring, I really can't think of a major Fantasy-IP-Game. OK, not true. Game of Thrones.

Now, certainly their have been Elric, Lanhkmar and other licensed Fantasy games but we've been denied an Elric or Fafhrd and Gray Mouser film or TV series.

Interestingly, a least to me, I find the biggest of the IPs settings, Middle Earth, the least likely to be the one I want to run a game in. It lacks that sense of room to stretch I was mentioning. It seems to tight knit, too closed and specific. Whatever else might be going on in the world at the time of the War of the Ring is almost rendered unimportant because of the War of the Ring.

May need to address this further as well.

On And Ever Onward

2012-01-03T09:14:00.004-05:00

So the lovely and talented Tavis (Yes, I am secure enough in my manhood to call him talented) has asked a number of GMing friends and associates, including yours truly, to participate in an ultra-cool event happening this Wednesday and Thursday at the Soho Gallery of Digital Art.

Check it!

Come one, come all and join in the festivities to celebrate the show on Janurary 4th (which includes and opening night party and Tower of Gygax fundraiser) and the successful Kickstarter for Adventurer Conqueror King on Janurary the 5th (which is when I'll be there)!

Woohoo!

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Barking Alien

All Was Quiet, On New Years Day

2012-01-02T15:46:00.002-05:00

I overlooked posting on New Years Day because I was far to busy doing pretty much nothing at all.

Now, as many regulars of Barking Alien know, doing nothing is not an easy task for me. It takes quite a bit of concentration, preparation and devotion to the task.

That said I think I did a pretty fine job of it.

I did manage to spend time with my girl, my dog, play some Star Wars: The Old Republic and work on some upcoming ideas for posts for this month and the coming year. My main goal of posting more often is probably going to be achieved by posting shorter entries. At least in part that is.

With that in mind...talk to you later.

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Barking Alien

Happy New Year From The Dog At The End of The Universe

2011-12-31T00:15:00.008-05:00

Greetings all and Happy New Year!

While tying one on with some friends at the edge of the Nth galactic parallel, I had a moment or two to reflect on 2011 and look toward 2012.

As I look to the New Year I see a number of potential prospects for improving my life, as well as some serious snags that have me wondering why it takes so much effort for me to obtain so little ground. Some would say it's some kind of test. I don't believe so. Instead, I tend to think I never developed the right tools for the job of making it big in the world. A good portion of that is my own fault. I probably should have been paying more attention when the lessons on what tools are needed and how they're used were being taught.

That said, I am not about to turn around and instantly stop being who I am just to get ahead. That's not going to happen. I am going to push myself harder to do the things I need to do that I may not like to do. I am also going to take more risks and try to do things I like to do with, hopefully, a reduced feeling of dread over what happens if I fail. Wish me luck.

With the coming of the New Year there is the threat of total planetary annihilation according to the ancient Mayan calendar. Rather, according to some people's interpretation of said calendar. As with most things of this sort, science doesn't back up the new age mysticism. While we'll just have to see, I am pretty sure you and I will be communicating well into 2013.

To all those reading this who feel I am a bit of a bummer lately, I'm sorry. You're right. I am. I write it out here so I feel it less in the 'real world' and can get on with my day.

I will try to do it less. I really want to talk more about games, comics, movies and such. I'm sure I will.

Thanks for a great year here at Barking Alien. Blog-wise, this was really a banner year. While there was some slow down and periods less entertaining then they could have been, this was also the year that saw me do a Smurfs RPG, the A-to-Z Challenge and my Muppets Madness Month. I'm filing Barking Alien 2012 in the Win box.

Wrapping up, thanks everyone who took the time to read my posts and look at my images.

Thanks you to all the new followers I received this year. I didn't make my goal of 130 by New Year but 128 is nothing to sneeze at.

Thanks Happy Whisk, Lord Blacksteel, Astronut, John and many others for your comments and good wishes.

Thanks Erin Palette for being a great friend even when we don't see eye-to-eye.

RavenFeast, I miss you big guy.

I am sure I am forgetting a bunch of people...Jeff Rients, James Mal, Zak, Jay of Exonauts...I wouldn't have have such great and insightful blog moments without you.

Take care all and I'll see you next year,
Adam

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Barking Alien

The illustration I have so mercilessly doctored was originally done by none other then Ron Cobb, a personal favorite of mine who worked on such genre film classics as Star Wars, Alien, The Abyss and Total Recall. I both thank Cobb for his inspiration and apologize for my bastardization.

Like A Box of Chocolates

2011-12-29T23:52:00.005-05:00

I really hadn't intended on posting anything until after New Year's Day, seeing as how I have a lot of things on my mind that are not directly gaming related. Still, when a gaming thought worth discussing comes up, well, it has to go somewhere right?

Gaming, especially Campaign Design, much like life I am told, is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.

Sometimes, that isn't what I'm hoping for.

Now usually, it's not a big deal being surprised by your players during the character creation phase of a campaigns development. As a matter of fact, I personally encourage it. "Wow me", I have said on more than one occasion. I love when they create an unusual, atypical group of player characters.

This is especially true in D&D or similar fantasy games. Of course, this is largely because it really won't matter to the adventure what they are playing. OK, I'm oversimplifying there, since in truth it matters quite a bit to me and my games but generally speaking...

If GM A intends to run 'The Beligerant Castle Basement of Unending Terror', does it really matter what the players come up with for characters? Outside of a possible tactical advantage or disadvantage, does it matter if the party consists of a Wizard, two Fighters, a Thief/Rogue and a Druid or a Cleric, two Wizards, a Ranger and a Paladin? Does it change the adventure premise? The focus of the plot? Not really right?

Same is true for Superhero gaming.

Imagine Dr. Doom has temporarily allied himself with Vandal Savage to uncover an ancient mystic tablet that will give them god-like powers. Cool. So the players, who have access to any Marvel and DC hero or heroine they want to use, choose to send Superman, Capt. America, Zatanna, Quicksilver and Red Tornado to go after Doom while Thor, Batman, Scarlet Witch, Flash and The Vision take on Savage and his minions. Wait...no. The PCs decide to replace Superman with Capt. Marvel (SHAZAM!) and The Vision with Iron Man. OK. Story is the same right?

With some campaigns I design, I can't make the first adventure, let alone work on the campaign, until after the players have made their PCs.

This is especially true with Traveller.

My buddies and I have been talking about various Sci-Fi properties lately and it's a well known fact among my group(s) that I would rather run a space opera type game then pretty much anything else (OK, save the Muppets of course). So after discussing the Prometheus trailer, the upcoming Mass Effect 3 computer game and a variety of other similar subjects, we finally, finally! decided to give Traveller a shot after quite a long while.

I geared up with some Megacorporations, Ships, a Sector Map, some NPCs and a variety of ideas featuring Sci-Fi Horror elements, Megacorporate espionage and deep space exploration (all the things we've been talking about) and my players create...a Noble who fights Pirates to protect his family's Bioengineering Company, a Pilot who chauffeurs him around, an Engineer and a Doctor.

Now, this is a cool fun idea for a game. I am really liking the premise. But it's not the premise I was banking on. I thought I knew exactly what the players were going to go for. The worlds, characters and events I was planning on introducing are not really designed with the above idea in mind. Can I adapt them? Sure. That's not my point though.

My point is I prefer to design my campaigns around the PCs. I don't do what I see all too often and which I have myself experienced (which I am not very found of), which is the PCs, whoever and whatever they are, get dropped into the GMs world/universe. In this latter type of situation, it doesn't matter all that much who the players are and what they can do. The adventure is there and if they don't go on it, someone else would've.

I tend to prefer something a bit more tailor made to the players' or PCs' interests so the adventure isn't just something to do 'cause they're bored, it's something they want or even need to do.

For those who hook PCs with something other then the promise of fame, glory and gold, how do you do it? What are your techniques for making a mission matter?

***

In other news...

***

I am playing the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMORPG. It is very close to absorbing my soul or would be if I had one. It is very fun and more then a tad addictive.

I finally made it out to Queens and went to the Jim Henson exhibit at The Museum of the Moving Image. Wow. It was pretty moving for me. I don't know that anyone else would describe it that way but it effected me very personally in a way I can not accurately describe. It was surprisingly small but also surprisingly powerful.

I really, really, really want to run Star Trek again. Really.

***

OK, that's all the time I have tonight. Happy New Year everyone if I don't see or talk to you before the weekend. Here's hoping 2012 possesses a significantly decreased level of suck compared to the last two years.

Wouldn't that be awesome?

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Barking Alien

Twas The Day After Christmas

2011-12-26T09:39:00.005-05:00

Sorry for not posting Christmas wishes to you all in time for Christmas.

I remembered to text people, call people and post something on facebook...yet I forgot my own blog.

For the most part my Christmas was pretty good. I stayed home, just me and my dog, cooked a big breakfast, watched some anime, playing a computer game and slept. I got to talk to my family and a few friends but mostly I just relaxed.

I don't know about you but a this stage in my life that was like the bestest present ever.

Obviously blogging has been extremely light this month and indeed you won't see much from me until the new year. I am gaming for sure but I just haven't felt the drive to discuss it.

So stop by if you're not busy, I'll probably be in the back making coffee but regular business hours won't resume for a least another week.

Peace, Love and Joy,
Adam

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Barking Alien

A Magical Time of Year

2011-12-19T20:31:00.004-05:00

Jeff Rients and Zak S. have been discussing magic.

I thought I would put in my two cents but really what I'd rather do is break a 20. Do you have singles?

Here are some assorted and somewhat random thoughts on Magic from a discussion I had on the private board of one of my gaming groups. The dialog has been edited to make it make sense as a blog post and not a board discussion, since I am only posting my parts of the conversation anyway.

***

"Lets say you create a universe in which the laws of said universe say, "Magic can be understood, harnessed and utilized in formulas, called 'Spells', to generate a variety of different uses and effects. Those formulas can then be taught to others and duplicated by those individuals in predictable and reliable ways." This is fine, even cool, if kept internally consistant.

What I prefer is folklore and fairy tale magic, where those who understand magic are rare and otherworldly in their own right and those who don't or only think they do quickly find themselves in way over their heads."

By way of example, here is story of folklore and fairy tale magic in use in one of my Ars Magica campaigns...

"In one campaign (of Ars Magica) I ran some years ago, the Devil himself stole a man's Whistle from him. Unable to Whistle and with nothing else going for him, he was prepared to end his own life.

The PCs, who had been helped by the man and his spirit lifting Whistle, went to get it back from the Devil. They traveled south until they felt ill, til the ground turned cold and the air too hot to breath. There they found a hole that lead to the Gates of Hell. They tricked the demons at the gate into letting them in. When they found the Devil he was happily whistling with the man's Whistle.

The Devil said it was pride that made the PCs think they could retrieve the Whistle, so if they could best him at the things they prided themselves in, he would return the whistle to the man. If they failed, the Devil kept not only the whistle but the Archer's Skill, the Warrior's Strength and the Magi's Gift. In the end it was the Devil who was fooled, for the Magi did not pride himself on his Gift. There were many Magi with far greater magics then he. He prided himself on his wit and wisdom. He refused to partake in the Devil's contest, knowing full well the Devil had better spells and was very likely to cheat. With that he won and all went home, whistling the smoothest and sweetest of tunes.

That is magic to me."

***

"The nature of magic needs to be inspiring, frightening, amazing, confusing and unusual to seem magical to me. It shound be performed only by the fool hardy, the brave, the desperate, the willful, the quietly introspective and definitely the slightly mad."

***

On a more D&D approach...

"I don't really use 'Schools' of magic in the traditional D&D sense.

Magic is a force of nature, a cosmic, universal power like gravity, magnetism and thermal dynamics. Magic is what the universe is made of. It's unified field theory, intrinsic energy and much more. Unlike those sciences however, a great many people in my world understand (or think they understand) magic to some degree. This means they focus on the how and where but rarely on the what or the why. Magic is magic. In true medieval fashion, my campaign's peoples don't question what magic is or why its there. They are interested in how to use it and where they can get more or where it can be found in order to possess it or avoid it. The study of rotes (spells), arts, techniques, magical creatures, etc., lends itself to styles of magic such as elemental, primal, infernal, divine, faerie, etc. but not so much to technical breakdowns like evocation, illusion, conjuring, etc.

Now certainly there are those in my universe that do follow that concept. We do have Wizards who could be called Summoners, Illusionists and/or Evokers. These individuals are the exception however, not the rule.

Pretty much all my wizards conjure, summon and cast illusions. Though some specialize to some degree. Everyone has favorite approaches...

A High Elf of the North conjures a gust of wind because its the wind not because he's a conjurer.

A Gretho-Novan Priestess summons the aid of Cerebus because it guards her people's land of the dead, not because she's a summoner.

The Druids of the Western Coast are hard to find because faeries fool trepassers and lead them astray, not because the Druids are 'Illusionists'."

***

On the subject of summoning spells, a D&D appropriate setting and the instances in literature where some shmoe summons a demon prince that proceeds to eat him (my response being somewhat in jest)...

"Why would you go through all the time, energy, expense and potential backfires to design a spell that has a good chance of bringing you something you can't control? Such a spell seems poorly though out or badly designed on the part of the creator. A spell that summons Demogorgon should have us questioning the wisdom of its originator."

"My world's fire fighting wizards are going to Summon water elementals to put out fires so homes don't burn down. The elementals are not much more powerful then the summoner but they can do something the summoners can't or they have a power the summoners need like generating and controlling water. When battling an army of undead the party mage might summon a celestial being but that same being could be beaten in a one on one fight with the party's Paladin. So why summon it? Because it has numerous anti-undead powers and can fly out of the enemies reach."

***

And finally, Magic Missile was mentioned by Zak as a spell he doesn't like because all it does is fly out and cause damage. I totally get where he's coming from but I'm not sure what would be done about that in the D&D games most people run. To clarify, if you are running a game of D&D style D&D, don't you need a spell that does that? Like, reeeally often?

Now Jeff has given a variety of alternate fluff names and possible descriptions for the spell but unless I am miss understanding Zak, it's not about calling a water balloon a brick. If about a water ballon doing more then just getting you wet.

That made me think of some of the fireballs we use in my campaigns...

"High Elven Fireball
(AKA HighFire Ball, Elven Army Fireball, Sharpshooter Fireball)

Smaller in size with a smaller blast area, this Fireball causes less damage but travels twice as far. Accomplished High Elven Warrior-Wizards have been known to fire these with pin-point accuracy (for Fireballs anyway). Created by the militant High Elves soon after coming to my campaign world.

Dwarven Forge Fireball
(AKA Dwarven Army Fireball, Backdraft Fireball)

A shorter range though standard blast area Fireball with a slightly higher damage yield. The Dwarves' natural resistance to heat means they can handle the shorter range. Originated by the Dwarven Armies of the North Western Mountains near the Edge of . The spell has spread to some nearby Human settlements and the homelands of other Dwarves.

StarFireBall
(AKA Shining Fireball, BrightSphere)

A very bright, golden Fireball that causes only 2/3 the damage of a standard Fireball with about 2/3 the blast radius. However, in addition to the damage, the Fireball explodes with a powerful blinding flash. Created by the Elven Warrior-Wizard known as Starshine, a member of The Order.

Chaos Fireball
(AKA WildFireBall, Emerald Fireball, Melf's Mad Fireball)

An incredibly rare Fireball, with only two spellcasters ever having been known to master it. The spell generates a coursing, roiling globe of twisting emerald flames with flares licking out in all directions. It takes a few moments to cast and then it must be hurled away before it goes off prematurely. Upon impact, the Fireball explodes with about twice the area and damage of a standard one. In addition, random jets of fire lash out from the explosion in all directions. The Chaos Fireball is very difficult to cast, prone to misfiring and is considerably inaccurate. It also scares the crap out of any opponent intelligent enough to realize what is coming at them. Only the mysterious Elven Adventurer and Scoundrel 'Melf the Elf' and the similarly roguish Warrior-Wizard Half-Elf EverburnGreen (an Order member) have used this spell reliably.

WindSphere
(No known aliases)

Not really a Fireball at all, this spell utilizes similar principles and techniques yet a very different power source and dynamic. The spell creates a tightly condensed sphere of whirling air, similar to a compacted tornado. Upon hitting its target, the tornado unravels, hurling people and objects in all directions. Although it causes less direct damage, WindSphere throws things as far as 50-100 ft into the air. Its an excellent spell for dispersing enemy forces and crowd control. Created by the Elven Warrior-Wizard WindDrake of The Order (originally of the High Elven Army).

Grand Fireball
(AKA The Beautiful Fireball, The Ultimate Fireball)

The exact details of this special variant are unknown to all but its creator who claims she is "simply casting a Fireball". The spells forms very carefully and precisely and grows to about a foot and a half in diameter before being 'launched'. As it travels, the fireball grows in size. At maximum range it is nearly 3 and a half to 4 feet in diameter. The blast is immense, but the flames will mystically avoid anyone the caster deems an ally. Enemies who recognize the spell during its considerably increased casting time must save vs. fear/will to avoid panicking at the thought of this monster heading toward them. The only Wizard known to possess this spell is the Human woman Omalphia of The Order.

Phantasmal Fireball
(AKA Make Believe Fireball, Dream Fireball)

A Gnomish invention, this Fireball appears normal, if slightly larger in size during formation. If carefully observed by a learned magic practioner they will notice tiny, random sparks and licks of oddly colored flame (mostly green, blue and purple). Once released this Fireball acts like the Grand Fireball and grows larger and larger. A will save or morale check is made against the target and any of their allies in the vicinity. If the save fails, everyone in the blast radius takes additional damage equal to the combined number of points they all failed by. The truth of course is that this is not a Fireball at all but a sophisticated illusion. Anyone who realizes this during its formation will be completely unharmed by the spells detonation. It is especially effective against large groups of dimwitted opponents.

Sidewinder Fireball
(AKA Seeker Fireball)

This is a low yield, long range Fireball that was invented by an ancient tribe of highland Humans with Elven assistance. It is the only specialized Fireball regularly found in use by both Human and Elven BattleMages and Warrior-Wizards alike. This Fireball uses principles found in the classic Magic Missile (or Arcane Arrow as the Elves once called it) to generate a Fireball that chases its target. While it can be interrupted and prematurely set off, a Seeker Fireball can not miss.

The Halflings have a variant of this called the Heatseeker Fireball that chases a target based on its heat signature or source. Originally developed to battle Kobold Fire Shamans it is now often used to target and destroy enemy Fireballs. It must be used carefully as the spell does not discern between heat sources except to go toward the hottest thing in its immediate vicinity. Improper positioning in combat can easily make a bad situation much worse."

Well that's it. Now back to...whatever comes to mind.

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Barking Alien

Waiting Up For Santa

2011-12-19T09:55:00.005-05:00

Ever stay up waaay too late when you were a kid? You know, watching TV or reading comic books or even gaming. I am talking about far past a sensible bedtime to the point where you feel like you were run over by an 18-wheeler the next day. It's like a hangover with no alcohol. I know I did. Why, just this Saturday...

We're not kids anymore but boy does my group and I act like we're totally unaware of this condition sometimes.

Originally intending to start up my latest session of Champions around 1-1:30 pm this past Saturday, I ended up running late and told the guys to meet me around 2. Right before I left one of the players (Dave-Night Knight) cancelled and Marcus (The Power) said he was running late too.

No biggie. Marcus is usually late and I figured we'd end up getting started by 2:30.

I met up with Jeff and we starting shooting the breeze while waiting for Marcus.

We waited. And waited. Finally he arrived and 4:30-5 pm. I was a little annoyed but I think Jeff was far more bugged by it. We hadn't played in a about two weeks and we were at a major cliffhanger/important plot moment following the escape of one of the campaign's main antagonists last time we got together.

The result was that we hit the ground running when Marcus finally showed and staged a two pronged attack against the villain's recently discovered secret base. Remember my rule, 'Always Split The Party'*.

Anyway, an underwater strike team in a super sub and an above ground strike team teleporting in can really eat up time as they battle various robot minions and discover a second secret base containing captured superheroes and villains in suspended animation. Same old story right? You know how that goes.

The end result was that once we re-captured one major villain and blew up another villain's base (they were working together) we discovered what their real plan had been all along. We also discovered it was 3:30 am.

Yep. 3:30 in the morning of the next day. So what did we do? Well, the buses stop running at a certain time and Jeff really couldn't go home anyway so...we kept going.

One destroyed super aircraft, disintergrated super-powers-neutralizing bomb and defeated bad ass armored pilot later and it was 5 am.

It was then that we called it quits.

I walked to my train tired, hungry, freezing in the dramatically dropped temperatures of New York's winter nights (the days are still kind of warm so you're never dressed right) and absolutely, positively wowed by how good this game is going.

I am highly unlikely to do anything like that again as I felt like dog poop the next day but it was crazy, awesome fun.

Hope you're gaming this holiday season is fun, exciting and plentiful.

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Barking Alien

*I've said it before and I'll say it again, I've never understood the difficulty most groups see in splitting the party. It's key to my game style actually. I'm even doing it with the study center kids on Sundays. If 3-6th graders can do it, so can you.

Festival of Lights

2011-12-14T09:12:00.004-05:00

December continues to depress. Just as I solve one issue another (or two) rear their ugly mugs. I need something to chase away this foul mood I am in. I need to give myself a holiday present.

Ooh, I know! A Sci-Fi game.

Ooh, look at all the pretty lights!

I am going to have a few extra days free at the end of this month. A sort of mini-vacation if you will (my first in roughly four or five years). Seems like the perfect time to convince the gang to let me run a Science Fiction/Space Adventure type one-shot. Who knows? In classic one-shot fashion it may turn out to be popular enough to transform it into a campaign.

But what to run? Wait. First, a clarification of the above.

For the last month or two my plan to consolidate my gaming has worked...perhaps a bit too well in some ways. I am running only two regular games. My Champions game is going full force once again (albiet with the occasional unforeseen breaks do to real life) and the game I run on Sundays at the learning center in Brooklyn is as regular as Swiss engineered timepiece.

Because the Champions game is going so well and because time is still something of a limited commodity, the group has been less likely then usual to indulge in one of my 'Lets try this!' ideas. If we have a free game day, we are playing Champions.

Now my good pal Dave has indicated that as much as he loves the Champions campaign (and he does love the Champions campaign), he does have a hankering for something else as well. It's been a while since we took a serious stab at something else it seems.

Dave would really like the chance to get back to my D&D-But-Not world and I will likely oblige his request. It may come with a catch however...we've got to also play something (ANYthing!) Space Adventure oriented. My gift to me. And Dave's gift to me if he goes for it.

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Barking Alien

Muppet Mondays! - The Great Santa Claus Switch

2011-12-12T23:31:00.004-05:00

Just taking a moment out from my usual December misery (this month just does not like me) to switch gears and talk about an upcoming project for next year.

March of 2012 is once again MUPPET MADNESS MONTH!

You heard it here first felt and fur fans, Barkley, myself and the entire Muppet gang will be back in action to discuss some rule modifications, expanded rules and loads of crazy ideas for my homebrewed Muppets RPG.

I've learned a lot playing the game at the RECESS Game Events and I want to pass that knowledge on to you my loyal fan. Yes you. Walter is it? Thanks for your interest Walter.

If anyone else is interested as well, you're welcome to come too.

Expect lots of laughs, new art and photomanips (Manip, manip - Doo Doo DE-Doo Doo - Manip, Manip - Doo Doo DE-Doo), guest bloggers and all kinds of fun and surprises.

Well, thinking about this made me smile a little. Now if I can just hold that feeling until January...

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Barking Alien

All I Want For Christmas

2011-12-10T23:20:00.006-05:00

Or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus or whatever appropriate gift giving holiday comes around that you find worth celebrating.

Honestly the only thing I could possibly want is an easier and more enjoyable next year as compared to this year for my friends, family and myself.

Now, addressing the statement as it relates to gaming...

I find myself wanting two things very much...

First, to run some fantasy something. Obviously I've been talking about it quite a bit lately but I still can't seem to lock down my ideas for a new setting and campaign concept. That may well be because...

Secondly, I really, really want to get back to Sci-Fi. It stuns me that I call this blog Barking Alien and I haven't run a decent, long term Science-Fiction game in forever. I honestly can't remember exactly. It's been over six years since my top notch Traveller campaign 'Trojan Horses'. While I've had several failed attempts at Star Trek, I haven't run an ongoing Trek campaign since the early 2000's (probably a good 10 years almost). That is just straight up people.

How to rectify this situation? No sure.

See, my Champions game is going so well that the guys involved want to play it whenever we get the chance. Since we don't get the chance to game as often as we did even 6 months ago, free time is Champions time. Truth be told it's hard to argue with that thinking.

Still, I would love to get the opportunity to run something else. I am eager to return to either Traveller or Star Trek or try something newer like Stars Without Number. I would love to get in a session of my personal D&D-But-Not game, even if it's in my old setting.

Seems today's post amounts to little more then weekend musings of a rather unconstructive nature. Oh well. Seems just to be the way of things these days.

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Barking Alien

OK, wait...if I were really on the subject of things I want Santa to bring me how's this...a new edition of Mekton, Teenagers from Outer Space or a Star Trek RPG. How about the guys with the Star Wars license do a Star Wars game. Green Ronin, any chance the next DC Adventures book will come out before DC Comics reboots again?

Come on game industry! I am not buying games these days, not just because I'm broke but because you are not making anything I want. I don't play D&D. Can someone, ANYone make something interesting? Geez!

Unexpected Present

2011-12-08T19:43:00.007-05:00

This recommendation in a comment from Astronut lead me to a fun little excercise wherein I tried to describe my primary D&D-But-Not setting in the form of the movie pitch first suggested by good ol' Uncle Bear. *

This turned out to be a much needed and unexpected present. Thanks Astronut.

While I believe I have succeeded for the most part, the main reason for requesting the recommendation was to help me think of ways to create a new campaign setting. I should have focused my efforts in that direction instead of defaulting to my tried and true setting of choice. Bad. Bad me.

I also notice that written in this format, while the game sounds pretty cool if I do say so myself, the text barely scratches the surface of all the crazy stuff in the campaign milieu it describes. Of course that's to be expected but still...

Anyway, here is 'The Movie Pitch' for...

Chronicles of Aerth

Traditional Dungeons & Dragons meets Justice League Unlimited by way of Final Fantasy XI (aka Final Fantasy Online).

The Elevator Speech
Superheroic adventurers travel the known realms and beyond battling evil threats to truth, justice and the peace and safety of the citizens of a fantasy parallel Earth.

Tone
Over-the-top 'Marvel Age' comic book action adventure with moments both darker and lighter mixed in.

System
Homebrewed variant of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 1E crossed with D&D 3E/D20 basically.

Player Character Roles
PCs are members of an order of heroes chosen by a higher power. Anyone, and in some cases anything, can be a member. Traditional D&D race and class combos fight side by side with fully sentient golem monks, cat people shamans, barbarian homunculi, centaur paladins, drake rangers and many other strange and wondrous beings. **

Adversaries
Various petty criminals, thieves guilds and murderous types.
The last surviving member of a now extinct subculture/race of Elves.
A secret enclave of Dragons out to conquer or destroy the world.
Various liches, evil wizards and warlords styled to resemble comic book supervillains.
Natural disasters, plagues and the like are also handled by the PCs.

Locations
A variety of places emulating ancient and or mythic locations from Earth history/legend.
The past, present and future of this world.
Alternate worlds, other dimensions and the Moon.

Appendix N ***
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1E
Dungeons & Dragons 3E
Justice League Unlimited, Animated Series
Legion of Superheroes, Comic Book Series
Various books on the folklore and mythology of Africa, England, Ireland, Greece, Scandinavia Rome, Scotland and others and the Moon
Various Japanese Anime/Manga Series
Various Japanese MMORPGs and Computer RPGs
Various Japanese TRPGs

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Barking Alien

*Though sadly, it seems the original post is no more. Bummer.

**I've run campaigns where PCs were not members of the order but rather independant adventurers like a traditional D&D game.

***This is woefully incomplete. It would take weeks to list all the inspirations for Aerth.

A Little Holiday Magic

2011-12-06T22:52:00.008-05:00

In a most unusual and dramatic twist, I find myself feeling unexpectedly more positive today, though for no good reason I assure you. Nothing has really changed. I'm simply tired of feeling like crap and I'm trying something else. That would be, feeling less like crap. So far, so good.

Along with this shift in mood is a shift in thought toward, dare I say it, Fantasy gaming.

Now, now, wait...please come back. I promise not to callously berate your much loved genre. As a matter of fact, I find myself missing it. Missing running it that is. I still abhor playing it for the most part. Now, where was I? Oh yes...Fantasy.

I've been thinking about trying my hand at Skype gaming again, partially because I feel I owe it to my friends, partially because I feel I owe it to myself to try once more and partially because I must have some unconscious, masochistic quality I was not previously aware of.

I believe a Fantasy game is the best way to go mainly because, let's face it, it is the most commonly understood and appreciated RPG genre we have. My personal feelings aside, it is the favorite.

Now, I am a little reluctant to use my D&D-But-Not setting. While I don't mind using the rule modifications for this new campaign, the setting is very near and dear to me. Too much so I'm afraid. Of all the world ideas I've come up with, my long running, homebrew D&D world is the one that numerous people over the year have repeatedly said, "You should publish that." I should. And some day I will. Until then...it's a secret.

Yes, I know I am being silly. Yes, I understand that no one is going to try and steal my ideas. Of course, not long ago I was talking with a good friend over Google IM and I mentioned one minor detail about my Dwarves and their exact words were, "I would steal that." So...yeah. I know they wouldn't but I simply adds to my already overdeveloped sense of creative paranoia.

(Adam covers his ideas in a blanket, hugs them tightly to him and sneaks into his deep hidey-hole).

So if I am not going to use my best concept, one I've taken over 25 years to develop and test, what am I going to run? That is, how do I make a new D&D-esque campaign world now after all these years with that one? I'm sure there are those of you who do it constantly but bare in mind, I don't actually like D&D or Fantasy all that much. My main world is specifically designed to fix all those things I don't like while appearing to have all the classic elements of D&D. That wasn't easy to do! What makes you think...er...me...what makes me think I can do it again?!

You'd normally assume this particular train of thought would make me sad again. Au contraire! This is a challenge and I do like a challenge.

Let the games to figure out the game begin!

To this end...tell me, have you ever had a long running or favorite milieu and stopped using it for whatever reason? How did you start the process of world-building your new/next setting.

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Barking Alien

A Humbug This Is

2011-12-05T08:39:00.005-05:00

Did I mention how much I dislike December?

The past few years, December and the 'Holiday Season' post Thanksgiving have not very kind to me and I find myself dreading this time of year this time around. For one reason or another, something always happens that is pretty negative. I have been considering crawling under some blankets and not coming up again until after the new year but honestly, as much as I may want to, that is really not my style.

At the same time, I am already off to a crappy start on my 'Post-More-Often-This-Month' plan. It's a definite reflection of my mood. Good mood, many posts. Bad mood, well, you get the gist. It's the 5th and this is only my second entry. And not a very good one I might add. *sigh*

I have been thinking about Science-Fiction gaming for the most part of late, largely of the Traveller variety. A bit of Star Wars-iness has crept into these thoughts from time to time but I really want to keep those elements to a minimum. Looking at more of a hard sci-fi/space opera then a space fantasy. As evidenced by the comments on previous posts some may see little difference between these subgenres but to me there is a distinct difference in feel and the way it is executed.

It's not exactly easy to put those differences into words however. Or at the very least, I don't know that I can convey my opinions on the subject accurately. Perhaps I will try to do so again in the future. In the meantime, I doubt I will get to run this anyway, seeing as how my schedule for this month, which once appeared empty and relaxing, is now getting full rather quickly with stuff that doesn't involve finding free time to game.

Did I mention I don't love December?

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Barking Alien

Rolling Into December

2011-12-02T08:47:00.005-05:00

I had intended to post yesterday, the 1st of the month, in an attempt to get back to my previously prolific habits but alas, I was just too damn tired.

It's been a rough week and I am just so eager for a few extra moments of rest that I couldn't be compelled to find the time to put words to screen.

Then of course there is the matter of what to write about. When I am not obsessing about something in particular, it can be quite a chore to think of a single thing to discuss. A million unrelated things sure. One subject of interest? Good luck with that Mr. Alien.

Some of what's on my mind...

Lord Blacksteel at Tower of Zenopus discussed his approach to running things. Found it interesting. Here's mine...fairly standard I'd imagine, with a few twists 'cause, ya'know, it's me. :)

Mostly it's a group of people sitting around a table with me, the GM, at one end, usually with ample space to the sides of me. I stand up a lot while I GM. A lot. I move around the table, I make sweeping gestures with my arms and I generally want to make sure I am not in danger of accidentally striking anyone. I'm serious.*

Nine out of ten times I don't use a screen. I dislike them. I find them distracting to both my players and myself. If I need to make a roll in secret I simply roll the dice shielded by my hand or better yet (old trick I picked up years ago) I simply roll the dice in front of me at seemingly random times while talking. I do not make a point of noting that I'm rolling for anything, nor do I draw attention to my actions. I could very well just be playing with my dice.

I almost always have a big, 1-3 inch spine, make-your-own cover, 3-ring loose-leaf binder/notebook in front of me that contains all the necessary information, charts, etc., as well as images, NPC character sheets or whatever else I need for my campaign. I've mentioned these books before. They form a sort of a Campaign Bible

or Series Bible like those developed for TV shows. I leave this book open on the table, usually at the front section where I keep the kind of things you'd probably have on a GM Screen. If I need to look something up, I look down. I can do it quickly and cleanly without having that wall in front of me separating me from my players. Always made me feel uncomfortable on both sides of the screen.

We don't use minis, battlemats or anything like that. Yes we still have a tactical game at times. It simply doesn't suit our style to measure squares or move like a boardgame when people can fly, teleport, run at super speed, jump in and out of/off of vehicles and beasts and so forth. Our games, especially during combat, are fast. Blindingly fast if my exposure to other GMs and their groups are an indicator. Anything that makes the mechanical process of gaming smoother and quicker (relative to the rule system and setting) is the way we're going to go.

My group and I prefer to have paper character sheets and real dice. I would not discourage anyone from bringing their character on an Ebook or iPad type tablet, nor would I frown upon a die rolling App but it's just not the way we do things.

Here's perhaps the oddest element...very often, I make the PC's characters for them.

I know. Blasphemy. Sacrilige. There is a special hell for people like me.

Truth is, I own the most games. Most of my players don't have and don't care to buy or can't get a hold of 75-80% of the games I run. Usually, I ask them detailed questions about the type of character they want to play, I generate the character, then I show it to them and ask if they want to make any changes. In some cases I get it right on the money in one shot. Sometimes I don't. I may have misinterperted what the player wanted to simply couldn't figure out how to pull it off effectively with the rules. We go over it and over it until it's just how they want it. Rarely have we ever gone through more then two or three drafts before the finished character sheet.

I also make an effort to leave a bunch of points, options or whatever, open for customization even after we've fiddled with the PC.

Now if I am running a game everyone is familiar with or where the rules are really simple (D&D, Teenagers from Outer Space), I won't do this. We will all sit down and make up characters together in the traditional way.

I do own a number of games on PDF, though most of those are game not available in book form. Usually they are free or difficult to find indie games. If there is a book for a game I want to run, I want to the book.

OK, that's a good place to start the month and end for now. I hope to post a lot more often this month and again, you can expect some really, crazy cool stuff for 2012.

Also, let's get my followers to 130 already! Geez, what does a guy have to do to get more followers around here? Kidding. But seriously, if you like the place, tell a friend.

Laters,

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Barking Alien

*I am awaiting photographic evidence to show you all. Some pictures were taken at this past RECESS showing me not sitting while I GMed my Muppets RPG. If you recall this picture, I am not sitting here either. Sitting while you GM? Aren't you excited? Aren't you having fun? Get up on your feet brothers and sisters! LOL

Vacation Plans

2011-11-29T09:17:00.007-05:00

As we roll into the holiday season, my business tends to slow down a bit. In addition, my Mom travels on her annual vacation to somewhere with ancient ruins, rich culture, amazing food and little to no toilet facilities. My girlfriend is likewise away for much of December, visiting friends and family in India.

Bet you think I'll be one bored and lonely pup, huh?

Well, truth is, of course I will but it does give me time to hang out with the gang and get some extra gaming in. Time for Barking Alien to take a little vacation of his own.

I am hoping to get in at least one session each of both my D&D-But-Not game and Traveller, in addition to my semi-regular Champions game. In a perfect world that is. I don't know how viable my chances are of actually pulling it off but it would be great if I could. I figure it shouldn't be impossible to do between now and the first of the year, right? Right?

You don't sound very convincing.

In other news, I have submitted not one but two game session proposals to NerdNYC's RECESS. One for Sesame Street and one for The Muppet Show (although there will be a twist on the Muppet Show adventure to keep it fresh).

I have some crazy blog theme ideas for the new year. Expect a follow up Muppet Month, a Superhero Campaign setting based on an Superhero IP that is not originally from comic books and perhaps, finally, some actual, postive gaming notes on Medieval Fantasy from yours truly. Well, maybe.

Until next time,

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Barking Alien

Artwork by Tommoy

Muppet Mondays! - Life's A Happy Song

2011-11-28T08:54:00.013-05:00

Did I mention there's a new Muppet movie?

Here's my my-version-of-a-review review of the new film, The Muppets.

It's good. Really, really good.
Practically great.
I really, really liked it. I liked it a lot!
Not loved. Almost loved. Just short. Like a few inches from love.

Why? Well...

Hi-Ho and Welcome to the SPOILER ALERT!

I will try very hard not to put actual SPOILERS in my review but I may mess up. You've been warned.

The Good

There is a good deal to like in this movie. The original songs are pretty much awesome, the dialog is great, the humor is quick and smart in its silliness and the characterizations are fantastic.

Kermit is an actor in this movie. He is as warm and charming as ever but there is a sadness and pain that I wouldn't have thought Disney would let the writers and producers of this film get away with. It was moving.

A number of characters who has gone underused or into complete disuse due to the deaths of their original performers (most notably Jim Henson's Rowlf and Richard Hunt's Scooter) are back and performed beautifully.

Obscure side characters take the limelight! Uncle Deadly!!! Woohoo! We see the massive, blue creature Thog and the dancing Mutations. Wayne and Wanda. The frickin' Newsman has lines! Too cool.

Walter. I love this guy! The newest addition to the Muppet family is sweet, dopey, charming, adorable, funny and just perfect for the film and the group. Welcome to the team little fella.

The Bad

OK, the 'Bad; isn't really bad per se, it is more...I'm not sure how to put it into words. Less then perfect is probably the best way to say it.

Some of Muppets look strange. Deadly's head and body are completely different shades of blue. In fact, his head isn't really blue at all but a pale grey. Fozzie's fur color and style seemed off at points. There were a few others. It wasn't a huge deal but it did look weird to me.

The same with voices. While hearing any Rowlf was like a little present just for me, Fozzie's voice was somewhat inconsistent. Sometimes Eric Jacobson had it, sometimes he just didn't. There were a few others with minor off moments but honestly everyone did an amazing job.

The movie could've used more Gonzo. What couldn't? But seriously, I thought his sequences were rushed and opportunities for humor missed. It would've been great to see an expanded conversation between Gonzo and Camilla the Chicken (are they married now? Still just boyfriend and girlfriend? I find that hard to believe given the nature of their moment in the film).

This leads me to one of my two true complaints about the film. Much like Gonzo's scenes, many of the other characters intro scenes and much of the humor seemed rushed. Not rushed in a 'done sloppy' way but in a way that didn't allow for the amount of time necessary for them to carry impact. Timing in comedy is key. The original Muppet Movie had it perfect. This film...sometimes the punchlines come too fast or too late or just seem disjointed from other things happening in the scene. The biggest and worst example of this is...

The Ugly - The Ending

The ending of the film was not quite satisfying to me. It seemed like an afterthought or more precisely, like two or three thoughts that the filmmakers couldn't quit decide how to execute.

It's a happy ending but only if you are paying really close attention. Otherwise, it seems like the good guys lose, like their comeback isn't one. I left the movie liking it so much but feeling sad or at the very least like the ending was bittersweet. That's not exactly how I want to think about the comeback of my favorite thing in the world. Yet overall, it does seem appropriate. I guess I'm thinking, it didn't have to be.

In conclusion, I will likely see it again. Once it hits DVD, I will see it again and again and again. I love 'Life's A Happy Song' and 'Pictures in My Head'. I loved Rowlf's dialog. There wasn't a lot of it but it was great. I loved the Humans in it, though more active/inactive parts for the cameo stars would've been cooler.

Four out of Five from this Muppet Fan.

More Muppety stuff to come...

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Barking Alien

Talking Turkey and Giving Thanks

2011-11-25T09:30:00.007-05:00

I love Thanksgiving.

It is definitely my favorite holiday. So much so that I spent the entire day with my small but really awesome family, eat, laughed and didn't think about gaming one bit. OK, maybe one bit. Perhaps two. Ten times tops.

The point is, this holiday reminds of the things I consider myself lucky to have in this life, while all the while chowing down on my Mom's incredible turkey (never ever dry in any way - the best turkey anywhere!).

Things like...

My family. My Mom, Sister, Brother-in-Law, Nephew and close family friends who are so close you might as well just call'em family and be done with it.

My girl. I consider us both pretty smart and pretty lucky to have re-established contact and started seeing each other again.

My dog. I mean, she's my kid, ok? So cute, so smart, so well-behaved and she makes me smile every day.

My friends. I have quite a few and I am thankful for you all but I want to give a shout out to those who've been very close and special over the last year. Thanks Dave, Erin Palette and Selina. You guys have rocked above and beyond in 2011.

NerdNYC. It may seem weird to thank this entire group of people as I do not know them all and certainly few of them well, yet NerdNYC has given me a venue beyond this blog to try my Muppets RPG out on unsuspecting vic...I mean, open-minded players. Recently, on NerdNYC's RECESS facebook page, they said my Muppets game was in the Top 5 list of Most Wanted games at the event. Me. Muppets. TOP 5?! Wow. I am thankful for the ego boost if nothing else.

OK, enough of this sappy stuff. I need to get in gear and kick some Player Character butt. Champions again today. All gonna hit the fan.

Peace Out!

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Barking Alien

Oh yeah and the Muppets movie. Can't forget the Muppets movie.

The Second Coming of Kermit The Frog

2011-11-22T22:47:00.008-05:00

Tomorrow, 'The Muppets' opens in theaters across the USA. This is the first Muppet film to be made in 12 years. Screw Christmas. I got what I want.

I plan on seeing it opening day, which probably doesn't surprise anyone who knows me or has read my blog before. If it's, good (which I know it will be), I hope to see it at least one more time in the theaters. Haven't seen a movie more than once in the theaters in a long time but this one warrents it for me.

In other Muppet related news, I have submitted another installment of my Muppets RPG for the next RECESS Game Event to be held on Janurary 14 & 15, 2012. This time, instead of running a Muppet Show themed adventure, I am going to introduce NerdNYC fans to my variant/expansion, Sesame Street! 'Cause, y'know. I'm all grimdark and edgy like that.

If the response to this one is good I will likely do it again and then switch to Fraggle Rock for my fifth and sixth tries. Basically, run two sessions of each before switching to the next one. This gives people who hear about it but didn't get to play it the chance to try it next time while hopefully keeping things fresh.

Oh man, how am I gonna sleep tonight?

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Barking Alien

Champions Powers Up

2011-11-21T22:16:00.004-05:00

After an unintentional break that lasted nearly two months, Dave (Night Knight), Marcus (The Power - pictured above), Jeff (Siphon Zero/Revenant) and I, have finally returned to our 4th Edition Champions campaign, simply titled, 'The New Champions'.

I've missed a number of opportunities to recap and update the status of the various characters and their adventure so, in the interest of staying interesting and current, I'll simply explain where they are now.

While our PC heroes have spent the majority of the campaign following similar goals but completely different paths, it was awesome to see their agendas cross and the three of them finally form a cohesive team.

Allied with several NPC heroes and supported by agents of UNTIL (the United Nations SHIELD type organization they work with), the PCs attempted to pull a sting operation and draw out a major villain who's been working behind the scenes since the early sessions.

It worked, perhaps too well, as the villain showed up with a number of powerful supervillain henchmen in tow. Now these weren't goons. Oh no. This was more like Lex Luthor hiding in the bushes while he sends Metallo, The Atomic Skull, Weather Wizard and a few more villains of similar level to get the job done.

While The Power, Revenant and a couple of NPC heroes fought the gang of uberbaddies, Night Knight and another NPC hero located the mastermind's hidden aircraft (a cloaked, super-high tech jet that looked like the Star Trek: Voyager Aeroshuttle) and snuck inside. Night Knight entered the craft through an access hatch near the forward landing gear, while the NPC did the same through the rear gear well.

Many rounds of crazy super powered, energy manipulating, car throwing, martial arts using mayhem later, our heroes had defeat all six of the villainous lieutenants as well as the head honcho and his hidden bodyguard, an intelligent, emorphous pool of blue-black ink similar to the animated and current versions of Batman nemesis Clayface or Batman Beyond's Inque.

It was an impressive battle full of ingenius power useage and deep character moments in the aftermath. Revenant, who tends to become obsessed with odd things at odd moments, tried to use his energy absorbtion and conversion abilites to permenantly nullify the abilities of one of the villains, determining said criminal's nuclear radiation powers to be a threat by the fellow's mere existance. In explaining why he wanted to attempt to negate this villain's capabilities, I saw in Jeff's PC, for the first time, a concern for innocent lives outside his own personal supporting cast and subplots. I was moved.

Anyway, the truth of the matter is that this was only the beginning of their getting to the bottom of a much larger evil scheme. I am looking forward to running the next installment this weekend.

The return of Champions...RETURNS!

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Barking Alien

Empowered Powers Down

2011-11-20T22:39:00.005-05:00

I regretfully announce that after only two sessions and much thought, I am discontinuing my Empowered inspired Mutants & Masterminds 3E campaign that I started over Skype.

This has been a very difficult decision, made all the more difficult by the players.

You see, the players liked it. Maybe not loved it but they were definitely having fun. I personally think they did a fantastic job of creating cool characters, getting into their PC's heads and making the game entertaining. It was a pleasure to listen to them and their laughter over my speakers.

Unfortunately, I hated the experience of GMing it.

For one thing, GMing over Skype have been plagued by poor sound quality and calls being dropped. Not sure why. I'm playing in Erin Palette's Legend of the Five Rings game and I really have any problem at all.

When I talk to my girlfriend over Skype, no problems (or rarely are there problems). When I try to GM over Skype? Absolutely terrible. Just terrible! I tried running a one-shot the other day with a friend to test so new ideas I had for how to make a Skype game work better (see the next paragraph) and it amounted to asking each other, "Can you hear me? Did I lose you?" over and over for about 30 minutes before we gave up.

I was concerned that gaming online with Skype would severely handicap my ability to GM in the style I am accustomed to. I was right to the third power. I feel like a blind man with no hands being asked to point to the red light. I need the visual cues I get from my players to know how things are going, when to add something into the scene or take something away and many other elements that make me the damn fine GM I know I am or at least can be.

I also keep wanting to show what characters or things look like, create maps and other graphic elements but couldn't figure out how to do so without slowing down gameplay (which was already too slow as it was and slow gameplay is anathema to me).

Finally, the above mentioned factors drained away my enthusiam for the setting and I could seem to get a plot of any worth formulated in my head. The few times I did get ideas I found I wasn't implementing them in well. It was like I suddenly lost all my gamemastering powers. I blame Gold Kryptonite.

No, I don't. I blame me. I just couldn't get it together and when I can't get it together to that degree I just start get disgusted with the whole process. It was probably the wrong setting and game for the medium. At the very least it was the wrong set up for my first attempt at this. I should gone simplier, easier or with something more familiar and focused.

Whatever. It just did not work for me.

It's very tough for me to accept defeat but in this case it's all I can do.

I apologize to my players. You deserved better. I endeavour to do better next time.

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Barking Alien

Up In The Air

2011-11-16T09:05:00.005-05:00

As of this moment, this very moment right here, I have no idea what I am running this Saturday.

My girlfriend is unavailable to hang out with in the evening as her parents are visiting from out of town (out of the country to be more precise), so I have the option of running a looong session for the first time in almost two months. Can't wait. Um...can't wait to figure out what it'll be a session of.

Let's Vote!

Should I run...Fantasy, Science-Fiction or Superheroes?

Which should I do? What would be my personal choice? What will my players prefer? OMG! The suspense is killing me.

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Barking Alien

PS: It has been brought to my attention by some in the blogosphere (you know, the zenith of all cultural, social and philosophical understanding) that I may well be a nerd who occasionally vents my feelings about things.

Wow. I did not know this. My life is enriched by this revelation. Thank you for this gift of enlightenment.

So...on to why I despise licorice...

Blues Traveller

2011-11-14T23:02:00.008-05:00

Great minds?

For the better part of the day I've been thinking about posting about Traveller. Low and behold, I come home to find I am not the only one with 'Science Fiction Adventure in the Far Future' on the brain. Even the subject of the post is similar. I am surely in good company.

Onward...

I have been feeling at odds with myself over what to game.

I want/need to get back to my Champions game, I am running my Empowered/M&M 3E game Fridays nights* and I am supposed to be running a Smurfs campaign at my FLGS 'The Compleat Strategist' but an erratic weekend schedule has prevented me from running anything after the first adventure.

I feel the desire to run fewer games and therefore have more time to dedicate to the ones I am running. In addition, I haven't run Science Fiction or Fantasy for a while and those two genres have been at war in my heart and head quite a bit recently.

Now for Fantasy I would like to return to my D&D-But-Not system and setting which, to be quite honest, is more like a medieval Superheroes RPG. I do love that world and the rather unusual nature of adventuring there and it is comic book-like enough to also support my continued fascination with Supers.

For Science Fiction, as much as I loves me some Star Trek (and I do loves me some Star Trek), I would be really excited to get back to Traveller.

Traveller and I have a rocky relationship. I love it but didn't always. I would venture to say that even though it is a favorite of mine now, I probably don't run it 'right'. As I have grown up and Science and Science Fiction have evolved, so too has my view of the Traveller RPG and it's universe. Combine this with my love of Anime and video game imagery and you get a Traveller that may not appeal to a lot of the classic and traditionalist fans of the game.

Nowadays, when I think Traveller, I mostly think of Mass Effect...

While I don't see the two as identical to each other, I see Mass Effect in my mind when I am describing a lot of things in my Traveller games. When playing Mass Effect and/or its sequel, I also start thinking about running Traveller.

While not my favorite starship design ever, the Normandy is definitely what I think of when I think of a Traveller ship. The aliens, while not exactly Traveller aliens, are still somehow Traveller-like to me. Same thing with the weapons and equipment. Many of these things are not in the classic Traveller RPG but I feel like they belong. They should be there. They are there in many of my games.

So if I take inspiration from the overall look and feel of Mass Effect, combine it with images by the legendary futurist Syd Mead, drop in some of the politics and pathos of Dune mixed with Babylon Five (before it went down hill) and added a dash or two of A. E. Van Vogt's Voyage of the Space Beagle, I think I'd have the Sci-Fi, space adventure, hard-space opera game I am looking for.

That's Traveller to me.

Crazy huh?

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Barking Alien

*I'll discuss the details on that continuing experiment another time.

Fantasy Versus Science Fiction - Unfair Fight?

2011-11-14T09:01:00.005-05:00

A good friend of mine has brought it to my attention that my recent series of 'Fantasy Versus Science-Fiction' posts, originally a way to air my thoughts on which of the two I should run next, have amounted to little more than D&D/Old School Medieval Fantasy RPG bashing.

Such was not my intention, nor do I 100% agree that that's what they are, yet at the same time I must concede that by putting thoughts to screen as it were, those thoughts do come up. I can't deny that I am not a big fan of D&D and the type of Fantasy it covers but since I don't run the game in the typical way I should have probably changed the nature of my comparisons. Perhaps.

Tell me what you guys think? Unfair portrayal or spot on observations? D&D bashing or honest gaming fan speaking his mind?

Inquiring minds want to know. I want to know.

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Barking Alien

8 Days until The Muppets. I hope I can make it without exploding in joy first.

Fantasy Versus Science Fiction...Heroes - Made or Born?

2011-11-11T09:36:00.008-05:00

My good friend, fellow gamer geek and 1999 'National Welcoming Bear Hug Champion' Allen (Ravenfeast for the rest of you mugs) brought up an interesting idea in the comments of one of my previous posts. Essentially, he postulated that Fantasy characters are generally larger-than-life heroes (or anti-heroes when appropriate) but Science Fiction characters are just people in space doing their job.

Now there is some validity to this to be sure. Elric of Melnibone' has several elements to his story that make him unique amoung his people and his people special to his world as a whole. A young King Arthur draws Excalibur from the stone because he is not just some shmoe but the rightful king of all England. Even the beloved Fafhrd and Gray Mouser are unusual individuals with particular talents that set them apart from the average citizen walking the streets of Lankhmar.

Now in Science Fiction, very often, the individuals can be just as unique and special but more often seem to simply be regular people in the right place at the right time (or wrong place at the wrong time in some cases).

Louis, Teela and Speaker-to-Animals are not especially gifted or unusual individuals in their setting of Larry Niven's Known Space, yet they become heroes in the Ringworld story. Certainly Mr. Spock is an unusal individual at the time of the original series, a half Vulcan, half Human hybrid but is Leonard McCoy gifted in anyway that is abnormal from the rest of Humanity? How about Scotty? Uhura? What about Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo in Alien? Gulliver Foyle from Bester's The Stars My Destination? Foyle is amazingly clever and skillful in his attempt to enact revenge on those who he felt left him to die but before being galvanized by that concept he was quite the opposite of special.

Now here's where it gets dicey...when you add dice of course...

******

Whenever I here the old schooler talk character creation, sorry, character generation, the idea is you are not making a large-than-life hero per se. Rather, D&D seems to learn toward making a character who is quite average or even a bit inept. Nothing wrong with that. Some of my favorite Fantasy characters are largely inept at the get-go. Bilbo, Frobo, Schmendrick the Magician and The Mouse (Matthew Broderick) in Ladyhawke all begin pretty wimpy.

I ask you though...when you sit down to play D&D or it's related games, is that who you want to be. Is that what you're gunning for? I am sure some of you are and I'd even go so far as to say many are at least once in a while. But wouldn't you, generally speaking, rather be playing a character like Conan, Lancelot or Jon Snow of A Game of Thrones.

So I suppose this entry into my 'Versus' series is more one of query than personal opinion.

Should Fantasy PC generation create your average commoner turned adventurer or hero of legend? Why not have options for both? *

Are Science-Fiction PCs just the run of the mill, average joes of the far future? Do you think they are automatically destined for greatness? How so?

And while we're at it, you'll notice I try (though I'm sure I don't always remember and succeed) to avoid using Star Wars as an example. To me Star Wars is a blend of the two and therefore not so useful in a discussion of one vs. the other.

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Barking Alien

*I do it in my D&D-But-Not game.

Fantasy Versus Science Fiction...Changes of Scenery

2011-11-10T23:17:00.006-05:00

In all likelihood, you'll start your journey through a world of Medieval Fantasy here...

It is in this place that you will learn of great treasures and foul, unnatural beasts living just past the surrounding countryside of...

In a place like so...

If you survive to find wealth and glory, you will likely return to...

To spend your hard won booty and prepare for another adventure.

Now, not all of you, that must be said. For some it will be a frozen wasteland, while others will find themselves in an arid desert.

***

Now in the first adventure in your typical spacefaring Science Fiction game, you could well begin in a bar in a starport city like this one...

From there you will transverse the void and a sea of stars...

In one of these...

To an out of the way place like this...

*****

Here's why I like Sci-Fi over Fantasy and altered the nature of my Fantasy world to accommodate...generally speaking, in most Fantasy settings, if the above places where visited in the first adventure, which lasted, shall we say, three sessions, then it's very likely that in session four or five, you are still there. While you may not be in that particular dungeon or that particular medieval town, you are surely near that forested area and in a town that's very similar or a dungeon not far way.

In a Science-Fiction game however, the planet you're on in session four or five could be a completely different one from that visited in the first adventure. Why, you could even be on one planet in session four and another planet in session five. In the span of the first adventure, which took place on a single planet for sake of argument, you could have travelled from steamy, jungle to a primitive, lake-side settlement to islands in the middle of the ocean thanks to the ease of transport (grav vehicles, spacecraft, transporters, etc.).

As I've brought up before, I have an interest (bordering on obsession) with providing not only interesting locals but significantly diverse environments and terrains for the PCs to encounter. Part of the reason for this is a reaction to my own experiences as a player and going sight seeing on everyone and their brother's Middle Earth. Good lord people! There is a whole planet full of cultures you can draw inspiration from. Why oh why are we still trouncing across Tolkien's backyard? There was more to medieval times then fog and forests. Really there was.

I love providing a serious change of scenery for my players and they usually response positively to it. And, because they are so anything-other-than-Europe deprived, they can be wowed by the simplest things. What I mean is it doesn't have to be overly fantastic. Frozen lakes surrounded by icy tundra, extremely jagged mountain peaks and even being on a ship at sea is enough to get them super jazzed about an adventure. Plus, they never know what they'll see next. Or will they?

As I said this is much easier and more likely in Science-Fiction. New terrains and bizarre locations are not but a hyperjump away.

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Barking Alien

Fantasy Versus Science Fiction...Total BS

2011-11-08T22:33:00.010-05:00

The following post may have the possible side effect of making me somewhat unpopular, especially with those who can't tell my serious bits from my humorous ones. Luckily, I don't really care too much 'bout those people. I'm also not entirely sure where one ends and the other begins in this post to be honest...

To me, one of the major differences between Fantasy and Science-Fiction is the level of BS and how well it works in the setting you're creating. Perhaps level isn't quite the right word though. Nature? For instance...

In 9.9 out of 10 Fantasy settings I encounter, the bottom line answer for the why of all things is 'Magic'. Of course it is. It's Fantasy. At the same time it seems to me that very few writers and even fewer gamers determine what, if anything, magic is. I guess what I mean is, I feel you could put any word there and it would be just as valid (or invalid).

"How is it that these great and terrible winged lizards fly through the air and breath fire o' mighty and majestic master?", asked the young apprentice of Morbrood the Less-Dated.

"Why it's poop my boy", exclaimed the dateless Morbrood, "Everyone knows poop can do anything".

Now I know what you're thinking. Science-Fiction is the same thing. But it isn't to me.

In Science-Fiction, the BS needs consistency. It needs to make sense on close inspection, even if it's only internal sense in the setting. Just saying, "It's Science!" just doesn't cut it. In Fantasy, the cop-out is excepted, even expected. In Sci-Fi it comes off as lazy or poorly thought out.

Kind of a double standard. See, I think magic should mean something too. It should be something, even if that something is difficult to handle and impossible to fully understand. It should represent an idea or a concept on the nature of the nature of things and not simply be a word whose very definition is 'to hand wave; to not have a real answer. See also 'Full of crap.''

Not sure why this was on my mind but it was and so now, like an embarrassing youtube video of that party you went to last weekend, it's on the internet.

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Barking Alien

Mood Swing

2011-11-07T09:24:00.006-05:00

My groups and I have been playing a lot of this...

...but some of my players are in the mood for this...

...while I find myself missing this...

Hmph. Mood swings.

AD
Barking Alien

MUPPET MONDAY ALERT!: Only 15 days until "The Muppets"! I think I'll watch it at least 3 times in the theaters. Maybe 5.

What We Don't Write About...

2011-11-06T20:50:00.006-05:00

Noisms asks about...

Things Role Playing Bloggers Tend Not To Write About (And I try to answer why that may be...):

Book binding. (I can't be the only person who bemoans the way new rulebooks tend to fall apart like a sheaf of dry leaves after about 5 seconds of use).

Nearly all my books, dating back to my 1st Edition AD&D books, are in perfect condition with the exception of my 4th Edition Champions Hardbook which is huge and often read so it's not that odd to me.

Why don't we blog about it? I don't know. Don't feel like complaining about that sort of thing. 'Specially when you can get practically anything on PDF.

"Doing a voice". How many people "do voices"? Should they? How do you get better at "doing a voice" if that's your thing?

I do voices. Lots of voices. I have been practicing doing voices for years. I have read a number of articles and interviews with voice actors and obviously have a special connection to the puppeteers of Jim Henson's Muppets. I also make blasters sounds, explosion noises and my favorite, a hopefully unique 'CHUNG-Chi-Chung-Bang-Bang' sound of a malfunctioning Traveller jump drive.

I get better by practicing between games. I will say various things in a noted character's voice (a character who needs to appear more than once) repeatedly and/or in a variety of ways to get the sounds and style/personality right. I listen to sounds I need to use often (the Enterprise's Red Alert, Godzilla's roar, what-have-you) and try to repeat those as well.

Why don't we blog about it? No sure. Good subject.

Breaks. How often do you have breaks within sessions?

Eh. It's irregular. In a typical 8 hour session, I would say we break for snacks or bathroom for a few minutes at a time a few times a game.

Is this really a big thing? Most bloggers don't blog about it because...I don't know, I don't really care about this myself. Whatever works.

Description. Exactly how florid are your descriptions?

I'm a really visual guy, as are my players, so when I was younger I would be very descriptive and florrid, yet I and my players would also draw pictures of things. Eventually I realized that since I had pictures for a lot of things, I needed to waste less time describing those things.

I often think about what constitutes good descriptions and how much is too much.

Why don't we blog about it more? Not sure. We should.

Where do you strike the balance between "doing what your character would do" and "acting like a dickhead"?

Rarelly comes up. I don't play with dickheads. What our characters do is not act like dickheads.

Why don't we blog about this more? I kind of think people blog about this too much. There are a lot of dickheads out there.

PC-on-PC violence. Do your players tend to avoid it, or do you ban it? Or does anything go?

Depends on the campaign. More often than not it just doesn't come up. We tend to all be on the same side.

Why don't we blog about it? Hmmm...I wish others would. I would be curious to read peoples opinions on this.

How do you explain what a role playing game is to a stranger who is also a non-player? (Real life example: my friends and I were playing in the local M:tG club space. A M:tG groupie teenage goth girl came over and asked, "What are you playing?" "[We answered.]" "Sounds kind of gay.")

I usually start by saying, "Ok, let's say you were going to the store and you saw a bright light in the sky. Really bright. Definitely not the sun. What would you do?"

After a few sentences back and forth I say, "Well, it's like that. That was role-playing. There are usually some die rolls involved."

Why don't we blog about this more? Well, most bloggers are old school guys who are preaching to the choir. Generally, they aren't talking to people who don't already play. So, maybe, they just don't think about it enough. Too bad. I think we should discuss it more.

Alchohol at the table?

Doesn't come up. Don't drink much or often.

Why don't we blog about this? Really? Don't know. Again, it doesn't come up for me.

What's acceptable to do to a PC whose player is absent from the session? Is whatever happens their fault for not being there, or are there some limits?

I try to reduce the level of activity of a PC missing their Player but I refuse to pretend they suddenly aren't where they were or don't exist. That is to say, if the Captain, First Officer, Doctor and Security Chief beam down to Beta Rotori IV and are still there at the end of the session, they are all there at the start of the next session even if Paul isn't there to play the Doc. The Doc becomes an NPC and I, as GM, will try to act as much in character as possible while also keeping him out of harm's way as much as possible.

Why don't we bog about this? We...wait. Sorry. What exactly is the subject? "What is acceptable to do to a PC whose player is absent". Do to? Ah. D&D thinking.

AD
Barking Alien

Empowered...More or Less

2011-11-05T10:47:00.004-04:00

Ran the first of my Empowered based M&M 3E sessions and I have to say I am really unsure about how I feel about it.

First, I want to say the players were amazing. No, you don't understand. A-MAZE-ING! Huge kudos go to Erin Palette who all but stole the show as her character, party-hardy-goddess-of-having-a-good-time Debarchery.

Gwen, a new friend introduced through an old one (my good buddy, the often mentioned Dave) was excellent as Statuesque, a female, stone-skinned powerhouse.

Rounding out the group was Dave of course, whose character Grasshopper was played a bit too stiff and traditionally comic booky when compared to the other PCs and the setting. He certainly could have played it off as the straight man or focused on one of his character's key motivations (a strong disdain for the state of Superhero-as-celebrity that permeates the Empowered universe) but he didn't. I'll talk to Dave today and find out why.

In truth it was a ton of fun. So why as I feeling a bit bummed about it?

Well first, Skype sucked that night and we couldn't hear each other or the call was dropped for 75% of our session time. It was really annoying. It definitely slowed my pacing and threw off my GM mojo.

Second, I really, really missed not being there in front of the players. People in person rarely have any trouble hearing me. Also, I felt my energy level drain as I sat in my chair and looked at the computer screen. Boring. No watching people's reactions and expressions, no talking with my hands, no showing cool panels from the Empowered comic, no pointing to stuff to show distance. Bleh. I'll take playing at a table to playing online any day of the week.

Lastly, Dave put this bug in my head about getting back to my D&D-But-Not game world. I do love that world. I miss it periodically and now seems to be one of those times.

Anyway, a good game that could have been a great game. I will try to make it better each time.

Laters,

AD
Barking Alien

Fridays Are EMPOWERED!

2011-11-01T23:23:00.008-04:00

Beginning this Friday, November 4th, I intend to run the first session of a new Mutants & Masterminds 3E RPG Campaign based in the universe (or one roughly parallel to it) of Adam Warren's sexy, superhero, action-packed comedic drama sitcom 'Empowered .

For those unfamiliar with the Empowered 'American Manga' series from Dark Horse Comics, the book follows the adventures and very often misadventures of an aspiring young superheroine for whom the series is titled.

Empowered's superhuman abilities come from a 'hypermembrane' super suit that is tighter than skintight. We're talking 'painted on' in appearance. Unfortunately while the suit provides super strength, the ability to project energy blasts and a number of other minor abilities, it's ablative, with each hit that it takes protecting its wearer at the cost of it deteriorating. As it shreds, its power providing capacity diminishes. The end result is our spunky but highly self-conscious heroine bound and gagged by the villains or their minions and left for the rest of her team to find.

Despite the setbacks of her crappy super suit and it's unreliable abilities, major self-esteem issues and a lack of support from her teammates (who are largely a bunch of jerks), 'Emp' has triumphed on a number of occasions against major league villains. Also, her supporting cast, from her a-hole fellow 'Capes' to her female ninja best friend (Ninjette) and her former witless minion boyfriend (Thugboy), is absolutely awesome.

The key components of the series are it's humor, it's focus on realistic human emotions, failings and relationships and, IMHO, the world in which the Empowered stories take place.

Oddly, I would almost describe the Caped Community of the Empverse as being akin to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Sure, the Capes interact with the mundanes a bit more but they seem to have this whole other world that they run. Suprahumans are not answerable to anyone except other Suprahumans. In the past, this has caused some serious situations to unfold.

At the same time there is a Suprahuman cable news network with Suprahuman reporters, a Suprahuman Treatment Wing at the Purple Paladin Memorial Hospital with Super-Doctors and Uber-Nurses and a whole host of secrets only the other superheroes seem to know.

I highly recommend reading the series as both the art and the writing is superb. I love Empowered! Its currently my favorite superhero comic on the market today.

Over the next few days I will discuss my campaign concept, how it relates to the series and hopefully have a recap of the first adventure sometime Sunday evening.

Later,

AD
Barking Alien

The Muppets At RECESS - This is Halloween, Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:46:00.006-04:00

Aside from the fact that I have been exhausted lately, I am really not sure what is taking me so long to finish this recap. Worse yet, I can't seem to move on. That is, until the recap is finished I don't feel right...or motivated...or something...to write about anything else. And I have stuff to right about to be sure. Very strange. I am feeling a bit out of sorts with my self.

This is the final entry on the subject of my RECESS Muppet Show game and maybe any Muppet RPG stuff until the new Muppets film comes out on November 23rd. I still love, love, love the Muppets but I need to switch gears if only to clear my head and recharge for the next time I run it.

Thanks for hanging with me.

OK, so to sum things up...

Bunsen detonates the GhostBuster device he invented before it can run out of power (as the latter would release the ghosts). The resulting explosion messes the place up a bit, destroys most of the ghosts and transforms one of them (that last big one) into a fire-shrouded, flame ghost of doom! The fire ghost winds up torching a few things as he passes through floors and ceilings until he ends up in a 'Green Room' type area with Johnny Fiama, Sal Manilla and Sam the Eagle. Sal convinces the flaming spirit (through an incredibly well role played series of pun-laced compliments) that he should go into show biz. "You're hot kid! You've got fire. I can see you burning up the stage and screen!" Threat averted. Sal becomes the fire ghost's agent.

Meanwhile, Jack Skellington has been walking around the castle watching all the performances, checking out the costumes and tagging along with Fozzie Bear. Unfamiliar with the concept of 'comedy', Jack is under the impression that Fozzie is hilarious. What he's seen inspires Jack's idea for the show's closing number. Jack tells his idea to Fozzie, who goes pale and trembles. Fozzie stammers out that the number has to be cleared with Kermit. Jack thinks that's a splendid notion and the two seek out Kermit right away.

As Count Von Count keeps the lead ghost busy with Go Fish!, Scooter, Rizzo, Pepe, Rowlf, Bobo the Bear and Big Mean Carl use the information from Uncle Deadly to find the secret item that will defeat the evil ghosts and drive them away for good. In a mock-'Indiana Jones' type sequence, the characters enter an ancient tomb deep below the castle, figure out which coffin is the right one (Rowlf's sense of smell assists), travel through the hidden passage inside/underneath the correct coffin and seize a mysterious black disk!

Jack and Fozzie find Kermit, tired and worn out from his ordeal, trying desperately to regain control of things. Jack tells Kermit his closing number idea but does so it a way that is far less scary then the way he described it to Fozzie (actually he was direct with Fozzie but is embellishing here and there and using flowery words that make it sound like absolutely grand then horrifically scary). Kermit agrees to it as Fozzie violently shakes his head no and tries to silently signal Kermit that it's a bad idea. Piggy rushes in and fawns over Kermit and tries to make sure he is alright after the possession. Jack says he absolutely needs Miss Piggy to star as his 'Queen' in the final act. Piggy does a 180, forgetting about Kermit and focusing on her starring role.

For the closing number, Jack sings and the Muppets re-enact the 'This is Halloween'/Pumpkin King song from A Nightmare Before Christmas. Jack has placed Piggy (dressed in a ragdoll meets 'Bride of Frankenstein' type get-up) in a coffin on stage that he somehow buried beneath the 'ground' (remember, the stage of a Muppet Show production is akin to the Holodeck). She is pounding and pounding but can't get out. As Jack sings, the evil ghosts actually start getting more powerful and creepy things start to happen. The vortex from earlier in the adventure (original stuffed up by the Swedish Chef) reappears and spews out the dough. The vortex continues to get bigger as the song continues. The lead ghost seems to suddenly be beating the Count at Go Fish!!!

It's at that point that Scooter and the gang (yes, I know how that sounds. We do elude to the Mystery Machine kids a few times during this part of the game), present a very terrified Kermit, Fozzie and the rest with the black disc they found. Kermit knows exactly what to do!

As Uncle Deadly prepares to join Jack on stage, Kermit intercepts him and convinces him to go along with, er, um, the surprise twist that will make this really knock'em dead in the audience. Those that aren't already I suppose. Deadly agrees.

The black disc turns out to be a vinyl record. Once started, it plays, 'Manna Manna'. Soon, Uncle Deadly is dramatically (over-dramatically actually) singing this song, causing Jack to stop his song and listen in utter fascination. So intrigued is he by this strange and wondrous music that he decides to join in. Before long the song drives off the evil ghosts (except the Flame Ghost who sings it too), shoves all of them through the vortex and slams the vortex shut behind them. The last to go in before it shuts is the ghost leader who draws out a shout asking if the Count has any Aces. "Go Fish!", says the Count just as the lead ghost is sucked into the vortex.

I have no idea why this was so hard for me to finish. October has very simply kicked my ass. Between running this at RECESS, New York Comic Con, some personal stuff and work I have been feeling really burnt out lately. I want to blog and game but time just hasn't been on my side.

I left out a lot of stuff and it pains my to do so since all the players were absolutely amazing. The performances by the players of Uncle Deadly, Johnny Fiama and Waldorf, Bunsen and Bobo the Bear, the Swedish Chef and Scooter, Miss Piggy, Pepe and Big Mean Carl and Sal, the Newsman and many others were just brilliant.

Thank you so much guys for making it such a success and thank you readers for putting up with me this month. I intend to run Sesame Street (finally!) at the next RECESS and will be blogging a lot more in November (especially about my new Skype game I hope).

Happy Halloween everybody!

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Baring Alien

The Muppets At RECESS - Everybody Scream

2011-10-24T23:59:00.012-04:00

First off, I ain't dead.

Things have been crazy busy in my world and as usual, it is the blog that suffers. Sorry gang (Sorry blog). It's been over two weeks since I ran the Muppets game at RECESS so I am sure I am going to forget a lot of the details but I am going to try to finish this up.

I have a number of other things I want to talk about, mainly getting back to Superhero games whose sheer awesomeness I still feel I haven't fully conveyed.

Also...

I believe I may be telling this part of the recap slightly out of sequence. I am pretty sure the seance occurred immediately after the knock at the castle door mentioned in my last post. I am pretty sure of it actually, since Pepe answers the knock and he was in the seance scene.

Continuing my Recap of the recent Muppets RPG/Muppet Show session I ran at the RECESS event in NYC...

Pepe offers to answer the knocking at the castle door. After lowering the drawbridge, he peers into the rainy night, which is illuminated by the dim moonbeams that are able to sneak through the storm clouds and the occasional flash of lightning.

Pepe sees a cloaked figure casting a massive, creepy shadow in the wake of another bolt of lightning and crack of thunder. As the figure gets closer, Pepe can make out pointed ears and an even pointier collar. Pepe asked the individual who they are.

A deep, rich voice with a Transylvanian accent says, "This is MY castle. Who are You?!"

"I am Pepe (poses like a Spanish flamingo dancer), the King Prawn, OK."

"Really?", says the voice, "Excellent! One! One wonderful prawn! Ah-Ah-Ah!"

Another flash of lightning and thunder reveals Count Von Count of Sesame Street! He is the old friend of Uncle Deadly. He also mentions knowing Kermit. "When we were younger we used to hang out in the same neighborhood."

Pepe fills The Count in on what's been going on and that there are ghosts haunting The Count's castle. The Count tells Pepe this is normal and before Pepe can fully explain, The Count takes him through the castle to count all the ghosts. Apparently, there should be 100 ghosts in The Count's castle. He counts 115. Indeed something is amiss. Pepe fills him in further and the two decide to confront Scooter and the others and make a plan for getting rid of the evil ghosts.

Bunsen and Beaker have invented a device called, strangely enough, a GhostBuster. The gadget is a small, hand held vacuum-like item (heh heh) that can suck in ghosts and contain them in a clear cartridge in the back. Bunsen tests it on Beaker (of course) with the premise that since Beaker is alive it shouldn't harm him. It nearly pulls his spirit from his body. This convinces everyone that the device at least does what it's supposed to do but recommends being very careful. Bunsen's player was prone to giving himself and/or me an easy way to make him or his devices fail so he included a limited (very limited) battery life on the GhostBuster. He also indicated all his devices (All of them!) have a fail safe button that in case of an emergency they can be made to blow up. Yessiree!

Eventually tricking the ghosts (including their leader inside Kermit) into position, Bunsen hit the switch and sucked in a good number of ghosts. Their ringleader came out of Kermit but managed to escape by passing through a wall into the next room along with a few other ghosts. Piggy, upset over the way the ghost leader possessed Kermit, went through the wall as well...the old fashioned way. Using her Karate/Kung-Fu she smashed through and then gave chase. Eventually the leader escapes by going out side the castle. Or so he thinks...The Count is waiting for him.

Count Von Count challenges the lead ghost to a battle of wits, strategy and skill. Moments later they are said to be playing 'Go Fish'. Parodying The Princess Bride, the lead ghost asks for '3's and is told to go fish. Counts asks for '2's, the ghosts hands them over and says "Inconceivable!". This happens several times in 'cut scenes'.

Another ghost that nearly escaped was a big, tough one who, at the last moment, is sucked in anyway. As everyone congratulates Bunsen, an orange light flashes on the GhostBuster and an electronic voices goes, "Charge running low. Please recharge device. Charge running low. Please recharge device. Perhaps you didn't hear me dummy. You are about to lose power. Please recharge or device go boom."

To Be Concluded...

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Barking Alien

The Muppets At RECESS - One Wonderful Game! AH-AH-AH

2011-10-11T23:33:00.012-04:00

Blogger is being it's usual completely stinking and largely useless self this so I apologize for the lateness of this post. Actually, I shouldn't be apologizing to you. Blogger should. And to me as well.

Now then...get a drink and some snacks and settle in. This is a long one.

***

This past Saturday, October 8th, 2011, I ran the second ever full-on session of my Muppets RPG in the form of a Muppet Show adventure at RECESS.

Was it good? Does Lew Zealand talk to tuna? YES! IT WAS FANTASTIC! It equaled and even came close to out-cooling the first session. Impossible you say? Let's take a look...

The Recap

Following the events in the previous RECESS session of The Muppet Show, the Muppet Theater was largely destroyed and is currently under repairs. This episode of the show is being done at an old castle that belongs to a friend of Uncle Deadly's. As the show prepares to start, Scooter checks on the guest star, Angus McGonagle, the Argyle Gargoyle who gargles Gershwin (Gorgeously I might add). After Scooter leaves the room, McGonagle hears a knocking on the inside of a old wardrobe. The doors burst open and out steps the episode's real special guest star...

JACK SKELLINGTON from The Nightmare Before Christmas. And *Spoiler Alert*, as you can see in the image, there was a special guest appearance by Count Von Count from Sesame Street. The Count my homies! Now the Count doesn't come into play until a little more than half way through the adventure. For the time being let's focus on the story itself...

The idea is Jack has made it to the Muppet Show the same way he made it to Christmas Town. Essentially he stepped through a mysterious door. Now, why did he do this? He was one again bored and curious about the worlds beyond Halloween Town and heard the music and laughter coming from the Muppets.

Scooter discovers that Jack is among them and that McGonagle has apparently run off. He informs Kermit who makes some changes to the show's schedule. Jack opens with Wilson Pickett's Til The Midnight Hour.

Now while this is happening, Kermit asks Scooter how he let the potential audience know the Muppets had moved the show from the Theater to this Castle. Scooter implies a brief but strong campaign of posters, fliers and postcards, distributed locally. Locally in this case means an old cemetery, a dark forest and moors.

Soon the Muppets realize that the majority of the audience (aside from Statler and Waldorf and a handful of Whatnots) consists of ghosts, goblins, vampires, werewolves and zombies!

Nervous about the situation, the Muppets get Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker to devise a way to get rid of the ghosts and creepy creatures. Muppet Labs' latest invention should do the trick! The Time/Space Displacement Vortex Generator is designed to suck all the supernatural beings into another dimension. Upon activation it works waaay too well and becomes a black hole, rapidly absorbing the world around it. The Swedish Chef, performing the first of several impressive tactical moves, stuffs a massive glob of uncooked Swedish Bread Dough into the vortex, sealing it. Go Chef!

As it turned out, a small gang of ne'er do well ghosts were not sucked in and instead escaped into the Castle. The group planned on taking over the show, first by having their leader possess Kermit and then by replacing all the regular acts with Halloween themed, ghostly and ghastly acts.

Meanwhile Uncle Deadly seemed to evidence split loyalties as the ghosts convince him that he is the biggest 'living challenged' star they have. The player who was performing Uncle Deadly, Matt, hammed it up and chewed the scenery like a pro. Great work for a guy who didn't remember the character that well.*

All the while Jack Skellington is walking around the Castle discovering props, comedy and music in a fashion similar to his 'What's This?' song in The Nightmare Before Christmas. He eventually discovers Fozzie Bear and believes him to be fascinating and very funny. Fozzie is torn between wanting to hang out with his first groupie and being absolutely terrified by him.

Soon, Kermit is possessed and the Ghost Ringleader cancels an act to put his ghostly allies on stage. His plan is to scare any remaining audience members to death in hopes of making more ghosts. His plan barely works as most of the audience is gone, sucked into the vortex earlier. Only a handful of whatnot Muppets filling in the seats get effected. Waldorf and Statler joke about people dying to be on the show and how they die a little every time they sit through an episode.

Scooter (played amazingly well by a gal named Liz who was also responsible for 'Swedish Chef: Kitchen Commando!') knows somethings up but can't figure out what. When 'Kermit' suggests refilling the seats with a new audience the same way he did before, Scooter is forced to go back out and bring in new...um...blood. *Gulp* He has no choice and calls in more ghosts, zombies and supernatural beasties. At the same time, Scooter vows to reveal 'Kermit' as a fake and get to the bottom of what's happening.

Luckily, Johnny Fiama (also played by Matt) decides to help by calling his Ma and getting her to contact 'The Family'. They agree to show up to the castle as long as Johnny gets to sing a number. 'Kermit' agrees.

Now in between these 'Episode Plot' scenes we had a number of sketches and side gags. We did Pigs in Space, Veterinarian's Hospital (featuring a scoop out Pumpkin/Jack O' Lantern who was feeling empty inside. Y'know. If only he could light that fire in his belly that would bring back his inner glow. Yeah. Lots of pumpkin jokes and puns), one or two musical numbers, a Swedish Chef kitchen segment and, thanks to adding this character to the roster of available Muppets, Muppet News Flash moments commenting on the main story and featuring the Newsman! Sooo funny.

OK, at some point Scooter realizes or believes Kermit is possessed and goes to Gonzo for help. Hilarious moments as Scooter says...

Scooter: "Gonzo, you know Kermit really well. You're one of his best friends. Can't you tell this guy isn't really our beloved leader."

Possessed Kermit: "That's silly. Of course I'm Kermit the, um, frog did you say? Yes. Frog. I am Kermit the Frog."

Scooter: "See! See! You have to agree with me on this. Something is up."

Gonzo: "I don't know what you're talking about Scooter. Of course he's Kermit the Frog. Why, he just said he was didn't he?"

Scooter assembles a group to perform a seance. He hopes to contact a spirit to help them free Kermit. He is joined by Rizzo, Pepe, Bobo the Bear and Carl, The Big Mean Medium.** They use a ouja board and Carl has Rizzo sit on the key to focus everyone's karma or some such. Carl proceeds to eat Rizzo but insists it's part of the process. From inside Carl's stomach, Rizzo sees a spectral vision which turns out to be...Uncle Deadly (upstairs, other Muppets see Uncle Deadly talking to no one and figure he's just being his usual weird self).

Uncle Deadly must abide by the rules of Spiritual Communication and therefore reveals that the ghosts have a secret weakness hidden in the coffin of the lead ghosts grandmother. The coffin is in a room deep underneath the castle.It is then that there is a loud rapping at the castle door. The castle's owner has returned!To be continued...

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Barking Alien

*Everyone did an amazing job of playing the various characters, especially the lesser known ones.

It was a common and very effective theme to have the player play...not the character so much as the type of character. For example, Matt didn't know Uncle Deadly well but he could understand and play a melodramatic, classical thespian full of pomp and ego. Add the idea that he now haunts his old theater in hopes of returning to the stage and Matt nailed Uncle Deadly perfectly.

Sal Manilla and Big Mean Carl were also approached that way by their respective players and they knocked it out of the park! Don't know Sal? OK. Can you play a fast-talking Chimp who acts as hollywood agent? Cool.

**Big Mean Carl was awesome. Awesome is insufficent. Not only did he manage to be a Muppet eating monster but his personality and style truly came out this time. The young lady who played him was in the original game session and was rather shy and a bit unsure of yourself. Also, being much younger than the rest of the group meant she wasn't as familiar with some of the later Muppets. No such problems this time. She was spectacular and the Jack-of-all-Trades, Master of Eating Friend that is Carl. Her Fozzie was quite good as well. Actually she was all around very good.

I'll go more in depth about the group of players next time as something should really be said about how fantastic they were.

I Need A Recess After RECESS

2011-10-09T02:43:00.003-04:00

Good grief am I ever tired.

As has been my experience at past RECESS gaming events, today's rocked my socks out of the box! It was also phenomenally exhausting.

It was, in a word, THE AWESOME! (Technically two words but at 2:30 am who's really going to notice?)

The GOOD

The Muppet Show/Muppets RPG session went over really, really well once again. In some ways even better or at least more smoothly then the first time. I will go into a detailed recap and some session notes I think you might find interesting (I know I do) tomorrow or Monday.

Played in a game of BrickQuest that was oh so fun. It was like old school D&D, simplified and with LEGO. Fantastic.

The BAD

Not really bad per se but my Smurfs RPG game was cancelled. No one signed up. While I was disappointed, I was also exhausted from running the Muppet Show game earlier in the day. I am surprised I didn't get even one or two people interested but there were less attendees in the afternoon/evening segment.

The truth is I did have one or two people interested but one didn't end up coming to RECESS for whatever reason while the other opted to play another RPG he'd been waiting to get into for a while now.

I think running something in the morning and playing in the afternoon is the way to go for me from now on but you never know...

The WACKY

Many requests to run the Muppets RPG at the next RECESS, with a large number of people wanting to play the Sesame Street variation instead of The Muppet Show.

Need sleep.

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Barking Alien

Crisis on Infinite Crises

2011-10-04T09:18:00.012-04:00

We are now in October and all of the DC Comics New 52 Issue #1's have been released.

Terrible. Just terrible.

While there are a number of good, even great, titles that somehow slipped past the current management cesspool and got mixed into the bunch, my over all feeling is that DC has gone to pot.

Poor characterization, inane dialog, atrocious artwork and just plain dumb ideas not withstanding, DC has once again missed the point of being DC. My biggest complaint with the new 52 is that this new universe doesn't interest me. It has lost it's unique flavor and is now nothing special. As I noted on the message boards of one of my favorite comic book news sites...

If Marvel is making Marvel Comics
And DC is making Marvel Comics
And I don't like Marvel Comics,
What is there for me to read.

Who will be DC Comics if DC Comics won't?

Strangely enough, on further inspection I may actually be buying more Marvel soon. Terry Dodson, one my all time favorite artists, is going to do pencilling a new Defenders series. Hmmm...Marvel, eh?

I started reading comics at a very young age and continue to do so to this day. That's a long term customer. It's also a customer who has purchased (at one time or another) action figures, t-shirts, mugs, video games, trade paperbacks and graphic novels and gone to see movies about DC's characters.

As it stand with the current 'New DC Universe', I would be very hard pressed to hand any of the 52 #1's to anyone under 15. There is probably not a single title I would recommend to a child under 10.

NOT ONE IN FIFTY-TWO!

That is extremely disappointing.

Instead of reviewing the titles individually I will simply approach this by saying the vast majority are so bad that are not worth individual reviews. The following titles are good, at least well written and/or drawn, but I will not be collecting them*:

Action Comics
All-Star Western
Animal Man
Nightwing
Wonder Woman

The next set are ones I am on the fence about. They are titles I really want to like enough to purchase but with limited funds and the alterations to the DC Universe as a whole I can't quite bring myself to commit:

DC Universe Presents: Deadman
Justice League Dark**
Legion Lost
Legion of Superheroes
OMAC
Static Shock

These are titles I am actually going to buy as it stands right now:

Aquaman***
Green Lantern
Green Lantern Corps
Batwing
Batwoman

Note that DC Comics head as...um...honcho, Dan DiDio, is committed to getting these books out on time every month so some issues may have fill-in artists. 'Cause, y'know, we need our next issue of Voodoo or we go into diabetic shock. Well Dan, if you change up the artist I like and would gladly wait for once too often, I will drop the book. Do shorter arcs and then go to another creative team or a new artist but don't do it half way through a story.****

Oh and should I catch you reading and/or recommending the following titles to anyone other than your arch-nemesis, I will personally come to your house and beat you will a vintage Superman Lunchbox:

Justice League
Red Hood and The Outlaws
Stormwatch
Teen Titans
Voodoo

Many of the books were bad but these made week old, burning crap look good.

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Barking Alien

*In some cases these books are actually well worth a look. For one reason or another they are just not my thing or just aren't my thing enough to make me not want to spend my money on at this juncture. Animal Man and Wonder Woman were especially cool and you should definitely check them out at the very least.

**While Justice League Dark wasn't bad, I am waiting for Justice League Almond and Justice League Lite which I understand will have fewer calories.

***Yes Aquaman. I was as surprised as you are. My friend Dave and I have an idea for a relaunch Aquaman that, in all honesty, trumps what they are doing and what has ever been done with the character. In a way, this goes in the opposite direction from our idea and yet in spite of that (or perhaps because of it), I think this was a very cool take on the character. I want to see what happens next.

****It's amazing to me that I've read a number of fans actually like this idea, feeling that the book coming out on time is more important than it looking good I guess. Boggles my mind. Then again, I am used to Japanese Manga and independant comics which come out when they're done.

Please Adam Warren, take forever on Empowered Vol. 7! I don't care. Why? Because in the end I will get the awesome seventh volume of Empowered. It's not food. You don't need it to survive. Learn patience and get rewarded you twitter addicted jackanapes.

Monday Funday Late Night Double Feature

2011-10-03T22:39:00.006-04:00

This Saturday, Saturday, Saturday!

NerdNYC proudly presents its oh-so-awesome RECESS Gaming Event!

The final schedule is up and yours truly will be running two, count'em '2', RPG sessions.

In the early part of the event I will be running 'The Muppet Show' with my homebrewed Muppets RPG. It went over really well last time and I hope to top it with some October inspired craziness.

Who will the Special Guest Star be? You'll just have to wait and see...

In the latter part of the event I will be running....wait for it...The Smurfs!

That's right my little Smurfs! I will be smurfing the smurfiest RPG that has been smurfed at RECESS. Assuming I get all my smurfs in order.

I am so excited to be doing this. I hope anyone viewing this who lives in the New York area, loves games and have a free Saturday will come by. In addition to my wacky antics there will be a number of other RPGs and Board Games being played. Please check the linked websites above for more information.

I heard there will even be people running some kind of game about underground jails and flying lizards or some such. It could be a hoot.

Expect a session report on each sometime next week!

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Barking Alien

Messing With Things...A Bust

2011-09-30T23:54:00.003-04:00

So my plans for this month didn't pan out quite as I anticipated.

Too much reality infringing on my fun as it were.

For next month I want to focus on posting more regularly once again, though I am sure there will be slow down because of all the awesome gaming and stuff I'll be doing. Here's hoping.

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Barking Alien

Status Symbols

2011-09-30T01:54:00.005-04:00

Too tired to do anything truly engaging or constructive, so I decided to make this...

If you're gonna pigeon hole yourself, definitely do it with neat looking graphic icons.

Thanks to Strange Magic for the concept and images.

Later Days,

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Barking Alien

Can't Think

2011-09-29T10:08:00.004-04:00

Please forgive my slow down on posting yet again.

I am just too exhausted from work, trying to stay alive in this insane (but awesome) city and other obligations to form coherent thoughts on gaming at the moment.

I am also fighting hard not to lose my enthusiasm for Supers gaming in light of DC Comics New 52. Honestly, I've been checking out as much as I can stomach each week and...I just have nothing left in me to vomit up.

OK, I am exaggerating but sadly, only a little.

One of my upcoming posts was going to be a review of this mess but for now let's just say, "No, no sir. I don't like it."

There are a handful of good books in the mix, like tiny pearls in the mouths of oysters that can only be found by pour through tons of dead and rotten fish. Check out Batwing, Batwoman and, believe it or not, Aquaman.

Anyway, off to work as always. More to come soon...I hope.

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Barking Alien

So That's The Fantastic?

2011-09-27T08:56:00.008-04:00

I so didn't want to get involved in this discussion.

When I read through the first few posts on bringing the 'fantastical' back into D&D, I couldn't help but thinking I had seen this all before. This was all stuff I've mentioned numerous times on numerous sites. My whole spiel on why 'Ecology of the Mysterious Creature of Legend' is fun to read but the exact opposite of what I want in my game.

To this end I am in agreement with those who feel that a certain sense of vagueness is key to keeping the mystery of a setting and it's contents intriguing and challenging. But then we get this...

1. Never make monsters "scalable" unless they're basically humanoids with levels like the PCs and so the PCs can tell them apart as characters.

This is spot on. Nothing makes a dragon - no, scratch that, any monster - less interesting than being able to fight it at 1st level and win. It is for this and many other reasons that 4th edition D&D wins the noisms prize for All Time Most Banalifying Game System Ever.

Huh? Why? So, every time you face a dragon of a certain color, size, etc., the players will know the age, roughly the hit points or their maximum potential, how to defend themselves, yadda yadda, another boring dragon.

I've had dragons the size of a medieval english cottage that a smart, well organized and equipped party of 7 PCs ranging from 5-7th level can kill. In the same campaign the players later heard of a dragon that had ravaged the entire countryside and they set out to slay it. They were now about 8-10th level average. When they arrived on the scene they saw barley and wheats fields burnt to ash and learned that the lake the dragon drinks from is now poisoned. Cows and sheep miscarry for a day and a night after the dragon flies over and the healing powers of the local clerics only have half their normal effect. When finally confronted, the dragon was roughly the size of a Great Dane (a la' St. George and the Dragon).

There are tiny frogs in this world that can kill a grown man in seconds and larger ones that result in a mind rash. Scale everything. They will never know what to expect and the abilities of these creature will seem mysterious.

No. You should probably not make a weak dragon that can be killed by three 1st level PCs. Yes, you should make monsters variable in power. Not every legend attributes the same abilities to the same beasts.

2. Finding an NPC cleric willing to heal you is fucking hard and generally involves some creepy religious thing happening. Because miracles are rare.

I don't disagree with this at all. I also don't abide by it on my own world.

Clerical healing is a part of civilization. When you are in civilization, say your home town or a friendly city-state, why not have healing available for a price. This isn't where the mystery is. This is where you're from, where you live. You then leave this safety to face the mysterious outside world. At least that's how I run it most of the time.

3. Make [the players] cross a threshold (a clear in game threshold "Are you sure you wish to travel down the secluded mountain pass") before having them fight the fantastical.

This makes sense. Of course, the fantastic can be all around you and it may be as easy as leaving a bowl of milk with some honey bread in it on your back porch. It all depends upon the needs of the adventure/story/GM/players. Read some myth and folklore for ideas.

4. Recreate monsters - especially the humanoids. Keep them physically and statistically the same, but recreate their culture.

If they are physically and statistically the same but their culture is new that's cool. If they are physically and statistically different but their culture is new that's awesome. You couldn't pay me to use D&D trolls over my trolls. What the heck are those carrot nosed, goofball looking things supposed to be anyway? They sure aren't trolls.

Again, want to get closer to folklore, myth and legend? READ A BOOK ON FOLKLORE MYTH AND LEGEND. And check out the art too. You'll be glad you did.

5. No "chain of humanoid enemies". Goblins are weird fairy tale monsters with their own empire, gnolls are slavering barbarians, jackalmen wear robes and know magic, crowmen are semidemonic and rare, white leopardmen serve a Frazettastyle ice witch and bugbears and hobgoblins and what-all are bizarre unique things you haven't met yet.

Agree in principle but again, not necessarily in execution. If goblins are weird, fairy tale monsters, why do they have an empire at all? At least why do they have one you know about? Don't they just come out from cracks in the floorboards and walls and then return to them when the lights come on?

6. The technique...of providing no standardized monsters or magic items points the way to a game system where the rules of the mundane are known to the players, but the fantastic elements are an idiosyncratic revelation from game to game. Yes, creating the fantastic is hard individual work for the DM. But the alternative, especially with experienced games, is a group of players who ready the oil when they see a troll, who can find out exactly how much every gland in every dead monster corpse is worth, and for whom the only surprise is tactical, not strategic.

We come to the same conclusion, this last paragraph and I but I wonder at how it can be achieved with some of the responses given to the earlier questions. It's almost like saying, "Do it differently as long as it's largely the same." This has always been one of my biggest issues with D&D. I've always felt that the game as written reinforces this attitude somehow.

With a few exceptions, a lot of the blog posts I read on things you can do to jazz up D&D amount to 'paint your goblins purple instead of green! Wow! Mind blowing!' or other mild variations on basic themes. Giving Orcs a culture based on the Huns is interesting but then, what are your Huns like? Orcs? Why not come up with an unusual take on Orcs or not have Orcs at all. Find some mythical creature not normally used in D&D who are attributed with strange abilities in their stories and make them the standard for humanoid enemy aggression.

Anyway, just my two coppers. I don't have a majorly vested interest so it bugs me that I actually felt the need to post this. I must be getting old and crabby.

Back to leaping tall buildings...

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Barking Alien

The Superhero Engine

2011-09-26T09:54:00.004-04:00

While others were celebrating Mark Hamill's Birthday (Sorry, I missed it Mark, Happy Birthday!) and discussing ways of keeping (or rather making) D&D fantastic ( by being vague, adding mystery, making it less about knowing all the stats of a monster or enemy and generally doing stuff I first did 30 years ago)* my mind is once again on Supers...

I am not breaking new ground here but I thought it needed to be said that a good Superhero game has to be, generally speaking, a really good game mechanics wise.

Most games are developed to emulate a style, genre or particular theme that the creators are going for. Supers is no exception but rather the best Superhero RPGs can be used to generate characters and stories from a multitude of different styles, genres and themes.

I think the ability of a single system or game (even those with sets of systems) that can have a 'non-powered' acrobat with gadgets and his superhuman, flying alien pal tangle with an ancient dark wizard and his cyborg sidekick is under appreciated. That is, you can say any set of stats is anything you want but few non-Superhero games give you the tools to actually make these things feel or work differently in play.

Having played quite a bit of Champions over the years (and again lately), I have to say that for my money, this is one of the greatest game systems ever developed. It has it's flaws to be sure but it also enables you to build just about anything you can imagine with distinctive details as to how the character, device, vehicle, base or whathaveyou operates.

Perhaps you have a starship with awesome anti-energy shields (Resistant Energy Defense) but they're no good at stopping solid objects from hitting (Poor or even no Resistant Physical Defense). Maybe you're a wizard who has several requirements before a spell can be cast. Your magic could be versatile and powerful (Variable Power Pool) within it's limitations (Gestures, Incantations, Limited Power: Conditional-Doesn't work under a yellow moon).

Mutants & Masterminds, while an awesomely, awesome game and one I love to be sure, is another example of a great system even if it lacks some of the detail of Champions. I am constantly arguing with my own better judgement on whether or not to add those details in as house rules. If I could just differentiate the mechanics of the powers and add in some of the limitations to get a bit more out of the game, M&M would be without a doubt my most favorite Superhero gaming engine. At the same time, it would require a lot of work on my part and would probably take away some of the charm of the simplicity of the system.**

Anyhoo, hopefully I can blog a bit more in the coming week and turn over a new leaf to blog like a mad man in October. After all, October is RECESS, New York Comic Con and the end of the first month of the unholy evil know as DC's New 52. Expect a review of a most unkind kind.

Later Days,

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Barking Alien

*I kid, I kid.

The articles and ideas in said discussion were really quite good.
I only tease snarkily because, y'know, I really can't stand that game.

**While Mutants & Masterminds is not a 'simple system' in the way Toon or TFOS is, it's a far simpler game to play and run than Champions is.

Happy Birthday Jim Henson!

2011-09-24T09:36:00.007-04:00

Today marks what would've been Jim Henson's 75th Birthday.

There is no way I can ever say enough about the talent and creativity of this man and how much he inspired the same in me. All I can do is raise a glass, most likely containing Root Beer, and say Happy Birthday Jim, wish we were celebrating with you.

Google has done an interactive 'Google Doodle' to commerate the day and it's kind of nifty so take a look and mess with it won't you.

Thanks all, thanks Jim...off to play Champions,

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Barking Alien

*RECESS UPDATE: It looks like both of my games have indeed been approved for the NerdNYC RECESS event on October 8th. I will be running The Muppets RPG in the early slot (12-4pm) and The Smurfs RPG in the later slot (6-11pm I think). Come one, come all!

The Big Smurf - Part 3

2011-09-22T23:50:00.005-04:00

With little time to think, let alone blog, a few things did pop into my head in the rare space of quiet between the end of my day and needing to go to bed...

I don't like the way I recap.

It's too long winded and much more like telling a story than really recapping an adventure. Granted my adventures are more cooperative, interactive storytelling session than games but still. I don't think I really convey the games as I should and as I want to.

Also, so much happens in even a relatively short session of a humorous game that I end up getting bored retelling the adventure when I'd rather talk about something else. My brain doesn't like or do well with staying on the same subject for too long.

So...Reader's Digest version:

The Smurf party of Expert, Detective, Insano, Spacey and Snarky head off into the wilderness to locate the mysteriously sleeping animals found by Papa Smurf and Spacey the night before. The group is carrying with them a potion that may wake them*.

Before finding the animals they come upon a hunter/trapper in the forest and decide (completely without me) that Smurfs are guardians of the forest and it's creature and they don't appreciate a hunter hunting so close to their village. As the Smurfs plan a way to use Detective's Magnifying Glass and a crosshair made of twigs to improve Spacey's aim with his Ray Gun (hoping to damage the hunter's bow), Snarky walks right up to the fellow and goes into a long speech about whether or not the hunter has the correct permits, if he is licensed to use a bow and arrow in part of country, etc.

The others are realize what he is doing and can't believe he walked off to engage the Human directly but are kind of impressed. They suggest he be renamed Bureaucrat Smurf or Litigious Smurf. Meanwhile, Snarky walks around the hunter as he talks, causing the hunter to turn to follow him. Snarky ended up setting up the shot, which Spacey takes with his newly about Targeting Smurf (Scope). Zap-Poof-Cracked and crispy bow.

Snarky tells the Hunter to be gone as he (Snarky) did that with his magic and he can do it again. At this point, Snarky lets out that he is a Smurf. The hunter tries to grab him in a sack, suddenly spurred on instead of frightened by his 'magic powers'. Snarky threatens to do it again and than snaps his fingers. Spacey takes a second shot at the sack which immediately receives a burning hole. The hunter panics for real this time and runs off.

Expert confers with a wood nymph after hearing Spacey recount that at one point in their journey Papa Smurf, 'Stopped to talk to a tree'. Being an expert on Smurf, Expert is well aware of the close relationship between Smurfs and other fee (faeries) of the woods. The wood nymph warns the Smurfs of a strange patch of shadowy fog she witnessed near her tree(s) and an additional group of sleeping animals the party was not aware of.

Eventually the Smurfs find the magically hidden animals as well as the new batch. A very light dusting of some golden powder is discovered by Insano, especially in the eyes of the larger sleeping beasts. Insano tries to use Papa's potion to awaken one of the smaller ones. It works but the poor little creature almost asphyxiates, trying to breathe in several days of air as quickly as possible.

Insano is able to calm the creature down a bit which helps but he believes a better solution is taking some of the golden dust and mixing it into the waking potion. He tests his theory on another animal and it seems to work. Rather than risking it failing to help one of the larger beasties (a deer), Insano and the gang decide on returning to the village and conveying their findings to Papa Smurf.

That's all for now. We'll find out what happens in a month.

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Barking Alien

*The waking potion was described as having the odor of tea made from smelling salts, ginger and the scent of burnt cola**. It was jokingly described as strong enough to 'wake the dead'. Insano took a drop or two into his own personal vial and said, "Hmmm. Wake the dead, eh? I'll have to try that some time..."

**I have smelled burnt cola. Nasty.

The Big Smurf - Part 2

2011-09-21T08:51:00.004-04:00

Continuing my recap of the first session of my new Smurfs campaign...

[Cut to the Smurf's Mushroom Village]

I ask the Players what their PCs are up to and where they are in the village.

Detective Smurf is at Brainy's, repaying a Boon by helping Brainy move heavy piles of books from one bookcase to another. Brainy gave Detective a magnifying glass so Detective owed him. Lots of funny banter, role playing and I got to do my mediocre but not terrible Brainy impression.

Insano is trying to invent something that will make a flash of light and thunder sound every time the front door of his house is opened. Apparently he borrowed Handy's saw to do it. When Handy arrives to get his saw back he discovered Isano is not using the saw to saw anything but shaking it vigorously in various ways to produce the thunder sound (classic radio sound effect trick).

Handy almost has a smurf attack and passes out and the use of his saw for un-saw-like purposes. Lots of funny banter, role playing and Insano reveals his campaign long goal...to build a giant robot! By giant he means...to him. Thirty apples tall! Muhuwahaha! So...almost to Gargamel's knee. We're thinking about the size of the old Shogun Warrior toys.

Snarky is walking through mocking those Smurfs who don't have distinct identities yet. He visits with the few Smurfs who can stand him like Jokey and Grouchy (Weird right?).

Expert is home making notes on various Smurf traditions, foods, holidays and other bits of Smurf cultural knowledge. He then places the notes into his hat and his hat on his head. These notes will be saved for later use.

Eventually, Spacey Smurf (NPC) approaches each PC Smurf (except Snarky) and tells them that Papa Smurf wants to see them. He doesn't recall why. Honestly, he wasn't paying attention.

Eventually the PCs gather at Papa Smurf's crib and proceed to act like kids in a candy store. Insano is looking at the potions and books on alchemy, Expert is noting anything of value on Smurf lore and Detective, being 'Curious' is looking at EVERYTHING! With some effort Papa calms them down long enough to let them know why they were summoned...

While gathering herbs and other ingredients late the night before, Papa and Spacey (there as a guard and guide since he has a magic Ray Gun and can navigate by the stars) came across a number of animals asleep in the woods. This was no ordinary sleep and the Smurfs could not awaken them. Papa returned to the village to brew up a potion he thinks may save the animals who will surely starve and wither away. He needs the PC Smurfs to travel to the spot where the animals are because...

Detective may find clues as to the cause that Papa didn't see.
Insano will know if it was Science and not Magic and he is kind of a Doctor.
Expert is a jack of all trades type with ability to help his fellow Smurfs.

Spacey will guide them to the spot which is currently hidden by a spell from Papa so no Humans or other animals come upon the sleeping creatures by mistake.

Meanwhile, Papa Smurf's house is surrounded by all the village's other Smurfs trying to peak in and see what's up (just like in the cartoon). One such Smurf is Snarky who decides he is definitely needed on this mission as these Smurfs are all wack jobs who'll probably get themselves smurfed before they can do a lick of good.

We'll be right back after these messages...

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Barking Alien

The Big Smurf* - Part 1

2011-09-19T23:55:00.011-04:00

"Once upon a time, in the middle of a far off place known as 'The Cursed Lands', a village of made up of mushroom houses held a population of tiny, blue people known as...The Smurfs.

One day, while...OOF! OW! Clumsy?! Please be careful! You interrupted me in the middle of my introduction to the first adventure."

"Oh, gee, sorry Narrator Smurf. Papa wanted me to come over and tell you we're not started in the Smurf Village. We're starting in The Kingdom."

"Really?"

"Yeah, um, here...these are the new pages."

(Flips through the pages and quickly tries to organize them).

"I see. Thank you Clumsy. I'll start again..."

(Clumsy stumbles off, knocking over another pile of papers and some a spare microphone).

"Once upon a time, in a far off place known as 'The Cursed Lands', there was a Kingdom of poor resources but happy people. Though conditions were tough and the castle had seen better days, it's inhabitants were kind and just and worked hard to improve their lot.

Just outside the castle were several villages, each poorer and less happy than the next. In one of these villages, a terrible fate had befallen a young peasant boy..."

With that, our story began.

As it turns out, a Knight (Sir Bellerive), his Paige (Johan), the Paige's best friend the court jester (Pirlouit or PeeWee, whom we settled on calling Peewit) and a small entourage of men from The Kingdom, enter a small dwelling in a village on the outskirts of The Lands. There, they find a family whose young son has been asleep for three days and can not be woken up. The parents have tried everything (loud noise, water on the face, smelling salt type approach, etc.) but to no avail.

Word has it this is the seventh such child to be find this way. Four in this town and three in the adjacent one. Villagers are worried, fearing plague, faeries or worse. And there's nothing worse than worse I assure you.

A knock at the dwelling's door turns all eyes toward it. As the lady of the house/shack opens it, in walks a slightly stooped, thin, balding fellow in a tattered black robe over red-brown tights and soft leather shoes. He introduces himself as a herbalist, potion maker and wise man by trade. His name is Gargamel.

One or two members of the crowd have heard of him. They toss out words like Charlatan!, Hoax! and Dark Sorcerer but Gargamel plays the part of concerned citizen of the Kingdom meerly trying to help. He looks at the child, pull out a small vile and after proving it is not a poison or the cause of the malady (by putting some on his own tongue), he passes the vapors of the concoction under the child's nose. The vapor is silvery grey (jokes are tossed back and forth about it being Vicks Vapor Rub - "Didn't you know his first name was Victor? Vick Gargamel.").

Gargamel, nods, steps back and shakes his head in sadness.

"Oh this is just as I feared", the old alchemist says. "This is the work of a dark fairy. A Chaucer. It steals the breath of those who sleep, especially children. Luckily, there is a cure but it is difficult to obtain."

The villagers beg Gargamel for the answer to what will save their children. Even the King's men hang on his every word now. He smiles.

"Why, Essence of Smurf of course..."

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Barking Alien

*Each of the adventures in this campaign are going to be named after the title of a movie. In this case there is a double meaning in that the title refers to 'The Big Sleep' which in turn means death. It also refers to Insano's goal of building a 'giant' mecha smurf.

Smurfs, Actually

2011-09-19T10:38:00.005-04:00

I am sorry to interrupt my regularly scheduled Earth-N entry but I had to make this special report...

I ran my first actual session for my Smurfs RPG this past Saturday. This was the first installment of a new campaign. Yes! It went over so well, we are actually going to do a campaign based on the Smurfs! Muhuhwahahaha!

Our first session took place at the Compleat Strategist in New York City, on Saturday, Sept 17th. It involved four PCs and myself as Smurf Master and ran from (roughly) 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. (not including character creation time for the first two players to arrive).

The current PCs are...

Donnell - Expert Smurf, whose Trait is Smurfiness.

Donnell is my most 'serious' player normally. I would have almost bet money he wasn't going to show for anything as gonzo and silly as Smurfs RPG. When he walked in the Strat I was stunned and pleasantly so. I was even more impressed by his character.

Expert Smurf is an Expert on Smurfs, smurfy things and all things smurfy. He is completely and utterly clueless about anything that isn't smurf related. His player used the word 'smurf' in in his dialog about twice to three times as much as anyone else.

Mathew - Insano Smurf, whose Trait is Mad Science. *

Not actually one of the 99 Smurfs in the village, Insano was created by Gargamel completely by accident. Somewhere in the woods behind Gargamel's cottage there is a pit where he throws his garbage, potion residue and failed spell materials. One day, after a botched experiment with 'blue clay', he threw out his latest failure only to have the clay mix with the alchemical mess in the pit and by chance, get struck by lightning. BOOM! Insano Smurf. Smurf Mad Scientist.

Pete - Detective Smurf, whose Trait is Curious.

Decked out in full Sherlock Holmes gear, Detective Smurf is the most curious Smurf in the village. He is not however the smartest. Not dumb at all, he still doesn't necessarily have the cleverness of Brainy or the knowledge of Papa, Expert or Insano and sometimes gathers clues but can't quite put them together into a total picture. He's working on it however. His Detective Outfit gives him a Deduction Knack even if he doesn't normally have one without it.

Lee - Snarky Smurf, whose Trait is Sarcasm.

Snarky is interesting. While he is definitely Sarcastic and Snarky, much of what he does is not stop talking for long periods. He usually hits allies and opponents alike with a constant barrage of double talk, off handed snipes and the like, baffling and confounding both people and Smurfs.

He is very much a deal making, con man type personality in addition to being Snarky. It's extremely useful but sometimes his personal plans and ideas don't line up with what the rest of the group is doing. And sometimes they do but you don't realize it right away.

Joining the PCs and guiding them (poorly at various times) through the forest was my NPC Spacey Smurf who was so much fun. When his helmet was up and open he spoke a bit like a surfer dude or hippie who was, well, Spacey. With the helmet closed he took on an astronaut voice complete with electronic static sound (I imitated it and partially covered my mouth). Spacey also walked really slow, like he was on the moon, until Insano explained that on Earth and other planets like Earth you would have 'Earth Standard' gravity and therefore move normally.

Tonight I will do a session recap...and hopefully get to blogging more regularly again.

Plus! I still have that spot open for my Earth-N campaign. Friday Nights though so it's kind of tough it seems. Working out the details. More notes are forthcoming.

Huzzah!

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Barking Alien

*The image of Insano Smurf is apparently a modified image of actor Neil Patrick Harris' twitter avatar since he is Dr. Horrible and in the Smurfs movie. Tee hee.

Earth-N - National Agenda

2011-09-14T23:08:00.011-04:00

It's been tough getting back to posting.

An increase in the busy-ness of my business and personal life has really taken a toll on me. Not just in the form of less time to blog and such but I've simply been really tired. Me. Tired. It is a very bizarre feeling. I can't say I like it.

Anyway...

I realize that in my last post on the subject of Earth-N, my homebrewed alternate Earth setting for my upcoming DC Adventures RPG over Skype, I ended with a somewhat incomplete thought.

"Lastly, I wanted to include the 'darkness behind the light' used to great effect in the graphic novel The Golden Age and in the landmark DC series' Kingdom Come and Watchmen. I have described this world to friends and potential players as 'Brighter on it's surface, dirtier below it" then what most people think of when they think of DC Comics (pre-the current reboot)."

I should probably clarify what I mean.

There is a general belief, especially among fans of Marvel and various independent comics, that DC is a squeaky clean universe of 'Darns' and 'Hecks', where the male and female married characters sleep in separate beds and the good guys never lose.

It would seem likely that part of the purpose of the recent relaunch of DC Comics is an attempt to alter that perception. Unfortunately, changing the universe to be just like Marvel's is not only a bit boring (now I have a choice between Vanilla and Chocolate or Chocolate and Vanilla! Wow! How will I decide? Indeed. Why bother?), but it also seems to me a disservice to the unique feel that DC does/did have.

In the DC Universe, the heroes are, by and large, good. They save lives, fight fires, try to stop hurricanes and earthquakes and cap off the day taking down a costumed crook or two.

The people of the DC Universe love their superheroes. This isn't the X-Men, protecting a world that hate and fears you. This is a world with a Flash Museum, a monument to Superman in Centennial Park, Metropolis and Wonder Woman being given a key to the city and such. Superheroes are celebrity in the DC Universe to a level not normally seen in the comic book universes of their competitor(s).

While it happens from time to time in Marvel comics, DC comics often shows bystanders wearing superhero symbol t-shirts and there is an in universe Hard Rock Cafe'/Planet Hollywood style theme restaurant called Planet Krypton.

So built into a DC Comics setting, at least one trying hard to keep a traditional and classic DC Comics feel, is indeed the idea that people are generally good, good generally triumphs over evil, the common citizen is thankful for the fact that good triumphs over evil and will likely show their appreciation in the form of some mild hero worship.

Of course, that's the common man.

Those in positions of powers would likely get tired of feeling ineffective in battling the dangers that threaten it's citizenry before long and look for a way to gain control over the situation. Superheroes would be viewed as either allies (classic DC), a resource under the command of government and big business (Wildstorm) or a potential danger that needs to be contained or even eliminated (various - Kingdom Come has elements of this).

When thinking about Earth-N, I wanted a world that embraced the wild and wooly stories of DC's interregnum era between the Golden and Silver Ages and then bring that world into modern times. As a result, I started to think that government agencies would see some elements of superhuman activity as useful, even necessary while other parts would need to be reigned in.

We can't have Superman bringing weird alien beasts to Earth for the Zoo in his Fortress of Solitude any time he wants. That's crazy! They could be dangerous, carry extraterrestrial diseases, etc. If Atlantis is a sovereign country, it needs a chair in the United Nations...or a tub or tank or whatever. You probably shouldn't be superheroing without a license.

This further lead me to some ideas about the Department of Extranormal Operations and the Global Peace Agency as the well intentioned (for Earth and Humanity) United States and United Nations (respectively) metahuman law enforcement organizations trying very hard to hold closed the cartoon closet of superhuman activity that threatens to spill out into the hall way of reality and bury it in colorfully costumed boxes, sports equipment and other brik-a-brak.

While those are the well intentioned groups, there are those whose black ops approaches are far less savory and even these two have some skeletons hidden away (and I'm not referring to the D.E.O.'s Director Bones either).

The road to Earth-N gets a bit darker as we continue to drive it's less know backroads...

Next Time.

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Barking Alien

Earth-N - National Monument

2011-09-13T23:49:00.011-04:00

Before I played RPGs, I read comics.

Actually, before I could read, I read comics.

Mostly I looked at the pictures of course but the point is I was aware of comic books and superheroes from a very, very young age.

My uncle worked for a magazine and newspaper distributor and among the periodicals they handled were MAD Magazine and DC Comics. This meant I occasionally received free comics from the older gentlemen at the office who gave them to my cousin and I so we'd stop horsing around (translation: So he would quit pinning me with wrestling moves and his superior size, mass and age).

While my cousin was only interested in horror and war comics and even then for no more then a few minutes at best, I was more than willing to settle into a chair at one of the big desks and look at issue after issue of Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, reprints of Justice Society of America and anything else with a masked man or caped crusader.

Fast forward to my Junior High School and High School years and for a kid my age, I had quite an extensive knowledge of comic book heroes and villains who came out well before my time. I was also a fan of the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths Earth-2 comics, where many of those old characters still faced off against each other.

When I originally conceived of Earth-N, I wanted it to be a tribute to those old comics and stories and to the Golden Age/Earth-2 characters I love so much. As such, several ideas went into Earth-N's creation...

The first idea was, "What if, in the real world, National Comics never became DC Comics." That is, what if the feel of modern DC Comics was a direct evolution of the period when National Comics Publications purchased All-American Publications and stayed in the somewhat zany, anything goes state that allowed for Ace The Bathound, the original Batwoman and Bat-Girl, a Superpowered Lois Lane and all the other wild stories that kept DC going between the Golden Age and the Silver Age.

Strangely, while many attribute these types of stories to the gonzo Silver Age, most of them were written prior to 1956, the "offical" if somewhat incorrectly identified*, dawn of the Silver Age age (marked by the first appearance of the Barry Allen Flash).

Second, I imagined a National/DC Universe where no reboots ever took place. Things just continued, mildly updated and advanced through the years. For example, there is no Green Lantern Corps on Earth-N. Alan Scott was the one and only Green Lantern, a magical character whose ring and lantern were made from a glowing green meteor that fell to Earth thousands of years ago. Instead of a new story and new take on Green Lantern in Showcase #22 (Oct. 1959), Alan Scott remains active, assisted my his children later on, until he eventually passes on his ring and lantern to another.

In some ways this would resemble parts of the John Byrne series, Superman/Batman Generations, where each hero first appeared in the continuity in the year of their first comic book appearance. Each character then continues on from there, growing older, having kids, retiring and even dying.

Lastly, I wanted to include the 'darkness behind the light' used to great effect in the graphic novel The Golden Age and in the landmark DC series' Kingdom Come and Watchmen. I have described this world to friends and potential players as 'Brighter on it's surface, dirtier below it" then what most people think of when they think of DC Comics (pre-the current reboot).

Specific details are forthcoming so check back next issue!

As always, the letter's page is always open for your questions and comments (say something for Fate's sake!).

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Barking Alien

*While nearly every source identifies the DC Showcase #4 issue introducing the "new" Flash (Barry Allen) as the start of the Silver Age, some disagree and believe it really started a year earlier.

Detective Comics #225 (Nov. 1955) introduced J'onn J'onzz, The Martian Manhunter, an alien cop brought to Earth accidentally by the teleporting, extradimensional beam of a scientist named Dr. Erdel. The idea of an alien good guy, the transporter beam and many of the other elements of the story, while not unheard of in the Golden Age of Comics are certain much more Silver Age in feel. Therefore, like a few other scholars of Comic Book History (not that I feel I am one per se), I believe that the Martian Manhunter is the first Silver Age Superhero and it is his appearance that begins the Silver Age.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-11T21:49:00.004-04:00

I don't want to go into all the details of my experiences on that day 10 years ago, for as much as that day has personal significance to me there are many people for whom it has a much more immediate and visceral meaning.

All I want to say is that my heart and thoughts go out to all those who lost loved ones, were injured or were dramatically effected by the events of that day. That extends far beyond those who were there. It extends to you, to someone you know know, to someone I know and to me. And to someone you and I don't know. That makes the effect of the event no less valid.

Remember. Feel. Think. Continue.

Peace and Love,

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Barking Alien

Happy Birthday Star Trek!

2011-09-09T00:37:00.006-04:00

I know, I am late, sorry...

A belated Happy Birthday to my all time favorite Science Fiction phenomenon...Star Trek! Celebrating 45 years and looking forward to the future of the future.

Peace and Long Life,

AD
Barking Alien

The Old Switcheroo

2011-09-08T10:55:00.004-04:00

Sorry gang, I'm having a tough time getting pumped regarding the idea of blogging about my D&D world.

I'm just not in a D&D frame of mind. I was. Now I'm not. I rarely stay in that frame of mind long. One more contributing factor to why I don't run the game very often. I probably will be again. Maybe soon.

Right now, I'm still on a major Superhero riff.

Sigh.

Anyone want to hear about my upcoming Skype DC Adventures Campaign?

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Barking Alien

Some Material May Not Be Suitable For The Uncool

2011-09-07T22:38:00.004-04:00

What rating do you get if you mostly talk about Role Playing Games based on Star Trek, Superhero Comic Books, The Muppets and Smurfs?

PG. Apparently, before viewing my blog, it is recommended that you get your own proton generator. Good safety tip. Thanks Egon.

I am not surprised by this rating. Actually, I'm pretty proud of it. I received it because I used the word kill once and porn twice (dagnabbit! Just used them both again! D'oh!). I have no doubt that latter was used only to refer to Zak's site (so if your Mom and/or Dad don't let you come here, blame Zak).

Again, pretty happy with this. See kids, you don't have to cuss to be entertaining.

Later Days,

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Barking Alien

Labor (Day) of Love

2011-09-07T19:50:00.003-04:00

I know I promised to begin my series of articles covering my personal take on D&D but I got sidetracked. Yes, yes I still haven't finished my Smurfs RPG either. Sigh.

I am waaay behind schedule. For largely enjoyable reasons I have been extremely busy of late. Real time intrudes upon fun time once more, although these days it brings in own kind of fun as well. In addition, I've been getting the chance to game so often that writing about gaming and sending to the blogosphere has taken a backseat.

Too many good ideas can be just as much of a pain as too few I'm sure, though I rarely have too few so I'll just have to take your word for it. *WinK*. More often then not it's like there's an avalanche of cool concepts in my mind, I'm a terrible skier and there's not a Saint Bernard to be found.

If this Labor Day weekend was any indication of what being buried under awesome game ideas is like, hold your shovels, as it rocks on toast! I got to run two very different games and play another and all were amazing.

On Sunday I ran a game for the Learning Center I mentioned in some of my previous posts. Our original 'campaign' ended and I decided to run a sort of generic Sci-Fi/Star Trek thing based on a super-duper-simplified Starships & Spacemen. I tried to be inspired by E.T. Smith's awesome RECESS game, while at the same time modifying it for use with a younger player unfamiliar with old school game or Star Trek. Not only did it go over really, really well (this time) but the kids (mostly 5-7th graders) were great at it. They had more team work, more effective decision making approaches and more knowledge of the setting then I expected. I was very impressed. We explored two planets, battled an alien monster on one, fought an enemy starship in orbit and then prevented a volcano from wiping out all the animal life on another world. So fun!

Sunday night was the Legend of the Five Rings game run by Erin Palette on Skype. Very cool. I have really good camaraderie with one of the other players and our adventures and misadventures remind me a lot of the Booster Gold and Blue Beetle team of the ol' early 90's Justice League comic (and the later 'I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League' mini-series).

Finally, the Labor Day session of my Champions game was...it was...I don't have the words. Me. I don't have words. It was that good. I tried explaining part of what happened to Erin Palette and I think I mostly just confused her.

It was an 8-hour session, three players and myself and we covered a lot of ground. This was our 9th or 10th session/issue and it dealt with subplots (both major and minor) from earlier sessions including (but not strictly limited to):

The whole team finally unites (sorta), as Jeff/Syphon Zero decides to ally with the other heroes in hopes of capturing the villainous Dr. Helix who he's been after since issue 4 I think.

Marcus/The Power comes up with a pretty clever plan to call out either Dr. Helix, his lackeys or an another major villain who may be working with Helix. While preparations for the sting operation are underway...

The PCs all find themselves in an alternate timeline due to deal Syphon Zero made with a time travelling weapons collector back in issue 5. Actions by the time traveller (one of my ol' NPCs 'The Weaponaire', not really a hero or villain) create an alternate history in which a more controlling and militant approach to handling superheroes creates a Wildstorm-y Authority/Stormwatch feeling version of the campaign world. Only Night Knight knows the original timelines history (a high Presence score but otherwise it's a mystery why he remembers and not others), although Syphon Zero and a few NPCs remember fading bits and pieces.

With the help of an NPC scientist specializing in temporal and dimensional travel, Night Knight is able to uncover what caused the timeline to change but in the process reveals the truth behind one of the settings major mystery/conspiracy situations. The revelation is big but higger is the question, 'what happened after the event that, once altered, created a divergent timeline'?

Meanwhile... (ah, Meanwhile. Don't you just love a good Meanwhile...) the heroes are attacked by Dr. Helix who has under his control Integral (aka Integra), Primal and a psionic powerhouse called Ego. In the correct/original timeline Integra and Primal have been freed of Helix's influence and are allies of Syphon Zero. Here and now, Integra's first move is to try and kill Syphon.

The Power and a few NPCs (Pulse and Overload specifically) try to engage Primal while Omni (Super Psionic NPC and leader of the primary Superhero team) faces off against Ego. Brutal and wild battle. Lots of TK, teleporting and psychic wrestling.

Finally, Omni gets super-pissed when the actions of the villains endanger lives to the point where the heroes need to take capital action against them (Power, Syphon and Silver Sun* kill Primal and Ego using Integra's Intrinsic Field Energy attack using a plan brillantly choreographed by The Power). Just before Ego dies, Omni does the forced mind meld type move with his telepathy that he would never, EVER do in the main timeline. By doing so he discovers Dr. Helix's whereabouts. He telepathically broadcasts it to the team (including the PC heroes).

That's when Night Knight finds the Weaponaire and convinces him to fix the timeline. It takes some fancy wordplay but Night Knight is successful and within moments of Weaponaire's departure into the timestream things return to the previous pre-mishap status quo (at least it seems that way).

Night Knight remembers everything and tell Omni to read his mind to verify. Omni is in shock because of the revelation of the conspiracy I mentioned above as well as his own actions in the alternate timeline.

That is just the tip of the iceberg as far as consequences from this one guys and gals! Crazy stuff went down and even crazier stuff is coming. I can hardly wait.

OK, off to work. Next up, back on target for D&D and Smurfs...

Laters,

AD
Barking Alien

*In some scenes my pal Dave switched to another PC alt he is using from time to time called Silver Sun.

The Great Conjunction

2011-09-03T23:18:00.005-04:00

O...M...G!

Jen: The prophecy didn't say anything about this!
Kira: Prophets don't know everything!

The Dark Crystal RPG

Damn I'm excited.

AD
Barking Alien

Aughra: Where is he?
Jen: He's dead.
Aughra: Could be anywhere then.

One of my favorite quotes ever.

Messing With Games You Shouldn't*

2011-09-01T22:54:00.009-04:00

First I want to thank Lord Blacksteel for putting the idea to do this in my head, even if I kind of already had something like this in mind to do at some point.

The concept, as I envision it, is to take a game, system or adventure and screw with it in a way that either it doesn't really need or to an extent best left alone by all but the most cunning of mad geniuses. I'd like to think I fall into the latter category but I'm sure some of the former applies to what I am endeavouring to do.

Basically, I've decided to do the Anti-Barking Alien thing and talk seriously about D&D. Yes, I am referring to Dungeons & Dragons. No, it isn't April Fool's Day. No, I am not the Barking Alien of Earth-3 or the Mirror Universe. Trust me. If I were I would have a cool, black outfit and a goatee.

My love/hate relationship with the game of Dungeons & Dragons is best described as a somewhat dislike/largely despise relationship. I don't like the game. I haven't since about 1984. I started with Basic in 1977, moved to Advanced First Edition and then largely missed Second all together. Just before the release of Third I made some adjustments to AD&D 1E to facilitate running a game with my then girlfriend, later wife, now ex-wife but still good friend, Selina.

It was her interest in medieval fantasy fiction in general and Dragonlance and a few other titles in particular that got me to dust off my D&D books which honestly hadn't been touched in years and years even though I was gaming fairly regularly when we met. OK, irregularly regularly.

Selina was so hooked by the hobby and intrigued by the release of 3E that we spent our one-week-paid-vacation time the year it came out attending GenCon to get a hold of it as early as possible. It's funny but I remembered thinking I might pick it up if it looked cool. Really I was there just to be at GenCon again with this awesome person who shared my interests. Low and behold, we bought one set of all three core books for me (the DM) and an extra Player's Handbook for her. I ended up running a solo campaign with her and then a couple of mini-campaigns with her and friends of ours. It was a pretty great time to be a D&D fan.

Unfortunately as time progressed so did D&D's propensity to get on my nerves a little. Mostly it just became to complex while not allowing me the flexibility I enjoyed in many of the systems I was more accustomed to. I started to fiddle with the system and eventually houseruled a bunch of things and left out a bunch of things.

Fast forward to about a year or two ago when several less than stellar experiences with old school D&Ders running 3E variants and one too many stories about my old D&D games from my big mouth drove one of my players to demand I run my D&D. I had hyped up my world and my rules alterations to the point where he, my good friend and great gamer Dave, said I had to run it for him.

Truth was, though I hadn't run D&D in about 5 or 6 years prior to Dave's request that I do so, I had been tweaking and adjusting and developing my own version of D&D specifically for use with my world.

The end result is what I have referred to on this blog as my D&D-But-Not game or D&D-For-Those-Who-Don't-Like-D&D. Dave proclaims it is not D&D at all. He refers to it as 'The Awesome Anime Fantasy Adventure Game'.

I refer you to the following posts:

D&D But Not - Part 1
D&D But Not - Part 2
W is For Wonder, I've Got That in Spades
Y is for Yes, Say it and Feel Fine
Top 10 Things Least Likely to Happen in a D&D Game Run By Me
Top 10 Things Most Likely to Happen in a D&D Game Run By Me

And there are many, many more posts, especially from this blogs earlier days when, well, quite frankly, no one paid any attention to it. *sob*

What these posts and this blog have been lacking in relation to my D&D-But-Not game is a dedicated series of posts where I really explain what it's all about.

So that is what Barking Alien's September feature, "Messing With Games You Shouldn't"* is all about.

Enjoy!

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Barking Alien

*Note, as I've mentioned before, I don't believe there is a game you shouldn't mess with. Rules as written translates to roads not travelled in Barking Alien language. Grow a pair and houserule!

Anniversary's End and Renewed Celebration

2011-08-31T22:53:00.008-04:00

August ends and with in my 34th gaming anniversary. I am joyous however, as I begin my journey toward 35 years.

It would seem Blogger is in one of its moods. If my stats were right yesterday and for part of today (they seem to be completely missing now), people were pretty intrigued by this whole Smurf thing. Cool. Oh, I'm sorry...I mean, "Smurfy!"

For my next trick (nothing up my sleeves), I am going with my buddy Lord Blacksteel's suggestion and making September "Messing with Games You Shouldn't" month. Although in all honesty there is no such game in my book. I'd mess with 'Go Fish' if I thought I could spruce the ol' girl up a bit.

Expect to see...wait for it...D&D By The Guy Who Doesn't Like D&D! A whole month of what I did to make my bowl of plain vanilla ice cream less boring while still making sure it remained vanilla ice cream.

Also, follow my (possibly incredibly foolish) attempt to get a Superhero RPG campaign going over skype. One of my very best bad ideas.

I would love to do reviews of the New DC Universe 52 titles but that would mean I'd have to read them and I really can't drum up the enthusiam for such an endeavour after reading JLA #1.

Let's just say it was...well...plain vanilla is an example of something I use to represent blandness. This issue (the first of a new series meant to hook you into buying the next issues) isn't quite exciting and interesting enough to reach for the lofty goal of plain vanilla.

Now, I am off to continue my smurftastic smurfiness...smurf you soon,

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Barking Alien