Today is the Anniversary of the Bombing of Hiroshima

Today marks the 68th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, and while I enjoy playing games about the devastation that comes after this sort of thing, it is sobering to be reminded of what that actually means.

PANORAMA. Photographed by Shigeo Hayashi from a watchtower of the Hiroshima Prefectural Commerce Association, October 5, 1945. Location: Moto-machi. Distance from hypocenter: approx. 260m.

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Mr. Yamada took the above ground level photo from approximately a little over four miles northeast of Hiroshima a few minutes after detonation.

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The ruins of Hiroshima, as seen from the air, after the Japanese city was hit with an atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. The photo was taken a month later, in September 1945. Photo by Life/George Silk

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Photos and captions taken from War News Updates

Curse the Player, Not the Character

****Warning - If you Haven't played Bioshock, this post may contain spoilers which will severely inhibit your enjoyment of the game.  Turn back if this sort of thing concerns you - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED****

I'm a huge fan of Bioshock.  I think it might be my favorite video game, no scratch that, I think it might be my favorite game period.  In general, I don't play first person shooters.  I find them dull and repetitive, and the idea of lining your sights up on a two pixel tall figure to try and kill it before it kills you just doesn't appeal to me.  I heard good things about Bioshock, though.  A horrific first person shooter with philosophical overtones?  Well sign me up!

It did not disappoint.

It was horrific, it played with the ideas of Ayn Rand, it presented you with serious questions of ethics and morality.  Oh yeah, and you blew stuff up.  The thing that sealed the deal for me, though, was THAT PART.  If you've played it, you know what I'm talking about, if you haven't, seriously, this is your last chance to turn back.

Okay.  So when it turned out that you had been doing the bidding of the bad guy, not your character, but YOU YOURSELF.  You, lulled into complacency by video game tropes, not even thinking about what the missions were accomplishing, were mind controlled just as much as your avatar by faceless being with a sunny sounding brogue and a, "Would you kindly..."

Mind.  Blown.

Seriously, I put down the controller, and, all alone in my apartment, said out loud, "Damn.  DAMN."

I can honestly say that is the only time that a game, video or otherwise, has had that kind of impact on me.  So before I continue, hats off to 2K Games.

Now, to the point.  I got to thinking, how to replicate that experience in an RPG?  Specifically with regards to cursed items.  Traditionally, in games that I've played, when somebody gets a cursed item, it usually goes something like, "Bad news, bro.  That sword you picked up has a -1 modifier, and you can't ditch it until you find a priest."

Fair enough, that's accurate, but that's a player's description, and draws a bold line between the player and the character.  Whenever I can, I'd rather blur that line, and force the player into the mindset of the character, so why not mess with the players a bit, rather than just the characters?  Here are a couple that  have come to mind.


Bloodthirsty Weapon

This one is a direct homage to Bioshock - the weapon appears, for all intents and purposes, to be a weapon of speed, allowing the user to strike first in combat.  Who wouldn't want to use that weapon?  It works fine, doing just what it says on the tin, until the  party finds itself in a social setting, when the weapon leaps into the hand of the person who has been wielding it, and it strikes at the nearest noncombatant NPC.  That's when you realize the weapon has been controlling you all along, not vice versa.


Weapon of Misdirection -1

This sword radiates strong magic, and the DM should tell the person wielding that it is a +3 weapon.  Then, simply increase any foe's defense/AC/whatever by 4, without telling the player.  If the player gets frustrated and tries to switch weapons, the DM secretly rolls a Wisdom check/saving throw/whatever.  If it's failed, the character thinks they have switched weapons, while still holding the same cursed weapon.  If they pass the check, they realize the weapon is cursed.

Deck of Many Curses

See who the degenerate gamblers in your group are.  It's a Deck of Many Things, with all the good stuff taken out.  With unlimited draws.

Ring of Inner Truth

Ring of +1 Wisdom, but at the GM's discretion, table talk is actually spoken aloud by the character.

Tent of Paranoia

This tent aids in the healing of the characters, and is big enough for the entire party.  Any who sleep within it double their normal healing.  For the following 24 hours, however, all NPCs appear to be monsters or other demonic creatures.  Any speech will be heard as threatening, and movements observed will promise violence.  The illusion persists until they are dead, at which point their true form is revealed.  Actual monsters and other demonic creatures appear and act as normal.


The point is, you're the GM - nothing says that you have to be a reliable narrator!  It's something gamers tend to take for granted, but it doesn't have to be that way - keep them on their toes and make them question everything!

R.I.P. Imbroglio



While this picture is wildly inaccurate in its
depiction of Imbroglio, it is the only documented
image currently in existence. 

 Imbroglio was special. 

Several years ago, Ark invited me over, and I sat down with Ark, his son and another gentleman at his kitchen table and rolled up characters for a game I was seeing for the first time, you might have heard of it, a little game called Labyrinth Lord.

This being the first character that I had built for the game, I picked an easy class, fighter, and made him an elf, because, well, why not?  Some nice rolling made sure that Imbroglio was strong and quick, and most importantly, charismatic.

I remember Imbroglio fondly, as do thousands of NPCs whose lives he changed for the better.  He was the scourge of evil, the champion of the oppressed and downtrodden, he was everything that a PC should be.

Some called Imbroglio crazy, but he just saw the world a little differently than the rest of us.  He believed in Faux, and gave his blood sweat and tears to bring the Light of Faux to the unenlightened.  He was good with a bow, and never hesitated to help his friends, sometimes even going into melee combat.

With his never ending supply of flyers urging the unenlightened to turn their faces to the one True God of the Realm, the sticks he would break as a demonstration of his unwavering faith, and his faithful companions, Ferrit the Dancing Wereferrit, the numerous Dwarven Assassins who have passed on to their eternal rewards, and many others that Imbroglio forgot about as soon as they left his sight, Imbroglio served as a light in these troubled times, a flickering flame which I must sadly report, has been snuffed.

Sadly, Imbroglio was struck down by the cold, callous nature of the world.  A harridan who had manipulated a tribe into thinking her "holy" had embarked upon a campaign of genocide against the legions that Imbroglio had turned to the light of Faux.  Imbroglio, ever mindful of his flock, struck mercilessly against the evil witch, and faught valiantly.  On the brink of defeat, the fell sorceress summoned a unicorn, tricking it into following her evil bidding.  Unwilling to harm the holiest of holy creatures, Imbroglio allowed himself to be stabbed through the heart, the Unicorn's horn driving the life from his body.

Despite efforts to resuscitate him, Imbroglio passed from this life shortly thereafter.  He had an explicit "Do Not ReAnimate" clause in his will, so unfortunately, his days are over.  However, any who wish to donate gold or platinum pieces to the Faux Fund may do so by contacting their local GM.

Let us take a moment and reflect upon all those who have gone before us, and pray that their souls find their way to the bosom of their gods.  I have contributed to several Kickstarters over the last few months at sufficient levels to allow me to place images and character sketches of Imbroglio within the pages of some forthcoming RPGs, so if you see him, spare a thought for him, and the legions of unenlightened who will never know the warmth of Faux's light.

And if you happen upon a witch woman leading a tribe of humans with an ensorcelled Unicorn at her side, slay her. 

Painfully.

Gamma World... Is Here! Still Continuing...

The Block

As anyone who follows this blog can guess, I've hit a bit of writers block when it comes to the game this blog was originally supposed to document.  I've listed the mutations, I've got a good idea for a character progression system that is skill based, rather than level based, lots of rivals/monsters, and lots of background and flavor.  And, um... that's about it.  As much as I'd like a "rules lite" setting, I think the precedent set by the character progression system pretty much precludes it.  I don't want to be inconsistant, and the skill based progression fits with the theme of the game - that actions matter.

It doesn't help that I've started GMing again, which, honestly, has been a blast.  I've got a great crew of players, who each bring something different to the group, and makes for a dynamic that has been alot of fun to tinker with.  Problem is, it saps my creative juices.  Every time I start daydreaming about something for From the Ashes, it ends up getting mutated into an idea for the 2e game.   

So I may try and serve two masters for awhile.  I've got an idea for a post apocalyptic fantasy... something that I'm going to try and set up.  Maybe a setting, maybe a dungeon, I dunno.  I just have notions of a ship, powered by unholy energies, crash landing into the side of a mountin.  Generations later, there are cannibalistic goblins lobotomizing their young to keep them from being mind controlled by the hulking descendants of the mind flayers who piloted the ship, their tentacles mere nubs, their psychic powers reduced to rudimentary levels.  I imagine the descendants of ancient adventuring parties, devolved into one mixed race with characteristics of dwarves, humans, gnomes and halflings, divided up into tribes based on classes.

Vague notions, but my hope is that it's similar enough to the 2e game that any of my crazy ideas that don't work in that game will spill over, and become something usable.

Here's hoping!

Bookshelf Porn

Documenting my obsession...

Yes, that is World of Synnibarr down on the bottom there :blush:

Also, note to self - need better camera.  Hmmm.