RPG Game Play: Rules Lawyers

Last year, I discussed perhaps the important meta-rule in RPGs: Rule Zero.

This week, I wanted to talk about an issue that was driving factor in the creation of Rule Zero: Rules Lawyers.

"Rules Lawyer" is typically a pejorative term used to describe someone who attempts to use the letter of the rules of the game without reference to the spirit, usually in order to gain an advantage for themselves.  As this can be a literal form of "Gaming the system," with the attendant negative consequences, Rule Zero arose.  As I mentioned last year:

"For games where meta decision making is distributed along traditional lines, Rule Zero serves as a manual override to the rules set: in other words, it exists in case someone needs to override the rules when they result a nonsensical result.  Furthermore, it serves the underlying philosophy that the rules should take a back seat if they interfere with having fun."

As  "judge" and "referee," Rule Zero allows GMs to keep a game from slowing down too much or going off the rails for various reasons, Rules Lawyering included.

However, as you might expect, Rules Lawyering can be a problem for some New School games that reject traditional GM authority in favor of greater Player Narrative Fiat, such as GM-less games.

A softer and more proactive way to address Rules Lawyering is with the group's Social Contract.


In addition, in some cases Rules Lawyering and System Mastery (high knowledge of the rules) are just two sides of the same coin, even though the latter is generally viewed positively and encouraged.

Furthermore, a clever GM can sometimes recruit Rules Lawyers to assist in running games, such as serving as a rules reference, managing less focused or experienced players, etc.

RPG Events: NEON Retrofuturism Festival 2018

Last week, I attended the inaugural NEON Retrofuturism Festival!

NEON is, in the organizers' own words, "a celebration of Retrofuturism from the late 20th century."  As a love letter to that period's technology and pop culture, this celebration featured synthwave artists, obsolete tech, hard video games, and tons of So Bad, It's Good movies from yesteryear!  For example, Ninja III: The Domination!

A notable part of this convention was a huge arcade consisting of original restored cabinet games, including Pac-Man, Tapper, Dig Dug and Spy Hunter, only this time they were all free to play, so no need to keep begging Mom for more quarters!

The fun also included a massive selection of 80s and 90s game consoles, including relatively obscure platforms like the Vectrex:

I was amused that I still remembered a bunch of the secret treasure locations for Castlevania!

And, I had the opportunity to run the rules set I'm working on, Sorcery & Steel, for a bunch of strangers!  Specifically, I ran Ravenloft of Cthulhu, a reimagining of the classic AD&D gothic horror module with a bunch of Lovecraftian twists (e.g., Strahd is an eldritch horror rather than a vampire).

I changed a number of things so that even someone who had played and DM'd I6 many times before said he could see where certain things came from but the end results were quite different.  For example, I emphasized Lovecraftian horror rather than gothic horror, so there were no romance elements and Strahd was much more inhuman and unsympathetic.

Much fun was had, and I was happy that the session went smoothly and the game's mechanics were easily understandable by newcomers.  As a bonus, I also found a number of places to further refine the rules set.

A reboot of TempleCon, NEON still has a way to go to fill the shoes of its predecessor.  However, this year was definitely a good start.  If you're a fan of the 80s or a fan of things that love the 80s (e.g., Stranger Things), you should check it out!

RPG Game Play: Investigations

Over the years, as my tastes as a tabletop RPG GM have moved away from High Fantasy and toward Swords & Sorcery, my games have tended to become deadlier and more Old School for PCs.  Consequently, my games have also moved away from emphasizing combat and toward problem solving.  A type of problem solving that often comes up is Investigations.

So, this week, I wanted to take a look at Investigations in RPGs.

In terms of preparing an Investigation adventure, whether PCs are uncovering a conspiracy, solving a murder or finding a MacGuffin, the first thing to do as a GM is to have a firm grasp on the background and the details.  While preparation is always important for a GM, when running an Investigation adventure, it is even more so since there's a good chance that the Players will be coming up with ideas and approaches that you hadn't considered (despite that preparation) and you really need to keep the details in your head while thinking on your toes.

Whew!

Next, for a successful Investigation adventure, it really helps to have a gripping plot/scenario to grab and to hold the Players' interest.  Feel free to shamelessly rip off ideas from your favorite books, movies, TV shows... BUT do try to mix things up enough so that your Players don't realize what you are doing.  So, you want to be "Episode IV: A New Hope" (1977) (which took a LOT of ideas from "Hidden Fortress" (1958), the epic jidaigeki adventure film directed by the legendary Kurosawa Akira) and not this:

After you've worked out the plot/scenario for your Investigation, next you need to set up clues.  Lots and lots of clues.  Never underestimate the likelihood that the PCs will reach a dead end.  Thus, Justin Alexander's Three Clue Rule is a good general rule of thumb.  Furthermore, if the PCs are really stuck, consider dropping hints and even clues until they can get moving again.

Additionally, I like to also add interesting the NPCs and challenges that the PCs will face during the Investigation.  This isn't strictly necessary, but, for example, a great and engaging villain, such as Strahd von Zarovich can elevate a good adventure to a great one.

In terms of challenging the Players' minds, Investigations can be a great option if properly planned and executed.  And, as I mentioned above, they can fit in with a variety of genres.  So, if your band of murderhobos is tired of murdering their umpteenth tribe of green skins, consider throwing an Investigation at them.

RPG Events: Roll20Con 2018

Like last year, I again attended this year's Roll20Con!

FYI, Roll20 is a website that hosts a bunch of tabletop role-playing games that are played online (a ka virtual tabletop).  Roll20 is notable because it provides a set of tools (e.g., online dice roller, text chat, dynamic character sheets, automated  shared maps with character and enemy tokens, triggered sound effects, etc.)

The Roll20 interface also includes integrated voice chat and video chat, but, frankly, their implementation is pretty pants, and in every game I've played on Roll20 (including Roll20Con 2017 and 2018), we used Discord instead for voice chat.

Compared to last year, Roll20Con 2018 was poorly managed (after an initial notification a few months ago, Roll20Con didn't follow up with potential GMs until a few weeks ago.  Consequently, there were far fewer games.  Nevertheless, I did manage to get into some interesting games, most notably "Forget Me Not".

"Forget Me Not" is a one-shot modern scenario for Call of Cthulhu 7th Edition from the 'The Things We Leave Behind' anthology published by Stygian Press.  This book is labelled "mature content" and boy is that an understatement!

Without getting into any spoilers, let's just say that "Forget Me Not" is really dark, even by Call of Cthulhu standards.  It was interesting to play but it's also helpful to remember that, with scenarios like these, gameplay is more about the journey than the destination.

RPG Game Play: Social Contracts (Part II)

A couple years ago, I discussed the importance of setting up a Social Contract with your gaming group.

This week, I wanted to go into greater detail as to some topics that you might want to include in your Social Contract.

While the specifics of a Social Contract will vary from role-playing group to role-playing group based on preferences and personalities, here are some basic issues that are applicable to most groups.

• Playstyle

A major issue to settle before starting is the play style of the group.  If a player wants to be a fantasy swashbuckler and their character gets quickly killed because the GM is running a realistic and historically accurate campaign, there's a disconnect that should have been cleared up by the Social Contract.

Nowadays, I run a beer & pretzels Old School game and our group uses a lot of light-hearted humor and plays casually (e.g., talking In Character is not emphasized).  We play cooperatively (no PvP) and, as GM, I'm willing to change a decision if someone makes a compelling argument that doesn't break the story.

• Attendance

Obviously, it's impossible to game if people don't show up.  Furthermore, it's rude to keep others waiting.  So, it's helpful to cover what happens if someone can't or doesn't show up, including what happens to their PC (e.g., does someone else get to play the PC?).

Life happens and being late or missing a session is inevitable and alright but I tell my players that they need at least to inform me in advance when they will be late/miss a session.

• Mature content

Obviously, not everyone is looking for a game that features mature content and/or mature themes.  For the sake of harmony, this should be sorted out in advance.

I run a PG-13 campaign, so stupid jokes are welcome but explicit language is frowned upon.  So, dropping an F-Bomb is an easy way to be permabanned.

• Character Death

As I mentioned earlier, Character Death can be a touchy subject that people don't want to think about.  So, it's wise to get ahead of the curve before it comes up in actual play.

• Environment

People's definition of what constitutes an acceptable environment can be different, so it may be necessary to set rules on smoking, alcohol, using other people's dice, bringing and consuming food and drink, etc.

If problems do arise with a group, the best thing to do is to address them head on and the worst thing to do is to be passive aggressive.  It's important to be respectful of other people's opinions and feelings, but sometimes the GM does need to make a tough decision and to be decisive for the benefit of the rest of the group.

RPG Game Play: Really Bad Stats

Last year, I discussed the issue of Stat Inflation (the incentive for players to play characters with higher statistics) in role-playing games which use Random Roll for character creation. 

This week, I wanted to talk about the opposite side of the coin: characters with Really Bad Stats.

If you use Random Roll for character creation, eventually Random Number Generation (RNG) will catch up and give you a character with Really Bad Stats.  And by "Really Bad Stats," I'm not talking merely below average but rather, bottom of the barrel (in D&D terms, I'm talking 3s, 4s or 5s) and I'm talking having more than one Really Bad Stat (even in a well designed game, it's usually possible to play around one Really Bad Stat).

So, this begs the question: Does having a character with Really Bad Stats materially affect fun?

Well, it depends.

Firstly, some players simply don't care about their character having Really Bad Stats.

Secondly, in some games, this is a moot question since some or all stats have no or little mechanical effect.  For example, in OD&D, a PC's Strength, Intelligence and Wisdom no mechanical effect other than possibly an XP bonus.  OD&D's other stats, except for Charisma, don't significantly effect gameplay either.

Thirdly, the circumstances can matter a great deal: it's different playing a character in a one shot or that doesn't otherwise require much mental investment in the character by the player. For example, it's easy enough to play up Really Bad Stats for comedic effect.

However, what about a character where the GM is looking for significant mental investment by the player in the character and wants to play a long-term campaign?  In other words, a player cannot simply wait until next session to play a different character.

Two common reasons that people play tabletop role-playing games are for escapist fantasy and for wish fulfillment.  Really Bad Stats can put a damper on both of those.

There's also the issue of fairness.  It's not really fair to having one character be significantly mechanically worse than the others.  Really Bad Stats can mitigated by the GM if he is able to provide the character with Really Bad Stats alternate ways to be effective and is able to still give the character their time in the spotlight.  However, this does require a level of trust in the GM and really should be expressly stated in the group's social contract.

RPG Events: TotalCon 2018

Like last year, I again attended this year's TotalCon!

And again, for the most part, much fun was had, although there were a couple notable hiccups this time:

Firstly, there was an enormous line to receive my con documents, since a bunch of people showed up during lunchtime and there was only one person processing attendees (there are a second person at the door to the registration room who basically wasn't doing anything very productive and apparently wasn't able to also process attendees), so it took an inordinate amount of time and I nearly missed a game.

Secondly, I did unfortunately have a game during the con that featured my two biggest RPG pet peeves: 1) railroading, and 2) player v. player, better known as PvP (which led to a TPK)!  Some people may enjoy those, but not me.

Particularly, the PvP was in the form of a plant among the players who had his own agenda.  This, IMHO, is especially unfair in a convention setting because, even if one suspects something is going on, does one act?  What if you are wrong and you kill the PC?  Will that ruin the game for someone who paid attendance?

Another thing that was somewhat negative was that, during my Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea game, once again  I called out the "twist" that the hidden enemy were Snake Men.  But, at least the scenario wasn't a poorly done rip off of RE Howard's classic Conan yarn "Shadows in Zamboula"!


Nevertheless, overall, I thought TotalCon 2018 was quite a good time.


I did have the chance to play the Legend of the Five Rings RPG for the first time, which was interesting.

Legend of the Five Rings (usually abbreviated L5R) began as a card game.  The RPG uses a "roll and keep" dice pool mechanic (like Exalted, only d10s) where the player seeks to roll over a target number (unlike Exalted, in which the player counts successes).  There's an interesting "raise" mechanic, where the player can voluntarily increase the target number in exchange for greater success.

L5R is set in the fictional empire of Rokugan, which is a faux feudal Japan with a smattering of other influences.  The background is quite detailed and really adds a lot to the experience by providing deeper character immersion.


I also got a chance to get in a bunch of Old School play with my old AD&D DM, who linked the ends of the classic modules B4: The Lost City and X1: The Isle of Dread!

B4: The Lost City by Tom Moldvay is a dungeon crawl cum mini-setting.  Clearly inspired by RE Howard's classic Conan yarns "Xuthal of the Dusk" and "Red Nails," B4 also has a lost, stagnant, drug-addled and dying culture, and the PCs are able to play off/against various native factions.

X1: The Isle of Dread by David "Zeb" Cook and Tom Moldvay is among the most widely played of all Dungeons & Dragons modules, since it was included with the D&D Expert Set.  Inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Lost World," "King Kong," and other elements, X1 is an excellent wilderness hex crawl.

RPG Focus: Moldvay Basic Dungeons & Dragons (1981)

I've mentioned before that the Mentzer Red box (Basic Dungeons & Dragons 1983) was my introduction to tabletop RPGs (preceded by the Choose Your Own Adventure series and similar gamebooks), but this week, I wanted to take a look the another influential iteration of Basic D&D written by Tom Moldvay:

  

Moldvay Basic was the second incarnation of Basic D&D, following Basic Dungeons & Dragons (1977) written by J. Eric Holmes.  Holmes Basic was something of a strange beast, being a combination of Original Dungeons & Dragons (1974) and some of the early Supplements, and meant to be both an introduction to tabletop RPGs and to Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (even though Holmes Basic is not 100% compatible with AD&D).  

Like Holmes Basic, Moldvay Basic is an introductory text and covers the basic concepts and rules for  Dungeons & Dragons and PCs of Levels 1 to 3.  Unlike Holmes Basic, Moldvay Basic (which forms the "B" in B/X D&D), along with Dave Cook's Expert Set  (which forms the "X" in B/X D&D), was designed to be a complete separate game.

This is partly a result of the settlement of one of the lawsuits by D&D co-creator Dave Arneson against TSR, which split Dungeons & Dragons into two parallel product lines, Basic and Advanced.  Thus, for legal reasons, Moldvay Basic was promoted as a continuation of OD&D (i.e., Messr Arneson would collect royalties from B/X D&D, as well as the later BECMI D&D, but not AD&D).

Moldvay Basic came in a boxed set with 64 page rule book (Holmes Basic was 48 pages), with cover art by the legendary Erol Otus.  In addition, the set included the module B2 The Keep on the Borderlands, the classic six polyhedral dice made (of soft plastic that would wear down with use (eventually, rolling the d20 could take some time until it stopped moving as it became more and more spherical)), and a marking crayon for filling in the numbers on the dice.  The interior artwork is Old School but often cartoonish in nature and considered to be generally weaker than the interior artwork for BECMI D&D.

However, Moldvay Basic does shine as an excellent example of lean RPG Design, presenting a stripped down and streamlined version of the OD&D engine.  The rules here are clear, concise and accessible.  For example, Moldvay Basic's rules for Initiative are, in contrast to their than their 1st ed. AD&D counterpart, approximately a bazillion times more concise and understandable:

To determine initiative, each side rolls 1d6 (the DM rolls for the monsters). The side with the higher roll may move first and attack first in combat for that round. If both sides roll the same number, the DM may either have both sides roll again, or may consider movement and combat for both sides to occur at the same time (known as simultaneous combat).

The side "with the initiative" has the first choice of actions. Members of that side may choose to fight, run, throw a spell, take de- fensive positions and wait to see what the other side does, start talking, or do anything else that the players or DM can imagine.

If combat occurs, the side with the initiative always strikes first in that round. Both sides should roll for initiative each round. If both sides tie on their initiative rolls, and combat is simultaneous, it is possible for both sides to be killed!

Quick and elegant!  By comparison, 1st ed. AD&D Initiative by the book is hotly debated to this day and sometimes requires a flowchart for beginners.

All of Moldvay Basic is written in this easy to follow and understand manner.

There's also a great, simple and powerful rule often overlooked near the end of Moldvay Basic on page B60:

"There's always a chance." The DM may want to base a character's chance of doing something on his or her ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, and so forth). To perform a difficult task (such as climbing up a rope or thinking of a forgotten clue), the player should roll the ability score or less on ld20. The DM may give a bonus or penalty to the roll, depending on the difficulty of the action (-4 for a simple task to +4 for a difficult one). A roll of 1 should always succeed, and a roll of 20 should always fail.

This is a quick and elegant of addressing TSR-era D&D's lack of a skill system!

It's this speed and elegance that has made my old AD&D1 DM switch to using B/X during convention play.

So, if you are fan of TSR-era D&D but are looking for a lighter/faster interpretation or you are new to RPGs in general and want to cut your teeth using Dungeons & Dragons, you really should take a gander at Moldvay Basic!

RPG Game Play: Rule Zero

This week, I wanted to talk about an issue that's potentially confusing but hugely important to traditional tabletop role-playing games: Rule Zero of RPGs.

The Game Master is Always Right

By the above, I mean that Rule Zero states that the GM always has the final say, even over the rules as written.  For games where meta decision making is distributed along traditional lines, Rule Zero serves as a manual override to the rules set: in other words, it exists in case someone needs to override the rules when they result a nonsensical result.  Furthermore, it serves the underlying philosophy that the rules should take a back seat if they interfere with having fun.

Rule Zero came about because in role-playing games, player creativity can produce almost unlimited options.  For example, in the board game "Clue" players only have a limited number of things that they can do in their turn.  However, if "Clue" was a role-playing game, Colonel Mustard would be able to set the kitchen on fire.  Also, some rule sets simply have gaps.  Consequently, sometimes someone needs to make a ruling about the "legality" of an action.

Rule Zero also serves as a check upon Rules Lawyers, Munchkins and/or if the players are just being rowdy in general.

Unsurprisingly, Rule Zero is the foundation of GM authority in tabletop role-playing games.  Giving the final decision making to the GM is what allows the GM to override even the rules as written.  It also gave rise to the proliferation of house rules and other aspects of the DIY nature of Old School games.

Of course, Rule Zero assumes that GMs will be reasonable.  However, if abused, Rule Zero  can lead to railroading, turning the players into an unwilling audience for the GMs fan fiction, or even the GM becoming a petty tyrant!

By contrast, some New School games, operate differently since more or all (for those games without GMs) decision making is distributed to the players.  Other New School games, such as the *World games, try to constrain the GM within the rules set (though actual effectiveness of such constrains is questionable).

Rule Zero is, for the most part, an unspoken rule or referred to only obliquely.  However, not only does it remain important to this day (especially in Old School games), but it also is part of the history of  tabletop role-playing games and the reason why old terms for GM included "judge" and "referee".

RPG Game Play: Encounters

This week, I wanted to discuss an issue that is both the centerpiece and the bread and butter for most tabletop role-playing games: Encounters.

"When a party descends into a dungeon for the first time, they must be ready to deal with the strange creatures they will meet: some foul, some fair, some intelligent, some not; the variety is endless. Such a meeting is called an encounter." - D&D Basic Rulebook (Moldvay) (1981)

To expand upon Messr Moldvay's description, by “encounter,” I mean the meeting of two or more non-allied groups.  I know that some GMs equate “encounter” with “combat,” with their adventures boiling down to a series of fights, this is not the only way to play RPGs.  Indeed, in the Old School idiom, combat is often deadly and only to be resorted to when one has a significant advantage or one has no other options.

Thus, it is important to remember that “encounter” doesn’t necessarily mean “combat”.  While some NPCs can be assumed to be immediately hostile (e.g., undead, cultists), others may have different but not necessarily conflicting agendas with the PCs.  For example, in the photo above from the all-time great film "Conan the Barbarian" (1982), Conan and Subotai bump into Valeria whilst robbing the temple.  Instead of fighting each other, the three thieves team up and shenanigans ensue!

An often overlooked aspect of encounters in Dungeons & Dragons (and other games) that reinforce the notion that “encounter” =/= “combat” are reaction checks.  In 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, reaction checks are purely mechanistic:

"ENCOUNTER REACTIONS

Any intelligent creature which can be conversed with will react in some way to the character thot is speaking. Reaction is determined by rolling percentile dice, adjusting the score for charisma and applicable loyalty adjustment as if the creature were o henchman of the character speaking, and the modified score of the percentile dice is compared to the table below" - Dungeon Master's Guide (1979)

On the other hand, I prefer B/X's more flexible approach:

"MONSTER ACTIONS: Some monsters always act in the same way (such as zombies, who always attack). However, the reactions of most monsters are not always the same. The DM can always choose the monster's reactions to fit the dungeon, but if he decides not to do this, a DM may use the reaction table below to determine the monster's reactions" - D&D Basic Rulebook (Moldvay) (1981)

Thus, many NPCs, even hostile ones, can be reasoned with or bargained with- these are potential role-playing opportunities for the players!  The GM should provide sufficient information and clues that players can reasonably deduce whether situations are beyond them.

Probably outgunned...

The ability to improvise as a GM is also important here, since the players may have their characters act in ways that you don't expect.  Furthermore, don’t be afraid to call a bathroom break if you need a few minutes to gather your thoughts or even to end a session early if you need to plan out or rework the next part of the campaign!

RPG Game Play: Character Death

This week, I wanted to discuss an issue that no tabletop role-player wants to think about: Character Death.

A key difference between tabletop role-playing games and other games wherein players assume the role of a character, such as some board games and war games, is that tabletop role-players often make mental and emotional investment in their character.  As a consequence of this investment, the possibility of Character Death has important effects on game play (e.g., raising the stakes, adding dramatic tension, etc.), as well as interesting knock on effects (e.g., encouraging players to pay much closer attention).

However, the possibility of Character Death is not a given in tabletop RPGs.  Sometimes, this lack of Character Death is a function of the particular tropes of a genre (e.g., superhero games).  However, other times, this lack of Character Death is accomplished by nerfing Random Number Generation (RNG) via player narrative tools.  Indeed, in some New School games, characters pretty much can't even die unless the player agrees, making "dying" a player's choice.

The stated rationale for this position is that the story is more important than the simulation or the game aspects in those games.  For example, in "FATE Core" (2013):

"We recommend [taking Character Death off the table], mainly for the following reason: most of the time, sudden character death is a pretty boring outcome when compared to putting the character through hell. "

Character Death is a pretty boring outcome?

Suffice to say, "FATE Core" and other story games hold the minority opinion among tabletop role-player.

By contrast, in many Old School games, Character Death is a ever present possibility, forming a key part of the tone of such games.  For example, in "Original Dungeons & Dragons" (1974) and similar games, the characters risk life and limb for the chance at fame and loot.  Without the possibility of Character Death, the perilous atmosphere loses most, if not all, of the edginess, and the risk/reward nature.

Of course, some critics mistake advocating for the POSSIBILITY of Character Death for advocating for a REQUIREMENT of such.  Advocates for the NECESSITY of Character Death, if they exist, must be extremely rare.

Character Death is mitigated in some games by giving players the opportunity to resurrect characters,
or by using bleed out rules.  Other games substitute major wounds for Character Death.  However, in my humble opinion, this is a bridge too far towards New School.  Indeed, except for genre exceptions (e.g., superhero games), a game can't really be Old School unless the possibility of Total Party Kill (TPK) is on the table.

Of course, the death of a character (especially Permadeath) can be a touchy subject for a player.  Character Death can be keenly felt and painful.  As a result, everyone's expectations should be on the same page, preferably before play begins, as a part of the group's "social contract".

RPG Focus: 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1977)

While the Mentzer Red box (Basic Dungeons & Dragons) was my introduction to tabletop RPGs (preceded by the Choose Your Own Adventure series and similar gamebooks), I fairly quickly moved onward to 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.  This seemed like the obvious thing to do (it was "advanced"!).  While I have since gained a new appreciation for the Basic lines (B/X, BECMI), AD&D1 still remains my personal favorite iteration of Ye Olde Fantasy Game. 

1st Edition is the game I've spent the most time with over the years and it was where I really cut my teeth as a role-player.  I still remember spending hours memorizing the THAC0 tables.

Moreover, aside from obvious nostalgia, I think the biggest reason First Edition remains my personal favorite is the flavor: the purple Gygaxian prose, the particular blend of crunch and fluff, the cool weird bits scatter throughout the books, the Old School artwork (which might not have been great per se but it fired up your imagination), such as:

Rather than spell everything out to the nth degree, Messr Gygax presented a broad framework where one could do and play whatever you wanted and extolled you (in an avuncular tone) to play!  The sense of wonder and adventure that was only limited by what you could imagine.

And while AD&D1 certainly had mechanical issues (*cough*level limits*cough*), that's what house ruling is for:

"As the creator and ultimate authority in your respective game, this work is written as one Dungeon Master equal to another. Pronouncements there may be, but they are not from "on high" as respects your game. Dictums are given for the sake of the game only, for if ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is to survive and grow, it must have some degree of uniformity, a familiarity of method and procedure from campaign to campaign within the whole."

Unfortunately, teh interwebs have a dearth of good videos about AD&D1.  So, this week, I wanted to give a shout out the series of vlogs on 1st Edition by Robert from Black Belt Gaming:

These vlogs are really well done and informative, full of heart and humor.  Robert shares plenty of fun stories that evidence a clear love of 1st Edition.

So, if you are fan of AD&D1, you really should take a gander.  I've already been through the series twice.

RPG Game Play: Finding Players

A few months ago, I discussed the importance of the group putting a "social contract" in place, preferably before play begins.  However, before you can have a "social contract" for your game, you need players.  So, this week, I wanted to focus on an issue that affects every game and every table: Finding Players.

This discussion is inspired by a recent conversation and assumes the point of view of a game master.

Being the game master is great fun for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that you get to pick the game you want to play.  However, it's an obvious condition precedent to gaming that you first need to get other people who buy in to your idea for a game or campaign.  Indeed, more than a few campaigns have stalled, collapsed, or not even gotten off the ground due to a lack of players.  Moreover, even if you already have a group, this is something you should still think about recruiting more players because most, if not all, groups suffer constant attrition from the vagaries of life (e.g., new job, new school, changed life circumstances, etc.).

Finding players is a question of marketing, so before you even start looking for players, it behooves you put together a winning pitch to sell your campaign.

When putting together a pitch, you should be able to describe what kind of game you want to run in a short, clear, and engaging manner.  Prospective players should be able to quickly understand what you want to do in a way that (hopefully) fires up the imagination.  For example, I'm currently recruiting for a second concurrent Sorcery & Steel campaign and I pitch it as "Wander the eastern Mediterranean in a tramp freighter during classical Antiquity" or "Traveller/Firefly meets old D&D."

If you are able to interest someone with the pitch, you should have additional details (e.g., Play Location/Method, Game/System, Time/Frequency, etc.) ready.  Don't be discouraged if you don't hook people right away, though if you are having difficulty, perhaps you need to hone your pitch.

Once you have your pitch down, where do you pitch?  Roleplaying is a collaborative form of storytelling, so you need to find collaborators.  To that end, work your social networks, both offline (e.g., friends, family, co-workers, etc.) and online (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).  Don't forget corkboards at your local friendly gaming store (if your town has one), library, etc.

There are also recruiting forums at most online RPG communities and other websites (e.g., Craigslist).  However, the best results I've gotten are from Meetup.com.

Assuming you have the luxury of enough players for your campaign, I like to vet players as much as possible before allowing them to join and sites like Meetup are good because if someone volunteers information about themselves, that's a good sign.  If that information matches your playstyles and other preferences, even better!

Good players are worth their weight in gold, while disruptive players can quickly make things unfun for everyone else, so the time you invest here is more than worth it.  Best of luck!

RPG Game Play: Social Contracts

As the year draws to a close, this week, I wanted to talk about an important, but sometimes overlooked, part of any game: a Social Contract.

If you've got some good people to play with and a good game to play, your first instinct is probably want to just jump into it.  And, most times, there's no problem.  However, what happens when people have a misunderstanding or when someone starts acting in a way that others feel is inappropriate?

For example, what if someone's favorite character dies due to an unlucky roll?  Or, what if someone keeps showing up late to the game?

As insurance against these awkward or problematic moments, it's often a good idea to put a "social contract" in place, usually before play begins.  The Google defines "social contract" as

"an implicit agreement among the members of a society to cooperate for social benefits"

A role-playing group, like any other society, operates under certain mutually agreed upon rules.  For RPG groups, these rules cover both in character behavior (e.g., no PvP) and out of character behavior (e.g., no smoking or drinking).  People usually assume that everyone will use common sense (e.g., no cheating).  And yet, even reasonable people may differ over what seems, to them, as "common sense".  What happens when what's assumed to be mutually agreed upon is, in fact, not?

As you might imagine, it's often beneficial to make sure that everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations.  The degree to which a social contract needs to be explicit will vary from group to group.  It's not usually necessary to have a particularly high level of specificity, but it's often valuable to address areas that are likely to be contentious.

The easiest way to handle the handle is to let someone (typically the Game Master) set the rules for the group and to arbitrate situations.  This is the Old School method.

If all else fails, remember the old saw "no gaming is better than bad gaming".