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!

Video Game Review: "Dark Heart of Uukrul" (1989)

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to another overlooked CRPG gem from yesteryear, "Dark Heart of Uukrul":

"Dark Heart of Uukrul" is an Old School dungeon crawling CRPG where you play a party of adventurers (Fighter, Paladin, Priest and Magician) exploring the underground city of Eriosthe.  Not only must you survive and level up, but your ultimate goal is to figure out a way to defeat the eponymous dark lord.

Reminiscent of Ultima IV's innovative character creation, the computer asks a series of questions to determine your beginning stats.  Thus, each PC reflects their attitude and experience.  Additionally, within each class, there are subclasses, but what, if any, effect a subclass has upon the game is not explained, nor can it be easily deduced.

Indeed, this lack of information also shows up in other parts of the game.  Sometimes, this is a problem.  For example, no stats are given for items so finding out what they do is a process of trial-and-error.  Sometimes, this adds additional flavor and/or challenge.  For example, a particular sprite in combat can be several different creatures, so the player doesn't initially know what he's fighting until battle begins in earnest.   Old School!

Often compared unfavorably to the contemporary and well-loved Gold Box series of CRPGs (e.g., Pool of Radiance, Curse of the Azure Bonds, etc.), based on 1st edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, "Dark Heart of Uukrul" also uses a third person view for exploration and a top down view for combat.  In addition, like most CRPGs, "Dark Heart of Uukrul" uses a class/level system.  However, the similarities stop there.

Written by Ian Boswell and Martin Buis, a couple of comp sci students from New Zealand, Uukrul was a fresh perspective on CRPGs that placed a much stronger emphasis on player skill and creativity rather than combat, making it more akin to Zork and other text adventures.  As Boswell notes:

"[W]e did set out to make the game memorable, and the things the player remembers most are solving challenges, not hacking up monsters. It’s the puzzles and the plot that people remember. Both Martin and I were fond of puzzles and intellectual challenges, so we imbedded some of our favourites into the game, and created new ones of our own. The very best puzzles, I find, are ones where you see the pieces, but the “big picture” is hidden from view until you put the pieces together the right way, and then the logic dawns on you and everything makes sense."

As a result, although overshadowed by the Gold Box series, IMHO "Dark Heart of Uukrul" actually does a better job of emulating the feel of an Old School dungeon crawl, where thinking your way out of jams is more important that fighting your way out.

Speaking of dungeon crawling, Eriosthe is enormous (in today's parlance it is a megadungeon) with passages and rooms that seem to stretch out for ages.  The dungeon design is excellent, pushing the player to think.  Fortunately, there's an excellent automapping function.

Furthermore, in the best Old School tradition, you feel a real sense of dread and foreboding and you're always gambling whether to push forward or to fall back and recoup your strength because you have no idea what the heck might show up.  Speaking of which, there's still plenty of fighting to be had.

It's good that the exploration phase of the game is strong because combat is lacking for several reasons.  Firstly, although PCs can move diagonally (if there is space), they can only attack orthogonally, which leads to some strange situations.  Secondly, there are NO RANGED WEAPONS!  Consequently, your ranged offense is entirely limited to magical attacks from your Priest and Magician.  Thirdly, there are no sounds in the game.  While this actually helps in the exploration phase of the game (there are short well-written statements which add to the atmosphere), in combat the absence is noticeable.

Not known for fantasy games, Brøderbund commissioned and published "Dark Heart of Uukrul" to cash in on the popularity of CRPGs such as Wizardry and Ultima.  However, the game was a commercial failure with only 5000 sales (of which I was one).  Nevertheless, something of a cult following has developed over the years.

This is another game that isn't for everyone but if you are looking for a challenging dungeon crawler in the best Old School tradition and if you are willing overlook its shortcomings, "Dark Heart of Uukrul" just might be right for you.

RPG Design: Proficiencies v. Feats

This week, I wanted to compare and contrast two mechanics from different editions of Dungeons & Dragons used in character creation  and development: Proficiencies v. Feats.

By "proficiencies," I'm referring weapon proficiencies in the 1st and 2nd editions of AD&D, which determined how well a PC used particular weapons.  There were also non-weapon proficiencies, but they operated rather differently and are outside the scope of this discussion.

Weapon proficiencies were a significant departure from the approach of Original Dungeons & Dragons and the Basic lines.  In those versions, all classes could, by default, use all permissible weapons without penalty.  So, for example, a Cleric could wield a Mace, Hammer, Flail, Club or Staff equally well from the start.  By contrast, in AD&D1 and AD&D2, a 1st level Cleric was only proficient in two permissible weapons and had a -3 To-Hit penalty when using the others.

I understand why some people are unhappy about the change.  However, the reason that I've adopted weapon proficiencies for my rules set, Sorcery & Steel, is because of a further development in Unearthed Arcana (1985), namely Weapon Specialization, which allowed Fighters to invest additional weapon proficiencies for additional bonuses.  This is one of the few things that I liked from UA.

While I allow all classes to Weapon Specialize and to go beyond Double Specialization, I use this mechanic to make Fighters pop as a class,  since they have the most weapon proficiencies to invest.  This makes them clearly the best at general combat at higher levels.  Conversely, I also use weapon proficiencies to make Magic-Users both tougher and more versatile at lower levels, by giving them many more initial weapon proficiencies and many more additional weapon proficiencies as they level.

Only one starting weapon proficiency?

Since their introduction in 3rd edition D&D (2000), feats are a markedly different way to improve and customize PCs: feats are much broader than proficiencies and can give a character many different kinds of special capabilities (e.g., Deft Hands, Enlarge Spell, Investigator, etc.).  I feel the addition of feats reflects the influence of computer RPGs, such as the all-time great Fallout (1997), whose Perks grant also special effects, most of which are not obtainable via the normal level up system.

Feats are also one of the mechanics that shifted the power level of 3rd edition D&D from heroic to super heroic.

Some people liked this shift.  However, it does add to the GM's burden and the increased power level for a D&D-type game breaks verisimilitude for me.

Feats also don't work as well at the tabletop because of the additional complexity since this adds a layer of number crunching on top of the skill system and since some feats add additional subsystems.  Additionally, many feats are linked together into feat trees but not all feat trees are equal.  So, this incentivizes players to spend hours pouring over long lists of feats to find optimal combinations.

This also encourages players to plan their PCs levels in advance.  Some people like this mini-game.  However, my tastes run toward faster and more casual gameplay.

Movie Review: Ninja Scroll (1993)

[NB- this post is a slightly revised version of one that I published earlier]

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to I wanted to give a shout out to my favorite animated film of all time, Ninja Scroll:

Better known in its native Japan as "獣兵衛忍風帖," Ninja Scroll is a stunning accomplishment.  Visually breathtaking, with a dark, twisted mystery and a tough-as-nails protagonist that would make Raymond Chandler proud and filled with explosive action, rich details, a wry sense of humor and interesting characters, this is a great story.  Full stop.

The plot follows wandering adventurer Kimagabei Jubei (牙神 獣兵衛), as he inadvertently becomes embroiled in a plot by an old enemy that will determine the fate of Japan.  Ninja Scroll has ninjas, samurai, super spies, demons, dark sorcery, and even pirates (sort of).  The only thing it doesn't have is a scroll.

As far as I can tell, that's the ONLY problem with Ninja Scroll.  Blending fiction and historical fact, the film is set in a well realized Fantasy Japan that's logical and internally consistent.  This logical bent extends to the superb character design, where the characters' skills and abilities make internal sense, are consistent, and sometimes take the story in unexpected directions.  Furthermore, the characters' flaws and foibles make them three-dimensional and relatable and also take the story in unexpected directions as well.

Writer/Director Kawajiri Yoshiaki's (川尻 善昭) attention to detail is outstanding and pays off in really inventive ways, such as the wire connected to Jubei's sword.  Also, the various plots within plots would make Frank Herbert proud.

Even if characters and the story were dumb (which, thankfully, is not the case), the fight scenes themselves are worth the price of admission.  As Jubei and his unexpected companions, Kagero and Dakuan, battle the Eight Devils of Kimon (鬼門八人衆), combat features gory splatterfests, chess-like strategy, clever misdirection and just about everything in between.  Jubei may be  a master swordsman and ninja, but the Devils of Kimon have him clearly outgunned and our reluctant hero only manages to triumph through various combinations of trickery, teamwork and luck.  Fight choreography is uniformly excellent.

As fair warning, Ninja Scroll does feature more than a little graphic sexual content, but such is part of the story and never simply for the cheesecake factor.  Personally, I think it adds to the sense of this bold, no-holds barred style of storytelling.

I've loved this movie to bits ever since it was released on VHS.  And the quality of the art and the story is such that it still holds up well after more than two decades.  Truly a masterwork!

RPG Events: TotalCon 2017

Last week, I attended this year's TotalCon!

Short for "Total Confusion," TotalCon is New England's largest game convention, with hundreds of scheduled events over four days, including role-playing games, live action role-playing, miniature games and board games.  After a long period in Mansfield, MA, this year's convention was held in Marlborough, MA, but it was still a great time!  Some of the highlights for me included:

• Playing B1 In Search of the Unknown!

B1 In Search of the Unknown is both the original teaching module and is one of the most widely played RPG adventures of all time, being included in a number of printings of both the Holmes and Moldvay Basic D&D Sets.  Written for introductory DMs and players, B1 is a traditional dungeon crawl filled with tricks and traps to spur the minds of beginners.  A number of the rooms are deliberately left blank by Mike Carr, the author, to encourage DMs to think about dungeon design.  Whether this DYI approach is a feature or bug depends on your point of view.

While I've owned B1 for years, this was my first opportunity to actually play the module.  As an  exploration of a dangerous and weird locale, B1 is fun and still a challenge even for veteran players on the lookout for trouble.  Also, while not a meat grinder per se, a few of the PCs still died in the name of loot!

Old School!

• Playing with Frank Mentzer!

I started with the Mentzer Basic D&D Set and so it was awesome for me to actually play in a game with Messr Mentzer himself as DM.  He was kind, warm and gracious but he did, however, put a quick end to the hero worship stuff ("Just call me Frank").

The Mentzer Basic D&D Set is even more clearly written and even easier to understand than the Holmes and Moldvay Basic D&D Sets, making it ideal for younger audiences, such as myself back in the day.  Consequently, the Mentzer Basic D&D Set is still one of the best introductions to role-playing.  In fact, there was a player at our game who'd never done any role-playing before and Frank was able to get her up to speed in a flash!

I told Frank I spent quite of bit of time in the intro adventure to his Basic Set trying to save poor Aleena the Cleric, to no avail.  He replied that it was a deliberate design decision to bring home the point that 1) adventuring is dangerous business and 2) that RPGs are fantasy (not real life).

The adventure itself was a hugely fun time, a riff on  L. Frank Baum's Oz stories (not just the Wizard of Oz, but the later tales as well).  Frank also filled the session with many great stories about the early games of gaming and of TSR!


So, if you ever find yourself in Massachusetts at the end of February and have the urge to game, you should make time to come to TotalCon!  After 31 years, they are still going strong.  This is a well organized and run convention, with friendly and helpful staff, and it's always a blast to attend.  Plus, it's relatively inexpensive, so you get a lot for your $$.

Subject to unforeseen circumstances, I'll be there again next year!

Literature Review: "The Book of Three" (1964)

While this blog is primarily focused on Sword & Sorcery, I am carving out an exception for this most beloved of all High Fantasy and Young Adult works.  So, this week, in honor of Lloyd Alexander's birthday on January 30th, I wanted to discuss the first book in my favorite fantasy series when I was growing up, "The Book of Three" from "The Chronicles of Prydain":

By "favorite," I mean that I liked in grade school the Chronicles of Prydain more than any other fantasy work, including the Lord of the Rings.  To me, it was far easier to relate to being and empathize with an Assistant Pig-Keeper than a hobbit or a Dúnadan ranger.  Now than I'm older, I appreciate and respect LoTR better but Prydain will always have a dear place in my heart.

Speaking of both series, Messr Alexander has sometimes been accused of ripping off Professor Tolkien's Middle Earth works but, in fact, both Prydain and Middle Earth draw inspiration from a number of the same myths and folktales, most notably the Mabinogion.

"The Book of Three" begins with an orphan named Taran who is on the cusp of manhood and who yearns to become a great hero.  Unfortunately for him, he's stuck on a remote farm that's also home to his guardians, retired soldier Coll and the great wizard Dalben.  Taran is rather full of youthful arrogance and more than a bit bratty and naïve, which sounds more than a bit like this guy:

While Taran is grousing and daydreaming, Coll puts him in charge of Hen Wen, the oracular white pig.  Unfortunately, that same day,  Hen Wen runs away, despite Taran's best efforts, because she is realizes she is being hunted by the Horned King, the war leader of the Dark Lord Arawn!

Taran heads after Hen Wen to try to get her back and runs smack dab into his hero, the High Prince Gwydion!  An unexpected adventure ensues and, on the way, he meets various companions, faces darkness and danger, encounters extraordinary beings and learns that "being a hero" is rather different from his daydreaming.

"The Book of Three" an epic story of the struggle against a Dark Lord but is also filled with understandable and memorable characters facing very human problems.  Like Ursula K. Le Guin's wonderful "Wizard of Earth Sea" (which I discussed last year), "The Book of Three" creates a brilliantly realized fantasy world yet the writing is also sophisticated and the characters are grounded.

Messr Alexander is able to retain the fairy tale elements whilst also giving us characters who feel pain and yearning.  The best and most touching part of the book, IMHO, is at the end when maturity begins to dawn upon Taran, who, when asked about what reward he would like, chooses to leave childish things behind and merely wishes to return home.

For lovers of fantasy and young adult literature, "The Book of Three" and, indeed, the rest of the Chronicles of Prydain are must reads.  The Chronicles of Prydain was the first American fantasy work to win the respect of British critics and is arguably the first series of fantasy  novels.  It is also one of the first works of children's literature that presents an ongoing, multi-part story that unfolds over many years.

As a quick introduction, here is the The Chronicles of Prydain segment from the excellent recent Lloyd Alexander documentary:

RPG Game Play: Plot v. Sandbox

A couple months ago, I discussed the importance of the group putting a "social contract" in place, preferably before play begins.  This week, I wanted to focus on a key part of that discussion, determining what type of campaign that everyone wants to play: Plot v. Sandbox.

By "Plot v. Sandbox," I'm referring to how and to how much a particular campaign is scripted in advance by the GM, whether that is metaplot, side quests, other events, setting, factions and NPCs (and their goals), etc.  This is a major area of fun and creativity for many GMs, myself included.

In terms of "Plot v. Sandbox," every campaign falls somewhere on the spectrum between purely plot-driven games/campaigns (whether that's certain pre-printed modules (*cough*Dragonlance*cough*) or certain New School games (e.g., a story game) or whatever) and pure sandbox campaigns (when the GM simply populates an area, and where if there's a story at all, it's emergent from actual play).  A number of Old School modules and products are widely regarded as sandboxes, and often the loudest proponents of sandbox play are the grognards.

On one extreme, if the GM takes active steps to keep the players on his preferred metaplot, this is often referred to "railroading".  Some players may enjoy the ride but railroading is frowned upon when the GM takes away the players' agency.

Can you hear Tracy Hickman's dice hitting the table?

On the other extreme, if the players in a sandbox are unable to drive the action and simply wander around aimlessly, I like to call this a "desert".

I specifically wanted to highlight this issue in this blog post since it's no fun if the GM invests significant time and energy to set up a campaign and the players decide to do something completely different but it's no fun if the players are forced to follow the GM's whims.

There's no one right answer for all groups but any answer that's fun for the GM and the players may be the right answer for that group.  And it is usually best to work out this issue in advance as part of the group's social contract.

In my own games, my players are prefer to leave control of the narrative to me.  So, I usually come up with broad ideas and a handful of plot points and improvise the rest based on the PCs' decisions.     I try leave choices up to the players as much as possible.  The NPCs have their own things going on and will succeed unless the PCs decide to intervene.

If the PCs decide not to interact with something I've planned, it's not a big deal.  I can usually recycle part or all of it at a later date.

Let me know what works for your games!