Literature Review: "Beowulf" (~1000)

This week, I want give a shout out to the greatest work of Old English literature, the epic poem about the legendary Scandinavian warrior king: "Beowulf":

"Beowulf" is a classic tale of the triumph of good over evil, whose titular character bravely faces monstrous foes time and again.  One of the earliest recognizable High Fantasy adventure yarns, in "Beowulf," our hero is a Geatish prince who sails to the aid of King Hrothgar of the Danes, whose realm is plagued by the monster Grendel.

Eschewing weapons because he wants a fair fight, Beowulf takes on Grendel hand-to-hand and rips off the poor bastard's arm!  Grendel flees and bleeds out.  Grendel's Mother seeks revenge, killing  Hrothgar's most loyal fighter, so our hero takes her out, as well.  Beowulf refuses kingship of the Danes and returns to his home, becoming king of his own people.  A half century later, a fearsome dragon threatens the kingdom and Beowulf, despite being an old man at this point, rides out for one last job.

Originally passed down through oral tradition, "Beowulf" was transcribed to manuscript form by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet, referred to by scholars as the "Beowulf poet".  Although the epic poem was actually written down sometime around 1000 AD, the action takes place throughout much of the 6th century.  The poem blends both fact and fiction for entertainment purposes, including actual people and events, such as the Battle on the Ice of Lake Vänern.

When I note that "Beowulf" is a "epic poem," I don't just mean that it is a poem that is epic, but rather "epic poem" is a literature term of art:

"a long narrative poem celebrating heroic deeds, and events significant to a culture or nation."

An epic poem, of course, requires an "epic hero": a brave and noble hero with superhuman abilities who embodies traits that are important to their culture.  Other epic heroes include Achilles and Roland.

A key figure in the literary analysis of "Beowulf" is none other than Oxford scholar J. R. R. Tolkien (who, of course, in his spare time wrote the definitive high fantasy works "The Hobbit" (1937) and "The Lord of the Rings" (1954)), who noted the epic poem's place in the cultural history of Britain.  This, in turn, helped to re-popularize this ancient yarn.

It's no surprise that the good professor was a fan of "Beowulf".  For example, Tolkien said that the Dragon in Beowulf is one of only two *true* dragons in all of literature - the other being Fafnir.  It's also no surprise that "Beowulf" was a source of inspiration for the good professor.  For example, the Dragon in Beowulf responds to the theft of one of its shinies by going on a murderous rampage throughout the countryside...  In addition, "Beowulf" continues to inspire adaptations and reinterpretations even a millennium later.

So, if you are a fan of adventure, High Fantasy or fantasy generally, Norse mythology and culture, or history generally, you owe it to yourself to check out the adventures of one of the first dragon slayers, Beowulf!

RPG Design: The Magic-User Class

First of all, I'd like to say this blog is now a year old, so yay!

Next, last year, I discussed two of the Core Four Classes of tabletop role-playing, the Thief and the Cleric.  Today, I wanted to give a shout out to probably the most challenging and the most unbalanced of the Core Four Classes, the Magic-User:

Magic is fundamental to much of fantasy literature and Magicians are some of the most iconic and archetypal characters of the genre (e.g., Merlin, Gandalf, Circe, etc.).  However, "Magic-User" as used in Dungeons & Dragons (and similar games), has a specific meaning: someone with a specialized ability to cast certain kinds of magic while at the same time being relatively weak at combat (e.g., low hit points, poor weapon choices, no armor, etc.).  So, other games, such as Exalted  (2001) or REIGN (2006), don't really have "Magic-Users" per se since all PCs use or have the potential to use magic.

Magic-Users in Old School D&D (and similar games) start out significantly underpowered at low levels compared to other classes (with only a single Level 1 spell per day at 1st level- no cantrips or at-will powers!) and become significantly overpowered at high levels.  As an example of the former, there's the classic meme of 1st level Magic-Users being killed by house cats.

However, as they level up, D&D-style Magic-Users'  spells become ever more powerful, up to and including altering reality itself, and more numerous (an 18th level Magic-User can cast 34 spells, including Wish).  As a result, their magical strength starts to eclipse their physical weakness around 5th level, particularly with the introduction of spells like Fireball and Lighting Bolt.

Indeed, past a certain point, high level Magic-Users can make the rest of the party (in their specialized roles) redundant.

From early on in RPG history, it was clear that linear fighter-quadratic wizard was an issue.  For example, Supplement I: Greyhawk (1975), published only a year after OD&D, introduces Exceptional Strength for Fighters, which is effectively a patch to help balance the two classes.

IMHO, this was a poor design decision that led to increasing stat inflation.  For example, in AD&D1, many people really didn't want to play a Fighter with less than Strength 18.  However, if you use 4d6 Drop Lowest, arrange to suit, to roll your ability scores, there's only a 9.34% chance to get at least one 18 out of six rolls.

And yet there was a striking number of Fighters with 18 Exceptional Strength...

Of course, by AD&D1, there's also stat inflation for Magic-Users:

Like Fighter players, many, many Magic-User players did not want to play gimped characters.  Consequently there was a striking number of Magic-Users with high Intelligence scores...

However, regardless of the drawbacks of low level Magic-Users, they are still quite fun to play.  It's super cool to be able to ignore the laws of physics.  Low level Magic-Users can also really push you to up your player skill, as you figure out ways to contribute to the party outside of your spells.

If you are interested playing a Magic-User, you should check first with your DM as house rules can have a huge impact.  For example, a fairly common AD&D1 house rule is to give Magic-Users with high Intelligence bonus spells, like Clerics with high Wisdom.

Gamebook Review: "Bloodfeud of Altheus" (1985)

Last year, I discussed the seminal Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) series of gamebooks and the legendary Lone Wolf series by Joe Dever.  Today, I wanted to look at another excellent, if under appreciated, RPG gamebook, the first entry in the Cretan Chronicles trilogy, "Bloodfeud of Altheus":

In the days of yore, I spent many, many hours pouring over the ancient tales from Greek mythology: the trials of mighty Heracles, the battles of the Trojan War, the foibles of various mortals and deities, the general dickishness of Zeus.  One of my favorite yarns was the story of Theseus and the dreaded Minotaur, so it's not surprising that I took a shine to this series.

In the Cretan Chronicles, things went a bit differently- Theseus has been slain at the heart of the labyrinth of Minos!  It falls to his younger brother Altheus, played by you, to finish Theseus' quest and to seek vengeance for your fallen kin.

Traveling through mythic Greece, you strive to prove yourself a true Achaean hero as you face numerous challenges, mortal and otherwise.  The gamebook also rewards knowledge of Greek mythology, as a number of familiar names pop up.

The Cretan Chronicles series is perhaps the best blending of rules and setting in a gamebook.  Unlike other gamebook series, which mostly used generic rules, the Cretan Chronicles attempted to model  the feel and pathos of Greek mythology.  For example, in "Bloodfeud of Altheus," you are supposed to role-play the titular character in a suitably heroic manner.

To "encourage" such, there's the infamous Honor/Shame mechanic, where you gain Honor points for honorable actions and you also gain Shame points for (you guessed it) shameful actions.  Most notably, you were supposed to kill yourself if your Shame exceeded your Honor- and if you didn't Zeus does it for you with a thunderbolt!

Respect My Authoritah!

This gamebook is also notable for its hint mechanic.  At numerous points in the story, you have the option of performing a non-standard action.  Be wary, for if you choose to do something that No Greek Hero would do, you will be penalized!  In addition, the book's notion of what is appropriate for a Greek Hero is sometimes very arbitrary and even bizarre- a great emulation of the source material!

Another nice detail is your relationships with six different gods and goddesses.  You select a Patron deity among them, each of which has different in-game effects, and are Favored/Neutral/Disfavored by the rest, which affects your story at various points.

So, if you are a fan of Greek myths and/or Old School gaming, grab your sword, slip on your himation and read this gamebook- or die of Shame!

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.

Movie Review: Hercules (2014)

This week, I wanted to give a shout out to an under appreciated film that's the best Sword & Sandal romp in recent years, "Hercules":

While it did reasonably well at the box office and it does have flaws, Hercules, in my humble opinion, still hasn't gotten quite the love I think it deserves.

I'm not trying to suggest that Hercules belongs in the same category as a Gladiator (2000) or a Conan the Barbarian (1982), but as a popcorn action flick, it is more than serviceable.  Based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars, our story finds Hercules (played by the Rock) after he has completed his twelve legendary labors: Banished from Athens, he sells his sword (well, club actually, which is pretty neat since that's an underrepresented heroic weapon) for coin.  Lord Cotys of Thrace offers Hercules his weight in gold and hijinks ensue.

As you might expect, director Brett Ratner is workmanlike, and the work behind the camera is competent but not particularly noteworthy.  Set and costume design are better, and I particularly like that the film's use of CGI is more limited and subtle than it might otherwise be.  The action is solid and worth the price of admission, as is the writing, which never has any eye rolling or groan worthy moments.

Even better is the cast: Of note is Ian McShane chewing scenery with relish, but I particularly liked Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), who apparently spent 6 months training for the movie and is absolutely jacked (selling the physicality of the titular role).  Additionally, Messr Johnson's acting has come light years from The Scorpion King, to the point where Hercules' pathos is reasonably believable.


[SPOILER SPACE]


[SPOILER SPACE]


[SPOILER SPACE]


[SPOILER SPACE]


[SPOILER SPACE]


I know that some people were disappointed by the "twist" that Hercules is a mere mortal (though, some of his onscreen feats belie that point) and his "legendary labors" were actually military missions undertaken by he and his team and then embellished by his PR guy.  However, that didn't bother me: conversely, I thought it was an interesting and refreshing take on the character.

Plus, the movie, at its core, is a classic D&D adventure: a group of adventurers meet in a tavern, face trials and tribulations, and eventually defeat the evil king.

So, if you're looking for a ripping Sword & Sandal yarn, you could do worse than this movie.  In fact, you need go no further than the other Hercules film released that summer.

RPG Design: Random Number Generation

Last year, I discussed the contrasting merits of using Point Buy or Random Roll for a character creation system.  This week, I wanted to expand that discussion to talk about Random Number Generation (or RNG, for short) in tabletop RPGs design generally.

Praise RNGesus!

To me, how one feels about RNG in tabletop RPGs is a key dividing line between "Old School" and "New School" thought for RPG Design.  IMHO, the further a rules set travels from RNG, the more New School it becomes.  Specifically, I'm talking about game mechanics that alter/revoke the raw numbers, like Fate Points or similar in-game  metacurrency, which directly override RNG.  Poorly designed Fate Point economies can unbalance or otherwise disrupt a game, but that's a whole other discussion.

I'm also talking about addition roll mechanics as well, such as Pushing in 7e "Call of Cthulhu" (2014) or Advantage/Disadvantage in 5e "Dungeons & Dragons" (2014):

"Advantage reflects the positive circumstances surrounding a d20 roll, while disadvantage reflects the opposite. When you have either advantage or disadvantage, you roll a second d20 when you make the roll. Use the higher of the two rolls if you have advantage, and use the lower roll if you have disadvantage. For example, if you have disadvantage and roll a 17 and a 5, you use the 5. If you instead have advantage and roll those numbers, you use the 17."

And, of course, this includes games with NO randomizer, such as "Amber" (1991).

Thus, I'm talking about games that by design will revoke/alter/supplant the raw result of a randomizer, usually in favor of player driven narrative.  Consequently, the more important narrative is to an RPG's design, the more likely it falls under New School.

By contrast, in my mind, there are few things that scream "Old School" more than RNG, whether it's the pain from a terrible roll (or vice versa) or the shock (or glee) from an unexpected result.    Like   "New School" and narrative, RNG is, IMHO, a signature of "Old School" games.

The appeal of RNG isn't hard to understand.  Basically, it's a form of gambling and has that same neurological effect.  This effect is multiplied for critical successes/failures:

Big money!  Big money!

Not everyone is a fan of criticals, though.  Gary Gygax, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, vociferously opposed critical successes in The Dragon #16 (1978):

"The “critical hit” or “double damage” on a “to hit” die roll of 20 is particularly offensive to the precepts of D&D...the point must be made that whole game system is perverted, and the game possibly ruined, by the inclusion of “instant death” rules, be they aimed at monsters or characters...“instant death” no longer allows participants to use judgement when playing."

Of course, Gygax's shifting from “double damage” to “instant death” in the above quotation is an example of the classic logical fallacy of moving the goal posts.  The great majority disagreed with Gygax and it is unsurprising that many RPGs nowadays have some kind of mechanic for criticals.

Of course, what one hand giveth, the other can take away and the results of a bad die roll can be extremely harsh, up to and including instadeath.  A major reason that many people play RPGs is wish fulfillment.  Consequently, it can be painful to have something terrible happen to one's personal avatar.  The difference between "Old School" and "New School" is that the former typically more readily accepts setbacks and failures as a part of the game, up to and including instadeath.

Many New Schoolers, however, have a problem with this "Old School" approach, which probably reflects changing expectations.  Back in the days of yore, players were far less coddled.  If the Dice Gods produced a result that was unfortunate but otherwise fair, you were supposed to suck it up and keep on trucking.

Given the above, it's probably not surprising that Sorcery & Steel, my rules set, only uses either RNG or GM rulings.  Again, maintaining Old School D&D roots is a key design goal.

Culture: Code of Hammurabi (1754 BC)

Law is a cornerstone of civilization.  So, this week I wanted to give a shout out to one of the oldest and most influential law texts of all time, the Code of Hammurabi:

Officially consisting of 282 laws (although there is no 13th Law because, then as now, the number 13 was considered to be unlucky), the Code of Hammurabi is a monumental achievement.  Not only is the Code both one of the earliest forms of law and one of the earliest examples of lengthy writing, it stands for the notion that human behavior should be regulated with justice and fairness (for example, the Code contains one of the earliest examples of the presumption of innocence), although Babylonian notions of "justice" and "fairness" were different from modern views.

In addition, the Code supported the notion that the law is meant to be open and accessible: the Code was written in Akkadian, the daily language of Babylon, and was inscribed on a stele and placed out in public, so any literate person could read it.   Over half of the Code covers commercial transactions, and a third deals with family matters but the text is far ranging and it also is one of the earliest examples of a fundamental law (i.e., a constitution).  

Named after the great Babylonian king who extended Babylon's control throughout Mesopotamia, the Code of Hammurabi was enacted because Hammurabi had conquered many disparate peoples and wanted to have a uniform set of laws to help administer and unify his new empire.

One of the most famous (and misunderstood) laws in the Code is #196: "If a man destroy the eye of another man, they shall destroy his eye."  However, the purpose of the law was to *RESTRICT* compensation to the value of the loss.  Thus, it is more accurately read as "only one eye for one eye."

My favorite law from the Code is #5:

If a judge try a case, reach a decision, and present his judgment in writing; if later error shall appear in his decision, and it be through his own fault, then he shall pay twelve times the fine set by him in the case, and he shall be publicly removed from the judge's bench, and never again shall he sit there to render judgement.

Government accountability is always a good thing.

Written nearly four millennia ago, the Code of Hammurabi has long since passed into the public domain and several English-language translations can be found here.