Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas time, gaming updates and the New Year

Hello all, I hope you all had a great holiday season.  I am doing well, having gained much loot from the family and friends.

As far as gaming goes, my Sunday Temple group didn't play again...they tried out a concept game I had kicking around in my head.  The basic premise was that the player's rolled up three stats, a BODY, MIND and SOUL.  They didn't get much in the way of personality, I wanted them to develop it as they played.  Also, they didn't get any kind of skill.  They "woke up" with one goal in mind, a mountain they had never seen before, with a bright shining light coming from it.

I had this in my head since watching the first few minutes of game play from a PS3 title named Journey.  It looks interesting and might try to pick it when it comes out.

The other thing I took from this video game was finding runes that, in the game help you fly.  In my game, they unlocked bits and pieces of the PC's mind, allowing them to gain skills in whatever they wanted.  Allowing them to build their character from the ground up.  I was using a hodgepodge of Microlite d20, a touch of Tri-Stat and just flying by the seat of my pants.

This idea was originally for solo play with individuals and then eventually getting them in a group.  Yet, I ran it with two people and I think it worked out better that way.  Starting people as a group, all of them trying to figure out what is going on and what they are doing.  And, above all, trying to get enough supplies to survive.

In other news, I am seriously thinking of trying to start up a ConstantCon game.  I shall keep everyone posted.  It will be OD&D or LotFP rules.  As far as what I will be using, I want to use the world I have created for my 2E game.  Yet, the issue is that in that game: No elves: Elves look much like those from the movie Hellboy 2.  They are seven feet tall and magical things.  One out I could see is that the PC elf could be considered a half-elf, using the same magic-user/fighter stuff elves get from the OD&D/LotFP rules.  Plus, one of the main bad guys is a drow.  I guess I could make him a full Elf instead and have him have complete contempt for any half-elf PCs.  Or, I could have a different NPC become the BBEG and not even worry about it.

Other thing is the main plot arch.  I will have to see if the players like it or not.

And, on a final note, I have been thinking of the old module Temple of Elemental Evil.  What would happen if instead of having all of the evil cultists in the temple, they are spread out?  They have taken up for different cities, each of which reflects one of the four aspects of the elemental nature/connection to the nodes?  Would that be to much?  Something to ponder about.

Have a great week everyone.  I hope to be back soon.  (I'm moving so it might take me some time to get back to the blog.)

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Sorry, no podcast...and ideas on the horizon

Sorry, there will be no podcast this week.  Yes, if you come here for the podcast last weeks was horrible.  I have fired the sound engineer--myself.  Next week, we will go back to Dave being the one in charge of such things.  (If you want to know the reason for the podcast not being up, jump to the end of the blog.)

For any of you that didn't hear--read last time, I was in a Constantcon event with Evan from In Places Deep.  (This link will take you to the write-up I did of the session, which was fun.)  After using Google Plus, I have found that there is a neat way get together with friends online and play.

A quick side-note.  I was talking about this last night to my players and one of them, Josh, mentioned in a sarcastic manner that this has been going on for awhile through Skype, through Ventrillo and through other things like AIM and other chat programs.  I agree.  It is much like when a "discovery" is made about gaming, a way of working a theme into a novel or story, or heck even art, the generation that discovers it think they are trailblazers.  It is simply how people are built.

Moving on, the whole idea of Constantcon (a quick link to the blog maintained for the event if any readers want to jump on board with it) has me thinking about trying to do a campaign through it.  It means making sure that players are there week after week, yet availability might be a touch better since if the player is home and has a few hours to kill it might be able to get done instead of having to drive to someone's house.

Anyway, there are two games I am thinking of trying to get a campaign for.  One would be using the LotFP rules, just because they are easy and widely available.  Heck, Raggi has it for free over at his blog.  (Just go to the sidebar on the left hand side and there is a link to the grindhouse rules.)

Another reason I would use these rules is they are very simply and could be houseruled with easy.  I am always in favor of houseruling things.  I would have to have it on my blog about houserules, which I could easily do...And have to if I want to run a successful event.

The other idea is to run a sci-fi game using the Stars Without Number rule set.  I was looking over it and was amazed at how easy the rules are.  Also, the rule set is free if you want to get a pdf version.  Mongoose printed out a hardback ruleset.  It added aliens and starships to the mix, not sure if it was worth the price, yet I am someone who prefers to read off a bound copy of something instead of off a computer screen.

I will talk more about these future games on the blog.  For now, I will close with the reason we didn't have a podcast...

My group has for the last few weeks been floundering in game.  A goblin horde destroyed the city they were in, their quest items have disappeared and they are confused as to what is going on.  Last night we also finally had everyone together.  For about an hour, we sat around and had to discuss what was going on.  The group was heated because they had no idea what was going on.  They felt as though they were being dragged through events instead of moving the events forward.  I maintain that they caused this themselves, and they did realize it.  Yet things did need to get hashed out.  I do hope things have been resolved because it has bogged down the game to the point where I was ready to up and quit.

I didn't though and today I am glad I didn't.  After a full nights sleep it what seems like a long time, I have new ideas to spin out for the group that should be interesting.  I will keep you all appraised of it.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

ConstantCon report

So, earlier today I took part in my very first ConstantCon event.  It was put on by Evan in his Nightwick Abbey setting.  I gave it a write up--scored an extra 100 xp doing it--and had fun.  I think it would have been better had I actually had my mic with me, but I made things work with the chat function of Google+ hangout.

I must say, I loved the game.  It also got me thinking about trying to run my own ConstantCon game.  Yet, I want to run one that would have a greater chance of keeping the same group of people playing.  I will ponder it some more and keep you up to date.

In my own game, we had some issues that I hope to cover on the next podcast the group does.  Until then...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Podcast

Here is the link to out next podcast!  Be back soon for an actual podcast.