There are many answers to this question, depending on what type of game I am running.
Heroic action/adventure or Space Opera/Science Fantasy goes to WEGd6, now freely available online.
Perfect for that Star Wars game you are wanting to run, or that 1920s-1940s against the Nazi's game. Also works extremely well with a lost world type of setting set in the jungle.
Sword and Sorcery definitely goes to the Talislanta system for its simplicity and magic system.
The ease of creating spells, the elegance of the system...absolutely adore it. I have been using the Talislanta system for all of my fantasy games since the release of 3rd edition D&D.
SLA Industries has a system that I have always found worked perfectly for the game itself, and I have always felt the same in regards to D&D, AD&D and now D&D 5th edition.
I am of the persuasion that the system has to fit the setting. SLA Industries and the 3 versions of D&D I like have systems that fit those settings, and no other system is going to work.
Showing posts with label Star Wars RPG. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Star Wars RPG. Show all posts
Monday, August 18, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
RPGaDay12: Old RPG Still Read/Play
Easy question.
Dungeons and Dragons, Talislanta, Star Frontiers, Star Wars (WEGd6), Torg, StarAce, Chill, Dark Conspiracy, Kult, Macho Women With Guns...
Okay, easy question, hard to answer.
I read all of the games I own, they are a constant source of inspiration for me. Sometimes I will use them as source material for an adventure/session, or at least for the basic plot.
Some of my craziest ideas come from mixing games together. For example, Keep on the Borderlands from D&D becomes a BPN in SLA Industries to remove gangers from an area of Downtown. The Keep itself is the local SHIVER waystation. The same module can be used in Talislanta. The Keep is one of the outposts in the Wilderlands and you are removing a Raknid infestation.
For me, a RPG book has never been a game, it has been a supplement for whatever game I am running.
Dungeons and Dragons, Talislanta, Star Frontiers, Star Wars (WEGd6), Torg, StarAce, Chill, Dark Conspiracy, Kult, Macho Women With Guns...
Okay, easy question, hard to answer.
I read all of the games I own, they are a constant source of inspiration for me. Sometimes I will use them as source material for an adventure/session, or at least for the basic plot.
Some of my craziest ideas come from mixing games together. For example, Keep on the Borderlands from D&D becomes a BPN in SLA Industries to remove gangers from an area of Downtown. The Keep itself is the local SHIVER waystation. The same module can be used in Talislanta. The Keep is one of the outposts in the Wilderlands and you are removing a Raknid infestation.
For me, a RPG book has never been a game, it has been a supplement for whatever game I am running.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
RPGaDay10: Favorite Tie-In Novel/Game Fiction
I love the fiction in most games, it seems to add a quick break while reading the rules and at the same time provides a look into the vision that the creators of the game have for it.
Vampire, SLA Industries, Star Wars (WEG) and Talislanta would not be the games they are without the fiction in the pages of the books.
As far as novels go, I did really enjoy the Dark Elf and Icewindale trilogies from RA Salvatore. Those were, however, the only truly gaming related fiction I ever read.
I read the Xanth books, the Shannara series, the Complete Book of Swords and many other non-game related books that have a distinct effect on the games I run, but they do not qualify for the tie-in.
While I feel that the fiction is important, I do prefer either the flash fiction or the short stories in the gaming books over a full-blown novel. My attention is on the game, my players and my NPCs and I try to stay focused on that. Also, I would much rather produce ideas from the books themselves than novels related to the game.
Vampire, SLA Industries, Star Wars (WEG) and Talislanta would not be the games they are without the fiction in the pages of the books.
As far as novels go, I did really enjoy the Dark Elf and Icewindale trilogies from RA Salvatore. Those were, however, the only truly gaming related fiction I ever read.
I read the Xanth books, the Shannara series, the Complete Book of Swords and many other non-game related books that have a distinct effect on the games I run, but they do not qualify for the tie-in.
While I feel that the fiction is important, I do prefer either the flash fiction or the short stories in the gaming books over a full-blown novel. My attention is on the game, my players and my NPCs and I try to stay focused on that. Also, I would much rather produce ideas from the books themselves than novels related to the game.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
RPGaDay9: Favorite Die/Dice Set
With multiple dice around, and various games requiring different types, I still find myself grabbing d10s and d6s for just about everything.
Goes to figure, my 3 favorite systems are WEGd6, SLA Industries (2d10) and Talislanta (d20).
I used to have a sizable collection of dice, and when Vampire was released I actually bought $10.00 worth of translucent orange d10s.
Over the years they have mostly disappeared, but I still have a few left.
My current favorites are my blue marblized d20, my black/silver marblized d10s and my white/black pip d6s (simple, easy to read, and cheap!).
My all time favorite dice: My Dice.
I cannot stand using other peoples dice. It has nothing to do with any type of superstition, or germs, or anything like that. I just like to bring my own dice. I feel it is my responsibility as a player/GM to come prepared to the game.
This includes: pencil, paper, book (if possible) and, above all, dice.
I also expect the same from my players/GMs. I hate having to loan out dice, that is why so many of my dice have gone missing over the years.
New players are an exception, I expect to provide them with anything they need to play. If they decide to continue with RPGs, they can get their own dice at that time.
Goes to figure, my 3 favorite systems are WEGd6, SLA Industries (2d10) and Talislanta (d20).
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| Different Dice |
Over the years they have mostly disappeared, but I still have a few left.
My current favorites are my blue marblized d20, my black/silver marblized d10s and my white/black pip d6s (simple, easy to read, and cheap!).
My all time favorite dice: My Dice.
I cannot stand using other peoples dice. It has nothing to do with any type of superstition, or germs, or anything like that. I just like to bring my own dice. I feel it is my responsibility as a player/GM to come prepared to the game.
This includes: pencil, paper, book (if possible) and, above all, dice.
I also expect the same from my players/GMs. I hate having to loan out dice, that is why so many of my dice have gone missing over the years.
New players are an exception, I expect to provide them with anything they need to play. If they decide to continue with RPGs, they can get their own dice at that time.
Friday, August 8, 2014
RPGaDay8: Favorite Character
I do not have one.
I suffer from two major drawbacks in this area: 1) all of my characters are my favorites, 2) I used to move around a lot, and due to the constant relocation I never really had time to develop a character.
When I finally did settle down in one place, I became an almost permanent GM. There have been a few characters that I enjoyed playing, even just enjoying character creation, but when it comes to blows, my love for the character always stemmed from the quality of my GM.
Now, I have a favorite character for each player I have had.
Bob - Jimmy "The Squid": a grifter in a Noir LARP that I ran for a month or so. He introduced so many plotlines just by trying to keep the other players from killing him that I made him carry around a piece of paper and a pen. "What Jimmy the Squid don't know, he makes up!"
PeterAmthor - Hate: Squad leader for a SLA Industries group I ran. Good ideas, kept the group in line and focused at all times. Great background, always working towards revenge on the Skin Trade for taking his little sister. Had long term goals, got the job done, and would risk it all to make sure that the right thing was done.
SiokoTi - Don McGuiness: rough and tumble Frother KMS from Hate's squad. Completely loony. Never paid attention, like a meth addict with ADHD and a futuristic scythe.
Jason P - Roger "I'm a badass" Halton: throughout the entire time Jason played this character, the character only hit running speed twice.
Those are the big ones off the top of my head. There are plenty more but I cannot remember the names of the characters. A half-dragon (basically, he was a human raised by a dragon) who was not only willing to use a scroll that forced the Elven population of the planet to save vs death, including a party member, but he was also the type to cast directly from his spellbook if the situation even slightly warranted. Blessed dice allowed him to create a similacrum of his father (a blue dragon), which he used as a mount.
I have been routinely blessed with great players, their characters are my real favorites.
I suffer from two major drawbacks in this area: 1) all of my characters are my favorites, 2) I used to move around a lot, and due to the constant relocation I never really had time to develop a character.
When I finally did settle down in one place, I became an almost permanent GM. There have been a few characters that I enjoyed playing, even just enjoying character creation, but when it comes to blows, my love for the character always stemmed from the quality of my GM.
Now, I have a favorite character for each player I have had.
Bob - Jimmy "The Squid": a grifter in a Noir LARP that I ran for a month or so. He introduced so many plotlines just by trying to keep the other players from killing him that I made him carry around a piece of paper and a pen. "What Jimmy the Squid don't know, he makes up!"
PeterAmthor - Hate: Squad leader for a SLA Industries group I ran. Good ideas, kept the group in line and focused at all times. Great background, always working towards revenge on the Skin Trade for taking his little sister. Had long term goals, got the job done, and would risk it all to make sure that the right thing was done.
SiokoTi - Don McGuiness: rough and tumble Frother KMS from Hate's squad. Completely loony. Never paid attention, like a meth addict with ADHD and a futuristic scythe.
Jason P - Roger "I'm a badass" Halton: throughout the entire time Jason played this character, the character only hit running speed twice.
Those are the big ones off the top of my head. There are plenty more but I cannot remember the names of the characters. A half-dragon (basically, he was a human raised by a dragon) who was not only willing to use a scroll that forced the Elven population of the planet to save vs death, including a party member, but he was also the type to cast directly from his spellbook if the situation even slightly warranted. Blessed dice allowed him to create a similacrum of his father (a blue dragon), which he used as a mount.
I have been routinely blessed with great players, their characters are my real favorites.
Thursday, August 7, 2014
RPGaDay7: Most "Intellectual" Game Owned
Okay, I have to admit, this one has me stumped.
Any game can be run as an "Intellectual" game.
"Intellectual" defined as: characters play investigative, brainy types, I would have to say Chill or Call of Cthulhu.
"Intellectual" defined as: psychological or cerebral...probably SLA Industries, because that is how I run it. Skirting the gunbunny and going crazy with supernatural, psychological and just plain weird events.
Now, if you define "Intellectual" as: you are required to be a subgenius to play it, I would have to go with Space Opera.
Still, I prefer to run all of my games on a more intellectual/psychological level than just "kill things and take their loot." That is fun, do not mistake my words, I love a good dungeon crawl, but for me there is a need for it to be just a little more than that.
Traps, puzzles, strange goings on, those are all more important to me than killing a big bad and looting a magic item, I can do that in video games.
In that light, every game I have is an "Intellectual" game. Even when running the fast-paced action adventure games like Star Wars or d6 Adventure I like to have a modicum of challenges that require the players to use their heads to get out.
Any game can be run as an "Intellectual" game.
"Intellectual" defined as: characters play investigative, brainy types, I would have to say Chill or Call of Cthulhu.
"Intellectual" defined as: psychological or cerebral...probably SLA Industries, because that is how I run it. Skirting the gunbunny and going crazy with supernatural, psychological and just plain weird events.
Now, if you define "Intellectual" as: you are required to be a subgenius to play it, I would have to go with Space Opera.
Still, I prefer to run all of my games on a more intellectual/psychological level than just "kill things and take their loot." That is fun, do not mistake my words, I love a good dungeon crawl, but for me there is a need for it to be just a little more than that.
Traps, puzzles, strange goings on, those are all more important to me than killing a big bad and looting a magic item, I can do that in video games.
In that light, every game I have is an "Intellectual" game. Even when running the fast-paced action adventure games like Star Wars or d6 Adventure I like to have a modicum of challenges that require the players to use their heads to get out.
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