Category Archives: RPGs

RPGs

OSR/RPG Mudslinging

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I didn’t attend GenCon, but I watched some blogs going nuts with different bloggers complaining about other bloggers. Why can’t we play nice and turn on our brains and manners?

There were claims of misogyny in gaming, unworthy products winning Ennies, and lots of tearing down.

Here’s my take on RPG’s. There are some RPG’s that I know I won’t like, it is a genre thing. Some genres just don’t appeal to me. That doesn’t mean I hate or despise people who play those games, just those games aren’t for me. For some of those genres, if I played them with a familiar group that I felt comfortable with, I might have a good time, but wouldn’t find that at the top of my list to play.

I agree that it is good to get more people involved in gaming. People includes women. I like women. They make good friends and they see the world differently than I do. I will admit in the awkward teenage days, there were no women in our gaming group. I did not play RPG’s with women until college. I went to a university where women were in the minority, so the women were still a minority in games. I experienced my first male player with a female character in college. While I have never had a female character, I had not thought of running one until I experienced it. Nothing against women, I just never imagine myself pretending to be one. I am sure there are women who feel the same way about pretending to be a man in an RPG. As a DM, I have NPC’s that are women, but that is somehow different, since the DM is everybody and thing other than the PC’s.

That’s my clumsy attempt to say I like gaming with women. At Marmalade Dog back in February, we had one memorable woman gamer and she was a lot of fun to play with in RPG’s. There were two other women at Marmalade Dog in two different sessions of Homlet I ran. They were with their boyfriends, and were just as involved as the guys. One woman was way more into it than her boyfriend, and they were with the same regular weekly group they play with. I think the right environment and the right group of people make the situation more appealing to women. I am sure the GM has a big influence too. I have never played in an RPG ran by a woman. There has never been an opportunity. I know that one of the women I played with at Marmalade Dog will be GMing for the first time at UCon in November, so if her game doesn’t fill up too fast, I will sign up. However, just like with men, not everyone who is excellent at playing a character has the desired, motivation, and ability to be a competent GM. Until you try running a game and see what is involved, if you have played with skilled GM’s they can make it look easy. To a point it is easy, but the prep time and grasp of the material and scenario, and engagement of the players go a long way to making a good GM.

Side Note: Most of my hobbies are mostly followed by men, so it’s not a good place to meet single women. What women are involved tend to be girlfriends and wives of the guys. Sometimes they met through the hobby, or one or the other of them introduced the other to the hobby. Generally, it is the men who introduce the women to male dominated hobbies, but there are women who introduce men to it as well. I’m old enough that RPG’s were for boys and men, and Barbies and dolls were for girls. I’m not saying it was right or wrong, only the way it was. Women either need to jump in and do RPG’s, or be willing to participate when their boyfriends and husbands invite them to join in. Common courtesy should prevail. Don’t treat women like a piece of meat. If some players have poor social skills and so forth, the group should help that person along. Remember, it is a game, and it is supposed to be FUN!

As to the Ennies, I didn’t know what products were nominated until the blogs were buzzing about it during GenCon. To make Ad Hominem attacks against winners and throw public tantrums because someone won an award you don’t think they should have won is ridiculous.

If you don’t like the outcome of an award contest, don’t show your ass to the world. You don’t like someone’s profession, so you equate that with the quality of their award winning entry, that doesn’t make sense. Judge the entry by it’s own merits. Is the person a jerk to people online? Well, I don’t know him, and don’t follow all the drama. Just because he may or may not be a jerk to some people does not mean his product is crap. Is it a product that does not interest you, OK, that’s fine. You have a constructive criticism of the product. By constructive, I mean a comment that will add value to the discussion. I don’t have the product, I haven’t seen the product, I just know what I have read from others. Thus, I have no opinion on the product. NOTE: I know that some consider the art to be adult/pornographic.  If that’s your problem with this game, you better get busy and get all the magazines out of gas stations and stores, and movies and pictures off the internet. Those have a far wider audience than this game.

Sometimes the RPG blog community reminds me of high school, or in some cases preschool. Grow up and get a life. If you spent less time complaining about how bad things are with this or that person, RPG, supplement, etc. and put that energy into either making your own product, or playing more RPG’s then you would be happier.

The older I get, the more I realize that all these kerfuffles are just so much horse $&!#. They stink and some people throw it around like a monkey in a cage. Step out of your cage and look around. If you don’t have a cellphone, computer, or other internet active device, does anyone care that you don’t like something? People like that are the ones whose parents didn’t teach them good manners and the movie theaters have to spend all this time reminding people to turn off their devices so they don’t bother others. You are not the only person in the theater! The world does not revolve around you! What happened to common courtesy?

I think this is true of the world in general. With the internet we can make rapid posts of whatever is on our minds and blast people for not being in lockstep with our desires and beliefs. I know that if everyone was like me, the world would be a boring place. It takes all kinds. Live and let live. As long as someone is not trying to come into your house or on your personal page(s) on the internet and tell you how to live your life, why do you care?

The whole “outrage brigade” thing is a tempest in a teapot. Get over it. Will it matter when you are laying on your deathbed? When you are laying there taking your last breath, if you are still thinking about some dumb argument online, then you have a very small and lonely life. I know that I am working to have a great relationship with my sons and my granddaughter so that whenever I die, they will miss me, rather than be glad I’m gone.

I shouldn’t be surprised and amazed at how stupid, petty, and narrow minded people can be. It is part of the human condition. I don’t know any of these people, I just had this on my mind. I don’t have to post it, but I will. My hope is that someone will see this and realize that they are doing more to hurt others and the RPG hobby than they are to help.

If you think that the only way that the RPG hobby will be wonderful and grow is to only do things the way you think it should be, then you are leaving out a large segment of the population. There are games and genres I have no interest in. If RPG’s were done based on my interests, there wouldn’t be very many to choose from compared to how many there actually are. Is that the kind of reality you think the RPG hobby should have?

For crying out loud, we’re talking about a GAME! It is supposed to be FUN. Not everyone thinks the same things are fun. No problem, don’t do those things! END OF PROBLEM. No need to whine and complain and waste others’ time telling us how miserable your life is because you gave someone you don’t even know in real life the power to control your happiness. SMH. The only one responsible for your happiness and satisfaction in this life is you. The sooner you learn that, the sooner you will find happiness.

/EOL

RPGs

Kickstarter Chaos

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A well publicized Kickstarter funded well over a year ago and had a lot of drama during the leading up to, during, and following GenCon.

I won’t will name the Kickstarters, but and will point out that it’s their failings should be a lesson to all who are running or plan to run a Kickstarter.

  • Be realistic
  • Plan for the unexpected
    • Review all the points that massive failure can happen. That is, anything that is out of your control, such as suppliers and other third parties.
  • Kickstarter is a use of technology. Use technology to keep track of stuff.
    • There is no excuse for not having a timeline your whole team can follow, or lists of backers and their reward levels.
    • At least use a spreadsheet to keep track of things. Kickstarter and other companies have some sort of tools to help with this, as I understand it.
  • Don’t spend the money without a budget/spending plan.
    • This should be prepared BEFORE launch.
  • Don’t use the money for things not associated with the Kickstarter.
    • The incentive for you to get rich off Kickstarter is to do it well, on time, and under budget. Take your share AFTER the Kickstarter is fulfilled, i.e. EVERY item is shipped.
  • Make shipping costs in addition to the initial pledge.
    • Too many have failed due to their own success and not accounting for all the various shipping costs.
  • Don’t whine about all the reasons you can’t.
    • Keep it simple, be honest (always and should go without saying).
    • If there’s a problem, don’t wait, let the backers know.
    • I’ve made mistakes in my job, but I always admit when I make them right away, and I call my boss before the customer calls my boss. I drop everything and fix the mess I made so that it does not grow and compound and make even more work.
      • If you have ever ran an SQL statement on a live database and left out a phrase to limit it to the desired data, you know what I’m talking about.
  • Regular updates are key.
    • If you must launch the week of GenCon, don’t let the Kickstarter languish and lose momentum.
  • For books/rules have the text ready before launch. Don’t wait to start when the funds are released. Do the work first. If it is worth others giving their hard-earned money, it is worth you doing your part before holding out your hand.
  • Under promise and over deliver. Pad your public timeline, so that you know you can make it. You can have a private timeline for delivery, if you want.
  • If it is a team effort, make sure you have the right members on our team.
    • If you sign up to do something for a Kickstarter project, don’t string your colleagues along then at the last minute before your deadline, admit you did nothing, leaving the team holding the bag and trying to pick up the pieces.
  • As much public accountability of things as needed to reassure backers. If you leave room for doubt, show the actual books to people.
    • If you are not an accountant, not good with money, don’t know Excel, get someone on your team to do this. You will have to pay them.
    • Pay your taxes off the top. A simple rule of thumb, at least 30% needs to be held out for taxes. If you don’t know how to handle the Social Security, Medicare, federal, state, and local taxes, get a tax adviser. Most small towns have one.
  • If it is a total failure, refund the money instead of stringing people along.
    • If you blew the money, be ready for anger and unhelpful comments from the backlash, and lose the trust that anyone in the RPG field had in you.
  • Don’t add on stupid crap that just makes it harder to deliver.
    • Some Kickstarters get lost in their own success and let themselves lose self control and add on anything that comes into their head.
      • I like what Benoist and Ernie did with the Marmoreal Tomb. It appears to me that they made a list of small goals that could easily be added on and contracted out without delaying delivery. Any goals they add to that, all appear to fit and follow the same pattern.
  • Add-ons should be relevant and add value.
  • Don’t get people lined up to do the work and not pay them.
    • Pay your artists and other what you agreed. Have a written contract so their is no ambiguity about who gets what.
    • If someone is an employee, make it clear that they are an employee and working for the specified hourly wage or salary.
  • I have not heard of anyone dying before they could deliver a Kickstarter, but I read that the Symbaroun RPG translation Indiegogo had a team member die. It slowed them down, but they are still moving forward.
    • This should fall under planning for the worst. All the more reason to have as much done before launch.
    • Everyone dies and no one knows when it is their time. We are adults, be as responsible for fulfillment as if you were preparing for the worst for your family.
    • I bet you could find some insurance company that offers Kickstarter insurance, or at the very least have your main talent take out a term life policy until everything is ready to ship, or shipped.
  • As for advice from others who have done Kickstarter to make sure you haven’t left out anything.
  • If you only have one idea worthy of Kickstarter, it might be better to get someone with experience with Kickstarter to help you do it.
    • If you have lots of ideas, make the first one small and make sure it is manageable to make sure it is a success. If it funds, you should line up everything, so that once the funds are released you can roll with it.

A lot of these things apply to lots of Kickstarters that have been horror stories. The latest horror story was KotDT: LAS, which others have gone into more dept than I. What a train wreck. I used to be an EMT, so I’ve had my share or traffic accidents, I’m not curious to rubber neck on a real accident. But this whole fiasco was something else. I hope the guy comes through instead of stringing people along. I also hope it is his last success at cheating people. I haven’t followed up lately, but it seems like he’s going to jail.

I watch Kickstarters and am careful. The first Kickstarter I was burned was the CSIO re-print. Thankfully, it is just late, and I don’t have a lot of use for miniatures. The other is the Great Kingdom D&D movie that is in legal limbo. I have $50.00 tied up in that. Since Kickstarter froze it, there is no word from that team on what is going on. I have probably lost my money, but I hope one of them makes a movie and I get to see it.

It is easy to armchair quarterback, not having done a Kickstarter myself. I don’t have any ideas at this point, that are worthy of a Kickstarter. However, I think it is obvious, if you have backed multiple Kickstarters, and read of the experiences of others, to get a clue of what does and does not work. I might have an idea or two worthy of a PDF on DriveThruRPG/RPGNow, but those are fairly easy to do well as one person projects.

RPGs

Jim Ward

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As many already know, Jim Ward has been in the hospital for over a month and looks to be there much longer. As a freelance writer/game designer from the original TSR, if he can’t work, he doesn’t make money.

He had a hand in D&D and developed the first science fiction RPG – Metamorphosis Alpha, and others.

I encourage everyone to back the latest Metamorphosis Alpha Kickstarter. It has funded, but is no as well publicized as the rapidly growing Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarter that launched the same day. That would be great moral support.

There is also a GoFundMe drive to help with medical expenses, and was nearly at the initial 8,000 goal last night. This morning it is at $8,600 with a new goal of $15,000. With the costs of today’s hospital stays, this is a drop in the bucket. For some reason, in the days of the Affordable Care Act, his insurance is being unhelpful, so anything you can do will help.

You can also leave him a note of encouragement if you use Facebook. Use the money that you might spend on a stamp and postage to help. If you can’t do both the Kickstarter and the GoFundMe, please give what you can to the GoFundMe campaign.

Several other OSR Bloggers are holding raffles for items of interest to benefit Jim. If you can afford to give and want a chance at some cool stuff consider the following:

Tenkar & Matching Funds

James Spahn – White Star Proofs Raffle

Taylor Frank – The Dungeon Lord – Multiple Raffles [Edited September 20, 2016 to use Web Archive link as blog removed from Blogger.]

Tim at Gothridge Manor and other OSR bloggers with patreons are donating a portion of their proceeds.

Johua De Santo has made an RPG Bundle of his offerings on RPGNow, and has invited other content creators to join or make their own bundles.

As for me, I have backed the Metamorphosis Alpha and Marmoreal Tomb Kickstarters, and when I get paid tomorrow, I will give to the GoFundMe. If 1,000 people could give $5 it would go a long way. So far 180 people have gotten the GoFundMe to $8690. At least 30% of that will need to go towards Social Security, Medicare, Federal, and State taxes, so we need to give a lot to maximize how much actually go to medical bills.

RPGs

I Failed My Save Vs. Kickstarter

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You may have noticed that I ended my streak of publishing an article a day, my last post was for July 28. I thought I might finish out July with the daily run, but I did not try to come up with any ideas. When I quit trying, I soon had ideas for several posts. So, I will make notes on my ideas, and publish them as I get them finished. No rush. I found that I was spending more effort trying to maintain a daily post that I had little time for other RPG related stuff. So, I will publish something when I have an idea. I will spread them out, so the ideas I have on the back burner don’t all come at once.

So on to my giving in and supporting not one, not two, but three new Kickstarters. I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I was going to say no to new Kickstarters.

The first Kickstarter I gave into is the Remix Mini, Android based PC. I don’t really need another computer, but for the price, I can set up a PC in a different room, and use it for my entertainment PC, so I don’t have to sit in my office chair to watch movies. Not RPG related, but a neat project. This one has the biggest possibility to flop, due to its own success. $50 won’t break the bank, so why not?

Next is the new Metamorphosis Alpha Kickstarter, Epsilon City. I’ve been kicking myself since I talked myself out of the MA re-print Kickstarter last year, $80 seemed a bit much. For $65 I am getting Epsilon City and a softcover of the MA re-print. It would be cool if they had the GM screen as an add on. It is well past its funding goal with 30 days to go.

Finally, the Marmoreal Tomb Campaign Starter by  Ernest Gary Gygax, Jr. with Benoist Poiré. It funded in the first day, and has hit four of the initial seven stretch goals. I was happy that they got the Jeff Easley cover option. The goal just unlocked is for James Spahn to do a Science Fiction conversion. I hear that James knows something about science fiction RPGs. [I keed, I keed.] It has 30 days to go, so it could easily unlock all the goals, and perhaps add additional ones.

I don’t know if any other “must have” RPG kickstarters are coming. Knowing my luck, I am sure there are. I have resisted other cool Kickstarters, so I know I am mostly safe.

Of the four outstanding Kickstarters I am waiting on, the Grimtooth’s Traps just announced an update to the PDF and softcover copies of the printed book, so it is nearing completion.

The City State Kickstarter is aiming for a November fulfillment of the book. I believe that makes it a year late. They are still working on the miniatures, for those that ordered them.

The other Kickstarter only recently funded, and is on track.

The one I don’t expect movement is the documentary, due to the legal wrangling.

There was a lot of kerfuffle about rogue Kickstarters in the lead up to GenCon, but I won’t go into that here.

The thing to remember about backing a Kickstarter is to know who is running it and if they can handle it.

RPGs

Types Of Jewelry Table

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A year or so ago, I did some research into types of jewelry, so I could have something besides simply rings, necklaces, and bracelets.

I had been meaning to make a table out of it, and finally did it the other day while working on organizing my various campaign notes into a coherent form.

This information is taken from multiple Wikipedia articles. I had no idea there were so many formal classifications of necklaces. Other than a watch, wedding ring, or occasional friendship bracelet at camp, I have not worn jewelry. Not being my thing, I knew there were a lot more options that seem to come to mind.

If anyone has a type of jewelry that I missed, please let me know.

The whole issue of whether or not any of these items is magical, is for the DM to determine.

Jewelry Type (d20)

  1. Anklet – Like a bracelet, but on the ankle.
  2. Armlet – Also arm ring, or arm band. Like a bracelet, but on the upper arm, can also be thicker.
  3. Badge – Specific type of pin worn to identify oneself to others. Like a watchman or a clan badge.
  4. Bracelet – Various widths worm on the wrist.
  5. Bracer – A decorative item, not the armor or arm protection for archers.
  6. Brooch – Decorative jewelry item designed to attach to garments to hold them together. See video below on penannular brooches.
  7. Buckle – Used to hold a belt or other article closed/together.
  8. Chatelaine – Holds keys and various useful implements like scissors, thimble, watch, household seal, etc. Historically signified the woman of the house.
  9. Circlet – Circle of gold, silver or jewels worn on the head.
  10. Collar – Like a necklace, but hangs flat to the body. Can be attached to a garment.
  11. Crown
  12. Earrings
  13. Hairpin
  14. Necklace – see subtables
  15. Pin – Decorative item attached to the clothes for ornamentation. May also serve as a functional piece to help hold clothing in place.
  16. Ring – see subtable
  17. Sash – Colorful ribbon or band of material worn around the body, draping from left shoulder to the right hip, or right shoulder to left hip. Can also run around the waist. Ceremonial sashes in a V-shape drape from both shoulders to the stomach like a large necklace.
  18. Tiara
  19. Toe Ring – Ring designed to be worn on the toes.
  20. Torc – Also Torq, or Torque – A large rigid or stiff neck ring in metal, of either a single piece or from pieces twisted together. Open at one end.

Ring Subtable (d8)

  • 1-2 – Signet
  • 3-4 – Thumb Ring (like an archer)
  • 5-6 – Key (like used by the Romans)
  • 7-8 – Poison (hidden compartment)

Necklace Subtables

Type (d6)

  • 1 – Choker 14-16 inches
  • 2- Princess 18-20 in
  • 3 – Matinee 22-23 in
  • 4 – Opera 30-35 inches
  • 5 – Rope > 35 inches
  • 6 – Lariat (Very long version of the Rope necklace, looped multiple times.)

Feature (d6)

  • 1-3 – None
  • 5-6 – Pendant – Something that hangs down from a necklace. (see subtable)

Pendant Subtable (d10)

  • 1-2 – Cameo – Features a positive (relief), i.e. raised image, as opposed to a negative image (intaglio).
  • 3-4 – Emblem – An abstract or representational image, like a moral truth, a king or saint, or a badge or patch, like a coat of arms.
  • 5-6 – Locket
  • 7-8 – Medal or Medallion – Small, flat and round or oval piece of metal that is marked by casting, stamping, engraving, etc. with an insignia, portrait or other artistic rendering.
  • 9-10 – Combination of above.

Pendant Special Feature (d6) 

  • 1-2 -Amulet/Cartouche – Alleged power to protect owner from danger or harm. Holy symbols, holy water, wolvesbane, belladonna, and garlic can be considered amulets.
  • 3-4 Talisman – Believed to bring luck or some other benefit, though it can offer protection as well. Items such as four leaf clover, rabbit’s foot, lucky penny, etc.
  • 5-6 Holy/Unholy Symbol

 

RPGs

My New Gaming Table

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It’s not fancy, but it is simple, portable and expandable.

I just use the plastic folding tables you get at WalMart or other retailers. They are lighter and more portable than the old fashioned and heavy wood or particle board tables. You can get them in a variety of sizes from four feet long and two feet wide, to lengths of five, six, or eight feet with  a width of two and a half feet.

This makes them easy to fit nearly any gaming space, and able to be modified for different uses. Need an L-shape or U-shape to maximize table space for a large number of players?

Playing at another location? Pack them in your trunk or back seat and go to the game location.

You can put a table cloth, sheet, blanket, or tarp over the tables if a cloth surface is desired to minimize the sound of rolling dice on the plastic surface. If you have a large sheet of plexiglass/plastic, you can lay it on the table over a section of Gaming Paper, if you want to make a map.

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For my table, I have a six foot and a five foot folding table. I have a black table cloth I can’t seem to find, so I used a greenish sheet for these pictures. I got a section of Gaming Paper that I tore off the roll for a review in a prior post, and laid my sheet of plastic over it. You can then write on the glass or plastic with a dry erase marker, so that it can be wiped clean for re-used. I don’t often draw maps in live play, but I may use it more for illustration purposes, next time I run a game. Some people like to use permanent marker to put a pre-measured grid on the glass or plastic on their tables. For full versatility, you can buy Gaming Paper with either squares or hexes, and avoid the headache of making sure all the lines are straight.

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Sample using dry erase markers.
Sample using dry erase markers.
Easily wipes off.
Easily wipes off.

This sheet of plastic is from one of those big projection style flat screen TVs. My son found one online for free. He wanted it for the Fresnel lens to heat up, melt, and burn things. I asked for the plastic “screen”. It wasn’t until my son and his family moved out a couple weeks ago that I had room to set this up. I have been planning this in my mind for a few months. I finally bought the second table on sale Saturday, so I could set this up.

The only part of this gaming table I have to be careful about is this three foot by four foot sheet of plastic. It gathers dust quite readily, so I used special electronic cleaning wipes to avoid scratching it. Since it is so thin, it easily slides behind other things so it is out of the way.

Both tables take up most of the living room, but I have room around it for chairs, and people can still move around.

Since I live alone, except for the dog, I can leave this up if I want.

I also like this table combination, since I can arrange it so I can spread out my game prep materials to have different pieces of notes, manuals, dice, maps, and more readily available.  Since I started working at home at the end of February, I lost the work space I had been using for game prep. I have to pack up my work computer If I want that space back. That space isn’t that big, and I couldn’t get at everything, as something always ended up on top of something else.

I look forward to having Monday off and a full day of game prep! I really need to get my online AD&D campaign ready to roll.  I also have desires to run Metamorphosis Alpha and White Star. Now, I have a good setup to run live in-person games too!

RPGs

Cell Phones – Handheld Communicator And Computer

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I was struggling with a topic for an article, and was about to give up and end my streak of a post a day back to the end of January. Then I had a message indicator on my cellphone, and it hit me.

We have such small devices that handle all forms of communication: two way (calls, texting, email), and one way (received: emailed receipts, bill reminders, entertainment & sent: payments, notes/lists/reminders). Some phones have gone for bigger screens with higher resolutions for better experience, two cameras, motion sensors, GPS, etc.

If one does no have a cell phone in today’s world, good luck finding a pay phone. The only place I see pay phones now are in airports, and they take credit cards.

For a science fiction setting, one can imagine a computer as powerful or more so than today’s desktops, in the palm of your hand. The display will be holographic, so the size of the screen is variable. As dense as memory is getting, what limits will one have on a hand held computer/communicator?

Encyclopedic knowledge will be available, for topics that are in the system. Landing on a backwater or uncharted planet will present a world of unknown factors. Other than being able to check the atmosphere, and scan air, water, and potential food for pathogens/compatibility, how would this device help you?

Is it able to communicate to orbit? Can it make interplanetary calls, or signal ships passing through the system? How does GPS help when there are no GPS sattellites? Is there a star-faring version of GPS and do the general civilian devices have access, or does it require a separate device?

Would a general purpose device be capable of basic first aid, or contain the ability to guide the user in basic first aid, or perhaps something more advanced?

How tough/resilient would such a device be? I dropped a cellphone out of my pocket onto a cast iron floor vent in my house (It was built in 1920.) and it cracked diagonally across the screen. Touch screens don’t work so good, or at all when that happens. How far of a drop would it take to damage it? What water depth can it reach and for how long before it is compromised? What about the vacuum of space? There are also radiation, concussions from explosions, shrapnel from explosions, or projectiles from weapons.

Like today, there would be various levels of such devices, from cheap burners with an older interface. Now, burners tend to have actual buttons, but some small touch screens have appeared. In the future, an old interface might be a touch screen that require physical contact, and not have a holographic screen. They are severely limited in how much you can put on them. These are not as well made and would survive only so many hardships of daily use. How often do you have a player roll to see if their communicator survives a crash or fall, or fight?

Next would be the standard comm-puters that can handle more drops, but have a limit. My youngest son can still manage to crack a cellphone screen in less than a day. I’m glad I’m not responsible for his phone anymore.

Premium devices would be made of sturdier and more expensive stuff. Advertising how long they can stay in vacuum, and how long they can last at 100 meters, or some such.

At the pinnacle would be government/military grade devices that are resistant to a variety of abuses and resistant to cracking, i.e. “black hat hacking”.

How long does the battery last? A day, a week, a month, longer?

Instead of earbuds on a wire, there would be a vibration pad or pads you stick to your head behind your ears. Voice activation and voice recognition would be the norm. Minimal contact with the device would be needed. Placing it in your pocket or a shoulder bag and placing it for use of the holographic display could be the only times one touches such a device.

The device could be so small that the device(s) behind your ear(s) IS the comm-puter. Some societies might advocate implanting the device, especially so the government can keep an eye on you, “to keep you safe”. What if some nefarious organization or person cracks the system and uses it for mind control of the populace?

Take what we know of the current direction of technology and extrapolate it for a futuristic RPG. It gets smaller, more powerful, and more ubiquitous. It could end in nanobots that reside along the optic and auditory nerves and send signals straight to the brain. A display would be limited to the person, but could be shared with others within a certain range.

A fun thought experiment that have given me several more ideas, if I ever get things together for a science fiction campaign, either White Star or Metamorphosis Alpha.

RPGs

Sages And Their Arguments

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Earlier this week, some researchers claim to have identified Phillip of Macedon’s bones, that is, the father of Alexander the Great.

There is some pretty impressive results, but there seems to be a war of opinion between those who say these bones, and another who say those bones.

This gives me two ideas. First, what wounds would adventurers find on the body of a warrior? Would they be the broken skull of the final fight that killed him, or some major wound from which he recovered? In the presence of magic or advanced technology, such massive injuries might not be seen. Where magic is not so plentiful, or technology not so advanced, this gives us a good idea.

Second, if the ruins nearby are of interest to more than one sage or groups of sages, mighty they resort to means other than logic and reason to make their point? I can see one sage hiring players to “take back” something another sage “stole” from him, in order to destroy it, or modify it to strengthen his argument. Perhaps, it might go beyond mere theft to outright murder and destruction.

War of the Sages makes for an interesting historical event, or perhaps and adventure, or even a series of adventures in a campaign. Interesting what might happen when the agents of the sages interfere with the agents of the big bad. Or one of the sages IS the big bad!

I have an interesting and quirky sage in my campaign, but so far, he does not have a “nemesis”. I can see how it might be very interesting for players in my campaign if he had one. At least I would be entertained by their reactions to what might occur.

 

RPGs

READ AN RPG BOOK IN PUBLIC WEEK – 2015 – July 26th – August 1st, 2015

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Just a little reminder that next week starting this Sunday, July 26th through August 1st, is the second of the three annual weeks for Read an RPG Book in Public Week.

This year, I have not managed to read an RPG book in public during an official week, but I have read part of the 5th Edition Player’s Handbook while in my hammock, between two big trees in my front yard. If the weather cooperates, I should be able to manage to actually meet this challenge.