Be The DM, 1

 OK, I've run plenty of games and I've talked with and read the thoughts of many other DM's. One thing is certain; No two DM's are the same.

I have seen those opposed to any kind of storyboarding at all (they call anything that isn't completely player oriented as being railroading) and I have seen those who believe Players really only want to be directed through an adventure ala a train conductor.

Ultimately, there isn't even one way to play.  One for the experience.  The adventure IS the reward.  Another where there is something to win, a goal to reach, an objective to achieve.

People play games for both reasons.  To just relax and have fun as well as to win or compete or overcome a challenge.  Some like to combine the two.  enjoy the ride while achieving something specific.  It doesn't have to be one or the other, although it can be.

The thing is, if you're going to be all one or the other, you need to make sure all the players are in agreement with that.  If some are all about the experience and don't care about "winning" and some are all about winning specifically, it isn't going to be a great game for everyone.

It's not a good idea to be dismissive of either approach.  As a DM, I run games based on the AD&D1e/OSRIC game and rule systems.  This is non-negotiable.  I have no problem with people wanting to play another game system or type, but I won't be the DM.  I don't always have to be the DM.  It's like playing poker for me, the dealer chooses the game they want to deal.  Everyone can take turns being the dealer.  I think that brings more fun and diversity to a group of gamers.

Here's the issue with that when it comes to RPG...  Not everyone wants to take a turn as the dealer.  Not everyone wants to be the DM. Not everyone is a good DM even if they want to do it.  I think it's like public speaking in a way.  It can be very intimidating, even a fearful experience to some people.

So usually only a few people are the DM, and more often than not, it usually ends up being one person in the group with everyone else preferring to be a Player instead. 

So yes, the DM picks the game they are going to run.  the choice the Players get is whether to sit that one out until someone else's turn comes up to run a different game or they take a turn as DM themself.  Part of the fun of being a DM is getting to build something and see it run.  I think of it as kind of like setting up a domino run or even a model railroad and then setting the train on the track or tipping the first domino and see what happens.  There's something very cool in that.

In my experience, most Players want to win a game.  They make up the majority of players.  They want to defeat an great opponent, overcome some great adversity, win lots of points and rewards and somehow come out a "winner".  Whether it's as part of a team effort or individually, they want measurable success.

The recreational roleplayers are enthusiasts.  They want to poke and probe.  To inspect and interact. They see an adventure as the more they get to play at the character and the environment they are thrown into, the more fun and successful it is.  They really don't care about rewards and points and impressive feats and setting records.  They don't want trophies.  They just want to play.  They get bored easily and the more storyboarding there is, the less they like it.

As for me, I want to appeal to both aspects as much as possible because I can see the benefits of both.  I want to try to give as much and get the best of both worlds as much as possible.  That's a tall order.  It's not easy to accomplish and it requires Players who ar flexible on either side.

If there's any Players I dislike DMing for, it's inflexible ones. To me, it defeats the point of RPGs to begin with.  TO me, to have any interest in RPGs is to be flexible minded to begin with.

SO, when I run games, there is some storyboarding.  It helps set the stage.  It gives depth to the characters and places the the Players interact with.  It helps build suspense and even build some emotional investment into the experience.

It makes the roleplaying part of the game more interesting, more to explore with more meaning to it while at the same time, giving Players something to achieve.  It provides purpose and something to "win" at at the same time.

I don't like to make things necessarily exclusive.  Like, there's not just one way to solve a problem or fix something or even to "win".  What I try to do is create opportunities.  Put them out there to be explored and attempted.  If Players take them up, great.  If they don't, other opportunities are just around the corner.

THEN.  And this I think is important.  I keep track of achievements.  I have a "record book" like "Least arrows fired to kill a Balrog" or "Most goblins killed singlehandedly."  This gives Players over a period of time to have bragging rights for favorite characters and have memorable moments.

Players like to have shared experiences.  But if all the experiences are mundane and unmemorable, then what's the point?  This is the essence of the game. The fun of being the DM is creating those moments and having Players enjoy the experiences you provide.

Logitistics in Gaming

Games in general, and I think RPG's in particular, are about escapism.  When we watch a movie or read a book, etc...  We want to follow the "good stuff."  What we don't care about is how many times they used the bathroom, if they had or found toilet paper, brushed their teeth, had toothpaste, etc...

The logistics of life is not only uninteresting, it brings with it the reminder of day to day details we are already stressing out about and want to escape.  It prevents us from fully investing our self into the movie, book, game, etc... 

One thing about games is that we are there to be a hero.  We want to be larger than life. Worrying about if we brought enough candles, paper for mapmaking, etc... is not part of that excitement.

Now, yes, epic moments are defined by the details.  That last minute scramble to find just one more weapon once all the arrows have been shot out.  The rotten luck when the last torch gutters out just before you turn the corner as you head toward that hideous sound.  Those are the moments that build excitement.  They build nervous tension that is thrilling and concerning at the same time.

But, too much of that is counterproductive.  To be honest, the only time those details are even important to include in the activity of the game are when it's about to be important.  Most of those instances are heavily dependent on timing.  I mean, literally, keeping track of time.  Usually the number one most forgotten or mishandled aspect of the game.

So how do I deal with the details during a game?  First, I operate on the assumption that if it isn't specified in the adventure/story guide, it didn't happen.  Then I add that if the Players don't specify an action or detail, it didn't happen.

Third, I allow for certain "general conditions".  Such as, when Players say they are going to "make camp" at a certain point, that automatically assumes things like digging a latrine, setting up whatever sleeping utilities like tents, bed rolls, etc..., if they have them, are being done. I will tell them to check their "Camp status" to have them make sure they have what they have or not then move on.  

It is incumbent upon Players to declare they have done something like collect firewood or set up an altar, etc.. or it didn't happen.  No firewood means no campfire.  Just an automatic given.  I keep an erasable whiteboard with checklists for things like "campfire made".  Then, I include these factors when I roll for random factors like attacks, spells cast, etc...

Of course, I explain all of these things at the onset of a new game.  Basically, it's the equivalent of "If there's no pics, it didn't happen."  If they don't declare it, it didn't happen.  And like so many things, it can and will be used against you, so to speak.   

Again, no one likes to think of details like going to the bathroom or brushing teeth or collecting firewood.  in a game, so much time is spent verbalizing action.  the saying is true, a 5 mile trek takes 5 minutes, a 5 minute battle takes 5 hours.  Logistics details bog all that down and aren't interesting but can potentially be vital.  I just simplify them by grouping them and assuming they did happen as a matter of course, or they didn't happen as they relate to the action.

So, made camp includes a lot of assumed details.  Not declaring to go retrieve bolts or arrows after an action means there aren't any more left to fire beyond what was accounted for during the action.  So if they fired 8 of 10 arrows but after the battle the Player doesn't declare retrieving them, then afterwards, they only have 2 arrows left.

Also, things like going to the bathroom, etc... happen during camp time as assumed.  There's nothing of relevance to activity involved in that unless the adventure refers to it or something like a spell is cast that affects it and further action.

My DM whiteboard lists help keep me apprised of the current status of things and what I can ignore or focus on as I go on.  

Heroes are made when the details come into play.  Ran out of arrows and didn't retrieve them? You either die or you get creative.  What will you do when the details come for you?

Where is Willam Bell?

 Willam Bell is a primary NPC in my city named "New Edinburgh".  The notable Mr. Bell (whom I envision looking like the Actor Tobin Bell, along with his characteristic intensity and brooding.  Willam is a man of self made means and is a somewhat important figure in the city.  His business is to handle maintenance and caretaking of several residential and commercial properties.

However, his reputation is in the handling of rather "special" properties.  Those that tend to be troubled as he likes to refer to them.  These may be haunted or the sites of horrible activities.  They may be hot spots for various and sundry monsters to prefer to collect and antagonize.  However, it is his job to keep these places as problem free as they can be.  In a city like New Edinburgh, that tends to make for a LOT of properties and not an easy job to do.

Mr. Bell notoriously hires out a lot of work to adventurous types in the area.  These are people who tend to be more willing to take on more frightening and even hazardous tasks.  They also have a tendency to not have anyone miss them them if they don't show up again.  Mr. Bell is not totally without morals, but he tends to be very pragmatic about such things.

Notable among the properties he is caretaker for are 4 haunted mansions, 2 insane asylums, 3 former prisons, 18 houses of more than modest means but perhaps not mansions, and one actual old castle that still is in some limited use by the the Count who has made New Edinburgh his official seat.  The Count does not live in the castle, he has a new one for that, but he does conduct business occasionally and some formal ceremonies and services in the old castle which while old, and in the care of Mr. Bell, is not broken down or dilapidated.

The properties in Willam's care are not all always in a negative condition.  In fact, most of them are quite benign if troubled at all. This is in large part to to Willam's efforts to keep them properly.  However, some of them are perpetually "troubled" to some degree.  Mostly due to the nature of their conditions upon coming into his care.  They rather refuse to be entirely tamed.  He tolerates a certain amount of "naughtiness" in these places as a basis that it likely has never been able to be brought into any lesser state of control.

Two of the prisons and one of the asylums are usually actively "naughty" as he refers to them but to a non-lethal degree, usually.  He will not tolerate his employees or visitors being killed wantonly.  The third prison and the second asylum are perpetually kept closed down as he cannot seem to get them actively under control enough to prevent people from being killed in them.  Yet.  He continues to try to tame them as he manages to keep them in running order.

One of the mansions is in the same, latter category of ill repute and has such a reputation as being actively malicious.  It particularly seems to dislike Mr. Bell and actively makes the effort to kill him anytime he is there.  He always manages to stay one step ahead though. A hard man and a hard man to kill is Mr. Willam Bell.

New Edinburgh

 New Edinburgh is a city that is old and odd.  Not only does it have a unique population that brings all the common races of humans, elves, dwarves, half-orcs, and others together in one teeming place, it is a mecca of old and odd religions, cults, covens, and more.  Every God, Devil and mysterious monster that ever inspired a following has a church, altar, temple, or otherwise designated place of worship and sacrifice.

Being located as it is with the ocean on the East, mountains to the North, swampland to the South and arid desert to the West.  The river runs from the North-East to the South Central and beyond.  It accommodates just about everyone and everything.  Part of what makes it appealing to such a variety of people and creatures. 

 One of the notable characters in New Edinburgh is Willam Bell.  Willam is a small business person who does maintenance and care-taking of many properties.  He is a known element among the adventurous types in the area for having a need to hire "contractors" for many extremely odd jobs having to do with the buildings he takes care of.  Everything from "pest control" of creatures that infest homes to finding interesting and difficult-to-obtain materials he needs are what he hires casual adventurer who may be on a mission but can use some extra income or materials while they are in New Edinburgh.

A Literary Example For The Geomancer

I posted some time ago of the PC class of Geomancer, a magic user that gets the power for their magic from gems and stones.

Author Larry Correia has a fantasy book series called the "Saga of the Forgotten Warrior."  in the books, a group of evil wizard assasins plague the hero.

Interestingly enough, they get their powers not from communing with nature, praying to gods or studying scrolls.  No, these wizards use bits of a material called "black steel" or from the body parts of creatures they call demons to power their spells which crumble into dust upon completion of the spell.

Replace black steel and demon bits with gems and stones and you have a fascinating representation of the Geomancer.

Valentoric

As magic swords go, Valentoric was a most unusual weapon.  Not in that it was an intelligent sword, there are a number of those to one degree or another.  No, Valentoric was one of a kind.  It was made specifically for a Ranger long ago and could only be wielded by a very select person who among other things,  must be a Ranger.

Valentoric is extremely judgemental.  Not just anyone will be allowed to hold it let alone use it.  If a potential wielder should pick it up, Valentoric would immediately assess that individual's traits.  If their alignment was Evil, it would cause burns and possess that wielders mind, literally taking control of their body and cause severe damage and even death by causing them to stab and hack themselves viciously.

If the potential wielder was of Good alignment, their Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, and Charisma traits would be judged immediately upon grasping the hilt.  If any of those were found lacking (less than that of the sword's own) that individual would not be able to so much as budge the sword from its place.

The sword, an elegant and intricately designed and decorated longsword, was a composite of 70/30 cold forged steel and silver.  Because of the silver in it, it was a +3 vs lycanthropes.

Valentoric was enchanted with a Protection From Evil spell that warded Evil aligned creatures to stay at least 10 feet away.  It also caused the sword to glow if Evil aligned creatures came within 20 feet.

Lastly, the sword had an extra enchantment that caused it to do +3 vs all Evil aligned creatures and humanoids.  In addition, it has been further enchanted to always stay as sharp as it can possibly be.  

Valentoric can and will augment it's rightful bearers strength and dexterity while drawn and held.  This causes it to be +2 vs any non Evil aligned foe.

While it seems that Valentoric is a very powerful sword, and it is, it is also a very demanding sword.  Valentoric insists that it's bearer always be an honorable person.  If the sword thinks the bearer may have acted dishonorably, it might react by arguing with the bearer and withholding all enchantment until it is persuaded otherwise to refusing to be borne by the offending Ranger and rejecting them entirely.  This development will cause the sword to seek a new bearer to partner with.

The voice an approved bearer will hear in their head, as others cannot experience the mental bond it creates, sounds remarkably like Sean Connery and is a very strong personality.

Over a period of time, bearers will go insane with a 33% likelihood in the first month (roll once a day each of the first 30 days) and if they don't, eventually accept the sword as their most true and best friend and ally.  They may seem insane to others by talking to, even arguing with, what seems to be an inanimate object to those unaware of the situation.

Once they make it successfully beyond the first month, the bond is for life unless the bearer offends the sword with a dishonorable action or upon the death of the Ranger.  In the case of death, the sword will not be wielded by anyone for one year afterward.

Valentoric's trait scores are 16 across the board.  If a potential bearer exceeds that, the sword accepts them as the "leader".  If the bearer is equal, the sword might accept them as bearer but will always treat the bearer as an equal and attempt to take over in situations it believes itself to be superior.

The sword is currently entombed in a chest in a cavern hidden beneath a waterfall guarded by monsters and traps.  There aren't really too many of either because really, the sword itself is its own best defense.  

Valentoric can be likely to choose anyone, from any experience level, race, etc... as its bearer, as long as they meet its basic conditions that the potential bearer be a Ranger and be found worthy to wield it.

The sword has a "Keeper", a Druid, selected to collect the sword upon a bearers death (or rejection) and return it to the cavern beneath the falls.  The Keeper is not so much a guardian as it is the caretaker of the sword when it is without a bearer and its historian. The Keeper has an apprentice that is trained to take over upon their own death.  

There is always one Keeper in the cavern and one apprentice. Neither will fight to defend the sword. They will allow each would be bearer to make the attempt, providing warnings and information as necessary.  Only the Keeper is allowed to hold or carry the sword to clean it and place it back in its resting place but can never wield it as a weapon.

On Devils and Demons In My World

I have a pretty direct approach to handling Devils and Demons when I run 1e/OSRIC games.

Devils are Lawful Evil.   They are all about concentration of power and "the deal".  They want more creatures under their control and consider themselves top tier chess masters.  They LOVE to think they can outsmart or swindle their way into anything. 

They'll use every dirty trick and back stab available to them but because they do put so much stock into playing by rules, they must honor the outcomes whether they like it or not and they almost never like getting bested or outmaneuvered.

Demons are Chaotic Evil.  They couldn't care less about rules.  They are all about fear and intimidation.   They can't help but show off and grandstand if it will scare the shit out of their victims even more.

To beat a devil, especially the higher devils, its about being able to outwit them.  Some would say the only intelligent way to beat a Devil at a game is not to play the game in the first place.  Always a wise decision.  But sometimes, Devils get one playing without one realizing it.  Thats when wit and craftiness are your best and usually only hope.  Except maybe for divine interference.

The main way to beat a demon is to have a stronger will and determination than they do.  They have a relatively low force of will reflected by a low to mid range Charisma score.  PC's with higher Charisma scores and have something to back themselves up in terms of being a credible threat to a demon can banish them

Demons are impatient and get riled up easily.  Devils tend to be aloof and always wearing a poker face.

When, as the DM, I play a Devil or Demon NPC, I think of those traits and try to role play as close as possible to them.  Obviously each Devil or Demon has its own personality that encompasses these traits to greater or lesser degrees.  For example, Asmodeus will be a much different character than Beelzebub.

Also, when it comes to Devils trying to claim someones "soul", I play it that if a Devil wins, its essentially like having a permanent geas on the PC.  Devils are always looking for agents to carry out tasks that may or may not make sense to the PC but falls into some devious plot the Devil has nefariously crafted.   Its all about control and the more pawns they collect, the greater their power.

RPGs, Avatar vs Chess Piece Playing

I've gone from DMing AD&D 1E games for friends to my kids to paying clients as a team building tool.  I've seen the approaches of playing a character as an avatar of myself and playing a character as a chess piece in depth.

Personally, I prefer playing as a chess piece myself.  I find it more challenging and more fun.  I know that many, if not most, people prefer playing as an avatar.  This seems especially more prevalent when starting out as a new player.

Just from observation, I notice that most players, playing for fun, play as an avatar in a sandbox game that allows for more free choice and movement.  Sandboxes are a very player centered game environment.  Specific adventures seem to allow for more exploration of the "chess piece" player approach because it gives the player the opportunity to focus on achieving specific goals and objectives both individually and as a group.

My team building games are always run as specific adventure, avatar played games.  These folks are paying for more than a fun, "get away" game.  This is as much training and education as it is (hopefully) exciting.

I always have clients start with character creation because it gives them the opportunity to build their back story and build something of themselves personally into the player character.

There is usually a brief sandbox session right off to allow the players to explore their capabilities and the game world parameters they must operate in.  Then the specific adventure session follows.  I custom write a session for each client group to meet the skill building objectives they want to focus on.

I've had players in client groups try to play chess piece style while the others play avatar style and if anyone walks away from the experience saying they didn't get much out of the experience, it is those players.  Avatar style playing allows for more personal investment in the player character and the game.  Not making that investment, the player takes little away from it as well.  It truly is a "you get out of it what you put into it" situation.

I will take client groups of people in management positions into games in "chess piece" mode.  This serves their training purposes better.  Their goals are usually focused on resource allocation and management.  "Chess piece" style is very appropriate to that objective.  This as well as group strategizing, goal setting and setting group S.O.P.

I do very little gaming outside of client based games anymore.  If I do, I'd like to do so as a player.  Not an easy task for me in my area.    Like I said earlier, my preferred personal playing style is is "chess piece".  I like to take my own created characters and explore the potentialities to their extremes.

However, I get just as much fun taking a random pre-gen and just making the most of it.  Winning is important in my gaming.  Overcoming obstacles, being the first or best or having the highest score is the whole point of playing any game for me.

Which style do I find myself winning with more often?  To be honest, I'd say in avatar style.  Perhaps that's a bit of an easy win for me though with my having so much experience and familiarity with the game as a DM.   However, in "chess piece" style, I can focus more on learning and experimenting with abilities and skills relating to class or race capabilities.  In the long run, I improve over time at playing a given class, race, etc... regardless of dice determined abilities and increase my opportunities to win no matter the character type.

No matter what your preferred style is, you should be having fun.  Otherwise you're doing it wrong.

Who vs Who

I see posts all the time by people who are DM's talking about the things they incorporate into the game to essentially counter or respond to the pc's in the game.

Most of the time, it's not hard to get that the DM is playing counter to the players.  I get that.  At the same time though, I disagree with doing that.  I don't see it as the DM's place to be the opponent to the players pc's.

We as DM's have multiple roles in the game.  We prepare the game session/adventure and tell the story.  We are also the referee during the game.  We determine what is within the rules of the game for players, the pc's and the obstacles built into the game.

It is there that I make the distinction that the DM is not the opponent to the players.  The DM at that point is there to be as objective and impartial as a referee, even while rolling dice to find out what the monster does in random result situations.

One of the DM tasks in game time is to make sure it keeps moving along.  Something easier done by being objective and impartial.  If the DM is wanting to move the game in such a direction as to change the outcome (dramatically) they are not going to keep the game apace.  That's not my style.

Once I write, create and otherwise prepare the game, it's on it's own.  During gametime I am the narrator and referee.  If I've done my job at game prep right, the monsters and npc's all have their personalities established and all I need to do as storyteller is to step into that character to see how they will go about the interaction according to the pre-established identity and randomness accordingly.

The players come to the table to play the game.  In so doing they represent their own interests and intent to play and succeed, win in other words.  We play games to win.  So the players are there to compete against the game itself and the other players, NOT the DM.

In the way I see it, the players can win by accomplishing the objectives successfully and by getting more points than the other players for outstanding gameplay.  The game can also win by basically having stymied the players efforts to succeed.  As the referee, I have to stand back and let things take their course impartially.

Making Contact

Doc stopped in front of the shop, stepping up onto the wooden walkway and off of the dry and dusty dirt street.  The large, colorfully painted sign that hung over the doorway solemnly informed those who could read that this was the notable Antiquarium, "the" source for all things historical and curious.

As he opened the door, the bell tinkled spiritedly to announce his presence to the shopkeeper who was undoubtedly puttering about somewhere among the vast and many cases and cabinets in which new items were always being added but seldom seemed to leave.

Doc looked toward the front counter and observed a young man standing up to look at him, he walked to the counter.  "How may I help you today Sir", the young man said very loudly.  Doc chuckled inwardly at this.  He knew the volume was meant to let the actual shopkeep know a customer had arrived.

A rustling sound could be heard immediately at that and somewhere from the left side of the counter, amid a number of boxes a deep voice could be heard loudly profaning any number of things sacred and common as a stack of heavy looking books fell off of a shelf suddenly into an open crate.   The voice seemed to come out of the crate.

A large hairy head erupted from beneath the pile of books in the crate still muttering imprecations having to do with the young man at the counter's parentage.  The dwarf was still sputtering when his eyes at last fell upon Doc standing at the counter.

Having a reddish gold lion's mane complimented by an extremely long and braided beard of the same color, the stocky dwarf hauled himself out of the crate and began stomping toward Doc as he tried very hard not to laugh.

With a sidelong glance at the youth, the dwarf stood in front of the grey-brown curly, short haired Doc.  Who even at his humanly average height and build seemed to tower over the dwarf.  "Welcome good sirrah, and what manner of knowledge would he be seekin today from the oldest inhabitant and business in all of New Edinburgh?"

He wasn't lying either.  At two hundred and sixty years old, no one had been in town longer than Magnus the Elder.  Truth be told, supposedly his family had been part of New Edinburgh since before the turning time.  If that were true though, and there were many skeptics, that would mean there was human in the bloodline of Magnus though he would never admit to it.

Doc himself only occasionally was able to come visit his old friend on rare occasions due his job requiring that he travel so extensively.  It was always a rare pleasure to stand in this place which exuded a sense of being out of place and time.  A very peaceful place which Magnus worked very hard to maintain.

"I come seeking the wisdom of our forefathers." Doc began the coded message.  "Such wisdom lies within your own constitution and determination to seek the truth", Magnus continued.  The contact established, Doc began the next part of the interaction.  "If only I could speak with those forefathers once again and have their counsel, what great things I might achieve."

Magnus nodded knowingly at Doc, then finished with, "The words they leave us with in books can be much the same as talking with them in person if one is patient."  At that, Magnus slightly nodded in the direction of the young man.

'So the youth is not an Initiate', Doc realized. He understood he would have to wait a moment until Magnus could send the young man away before he could send the message to the guild President.  Magnus could be heard giving the young man instructions to go out of the shop for awhile to perform a particular task that suddenly needed to be done immediately.

Magnus then pretended to busy himself looking for a book while the assistant hurriedly prepared to leave.  After a few moments, the lad was out the door like a whirlwind.  "At the rate thet boyo moves, we'll have plenty a time to handle her business."  Doc smiled and stepped forward to grasp his diminutive friend's hand in a firm shake.

The two walked to the rear of the shop, weaving through various bookshelves until they came to a stop in front of an ornate cabinet filled with a number of small sculptures.  Reaching seemingly to caress a small statue of a dog, the dwarf triggered the mechanism and the large cabinet swung inward to the wall revealing a hallway that led to a room at the end of it.

Stopping to admire a painting halfway down, Doc waited, distracting himself as Magnus stopped just before the doorway to the room .  Standing so that he blocked the view of anyone behind him, Magnus fiddled with something for a moment, then grunted to indicate that it was safe to enter the room.  Such precautions must be taken in every Society safe house.

At an enormous mahogany desk that occupied the entirety of the center of the room, the top was clear of anything.  The polish and shine of the glassy top was indicative of the great care and pride the middle aged dwarf took in his care of the timeless and priceless historical items in his care.

Once again distracting himself by looking at some brick-a-brac, Doc deliberately was not watching as the dwarf approached a spot in the room behind Doc's back and diligently worked some mechanism.  In just a few, short moments, Doc heard the sound of a book behind laid on the desktop and turned around.

As Magnus seated himself at the desk, he looked up at Doc and asked him for a password that Doc gave to him.  The dwarf wrote the password at the top of the page in the open journal and slowly, the letters disappeared from the page.

After a couple of minutes, new words began to form on the page.  He was now in contact with command.  Hopefully the person he needed to come to this riverside town would be available and the guild command would approve the assignment.

The beginning of a new adventure

In Nomerca, a vast land taking up most of a continent, a river valley stretches North to South nearly dividing the continent in half.  The river itself, now known only as the "Mimo" River, is the main draw for villages, towns and cities seeking to harness it's fast current for everything from energy to food and water resources.

The Mimo has dozens of tributaries and offshoots as well as receives input from other rivers stretching across the great plainslands which stretch for thousands of kilometers in all directions.

To the West lay mountains and deserts.

To the East lay gigantic lakes and a rich basin which is itself bordered by mountains and coastal plains.

To the South are swamps, marshes, all surrounded by hot and arid lands good only for grazing animals and ranching.

To the North is a vast tundra rich in arboreal forests and further bounded by vast, winter-locked open spaces.

In one large town directly alongside the Mimo River, New Edinburgh, something strange is going on.

 People are changing.  Literally.

In a community made up of just about every main race from human to orcs to elves, dwarves and gnomes, people have been changing into goblins seemingly overnight.  Once changed, the goblins scamper off to someplace north of town.

Reports of goblin raids on villages and travelers along the Mimo River have been increasing.  More interesting are how every report indicates a great deal of organization and even subjugation among the goblins, known for their genetic programming for chaos.

"Doc" is suspicious and curious.  Not only are people essentially being kidnapped and changed into something else against their will and unsuspecting, once changed, they are essentially enslaved and being programmed to blind servitude.  He thinks something should be done to investigate this more in-depth and stopped if possible.

Who could take up such a challenge though?  It is certainly a job for more than just one person.  All of his efforts to bring it to the Town Council and the Sheriff but they seem uninterested, disinclined to believe it or in complete denial of the situation.  The Sheriff actually threatened to lock up the next person who dared to mention it.

Why are people changing?  Where are they going to after being changed?  Is someone behind the changes and the raids?  Why is the Sheriff so disgruntled and the council members so apathetic?
So many questions, so few answers, so little time.  At the rate things are going, nearly half the people in New Edinburgh will have been changed before another month goes by.

"Doc" has an idea of who might be able to get assistance from.  He heads to the bookstore to confer with his friend the local sage.

die Bürgerwehr, a secret society

This is a secret society of people concerned for freedom and liberty of all sentient beings. They work together to right wrongs by other groups and individuals who would infringe on another's natural rights. They trace their beginnings to the time of the "turn" before the change of everything on this world. It is said that the most valuable possession of the society is an original copy of the founding documents of a place from before the "turn" called the U.S.A. a place, according to those documents where all people were respected as individuals with a sovereignty of their own, each and every one.

die Bürgerwehr is always looking for new agents and members of the society. One does not petition to join. If the Society wants you, they will invite you to become an agent, a contractor so to speak. If they feel an individual is worthy, they will extend an invitation to join and become a member of the Society with all of it's benefits and responsibilities. One can choose to not join if invited. Free and voluntary association is highly regarded among the Society.

die Bürgerwehr is represented by someone in the position of "General Contractor".  It is this General's duty to represent the Society in all negotiations and conduct the business of the Society with the approval of the "Congress"  which consists of all Society members that have achieved a certain status level relative to their trade or class.

Most people don't even know the Society actually exists.  Of those who have heard of it, most consider it a myth.

Bees, My New Adventure

I am writing a new 1E/OSRIC adventure focusing on a giant bee colony.  I am highly enthusiastic about this as it allows me to combine my profession with my hobby in an extremely cool way.

I know going in, it features a Druid, a colony of giant honey bees, a geas and a secret, magical, mystical treasure.  I also know there is a terrible dark secret and a cover up.  Lastly I know it contains new creatures and shtuff.

Kits vs Open Play

I had a chat recently with a fella interested in playing AD&D 1e.  He has some idea of 2e and other later editions of AD&D but not 1e.  What's the major difference is what he wanted to know.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was more about the specificity of later editions.  It's kind of like LEGO kits from when I was was younger.  They just came in a big box with a variety of different blocks and a beginning set of instructions on how to build a handful of things like trucks, helicopters, buildings and other fun stuff.

Ultimately, the world was at your fingertips.  You could build almost anything you could imagine.  Later, LEGO started making kits with specific parts and specific instructions to build what they intended for you to build.

Yes, if you were creative, imaginative and resourceful you could build other things with what was available.  It seemed though that while a handful of people (like me) did just that, most everyone else seemed content staying with the provided instructions.

As newer updates to AD&D were released, it seemed as though they were being refined and directed toward someone's pre-determined idea of how the game should be played rather than the wide open and non-directed system that is 1e.

It was like building a specific LEGO kit focused on a specific project instead of building whatever you might have in mind.  Sure, easier to referree and run the game but, in my case anyway, it felt like I was playing someone else's game, not "my" game.

To me 1e seems to support spontaneity and flexibility.  It allows for a game to go in any direction at any time because 1e has no expectations.  It has no pre-determined outcomes.  It just the bits and blocks used to build an adventure.  Any adventure.  YOUR adventure.

Later editions may be fine for other people but they seem too focused and constrained on how someone else thinks it should be played.  I'll stick to 1e (and OSRIC) because it feels more like my game, my way.

Back at it

Getting educational games going again for my youngest daughter who is homeschooled.

This time I decided to make a new game world that will allow for me to incorporate information from study topics to reinforce them while also setting up scenarios that encourage thinking on your feet, strategic and tactical planning, social skills and more.

You're welcome to take a look at it at http://add1e.bbe-tech.com/index.php?title=My_World:_Uerth

Sword 2 of the 7 Swords

The Frievald Sword

Sir Frievald, a well known vampire hunting Paladin from just over a hundred years ago, saved the life of an Elf Lord from an unusual collaboration of a powerful Necromancer and a very old and powerful vampire.  In gratitude for Sir Frievald's intervention, the Elf Lord commissioned a special sword made to aid the powerful paladin in his life's mission to fight the undead in any form but especially vampires. While no one in his family after his death can properly wield the sword as it is meant for the hands of Good aligned Paladins only, they have kept it in a treasured, special room in his honor.  The sword had been stolen by an evil Necromancer about thirty years ago.  It has never been recovered.

It communicates with the wielder using high empathy and can only be wielded by Good aligned Paladins.

• It is a +2 sword against most foes but against the Evil aligned it is +4. 
• It can automatically cast "Detect Evil" while worn and will inform the wielder empathically by causing the wielder to feel a heightened sense of caution. 
• It casts Dispel Evil when the wielder holds the pommel in hand but does not need to draw it. The wielder must speak the “Command of Banishment” as appropriate to their Order. 
• It is made of Mithril and imbued with silver and Holy Water was used in it’s forging. 
• It’s most special ability is that it has the potential to Turn undead.  The sword “Turns” as a level 14 Cleric.

The sword can turn merely by being drawn in the presence of undead but must actually make contact with the enemy in order to have the Destruction effect.

Downfall, part 5

Abbe Micheal turned on the buckboard of the wagon to look at the troops seated in the back of the wagon as the group of holy warriors traveled closer to Aldisburgh and the depravity of the cannibalistic zombie attack that were being sent to dispatch.

The trip from New Edinburgh had been quiet for the most part.  Only the sounds of a rolling, creaking wagon, trodding horses and the shuffling of equipment was heard.  The warriors in the wagon were grim in visage and determined in countenance.  They all knew they were heading toward a new kind of threat in the form of something that had previously been relatively, in their line of work, all too common.  Now they faced a new variation that put their previous experience in question.

"Have any of you seen this image in relation to your previous dealing with zombies?" he asked them as he handed a piece of parchment back with a sketch he had hurriedly made from his brief studies of the questions his friend Jolly had originally brought to his attention when they were first introduced.

They took the picture and looked it over in turns, each reflecting a bit to try to recall if the image had any familiarity.  None of them had claimed any recognition as the image was passed back to Abbe Micheal.  "Show that to me please," Abbe Merrin Lankester said from beside him, holding the reigns of the horses as they pulled the wagon closer to their immediate destiny.

Micheal held the image up and Abbe Merrin glanced over it for a bit then shook his his slowly and took a deep breath, resulting in an even deeper sigh.  "I have seen that image before Micheal"  Abbe Micheal sat up straighter and looked perplexedly at the older abbe next to him.  "You have?" he exclaimed.  "I can find little to nothing about it in the records in the Church library."  "Where then, did you find that image if not in the Church library?"  the senior Abbe asked in return.  Micheal held up the image again, explaining, "This was a drawing made by my friend who sent me the message from Aldisburgh.  He has found this image in various places at the cemetery there and was trying to learn more about them.  When he found nothing in the library, he introduced himself to me hoping that as a member of the Order, I might shed some light on it."

Merrin hung his head low, the memories flooding back to him faster than he would have imagined.  He should have asked for the records when he volunteered to the Monsignor.  He had suspected as much on a deep inner level but at the surface hadn't been able to let it come through.  Now it was in front of him.  All of it.

"Abbe Lankester," the young abbot prodded softly.  "Do you know something of this image?'   A part of him almost hoped that the long time Exorcist and Cleric known commonly among the Order as "Yahweh's Bulldog" didn't have the information he was afraid of hearing.  "Is this something you have seen before Abbe?" he asked anyway.

"Micheal, I have seen and done a great many things in my long lifetime than most clerics have seen in two or even three lifetimes."  Merrin began.  "I began my true career in the Order as an exorcist almost by accident.  In actually, it turned out that I happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."  This conversation had caught the interest of the warriors sitting behind the two abbes.  They at quietly, paying attention to hear every word from the older cleric over the low racket of the horse hooves and wagon wheels.

"To give you the whole story, you need to understand that I am not what I seem to you.  How old do you think I am? " He asked looked up into the younger man's eyes.  "If I had to guess, I would say perhaps about fifty sir." Micheal replied.  The older man smiled, slight wrinkles around his mouth making his face lose and gain ten years simultaneously.  "I can tell you that I came to the calling late in my life Micheal.  I did not become a Cleric in the Church until I was fifty three years old."  Abbe Merrin stated.  "I am now just over one hundred and twelve years old and I expect that Yahweh intends to keep me around much longer in punishment of my good deeds.

The group sitting behind in the wagon looked back and forth between the two abbes and then from one of their own faces to another in quiet disbelief.   "How can that be Abbe?  Not that I disbelieve you but how could it be possible for a human to live so long and look so youthful as you do?"  Micheal had turned fully in the buckboard to face the abbe next to him.

When I was a younger man than I am now but twice as old as you, I was a wandering historian.  I visited the sites of ancient temples and cities long buried beneath the grasses and the sands.  I made a modest living in the trade of artifacts of lesser importance but for the most part, I was passionate for the knowing of history.  I had also become something of a travelling sage to be so bold if I may.  Many people sought me out for the information of long forgotten and archaic ruins of times long gone by.  They paid rather better than trading petty trinkets to be honest."  Merrin paused for a breath, licking his dry lips before carrying on.

"I was always an ardent follower of Yahweh, had been since childhood.  My faith had been nearly unshakable but I hadn't ever seriously considered becoming a Priest or Cleric.  Then I discovered the ruins of a long lost cathedral near a place also long gone to history called Sumeria.  The cathedral had been an incredible find.  It had been awe inspiring.  It was upon seeing it for the first time that I was so moved to even actually consider the Church as a life pursuit."

"However, when we broke through the dust and sand encrusted doors, we learned too late that we had awoken something truly wicked.  Perhaps the greatest Evil to walk this world in physical form.  As punishment for releasing this great Evil, Yahweh saw fit to curse me with long life with which to pursue the great Evil until I can banish it to it's confinement in the Abyss again.  I cannot leave this life until I rid the world of the Evil that I released."

Micheal leaned back again into the backboard, stunned.  He had heard rumors.  Outlandish fairy tales that he had assumed were the legends that naturally came from performing great deeds of heroism in the name of Yahweh.  To hear the story come so plainly, so earnestly spoken from the man himself was like being a small gong struck by a sledgehammer.  It blew him away entirely.

Abbe Merrin Lankester grabbed the flask next on the seat next to him and took a long draught.  Letting the warm liquid trickle down his dry throat before setting the flask down again to resume his tale.

"The image you carry is that of one of Yahweh's greatest foes.  A lord of demons known as the Beast of the Apocalypse.  His number is 440 and is also called the Great Dragon.  He is the lord of fever and plague.  He is known to me as Imdugud  and I shall not rest until I see him gone from this world again."

Everyone in the wagon had sat stunned by the revelation.  The wagon had come to a complete stop and realization dawned on everyone present that they were no longer dealing with something s simple as a secret necromancer amassing a horrible variant of zombies.  They were facing something much older, something much darker and more sinister.  Abbe Merrin Lankester looked around, into the of each face.  When he was sure he had all of their attention once more, he spoke again.

"We are nearly there.  The beast is there and it is waiting for us.  It will bide it's time in hiding no longer.  It has come forward to make a bold play for the very lives of our people.  If they should not be stopped here, now, then the world as we know it will end.  We are enjoined, all of us now, to stop this lord of demons and his undead minions.  It is now upon us to put an end to his evil or give our lives in the effort."  Micheal stared in awe at this now vibrant and emboldened man sitting next to him.  No longer quiet and subdued but sitting straight and with fervor, with passion as he finished his statement.

"When we enter Dem Tode Nahe, we will enter not as investigators or meek priests but as the just and and powerful right hand of Yahweh.  We will destroy the demon if we can and if not destroy the beast, we will put an end to his undead minions and send them back to the peace of their graves!?

Abbe Lankester finished this last nearly as a roar from deep in his chest.  The conviction of his will covering him like a shimmering aura.  He looked at the assembled warriors again, then back at Micheal, his new apprentice, though the young Abbe didn't know it yet. He looked forward again, lifted the reigns high and snapped them, startling the horses into a canter.  He looked directly in front of them the remainder of the ride until they stopped in front of the boarding house of Jolly the Magic User.  He had plans for this spellcaster as well.

Making the game more than the sum of it's parts

I approach AD&D 1E/OSRIC gaming from a storyboard perspective.  It's not just a game, it's a series of stories.  They are stories about villains, heroes and the wild ways of the world that ebbs and flows in between.

I like to say that there are the books and the rules that are the "straight math" of the game and I know a lot of people that play it that way.  That's fine if that's how they prefer to play it.  For me though, I find that approach terribly boring.  I like to think of myself as a fairly creative person and much appreciate the natural randomness built into the game and the many suggestions by the author throughout the books that the rules are secondary, it's the spirit of the game that is most important and the rules not only can be changed or sacrificed for the sake of the spirit of the game, it is encouraged.

I believe that by homebrewing and creating our own campaign worlds and anything else we come up with takes the game somewhere entirely new.  It allows us to make it more uniquely our own and yet be able to share it with others at the same time.

It's a great fantasy adventure of our own making.  People start playing, in my games anyway, with characters they have dreamed of and can live vicariously through.    Like I said, it's a story and these characters are something that players can become attached to.  I will bring in some Ex Deau Machina to preserve the story if need be.  I will fudge the dice to get a better, more exciting and more interesting story if the opportunity exists.

I love this game for the great escape that it is.  It's a high like no other that I have experienced (and honestly, I have experienced some dubious variety of highs over my ifetime).

It's not just guidebooks and dice and paper.  It's imagination and fantasies and dreams made real.  It's taking a game and making it more than the sum of it's parts.

The Freedom of the Game

One of the things I love about AD&D and OSRIC in general is that it is such an open platform.  Much like the Pirates Code in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" they are more like guidelines rather than rules.

In the spirit of homebrewing and the social nature of the game, I can share how I interpret the game and customize it to work best for my own creative inklings and to put it together in a way that is a fun and rewarding experience for the players.

The next DM will see, interpret and handle things differently as to what works best for them and their game.  At the same time, there is enough common ground that it is still essentially the same game to each of us.

When I post my homebrewings here, it is only because I am excited and enthusiastic about my game and I'd like to share what I think works great and what I've done to address things I see as not working so well.  I'm not here to tell everyone else that they are "doing it wrong" or that there must be some strict uniformity that everyone must abide by.

That would totally defy the spirit of the game.

I don't argue about the game with others because on one hand, I don't really care how other people run their games.  It's their game, they can run it how they want.  I will play at their table or I won't.  Consequently I am not here to convince anyone of anything in terms of changing or adopting something different from how they already see or do things.

I'm just sharing how I see it, why I see it that way and what I do to address it.  If you like it and want to use it, cool, awesome, great.  Knock yourself out and have fun with it.

Because no matter if the DM at the next table and I agree or see eye to eye on game mechanics or issues or not, the game will go on.  The game is bigger than any one DM or group of DM's.

That my friend's is just awesome.  It's an awesome sundae covered in awesome sauce topped with an awesome cherry.  It's that awesome.

So come and read, share my enthusiasm, borrow what you will freely.  But don't come here to argue with me because I am not here to argue.  I will explain why I see it the way I do but that's more for the sake of discussion.  I don't care if you take it up, agree, ignore it or disagree.

It's a game for everyone and there's room for everyone to make it their own game.  To me, that's what makes it the best game in the world.

Spell-casting: Is it Live or is it Memorex?

I spend a lot of time thinking about spell-casting.  I'm not really the biggest fan of the Vancian magic system that is used in AD&D.  Not to say that I don't understand it's purpose, to limit spell-casters, but it seems rather unwieldy overall.  Or maybe it's not so much unwieldy as the explanation of it is dull and unimaginative.

I allow spell-casters in my games to free-cast and to use memorized spells.  Free-casting takes longer because the whole spell has to be carried out with all of it's requisite components.  Not something done in haste.  Yet by allowing free-casting, it offers the spell caster greater variety and specificity in the spells they do cast when they need or want to cast them.  That makes the game more fun.  I refer to free-casting as the "Live" part.

I also allow for preparing spells ahead of time.  This fits into the Vancian system because it can be described as memorizing spells, especially in the case of Magic Users and Illusionists.  It can also be described, at least I describe it so, as "spell-queuing".  This fits well with Clerics and Druids who don't obtain or cast spells the same way.

Spell-queuing is having the spell-caster go to their place of preparation.  This might be a portable altar, meditation area or something along those lines.  In the case of M-U's They proceed to memorize the spells they anticipate needing to use in the coming day.  For Clerics, They will perform the meditations and prayers to have their pre-selected spells Ready To Use.  I like to describe it as performing the entire prayer or incantation but leaving out the very last word or action to execute the spell out.  Then, when on the spot use is called for, they say that last word or perform that last action, etc... and the spell is executed nearly instantaneously.

If the spell-caster is about to knowingly go into a battle or enter into a building or dungeon, etc... where they think they might need to have certain spells at the ready and no time to go through the whole casting process, then the "Memorex" approach can be very very useful.  Though I will usually judge that spells which are "Memorexed" lose a bit in accuracy and other specificity.  In other words, they sacrifice fine controls for expediency.

During the battle or the exploration they can still go "Live" and carry out the desired spells with full accuracy and fine controls but it costs time in the execution.    Either way, "Live" or "Memorex", the spells count against their daily allotment.

So for Players considering this approach, I suggest you think of the situation the PC is looking forward toward.  If it's going into battle, what kinds of spells would be highly effective but usually not able to be gotten off because they take too much time to execute?  Those are the spells that you "Memorex".

Basically, casting time is a general deciding factor in which spells to "Memorex"  because if it takes more than a few segments to cast, then you aren't likely to get it off in the midst of battle or in an emergency situation.

"Cure Light Wounds" isn't worth "Memorexing", it's low level and relatively quick and easy to cast and it's usefulness in an emergency situation isn't high.  Cure Serious Wounds, Cure Disease, and the like, those are worth "Memorexing because sometimes poisons and rapidly accelerating diseases don't allow for a lot of time, maybe just a round or so, to go through the full process of casting.  Being able to whip out "Slow Poison", "Remove Curse", "Cure Critical Wounds" or spells like those is much more worthwhile.  When you have just a few segments in a matter of life or death, you don't want to have to wait longer if you don't need to.

I do pretty much waive the casting time for "Memorexed" spells because the casting was already done at the preparation.  The execution is instantaneous from the uttering of that last word or action.  Time to take effect is still subject to the spell descriptions.  For "Live" spell-casting though, I enforce casting time limits entirely.

There you have it, another peek into my weird world, deranged and out-of-whack as it may be, it sure is a lot of fun.