Favorite free RPG.
Hmmm...this is a hard one. I've certainly gotten more use from the D20 and Pathfinder SRDs than just about any other gaming resource in the past decade. But I'm in one of my "D20 is the opposite of fun" moods right now. Also, I'm not really sure that "Open Content" is the same as "Free." I've never been the guy to just download the SRD and not buy the books. So, I'm going to avoid open systems. Sorry, OSR dudes.
Because I'm currently in an Urban Fantasy/Horror sort of mood, I going to say Witchcraft from Eden Studios. It's a complete game with art and everything, the entire core rulebook. If you like the genre, but want something different from the World of Darkness, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
#RPGaDay2015 Day 6:
Most Recent Game Played
This one gets a straightforward answer: the most recent RPG I've played was ICONS Assembled Edition. We kicked off a new game a week ago Thursday and are looking to play every other week.
Why ICONS? I'm glad you asked! Originally, this was going to be an M&M game. I bought the "Emerald City" book and wanted to run that campaign. Unfortunately, that plan ran into a couple of complications: player unfamiliarity with the system, my own worries about the level of preparation needed, and some niggling issues I have with the setting (namely, the Player's Guide to Emerald City is written as if the included campaign happened in the recent past and is full of potential spoilers).
ICONS, on the other hand, is something my potential crew were all familiar with. It's also a very low-prep game for this busy GM. And I love the crazy creativity the random character generation inspires.
Our current crop of heroes are Quake (a billionaire mining engineer with earth-control gauntlets), Mentasor (a CSI profiler with massive telekinetic powers), Jinx (a young woman possessed by Raven, the Native American trickster god), Pharaoh Ape (a Victorian archaeologists consciousness trapped in the body of an undead gorilla), and Fortune (a former Chinese spy on the road to redemption). Last week, they foiled the Sidereal Schemes of Dr. Zodiac. Who knows what evil they will face next?
Why ICONS? I'm glad you asked! Originally, this was going to be an M&M game. I bought the "Emerald City" book and wanted to run that campaign. Unfortunately, that plan ran into a couple of complications: player unfamiliarity with the system, my own worries about the level of preparation needed, and some niggling issues I have with the setting (namely, the Player's Guide to Emerald City is written as if the included campaign happened in the recent past and is full of potential spoilers).
ICONS, on the other hand, is something my potential crew were all familiar with. It's also a very low-prep game for this busy GM. And I love the crazy creativity the random character generation inspires.
Our current crop of heroes are Quake (a billionaire mining engineer with earth-control gauntlets), Mentasor (a CSI profiler with massive telekinetic powers), Jinx (a young woman possessed by Raven, the Native American trickster god), Pharaoh Ape (a Victorian archaeologists consciousness trapped in the body of an undead gorilla), and Fortune (a former Chinese spy on the road to redemption). Last week, they foiled the Sidereal Schemes of Dr. Zodiac. Who knows what evil they will face next?
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
RPGaDay Day Five
Most recent RPG purchase:
Dead tree:
FFG's third Star Wars RPG, the one that focuses on Force users. It's pretty.
Digital:
Urban Shadows and Deluxe Tunnels and Trolls, a simultaneous New Style Indy and Old School purchase.
I have no idea when I'm going to make time to read any of them. Stupid Gamer ADD.
Dead tree:
FFG's third Star Wars RPG, the one that focuses on Force users. It's pretty.
Digital:
I have no idea when I'm going to make time to read any of them. Stupid Gamer ADD.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
RPGaDay2015: Day Four
Most Surprising Game:
I'm not sure how to answer this, to be honest. Surprising good? Surprising bad? Surprising product? Surprising session?
I mean, I was pleased to see D&D 5e move away from the tactical tabletop game approach of 4e, but it wasn't much of a surprise to someone who actually pays attention to the "industry."
I was surprised in a bad way when my "Young Justice" DC Adventures game at Chupacabracon didn't make. Folks don't know what they missed with that one.
Actually, I think I've figured it out.
Revelations of Mars, for Hollow Earth Expedition. I'm not surprised that it's gorgeous - I've come to expect that from the product line. I'm not surprised that it's chock-full of cool ideas - I've come to expect that from them as well.
I was surprised when it turned up in my mailbox. I backed the Kickstarter and promptly forgot at what level I'd backed it. When the PDF arrived, I thought "Oh, cool." A few weeks later, this gorgeous book turned up in the mail and I had a moment of, "Did I order this?"
Surprise!
I'm not sure how to answer this, to be honest. Surprising good? Surprising bad? Surprising product? Surprising session?
I mean, I was pleased to see D&D 5e move away from the tactical tabletop game approach of 4e, but it wasn't much of a surprise to someone who actually pays attention to the "industry."
I was surprised in a bad way when my "Young Justice" DC Adventures game at Chupacabracon didn't make. Folks don't know what they missed with that one.
Actually, I think I've figured it out.
Revelations of Mars, for Hollow Earth Expedition. I'm not surprised that it's gorgeous - I've come to expect that from the product line. I'm not surprised that it's chock-full of cool ideas - I've come to expect that from them as well.
I was surprised when it turned up in my mailbox. I backed the Kickstarter and promptly forgot at what level I'd backed it. When the PDF arrived, I thought "Oh, cool." A few weeks later, this gorgeous book turned up in the mail and I had a moment of, "Did I order this?"
Surprise!
Monday, August 3, 2015
RPGaDay2015: Day Three
Favorite new game of the last twelve months.
Ye gods, this one is hard. Mostly because I haven't got a clue. With my Gamer ADD, today's favorite is tomorrow's also-ran. Also, I don't get a chance to actually play most of the stuff I buy in a given year. And the two "new" games I've actually played in the past twelve months are both revisions. Also, I really can't choose between them, so I'm going to talk about both.
First up is Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition. I wish I could play this more often, because it really scratches my D&D itch better than any version published in the last fifteen years. Don't get me wrong: I played the hell out of 3x/Pathfinder, and my 4e Swordmage just ticked over to Epic Tier last night, but "my" D&D is equal parts exploration, conflict, and story and 5e seems to sit in a sweet spot between all three. Granted, 3x and 4e CAN deliver that experience, but they're not really built to deliver it and the spackle over the cracks in the system show through. 5e feels like my memories of my best 2e games, but streamlined and easier to play and run.
(I just wish it had a set of digital tools for character building and campaign management for something other than virtual tabletop play. Maybe we'll get something this year.)
The other is ICONS Assembled Edition. Big surprise, huh? Like D&D 5e, it's a revision of an existing rules set. But ICONS didn't need to be a different game, just better. And the Assembled Edition does this beautifully. It incorporates new ideas from later products, streamlines an already rules-light game, adds some terrific new examples and explanations, and puts it all in a beautiful little hardback package. I've just kicked off a new campaign with it and everyone's having a blast with it.
Honorable mention: East Texas University for Savage Worlds. Hopefully, I'll get to play it some day.
Ye gods, this one is hard. Mostly because I haven't got a clue. With my Gamer ADD, today's favorite is tomorrow's also-ran. Also, I don't get a chance to actually play most of the stuff I buy in a given year. And the two "new" games I've actually played in the past twelve months are both revisions. Also, I really can't choose between them, so I'm going to talk about both.
First up is Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition. I wish I could play this more often, because it really scratches my D&D itch better than any version published in the last fifteen years. Don't get me wrong: I played the hell out of 3x/Pathfinder, and my 4e Swordmage just ticked over to Epic Tier last night, but "my" D&D is equal parts exploration, conflict, and story and 5e seems to sit in a sweet spot between all three. Granted, 3x and 4e CAN deliver that experience, but they're not really built to deliver it and the spackle over the cracks in the system show through. 5e feels like my memories of my best 2e games, but streamlined and easier to play and run.
(I just wish it had a set of digital tools for character building and campaign management for something other than virtual tabletop play. Maybe we'll get something this year.)
The other is ICONS Assembled Edition. Big surprise, huh? Like D&D 5e, it's a revision of an existing rules set. But ICONS didn't need to be a different game, just better. And the Assembled Edition does this beautifully. It incorporates new ideas from later products, streamlines an already rules-light game, adds some terrific new examples and explanations, and puts it all in a beautiful little hardback package. I've just kicked off a new campaign with it and everyone's having a blast with it.
Honorable mention: East Texas University for Savage Worlds. Hopefully, I'll get to play it some day.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
RPGaDay2015: Day Two
Today's topic: "Kickstarted game most pleased you backed."
This is going to be a tough one. I Kickstart a lot of stuff, and I have a very good track record (only two items I've backed didn't fund). Most of those I've backed have delivered in some capacity, and even the ones that haven't aren't sources of regret.
So, I'm going to cheat here, just a little and throw out a few that hit different high notes:
Biggest, Most Elaborate: Cthulhu Wars, from Petersen Games. I got in on one of the early bird tiers, so my core set only cost $130. I wouldn't own the game at full retail price, so that's pretty awesome. The minis and the production values are just tremendous. Also, it got Sandy Petersen going back to gaming conventions, so I got to meet him and geek out over Lovecraftian horrors together. That's pretty damned cool.
I Knew These Guys When: Tianxia, from Vigilance Press. I've had the good fortune to know Jack Norris for well over a decade, and I first met James Dawsey at GenCon in 2009. Later, I made some guest appearances on James' "Vigilance Press Podcast," playing M&M for the amusement of the masses. I'm also an enormous fan of martial arts cinema, so when they launched the kickstarter for Tianxia, Jack's FATE-based martial arts setting, backing it was a no-brainer. I knew the material would be terrific; what I didn't expect was how incredibly beautiful the final product was. James made the very smart move of hiring Denise Jones to to all of the artwork for the game. Her style is a perfect fit, transforming Jack's words into beautiful images that are full of life and character and movement. The book has been a tremendous success and the folks involve deserve every bit of it. I'm happy to have helped them get it out the door. Now, give me an AGE conversion. :-)
Sentimental Favorite 1: Chill. Because I met my first serious girlfriend at an impromptu Halloween night Chill session.
Sentimental Favorite 2: Feng Shui 2, from Atlas Games. Apart from Champions, no other RPG has had an impact on my gaming style than Feng Shui. I remember reading my first copy (The Daedelus first edition) in the car while my wife drove us home from the game store. I hit the section titled "The Map Is Not Your Friend" and honestly felt like the I was seeing gaming for the first time. Feng Shui kickstarted my love of Hong Kong action films into high gear. It's the game I folded, spindled, and (on more than one occasion) mutilated to play genres far afield of the original setting (seriously, I ran "Keep on the Borderlands" with it). I own everything published for it, even the Ronin Publishing version of "Blood of the Valiant." In short, I love this game. Hell, I even Kickstarted a Shadowfist card game revival because I heard Atlas was watching it to gauge the popularity the setting it shares with FS. And I don't even play Shadowfist.
So, when word finally got out that Feng Shui 2 was in the works, you can bet I jumped on that train. I got my copy on Friday. It's gorgeous, everything I could have hoped for. Now, I need to find a way to run it.
So those four are special, I suppose. But every game I back is special. Every game I back is like a godchild (or maybe a niece or nephew). Many of the projects I back are helmed by friends of mine. And since I'm a far better consumer of than creator of gaming material, I consider myself lucky to be in a position to help the publishers with my one consistent contribution (money).
So, there ya have it.
This is going to be a tough one. I Kickstart a lot of stuff, and I have a very good track record (only two items I've backed didn't fund). Most of those I've backed have delivered in some capacity, and even the ones that haven't aren't sources of regret.
So, I'm going to cheat here, just a little and throw out a few that hit different high notes:
Biggest, Most Elaborate: Cthulhu Wars, from Petersen Games. I got in on one of the early bird tiers, so my core set only cost $130. I wouldn't own the game at full retail price, so that's pretty awesome. The minis and the production values are just tremendous. Also, it got Sandy Petersen going back to gaming conventions, so I got to meet him and geek out over Lovecraftian horrors together. That's pretty damned cool.
I Knew These Guys When: Tianxia, from Vigilance Press. I've had the good fortune to know Jack Norris for well over a decade, and I first met James Dawsey at GenCon in 2009. Later, I made some guest appearances on James' "Vigilance Press Podcast," playing M&M for the amusement of the masses. I'm also an enormous fan of martial arts cinema, so when they launched the kickstarter for Tianxia, Jack's FATE-based martial arts setting, backing it was a no-brainer. I knew the material would be terrific; what I didn't expect was how incredibly beautiful the final product was. James made the very smart move of hiring Denise Jones to to all of the artwork for the game. Her style is a perfect fit, transforming Jack's words into beautiful images that are full of life and character and movement. The book has been a tremendous success and the folks involve deserve every bit of it. I'm happy to have helped them get it out the door. Now, give me an AGE conversion. :-)
Sentimental Favorite 1: Chill. Because I met my first serious girlfriend at an impromptu Halloween night Chill session.
Sentimental Favorite 2: Feng Shui 2, from Atlas Games. Apart from Champions, no other RPG has had an impact on my gaming style than Feng Shui. I remember reading my first copy (The Daedelus first edition) in the car while my wife drove us home from the game store. I hit the section titled "The Map Is Not Your Friend" and honestly felt like the I was seeing gaming for the first time. Feng Shui kickstarted my love of Hong Kong action films into high gear. It's the game I folded, spindled, and (on more than one occasion) mutilated to play genres far afield of the original setting (seriously, I ran "Keep on the Borderlands" with it). I own everything published for it, even the Ronin Publishing version of "Blood of the Valiant." In short, I love this game. Hell, I even Kickstarted a Shadowfist card game revival because I heard Atlas was watching it to gauge the popularity the setting it shares with FS. And I don't even play Shadowfist.
So, when word finally got out that Feng Shui 2 was in the works, you can bet I jumped on that train. I got my copy on Friday. It's gorgeous, everything I could have hoped for. Now, I need to find a way to run it.
So those four are special, I suppose. But every game I back is special. Every game I back is like a godchild (or maybe a niece or nephew). Many of the projects I back are helmed by friends of mine. And since I'm a far better consumer of than creator of gaming material, I consider myself lucky to be in a position to help the publishers with my one consistent contribution (money).
So, there ya have it.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
RPGADAY 2015
I know, I haven't updated Mind Games in weeks. I'll get back on it, I promise.
In the meantime, it August 1, so that means it's time for #RPGADAY. Here's this year's questions:
Let's get started...
1. Forthcoming Game You're Most Looking Forward To.
Yesterday was a really good day for games I had been looking forward to. I received my Kickstarter backer copies of Feng Shui 2 and Revelations of Mars, as well as picking up a copy of Star Wars: Force and Destiny at the FLGS. Looking at the news out of GenCon and before, there's not a lot that's got me really excited, because my opportunities to try new stuff are generally pretty limited. There are a couple of Kickstarter items I'm looking forward to seeing at some point (Exalted 3 and 13th Age Glorantha), but I'm not waiting for them breathlessly. Chaosium announced there will be an ancient Greek version of Pendragon, which sounds really neat, but given their track record, I'll believe it when I'm holding it in my hands.
Probably, the most interesting recent announcement is a new edition of Unknown Armies. It's one of those games I love entirely in the abstract, because I've never been able to round up a group of people willing to play it. Early burbles from the playtest indicate they're changing it up quite a bit, but I have a lot of faith in the designers.
Or maybe the new edition of Blue Rose. Yeah, that one.
In the meantime, it August 1, so that means it's time for #RPGADAY. Here's this year's questions:
Let's get started...
1. Forthcoming Game You're Most Looking Forward To.
Yesterday was a really good day for games I had been looking forward to. I received my Kickstarter backer copies of Feng Shui 2 and Revelations of Mars, as well as picking up a copy of Star Wars: Force and Destiny at the FLGS. Looking at the news out of GenCon and before, there's not a lot that's got me really excited, because my opportunities to try new stuff are generally pretty limited. There are a couple of Kickstarter items I'm looking forward to seeing at some point (Exalted 3 and 13th Age Glorantha), but I'm not waiting for them breathlessly. Chaosium announced there will be an ancient Greek version of Pendragon, which sounds really neat, but given their track record, I'll believe it when I'm holding it in my hands.
Probably, the most interesting recent announcement is a new edition of Unknown Armies. It's one of those games I love entirely in the abstract, because I've never been able to round up a group of people willing to play it. Early burbles from the playtest indicate they're changing it up quite a bit, but I have a lot of faith in the designers.
Or maybe the new edition of Blue Rose. Yeah, that one.
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