odd Robots

For several decades I have been fascinated with games that directly reflect their constituent physical parts. How can mechanics and rules, systems, coexist cozily with how pieces and how can the pieces be part of the system? This started with a Lego based game and now I am noodling around with a Cairn/Mausritter variant: modular robots. This quixotic task, or at least the recent iteration, started a week or so ago.

I bought Micro Circuits, and it wasn't what I imagined it to be. Seems much more like human-in-robot-costume kind of game, which is not a bad thing, just not as deep a dive as I was looking for. What I think I was imagining was a system where the nature of being a robot allowed the characters to mechanically take on features and items from other robots or from the environment. In other words I was looking for a system where the nature of the subject matter reinforced or incorporated the mechanics, that there was synergy between the two. That was not the case, so I started working on...

C.A.I.R.N. is my operating name here... Cellular

Automatic

Independent

Regenerating

Nodes 

Still figuring out the acronym! But I think I have a nice core concept, where everything, even the individual core stats, are a modular part of the robot, and can be reconfigured.

Salt Palace Update

Season 4 just ended with a bit of a whimper, primarily due to illness on my part. However, that didn't mean sessions were any less exciting!

The parties solved the big mystery of the levitating beam of light, identifying it as a manifestation of an intelligent white gem, the soul of a dwarvish sorcerer. At war with the undead West of the great canyon , the sorcerer has promised assistance if adventurers clear out the skeletons and shadows. 

They also learned that the Salt Palace lies to the west, wyrms lurk in that path, and that spells can be sentient, mobile, and deadly. Then, the last session a determined party pushed South, unveiling a massive underground cliff face, surmounted by a crumbling stone wall. Is it the Palace itself? The other great tower? Something else altogether?

Tune in next season and let me know if you want to jump in!

My DM 'Kit' 2.0

Criteria

Visibility or At Hand

Will I notice or be able to find this tool, either in a rare moment of visual perception or by feel?

Containment

Does the tool move; if so, how is it corraled for #1 to happen?

Session Specifics

Does the tool inform or support what might happen in the session? Notes, continuity, secrets & story are woven together here.

Tools  

In front of me 

Dice tray (or Mat)

Mat (may be on its way out?)

Creature cards

Card stand

Record or note sheet

Journal with single spread of session prep 

Map (usually cards)

Pen

Wooden timers (trying these out)

Dice (20, 12, 2d10, 8, 4d6)

At hand

Rule book

'Maze Rats' (usually)

Campaign records

Special Dice (Emotion, Direction, Body part)

Blank note cards

Any system specific aids (eg  Mausritter item cards)

The Bard Shudders!

Old Willy Shakespeare needs to stand back, step out, and definitely roll over, as Awake Your Dormouse Valor is out and up! Volume one, MiceBeth, and volume two, The Winter's Tail, are available on Itch.

Both of these fine pieces of work were done almost entirely by me, using the tools accessible to me. While they are not typically produced Zines; all the parts are there, but they are art light.

Follow the mouse tracks........

https://dodocahedrongames.itch.io/

The Plume is Up!

It is up on itch, and I gesture to the right, where there should be a link to the itch page, But if there isn't, here is a link directly to the game.

https://dodocahedrongames.itch.io/theplume

Creating Independence

For several years now most of my publishing efforts have been happily collaborative, laid out and designed by graphic designers, in partnership, and with great results! This summer though, I became interested-inspired-motivated to do as much of the design process as I could with accessible tools.

One of the issues for me is the complex layering of menus, options, and tools in the more popular layout products, whether web-based or not, free or for a cost. I am not as conversant as I would like to be with JAWS or other text to voice interfaces and their facility in addressing what is essentially a visual medium, lay out and design, is arguably not so good.

One other issue is independence. A core tenet of the independent living movement and disability rights is acknowledging interdependence and jettisoning an uninterrogated dependence. Making my own decisions and following through on the consequences is pivotal, even with the support of other people, technology, medical devices etc. Making decisions about support on a project by project basis increases my independence.

In practice, or in my practice, right now, what this means is that I'm using Google docs to write, lay out, and convert games for publication, whether printed, distributed as PDFs, or put out as EDocs. In terms of support, I found a template and font hierarchy that fit the project and adjusted it with the support of a designer. The questions and feedback I got from them generally had to do with visual questions around color, spacing, and the interplay of visual elements, all of which are currently difficult or impossible for me to navigate. One temptation was to share the document and allow another person to make those changes or adjustments. That would make things easier, but could I do it myself? The answer was generally yes, or to find a workaround that allowed me the level of Independence I desired.

For these particular projects, mini campaigns for Mausritter, It also meant making some design decisions, especially around art. The theme of the project, or projects as it turned out, happily, lent itself to a low level of need for art, except on the item cards, which I may write about later. The process allowed me to use dictation and my phone as the primary tool, and a laptop for some of the points where the mobile interface did not suffice. It has been a grand experiment and I feel like it is pushing me in directions I might not have otherwise tackled!

Noguchi Museum: Deep Accessibility

In Queens the other week and my oldest arranged a tour of the Noguchi Museum for us and my nephews. A wonderful guide, deeply knowledgeable, gave us all plastic gloves and we explored four pieces over an hour+. Remarkable, intimate, and personal, it was a master class in accessibility and inclusive design. What made it work?

Preparation: They knew their topic, inside and out -history, context, site - and were not hesitant to identify and share their own perspective.

Including everyone: Though it was my disability, the whole quartet was invited in. We all did it together.

Providing tools: The gloves, instructions, points to look at. More than enough.

Digging deep: Time to explore, question, and really appreciate each piece. Four sculptures felt so full, complete. We all felt like we didn't need more.

Checking understanding: 'Anything else?' 'Did I miss anything?' 'What do you notice?' Many opportunities to check in, ask questions, find another entry point, and offer our own thoughts.

Mausritter & Accessibility For the Win!

Starting to think that Mausritter, in a physical sense, is a solid step in an accessibile direction. Specifically the item tokens and low vision. I can feel when my backpack and paws are full. Combined with the low number of numbers, not specific to Mausritter, there is not a lot to manage between my fingers and my memory. If I could read braille, the items could be easily modified.

CraftWork Character 7 Day Challenge V

One more for the crew queue!

Overview

A human, born into a merchant family or clan, then forced to settle down In a small town as the result of a holy war. It is probably real, as they became a bridge and road builder, and they likely spent by themselves out of doors They are 29 years old, have 15 hit points, have proficiency 3, may cast three spells, have 13 coin, and are 10 ft tall.

Skills

Nature 

Martial Melee weapons, one-handed

Pole arms

Head butt 

Improvised weapons

Defensive stance

Tailing/follow

Abilities

Brawling: advantage on grapple and shove, light armor only

Animal companion: a fox that can phase in and out of the world

Stuff

A spell book with two spells (Excruciating Torrent & Deafening Cascade)

Light armor

A long iron bar 

A large sledgehammer 

A magic drill and bits

Notes: with one level of giant, two of war and one of mage craft, this character is an interesting mix. I tend to roll three spells for a starting spell book, using Maze Rats, and one of them was a phasing servant. Given that they have an animal companion, I thought that making that creature phasing would be cool. Given that they work with stone and water, the two spells should be evocative of those two elements, perhaps they are both psychic effects, deafening and tormenting the target.

CraftWork Character 7 Day Challenge IV

Well, I never really said which 7 days they were! Onward!

Character Quarto

A human who grew up helping their family run an inn in a small town, learning about herbs and plants, possibly from a kindly relative. Business soured and the family moved back to a village near the water, where they worked at a mill and spent some time as a ship builder and cooper. Probably in this village they began a fascination with dreamwork. They have 20 HP, 10 coin, and they are 26 years old with proficiency 3.

Skills

Find healing/useful plants 

Shipbuilding

Cooper 

Wood carving

Parry 

Slieght of hand/ hide item

Abilities 

Alter memory 

Dreamwalking 

Make Whispersledge 

Make Dream net

Stuff

Woodworking tools

10 ft of chain 

Pot of glue 

Spyglass 

Magical herbs that evoke dreams 

Whispersledge 

Dream net

Notes: This one was curious as I kept rolling skills rather than anything much to do with DreamCraft. They sort of have the minimum, so I imagine they are a bit of a dilettante, or maybe they are very focused on dream walking. Maybe obsessed? And why the Alter Memory; maybe they have a story they want to hide in the village? They would make an excellent NPC for a seaside or boat situation.

CraftWork Character 7 Day Challenge III

Onward!

#3

This elf grew up in a wig making shop, but the business did not survive the Great Purge. They left to become a farmer of herbs, then acquired levels of Warcraft and Skincraft. They are 22 years old and have 19 hit points, proficiency 2, and no money.

Skills

History 

Improvised weapons

Head butt 

Long, short, and crossbow 

Aided climbing 

Persuasion 

 

Abilities etc

Elemental weapons (Water) increases damage, other effects 

Archery 

Great leaps and bounds (unusual distances and height)

Skincraft 

Panther 

Shape change is precipitated by happiness

Fears rods, poles etc

Stuff

50 ft of rope 

10 ft of chain 

Longbow 

Lantern 

Tinderbox 

Drill 

Fake jewels

Notes: This is the first character in this series that crosses into FaeCraft. It is the third character that has been touched by the Great Purge, which obviously had a deleterious effect on this group of people! None of the possessions came up as magical, and the change agent for the lycanthropy was generated by asking Google for a random emotional state. I found it cool that the elemental weapon rolled up as water, which is not a typical weapon feature. It raises all sorts of interesting questions about what water arrows would do.

CraftWork Character 7 Day Challenge II

Creation continues ...

#2

This character is a 29-year-old human with eight coin, 32 hit points, -1 charisma and +1 dexterity. They spend time in War, Wild, and Soulcraft.

They started life as a simple villager, a miller, and then became a hunter in a nearby forest after being scarred by politics. They serve the Oak Mother as a holy officiant.

Skills

Proficiency 3

Jewelry tools 

Improvised weapons 

Navigation tools

Pole arm 

Two weapon fighting 

Heavy armor

Hide item 

 

Abilities etc 

Devotion 5

Favored terrain is forest 

Their preferred prey is forest herbivores

Holy Power,: Shield of Wood, Copse Guardian 

Miracle: Growth

Stuff

Five skins

Pole arm 

Navigation tools

Jewelry tools 

Pulleys 

Mirror 

Horn

Grease

Magic Helm; Birch Skin

Notes: This was interesting, as there is definitely a forest theme building up from the first character and both of them perhaps entering the forest due to political turmoil. For the Soulcraft abilities, I used an online deity generator, which also seemed to fit, and then riffed off of that for the powers and miracles.

   

CraftWork Character 7 Day Challenge!

7 days, seven characters, all made using the character generation tables in CraftWork and FaeCraft.

#1

A gnome, 21 years of age with 22 HP and 16 coin. They started as a teamster, but were driven out by the great fire and became a porter, until the Purge. They retreated to the forest and have spent time learning the ways of the woods (ie 3 levels of Wildcraft).

Skills

Deception

Animal Handling 

Abilities Etc.

Preferred Terrain: Forest

Preferred Enemy: Soldiers and Guards

Animal Companions: Bear and a Cat

Possessions 

5 Spikes

Traps and snares

Waterskin

Magic Chisel

Process Notes: For terrain, I used one of the background charts in FaeCraft. For the animal companions, I asked my phone to pick a random animal. For possessions I used the Knave charts. I rolled randomly among them to make one magical.

Disability & TTRPG's @ EF Funeral Camp

looking back at the Exalted Funeral convention a week or so ago, one of the highlights was the open discussion about disability in TTRPGs. A couple folks stopped by and the conversation was wide-ranging and dug deep.

One question was: what does disability even mean in a fantasy or fantastic setting? Many people would describe a lack of accessibility as a hallmark of a disability, whether the accessibility is to social status, physical space, wealth etc. So, we know that the definition of a disability can shift from culture to culture and from period of history to period of history. I also know that I identify my disability as such generally in the context of not being able to access something other folks are able to access. What constitutes a disability in a particular setting? What constitutes accessibility in that setting?

We also dug into the large amount of creative work done around disability and TTRPGs in the last few years, from super wheelchairs to entire kickstarted volumes of tables and conditions of disability. My main impression is that many of these are taking contemporary, North America and/or Western European ideas about disability and transposing them on fantasy worlds. The consensus deemed to be that, while these are good steps,we can be more creative.

Finally, we talked a lot about our own experiences entering into non-disabled gaming spaces, and then dug into the accessibility, or lack thereof, for us as gamers in particular settings. Related to this were particular problems and particular solutions that we, or others, could bring to bear to make various gaming spaces more welcoming and accessible. The explosion of virtual play over the last few years has, in many ways, really expanded accessibility, and we wondered how these varied interfaces with gaming might evolve going forward, and what that might mean for folks with disabilities.

Crafting Agency

Now that both CraftWork and FaeCraft are out, I want to outline or explore what they mean to me as a set, as a pair. A critical analysis of role-playing in general allows for the premise of 'radical agency' to be part of a role-playing, or the role-playing, experience. That is, role-playing allows an individual to conceive of and take actions that would otherwise be inaccessible or impossible for them to take in their reality. This is one thing that makes role-playing games, at their best, so good at creating community and supporting personal and emotional growth.

Exploding the possibilities for character creation and growth was the main impetus behind developing the two volumes. A second motivation was to make this procedural, so that unexpected, rather than preconceived, character development can be possible. Between the two, a player is not locked in to any particular path.

At the same time, the mechanical advantage of having a skill is not so great that it precludes a player from trying anything (using 10 levels, it tops out at +4 or 20%). The character sheet contains flavors, not solutions or answers.

I don't know how many permutations there are in the two books combined, but there are a lot! Character development is a meandering path, and using the tables as a way to prompt, but not dictate, imagination is perhaps the most fun way to use the two. If you have use them, let me know what you came up with!

Wherein I Bow to Commerce

FaeCraft is available!

Right here...

FaeCraft Incoming!

FaeCraft is off to the printer and we anticipate it's appearance in July! Matt and I are very excited. The book feels tighter and the production seemed smoother, which hopefully reflects our process and better communication. 

Together the two volumes provide a really nice tool, a neat subsystem, an evocative medium, and a really fun time! I am proud of them!

Folding Tables

And in that Dungeon

There was a monster 

Wait, what Dungeon?

So, I had to come up with a good name for the table style I have been writing about lately. I started with Kitchen Table ... Dropleaf was a possibility , but I have settled on Folding Tables for now.

There are several parts to a Folding Table.

1.

The number of items is larger than the dice or die used on the table.

2.

Items on the table are eliminated or scratched off as they are encountered or used.

3.

Modifiers are applied to the roll to reflect the game state, the narrative position, where the characters are etc. 

Examples are in previous posts. The table is not a static thing, the table is not an artifact, the table is not sacrosanct. The table is mutable, the table is not the answer, the table is part of the process.

Monsters, Wandering

So, how do the monsters wander and what are their habits in their habitats? Let's take Level One of Salt Palace, which my open table group has just cleared out; I don't think they will mind some sharing of secrets...

14 caves, caverns, and spaces, Jaquaysing around, containing an ecology of spiders, giant shrews, zombies, and skeletons. The D6 monster table looks something like this:

1 Spider

2 Giant Shrew

3 Skeleton

4 Spider Nest

5 Zombie

6 Zombie Spider

7 Skeleton Crew

8 Giant Lizard

An astute observer would see that there are 8 possibilities on a D6 table. They would be correct. This is a variation of the flexible table several posts ago. On the diagram of the level are a series of modifiers ranging from -2 to +2. These are applied to the monster roll. The initial set of spaces is at a -2, transitioning to a -1, then 0, then +1 and +2 on the periphery, at interstitial areas, and at connection points with other levels or zones of the dungeon ecosystem. They are NOT assigned to rooms, but to areas, often overlapping. 

Upon the initial descent it is highly likely the brave adventurers will encounter spiders of varying description (after the -2, a roll of 1 to 3 yields spiders), giant shrews, and the occasional skeleton. As the various parties push further into the dark, modifiers shift and the mix of monsters follows suit. The adventurers can feel things changing, meet more undead in one direction, find a nest of spiders in another, and surprise a giant lizard as they go deeper into a tunnel.

That procedural dynamism is one thing that brings the place to life, and the overlapping zones allow flexibility, especially in an Open Table. Does the group tonight have more lower level characters? Push the negative modifier further ahead. Big party? Pull it back.

Further, I can carry that modifier onto the monster, thereby ratcheting the challenge up or down. If they are in a +1 zone that Spider card gets fierce, adding +1 to everything: 3 or 4 HD, +1 damage, and more chances of dangerous additional abilities. 

And, of course, there is a higher chance of treasure... +1.

How I Make Monsters Now

They have to be simple, clear, visually accessible, and fast to run without a lot of details, or just the right amount of details.

NPCs can be different from monsters, or not, so they may be more complex, nuanced. We can return to them another day!

 For my stripped down running of the game, they have to be on note cards. It helps to have some procedural surprise built in for me as a player in the game. It really helps to have just a couple of numbers to keep track of during an encounter. For example, spiders in my current dungeon crawl...

First roll determines hit dice: two, three, or four

The next roll is the number of spiders, which riffs off of the hit dice. There are probably fewer bigger spiders or more smaller spiders, and the number is probably a d6 or maybe two.

The attack damage is directly related to the hit dice, with bigger spiders doing the bigger damage. 

Armor class is 10 plus their hit dice, and that number is the same DC the characters need to beat to avoid paralysis.

Finally there are a series of quick yes or no questions. Rolling a D6 5 times quickly with a 1 to 3 being NO and a 4 to 6 being YES, we quickly determine what kind of spiders these are, how they behave. They could end up being camouflaged zombie spiders in a web network or ambush spiders who can shoot entangling webs. I can be as surprised with the encounter as the other players!

These are all dials of course, so if the party is in hot pursuit of another creature, the wandering spider may be just a distraction. If the dice indicate that the room is inhabited, then it may be a bigger group of spiders that the party has to contend with. If the party decides to leave, I note it down on my map as a discovery in the world that has been made, so that future explorers may encounter the same thing.

Monsters can also be easily dialed up. For example, the other night the party encountered a spider web covering a entrance to a great canyon. These are proper giant spiders, none of that 4 HD nonsense. So a quick doubling to 6 HD makes them a real menace that needs careful planning: AC 16 2D6 damage...

Yikes 😳

The party returned to the canyon with the fireball scroll, and, that worked well. What they have realized since is that without the spiders, the giant moth population has really escalated!

FaeCraft Sample Characters

Below are a few characters from FaeCraft that can be dropped into any game. They are presented in different ways to showcase different playstyles and systems. All were generated using the Procedural Character generation system included in the book! 

What does it all mean?!? Stay tuned!

Puff

Ibex Fae Dreamer, 4th Level

HP 23

Proficiency: 3

DreamCraft Abilities: Threadwork

Skills: Light Armor, Appraisal, Jump

DreamCraft Powers: Alter Memory, Dream Step, Healing, Tug

Fae Abilities: Shape Shift (Ibex), Pierce Veil, Herd Step

Possessions: WhisperSledge, Memory Net, Leather Armor

Boots

SkinCraft Giant Fae Bear

AC as chain | HD 7 | Att: Spear +3, Hurl Boulder +3 (4D6), Bellow (Frighten)

• 19 Ft. tall/long

• Fae Abilities: Shape Shift (Bear), Pierce Veil, Hunter's Step

• Shapechange to a Crocodile when in running water

• Giantcraft: Twist the Land, Long Sleep

• As Crocodile: Fearsome Strength, Night Vision

• Skills (+3): Sailing, Sneak/Hide, Medium Armor

• Vulnerable to Darts, Slings etc

Rez

Small Mouldcrafter

Three Sparrows and a Bat live in a grotto near the Old Mill. Polite entreaties for concoctions of mushrooms and magical tourniquets will avoid barrages of flying debris and debilitating fogs of drowsiness. Negotiations and transactions are always handled by a small servant of stone and knotted vines. With time and the offering of arcane trinkets, more powerful concoctions of mold-laden insects may be unveiled.

Salt Palace West-March-Dungeon-Crawl

So, I've been at this gaming thing a while and thought I would start up a classic dungeon crawl that harks back to the games of my misspent youth. A massive dungeon, a mega dungeon, mysteries untold and perched on the edge of the darkness and possibility is a wee village, a safe place to return to, a haven, and a place to resupply. 

Every time we play it is a new group, they form in the village, stock up, decide their destination and head down into the ice caves, the eponymous Salt Palace. Each game they push a little farther, uncover a little bit more, dig into secrets, scrape up treasure, amass experience, and then return to the village. The story is evolving.

They are casual games, ones where people can play as they wish, can drop in, can play regularly, see old friends, and make new ones. The makeup of the group changes constantly, and it doesn't matter your level, your experience, your familiarity, or any of that. You're there for the play! As for mechanics: a streamlined rule set, Knave and CraftWork, virtual play, minimal props, dice and pencil and paper.

Let me know if you want more details! I'm happy to share any and all of it.

That Vision Thing

Continuing the thread of contemplation on vision loss, blindness, and gaming, I posted a comment on a Sly Flourish YouTube video about being a blind DM. It was in response to another commenter who was curious about what that was like. Here is what I said...

'I am a blind DM as well. Lots of description, theater of the mind, players owning the dice rolls, and probably not too different from many tables with or without disabilities. Since I started as a DM in the mid-70s, I have constantly adjusted my style, aids, props etc, as we all do, and as I have lost vision, the adjustments continue.'

I have written about my play aids and so forth, but in essence It has been a slow reduction of the footprint of stuff at my end of the table. Some of what is driving this is philosophical or stylistic shifts, but the bigger driver is vision loss. Without the loss of vision would I have changed my approach to the same degree? 

My relationship with, and reluctant acceptance of, the visual constraints of my disability is complicated. How can I keep doing what I love, cooking, gaming, walking, doing things with family etc in ways that are not visually dependent? There is a shifting constellation of letting go, adoption, adaptation, denial, and stubbornness. Finding success and continuity in one area seems to translate into confidence and acceptance in other areas. My adaptations In my choices and approach to gaming seem to leak into other areas of my life, building patterns for continuity and confidence. 

FaeCraft in Design Land!

A quick update to let folks know that FaeCraft is off in the capable hands of the Designer for the series, Matt, with all text completed, proofed (hah!), and major design and layout decisions discussed. This is very exciting!

When Matt and I met for the handoff, one thing he asked was, 'So, is there a third book in the series?' Hah, not yet! But as soon as I got the weekend under my belt I started noodling around with a new volume. Stick around and we'll see what happens...

Exodus: Movement of Minis

Losing vision over time is a process of letting go, and this week was another milestone: terrain and figures moved out. All the  GW armies and bitz left in the fall, and Infinity and Warmahordes departed yesterday. The bulk of bulky terrain was binned, and all my paints, basing supplies, and terrain making were divvied up by friends who will make better use of It than I. 

Each departure is an emotional mix of resignation and resolution and reality. The reality of knowing I can't see to paint, all grey clouds and shattered light, and can't see to play any table without high contrast and minimal terrain. I suppose I am resigned to this ever-changing reality, hopefully moving towards acceptance but that seems to lag behind. The resolve is all around actually putting stuff in a box and moving it to its next location!

I try to meditate on the past, on the building of practice, the presence of mind, the rich hours of collaboration and play, the game. Thinking about money, or time lost, or what if or maybe someday isn't particularly helpful, and drives me towards an unhealthy nostalgia and a lingering pile of dusty boxes.

So, any words of wisdom or anything? I suppose, be honest with yourself and be gentle. Let go of it, but not before you're ready. Are a couple of trays of figures really taking up that much space? When was the last time you actually were able to use them? What is the chance that you will use them again? Maybe save a couple, ones with brighter colors, distinctive shapes or silhouettes, or those few that you remember from that game or that night you painted with friends, those are the ones to keep.

FaeCraft Ahead!

FaeCraft is just about to head to Matt, the designer, after a vicious cycle of editing. Words, phrases, charts, tables, and characters all trimmed, skimmed, and slimmed. It looks to be about 40 pages, so a little shorter than CraftWork, but it feels more packed with procedure.

It has been a more deliberate and focused process, with a lot of lessons learned from the first volume, including collaborative design processes, bookmaking, front loading content decisions, etc. All great stuff that eases the production, smoothes communication, and, I think, reduces cost. 

It is probably overstated, but there is a lot to be said for an iterated, single product oriented, and bounded growth process of learning new things in a low stakes environment. There is a range of possible models, a lot of room for creativity, and a welcoming and accepting audience. That isn't true in so many places!

I am very excited to see it coming to fruition!

Grognard Gripes

Okay, so everyone loves an old gamer griping. I don't usually get irritated about gaming history or generalizations, but I was listening to a podcast wherein the duo were describing how early games didn't have long lived characters, strong stories, or developed campaigns. They were outlining how these came along in the 80's, with the change attributed to the proliferation of more robust campaign products.

Well, no. 

We were playing long-running , narrative and character-driven campaigns shortly after 1975. As I have written in other posts, our experience was probably outside of the norm, but definitely not isolated. Were we playing or using published scenarios? No. Were we playing in large organized groups? No. Was our style of play something we saw other folks doing? Not really, but the nodes of gamers related to our node all played in similar fashions.

I think that enough folks were playing in this way that the popular and commercial expression of this style of play emerged as something viable by the late 70s. Perhaps this playstyle influenced the creation of more narrative and campaign driven games, like Call of Cthulhu, and then filtered back to mainstream Dungeons and Dragons. 

"And get off my lawn!" 😉

Legacy or Dynamic Tables

I have started making tables that have an internal logic of escalation or change. As choices are rolled, they are struck off, exposing new options. The same type of die is used throughout. For example, a D6 encounter chart could look as follows:

1 Skeleton

2 Skeleton Gang

3 Zombie

4 Ghoul

5 Zombie Gang

6 Ghoul Gang

7 Shadow

8 Wight

9 Mummy

During their first pass through the tomb, the Shadow, Wight, and Mummy cannot be encountered. However, a random encounter reveals a roll of 4, the Ghoul. The Ghoul is dispatched and now the chart looks as follows:

1 Skeleton

2 Skeleton Gang

3 Zombie

4 Zombie Gang

5 Ghoul Gang

6 Shadow

7 Wight

8 Mummy

In their next trip through the tomb, the adventurers run a slightly greater risk, has the Shadow is now a possibility. The greater risk is telegraphed to the players through environmental or other clues, so they know what might be afoot. A 5 is rolled, and our heroes struggle with the gang of Ghouls. After returning to the village for the night, they return, refreshed. But the dynamic is changed. The chart looks like this:

1 Skeleton

2 Skeleton Gang

3 Zombie

4 Zombie Gang

5  Shadow

6 Wight

7 Mummy

This is obviously an extreme example of escalation, but it builds in the ways interlopers can change the environment through their presence and actions. The items on the lower part of the chart can be positive, or they could be changes in the physical structure. Does the very fabric of the tomb become looser, with greater risks of walls falling? Does the dispatching of the undead create an opportunity for forces of good to appear? It can be a built in timer, so that after a set number of encounters, there is a greater chance of a particular event happening.

Turning my list of possibilities into an evolving chart of realities makes locations more dynamic, and it also forces me out of dictating what that dynamism looks like. Not every thing is going to happen. The only thing I know is the general trajectory (eg 'The more the heroes interfere in the situation, the more arcane forces will be unleashed') but not how it is going to play out at the table. If the Mummy is the most powerful creature in the tomb, it might appear much earlier than I anticipate, forcing the players to change their own plans, try different tactics, and avoid the monster they unleashed until they are ready, and also putting me into a new place. Or it might appear later. What is it waiting for?

Makin' Dungeons

Right now I am making Dungeons using the following:

A general map, well, more of a diagram, showing relationships between locations or sets of locations. 

Maps of each room or space, each on an individual index card. These can be passed around, photographed, emailed etc. They are small enough to fit on a single screen. The players can lay them out in a way that makes sense to them. They are keyed on the reverse and refer to the larger diagram.

A single spread in my notebook with specific schematics, notes, creatures, treasure, secrets, etc. 

At the table I use the latter two 90% of the time. I review the big map before play, just to refresh. As conditions change or havoc is wreaked the note cards are quick to abridge and far easier to redo than a single page map. 

Corridors? If unduly long they are noted on the spread. If not, then it is just room to room.

North? Groovy arrow paper clips...

FaeCraft: Unique Fae

 In the realm of the Fae, the Realm of Light, there are many Fae who function, in game terms, in ways similar to other humanoids, with the range of Crafts available to them. However, in a nod to our game's roots, there are several species of Fae that are their own Craft, in that no other species may access it, they are species specific. There are four in the upcoming volume.

Those That Live Between

Minotaurs
Living symbols of opposition, the cattle that eat meat exemplify contradictions, the crossing of realms, creatures that have lost their way, and a path forward. Minotaurs are massive fierce warriors, dwellers in the Maze, wayfinders, and shamans.

Scavengers
They fill in the cracks, live on the margins, carry messages, and pursue their own way between the Light and the Dark. They are the consummate shapeshifters, stealing and plucking other forms, harboring powers and robbing others of their very forms, feasting on Skin, Blood, Sinew & Bone.

The Small
They are the hunted, the prey, the furtive and the tricky, the quick and the hardly noticeable. Mundane folk see fairies, sprites, brownies, the wee folk, or gremlins. These are a lie, just Poppets designed to fool bigger, slower creatures. The Small are Nests of small animals, disappearing, melting into cover, seeing through all eyes, and hearing through every ear.

Stone Folk
Creatures are not the only shapes that may be inhabited, and the land stretches across the Veil, sediment and stone touch all the Realms. The Stone Folk patiently stride along these veins, bridging the gap, setting the foundation for all the worlds.

Accessible Zines

Hey! I had the great privilege of running a workshop for Zine Month, ZIMO, around increasing accessibility in zine and RPG  publishing. ZIMO is and alternate platform to Zinequest, which was or is a Kickstarter based zine event, and which is no longer being supported for a variety of reasons.

Link to ZIMO

And my show notes

The Workshop was recorded and is available through the ZMO discord server. There are ways to join that server and a host of great conversations and other workshops through the ZIMO link above.

I am more than happy to talk to anyone about increasing accessibility and reviewing design work, as well as general design! 

FAQing CraftWork

Just a running list of minor glitches. Vision issue? Too short a time in the editing oven? They are all issues of nomenclature changes midstream. Lesson learned, hopefully. At any rate, in page order 

SeerCraft (p. 10)

In the section which begins

At first level ...

Where it reads

Choose one  Ability

It should read

Choose one Power

WarCraft (p. 25)

In the section which begins

8 Strategist ...

Where it reads

Includes Your Reputation Precedes You

It should read

Includes Wide Reputation

WildCraft (p. 28)

In the section which begins

At each level thereafter ...

Where it reads

Add one Hypercool Trait

It should read

Add one Hypercool Ability

FaeCraft Crafts

Looking forward to seeing FaeCraft in Action! First Serious draft is done and starting on edits! Four new Crafts!

DreamCraft

Weavers of dreams, thieves of memory, archaeologists who pluck the past from between the ears of the unsuspecting, these are the Dream Crafters. They are hermits, heroes, guardians of history, and hawkers of the fantastic in markets across the world.

MouldCraft

The Springtail Alchemists bring much to the world, primarily learning and teaching around the arts of mold and fungus, insects and concoction. In the few generations since their diaspora, this specialized knowledge has crept into both the Faye and the mundane realms.

GiantCraft

When a creature is touched by the Shadow, the Light, and the Mundane realms a seed is planted. After that, it starts to grow, and the creature grows with it. Some giants are close in size to other humanoids, and pursue livelihoods we recognize. Some giants keep growing, and become unrecognizable in their hugeness.

SkinCraft

From 'A touch of the wild' to 'Fae cursed' some folk, Fae and Mundane, have a form or forms thrust upon them, shapes they may or may not desire. Some learn to control the shifts, while others succumb to unfathomable tides that draw them into strange places.

2022! Completely Untested!

Happy New Year!

I've been thinking a lot about game balance lately and written about this in a couple of other posts with regard to CraftWork. 

Overall, I don't worry too much about balance. Could CraftWork be unbalanced? From one perspective, yes. Did I extensively play test every single possible option? No. Do I think it matters that I didn't? No.

These answers may seem kind of flippant, but they are deliberate. It is impossible to balance a role-playing game. There are just too many variables once you get to the table, which is key. You can balance things in the book, but once you get to actual play, that teeter totter starts to tilt one way and then the other, eventually crashing to the ground.

The players, including the DM, will certainly strive for balance. The characters are going to be looking to achieve a goal and will do just about anything to get to that point, tilting things in their direction. The DM is looking for challenge, for an appropriate mix of risk and reward, and will be posing questions for the players, which will shift over time in a wide variety of ways.

Like with most things, balance happens at the table.