A ROLE PLAYING GAMES RESOURCE
Our most recurring random event is one of our players keeps having the worst luck at the table, drawing the hit when it affects a random player, suffering really bad hits and making terrible rolls at crucial moments. It seems to happen no matter what game we’re playing. Some people’s luck just turns that way.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 22 2016 – Supposedly Random Game Events That Keep Recurring”
I’m going with an alternative question for today’s #RPGaDay question because I frankly can’t think of a funny misinterpretation. Of course Monty Haul campaigns are in and of themselves misinterpretations of the intent (and rules) of the game, but that’s about all I can think of.
For the alternative question, my preferred method of character improvement through experience points, but very loosely applied experience. I tend to follow the Savage Worlds system of 2-3 points per session and you need 5 points to improve something. That way every other session or so your character will get better.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 21 2016 – Preferred Method of Character Improvement”
Originally, I thought that this is a tough one because I would equate challenging with complicated. I tend not to like complicated, so-called “crunchy” systems generally. However, then I remembered my younger gaming days and it came to me.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 20 2016 – Most Challenging but Most Rewarding Game System”
I suspect most people will say that the best way to learn a new game is by playing it, and I can’t disagree with that advice, but I’d add that playing it with someone who knows the game well is really the best way to learn a new game.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 19 2016 – Best Way to Learn a New Game”
It’s hard to say what innovation RPG groups could most benefit from, mainly because most of the best ideas I’ve heard of are no longer innovations. Nevertheless, I really like the concept from the Apocalypse World games of having to create bonds (history or Hx in the game) between players. It’s something that went on before that game, but strong ties between the player characters only adds to the party cohesion. It helps explain why everyone is together and maybe adds a group dynamic of tension to the scene. It’s something that should be part of all games in one form or another.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 18 2016 – RPG Groups Could Benefit Most From What Innovation?”
Alice, from Alice in Wonderland, would be a great addition. She’s a quick thinker and good at dealing with all sorts of weird situations. I think she’d do great with any of my groups. Of course, the Mad Hatter would be fun too!
I’d love to have Edgar Allan Poe in my games. I’d run some mysteries (since he invented the detective story) and some horror (since he’s so good at that genre) and then I’d ask him to start running some games. I suspect they’d be pretty awesome.
As with most people, I get my inspiration from a variety of sources, but I would say that movies are one the top sources of inspiration when I am getting ready to run a game or to get me inspired to run something. I’ll typically track down a movie or two that are set in that genre/setting to watch before running a game to help inspire me and often seeing a movie will inspire me to run something in that setting.
I’ve played RPGs for about 34 years, so considering all the people I’ve played with over the years, it’s hard to pick and choose a few people out so many great gamers. They’ve all brought different perspectives and skills to the table.
However, of people I have never played with, I would love to play with Ken Hite, who I knew back in my freelancer days but never had a chance to play with. As the master of the Cthulhu mythos, a great historian and an amazing game designer, playing with him would be blast.
As well, although he’s no longer with us, it would be great fun to play with Robin Williams, the king of comedy, the master of improvisation and an avid role-player. It would be an experience I imagine that one would never forget.
And finally (since three is the ideal number of players), our GM would be D. Vincent Baker, the originator of Apocalypse World and the creator of a new way of playing games. I think it would be a fun game.
Although there are entire books written on the subject, I’ll focus on the three keys to what I see as a successful campaign.
First off, it needs to actually play out fully, in other words, end properly. Too many campaigns are started and never finished, usually through no fault of anyone, it just works out that it never really ends and there’s no satisfying conclusion, which is really what constitutes a successful campaign to me. Running a campaign through to the end when you’re in high school and have lots of time to play is simple, but as you get older, it becomes a true challenge. As a result, my campaigns have gone from being completed in under a year to sometimes carrying over multiple years, with breaks in between.
Continue reading “#RPGaDAY 13 2016 – What Makes a Successful Campaign?”