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RPGs / Working It Out.

« on: November 05, 2010, 05:20:14 AM »

Whenever I'm working on a new idea for a one-shot or a campaign, characters or setting, it's always helped me to be able to voice my ideas and have others chip in - throwing in their two cents on how to improve, alter or remedy problems and situations that come up in the creative process.

This thread is for helping Players and Games Masters with that creative process.

I'd like to get the ball rolling by asking for advice, ideas or notions on how to improve this general concept for a Sci-Fi Horror game that I've been working on for the last week or two.

Setting: Halo Universe
Cast: The Crew of the UNSC 'It's One of Ours', focus on Engineers/Medics/Specialists and a few Marines, probably pre-gens.
Concept: Essentially Dead Space meets Halo, I won't deny.  The basic idea for the game is that ONI sends a ship out to explore the remains of Installation 04 and experiment with the Flood (ala 'The Mona Lisa' by Jeff VanderMeer and Tessa Kum), they lose contact with the ship, send in the crew of the UNSC 'It's One of Ours' to re-establish contact and enact repairs.  Wacky Space Zombie hi-jinks ensue.  I've been re-listening to Tom's Divine Fire AP's for ideas on Military Horror, and have decided to lift a few gems that I like.  My aim is to have the players going in expecting this to be an action-y adventure, and slowly turn up the creep factor without ever actively exposing the Flood influence/presence in the game.

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RPGs / D&D Achievements

« on: October 28, 2010, 01:23:19 AM »

%!&$ - Roll a critical threat followed by a natural 1

(DM) Like a ton of bricks - make the paladin fall

(DM) I never really was on your side - Convince a PC to turn against the party

(DM) - Roll up a new character sheet - Kill a party member outside of combat

(Wizard) I have a headache! - Summon a bee, then use a wand of enlarge vermin to make your monster grow

Holy Fucking Shit - Remember all buffs applied to you before your turn ends

(DM) How are you I'm fine and you oh I'm great how's the weather... - Make a scene where you simultaneously play the role of three+ NPCs

Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger - Start playing completely inappropriate music during an emotional scene

(DM) It's only a social engagement - Convince the party to go to an event without armor/weapons only to throw an encounter at them

Om-nom-nom - Don't do anything useful during an encounter

(DM) Rage - Fail to stop out-of-character chatter for 20+ minutes

Holy Fucking Shit Bitch - Only roll a d20 once, regardless of where it landed or how low the result is.

(DM) One Page Wonder - Have your party totally deviate from the story within the first page of your notes.

(DM) Broken Lampshade - Have the players kill or ignore a plot-critical NPC.

(PC) Here's One I Made Earlier - Use a character you like and have been itching to use in a totally unsuitable game for them.

(PC) With Friends Like These - Down or kill an ally with a misplaced area-effect spell.

(DM) Critical Shit - Have your challenging encounter ruined by a lucky streak of criticals.

(PC) Critical Git - Have your character downed by a lucky streak of criticals.

(PC) Immovable Rods Don't Work That Way: Get into an argument about a minor rule for 5+ minutes.

(DM) Off The Cuff: Play through an entire campaign with less than 5 pages of plot/notes.

(Wizard) When In Doubt...: Kill 5 or more things with 1 fireball spell in the same round.

(PC) No Really, It's Original: Fool your DM into letting you play a character from an anime or video game without him knowing the source.

(PC) And Eat It Too: Kill an enemy using a piece of cake.

(DM) Unwelcome Guests: Run an entire campaign without using any DMPC's.

(DM) Not A Big Truck: Run a successful online campaign that lasts 3+ months.

(PC) Urist Would Be Pissed: Play a clean-shaven, sober dwarf with no accent.

(PC) Revolt Made Easy!: Successfully supplant the ruler of a kingdom without any citizens noticing.

(PC) Salvatore's Bane: Play a drow who isn't a neutral or good rebel.

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RPGs / What Are You Playing Now?

« on: October 28, 2010, 01:02:10 AM »

Just a thread to see what sort of games people are in/running at the moment.

I'll get the ball rolling.

Running:
A Colonial-esque campaign taking inspiration from the RPPR New World Games, the Dark Sun setting and the history of Australia.  Have about a dozen players in it and have been running it for nearly 30+ hours now.  They PC's have been broken down into three manageable groups who game on different days.  The basic story line started as 'You have been kidnapped...INTO THE FUTURE' and spiraled off into a Save The World/Rule The World game from there.

Running:
Lovecraft meets Buffy while Watchmen spy on there disgusting lovers tryst.  A team of teenagers uncover the true nature of the cosmos and humanity's small part in it and dedicate themselves to fighting the implacable entropy of existence.  A surprisingly deep campaign, with more player development than I would have expected from my players.  Dealing with one characters slow descent into madness has been an over-arching struggle in the game.

Working On:
A multi-tier Halo campaign.  Something that can combine the political intrigue of the various military factions, space combat, SpecOps, Squad level combat and Combined Arms level combat.  The basic concept I have been working on is each players plays a few different 'roles' as they interact with other characters and players while trying to win the war and better themselves from it.  Still early days yet, but I've nutted out a basic system for character creation, pitting rank and usefulness against personal ability and their command.

Playing:
A 3.5ed Eberron campaign.  Made a Warforged Private Eye who very early on showed his true colours by sticking to the letter of his job rather than the spirit of it.  Only one session in but it looks promising.

Playing:
Glory Under The Desert Sun; A WFRP 1st/2nd Ed. crossbreed system set in the distant Araby city of Al-Haikk.  The game is deviously political and focused largely on stopping Brettonia, Araby and the Empire from falling into a three-way war.

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RPGs / How They Died

« on: October 27, 2010, 07:00:04 AM »

One of my first exposures to roleplaying, and certainly my longest held love, has been Warhammer Fantasy Role Play.

Whilst recently rooting around in my old files, I found a backlog of all the various characters that have appeared in my old group's WFRP game.

And how they died.

So, for your assorted amusement;

Dargan Blackblood, Dwarf Daemonslayer - Head crushed by Archeon's foot.
Regina De La Thorn, Human Wizard - Head 'asploded.
Heinrich Tottengrotter, Human Outlaw Chief - Was on the wrong side of a manically flailing sword.
Klaus Rudolph, Human Scout - Didn't see the bear trap.
Sophia Schon, Human Smuggler - Went down with her ship.
Mhornar, Dwarf Daemonslayer - Went north.
Karin Brecht, Human Coachman - Crashed.
Reinwald Jaeger, Human Tomb Robber - Died of dehydration in the deserts of Araby.
Drumir Grumisson, Dwarf Soldier - Copped an arrow in the eye.
Rolf, Human Freelancer - Killed in the Siege of Horgenhaven.
Klaus Jager, Human Druid - Ate poison.
Ursula Quickfingers, Halfling Pickpocket - Got caught trying to nick a watchman's coinpurse.
Torilo, Wood Elf Wizard Apprentice - Slaughtered by rampaging dryads.
Edgar Handlier, Human Assassin of Chaos - Was drawn and quartered after being cornered by the White Wolves.
Brokk Edgridsson, Dwarf Sapper - Collapsed a tunnel around himself to stem an advancing Skaven army.
Wolmar Grauer, Human Sea Captain - Was retired into a life of high sea piracy.  May pick him up again one day.
Quintus Juwelier, Human Physician - Caught the plague.
Carmilla Vontelg, Human Kislivite Shaman - Froze to death, but wiped out an Chaos army in the mean time.
Carolus-Burthelm Stotter, Human Wizard - Died in a Wizard duel against an Orc Shaman.
Britt Kufer, Human Bounty Hunter - Was lead into an ambush and was shot down at thirty paces.
Isolde Backer, Human Noble - One of the casualties of the Border Princedom wars.
Ethreda Scheltermann, Human Bawd - OD'd.
Valmir Rothbart, Human Knife Thrower - Missed.
Erich Bootmann, Human Bawd - Was shot through the throat by gangsters.
Girdrud Hauptroson, Human Scribe - Choked to death on a meat pie.
Estelle Eichen, Human Watchman - Fell into the stew, drowned in shit.
Szeck Dietmanigan, Human Bounty Hunter - Fell off a horse, cracked his head on a rock.
Hentschel Von Sehlag, Human Gambler - Bet a lil' too much, had it taken out of his flesh.
Tilke Sothelin, Human Agitator - Beaten to death by the Watch.
Tohngrat Watchet, Human Templar of Chaos - Brought low by a group of meddling adventurers and their pesky dog.
Gerhaus Endal, Human Trapper - The bear wasn't quite dead.
Ilse Stretdach, Human Militiaman - Died of exhaustion after a marathon run.
Kaminfuger Aukrugreft, Human Freelancer - Died in the Siege of Trufften.
Valerla, Wood Elf Soldier - Challenged a Brettonian Noble in hand-to-hand combat.
Ensdorf Bluebattle, Halfling Ratcatcher - Was smaller than the rat.
Madgalena Anfurger, Human Initiate - Throat torn out by a wolf.
Sigrun Noostraniece, Human Explorer - Retired after exploring the southern tip of the Kingdom of Ind.gaznphoebs
Ralf Anwalt, Human Acrobat - Caught by Ogres, eaten for lunch.
Kaspar Eberhauer, Human Prisoner - Died in Jail.
Zobeslaus Meiner, Human Spy - Set up his own little Border Princedom, retired.
Sigmara Viemau, Human Fanatic - Became an hero after being ordered to leap from a parapet to prove her loyalty.  Missed the hay pile.
Gottfried Gormann, Human Student - Caught trying to steal an ancient tome from the Silent Library.
Rhya Dieters, Human Footpad - Had her throat slit in the Fish vs Hooks gang war.
Sumon Euckener, Human Knight - Killed defending the Emperor.
Josef Lindt, Human Rat Catcher - His small, but vicious, dog ended up killing him in his sleep after being abused constantly.
Heinz Reiner, Human Fence - Was tortured to death by adventurerers on the trail of a stolen antique.
Tantchen Petra, Human Witch Hunter - Actually found a witch.
Verema Egidius, Human Torturer - Was hung by an angry mob seeking for revenge.
Albelhard Helwig, Human Slaver - Killed by raiding bandits.
Eimer Aldermann, Human Navigator - Crashed his ship onto some reefs.
Garmann der Muller, Human Judicial Champion - Turned out his boss was guilty.
Lukas Mahler, Human Lawyer - Blackmailed and betrayed, ended up being arrested and sent to the South Land penal colony.
Trubert Betz-Wegener, Human Highwayman - Tried to rob an armed caravan.
Volkel Lustig, Human Gunner - Cannon 'asplode.
Jacov Wagner, Human Duellist - Fell off a cliff.
Ottilda Shreiner, Human Tollkeeper - Died defending His Majesties Highway from Beastmen.
Olga Kohler, Human Seer - Pistol exploded in her face.
Franz-Lutke Edelmenn, Human Seaman - Killed by that fucking assassin.
Moll Barwedel-Heinzmann, Human Raconteur - Had her tongue pulled out by a footpad.  Retired after that.
Jarla-Marie Fallenblatt, Human Alchemist - Had gunpowder explode in her face.  Numenstad is no longer a town.
Osiric Bogenschutze, Human Painter - Killed by his lover.