Dresden from Dragoncon2

Here is the second Dresden Files RPG recording from Dragoncon. Enjoy.

Dresden Files, my experience

I went into Dragoncon with one real intention this year: to get to try the Dresden Files RPG. What really helped me get into the games I wanted to was a combination of two things. One, that Dragoncon closed pre-reg very early this year, enabling me to have a chance to register on site. Two, just showing up at the alloted times for the sessions to start. I got lucky and had some drops in the Dresden game I wanted to play.

My only dissapointment? I couldn't get any of my local friends to sit in with me.

Hopefully these recordings will give them an idea of the game.

I played it twice under two different gms with two different styles. The first was Michael Thompson, who I played Spirit of The Century under last year. He's the one that ran the Ghostbusters 1885 game thats in the recordings.

He presented the system beautifully. The character folders he handed out have inspired me to step up my own games and made the game a wonderful experience.

I wasn't playing a mage in the first game, so I didn't really get a grip on how it works. Not the down and dirty but its discussed in detail in the recording.

The second game was run by Stephen Thompson, no relation. I played with him in the Ghostbusters game last year and he is, quite possibly, the most wild and enthusiastic player I've ever met.

He GMs a great game, very cinematic. I'll post that one in just a second.

Give 'em both a listen.

Dresden from Dragoncon

Here's my first experience with Dresden Files from Dragoncon 2010 this past Labor Day Weekend.

I'll talk about it more in the next post.

DC Universe RPG

I pre-ordered the print copy so I was sent the PDF for free.

Of what I've read so far, I'm liking it. The stats have changed the names a bit, and there are some that there weren't before. I'll go more in depth later.

The biggest change to the stats is you are no longer buying them on a 3-18 and beyond scale to get a +2 bonus beyond the human average of 10, which you started with for free anyway. Instead its on a scale of -5 to 20, with what you are paying for as the actual bonus.

Jamie, one of my players, complained just last week that he felt it was 'dumb' to buy the odd numbered stats since they didn't provide a bonus. Well, that's done.

The feats are now called advantages but are pretty much unchanged.

The powers section also seems unchanged, just much more clear.

I'll talk more about it as I dig in deeper.

So far, I'm liking it, though.

And on to number 2 for today.

And here is the second of three updates I promised you, the Arkham Horror/CoC mashup, part 3.

We were getting into full swing here and folks started to come out of their shells and participate.

Enjoy.

Sorry for the delay.

Apologies all, been on holiday this past week. But here we are again with the first of three updates.

First up is the intro session for Epsilon Terra. I hope you enjoy it half as much as we did.

Arkham Horror/CoC part 3

Well, we're back up and running, despite rumors to the contrary.

I'm happy to share with you today the third episode of CoC/AH mashup. Stan joined us for this session.

This was back during a time when we tried to play on the weekends. It was a hard and irregular schedule, do to conflicts with real life.

Overall, I've been happy with the move to Mondays we made last year.

Here it is.

Apologies for the absence.

Sorry, folks.

The old computer went blooey. I'm not sure what it was but I have replaced the old machine.

Not with something top of the line but it will service.

Sadly, we also had a hiccup with the recorder and lost the epic last session of Bad Kansas. We've moved on but things took a very strange turn.

We're going to take a break from CoC for a bit to let tempers cool.

Next week we'll be playing something new. I hope you'll like it, I'll be posting more about it as I develop it this week.

I'll also be posting more Arkham Horror/CoC mashup later this week.

Epsilon Terra part 2

Part two of our first foray into sci-fi gaming is now available, in which our players are introduced to Unisystem combat.

Enjoy: part 2

Arkham/CoC part 2

Well, this is the remainder of the last session when we discovered the recorder had, well, stopped recording.

Enjoy!

link

The Road, Twisted Tales From Route 66

About this time last year, I got the idea to set a CoC campaign along route 66. It was completed in 1927, right during the height of the cuthulhu mythos era and, the thing that caught my attention when reading up on it, there's a weird little thirteen mile stretch where the route runs into Kansas and right back out again.

Well, I did a scenario for Dragoncon called Thirteen Miles of Bad Kansas and ran it there. The audio of that is here.

Then I started the campaign for my friends. We are still playing it right now.

Part one of the campaign is here.

A wonderful gift from my friends

Last night, after our first arc of Epsilon Terra ended, I asked everyone what we should play next.

Something new? Or revisit an old setting?

Doug suggested, and I agreed, that, having been left out of the boys sci-fi adventure, Sasha should choose.

Before she could voice her opinion, Bryan, James, and Doug all voiced their desire to return to Call of Cthulhu, specifically our adventure on Route 66.

Sasha agreed that she wanted to do that too.

It was a really great feeling to see so much enthusiasm for a CoC setting that, seemingly, doesn't really seem to follow the traditions of the Cthulhu mythos published settings or stories.

I'll begin to start posting the older sessions to the feed so you can catch up.

As always, comments are appreciated.

More CoC mashup!

Here's part two of the Arkham Horror, CoC mashup. Its a shorter part, about an hour as we realized the recorder's batteries and done gone to a better place. Then they went back in the charger.

Enjoy

How serious should you take a Game?

I've thought about this for awhile now.

As my group's primary GM, I put a lot of thought and effort into each game. I do it because I like it and I feel my friends deserve my best efforts.

But sometimes I think I take it too seriously and go too far, putting pressure and a sense of obligation, or expectation, on my players.

I'm trying to throttle it back but I just know we can hit it out of the park when everyone relaxes and gets into it.

I'm just not really sure how to promote that.

Warhammer, New God Risen

We started this campaign about three months ago. It had a mini-marathon at the beginning with three play sessions in the first week. We were having some recorder issues so apologies if it cuts off a little short.

link here

DC returning to Pen and Paper rpgs with Green Ronin/Mutants and Masterminds.

Big announcement. I've never made a secret that Mutants and Masterminds is my second favorite superhero RPG. Top spot still goes to Champions but its steep learning curve keeps a few folks away.

So, I heard about and read about this news today. Green Ronin is not only coming out with a third edition of Mutants and Masterminds, they're also going to be producing the licensed DC Adventures rpg which will be fully compatible with M&M 3e.

I'm pretty stoked by this turn of events, no lie.

You can read more about it here.

What's wrong with 4e?

Its not a question I've been asked by anyone else, its one I've asked myself quite often. Why am I not running 4e? Whenever I manage to brave one of the local game stores and head to the bulletin board, to see in anyone has replied to my flyer looking for new players, I'm often met with disappointment. Not from my flyer, all the little tabs have been pulled off, (though nobody ever calls/emails, the cowards. :P), no the disappointment comes from all the other flyers on the board of folks who are looking for a game. After you wade through all the folks wanting someone else to play Warhammer 40k, all you're left with are flyers of folks that want to play 4e.

That's it.

I've only played a demo of the game and, while it was fun, it wasn't what I considered an rpg. Maybe I'd been broken by already playing Fantasy Flight Games' boardgame Descent, but the games eerily similar.

I felt that, in both games, I was playing as a playing piece, not a multi-faceted character with individual foibles and characteristics.

I might as well be trying to roleplay as the scottish terrier from the monopoly set.

So I don't understand the fascination with this tactical minatures game combined with CCG mechanics. I'd love someone to explain it to me. If you'd like to, please reply because I'm starting to feel old.

Really old.

Did I mention I turned 40 last month?

Raw game feed from the vault.

Here's a blast from the past. Raw game feed from a few years back. Its a mashup of Arkham Horror and Call of Cthulhu. Listen to part 1, character generation.

Epsilon Terra

Its that time of year again. Its time for me to start thinking and writing up what games I'll be running for Dragoncon this year.

The first contender is Epsilon Terra. Its a scifi game I've cooked up using the Unisystem and All Tomorrow's Zombies.

We have a few sessions under our belt and here is Session one for your enjoyment.

Where does the time go?

Well, its been far too long since I've updated the Blog. Starting tomorrow and at least twice a week I will be posting updates of my thoughts on gaming and related media as well as telling you about my players and the games we're doing.

Sorry for the long absence.