Top 3 Genres that don't translate to the table that well.

I've been gaming for a long time. No, longer than that.
I was lucky, though, in that I wasn't in the initial, late-seventies generation of gamers. When I started gaming in '82 it was when companies and games were popping up out of the woodwork. D&D was the king of the sword and sorcery fantasy genre so other companies decided the best way to 'win' was to not directly compete.
This article is about which ones I've felt, over the years, that don't translate so well. I'm not saying that they couldn't, but so far, not so much.
3. Western.
Now, I imagine many folks have great Boot Hill stories but its not about the stories I'm talking about. No, my difficulty with a traditional western is the lethality. Don't get me wrong, I love westerns, film and literature, but when you are playing in a game with a random element for task resolution you are going to have folks get shot.
Without superpowers or some supernatural defenses, folks get shot, folks die.
So most 'western' games that do work do so by being non-traditional or, in the case of Dust Devils, make the destruction of the character the point of the game.
2. Super Heroes.
This is going to sound crazy coming from me, as its my second favorite genre to run but this one makes the list not because the rules don't work but, generally speaking, its the players vs the genre.
Most players find the idea of not killing their enemies and not looting the bodies and dealing with the melodrama to be dumb. Unless all of your players are superhero comic junkies, its going to be a rough road to hoe.
And finally, at number one..
1. Horror.
This one sounds even crazier coming from me as this IS my favorite genre to run. Once again, it doesn't go to fault with finding a game that works. There's some great systems for horror, from Little Fears, to Dread to Call of Cthulhu. The difficulty comes with getting the players to not only get into the mood but to STAY there. Players are friends and sometimes they want to joke and jibe and break mood. Its normally easy to recover the flow though, but in horror its much much harder.
Once one of the guys mocks the monster or makes a sexual innuendo about the dangerous psycho its almost over for the horror part. Also, since you are trying to evoke fear and horror, its doubly difficult because not everyone has the same idea of what is fearful or terrifying.
Some folks cover their eyes at a a slasher flick while others are having a ball and laughing.
Session 9 is my prime example. Its an hour plus slow burn until the horror erupts. I find it one of my absolute favorite horror films because of that slow build.
But you run a game like that, some of your players will get bored. And a bored player is a dangerous and disruptive player.
Tomorrow, the three that translate, for me, the best.

Countdown to Dragoncon

Well, another Labor Day weekend will soon be upon us and with it will be another Dragoncon.

This will be my 14th one. The con had started to become a bit dull for me about five years ago. I was beginning to feel that I was just going to be going.

That was when I started to run games at Dragoncon.

It changed things for me there. I felt like I had a reason to go besides all the stuff to see and do. I feel like I'm part of the con and an active participant.

This year, I'll be running two games, two sessions each.

The first is called Heroic Effort. Its a re-working, or even a re-imagining of one I ran my second year running using Mutants and Masterminds 2e. I'm updating it for 3e and changing the name from its original title, American Hero, to Heroic Effort.

Its about a reality gameshow to pick the newest member of the world's greatest superteam. Little did I realize that George R.R. Martin would steal the name and concept for his Wild Card novel a year later.

I'm kidding, of course. I'm certain its just great minds, or a great mind and a median mind, thinking alike.

The other game is a sequel of sorts to last year's CoC game. That one was about a weekend party gala held at a country estate for a family. One of my great regrets is that I lost the memory card with those audio recordings. They were great sessions and I think that family deserves another look.

I hope to try out some new games, see some old friends, and make some new ones. Hope to see you all there!

London After Midnight

http://www.heroic-effort.com/files/Lam1.mp3

New Year New Game

Hello everyone, sorry for the absence. I can't really justify it. There are times in my life when I just get disinterested in everything. I'm seeking help so here's hoping it'll get better.

But enough about that.

We have a new game for you folks. Its called London After Midnight and it uses the Unisystem. I got everyone together, gave them each two chips, and we hashed out a game. What we got seems a bit Cthulhu, a bit Dresden, and so far a very enjoyable game.

Links to follow.

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.