Rules Complexity

There's something to be said for non-complex games. And then people have to go doing crazy things like adding more complexity to games like rock paper scissors. Wasn't the original good enough for you? Did you have to mess it up so much with all those house rules that while technically balanced are nigh impossible to remember? I get this way about people adding massive amounts of homebrew to simple rpgs as well. It just doesn't make any sense!

On my opinion of rules complexity: I feel one should have as much complexity as you need to appropriately model the playstyle of the genre. For example, any version of D&D has too many rules for a swashbuckling game. They're simply too complex to encourage the style of play the exemplifies swashbuckling games. Contrary-wise, D&D of any version simply doesn't have enough rules to accomplish what Exalted or Rifts expect from their genre's.

Art from GIS for rock paper scissors

LooneyDM out

Rescue Quests

Rescue quests are a staple of fantasy gaming and RPGs in general. This cliche trope exists in nearly every D&D campaign that has been run. This doesn't stop an enterprising DM from changing things up to play off the assumptions of the players for everyone's amusement. Like having the princess be quite happy to be out of her stuffy home and having fun painting up the dragon. If you're stuck for ideas I recommend "The Ransom of Red Chief" by O Henry.

LooneyDM out

Plane Shift (and quotes)

Plane shift is a lovely way to start a campaign. Or end one. Which reminds me. One of my saturday games shifted to ravenloft. There was much rejoicing. *muted yay*. The immediate upside is that our regular DM is hilarious as a player, especially when he bounces comments off either his wife or another player he's been playing D&D with forever. The other upside is our stand in DM likes us to play at higher levels so we're mid paragon (4e stuff) tier for this one shot into ravenloft. After that it's another plane shift to dark sun! Bring on the starvation, dehydration, and cannibalism!

Qutoes:

DM: You have to use your imagination.

Goldielocks: But that's what you're here for.

Vimac: I'll go with victorious surge.

DM: To victory, and beyond!

M: Anyone want to commit suicide?

Goldielocks: I'm good at that.

DM: You cross a bridge over the river.

Vimac: The river Kwai?

DM: They introduce you to the talking chief.

Goldielocks: The talking sheep?

DM: Good conjuring trick.

Tirah: I am divine

Cecilia: I'm using this pencil because I can take out both Green Lanterns with it.

DM: A corroded bronze tube.

Vimac: Tuba

DM: It looks like the metal tube was used as a megaphone.

Cecilia: I announce 'all your base are belong to us'.

DM: One of the greyhawk deities has six shooters from the wild west.

Cecilia: He's rocking it Jonathan Hex style.

Vimac: Where do you think Jonathan Hex came from?

Looney: The wilden impales you.

Cecilia: You're not the DM of me.

Flora: Wilden always speak as we.

Tirah: Would your we like to join our we?

Flora: Flora will come back as her cousin

DM: Fauna

LooneyDM out

New Players

We've all had that new player. Whether they arrive of their own volition or dragged by a friend they happen to all DMs. One player who simply doesn't get it and makes honest mistakes to the amusement of all the others at the table. You have to keep your amusement to yourself though or they may not come back. That's one variety.

Occasionally you get the ones who are intentionally obtuse for the straight up enjoyment of the rest of the group. These players should be treasured. Until they become annoying. Then they should be whacked with a nerf bat until they fall back in line, for the moment. Eventually they'll creep back into the spotlight with unignorable crazy antics.

Art by Jolly Jack

Until next time LooneyDM out

Epic Sandbox Games

There are days I wish I could be prepared enough to run an epic sandbox game IN SPACE! Then I realize I barely keep this blog updated on time and won't be able to rock that sort of preparation.

LooneyDM out.

Evil Hideouts (and quotes)

Ever wish you had a secret lair? Ever wish you had a theme song to go with that secret lair? I sure do. Seeing Jonathan Coulton at PAX got me thinking about evil lairs and hideouts. Even if I wasn't evil I think I'd want one. After all you get to hide stuff in them and have secrets. Secret passages! Also plenty of room to have one of those big world maps to plot world domination. Or play wargames. To stick with the theme here's quotes from the monster game I DM. They're fairly evil and getting worse every session.

Soban: (( Which we heroically rescued... Most of ))

Moastuo: (( "heroically" ))

* Moastuo has apparently taken the wrong portal and ended up in a senate chamber or something, what with all the voting and debate.

Onotole: (( Tell Lilith about the rod >:C ))

Heikon: (( We should just get together and award Lilith Knowledge: The Rod. ))

Heikon: (( She's an expert in her field ))

Onotole: (( Man, today's rolls have been great ))

Lilith: (( ... ))

Soban (Hybrid Form): « token.init = 1d20+2 = token.init = (1 + 2) = 3 »

Lilith: (( you be fucking quiet ))

LooneyDM: Heikon shakes the green eyed monster like a baby

Heikon: (( SIDS full attack! ))

Moastuo: "Wouldn't mind some more kobolds, myself."

Onotole: "There is no challenge to kobolds."

Moastuo: "Who said anything about challenge?"

Onotole: "If we're not challenged, then we can't know our limits. And if we don't know our limits, we can't improve upon them in a later iteration."

Moastuo: "Maybe I want to find some kobolds because they taste good, unlike everything else we've run into."

Onotole: "You're just like Heikon, always thinking of food."

Onotole: (( Lilith is having fun at the library? ))

Moastuo: (( what are you implying, good sir? ))

LooneyDM: Mallexantus, Onotole, and Heikon nail the last two as they try to feel

LooneyDM: (( flee ))

Onotole: (( Now they're trying to feel Lilith, who is having fun at the library ))

Lilith: (( « 1d20+23 = 20 + 23 = 43 » spot « 1d20+23 = 20 + 23 = 43 » listen ))

Lilith: (( ...what ))

Lilith: (( the fuck ))

Lilith: (( jesus fucking christ on a motherfucking stick ))

Onotole: (( Wait, why are Fisto and his friend, Fisto Jr, here? ))

Lilith: (( magic ))

Heikon: (( Oh shit, portal to 4e ))

*Moastuo having fun with tokens from his other game

LooneyDM: (( right then. xps ))

Onotole: (( Looney, if you say 679 XP, I will throttle you ))

Heikon: (( Of course not. ))

Heikon: (( 678. ))

Onotole: (( Don't make the throttle you too ))

Onotole: (( It doesn't really matter where they're going ))

Lilith: (( it doesn't? ))

Heikon: (( "we got our asses kicked" is all they're gonna get from him for Intel ))

Heikon: (( "THE UMBRELLA LOOKED AT ME AND THEN THE DEVIL WAS MY DEAD MINION ;_;" ))

Heikon: (( One save. On a 20. GOD, I love being scary. ))

Mallexantus: (( welcome to the dark side. ))

Moastuo: (( ceasing concentration on Ono's rage, duration is 5 rounds. Standard to throw a Rage at soban ))

Onotole: (( I'm imagining Moastuo as the medic Ubercharging ))

Moastuo: (( more of a kritz than an uber ))

Mallexantus: (( I am heavy weapons monstrosity. And this... is my axe. ))

Onotole: (( It costs two hundred thousand gp to swing this axe for twelve seconds ))

Onotole: (( One of you sneaks is Spy ))

Moastuo: (( I've been disguised for the entirety of the game, if it's anyone, it's me ))

Heikon: (( ...Heikon's the Pyro, isn't she. ))

Onotole: (( Heikon is very W+M1, yes ))

Mallexantus: (( I'm the embodiment of lawful evil. Be efficient, be polite, and always have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ))

Onotole: (( You must construct additional dakka ))

Art from Michael Dashow

LooneyDM out

Conventional Motivation (Downtime)

I had some downtime this weekend as I traveled to the far off land of Seattle to go to PAX. Much fun was had by all participants. Things of note. Saw Paul and Storm for the first time in concert. I may have a new favorite band. Played many board games and video games with all my friends. One very important item I learned this weekend. WotC's official Dungeon Delves are horrible ways to have people learn 4e. Hands down the worst teaching experience I've ever seen. To be fair I'm sure the DM was used to people trying to power through the delve and it appeared that his table was close to a booth where they were getting people to yell for swag. That said, our two rogues were killed before the hour was up (one of which's player had never played any RPG before), the cleric was dragged off by an at-will stun monster, one fighter was nearly dead, the other was hiding in the corner, and the wizard (myself) was pissed due to not finding out earlier that a bridge we were crossing was 30 feet over a ravine thus making my slide power incredibly useful. I did drop an enemy or two off, but it wasn't enough to save us.

So yeah. Delves are a crappy way to learn 4e. Also way to go WotC putting all the learning delves during the big panels and not running any in the middle of the day when we had some time. Doubly way to go because they then cancelled the learning delves on Sunday.

Art from Michael Dashow

LooneyDM out