The Chase

I was talking to two great buddies of mine and the topic of long term campaigns came up. I wanted to do a campaign about chasing the characters to their goal because it works in the movies/TV. The guys pointed out (in not so many words) they (the characters) would either make it a last stand or scatter like sheep. Both are not good options and make for a lousy campaign. They said the concept is great in movies and TV but not for RPG. What I need is to draw the towards the desired target. So I am now going to co-GM (I'll talk about that in another post) a game an ATB game but my tactic is going to change for a better game.

Rush on Cyberspace

I know that I haven't written in a while but I thought to give an update. With life as it is, things have been shifted around and the work with Cyberspace will be tested in a real game that I am putting together. I almost have 100 pages written and the fun is just beginning.

There is unfinished villains and dimensional places that really need some fleshing out (skeleton idea but no fleshed). I have so much writing, I really am in heaven with the rush on the work. Wish me luck.

Back behind the Shield

I have been working on some great things:

Nightbane in Cyberspace

Splicers in Space

I am an Megaversal Ambassidor

I am GM for a game played via Scype

I am a player for a game

Things are good. So whats new? I have become a busy busy guy and life could not get better in this moment. For those that have been reading my stuff I have learned how to do textile HTML. Its new for me and it makes things so freaking easy at the same time frusterating. Symbols that I normally use cannot be used such as the (+) plus sign. At least they are interchangable.

Also I am active on the Heroes Unlimited forum as I am attempting to strech my imagination of the powers that are available (instead of attempting to recreate them in the past). It interesting how when you attempt to find out the full extent of the power and get the opinion of  others about it. Most of the time the fellow players say that its the GM's call. I am the GM so what do I say? I want it to be fair so reaching out is important to me and to my players.

In roll play I have learned that taking it slow allows for more great detail to come in and fantastic memeorable game. I started my new game Taur Wars (a Heroes Unlimited game) and its way better then the ones that I have played in the past. There is a lot more work in creating details but its still a great story blooming.

At any rate thats the update. I know that its not much but I'll make a better effort to keep you up to date.

Players in Cyberspace

Razor Face and Angel Eyes prowled gingerly. The dark in cyberspace was rare but it was appreciated.
"Players, I hate them. Why doesn't the Hunters look for them?"
Razor Face could only look at his companion. Poor ignorant ken doll didn't know.
"They're part of the system." RF replied.  "They are humans playing avatars. They are not even here."
"Your kidding right?"
RF could only give the noob a look. He shook his head then placed his finger to his lips.
"They're here" he said in an almost nonexistent tone. 
From thirty feet above the two Nightbane two white boney thin beings. Their faces where blank except a for a question mark. The being was armed to the teeth with bladed and automatic weapons. Their movement was silent; their senses sharp.
Razor Face looked at the new Nightbane and signaled him to duck low. The inexperienced Nightbane botched the move and knocked over some loose boxes. With cat like reflexes the Player was now on them. It look the risk and jumped down the thirty foot jump. Angel Eyes shot at he create as it was descending. He was lucky. Hit it square in the chest. The creature crashed by hitting a dumpster then the ground.
"Your worried about this guy?" Angel Eyes began to walk toward the fallen Player. He warmed up his hands for a second Shadow Blast.
The senior Nightbane with his face covered in cuts and the eyes gouged out stood back "Finish it or run boy."
"Whats he going to do?" Angel Eyes was now getting cocky. He strut up the the fallen creature that lay motionless.
Razor Face started running. He didnt have the Talent to shoot the creature.
"Where ya going?"
Angel Eyes attention had been taken off the Player that was now healing at a pace that equaled the Nightbane. He didn't see the Player stand but he did hear the Modem Call of the creature.
The young Nightbane quickly whipped around and Shadow Blasted the creature again. He kept shooting until the creature was in two pieces.
"There is nothing to worry about. He's dead."
"Run boy. That dead one isn't the one to worry about. His scream is the Players call. He was calling his buddies to kill us both. "
"Why?"
"We are just points to them, just points."
The two raced back into the dark like silhouette. The new Nightbane was going to learn about Cyberspace and this was the first lesson. 


Predicessor.org is where I got this image.

Templar Cyberspace Teaser

Click Here for templars source
The room was dark, the Knights of the Templar sat in at the traditional round showing vialed faces. “We have a problem,” said the first. “Our secrets are in danger of exposure and are no longer safe on our secured network.”
“If you are making reference to the Beast, Brother Thomas, it can be taken care of.”
“It will not be 'taken care of' Brother Thane. Ours is a hidden database that has never been seen or heard. We have fought against the Nightbane and their Nightprinces and Nightlords for nearly two millennium. We do not need exposure now.”
“But the Beast could undo it all,” came a third voice.
“Hardly! We helped create the computer network that man uses and we can undo the Beast that we created as the watchman.”
“Not so, Brother Thane. The creature that was once just numbers and letters has become a thriving sentient being and hides from us. It will not be easily found nor destroyed. We will need someone from the outside.”
The old knight shot to his feet. Blasphemy! We could never let someone in.”
“Please brother, sit down. Who said we'd let anyone in, truly? They will be hired pawns just as we have done in the past.”
The man slowly began to sit himself. “You mean the Bane, don't you?” The man spoke with vinegar in his voice.
“Yes, they are disposable. They think that they can fool us with their own holy war and we are not so easily fooled. They will be taken care of in their own due time.”
“Whom do you have in mind?”
“There is one that calls herself the Net Deamon”.
As they began unwrapping their plan the room began to become easy again.

Shot Down and moving to Cyberspace

I had written a fantastic introduction to what I was going to write for Road Hogs (rewrite) and when I presented the idea of a rewrite to Palladium Books, it got shot down. I felt a little hurt I admit but I remember something that Kevin said, "We want to move forward".

Its true that I was hurt but I remember that I have some ideas that need to be put out I just again need a sounding board for the ideas that are bouncing around in my head. The great Cyberspace idea keeps getting ideas and I want to watch a ton of movies and read a ton of books about such things to get a great idea of a game. Originally the idea was going to be a extension of Nightbane but now it has grown so big that it stands on its own. Just need O.C.C.'s that work for the idea. Nightbane will not do exactly.

Road Hogs

I know, I know its been a while. Sorry.

I have put a lot on the back burner and the fear of being enterupted just gets me. I have been working (stewing not writing) on some ideas for After the Bomb: Road Hogs. After rereading it for the second time I realized that there was some elements missing; that the book was a bit vague. See there was some great ideas that never came to light because it didn't receive the size that it should of (in my opinion). So I was reading through it and thought that the book could use some revamp and addition to truely be a companion to the ATB2 book that was released a while back. The problem is that there is no sounding board like there once was when Palladium Nexus was in full swing (to many licensing threats). We could really use a think tank like that again (and I need a sounding board or at least a partner to motivate me to get the idea done). At any rate, if you know someone let me know. I prefer a fellow writer and gamer but I almost will settle with anything.

Rifts Australia

When the floods rampaged and raped Australia, I recall the map that B.C. Lucas made to show the world of this beloved continent. All our thoughts and prayers went out for this English speaking ally and its children. Funny thinking about it now how the map in the book of fiction reflected some parts of what was in the real world. I hope that they recover quickly.

Cardinal Sins of GM's Everywhere

I think that I have committed the cardinal sin of GMs everywhere, relying on the team to press the story further. I poorly planed my game and payed the price when the gamers looked at me and said what next? I thought to myself "OH CRAP!". Part of my mind was scrambling to move the story while the other said that we had a time limit and to introduce what I has wanted to, was going to push too far into the night and that it was a not a good idea to go there. So what do I do? Stall for time (one of those, next week will be better, things). I should not have. I should of pressed forward and presented the new villain (makes for a better cliff hanger then what I did).

Sometimes we need to be brave even when we think that we are going to do something that is going to push us into the night or into a hospital. Bravery is a key element to a great story and I think that the guys would of forgiven me with a cliff hanger then with a somewhat ending with closure. There was the issue that a villain was still not fleshed out but thats another blog. Reminds me about the adventure where I had a plan. You know the saying "Man makes plans and God laughs"? Well this story has a similar incident. The heroes were going after a villain that I had planned out and the story was solid. The heroes took a turn in their own direction and I wanted to get them to go in the correct course, so I invented Geeves, a blood hound mutant that had a impeccable sense of smell. He sniffed out the heroes and got his two goons Oingo and Boingo (mutant Gorillas) to shoot in the heroes direction to get them to run to the villain. I had not fleshed out Geeves and suddenly I had a case on my hands as the heroes chased after Geeves and the goons. The villain was now less important in the game at the moment, but with great improvisation I worked around the story and Geeves got away. I didn't have to flesh out Geeves but should of as he was now a key player in the game and fun to play because of the impulsiveness that was needed to use him.

We all have heroes and villains that we had no intention of making key in our stories but if we do something to the story that impacts the characters it good to have a plan when something like this happens. Jump in with booth feet.

Secrets to a Great Game

I know that there are several writers that have tons of techniques to creating a good game but this is not about technique. Now looking at all the great movies and TV shows that transcend to RPG and the common element that I (and a cousin of mine) noticed.

They are...

Promise of reward
A need for a rescue
Reputation change
A discovery
Avenge or Revenge

Now a portion of all of these elements are needed to make a great game as they are all needed to make a great movie or television show.

Now to go over these elements...

First there is the promise of reward. This is usually at the beginning. To illustrate this I will be using Star Wars. At the start of Star Wars the smuggler didn't join the cause until there was a promise of reward. Weather or not that reward was going to be coming to fruition was was completely reliant on how circumstance was going to play out. When GM's are playing with their world and need that hook, the meager promise of reward can be enough but don't hang your game on this alone.

Next is the need for rescue. In Star Wars it would of not been enough just to deliver the plans. There needed to be a need for a rescue or escape. In this story it was the princess that provided the rescue and encouraged the escape. With two elements in play we move onto the third element...

Reputation change. To go from wimpy moister farm boy to rebel star pilot and budding Jedi is a big change and the burden of change can destroy a character if the player is not ready to adjust to the change. When you look at all of the characters in Star Wars, first the farm boy is mention, the princess is a secret spy, the smuggler is now an accessory to the Wookie who turns out to be a sleeper agent who anticipated the arrival of the old Jedi who we find out was a warrior in the Clone Wars. Yes there was a lot of information given in that episode. Great stuff.

A discovery. Now this was played as a low key in Star Wars: A New Hope. One of the strongest discoveries was that the farm boys father was a Jedi and not a pilot on a spice freighter. Small discovery but none the less a discovery. Another discovery was that the smuggler had a large debt owed and had an alternative motivation for helping the farmer and his old man friend.

The last one was avenge or revenge. Once the farm boy finds out that members of the empire killed his father, he has a real strong reason for going after this faceless government (well good old Darth was the face of the government). He wanted to avenge the death of his father (knowing no differently). He wanted to free other worlds from the tyranny that they have suffered from. He wants to avenge the captured and tortured princess. Mild things but a great start for a catch later on in the story.

See all the great elements were in the movie and I bet you'd find it in almost every great movies and television that could be played in RPG Now there are other story elements that are great for novels and movies but I wanted to bring out the elements that would enhance your RPG experience.