Until 11/1/15, Frog God Games is giving 40% off:
Frog God Games
Use the code HALLOWEEN-40%
And it's the last day to get GURPS Zombies: Day One for free if you buy GURPS Zombies:
GURPS Zombies
Use the code GURPSZOMBIES2015
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
Sincere silliness
I was thinking about why I really like a particular band and it lead to a gaming thought. A DF gaming thought.
Here is why I think my DF game works. And partly why it's lasted so long.
It is sincere in its silliness.
That is, we do all the things that are cool about heroes fighting monsters in tunnels for treasure.
We also do all the things that are silly about that, too, and take them and own them.
We love all of these things.
We do our level best to make them the most appropriately cool, or the most appropriately silly.
And we play them sincerely.
It doesn't matter if the Church of the Good God (Motto: "Good God, y'all!") is silly. It does matter that we love the joke inherent in it, execute it well, and go after it sincerely.
It doesn't matter if it's kind of strange that there are giant megadungeons full of monsters and loot. Again, we make the jokes, embed them in it, and play it sincerely.
It's not ironic enjoyment, but sincere enjoyment of something twisted ironically. It's a hard difference to explain in words, but I can feel the difference between "make it a joke" and "enjoy the jokes." We and the game are in on the same jokes - laughing with the game elements, not at them.
That's why I think it keeps going. No ironic enjoyment here. Nostalgia flavored but looking back for inspiration not elusive fun that was never really had.
Just sincere silliness.
Or, in a single word: sincerity.
Here is why I think my DF game works. And partly why it's lasted so long.
It is sincere in its silliness.
That is, we do all the things that are cool about heroes fighting monsters in tunnels for treasure.
We also do all the things that are silly about that, too, and take them and own them.
We love all of these things.
We do our level best to make them the most appropriately cool, or the most appropriately silly.
And we play them sincerely.
It doesn't matter if the Church of the Good God (Motto: "Good God, y'all!") is silly. It does matter that we love the joke inherent in it, execute it well, and go after it sincerely.
It doesn't matter if it's kind of strange that there are giant megadungeons full of monsters and loot. Again, we make the jokes, embed them in it, and play it sincerely.
It's not ironic enjoyment, but sincere enjoyment of something twisted ironically. It's a hard difference to explain in words, but I can feel the difference between "make it a joke" and "enjoy the jokes." We and the game are in on the same jokes - laughing with the game elements, not at them.
That's why I think it keeps going. No ironic enjoyment here. Nostalgia flavored but looking back for inspiration not elusive fun that was never really had.
Just sincere silliness.
Or, in a single word: sincerity.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Underpriced GURPS disadvantages
I usually post about overpriced disadvantages - the ones that give you more points back than they deserve for how much they hassle you.
In my experience, there are some that are underpriced. You don't get a lot back for what it does for you.
Wounded - this might get takers at -10, but not at -5. Open wound that's vulnerable to strikes and to disease? It's beyond an Achilles' Heel and all the way to Hector's Sucking Chest Wound. No one takes it because there are many less-worse things around for -5.
Overconfident - people used to complain on GURPSNet-L and the forums (and might still do so) about Overconfident when it was -10. "It's free points for acting like an adventurer!" No, it's points for acting like a better adventurer than your scores say you will. People playing this right tend to take risks they shouldn't because their PC believes he or she will succeed where others would fail. Then the PC fails, and eventually dies from it. -5 is okay, but it's on the stingy side for how many PCs I've seen dead from this one. In a dangerous, 50/50 situation, this is 5 points you pay for in spades.
Berserk - -10 makes it easier to deal with in terms of self-control rolls and enhancements/limitations, but it's also kind of stingy. -10 for having no defenses, plus some bonuses. Yeah . . . I felt it was fair at -15. It's a character-defining trait beyond ones like Lecherousness and Greed and a strong Phobia. In a fight-heavy game, it's a certainty that the points you get for this can't buy you enough to make up for it.
It's a fun disadvantage, but that's not a reason to discount its value. All good disads are fun to have on your sheet. But Berserk seems a little chintzy at -10.
I'm not offering to re-price these (maybe Wounded, though), but I do think they cause more harm than you get back in value, even if only by a small amount.
What costs bother you?
In my experience, there are some that are underpriced. You don't get a lot back for what it does for you.
Wounded - this might get takers at -10, but not at -5. Open wound that's vulnerable to strikes and to disease? It's beyond an Achilles' Heel and all the way to Hector's Sucking Chest Wound. No one takes it because there are many less-worse things around for -5.
Overconfident - people used to complain on GURPSNet-L and the forums (and might still do so) about Overconfident when it was -10. "It's free points for acting like an adventurer!" No, it's points for acting like a better adventurer than your scores say you will. People playing this right tend to take risks they shouldn't because their PC believes he or she will succeed where others would fail. Then the PC fails, and eventually dies from it. -5 is okay, but it's on the stingy side for how many PCs I've seen dead from this one. In a dangerous, 50/50 situation, this is 5 points you pay for in spades.
Berserk - -10 makes it easier to deal with in terms of self-control rolls and enhancements/limitations, but it's also kind of stingy. -10 for having no defenses, plus some bonuses. Yeah . . . I felt it was fair at -15. It's a character-defining trait beyond ones like Lecherousness and Greed and a strong Phobia. In a fight-heavy game, it's a certainty that the points you get for this can't buy you enough to make up for it.
It's a fun disadvantage, but that's not a reason to discount its value. All good disads are fun to have on your sheet. But Berserk seems a little chintzy at -10.
I'm not offering to re-price these (maybe Wounded, though), but I do think they cause more harm than you get back in value, even if only by a small amount.
What costs bother you?
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Stonehell part 2!
If you haven't heard, the second book of Stonehell dungeon came out yesterday. I reviewed Stonehell here a while back. (Short version? I like it a lot.)
Naturally, I'm getting this, because I liked Stonehell so much.
Amusingly, I put it in my cart at Lulu and applied a 20% coupon but didn't check out - I figured I'd spend a day trying to remember if there was anything else I wanted to get in print before I did so. Within an hour, Lulu sent me a 15% off coupon to get me to come back and finish the order.
Yeah, listen Lulu, I'll stick with the original discount if you don't mind . . .
Naturally, I'm getting this, because I liked Stonehell so much.
Amusingly, I put it in my cart at Lulu and applied a 20% coupon but didn't check out - I figured I'd spend a day trying to remember if there was anything else I wanted to get in print before I did so. Within an hour, Lulu sent me a 15% off coupon to get me to come back and finish the order.
Yeah, listen Lulu, I'll stick with the original discount if you don't mind . . .
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Enraged Berserk Guys With Battle Fury
We had some discussions Sunday about Berserk. Mo the barbarian has Berserk (Enraged, Battle Fury.) It's the first time the player is running someone with either Enraged or Battle Fury, and he hasn't run a berserker in three editions (he's one of my GURPS 1e vets.)
We had a few moments in the fight when it wasn't clear if he was really being berserk enough.
A few notes:
Enraged (from DFD: Barbarians) expands your combat options for Berserk. It's a more controlled fury. But it's still fury. You just do things like defend yourself (to limited effect) sometimes. That's all - it doesn't imply calculating battle decisions about the best long-term move to make right now. Berserkers don't play chess, they play capture-a-piece-right-now.
Battle Fury means you don't even need to get injured to go berserk. That doesn't mean any hostile action triggers berserk, if it makes no sense (my example was long-range harassing arrow shots that don't hit anyone.) But nine times out of ten, it means if something looks like a fight, you get angry and go to town.
You can still fight smart, but you've got limitations. I discuss them in some depth in Melee Academy: Berserker's Wingman. But the key word in all of the "smart berserk moves" is Attack.
Berserkers are this quote, personified:
Forget about winning and losing, forget about pride and pain: let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life! Do not be concerned with your escaping safely – lay down your life before him! - Bruce Lee, The Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Pretty much, what I expect from any version of Berserk (while you are berserk) is that you ask yourself a series of questions:
- Is there a way to attack right now? If so, do that.*
- If there isn't, what's the shortest path to attacking? Do that.
- If there is no way to attack, ask yourself, do I try to snap out of this or is there some other target I should be going after?
* Grappling this turn so you can do something horrible next turn is fine; re-gripping for a better handhold, not so much. Choosing the most effective of your attack options is fine, too.
Notice that there isn't a lot of "Hmmm, I'm in close combat with a wolverine and I've got a shield on my arm. I could attack it, but it makes more sense to try to shake the shield off first because it is -DB to my attack rolls" and a lot of "I bash with wolverine with my shield" or "I head butt the wolverine" or "I drop my fine magical weapon and grab the wolverine so I can choke it to death and throw it at my next enemy!"
Knocked prone and can't reach a foe? Get to kneeling and fight from there. Get to kneeling and someone is right there? Attack with whatever the fastest weapon to come to hand is - and hands are pretty fast, if they're within punching or grappling distance (general, Close Combat). Kneeling and no one is nearby but you've got a throwing weapon? Stand up and charge or throw it at someone! Or both.
Basically, it's attack, attack, attack, attack, attack. All of your maneuvers should be about maximizing your ability to attack right now. Making moves to ensure a better option later? That's not berserk. People fear berserkers because they don't do that - because they'll attack into a disadvantage not caring if they die to kill you. The moment you start making informed decisions about smarter options instead of choosing the best attack to hand, you start to veer away from the disadvantage.
Disadvantage - that's a key word. In many games, video and tabletop, berserker is an advantage. You get rage powers that make you tougher, harder to fight against, more effective in combat, harder to kill, etc. and they run out and leave you tired. In GURPS, Berserk gives you points back. You are less versatile in combat. You are harder to kill and knock out, which is a curse mixed with a blessing as you tend to end fights either fine or chopped halfway to hamburger by foes you couldn't beat and who couldn't put you down. You are a danger to yourself and others.
This is why you get points for Berserk.
We had a few moments in the fight when it wasn't clear if he was really being berserk enough.
A few notes:
Enraged (from DFD: Barbarians) expands your combat options for Berserk. It's a more controlled fury. But it's still fury. You just do things like defend yourself (to limited effect) sometimes. That's all - it doesn't imply calculating battle decisions about the best long-term move to make right now. Berserkers don't play chess, they play capture-a-piece-right-now.
Battle Fury means you don't even need to get injured to go berserk. That doesn't mean any hostile action triggers berserk, if it makes no sense (my example was long-range harassing arrow shots that don't hit anyone.) But nine times out of ten, it means if something looks like a fight, you get angry and go to town.
You can still fight smart, but you've got limitations. I discuss them in some depth in Melee Academy: Berserker's Wingman. But the key word in all of the "smart berserk moves" is Attack.
Berserkers are this quote, personified:
Forget about winning and losing, forget about pride and pain: let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life! Do not be concerned with your escaping safely – lay down your life before him! - Bruce Lee, The Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Pretty much, what I expect from any version of Berserk (while you are berserk) is that you ask yourself a series of questions:
- Is there a way to attack right now? If so, do that.*
- If there isn't, what's the shortest path to attacking? Do that.
- If there is no way to attack, ask yourself, do I try to snap out of this or is there some other target I should be going after?
* Grappling this turn so you can do something horrible next turn is fine; re-gripping for a better handhold, not so much. Choosing the most effective of your attack options is fine, too.
Notice that there isn't a lot of "Hmmm, I'm in close combat with a wolverine and I've got a shield on my arm. I could attack it, but it makes more sense to try to shake the shield off first because it is -DB to my attack rolls" and a lot of "I bash with wolverine with my shield" or "I head butt the wolverine" or "I drop my fine magical weapon and grab the wolverine so I can choke it to death and throw it at my next enemy!"
Knocked prone and can't reach a foe? Get to kneeling and fight from there. Get to kneeling and someone is right there? Attack with whatever the fastest weapon to come to hand is - and hands are pretty fast, if they're within punching or grappling distance (general, Close Combat). Kneeling and no one is nearby but you've got a throwing weapon? Stand up and charge or throw it at someone! Or both.
Basically, it's attack, attack, attack, attack, attack. All of your maneuvers should be about maximizing your ability to attack right now. Making moves to ensure a better option later? That's not berserk. People fear berserkers because they don't do that - because they'll attack into a disadvantage not caring if they die to kill you. The moment you start making informed decisions about smarter options instead of choosing the best attack to hand, you start to veer away from the disadvantage.
Disadvantage - that's a key word. In many games, video and tabletop, berserker is an advantage. You get rage powers that make you tougher, harder to fight against, more effective in combat, harder to kill, etc. and they run out and leave you tired. In GURPS, Berserk gives you points back. You are less versatile in combat. You are harder to kill and knock out, which is a curse mixed with a blessing as you tend to end fights either fine or chopped halfway to hamburger by foes you couldn't beat and who couldn't put you down. You are a danger to yourself and others.
This is why you get points for Berserk.
Monday, October 26, 2015
DF Game, Session 68 - Lost City 2 - Vegepygmies and Thornies
October 25th, 2015
Weather: Varied (mix of clear and some rain)
Characters (approximate net point total)
Adventuring:
Gerald Tarrant, human wizard (284 points)
Hasdrubul Stormcaller, human wizard (257 points)
Hjalmarr Holgerson, human knight (256 points)
Kenner Baumfellen, wood elf scout (250 points)
Mo (his momma call him Kle), human barbarian (250 points)
Quenton Gale, human druid (250 points)
In reserve:
Angus "Mithrilbraid" McSwashy, dwarf swashbuckler (250 points)
Dave, human knight (252 points)
Galoob Jah, goblin thief (256 points)
We opened in the trading camp. About half the party camped out to avoid upkeep (and thus received no rumors.) Mo wanted to camp out, but he's got Compulsive Carousing, and the bar is in town . . .
The stocked up on healing potions, clearing out the local stock. All the paut, as well. Somehow Gerry was out 240 sp and up five skeleton servitors, which he equipped with hatchets, light shields, and cloth torso armor. And a backpack for one.
They hear rumors about animal-men, mostly - bear-men in the city, snake-men in the jungle (and were admonished to kill them no matter what they offered for their lives!), and other sorts.
The PCs headed off with their new scout, Kenner.
Weather: Varied (mix of clear and some rain)
Characters (approximate net point total)
Adventuring:
Gerald Tarrant, human wizard (284 points)
Hasdrubul Stormcaller, human wizard (257 points)
Hjalmarr Holgerson, human knight (256 points)
Kenner Baumfellen, wood elf scout (250 points)
Mo (his momma call him Kle), human barbarian (250 points)
Quenton Gale, human druid (250 points)
In reserve:
Angus "Mithrilbraid" McSwashy, dwarf swashbuckler (250 points)
Dave, human knight (252 points)
Galoob Jah, goblin thief (256 points)
We opened in the trading camp. About half the party camped out to avoid upkeep (and thus received no rumors.) Mo wanted to camp out, but he's got Compulsive Carousing, and the bar is in town . . .
The stocked up on healing potions, clearing out the local stock. All the paut, as well. Somehow Gerry was out 240 sp and up five skeleton servitors, which he equipped with hatchets, light shields, and cloth torso armor. And a backpack for one.
They hear rumors about animal-men, mostly - bear-men in the city, snake-men in the jungle (and were admonished to kill them no matter what they offered for their lives!), and other sorts.
The PCs headed off with their new scout, Kenner.
Sunday, October 25, 2015
DF Game Pre-Summary
I'm not sure I have the time for a summary tonight. But I can give the bullet points:
- No permanent losses today, except maybe for Gerry's arm. He's browsing the Necromancer Foul Arm power-ups since I told him they're okay for his wizard.
- Lots of crippling injuries, actually.
- A bad way to trigger an ambush is to walk into it. A worse way is to plummet 20 yards down and to land right in front of it.
- Vegepygmies!
- Thornies!
- No real loot, but some experimentation was done.
- Passed out the first awesome bonus in a long time, since it was raining skeletons and then raining vegepygmies.
- Watch out for snakes! (Sorry)
- No permanent losses today, except maybe for Gerry's arm. He's browsing the Necromancer Foul Arm power-ups since I told him they're okay for his wizard.
- Lots of crippling injuries, actually.
- A bad way to trigger an ambush is to walk into it. A worse way is to plummet 20 yards down and to land right in front of it.
- Vegepygmies!
- Thornies!
- No real loot, but some experimentation was done.
- Passed out the first awesome bonus in a long time, since it was raining skeletons and then raining vegepygmies.
- Watch out for snakes! (Sorry)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
