Episode 34: Horror – What Are Horror Games? What do you shoot for?

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Episode 34: Horror - What Are Horror Games? What do you shoot for?
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Main Topic

 

Horror games can run a gamut of options so first we have to define what we are talking about when we say “Horror.” Different styles of horror include Urban Fantasy Horror rooted in classical Fairy Tales, Jump scares that are built around sudden and unexpected changes, Cosmic Horror like the Cthulhu mythos where there is a deep and almost existential dread, and Mendacity of Horror – the Horror of Everyday life.

 

A majority of horror stories have elements or at least indicia of the supernatural – Think about the Nightmare on Elm Street series, Event Horizon, or It.  Other stories, especially when suspense or thriller styles are used often find their horror in the human element like Scream or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So how do you use these elements and styles in building a Horror themed game?

 

Stat Blocks

Zendead-

The Hangman’s Noose

 

This old thick hemp rope is about a dozen feet in length one end is frayed and unraveling a touch and the other is an expertly tied hangman’s noose. At first glance it is just any other noose you might find in any sheriff’s office. It is on closer inspection that elements of this rope seem off. Intertwined in the rope is a gold thread and a silver thread. There is also a thread of some sort of blue material that shimmers like metal but isn’t. On each of the loops in the noose is a name in what appears to be dried blood. Well all but the highest loop which is blank. As you are looking at it the crack of a pistol firing from the direction of the saloon across the street. You look up and back down and a name appears on the Hangman’s Noose.

 

Joules- The Gleet

The world is full of mischievous but non malignant spirits. There’s the coblynau and knockers of wales (which are known as Cousin Jacks in Nevada and California), kobolds of germany, and duende of south america just to name a few.  These sprites would steal tools from miners, make mischief in the house, and get humans lost in the forest. But their tricks (usually) were to poke fun at us humans, delighting in our gullibility. They only became violent and malicious if they were disrespected.  But if treated with respect, they would often (in their own way) find ways to protect the humans that they played with, often with a slightly mischievous twist. So with the rise of technology and electronics, it makes sense that prankster spirits would make the move as well.

 

There’s a prankster type of tech spirit called the Gleet and they pick their targets well.  The Gleet choose humans with technical proficiency and intelligence. Techies that can roll with the punches.  The Gleet don’t mess with n00bs or luddites (their more malicious cousins, the gremlins do that). The Gleet are responsible for the “accidental” forgetting of a semicolon when writing a program.  Or when Adobe Flash crashes in the middle of an export. Waiting for an important file to download and your network speed drops to almost nothing? That’s a Gleet kinking the network cable. Betcha he’s giggling too.  Lulz

 

But the Gleet know not to push a joke too far as they have a sort of affection for their humans.  So catastrophic instances come with a good reason. A computer’s power supply fails. 5 minutes later, after when the human has unplugged his computer and walked away, lightning strikes the tree next door, arcing to the home and causing a massive power surge.  Frying a bunch of electronics. The human may have been electrocuted too if he was still at the computer. Disc drive fails to read a disc, preventing the user from ripping a new CD. Turns out that the music publisher had a nasty rootkit on the disc “for security purposes.”  No one messes with their human but them.

 

As with most spirits, offerings are expected.  The last sip of an energy drink, the few small remaining pieces of beef jerky, and the last few pieces of popcorn or potato chips are standard offerings to the Gleet.  Variants, depending on the human’s diet, are fine. But the food usually consumed during crunch time or the “final all nighter” are their faves. They also enjoy silly and random notepad doodles that folks make while brainstorming.   So once in a while, leave your scratch pad out for them to flip though, you may find the solution to your problem jotted in the margin the next morning.

 

So if a Gleet has taken a shining to you, consider yourself luckier than most.  Your life is going to be interesting, at times frustrating, but you’ll come out on top 99% of the time.  Just do your best to be respectful of them, or else the bannanashark will be the least of your worries.

 

Guard-a-Manger

Razor’s Edge

The Razor’s Edge is a cliff on some far flung island that looks and feels like a tropical paradise.  It is a sharp cliff face jutting out over the ocean with a truly picturesque view. It is a hotspot for Instagram worthy selfies and you’ve probably seen it in your feeds.  Every so often, a strange shadow appears over someone’s shoulder; the more fanciful claim it looks like a ghostly face stalking the tourists. When your friend goes missing on vacation, all signs point to The Razor’s Edge as the last place he or she was seen.  When you try to take a look, you don’t find anything … and that’s the strange part of it. It is perfectly and precisely manicured with no indication of all the visitors there have been over the years. Pristine and beautiful … oddly so.

 

Can you find out that there is a cult maintaining this area for its beauty?  That the cult is venerating a wild creature that lives not far from the cliff face?  And what is this wild creature? Is it just a simple predator like a big cat or a komodo dragon … or something more?  Legends go back centuries that the creature protects the island’s residents but maybe this is just human depravity in the Instagram age. And where does that strange shadow come from?

Lexicon

Kern  noun \ ˈkərn , ˈkern \

 

Definition of kern

1 :a light-armed foot soldier of medieval Ireland or Scotland
2 :yokel

 

Origin and Etymology of kern
Middle English kerne, from Middle Irish cethern band of soldiers

 

First Known Use: 15th century

 

Closing remarks

Zendead- Zoo on Netflix

 

Joules- Gantz

 

Guard-a-Manger- The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Find us on Patreon

Balance Sheet – Popay

Design Notes

Every good Shadowrunning team has a Street Samurai.  The difficulty with a human Street Samurai is that they are a dime a dozen in the shadows.  When building one, you can either make a Street Samurai that checks the boxes for their basic skill set or try to make one that uses a “trick” or “signature” to set them apart.  Po’Pay is the former. He is built around what I see as the basic requirements of a Street Samurai, and I doubled down on this plan by using the Sum to Ten Method making “A” Priority Nuyen, with “B” priorities for both Skills and Attributes.  That left Magic and Metatype as “E”, but as a human that still means a 3 Edge.

Street Samurai are first and foremost Fire Support characters who are there to put bullets down range to attack physical threats.  Focusing on Automatics and modifying an Ares Alpha means that Po’Pay has 18 dice to shoot with his assault rifle with an Accuracy of 9. Because this is the result of amping up Agility, the Agile Defender Quality makes sense. He is a high value target after the Mages, so his armor is beefed up with Bone Lacing and Dermal Plating leaving him at 22 points of armor in his primary running gear.  

To set this character apart, I dove into his background.  While lots of characters talk about having been former members of a Corp or National military, I doubled down on his Negative Qualities to show his former Pueblo Corporate Council connections.  There hasn’t been a lot written about the P.C.C. military directly, so the best source for information was Horizon Twilight from Fourth Edition that was set in Las Vegas. The original NAN Books, Sixth World Atlas, Shadows of North America, and Spy Games also gave some insight into the P.C.C.’s activities.  

With an “A” priority in Nuyen, there was a lot of money to spread around.  This meant that a slightly modified vehicle with extra armor that can seat 4 and prepaying the main lifestyle on the character for a full year to keep him ahead of the curve.  Using his karma in the character generation, I upped his low skills and abilities while also adding a few contacts to his rather low Charisma total.

As a Street Samurai, he is focused on combat, but I tried to round out some of his skills so that he had utility outside of that role.  With his high Agility, a skill point or two can go a long way to making him useful as a secondary transporter or as infiltration support.  

 

Character Notes

Po’Pay is on the run and it drives his every action.  He knows the P.C.C. is still looking for him, both to recoup their business investment in his training and `ware, but also because of why he originally ran.  He has managed to keep his P.C.C. SIN from being fully linked to his Seattle activities through bribes and favors, but he knows it is only a matter of time.

Po’Pay started life in the Pueblo Corporate Council, the child of P.C.C. shareholders, issued his citizenship share at birth. Enlisting in the Pueblo Security Corporation, he worked both municipal security jobs and military actions, as is standard for the P.C.C.’s wholly owned security subsidiary.  His quiet nature was replaced with bravado and the stubbornness that is emblematic of PuebSec. While he had shown some initial promise to rise in the ranks, he wasn’t really leadership material. PuebSec used him for what he was good at, though.

Something went wrong. On a military detachment near Albuquerque, his unit was killed.  There are only vague public reports of a training accident, but it was more than that. Why Po’Pay survived and whether it was his fault isn’t known.  The P.C.C. would like to find the answer to that to see whether the Koshari has dug deeper, or whether the Kochina have resurfaced to try to gain more control over the P.C.C.  Fleeing into the shadows, he took the name of a civic hero carried down in families through the 2070s. Historically, Po’pay led the Pueblo in revolt against Spanish colonialism in the 1680s driving them from what was formerly known as New Mexico for a time.  What significance this has to the shadowrunner known as Po’Pay is not know.

Po’Pay is an accomplished warrior and particularly skilled in the use of firearms.  He has a firm grasp of Small Unit Tactics and will often try to take the lead in combat situations for Balance Sheet.  He and Preesh make a sort of Odd Couple, with near constant bickering born partially from Po’Pay’s absolute dislike for corporate SINners (P.C.C. excluded).  He gets protective of Anna, but has never explained why the Troll has such a draw to him.

PoPay Form
Key – R&G = Run & Gun; RF = Run Faster; DT = Data Trails; CF = Chrome Flesh; CA = Cutting Aces; R5 = Rigger 5.0; HT = Hard Targets

Balance Sheet Overview Here.

 

Episode 33: Yes and, Yes but, and No

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Episode 33: Yes and, Yes but, and No
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Main Topic

We will be discussing the ideas of Yes and, Yes but, and No.

This trio of possible responses attempts to describe how a GM answers a player’s actions.  The phrases are seen more frequently in modern narrative focused games and the idea of “Yes, And…” comes from improv training.  

 

In theatrical and improv terms, the player’s action would be an “offer” and how you respond helps to create the tenor and the shape of the game.  The offer is any action or decision that will move a narrative forward.

 

“Yes, And….” is an open response to the offer which encourages the continuation of the story and the increased ability of the players.  Not only have you succeeded, but you also have accomplished …..

 

“Yes, but…” is a setback of impediment where a player is generally successful but is at some sort of a disadvantage afterwards. This creates great drama and tension for success by having these partial measures.

 

“No.” is a closed response that shuts down the line of conversation or action started by the player. This is blocking or cancelling an offer which is frowned upon in improv but for gaming sometimes, the only answer is a “No.”  It may be outside the scope of the game or it may be a subtle way to nudge players towards a story, clue, or other part of the campaign. It should be used sparingly, however, because utter failure without recourse can sour or discourage players.  <If you find yourself enjoying this tactic frequently, perhaps take a listen to the episode on GM Burnout and Self-Care>

The Yes, and and Yes, but responses are ways to go beyond a simple succeed/fail and enrich the game experience for the players, as well as for the opposition as well.. It is just as important for the opposition party to have Yes, But responses as the party.

 

How do you describe these to your players?

 

What games use them well?

The Cubicle 7 Doctor Who RPG expressly sets out a scale of success that uses this metric and allows for very Doctor Who esque options, but the game that I have been most impressed with using this sort of metric is the most recent Star Wars Games by Fantasy Flight.  By separating out the “success” and “advantage” results, there is the chance for you to fail to succeed but in an advantageous way, or to succeed in your goals while digging yourself in deeper. Little Fears works success “ands” and “buts” into the success system as well and leaves the storyteller the ability to manipulate the “Passing” and “Failing Grades” with great examples. World of Darkness and other games driven by narrative or theme rather than just crunch benefit from the structure described here.  

 

Even crunch heavy games can benefit from flowery descriptions that come along with the Yes, And or Yes, but style of descriptors.  It is as simple as enriching the gameplay by asking the player how the Natural 20 succeeds and going with it.

 

Stat Blocks

Zendead-

 

Joules- The Bastille of Bone
Tyrants always want to keep their playthings close.  The more sanguinary of despots will combine their love of bloodshed with their absolute oppression of their subjects.  This will lead to the creation of the Bastille of Bone. Originally a standard jail, built as a place to hold dissidents, over the years it has grown into an entity all its own.  The Tyrants would imprison anyone they saw as a threat into the bastille. To indulge in the Tyrant’s sadistic tastes, the prisoners were used as animals to be hunted, subjects of horrible experiments (both magical, mental, and physical), and sometimes just outright slaughtered.  As the tyrant grips his land tighter and tighter, his enemies grow in number. As such, the jail had to grow to hold more people. As the jail grew, the Bastille of Bone started to awaken. As the bastille grew, stones and mortar of the structure were supplemented with the bones, blood and sinew of the prisoners.  Binding their psychic imprint to the bastille. The psychic echoes continually torture the prisoners, delighting both the tyrant and jailers (who were selected for having the perfect blend of blind loyalty and bloodlust). As the Bastille of Bone grows and evolves, the holding cells start to develop their own unique feel.  From rage, to insanity, to the complete absence of humanity. The jailers delight in moving prisoners between cells, just to see how they react. And the Bastille of Bones grows in power.

 

But buildings last longer than dynasties.  And long after the tyrant’s name has been forgotten, the Bastille of Bones still stands.  The stories of what happened at the Bastille fade from the collective consciousness. But the evil done there permeates the structure and surrounding lands.  The trees grown gnarled and twisted. The grass isn’t soft, it’s rough and sharp. The sun doesn’t seem to fully shine on the area. The poison of what happened at the Bastille of Bones will forever infect the land.  

 

And even now, those that gaze upon it feel those psychic echoes;  the twisted, silent screams of the victims. The final legacy of the Bastille of Bones.

 

Guard-a-Manger-

Nebuchadnezzer’s Map

 

At the turn of the 20th Century, the world is yet full of wonders and unexplored parts of the world.  Nebuchadnezzar’s Map promises to show you parts not yet claimed and a legend not yet defined. A map of the Ancient Levant ascribed to Nebuchadnezzar entices many explorers from across the globe.  The mysteries there appeal to everyone.

 

A Big Game Hunter, fallen scion of a British family, has reached out to you for help.  He claims to have the map and wants you to help him follow it to its treasure. The treasure is not a secret at all once you glance at the map unfurled on a billiards table where you meet this lackluster example of British Royalty.  Clear even to you, without being able to read the ancient script, the map depicts the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – last of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to be found. (And still not definitively identified today).

 

Babylon itself as you know it isn’t the location – perhaps the word itself reveals the place and not the Name of the place as a Gate of the Gods could be found anywhere.  Nebuchadnezzar was described as a warrior and a man of great faith, and do you think he left behind this map without obstacles? Only one who could exemplify the traits of a true leader, and king, could know how to pass these tests and challenges that will beset you on your way, all the while haunted by the shadowy cult that has hounded your patron ever since he won the map in a likely rigged gambling event. Are you ready to follow the clues left behind millennia ago to seek out the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the secrets they hold?

 

Lexicon

 

Unman   verb un·man  \ ˌən-ˈman \

 

Definition of unman

1 :to deprive of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit
2 :castrate, emasculate

 

First Known Use of unman
1599

Closing remarks

Zendead-  Trollhunters on Netflix

 

Joules – Romeo and/or Juliet: a Choosable Path Adventure

 

Guard-a-Manger-

 

The American Way (2007 Miniseries)

By John Ridley and art by George Jeanty

 

The American Way – Those Above and Those Below (2017 Miniseries)

On shelves now or at

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Find us on Patreon

Episode 32: Co GMing

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Episode 32: Co GMing
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Main Topic

Info on the Main Topic goes here.

Ways to co-GM

  1. A GM and a helper or two at the table also called Shared GMing. Playing to the strengths of the people involved.  If one person is responsible for the story, they don’t have to be burdened with the Rules as much and on the flip side, knowing the rules doesn’t mean you get saddled with the storytelling.  This also works well in LARPs when you have large groups of people playing and need to be able to provide attention across different people.
  2. Both GM seperate games in the same world
  3. Both GM seperate games in different systems
  4. Both GM the same story or Serial GMs. By playing round robin, you stretch out and prevent burn out also allowing the GM’s NPCs to be full characters every once in awhile. The time and the effort spent by each can give the “main” GM a chance to really settle into his story with the breaks provided.

Stat Blocks

Zendead-

The Sword of dominium Alfheim

 

Also called the Sword of the Elves. This sword is very simple in its design. The filigree is even simple in its use. There are no markings to tell you that this sword is anything other than a simple but well made sword. It has unlike other treasures never fallen from the king’s hand. The smith that made this blade spent the better part of a century working the metal. The blade could chop a tree in half and never dull. The scabbard is worked leather of some lost beast. It is as much a symbol of leadership as the crown.

 

This sword has been in every battle since it was finished. It has also drawn blood in every one of those conflicts. While few like to admit it this sword has killed more people than any other weapon in all of recorded history. Most consider this blade to be cursed since it is drawn and bloodied in any conflict with the elves. Now how much of that is true and how much is belief that is something the wielder can tell you if but you ask. If you listen closely you might hear the king answer to an empty room a question no one had asked.

 

Joules- Nothing today

 

Guard-a-Manger-

The Kalint

 

Another turn of the moon and another rumor of the Kalint showing up.  This ghostly vessel sails between the stars without a known path and without a known crew.  At least, there is nobody who has claimed to be behind this legend of the starways. When the Kalint enters your sensor range, it makes an impression, probably helping your ship from certain doom, perhaps from pirates, privateers, or power failure but with no com signals and nobody you ever see.

 

The Kalint is said to be a medium sized ship, not unlike a sea schooner, that is outfitted with the ability for deep space travel.  It’s sleek design and swooping lines are evocative of the asteroid belts from Terra System, but don’t map to any known corporation or colony.  It’s been said to dock at deep space stations, payment being made through automated means, with nobody ever stepping off the ship. There are even stories of cargo being bought and sold, loaded and unloaded without a word ever said.

 

The secret behind the Kalint isn’t really that special.  It’s an experiment gone awry – an attempt to make an advanced expert system to handle the drudgery of space flight actually succeeded.  The algorithms that govern the Kalint’s operation can easily handle navigation and basic trading of goods. It isn’t that hard to figure out supply and demand, after all.  The better question is whether there is something in the navigation subroutine that manages to hide this vessel between it’s sightings. Space is big, but it can’t be that easy to hide such a famous or infamous ship in the few safe starways that exist.

 

It’s that home, or base of operations that drives your story.  Some say that a pirate crew on a far flung asteroid uses the profits of the automated trade to wage their the Kalint sells are the result of piracy.  Maybe the stories of an experimental drive system shunting between dimensions are the truth. The idea that an expert computer system has “evolved” to an AI is just ludicrous.

 

Right?

 

Right?

 

Lexicon

Equerry  noun equer·ry  \ ˈe-kwə-rē , i-ˈkwer-ē \

 

Definition of equerry

1 :an officer of a prince or noble charged with the care of horses
2 :an officer of the British royal household in personal attendance on the sovereign or a member of the royal family

 

Origin and Etymology of equerry
modification of Middle French ecurie

 

First Known Use: 1591

Closing remarks

Zendead- Era- Balam a Project of Earth

 

Joules- Codebreakers Series

 

Guard-a-Manger- Steal the Stars

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

Facebook Group

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Find us on Patreon

Episode 31: GM Burnout and Self Care

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Episode 31: GM Burnout and Self Care
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Main Topic

Today we talk about GM Burnout and how to help prevent it.

Talking Points-

Burnout how it happens.

Over Immersion-

Long run of a game-

Burnout Options

  1. Take a break. Sometimes you need to step away from the GM Screen and let someone else take over.  We’ve all been there and all been conscripted into running when we just want to play. If you feel that urge to TPK creeping in, maybe enlist someone to run a one-shot of paranoia or little fears to let you play and shrug off that weight of the world(s).
  2. Keep it fun for yourself.  We mentioned in previous episodes to remember that it is okay to laugh. Maybe you can fit in a slapstick adventure in the midst of it all.  Perhaps something more Lupin III than Ronin would help you to stay in the game.
  3. Don’t Do Too Much.  The easiest said and the hardest done.  We all want to play, to run, to have these experiences.  It is easy to overcommit – if weekly games are dragging you down, see about switching to every other week.  Maybe somebody else will run a game in the alternating weeks (See No. 1 above), maybe everybody needs a chance to focus.  Don’t be afraid to engage your players about needing the time.
  4. Just Take a Real Break.  Like above, maybe you need to just push pause for a month.  Other friends, family, hobbies can help you reset that level of stress that leads to burnout.
  5. Have others help with parts of running the game.  

Stat Blocks

Zendead-

Geth

 

Sliding the shutters open and dropping noiselessly into the room the little shadow slinked to the sleeping figure and the key around their neck. As the lips pulled back and the white teeth shined in the moonlight the grin is infectious. The deft little hands reach out and as the exhale of breath comes they lift the key without a sound.

 

Geth is a boogeyman of sorts when things go missing or can not be found Geth is blamed. The truth is Geth spreads these rumors herself. Making people think Geth is a male monster that steals anything and everything. The truth is she is just a very industrious and accomplished halfling thief.

 

Joules-

The Shattered Moon of Acamar

 

Two generations ago, was when the calamity happened.  Some cosmic detritus (a lost hyper planetesimal, a rogue comet, records from that day were lost) was caught in the moon’s gravity and eventually collided.  That was the last day the residents Acamar knew of hope and of safety.

 

After the collision, the planet’s residents who had the money and means, fled to neighboring systems.  The residents who couldn’t leave; were abandoned.

 

Now, debris from the collision randomly rains on the planet; driving the populace into hiding. This includes those who, however futilely, try to maintain a semblance of law and order.  With no witnesses, various n’er do wells are free to do what they like, both planetside and low orbit. The scoundrels were already equipped to survive in hazardous locals. The destruction of Acamar’s moon just gave them a new place to conduct business.

 

To try and prevent Acamar from becoming another “Stellar Tortuga,” The Dominion often sends in small details of constables to check in on the planet.  Not that they really do anything useful.

The constables will occasionally check in with local settlements.  “With the constant bombardment and high crime rate, who in their right mind would to live here?” they’ll ask, somewhat rhetorically.

The response from the locals is almost always the same. “Those who want to, or those who have to.”  

 

Guard-a-Manger-

The Ring of T’lothriel

 

Once, some time ago, the elven king’s ring was known far and wide.  A beautifully filigreed ring of unobtanium interwoven with a cutting of the heart of the elven tree of life.  The ring held the attention of those who saw it in the Elven Court, and commented on its seamless blending of the worked metal with the natural wood.  It was a thing a true beauty.

 

A century back it vanished in the scuffle of his untimely death as many vied for the throne.  T’s beauty and import lost to the ages of time. Since then, the legends of what the ring could do have only grown with each telling.  It is a powerful artifact gifted from the Immortals; a magical repository of the dead king’s soul; a sigil from which the true power of the elven Court would flow.  As another dynastic struggle looms, the importance of the lost ring becomes once again paramount to the Court and the world.

 

But should you find it, no magical aura surrounds it.  There is no indication that this is anything more than a magnificently made indicia of rulership.  Why, then, does it matter so? And who should possess such a powerful thing? Can your players realize or discover that the ring holds no magical power, but is instead the key to the hidden vault in the Elven Court?  Mages and artisans collaborated to make this key that subtly fits into the repository of the Elven throne …. Hidden inside this secret hollow are the words of the former king – the diary and writings of an undisputed monarch.  What secrets do they hold? And who should have such power available to them?

Lexicon

Parabolic  adjective par·a·bol·ic \ˌper-ə-ˈbä-lik, ˌpa-rə-\

 

Definition of parabolic
1:  expressed by or being a parable :  allegorical
2:  of, having the form of, or relating to a parabola

 

First Known Use: 15th century

 

Origin and Etymology of parabolic
in sense 1, from Late Latin parabola parable; in sense 2, from New Latin parabola

Closing remarks

Zendead- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

 

Joules- Sprawl Stories 1

 

Guard-a-Manger- Complete Works of Edger Allan Poe

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Find us on Patreon

Episode 30: Make sure you still have fun

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Main Topic

We talk about the points that help point to how to keep having fun. Even when you are doing all this extra work.

 

GaM

Collaborative Storytelling – Make sure the story you are telling is one you want to see

You may not have the control of an author, but is it a framework you want to see?

GMs are often running the kind of game they want to play, so make sure it is the kind of thing that you really want to play.

 

Don’t make it about GM vs Players – play your part and your role.  Don’t make it antagonistic, let the world and the adventure be the opposition.  You are playing even more characters and get to Embody the world – make it yours.  

 

Feel Free to Be Silly – Laugh.  The NPCs can do something silly.  The PCs can fail spectacularly. The PCs can succeed wildly! Be free to let the story be.  Trying to be too straight faced or too railroaded in the story.

 

Stat Blocks

Zendead-

Aethelwulf

 

From the cold tundra comes the lumbering form of a giant. She is known as Aethelwulf to the bards. The Breath of the Wolf to others. Once she comes down from the tundra the winter winds come with her. She is called a witch by some and a force of nature by others. The club that she carries strapped to her back is the length of 2 large men. Bits of frozen blood still cling to it. While some think she is a witch and a hag giant she is actually a manifestation of the North Winds. Her form looks like a single piece of smooth sculpted ice. The polar bear furs and club are the only things not made of ice. Her body creates waves of cold that billow out from her.

 

Mannerisms- She does not view things like mortals since she has been around far longer than man. She views things at a glacial speed, all things happen as they should.  When she comes out of the frozen north it is usually to put something back to where it belongs.

Joules-

The Red Queen’s Last Testament

 

The Red Queen rules over the domain of death.  One of the groups who serve her have come to been known as the Red Queen’s Last Testament.  This group of mages, clerics, knights, sorcerers, necromancers and assassins travel the world searching for the uninterred dead.  THose poor souls who haven’t undergone last rites and burial honours.

 

When they happen upon a body/skeleton, either a cleric or necromancer will cast a spell to speak with the dead.  They will find out how the poor soul met their end. Depending on how the person died will guide their next actions.

For Example

If the person was murdered, then they gather as much information as they can and turn over the evidence to servitors of the god of Justice.  The death is avenged and Justice is meted out.

 

If the person died in a battle, then they will gather up as many of the individuals weapons/gear that still remain and dress the fallen warrior to the best of their ability.

 

After the specifics are known, the Last Testament ask the fallen what their final wishes are and how would they like to be interred.  This ensures closure for the fallen and the fallen’s family.

 

The dead who have no family or friends usually bequeath their remaining belongings to the Last Testament.  This helps fund their mission.

 

The Last Testament have a good working relationship with some of the other gods and their followers.  The followers of the God of Justice are grateful for information regarding justice denied. God of Knowledge servitors are grateful that knowledge and stories are re-discovered and shared.  Aside from rigid gods of order and some competing gods of death, the Last Testament is usually well received.

 

When joining the order, each member swears an oath for a term of service of “lifetime plus 100 years.”  When a member dies (natural or unnatural causes), they are resurrected as an undead, bound to protect and defend the current members of the order and their holy sites.  After 100 years are up, the undead is released from his service and his spirit once again returns to the bosom of the Red Queen. Their actions in both life and death are recorded in the annals, as a defiant stand against those would would relegate the dead to obscurity.

 

Guard-a-Manger-

Corner of June & Hospice

 

The quiet and unassuming corner of June Street and Hospice Boulevard is often overlooked day to day.  That is a shame. The corner seems to have strange properties, and attracts the stranger, wilder, and more magical parts of the city.  With an alley not far away, in the shadow of a stone building in the neoclassical style and a single lone streetlight that never seems to lose power.  

 

June & Hospice is where you go to strike a good deal and a fair bargain for all things magical. For whatever reason, the deals there always seem to happen at arms length and reflect a well made and equitable deal.  A true marketplace for both buyers and sellers. Nobody claims ownership of the corner and it’s enchantment perhaps because of the second unusual protection it offers – trying to cheat or harm another person who is at the corner sees the city itself start to rise up against you.  

 

No muggings take place, no fraudulent goods change hands, and neither fist nor charm is thrown with bad intent.  The last person who tried found themselves stumbling through the swarm of bugs that crawled from the alley and tripping over the sidewalk until they crashed into the streetlight and died of electrocution.  The next day, the corner was back to normal and business resumed.

 

Perhaps you need a safe place to meet or a trusted place to deal.  Perhaps you will be on the run and cornered <pardon the pun> at June & Hospice.  Perhaps you need to find out how to stop this enchantment. One way or another, the corner of June & Hospice will find its way into your game.

 

The secret, you see, is not in the corner, but in the building on the corner itself.  One of the pieces of stone used when the building was built in 1890 as part of the American Renaissance architectural trend, came from the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.  A part of Zeus’ godhead came with this symbolic shard of stone and his protection over marketplaces and hospitality now extends over this urban corner.

 

Lexicon

Relic  noun rel·ic \ˈre-lik\

 

Definition of relic
1a :  an object esteemed and venerated because of association with a saint or martyr
  b :  souvenir, memento
2      relics plural :  remains, corpse
3:  a survivor or remnant left after decay, disintegration, or disappearance
4:  a trace of some past or outmoded practice, custom, or belief

 

Origin and Etymology of relic
Middle English relik, from Anglo-French relike, from Medieval Latin reliquia, from Late Latin reliquiae, plural, remains of a martyr, from Latin, remains, from relinquere to leave behind

 

First Known Use: 13th century

 

Closing remarks

Zendead- Mutant Year Zero

 

Joules- Jennifer Brozek and on Amazon

 

Guard-a-Manger- Defenders on Netflix

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Find us on Patreon

Episode 29: Player Buy-in

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Episode 29: Player Buy-in
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Main Topic

We introduce a fill in co-host till we have Null back in the saddle.

Today we sit down and talk about Player buy-in. How to get it and not abuse it.

 

Stat Blocks

Zendead – I have been doing one everyday this month so sorry folks.

 

Joules – Work makes you happy and work makes it so I can not do the things I want.

 

Guard-a-manger – Blue Devil File

Espionage genre – top secret; ninjas & superspies; etc

 

The Blue Devil file is a document or record sought by multiple governments & corporations who want to use its contents to further their goals. The funny thing is that nobody is clear on what the file contains. It is purported to be created by a private intelligence agency 20 years ago and has been stored on a now obsolete medium.

 

The mystery surrounding the blue devil deepens whenever it is rumored to be up for sale on the black market. Numerous rumors over the last decade have it being sold to different groups or companies but none of them ever seems to capitalize.

 

Tracking down these supposed purchasers only creates changing descriptions of the file itself and the contents contained – passcodes allowing backdoor computer access to the most powerful servers on the planet; an ancient scroll detailing long lost martial arts training; a statistical analysis of crop growth patterns; or maybe even an empty file, truly the Macguffin.

 

Regardless, the blue devil forces plans into motion and reveals hidden resources.

 

Lexicon

Halidom  noun hal·i·dom \ˈha-lə-dəm\

 

Definition of halidom
archaic
:  something held sacred

 

Origin and Etymology of halidom
Middle English, from Old English hāligdōm, from hālig holy + -dōm -dom

 

First Known Use: before 12th century

 

Closing remarks

Zendead- Bones 4 Kickstarter, Rules Cyclopedia

 

Joules- Anatomy of Animals Kickstarter, Sheldon Comic

 

Guard-a-manger- Five Degrees off Normal

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

Guard-a-manger- Email, Twitter

 

Find us on Patreon

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Episode 28: Games that we love

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Main Topic

What games do we love to play and run? Listen and find out today.

 

Lexicon

 

Gallowglass

noun  gal·low·glass \ˈga-lō-ˌglas\

 

Definition of gallowglass
1:  a mercenary or retainer of an Irish chief
2:  an armed Irish foot soldier

 

First Known Use: circa 1515

Closing remarks

Zendead- Torg

 

Joules- Mice and Mystics

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

 

Find us on Patreon

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

Dog Days Of Podcasting Day 14

Dog Days of Podcasting
Dog Days of Podcasting
Dog Days Of Podcasting Day 14
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I would like to thank everyone for the help and she pulled out of it.

Episode 27: Movie Inspiration Part 2

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Today we sit down to talk about these movies to draw Inspiration from.

Zendead- Horror- The Descent

    Fantasy- Dark City

   Scifi- Valerian

 

Joules- I have no idea what genre – The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

            Fantasy/Myth – Kubo of the two strings

           Action – The good the bad and the weird

Stat block

Joules- La Pistola Del Diablo

La Pistola del Diablo.  The most feared gun ever smithed.

This infamous six shooter has a long and bloody history.  It’s been used as a tool of law and of anarchy. Of of justice and of murder.  But no matter who used this weapon and who was the unlucky sod on the receiving end of a lead slug, there were only two winners.

 

Legend says that this weapon is the result of pact between Death and the Devil.  Those holding the pistol could hear the Devil’s whisper, tempting them down the easy path.  Corrupting their good intentions. (You know what they say about the road to hell and intentions, right?).  So the devil could keep filling the pits of hell with sinners.

What did Death get out of this deal?  Well those souls that weren’t damned were given over to Death.  Innocent victims with any venial sin on their soul were given over to Death.  Forever denied access to heaven. So Death’s domain swelled.

 

This weapon initially gained infamy during the time of the civil war.  It was standard practice to take weapons off of fallen soldiers. So this gun passed from hand to hand.  From Billy Yank to Johnny Reb. Then the time of manifest destiny saw it’s corruption spread further. The gun passed from the pioneers to the native peoples, mine owners, railroad workers and more.

 

So be careful out there.  Be sure you go to confession regularly. And never take a gun from a fallen foe.  To do so is to risk your soul.

 

Buenos Noches, Pistolero.  

 

Lexicon

Hoary  adjective \ˈhȯr-ē\

 

Definition of hoary

1:  gray or white with or as if with age
2:  extremely old

 

First Known Use
1530

 

Closing remarks

Zendead- Inkarnate

 

Joules- Pyre

 

Music is courtesy of The Enigma TNG you can find his music on YouTube or on Bandcamp

 

Find us

Show- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Zendead- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Joules- Email, Twitter, Facebook

Nulloperations-Email, Twitter, Facebook

 

Find us on Patreon

 

And Thanks to Merriam-Webster for our Lexicon segment

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