Columbia Games Print Option

HarnWorld - with an umlaut 

My initial purchases of  Columbia Games Harn line of role-playing game products, which as I recall was sometime in the late 1980s, were several saddle stitch (stapled) softcover books detailing regions of the island of Harn and a boxed product which includes maps (beautiful, color fold-out maps!) and paper covered and staple-bound booklets that describe in detail the world of Harn. These are traditional TTRPG fare in terms of the physical product and production format, but are quite unique in their content. I was (and remain) captivated by the world of Harn. At once the fictional world created by N. Robin Crossby is engaging. It contains elements borrowed from Tolkien, including that "vaguely familiar" feeling which any fiction based on dark-age European (or other) history provides, Harn wraps these elements in a novel interpretation that produces something delightfully fresh packed with wonderful details that make me want to explore this imaginary world.

My interest in the Harn setting has persisted and I have continued to add to my collection of materials based on the world Mr. Crossby created and others have continued to expand. The Harn products published by Columbia Games have often been marketed as loose leaf and three hole punched color pages to insert into a binder. It's an interesting choice that is both flexible and modular allowing the individual collector to assemble a binder that could include both published and home-brew contents. This is how Harn has been marketed, until recently. Starting a couple of years ago, Columbia Games began offering certain of their Harn products in bound hard-cover book format. I assume, based on the examples that I have purchased that this involves a technology very similar to print-on-demand. The material in the books is the same as what I see available in digital and loose-leave format, but the physical hard-cover book is nice to have and may be preferred by some. 

As I continue to ponder the possible futures of our hobby, I am also enjoying the diversity of product formats that are currently available. Digital has it's advantages - and disadvantages when compared to other formats. Physical books can be produced using traditional technologies of bookbinding or may involve newer technologies that have their own advantages and disadvantages depending on preference and comparison with other formats. All of this publishing thought interacts with how we use the products both in preparation and in play. (It's pretty easy to pull a map from a digital file and put it on-screen for remote players.)   

Honestly, I have no idea how to authentically pronounce many of the names I find in the Harn setting, but I suppose pronunciation is one of the ways each referee makes the setting their own. As you like it!

An End to the In-Print TTRPG

The Future is not certain, but...

One of my favorite tabletop role-playing game systems is GURPS - the Generic Universal Role-Playing System written by Steve Jackson and published by Steve Jackson Games. It was first released as a boxed set including cardboard stand-up "heroes", a tactical display map, game charts, character sheets and two soft-cover rulebooks providing me with everything needed to play (there may have been dice too, but I don't honestly recall this). The boxed first edition GURPS is a nice product that I still cherish as part of my collection. 

The game has received enormous support from Steve Jackson Games across several decades and is in its 4th edition with numerous physical and digital supplements available. The GURPS 4th edition Basic Set comprises two attractive hard-cover volumes subtitled Characters and Campaigns. 

Until recently, I could purchase them from the Steve Jackson Games online Warehouse 23 store as full-color books or as digital files. Since the beginning of the year, the color hardback physical copies have been labeled "Sold Out". The books are available as digital downloads and as print-on-demand black and white books either in hard-cover or soft-cover. The current options are nice enough and offer affordable ways to acquire the desired game materials, but I wonder what this change in print situation may portend for the future of our hobby?

Some years ago Steve Jackson Games started offering print-on-demand of their older edition GURPS material (which is a large catalog), some of this is through a popular online corporation that you can easily find for yourself (visit Steve Jackson Games and you will have no trouble) so I won't "advertise" the online market here by name. 

In the time that they have been available, I have ordered and received several volumes in this print-on-demand format thus rounding out my collection of older GURPS supplements (which still contains gaps since Steve Jackson Games publishes so much). I have no quibbles with the format or the quality of the print-on-demand products. I find the print-on-demand books are perfectly serviceable and the fact that this process enables us as the consumer a wider choice of what's available is definitely an advantage. Demand will always drive supply in a market economy. 

I enjoy reading on a tablet, but I like to have a physical book in my hands as well. It is not unlikely that I will have both if it's something I value and enjoy. Options and choice are generally a good thing as I see it. As things change as they constantly do, some changes seem to offer more and some changes seem to result in less. Not everyone sees a change from the same viewpoint (of course). I do wonder what print-on-demand spells for the future of brick & mortar game stores?

Steve Jackson Games is an innovator and not a small player in the tabletop game world. Is the switch to print-on-demand a temporary solution to an availability challenge in a changing logistical scenario or does it mark a transition in the way we will consume virtually all printed media going forward? My crystal ball isn't clear on this matter. If Steve Jackson is at the forefront of a new trend, it will not be the first time.

Be Good to Yourself

Play the game you want!

I am increasingly convinced that what we play, how we play, and who we play with matters.

We play games for the enjoyment it brings. Enjoyment naturally involves a number of factors and is individualistic. What is enjoyable to one person, may not be to another.

Throughout the decades, games have been a social thing for me and group play constituted my preferred way to participate in this hobby. This is one of the reasons why I have only dabbled infrequently into the video and computer RPGs, but I never really devoted myself to that aspect of the gaming pastime. It's also a contributing factor to my hesitation around playing online. I honestly prefer the comradery and interpersonal interaction associated with in-person play around a physical table.

However...

There comes a time when not everyone can agree on the system to play, on the schedule of game-day or time, or on one or more of any of the myriad of other factors upon which modern humans find reasons to disagree. 

I currently find myself faced with a choice of playing at a game that I don't enjoy, one that centers on a style of play I find less than appealing, and is published by a corporation that seems intent on alienating a segment of the FRP gaming hobby as they brand their way to success, or of my going my separate way from friends who are uninterested in the style of play or the systems I prefer, so as to continue to enjoy the hobby. 

I also find that as a result I have nearly lost my interest in this hobby. 

Nearly, mind you. (I have pulled back from it for a time as I re-examine what it all means to me.)

I am somewhat comforted by the knowledge that I am not completely alone in experiencing this alienation. I know there are others who also enjoy the style of play I prefer. There are gamers who play the systems that I find interesting and appealing. I know all this because I read their blogs and watch their videos. I also see that some of them play games solo, either occasionally to complement their group play or exclusively solo as a preference.

I have played solo TTRPGs as part of my hobby enjoyment for many years. I don't recall now whether my first foray into solo play was via a Tunnels & Trolls solo adventure such as Buffalo Castle or perhaps playing the Death Test MicroQuest using Melee and Wizard (all published by Metagaming Concepts). I have fond memories of both game systems and have frequently revisited them over the subsequent years. Finding enjoyment in these early solo adventures, I have been encouraged to sample various solo friendly products from a variety of publishers. At this point, my collection of solo and solo-friendly materials allows me quite a variety in gaming choices without the need for gathering a group.

Feeling comfortable is a good thing. So is compromise. Adaptability is often a necessity, as is patience.

And when I find myself alone, there are still many ways to enjoy the hobby.

The Black Hack

 

An OSR First Edition Hack

If The Black Hack (1e or 2e) has escaped your attention and if you are a fan of do-it-yourself tabletop role-playing, then The Black Hack written by David Black (hence the title) is something I highly recommend taking a look at. I am a fan of the World's First Role-Playing Game and a devotee of making any game my own by adding rulings, customization and my own setting materials, and The Black Hack is among my favorite published products. 

This slim black booklet has been around long enough to generate a second (larger) edition and as a quick web search will reveal, loads of independent "hacks" that use The Black Hack as their basis while adding more specialized and genre specific materials to create variant games. 

The first edition is presented (straight from the creative imagination of David Black, I suppose), as a game that is streamlined, rules lite and a FRP system featuring player facing dice-rolls implicitly in a classic fantasy milieu as players take the role of Warrior, Thief, Cleric or Conjurer exploring and fighting their way through whatever setting the DM comes up with (which may or may not resemble something similar to Middle-earth). 

The Black Hack seems to be an introduction to many popular modern concepts such as the "usage dice" chain (at least it's the first time I recall seeing this mechanic used). In The Black Hack (and in some more recent systems) Expendable Resources are rolled for using a usage die rather than being strictly tracked in the inventory. The Resource, such as rations, torches or arrows, is initially assigned a starting usage die which can be any of the popular polyhedrons. As the resource is used the die is rolled. A rolled value of of a 1 or 2 drops the resource to the next lower die in the descending chain, thus a d6 becomes a d4. Once a 1 or 2 is rolled on the smallest die, (d4), the resource is exhausted. 

The Black Hack has the player make most of the die rolls in The Black Hack including when the PC is attacking and defending. The DM may roll a die for damage inflicted if the player misses the defense roll for their character. Otherwise, the dice are in the player's control.

As I look about my collection with an eye to making the most of the best games I have available, The Black Hack has come to the top of my list. Mechanically The Black Hack differs significantly from the original little brown books, but when I consider the principles upon which the original game was conceived, The Black Hack seems a very suitable successor to Volume 1, Men & Magic.

Dragonslayer

It's Here!

This print-on-demand traditional tabletop role-playing adventure game just arrived at my desk. 

Cover art by Jeff Easley

and the name seems to describe the author's intent.

here's an Excerpt: 

The League of Ordinary Gentlemen: Player characters are not superheroes born with extraordinary powers. Rather they are ordinary people thrust into extraordinary

circumstances. What does this mean? It means that you must bring your intellect, ingenuity, guile, and craftiness to each character you play. The secrets do not rest on your character sheet, they rest in your ability to problemsolve unique situations and role-play at the table.

and finally I will offer a Warning: This Tome contains Old School Attitude.

Be Inspired!

The Power of Imagination

This is a blog about tabletop games, especially role-playing games. I frequently ponder what role my games play in the wider scope of real life. The following thought stream may be of interest, or not, but writing often helps me clarify my many thoughts. 

We are all special, unique human beings AND we are all normal, regular people who are capable of doing amazing things. 

Stories shape our reality. We imagine what can happen which can give us insight into how to accomplish or how to avoid certain outcomes. 

The so-called modern fantasy game seems to focus on telling stories about super-powered characters who exercise abilities well beyond the normal. A side effect of this is that the stories, the characters in the stories, are significantly detached from our selves and from reality.  

The game I prefer involves characters who seem more normal, more relatable to ourselves, but who can accomplish fantastic feats of heroism often while aided by magic in the form of spells and items, but ultimately it is force of will, determination and a good bit of luck (in the form of the dice) that also play a significant role in the outcome. The stories that develop from such play can inspire and motivate our real life actions because we can see ourselves in our more normal and believable characters. Drive, determination, willpower, clever tactics and knowledge are all things that we ourselves can achieve and use to shape our real world, solving problems and accomplishing great deeds. We can perhaps see ourselves in some aspect of our game characters and becomes inspired. This is the power of role-play and the power of story, and why I favor a more realistic level of character in my games. 

Building Bridges in 2024

In 1974 the then new Tactical Studies Rules, TSR for short, released their premier product, Dungeons and Dragons. This revolutionary product consisted of three little brown booklets that according to gamer legend were three typed on a typewriter, hand assembled and put into a box with a glue-on label bearing an amateur illustration closely resembling comic book art. The publisher reportedly sold copies from the trunk of a car. The product, which really was an extension of a previous product, Chainmail, published by another amateur company, Guidon Games, started a gaming revolution as the concept of playing a character going on adventures rapidly caught the imagination of hundreds, then thousands of hobbyists.

A half-century later things are much different. The past year has demonstrated that most convincingly. The positive side of this change is that the hobby of fantasy role-playing games has become widespread, maybe even mainstream in our society. The stigma once felt by people who played at being elves and magic users is nearly gone, and few people today are completely unaware that the game exists as a harmless form of entertainment. It has never been easier to find a group - or has it?

The game released in 1974 contained options, and required decisions to be made by the referee, as the person who set the game up and ran the adventure for the players was then referred to. An early observation made in those days was that each group played the game differently as custom content was added and rule adjustments made including interpretations and additions. By the end of the decade, the principle author, Gary Gygax, would promote a more standardized version of the original game he titled Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. The idea was that all groups should have a more common understanding of how to apply the rules of the game, even if they were still expected to create their own setting and adventures.

Fast forward fifty years to 2024. As I gaze into my crystal ball in order to "see the future" of our hobby, the corporate giant looms large and in charge of the famous brand. In the giant's shadow, however, I see many interesting things. As a person often out of step with popular trends, I frequently find the 'one size fits all" approach to not fit me at all. While this may describe me, it leaves aside the many who enjoy precisely the popularity of going with the crowd. Hence, the subject of this post. How to enjoy a more personal version of the hobby within the wider context of the popular "giant in the room" phenomenon.

As said giant stumbled and perhaps stepped on a few toes in 2023, an opportunity born of necessity presented itself. In my last post I touched briefly on three games that were released in the wake of this kerfuffle. Notably, new versions of Swords & Wizardry, Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game, and Pathfinder have appeared devoid of all reference to the branding and licensed materials. The familiar holds a certain appeal and the popularity of a thing rests on more than marketing hype - there must be some good substance or it can't last. Rather than complete rejection of the familiar, some game designers have instead chosen the path of revision, remastering and re-imagining the game. There are three products that I see in my crystal ball which I believe hold significant promise for bridging the separation between those who enjoy the familiar, yet desire to put the past behind us. 

I have had the pleasure of running a couple of sessions using the preview version of Tales of the Valiant from Kobold Press. The game's mechanics are (imo) an improved version of a popular system. The creative folks at Kobold have produced some of the best supplemental material in the past and I look forward to the final release of Valiant. 

The image above may be familiar to some readers. Shadowdark is written by Kelsey Dionne, illustrated by Brandish Gilhelm and others and it should be published next year by The Arcane Library following a successful crowdfunding 2023. Shadowdark leverages the familiar mechanics, but gives them a decidedly "old school" twist some will appreciate. The Shadowdark quick-start and digital beta release have already generated interest in the game across the hobby including some additional adventure material as any quick online search will reveal. If crawling through some dark and dangerous dungeons sounds appealing (it does to me!) then Shadowdark may be just that answer. I am reasonably certain that once we have the physical books there will be people playing Shadowdark. 

When a gamer for whatever reason becomes dissatisfied with the game they are currently playing, the tendency is to look afield and see what else is available. Shadow of the Weird Wizard by Robert J. Schwalb is yet another game I hope to see more of in 2024. Mr. Schwalb has contributed to various versions of the worlds most popular fantasy role-playing game and is the author of Shadow of the Demon Lord. Anyone familiar with that product knows Mr. Schwalb has a lot of ideas as Shadows of the Demon Lord has been very well supported with additional materials. The Weird Wizard takes a bit more of a "traditional" approach in its fantasy world setting as compared to what we see in his Demon Lord game and of course, he applies the same creative design talents that Mr. Schwalb has demonstrated in all his previous work. I expect good, fun things when the Weird Wizard project is published. Shadow of the Weird Wizard is still in its alpha stage and as a backer I have some digital content, I don't have a cover image to share.

The year 2024 holds promise of even more creativity to come.