Creative Process at Work
I have spoken with and read about authors describing how they come up with ideas. Many of us borrow ideas or take something fairly common and give it an interesting twist. Some are inspired by dreams, others by conversation with friends. The following idea pretty much came to me as is, although it certainly isn't original. This is a Mythos adventure idea set in the 1920's. I don't have a regular CoC game so I am thinking of it in terms of a one-off with pre-gens.
The PCs are aboard a Japanese freighter out of British Columbia heading to the home islands with a cargo of luxury goods for Japan. Cargo includes a number of large hardwood logs bound for a Shinto temple, an expensive motor car complete with PC mechanic/driver, a number of prime beef on the hoof (the starting of a herd?) and a PC hired to clean their stalls, an ancient stone alter and several other large stones from a Canadian archeology site accompanied by an eccentric Asian scholar (NPC) and his batman/body guard. Throw in a lumberjack PC who is off to see the world and a New Orleans gambler PC on-the-run and I think we have a good crew. Well, add in the ship's captain and mates one who "has seen too much", and now we have a crew.
The ship setting really confines the PCs to a small environment, but I like to run things loose, so that is for the good...the PC investigators get a lot of freedom and they can't stray far. This is a "time-line" adventure so things will progress along a course of action unless the PCs do something to halt things. A few days out to sea the "accidents" start. A crewman is badly injured, machinery breaks down, etc. The spooky crewman starts talking weird, says "the cargo is bad mojo". "The trees are speaking to him" (sort of True). "The food is poison" (False). Rats seem to have taken over the ship below decks as the ship cats and rat terrier are all huddled in the crew quarters above deck. Someone leaves small offerings on the alter (dead rat, dead cat?).
Asking around the investigators will learn they are headed for Japan by a normal trade route. There should be good weather this time of year and an unusual night sky configuration not seen for centuries to make the journey memorable. However, the cattle sicken and this worries the PC who cleans up after them. Some of the drinking water becomes sour and one morning the cook is dumping spoiled food overboard...a school of sharks follow. The ship slows and PCs are told there is "engine trouble". There are strange lights and mists after dark.
If the investigators question the crew, some will seem frightened, the spooky guy will steadily get worse (talking to himself and "the voices, make them stop", he says), the captain seems to be hiding his concern, but develops a noticeable "tic". The Asian scholar will entertain guests. He is an eccentric like many scholars and studies ancient civilizations (he may go on about Egypt, etc.) and his hobby is newspaper comics. His batman is silent and very muscular (martial artist). The logs are indeed haunted and angry spirits will interact with any PC who is sensitive to that sort of thing.
The weather turns bad and the mood of the crew sours. The injured sailor dies. The spooky guy hangs himself from the yardarm in a Christ-like pose. The constellations are in order in an "unnatural" sky and the scholar is ready to perform his ritual of summoning. Things from the deep climb aboard ship and assist him in slaughtering most of the crew in a blood sacrifice. The ancient stones and alter are from a mythos worshiping cult and are be used by the scholar to call the great old one from the deep. If the investigators don't prevent this, Cthulhu will stir causing an earthquake and tsunami. He will rise and take the ship to the bottom.
The PCs will check for lost sanity for interacting with the spooky crewman, tree spirits, the deep ones and slaughter of crewmen, obviously the old one and being ship wrecked (they may grab onto a log or other debris). A few hours/days later (may depend on whether PCs got an SOS out) the survivors are picked up by a passing freighter.
A ship's plan, character sheets for the captain, scholar, body guard, spooky guy and PCs, plus monster stats is about all I need to do in terms of preparation. I would guess this could be run in a long evening or split into two shorter sessions. The plot just seemed to write itself as I thought through the situation. I am of course drawing upon all the stories, movies and other sources of sinister tales I have accumulated in my brain over almost five decades of soaking them in. Is this derivative ? Of course it is, but role-playing adventure games can take a well known story and because it places the players in a "you-are-there" situation, it's all fresh and anything can happen. Players may take really unexpected actions, such as abandon the ship well before the summoning, trusting their luck to being discovered on the well traveled route. If so, then that becomes the story. Improvisation is always required, it only remains to see how much improvisation player actions lead to.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
The Fantastic Fiction of Raymond Feist
Midkemia is a game world and the setting for Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga and other fiction. Fantastic tales inspired the creators of White Box and continue to provide inspiration to players. Players of White Box and other versions of fantasy role-play have occasionally been inspired to write fantastic fiction which brings the cycle full circle. Paizo, Wizards of the Coast and before them TSR all publish books written about the fictional worlds described in their role-play aids. Perhaps the best known of these books are the Dragon Lance series by Laura and Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis. One of my favorite game inspired series is Raymond Feist's Riftwar Saga novels.
The Riftwar Saga consists of four central novels, although other novels are set in the same setting and involve some of the same characters. The original novels are Magician (often split into Magician: Apprentice and Magician: Master), Silverthorn and A Darkness At Sethanon. According to gamer legend, the author, Raymond Feist, was introduced to the world of Midkemia through role-play and chose to make it the setting for his novels. Many of the characters are people of importance to the politics of Midkemia, princes, Dukes, etc. other characters seem more RPG stock personalities, thieves, pirates, bards and mercenaries who go on great adventures with the aristocrats and are instrumental in the fight for good verses evil. Encounters with dwarves, elves and goblins, undead and dragons lend an atmosphere of game table challenges to the narrative. Several of the central characters can easily be imagined as statted-out game PCs. The overlap between game world and novel setting seems obvious.
This is not to take anything away from the Riftwar Saga novels as literature. I find all the novels a good read and they compare favorably with novels written with no game connection at all. The characters are engaging and well developed along literary lines and the plots seem plausible within the fantastic setting. Mr. Feist is a very accessible author and his prose is easy to read and he keeps things moving along nicely. The first two novels deal in depth with an alternative planet setting linked to Midkemia by a rift or gate through time and space. The alternate planet of Kelewan is much different from Midkemia and through the main magician character the reader is exposed to the Tsurani of Kelewan, an alien people far advanced in magic. Whether Mr. Feist was inspired by the game Empire of the Petal Throne when writing about the Tsurani or not, I personally find myself making the comparison.
Stories told about "what my characters did in the last campaign we played" can be boring to others, but occasionally those at-the-game-table experiences can inspire a good writer to create stories well worth reading. Mr. Feist is one of the better authors to take inspiration from a game world and turn it into material for several good fantasy novels. Over the years there have been several Midkemia play aids created by the world's originators, Midkemia Press, including Cities, The City of Carse, Tulan of the Isles, and Jonril Gateway to the Sunken Lands. I find the ongoing cycle of creative inspiration fascinating.
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Wolfen Empire
The Palladium Fantasy system includes the core rulebook and a number of additional sourcebooks (I believe there are currently 17) dedicated to the known world setting. Palladium Fantasy is compatible in its 2nd Edition with Rifts and all the other material published by Palladium Books so really an entire Megaverse is available the referee. Each sourcebook is a bit different from the others. Some contain new Occupational Character Classes, some have information on alien gods and additional system rules, all contain adventures and detailed descriptions and maps of an area of the known world. The Wolfen Empire book is one such sourcebook with a focus on adventure.
The wolfen or wolf people of the Northern Wilderness in The Palladium RPG's known world are one aspect of the setting which I find particularly appealing. Yes, they are just wolves walking around on their hind legs, talking and using tools with their opposable thumbs, but in the game they seem more than that. My guess is Prof. Tolkien might dismiss them, but C.S. Lewis (Narnia) might have embraced them (as referee, you are free to ignore them, change them, etc.). The Palladium Fantasy known world has many humanoid races, elves, dwarves, gnomes, giants, ogres, trolls, orcs and goblins and a unique race of kobolds which are master craftsmen similar to beardless dwarves. There are also the anthropomorphic wolfen with their expanding warrior empire located on the fringe of human civilization providing the referee with a foreign force to threaten and pressure some of the human kingdoms and provide opportunities for adventure. The wolfen and their coyle (think coyote) cousins, are at once menacing like the "wolf-man" of horror films and a bit comical (coyles, especially so).
The land of the twelve tribes is a wintry place and the Wolfen Empire Adventure Sourcebook begins with winter weather and its effects on the game. The following sections are devoted to describing many aspects of wolfen society, politics, economics, religion, interesting places, and several adventures ranging from 101 paragraph long hooks to full blown, session length adventures. A short bestiary, emphasis on wintry animals, is included as a local addition to the Monsters & Animals book. This volume is one of Palladium's newer 2nd edition products and does contain some updated material reprinted from older publications dealing with the wolfen.
Wolfen are in many ways a practical people, preferring to divide and conquer, playing enemies off one-another, making allies where possible rather than enemies. The wolfen empire is notable for its tolerance of social and religious differences among the assimilated peoples of the Empire, permitting just about any belief system as long as it doesn't preach resistance to the wolfen. In some ways the wolfen may be playing catch-up (naval power and sea travel, manufacturing), but in Empire building they seem to be taking the current lead in the known world. A lone wolfen PC may represent a renegade fleeing the Empire or an agent gathering knowledge and helping establish in-roads for the Empire.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
The Magic of the Palladium RPG
Magic Using O.C.C.s
Magic is not a common everyday thing in Palladium's known world. What potential for magic use most people have is re-directed into their knack for certain skills. What one might call, being a "natural" at something, or "beginners luck" may actually be a subtle form of magic use. For many in the known world, that's the extent of their use of and contact with magic. I rather like this in-game explanation of "magic".
For a few, however, their potential for magic is recognized at an early age and is encouraged and shaped so that the person becomes a user of magic. A Wizard is the O.C.C. spellcaster most similar to White Box Magic User. The Wizard learns spells and can cast a number of known spells per day. The Wizard never forgets a spell once learned and even a first level Wizard can cast higher level spells if he/she is lucky enough to have learned one. In the original Palladium RPG the only limit is the maximum number of spells per day, which increases with level. The effectiveness of many spells is based on the caster's level, however. Some spells entitle the target to a saving throw, which is usually a 12 or better on a d20. In later editions of the game power points (Psychic Potential Energy or P.P.E.) is used to power spells and the number of spells a Wizard can cast is determined by expending spell power points.
The Wizard is not the only magic using class in The Palladium RPG. The core rules include "magic users" of the following O.C.C.s, the Warlock, the Witch, the Diabolist, the Summoner, the Mind Mage and the Alchemist. In addition there are four types of clergy using divine "magic", the Priest/Priestess, the Druid, the Shaman and the Healer. All use spells in a similar manner, but several specialize in rituals, circles, mystic symbols, wards, psionic powers or receive spell abilities through their gods from worship of the divine.
The Wizard is guild taught and supported, unless the player chooses to "go rogue" - perhaps leading to some interesting role-play encounters. The Wizard O.C.C. is the most suited "magic user" for adventure in the sense of dungeon delves and combat magic, but the other magic using O.C.C.s add considerably to the role-play aspects of the Palladium world. PC balance is not really something The Palladium RPG, or a lot of Old School games for that matter, seem to worry about, although each O.C.C. does have its own experience table for leveling-up suggesting some attention to class power differences is acknowledged.
The Diabolist is an interesting O.C.C. who is able to use a combination of wards, power words, symbols, circles and knowledge of history, languages, tombs and mysteries to aid the adventuring party by setting magic alarms and traps, deciphering maps, symbols, texts and mysteries. The Diabolist is a sort of specialized scholar, with the expected minimal combat abilities, but superior at investigation. The sort of support character that can be quite fun to play despite apparent weaknesses.
So for me the magic of The Palladium RPG is found in many places. The rules are a collection of ideas, some of which seem quite inspired to me, which can be frustrating until a mindset of "use what you want" is adopted. At that point, the "magic" kicks in for me and I see the possibilities presented here. The more unusual O.C.C.s that offer a unique angle on role-playing is one area where I think the brilliance shines through. The known world with its many adventure hooks in addition to written out adventures comes across as a magical place, home to endless adventure and entertainment. It is a world that has stayed fresh for me over three decades. I am a great believer in borrowing good ideas from a number of sources and The Palladium RPG books continue to be the source of many good ideas and inspirations even after many years of use.
Magic is not a common everyday thing in Palladium's known world. What potential for magic use most people have is re-directed into their knack for certain skills. What one might call, being a "natural" at something, or "beginners luck" may actually be a subtle form of magic use. For many in the known world, that's the extent of their use of and contact with magic. I rather like this in-game explanation of "magic".
For a few, however, their potential for magic is recognized at an early age and is encouraged and shaped so that the person becomes a user of magic. A Wizard is the O.C.C. spellcaster most similar to White Box Magic User. The Wizard learns spells and can cast a number of known spells per day. The Wizard never forgets a spell once learned and even a first level Wizard can cast higher level spells if he/she is lucky enough to have learned one. In the original Palladium RPG the only limit is the maximum number of spells per day, which increases with level. The effectiveness of many spells is based on the caster's level, however. Some spells entitle the target to a saving throw, which is usually a 12 or better on a d20. In later editions of the game power points (Psychic Potential Energy or P.P.E.) is used to power spells and the number of spells a Wizard can cast is determined by expending spell power points.
The Wizard is not the only magic using class in The Palladium RPG. The core rules include "magic users" of the following O.C.C.s, the Warlock, the Witch, the Diabolist, the Summoner, the Mind Mage and the Alchemist. In addition there are four types of clergy using divine "magic", the Priest/Priestess, the Druid, the Shaman and the Healer. All use spells in a similar manner, but several specialize in rituals, circles, mystic symbols, wards, psionic powers or receive spell abilities through their gods from worship of the divine.
The Wizard is guild taught and supported, unless the player chooses to "go rogue" - perhaps leading to some interesting role-play encounters. The Wizard O.C.C. is the most suited "magic user" for adventure in the sense of dungeon delves and combat magic, but the other magic using O.C.C.s add considerably to the role-play aspects of the Palladium world. PC balance is not really something The Palladium RPG, or a lot of Old School games for that matter, seem to worry about, although each O.C.C. does have its own experience table for leveling-up suggesting some attention to class power differences is acknowledged.
The Diabolist is an interesting O.C.C. who is able to use a combination of wards, power words, symbols, circles and knowledge of history, languages, tombs and mysteries to aid the adventuring party by setting magic alarms and traps, deciphering maps, symbols, texts and mysteries. The Diabolist is a sort of specialized scholar, with the expected minimal combat abilities, but superior at investigation. The sort of support character that can be quite fun to play despite apparent weaknesses.
So for me the magic of The Palladium RPG is found in many places. The rules are a collection of ideas, some of which seem quite inspired to me, which can be frustrating until a mindset of "use what you want" is adopted. At that point, the "magic" kicks in for me and I see the possibilities presented here. The more unusual O.C.C.s that offer a unique angle on role-playing is one area where I think the brilliance shines through. The known world with its many adventure hooks in addition to written out adventures comes across as a magical place, home to endless adventure and entertainment. It is a world that has stayed fresh for me over three decades. I am a great believer in borrowing good ideas from a number of sources and The Palladium RPG books continue to be the source of many good ideas and inspirations even after many years of use.
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Palladium Combat (and other fun)
Roll a d20. High roll strikes first. Roll a d20 to hit. If you score a 5 or more, you hit. If the number on the die is more than 4, but not higher than your opponent's armor class (AC), the hit lands on the armor (Mr. Siembieda spells it armour, but I am not sure why a guy from Detroit would do that?). If the score is higher than the target's AC, the blow lands on the unarmored parts of your opponent and damage is taken directly from the character's hit points. Damage is rolled according to weapon and damage is deducted from armor if the blow landed there or from the PC's physical body if the blow bypassed armor. Once all the armor points (Structural Damage Capacity or S.D.C.) reaches zero it absorbs no more damage and is useless (until repaired). Once physical body (hit points) reaches zero, the PC is dead. Most PC's get two (or more) strikes per melee round and may attempt to parry all incoming strikes against them (unless they choose an action that prevents parrying).
Men of Arms, those Occupational Character Classes (O.C.C.s) that fight for their living, have combat skill benefits corresponding to their class called "Hand to Hand". Hand to Hand, like other skills, increases in effectiveness with level/rank. Bonuses to attack, to parry/dodge, to damage and some special effects (stun/unconscious, etc) and additional attacks all come at different levels according to the O.C.C. Hand to Hand tables.
A successful parry, a roll which equals or exceeds the to-hit roll, blocks the strike and no damage is done. With this system, a number of rounds may go by with both opponents blocking each other's blows. The occasional missed parry may result only in damaging armor, provided the opponent is wearing any. Hence a melee may be a rather lengthy affair of strike, parry, strike parry, especially when opponents are evenly matched. This situation seems to have some validity when thought through. The wild-card in The Palladium RPG, and something to keep in mind in old school games in general, is that encounter balance is not really emphasized. In play, fights often end quickly because one side has significant advantage in skill, equipment or numbers. Knowing when to avoid bloodshed is part of player skill in such games.
Like any good game, The Palladium RPG begs for house-ruling. What if a PC is surrounded on all sides? Can the PC parry attacks from the rear? What about parrying arrows? Can dragon breath be parried? A referee can look for "official" answers to these and many other questions that occur during a game, or make reasonable rulings that then become part of "how WE play the game". For me this is part of the fun of being a referee.
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Palladium Fantasy
Back in 1983 when Kevin Siembieda from Detroit was trying to start-up a new game publishing company to bring to market his fantasy RPG, I was living in North Carolina with my buddy doing piece-work for a factory. We would work our hours repairing circuit boards that had failed testing and then get down to our real occupation, playing games, mostly RPGs. In those days we gamed almost every evening and most weekends that we didn't go to the beach. Life was good.
Our games of choice were RuneQuest and some form of The World's Most Popular RPG. I had started a few years prior with White Box while in college and I still refereed a version of White Box incorporating materials from the Advanced Game and Basic. We were both avid table-top gamers and when not engaged in role-playing we were likely to be playing Avalon Hill's Squad Leader or another hex-map wargame. We made frequent trips to a hobby shop in near-by Fayetteville which sold all kinds of games called The Hobbit. On one of those trips I purchased Kevin Siembieda's Palladium Role-Playing Game. The Palladium RPG is 274 pages of nicely illustrated rules, a world outline, bestiary and introductory adventure. It is a perfect bound paperback which has held up well for over 30 years. Whether The Palladium RPG is a revision of The Worlds Most Popular RPG or a whole new game has been debated. In 1983 I treated it like a new game. The combat and magic mechanics are original and yes, could be slotted into a White Box game, but why not use the whole Palladium package? The Palladium RPG is a class based system with skills added in. Character classes are referred to as Occupational Character Classes or O.C.C.s, but that is just a name change. Each O.C.C. does allow for individualization in the choice of skills. Combat involves different fighting styles, most allowing for multiple strikes during a round. Armor gets damaged as well as protecting the PC from damage. There are some similarities to RuneQuest in that attacks can be parried, therefore melees can be lengthy and monsters are statted much like PCs making it easy to play any race.
Only the briefest world material is included in the core rulebook, but even what is here is enough to spark my imagination. I find Mr. Siembieda's "known world" very engaging. It strikes a nice balance between the familiar and the new and unusual. The descriptions are filled with adventure hooks and after abandoning The Palladium RPG as a game system, I continue to go back to the known world as described in several volumes for adventure material.
The core book, at least in its initial publication, has material on the races, gods and monsters (dragons feature prominently) of the known world. Though fairly brief, these sections help flesh-out the known world and still seem fresh and imaginative even looking back at them now. Mr. Siembieda uses a light verses darkness, Egyptian inspired pantheon (with a twist) which seems to work well. The Tombs of Girsidi adventure at the end of the book is a vampire tale, again with familiar elements, but enough new ideas to make it interesting. It has remained a favorite of mine and I have adapted it for use with other systems I have run.
The Palladium Fantasy RPG was re-worked after Rifts made its appearance and in its current version is compatible with the rest of the Palladium Publishing games. I have Rifts and the newer edition of Palladium Fantasy as it is now called, but my affection is for the original. In 1983 I was looking for something to add to my gaming experience and The Palladium RPG served that purpose for a time. I enjoyed the new mechanics, the several new O.C.C.s and especially the known world which would be expanded upon with each new supplement (Books II and III were out before I ended my sojourn to North Carolina and return to Indiana for graduate school).
Having heard about some other gamer experiences with The Palladium RPG, I believe I benefited from having worked my way through White Box and was somewhat comfortable borrowing, mixing and making up what I liked when running an RPG. Serious rules study I left to the boardgames, RPGs were "rulings" on the fly as far as I was concerned. When viewed as a toolkit of ideas, The Palladium RPG can be seen as much like other early RPGs, needing some do-it-yourself to make it all work as you wish. I appreciate this approach and actually tend to treat all RPGs that way, regardless of how the author intends me to use the rules.
As a game I got excited about from the moment I saw the eye-catching black and red cover, soon made my own and had some fresh fun exploring a very interesting world, I have fond memories of The Palladium RPG. It can be a bit rough, especially if you want a polished package that answers all your questions, but like White Box, The Arduin Grimoire and a lot of other early RPG products, The Palladium RPG has the stuff of greatness in it, it just takes a referee willing to open the hood and get busy tweaking things. Reminding me of Dave Hargrave's Arduin, Kevin Siembieda's "known world" is a gonzo place where one's imagination is encouraged to run wild. I like that in a game.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Literary Roots of the Game
Before Gary Gygax wrote the Fantasy Supplement to Chainmail, before Dave Arneson created "The First Fantasy Campaign", before White Box, before any of the things that make up this hobby, there was the Heroic Fantasy Literature which inspired the hobby fathers to re-imagine the fantastic fiction they loved and bring it to the tabletop for a gaming experience with the same thrill, the same escapist entertainment they found in the literary works of R.E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien and others. In his book Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers: The Makers of Heroic Fantasy, L. Sprague deCamp, himself an author, often partnering with Fletcher Pratt, of heroic fantasy, describes the birth and development of the literary genre from the beginnings with folk and faerie tales to the numerous imitators of Howard and Tolkien.
William Morris, an early anti-industrialist and medievalist, is credited by Mr. de Camp with authoring some of the earliest "modern" heroic fantasies in the style of the sagas, old tales of King Arthur and The Nibelungenlied. The section on Morris is followed by an essay on the work of Lord Dunsay, a British author of pre-Tolkien fantastic fiction. Lord Dunsany wrote fanciful tales of heroics often in worlds completely of his own imagination seemingly to entertain himself and his audience. Dunsany's King of Elfland's Daughter presents elves in a very non-Tolkien way and is a major influence for my own "concept" of elf in my games.
H.P. Lovecraft may seem a slightly odd inclusion in a selection of authors of heroic fantasy, but Mr. de Camp fits him into the narrative nicely. Mr. Lovecraft corresponded with and influenced nearly all his contemporaries including R.E. Howard and Clark Ashton Smith, both included as founding members of the heroic fantasy club. The suspense and forgotten mythos characteristic of H.P. Lovecraft's work is reflected in many subsequent stories clearly of the genre.
E.R. Edison and J.R.R. Tolkien were roughly contemporaries and associates of C.S. Lewis and other British authors of fantastic fiction. The writing circle they belonged to produced some of the seminal works of fantasy. E.R. Edison is perhaps less well known today, but is the author of The Worm Ouroboros which Mr. de Camps holds in high esteem. T.H. White and Fletcher Pratt round out the list of authors who get their own chapters in Mr. de Camps' book. T.H. White returned to the early King Arthur tales as inspiration for his Once and Future King. Fletcher Pratt wrote widely outside the genre as well as producing a number of heroic fantasy stories, many in conjunction with Mr. de Camp.
The last chapter in the book describes the work of author's who were continuing to write sword & sorcery tales in de Camp's day, folks like Fritz Leiber and Michael Moorcock. Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers is directed at an audience who read heroic fiction, but as of its publication in 1976 there was a growing off-shoot of that audience that was discovering White Box and adventure gaming. The overlap between de Camp's readers and those who played at the new hobby was probably significant and may remain so today. Just glancing at the jacket suggests to me that it could just as easy be the cover illustration of a fantasy RPG product. Maybe it's my age, but sometimes the lines between get a little blurry.
Friday, November 4, 2016
Pendragon
Roleplaying Holy Grail?
Continuing to think on the Arthurian legends and roleplaying in that mystical setting, I feel I would be remiss not to mention the game Pendragon by Greg Stafford. Pendragon is probably the best known roleplaying adaptation of the Arthurian legends. It uses a highly modified version of Chaosium's Basic Role Playing system, one that replaces d100 rolls with d20. The game has been passed from publisher to publisher, but remains available in print-on-demand form from Nocternal. The different printings mostly just change the cover art and the game has remained essentially the same over its 30 year history.
In most printings, players are limited to playing knights as characters. PC knights have a number of traits which mechanically influence behavior. If a knight has a high score in "Lazy" he may need to make a roll to succeed at staying on task rather than taking a nap at an in opportune time. Such mechanics which can influence how a PC is role-played is somewhat uncommon in the hobby and is therefore one of the features of Pendragon which sets it apart.
My own experience with playing and refereeing Pendragon, some three decades ago when it was first released, failed to convert me. I soon returned to RQ and The World's Most Popular RPG. I think Pendragon does a pretty good job of facilitating a multi-generational knightly story set during King Arthur's time, however the setting demands all the players buy-into knightly behavior, and that's the dilemma. Leaving flashy magic and roguish escapades aside and devoting table-time to attaining knightly glory can start to feel a bit constraining. Adding in the core feature of rolling against one's personality traits in order to determine PC reaction in some key situations and I find myself wishing for the relaxed freedom of my old favorite game.
I have never enjoyed playing Alignment as a behavior straight-jacket and a game mechanic that limits a player's choices for how their PC reacts is not the best fit for me. As a player and as a referee I like story and PC personality to develop at the table during play. If the PC is played consistently then consistency is a trait of that PC. If the player is pretty random with PC reactions, then that also becomes part of that PC's "personality". It's just a preference thing really.
I don't personally know anyone playing Pendragon, but I hear folks say they would like to play the game, often qualified by a remark such as "if I ever find the right group". Many hold Pendragon in high esteem along with The Pendragon Campaign, a play aid which takes players through the entire Arthurian era, from pre-Arthur Britain, to boy-king, Camelot, Grail Quest and finally unto the death of Arthur.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Roleplaying in Camelot
An Exercise in White Box Milieu Design
Knights! Roleplaying in King Arthur's world is all about knightly characters who posture a lot and have adventures, both at court and in the wilderness beyond the castle walls. Inspiration for such a campaign can be found in various sources dealing with King Arthur, sources that vary in tone from the serious Morte d'Arthur (Mallory) and Idylls of the King (Tennyson) to the more humorous Once and Future King (White) and Monty Python's Holy Grail. The non-knightly characters would mostly be NPCs I think. All PCs would be created as human Fighting Men, i.e. knights I would consider another PC class, but only after discussion with the player. PCs could vary somewhat by hailing from different kingdoms.
Alignment makes sense in such a milieu in that all knights in good standing in King Arthur's court will be aligned with the forces of Law. Might-for-Right! Bad behavior would lead to a loss of Prestige and eventually perhaps being declared "outlaw". Chaos forces would be those opposed to Arthur and his rule of Law. Certain forces, such as villains and knaves might be out only for themselves and therefore be Neutral in alignment.
Central to shaping any milieu is letting the players know how to earn experience so as to be able to level up the PC and therefore climb the ladder to success. Leveling up in King Arthur's court will be based on accumulating Prestige rather than Experience. Prestige is awarded for "knightly" accomplishments, jousting, winning a lady's favor, doing service to the king, etc. A list of the knightly and virtuous behaviors the referee wishes to encourage in the PC will need to be made available and can be drawn from the sources (chivalry, Christian chastity, courtly love, pagan impetuousness, etc.).
Religion will play a significant part in terms of how pious a PC is role-played. Christianity, the old "pagan" religion of the isles, and perhaps other obscure religions will be practiced. I think some tension between Christianity and the old religion would be a nice factional conflict for the milieu. In addition to Prestige, Piety points will be awarded for services to one's religious institution such as resisting temptation, winning fame in the name of one's faith, etc., and accumulated Piety points can be used to gain blessings - special supernatural abilities.
Having dangled the stick in terms of Prestige and Piety, it is reasonable to assume that at least some players will go along with the system and play good knights. So where does a good knight earn such rewards? I prefer an open, sandbox style environment including a civilized place, Camelot, where court is held, taverns abound, knaves and villains plot, wily Merlin spins his webs, the priests of the new Christian God compete with the old religion for souls and power, and foreign kings conspire and plot. Add a couple underground cults and Camelot is a hotbed of danger and opportunity. Riding one's charger over the city drawbridge the knight will enter the wilderness, a land of hostile knight errants, damsels in distress, robber barons and outlaws, enchanted forests, lakes and ruins and other places of mystery and treasure. Add in the occasional encounter with the fantastic in the form of a fey creature or giant (or other more "monstrous" being) and I think this World of King Arthur could provide fun for a long time.
Knights! Roleplaying in King Arthur's world is all about knightly characters who posture a lot and have adventures, both at court and in the wilderness beyond the castle walls. Inspiration for such a campaign can be found in various sources dealing with King Arthur, sources that vary in tone from the serious Morte d'Arthur (Mallory) and Idylls of the King (Tennyson) to the more humorous Once and Future King (White) and Monty Python's Holy Grail. The non-knightly characters would mostly be NPCs I think. All PCs would be created as human Fighting Men, i.e. knights I would consider another PC class, but only after discussion with the player. PCs could vary somewhat by hailing from different kingdoms.
Alignment makes sense in such a milieu in that all knights in good standing in King Arthur's court will be aligned with the forces of Law. Might-for-Right! Bad behavior would lead to a loss of Prestige and eventually perhaps being declared "outlaw". Chaos forces would be those opposed to Arthur and his rule of Law. Certain forces, such as villains and knaves might be out only for themselves and therefore be Neutral in alignment.
Central to shaping any milieu is letting the players know how to earn experience so as to be able to level up the PC and therefore climb the ladder to success. Leveling up in King Arthur's court will be based on accumulating Prestige rather than Experience. Prestige is awarded for "knightly" accomplishments, jousting, winning a lady's favor, doing service to the king, etc. A list of the knightly and virtuous behaviors the referee wishes to encourage in the PC will need to be made available and can be drawn from the sources (chivalry, Christian chastity, courtly love, pagan impetuousness, etc.).
Religion will play a significant part in terms of how pious a PC is role-played. Christianity, the old "pagan" religion of the isles, and perhaps other obscure religions will be practiced. I think some tension between Christianity and the old religion would be a nice factional conflict for the milieu. In addition to Prestige, Piety points will be awarded for services to one's religious institution such as resisting temptation, winning fame in the name of one's faith, etc., and accumulated Piety points can be used to gain blessings - special supernatural abilities.
Having dangled the stick in terms of Prestige and Piety, it is reasonable to assume that at least some players will go along with the system and play good knights. So where does a good knight earn such rewards? I prefer an open, sandbox style environment including a civilized place, Camelot, where court is held, taverns abound, knaves and villains plot, wily Merlin spins his webs, the priests of the new Christian God compete with the old religion for souls and power, and foreign kings conspire and plot. Add a couple underground cults and Camelot is a hotbed of danger and opportunity. Riding one's charger over the city drawbridge the knight will enter the wilderness, a land of hostile knight errants, damsels in distress, robber barons and outlaws, enchanted forests, lakes and ruins and other places of mystery and treasure. Add in the occasional encounter with the fantastic in the form of a fey creature or giant (or other more "monstrous" being) and I think this World of King Arthur could provide fun for a long time.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
More King Arthur
I often wonder how much influence the legends of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table had on the authors of Chainmail and White Box. As I continue to read more of the classic Arthur stories in an effort to inspire additional medieval "flavor" in my game, I am struck by the unique elements common to the period legends which differ from more contemporary sword & sorcery stories. Jousting as pictured on the cover of this volume of Malory seems practically a way-of-life for knights in many of the Arthurian stories. Most male characters are knights and they spend a lot of time jousting and courting the ladies, who often watch the jousting, cheering their champion on.
Chainmail includes a jousting mechanic involving a matrix matching one's target point against the seating/shield position of his opponent. It's a fun mechanic and I have fond memories of our group using it during adventures many years ago. I admit it has been some time since I have used jousting in an adventure, however.
The middle ages presents as a period of stricter social classes and more formal social interactions than is typically seen at the gaming table. How much of that would be fun for gamers to use is, I suppose, a question to consider before introducing it to the campaign. Court intrigue, romance and rivalry could all be a lot of fun to play (and read about), but being limited by social expectations and feudal obligations might not be so much fun.
My own experience with trying to instill a more historic medieval society feel into my campaign has not been well received in the past. Some players seem to enjoy the era's pageantry and role-play the courtesy and chivalry stuff to a point. It seems our modern sense of a right to "freedom of action" soon conflicts with medieval style societal expectations and everyone becomes an "outlaw" or robber baron in the end. Improving character abilities and acquiring material wealth are the real game motivators. Authors Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson hit on a winning formula with White Box, one which keeps players interested and coming back for more.
A little flowery language and a joust now and then may be all the historic middle ages feel needed. Reading Arthurian literature, the stories can be seen as adventure tales with some fantastic elements thrown in. There are a few monsters, some fey, and a couple magic users that can serve as inspiration. The setting adds color, but can also detract from the fun if over emphasized.
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