Looking Beyond to 2021

Hobby Observations and Predictions

At the end of the year it seems appropriate to give some thought to the year behind us and to that before us. (With all the sufferings and hurt going on in the world it may seem unimportant to speak of a hobby, but that hobby is the sole focus of this blog.) The past year necessitated drastic changes in the way I engage with this hobby. As a gamer who much prefers face-to-face play, I have had to make adjustments - as have others. I have learned to enjoy playing remotely via Discord and have experimented some with virtual tabletop software - although "theater of the mind" remains my preference over the use of a tactical display, virtual or physical.

In years past I have considered myself fortunate to reside in a location between the host cities of two of the largest gaming conventions in America, Origins in Columbus, Ohio and Gencon in Indianapolis, Indiana. For many years I have looked forward to attending these conventions as a way to reconnect with fellow gamers, learn about new products and to play a few of the games that I enjoy, but don't get to share with my regular group. Obviously, this past year saw the cancellation of both conventions along with virtually all other large gatherings.

Browsing and networking at the local game store has also fallen victim to the world-wide pandemic. Fortunately, there is the internet and I have noticed a marked increase in the number of online streamers and video channel producers posting quite interesting RPG content for those of us stuck at home without a group game. Solo RPG has experienced a renaissance of sorts based on what I have seen covered on the web channels as well.

It appears that FRP remains a quite popular hobby despite the logistical difficulties everyone is experiencing with face-to-face group play. D&D 5e seems to continue to lead the FRP pack with Pathfinder 2e (with its strong incentive for team combat) remaining a strong alternative. With the release of Paizo's new Pf 2e Beginner Box, I expect 2e to gain ground in the new year. The release this past fall of Tasha's Cauldron..., with its "bigger and better" character options has me wondering if D&D isn't about due for a new revision or edition. Perhaps 5.5 or 6e will be announced soon? It occurs to me that the Wizards are going to need to do something soon to bring their Players Handbook into line with all the supplemental material which has been released.

The real game-changer on the horizon seems to be Age of Sigmar: Soulbound. Released near the end of this year by Cubicle 7, Soulbound has the potential to radically redefine the FRP genre largely because of its "soulbinding" mechanic and connecting the game's meta currencies to player cooperation. Soulbound takes the idea of a diverse party group of specialist PCs working together to achieve common goals to a new level by introducing mechanics that depend on them cooperating, and imposing increasing levels of "doom" when they don't. Even though the individual party members may dislike (or even "hate") each other, they have plenty of reason in Soulbound to help each other.

The premise of the game is that the Mortal Realms are a battleground where a benevolent god, Sigmar, attempts to hold back the destructive forces of chaos. The players control larger than life characters whose life forces (their souls) have been intertwined or bound together. The Mortal Realms contain a number of kindreds who specialize in unique abilities, but who also compete with each other. These kindred factions and the constant threat of the chaos gods and their followers is the backdrop for the Age of Sigmar tabletop minatures battle game as well as the Soulbound FRP game. 

In Soulbound the characters may gain benefit by accessing Soulfire, effectively borrowing from the life essence of the companions with whom they share a binding. This can be approved use if the other players agree, or the player may use Soulfire without group consent and thereby increase "Doom" - a negative energy which adversely effects both the characters and the world's other inhabitants.

Soulbound heroes start gameplay feeling like "superheroes" and leveling up is less of a thing in Soulbound than in many games. This "flattening" of abilities helps avoid the high level woes often encountered in other systems. The Soulbound setting is epic in scale with active god-lead factions (good and evil), nine worlds connected to each other through Realmgates and with PCs that feel a lot like comic book superheroes tasked with saving the day. Downtime in Soulbound has real meaning, again thanks to some innovative mechanics curtesy of the design geniuses at Cubicle 7. 

I have often noted the increasing tendency in our hobby for games to focus on providing players with lots of character options and I would add that many such choices involve playing character types that have little reason to cooperate with each other. As a result of players building characters independently of each other, and then being thrown together and trying to operate as a group, I have witnessed friction and frustration among many groups, including my own. The "session zero" discussion is offered by some as a potential way to address what I see as a growing problem in the hobby, but that seems a band-aid approach when the popular game systems seem to encourage a "do your own thing" approach to building each character. Party harmony is essential to group enjoyment (at least in my experience) and many a game campaign has come to a pre-mature end because of inter-character strife. Friendships among the players can even be strained under such circumstances.

The appeal of Soulbound makes it a game that I personally look forward to bringing to a table - actual or virtual -  during the coming year. The Mortal Realms as a world setting is dark and magic in Soulbound is dangerous - two things that personally speak to my preferences. So I welcome AoS: Soulbound and offer a warm "thank you" to the folks at Cubicle 7 who seem to have recognized the issue of our "disconnected" PCs for what it is and have provided what I think may become a model solution. The Warhammer miniatures battle game which established the setting of Age of Sigmar is itself a revolutionary product in table-top wargaming (introducing mechanics that focus on making "story" a contextual part of the battle game), so it seems appropriate to me that its role-playing cousin should also forever alter the way a FRP game is played.

Happy gaming!

Can We Parley?

An Alternative to Combat

"Roll for initiative!" Perhaps too often is this the the first words spoken by a referee at the beginning of an encounter. If the game is viewed as a wargame, in which combat is the goal and purpose, then combat seems the most appropriate method for handling most encounters. A role-playing game may involve much more than combat, however, and this is indeed what sets it apart as a hobby separate from wargaming (and separate from CRPG).

Many characters in a typical FRP game are built for combat. Many players enjoy combat above all other aspects of the game and there is of course no wrong way to play the game. Computer and consul RPGs (CRPGs) excel at combat, but handle dialogue and social aspects of the game less well. The table-top RPG (TTRPG) is not limited to what the programmer thinks might happen and therefore codes into the CRPG options. If one takes the time to ask a few questions of the referee, there may emerge an entirely different way to enjoy playing any table-top scenario. Exploration, discovery, investigation - these are all aspects of even the simplest TTRPG dungeon crawl. Engaging the world through diplomacy, role-playing what your character says, is also a part of many games. 

Motivations play an enormous role in determining how creatures in the real world react and there is little reason for this to not be the case in our role-playing games. We should ask ourselves, "What is the motive of this person (or beast)?" Once we have the answer clear in our mind, there will usually be more than one way to achieve this motive. Even a creature that desires to eat you may respond favorably to being offered food without a fight. A bribe, or a lie can often get you past the guards and without the loss of hit points, or having  to use up some valuable magic. Sneaking about is the basis of many a covert mission where gaining access to or acquiring valuable intelligence is the motive. Thievery is just that and is quite distinct from murder. The question of motive can be a dark one in some cases - I suppose genocide as a motive is just that, and leaves little room for discussion, but aside from that, most creatures will not necessarily be fanatical.

Most referees enjoy sharing lore about their world. What better way to do this than to get their players talking to NPCs - even "monsters" about what's around the corner, over the next hill or some bit of ancient history that makes this place "special". Dialoguing with its inhabitants is a great way for you and your players to explore the shared fictional setting and to further enjoy the game. It has been my experience that the more the players know about the world, the more they seem to enjoy uncovering its hidden secrets.

One way to "shape" player behavior during a game is by making it clear just what the potential rewards are (and are not). Granting experience for the monsters slain will pretty well assure that killing the monster will be at the top of a player's to-do list. One of the advantages to giving experience for gold, or for just for showing up and playing for the session is that it encourages more than killing. It is important that players are aware of this fact prior to character generation, because a PC built for combat is likely to default to what they do best. Players will follow the rewards. Let your players know how they can be successful in your game without always going straight to combat and you may see a surprising level of creativity emerge!

One on One

System Matters

In my last post I talked about playing a FRP campaign with a single player controlling a single character. Typically a fantasy role-playing game is designed to accommodate more than one player at the table, often relying on a diverse group of characters each contributing their different specialized abilities toward the success of the mission. Such systems usually have mechanics which protect the niche area of expertise so that character strengths do not overlap. In this way each player is encouraged to cooperate with others to achieve their shared goal.

The game system that we use in our role-play game matters on many levels. Some systems allow each player to control more than one character, often calling these secondary characters by descriptive titles like "sidekick", "henchmen" or "hirelings". Some FRP game systems handle a single character better than others. In many old school games the designers assume that an adventuring party will include several characters and that each character will differ from others in possessing a group of abilities defined by character class.  In a system that uses class each character's unique set of abilities are combined with the abilities of other characters to make for a team of specialists who while working together will provide each character their unique time to shine as their abilities are needed to resolve various challenges. 

In contrast to the "team" approach, a game featuring a single character will necessitate that character to be rather self sufficient. A character that possesses a variety of skills and abilities, including the capacity for magic seems advisable. Some systems, usually those that do not use the class system and allow for a great deal of character customization including martial and magic skills, can handle this better than others. 

In thinking about The Last Dragon Lord campaign I considered a number of systems and settled on Tunnels & Trolls. It is a system that has been around for a number of years and has gone through several editions which are all closely compatible with each other. The folks at Flying Buffalo, Inc. who publish Tunnels & Trolls early on adopted solo play and the system works well with a single character. Other FRP games which I would quickly consider equally adaptable to solo play include GURPS and any of Chaosium's games based on the Basic Role-Playing system. Both GURPS and BRP are skill-based systems allowing for a degree of character customization which may include a broad range of abilities including an aptitude for magic. It takes a bit more planning and work, but I suppose most any system may be adapted for solo or one-on-one play using a single character.

In addition to having a variety of abilities, the single character needs to be resilient enough to survive a few "hits". Otherwise the game becomes rather chancy as any bad dice roll may end the game prematurely. Resources, including "hit points" need to be gradually reduced in order to facilitate the player making decisions regarding risk. In a game featuring several characters the disabling or even "death" of a single character will seldom bring on an end to play. 

If using a system such as the original edition of the world' most popular role-playing game (White Box) I suggest an elf for the single payer character. The White Box elf combines the class abilities of the fighting man and the magic user giving the character access to both "strengths". The elf uses the most advantageous saving throws, weapons and armor of the two classes. The system as it appears in the original three little brown books contains no skill mechanics as such and I interpret this to allow all character to try just about any action under the assumption that they are competent adventuring types. Hit points is my concern when using the rules as written here and I believe some adjustment is in order when playing with a single character. Perhaps allowing the elf to roll two "hit die", one each for their status as fighting man and magic user and adding the results together. This would at least make the first level elven character a little more robust. 

As The Last Dragon Lord, our character can be assumed to be a cut above normal folks, even as an apprentice. As such, it seems appropriate to set the game up to deliver a heroic feel to the character. They should prevail in most encounters and the referee should give careful thought to their odds of surviving any encounter. Therefore I would suggest tilting the game slightly in favor of the character - something I usually avoid on principle believing a good challenge is more rewarding for players than an easy romp through all obstacles.

The one on one game allows the referee to tailor the entire campaign to the preferences of a single player, therefore a bit more customization of the developing setting seems in order. Following the players lead whenever possible, the referee might want to use role-play with NPCs (and out of game discussion) to help plan the future direction of the campaign including adjusting encounters, magic items and conflicts so as to give the player more of what they want. I would also suggest that combat take a back seat to role-play as social encounters present the referee with more "control" than combat encounters during which the outcome can be very dice dependent. Of course setting the tone as such may require some discussion with the player if they are inclined to "shoot first and ask questions later". A role-play rich campaign allows the player to more fully engage with the world, to discover more about the world and engage with the world on a level seldom achieved in a "shoot and loot" type of campaign.

The one on one FRP game is something unique requiring an adjustment of expectations and methods of play. It can be rewarding and it definitely offers a way to engage the hobby under circumstances that prevent play in a larger group.

The Last Dragon Lord

A fantasy adventure set-up for a one-player campaign.

For thousands of years the Order of Dragons ruled The Land. Wizard-warriors and lords all, from their fortresses the Order commanded with absolute power. Dragon disciples, whom it is said were all descended from true dragons, trained at such fortresses from an early age in the use of both arms and armor and magic and upon reaching maturity, would become Elder Knights of the Order. Some of the most powerful Elders were even said to be able to assume the aspect of a huge winged dragon.

This has all now come to an end. Within hours every stronghold of Dragonkin has been destroyed, every dragon warrior-mage has been killed, their bodies burned beyond recovery. Every Dragon Lord except you that is. You are the last.

Like all those who have carried the dragon's blood, you were marked at an early age as exceptional and brought to the Order to train. As a senior apprentice nearing graduation, you were sent on a routine errand that took you away from your stronghold and so you were not present on the fateful day now remembered as the Dragonfall - the day when all who bore the mark of the dragon perished. 

The Order is gone, their fortresses reduced to crumbling ruins. The people seem mostly glad for their freedom and have adopted new rulers elevated from their own ranks. Homeless and without kindred, you now wander this land haunted by your fate... The Last Dragon Lord.

As I write this, the global pandemic which began approximately a year ago and largely defined the year 2020 shows no signs of abating. Table-top gaming has moved on-line for many of us. Those who are fortunate enough to live with another gamer or two are perhaps looking for ways to continue gaming face-to-face with a very small group. Traditional party based adventuring remains possible, and face-to-face games remain a goal of many and may hopefully resume in the coming year. In the meantime, I offer the above as inspiration. It is admittedly not an original idea. I have borrowed heavily from various sources for my inspiration. I write these words in hope that they will inspire others to borrow ideas, add your own, and create fun opportunities for a referee and one (maybe two) players to explore the fun that can be had adventuring in a fantastic setting.

Happy Holidays to all!

Optimization

It's about having character, not being one.

I listen to a number of YouTube video commentators. I play, run and enjoy Pathfinder 2e. This month I have seen there have been a number of videos devoted to the idea of "optimized" character builds and their effect on play with a particular emphasis on the Patherfinder system (which if you aren't familiar with, is a derivative of 3.5 developed by Paizo using the OGL). 

Optimization of the player character has its earliest roots in the ability scores used in the world's first role-playing game. Supplement I: Greyhawk (released the year following that of the original game) makes those ability score values more important than they seemed at first by assigning bonuses (and penalties) to extreme score values. The Advanced game furthered this ability score optimizing trend, the author even suggesting various methods of rolling the (still randomly generated) ability scores using 4 dice, dropping the lowest and thereby increasing the odds of having a character with higher ability scores. He even suggests that in order to be viable, a starting character should have a minimum of two ability score values at 15 or higher. 

The WotC era of D&D introduces even more reliance on ability scores and adds point buy options to character generation thereby introducing "min-maxing" of scores and allowing for players to customize their character to produce the PC they desired (rather than adjust expectations to what the random dice delivered). Feats and other customization mechanics further expanded the idea of building a character with certain combinations producing an optimized effect. This was all probably a reaction to what competing systems had marketed as "play the character you want to play". Role-playing games including GURPS and the HERO system are built specifically around the point-buy/ custom design a character concept.  

The goal of optimization is usually combat effectiveness. Optimizing a character often produces a PC that is unusually good at one thing, utilizing various combinations of options to achieve mechanical advantages over other combinations. The optimized character is often less proficient when tasked with anything other than their specific specialty. Thus the ranged specialist is not nearly as good up close in melee. The PC optimized for two-handed melee combat has little to contribute to ranged combat, social encounters or sneaking about and scouting. 

As a proponent of the original edition of the world's most popular role-playing game - the one with perhaps the least specialized characters - I have found there is near infinite freedom when the mechanics don't dictate how to "best" play one's character. The fighting man, cleric and magic user all start with the same chance to hit and nearly the same hit points as rolled on a six-sided die. The starting level 1 magic user has a single magic spell. Once this spell is cast, what will the player of said magic user do for the rest of the game session? 

The apogee of optimizing PCs (at least among the d20 systems) seems to be found in the 3.5/Pathfinder 1e system. When all the additional books are included, each of these games offers a near endless ability to make choices and combinations individualizing characters. Not all choices and combinations of abilities, classes and feats are equal however and there are some "bargains" which produce better mechanical odds of success than others. Thus there are certain character builds which seem "optimal".

I have experimented with this philosophy of gaming and found a level of enjoyment in the clever assembly of options that leads to a mechanical "monster character". Doing so provides a certain power fantasy fulfillment. I have also found that I am ultimately bored with such characters. They seem two-dimensional and lacking in real "challenge" to play. They are very good at what they do well, and usually not very interesting when doing anything else. Hence playing them I tend to look exclusively for problems and situations to which I can apply the abilities my character is good at, to the exclusion of all other possibilities. I find such optimized characters very "limiting".

Returning to our level 1 magic user who has cast their single spell for the day..."Be Creative!" Not every situation demands a combat solution (in fact early edition experience is not based on killing monsters). Our level 1 magic user can scout about, can engage in discourse with encountered creatures, can work toward setting up an ambush, perhaps leading to the capture of a creature that can be interrogated for useful information. There are a number of items that can be employed to effect the encounter area without using a magic spell. Oil, smoke, and caltrops instantly come to mind. The lack of "specialized" skills in the early editions of the world's most popular role-playing game offers a level playing field for each character (and their player) to be creative - in other words, to try something other than what is written down on the character sheet. I find the freedom that this lack of mechanical specialization of characters offers is invigorating and inspiring and is one of the reasons I enjoy the older style of play.

So "What differentiates one magic user from the next in such a system?" you may ask. ROLEPLAYING

With very little in terms of mechanical differences each player is encouraged to add to their PC through how they play the character. The phrase "play to find out" applies to characters as well as plot/story in old school games. Let the character's "personality" emerge through play. Discover how the character will respond to various situations as they are encountered and very soon a unique "character" may emerge. 

So in the spirit of fun, I offer the following character "optimizations". These are all characters that I personally played (and enjoyed playing) for a number of years using Pathfinder 1e. All but one were played into levels in the teens. 

a genocidal ranger

a love-struck cleric of dirt (soil)

a pole dancing bard

a dark elf seeking oblivion

The Forgotten Sage

Knowledge at a price!

Once upon a time, in the mythical early days of the world's most popular role-playing game, there existed a creature called the sage. The sage could be found in most all urban settings (usually leafing through a dusty tome) and their services were considered useful to employ. A popular non-player character, the sage served several in-game functions.

As a source of rumors and esoteric knowledge of ancient peoples and treasure, the sage served as a vehicle for the referee to feed players information...at a price. The sage possessed specialized knowledge and their services did not always come cheap. 

The sage might occasionally serve as patron to the group of PCs extending offers in exchange for services rendered. As a collector of antiquities the sage might "employ" the characters to fetch a certain artifact from some lost ruin with assurances that the other valuables to be found would remain the property of said PCs. 

There are no "Identify" spells in the early editions of the game and any knowledge characters could acquire regarding magic items had to be earned through experimentation with the item - "trial and error" and its associated risk to the PC - or they could pay a sage to research the item. Yes, this may bring to mind a certain grey wizard who researches the history of a certain "magic ring" thereby achieving invaluable knowledge of its ultimate master. Of course in the game there exists a multitude of lessor magics from potions to magical swords all bestowing more modest benefits and the occasional curse on its wielder.

"Forewarned is forearmed" - a saying which seems to carry more weight in an era of gaming when PC death is common and out-witting the monster could win you the treasure (and experience) without necessarily needing to risk life and limb to get it. The sage may know of (or be able to find out) the history of some place of mystery where the adventurers plan to delve, including any monstrous creatures rumored to lair therein. The sage may even know that said creature is rumored to have certain powers and weaknesses. All this knowledge can be had for a price. Such expenditures may help keep the adventuring party broke and hungry for new opportunities!

A dependable sage, one who was both reliably in-the-know and who didn't over charge too much, was a valuable resource to the experienced party who sought to continue living. They would perhaps even risk their own safety to ensure that of their favored sage who just might get sage-knapped by some evil rivals who sought to profit. Rescuing the sage can be a nice alternate hook when rescuing princes and princesses has lost its charm. 

The sage is a powerful tool for the referee. Through the sage, much information can be relayed to the players about the world, its history and lore, prophases, divine maneuverings, astrological conjunctions and just about anything else the referee would like the player characters to know about. A well played sage can become a very valuable asset and an integral part of the campaign - one which can span across more than one generation of characters (think of Elrond or Merlin).

Looking back, its easy to recall why the sage and their services is a type of hireling specifically recommended by the authors of the game. Good NPCs will bring a milieu to life and their are so many opportunities for role-play with the sage. So common was the sage character in this bygone era that a regular running column in a notable gaming periodical of the day bore the title, Sage Advice!

Welcome to a New World

Playing The Stranger

The Time Machine written by H.G. Wells uses a literary technique called a frame narrative - it's a story within a story. The main protagonist of The Time Machine is a character from modern times (Mr. Wells published it in 1895) who uses a machine he invents to travel backwards and forward through time - hence the title. Much of the action takes place in a future time where things are very different from Victorian England where the story begins. The time traveler is very much a stranger in a strange land. 

In A Princess of Mars, author Edgar Rice Burroughs (1912) describes the other-worldly career of a 19th Century American soldier, John Carter, who is transported to planet Mars where romance and adventures await. The success of Mr. Burroughs John Carter novels inspires many authors to this day and the idea of someone from our time and place being "transported" to a totally strange time and place where they experience many exciting adventures continues to fascinate readers of sword & sorcery and sword & planet fiction.

Enter role-playing as a game and hobby - one that is inspired by, and often based on, literary sources, including such other-worldly adventure stories involving heroes transplanted from another world. One of my favorite methods to introduce players new to either the hobby or just to my setting is through the vehicle of the time traveler from earth. It has the advantage of familiarity and strangeness and allows the player to discover something totally unique while drawing upon knowledge of the familiar world in which we all live. 

It has been many decades since I was introduced to the game Empire of the Petal Throne written by M.A.R. Barker and published by TSR (1975), but I recall it uses a similar premise. Starting characters are assumed to be barbarians fresh off the boat who are hoping to make their fortune in the strange and alien Empire. Relegated to the foreigner's quarter, new characters must seek employment from Imperial citizens who may perhaps ultimately sponsor the character when they stand for citizenship. It is a handy method for introducing players into the unique flavor that is Tekumel.  

Borrowing from such sources of inspiration I will have players generate characters from a familiar period of earth's history - usually Victorian or Edwardian. Involve them in some "magical" event which transports them to the fantasy setting where the campaign then unfolds. The character can be anything the player wishes, a noble, a famous person from history or whatever they wish - it matters little because they will soon enter unknown territory where their knowledge, influence and wealth matters not. The skills they possess in their previous life becomes their "background" and they may apprentice to become an adventurer - assuming a fantasy character class such as fighter, cleric or magic user.

The "out-of-towner" status helps explain away a lot of questions including, "Why wouldn't my character know this?" It also gives the player and referee a chance to make each character something special and unique in the setting. Years of experience using this technique has occasionally led to some "less than satisfactory" results however, especially when play takes a turn towards something closer to Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Artur's Court (1889) - an approach that while humorous as a novel, I have found works less well as fodder for role-play and will often devolve into campaign ending silliness. As with any concept in role-playing, player buy-in is essential to success and expectations should be discussed.

It's About Time

Turns, Rounds, Seconds and how we think about time in the game.

The role-playing hobby is formed around playing a particular type of GAME. The game comes in many forms today, but regardless of the rule system used it usually involves taking "turns" during which each player takes various actions with their playing piece(s) called player characters. What these game turns represent in the passage of game time varies from system to system. In the world's first role-playing game, co-authors Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson set the game "Turn" at 10 minutes and combat is measured in "Rounds". of which there are ten (each round is 1 minute long) during a Turn. Depending on how you view it, the implications of time passing can have significant impact on the game...or not.

For example what does a 1 minute round of combat look like to the imagination? I frequently think about the 1938 film The Adventures of Robin Hood as an example of the sort of combat exchanges which may be taking place during a 1 minute round of melee. In Volume 3 of the LBBs, Gary Gygax describes melee as "fast and furious". With this description in mind, as referee I prefer that combat proceed from round to round rather quickly. Each round would obviously involve a series of "attacks" and parries, lunges and maneuvers. The entire affair would take up a bit of space around the starting position of the combatants and possibly result in the wearing down of one or both, perhaps even in wounding or death. Yes, this is the 1 minute combat round as I view it.

A "Turn" spent exploring the underground is assumed to represent ten minutes of time. During this time characters may cautiously move about the underground, conceivably also looking for traps and secret doors and listening for noises. The underground is a dangerous place, after all. Combat, as previously stated, occurs in 1 minute "Rounds".

When traveling through the wilderness a turn can involve a longer period of game time passing. Each turn is considered a day of cross country travel according to Volume 3 of the LBBs. The rules give movement rates in terms of the 5 mile "hex". After six days of travel, the adventurers will need to rest a day.

Other game systems measure time differently. The GURPS family of games (including Dungeon Fantasy) uses the term "seconds" to refer to the concept of a game turn. Each "second" in the game a character may take an action such as "ready a weapon", make an "attack", "move" a distance (GURPS uses the 1-yard hexagon), cast a spell and so forth. Hackmaster 5 uses a variation on the seconds of time concept. Actions in Hackmaster 5 take time in terms of a number of seconds similar to the way they do in real life. The Hackmaster 5 game tracks the passage of time in seconds using the "Count Up". Character actions, delays and recoveries require the passing of a given number of seconds. Thus the game's combat is always flowing and the player can decide to abandon one action and start another as each new second is announced by the referee meaning that you really aren't "waiting for your turn".

Did I mention that Mr. Gygax suggests that melee should be "fast and furious"? If that is the feeling I am going for, then abstraction is my friend. Lump a lot of the detail into a minimum of game factors and roll a die - it's a process that gives a quick result and allows the game to move on to the next "turn". That is about as quick as one can get. Hesitate too long while deciding what to do, or spend a lot of time calculating details, looking things up or rolling the die multiple times, and the action slows way down. The "feeling" changes. The pace of the game - in other words the passing of real time at the table - is a major contributor to how the game will feel.

Risk Minimalization

The evolution of FRP games.

I play a variety of games, both old and new. Many of the newer FRP games I find have a much different "feel" to them as compared to older games. It isn't surprising that some players voice a preference for this game or that. We all have our "favorites". As a naturally introspective person, I have asked myself why I tend to prefer certain games over others?

Early in my role-playing career, back when the only game in town was the one coming out of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, I became aware that I preferred its lower levels of play... character levels 1-3 seemed the most exciting and rewarding both as a player and as a referee. I wondered, "Why is that?" Levels 4-6 seemed "powerful" and characters are better able to kick monster butt once they enter these mid-levels. This comes about largely due to characters having access to larger hit point totals and more damaging magics. 

At the lower levels of the early FRP game a character's "life" rests on a razor's edge. With a paltry 1-6 hit points (maybe 7 if you are blessed with a high constitution score), the White Box adventurer is only one damage roll away from death. Life is exciting and dangerous for such characters. Clever (cautious) play can somewhat mitigate the risk, but luck is really all that stands between success and progress toward amassing a fortune in coin and leveling up (and becoming a better survivor) in a game based on random dice rolls.

Since the beginning of the 21st Century, FRP games have evolved mechanically to deliver a very different experience for players. The 20th Century mechanics found in the early editions and simulacrums there-of contain less opportunity for characters to wiggle out of death. Negative hit points, death saves, healing surges and other abilities combine to make characters more involved to roll-up and more resistant to danger.

The changes to the way we enjoy the hobby which have occurred over the decades since the world's first role-playing game was published amount to more than character death. We have largely moved out of the underground dungeon. We have moved away from "design it yourself" to a "rules as written" philosophy. We have given players more knowledge of, and the ability to control the use of, the rules while at the same time arguably placing limits onto those who are running the game - the referee or gamemaster. The GM role has evolved away from being the "arbiter of the rules" to become more of a "story-teller" and "stage manager". The mechanics of the game have also evolved to better reflect the changes in expectations.

Ultimately, I don't think it's rolling with "Advantage", or Feats, or Short and Long Rests that establishes the "feel" of newer games per se. Those mechanical things make characters more robust giving them more tools that can mitigate the risk of a random dice roll ending their fictional "life". The more I think on it, I believe danger to the PC is the biggest distinguisher between the fell of older and newer FRP games. Less risk of character death means less tension.

Searching for character survivability is not new to the game. From early on we looked for ways to avoid character death. It seems natural for players to become invested in their character - in fact the game encourages that. Various "house rules" to early editions have been invented to make characters less susceptible to dying.  As time passes and the game evolves, some of those house rules become incorporated into newer editions. As a result, finding that you have a strong preference for one particular version of the FRP game may have a lot to do with how much risk characters are subject to when using the rules as written. Personally, I always did tend to lose interest once my characters had scores of hit points and could cast fireball (dealing a handful of damage dice to multiple monsters at once).

The Personality Profile

Ability Scores in ODD
Attribute (ability) scores in White Box have very little mechanical impact on play. The impact they do have under the rules as written is just enough to give the reader a hint that there might be more to come - which there is once Supplement I: Greyhawk is released. What then is the role of the six original ability scores in the three Little Brown Books?

In my estimation, the six ability scores comprise a sort of "personality profile" or "inventory". Unlike later editions of the World's Most Popular Fantasy Role-Playing Game, what is not included in the three LBBs can be just as inspiring as what is included. The first volume, Men & Magic, gives instructions for the creation of a player character - the original six ability scores. There are three physical attributes - Strength, Dexterity and Constitution; and three mental ones - Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. Scores for each are generated (by the referee!) rolling three six sided dice giving a range of 3-18 roughly following a "normal distribution" or "bell curve". 

The original edition player is presented with a set of scores and must finish creating their character by choosing a class, race (species) and alignment, rolling for hit points and giving the fictional playing piece a "name". Any other defining features such as gender, height, weight, hair and eye color, mannerisms and so on are left to player discretion. The player rolls for starting money, makes their initial equipment purchases either as part of "role-play" or simply using a list and writing down what their character has on their "person". This is a lot, and also very little to define a life, even a fictional one.

So how do we know how to "role-play our imaginary person? We can draw upon imagination or literary inspiration for cues, or we can investigate a bit using the clues we have on our meager character sheet. Part of the "old school" style of play is to "let the dice decide". Those six ability scores can tell us what strengths and weaknesses our new character has. What are their "high" ability scores and "low" scores? Are they strong, but clumsy? Intelligent and charming? Is our character nimble and quick, but suffers from a lack of health and a weak constitution? Are they perhaps quite average or maybe they are good at everything? Would be truly "gifted" lead them to be haughty and conceited? The scores can be read much like those of a personality profile and role-play can follow the dice.

Inspiring Words

 

An Early Fantasy

I recently read The House of the Wolfings by William Morris. Written and published in 1888 this is very early "fantasy" literature and arguably an inspiration for many later fantasy authors. The House of the Wolfings is a tale in the heroic tradition which itself seems inspired by the ancient Germanic sagas. The story is one of a tragic hero who is fated to die , but whose death acquires meaning through the preservation of his tribe. There are many themes borrowed from history in this tale, and although a fictional piece, it borrows heavily from history making it all the more "believable" by doing so.

The main character, Thiodolf, is a chieftain of the Germanic Goths. He is in relationship with a woodland immortal - the Wood Sun - and together they have a half-mortal child, a young woman with the powers of foresight - the Hall Sun - who is herself a heroic character who takes a leadership role in guiding the tribe through troubled times during a Roman invasion, but leadership of a less martial nature being more preserving and spiritual.

The tale is entertaining enough, but what continued to astound me are the parallels I see with another work of fantasy fiction - The Lord of the Rings. The Men of the Mark, for that is the way William Morris describes his Wolfings and their cousins among the other Germanic tribes, all live along a river called the Mirkwood. Thiodolf carries an iconic sword and at times dons a dwarf-made mail corselet that will turn aside any blade. The House of the Wolfings is written in a poetic style - including many stanzas of rhyme, which both imitates older epics such as Beowulf and reminds me of some of the stanzas in J.R.R. Tolkien's writing. I have already mentioned the heroine who reminds me of Tolkien's sword maiden of Rohan.

Inspiration for one's fantasies can be found in many (often unexpected) places. Ideas are built upon previous ideas. William Morris is an acknowledged influence on the good professor, but I am a bit surprised at how much of that luminary's work I found presaged in The House of the Wolfings.

The Roots of the Game

Katherine Kurtz and the Cleric.
Appendix N of the Dungeon Masters Guide cites a number of texts and authors as sources of inspiration for the world's first role-playing game. Among the notables designer Gary Gygax credits are Fritz Leiber, Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague DeCamp and Fletcher Pratt, Jack Vance, H.P. Lovecraft and A. Merritt. In his Foreword to the Original Edition, he mentions Edgar Rice Burroughs along with R.E. Howard and Fritz Leiber. Over the decades since publication of the original game, many fans have speculated as to what role (if any) various authors played in serving as inspiration for character classes, monsters or even the alignment system which is a distinct aspect that sets D&D apart from other FRP games.

Among the mysteries often discussed is where the idea for the cleric class may have come from. It is often claimed that the fighting man (fighter in later editions) and magic user are common to many sources. The thief may resemble aspects of a Jack Vance character or one of Fritz Leiber's famous duo. The ranger - well let's just say there is at least one famous ranger in popular fantasy fiction. Clerics are not as commonly found however.

Enter Katherine Kurtz. In 1970 she published her first novel titled Deryni Rising. That was four years prior to publication of the original three little brown books. In Deryni Rising there are a number of cleric characters, some are able to work magic including "healing magic". Like many authors of fantasy fiction in a post Tolkien world, Ms. Kurtz has written her novels in trilogies and by 1974 she had published the three Deryni novels that together are known as the Chronicles of the Deryni and which lay the foundation upon which many other Deryni novels are built upon. 

I recently read the first trilogy (for the first time). I found Deryni Rising, Deryni Checkmate and High Deryni and the world of the Eleven Kingdoms and the people of Ms. Kurtz fantasies very "familiar". Her fictional kingdom of Gwynedd somewhat resembles medieval England and Wales, but it also fits into my concept of a generic fantasy which is an idea heavily influenced by 40+ years of role-playing. Did I mention that magic using clergy feature prominently!

Katherine Kurtz wrote her first three novels with no knowledge of a game that had not yet been published. I am struck by the very familiar role of a magic using fighting cleric, such as the half-Deryni Monsignor Duncan McLain, as I read those first novels. Had Gary Gygax or Dave Arneson read any of Katherine Kurtz' work prior to their imagining the first fantasy role-playing game? We may never know, but chronologically, they could have. 

The only reference to Katherine Kurtz I have found in any version of early D&D products is in the 1981 edition of Basic edited by Tom Moldvay. Near the end of the Basic volume, Mr. Moldvay lists her among his version of Appendix N which he calls Inspirational Source Material. "Kurtz, Katherine" can be found under the sub-heading of "some additional authors of fantasy fiction..." Someone was obviously reading the Deryni novels.

Viewing LotR as a Horror Story

Adjectives and other horrible things.

Grim, Dark and Gritty - that's how I frequently describe my Dreadmor setting to players at the start of an adventure or campaign. "Dreadmor is a city, a world setting and a philosophy", I often add. My preference for running a "dungeon horror" game is well known to my players who have often remarked that, "You better bring your own gold, because you won't find any here." 

Like many fantasy gamers, the work of J.R.R. Tolkien has influenced much of my perception regarding the fantasy genre. As I recall, I discovered the first of Professor Tolkien's books during grade-school in the late 1960's. As an avid reader of adventure stories from Jack London to Harold Lamb and beyond, The Hobbit and later, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion were just the kind of fantastic adventure my spirit craved. 

I also greatly enjoy spooky tales, horror stories, if you prefer. Dracula, Frankenstein, the works of Edgar Allen Poe - these and other stories of the danse macabre genre are equally appealing to me. It may therefore seem natural that I would combine the two - fantasy and horror - perhaps approaching the fantastical always with an eye to the more sinister side of the supernatural. Are not Beowulf and even Grimm's Fairy Tales filled with potential menace and danger? (I think so.)

It should therefore logically follow that I see the Lord of the Rings as a tale of terrible horror narrowly avoided through the heroic sacrifice of a stout hearted hobbit (or two). When read with a keen appreciation for the doom and gloom residing within Sauron, the Nazgul and even the human souls who have joined forces with the shadow, the good professor's trilogy takes on a darker meaning. 

The Lord of the Rings is written using many of the tropes I personally think of as being part of a good horror tale. The big bad is mostly off-screen, his influence is felt, but he rarely appears directly. (The big red eye is creepy.) Things we imagine are more frightening than things we can see and confront. Sauron's evil is most evident in its effect on others. Minions are acting to bring about the big-bad's dominance - which is depicted as a terrible fate for all good folks. The lure of power and secret knowledge (maybe even eternal un-life) is offered in exchange for selling one's soul to the dark master. Corruption is the price that is paid for trafficking with the shadow and only the vigilant and pure of heart may hope to resist its influence, but even they will pay a heavy price for contact with such self-serving evil. The pacing starts out slow and builds, tension mounting as we wonder how it will all end? The world of Middle-earth has many "mundane" features -  aspects which allow us as readers to get comfy and relaxed within the "familiar" until the horrible monsters appear and threaten. (Anyone familiar with the story can fill in the rest of the "horror" details.)

"How does your game feel?" It is a question that may not get asked enough in our hobby where people want to discuss story and character. Is your table welcoming? Does your game encourage role-playing and roll-playing? Does everyone at the table become engaged, contribute, and generally have a rewarding, fun experience? These are certainly aspects that are important and defining, but a game's "feeling" goes even further - I like to think in terms of adjectives (or aesthetics, if you prefer). Does it feel "heroic", "realistic", "spooky"? Are there mysteries to solve? Are there evil plots to foil - or is it a "grayish" moral dilemma where concepts of good and evil are to be questioned? Is it a fantastic utopia you seek to portray, or a grim quest for survival? And do we as referees play an active role in shaping this "feel" or should we just let it happen - or not, as the case may be?

These are decisions that deserve our attention and that perhaps are best discussed with our players prior to launching into a campaign (or even a one-off session). The vision we have for our setting and for the role the player characters will play in any developing story is worthy of deliberation (and dare I say, compromise). Not everyone seeks to be part of a tale of horror, even if the chances are good that it will end with goodness winning out. In contrast, not everyone enjoys a game of super-heroics where the players are never seriously over-matched and the outcome is never in doubt. 

Rather than spending time developing a plot and trying to encourage players to follow it to a conclusion, another approach to running a role-playing game can be to set the mood or feeling by choosing the way things are described in the setting and deferring to the players regarding how they wish their characters to interact with your setting. In such games, "we play to find out what the story becomes". 

In an unfinished sequel to the Lord of the Rings (titled "The New Shadow"), Professor Tolkien describes a time after the return of the king where children play at being rangers and orcs and where humans have forgotten the peril of delving into the darkness of shadow in search of power - for once released into the world, evil would never completely be completely eliminated. The good professor allegedly found the thought of such a future more dark than he wished to contemplate and chose not to pursue the story further. (I guess he left that to us?)

Role-play verses Wargame

How I Approach The Game

It may help to know that long before I discovered the world's first role-playing game, I was a wargamer - one who collects and plays strategy games featuring war and history as a theme, either using maps and counters or miniature figures. Wargames (and building model airplanes, tanks and ships) were among my first interests and hobbies. Therefore when I acquired my first white box containing three little brown books, I approached the new game much as I did wargames - that is, as an exercise in tactical thinking and strategy.

Around 4-5 years after discovering White Box and jumping into the emerging hobby with both feet, I acquired a new game prominently featuring investigation of the supernatural and mythos conspiracy - Call of Cthulhu - and with it, I discovered role-playing. Call of Cthulhu (CoC) is a game where players take on the role of "investigators" attempting to discover the plots of various cults and supernatural being bent on the destruction of mankind. Role-playing an investigator is a lot different than playing an adventurer in White Box. Generally, combat is to be avoided in CoC, while combat features heavily in many old school adventure games.

The term "meta-gaming" has come into frequent parlance and into my attention fairly recently as a way to describe players who make decisions based on knowledge their characters would not likely have. This is an important term in role-playing an "investigator" as one does in a game like CoC. The player knows it is a game about the mythos, the character does not and should be played as if they are surprised to discover such secrets humans were not meant to know. Knowledge of such abominations have an in-game tendency to cause character insanity, after-all. 

Meta-gaming is less desirable in role-playing than it is in wargaming. In a wargame it is expected that the player will make full use of any knowledge of the game they have acquired - doing so is part of building one's strategy as a player who is "mastering" the game. My generation of early players of the world's most popular role-playing game naturally meta-gamed everything we played, including the new adventure games. 

Having this awareness about the early days of the hobby and the folks who played the games in the 1970s and early 1980s, it is easier to understand some of the older modules and play styles. They are as much about "player" skill as about role-playing a character as if they are a being involved in their own reality. One might think of the older style of play as involving "gamesmanship" - the art of playing a game well.

With many decades of play "under my belt" and having played using several systems that assume somewhat different styles of play over the years I have adopted different approaches to different games. I still play games like The Fantasy Trip as a "wargame". Obviously, I take a different approach to playing Call of Cthulhu. Being able to adjust one's approach in order to play the specific game being set before you is a skill worthy of any gamer.

Sandboxing

My "How To" Advice

Sandbox campaigns are my favorite way to run a fantasy role-playing game. (I run Call of Cthulhu and Traveller a bit more "rail-roady".) The term "sandbox" has become a popular way to describe a campaign that is open to going where the players lead. Players choose what they want their characters to pursue, often from a menu of choices, or adventure "hooks". Sandboxing a campaign requires both more preparation and less than the modular approach, but I find it more rewarding than scripting a storyline. 

I typically start off a new sandbox campaign with an encounter of some sort. Over the many campaigns I have run - most using my homebrewed setting of Dreadmor (the spelling changes occasionally) - I have made use of a variety of starting encounters. Some involve a chance meeting "on the road". Others take place in a tavern, or the PCs' "finishing school" as they are about to graduate and begin their adventuring career. I find this is a good way to introduce the characters to each other and the campaign and to "set the tone" for the coming adventures.

Dreadmor is a constantly evolving idea containing parts borrowed from many of my favorite stories, a few published play-aids, and some of my own creative ideas. At this point Dreadmor has a map (a very helpful thing to have, even when not shared and one of the things I suggest you start with when running your own sandboxes). The Dreadmor map has many known locations and lots of unknown areas which leaves room to add content as it seems to become relevant. 

The Non-Player Characters give any setting much of its "character" and are important to devote preparation time to. Major NPCs should have a bit of distinct "personality" to make them identifiable and memorable. They should have beliefs and motives so that the referee knows how they may react in a situation. They should be dynamic and go about the business of working toward their goals whether the PCs are interacting with them or not. 

The role-playing game is about making choices and choosing is a strength of the sandbox approach. I usually set the focus of campaign play with a discussion involving players making a group choice regarding what activity their characters wish to pursue. A common list might include the following choices:

1. Tomb raider

2. Mercenary - baron's employ

3. Merchant - caravan guard

4. Bounty hunter

5. Bandit

6. Pilgrim/crusader

Whatever "profession" the group chooses, will help me, as referee, to set up future adventures. By offering suggestions, the party is less likely to experience "decision paralysis" as they wander aimlessly from location to location with no goal in mind other than to seek amusement and profit. The party's choice also helps me to set up random tables for events and encounters which play into the overall theme and goals of the party - making such "random" happenings more likely to feel as if they are part of the developing story of the campaign.

A calendar is another useful play aid to prepare in advance. A calendar marks important holidays and helps organize and track the passage of in-game time. By noting the passage of time and developing in-world events, the setting is brought to life, and may seem more "real" to the players and referee.

Weather is something I like to include in my campaigns. Noting weather patterns can help establish the "mood" or tone of the campaign and weather changes can coincide with events making them seem more dramatic and meaningful. (It helps to thing of the referee's job as having some similarity to that of a film director.)

I like to have a few ready-made descriptions, maps, etc. for locations - places of interest and mystery - which are likely to be encountered by the player characters. Preparing these ahead of time allows me to include a level of detail that can be difficult to achieve while improvising. Discovery and exploration of these locations are likely to be among the more memorable aspects of the campaign. (The nature of a sandbox may result in a few of these prepared locations going unused in the current campaign, so save them for future use in the next campaign.)

The tension between wilderness and civilization is part of many campaign settings and I generally have a few of each prepared prior to play commencing. A small settlement can actually be all that is needed in order to begin play, as long as the referee is prepared to keep adding to the setting through improvisation and one-step-ahead planning. The urban environment provides a place to interact with NPCs, purchase needed resources and rest-up in a relatively safe haven. It also provides the crafty referee with a place full of competing factions and intrigue. An entire campaign may be centered around play that takes place entirely within a single town or city.

Having a good feel for one's fictional setting will serve the referee well in many ways, and should make the job of running adventures seem both easier and more coherent. It is easier to imagine how something the player characters do will affect a setting that has its own character and internal consistency. At the same time, a setting with known themes and a degree of predictability will appear more "real" and engaging to the players. Fall in love with your setting, but be ready for your players to "wreck it". To paraphrase a famous general, You must be willing to risk the death of that which you love...(in order to be a good referee).

Pathfinder 2e: Concluding Thoughts

Finding My Path Forward

Paizo Publishing impresses me favorably as a company. They have done so since I first became aware of them back in the Dragon and Dungeon magazine days (their publishing of the physical magazines ended about 2007). I consider Paizo to be an industry leader. Their art, cartography and the layout of their books is all top quality. They have excellent writers as the Pathfinder core books and the adventure paths clearly demonstrate. They are a professional publisher and I cannot recall finding a proofreading error. Yes, all this matters to me and I find it enhances my enjoyment of the products - especially while reading and gaining inspiration for my games.

When choosing a system to run, I consider many things. Like most, I suppose, I like to have fun running a game (as well as playing). In order for me to get excited about the role of referee (judge or GM if you prefer), the game system has to offer me tools that I can use to bring the vision I have for the game to life through actual play at the table. Even as the guy behind the screen, I like to be immersed a bit. I like to have control over pacing and tempo and I like having the ability to run something that seems logical and at times "real" to me. Humor is good, but not silliness. I like a serious game - one with "dark" and sinister undertones. 

I have found that Pathfinder 2e and its default setting can provide that. Have I mentioned the addition of the Paizo goblin as a playable ancestry? Paizo long ago adopted their iconic toothy-grin goblin as a sort of company mascot. In expanding the choices players have in ancestries, the lore is that some goblins are getting tired of getting kicked about and have "come in from the cold" and are now attempting to live peacefully alongside the other playable ancestries, such as humans, elves and the like. I have had a few goblin characters at my table and they present some interesting narrative possibilities as they interact with "unreformed" goblins and encounter the usual bias and associated challenges. It may not be to everyone's liking, but so far it's added to our games.

The mechanical completeness of Pathfinder 2e - it is anything but "rules-lite"- is something I go back-and-forth on. I really enjoy the referee's art of making "rulings" at the table - using my experience and imagination to improvise sub-systems on-the-fly in response to the creative actions players come up with. Rules-lite systems provide a freedom that just isn't available to a more comprehensive system, but sticking to the rules-as-written is a lot more satisfying when the rules are logically thought out and well written.

Although I a can enjoy solo play, the real fun in role-playing is found at the table with others. (This is a social hobby as I see it.) As anyone who has read this blog knows, I prefer the original three little brown books above all other systems - but one needs players in order to engage in the social act of playing the game with others. In this aspect, I find it much easier to entice others to my table with a contemporary system equipped with nice colorful illustrations and lots of character options - in other words, with a game such as Pathfinder. Unfortunately, many players today find the idea of playing a traditional magic user with 2 HP, one spell and a dagger a bit "underwhelming". It does not seem to matter to them when I explain, "That's intentional, to the point and exactly why so many of us played more fighting men than any other class back in those days!"

I like to design my own adventures. Even though I do purchase a number of published play aids each year, I mostly read them for ideas - ideas which can either inspire my own creativity or occasionally ideas that I may out-right borrow and insert into my home-brew campaign. Over the years, I have found Paizo products to be unequaled in containing good ideas and inspirational artwork.

My most recent acquisition in the Pathfinder 2e line of products is the Gamemastery Guide. The Guide contains several sections including some "How To" advice, which may be aimed at newer GMs, but in which I can still find the occasional bit of useful information that helps me in my evolving perspective on the game. There is material on building lots of things from worlds and monsters and NPCs to magic items - all specifically aimed at the Pf 2e mechanics. (Customization is indeed what I like in my game.) There are rule additions, as if the 600+ pages of core rules are not enough. The additions do offer options and although no essential, may help the GM tailor the system to their liking.

Hexploration is not a word I have used, but the folks at Paizo have included this short section as a nod to what I term the hex-crawl or sandbox style of play. In this and many other aspects, Pf 2e contains elements which clearly mark its DNA as being a descendent of earlier editions dating back to the days when I started in this hobby. Yes, I appreciate that!

The variant rule offerings in the Gamemastery Guide cover (among other things) Stamina - which can supplement Hit Points as an additional resource that also helps distinguish between actual damage and loss of vitality - additional interpretations of Alignments and the introduction of level-0 characters allowing players to explore with their characters during the days before they become heroes.

Chases can be fun and exciting and although the Core Rules provides guidance, the Gamemastery Guide offers a more detailed mechanic (which can benefit from use of the Chase Cards sold separately by Paizo). In the Gamemastery version, rules for encountering various obstacles during the chase and pursuit are introduced and how one navigates (mostly through the use of Skill checks) those obstacles can greatly affect whether the chase ends in being caught or getting away.

The Pf 2e Bestiary includes a number of creatures, but notably absent from the list of potential foes are humans. The Gamemastery Guide includes an extensive section on creating NPCs - humans and other ancestries - who can be friendly, neutral or adversarial to the player characters and therefore offers the GM a host of human-like monsters - bandits, pirates, greedy merchants, evil priests and cultists.

So how do I sum up my thoughts and feelings about Pathfinder Second Edition. Well, I like it a lot! From the default setting (which can be ignored, though with some effort) to the presentation and actual rule mechanics, Paizo has done an excellent job creating a product that appeals to my gaming sensibilities. The line is very well supported with adventure paths, add-on products and additional rule books (which I hope doesn't become too unwieldy in number as time progresses). What is perhaps most important is that I have fun with Pf 2e - as do my players. 

Will Pathfinder Second Edition ever join the short list of my all-time favorite games, or perhaps will it even surpass White Box as my favorite RPG, period? Check back with me in about 40 years and we'll see!

The Path Continues...

Pathfinder 2e: Part Two

In this post I continue to sing my praises of Pathfinder Second Edition and to describe various reasons why this is my current choice among the so-called "modern" FRP games. 

As I mentioned previously, there are a number of mechanical system features of the Pf 2e FRP game that appeal to me. Feats featured heavily in the original Pathfinder, which is a game based on the 3.5 open game license, but were somewhat problematic for me in that system. Feats in 2e are tied to ancestry, or class, and are therefore somewhat more limited to what makes "sense" in a character's build - at least to me. It also helps that there are currently a lot fewer of them and the effect of combinations of Feats is more predictable (and balanced). 

The way Pf 2e handles multiclass characters is another way that 2e appeals to me. In General I am more comfortable with single class characters as I see the class as a defining feature of the role the character will take. Mixing classes confuses that role and I ask why not just play a classless system like GURPS or BRP? Multiclassing in 2e involves Archetypes which when taken open certain Feats and Traits of a class to a character of another class, thereby allowing some multiclass customization while preserving the identity focus of a single defining class. 

Adventuring at the table in Pathfinder Second Edition (Pf 2e) is categorized as taking place under either Exploration, Encounter or Downtime and there are mechanical differences in the game according to which mode of play is currently being accessed. The three are somewhat self explanatory, but the distinction is useful. Exploration involves traveling about while not chasing/being chased or fighting. Exploration may involve a trek through the wilderness, a visit to the city market, or traversing the uninhabited passages of an ancient tomb. Exploration often involves some skill checks and much information can be discovered and revealed during Exploration. 

When opposition is encountered, the game shifts to Encounter mode. Combat is often the key game system that defines an encounter, but bartering, questioning, negotiating or other non-violent means may be employed during Encounter mode. Rolling for Initiative to begin combat has become an iconic feature of d20 games in recent decades and Pathfinder 2e retains the initiative roll as a concept, but provides a new twist. An Initiative roll in Pf 2e defaults to being based upon the Perception skill as a character is often using their "perception" to help determine their course of action in combat. Initiative can also use other skills, however. For example, Stealth may be used as a bonus for the Initiative roll if the character is sneaking up on a group of unsuspecting creatures. 

Shields get some well deserved and unique attention in Pf 2e. Historically the shield was a significant part of defense for many warriors. (A simple bonus to AC has always seemed too simplistic to me.) In Pf 2e a character equipped with a shield may spend one of their 3 actions to "raise their shield" thus preparing it for defensive use. A raised shield increases Armor Class and also allows the character access to special shield reactions such as blocking an attack. Shields in Pf 2e can take and reduce damage and can be themselves damaged or destroyed when blocking a particularly heavy blow. There is definitely advantages to having a shield in Pf 2e.

Many magic spells in Pf 2e may be cast using more than one "action". By using additional casting actions the player can adjust how the spell manifests. Depending on how many actions are devoted to the casting there may be additional spell effects. Adding actions beyond the base requirement (which can be two or even three actions) are thematically characterized in the game as adding additional components to the spell casting. Somatic or material components narratively account for the extra time spent casting some magic. For example, the Pf 2e divine healing spell can be cast as a touch spell, a ranged spell or an area of effect "burst" depending upon how many actions are used in its casting. The classic magic user spell magic missile can be cast using one action for one missile, two for two, or three actions for three magic missiles. 

Making decisions is at the heart of all role-playing games and Pf 2e is all about players making meaningful decisions during both chargen and game play. Combat in Pf 2e involves each player making lots of decisions each round, many of them having a tactical effect. With 3 actions at their disposal, some of those actions can be used in combination to achieve enhanced results. Cooperating players can form individual tactics based on their own character options, and can also combine their tactics with those of others in the group to form a "squad" level coordination of group tactics. (Yes, Pf 2e combat can start to feel like a wargame!)

Conditions are yet another way that Pf 2e adds "realism" to the feel of its gameplay. Many of the 42 Conditions listed in Pf 2e are brought about during Encounters by the effects of spell casting or through combat outcomes. Creatures in Pf 2e can often cause various Conditions when they execute their abilities or attacks. For many monsters having such abilities, the Conditions they inflict are as important as any physical damage they deal. In fact, I would say that for some of the more interesting monsters in the Pf 2e Bestiary (a 360 page book sold separately), their real "power" is their ability to cause certain hindering or debilitating Conditions. 

Conditions in Pf 2e often have levels, such as Sickened 1, Sickened 2, etc. The number indicates the effect or severity (often a numerical penalty to rolls) and how long the Condition lasts. Managing and reducing a condition's severity adds to the tactical challenge of encountering creatures that impose them and makes encountering many old and familiar creatures seem unexpectedly new again. 

Downtime in Pf 2e is a way for the GM to speed up the passage of time allowing for extended healing, research, training/retraining (you can switch out Feats or Skills!) and crafting to occur. Crafting mechanics in the Core Rules is something I have not encountered before in any other game and is one of the aspects of Pf 2e that sets it above many other systems. Player Characters who have the Crafting skill may engage in crafting during Downtime to earn money or to add items to their inventory. With the correct formula and materials, crafting can be used to create a Talisman, which is a small expendable magic item that is affixed to another item (armor, sword, etc.) and that can be activated to give a single use "magical" effect. Very nice! (Expendable magic is unfortunately an under utilized option in many campaigns using other systems.) 

The Proficiency bonus is added to a character skill such as Crafting and also in combat. In Pf 2e there are levels of Proficiency. The levels are labeled untrained (granting no bonus), trained, expert, master, and legendary - which each grant the character a bonus of +2, 4, 6, or 8 respectively (plus the character's level). A character may have an Expert level Proficiency with their weapon (granting +4 bonus), but only be Trained (+2) in Stealth. When combined with the rules for Critical Hits (scoring 10 or more above one's target number) a character can achieve some rather dramatic results when their "adds" start to accumulate. Combat against weaker foes in Pf 2e can seem like a "supers" game with our heroes wading through minions dealing destruction - yet encounters with stronger foes can quickly turn "deadly" for those same characters as they themselves become the victims of damage-dealing critical hits. Choose your Pf 2e battles wisely!

In my next post I will wrap up my thoughts on Pathfinder Second Edition.

Finding My Path to Fun

Pathfinder Second Edition

I enjoy this hobby immensely. I have for 40+ years and counting. I still enjoy the first role-playing game I acquired back in 1977 - I also enjoy a lot of other RPGs that have come along since then.

Of the modern game systems, I am most comfortable with Pathfinder 2e (Pf 2e). There are a number of factors that contribute to this. The default setting, Golarion, contains fantasy elements that I can relate to without being overly generic and too vanilla. The classes and ancestries in the core rules are traditional and therefore "comfortable" - as is the game's use of Alignment. But it is the mechanics of play that really recommends Pf 2e and forms the basis for it being my preference to run and play. In the past year I have ran more sessions of Pf 2e than I have of all other systems combined - largely due to its wonderful mechanics!

Action economy - I cannot converse about Pf 2e without praising the game's 3 action point combat mechanic and sequence. Creatures in Pf 2e get 3 actions each combat round - an attack or "strike" in game terminology can use-up one action , movement can be one action, a visual search can cost one action, spell casting is often two actions, and raising a shield in preparation for a defensive reaction is one action. Actions can be repeated, though striking a second time during a round incurs a penalty - usually -5 to hit, while a third strike is at -10. Magic spells are often variable in effect depending upon how many actions are used in the casting. 

While the combat action economy is the feature of Pf 2e I usually launch right into when describing what I like most about this system, there are a number of other mechanical aspects of the core rules which I find appealing. 

The game master is in charge of the story and the world - Pf 2e clearly states this at the top of page 8 of the Core Rules. While this may seem insignificant to some readers, as an old hand at this hobby who prefers that the game I run resembles something I enjoy, I appreciate the statement which ultimately also reflects the game's philosophy as is evident throughout the text.

Having said that, I think the game is ahead of the curve with respect to sensitivity for inclusion and commitment to universal enjoyment of the fun factor. In other words, I think Pf 2e nicely covers all the bases!

Character generation is a tedious exercise in many modern systems (and not a few older ones). Although it consumes a bit of time, I find creating a character in Pf 2e is both fun and engaging. The Pathfinder franchise is somewhat noted for offering players many opportunities to customize characters and 2e Core continues along that path. In 2e one assembles a PC through a process of making meaningful choices that each add potential for role-play as well as roll-play. (Yes, the mechanical build compliments the role-playing!) The choices one makes choosing your character's ancestry (which replaces "race"), background, and of course class all influence their vital statistics and skill proficiencies while allowing each character to be customized making one human fighter different from the next. The entire chargen process feels like a mini-game (rather than a chore).

Pathfinder 2e revolutionizes role-playing mechanics in many ways. Skill tests and combat rolls are made with critical success and failure defined as a result ten over or ten under the target number. Creatures with higher skill bonus will "crit" more often and fumble less than those creatures with more modest skills.

Pathfinder 2e can feel like a supers game when your bonus overpowers the difficulty of making a target number, but the system retains its ability to also feel "deadly". It does this by subjecting characters to multiple attacks each turn, and a more traditional approach to death and dying and healing. Often an area of house-ruling as preferences for lethality and healing rate varies considerably, I am happy with Pathfinder 2e as written. The Core Rules strikes a balance of sorts and in doing so I find it gives me the kind of game I seek.

Damage in Pf 2e lowers a character's Hit Points and when the character reaches 0 HP they become unconscious and acquire the "dying" condition (which like many conditions in Pf 2e is followed by a number such as Dying 1, Dying 2, etc.). Each turn during which the PC has the dying condition, a d20 is rolled and the condition may improve or deteriorate. Death may be the result, or the PC may recover from "dying" and advance to "wounded" - a condition which stays with the character until fully healed and that will compound with any future dying condition making subsequent recovery less likely. 

A night spent resting will restore a modest number of lost Hit Points, thus maintaining a sense of verisimilitude. 

With the number of good FRP games available today why do I choose Pathfinder 2e? I have touched on a few of the reasons in this post and will continue to discuss my thoughts in my next post. Until then stay safe and happy gaming!

Walking the Ring to Mount Doom

...and other twice-told tales.

Appendix N of the Game Masters Guide contains designer Gary Gygax' list of books that influenced the world's first role-playing game (and by extension all subsequent RPGs) and is itself an excellent reading list for inspiration for plying the game. Among the many sources listed in Appendix N is of course the excellent works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Anyone familiar with the original game will note the presence of elves, dwarves and hobbits (renamed halflings after the 4th printing) and various less savory creatures appearing as monsters, all seemingly drawing inspiration from the good professor's stories - or not. (The connection is always left vague or denied outright by the designers once a cease and desist letter from the Tolkien estate made its appearance.)

Making decisions is at the heart of the game. The player chooses from among the character races, those already mentioned and humans, who presumably dominate the implied milieu, can be any class and have no level limits unlike the demi-human races. Once race and class is chosen by the player, an alignment is decided upon reflecting both moral temperament and allegiance to a group of like-minded beings and creatures. Equipment for the character is purchased marking yet more decisions and all this "deciding" occurs even before the adventure proper can begin...oh yes, and a distinct name for each player's character is also chosen. 

Once each player is armed with at least one character - a potential hero-in-the-making if during play the player's choices are sound and the dice are kind - then the real decision making begins. What choices will our hero make? Will we seek gold, glory and honor? Or take a less chivalrous path and rob, steal and kill our way to fame and fortune? Will we seek shelter in yon cave, or press on into the storm? Will we turn left or right at the fork in the tunnel? The game is about making decisions.

Inspiration, not imitation is the intent and where the real reward lies. Playing out a pre-written story is another game altogether - and not the one envisioned by its original creators who assumed each player will want to do their own imagining. Why recreate someone else's story when your own awaits? Why settle for what has already been done, when each new character can forge their own legend by following their unique journey where ever it leads - making your own choices along the way. This is your hero's journey.