Who Wants to be Evil?

A Show of Hands

Suppose that Frodo puts on the ring and becomes "corrupted" - eventually becoming like Gollum! The king does not return, rather Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf, Merry and Pippin all die at the black gates along with the hope of  all the free peoples. The scouring of the shire goes unchecked, and the shadow falls across all of Middle-earth... what kind of story would that be?

Most of the fantastic fiction that I read features a protagonist, or several, who work against evil. They play the part of heroes. This inspires me to want to play "the hero" in my own fantasy fiction/ roleplaying. We all play games for different reasons, and there is usually an element of discovery to most role-playing  and even playing at "evil"  (however one defines that) can lead each of us to certain useful realizations about ourselves, or the nature of the "real" world in which we live.

As a referee, I like to present the players at our table with a setting or world under attack from an "evil" force that threatens and imperils others. This gives them a chance to play the part of heroes!

More often than not, it has been my experience that playing an evil character can be non-rewarding. One evil PC will be tempted to turn against their fellows. A party of evil doers will usually devolve into a free-for-all as they all turn to self-serving interest and likely homicide. Occasionally, it can be interesting to explore the grey areas where good and evil are poorly defined, but this practice can become unsettling in a game setting as well. Games are played mostly for entertainment value and becoming troubled or unsettled as a part of "play" seems counter-productive, especially if it happens very often.

A nice abstract, fictional and external "evil" is a more comfortable enemy. Defeating the "big bad" and playing the part of the hero who saves the day - to much positive accolade - is why many of us enjoy playing RPGs. I can definitely see some reasons to role-play the villains as well, especially as an alternative after playing the heroes many times. Or perhaps as a one-off or short pre-campaign one might invite the players flesh out the future villains through their role-play, perhaps as a set-up for later taking the role of defeating those same villains. This was suggested to me and could be quite interesting. 

On the other hand...

I find little appeal in the idea of playing the evil "mythos" cultist, one who strives to usher in the "old ones" just so they can watch them devour the world - my character included. But ultimately, who can say? I have actually never tried it. I have, however, played many a fang-faced goblin as they try to kill the heroic adventurers who are invading their "evil hand" goblin lair - what referee hasn't? 

And tell me that isn't fun...

Tone, Mood and Style

A "Feel" for the Game.

The tone, mood and style of a session or campaign are not as often discussed as they probably deserve to be for the tone (intent or approach to the game) or mood (how the game is perceived or experienced), or style of the game are game features which can add to or detract from a players enjoyment. 

Tone in a fictional sense can be defined as the attitude (or point-of-view) of the subject (player, PC, or referee, NPC) toward story events or other characters. Friendly and cooperative - hostile and suspicious - trusting and caring - these all convey tone in an interaction with the setting and its inhabitants. 

The mood speaks more to the atmosphere of the setting. Is it dark and dangerous, or not? Is the setting a bright and hopeful place where characters can be confident that good will ultimately prevail? Or does the game take place in a world of danger where hope is failing and ultimate doom seems to inevitably await? (Note: A feeling of hopelessness is to be avoided as it generally discourages any action on the part of the player characters.) 

Gaming in a grim-dark setting can be quite rewarding as long as the players feel the actions of their characters can effectively alter to eventual outcome in a positive way. A bright and hopeful place where folks treat each other with respect and kindness can also be interesting, especially if it is facing an external treat that seeks to upset this harmony. This scenario gives the player characters the chance to play the hero and restore order by eliminating the threat. 

Style can mean a lot of things, all pertaining to how the game system is actually played out at the table. Examples could be described as being crunchy with lots of details, or as light and containing lots of abstractions, as high in magic or low in magic, and as using old or new game technology - this last element frequently describes the mechanical techniques used in various elements of  the game and influencing the "game" play experience. It is often said that any game can be played in an "old school style" which generally means using creative interpretation of the system rules, which are frequently intentionally brief and do not cover all eventualities so that there is room left for referee input. 

The various elements of tone, mood and style can have a significant effect on how satisfying your experience of the game is and is worth giving some deliberate thought to - perhaps even including a discussion among players which can help to get everyone on the same page regarding expectations. 

On Dwarves, Elves and Men

A Consideration of the Antecedents of Milieu for Tolkien and Your Fantasy Game.

The source of inspiration for the so-called "Tolkienesque milieu" in fantasy role-playing games is obvious (at least to me). When reading both the World's First Role-Playing Game booklets and the Fantasy Supplement which preceded those three little brown booklets I can picture Middle-earth. The early printings of those games contain clear reference to ents, balrogs, and even hobbits - all clearly influenced by The Good Professor's popular fiction. Less obvious perhaps is the inclusion of the so-called demi-humans - elves and dwarves - in later printings and editions when-in the Tolkien specific names of specific creatures have been changed to avoid copyright infringement.. 

The "elf" and the "dwarf" are common staples of many stories found in folklore, fairy tales and various other sources and their use predates the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien- who no doubt read about such creatures and developing his own version of same, includes them in his seminal works of fantastic fiction. Traditional characterization of elves (elfs) and dwarves (dwarfs) include Santa's helpers and the fairy-tale villain,  Rumplestiltskin. Elves and dwarves appear in Norse and other mythologies and in many works of fiction published prior to the works of Professor Tolkien. The exact nature, and stature of such creatures varies considerably depending upon the source and there is anything but a "standardized" depiction of them - at least prior to The Good Professor.

Through the creation of his world setting, Middle-earth, Prof. Tolkien has effectively set THE standard of interpretation regarding "elves" and "dwarves" and their relationship to men - an interpretation that has been followed in various works of several authors and film-makers each focusing on the popular epic fantasy genre, and by designers of fantasy role-playing games, all drawing inspiration from Middle-earth. Early evidence of such influence can be found in the fact that despite his arguing to the contrary, the author of the original Advanced Game tips his hand when he subdivides the elves in the game's default milieu into "high", "grey", and "woods", terms often applied by Tolkien and others to the Noldor, Sindar and Sylvan elves found in Middle-earth.

Borrowing inspiration from a variety of sources is a strength of The World's Most Popular Role-Playing Game and this is not a criticism of the practice. By combining influences from a variety of sources, the designers of the game have enabled the same basic system to be used to explore a myriad of themes, settings and stories through game play. Versatility is a chief element in the game's lasting appeal. Each player brings their own imagination, however colored by personal exposure and experience with their own unique set of inspirations, to the gaming table. Each draws upon that resource when they envision the setting, actors and actions that make up the game session. 

Whether your elves and dwarves closely resemble those of Professor Tolkien, or not, is part of the fun we discover when playing with various other people. It is part of the collective richness of the group activity to share, and be influenced by the vision of others. Whether one prefers a tightly defined milieu where individual character differences are slight and many constants exist among members of a group, or a much looser approach to what makes an elf and elf, how we each choose to play our own unique character is our decision alone. Does your character run strongly to type, or is your player character the exception?

Milieu is one of the more important decisions one must make about the game. Closely tied to setting, defining milieu is often the prerogative of the game's designer or of the referee or "player running the game" if it is set in a world of their choosing. Milieu not only defines who the actors are likely to be, it can establish expectations of behavior and relationships. Or not. How "predictable" do you want your game world? Do you have an "ideal" in mind? Perhaps that vision closely resembles Tolkien's Middle-earth or another work of fiction. Imitation has worked for many a world-builder.

Giving thought to the make-up of the game's milieu - its cast of characters - can only enhance to depth of the game experience and deepen your enjoyment. Knowing what each character is all about - what binds them together with others and what sets them apart - can be very helpful in deciding how they will react to the various situations they find themselves in during play. Whether you control a host of non-player characters as referee, or a single character as a player, the more you know about the fictional character, the better you are able to role-play a consistent and believable protagonist.

For Glory, Gold, and Adventure

Beyond the Gold Box

Sometimes a game comes along that perfectly fills a niche, leaving virtually no room for any other. Sometimes a game gives me just what I am looking for and nothing more, and nothing less. Sometimes, the game seems so perfect "as is" that I am not interested in looking for better, I am not even tempted to tinker with, or "house-rule" the system.

For me Tunnels & Trolls is this game. The incomparable Tunnels & Trolls, or "T&T" as it is lovingly referred to by its many fans, is just perfect for solo play. I believe its originators recognized this early on in T&T publication as the very first solo module I am aware of of any kind - Buffalo Castle - was written by Rick Loomis in 1976 for T&T.

The orange box was not my first copy of T&T. That introduction came in a spiral bound 4th edition paperback booklet that I picked up during a late 1970s Gencon trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin (1978 or '79?). The first edition of T&T was released in 1975 - just a year, if that long, after the publication of the World's First Role-Playing Game that came in the now-famous "wood-grain" box; Tunnels & Trolls quickly progressed through several editions leading up to the 5th edition (released in 1979) when they seemed to find the "sweet spot" and let things rest for a time. The 5th edition became the standard T&T for many of us and I believe it was in print and available through the original publisher Flying Buffalo until the Kickstarter for Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls happened in 2014-15.

The above pictured box contains the Flying Buffalo United Kingdom (F.B.U.K.) 5th edition rulebook - a saddle-stitched orange softcover slightly larger in size than a digest journal - packaged together with the solo adventure Buffalo Castle and included a couple of adventures designed for the T&T referee to run for their players - Trollstone Caverns, included as an example adventure in the rulebook, and the freestanding loose-leaf Dungeon of the Bear written by Jim "Bear" Peters - who incidentally was one of the original players of T&T and seems to have remains actively engaged with the game to this day. I have played both the included solo adventure and the mentioned group dungeon adventures many times and I find them entertaining (and to provide a little "tongue-in-cheek" humor at times).

Tunnels & Trolls has used the same basic system mechanic across all the editions. Therefore adventures written specifically for one edition are easily played using any other edition - older or newer. The mechanical edition changes have mostly been directed at "play balance" and consist of more tweaking than redesigning. From its first edition, T&T has used "roll the dice and compare the total" to resolve conflict between player characters and monsters. The rolls of players are added together and likewise all the monster dice are summed and the lower sum (loosing side) is subtracted from the higher sum (winning side). Hits are assigned based on the difference in the sums with the losing "team" distributing damage among its crew. 

I real genius in the system mechanics of the T&T game. Even better than combat is perhaps its saving throw mechanic. A T&T "Saving Throw" involves rolling two six-sided dice and comparing the total to a target number that is determined by subtracting an attribute score from a "Saving Throw" level number. An example of a common T&T Saving Throw as made during play could be found when either the player asks to make a "First Level Luck Saving Throw" in order to try some maneuver or is told to do so by the referee. Depending on the edition, the player may subtract their character's "Luck" score from either 20 or 25 and try to equal or exceed the difference on two dice - T&T uses only six-sided dice. Doubles on the dice add together and are rolled again with the new dice total added in again. This is an open-ended rolling technique used as long as doubles are rolled, thus "making the long shot" is always a possibility. A minimum score is required, such as a total of "five" on the two dice, in order to be considered a "success". The "Saving Throw" can be used to avoid a trap, or just about anything else the referee agrees to such as convincing a guard to "look the other way". 

The game of T&T works quite well with a group or as a solo game and I have also enjoyed playing T&T many times with friends, using either an adventure of my own making or one of the published modules for designed for group-play. I have also played the group-play adventures as a "solo" using my party of adventurers and acting as my own "GameMaster". (The unique game mechanics of T&T lend themselves quite well to one player rolling for multiple characters.) Although I do play other games in a solo style, T&T has remained my favorite for those games. It is a game I am always excited to play and is my "go-to" system pick for a rules-lite style game to introduce beginners to table-top adventure gaming.