2019 in Review

Never did get around to this semi-quasi-generally-recurring blog post about what kind of gaming I have gotten up to over the last year. Starting to look like my company Christmas party, we usually get around to that in August. 2019, what the hell have I been up to. My first OSR module was released to great acclaim and mild sales. 26 copies to date. I think that is great for this project. The only part I fucked up was making the POD copy available on Lulu. Which means all the copies out there are all PDF's. I couldn't direct any sales over to Lulu. Too bad cause the physical copy isn't shabby at all. Proud of the work. It also had an editor which puts it above like 90% of the DIY game product being shucked on DriveThru. The other serious goal it accomplished is making sure 2019 wasn't a dud, as far as new product being released. Hate to see the Press have a zero output year. If you are not publishing anything you are not much of a game company are you?

I sold 131 of my own game products in total for the tidy some of $86.66 commission in 2019. This includes the novel war game Santapocalypse. I should look at these "card" capabilities at DriveThru, see if I can make some mounted, color counters you could cut up. Color matters in game products.  Or it would matter on this one I think. Nice poppy unit counters. Interestingly it is my first product released by another "company", Peryton Publishing, so that is strange. It definitely is the the way to live, have someone else publish for you. I was edited, got an original piece of art added to it. I just need someone to fetch me coffee and empty out my ashtray! Fucking big time baby.

The D&D conversion guides chugged along grossing a little over $1,000.00. leaving me with $849.00 profit. Lets see... Mark bought a t-shirt. I think they are cool cause it has my art on it.  I "monetized" the venerable blog with using affiliate links to DriveThru and that is a strange, stunning $148.00 in folks clicking thru and buying stuff on the site.  

Business aside, the actual part of gaming, the reason I am all in on DIY gaming stuff, was absurdly off the charts again. Not in volume of play but quality of play. 2019 saw me running only Rom'Myr Dying Earth, but it has spawned my most detailed fantasy world I've worked on yet. As is every other campaign I've run it has a direct motive, game challenge which I set out to accomplish and test the validity of. Rom'Myr is your standard high fantasy fare using Dungeons & Dragons to prove, at least to myself, the shit about D&D being good for only dungeon crawling, or it is only about combat, or it isn't good for telling stories or whatever drivel is being declared about the deadness of trad roleplaying conceits, is just that; shit. The end analysis I come to is shit players/gms make for shit games. I've taken the zero-to-hero, xp leveling for character improvement, counter-intuitive AC system of combat and put so much sword and sorcery meat on the bones that I'm satisfied with my most strident conclusions. I can use any system to give red in tooth and claw roleplaying adventure as long as I have two things; a firm grip on the genre to be run, and players who do shit. Interesting shit. They like talk with each other, work in character based on what the character actually does and don't tell you what their character is, they play the sum'bitch and who these imaginary heroes are comes to life in truly unique ways. I can't get invested in a game or character unless their is an opportunity to be surprised by the character's life and achievements waiting to be had. I won't go through the laundry list of preconceived bias built into critiquing the world's first, and most successful, roleplaying game I and my players obliterated in play. Suffice to say concepts such as immersion, in character, rich game world reacting to the players, player agency and self-directed adventure goals are pretty routine stuff around the Vanishing Tower game table.

Hitting the two year mark with this campaign has got me in the joyous position of thinking of conclusions, campaign endings. When does the campaign reach its end? My first two campaigns ended in the traditional manner of petering out with month-long breaks, rage quits, and changing personal schedules. This one though, Rom'Myr Dying Earth just might make it to a final resolution. A place where the character's stories are done, the last oaths have been uttered and the last betrayal suffered. Where the PCs get the just reward of fading into legend... It could happen. Maybe in 2020!

Rom'Myr the Dying Earth - Currently in Averoigne.

Latest video at Vanishing Tower Press studios is up. Uncut version of session #25 of the High Fantasy epic which is grudgingly being dragged out of our bleak sword and sandal word of Rom' Myr and has spent most of the campaign time in Clark Ashton Smith's Averoigne. It is has been a long and turning path and the linkages between the two realms is little understood. Fortunately the PCs are of a single minded purpose of meting out justice against their enemies. If they could only come to grips with them!

 

Modern NPC Personality Generator

The online Champions Campaign which has steamed through two sessions now has me thinking I would benefit from a personality generator. One for the on-the-fly NPC, your newspaper person, your real estate agent, appliance salesperson, etc. The characters which are incredibly disposable, and will have no further interaction with the PCs moving forward in a consequential manner. This bunch surely could benefit from one quick handle for the GM to hang their hat on and pin this character in everyone's mind for their short-lived appearance. The theory here is; just because the encounter is singular and not a big deal in the grand scheme of things doesn't mean it shouldn't be played out with some depth like every other damn scene in the game. 

More to the point, grab for descriptors and conditions to make the encounter stickier in your player's brains.

The text to generate these lists for the NPC Personality Generator has all come from the 1e DMG. So these are Gary's building blocks. I've just punched them into these HTML buttons so you only have to make two rolls instead of twenty. 

 

Here is the way I've been using these two buttons. Any facts and/or traits which, in my opinion, conflict with each other, pairings which cause me to much dissonance, I cancel out. Cross out both of them. Because I'm not intent on utilizing the entire generated description. I'm interested in coming up with a rather complete personality profile for the new NPC which somehow has become required to the scene. 

Sometimes when I hit these generators I'm only looking for, or needing, one description to use. NPCs fleeting in nature seldom require much more.  The other way I will use these buttons is to try and use as many of the descriptors as I can. This exercise I employ when the NPC needed deserves more nuanced, complex character profiles.  

Issue #2 INFERNO

Second session of the new Champions campaign has completed and as appropriate there are more questions than answers. The fight with Icicle was cut short by Moscow West going up in a fireball. Seeing this neighborhood go up in flames stopped Icicle short. She had a horrified look on her face calling out “No, no, no” and jetted out on her ice wave through the second-floor lobby window and raced into the night.

Wolf and Knockout catch their breadth and give each other the “WTF” look and agree to go to the fire. It looks real bad. People are going to need help. People are going to need some heroes! They stash the serum sample in Knockouts Honda Accord and double up on Wolf’s Harley.

Three blocks away from the blaze Capitol City Police have begun blocking off streets. The two are told to turn it around and clear the area. Wolf goes west some blocks and pulls over in an empty side street.

“We got to get in there an help save people.” Says Knockout. “We are both paramedics, they need us.” What wolf says is overcome by the peeling horns of first-responders parading past on a nearby cross street. Their conversation is cut short when someone comes out of the man-hole cover in the middle of the street. He is wearing tough looking work wear, a onesie with reinforced elbows and knees. All red. He tosses a tank out in front of him. A large “wand” is attached to the tank by a length of hose. It isn’t till the guy throws his “tank” gear over his shoulder does he notice the two heroes standing nearby on the sidewalk.

“Hey, Patsy, there is a couple of people up here.” From down below someone shouts back up,

“Just get to the car!” the unseen person is heard to say. The guy in the red onesie ignores being addressed by the heroes, pops the trunk on a nearby Ford Mustang and throws his gear in. The smell of smoke and gasoline emanates from him. The black streaks of soot clinch it for the heroes, this guy probably has something to do with this catastrophic fire! Before they can interfere with the suspected arsonist his partner halls himself up onto the street. He is a big guy. Urban fatigues, thick boots. His trench coat covers up his red shirt with some unidentifiable logo. He is wearing a mask, a red and black mask. Just like his partner at the car, his identity is obscured by the mask he wears.

“You got any problems bub?” He asks.

“Yeah we can’t help notice you guys are packing a flame-thrower and there happens to be a raging block fire happening just behind you. Just have to ask you if you know anything about the fire, sure looks like you two started it.”

“Ah, a couple of smart guys. Just get back on your bike there kids and get out of here before you end up in the hospital, kapeesh?”

“Not until you explain yourself.” Answers Knockout.

“I gave you a chance bub, now the White Patriot is going to send you away – in pieces!” and the battle was joined. Knockout and the heavy traded superhuman blows with Knockout getting the worst of it. Wolf foiled Mr. Red Onesie getting away in the car with a blast of his physical, alien attack powers. This blew all 4 wheels of the Mustang into rubber shreds.

“Fuck!” he yelled and got out of the car to confirm the damage.

Knockout took another punch from White Patriot which launched her and left her stunned on the pavement. Wolf gunned his motorcycle and sped towards the fallen Knockout.

“I have to get us out of here before we get killed.” Wolf thought. Knockout got to her feet, but before Wolf could reach his friend White Patriot leaped down the street, blocking Wolf.

“I need that bike bub. You blew the wheels of my ride so I’m taking yours!”

Wolf attempted a controlled skid into White Patriot. White Patriot grabbed the Harley and flung Wolf off of it and into the wall. Wolf felt that one.

Knockout, recovered from her is pummeling, launches herself at White Patriot and sends him off the bike. The guy in the red onesie, now strapped with his blowtorch, gives Knockout a fearsome blast which roasts her clothes and is almost overcome by the explosive1 heat.

“I said get out of here!” White Patriot yells. The guy holding the blowtorch looks disappointed, but nevertheless throws his gear back in the open trunk and pops a flare. He gets ten yards down a side street when the Mustang blows.

This is when Icicle reappears. She is surprised to run into Wolf and Knockout, but she pounces on the opportunity and starts going through Wolf’s pockets.

“Where is it you shit?” she addresses the incoherent Wolf. “Where did you put it?” She looks over towards White Patriot, “Don’t break this guy, he’s carrying something fragile I want.”

White Patriot gives a snort, “See you round sweetie!” and races on Wolf’s Harley after his fire-storm buddy.

Knockout gives up his fight to aid Wolf against Icicle. Not finding the serum sample on him she gives up in frustration and skates away before she must tangle with Knockout. “This isn’t over, I need that sample, and I’m going to get it.” She says to Knockout as she disappears. All that can be heard is the pealing on sirens and horns as more first-responders close in on the burning neighborhood.

Our heroes resign themselves to aiding the injured for the rest of the night. With their paramedic skills they easily mix in with the other medical workers on site. Volunteers in these situations are always welcome. Come dawn Wolf and Knockout grab an ambulance ride back up to Capitol City University Medical Center. They are exhausted and nodding off. Wolf’s cell breaks him out of his dozing, it’s his mother, Dr. Nancy McKeever.

“Jim your father left with two men last night from the reception. He said it was nothing and he would be back soon. He said they were federal agents and they just had some questions on what happened last night. Especially with the break into the lab. But he hasn’t returned. Its morning and I still haven’t seen or heard from him.”

“I’m sure he’s alright Mom. He’ll call you when he can. I’ll be home soon. If you don’t hear from him by the time I get home we’ll call the police. Okay? Bye.” Wolf looks over to Knockout, “My dad’s missing.”

“What are you going to do? What happened to him?”

Wolf relays what his mom told him. “So I’ve managed to lose my bike and my foster dad in the same night.”

“If we are going to find him we are going to have to put some pieces together. You think this has anything to do with the serum sample we have?”

“Gotta be. But where do we start?”

“We need some sleep before we sort this out.” Knockout concludes.

“Call me in a couple of hours, we should probably start by searching the lab for any clues to who or what is going on.”

“Shit.” Breaths Knockout.

“Who is it?” Wolf can see Knockout looking at his ringing phone. “Ahh, it’s a federal agent. FBEE. Tell you about it later, but I am not talking to him right now. See you in a couple of hours”

Champions Instant Adventure Generators

I'm looking to keep a brisk pace in the new Champions game I am running and this will mean at some point the action on any given night  will outrun current circumstances. That's when it is real handy to have an instant adventure generator to tease the next exciting encounter. 

Therefore I have created some more instant generators and given them a page on this here old blog of gaming cracked-ness. I have provided three buttons; Hero vs. Villain, Hero vs. Nature and Hero vs. Themselves. All three of the generators are taken from the 5e Champions sourcebook and its random adventure generator tables. I have modified them here and there at my whim and formatting desires.

Being a Champion Again

The new 5e game started off at a Gala fundraiser at Capitol City University Medical Center on the CCU campus.

The clapping was much less than would normally be expected for such a gala fundraiser, when his adoptive mother, a brilliant doctor, got up to deliver the keynote address. The global pandemic, the continuous spread of Covid-24, the "Purple Plague", has brought normal life to a standstill in Capitol City. Important gatherings such as this are necessarily sparsely attended. Wolf's adoptive father is obviously distressed when he turns to Wolf and makes a confession; the vaccine has no long term viability. He pleads with Wolf to go up in the lab and retrieve the single sample of the serum. He will come clean in the morning and turn over the fake to the proper authorities.

Knockback was upstairs in the hospital lab working late, double-checking her work. The administration said they would handle the formulation issues she uncovered in initial trials. They hadn't! How could something like this get past the team leaders? It was just then she heard a heavy thunk in the virus containment vault.

"That's not good." Jumps Knockout. She approaches the vault door just as a viscous, purple mucus extrudes through the steel door and forms a horrid looking humanoid. It seems senseless and incoherent. Knockout asks "it" if everything is alright? At the sound of Knockout's voice the creature leaps violently at the hero. Instead of hands and feet it has starfish shaped appendages with grasping, gaping maws lined with jagged teeth. It wraps its boneless arm around Knockout's neck and begins sapping the strength from her body.

It was then that Wolf comes in and encounters the struggle. Wolf recognizes the resident technician Olga Knox, so springs into action against the monster. Working together, Knockout delivers a devastating blow while the monsters limbs sought out its new assailant, Wolf! The purple beast explodes into a spray of goo and liquid tissue.

The two heroes catch their breath and introduce each other with the tried and true "Hey, I know you." Wolf secures the sample and the two exit the lab out in to the hallway. Wolf is immediately blasted with a spray of liquid ice which suddenly hardens, trapping Wolf's arms and legs in unyielding ice. They turn to see who their attacker is.

"I'm sorry boys I need to be taking the sample you have on you." She was dressed like an Olympic speed skater, if the Olympics were held in the Thunderdome and the skaters had an iridescent, frosty aura around them! Red and blue, the tight suit showed the body of an Olympian at least.

"What sample, what are you talking about lady? And let my friend go!"

"The sample your frat boy friend pocketed after you blew up that, that thing."

"You mean you just stood there and watched? You weren't even going to help us?"

"Why get my hands dirty, besides you two almost looked like you could win it. I thought I would give you a chance."

"The serum is leaving with us!" yells Wolf as he breaks out of the immobilizing ice.

Knockout takes her que and thunders forward with a smashing fist. Alas, the ice aura surrounding their attacker absorbs Knockout's blow, seemingly to leave her untouched. For her troubles Knockout takes a blast of blue ice from the villain's hands, sending her bouncing down the hall. Wolf engages with his concussing magnetic powers and this, the second unknown assailant of the night, staggers back clutching her sides. He may have heard one of her ribs snap.

"What the hell did you just do to me?" she says. "You want to take the gloves off with me boy, with Icicle? Well you got it... !

(to be continued)

What was established so far? The vaccine doesn't work in the long term. May even cause serious harm after 90 days. Having an initial limited roll out in three cities; Capitol City, Millennium (old Detroit), and San Caliente (replaces LA, its still shitty though).

[

9:07 AM

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The feds/administration is going to do a phased withdrawal after 30 days so they can fix and reintroduce a safe vaccine. Problem is, Dr. McKeever is being extorted for a sample of the corrupt, dangerous serum.

[

9:08 AM

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In an act of conscious he wants to take the sample from the lab upstairs so no one can use it and then in the morning come clean about the whole thing, no matter what it will do to his reputation and standing.

[

9:11 AM

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Some hideous slime monster oozed out of the containment vault which tried to drain Knockout's strength with starfish like hands, but Knockout and Wolf's teamwork obliterated the postulant thing.

[

9:12 AM

]

… and you are now in a fight with a ice blasting villain demanding they turn over the serum to her.

[

9:12 AM

]

a dangerous felon known as Icicle.