This week's readings has been slightly on the dry side but there were a couple of interesting posts on taking 10.
Chad Perrin: SOB
Passive Skill Checks, Consistency, and Taking 10
Why we don't allow taking 10 more often than we should and how it can benefit our games.
Elthos RPG
GMing: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
I agree with everything that he says about what makes a good, bad and ugly DM. A good summary of pointers for any would-be DMs to take out there.
Geek Ken
DM Tip: Taking 10 and passive skill checks
An interesting take on how taking 10 could be used for skills other than Perception and Insight.
RoleplayingPro
The Healing Surge: DM's Little Helper
Some extra application of healing surges outside of combat or to speed up play.
Whitehall ParaIndustries
Flaws of GNS- Part IV: Conflict with Reality
Flaws of GNS- Part V: The Big Model
Flaws of GNS- Part VI: Conclusion
Winding up the series on the flaws of GNS.
September 29, 2009
September 25, 2009
Questing with Fantasy Craft
When I heard about FantasyCraft, it had piqued my interest for some reason. It was one of the few names that were mentioned during the GenCon season that was not Parhfinder. I was curious of what FantasyCraft could be and gladly volunteered to review a copy that I had managed to acquire.
FantasyCraft, if the name hadn't given it away, was build by the team that brought you SpyCraft. This was Crafty Games' attempt into trying to fit their MasterCraft rules for a fantasy-based setting. Although I had not read SpyCraft before, I had heard of its reputation for being a daunting and overly complex rules system. However, while daunting might be the impression at first, I find FantasyCraft a ruleset worth mastering.
FantasyCraft places a heavy emphasis on concept and the strength of roleplaying over its mechanics. The mechanics are more towards reflecting the benefits of roleplaying as a character rather than having sub-systems that appear to look smart for the sake of it. The foundation of these rulesets are built by creative processes on the player's part than his mathematical crunching ability.
Coming from a D&D background, character generation seems lengthy at first. In addition to the usual picks of races (or species) and classes (career), FantasyCraft also wants the player to consider his specialty (and talents if you are playing as humans). Each specialty is very much similar to an occupation from D20 Modern which grants its own mechanical benefits but it also adds flavor to the career level that you picked.
This removes class defined functions of each character base on their choices and wants the player to consider what type of character he really wants to play as. Although there may be the archetype combinations to make the perfect rogue or fighter or spellcaster, the amount of specialty available to you encourages you to go for a more diverse and unique character.
There is more to that as well. While D&D might incline players to play a more combat worthy sort of character, FantasyCraft doesn't make that discrimination by giving players careers and specialties to play as social or skillful types of characters. Effectiveness is not always proven on the battlefield as there are more areas to excel.
This is where the second strength of FantasyCraft comes in. It has a sandbox approach in dictating characters' abilities. Every specialty and career choice is rewarded with mechanical backing that would come into play eventually. A soldier might strive to gain the feats and combat abilities to take out the enemy but the courtier seeks greater renown so that he could call in more favors.
In fact, there is a resource management element in the ruleset that mostly happens outside of combat. Characters have to think about what do they want to do during their downtime and this can be used to pursue different sorts of resources by using non-combat related skills and abilities. Gold and treasure which are the staple rewards for defeating monsters in their lairs cannot buy the reputation and renown that may be needed to call in a few favors for the next adventure.
It should come as no surprise that for a ruleset that puts quite on emphasis outside of combat has quite a simple combat system. However, the deadliness of the field, is far from friendly. Using the WP/VP system for tracking combat damage, it also does track for serious damages that could cripple characters which will be reflected to mechanical penalties. This could range from battered limbs to head trauma or injuries that have to be treated during downtime.
Combat is also not boring with the amount of basic actions that a character can perform, further expanded if the character can do combat tricks which are granted by combat feats.
Now all this extensive rules would be for nothing if it doubles the load of the GM running it. Under the GMing chapter, you would mainly find great advice that are generic enough to be used for other game systems. The GMing chapter refocuses the emphasis that a good concept/story from the GM is more important than the rules. Under the worldbuilding section, you will be asked a series of questions of how each element in the world interacts with the world populace and the PCs.
It also tells the GM that the rules are flexible and it should be up to the GM to use the ones that he wants accordingly. A GM can decide what rules he wants to use by deciding on his campaign qualities.
Want to run a gritty world with no spellcasting? Then don't put in the sorcery and miracles qualities and add Fragile Heroes to make your PCs have half their vitality point.
You can even run a speed campaign by adding in all the Fast qualities which grants your PCs a much faster rate of leveling up, getting feats and attribute bonuses.
One of the few mechanics that I really love in GMing FantasyCraft is the shared narrative control. Players and GM are given a certain amount of action dice per session that they could use to enhance or set a certain tone for an encounter/scene during an adventure. A GM may use his action dice to 'fudge' the defenses of his NPCs while a PC could use his action dice to gain double XP from completing their character's personal subplot.
FantasyCraft takes a more tool-kit approach and it is not for everyone. I would take FantasyCraft and compare it with True20 rather than Pathfinder. The amount of sandboxing preparation, creative work and rules mastery that usually comes with these kind of systems equals to an amount of work than some GMs and players might not be able to cope with.
However, the kudos that I give it to is because it is a very self-sustainable system contained within its 402 pages which is less than the Pathfinder Core Rulebook anyway. FantasyCraft provides you with all the tools suited to a fantasy RPG that can translate into many years of fun.
If the day of Fantasy RPG apocalypse ever comes, I will be taking FantasyCraft into the underground bunkers and leave my 4E D&D books to the nuclear holocaust any day.
Want to learn more about Fantasy Craft? Read on...
FantasyCraft, if the name hadn't given it away, was build by the team that brought you SpyCraft. This was Crafty Games' attempt into trying to fit their MasterCraft rules for a fantasy-based setting. Although I had not read SpyCraft before, I had heard of its reputation for being a daunting and overly complex rules system. However, while daunting might be the impression at first, I find FantasyCraft a ruleset worth mastering.
FantasyCraft places a heavy emphasis on concept and the strength of roleplaying over its mechanics. The mechanics are more towards reflecting the benefits of roleplaying as a character rather than having sub-systems that appear to look smart for the sake of it. The foundation of these rulesets are built by creative processes on the player's part than his mathematical crunching ability.
Coming from a D&D background, character generation seems lengthy at first. In addition to the usual picks of races (or species) and classes (career), FantasyCraft also wants the player to consider his specialty (and talents if you are playing as humans). Each specialty is very much similar to an occupation from D20 Modern which grants its own mechanical benefits but it also adds flavor to the career level that you picked.
This removes class defined functions of each character base on their choices and wants the player to consider what type of character he really wants to play as. Although there may be the archetype combinations to make the perfect rogue or fighter or spellcaster, the amount of specialty available to you encourages you to go for a more diverse and unique character.
There is more to that as well. While D&D might incline players to play a more combat worthy sort of character, FantasyCraft doesn't make that discrimination by giving players careers and specialties to play as social or skillful types of characters. Effectiveness is not always proven on the battlefield as there are more areas to excel.
This is where the second strength of FantasyCraft comes in. It has a sandbox approach in dictating characters' abilities. Every specialty and career choice is rewarded with mechanical backing that would come into play eventually. A soldier might strive to gain the feats and combat abilities to take out the enemy but the courtier seeks greater renown so that he could call in more favors.
In fact, there is a resource management element in the ruleset that mostly happens outside of combat. Characters have to think about what do they want to do during their downtime and this can be used to pursue different sorts of resources by using non-combat related skills and abilities. Gold and treasure which are the staple rewards for defeating monsters in their lairs cannot buy the reputation and renown that may be needed to call in a few favors for the next adventure.
It should come as no surprise that for a ruleset that puts quite on emphasis outside of combat has quite a simple combat system. However, the deadliness of the field, is far from friendly. Using the WP/VP system for tracking combat damage, it also does track for serious damages that could cripple characters which will be reflected to mechanical penalties. This could range from battered limbs to head trauma or injuries that have to be treated during downtime.
Combat is also not boring with the amount of basic actions that a character can perform, further expanded if the character can do combat tricks which are granted by combat feats.
Now all this extensive rules would be for nothing if it doubles the load of the GM running it. Under the GMing chapter, you would mainly find great advice that are generic enough to be used for other game systems. The GMing chapter refocuses the emphasis that a good concept/story from the GM is more important than the rules. Under the worldbuilding section, you will be asked a series of questions of how each element in the world interacts with the world populace and the PCs.
It also tells the GM that the rules are flexible and it should be up to the GM to use the ones that he wants accordingly. A GM can decide what rules he wants to use by deciding on his campaign qualities.
Want to run a gritty world with no spellcasting? Then don't put in the sorcery and miracles qualities and add Fragile Heroes to make your PCs have half their vitality point.
You can even run a speed campaign by adding in all the Fast qualities which grants your PCs a much faster rate of leveling up, getting feats and attribute bonuses.
One of the few mechanics that I really love in GMing FantasyCraft is the shared narrative control. Players and GM are given a certain amount of action dice per session that they could use to enhance or set a certain tone for an encounter/scene during an adventure. A GM may use his action dice to 'fudge' the defenses of his NPCs while a PC could use his action dice to gain double XP from completing their character's personal subplot.
FantasyCraft takes a more tool-kit approach and it is not for everyone. I would take FantasyCraft and compare it with True20 rather than Pathfinder. The amount of sandboxing preparation, creative work and rules mastery that usually comes with these kind of systems equals to an amount of work than some GMs and players might not be able to cope with.
However, the kudos that I give it to is because it is a very self-sustainable system contained within its 402 pages which is less than the Pathfinder Core Rulebook anyway. FantasyCraft provides you with all the tools suited to a fantasy RPG that can translate into many years of fun.
If the day of Fantasy RPG apocalypse ever comes, I will be taking FantasyCraft into the underground bunkers and leave my 4E D&D books to the nuclear holocaust any day.
Want to learn more about Fantasy Craft? Read on...
- Atomic Array: Fantasy Craft (Atomic Array 032)
- Game Cryer: Review by Chris Perrin
- Questing GM: Questing with Fantasy Craft
- allgeektout: What Fantasy Craft Has to Offer
- Campaign Mastery: Mine Fiction for Campaign Qualities
- Emerson's Bookshelf: Fantasy Just Got Crafty
- Critical Hits: Critical Review
- Fear the Boot: Fear the Review
- Gnome Stew: What Fantasy Craft Brings to the Table
- Uncle Bear: Fantasy Craft Chargen
- Flames Rising: Dark FantasyCraft Review
September 20, 2009
Questing's Readings - 20/9/09
This has been a great week of readings, generating a greater amount of good content than the usual week.
I would just like to give a small shoutout to what is going on between the Chatty DM and the Newbie DM who are starting a new series to examine questions about DMing from their respective point of views. The former being an experienced and well-loved DM with his own captivating style while the other is just starting to learn the ropes on sitting behind the screen.
I think this would be a very enlightening series which could give some interesting perspectives on different approaches to GMing. Keep it up, guys. I'll be anticipating for this series more often.
Other than that, we have more interviews with the designers from Wizards and a deconstruction (or should I say destruction) of the GNS theory which have seem to reemerge into the bloggersphere again.
CriticalAnkleBites
CriticalAnkleBites and ChattyDM pretend to be journalists
The second part of the interview with Andy Collins which discusses about improving the old classes, erratas, how Wizards take in player feedback, house rules and Andy's gaming preferences.
Critical Hits
In Depth: 4E Assassin and Q&A with Mike Mearls
If you're not a DDI subscriber, you might not have seen the new Assassin class that they previewed at Wizards. This piece gives a great summary about the new class that uses the Shadow power source, followed by an interview with Mike Mearls on the design process and ideas of this class.
Game in the Brain
GMing Style learned with a bit of a Scientific Approach
A managerial approach to seeing the relationship between GM and player and the game from a project standpoint.
Gaming Brouhaha
Constructing a Game Table (part 1)
A step-by-step look into building your own game table.
Greywulf's Lair
Everything you need to know about Skill Challenges but were afraid to ask
10 things to know about skill challenges as a DM and a player.
Musings of the Chatty DM
This is Why I’m Not a Journalist: Andy /Collins Interview
The first part of the interview with Andy Collins on DMing and how 4E has changed the job of DMing.
Something Old, Something New: What Makes a Great GM?
Let's hear it from Chatty DM on what he thinks makes a great GM. As an experienced DM, his best advice is always strive to be better.
NewbieDM
1d12 questions with James Wyatt
12 random questions with James Wyatt from DMing, skill challenges, DMG 2, Sigil to some interesting bit of information about Dark Sun.
Something Old, Something New: What Makes a Great GM?
The Newbie DM sharing his thoughts on what makes a great GM. They both share one similarity; communicaton.
RoleplayingPro
Why Verisimilitude
Why is verisimilitude important and how it can actually contribute to your game for players and DMs.
Whitehall Paraindustries
Flaws of GNS- Part I: The Appeal
Flaws of GNS- Part II: Devil in the Details
Flaws of GNS- Part III: Plan Meets Need
A very critical examination that discredits GNS.
I would just like to give a small shoutout to what is going on between the Chatty DM and the Newbie DM who are starting a new series to examine questions about DMing from their respective point of views. The former being an experienced and well-loved DM with his own captivating style while the other is just starting to learn the ropes on sitting behind the screen.
I think this would be a very enlightening series which could give some interesting perspectives on different approaches to GMing. Keep it up, guys. I'll be anticipating for this series more often.
Other than that, we have more interviews with the designers from Wizards and a deconstruction (or should I say destruction) of the GNS theory which have seem to reemerge into the bloggersphere again.
CriticalAnkleBites
CriticalAnkleBites and ChattyDM pretend to be journalists
The second part of the interview with Andy Collins which discusses about improving the old classes, erratas, how Wizards take in player feedback, house rules and Andy's gaming preferences.
Critical Hits
In Depth: 4E Assassin and Q&A with Mike Mearls
If you're not a DDI subscriber, you might not have seen the new Assassin class that they previewed at Wizards. This piece gives a great summary about the new class that uses the Shadow power source, followed by an interview with Mike Mearls on the design process and ideas of this class.
Game in the Brain
GMing Style learned with a bit of a Scientific Approach
A managerial approach to seeing the relationship between GM and player and the game from a project standpoint.
Gaming Brouhaha
Constructing a Game Table (part 1)
A step-by-step look into building your own game table.
Greywulf's Lair
Everything you need to know about Skill Challenges but were afraid to ask
10 things to know about skill challenges as a DM and a player.
Musings of the Chatty DM
This is Why I’m Not a Journalist: Andy /Collins Interview
The first part of the interview with Andy Collins on DMing and how 4E has changed the job of DMing.
Something Old, Something New: What Makes a Great GM?
Let's hear it from Chatty DM on what he thinks makes a great GM. As an experienced DM, his best advice is always strive to be better.
NewbieDM
1d12 questions with James Wyatt
12 random questions with James Wyatt from DMing, skill challenges, DMG 2, Sigil to some interesting bit of information about Dark Sun.
Something Old, Something New: What Makes a Great GM?
The Newbie DM sharing his thoughts on what makes a great GM. They both share one similarity; communicaton.
RoleplayingPro
Why Verisimilitude
Why is verisimilitude important and how it can actually contribute to your game for players and DMs.
Whitehall Paraindustries
Flaws of GNS- Part I: The Appeal
Flaws of GNS- Part II: Devil in the Details
Flaws of GNS- Part III: Plan Meets Need
A very critical examination that discredits GNS.
Questing's Readings - DMG 2 Edition
Since the Dungeon Master's Guide 2 has been released for the 4th edition, there's been nothing but praise for the book as a great contributor to the game itself. From the reviews, it seems to be choked full of advice instead the crunchy add-ons that the Player's Handbook 2 and Monster Manual 2 have been.
It also addresses earlier issues that DMs may find hard to handle such as skill challenges by dedicating a whole chapter on it. The book also has a chapter for paragon campaigns which is just about the where most groups would likely be if they have been playing since the launch of 4E. It looks as though the DMG 2 is really filling up the gaps that were left in DMG 1.
I'm really interested to read the DMG 2 for myself and I have to say that I impressed to see what the designers have decided to put into this book. Even if you are not planning to get PHB 2 or MM 2 for the crunch fest that they are, I would believe that DMG 2 is a great successor to its predecessor.
If you can't take my word for it, then read the reviews of it by bloggers from the RPG Bloggers Network. Add these voices in and see if you hear an echo.
Critical Hits
Review: "Dungeon Master's Guide 2"
Dungeon's Master
Dungeon Master's Guide 2: Skill Challenges
Newbie DM
What's cool about the DMG2?
Stupid Ranger
DMG 2 Lessons
The RPG Athenaeum
Product Review: D&D Fourth Edition Dungeon Master's Guide 2
It also addresses earlier issues that DMs may find hard to handle such as skill challenges by dedicating a whole chapter on it. The book also has a chapter for paragon campaigns which is just about the where most groups would likely be if they have been playing since the launch of 4E. It looks as though the DMG 2 is really filling up the gaps that were left in DMG 1.
I'm really interested to read the DMG 2 for myself and I have to say that I impressed to see what the designers have decided to put into this book. Even if you are not planning to get PHB 2 or MM 2 for the crunch fest that they are, I would believe that DMG 2 is a great successor to its predecessor.
If you can't take my word for it, then read the reviews of it by bloggers from the RPG Bloggers Network. Add these voices in and see if you hear an echo.
Critical Hits
Review: "Dungeon Master's Guide 2"
Dungeon's Master
Dungeon Master's Guide 2: Skill Challenges
Newbie DM
What's cool about the DMG2?
Stupid Ranger
DMG 2 Lessons
The RPG Athenaeum
Product Review: D&D Fourth Edition Dungeon Master's Guide 2
September 10, 2009
Questing's Readings - 13/9/09
For this week's readings, we have some posts on GMing advice, gaming with significant others and a resource page for Pathfinder.
Campaign Mastery
Types of Combat Hazards - Traps
Some pretty extensive advice on how to place traps in combat terrain and consider the what, where and why of traps in the battlefield.
GamesTopica
Scaling Social Conflicts
Some interesting thoughts on social conflicts and how other game systems up the stakes to make them as consequential as combat.
Mad Brew Labs
Pathfinder RPG Resources
A good list of resources, official and unofficial, including the PRD, wikis, character generators and character sheets.
RoleplayingPro
The Gamemaster's Arsenal: Shifting Paradigms [Part 1]
A very well written article on thinking how DMs should design NPCs that are not only reactive to the PCs but should be reacted by the PCs.
Stupid Ranger
I Don't Want To Decide Anything
A sharing of how different playing styles can affect a marriage. A good read for those who are into gaming with a significant other who is not.
Campaign Mastery
Types of Combat Hazards - Traps
Some pretty extensive advice on how to place traps in combat terrain and consider the what, where and why of traps in the battlefield.
GamesTopica
Scaling Social Conflicts
Some interesting thoughts on social conflicts and how other game systems up the stakes to make them as consequential as combat.
Mad Brew Labs
Pathfinder RPG Resources
A good list of resources, official and unofficial, including the PRD, wikis, character generators and character sheets.
RoleplayingPro
The Gamemaster's Arsenal: Shifting Paradigms [Part 1]
A very well written article on thinking how DMs should design NPCs that are not only reactive to the PCs but should be reacted by the PCs.
Stupid Ranger
I Don't Want To Decide Anything
A sharing of how different playing styles can affect a marriage. A good read for those who are into gaming with a significant other who is not.
September 8, 2009
Questing's Readings - 6/9/09
It's September and more than third of a quarter of the year has gone by. Now it's a good time to start looking back at your achievements and mistakes for this year and planning for next year's resolutions.
Speaking of looking back, this month's RPG Blog Carnival is being hosted by Johnn Four in his Campaign Mastery blog where he asks bloggers to think back about GMing mistakes that they have done and reflect upon it.
If you missed any of last month's blog post while you were away at GenCon, the roundup for last month's conventional carnival is also up at Chogwiz's Old Guy RPG Blog.
In the meantime, these are some of the readings that I've enjoyed this past week for the start of September. We have a couple of great interviews coming out of GenCon, a guide to an online gaming program and a look at monster maths in 4E
A Butterfly Dreaming
Character Development: Flashbacks
A repost on flashbacks and how to run a flashback session for your characters.
Dungeon's Master
Keith Baker Answers 13 Questions
An interview with Keith Baker on his thoughts about Eberron and some of the changes made in 4E (particularly about dragonmarks). There's a couple of juicy inside information about his upcoming novels and who Keith thought was the most worthy candidate to be sitting on the throne of Galifar.
Mike's Mind
Digital Dungeon Master: RP Tools Part 1
Digital Dungeon Master: RP Tools Part 2
A simple guide to installing MapTools, an online gametable. With instructions on how to host a game and creating tokens for combat.
Robertson Games
Differences & Direction in Dungeons and Dragons
A list of spectrums and how each edition of D&D stands between them. It's an interesting list to consider and it can be used to judge other game systems. Other DMs have already used it to judge their own personal preferences (RPG Blog II and Spirits of Eden)
RoleplayingPro
The DM's Call: Consequences
A good article that shows why everything the PCs do should have a consequence. Whether causing negative impacts to them or presenting opportunities for the DM.
Stupid Ranger
Interview: Bill Slavisek and Andy Collins from Wizards of the Coast
The Stupid Ranger crew asking them about their gaming history and career, dispensing some campaign advice and what are their favorite classes and villains. It's a little long and builds quiet a text block. I think it could have been better if they split it into 3 parts.
The Spirits of Eden
Wyatt Does Attack Math (This Can't End Well)
Wyatt Does Defense Math (Oh Lawd)
Despite his bile-filled speech about some 4E products, he does love 4E. Loves it so much that he is willing to do the math to study Monster defenses and attacks on an average PC.
Some interesting findings to be had for sure and maybe these will be addressed in future 4E products?
UncleBear
What is a Campaign?
Uncle Bear giving some definitions of what a campaign is. I really like mine to be the second one but it works out more like the third.
This could be useful in planning future campaigns to give it some structure.
Speaking of looking back, this month's RPG Blog Carnival is being hosted by Johnn Four in his Campaign Mastery blog where he asks bloggers to think back about GMing mistakes that they have done and reflect upon it.
If you missed any of last month's blog post while you were away at GenCon, the roundup for last month's conventional carnival is also up at Chogwiz's Old Guy RPG Blog.
In the meantime, these are some of the readings that I've enjoyed this past week for the start of September. We have a couple of great interviews coming out of GenCon, a guide to an online gaming program and a look at monster maths in 4E
A Butterfly Dreaming
Character Development: Flashbacks
A repost on flashbacks and how to run a flashback session for your characters.
Dungeon's Master
Keith Baker Answers 13 Questions
An interview with Keith Baker on his thoughts about Eberron and some of the changes made in 4E (particularly about dragonmarks). There's a couple of juicy inside information about his upcoming novels and who Keith thought was the most worthy candidate to be sitting on the throne of Galifar.
Mike's Mind
Digital Dungeon Master: RP Tools Part 1
Digital Dungeon Master: RP Tools Part 2
A simple guide to installing MapTools, an online gametable. With instructions on how to host a game and creating tokens for combat.
Robertson Games
Differences & Direction in Dungeons and Dragons
A list of spectrums and how each edition of D&D stands between them. It's an interesting list to consider and it can be used to judge other game systems. Other DMs have already used it to judge their own personal preferences (RPG Blog II and Spirits of Eden)
RoleplayingPro
The DM's Call: Consequences
A good article that shows why everything the PCs do should have a consequence. Whether causing negative impacts to them or presenting opportunities for the DM.
Stupid Ranger
Interview: Bill Slavisek and Andy Collins from Wizards of the Coast
The Stupid Ranger crew asking them about their gaming history and career, dispensing some campaign advice and what are their favorite classes and villains. It's a little long and builds quiet a text block. I think it could have been better if they split it into 3 parts.
The Spirits of Eden
Wyatt Does Attack Math (This Can't End Well)
Wyatt Does Defense Math (Oh Lawd)
Despite his bile-filled speech about some 4E products, he does love 4E. Loves it so much that he is willing to do the math to study Monster defenses and attacks on an average PC.
Some interesting findings to be had for sure and maybe these will be addressed in future 4E products?
UncleBear
What is a Campaign?
Uncle Bear giving some definitions of what a campaign is. I really like mine to be the second one but it works out more like the third.
This could be useful in planning future campaigns to give it some structure.
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