[Questing's Musings] The Fate of the Questing GM blog...

Questing's Musings is a column where I give my disorganised thoughts about gamemastering, timely topics happening in the gaming community and gaming in general. Part of my wish for this column is, at worst, for it to be a place for me to rant, rave or speak out my random thoughts, and, at best, spark discussion and exploration of new discourses in gamemastering and gaming. Other than that, it is also most likely where I will put up posts that are not suited for any of the other columns on this blog. The posts here are mostly an unfiltered capture of my thoughts on the topic at hand and should be read as an opinionated soapbox, rather than one that tries to further any sort of agenda. As such, feel free to ignore this column if my personal thoughts on gaming does not interest you in the slightest.  

I started this blog around 2008 when I was in university and at the birth of 4th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Since then, I consider myself to be from the time of the explosion of the RPG blogs where I once again expanded my contact with the community and seeing RPG players from around the world.

Even though I rarely contributed to the RPG bloggersphere and seeing some of the same bloggers I started out with have successfully moved on to be bigger players in the industry, I realized that times have really changed when the RPG Bloggers Network met its death knell. As a result, the majority of my hits that I got thanks to the aggregated site, has now plummeted to the very small minority of those who actually followed this blog.  

Times have also changed for me as well since I graduated and having to mature as a responsible (and dreary) working adult.

The edition that inspired the blog went by me without barely scratching the surface of the system. Not only has life put me in a gaming hiatus in all but name for several years, it also effectively put me off from being able to find time to even write for this blog. Despite having turned writing as my only means of income and a career, returning to this blog has been an arduous task, as I desperately try to realign my passion, time, energy, and motivation with the direction of this blog's continual survival and presence.

That, if any have been following my numerous attempts, has failed in spectacular fashion, with me popping up with one or two posts in a year, promising for a comeback, and subsequently going silent in the next.

I don't want to make this sound like an excuse. But what I have found is that it has been mostly impossible to balance my working adult life with maintaining this blog. That, and also the the type of content and quality that I initially planned to push out for this blog, but would be detrimental to my professional well-being. It was either I continued to develop my craft to comfortably squeeze my professional writing and my passionate writing together which could take more years (or decades), or I had to find another way to do what I had wanted to do with this blog.

And now, I think I have found another way. With the rise of streaming and video platforms that have improved remarkably since the days of the RPG bloggersphere, it has become a strong alternative for many content creators to deliver RPG content to the masses. It takes less time to speak in front of a camera for 10 minutes (and even less time to edit, with low expectations for video quality) than it takes to plan, self doubt, draft, and edit a 1,000 word post that may or may not be read, if the writing itself is done terribly.     

Thus, you may see where I'm going with this. I've decided to change my outlet of pushing out the content that I want to deliver on a video-based platform (YouTube being my weapon of choice for now), and I have already started with an introductory video of it.

What does this mean for the Questing GM blog? Is this the end?

It may certainly sound like I'm all ready and hyped to jump on the streaming bandwagon altogether, but I do believe that this blog still has a purpose to serve yet, but not in a primary role as it used to. Though my plans are not concrete (based on past actions when has it ever been), I will still use this blog as a supplement to my content on my YouTube channel. Perhaps some topics or videos that I discuss there could use a supplement in a written format that could make the content more useful/helpful, or to place addendum/expansions of my thoughts that is more organized after the video post has been published.

That's all I can see the Questing GM blog for now, and only time will tell of its eventual fate or demise.

But until that time comes, I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has followed me along this journey that I did not realize has been 10 years ago. For the ups and downs that I have put you through for reading this ever inconsistent blog, you have my deepest appreciation and sincerest apologies.

If you can ever find the heart to actually see my face and hear what I have to say, rather than read what I've written/blabbered here, you can now find me at: the Questing GM YouTube Channel.    

[Questing's Musings] Reviewing Gaming Quests for 2017

Questing's Musings is a column where I give my disorganised thoughts about gamemastering, timely topics happening in the gaming community and gaming in general. Part of my wish for this column is, at worst, for it to be a place for me to rant, rave or speak out my random thoughts, and ,at best, spark discussion and exploration of new discourses in gamemastering and gaming. Other than that, it is also most likely where I will put up posts that are not suited for any of the other columns on this blog. The posts here are mostly an unfiltered capture of my thoughts on the topic at hand and should be read as an opinionated soapbox, rather than one that tries to further any sort of agenda. As such, feel free to ignore this column if my personal thoughts on gaming does not interest you in the slightest.  

Once again after trying to commit myself to restarting this blog, I end up going silent for another year's worth. I know you all are tired of reading my excuses and resolutions to get back into blogging, so I will stop declaring my intentions and let my posts do the talking.

I had intended to make this my last post for 2017, so I'll be using this post to close my year of gaming for 2017 before I get into any 2018 content. Despite my silence on this blog throughout the year of 2017, it has been my best gaming year so far as a working adult, and I'm glad to report that gaming is now firmly back in my life again.

So I'll be going through my Gaming Quest of 2017, and report how well I've done by the end of the year.

Start running regular games again

The good news is yes, I'm running regular games again. My current schedule as a DM is currently on a bi-weekly basis on the weekends and I'm currently my group through Out of the Abyss for 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. We managed to wrap up half of the module by the end of year 2017, and will be continuing to run the module for 2018. It was good to be back on the saddle to relearn old and new tricks, and I fully suspect this would get me on track to talk more about gamemastering and pondering on gamemastering subject for as long as it lasts. 

Find a new regular gaming group

By far my proudest achievement for 2017 is the current group that I am currently gaming with. Shortly after posting my quest to search for a new group, I was contact by a couple of players I met in 2016 that they wanted to meet up for drinks. What started out as a friendly chat turned into proper plans to start a regular gaming schedule and we got back together, with a few more additions. In the midst of our gaming schedule, we added a newbie player of RPG into our ranks, and we now plan ahead for our games as part of our routine schedule.

Things got much better with the group when I floated my intentions to try out new RPG systems, other than Dungeons & Dragons, and the group was receptive to the idea. So we were not a group that would stagnate with one system for too long.

The best part of this group, however, is that we have all decided to give GMing a go, and as of the end of 2017, every player has also DMed for the group, and we still have ongoing campaigns that each of us are still DMing for. This is my ideal group that self sustains itself, while also having the possibility of expanding our sights on the world of RPGs. A great group makes a world of difference when playing RPGs, which only solidifies my thoughts that RPGs are great when the people you are playing with are great company. 

Complete an RPG project

From here on is where my gaming quests for 2017 start to falter. While I have made small strides in some of my pending projects, none of which I would consider completed as the limited time that I have is taken up for prepping. Some I would consider are nearing the final stages, but the process itself has also helped me to refine my tools for gamemastering, as well as lay some foundations for future works that would not be as hard to startup. I have also learned to plan my time and resources a little better throughout the year, so I'm looking forward to be able to make much progress in some of the projects to end by 2018. 

Start making content for the DMG

In between all the time of prepping for games, this one has been laid on the wayside completely. It's starting to become a tough market nowadays, and I'm not sure how soon I can start making products without certain skills, and I'm not in the best financial position to afford commissioning for these expertise. I still myself in the learning stage at the moment, and hopefully some new resources in 2018 would help to kickstart my plans for making content for sale. 

Start new columns on the Questing GM

Second to my failure of making content for sale is the maintenance of this blog. The only consolation I have is that I've been collecting plenty of ideas to last me more than a year if I were pushing them out on a weekly basis for the rest of 2018. This doesn't mean that's my plan now, as I try to find my natural rhythm to be more consistent, but having nothing to write about would be the least of my worries. 

However, all is not lost. As an alternative to the lack of my own content, I have been contributing to the Faerûn History YouTube channel and have been wondering if I should dedicate more time to increase my contributions there. Forgotten Realms lore has been one of my favourite topics since I got into the setting.  

Learn to change my gaming mindset

While I don't think much has changed for me on this front, but being able to interact with more gamers, I think I have seen more points of view of other gamers. If there's anything that I really learn from 2017 is that I can start differentiating what philosophies and mentalities are toxic to me as a gamer and to the community, and it's never worth trying to change someone's mind. So I've learned to distance myself from those who are unhelpful, and try to provide the best help to those who ask or willing to listen. Life is getting shorter to engage in discussion with anyone who are not open to explore different discourses, or who only entrench themselves further as though we are talking about politics. If anything, I've starting looking for like-minded gamers, and leave those who disagree with me alone.

Try a new game every month

Given my already less frequent gaming schedule with my group, my gaming schedule was not filed to the brim with new games to try. However, I am still glad to report that my group has managed to try several games throughout the year. We've run short sessions of SpyCraft, the Lone Wolf Adventure Game, Numenera, and Tales of the Loop. Naturally there were hits and misses with the group, and it made clear to me that trying a new game every month is rather ambitious, given the amount of pre-reading and pre-planning that needs to be done before we can even try a sesion.

However, my happiest achievement is that I've found a group who is willing to experiment with me, and we have already suggested a few other games that we would like to try. I am looking forward to trying more games in the future.

So here are my ups and downs for gaming in 2017, but overall I would still think it's an extremely positive year for me in terms of gaming. My plans for 2018 look to be pretty much the same for 2017, with plenty of opportunities to make some real progress in some areas. So here's to hoping that 2018 would be a better year for gaming! 

[Questing's Musings] Gaming Quests for 2017

Questing's Musings is a column where I give my disorganised thoughts about gamemastering, timely topics happening in the gaming community and gaming in general. Part of my wish for this column is, at worst, for it to be a place for me to rant, rave or speak out my random thoughts, and ,at best, spark discussion and exploration of new discourses in gamemastering and gaming. Other than that, it is also most likely where I will put up posts that are not suited for any of the other columns on this blog. The posts here are mostly an unfiltered capture of my thoughts on the topic at hand and should be read as an opinionated soapbox, rather than one that tries to further any sort of agenda. As such, feel free to ignore this column if my personal thoughts on gaming does not interest you in the slightest.  

With the coming of the new year, resolutions are often the most appropriate thing to be talking about as we face the potential prospects of a fresh start. While I'm not the firmest believer of having any sort of resolutions (gaming or otherwise), I do like the idea of having a semblance of what to do in the coming year in terms of gaming. Rather than listing them out as resolutions and giving myself the unneeded pressures of sticking to them and completing them, I have gone the way of making them my gaming 'Quests' that I strive to complete as any good adventurer should.

So if you are interested in what I'm planning to do for 2017, here are my gaming quests for 2017!

Start running regular games again

I had ran through the Lost Mine of Phandelver twice since I bought it in 2015 and had taken a short break after my second run of it in 2016. The plan was to get back to running again shortly after that but then my life's routine took a turn and there were more important things to do than prepping and running games again. That's not to say that I haven't been gaming at all in the meantime (I was playing in 2 groups and had a weekly session of organised play), but it's about time that I get back on the saddle again for another rodeo. I am in the midst of re-prepping my notes Lost Mine of Phandelver, with some added personal mix to it for a more challenging experience, so it could be the start of my next campaign.

Then again, given my adult commitments and limited time, I have been entertaining the prospects of running regular one-shots for a regular group that is less straining than maintaining a long running campaign. I may delve a little deeper into why I think one-shots can be just as fun as a long term campaign (or even more so) in a future posts.

So those are my options at the moment, and I can't wait to start GMing again.

Find a new regular gaming group

2016 was a great year for me as far as meeting new players in the city where I'm living in at the moment. The growing numbers of the RPG community in this part of Malaysia has seen some very encouraging signs of new players being interested in RPGs and helping to connect older players who may not have otherwise known each other over the years.

I've had the privilege of playing in new groups and look forward to meeting more players from the community, but my ultimate goal is to find or form that perfect gaming group that suits me. I have my own criteria of what I'm looking for in a gaming group and there is so much I want to do to test out some ideas. But it all has to begin with finding the right people to game with, who share my enthusiasm and wavelength about gaming to improve as a GM and a gamer.

This would probably be my hardest quest to complete this year, but this is what I want to do and I hope I will find that group by the end of 2017.

Complete an RPG project

Since I have returned to gaming on a regular basis, I have been having new ideas and also revisiting some old projects of mine that I had worked on. Most of these projects are almost always daunting and time-consuming in nature, but they could have some long term benefits to my own gaming life and could benefit the community in some way.

The main trouble, of course, is having too much to do with too little time to complete it. Even by spending incremental amounts of time on each one would probably take too long to finish, so I have decided to select and focus on only one of these projects, in conjunction with my regular RPG-related works (this blog, running a campaign, and the other quests I'm planning) for the rest of 2017.

I may or may not reveal which project I will be working on eventually, but I will need to make a decision on what I want to do for the rest of the year. Hopefully by finishing just one of them this year will create some momentum for me to keep on doing more in the years to come.

Start making content for the DMG

With the proliferation of the Dungeon Masters Guild, I have started seeing it as an additional source of income to pay for my gaming habits. It's about time I learn to embrace the digital age of RPGs and accept the challenge of stepping up my game. This is probably my most ambitious quest to attempt in 2017. but hopefully it is the first step into becoming a game writer in the future.

Start new columns on the Questing GM

As far as the number of attempted blog revivals I have done since I started this blog, this is probably the proudest achievement I've had so far in 2016; I'm finally able to return to a regular blogging schedule about my gaming life. To make things better, I am now able to share it with an audience much closer to home. Although according to my statistics, most of my readership is composed of those outside my home country (which I am very thankful for, for giving me reason to keep on blogging), but I have finally found a reason to share my gaming thoughts and revisit those that I have collected over year of absence on this blog.

I want to continue making a more consistent presence in the RPG blogging scene again. I already have seeds for new columns and content (including this new column) that would hopefully make this blog an enjoyable and helpful resource to GMs, players and gamers alike in enjoying RPGs. 

Learn to change my gaming mindset

Gaming can easily be a personal thing. It is easy to identify what we like and dislike about certain gaming styles and stick to the ones we like for the rest of our gaming life. However with the growth spurt in my local gaming scene, I think it would be a disservice to only stick to one gaming style without even trying to explore what is out there and help grow a healthier community.

For this reason, I'm challenging myself to be more open to adapt and adopt new horizons of gaming, and hopefully by doing so will help me to be a better GM. Being open and receptive to various gaming styles of different players and GMs alike could change how I have always thought about gaming all these years. It's not going to be easy, but I think it's worth for growing to be a better GM.

Try a new game every month

Even after years of being a gamer, I can safely say that D&D and its iterations have predominantly been the game that I have played and run, and loved (and hated). But the truth is, there is a whole world of different RPGs out there and I want to finally spread my wings to go and find them and run a game with them. I don't see any of these games replacing D&D as my go-to system any time soon, but I certainly would need the exposure to improve my understandings of game design and my work. 

If things go well in this department, it could be the basis for another column on this blog.

These are all the quest I'm setting myself on to complete and frankly, some of them are overly ambitious to be done within a year. I don't think I can really accomplish them all, but the experience points for completing some of them could help. Still, hopefully this would be a reminder for me as the year goes by, and I could start a new column for tracing my progress if you are interested in following them.

So what are your own gaming quests for 2017? 

Last Updated: 01/01/17

[Unearthing the Arcana] Paladin: Sacred Oaths

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Coming down from the monastery of the new Monastic Traditions in the last Unearthing the Arcana, it is time to take new Sacred Oaths as Paladins for this week's Unearthed Arcana. Instead of giving us new oaths that would help banish evil, the designers have decided to turn a little to the dark side by giving us Oaths for evil-based paladins that I wouldn't be surprised that it is one of the most often requested subclass.

Let terror reign as new agents who have taken the Oath of Conquest and Oath of Treachery bring the darkness to all who would stand against them.

Oath of Conquest

• On a flavor level, I can also see this being the Paladin equivalent for the War Domain of Clerics, so they may not necessarily bend towards evil per se. However, its tenets seem to remind me of tyranny since it considers holding the reins of power as important as defeating ones enemies. 
• Most of the Oath Spells seem appropriate except for some odd choices like Blight and Insect Plague that could have been swapped with Compulsion and Planar Binding respectively.
• While Conquering Strike works similarly to the Oath of Vengeance's Abjure Enemy, I like that it has a different means of ending the Frightened condition.
• Guided Strike is the same feature as the War Domain Cleric's, which is a good place for both classes to have an overlap.
• Aura of Conquest seems pretty standard in the base Paladin's design, but causing Disadvantage to Frightened means it has synergy with its Conquering Strike.
• Not as powerful as the Devotion Paladin's Aura of Devotion but Implacable Spirit might be stepping into too much toes of other Sacred Oaths.
• Invincible Conqueror can seem overpowered when compared to what the other 20th level Sacred Oath features can do in terms of combat, but somehow I feel that it fits with this Sacred Oath. If I had to adjust it, I might just reduce the Resistance to be similar with the Barbarian's normal resistances for Rage than getting the full package. 

Oath of Treachery

• While the flavor strongly reads to be an alternative to the Oathbreaker in the Dungeon Master's Guide, the features of both Oaths could not be any different. I'm guessing they wanted to make a subclass similar to the College of Whispers for Bards for paladins, but reading the gods that are worshiped by these Paladins doesn't seem to support that idea as well.
• The Oath of Treachery has an interesting choice of Oath Spells. None that I would replace though but it certainly seem to encourage a more stealthy and less combative style of play for a Paladin.
• Conjure Duplicate has many similarities with the Trickery Domain Cleric's Invoke Duplicity, but it has a few nuances in the wording, which generally favors the Cleric's version more, since the Paladin's version has more limitations.
• I'm not sure what the designers are trying to do with Poison Strike. Even though it requires a use of Channel Divinity, other Sacred Oaths do not deal as much damage as Poison Strike. I would have preferred if it stuck to the similar design with the other Sacred Oaths, causing the Poisoned condition and adding just extra damage according to the Paladin's Charisma modifier.
• Another unorthodox design in the Aura of Treachery which has 2 features but can only affect creatures within 5 feet instead of the usual 10 feet. Cull the Herd would be deadly powerful if used in conjunction with Poison Strike. I might have been alright with this aura if it only had the Treacherous Strike ability, which might be something that you will see very often in future supplements or feats. Again, not a fan of a fixed number times of use.
• Blackguard's Escape seems to do as much as other 15th level Sacred Oath features, but it could be considered one of the weaker ones.
• I guess looking at what prior Sacred Oath features are doing, it should be no surprise of what Icon of Deceit can do, which is effectively a Greater Invisibility without having to Concentrate. With the Invisible condition, it deals maximum damage for Poison Strike and the doubles the Paladin's level (which is 60 damage in total). 

On a design perspective, I much prefer the Oath of Conquest but I can easily see how most people would want to play as an Oath of Treachery. However, while the Oath of Conquest does not require a strictly evil alignment, I can't say if DMs would appreciate having the Oath of Treachery being allowed on the table without requiring the DM's permission like the Oathbreaker. While I don't really care for imagining its impact on the Adventurer's League, but I probably wouldn't allow it on my table as it is now since I have more mechanic concerns. Even so, I don't think the Oath of Treachery would fit very well in most of my campaign ideas, which means I have to specifically design a campaign around this Oath, which is generally problematic in my eyes.

Wizards would be taking a break from their usual schedule for the next couple of weeks and so will I. I'm looking forward to see what would be introduced for the Ranger since the last Unearthed Arcana which I had covered. This could be my last post for the year, so I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! And see you in the next Unearthing the Arcana!

Last Updated: 20/12/16

[Unearthing the Arcana] Monk: Monastic Traditions

Unearthing the Arcana is a column for me to study the design and thought process of the latest Unearthed Arcana rules put out by Wizards of the Coast. This column aims for me to point out some observations I've made on the rules, imagine its impact at the table and raise discussions of how it would be used or played if it becomes official.

Graduating from the fighters' school in last week's Unearthing the Arcana, it is time to meditate and learn about the new monastic traditions for this week's Unearthed Arcana with 2 new Monastic Traditions. I have often seen Monks being complained as one of the classes with some of the less attractive sub-classes compared to other classes, so let's see if these new Monastic Traditions could make Monks great again. Although, I have to say that I was a little surprised that we are only getting 2 new Monastic Traditions.

With study and practice, let's look into the Path of the Kensei and the Path of Tranquility to see if there is any enlightenment to be found from them.

Way of the Kensei

• It was quite surprising to see the Kensei being made into a Monastic Tradition when I would expect to see it as a Martial Archetype as it has been for previous editions. Still if done right, the concept of the Kensei can fit right into the building blocks of the Monk class and give make it a little more attractive from the Fighter players to try out the Monk instead.
• Path of the Kensei: I'm not sure what is the reason for the distinction between Monk weapons and Kensei weapons, on the surface it looks perfectly fine to make the martial weapons that the Kensei picks for his proficiencies to be considered as Monk weapons, since they share the same benefits of the Monk's Martial Arts feature. The versatility to use the Kensei weapon to attack or to defend for the +2 AC bonus is a nice touch. The wording on the pummel ability might need better rewording, as by written it doesn't mention the range of the weapon, meaning it could be used for polearms or ranged weapons.  
• One with the Blade let's the Monk's base feature Ki-Empowered Strike apply to their weapons, but it is the Precise Strike ability that seems interesting. I couldn't find any other class feature (not just the Monk) that let's it double the proficiency bonus to an attack, so this could be a huge boon to this Tradition. Instead of only allowing for one use per rest, I would have liked it to spent Ki points instead, as that is almost never used by this Tradition.
• Sharpen the Blade is also another solid feature to give the Kensei, it's simple but does quite a lot. I wouldn't mind if the Ki point cost was a little higher depending on how much bonus is given, perhaps something similar to the Way of the Four Element's Elemental Disciplines, since it lasts for 1 minute.
• Unerring Accuracy stands as one of the better 17th Tradition features compared to the other Monastic Traditions go, and the flexibility to select which attack to re-roll is appreciated.  
• As it is right now, the basic flavors delivered through the mechanics of these features have not much to complain about, but the mechanics themselves feel like they could be fleshed out a little more. I would have liked to see more usage of Ki points in some of the features, and also wondered if there are any goodies for players who decide to go for a ranged Kensei build. 

Way of Tranquility

• An 8 hour long Sanctuary spell that doesn't require a material component that can be cast again after 1 minute. Either I would put a Ki cost to Path of Tranquility or let it only be regained with a Long Rest. Even having the Way of the Open Hand's Tranquility feature at 3rd level instead of 11th level is already a considerably improvement from the other Monastic Traditions. 
• Healing Hands works also exactly as the Paladin's Lay on Hands, except that the Monk gets a healing pool multiplier of 10, compared to the Paladin's 5. This significantly makes the Monk a better healer than the Paladin, though it might done this way to offset the Monk's lack of spellcasting abilities. I'm not quite sure why one would replace one of its Flurry of Blows Unarmed Strikes with this feature, unless it is properly worded that it can be used on the Monk or someone else. 
• Emissary of Peace seems like an interesting way to make a social character out of the Monk, though the wording for the advantage might be a little too specific. Turning someone from Indifferent to Friendly might do a better trick.
• Being able to Douse the Flames of War without spending any resources on the part of the Monk, despite the limitations of it not working and ending still seems a little too handy for my taste. I would have preferred something like a more enhanced version of the Calm Emotion spell that is more rigid and structured in its application, at a cost (since the Monk is probably not going to be spending a lot of Ki points anyway).
• Anger of a Gentle Soul could deliver up to 68 additional damage alone at 17th with Flurry of Blows (assuming all of them hit) on the next round, or up to 80 damage at 20th level. I'm not sure if there is any other class that can match that amount of damage with class features alone, ironically making this sub-class the most damage dealing of them all. It's triggering point of seeing a creature (note not only allies) reduced to 0 hit points could be prone to abuse too. 
• Outside of features like Douse the Flames of War and Path of Tranquility, I've never really liked the idea of this concept, which reminds me of the Disciple of Peace from the Book of Exalted Deed in 3.5 Edition. It could make the DM's job harder to plan their encounters when peace is always a very viable option that could end any sense of conflict, unless that is the sort of direction that the campaign was designed for. 

While I can say that I'm pretty stoked to see the Way of the Kensei within the design framework of the Monk class, I feel like it could use more bite to make feel more than a straight-up Fighter in a Monk's clothing. I'm struggling to like the Way of Tranquility both in flavor and mechanics, but would still like to hear how excited (if they are) about the latter Monastic Tradition.

Next up on the line would most probably be the Paladin, and we could see the designers going with similarly flavored Oaths that they did for the Cleric. Until then, see you in the next Unearthing the Arcana. 

Last Updated: 13/12/16