#RPGaDay Post 31

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Favorite RPG Of All Time

Some of you reading all of these #RPGaDay posts may have already guessed my favorite RPG of all time.  I never gave any big hints so it was not obvious to the readers.  My favorite rpg of all time is The Palladium Role-Playing Game®.  Even though we had been playing A/D&D for quite some time we were completely captivated by the Palladium Role-Playing Game® once we discovered it in a game shop one Saturday.  There was a lot to like upon further reading - the artwork, the multiple classes and races not available in A/D&D, and the all in one game book - and it got us to stop playing A/D&D for a while and devote our gaming time to this new game.  The largest playing group I have ever been in was the group playing under these rules.  I really feel that Palladium Books® missed an opportunity with the 30th Anniversary by reprinting the second edition rules in hardback.  Unfortunately, someone "permanently borrowed" this book from me at one point and I have never replaced it.  I really need to find a copy sometime...    

#RPGaDay Post 30

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Yet again, this post is also late due to work commitments combined with 20th Anniversary celebration so I could not get ahead.

Rarest RPG Owned

I have owned several rare role-playing games over the years but I am down to only two that I currently own. I am not sure which one is more rare but I would think either of these games would make a good response.

Adventures in Fantasy is a fantasy game by Dave Arneson and Richard Snider.  I have made several posts about it and I will continue to do so.  Forge: Out of Chaos is a fantasy heartbreaker I picked up second hand for $5 if I recall correctly.  I have looked at it a bit here and there but I have never gotten around to any serious study of the game rules but I need to at some point.

#RPGaDay Post 29

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

This post is getting posted two days late because we were celebrating our 20th anniversary.  I was unable to get far enough ahead on scheduled posts to get it posted on time.

Most Memorable Encounter

I have played a ton of games over the last 34 with many memorable encounters.  I am not sure that I can pick just one encounter from those years as the "most memorable" of them all.  I can, however, give some thoughts about several encounters over the years.

One of the funniest encounters involved the party attempting to listen at a door.  We were absolutely certain that something was behind a closed door inside a dungeon so when the first character failed to hear anything we went around the table attempting the same action.  All of us failed so the first player, completely frustrated at this point, had his horse listen at the door.  The horse succeeded - at least we thought he did - but there was no way for use to understand the horse.

The first time we played Paranoia we cycled through several sets of clones fairly quickly.  Justin (the GM) nailed the play style right from the start but it took the rest of us a bit for it to "click" with that aha moment that really let us know we were in for something vastly different from our usual D&D games.

I am sure there are many more but those two are the ones that seem to stick out for me.

#RPGaDay Post 28

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Scariest Game You’ve Played

This is the easiest question for me to answer.  I  have never played in a scary game.  The only horror type game I currently own is Dead Reign™ from Palladium Books® but I have yet to play.  At one time I owned Night Life but it was not really setup as horror.  It seemed like it was basically modern adventures with characters out of horror movies (vampyres, werewolves, etc.) but the focus was not horror or scares.  There was plenty of violence but the focus seemed to be on intrigue, rivalries, espionage, infiltration, and that sort of thin instead of traditional horror.  Then again, it has been years and my memories of this game are fading.  It was certainly fun and I wish I had gotten the complete run of material.  I had the core book and the musical supplement. I need to do some online scrounging...

 

#RPGaDay Post 27

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Game You’d Like To See A New / Improved Edition Of…

When I first started writing this post I had several candidates to choose from for the game I would most like to see a new or improved edition.  After thinking it over for a bit I have actually changed my answer to something that was not one of my original considerations.  My original choice was going to be the Palladium Role-Playing Game® but I thought if I am going to aim high then I might as well aim for something that most likely will never happen.  

I would like to see an updated, streamlined, and clarified Megaversal Rules System from Palladium Books®. I know there would be some objections but I do not want all of the core rules repeated in every core book as it has been up to this point.  I would like to see all of the core rules assembled in a Megaversal Rules System Core Book.  I mean every rule that is used throughout the entire Megaverse® together in one spot.  I want all errata incorporated into the text and clarifications made throughout the system.  I hear that Kevin Siembieda does not even use the rules as written in his games so I want some sidebars that highlight some of these optional rules scattered throughout the manual; maybe some of the best house rules from the forums or the Rifter® also. I want a thorough index at the back.  I also want it in hardback.  

Now, each core rule book could be completely focused on the game and setting.  Sure, there could be a chapter at the beginning of each core book that will highlight some rules modifications and additions for that particular game but the point is that the core book has much more space available for specific information. Simply put, the same old rules sections are not getting repeated with each new game.  I realize that it would take two books to start up any Palladium product with this setup but that is not really outside the norm these days.  I really think it could make the games run smoother and it would be easier to manage because more useful information could be packed into each core book.  

I know this will never happen but it was fun to write about. There were other choices that I could have made - Adventures in Fantasy, Lejendary Adventures, and The Fantasy Trip are several - but this is the one that really captured my imagination.  Maybe one of these days it will happen...   

#RPGaDay Post 26

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Coolest character sheet
I do not own the game yet but I believe that NUMENERA has the coolest character sheet I have seen.

Note: This sheet was found through a Google Images search and as far as I can tell was originally posted on this thread at EN World.

A Little Bit of Blog Maintenance

Just in case you noticed that things looks slightly different around here or can not find something that got moved from the previous location it was in, here is a quick rundown on a few small changes I made:

Old Gaming Notebook tab: I got rid of the tab at the top of the page but I moved the contents to the Collected Posts tab.

Collected Posts tab: Relocated the contents of the Old Gaming Notebook tab to this location and reduced the size of the font. 

Open Game License (OGL) tab: I renamed this tab to Legal and added information about the Palladium Books® Internet Policy including a link to their web pages.

Miscellaneous: I edited a few recent posts to ensure they were compliant with the Palladium Books® Internet Policy. 

Move along.  This is not one of the gaming related blog posts you are looking for...

#RPGaDay Post 25

I ran across the idea for this blogfest at The Other Side and decided to participate because it seemed like a good way to get back into the groove on posting since work has been keeping all of us so busy lately.   At least a few of these topics have been covered in previous posts but here it goes...

Favorite RPG No One Else Wants To Play

I am a huge fan of post-apocalyptic fiction and gaming.  One of the first games I got into was the original Gamma World.  I was completely captivated by Cryptic Alliances, robots, mutant animals, and a world torn apart by devastation.  I tried some of the other versions but none of them clicked with me like the rules in the original game had years ago.  I would find a new post-apocalyptic game several years later.  

One weekend I went to visit my buddy Jamie in Tulsa.  He told me about a new game he had played a few nights ago with our mutual friend Travis; both of them thought I would like it.  Then he handed me the rule book for Rifts® and the cover image immediately caught my attention.   I remember thinking "what the hell is that thing?!" as I opened the book to take a look inside.

I noticed immediately that Rifts® was a Palladium Books® product and that sparked my interest even more because we were fans of The Palladium (Fantasy) Role-Playing Game® and their Robotech® game.  I started flipping through the pages looking at pictures, reading random bits, and really digging the color plates placed in several spots throughout the rule book.  Of course, we started rolling up some characters as soon as possible so we could start playing!  We played many sessions of Rifts® and had loads of fun playing as the Coalition, against the Coalition, fighting vampires, searching for Atlantis, and generally just raising hell in our game sessions.  

Unfortunately, I do not have a Rifts® game currently in progress or even one planned to start any time soon. There are definitely players around here because I have a FLGS that consistently has a dedicated area for Palladium products.  The biggest issue is most likely getting all of the schedules to line up.  The other obstacle seems to be they want to play something else - mostly D&D - first and then do a Rifts® game next.  Finally, I have tried to get a new player or two into the game but it always seems like they "heard the game doesn't work" or "it's too complicated" or something else.  Granted, Rifts® does have some legitimate issues and some areas that need some revision/attention to resolve.  If you can look past some of those issues or resolve them in your group there is a great setting with unlimited potential waiting for you.