A - Z Theme Change

This is just a heads up for anyone that is interested in the A - Z challenge.  I was originally going to do my A - Z postings this year on updating my campaign world; I even asked for a little assistance with a few letters.  I have been writing and updating my posts and some other stuff around here.  I have decided to expand my theme for the A - Z challenge to include updates on any and all projects I have started; not only will this include Toldara but also further updating of Escape From Camp Blood, Back to the Dungeon supplementary material, and my honest best effort to update as many projects from my Old Gaming Notebook as I can get done.

Minor Reorganization

For anyone interested, I have done a little bit more cleanup around here on the old blog.  I have removed some information from the Collected Posts page and moved them to their appropriate place on the Old Gaming Notebook page or the Toldara page.  All of the information is still here but is now located in a "better" area. 

Knights of Pen & Paper - Mobile Old School Gaming Fix

I do not play many mobile games on my Android phone but there are a few that I enjoy.  My current favorite is Knights of Pen & Paper from Behold Studios.  It was only $1.99 and has provided hours of fun. 

SteamCraft - First Impressions [Part 1]

I was impressed with Perilous Journeys - the previous product from Perilous Journeys Publishing - so I was very interested when I learned they were doing a kickstarter for their SteamCraft game to be released to retail stores in hardback.  Unfortunately, I could participate in the kickstarter due to bad timing so I decided to wait until the public release to get a copy. 

 

Fast forward a couple of months and Valentine's Day was near and the wife had "no idea what to get me" so I snuck in a request for SteamCraft.  I even mentioned the fact that she could do it all from her laptop and would not even have to drive to a bookstore.  This is a big deal for her because I am one of those people that tend to get lost in a bookstore.  I could literally browse for hours and hours.  I have tried to point out that it is similar to the way she can browse for clothes or purses but I do not thing she believes me.  Anyway, back to SteamCraft. 

 

We ordered from FRP Games and waited for the game to arrive.  It was my first order from them and I was very satisfied with the service.  I was kept in the loop by FRP Games during the entire process.  I received emails to let me know my order was accepted, fulfilled, and shipped.  My product was properly packed for shipment and I received it with no bends, creases, gouges, or other defects that can occur during shipping.  I would recommend FRP Games to others after my experience.

 

The SteamCraft game and world is detailed in a single 216 page hardbound volume for a $35.95 listed price.  I greatly appreciate the fact that this one volume is all you need to get started.  I do not rule out a game if it requires multiple volumes but it sure is more convenient on my pocketbook and reading time to get it all down in one tome.  The hardback feels sturdy, looks nice, and fits in well on my shelf of gaming products.  I hope to see Perilous Journeys get the same treatment at some point in the future.  The interior pages are laid out in a clear manner in the traditional black text on white background; grey background is used to set some information apart in the text.  The text is a nice reading size that does not put a strain on the eyes and is easy to read.

The introduction takes up two pages and includes topics such as a quick overview, a role-playing definition, and a steampunk definition. I know many believe that the "what is role-playing" section is unnecessary in modern games.  I disagree because you never know when some other interest might lead someone to a role-playing game based on that interest or something similar.  If someone has never actually role-played before then this short section is needed.  The best part of this section defines the genre of steampunk.  I had a vague idea of the genre before purchasing this book and now I know for sure what steampunk is all about.

 

The next section of the rulebook covers the campaign world in 55 pages.  There is a wealth of information about the Arcadian Coast and the various countries and locations within.  In addition, there are entries that cover topics such as racism, sexism, social class, the Fae, technology, science & magic, health care, religion, and guilds.  Not only is all of this information included but there are also various pages that resemble newspaper articles that have been clipped from in world sources; a nice touch that helps with immersion.

 

Character creation is covered in the next 44 pages of the rule book. Characters are created through a combination of selecting from the available options and spending points during a 12 step process.  The first selection that must be made is race of the character; there are 7 nonhuman races such as dwarf, elf, & gnome in addition to the Human race.  I guess you could technically consider  SteamCraft a steampunk fantasy game with the inclusion of fantasy elements like magic and the nonhuman races - does steampunk typically include those elements or not?  The selection of race will also help determine the base ratings of the attributes.  Continuing through the character creation process will result in the selection of edges, flaws, abilities, and other derived statistics.  There are no limited character classes, but there are some sample archetypes, in this game but each character is a unique combination of natural and learned abilities.  At the end of the character creation chapter is a sample walk through of the character creation process.  I would appreciate if all games put the sample of character creation in one spot instead of spread throughout the chapter.  It makes it easier to follow and double check your own character.

 

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I had planned to do my first impressions of SteamCraft as one post but real life got crazy this weekend so I am going to go ahead and post what I have so far.  The rest is coming soon...

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

          

The Play Generated Map & Document Archive

I am probably late to the party on this one but earlier today I found the coolest archive of old gaming material at The Play Generated Map & Document Archive while I was browsing the internet.  If you want to see old gaming material such as hand drawn maps, home made modules that mimic the style of the old AD&D modules, and other various items then follow that link.

Two Updates

I have made two small changes on the blog today.

 

I added an About Me tab if anyone is interested in reading about how I got into role playing games and would return to them years later.

 

I also added a section for Escape From Camp Blood on the Collected Posts section.

 



Back to the Dungeon Supplement I: Toldara (working outline)

Toldara is the name of my campaign world for fantasy role playing games.  Much of it is not set it rigid stone and much of it exists only in notes.  Toldara is sort of an amalgamation of all of my play experiences from the early 80s until today mixed in with ideas from my cousin Alex.  He is handling the crunchier version of the setting - the Pathfinder rules - and I am working on a version using lighter rules such as the Back to the Dungeon RPG; more information about the game can be found at the Back to the Dungeon blog.  In my efforts, I have come up with the following outline to guide my work.

 

1.  Introduction (completed)

 

----------For Players----------------

 

2.  New Attribute Generation Methods (completed)

3.  Races (80%)

• Information about the core races; modifications, exclusions, etc.
• New races native to Toldara.

4. Classes (50%)

•  New classes
• Class variants (not sure)

5.  Optional Skill System (draft only - may be dropped)
6.  Character Backgrounds (80%)

• Ideas for players that like to develop the background of their characters.

---------For GMs---------------------

7.  Monsters (draft)
8.  Magic Items (draft)
9.  World Information (draft)

Progress so far.  More later...

 

SteamCraft - Newest Arrival

I had some errands to run today and when I came home I checked the mail.  There was not anything in the mailbox but when I opened up the screen door there was a box from FRP Games.  I have been checking it out for the last hour or so but I have not come up with enough thoughts to commit to a post yet but there will be one coming shortly.  In the meantime, if you want to check out a sample or find our more information about the game then go to the SteamCraft page at the Perilous Journeys Publishing site.

Escape From Camp Blood (playtesting components)

I have been searching through the internet for mail order supplies that may help when I get to the point of creating a prototype of the game board and pieces.  The game board can be found simulated  by using a large piece of poster board until the details get worked out.  At that point, there are various sizes of blank folding boards that can be used for the game board.  As you can see, the game board is not an issue at all.  The poster board is a cheap alternative to use during playtesting until a final design is determined. 

 

With the biggest obstacle out of the way, I turned to the rest of the components.  Along with the poster board - could be purchased at Dollar General - I could use the small index cards for the item and event cards used during the game.  I could even cut each card in half and that could serve as two cards.  For less than $5 I could have a big chunk of the playtest materials ready.  Granted, there would not be any fancy art or anything at this point BUT that should not be an issue since all of this is for purely playtesting use.

 

The final hurdle to the components is some sort of counters, tokens, etc. to serve as representations of the various campers and the slasher they are avoiding.  I thought about using pawns - and I might for the initial playtesting - but I really associate them with chess and other games instead of a game about eighties slasher films.  Then I stumbled upon these little figures called meeples and thought that they would work perfectly. 

 

 

I found these things at Meeple Source and they have a wide variety of board gaming supplies that I could use.  There are all sorts of game boards (just like I need), counters, various tokens, monster meeples, people meeples, giant meeples, and all sorts of other things.  Other examples are pictured below.

 

Now that I have satisfied my curiosity about gathering game pieces that will look reasonably well done for a reasonable price it is time to get back to brainstorming.  More later...

Escape From Camp Blood (another look)

Eric Baker, you asked for it and now you have it!  If you're interested in co-authoring this game with me then start brainstorming...

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My original post about Escape From Camp Blood was posted on May 21, 2012.  It has been almost a year and I have posted nothing else about it.  This post is the first in a series in an effort to move from concept to complete game.

 

Concept: The players are campers at a newly re-opened camp that was shut down due to some grisly murders that took place at the camp a few summers ago.  The killer was never found and it was assumed he drowned and the body was never found.  The murders begin again on the first night of the camp being open again.

 

It would be cool to include a back story for the original killings - why did the murderer go on a rampage, how many people were killed, who escaped, etc.  Also include some rumors about the return of the killer or what happened after the camp was closed.

 

Goal: The players are simply trying to survive the return of the killer and make it out of camp alive.  

 

There could be other goals also - stopping the killer by subduing him or killing him.  If all of the players are killed then alternate victory conditions could exist for the player to gather the most knowledge about the killer, pick up the most items, or last the longest, etc.  It will be up to the players to work together or go solo.  I am not sure if the killer should be controlled by one of the players or by some random method in the rulebook.

 

Components: The pieces needed to play this game would include the following.

• Game Board: Of course, the game board will be the playing area of the game.  This board will depict a typical camp scene with a road leading out, some cabins, a dining cabin, a maintenance shed, a baseball field, a river or like, some canoes, and a wooded area.
• Camper Tokens: There will be several tokens representing the different kinds of campers at the camp - jock, tough guy, cowboy, techie, punk, cheerleader, beauty queen, cheerleader, camp staff, etc.
• Killer Token: Represents the killer and does not start out in play.
• Cards: To increase replay value there will be a list of random events (plot twists?) and item cards that will have an impact on the game at random times or when they are discovered.  

 

It might be a good idea to have the game board be split up into several pieces that can be assembled in various ways so each setup and play experience will be unique.  Each one of the campers should have a special ability or something that sets them apart from the other campers; something that will serve as an advantage to that character. The killer will also have a list of special abilities that can randomly be determined by a die roll or something similar. The plot twist cards will represent events that can alter the game - cops showing up, bounty hunter, two killers, a fake killer, wake up it's a dream, etc.  The item cards will represent stuff that can give the players a further advantage such as weapons, cell phone, gun, etc. 

 

Expansion Material: Just as every good - or bad, to tell the truth - 80s slasher had sequels after the success of the initial film this game could have expansion material set up as sequels to the original game and story.  All of the stuff in the expansion sets could be related to the theme of the expansion.  It could be used by itself or mixed in with the original set.  Some possibilities include:

• An expansion giving more detail and play options in the forested areas.  Maybe there is a cabin out there with the Necronomicon inside...
• An expansion could have the camp grounds open one more time with beefed up security and new playing pieces related to it - camp security guard token, new weapons, new campers, etc.
• An expansion turning the setup around by having multiple slashers going around the board trying to get the most kills.
• An expansion that details the lair or hideout of the slasher and the players have been captured and must get out.

Other Thoughts: A few ideas about the continued development of this game.

 

I know the control of the killer can be done in a traditional manner by having one of the players control the killer or by having some random method of controlling the killer outlined in the rule book.  I want to do something different.  I want to come up with a system where each player always controls their camper but the control of the killer rotates around the table.  This is one way to simulate the random focus of the slasher in some of these movies.  I can remember the killer changing his attention from one person to another at times.  It is just an interesting thought I had.  

 

I know there are some differences between the 80s slashers and the more modern slasher movies.  This could actually be the focus of one of the expansion sets. 

 

This post is a much better explanation of the game concept I had in mind.  I will develop each one of these ideas in greater detail in future posts.  More later...