Campaign26

I feel the inexorable pull of Campaign26. 

There is no stopping it now. 

 

I am being spaghettified in its event horizon.

 

 

My relationship with the hobby is, as many, mostly theoretical. We dream worlds while collecting books and pdfs in dusty and unfragged piles. Some of us play, but usually our jobs get in the way. 

My job is somewhat busy, so this will be difficult, but I will try. For now I will put my hat in for two certain Campaigns. One solo, the other with a group. The others are idle fantasies for now.

Solo

A solo playthrough of B2 The Keep on the Borderlands using the Scarlet Heroes Ruleset by Kevin Crawford.

I'll indulge myself in the deliberate 'Eastern Pastiche' aspect of the ruleset. Partly as a way to encourage myself to do some deep research about...well a lot of things really. Trying to make my way through The Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and the other Classics.

Already did some prep!

In Person

I want to run a Troika! game but getting players is tough. Mostly you get those who want to "play D&D". 

I love Troika! and its choice to dwell in grounded psychedelics. My mind constantly returns to Bas-Lag, Zothique, DCO, Viriconium and Zamonia's Atlantis when cast my eye towards it. I want to explore those worlds and that particular mind-space. I have opinions on the particular American-style gonzo/zanyness that it seems to have attracted. To my delight the Melsonian Arts Council is somewhat successfully filtering this overwhelming particular cultural expression of Troika! and is sticking to an almost personal vibe - admittedly I struggle to replicate it without resting on those american cultural exports.

So screw it. Hell yeah I am running OSE. Or maybe my hack of Knave (the original edition) which includes Giant Folk and GLoG spells. 

I dunno what with adventurewise but yeah.

Idle Fantasies

• A proper Troika! Sphere hopping campaign
• A game of Any Planet is Earth or Nighttripper or Offworlders
• An Into the Odd game using the OG Hexcrawl
• A Electric Bastionland game set in a semi-subtropical borough of Bastion.
• Mythic Bastionland. Need I say more?

forget everything you know and play a game.

I feel swamped. I have so much to read, to play, to analyse, to steal from, to collate, to collect, to admire, to critique. 

Troika!OSEB/XWorldWithoutNumberGodboundScarletHeroesDungeonWorldStarsWithoutNumberElectricBastionlandHeartseekerMorkBorgMausritterIntoTheOddFKRStarFrontieersKnaveTypewriterFantasyMazeRatsGammaWorldWarlock!TekumelGLoGFightingFantasyLabyrinthLordOtherDustCallofCthuluCthuluDarkIronsworn5e4ee3.5eAD&DOD&DChainmailWhiteHackBlackHackMachiattoMonstersTunnelGoonsPbtAFatePathfinderPF2eIndexCardRPGTravellerRuneQuestAnyPlanetIsEarthWeirdNorthDungeonCrawlClassicsWarhammerFantasyRPGMesserspielShadowrunFiveTorchesDeepOffWhiteCubeWhiteBoxFantasySwords&WizardryLamentationsoftheFlamePrincessBestLeftBuriedMothershipNumaBasicFantasySpearsoftheDawnWolvesofGodPariahandandandandandandandandandetcetcetcetcetc

Let's be clear. The best games have been played with nothing but a crappy rulebook, half-understood principles, and some dice. A match was lit in the dark room of Pen & Paper Roleplaying and revealed majesties you still struggle to comprehend. 

All you love was borne from stumbling in the half dark - until, slowly, you began to understand a shape of things. And now you are bored, glutted with syrups and processed mulch. 

Forget all of it. The assumptions, loves, stories and hates. Throw it all away. 

Pick up a book, get some friends, a place, paper, pencils, some dice

and play.

Mausritter lessons

I really do not like actual play reports. I get why people write them, but I'd rather have them be vague lessons for how this game ran and how it could apply to yours. 

Anyway, Mausritter is a dope-ass game with dope-ass mechanics. Not entirely suited for online play but what the hell. I posted an advert to (mostly) D&D groups in the country that I live - most people there enjoy 5e, so I got few responses. 

[alpha] It helps to be honest about the type of game (mechanically) that you're running.

I ran Honey in the Rafters - and it is incredibly good; great setting, treasure, encounters. I [beta] struggle with ratcheting tension in conversations, which was how my players decided to interact with the cultists. I guess playing the NPC as faithfully as possible helps, but humour and drama have their place (namely the sugar addicted cultists offered their sticky hands for the players to lick.)

[gamma] It was also difficult orchestrating first meetings. I have a tendency to jump on mechanics if they seem cool, but leave them when it would mean essentially instadeath. "What makes sense" doesn't always run, but "what is reasonable without good payoff" seems to run. I far prefer it when I let the dice fall where they may, which is why I enjoy OSR play. This happened with a tricky first encounter with Stig, where a Running save sorta made one character fall into his clutches. Only then did I roll a Morale.

Also, I really don't like online play because [delta] I am very easily distracted by things going on online. It has led to more than one mistakes when listening to players. I could still zone out, and then ask for a "caller" role to clarify exactly what was said. 

Finally, [epsilon] rulings are actually kinda hard. I had to backtrack on how caltrops work even after I had rolled quite a few damage dice. In retrospect, it was a good decision (d4 damage, or use action to sweep away), but still.

Lastly [zeta] I had a weird moment where I had to run large groups of characters against each other. I simply repurposed the Warband rules (although the rules are for far larger groups) to simulate the combat quickly. Up the damage dice here, lower the damage dice there, etc. 

When it comes to Rulings, I am reminded by the excellent OSR advice in Electric Bastionland. Especially just how one should make them. Using it on an Into the Odd inspired system just works.

Quibble with the Mausritter layout. I found myself flipping quite a bit when it came to character stuff/rest and overland travel. Minor, but still not as clean as I would have liked it. Will probably become better.  

Now for some beasts - easily portable into your Into the Odd game.

Tarentaal | 7 HP, Armour 1, STR 11, DEX 14, WIL 8, Beak (d6) or Talons (d8)
- A massive bipedal bird, red crested with speckled feathers. Four mice can ride it.
- Noted for its speed and ability to glide. Difficult to train alone.
- Makes all DEX saves with Advantage
- Wants: Safety in a flock and food.

Capybara | 10 HP, Armour 1 , STR 10 , DEX 15 , WIL 12 , Bite (d8) or Trample (d10), Warband Scale
- Gigantic semi-aquatic rodent. Agile on water and land.
- Their musk (if you can get it) is used in perfumes and potions. Rarely alone, very knowledgeable.
- Wants: Good conversation, gossip and some new leisure activity.

Capybara Families
1. The Ruda - Extremely close, work together
2. The Tupa - Traditional, take offense easily
3. The Hidra - Lazy, waterbound mostly
4. The Irasema - River traders, know many tidbits
5. The Caique - Ferrymen, can confirm/deny rumours
6. The Kauan - Warrior clan, you can hire them.