The Mighty Atom

Trust in Me

2013-02-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

This is an old post. I didn't publish it way back when, because the situation was still very charged, and I didn't want to make it all about that one specific interaction. But, we've moved on now and I think there are some general points here worth sharing and discussing. So here it is.

A few interactions in one of the weekly games I'm in has highlighted some issues of trust in roleplaying so I figured I'd say a few words on the subject.

"As the GM, I describe the failure."
"Right. But you can't just say anything, right? It has to suit the character and not violate the player's vision, and it has to make sense with what has come before and..."
"Uh, that's not what the rule says. It says the GM describes the failure. Here's the actual text: 'Every so often, you’re going to lose control of your character for a moment. When you attempt to do something and fail your test, the GM gets to take over and describe something that went wrong. He can tell everyone about something you did that was misguided or even bad. Or, he can describe an unforeseen effect that your actions caused. He gets to stick it to you for a moment.'"
"Well, sure, that's what the book says, but you still have to make sure it's okay with the player and doesn't mess up their idea of the character..."

And that's when I realized that the player -- on some deep level -- just didn't trust me, as GM, to "do it right" when it came time to take control of their character on a failure. And not just their own character, but any PC.

And it turns out that the trust issue encompasses not just PC agency, but "the story" as well. Here's another exchange between two players:

"Yeah, I could have my character really go down this dark path..."
"But that's not great for the story, though. It's one dimensional to have a character that just spirals down like that."
"Yeah, well, that's where I see this going."
"I know, but it makes a weaker story that way. One-dimensional characters are boring..."

Again, the trust just isn't there. The PC going down this dark path is "doing the story wrong" (as if that was possible) or at the very least, making the story somehow worse. The objecting player has certain standards that must be honored, or his enjoyment of the game will suffer -- which is perfectly normal, of course -- but he doesn't trust the rest of us not to mess it all up for him.

As a result, we often end up debating the merits of player decisions, story points, NPC behaviors, and rules applications whenever any of them begin to diverge from the standards and preferences of this player. He's worried that we're going to weaken the story, make a critical error, do something that doesn't "make sense," or otherwise disrupt the fictional space inside his head. On some level, He just doesn't trust us to get it right.

When the trust is there, there's no need for lots of front-loaded debate and discussion before establishing the action. A fellow player does something that seems odd or the story takes a bizarre turn or a rule is applied in an unexpected way and it's okay. If you trust everyone sitting around the table, you can take a wait-and-see approach. Maybe it seems a little odd or unexpected now, but you trust that it will all work out. You give the benefit of the doubt.

When the trust is there, everyone is free to play hard, be bold, and put their stamp on the game. Their vision might be different from your vision, and that's okay. Playing with trust means coming to the table excited to hear what the other players are going to say -- whatever it may be. That's why we play these games with particular people, right? That's why we stay in groups with creative, interesting, engaging players and leave the groups that don't click for us.

Sure, sometimes you need to be firm and hold your ground. Sometimes you fight for your specific vision of the game. But when it comes from a place of trust, you're fighting with your respected peers. You're advocating for your ideas, not shooting theirs down. When it's not based in trust, you're trying to shepherd the other players -- steer them, guide them, show them the right way. You're fighting to protect yourself from their "bad ideas."

I'll say that again: You're fighting to protect yourself from the so-called bad ideas of your fellow players. If you're in this place, it's time to reassess. Do you really want to be playing with these people? Maybe play with people you trust more. Do you really want to trust this group, but find it hard to? Maybe press on and try to release the iron grip of control.

Also, consider this question: What did these people do to lose your trust? Often, the answer is "nothing." The lack of trust may be coming from past experiences or other issues. Try to give your fellow players the benefit of the doubt. Relax, and fly casual. The thing that seems so wrong or strange to you right now may turn out to be really cool if you allow your fellow players to take risks and be spontaneous.

The Regiment: Colonial Marines 2.5

2013-02-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

The version 2.5 playtest kit for The Regiment: Colonial Marines is ready.

GOALS FOR 2.5

A slightly simpler game: I reduced the overall number of moves as well as removing some exceptional cases so it’s easier to remember and apply rules.

Fictional results for stress and wounds: In previous versions, it was easy to gloss over the effects of stress and wounds, falling back on shorthand: “Take 2 wounds.” I wanted each box of damage to have a specific effect to cue a result in the fiction.

More difficult choices: Tough choices are always fun. I revised the old push yourself move into something more interesting (I hope): Keep it together. The engagement move now accounts for details of the specific situation, including morale elements, so choices of fictional positioning have a bigger impact when making that move.

CHANGELOG

New volume of fire table: There are now 5 VOFs: Incidental, Scattered, Direct, Focused, and Concentrated.

New stress system: Each time you take stress, you choose how your solider will react to it: Flight, Fight, or Shock.

New wounds system: Wounds have locations now, and critical wounds take you out of action. There’s a critical move that determines how badly you’re injured, so there’s more uncertainty (you can’t count on a 2d pistol to not kill you).

New and revised moves: Assault now includes covering fire. Push yourself has been revised into keep it together. Help has been revised into aid. Hit the deck no longer requires a roll. New critical move. Rally is now a Sergeant move.

New and revised playbook moves: Changes to each playbook! Give them a close look. Also check out when you mark xp (upper right corner of playbooks).

Thanks for checking it out! If you give it a try, let me know here, on G+, or at the Regiment forum. As always, I'm happy to answer questions.

Ghost Lines v 1.5

2013-01-31T16:16:00.002-08:00

Just updated the Ghost Lines PDF to version 1.5. It's 4 pages now. The fourth page is:
- Rumors table
- Patrons table
- City Events table
- Ghost qualities
- NPC features

Also made a few minor text tweaks here and there.

EDIT: Also updated the InDesign file package.

Ghost Lines: 3rd Age Rail Map

2013-01-25T17:11:00.002-08:00

Here's the map we're using in our game.

You might want to make your own, but if not, click on the preview for a printable hi-res version.

Ghost Lines 1.1 / INDD files

2013-01-25T15:27:00.001-08:00

Here's an updated version of Ghost Lines, now with credits, instructions on leveling up, rolling the dice, lightning-oil usage, and some minor tweaks. Thanks for the feedback, everybody! Also, if you want to hack it, do a translation, or whatever, it now has a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA). And here's the InDesign file package.

Ghost Lines: Mini-game AW hack thing

2013-01-24T16:44:00.002-08:00

Hey there. This is what I'm designing/running right now. It's a 3-page micro-hack based on Apocalypse World, Dishonored, and Ghostbusters.

Our World of Dungeons world got destroyed in a supernatural cataclysm, so we decided to move the timeline forward 1,000 years and play a new game. This is the result.

It might be playable by people who aren't us, who knows? I figure some of you will probably want to give it a whirl. I'm happy to answer questions.

The Regiment: Colonial Marines

2013-01-11T17:25:00.002-08:00

This is what we're playing right now: The Regiment, set in the universe of the Aliens film franchise. We're Colonial Marines, trying to quell a rebellion on a distant world, but something horrible has escaped from one of the research facilities! Wonder what it could be...

Grab the PDF for new playbooks, weapons, vehicles, and a starter mission by Ryan Dunleavy.

We're also trying out a few new rules, including death moves and a "cinematic death" option (like debilities in Apocalypse World). Like all playtest stuff for The Regiment, this is a very bare-bones kit. You'll need familiarity with Apocalypse World and the Aliens universe to use it.

If you give it a try, or have any questions, head over to the Regiment forums and let us know.

The Regiment Alpha 2.1 Playtest Kit

2012-11-11T15:22:00.000-08:00

I made a few tweaks to The Regiment for BurningCon 2012. They were a big hit, so now you get to try them out, too.

Changes:
- New "Medic!" move that's all about the hard choices.
- New "Lead the way" move for the Sergeant that is super-badass, and gives the SGT a reason to put all those eggs in one basket.
- Operator only gets one additional move to start, not two.
- "Are you crazy?" move rolled into new move, "Combat action."
- "End of session checklist" move added.
- Advice callout box added to GM2, about not getting bogged down in planning.
- Regimental and Unit order of battle sheet added.

The Regiment: Alpha 2.0 playtest

2012-08-26T18:18:00.002-07:00

The alpha 2.0 playtest kit for The Regiment is here.

Changes from alpha 1.0:
- Single-sided, 8.5x11 playbooks. A bit simpler now and ultra-compact!
- Revised and standardized advancement across all playbooks.
- Added new modern era special forces Operator playbook.
- Completely revised moves, both in the playbooks and in the basic set.
- Revised weapon ranges and damage.
- New battle plan mechanic, similar to workspace from AW.
- New unit maneuvers mechanic, to gracefully handle off-screen and NPC actions.

Coming soon, but not done yet:
- The new Unit creation sheet. You can use the old one for now, and use "profile" for "operational effectiveness" in 2.0.

Go ahead and grab it, give it a try, and let us know what you think over on The Regiment forum.

Thanks to all the alpha 1.0 playtesters and fans for your help and support.

World of Dungeons

2012-06-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

So, I made a thing.

World of Dungeons is a complete short roleplaying game that answers the question "If Dungeon World was the latest version of a classic roleplaying game, what would the original look like?"

Basically, it's Dungeon World 0E. We've been playing it for several months now, and it's been a blast. If you're a fan of classic dungeon games, or Dungeon World, or both, I think you'll dig it.

How can you get it? By helping the Dungeon World Kickstarter reach $27,000 (~~about $1200 to go as of this writing~~). UPDATE: It's unlocked! Once it's unlocked, everyone who contributes at any level gets it for free.

The Regiment Alpha Playtest Kit

2012-03-05T10:55:00.002-08:00

Here's the alpha playtest kit for THE REGIMENT, an Apocalypse World hack about soldiers at war.

Playbooks for the Soldier, Officer, Sergeant, Medic, Commando, and Sniper.
Moves and Weapons tri-fold.
GM toolkit tri-fold.
Regiment/Unit tri-fold.

Should you try this out? You're a good candidate if you 1) Have played Apocalypse World and know it well, 2) Are a fan of war movies, 3) Can playtest a game from bare-bones components. If you're not all three of those, then I don't know. Maybe it's not the thing for you yet.

http://www.onesevendesign.com/regiment/the_regiment_alpha_1_0.pdf

There's a Regiment forum over on the Apocalypse World boards. Please discuss the game over there.

Thanks!

DEATH SCHOOL (Lady Blackbird Hack)

2012-02-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

Check out this new, free, Lady Blackbird hack by Jason Morningstar: DEATH SCHOOL. It's 80s action-movie magic with some sweet new rules (redshirts!). While you're there, check out his other LB hack, Bloody Forks of the Ohio, and his other free games.

Still Here!

2012-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

My blog still exists, honest!

See that previous post from August about Stars Without Number? Well, we are still playing the hell out of it. I need to tell you all about it. But my AP post keeps getting more complicated and more delayed, so I thought I better poke my head in and make sure the lights were still on.

I posted a list of Gaming Highlights from 2011 over on Story Games. So many!

Oh, also, Will Hindmarch is kickstarting an awesome thing called Always/Never/Now. Go check it out!

Good? Good.

Stars Without Number: Record Sheets

2011-08-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

I have recently discovered Stars Without Number, quite possibly the best sandbox-gaming RPG ever made. SWN won the "best free game" category in the Indie RPG Awards this year, which prompted me to give it a look. I'm VERY glad I did.

The GM tools presented in this game for managing a sandbox are second to none. Every last element is considered and provided for, from creating a sector of space to explore -- its planets, factions, and NPCs -- to modular adventure creation, one-roll quick generators for every conceivable thing (from religions to corporations to alien species), and a simple but interesting faction-level conflict system to keep the world(s) spinning with conflicts. The amount of work put into this game is staggering. Major kudos to Kevin Crawford, the author.

Those who love Apocalypse World will recognize this style of game immediately, and feel right at home. (The skill system just so happens to be 2d6+bonus, which makes it a cinch to tweak to AW-style miss/partial/hit results). I really can't recommend the game enough. Oh, did I also mention that it's FREE?

Since I plan to run the game soon, I had to make new record sheets for it (naturally). You can grab the PDF, which includes class sheets for the Expert, Warrior, and Psychic, a starship record sheet, planet sheet, and faction files.

Enjoy! If you have experience running or playing SWN, I'd love to hear about it.

The Regiment: SUPER SOLDIER

2011-07-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a bit of fun in honor of Captain America.

The Super Soldier playbook! This isn't an official Regiment playbook, but after seeing Captain America tonight (loved it) I couldn't help myself. Also, anyone who was thinking about doing Godlike using The Regiment could maybe get an idea or two out of this. Enjoy.

Apocalypse World: Guide to Hard Moves

2011-05-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing some people struggle with this, so here's a handy guide to hard moves in Apocalypse World.

When you make a regular MC move, all three:
1. It follows logically from the fiction.
2. It gives the player an opportunity to react.
3. It sets you up for a future harder move.

This means, say what happens but stop before the effect, then ask "What do you do?"

- He swings the chainsaw right at your head. What do you do?
- You sneak into the garage but there's Plover right there, about to notice you any second now. What do you do?
- She stares at you coldly. 'Leave me alone,' she says. What do you do?

When you make a hard MC move, both:
1. It follows logically from the fiction.
2. It's irrevocable.

This means, say what happens, including the effect, then ask "What do you do?"

- The chainsaw bites into your face, spraying chunks of bloody flesh all over the room. 3-harm and make the harm move!
- Plover sees you and starts yelling like mad. Intruder!
- 'Don't come back here again.' She slams the door in your face and you hear the locks click home.

See how that works? The regular move sets up the hard move. The hard move follows through on the threat established by the regular move.

I've seen people struggle with hard moves in the moment. Like, when the dice miss, the MC stares at it like, "Crap! Now I have to invent something! Better make it dangerous and cool! Uh... some ninja... drop out of the ceiling... with poison knives! Grah!"

Don't do that. Instead, when it's time for a hard move, look back at the setup move(s) you made. What was threatened? What was about to happen, before the PC took action? Follow through on that. Bring the effects on screen. Bring the consequences to fruition.

And speaking of consequences, a hard move doesn't automatically equate to severe consequences. The severity of the threat is a separate issue, depending wholly on the fiction as established. The hard move means the consequences, large or small, take full effect now.

It's not about being mean, or punishing a missed roll, or inventing new trouble. It's about giving the fiction its full expression. Setup, follow-through. Action, consequences.

The Regiment: Elements

2011-05-05T18:11:00.001-07:00

Paul and I are still working hard on THE REGIMENT. We had planned on a Q1 release originally, but have since decided to take more time with it and do another round of playtesting instead. Here's another teaser PDF for you in the mean time.

FAQ answer: It's an Apocalypse World add-on, not a stand alone game. You might think of it as a specific kind of apocalypse (one in which WWII never ended, and has consumed the globe) with new playbooks and moves to suit. Sort of like an AW playset, in a way.

(UPDATE: There was a typo and one of the moves needed tweaking, so I uploaded a new version of the PDF.)

OPERATION: BLACKBIRD

2011-05-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

How about some ultra-mod spy action in a Lady Blackbird hack? Here it is, courtesy of Andy Blanchard:

OPERATION: BLACKBIRD... the mission name conceived by the nations of the world to combat the evil machinations of the villainous international organization known as B.E.D.L.A.M.

The world's top secret agents have been gathered together to stop B.E.D.L.A.M.'s latest plot to extort the world for its own nefarious ends. They intend to use their newest secret weapon, which they have dubbed the Ultra-Lazer Cannon, to destroy a world landmark every week until their vile demands are met!

WILL THE WORLD'S BEST SECRET AGENTS BE ABLE TO PUT ASIDE THEIR NATURAL DISTRUST AND DISLIKE OF ONE ANOTHER TO STOP THEM?

WILL THEY DESTROY THE ULTRA-LAZER CANNON?

OR WILL THE EVIL CUNNING OF B.E.D.L.A.M. BE MORE THAN THEY CAN HANDLE?

Check it out here!

Jedi Blackbird

2011-04-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Like Lady Blackbird? Love Star Wars? Then you'll want to take John Aegard's JEDI BLACKBIRD for a spin. From the introduction:

It is a time of troubles for the Jedi Knights. The peace and prosperity of the Republic have made the Order complacent. The Dark Side is everywhere.

NOW, word has arrived from the distant Outer Rim that the renegade padawan ORDO VALLUS has established a holdfast on the junk world of KONDU. The Jedi Council has hastily dispatched three Jedi aboard the starship BLACKBIRD. Their mission: to bring Vallus back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, where he will stand trial.

HOWEVER, as the expedition emerges from hyperspace, it is confronted by the fleet of vile Hutt corsair Bokka the Bold. Bokka broadcasts on all frequencies -- the Jedi are not welcome here!

Awesome.

Also, we just passed the 2nd anniversary of Lady Blackbird. Crazy! Time flies.

Danger Patrol & Lady Blackbird Podcast

2011-04-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

I think every game designer, while toiling in their dark oubliette, is buoyed by the pleasant memories of those players who truly get it -- the players who mind-meld with the designer's vision for a game and use it to create something amazing.

The excellent gentlemen over at the Yellow Menace podcast are such players. Their episode about Danger Patrol and Lady Blackbird has not just made my day, it has made my year. I am beaming. Beaming! over here.

Thank you, YM crew!

The Western Zombies Game

2011-02-24T15:37:00.000-08:00

Daniel Solis recently blogged about "rolling to hit" in RPGs, and how to approach the issue in various ways. This reminded me of a game I threw together for a game-day back in 2002, so I went and dug through some old boxes and found my notes.

IT DON’T END WHEN YOU BURY ME
The Western Zombie Game

Shooting
Each d6 is a bullet. You have 6d6 in your trusty Colt Peacemaker pistol.
When you shoot at a zombie, roll Xd6, up to the number of bullets remaining in your gun.
The numbers rolled tell you where you hit. 1,2: legs, 3: arms, 4,5: torso, 6: head.
A head-shot instantly destroys a zombie.
A leg-shot slows a zombie (moves 1 instead of 2). Two leg hits immobilize a zombie (it moves zero and can’t lunge, but can still bite and claw).
Any number of arm hits weaken a zombie. It attacks at lower strength (-1d6).
~~A torso-shot has no effect on a zombie.~~ EDIT: A torso-shot blows through a zombie. Roll the die again as a hit on any target behind the zombie, up to 2 squares away.

Reloading
When you reload, pick up a number of dice equal to the number of bullets you want to reload. The GM also picks up one die. Count down, 3! 2! 1! then you both roll your dice.
GM: Acting like a lumbering zombie, pick up another die. Moan. Roll the die. Does it match any of the dice you’ve rolled? If it does, shout URGH! Reloading stops right now and the zombies nearest the player take a turn! If the dice don’t match, pick up another die, moan, and repeat until reloading stops.
Player: After you roll your dice, you have to quickly pick them up again -- one at a time -- and place them back on the table with their top faces in numerical order, starting with 1 and counting up. If you do this, shout LOADED! Reloading stops right now. If you beat the GM (you shouted LOADED before she shouted URGH) then you get to shoot before the zombie(s) go.

The Map
Use a square grid map. Draw in some buildings like a western frontier town. Indicate where some weapons are scattered around, too.

A zombie can move 2 and attack.
Zombie Claws & Teeth: Range 1. Damage 2d6.
Zombie Lunge: Range 2. Damage 1d6, knocks target prone.

A PC can move 2 and do something (shoot, close a door, pick up a gun, reload) -or- move 3.
Sawed-Off: Range 3. Holds 2 shells, which are d10s. Any 6+ hit destroys a zombie.
Pistol: Range 4. Holds 6 bullets, which are d6s.
Shotgun: Range 5. Holds 5 shells, which are d8s. Any 6+ hit destroys a zombie.
Rifle: Range 6. Holds 12 bullets, which are d6s.
Dynamite: Range 4. Damage 10d6, distribute hits to target square and every target adjacent.

That's all there is. I guess we figured out the missing bits, because I remember playing this and having all manner of fun. Maybe there's enough there for you to give it a try, if you have a mind to.

Anyway, to Daniel's point, there's a game that's all about shooting zombies and it manages to be tense and fun, even though you can't ever miss.

Lady Blackbird Companion

2011-02-24T12:25:00.001-08:00

Tim Adamson has made a very cool "appendix" for Lady Blackbird: The Lady Blackbird Companion. It's a compilation of material from the various LB hacks as well as all new stuff. Here's his description of it from Story Games:

What is this?
A setting and rules companion to Lady Blackbird.

Who is this for?
Anyone who enjoys Lady Blackbird or other Tales from the Wild Blue Yonder.
Anyone interested in fantasy steampunk adventure role-play.

Why do you use this?
Extending or augmenting the adventures of Lady Blackbird and associates.
Having other exciting adventures in the Blue.
Writing new chapters of Tales from the Wild Blue Yonder.

Where and when do you use this?
At the table, when you play.

How do you use this?
Find bits of setting detail to add into your game.
As a GM: find ideas for obstacles, questions, and NPCs.
As a player: find ideas for your character, places to go, and things to do.
Ignore what you don't like and---probably---what contradicts what you do like.

Lots of great stuff in there. Highly recommended!

Leverage RPG Sheets

2011-02-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to make some custom character sheets for the new Leverage RPG.

One sheet per Role, with the Role talents printed on the sheet to facilitate character creation. I had to re-write the talents in a more compact form so they'd fit on the sheets. Hopefully the Leverage-heads out there will tell me if I screwed anything up too badly. There's an extra sheet to record jobs/experience that also has the open talents on it.

Old School Hack Released!

2011-01-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

The beta PDF of Old School Hack is out now! This is a continuation/modification of the Red Box Hack, which is a lightweight and fun tribute to fantasy hack-and-slash. RBH was lots of fun to play, and it looks like OSH will be even better. Plus, it's presented in a really pleasing graphic format that's easy to read and reference. Definitely worth checking out.

I need to get a game of this going ASAP.

The Regiment: SOLDIER

2010-12-15T14:23:00.001-08:00

The Regiment is an Apocalypse World hack about soldiers at war by Paul Riddle and me. Here's a little teaser: the Soldier tri-fold playbook PDF.

More to come! We're planning on a Q1 PDF release (for sale) next year.