Friday 31 December 2010
Monday 27 December 2010
Sunday 26 December 2010
Clothes and hair
Saturday 25 December 2010
Tuesday 21 December 2010
Sunday 19 December 2010
Saturday 18 December 2010
Monday 13 December 2010
Exalted - Forge of Souls - Book 1 - The Road Not Chosen - Prelude
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It is an age of magic and adventure, when heroes of legend are reborn into a time of woe. At the dawn of the First Age, the gods gave power to men that they might slay the gods' Primordial enemies. Anointed by the gods, these beings were thereafter known as the Exalted. The greatest of the Exalted were the Solars, the Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, the mightiest of the gods. So great was their power that, when a Solar died, his power was quickly made manifest in a new individual - a reincarnation of sorts, but into a mature adult rather than a newborn. The Exalted triumphed over the enemies of the gods, and in reward, the gods gave the Exalted dominion over the Earth. For a timeless age, the Exalted ruled justly over Creation, and their kingdom was invincible. B ut the enemies of the gods had pronounced a terrible curse against the Exalted. This dark magic ate away at the hearts of the Chosen. The benevolence of the Solars turned to tyranny, and peace turned to civil war. It was prophesied that the madness of the Solars would bring about the destruction of the world. Seeing no other alternative, the lowliest of Exalted, the Dragon-Blooded, murdered the decadent Solar Exalted and locked their souls away. And so, a Second Age descended upon Creation. The greatest of the gods' servants no longer walked the earth, and the Realm of the Dragon-Blooded was but a shadow of the lost old Realm. Solar Exalted whose power escaped to be reborn were slain by Dragon-Blooded inquisitors known as the Wyld Hunt, and the Realm claimed dominion over Creation. For more than a thousand years the Solar Exalted remained imprisoned and defeated - until now. The Scarlet Empress, the Dragon-Blooded ruler of the Realm and controller of the Wyld Hunt, vanished five years ago. Without her might to enforce order in the Realm, the Great Houses of her Scarlet Dynasty have fallen to squabbling over the reins of power. And in this time of crisis, the Solar Exalted have returned. It is as if a gate was opened and the heroes of old rushed through it and returned to the world. Your character is among those individuals who have become Solar Exalted. You are a being of legend, as mighty as a demigod and as cunning as an asp. Will you be the savior of Creation or one of the terrible menaces that beset your world?
 The story begins in the village of Wai'hl, in the Kingdom of Kha'cin, Realm of the Grey Tiger. This kingdom is one of many in the region of Creation known as the Scavenger Lands. It lies just east of the Grey River, on a tributary, almost 3 months from the city of Nexus by boat. Kha'cin is a martial city, with it's warriors being called to fight for the Confederation of Rivers against the tyranny of the Realm. Every 5 years a grand tournament is held in the city, in the Circle of Blood, in honour of the patron god, the Grey Tiger, and now that time has come again.
The kingdom of Kha’cin has stood for over 200 years. Forming from the remains of a previous larger kingdom destroyed by the rampaging hordes of the Arczeckh barbarians of the east the kingdom was brought into being by the work of the ruling bloodline of dragon blooded and the hunter god Kha Alahan.
Under guidance of these two powers the people of the land repelled the monsters of the forests and the tribes of hyena men to establish a city around the First Age manse known as the Circle of Blood. Through the doctrines laid down by the new city god the people of the land became martial, training under the regime and expanding, taking under their wing village and town. This new city state laid down a simple manner of faith and promoted self protection and the protection of the weak, taking what they needed of the land and acting as ravenous Tigers in the protection of their land. The kingdom in modern times is now bordered by many groups. The main rivals are the Green Thorn of Shadar, the forest dwelling Hyena tribes, the insular people of Shattered Finger, and the mountain monks of the 8 Headed Flame of Furious Tongue.
The people of the kingdom of Kah’cin follow a faith not unlike that of the Immaculate Philosophy, and so it is no wonder that they are on good terms with the city of Lookshy to the north. The main concept is that one is on the road to enlightenment and that it is only through living life to the fullest and the protection of others may one ascend in essence and become like the Grey Tiger. It is the duty of the people to follow the way of the Tiger and his bloodline and to protect the lands and perform their duty as both Tiger and cub. Much of the life of the people of Kha’cin and its villages is simple. Perform ones duty and daily pay respect to the Grey Tiger through ritual, meditation, hunting and practice of the warrior skills. In addition the Grey Tiger asks that its people are not drawn from their duty by envious spirits, the restless dead and the demons and anathema.
Some villages and towns have local gods that may be paid respect to, as these fall under the command of the Grey Tiger, and like he are hunter and martial gods that act as his eyes and ears in the kingdom.
Kha’cin has a population of around 8000, and boasts one of the last few known First Age manses in the Scavenger Lands that is not in disrepair, the great iron coliseum, The Circle of Blood. The city stands along the edges of the river of Khi Alahan, and has a palace sat upon the nearest hill over looking both the coliseum and the river. The city is renowned for its fighters who are expert skirmishers and are sent as mercenary forces to Nexus and to the city of Lookshy. The trade mark armour of the city is crimson and gold, reflected in the flags that fly from the towering spires of iron that circle the city in concentric rings. Known as Tiger Fangs these are the first sign of approach to the city of Kha’cin. The current ruler of Kha’cin Eyes of Clouds Storm, is a master strategist though is peaceful in his old age and soon to make way for his youngest son who is also a dragon blood. His eldest son however is unable to take the throne as he was not born as an exalted. The main exports of the city are armour made of the rare metal shards found in the region, Diamond Iron, and the fermented drink known as Tiger Courage, made of rice and Tiger Lily. Other exports are the fine furs found in the region and the bone and ebony trinkets made. The primary imports are rare spices and also other fabrics that are not easily made in the region due to the nature of the farm land and river quality.
The village of Wai’hl lies 9 days travel on foot from Kha’cin, sitting in a valley with thick woods and plentiful crops. The village supports around 400 people and is also one of the main sources of the Diamond Iron shards. However due to the rarity of this metal the main exports of the town are its rice wine and Tigers Courage. The town is also home to the local god Sapphire Talon, a hawk god and also a god of observation and wisdom. He maintains a shrine in the town centre that is made of the remnants of First Age Diamond Iron tubes, each wrapped around the other in a random manner, though of varying lengths such that all day they sing a pleasant hum on the wind.
Recent History20 years ago the Autocrat of Thorns died and in his place the new ruler, his youngest son, took to the throne supported by the might of the Scarlet Empress. Aided by the Realm Thorns declared war upon the Confederation of Rivers. 6 years later the forces of Thorns were outmatched and smashed at the Battle of Mishaka. Then 5 years ago the Scarlet Empress disappeared and a year later the Mask of Winters made his move upon the city of Thorns, destroying its armies with his mobile citadel Juggernaut, and his forces of the dead. With such turmoil the lands of the River Provinces are in chaos as trade routes are broken, forces withdrawn, alliances made and broken. Kah’cin has also suffered as takes on the rivers escalate it begins to tax its own people more. The armies are expanded and rivalries flair with Shadar as they claim that Kha’cin had killed one of its generals in readiness for war.
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Exalted - Forge of Souls - Book 1 - The Road Not Chosen - Prelude
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ut the enemies of the gods had pronounced a terrible curse against the Exalted. This dark magic ate away at the hearts of the Chosen. The benevolence of the Solars turned to tyranny, and peace turned to civil war. It was prophesied that the madness of the Solars would bring about the destruction of the world. Seeing no other alternative, the lowliest of Exalted, the Dragon-Blooded, murdered the decadent Solar Exalted and locked their souls away. And so, a Second Age descended upon Creation. The greatest of the gods' servants no longer walked the earth, and the Realm of the Dragon-Blooded was but a shadow of the lost old Realm. Solar Exalted whose power escaped to be reborn were slain by Dragon-Blooded inquisitors known as the Wyld Hunt, and the Realm claimed dominion over Creation. For more than a thousand years the Solar Exalted remained imprisoned and defeated - until now. The Scarlet Empress, the Dragon-Blooded ruler of the Realm and controller of the Wyld Hunt, vanished five years ago. Without her might to enforce order in the Realm, the Great Houses of her Scarlet Dynasty have fallen to squabbling over the reins of power. And in this time of crisis, the Solar Exalted have returned. It is as if a gate was opened and the heroes of old rushed through it and returned to the world. Your character is among those individuals who have become Solar Exalted. You are a being of legend, as mighty as a demigod and as cunning as an asp. Will you be the savior of Creation or one of the terrible menaces that beset your world?
The story begins in the village of Wai'hl, in the Kingdom of Kha'cin, Realm of the Grey Tiger. This kingdom is one of many in the region of Creation known as the Scavenger Lands. It lies just east of the Grey River, on a tributary, almost 3 months from the city of Nexus by boat. Kha'cin is a martial city, with it's warriors being called to fight for the Confederation of Rivers against the tyranny of the Realm. Every 5 years a grand tournament is held in the city, in the Circle of Blood, in honour of the patron god, the Grey Tiger, and now that time has come again.
The kingdom of Kha’cin has stood for over 200 years. Forming from the remains of a previous larger kingdom destroyed by the rampaging hordes of the Arczeckh barbarians of the east the kingdom was brought into being by the work of the ruling bloodline of dragon blooded and the hunter god Kha Alahan.
Under guidance of these two powers the people of the land repelled the monsters of the forests and the tribes of hyena men to establish a city around the First Age manse known as the Circle of Blood. Through the doctrines laid down by the new city god the people of the land became martial, training under the regime and expanding, taking under their wing village and town. This new city state laid down a simple manner of faith and promoted self protection and the protection of the weak, taking what they needed of the land and acting as ravenous Tigers in the protection of their land. The kingdom in modern times is now bordered by many groups. The main rivals are the Green Thorn of Shadar, the forest dwelling Hyena tribes, the insular people of Shattered Finger, and the mountain monks of the 8 Headed Flame of Furious Tongue.
The people of the kingdom of Kah’cin follow a faith not unlike that of the Immaculate Philosophy, and so it is no wonder that they are on good terms with the city of Lookshy to the north. The main concept is that one is on the road to enlightenment and that it is only through living life to the fullest and the protection of others may one ascend in essence and become like the Grey Tiger. It is the duty of the people to follow the way of the Tiger and his bloodline and to protect the lands and perform their duty as both Tiger and cub. Much of the life of the people of Kha’cin and its villages is simple. Perform ones duty and daily pay respect to the Grey Tiger through ritual, meditation, hunting and practice of the warrior skills. In addition the Grey Tiger asks that its people are not drawn from their duty by envious spirits, the restless dead and the demons and anathema.
Some villages and towns have local gods that may be paid respect to, as these fall under the command of the Grey Tiger, and like he are hunter and martial gods that act as his eyes and ears in the kingdom.
Kha’cin has a population of around 8000, and boasts one of the last few known First Age manses in the Scavenger Lands that is not in disrepair, the great iron coliseum, The Circle of Blood. The city stands along the edges of the river of Khi Alahan, and has a palace sat upon the nearest hill over looking both the coliseum and the river. The city is renowned for its fighters who are expert skirmishers and are sent as mercenary forces to Nexus and to the city of Lookshy. The trade mark armour of the city is crimson and gold, reflected in the flags that fly from the towering spires of iron that circle the city in concentric rings. Known as Tiger Fangs these are the first sign of approach to the city of Kha’cin. The current ruler of Kha’cin Eyes of Clouds Storm, is a master strategist though is peaceful in his old age and soon to make way for his youngest son who is also a dragon blood. His eldest son however is unable to take the throne as he was not born as an exalted. The main exports of the city are armour made of the rare metal shards found in the region, Diamond Iron, and the fermented drink known as Tiger Courage, made of rice and Tiger Lily. Other exports are the fine furs found in the region and the bone and ebony trinkets made. The primary imports are rare spices and also other fabrics that are not easily made in the region due to the nature of the farm land and river quality.
The village of Wai’hl lies 9 days travel on foot from Kha’cin, sitting in a valley with thick woods and plentiful crops. The village supports around 400 people and is also one of the main sources of the Diamond Iron shards. However due to the rarity of this metal the main exports of the town are its rice wine and Tigers Courage. The town is also home to the local god Sapphire Talon, a hawk god and also a god of observation and wisdom. He maintains a shrine in the town centre that is made of the remnants of First Age Diamond Iron tubes, each wrapped around the other in a random manner, though of varying lengths such that all day they sing a pleasant hum on the wind.
Recent History20 years ago the Autocrat of Thorns died and in his place the new ruler, his youngest son, took to the throne supported by the might of the Scarlet Empress. Aided by the Realm Thorns declared war upon the Confederation of Rivers. 6 years later the forces of Thorns were outmatched and smashed at the Battle of Mishaka. Then 5 years ago the Scarlet Empress disappeared and a year later the Mask of Winters made his move upon the city of Thorns, destroying its armies with his mobile citadel Juggernaut, and his forces of the dead. With such turmoil the lands of the River Provinces are in chaos as trade routes are broken, forces withdrawn, alliances made and broken. Kah’cin has also suffered as takes on the rivers escalate it begins to tax its own people more. The armies are expanded and rivalries flair with Shadar as they claim that Kha’cin had killed one of its generals in readiness for war.
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Tuesday 7 December 2010
Monday 6 December 2010
About Chung Kuo | Chung Kuo
Chung Kuo means ‘Middle Kingdom’, and since 221 bc, when the first emperor Ch’in Shih Huang Ti, unified the seven Warring States, it is what the Han, or Chinese, have called their great country.
For them Chung Kuo was the whole world; a world bounded by insurmountable mountain chains to the north and west, by the sea to east and south. Beyond lay only desert and barbarism.
And so it was for two thousand years, through sixteen great dynasties.
But then, from the far west came young, aggressive nations with superior weaponry and an unshakable belief in progress and change. It was, to the surprise of the Han, an unequal contest and China’s myth of supreme strength and self-sufficiency was shattered.
By the early twentieth century, China was the sick old man of the East, the future, it was assumed, belonged to the West. But from the disastrous ravages of the century grew a giant of a nation, capable of competing with the West from a position of incomparable strength.
The twenty-first century, ‘the Pacific Century’ as it was known even before it began, saw China become once more a world unto itself, but this time its only boundary was space.
This is the story of what happens next...
I think I have one birthday present idea worked out.
Sunday 5 December 2010
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Ask me stuff
<a href="http://www.formspring.me/DrEther" _mce_href="http://www.formspring.me/DrEther">http://www.formspring.me/DrEther</a>
Thursday 25 November 2010
Monday 22 November 2010
Friday 19 November 2010
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Monday 15 November 2010
Sunday 7 November 2010
Saturday 6 November 2010
Thursday 4 November 2010
Wednesday 3 November 2010
Friday 29 October 2010
Freezing of science budget could hit UK's global reputation | Left Foot Forward
Freezing of science budget could hit UK’s global reputation
The freezing of the £4.6 billion budget for scientific research could mean a cut of 8.9 per cent in real terms – though it could have been a lot worse. “It’s not as bad as we were expecting” was the general consensus among scientists at a Young Fabians policy network event this week on the impact of the Comprehensive Spending Review in on research and development and science.
Stephen Grungeberg, chairman of the Labour Finance and Industry Group, said that there continues to be an “implied threat” over the heads of scientists – budgets for scientific research in departments other than the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Health are not ring fenced and are still awaiting their fate.
In addition to the budget the freeze, the government’s decision to close regional development agencies represented as a major blow to small and medium sized enterprises, according to Professor Evan Parker from the Department of Physics at the University of Warwick. There were also worries Britain would slip down the global league table.
Professor Parker added:
“We are looked to by the scientific world. We are respected for academic excellence, and until recently, we had very well financially supported research and development by the government.
“If we are to keep our global position in pioneering R&D, Westminster politicians must keep up with counterparts such as China, Singapore and even other European member states such as France.
“Germany is now increasing its science budget by seven per cent. President Obama has committed three per cent of American GDP to scientific research – a doubling of the budget as part of the economic stimulus package.
“The general public too must recognise the necessity of financial support and scientific industries to retain pressure on the government to continue adequate financial support.”
The immigration cap that the coalition plans to expand shortly was described as the most worrying direction that the government is going in. Parker said the arbitrary cap on the number of economic migrants from outside the European Union being allowed into the country to work was bad for businesses, for the economy and for scientific R&D:
He explained how:
“… this policy will block and deter the best of the scientific world from working in the UK.”
The teaching of science was also criticised, with John Unsworth, chair of Scientists for Labour, suggesting reforms to the A Level system to encourage young people to study a mixture of arts and scientific subjects, and Imran Khan, director of the Campaign for Science, saying:
“Uninspired and uninspiring teachers are failing to capture children’s imaginations and are therefore turning them away from the sciences from a young age. We also have concerns for the coalition’s academy policy, which will give schools complete autonomy from the national curriculum…
“Imagine a world without vaccinations or the internet. Imagine a world without electricity or aeroplanes. Imagine a world without science.”
Wednesday 27 October 2010
OK Gandalf, sell me on this trip to Mordor? Is it like Butlins?
God I have had this sat on my posterous ready to write for a while. Life - that meaty real thing we exist in - has gotten in the way of this blog to a certain degree. Mainly these articles.
So what the hell am I going to rant about next? What seeds of inspiration can I give you? What insights into the games I have run? This time it is Gandalf and his ilk. And by this I mean the ever present old man/CEO/captain/commander who tells the party of players where high adventure (and more importantly plot and thus 'shit to do') lies. This is my love letter to those wise men and suits giving the orders.
When you get your players together, you have to think, how the hell do I even get them to chase after the story of my game. Each person, hopefully, has a well developed background for their character and this is laden with plot hooks to use. The very hooks that when a player spots it in game will get distracted and announce 'Fuck you guys! Plot lies that a' way!', and then proceed to head of on their own quest. This is great. It means the game feels alive as each player character pursues their own goals and desires. But there are times when the plot needs a unified goal, something that all the players will work towards. This is hard. If you, like me, want to have the feeling of not rail roading the players to 'The plot!' then you may just have to deal with the fact the players may just not want to deal with the steaming pile of crap you have set up on the horizon. They are no fools and can smell a turd from a mile away. And this is where Gandalf and his cronies come in. Those vile NPCs who give the players good reason to go routing about in that cesspit.
Back in the day of my first DnD game I ran, and stuff like Star Wars, my 'Gandalf' was pretty obvious. Some self important person who has a very good reason for the player troupe to go off and take the mission on. It may well be some monetary reason, or something the players are all fighting towards (saving the kingdom/galactic empire etc). But there comes a point when you desire the players to be more proactive. Soon every self important old guy is a 'Gandalf' festooned with plot. Or at least that is what the players come to expect. This was something I wanted to break out of. I wanted the players to figure out what was important and pursue these goals themselves, and not really on the 'Gandalf' and his cattle prod.
It was while running Vampire: the Requiem (a chronicle I have now run twice and similar results were achieved) that I used the idea of the 'Gandalf' that would in fact back stab the players. Not because the 'Gandalf' was inherently evil, but just that he had his own plans. As up and coming neonates the players would learn that trust is a rare commodity, and this would be the ultimate lesson it trust. It would also show the importance of knowledge and being proactive (something my wife did well at, even going as far as double crossing the entire coterie and their boss and selling them out to the other side!). They even found other 'Gandalfs' that they didn't trust that in fact turned out to be good allies.
In comparison, when running Fading Suns, the 'Gandalf' was light years away, having sent them on their mission across the stars. They had a mission, with a few caveats, but otherwise they were open to how they achieved it. This allowed me to introduce other more temporary 'Gandalf' like characters that they could choose to ignore if they wished. Again this allowed the players to pursue the main mission, their own goals, and even take up other jobs if it meant that they gain something form of extra leverage in their main missions.
Now, in Changeling, things are quite different. Changeling: the Lost has very obvious player goals from the outset. They don't want to go back to Arcadia and the Fae. They want some form of their old life back (or perhaps something better). They may want revenge or to learn the secrets of the Fae. Either way this means the players come with a lot of their own goals and plot hook on which I can run the game. Now the 'Gandalf' types I have suffer from many shades of grey, so it has come down to the players to really determine what things they are pursuing plot wise, and who to trust. This of course lends itself well to the setting of Changeling where the society of the players revolves around pledges and contracts.
Ultimately the use of the 'Gandalf' has to be done. You need to present plot. But there are ways to make this more interesting than the typical 'You go into the bar and a old man comes to you asking for your help'. Trust is the first thing to play with. Then there are the player movtivations and character goals. Lastly, a trick I look forward to using, is to make one of the characters the 'leader' and make them set the goals of the group. This may come into practice during my next part of my Vampire setting, where we do a sequel to the last chronicle and bring back one of the old player characters to be team leader.
So Gandalf? Who do you deal with the pipe smoking old git?
Monday 25 October 2010
Monday 18 October 2010
Saturday 16 October 2010
Tuesday 12 October 2010
Thursday 7 October 2010
Call for ban on codeine - health - 07 October 2010 - New Scientist
THE widely used painkiller codeine doesn't work in some people and can be fatal in others, so its use should be halted, say researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.
Codeine works by being metabolised to morphine in the body, but the extent of that metabolism depends on a person's genetic make-up, so the amount of morphine produced varies.
In an editorial published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal this week, Stuart MacLeod and Noni MacDonald say the problem is especially relevant for infants, citing examples of two children who died after being given codeine following a tonsillectomy, and two studies that show non-fatal toxicity to infants being breastfed by mothers taking codeine.
The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, has stopped using codeine. The authors are calling for others to follow suit.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency currently has no plans to stop codeine being sold over the counter. "As only 1 to 2 per cent of the population has an enhanced metabolism most patients could continue to take codeine," says Florence Palmer of the MHRA.
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Not good, both in terms of the risks, and the fact that I find this pain killer works for me compared to paracetamol.
Wednesday 6 October 2010
Wednesday 29 September 2010
Tonight in Leamington
Curious result of the light fromthe setting sun and the clouds. In fact the sky was half bright blue and above pake grey and orange
Tuesday 28 September 2010
Sunday 26 September 2010
Catching Up #sam #kittynapalm #birthday
Otherwise this week is back to normal, planning new research funding proposals and finishing another project.
We've picked up a few new things. We now have the entire of Deathnote, RahXephon, and The Hunger Season 2, on DVD. So lots to watch. Sam also had her hair recoloured (see previous post!) and it is awesome!
On a relate note Changeling, for roleplay, is going great. We finished the first episode and tomorrow evening is episode 2. But also, since I wrote a post a few weeks ago, my Etheric Labs posterous is getting hit a lot! Some actualy play posts for changeling are hitting 1000 hits, while one post is now close to 2500. It was my rant about Vampire. I need to write more.
Saturday 25 September 2010
Monday 20 September 2010
Cthulhutech
I have in mind a one shot of Cthulhutech where you are a team of mecha pilots
Here is some inspiration.
Q: What's the worst ninja magic ever? A: "The evil vagina bubble from Hell." (NSFW) @coilhouse
Ummm... yeah! Good morning Monday!
Sunday 19 September 2010
Thursday 16 September 2010
Fading Suns - Space Opera with Boundaries
In a not so distant future (relatively speaking if we are comparing to other Space Opera settings such as Warhammer 40,000 and Dune) Humanity has conquered numerous worlds thanks to the gigantic space gates. However, as with all things, there is hubris and so worlds have been lost, technology forgotten and science and magic blur in a future that seems to be at the end of time.
At the writing of this Red Brick are in charge of sorting out a 3rd edition of a game originally created by Holisitic Designs (Some may recognise the style of art and writing from White Wolf. You'd be correct as the excellent Bill Bridges of Mage: the Awakening put this baby together). This means my books are a copy of the defunct 1st edition and all my books in pdf form (and I printed these suckers out, thank the gods for university book binding). If you are lucky you can find some of the books for sale in FLGS or online. In Paris I almost got a French edition since the French are happily still printing new material for the game.
So what is Fading Suns? For starters it is science fantasy. There are starships, giant jump gates (more recently seen in Stargate thanks to the Ori), a lack of faster than light travel save for these jump gates, demons, psionics and theurgy. You have ancient noble houses, a form of interstellar unified church, Dune like shield fighting, an Empire racked with infighting, intrigue and superstition, and a ancient guild of technology.
What does this all mean in play and why do I like this? OK lets talk the system, the much debated Victory Point System. This looks like, feels like and works a little like the old Storytelling system pre-new World of Darkness. You have an attribute and skill stat. Add them, that's the target. Modify it and roll under on a D20. But the twist is the higher you roll, so long as it is under the target, gives you a greater degree of success. I really like this as it then has a system for raising and lowering the target number so that you can have a) more chance of success but less degree of success, or b) less chance for success but a greater degree of success. So the system favours risk. Now the only gripe is the lamentable critical failure, where a roll of 20 is a critical fail no matter what. Now one mod often seen to remove the 1/20 chance of this is to use a 2D10 roll instead, making a natural 20 less likely (1/100) and giving a smoother range of results.
Character creation is equally more interesting with a form of career path system, where you choose to belong to one of the big three factions (church, nobles, guild) or the few alien races, and these in turn give you options on the character career progression. So for example you could be a noble, be you need to answer questions about the strata they were born into, how their school was, and what they did after that. All of these options mean you get access to some skills over others, before a final few points are given over to the player to distribute to even out the character. Now you can do this all by points and throw out the career paths, but of course having a speedy way to make characters is good.
With the system out of the way what about the setting? Why not play Star Wars? Why not Play WH40K? Well Fading Suns does a few things right. It's not too far in the future, making it easy to grasp and getting into as a player. Plus the focus is on purely human characters, unlike Star Wars, so it has that Firefly feel, but where the Western is replaced with the Dark Ages. But the best things about the setting? THe mythology and the inherent boundaries that are present.
Fading Suns works on the premise that the jump gates are ancient tech from a race that no longer exists. That makes that technology something to seek out. But also the gates are activated by keys, at least ones that humanity had created. And so there is this wonderful feeling of caravans in space where guild ships guide others through jump gates to the next world. The other thing about the setting is the mysticism and feeling of the end of times. Fading Suns has the jump gates, which allow transport from one star system to another, no matter how far apart they are in real space. So stargates then. Well the stars themselves, all stars, are dimming. Yes before they are meant to, and in a way that opposes the rules of relativity and how light travels in space and nuclear fusion.Mad eh? So of course the Church and other faiths have a reason for all this (sin and demons etc).
What about the church? Well it seems all the old faiths of Earth combined when a man found the Universal Flame (God of some form) when travelling space. But, of course, the Church is split into rival factions and each has it's own twist on faith. Add into the mix other mystics, the faith of alien races, and the issue with jumping through gates and the experience you feel if not shielded, and you have the perfect situation for tales about faith, hope, demons, sin, and the very nature of the universe as miracles are uncovered and science, faith and magic clash.
One thing that is important about Fading Suns is the limitations of the setting. The setting has a system of known jump gate routes and the linked worlds are the Empire. There are worlds beyond these that once were part of the larger known universe, but they have been forgotten, or war has led to them being shut off. So straight away the ST running the game has a setting to run and no fear of being dropped in the deep end and having to come up with world after world like in Star Wars (it was such a daunting task). You can still do it for lost worlds where you can go exploring, but the inherent limitations make this task more manageable. It also means the game lends itself well to various levels of gameplay, be it courtly on one world, or flying to others, or even going beyond the boundaries of known space. For all these reason I love the game and suggest if you are tired of those well known Sci Fi games then you should pick this up for something that feels more mature.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
New Devil May Cry's Debut Trailer
Your name is Dante? I don't fucking think so!
And since when did Dante smoke, or have black hair? This is an imposter!
My Gaming Area
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So what about where I game?
Above is a picture of my lovely wife sat at home. This is really half of the room. Behind me (from the viewpoint of the picture) is the kitchen area, and so is just lots of white cupboards.
As you can see from the picture we have around about a 10X12 feet sqrd room. There is a balcony and our that sofa from IKEA (just fits two people). So with the tv there is really only space for people to sit as the room would feel quite cluttered. Recently we moved an office chair in as we'd like to get another proper chair to sit in front of the radiator. The walls themselves have various images and artefacts of Venice so lending to the style of the room. The bookcase is home to many graphic novels, art books, and on top sits a model of the Black Pearl along with some War Machine miniatures.
So for gaming the majority of the players are cushioned on the floor. the ST screen is set up on the floor to hide dice rolls and for me to look at for reference, while I sit in the office chair, looming over the other players. So things are focused (on me), with the players in an arc about me. Without a table things are more relaxed as the players lie about, rolling dice and sipping their drinks (coffee, tea, beer, wine). We normally have a ipod dock set up with about 3 hours of music in a play list chosen for the game (soundtracks are great things for the game) and candles are lit as we often play in the evening, so we usually put on the dimmest of lights in room while others are turned off. Being sat about in such a free form space also allows for a degree of improvised acting if needed and also makes conversations much more relaxed and intimate, rather than rigid if we had a table present. It would be good if all players had a proper seat, but the logistics are a nightmare with such a small flat.
My ideal gaming space would be the same, but without the kitchen interfering. I like having a room that can vary in the amount of light it can have, not be too distracting, have space for players to relax, and allows for mood music. Comfort is the friend of good roleplay. I'd prefer darker walls, but such is the way of living in rented flats.
What's your gaming space like?
Friday 10 September 2010
Thursday 9 September 2010
Just what were you expecting it to be about???
Ever picked up a game and thought 'How do I run this game?' What is the first thing you do? Yes you read the setting material. You read the rules. You read the small short stories and the examples of play. And of course, if it is included, you watch films, read books and listen to music that are quoted as being inspiration for the game.
So recently, in a very lengthy online discussion on forum (so yes it did get a little bitchy) I was confronted with problem. A person wanting to run Vampire: the Requiem, and his players, dislike the setting of the game because they found the Covenants too shallow, and that there was no 'ancient enemy', like in Masquerade, and that the exploration of what it means to be a Vampire was too boring (or too emo). What he, and his players wanted, was an in built purpose (i.e. I am this type of monster and this is what I do) more akin to say Hunter: the Vigil, or even the Forsaken in Werewolf: the Forsaken. He wanted clearly designed goals for the players, and in his terms, quests. In turned out he and his players wanted their game to be more like the PC game, Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines.
So I sat back and had a think about this, how he could play a game within the Requiem setting that also gave him and his players what they wanted. And what I realized is this. Some STs are really quite lazy and unimaginative. All the things present in Masquerade were easily simulated in Requiem. In fact you know had books that presented you a multitude of options that you could use. It was up to the ST and not White Wolf, to say what was fact, what was history and what was just a myth. The complaint this ST had was that he was not given a consistent origin for Vampires.
You see, as stated in a recent White Wolf pod cast, Requiem replicates somewhat the experience of vampires in 'Interview with the Vampire'. The vampires are not gods, they have to fear humans, and they have no true clue as to their origin. Using this in a game, where the players and the NPCs are all for all intents and purposes immortal is important. It means myths and legends remain so. And that Vampires, due to the imperfect memories they retain by sleeping through the ages, have to rely on faith for their beliefs and codes of conduct. It means younger Vampires do not have to taken an elders beliefs as fact. This to me is exciting and means it is up to the players and ST to come to their own conclusions. Requiem is thus built on contradictions so that conflict arises due to conflicts of faith/belief/philosophy. And all of this is important to Vampires, as it up to them to believe what they want so that they can better understand their own place in the world and reconcile their monsterous nature. But, with such tropes so common in Vampire media, why is this such an issue? What was this ST and has players wanting from a game about Vampires? Ah, cool powers, things more darker than the player characters to kill, and some sort of higher calling. They wanted to be dark heroes.
This left me wondering. Is it bad to think that people are really not running the game as intended by the designers. Now, you can say, and this is fair, that players can run the game the way they like it. It's their game after all. But when you run a game that is so against the grain of the game as it is designed, where many of the important issues of the setting and systems that reinforce those, are made moot by the 'collateral damage' attitude taken in the game, why even bother using that game to run what you want. Why not find something that caters for the action you seek but simulates the Vampires in a more action orientated way. Hell just play Masquerade if you want ancient evils, and forget about whining how Requiem does not have that in the setting. And if that is still not enough why not just make the modifications to the game yourself. All the tools and ideas are there. And failing that do your own research and make up your own setting material.
I often feel like those that complain the most about the game are those who are too lazy to put in the hard work to make the game their own.
A very good year
Which year would you consider the best of your life so far?
Update
So since last time....
I am applying for jobs everywhere. The list is getting bigger, the net is being cast wider. This is fun... not. I am finishing off the paper as I speak and prepping a poster
Anyway Manchester was good. Good to see Sam's Mum, the cats, and others. While Sam was at the Muse gig I hung out with John at his place and watched Prince of Persia and chatted at length about various things. Good just to catch up with someone and somehow not feel out of the loop.
Following the Muse gig, and finding Sam, we headed to Analogue Trash, where it was great to see Rhys, Sarah, Midnight, Tofu, Nix and others. However, we didn't stay long as the Muse gig had destroyed Sam's feet making walking pretty impossible for her.
Otherwise, roleplay is going well with the Changeling chronicle now building steam, and of course Sam's birthday is coming up and a small stay in London.
A taste of things to come. I took this on my X10 camera.... but consider this was me messing about while a true artist was taking photos with a proper camera, I bet you imagine how epic Sam will look.
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Tuesday 31 August 2010
Update!!! Bank Holiday and then some
So this is brief.
- Work is great. Have a conference in October at the Wellcome Trust Centre. It's a CCG user group meeting, and I code stuff using the CCG stuff so yay... I get to show off my work and make a poster.....
- Roleplay is great. Had two excellent sessions so far. Changelings are weird and wonderful and grotesque.
- Finished Assassin's Creed II and now onto Arkham Asylum.
- Had an awesome photo shoot with my wife and our excellent friend and photographer Aiko
- Stayed over in London and watched so classic Lemony Snicket. Good to hang out with Anna and Mark in their curiosity shop and have a laugh with people that have a very similar sense of humour. Imagine my supreeez!
Friday 27 August 2010
Thursday 26 August 2010
Challenge Day 28
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Not much has changed other than being a little bit more wiser, have a number of new friends and been to a few other intersting places.
Tuesday 24 August 2010
Challenge Day 27
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge
I guess just to have something to write and post. Helps me get into the writing mood. Unless you have something going on everyday then life can seem a little boring when really it isn't.
