A Pulp Adventure in the 1930's

Thought I'd take a moment to let you all know what we're currently playing, and how it's going so far.  Because yes, we are still playing.

I started this new campaign letting everyone know I'd already created their characters.  This caused a bit of unrest as I normally let the players make their own characters or at least be a part of the creation process, but this time I made them all in advance.  "This will be a pulp adventure," I said.  "It takes place in the early 1930's.  No, your characters don't have super powers, but this is certainly a fantasy adventure.  And don't worry - you may not have been involved in making these characters, but you already know who they are."

Players were then handed their characters.

Indiana Jones, Rick O'Connell, Evelyn Carnahan, Jonathan Carnahan, and Sallah vs evil Nazi soldiers and supernatural mysteries in search of an ancient relic before it falls into the wrong hands.  The early Indiana Jones movies and the Mummy movies exist in pretty much the same time, and coincide perfectly with each other.  D20 Modern rules made character creation easy.  And, being the action movie icons that they are, I made everyone Level 10.  In order to make the adventure more exciting in game terms, I bumped up the supernatural closer to "The Mummy" levels rather than the much more subdued "Indiana Jones", but I made sure to pack it full of classic Indiana elements, from overwhelming numbers of Nazi soldiers who couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn, to that one big guy who has to be taken down with fists, even traveling by map.

Of course in my world, Indiana Jones + The Mummy movie is directed by Michael Bay.
Everything blows up!  

It's actually pretty amazing how well these two groups of characters complement each other.  Eat your heart out Avengers - here's a movie mash-up I wouldn't mind seeing.  This adventure was intended to be a one-shot, single-night campaign.  That was weeks ago.  We're still playing.  Mystery, intrigue, classic pulp action/adventure, guns, explosions, supernatural powers, no cell phones, and a bull whip.  ...and not a single Shia LaBeouf to be seen.  What's not to love?

Book Prices

I get it.  I do.  It costs "X" amount of dollars to print the book, plus "X" amount for all the stuff like distribution, royalties, rights management, yadda-yadda.  I totally get that.  But $50 for a role playing book seems a bit much, don't you think?  And it's often only half of what you need to actually play the game.  Sure it's hard cover, got glossy full color pages throughout, and so full of artwork that I have to hunt to find the equipment list.  But come 'on.  $50 for half a game?

"It's cool -- I'm a righty.  I'll save up for the other half later..."

All I'm saying is that I remember back when you could buy a good role playing game for about $15.  It was soft cover with cheesy black-and-white Manga-style cartoon artwork, and the corners crinkled in the first few minutes of owning it - but it worked, and it had everything you needed to play the game.  Then there were all of the various supplement books that ranged in price depending on how thick the book was or how very cool the content was.  In the end you could easily end up paying just as much, but you did so at your own pace and were still fully capable of playing the game with just that first core book.  It gave you a chance to try out all sorts of games.  If you didn't like it, no big deal.  Now I feel obligated, like I HAVE to like this game because I paid $100 bucks for it.

"Mmmm... 4th Edition.  It's (blurp) awesome."

At what point was it assumed that gamers had money?  It's a game played on sheets of paper - yes, it's for poor people who still rely on imagination to have a good time.  If I had money, I'd have bought a super computer and a subscription to an MMO...

The Fall of the Vampires

You ever notice how modern pop culture influences the way we run and play our RPG campaigns?  Think about how different your Dungeons and Dragons campaign turned out the day after you saw Lord of the Rings for the first time.  Let me tell you, it was a good day for wizards and rangers who now had Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen to model their characters after.  And this is just one example.  Think of how Firefly altered your perception of space opera games, or how the recent string of superhero movies gave new life to your comic book superhero games.  I made my own version of Spiderman in a Mutants and Mastermind game shortly after the second movie came out that was both unoriginal and completely awesome fun to play -- I have no regrets.  The more well done the movie, video game, book or comic franchise, the more influences we've had to create bigger worlds, better characters, and eager players.  Movies and TV shows in particular seem to have the strongest influences over me and my band of players.

"I saw this show and had a great idea for our characters... wait, you haven't heard my idea yet."

But it hasn't all been joy rides and Michael Bay explosions.  There's one genre in particular that's taken a sour turn for the toilet bowl -- and I'm talking of course of the once very popular series "Vampire: The Masquerade".  Okay, maybe I'm being harsh and it's still doing super with its loyal if creepy fan base.  Hard to say.  I just know that ever since Twilight came out and showed us a sparkly and somewhat emo/goth homoerotic version of what we once dubbed lethal blood-sucking killing machines, my group of friends has been hesitant to play anymore.  They don't even want to hunt them, much less be them.  They'd rather vampires simply didn't show up at all.

"Vampires show up?  Well, for my first action I'd like to..."

I'll admit it's a bit of a bummer.  Vampires made great bad guys.  In RIFTS they're crazy-hard to kill, will regenerate damage at a cartoonishly unstoppable rate, have an equally cartoonish-style weakness, and can wipe out a party of adventures in a few short rounds.  In D&D they're a challenging undead creature for the party to face off against because they can think, plan, and ambush your party (though they are far from the strongest undead creature you can unleash on them).  Let's face it, they rank right up there with Stormtroopers, Nazis, and robots.  And as far as playing one in the Vampire RPG, well I've had several great characters in a number of campaigns throughout the years.  It can be fun being the antihero for a little while and exploring the darker side of human nature.  Although I have noticed Vampire campaigns are usually short.  I think it's because we're not a group of black-candle-lightin', patchouli-oil-and-eyeliner-wearin', black clothes long haired over one eye purple lovin' emo goths... and would rather be the heroes of an adventure.

 "What did you do to us?!"

But then, Twilight happened.  Now my players and fellow Gamemasters won't go anywhere near the subject, and I can't say I blame them.  So I guess until they decide to reboot BLADE or make some other form of bad-ass vampire movie that a group of guys can all admit to having seen in a theater together, the vamps will be sitting on the shelf collecting dust.  Or maybe that won't be enough.  Maybe all we'll ever see is Twilight-Sparkles-Pony every time we think Vampire.  In which case, my apologies to the hard working folks at White Wolf, but we're going to have to pass. 

So how about you?  Was there a particular genre or campaign you once played that you won't go back to now because some piece of pop culture ruined it for you?

Anatomically Incorrect

There's an unspoken rule in a role playing campaign that I'd like to bring to light, and explain why it is the way it is.  The rule is simple.  Your characters never need to use the bathroom, and they don't have sex.  Ever.  They don't even have genitals unless you're kicking them.  It's just better for everyone like this.  Why though?  Wouldn't it add a sense of realism to the game?  It is role playing after all, and you're playing characters in an epic story.  Adding stuff like romance and seduction would make the story more complete.  And why wouldn't they need to go to the bathroom?  Didn't the book "Everybody Poops" teach us anything about life?  Let me explain...

"I'm the dude playin' the dude disguised as another dude.  Only now I'm a chick that poops."

I never discourage players from playing characters of the opposite gender.  It can make for some very fun and interesting characters.  And I get it, you want your character to be sexy-hot, like every character in any Michael Bay film.  Cool.  Done.  But the moment you start trying your "seduction technique", we're all suddenly every uncomfortable and the game has taken a terrible turn for the worse.  Because while you see your character looking like Kate Beckinsale, we all see something very different.  Very, very different.

 "Me pretty!  Me would date with you now!  No, where you run?!  Me love you long time!"

And no, it doesn't matter if you have an all-nerd-guys group or if you have a female player in your ranks (you lucky group you), or even if your group is made up of a mix of best selling authors and Oscar winning actors -- someone's going to get mighty uncomfortable when Player One starts hitting on the Gamemaster.  And just so you know, I'll unleash the damn Tarrasque on your butts if you try.

 "Am I pretty NOW?  Come on, let's do stuff!  ...jerk."

As for the other thing ... do I even have to get into it (no pun intended)?  I mean, really?  By now you're probably hoping I don't have a picture or graphic to post on this topic, and you'd be right to be scared.  You think we want to role play that out?  No character in Star Wars ever had to poop.  John McClain never had a "romantic scene" and he certainly never poops.  Legolas Greenleaf never asked Aragorn if he remembered to pack the elven butt-wipe leaves.  It doesn't happen, there is no skill or roll associated with it no matter how much you try to convince me there is, and so help me I will smash your character with the bow of the Titanic just to make sure your body is never found if you argue this point with me.  And seriously, why would you even want to?  And now, a picture to help me make my point -- here's a soldier doin' his business.

"You're welcome."

When's It My Turn?

Any veteran player can tell you, the more people you have at the table the longer it's going to take to get to your turn.  Gamemasters usually have to bend certain game rules in order to accommodate fast-pace action when dealing with a larger group, but even then it can be an uphill battle when every player enjoys being in the spotlight.  If a simple task takes a player 5 minutes to complete, and there's 10 people at the table, then your turn to act will be in 50 minutes.  Math, people.  Only "Role Master" players like math.  This leads me to the Yin and Yang battle between two time-consuming player stereotypes I like to call the "I Got This" player vs the "When's It My Turn" player.

"Let the games begin."

The "I Got This" player.  He's got this.  Whatever it is that needs doing, skilled or not, he's got this.  He was planning and plotting the moment the Gamemaster introduced the situation.  Nevermind that he's a part of a team, each player with particular strengths and weaknesses -- now that it's finally his turn to act, he's going to make the most of it and do damn-near everything that needs doing.  Remember that math thing I showed you earlier?  Well, extend that out now because "I Got This" is going to take his sweet time and milk this moment for all it's worth.  His crazy and convoluted plan is going to involve multiple rolls of dice, heavy explanation, perhaps a bit of pantomime, a quick intermission as he grabs a snack and pulls the Gamemaster aside for the "secret portion" of the plan, and half-an-hour later we're all still trying to figure out just what in the world he's trying to do.  

"No, I'm not trained in this, but I'm going to do it anyway because it's my turn, damnit."

Then there's the "When's It My Turn" player.  He's rolled low on initiative once again and will probably act last.  Whatever is about to happen, it's got little to do with him right now.  So, he leaves.  Maybe not physically, but he's not really in the game anymore either.  I had a player once who, the moment combat started and initiative was rolled, he turned around, flipped on the Playstation, and said, "Just let me know when it's my turn."  The "When's It My Turn" player comes to the game prepared with a book or supplement he can read, a laptop, portable game, tablet, or anything to occupy his ADD while the rest of the team is battling evil and getting the crap blown out of them.  You almost feel bad interrupting him, but it's come to his turn to act, and the first words out of his mouth are always "Okay, so, what's going on now?"  ...and you want to strangle him.  Because now, just like the "I Got This" player, you now have to spend the next several minutes doing a sort of re-cap of everything that just happened, and his turn has just expanded from a two minute action to a thirty-minute flashback story.  Damn you, math.

 "What? I was listening, just let me beat this level first. What's going on now?"

I'm not saying every turn should be a simple "I attack" or "I move" action, but be conscious of the time, people.  Remember the simple math.  5 minutes per turn x 10 people = a long-ass freaking time before it finally gets to that last person, so move it along.  And if you can involve your teammates in your action, then suddenly nobody has to wait around because others are playing an active roll throughout the entire initiative.

How do you keep the ball rolling in your role playing campaigns?  Leave your comments and share your experiences!

Now On The Nook

Pardon me for my brief moment of shameless self-promotion, but as it is my blog...

Click Here -->  NOW AVAILABLE ON THE NOOK!  <--Click Here

That's right all you Nook-a-holics out there, Firecracker is finally available at the Barnes and Noble Nook Store.  Firecracker is a fun contemporary fantasy thriller about a young woman named Aideen Cassidy, who has to be careful with her emotions because when she explodes, things literally explode! Being a pyrokinetic - able to start fires with her mind - isn't an easy thing to live with, especially when trying to find work in the modern world. Luck or fate lands her a job with a group of eccentric psychics who use their gifts to help local authorities with difficult cases. They can see the future, sense feelings, read minds - useful traits. All Aideen can do is blow things up. But there' something special about her that has caught the attention of the most powerful psychic in the world, and there are secrets about the organization even the psychics don't know. Plans have been put into motion, secrets are unraveling, lives are in danger, and the group soon find themselves caught in a conspiracy of shadowy monsters, government spies, and ancient legends that date back 600 years.

All Aideen wanted was to fit in. Now the lives of all her new friends must rely on her talents for fiery destruction.

 WHAT THE CRITICS HAVE TO SAY...

"This is a fun book that blurs the line between urban fantasy and science fiction. The characters are quirky, the action has a fast pace, and the plot is more than a little twisty. Great popcorn reading." - GoodReads (goodreads.com)

"I was pleasantly surprised to find great characterization, an interesting story, and a spunky heroine... A recommended read for urban fantasy lovers." - Jennifer Bielman (readingandwritingurbanfantasy.blogspot.com) 

"Once I started this book, I quite literally couldn't put it down. Fantastic action scenes. Stunningly realistic imagery (Brown dragging his rear on the ground like a dog with worms - read the book to figure that one out!!!). I laughed so loud I woke my wife up." - Amazon (amazon.com)

The Plan

Robert Zemeckis said it best when he said, "I like to let the heroes work up an elaborate plan first, then I make sure anything and everything that can possibly go wrong goes wrong."  I bring this up because my players like to plan.  Out loud.  While I'm within ear shot.  (insert evil laugh here)

 "No, this plan is brilliant, please continue...  I'm listening..."

As they plan their next move, I'm carefully and quietly doing the "anti-plan" in my head, figuring out all the cinematic and exciting ways I can make everything go wrong.  Now while that may seem counterproductive or even frustrating for the players, it's actually what helps transform an otherwise simple board game into an action-adventure epic.  Let's face it, if everything went exactly the way the players planned it, it'd be pretty straight forward (and kinda boring after a while).  A good story needs conflict.  And it's so much more fun when the players have to think quick on their feet.  It's why they still plan out loud even though they've caught on to my dastardly ways.  It's advantageous for me too because it helps me fill in the gaps of the story.  

 "I can honestly say I did not see this coming.  Still, good plan though."

There are times when the whole "planning process" becomes so elaborate that it consumes most of the campaign session, and that drives me nuts!  I remember once while running a game of Shadowrun, the heroes had caught a breather after running for their lives in a safe house and began planning their next move.  And planning.  And PLANNING.  Holy crap, this was the most complex plan in the long sad history of crappy plans and it just kept going.  It went away from role playing in character into player debates on what was scientifically possible (in a world where people can conjure living fire elementals and leap 30 feet in the air).  So I interrupted their talk with a missile.  Yes, a missile.  I sent it streaking towards the safe house, giving them seconds to get the Hell out and start running again.  It was the first time I had to completely squash a plan -- I prefer it when the players actually start their plan and then struggle to reach their goals.  But this was just too much.  I couldn't keep track of what it was they were trying to do anymore.  So -- yeah.  Missile.  Not very subtle, I know, but it got 'em hopping again.

 "Hey, we were talking, damnit!"

I refer back to Star Wars.  Their planning is so wonderfully simple.  Their plan on defeating the Death Star?  Fly at it, shoot it, then fly away.  Great plan!  Took all of 3 minutes to figure that one out.