EPOCH Goes To War

Today I released War Stories, the second scenario collection for the EPOCH survival horror roleplaying game.  As the title suggests, War Stories features scenarios set during wartime, and covers conflicts which span more than ninety years – from the horrors of trench warfare in WWI through to the complexities of peace-operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

War Stories features the works of some very talented RPG writers including: Monster of the Week author Michael Sands, the co-author of Call of Cthulhu’s Monophobia  Marcus D. Bone, Frontier of Fear contributors Andrew Millar and Liam Jones, and, of course,  yours truly. 

 

Each of these scenarios offers something different; a unique take on war and the role of the characters as soldiers and civilians in the context of wartime.  I think there are hours of great gaming to be had exploring each of them – I certainly had a blast during the playtesting process.

 

The collection has been beautifully illustrated by talented artist Doug Royson.  I think it’s evident that his art has gone from strength to strength with each piece in this collection, and the extremely evocative cover is truly outstanding. 

 

Behind the Scenes

Assembling this collection was more time consuming than I had expected.  This is the largest EPOCH scenario collection to date, and each author has put considerable thought and effort into their offering.  The collection comes in at 155 pages and a little under 60,000 words, and it took a fair while for the authors to design, playtest, write-up and submit their work.  Then each scenario was edited by me, which involved a fair bit of back-and-forth with the author, to ensure a level of consistency with other EPOCH scenarios, while staying true to their vision, and then a detailed edit was done by Andrew Smith, who also flagged any questions he had regarding content.   

 

Writing an EPOCH scenario is both simple and extremely tricky.  On the one hand, EPOCH allows a high level of flexibility which allows an author to adapt virtually any horror premise.  The source of the horror (and associated effects) merely need to threaten the physical or mental wellbeing of the characters on 6 specific occasions, ideally culminating in a dramatic climax.   As the players will apply and describe the suffering of their own characters during these challenges, there is no need for complex mechanical detail (stat blocks, skill checks and difficulties etc.).

On the other hand, EPOCH is about empowering the players to create any character they wish, and makes the development of these characters the core focus of the game.  Therefore, it can never be assumed that characters will investigate explore or endanger themselves voluntarily – which is the central tension of most horror games.  In EPOCH the source of the horror, and the scenario setup, must either be tailored to threaten the characters irrespective of their actions, or the characters must seek an escape which puts them into the path of the horror – or some combination of the two.

 

This character focus means that the scenario is actually more of a framework to provide ever increasing tension and drama to force character development, rather than a detailed story to be explored in-and-of itself, and I think this can be challenging to write – particularly if you have a strong vision for how you want the scenario to play out.  So, although scripting an EPOCH scenario seems simple at first, creating a scenario with sufficient adaptability to suit a diversity characters can be a challenging undertaking.

 

War Stories brings the total of published EPOCH scenarios to 14, featuring the work of 7 individual authors.  Needless to say, I am extremely grateful for the contribution of these talented folks to the game, and I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work.

Pimp Your Game

The pitch is an important part of attracting players who want to play in a game that you facilitate.  Often we think about the pitch as essential for a convention game, where you are literally spruiking your game to strangers in the hopes that something about your description will appeal sufficiently for them to give you several hours of their time, and choose your offering over others. 

 

However, even when you are proposing a new game for your regular gaming group, a short, succinct and strong pitch will help focus attention on what you’re offering, and encourage the players to engage with that material.

 

In 2010 I wrote a post about The Art of the Pitch where I suggested that characteristics of a strong pitch are; a short and compelling piece of setting or fiction to pique the readers interest, and a description of what experience I might expect, as a player.  Both these pieces of information help potential players understand what is being offered, and ensure their expectations are closely aligned with those of the GM offering the game.

 

Bad Players or Bad Games?

 

Sometimes games fall flat, and the reasons for this are not obvious.  When this happens in a convention setting I’ve often heard the GM or facilitator complain about the players.  It’s a common response.  A GM has often spent hours carefully crafting a scenario, anticipating possible actions, and detailing characters – playtesting and preparing and so when the session falls flat, the variable over which the GM has had the least influence is the players, ergo, this must be the cause of the problem.

 

In EPOCH I argue there are no ‘bad’ players.  Only players that are not ‘activated’ and that it is possible for a GM to activate almost every player using a variety of techniques.  However, by far the most important technique is to ensure the players of the game are aligned with the style, an objective of the game that the GM wishes to run.

 

The most likely criteria for a such mismatch (in my experience) include:

• a game which features a strong investigative component
• a game which features a highly complex setting, characters or NPCs
• a game which relies on players absorbing significant amounts of detail, either character or system related to drive the action
• a game which requires the players to share narrative duties
• a game which has a strong combat focus.

This is not an exhaustive list by any stretch, but games which feature any of these elements strongly, and fail to communicate this to the players in advance, are more likely to fall at the first hurdle of player activation and result in a mismatch between GM and player expectations.

 

Pimping your game

 

So how to do it right?  Probably the most important tip for any game facilitator is to be honest about what the core activity of the scenario is.  What are you expecting of the players, and what is expected of their characters?  If you spell this out in advance, through the blurb or description of your game, then I think you are much more likely to find an audience that wants to play the same kind of scenario as you.

 

In my game, EPOCH, I provide 3 simple sentences for each scenario, after the blurb which provides the setting to help fulfil this criteria:

 

"EPOCH is a game of character-driven survival horror. The goal is to deliver a tense and scary experience in a single game session. EPOCH players are active participants in the creation of the game atmosphere and have complete control over the creation and ultimate fate of their characters."

 

However I was also very impressed with the description provided by venerable GM Marcus D. Bone for his Kapcon games here and here, which exemplify the kind of clear communication I'm proposing.

 

On the subject of good game blurbs, I'd also like to highlight the creative efforts of the grandexperiment who has adopted alternative media in lieu of text to create an arguably stronger initial impression with his potential audience.

Mountains

Last night we finished Beyond the Mountains of Madness, which is widely considered one of the great epic Call of Cthulhu campaigns.  I have previously posted about our ascent through Mountains here and here and my thoughts about how this campaign contrasts with another of the classics; Masks of Nyarlathotep.

 

I am pleased to say that providing a strong character focus during the early sessions of this campaign let us pick up the action after a nine month break and dive straight back into it.  The finale was played out over several different scenes, as written in the campaign which offered some great action moments.  I think the most important part of running any game which involves dice, is for the GM to understand the system well enough to set the odds so they are likely to deliver the best outcome for the story, then turn it over to the characters and the dice, and accept whatever results are rolled.  This transparency leads to real tension amongst the players, and makes survival, or indeed triumph, so much sweeter.

However, in a campaign like Mountains this can be a high risk strategy.  A finite number of characters are on hand, and after spending time building some intense characterisation, there is always the possibility that a player will have atrocious luck, and be eliminated at any juncture.  In Mountains I tried to mitigate this risk somewhat with paired down house rules from my pulp outings which granted each character a single fate point (allowing survival when death would otherwise have been inventible) and this point gave each character two skill re-rolls per session. Setting the odds for each encounter also allows a GM a high degree of influence in determining a likely outcome which is often not immediately apparent to the players.

 

The enduring reward for running this campaign, investing in the characters, and having the vast majority survive the campaign, is the legacy of each of these characters after they leave Antarctica.  How they reconcile their harrowing experiences and the dreadful truths they have learnt and what this will ultimately cost them.  This attempt by broken and shattered people to reconcile horror with life in the modern world is, I think, the essence of Lovecraft and a fitting way to leave the campaign.

 

Campaign Statistics
Sessions Played: 14
Chapters: 16
Number of Players: 7
Number of Characters: 7
Total Fate Points Expended: 2
Character Deaths: 1

The Rise of New Zealand RPG Products

In February 2011, I posted about  some of the great New Zealand roleplaying products that had recently been released.  Two and a half years later it seems appropriate to post an update, and celebrate more of the fantastic products authored by Kiwis since then.

First up, Monster of the Week by Michael Sands - Monster of the Week is an action-horror roleplaying game.  Most people don't believe in them, but they're real. Mostly, when someone finds out that monsters are real, that's just before they die.  But some people are mean enough, smart enough, crazy enough, or hurt enough, that they live. And some of those people go and hunt down more.  That's who you are – someone who decided to go on a crusade against the evil critters that are scurrying around out there.  You can get it direct from Mike, from Lulu or DriveThruRPG. 

Next, On Mighty Thews by Simon Carryer - On Mighty Thews is a pulp fantasy roleplaying game that’s fast and easy to play.   Mighty warrior-heroes face mortal peril in a land of sword-fighting, strange cultures, monsters and magic.  On Mighty Thews lets you and your friends tell bizzarre and bloody tales of swords and sorcery in a world of your own creation. Perfect for a casual and quick game, you can be playing within minutes of opening the book. Pick it up from the indie rpgs un-store.

Also by Simon Carryer, is the recently released adventure The Cosmic Trader - The Cosmic Trader is a short one-shot adventure module suitable for classic level-based fantasy gaming. A strange shop in a small border-town is the gateway to a bizarre and terrifying adventure in distant space. Characters will explore "The Cosmic Trader", a magical interplanetary trading ship, meet its strange and sinister captain, grapple with his collection of oddities and amusements, and maybe even uncover dark secrets and find rich rewards. Check it out at DriveThruRPG.

Then its on to The Bell by Stephanie and Catherine Pegg - The Bell is a science fiction suspense live roleplaying game that is intended to be an emotionally intense game that pushes moral dilemmas.  (It isn’t recommended for novice roleplayers.)  It can be run for 12 to 20 players with a play duration of two hours. You wake up with your memories fracturing around you. You're going somewhere, and there's something wrong, and you know these people here with you, or maybe you only think you do. All you really know for sure is that you can hear this Bell. Buy it from DriveThruRPG.

Stephanie and Catherine Pegg have also published two other live action games, including Super Sparkle Action Princess GX! which is a modern day chaotic live roleplaying game for 13-16 people. Players take on the parts of the cast and crew filming an episode at short notice in difficult conditions, using a live camera and  But Nobody Loses An Eye! which is a modern day live roleplaying game about the magic, chaos and terror of childhood, for 8-12 people.

Back in the world of tabletop roleplaying, Morgan Davie has continued his work on the ICONS superhero game with his contribution to the recently released ICONS Team-Up a Game Master's toolkit for the critically-acclaimed superpowered role-playing game.

Steve Hickey has also been busy with several offerings in the works including Left Coast, A roleplaying game about science fiction writers living in California - inspired by the life of Philip K. Dick. 

Finally, my game of character-driven survival horror, EPOCH, has had ample coverage on this blog, but I also wanted to note that so far 6 other New Zealand authors have so far contributed original scenarios for the game, including the sci-fi collection Frontier of Fear, The Cold Shore and the forthcoming War Stories.

So, all in all, a pretty impressive collection of products. I look forward to seeing what's next for New Zealand roleplaying writers and publishers.

If you know of a product I've missed, comment below or drop me a line and I'll add it.

Introducing New Games

Over on RPG.net there has recently been some talk about just how much GM-driven description is ideal for roleplaying games.  Some contend more description is better, others argue that too much description alienates players.  I think that if you play a campaign with some regular players, as a GM you probably have a good sense of which players enjoy description, and which are itching to interject and get started with their character’s interactions and the secret is finding the right balance to keep everyone happy.  But what about when you run a new game for the first time?  What about when you have a group of strangers at the table, as you might in a convention game?

New games often have an awful lot of information to convey.  Many have both a bespoke setting and a bespoke system.  Players will want to know from the moment they sit down, what sort of dice are needed?  What about character sheets?  Some will be focussed on the mechanics, seeking to draw comparisons with similar game systems, while others more interested in the setting, and the role of the PC’s.  And then there are many players who don’t engage at all from the outset, reserving judgement until later.

So, how to reconcile of the tension between a tremendous information dump, and not spending the first 30-45 minutes of the game talking about playing, rather than actually playing the game?  I personally find that an integrated approach works best, and here are the steps I generally employ as part of a 'pre-flight checklist' before every game.

1. Be well prepared before the game.  Think about how to describe it, and make sure you have all the props (pre-generated characters, handouts etc.) printed and ready to go.  I usually try to have the below list on a single page, with some dot points for each heading to jog my memory about what I’m going to say.
2. Talk about other stuff before the game.  Most important if you are running the game with strangers – it is important to get to know folks a little before the game begins and try and make sure everyone is comfortable  and engaged.  I usually ask about other games people have played, or other events at the ‘con.
3. Start with a purpose statement.  A high level description of what the game is about and what role the character will play.  If the game is about investigation or problem solving, it’s important to emphasise this here, so that the players understand the game dynamic from the outset.
   

   
4. Now it’s time to talk about system.  Unless you are using a system specifically designed for one-shots (Dread, Fiasco, EPOCH etc.) then you might need to consider making a cut-down or ‘lite’ version of the system and using only the mechanics that will actually be needed for the scenario you are running.  I try and customise character sheets where possible so only the information needed for the specific scenario is presented.  If combat is a major element of the game, I usually do a short introduction at this point, then revisit it later, when the characters have sheets in front of them, with an example in mind.  It’s important to keep this system description as short, and to-the-point as possible, and ask if there are any questions after each main point.  It’s likely there will be a recap of skill or combat rules when the scenario calls for this to occur, which should allow for additional reinforcement, and breaking up of the detail.
5. Now the setting, where does the game take place?  If it’s a high-concept setting then I usually try and have examples of other popular media to draw on and then explain the differences.  What role do the characters have in that setting?  Particularly flag the way that NPCs are likely to react to them in the context of the scenario, so everyone is one the same page when the game begins.
6. Break out the pre-generated characters or backgrounds. These should always be as short as possible, ideally no more than a couple of paragraphs.  More than that and it's likely that not all the players will absorb the details.  As an example, check out the way I set out pre-generated characters in Sundown, my Call of Cthulhu scenario of the Old West.  If you want the players to have more time to absorb the information, you might hand out the sheets at point 4 instead, but be aware that players may ignore subsequent description in favour of looking at their sheets.
7. Finally it’s time to begin the game.  I usually introduce each character first, either with a dedicated vignette scene, or by framing their arrival at a destination, and asking the player to add additional details, like a description of their character, then prompt them to embellish this with some additional detail and mannerisms.  Hopefully this way, all of the players understand each other's characters and are ready to interact when the scenario first puts them together.

Horror For The People - An ENnie Awards Platform

The EPOCH roleplaying game was thrilled and honoured to be nominated for several ENnie awards this year (Best Rules, Best Electronic Book, Best Free Product & Product of the Year).  However, looking at the competition in each category it became clear that we were by-far the smallest dog in this fight.  However, like all small dogs, we know the value of making a big noise, and we thought we might have a little fun during the voting process. 

Without further ado, I present EPOCH chairman and cover-model, the Doomed Diver to present our platform to voters, who might never have heard of our game:

“For too long roleplaying games have demystified horror, and sought to tame the nameless terror that lurks in the darkness.  Players have felt confident and comfortable at the gaming table, their characters ensconced in levels, professions and classes, empowered to dispatch the horror they encounter.  Dice pools, attributes and tokens have become the currency of heroism, perpetrating a terrible inflation on infamy which no monstrosity can afford.  Worse than this, the greatest heroes of horror have been diminished by this golden age of character empowerment. 

The repulsive, terrifying and powerful vampires who were once masters of the night have become glorified bureaucrats, ensconced in conspiracy and intrigue.  The noble zombie, once a frightful and relentless mockery of life has been studied, classified and embraced as an iconic role-model to be emulated.   Ghosts and spectres who once preyed on the sanity and life-force of the living are now valued for their historical insights and emotional mysteries.  Emotionless iron automatons now serve those they once would have crushed beneath their heavy metal treads.

Enough I say!  It is time for horror to return to its proper place in role-playing games.  Bring EPOCH to your gaming tables and restore the rightful balance.  EPOCH will unleash true horror once more, dispelling any notion that terror can be classified and catalogued, appearing with a charming picture and vital statistics at the back of a game book.  EPOCH will summon that which has long remained chained and banished, and unlock the terror deep inside you.  A vote for EPOCH is a vote to make this a better, more frightening, world!  Horror for the People!”

Voting is now open, and runs until 31 July.  There are many great products, and even if you don't vote for EPOCH, please do go and vote!

Pulp My Game

This week my gaming group returned to the world of 1920’s pulp with ‘TheTimeless Sands of India’ an Age of Cthulhu scenario by Goodman Games.  Pulp is an interesting strand of the Cthulhu games pantheon which promises a heady mix of action and adventure. Indeed Goodman Games draw on this idea to describe this series:

“Age of Cthulhu is first and foremost dedicated to exploring the horrors of the Cthulhu Mythos, and to bringing the excitement of heroic pulp-themed adventure to your gaming table. So dim the lights, load your trusty sidearm, and prepare to venture into the unknown…”

The problem?  Call of Cthulhu 6^th edition, as written, doesn’t really support this style of play.  The system is (deliberately) lethal to the characters, as a form of promoting helplessness and enforcing a spiral into madness or death for the character.  To compound the mixed messaging, all but one of the pre-generated characters in the scenario have no combat skills (a nurse, mathematician, missionary and student), and the character that does (a retired soldier), has a well below average sanity score (which is further eroded by the starting condition of the scenario).

I previously played ‘Death in Luxor’ the first in the Age of Cthulhu series, using the pre-generated characters, and in the opening scenes of that game my character (with below average sanity) went permanently insane during the first scripted scene of the scenario.  The experience left me questioning the realism of the character continuing to 'investigate' the situation and ultimately spoilt my fun a little.

Now I think ‘Timeless Sands of india’ as a good pulp outing.  In fact, it reads very much like an Indian chapter of Masks of Nayrlathotep, with all the same ingredients and some neat twists on the traditional Masks formula.  It has the same potential for epic action, exotic and atmospheric investigation and a neat backstory.  There are some tweaks needed here and there, a few details that don't really make sense - but the overall bones of the scenario are sound.

What it needs, in my opinion, is to reconcile the pulp aspect with the constraints of 6^th Edition Call of Cthulhu. 

‘Basic Roleplaying’ the system which underpins Call of Cthulhu can achieve many of the needed changes.  Other minor tweaks, like allowing players limited opportunities to re-roll skill checks, would also help.  The pre-generated characters also need to be updated, and made appropriate to this style of play.  In short, this scenario is pulp-ready, but not pulp-enabled.  House rules are needed, along with new pre-generated characters, to make this scenario fit for purpose.

Eventually, I hope that the release of the long-promised ‘Pulp Cthulhu’ will codify the tweaks needed to make Call of Cthulhu suitable for a heroic adventure style of play.  Until then, I’m satisfied that my house-rules will allow my players to experience the scenario in the style which scenario author, Jon Hook, intended.