I Played D&D In French Today

In February of last year I lost my job. To complicate matters at the time I was a uni-lingual anglophone (english speaker) living in Canada's french province of Quebec. My inability to speak french was becoming a major road block in becoming gainfully employed again, not to mention just down right frustrating sometimes. Let's put it this way, in a place where we have a minority separatist provincial government in power, language police and laws that dictate that french must be protected at all costs life can be very difficult if you can't or just plain refuse to speak the language.

In May of the same year I was accepted into a provincially funded program and admitted into adult education to upgrade my skill set and learn french. At the time I was skeptical. Could I really learn french in one year? Or was I going to have to uproot my family and move to somewhere else in Canada?

My french classes are intensive. I'm required to be at school 30 hours a week. Monday to Friday, 8:20 am- 3:30 pm. In my afternoon period we have a conversation class and each of us was given an assignment to teach the class about a hobby or a passion we have in our lives. Obviously RPG's is a no brainer for myself and today after 8 months of studying and practice I taught and ran a simplified version D&D for my teacher and fellow class mates. Almost entirely in french.

It was a fairly exhausting and difficult experience, yet it was also rewarding. First I'm proud of just how far my ability in the language has come since those early days. I have a lot to learn still and I wouldn’t say I'm fluent but I can now communicate with and understand others on a fairly basic level. It was also rewarding to see my fellow students and teacher flexing their imaginations and giving this bizarre hobby (and that us veterans some times take too seriously) a chance. In fact we might actually continue the game again on Monday if time allows. I'll take that as a good sign.

In a future blog post I'll write out what we did and present the simplified rules we used to play the game.              

Dennis Detwiller On Delta Green & Creepiness

On his blog Nothing Can Stop the Blog Dennis Detwiller (one of the creators of Delta Green and founder of Arc Dream Publishing)  discusses how to creep the fuck out of your player's and run a damn good Delta Green campaign.  The original article can be found Here but I'm reposting it here since I know most people (like myself) are lazy fucks. I think it hits all the right notes in terms of not only how to run a DG scenario well, but any horror or conspiracy game.

Delta Green: Creepiness, A How To Guide

By Dennis Detwiller

I have played in many (many, many) Call of Cthulhu games. All but a very few have failed — at some point — to creep me out. It’s hard to play without guessing where a scenario might be going, especially with such a long and deep history with the game and creating for it. Still, there’s always some magic.
And those few scenarios that did frighten me… wow. Those few have made all the other games more than worth it.

How do I bring the scares to my Delta Green game? Read on.

The Mundane is the Backdrop

Delta Green is rooted in the mundane. The more you cement the conspiracy among things the things the players know, trust and understand, the more striking the moments of sheer terror unlocking the horrible secrets of the universe will be.
Have Stephen Alzis meet them at a 7-11, have the Dimensional Shambler manifest in a TARGET, note the details of destruction of a MAJESTIC hit in a home by describing the tipped coffee table and blood soaked PEOPLE magazine with Justin Bieber on the cover.
Secondary to this concept is this: moments of true mythos horror should be few and far between. Think of your game as a symphony, and only at the most special moments is there a crescendo. A symphony composed only of crescendos is boring. Choose the moments when the mythos appears carefully, make them count, and make them hurt.

Nothing is Certain
If Delta Green players are confident in their associates, their relationships, their methods: you’re doing it wrong. They should live in fear of double-cross, of being hung out to dry, of being set up. Anyone could be compromised, anyone could be a puppet for a non-human intelligence, any new lead; a trap.
A good example of this is:
An agent was driving his shit Thunderbird, and I kept describing the awful brakes and the squealing noise they made. He decided to take the car in. When he was paying for the job, the mechanic handed him an odd, gray box and said:
“Oh, this was in the wheel well, I don’t know what the fuck it is”
Popping this device open, the player discovered a mud-stained GPS tracker with a heavy magnet. No identifying marks. Attempts to trace the electronics in it lead to dead ends and empty lots that were never produced by American firms.
That player became paranoid/obsessed/terrified from that point on. I never followed up on it. I didn’t have to. They player did it for me.

Mythos Horror is Lack of Understanding
With the mythos, the answers only go so far. How did the book displace the agent’s consciousness? How does a gesture in the air cut a man in half? How can a thing that appears to be composed of bubbles of energy, speak and pass through objects?
The answers to all these questions are beyond human conception and always will be. While some elements at the edges may be picked apart, there will always be a fundamental lack of understanding of the mythos. That’s why it’s the mythos. 
This is where I see a lot of problems arise in groups. Keepers allow the players to “understand” a creature, and once that creature’s actions, stats and behaviors can be guessed, the creature/threat/mythos idea is no longer frightening. The key to generating fear is uncertainly.


Death is Omnipresent

Do not protect the characters. You are the mediator of the game, but you should not step in an reprieve a doomed character. It is your job to walk them to the gallows, the dice are the guillotine. Death is not only part of Delta Green, it is the basis of it. It is a game about human frailty and death, about the struggle against the unknown despite the fact that victory is never possible.
As such, it is important to let the game dictate the outcome. Note that the rules are stacked in favor of the creatures from beyond, and that humans, unless they are exceedingly careful and clever, have almost no chance of even a limited victory.
This is not a game about winning, it is a game about surviving to fight another day. Death is the central outcome of Delta Green operations. Few, if any, survive their tour without seeing, or experiencing death, first hand.

There are Worse Things Than Dying
Even more, there are worse fates than death in the world of Delta Green. Creatures exist that can infect and subsume a character, methods exist to artificially prolong or restore life, and there are places where all such rules — life and death — are removed completely.
Characters in the know should exist in mortal fear of such outcomes, and should be on the look out for situations which can compromise the very thing they are fighting for: normal, human existence. Many agencies and groups exist to further these concepts and infections. One might even say that the minions who serve the Great Old Ones themselves are a disease that infects and destroys human thought replacing it with alien ideas and concepts.
Death is the terror that keeps DG agents on their toes, but the things beyond death, that’s what Delta Green fights, and at their moment of greatest weakness and failure, sometimes become.

The Saints of Los Angeles-Theme Song

Yesterday I posted my Appendix N for the Digital Dark Age campaign setting. Today I'm posting the music video that provided the inspiration for idea that spawned the Saints of Los Angeles campaign. I imagined the song as being the opening theme song at the start of each session, like a TV series. The basic idea behind the campaign was that the PC's/heroes were the proverbial "saints" and that the "Los Angeles" was their space ship rather than the city in California. The basic premise was a cyberpunk/firefly mash up.  We played one amazing session with the Silhouette System before it crashed and burned. But it's something I'd like to return to with Savage Worlds and Interface Zero some time soon in the future.   

The Digital Dark Age: Appendix N

So heres a list of the major influences on the Digital Dark Age Campaign. None of it is presented in any particular order of importance. It's a sort of a freak show of science fiction with tones of cyberpunk, noir, pulp, and of course weird. Some are fairly self explanatory, others not so much.

• The Hyperion Cantos (Dan Simmons)
• Ilium/Olympos Cycle (Dan Simmons)
• Red Harvest (Dashiell Hammett)
• The Takeshi Kovacs Trilogy/Market Forces (Richard K. Morgan)
• Hellboy/B.P.R.D comic series (Mike Mignola)
• Path of Fury/ Honorverse (David Weber)
• Neuromancer (William Gibson)
• Snowcrash (Neal Stephenson)
• Northwest Smith (C. L. Moore)
• The Shadow Over Innsmouth (H. P. Lovecraft)
• Star Wars (George Lucas)
• Total Recall (Philip K. Dick)
• Firefly/Serenity (Joss Whedon)
• Appleseed (Masamune Shirow)
• Warhammer 40,000/Necromunda (Games Workshop)
• Heavy Gear RPG (Dream Pod 9)
• Cyberpunk 2.0.2.0 RPG (R. Talsorian Games)
• Shadowrun RPG (FASA)

That Is Not Dead Which Can Eternal Lie...

...And with strange aeons even death may die.

 And thats sorta what this blog has become, not dead but dreaming. Waiting for the stars to align or some such esoteric Lovecraftian babel.

I've been wanting to update the blog for a while now. However with a lack of actual gaming happening, and the priorities of school and family, I've either been too busy, or too tired.

So whats been happening in the past while?

Well I finished David Weber's “Out of the Dark”. Great read except the ending. One of the first times I actually ever wanted to throw a book across the room. I wont spoil it for you, but believe me when I say Weber gets a good square kick in your nuts on this one. However to Weber's credit I finished the first book in the Honor Harrington series “On Basilisk Station” and it was frigging awesome from start to finish. Next on deck is “The Honor of the Queen”. And of course I still have the first book in Weber's “Safehold series sitting on my shelf to get to as well as John Ringo's “A Hymn Before Battle”. Too many books not enough time and all that jazz.

Currently I'm reading the first novel in Clive Cussler/Grant Blackwood's “Fargo” series called “Spartan Gold”. So for the most part it's a fun read though at near the end its starting to drag a little. Hopefully the ending will pick it up. One thing of note is how all of the novels in any of Cussler's series are packed with great ideas for RPG adventures and campaigns. Particularly if you tear the ideas straight from the books for use in a modern action/adventure setting. Characters, exotic places, interesting historical bits, and crazy plots abound.

Lastly on the RPG front. I recently purchased the “Savage Worlds Deluxe Edition”, “Deadlands: Marshal's Handbook”, “Player's Guide”, “1880 Smith & Robards Catalog” (Explorers Edition all), and “The Last Sons” plot points campaign setting books. In addition I picked up a really nice Texas Hold'em poker set from Walmart. The intention is that I' ll finally get to try out running/playing Savage Worlds and get some gaming going on again. I've wanted to get a SW game started for a while but keep getting cold feet on it as well as “Gamer ADD”, unfamiliarity of the system, laziness, time constraints, etc. Hopefully with the substantial amount of money I sunk into these purchases I will have the motivation to make it happen.

So that pretty much sums up shit around here. I have every intention of updating the blog as much as I can realistically can. I have no intention of writing updates for the sake of updating. So if I have something of note to write I will. Till then you are the resistance. Zombiecowboy out.

Out Of The Dark

This post's title has a double meaning. For one it's about this blog finally coming out hibernation and me getting back to writing and blogging. But it's also the title of the book by David Weber that I'm currently reading.

I'm at a loss to explain exactly how David Weber's books have been completely off my radar up until recently. The first book of his I read was “In Fury Born” when a buddy of mine recently recommended it to me. This is military sci-fi at it's best! Set in mankind's far future, the book expands on Weber's earlier novel “Path of Fury”. The story follows the career of Alicia DeVries as she progressively moves higher in the ranks and more into more elite combat units. Then things get really interesting. After a particularity brutal combat mission DeVries becomes disillusioned with the military and quits to live a peaceful life on the frontier planet called Mathison's World. But this peaceful respite is not to last, and a short time after a pirate raid leaves DeVries family dead and her seething with the desire for revenge. Theres more, and I don't really want to spoil anything if you haven’t read this book yet. What I will say is that the book is packed with great action scenes, full of intrigue, and a bunch of interesting twists on typical science fiction literature. This is a dense well written book and it left me hungry for more.

That was when I picked up “Out of the Dark”. Based on a short story of the same name this book takes the old idea of aliens invading Earth and puts an interesting spin on it. The story begins with a race of aliens from the Galactic Hegemony observing Earth during the 15^th century. Horrified with just how savage Humanity is and fearing that one day we might reach the stars, a plan is put into motion. The Shongairi, another war like alien race are manipulated into attacking Earth. However, the Hegemony underestimated how quickly we are able to advance technologically and by the time the Shongairi arrive Earth is well into the 21^st century.

Weber is a prolific writer with over 40 novels or collaborations to his name. He has quickly become one of my favourite author's. In particular I can't wait to read his signature Honor Harrington Series, and his newest Safehold series. It's times like these that I wish I could read a lot faster! If your looking for some awesome science fiction to read trust me when I say you could do a lot worse than reading anything by David Weber.

Campaign Arcs

It's been a while. I've been writing again and the desire to run a game has been eating me up. These Demons must be fed....

While I was working on my campaign I read this article called "The Covenant of the Arcs" by  Christopher Perkins, from his The Dungeon Master Experience column. I'm not gonna lie, I don't really dig 4e. I've said this before and I don't need to bash the game. It's not my bag, nuff said. However, I do feel that if your not reading this no DDI membership required column your doing yourself a great disservice. Mr. Perkins runs what seems to me to be one of the coolest 4e D&D campaigns for not just one, but TWO weekly groups!

Part of what I think has made his campaign and others like his so awesome is plot weaving. The ability to take multiple story ideas and combine them into something that combines the best of sandboxing and linear structure into one awesome campaign. In this article Perkins gives us a basic understanding of how he did this in his own campaign. Using a foundation built on three major plot arcs he illustrates
how this structure allows for a robust, satisfying and complex long term campaign. This was something I took to heart and I decided that I was going to give it a shot. So below I have included the role of the heroes as well as my three major plot arcs I have planned for this campaign.

If you happen to be a a player in my group I would please ask that you stop reading now! What follows will ruin the fun for you as I plan to reveal what I've planned as my major plot seeds for "The Saint's of Los Angeles" Campaign.

The Role of the Heroes

The Saints of Los Angeles Campaign is a space opera set in mankind’s far future. The PC's are heroes in a universe that is dominated by war, social injustice, and intrigue. As the crew of the space freighter Los Angeles, the PC's will travel through space and explore the galaxy, discover its mysteries, meet unique people, battle hostile aliens, and take on many exciting and dangerous missions. Hopefully during this the PC's will be able to live up to their destiny and calling as heroes and the true “Saints” of a galaxy in dire need of them.

The Campaign Arcs

1. War Story Arc: War erupts in the Tempest System when a ferocious alien race bent on conquering mankind suddenly appears from the distant reaches of space. This brutal and intelligent race once controlled vast regions of Protectorate territories. However, a civil war millennia ago forced them to abandon the area. Their Empire now revitalized and engorged with a variety of alien slave races seeks to reassert its power and influence over its former territories. However, this race has sorely underestimated their human foe and during their long absence mankind has grown to become a formidable adversary in its own right. The result will no doubt be a war of epic proportions.
   
   
2. Intrigue Story Arc:  Unknown to most the Eclipse Corporation is one of the most powerful organizations in the Empire. The true architects behind the Eclipse Corporation's success and it's low key stature are "The Founders". This ancient cabal of unseen secret masters conspire to manipulate events from behind the scenes for their own inscrutable goals. Eclipse Corporation's CEO and the patriarch of the eccentric Ashton family works as  "The Founders" principle pawn and voice while they push their mysterious agenda from behind the scenes. Chief among "The Founders" preoccupations are Eclipse Corporation's black laboratories. Hidden from the public eye, a myriad of vile and thoroughly illegal experiments take place in numerous asylums and research facilities throughout the galaxy.
   
   
3. Political Story Arc: It is a time of civil unrest. Politicians, crime syndicates, corporations and religious leaders play a dangerous game as they manoeuvre against one another to gain the upper hand in the political arena while promoting their own agendas and best interests. Leviticus Wu, the elusive and charismatic leader of SUNRISE, a growing underground militant political group attempting to over throw the galaxy wide Protectorate government. A government they claim is dominated by corruption, the rich, and the interests of massive corporations. In turn Lord Protector Hektor Tanaka, the official leader of the Protectorate has labeled SUNRISE, a terrorist group, and seeks to eradicate any trace of it. SUNRISE's goal is to form a new government that allows the people to create a new democratic society free from the invisible prison made by the corruption, nepotism, and the powerful rich. Complicating matters is the rapidly and increasingly powerful influence of of the Church of the Holy Resurrection. This Church, loosely based on the Old Earth Catholic Church has discovered a way to offer true and ever lasting life to its devout followers and because of this has become a powerful political player.