System Shock!!!

Anxiety Cat is obviously suffering from System Shock.

Well, if you're a Gate Keeper you probably know, or at least have an idea of how many game systems we actually use around the ol' Wargate.  There are now four major campaign seasons for wargames, with four other games on constant standby and rotation.  As far as roleplaying goes, it's a new game every 10-20 weeks on average.  That's a lot of rulesets, and it doesn't even count card games, board games or other strangeness, such as campaign / scenario specific rules.

For a lot of folks, as games change and our focus moves from one system to another, it can get really hard to remember which rule goes in which game...and recently talking with a few members it's obvious this is still an issue for some of us.  This phenomenon (which I affectionately call "system shock") is neither new or uncommon.  Yet, the worst part is that it can discourage players from trying new games, and that's anathema to the Wargate's philosophy.

Today, I want to talk about ways we as a gaming community can combat this system shock, and enjoy the myriad gaming opportunities your club offers.  For myself, I've moved beyond this particular issue and I think I can help others do the same.  You see, the issue lies not in the amount of rules to be used or the conventions to be represented.  Likewise, it's not an issue of how many rules are structurally similar (such as the difference between different versions of the same rule in different editions) or how many rulebooks are on the table.  The problem is simply one of mentality.

As a disclaimer, I'm not attacking anyone for being stupid.  Far from it, everyone I know is exceptionally intelligent, and I don't want anyone to think I believe them to be less than clever.  However, everyone can stand to hear a new idea, especially when the acceptance of that idea could make their Game Day better.  In this case, I find that even folks who are deep into several games get queasy at the idea of learning or implementing a new system.

The mentality that rules take up space in your brain and you only have so much brain space is erroneous.  It's true that as you change focus, you may forget or remember rules from one game when playing the other.  That's natural, and it's not an issue when all parties are versed in the rules from the get go.  Yet it's also true that a good portion of players don't read all the material involved and learn from other players the new conventions used in whatever the current game is.

Even if a player has read the material for a new game, it's likely he hasn't retained it all.  This is totally natural and is entirely acceptable - no one expects you to be able to quote from the book verbatim with an unerring eidetic memory.  That's not feasible to ask of someone, and it's more than a little asinine to expect that of yourself.  Instead, the mentality of how we approach multiple game systems has to be changed from:  "I play Warhammer 40,000 and I don't have time for that other stuff" to "I play Warhammer 40,000 and I can apply what I know from it to other games".

In wargames and RPG's, if you read and play enough of them you'll eventually see that it's all pretty much the same.  Yeah, the details are different from one game to another but that's why we have rulebooks - learn where to look in one rules manual and if the next one has a good index or table of contents you can find any exact rule you need pronto.  All these games use a version of the same over-arching conventions, such as using a D6 to shoot someone or make a save.

Look at the similarities between Warhammer 40,000 and Flames of War if you want a compelling example.  Yeah, individual troops need different scores to hit and one of them uses to-hit modifiers.  Other than that, it's the same D6 roll, often needing the same exact score. If you've played these games before, applying whatever modifier might apply is easy to deduce since there aren't that many to begin with.  The rules we use from game to game are simply slightly modified to fit that milieu.  However, once you've played a few campaigns you'll get the swing of it - the rules will fall right into place.

So the crux of this diatribe is thus:  learn to use the manual to reference rules during play, instead of attempting to memorize the letter of the rules.  

We have several folks jockeying the manuals around here on every Game Day, but good ol' Skim comes through more than most by reading almost every wargames manual we have.  Not only that, but once you put your mind to it, it's pretty easy to deduce how these rulebooks are put together and where the designers hide certain rules.  Captain Video is great on RPG games, and recently got the new AD&D 1e reprints to better reference tables and spells during the game.  I've repeatedly stated that this is the way to go as a Dungeon Master - having dedicated players who know their game and can find what we're looking for in the rulebooks as quickly as possible to keep play moving forward.

The club has recently focused on our most popular games by moving to a three month campaign schedule (again??).  Yes, again.  We moved from the six month model because interest dropped off after the first three months.  So, we can play more games - but we won't be running a second campaign for fully half the year.  During Season 2 and Season 4, there will be secondary campaigns running pretty much from now on, but more on those later.  The point is:  there are now even LESS rules to be caught up on, and you'll find that playing more games and using more manuals in practice actually helps keep your gaming tight, rather than scattered with a lot of downtime looking up rules - or the scorned GM handwave/fiat.

Honestly, I worry about Campaign Setting Shock than I do Rules System Shock.  However, with the amount of time we're spending in Greyhawk, I doubt many folks will get Oerth confused with Toril or Krynn.  Yet, you never know.  All those gods, kingdoms and cities might eventually meld together in some folks' brains.  Of course, Paladine won't answer you if you're in Waterdeep.  In order to stop this, I'll be focusing on special conventions, mood and presentation during the adventures in these classic settings in order to keep everyone "in the correct world".

Thanks again to all the Gate Keepers, who keep my fingers tapping away on this blog bringing you news from our game club.  The site has become an important part of our game routine, and the way we use it will help curb the System Shock from now on.  We've never had a site run this long, but we've never had a group this awesome or dedicated to gaming.  I'll be here as long as you guys are.

See you on Game Day!

Terrain Log: 40k Basilica

Welcome back for another Terrain Log, where I fumble about the myriad universes trying to bring pieces back for you.  Today, we have our Warhammer 40,000 Imperial Basilica.  Not only was this sanctuary a place of worship before it got bombed out, but you can still take cover amidst the ruin of the Imperial servants whose skulls adorn the walls!

This piece meandered around the club, and actually required the talents of three Gate Keepers before it was finished.  We work at a snail's pace around here, but things eventually happen - usually all at once.  For this Basilica (which you can buy the kit for at www.games-workshop.com, under Warhammer 40,000 Scenery) I think it was almost a year before it was finished.

Jerry Wargate bought a set of used ruins online way back in late 2010.  After deciding we didn't like how they were put together and that we wanted higher standards going forward, I started the long and arduous process of cutting the pieces down and removing the huge chunks of plastic glue that were holding the rickety ruins together.  It took two days to get these pieces ready for assembly.  Jerry helped me take four different GW buildings apart, then we started to put this one together.

I cut a base from mica board, (I cut one for each of these four buildings that particular day) and set about constructing something that resembled what was on the box.  We had a lot of pieces to sort through.  After looking at some examples, Jerry and I set on this neat "X" footprint.  Then, after priming it up and getting it ready, Jerry went over the whole thing for hours with a paintbrush.  After painting the thousandth skull, he decided he'd had enough of it.  That's when we handed it off to Captain Video for another layer of loving detail, and he even added a coat of Army Painter's Quickshade.

After the good Captain brought it back to me, gave the mica board base a spray with Rustoleum's Beaten Iron and attached the building with Elmer's White Glue.  After that, I mixed up some turf with some different flocks I had.  I have huge bags of talus laying around, so I threw some of that in the different turf mixes I was using.  The grey area on the board around the Basilica itself is the exposed Beaten Iron, and I did a little grading on the rest of the board.  It looks great on our boards, that's for sure.

Big thanks to Jerry Wargate and Captain Video for their continued support.  There are still two buildings left to put together from that lot - something I hope to visit soon since we're speeding up production a little around here.  More stuff on the way - don't worry Captain, I'll have your recent work up on this site in due course!

Bone Method: RPG Rules As Written

There's been a lot of talk around the web about RPG gamers who stick too closely to the rules.  I've been called all sorts of things for even suggesting that the letter of the rules be upheld in all circumstances, from just flat wrong to all sorts of names that describe various vulgar acts being performed on various vulgar objects.  Today I'm going to elaborate on why we use RAW, how it's used at the Wargate, and why it's better than using GM fiat in our particular group.

So, why are we so finnicky about using the rulebooks here?  It probably has to do with all the wargames, which are competitive and the letter of the rules is often used to resolve attacks correctly and any disputes that might come about during the game.  Happens all the time really, and there's two ways a club can deal with such situations.  For us, we simply consult the rulebook and have a 3rd party interpret as well.  Since most of us are very technical, the legalese in the books reads very easily and most arguments are clear cut once the rules are read aloud.  However, there are a few occasions upon which a player has read fluff passages to me indicating they were rules and that's what was happening.

During our game sessions, whichever game that is, you can bet there are at least two basic rulebooks at the table.  At least.  Those get passed around quite a bit, and over a decade ago I got used to the idea of RPG players having their own Player's Handbook (or equivalent) for that game in their hands.  I also got used (surprisingly quickly) at players coughing up passages from the rulebook when I was about to rule something, and that sorta started the trend of the players here being able to jockey the rules as well as I.  Keep in mind, I was used to being the only person who had even read the book, let alone knew what rules to call up during the game.

After a few games like this, something dawned on me.  It was much easier to adjudicate the rules if the players had the damn books as well.  Being freed from having to look up every spell description, every skill DC, every piece of equipment with a special effect or what happens with this or that characters' feat was a great boon to me as DM.  It was so awesome in fact that I swiftly integrated it into the game, and made it clear to the players that any time they could find something that overruled me in the book I would (without fail) adjudicate the scenario from the book.

Today, this is the unspoken writ of the Wargate, but today...well it's now actually writ.  There are usually three Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbooks for our 1st Edition game hanging around the table.  Navigating the MESS that is AD&D 1e's ruleset, we've learned quite a bit about it, and feel that our take on the adjudication of combat is quite stellar compared to some attempts I've read about.  Certainly, we have more than one rulebook at the table with more than one person helping to determine how actions are resolved.  We adjudicate the rules RAW as best we can, but that brings me to another point.

We actually prefer games that have more delineated rules so that we can reference them easier.  It's amazing how fast a game goes when everyone is on the exact same page, literally.  In fact, at this point it's anathema to suggest not using the rules, and any DM who repeatedly threw out sections of the rules manual (for whatever reason) would find themselves quickly deposed.  Unless, of course adjudicating a scenario in a certain way was dictated in the scenario notes themselves, whereupon the DM would conduct the resolution of actions in the manner so noted.

Some folks feel that that sticking to the rules so hard actually somehow limits the reign of the DM in designing scenarios, but how could that even be?  It's done nothing but make my job easier and easier over the years, and I can't really stress that enough.  I really don't understand some trains of thought on this, and I'll reiterate one last time.

It's better when all your players know the game, and can have free access to the game rules.

For games that don't present a coherent set of rules, but that we feel we want to play anyway (we're looking directly at you, Siembieda) we'll be taking a different approach.  There will be a sort of FAQ or other document on the table that will take the place of the rulebooks in certain scenarios.  The first of these will be available when we return to the Palladium Megaverse, and will compile all combat sequences and protocols from across the entire line to present a coherent reference for our games.  Since they can't be bothered to do this, we will.

Next weekend, have your Player's Handbook ready...you'll need them to reference your spells and (most likely) roll up a new character - because AD&D 1e RAW is so far the most deadly design of any RPG game we have thus far encountered.

Army Building in 6th Edition 40k

If you're anything like me, you've already built several armies for Warhammer 40,000.  Every edition we have new things to consider when building our actual lists, whether those changes are brought about by the basic rulebook or the new codex for whatever the newest army is.  For many of us, especially when we possess multiple armies, this isn't necessarily a happy day as it means everything that has come before is now invalidated.  Maybe you have more points now because what you have already collected is cheaper points-wise than it was in the previous edition.  That trend has been going strong since 1997, when GW decided they wanted us to have bigger armies.

Now, however...it's a little more than annoying.

Since the release of 3rd Edition way back when, we've really only had to worry about re-configuring the lists we own when the new army codex is released.  There was the whole "Trial Assault Rules" deal that changed up how armies played, but that was before 4th Edition.  Now, with 6th Edition, they have changed the very Force Organization Chart we're all used to.  A lot of rules from past supplements have been absorbed into the main rules - and even if you don't have a new codex, you still have to pay attention to these changes.  Maybe it's your opponent fielding new units, or worse (as in my case) you realize your army simply isn't up to stuff in the new paradigm.

Let's take a quick look at the new points created by the new Force Organization Chart and the new rules available in the rulebook.  We're not going into individual codecii, this short post will consider the rulebook alone.


Flyers

Well, it's neat and all - but do these machines really belong on the table for the sort of game that Warhammer 40,000 has always been?  Yeah, they've been around for years but not as a solid part of the gaming system.  It used to be that you had to field them in specially prepared games (using Forge World pieces) and that kept it from being overused.  Now, pretty much everyone has flyers, or they will by the end of 6th Edition.

There are a few rules that really make these things worth a lot more than their points value - in effect making them something almost mandatory.  6+ to hit from any ground weapons that do not possess Skyfire, and Blast weapons cannot be used against them since it's a Snap Shot.  Not every army has been issued Flakk missiles (or the equivalent) yet.  I really don't have to point out how that will skew certain lists to the top for the next few years of tournaments.

You might say - "Well, Dave...since you're so clever, why don't you just take some Fortifications or Allies with Skyfire weapons?"  It could be that I don't feel that I should be forced to change my list to account for an artificially created threat (whose presence only thinly even makes sense) or buy the current New Releases to do the same.

Personally, I was fine when these were Forge World pieces.  I really think that this sort of support doesn't belong in a 28mm game, and is best implemented on smaller scales such as 15mm or 6mm.


Allies

An interesting development to be sure.  I don't even know what to say on this matter as I don't feel strongly one way or the other.  We always sort of played this way anyway, and it's nice to see a real rule governing it like Warhammer Fantasy Battle.  There are two points that should be made, however.

First, there will be two types of player who makes use of this rule.  One player will see some tactical advantage of combining forces (how about 4 Demolisher cannons?) cram out the spam with cheese.  The other guy will either be fielding what models he can (because all he has is a few Eldar and Space Marines) or have some sort of "fluff cruft" associate with the army.  Basically, the Power Gamer and the Play Gamer.

Second, I really don't see any real issue with the power gaming.  I've already pointed out that taking Allies with Skyfire is pretty much the only real advantage an army can gain against the new threat implemented by this edition - all other threats and answers were already in place.  If anything, it just lets us see different models more often.  Yeah yeah, you can take nothing but Obliterators and then take 60 orks to help hold objectives - but you could have just used cultists and there's not really much of a difference when it comes down to bullets and beans.

We'll probably only use this rule to create team games easier.  We've seen a lot of these sort of games, but the idea of a "married" list seems anathema to most players.  I've yet to run across one.


Fortifications

So, now I can really jack with the game board and force the scenario to behave in a certain way.  Oh yeah, and since you can give Bastions and Aegis Skyfire weapons, this might be mandatory in your army.  Certain builds are going to find that the Fortifications rule is something they couldn't live without, while other builds will blanch at having to give up 100 points.

It might depend a lot on your build, but your standard "play" is going to dictate whether or not you need a Fortification.  You know what your "play" is - you look at the objectives, you deploy your army, and then they carry out your plan.  Seize and deny objectives.  Score secondary objectives, etc., etc.  If your army has a theme based around a "play", you might definitely consider adding a Fortification over adding a flyer.

Non-MEQ's will probably make the most of this.  It was a real game changer when I added an Aegis Defense Line to my Imperial Guard infantry battalion.  Still, MEQ (marine equivalent, Sv 3+) with a certain play in mind (such as a heavy weapon laden force) can make great use of certain types of Fortifications, and the ability they offer to change the battlefield before the first piece of terrain is laid.


The Changing Game

I for one am stoked about the game changing.  However, since none of these things were explicitly stated, I can see a few folks getting angry after being punished game after game.  I've heard lots of arguments about "flyers are in the game now DERP get a skyfire or your own flyer DERP"!  Yet that's kind of a null argument when you think about it, since the whole snap shots only deal seems kinda tacked on to make flyers a better choice.

So, now you have a totally different army for this edition.  That's fine, it's good to change it up every couple of years.  Maybe you have models you can't use, but just put those aside...they'll probably be usable next edition.  Even if these new additions to the game were simply sales strategies designed to kick out flyer and fortification kits, they've been doing that sort of thing for a long time now.

What's more worrying is the stance that GW has taken lately with regards to their Retail Policies.  Much has already been said about them, and I won't go into the specifics here.  What I will do is put forth the notion that the masses are restless, and GW is on the verge of alienating even hardcore fans like myself.  GW itself would do well to take notice - there are lots of other game publishers, some of them here in the United States, that are more affable and easier to work with.  If they continue to be a huge bully, and continue to price their models higher and higher (despite telling us originally that resin would be cheaper) there's going to be some changes.

Around here, at least.

Terrain Log: Warhammer 40,000 Obstacles and Objectives

As you know, we're hip-deep in Warhammer 40,000 season here at the Wargate, and today we also announce that there will be a separate narrative mini-campaign next season running tandem with Warmachine!  More information on that coming soon, so stay tuned if you want more practice with your armies this year.  For now, we'll take a look at some pieces we like to call Obstacles and Objectives!  Yeah, they are in the Warhammer 40,000 box, but a lot of them work for lots of other games as well.

Don't stand so close to me...or near the toxic explosive chemicals.

These barrels have been around for about ... 15 years or so.  Recently rebased, they've seen more action on the field as Battlefield Debris (that explodes!) and the smaller pieces can also make great objectives.  Easy to make, and a little bit of Burnt Grass to simulate oil spills on the ground.

Praise the Emperor and pass the ammo!

These are some miscellaneous pieces we've collected over a long period of time.  The battlefield accessories were painted by myself and a colleague...oh...12 or 13 years ago, but I dug them out of a scrap box and put them on bases.  The grey asphalt style base is made simply by spraying a base with Rustoleum Beaten Iron.  Looks good, we used it on the road pieces as well.  The Black Reach force fields were painted by...you know, I have no idea.  Look good though.  For the shrines, those are made from bits from the bastions we have, and Captain Video did a great job painting them up.

Tank Traps make it hard to drive around most battlefields, but at least they offer some cover.

These old tank traps are something of an oddity.  Based on some really strong type of cardboard (that got hit with Rustoleum Beaten Iron as well) these are just as old as the barrels and came out at the same time.  They still offer that set on Games Workshop's website...the Battlefield Accessories set in the Warhammer 40,000 Scenery section.  These were drybrushed by novice hands long ago... I just gave them a new base and a new lease on life recently.  They haven't disappointed.

Some obstacles should really be avoided if at all possible.  Especially by those with soft, exposed skin.

Razor wire!  These pieces were based just like the tank traps, but I drove a nail through each end and connected a piece of Games Workshop's Razor Wire.  One of them got a little bent, and the hard cardboard that they are based on is sorta warped now.  Lesson:  don't use hard cardboard for items with tension.  Even the little bit of force exerted by the Razor Wire pulling together was enough to warp this piece.  Next time, I'll stick to the ol' masonite sheet.

That's it for today.  Thanks to everyone for a great game day yesterday.  Next weekend, Imperial Assault will be ending the final few phases of the war for Caelum Subterraneous.  Also, The Temple of Elemental Evil continues to be the most wanton deathtrap of all time, consuming souls at a frightening rate to produce a staggering death toll so far.  Be warned, and stay tuned for more gaming goodness later this week!

Army Briefing: Crusade Strongpoint

Crusade Strongpoint

By Chief Scrivener Hannan

Caelum Subterraneous, .M41

As Imperial Guard regiments and more and more Astartes Chapters commit to the Crusade, more and more soldiers are deployed along the battlezones.  The vast majority of those soldiers are guardsmen, and the majority of those soldiers hail from Novus Fideles.  Known as the Novus Soldati, thousands of these brave souls have pledged their souls to the Emperor and their lives to the Crusade.

Originally fielded in separate regiments, during one of the opening campaigns of the Mardannon Crusade proper, the Novus Soldati were nearly destroyed completely by marauding Obliterator cults of Chaos.  The Soldati were brave to a fault.  Lacking any real regimental armored support or artillery, the Soldati regiments were issued only their field gear – no transports or vox-casters.  The regiment attempted to wage war against Chaos the same way they waged war on their home planet, and met with disaster.  It was the loss of thousands of Novus Soldati in the caves of Caelum Subterraneous that prompted the newly formed Crusade High Command to take action and change the way they fielded the regiments.

Combined Regiment Tactics

The High Command Council is headed by the Black Templars Marshal Erasmus, and he is attended by the highest ranking commanding officers of each regiment, and a command representative of each of the other Astartes chapters.  As the disaster on Subterraneous unfolded, the Marshal suggested a new operating order for the Novus regiments.  There had already been mass carnage on other worlds, and there were other regiments who had already been depleted to below fighting strength.  All these regiments would be combined and new tactical applications developed.

The Novus Soldati would be used as the main infantry force for the Crusade, while elements of other depleted regiments would be used to support them.  Though this practice is common on the battlefields, the Marshal actually appointed all new officers from different regiments to head new divisions.  One of these divisional types was dubbed simply “Strongpoint”.  The majority of the remaining Novus Soldati would remain an infantry assault group, but would be supported by elements of the nearly defunct Travertine Subjugators.  The Subjugators were a large Leman Russ formation consisting of standard pattern battle tanks and the exquisite Executioners, whose ancient plasma cannons reaped thousands of souls for the Emperor.  Yet there were few of them left, so the crews were reassigned to Novus sections designated as “Strongpoint” groups.

The regiments were also supplied with new gear and logistical support.  With Aegis defense lines dropped by friendly aircraft, the Strongpoints are assigned artillery officers to coordinate with divisional support batteries.  Once again, the Novus Soldati once again prepare to head to war.

Endless Waves of Blood and Steel

The commanders of the Imperial regiments being reorganized on the surface of Caelum Subterraneous are supremely confident about how the Crusade’s reorganization of the depleted regiments will perform.  The Novus Soldati have fought with the Lumisi mechanized infantry in the crusade, but now the officers from other regiments are indoctrinating the guardsmen in how to fight with the new heavy equipment.

Many of the common soldiers have had their spirits uplifted by the Black Templar’s personal touch, as the Marshal inspected the troops personally, on the ground, before assigning new officers.  The presence of the Space Marines has alternately terrified and elated the guardsmen serving in the Mardannon Crusade, and the personal touch from the “honored masters” has greatly bolstered morale in the wake of the slaughter by the Chaos Obliterator cults.

Abhuman reserves have been assigned to the Strongpoints as well.  Though the Black Templars hate these creatures as they do psykers, they have allowed the ogryns to serve by protecting the anti-aircraft batteries in these newly created battlegroups.  The ogryns do so faithfully, and they are well received by the Novus Soldati regulars.

Perhaps the most interesting of the units assigned to the Strongpoints are the Executioners.  Their ancient plasma coils are dangerous and mysterious, and cannot be repaired easily.  However, the Crusade is organizing trans-divisional field maintenance to help rearm units across the entire battlezone.  Storm Raven transports are seen flying over, carrying payloads of Techmarines and Techpriests who are united in service to both the Crusade and the Machine God.  In this way, the technologically impaired Novus regiments can receive the supplies they need to maintain all the new equipment.

The Strongpoints are important pieces of the Crusade’s overall strategy.  As other Imperial Guard regiments are organized into “Storm Groups”, the focus of the Adeptus Astartes remains on seizing new ground and assaulting enemy positions.  The Strongpoints will be the static formations that hold that ground against counter-attacks, and who act as beach-head forces who can secure a much greater area than the smaller strike forces.

The Mardannon Crusade begins to organize itself according to the fortunes of battle.  Already Marshal Erasmus and the Crusade High Command have shown themselves to be able to break with long standing Imperial Tradition if doing so is in the best interests of the Crusade at large.  The light of the Emperor will be brought to the enemy by the combined efforts of every man in the Crusade, and it will continue to organize what troops and resources it has to create an invincible army of the Imperium.