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.