A few days ago, a d20 supplement author had a little kvetch about getting bad ratings on RPGnow. One of his reviews was very constructive, the second was written by someone new to Earth Languages. He was a little down and claims it almost made him quit writing. As you can see by the thread,…
Category: Game Design
Progress and updates on the game design process.
1st Transatlantic Setting Design Challenge
This post on Story Games I find quite exciting. A month to design a game, using a previously published system? And the additional commitment of having to also be a judge. As a commenter on that page put it: “It’s the exact same situation as Game Chef or 24 hour RPG — feel free to…
Differing Methods of Character Generation
Over the last few years I’ve come to appreciate different methods of character generation. I’m not especially keen on point allocation systems due to concerns that they are unrealistic because a) not everyone is equal and b) they’re prone to abuse by min-maxing. (I find the latter to be more evident in games where you…
Origins of The 23rd Letter
Syndicate… As mentioned earlier, it started out as a psionics ruleset for a sci-fi corporate espionage game called Syndicate which was masterminded by John. Syndicate was never published and indeed never went beyond a couple of dozen pages of brainstorming materials. I adapted some material from some of my earlier attempts at game backgrounds, mainly…
Viride: The Shoals
The Shoals are small, rocky outcrops that lie far from the Citadels and other large rocks in the deserts of Viride. Among these smaller rocks and shallow sands are small settlements. Populated by people from the Citadel as well as Sandsmen and Outcasts, they provide essential links between citadels and a place for the weary…
WotW: Earth – Hybrid Vigour
Last time around we talked about the legacy of alien species added to the ecosystem. I happened across a cool web site called Human Descent which has some interesting if a little cartoonish hybrids. Taking a stand here, to establish the ground rules. What if the Red Weed was not a plant but an animal…
Six Word Stories: Redux
I put a post on RPGnet to paint this as a method to generate scenario ideas. At the time of this writing, there’s 5 pages of the buggers…. This will be one to watch!!!!! I love it! [UPDATE: PaulJHolden points to the 2000AD forums where the Wired article has spread. I particularly like: Wank. What…
Only six words to say everything?
Wired writes: Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words (“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”) and is said to have called it his best work.” They then got dozens of their favourite sci-fi, fantasy and horror writers to write six word stories (and a couple of graphic artists too). The results here are…
WotW: Earth – A Martian Legacy
“A couple of hundred yards out of Baker Street I heard a yelping chorus, and saw, first a dog with a piece of putrescent red meat in his jaws coming headlong towards me, and then a pack of starving mongrels in pursuit of him. He made a wide curve to avoid me, as though he…
Viride: The Mercantile Tsaz
A thousand leagues to the south lies the Tsaz Citadel. The Tsaz live by a merchant code – they trade freely with anyone who wall accept their currency or barter terms. There is no such thing as an average Tsaz – the wide but roughly hewn tunnels and caverns are home to citadel and desert…
Viride: The Shifting Sands
The sands are fine and greyish in colour. Fine enough to seep between the fibres of all but the finest threats. A human who stands still enough will slowly begin to sink and almost anything laid on the surface of the sands will disappear within the hour. There are some of the other Desert Tribes…
WotW: Earth – When?
This was the question that struck me last night as I tried to process the jalapéno peppers in my pizza. When is WotW: Earth set? (and for that matter, when am I going to get a better name for it?) The way I see it, there are several options 1898 – this was when the…
WotW: Earth – New Hope
As humanity climbs out of the ruins of their devastated society, we must now look at our future. We have seen the terrible destruction wrought by the Martian fighting machines and flying machines and the awful power of the Heat Ray as it turned all it touched to fire. We hurry along the roads, as…
WotW: Earth – Premise
“No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed that we were being scrutinized as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered…
WotW: Earth
I was reading a posting on RPG.NET about how War of the Worlds was a typical game-master railroad, total player kill and then GM fiat to save the day. I disagree. I reckon it was just background flavour. The game starts now. Invasion over….ish. Some Martian war machines will alive on iron rations as they…
Powder Rods and Bayonets
Powder Rod The Powder Rod is the long range weapon of choice for the Arbiter. They are commonly made to order, personalised for the Arbiter and are usually the same height as the owner. The rod is hollow, usually black with a matte sheen, and cool to the touch. The top of the rod has…
More about the Reeve
Some of the Reeve are administrators, involved in the movement and recording of infomation. Others sit in cloisters and debate the merits of the appeals presented to them. The majority of the Reeve are involved directly in the enforcement of our laws and the judgements required. The application of Reeve law in the Citadel is…
Viride: Outsider Castes
There are some who do not suit the untroubled life of the Artisan, the austere contemplation of the Reeve or the enduring clemency of the Consors. There are outsider castes but they are neither respectful nor respectable. They have their role in our society but we do not consider them. When they are needed, they…
Viride: Old words…
The old ones talk The sun once set When the world turned dark When the wind brought wet Once was sand that held Once was trees that grew Now like beetles shelled Now do not grow new Just an old ones dream Just an old ones song And wet turns to steam And the dark…
Consors: blessed with caring
The darkness echoes with the delivery of another young life. This is my favorote time. We are not supposed to have an opinion but I can see who is special. I am able to see into their eyes from a few hours old and tell their future – this one will be a great healer,…