Role Playing 101 #1: Roll Playing vs Role Playing

Ages ago, I think it was in the 80-ies of last century, one of my best friends wrote a role playing manifesto. We weren't supposed to just roll the dice, he said, but we ought become our characters. We ought to feel how they felt, and actually play their roles. At least for the duration of the game.

Rolling Dice and Just Having Fun

We were playing a variation of the Dungeons & Dragons game then, and for most of us it took some time to understand what he meant. Weren't we supposed to just go into a dungeon, roll some dice, and slay some hapless monsters? Collect some treasure, roll some dice, and meanwhile imagine that we actually were Aragorn, or Gandalf? Was it wrong what we were doing?

Not necessarily. Basically it's a difference in play style. There are more possible play styles, sure, but my friend made a very important distinction. You either shove your persona around the board, and roll some dice, or – to an extent – you become the persona. Most people start out doing the first, as it is less scary. It's also easier to say: hey, that's just a puppet, it's not me. My character does this or that. My character now attacks your character because he failed his sanity roll. Haha. No offence meant.

Or Being Someone Else a Bit

But it's – I for one think so – much more interesting to crawl into another skin. Slip into a role, and be able to say – I hit the dragon with my sword! I am the one whose parents were slain by the evil Imperial troops, and now I am out for revenge. Or if you dare: “dear princess Arwena, I love you”. Scarier, for sure, but also more rewarding.

The more you try it, the more you may be surprised how it really is to be in someone else's shoes. I still am, especially when playing evil non player characters, often finding out and feeling on the spot why they act as they do. In that way, role playing may actually prove to be better social training than you'd expect after seeing another nerdy portrayal of our hobby.

Where are you at your own games? Do you prefer roll playing or role playing? Or is it a mix of both? When do you use which method? Do you fall back on dice to avoid intimacy, conflict, something else that's scary? Or do you just use it to condense time, and seek role playing out in other situations?

It's an old distinction, but it's fun to make it explicit for yourself.

Pick #67: Colonial Gothic

With all his fame, one would almost forget that James Maliszewski did more than invent Dwimmermount or blog fervently on his Grognardia. With Richard Iorio II he also co-wrote Colonial Gothic. A role playing game of historical horror fantasy in the Colonial days of America.

And it's good. That might be easy to say about someone famous' produce, but it just is.  Funny thing is, the game is almost as hidden as it's subject matter, Colonial Horrors. But really, it's one of the very few games I'm curious about playing. Not just once, but campaignwise.

And that's not just because it touches on similar subject matter as my own "The French Invade Texas" - just to put in a shameless plug for my own games.

If you want to imagine a bit what it's setting is like, imagine what Call of Cthulhu might have been, if it was written by Edgar Allan Poe, and set in the pre-revolution days of North America. When the French, the native Indians, the British and the Dutch still vied for supremacy. Where the Germans fought as Hessian soldiers, witchcraft was real, and the land was without highways or motorcars. But with demons.

Have a look. The pdf is not too expensive, the game system is fairly simple - yet with two twelve sided dice as its base, it's quite esoteric -, artwork simple but evocative. Also the supplements - written by a host of experts - are intriguing, telling of a past we often forgot about. Like Colonial France, when a full third of North America was officially under French control. When we forget about the native Americans, that is. And if you prefer Freemasons or Knights Templar, there are booklets about those too.

Random RPG Thoughts #3: Why is D&D so niche?

Dungeons & Dragons once was a huge hit amongst teenagers. And to some teenagers it still is. Except that some of them are now forty plus year old teenagers. Yet, certainly now in Europe, it is niche.

Science Fiction is a hit amongst many people, as a genre. Star Wars is one of the all time box office hits. But Science Fiction for people at large is... niche.

Fantasy is hot amongst teenagers. Lord of the Rings is an all time box office hit and a huge New Zealand mega production. Even the book it was based on is an all time hit, reluctantly admitted on literature lists in college. Bu fantasy as a genre is... niche.

Even since Harry Potter. Which is a brilliant concept coming of age series. Brilliant at least in the sense that Harry Potter and the novels grew in age with their audience. It thus gained a growing grown up audience. But even Harry Potter is a bit... niche. Mainstream niche perhaps. But nerdy niche.

Naturally, D&D and other typical role playing games are more niche than HP. Even since World of Warcraft - which is at least akin to tabletop role playing.

Most sensible grown ups will not come near the games. Why not?

Several reasons I guess. To name a few:

1. Typical RPG rules are way to complex, rulebooks are way to thick, and it appears to take a week long course to even start understanding the game. I suspect this is one of the most important put offs.

2. Typical RPG games look childish in a way, or simple minded. Mindless slaying of monsters and looting of treasure may seem a bit nerdy and adolescent.

3. Too few sexy women play the game. Including the typical party-going kind. This may have to do with reason #1. It may also have to do with reason #2. The game itself seems unsexy.

4. The competition element is unclear. Or at least the goal of the game is. This may be why How to Host a Murder games may not be so niche, even if they have small audiences too. There the goal for an evenings play is clearly set.


So, if you'd eliminate these points. Simple rules, less childish themes (and I do not mean adult themes instead), a sexier concept, and a clear goal for the evening. Would you entice a less niche audience?

I'd love to know!

Free Adventures: Ammersfurt #28

The Secret of Ammersfurt is a free role playing supplement for the Dark Dungeon 2nd Ed game. Every week for thirty-five weeks, you'll get new bits for the Ammersfurt adventure setting, like monsters, NPC's, locations, skills, character templates, role play tips, and so on. And also every week, you'll get an adventure seed, which you can turn into a weekly adventure.

Adventure Seed 28: The Glassmaker's Last Wish

After a long search the Ammersfurt officials and the Cathedral builders manage to find a glassmaker for their cathedral that is an absolute master in his work. His name is Nicolas Nicolaessen, and his work is magickal in quality. The heroes are asked to talk the man into designing the windows for the church to build. But as they arrive and admire what he is currently doing in the Utrecht Cathedral, Nicolas explains that he cannot come. Why not?

Download the twentyeighth part of The Secret of Ammersfurt here!

Free Adventures: Ammersfurt #27

The Secret of Ammersfurt is a free role playing supplement for the Dark Dungeon 2nd Ed game. Every week for thirty-five weeks, you'll get new bits for the Ammersfurt adventure setting, like monsters, NPC's, locations, skills, character templates, role play tips, and so on. And also every week, you'll get an adventure seed, which you can turn into a weekly adventure.

Adventure Seed 27: The Cathedral Builders

One of the buildings that was damaged during the short war with Gelre is the church of Our Dear Lady, St. Mary. Now some richer pilgrims and believers have thought of a new plan. They wish to rebuild the Ammersfurt St. Mary's church as a cathedral. In fact, they offer more than enough money to make a start. A huge sum. Burghermaster Swartenburgh has second thoughts about the thing, but he does not want to refuse a given horse. He asks the heroes to investigate subtly.

Download the twentyseventh part of The Secret of Ammersfurt here!

OSR Experiments #29: Real Heavy Stuff

I always hated encumbrance rules. They're cumbersome, hard work, and heavier on the players than the characters. But last holiday I noticed there might be a point to these rules.

Hauling one extra backpack with a bundle of books I bought made the difference. My first backpack, with camera and clothes was heavy enough, feeling a bit like a harness on my back. But this second one was a killer. I literally noticed how I slowed down. Maybe my real speed halved, maybe I made two thirds. But I slowed.

I would have another ten hours to kill in Munich before my train left. Then I figured I needed to find a locker. And so I did.

If I would have to carry my two kids, or perhaps my wife, that would really slow me down. To less than half speed. And I would not be able to continue for a longer period. If it was something heavier still, I would only be able to drag it forth slowly, or not at all.

So encumbrance makes sense, even in adventures where dungeon loot is not the first objective.

But I hate adding up numbers all the time! So I figured, maybe, maybe there is an easier way. Because encumbrance is both weight, and bulk, and the way you are able to carry the stuff.

So instead of counting in coins, or pounds, or grammes, or even stones, like Alexandrian or Lamentations, you might count in HEAVY THINGS. You might even classify as SOME STUFF, HEAVY THINGS, VERY HEAVY THINGS, and HARDLY MOVEABLE STUFF.
And instead of always counting, you only start counting once it becomes important. When you're in a chase running away from enemies. Or when you are chasing others yourself.

It might work out like this.

SOME STUFF - are small weapons, a small handbag, a tool, a jacket, etc. Anything that gets your hands full but doesn't really slow you too much. Some stuff you can always take with you, but it may get your hands full if you don't have a bag for them.

HEAVY THINGS - are just that, a full daypack, a winter coat, a bag of groceries, a sack of loot, a big shield, a big sword, a pole arm - you can carry one heavy thing as a normal person without being slowed down too much. Carrying more heavy things will slow you down.

VERY HEAVY THINGS - another hero, a cupboard, a stack of loot. Very heavy things make you move slowly. You're a sitting duck and you can forget about chasing. Unless you're very strong, or perhaps make a strength check.

Hardly moveable stuff? - Stone slabs, coffins, real big furniture, a tree... Forget about moving long distances at all. No chasing. Get an elephant or horse to help you out.

Now I only need to factor in STRength and SIZe... And figure out how many coins is VERY HEAVY.

What do you think? Worth a try?

Random RPG Thoughts #2: Do you need a Character Sheet?

Sometimes you only find out you need something once you don't have it with you.

Last weekend I was playing with a semi-regular group, but not at the regular location. I brought dice, including a smashing big one. I brought a ruleset, even though I rarely look at it during gaming. I brought my little webbook, with an adventure file of what we played before. I even had some jpegs of maps to use, just in case.

But I didn't bring character sheets. And my wife, usually the leading player, forgot her character booklet too. Now forgetting sheets isn't that uncommon. Some players always forget their sheets, and some write a new one for the same character each session. I don't really mind. I play a story style game, cinematic if I'm into it, and I rarely need exact stats. I mostly need a pretty solid idea of what a hero is like, and I'll wing their scores.

But to have a solid idea, you might actually need a character sheet. And I kind of forgot about that. My wife complained that she was running out of options because she forgot what this hero could do. Yeah, she knew about the few high, typical skills, but not about the many smaller ones that give flavor and extra options. Telepathy and Magickal Suggestion all right. But what else? This wasn't a regular character, you might guess.

And because she didn't know it well, neither did I as a GM. Options became a bit more narrow. Another player, who plays less often, and is a relative newbie suddenly realized that she also might be missing her character sheet. She had been playing a few sessions without a sheet already, because, well, she left it at home somewhere in an obscure place. Like in a dustbin or a box in the attic. Maybe that was why she was running out of options  sooner, and found herself sitting just waiting what came at her hero. Instead of taking action for herself.

Maybe she would have been less of a rookie player if she had looked at her skill list and background notes Maybe she'd say, hey, I have night vision! So I'll sneak around and have a look in near pitch dark! Or she might have used her history knowledge to see if she could tell about the allegiance of an older NPC. Or she might just have used another weapon.

I kind of forgot, and often thought that a character sheet may be stifling. I thought you don't really need one, and can let your imagination roam free. But maybe that's not (all) true. Maybe you do need a sheet with descriptors. A sheet with constraints, to actually spark your imagination.

How about you? Do you like to play with, or without a character sheet? Do you think a good game needs them? I'd like to know.