Thursday, September 23, 2010

Pokémon + James E Raggi = ?

POKEMON FUSION

I am not quite sure why Mr. Raggi's work came to mind after monkeying about with this neat little site.  Perhaps the strange yet interesting results from cross pollinating the cute and the creepy and seeing their off spring become Lovecraftian nightmares of strange proportions simply fit?  Anyway its an instant creature generator for your next campaign!

I have 4 copies of the completed COLLAPSE RPG in my hands and will begin editing.  In addition another kind soul offered to do some editing as well so once that is completed, it will be up on LULU for purchase.  probably end up around 100 pages and I am thinking it will be around $12-$15.

Work has been absolutely mad recently and the first limited public test of a brand new retail concept has been central to swamping my schedule.  Hopefully things will become a bit less crazy and I can finish COLLAPSE editing for publishing, and then focus on getting ROGUISH completed once and for all.

Cheers for now!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

COLLAPSE RPG: Player's Manual now a free download

As the game is undergoing some final editing and a print test, I have decided to make the Player's Manual a permanently free download. This will give you a sample of the game system and if you like it, you can purchase the complete game manual in the near future.

Your feedback is appreciated.

Want to make God laugh?

Tell him your plans!

So I sat down to finish the Roguish player book, and my lovely wife started talking about The Walking Dead.  She has caught up with me by finishing collection 12 and we spent awhile discussing the series.  Then we had a beer or two and talked about the way Kirkman set up the world the characters inhabit.

Afterward, the furthest thing from my mind were swords, elves, and dragons.  Instead I kicked my arse into over drive and completed my COLLAPSE RPG.  In fact it is so complete I have copies on order for editing from LULU to review prior to making it a live purchase. It's an 8.5x5.5 little beauty or at least, I hope it turns out that way!

Holy crow it's nearly done.  Given the general COLLAPSE, outdoor survival, prepper, financial crisis, zombie loving vibe that is currently in vogue here in America, I have hopes that a simple pick up and play 92 page complete RPG will find some interest.

Below is a sample NPC for the COLLAPSE RPG:


Name
ST
IQ
DX
EN
MV
Wn
Dmg
Wep
Rick Brandt
-1
0
0
0
4
6
2w
 Pistol
Age: 25
Careers: Air Force +1
Race: white
Traits: Forgiving, reliable, indecisive, uncooperative
Econ: low middle class
Rick grew up in a small town in the middle of nowhere.  Ever since he was a little kid, all Rick wanted to do was to be a pilot.  He dreamed of it and nothing else.  When he graduated he joined the Air Force, but his eye sight and weak physique left ill suited to be a pilot.  Instead he became a mechanic.  When the collapse occurred he tried to fly a helicopter off the base but did not even manage to start it, chased of by base police he passes himself off as a downed pilot looking for a plane.  He claims great airplane knowledge which is true, and flight mechanics knowledge, also true, but he could not pilot a video game jet let alone the real thing.

Rick Brandt Adventure Hook: Rick knows how to get on to the local Airbase, and could possibly get the Players on base.  There is no telling if it is still guarded or not.  Rick knows how to access weapon, vehicle, and tool shops, but is afraid to return and be shown a fraud (not really a pilot) or be put in the brig if the base is still manned.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Roguish RPG update

I continue to flip between working on my Collapse RPG and my Roguish fantasy RPG. I have taken time with Roguish to rework it and decided to use contested rolls for nearly everything.  In the end it may be everything including spell casting.

The more I play test the contested rolls the more I am sure of it. Blame a steady diet of RISK (the board game) as young lad growing up if you like, but the contested roll feels more organic and interactive than chart consultation by level or strict target numbers. More random? Yes and no. By using 3d6 you have a good bell curve which creates a solid baseline model of expectation of result versus a d20 roll.

The three character classes : Warrior, Wizard, and Rogue will each have class limited class abilities. This allows a character to add a bonus of 1/2 their current level in any attempt to do a few limited tasks. For example a wizard applies his bonus to spell casting, a warrior to attacks, and a Rogue to pick locks. Each race will also have an ability bonus or two so your average character has a total of six abilities with a bonus which makes them a bit unique. The simple add 1/2 your level as a bonus to attempting certain tasks  is easy to remember and apply with out using charts or elaborate formulas.  it also allows any character to try something, they simply do not get the class/experience bonus.

I hope to have the character generation and combat book aptly entitled SWORD & SHIELD done this weekend and the Magic book STAFF and SPELL possibly completed as well. Taking a page from Metagames Melee & Wizard each will be short and easy to digest.  A third book focused on the referee generating adventures, traps, treasures, random tables galore etc. will follow along.

Overall I think the simplicity, interactivity, and brevity of the the books comprising Roguish FRPG will hopefully make it interesting enough to be found on other table tops beyond my own.