D&D

Even though I'm off the caffeine these days, my sleep cycle is somewhat of a mess. I woke up around 4 or 5 this morning and couldn't get back to sleep, instead thinking about the new Wonder Woman film (which I got to see yesterday afternoon), and all the thoughts I wanted to blog about it.

But that's a post for later. Sunday, I ran a game of Dungeons & Dragons for my children after several days of begging and pleading on their part (mainly, the part of my six year old, though his three year old sister apes most everything he does, and thus chimed in).

What was the impetus for their desire? I'm not really sure. Probably it has something to do with all the books (my reprints) lying around and taking up space. Then, of course, there was the barbecue last week (at the home of my son's classmate) in which I spent a good chunk of time talking Dungeons & Dragons and the hobby/industry. The kids were also playing the Dungeon! board game last week (though that's not especially new), and we also played a game of DungeonQuest on Saturday...though that was more to stave off the harping to play D&D that had begun mid-week.

I don't know. I was actually hoping to interest them in Raiders of the Lost Artifacts (hmmm...still need to write-up a post on that particular game), going so far as to show them the first Indiana Jones film (with heavy cut-aways). While that inspired D to write his own game (yet another post I should probably write), he still wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons.

And so we did.

Diego (my son), wrote up the character sheets and helped his sister with the dice rolling. After much internal debate, I decided to run straight B/X with a few extra combat abstractions (that the kids wouldn't know or understand anyway). Both ran elf characters (Elrond the Brave and Scarooca). For a beginning adventure I used the one found in Mentzer's basic set.

The kids sat rapt with attention as I read them the (fairly short) boxed text. They encountered the carrion crawler which, with my house rules, they were able to defeat.

[I've run Mentzer's introductory adventure in the past and the carrion crawler encounter has ALWAYS resulted in a TPK. The problem is its number of attacks (eight!) and the low probability of saving against multiple hits. My (simple) house rule gives creatures with multiple attacks one attack roll per round versus a maximum number of opponents equal to its multiple attacks...so the crawler (for example) would be able to attack up to eight opponents, but regardless it would make only one attack per character per round. This is something I've been doing for a while now, and I find it works well in practice]

After pulling the body from the hole and doing a bit of digging, they discovered the 200 pounds of treasure (1000 coins each of copper and silver) only to find they hadn't brought enough bags to carry it all. So they filled their backpacks with silver, headed back to town to buy some large sacks, and then recovered the rest of the loot.

And then I put them to bed.

They were very excited by the game. They really enjoyed it. They wanted to keep playing.

And I felt very good running the game. I've missed playing D&D. I really enjoyed myself. It was fun.

I'm not sure we'll be playing again any time soon, but I want to.

Stuck In A Rut

It is a terrible thing (well, subjectively speaking) that putting off blogging for long periods of time actually makes the act of blogging harder, not easier. One might not think this is the case...after all, in the time between my last post and this one I've had half a dozen (or more) ideas for good, solid posts that I wanted to write. But the sad fact is, the more those ideas "pile up" in the head, the harder it is to actually write them down. After all, which one do you start with? Does it make sense without the context of the earlier (non-posted) ideas that led to it? Is it still timely?

So...fuck. That's where I find myself at the moment. And rather than simply put off posting yet again, I've decided to put something down just to take a swing at blogging. Maybe this will help open the flood gates for yours truly.

The surprising success of my B/X Companion re-print (I've sold more than a quarter of the run already) has really made me want to get back to (i.e. finish up) one of the several writing projects that sit on my laptop. Seriously, I've got two or three books that range from 85% to 98% written, and I just can't seem to pull the trigger on them. One (Cry Dark Future) is actually done (except for artwork)...proofed and edited even...and I just want to blow the whole thing up because it's not good enough. I'm pretty sure I've written about that before (oh, yeah: right here), and the sad fact is nothing's changed since the last time I complained about it, eighteen months ago or whatever. Nothing's changed, except that I've started other projects that are near completion but have stalled, and that I've built up my own personal resentment for my own work.

AAAaaargghhHH!!!

So here I sit in the Baranoff, drinking decaf and going through my laptop docs and wondering just which one I should crank out. Because I WANT to crank something out. Really. Really really really. And I think it's going to be Cry Dark Future, I really do, and I THINK I can get it up and ready to print and I even have a couple-three people who I can task for artwork, BUT...

...I have a problem.

The magic system. It blows chunks.

Cry Dark Future was originally imagined as a B/X version of Shadowrun. Converting the latter system to the former (back when that was my main objective) was surprisingly simple, even with regard to the non-Vancian magic system.  However, upon years of reflection, I find I dislike the non-Vancian magic system. In fact, I'm getting pretty darn sick of magic systems in ALL of these RPGs I'm designing. I need a different paradigm.

Recently...like, a week or two ago...I started thinking that MAYBE I should build a game BEGINNING with the magic system. I've actually been reading a lot of different, older RPGs looking at approaches that were taken by others back in Ye Old Formative Days of RPG design: Chivalry & Sorcery, Ars Magica, Fantasy Wargaming, etc. There are things I like, things I don't but there's nothing I can really polish and mold and re-purpose...which is kind of my forte when it comes to game design. I'm good at refining ideas, but I seldom have full blown creative spurts that spring from my noggin like Athena from Zeus.

More's the pity.

That's why this post is titled as it is. Yes, I'm stuck in a rut with regard to my blogging, but with my designing as well. I'm nearly on the verge of adapting a straight Vancian system (spells by level, fire and forget, etc.) system to Cry Dark Future because it's less fiddly than worrying about success rolls and mana burn and whatnot...not to mention I prefer a system that's dissimilar from other systems in the game (combat, for example). That's part of the beauty of original D&D...it has all these mini-systems that work in different ways, but are all uber-simple to grok and remember. Cry Dark Future should be like that...interesting to use while being easy to learn so you can spend your time playing and exploring the setting of the game.

*sigh*

Hmm.

Huh. I just remembered something...a different game I wanted to examine (not an "old school" game) that might give me an idea or two. Oh...wait. No that was for something else.

Aaargh! You see? Too many ideas fighting for space in my brain!

My six year old really, REALLY wants to play Dungeons & Dragons with me, just by the way. I don't really feel up to it this week...but maybe I'll write up a short adventure for him. That might help my brain to clear this fog.

The decaf certainly isn't helping (duh).

B/X Companion - Now Available in PRINT

As the title says, I am now in possession of a couple crates of my B/X Companion. For those who have been clamoring for a print copy, you may once again order it directly from me through PayPal by clicking on the drop down menu in the sidebar (make sure it's the menu underneath the correct image), and selecting the book's destination.

Sorry to have made you folks wait so long.

Anyway, my excitement is marred a bit today by the passing of one of the greatest rock vocalists to ever come out of the Seattle area: Chris Cornell. Like me, Chris was a local boy...attended the same elementary school my boy goes to, went to the same high school I would have (if I'd gone to public school) and worked as a sous-chef at a restaurant just down the street from my (current) home. I've had the pleasure of singing his music on occasion, but I'm a poor imitation (at best) being about an octave shy of his full range...and unlike me, Mr. Cornell was an accomplished and excellent songwriter, musician, and wordsmith. Prince and Bowie were losses that most of the world could grieve, but losing Chris...well, that feels much more personal.

Andrew
Kurt
Layne
Chris

Rest in peace, boys.

Louder than Love? Damn Straight.

"Last Words..."

"As two relative neophytes to the gaming industry, we aren't exactly sure what reception our baby...will get out there. Putting our time, energy, and scanty resources into this project has been an adventure for us, and it's now coming to an end, or rather to a climax. For now is the time of truth, the moment when we discover if others out their share our tastes, and if our thoughts were actually headed in the right direction all along. We must admit that we are tense with anxiety as we finally let this game slip from our sticky fingers and let it be at last completed. It is difficult indeed to stop working on a well-loved project that has taken more than two years of our lives to complete (in all four hemispheres of the earth!), and may take many more to be successful. If even at all.

"While we were designing, we had one main concept lodged tightly in our minds -- that was to make a role-playing game that helped us role-play, that let players immerse themselves in other people's lives, and for a time at least, vicariously live out those lives completely. Realism, playability, excitement, and personality were only included insofar as they move this game toward that goal.

"Now it only remains to be seen how many role-players there are out there, and how well this game suits their needs."


Jonathan Tweet and Mark Rein-Hagen
Ars Magica, first edition
1987

The wizard writes...

I think it's important for folks to remember that everyone starts somewhere; that we all have hopes and fears and doubts. And that we shouldn't let that stop us from putting out our labors of love even in the face of gigantic opposition or competition. 

Hopefully that inspires some folks. I know it inspires me.

; )

Fan Service

While I don't miss living in Paraguay, I've actually come to miss some things from that country (as I figured I would). For example, last weekend I ditched my old propane grill and picked up a cheap charcoal burner so that I could do a Paraguayan-style asado at my house...various cuts of red meat, rubbed in coarse salt and slow-roasted over several hours to be consumed in pieces sliced and shared (along with grilled sausages, mandioca, and fantastic sopa paraguayo baked by my lovely wife). Sure we consumed a medley of vegetables, too (we're a little more health conscious, after all!) but it was a nice reminder of flavors we enjoyed...and missed...from our time down there.

Another thing I've come to miss over the last nine months of American life is quality soccer. Sure the Seattle Sounders won the MLS cup this year (my son and I watched the championship game in a local Greenwood brewhouse), but the professional level of play in the U.S. is, unfortunately, not quite to the standard seen in South America (or, indeed, other parts of the world...the Classico this year was one for the ages!). This became readily apparent when my 6-year old (at the time five) joined his first American soccer team and played like a frigging superstar: scoring 8-10 goals a game, going end-to-end with the ball through multiple defenders, scoring goals from mid-field, one-timing passes like Leo Messi. Jaw-dropping for the other parents at his school (who said he needed to play with the 4th graders and bring some much needed power), and immensely entertaining for Yours Truly. However, it's more a mark that the competition in the States...and over-all player skill...just isn't up to the same standards as in South America.

The trophy is taller than my boy. We've measured.

Plus, my son brings a lot of enthusiasm to the game...after all, soccer is really the only show in town in Paraguay, and it's pretty much all he played and talked about with the other boys while he attended school there for a year-and-a-half. It made for an especially memorable MLS finals as we got to cheer famous Paraguayan Nelson Valdez (the guy on the left in the above photo), who was excellent in the Sounders' championship run.  After the season ended, Valdez (whose actual last name is Haedo-Valdez, and who is known in Latin America as Nelson Haedo) transferred to Paraguayan professional team Cerro Porteno, which just happens to be  my son's favorite pro club in Paraguay. When we visited Asuncion in February, we had a chance to see him in his second game with Cerro and, due to my wife's connections, our children got to meet Nelson in the locker room afterwards. He was was warm and gracious and signed all their jerseys (both Sounders and Cerro) and gave my boy a memory he'll cherish forever. For a fan, one couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I would certainly NOT consider myself any kind of "international superstar," but I know that I have a certain degree of fame (or at least notoriety) for my writing. A month or two back, the kids and I were up at Around The Table in Lynnwood (probably playing a game of Blood Bowl), when Nick (the co-owner) introduced me to some guys who were huge fans of Five Ancient Kingdoms; folks who owned and were playing it and whom I'd never before met. Their enthusiasm and praise was...well, frankly, it was a little over-whelming. I'm just not used to complete strangers gushing over my creative works, at least not face-to-face, and I may have been at a loss for words. I only hope I was nice and humble with them and gave them a good impression (i.e. that I'm a nice guy) and not some sort of aloof asshole.

Yeah, sometimes I worry about this kind of thing. I'm not really anti-social...I'm usually pretty gregarious in social situations. But deep down, there's a part of me that simply has a hard time believing folks really value my creations, despite the monthly evidence of payments being deposited for my PDFs and the emails I receive asking for a re-release of the B/X Companion in print form. And perhaps it is this doubt that has (in some subtle, subconscious way) contributed to me dragging my feet when it comes to actually getting around to re-printing the book, despite the numerous requests.

[which has led to some amusingly ridiculous incidents: like the person selling a copy on eBay for over $1K. I mean, it's not like I'm dead or something!]

And SO...I am doing a new print run of my B/X Companion. Called my printer today, in fact, to get a price quote. This will be a limited run...probably a hundred copies or so...and I'll need to check postage rates before I put the order button on the web site, as shipping prices have gone up the last few years. But the book's price should remain the same: $24.99. Once I have product in hand, I'll let folks know it's cool to order again.

Time to get back into this publishing thing.

Some Folks Have Been Working...

...I'm just not one of them.

But someone who IS working, is Alexis Smolensk, over at The Tao of D&D. A little more than a year ago, Alexis solicited "jumpstart" funds to help support him while he completed his new novel, The Fifth Man. While the book has not yet materialized, I can indeed confirm that the novel exists, as Alexis has provided me with access to the most recent drafts (it's in its third).

Not that I was worried...writing is what Alexis does (well, in addition to D&D world-building); it's his vocation, unlike the hobby blogger (example one: me). But he was worried...worried he might be losing credibility with the folks who had ponied up money in support of his work. Plenty of people have been burned in internet crowd-funding projects the last few years.

So that's why he allowed me to see the book. I'm not going to offer any critique or review of it at the moment, as it's possible it may change during the editing process...and, anyway, that's not what Alexis wanted me to do. But I can confirm that the novel exists and Alexis is working to make it ready for publication. It's just taking longer than anticipated, as is so often the case with creative works (especially those held to a meticulous standard).

I will post further updates if/as I receive them.

Iron Fisting

Yes, I'm alive (that's an obligatory statement for delinquent bloggers returning from a long hiatus). Been busy and, no, not writing anything. As a result, expect my composition skills to be a bit "rusty."

So just finished watching the Netflix series Iron Fist last night (the fact it took me this long to get through it should tell you something about my schedule). While I'm sure folks would rather hear about something besides another television review...well, I've done the other Marvel series on Netflix and it would seem unfair not to. Also, the show has taken a serious beating by reviewers and I thought I'd offer a bit of a dissenting opinion.

Yes, I've even come to like the beard.

[there will be some minor **SPOILERS**]

As I've written before (I think/hope) a show can be judged strictly by its merit as "good (episodic) television" or by its value as "other-medium-(comic book)-translated-to-TV." I prefer to judge by both, but it's hard for me to watch withOUT considering the comic book it adapts, and I find Iron Fist to be very enjoyable from that perspective. And I'll offer a real 180 turn from most reviewers by commending Finn Jones's portrayal of the titular character: I was surprised at the fantastic job he did with a very complicated character.

[more on this in a moment]

Iron Fist definitely has its failings. Like the other Marvel Netflix offerings, the development of its story and characters is slow for the first episode or two. It also suffers (as did the otherwise excellent Luke Cage) from a rather anti-climactic final episode...at least when it comes to the showdown with the Big Bad. Its pacing, story-wise, is a little stilted at times, and the director/writer has difficulty juggling so many characters without feeling rushed. There's a deftness of handling the material (and communicating the concepts) that is frequently missing. It often feels like their are scenes that are missing, or that were cut, in favor of lingering on some other plot point that (perhaps) didn't require as much time.

But despite this, I quite enjoyed the series. Let me put it this way: Iron Fist is an acquired taste. His comic book is not well known, and never enjoyed the popularity of the Spider-Mans and Captain Americas or the Marvel universe. His status as a second (or third) tier hero is one of several reasons cited by folks who wanted Netflix to reboot the character as Asian-American, to make him more interesting than some "Batman knockoff."

But Iron Fist doesn't...and has never...resembled Batman or Green Arrow or any other billionaire playboy type other than in the most superficial of ways. Batman's wealth exists to explain his vehicles and gadgets and the leisure its afforded him to hone his detective and fighting skills. One of Iron Fist's (multiple) conflicts is his relationship to his wealth, how he reconciles himself to money considering that he's learned to live without it, and has all but taken vows of austerity and poverty...especially in light of the greater good one can do as a philanthropist, compared to punching people.

He's also anything but the smug, self-assured playboy. He constantly makes a hash of things, whether with regard to his attempts at business (he has little to no financial acumen) or with his love life (his long-time love affair with Misty Knight is one of the more realistic on-again/off-again relationships I've seen depicted in comics). The only thing he really knows how to do is fight...and yet he has the whole peaceful, Zen-attitude thing that butts up against that. At the same time, he has this stunted personal development because of his abbreviated childhood (his approach to things is a bit of the wide-eyed innocent-type), despite NOT being raised from birth with some Jedi attitude (he spent his formative years living in wealth and privilege in New York City). He is no stranger to having wealth, but his attitude towards it is that of a child, with no concept of what it takes to earn it, to run a company, to maintain propriety, etc.

It makes him a bit of a shmuck, but a lovable one.

Many reviewers have complained about the inordinate amount of time the show devoted to the boardroom dealing with the Rand Corporation as opposed to the ass-kicking one would expect from a martial arts superhero. But Iron Fist isn't about non-stop fights. I mean, Danny's the Iron Fist...he doesn't get defeated in hand-to-hand combat, so how many fights do you need to see him winning? As with most Marvel characters, much of his story revolves around his private life. And in this case, it's the family drama he shares with the Meachums and his relationship with Colleen Wing. Maybe that doesn't scratch your comic book itch...like I said, Iron Fist is a bit of an acquired taste...but it shouldn't be unexpected.

The juxtaposition of corporate politics and violent takeovers (in The Immortal Iron Fist comic series it's Hydra - not the Hand - that has infiltrated Rand in recent years) against the pulp mysticism of K'un L'un is part of the fun of the series...though to be honest, I found the show worked best when dealing with the pulp elements. Ninjas showing up at Harold's apartment, Danny and Davos reminiscing, the "iron fist" glow effect (which I particularly liked)...these things really helped to emphasize and distinguish Iron Fist from the other Netflix Marvel offerings. They were also fun, and part of the reason I enjoy the comic (I don't get enough pulpy mystic Tibetan fiction in my life).

Why does Danny sometimes lose his mojo and get it back mysteriously? Because it's mysterious and weird and he's young and has an imperfect understanding of his powers. In the comic, mystic enemies are always "stealing his Chi" or damaging it or finding ways to sabotage it...just like villains find ways to overload and disrupt Daredevil's heightened senses (thus hindering his fighting ability). Just like kryptonite puts in an appearance in every Superman film.

There's real sense, and there's comic book sense. From a television-watching POV, I really appreciate Rosario Dawson's normal person, no nonsense straight-talk...and I absolutely HATE watching her take a few karate lessons and holding her own in melee against professional assassins (presumably) trained from birth in hand-to-hand combat. But this is very comic book-y: all sorts of minor characters have, over the years, been "trained" by Captain America (or whoever), becoming capable vigilantes; call it the Rick Jones effect. It's something akin to the movie "training montage" on a separate, parallel scale of silliness.

ANYway...a few last notes:

• As with Luke Cage, viewers are treated to a double-feature with regard to heroic protagonists, this time with Colleen Wing sharing the handbill. Jessica Henwick, similar to Simone Missick, is a quality casting choice, showing a wide range over the course of the show (and some nice sword-work), but what's doubly impressive is that she's given so much to do. Misty Knight has had a variety of interesting things to do over the years: working with the X-Men, running clandestine organizations, blasting people with a cyborg arm, etc. But Wing's role in the comics has mostly been "Misty's BFF," supporting her, tagging along on adventures (even as an "equal partner") and giving an excuse to incorporate a little "Jap-sploitation" in the comics (why does a half-Chinese girl carry a samurai katana and follow a "bushido code?" Because the sword's more recognizable and "Wing" is easier to pronounce than, say, Watanabe). Here we have an American girl of Asian ancestry (a welcome change to the canon), with a complicated history, the same vigilante lust for violence one finds in male comic characters, and some interesting dichotomies-dramatic splits one would expect in a headliner. Kudos to the writers for offering a complex character in place of a cardboard sidekick...and good work by Henwick in an expressive, believable portrayal.
• I would have been pleased just to have Colleen Wing by the way (to complete the "Heroes for Hire" set), but the fact that she turned out so cool, makes me happy to see where the next show goes...even if it is "the Defenders" (see below).
• That being said, the way they've set up Wing's relationship with Rand, it makes it even less likely that we'll see the long-established Knight-Rand romance. *sigh* Still wondering if Jessica Jones will eventually end up with Cage...how could they not when it's such an important part of their books (ah, yes, the soap opera that keeps us reading Marvel). So Misty ends up bitter and alone? Hardly seems fair...I thought that was only Daredevil's destined lot in romance.  ; )
• It would be difficult to follow-up the strong performances by Vincent D'onofrio (Kingpin), David Tennant (Purple Man), and Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali (Cottonmouth), but David Weham is delightfully weird and sinister as Harold Meachum. It doesn't bother me that the viewers were aware of his villainy for the entire series, even as Danny was (characteristically!) obtuse...there doesn't have to be some "big reveal" in these series. And he had some absolutely fantastic moments throughout the series. But the final episode was a little cliche and disappointingly written. In this way, it was reminiscent of Luke Cage's series one finale.
• Also, enjoyed the Meachum kids, including their flip-flopping (few people are 100% evil or good). Good performances from both Tom Pelphrey and Jessica Stroup.
• I did not expect Finn Jones to do a good job, and I was clueless as to how the writers would approach the titular character. I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. ALSO, Finn Jones definitely nailed the look of the character from the comic books (at least, The Immortal Iron Fist series) in spite of his curls, and his moves and fighting style are straight out of the comics. I was not expecting Hong Kong action theater, and I didn't think I'd see Bruce Lee (still the greatest martial artist on celluloid, apologies to Chan, Li, and Jaa). What I got was Iron Fist...even the ducking behind cover when facing automatic weapons. I thought it was good, and I look forward to Jones portrayal in the future.
• On the other hand, while I liked Sacha Dhawan's portrayal of Davos (the Steel Serpent), can I be a little disappointed that he wasn't...um...taller? Also, he's of a radically different ethnicity than Hoon Lee (who plays Davos's father in the show) but...ah, well. It was a good performance.
• I know there's supposed to be a giant cross-over of all these Netflix heroes (DD, JJ, Cage, Iron Fist), but, man, they do NOT scream Defenders at me. When I hear "the Defenders" I'm thinking the more mystical side of the Marvel universe: Doctor Strange, first and foremost, but also Moon Knight, Gargoyle, Valkyrie, Prince Namor, etc. These street level heroes should really be called Heroes for Hire (except none of them are for hire in Netflix), or maybe Marvel Knights (except that's a stupid name). I'm still looking forward to seeing what they do (I'm guessing something involving the Hand...again), but...well...it's a quibble. I'm allowed a few.

The Defenders(?)...minus Daredevil

Okay, that's enough for now. Wow. Wasn't sure I'd get through a whole post today, but I somehow managed it. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
: )