Yes you heard that right.
I have a twitter account. So if you want to see what I am reading for the ENnies, writing for games, eating for dinner or watching on tv follow me. Or you can tweet me questions or just say hi!
I am @NachoPKB.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Crafting a game
Crafting a good game takes lots of time. I want to make sure that if I am running I have key plot points to put in somewhere that will result in closure at the end.
I took a class in screen writing, so if I am running a known NPC, I am a little anal on how to speak like them. I try to pre-write any evil monologues, just because they are important times in the story where the focus is on that character. (I can always tailor them later.) Lately I have been preparing two games. The first is an ICON's game where the players are all villains trying to get the evilympic games to bring their show to the fictional town from Phineas and Ferb. I do this because I love Heinz Doofinshmirtz. Seriously.
He has a fun and kiddish villain way about him. Everything is an -inator, and everything cures some minor annoyance in his life. An example of his dialogue is, "Ahh Perry the Platypus, as always your timing is impeccable. And by that I mean... completely peckable!"
I am also preparing a DC Adventures game with the likes of Ra's Al Ghoul and the League of Assassins. Here, Ra's is very well spoken. He is very educated and very exact in his phrasing. "Humankind must be forced to serve the planet instead of it's own appetites." On the other hand I also have another villain who is not as reserved in the wings of this game who has the exact opposite character, juvenile and punny.
It is important to me, because I think that dialogue helps players jump into character, especially in one shots, where there is not as much time.
Another thing that I do to prep is make sure I have what the characters need to know. For the DCA game, this is in the form of Dossiers that look like what the Justice League computer may show or a file Batman would have in the Batcave. This way the players have all the information that they can have and it allows for a break while reviewing is going on.
But most importantly, I look at the ways a game can go and plan accordingly. Even if none of the routes are taken, I can pull elements from them to still reach the end result if I need to. Usually I am very good at coming up with game plot on the fly, but it is still nice to have that sense of security. Almost like Linus' blanket... almost.
Anyway... enough of my rambling. Have a great weekend!
*** A note to our friends in the DC Area... DC Game Day is upon us. Sign ups are tonight!
I took a class in screen writing, so if I am running a known NPC, I am a little anal on how to speak like them. I try to pre-write any evil monologues, just because they are important times in the story where the focus is on that character. (I can always tailor them later.) Lately I have been preparing two games. The first is an ICON's game where the players are all villains trying to get the evilympic games to bring their show to the fictional town from Phineas and Ferb. I do this because I love Heinz Doofinshmirtz. Seriously.
He has a fun and kiddish villain way about him. Everything is an -inator, and everything cures some minor annoyance in his life. An example of his dialogue is, "Ahh Perry the Platypus, as always your timing is impeccable. And by that I mean... completely peckable!"
I am also preparing a DC Adventures game with the likes of Ra's Al Ghoul and the League of Assassins. Here, Ra's is very well spoken. He is very educated and very exact in his phrasing. "Humankind must be forced to serve the planet instead of it's own appetites." On the other hand I also have another villain who is not as reserved in the wings of this game who has the exact opposite character, juvenile and punny.
It is important to me, because I think that dialogue helps players jump into character, especially in one shots, where there is not as much time.
Another thing that I do to prep is make sure I have what the characters need to know. For the DCA game, this is in the form of Dossiers that look like what the Justice League computer may show or a file Batman would have in the Batcave. This way the players have all the information that they can have and it allows for a break while reviewing is going on.
But most importantly, I look at the ways a game can go and plan accordingly. Even if none of the routes are taken, I can pull elements from them to still reach the end result if I need to. Usually I am very good at coming up with game plot on the fly, but it is still nice to have that sense of security. Almost like Linus' blanket... almost.
Anyway... enough of my rambling. Have a great weekend!
*** A note to our friends in the DC Area... DC Game Day is upon us. Sign ups are tonight!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Best Feeling...
Last night we picked up on our Shackled City 3.5 game, and for the last time, I will be playing my 19th level Bard, Elleen. We were allowed to revamp our characters for one last go round, and after a little revamping we began.
I am about to tell you about my character, but it was just a really great night!
Spoilers ahead!!!! Stop reading if you don't want to know a part of the game.
Ok... now that that is out of the way. The game opened and we were being honored a year later with a park filled with statues and a opera (written by my bard) etched in the stone walkways. One of the prior villains that was defeated before my tenure (the game had been going on for 5 years) appeared as a beholder, and threatened the city's people, I ran to a height where I could see him, and he disregards me and goes after all the others, and then comes towards my character.
"Who are you?" He bellows.
"Death." My response. I turn to my husband who is GMing. "I use power word kill."
"Roll spell resistance."
I roll and put my hands in the air victorious. "Natural 20"! Everyone started clapping and high-fiving.
When even the GM is excited, you know it is a wonderful moment. My husband and I have incredible chemistry at the table. It was wonderful to have the witty banter with him behind the screen again!
Later in the game we are fighting these big six legged rhinos, whose real name escapes me, the little one is really damaged. So I use my wand of inflict critical wounds. I roll my damage. On four d8's I get three 8's and a 7, and he goes down. However, we still have the momma and she is pissed. She charges through our wall, and begins toward a cohort. We had decided to head for the door, and I yell to every one, "Go ahead, I'll catch up!" My turn came and I sang the Song of Timelessness, which froze the beast in place and then turned on my Ghost box and let the song play while I made my get away.
All in all a red letter day for my bard with hopefully another one to come.
I am about to tell you about my character, but it was just a really great night!
Spoilers ahead!!!! Stop reading if you don't want to know a part of the game.
Ok... now that that is out of the way. The game opened and we were being honored a year later with a park filled with statues and a opera (written by my bard) etched in the stone walkways. One of the prior villains that was defeated before my tenure (the game had been going on for 5 years) appeared as a beholder, and threatened the city's people, I ran to a height where I could see him, and he disregards me and goes after all the others, and then comes towards my character.
"Who are you?" He bellows.
"Death." My response. I turn to my husband who is GMing. "I use power word kill."
"Roll spell resistance."
I roll and put my hands in the air victorious. "Natural 20"! Everyone started clapping and high-fiving.
When even the GM is excited, you know it is a wonderful moment. My husband and I have incredible chemistry at the table. It was wonderful to have the witty banter with him behind the screen again!
Later in the game we are fighting these big six legged rhinos, whose real name escapes me, the little one is really damaged. So I use my wand of inflict critical wounds. I roll my damage. On four d8's I get three 8's and a 7, and he goes down. However, we still have the momma and she is pissed. She charges through our wall, and begins toward a cohort. We had decided to head for the door, and I yell to every one, "Go ahead, I'll catch up!" My turn came and I sang the Song of Timelessness, which froze the beast in place and then turned on my Ghost box and let the song play while I made my get away.
All in all a red letter day for my bard with hopefully another one to come.
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