So the initial list is small and off the top of my head, but still excites me, so here is the preliminary list of games:
Fiasco - I have played, Hubby wants to play again. I was thinking with the Dragon Slayer or the Golden Panda play set.
Blowback~ This sounds like a blast (HA HA Get it? A Blast!)
Taste for Murder
Savage Worlds ~ A friend of ours hasn't played this and it seems right up his alley.
Apocalypse World
Do: Pilgrims of the flying temple
Dragon Age - OK I GM this all the time... I want someone to run it for me.
Ashen Stars
Cosmic Patrol
Don't Rest Your Head
Icons~ Again, I want to play this one
Call of Cthullu~ The only time I played this the big bad was a normal size gibbering mouther. Not too scary.
A Penny for my Thoughts
Wild Talents
Squirrel Attack
Eat and Run
There are more, but I can't remember them right now. However this list is a good start.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Ok... so maybe that was a failure and the reboot!
So my life took an extremely crazy turn as once I started reading things for the ENnies, I found out I was pregnant with our adorable son who now provides the roars for our Pathfinder games. That plus 50,000 pages of reading and 172 hours of podcasts and you have yourself a full plate.
However, being busy has not stopped me from loving RPG's. So I am restarting my blog with a purpose....
I want to try new games.
Seriously, how often do you buy a game book and think to yourself, "Self, this is a great system/setting, but I will never play it"? It happens to me all the time world, so I am going to do something about it.
I am going to get a group of like minded individuals together and we are going to play games... more likely one shots of particular games we want to try. Once every month or so. Different GM's and pregen characters. I will do a post of some of the systems that I was thinking and some that my husband and fellow gamers would like to play.
So I am going to launch the "Try new games" project. Do I expect to like all the games? Absolutely not. But I want to try them. This should be exciting and I want you all there for the ride.
However, being busy has not stopped me from loving RPG's. So I am restarting my blog with a purpose....
I want to try new games.
Seriously, how often do you buy a game book and think to yourself, "Self, this is a great system/setting, but I will never play it"? It happens to me all the time world, so I am going to do something about it.
I am going to get a group of like minded individuals together and we are going to play games... more likely one shots of particular games we want to try. Once every month or so. Different GM's and pregen characters. I will do a post of some of the systems that I was thinking and some that my husband and fellow gamers would like to play.
So I am going to launch the "Try new games" project. Do I expect to like all the games? Absolutely not. But I want to try them. This should be exciting and I want you all there for the ride.
Friday, September 17, 2010
I am such a Twit!
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.
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 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.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Evaluation of a product...
Every product that we have for the ENnies goes through a thorough evaluation. Every judge does things differently, but I am here to explain how I intend to evaluate every product on my own.
I sit with a notebook when I read with the name and publisher of a product on the top of the page. Then there are two columns: Pro and Con. These are things I loved and did not love about the product. It could be broad, i.e. the class section is incredibly well written and easily understandable. Or it could be more focused: "The font in the second paragraph of _________ chapter is way off from the rest of the book." (Yes, I am that nit-picky. It comes from being married to a graphic designer.)
After I read the book, I put a star at the top and write "will or may" play test if I choose to do so, find an empty space (usually the back) I write a one or two line review of what I thought of the book from a read through. I will do the same thing for the play test, only this time I will take the feedback of my players and put it on the list too.
Why do I do this? Because everyone is going to have their own opinion when we discuss this. But we may not get to discuss this book until February, between now and then I could have read another hundred books. So I can look at my list and say "I liked this and didn't care for this."
It will make my job easier in the long run. (Also some of those reviews will end up here.)
I sit with a notebook when I read with the name and publisher of a product on the top of the page. Then there are two columns: Pro and Con. These are things I loved and did not love about the product. It could be broad, i.e. the class section is incredibly well written and easily understandable. Or it could be more focused: "The font in the second paragraph of _________ chapter is way off from the rest of the book." (Yes, I am that nit-picky. It comes from being married to a graphic designer.)
After I read the book, I put a star at the top and write "will or may" play test if I choose to do so, find an empty space (usually the back) I write a one or two line review of what I thought of the book from a read through. I will do the same thing for the play test, only this time I will take the feedback of my players and put it on the list too.
Why do I do this? Because everyone is going to have their own opinion when we discuss this. But we may not get to discuss this book until February, between now and then I could have read another hundred books. So I can look at my list and say "I liked this and didn't care for this."
It will make my job easier in the long run. (Also some of those reviews will end up here.)
Friday, August 27, 2010
My Idea Box...
I wanted to get this thought out to the general masses this gorgeous Friday, despite being sick and suffering with a horrible infection since Monday.
How do you store all your game ideas? Do you keep a notebook around? Do you run the game right away?
Due to a set and full schedule, I am not able to run the games right away, but I keep an index card box filled with my ideas (I have to admit that a bunch of them are related to super hero games, although that has changed the last month.)
I read the book and as I am reading and I come across something that triggers a game idea so awesome I can not let it slip past my fingers I write it down on an index card and hold onto it until a game day or a filler game, and then I can dust it off, write it and run it. Usually in a fantastic RPG, I can come up with anywhere from 3-15 game ideas.
Sometimes an RPG only needs to be announced for me to have my ideas for it. DC Adventures and Dr. Who are two games that fit that description. I am running my dream DC game at Boston Gameday and DC Gameday. I am also putting together an ICONS game based off of an idea in my idea box.
Ideas getting put into use all over the place here!
How do you store all your game ideas? Do you keep a notebook around? Do you run the game right away?
Due to a set and full schedule, I am not able to run the games right away, but I keep an index card box filled with my ideas (I have to admit that a bunch of them are related to super hero games, although that has changed the last month.)
I read the book and as I am reading and I come across something that triggers a game idea so awesome I can not let it slip past my fingers I write it down on an index card and hold onto it until a game day or a filler game, and then I can dust it off, write it and run it. Usually in a fantastic RPG, I can come up with anywhere from 3-15 game ideas.
Sometimes an RPG only needs to be announced for me to have my ideas for it. DC Adventures and Dr. Who are two games that fit that description. I am running my dream DC game at Boston Gameday and DC Gameday. I am also putting together an ICONS game based off of an idea in my idea box.
Ideas getting put into use all over the place here!
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