“Setting Sunday: Share an intriguing detail from a game setting you enjoy.”
Our current campaign (when we can get together to play it, life is currently throwing obstacles in the way at the moment) is set in Mike Shea’s City of Arches.
The intriguing thing about this setting for me are the titular arches.
“Dozens of arches of all different shapes, sizes, and ages can be found in, around, and under the city. Some have lain dormant for centuries while others still radiate magic.
None know how to control the arches. Occasionally, creatures from other lands or other worlds step through the archways from the other side. They enter the city often disoriented and often with little memory of where they came from.” City of Arches pdf by Mike Shea
I just love the story opportunities this opens up. From a rich, colourful population of the city that can be from anywhere in the D&D multiverse. To the adventurers visiting anywhere in the multiverse via one of those arches.
The different tones and themes that open up are limitless. Want to make use of the soon to be released Spelljammer? Not a problem there is an arch for that in the City of Arches just waiting to take the adventurers there.
It’s why Harengon will be turning up soon in our game, and maybe the odd Slaad or two.
Yes the arches in the City of Arches setting are definitely it’s most intriguing feature.
We are back, fully rested. But I can’t promise the same for tomorrow’s post. It’s another late, early shift pattern.
“Why has your favourite game stayed with you?”
I’ve already said in a previous post I don’t really have a favourite RPG. However if we went with my most played game instead (which by implication would be a game I enjoy playing). Then we will for this answer go with D&D.
I love fantasy. Whether it’s the rich depth of Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Dragonlance, The Witcher, and so on.
So there is that hook into why D&D has stayed with me.
There is also a nostalgia reason.
D&D as I have said previously, was my first ever RPG that I purchased. So there is that whole emotional link there.
I also like how well the game is supported not only by WotC and third parties. There is such amazing third party products out there, from adventures, to DM tools such as the Lazy DM books.
On the whole the D&D community is great, and supportive. Which also makes a big difference when you need advice or help.
“Past, Present, or Future? When is your favourite game set?”
I really don’t have a favourite game, as I’ve not played everything I own to make that decision.
I play D&D mainly. There has been a session of Paranoia. But I’ve not got Twilight 2000, The One Ring, or any of the others to the table. Games I really want to play.
Now we know I am a fan of the cyberpunk genre. I have Cyberpunk Red and The Shadow of the Beanstalk sourcebook for Genesys, just waiting to get to the table one day.
But if there is one setting I’m a bigger fan of then that is Middle Earth. I’m a Tolkien fan. I love Lord of the Rings.
I think you would answer for this question it is more a mythical past than the past.
A mythical past that has heavy Middle Ages influences granted.
Yesterday I had a chance to get Portal the Uncooperative Cake Acquisition Game to the table. But you will have to wait to hear about that.
In the meantime it’s time to look at todays navel gazing question, “Who would you like to Gamemaster for you?”
An interesting but difficult question. A variation of the who would you have at a dinner party if you could chose anyone?
A lot would I’m sure say one of the two Matt’s (Mercer and Colville), or maybe Jim Murphy or Sly Flourish.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a large number going the big Hollywood celeb route with Joe Manganiello, Vin Diesel, or Jack Black.
If there weren’t some out there going the Wil Wheaton route with their answer I’d be shocked.
I suppose I could go with Deborah Ann Woll or Becca Scott as a tip to the RPG celeb route.
Although I’m pretty sure I’d have a fun time at their tables this isn’t my answer to the question.
I’d like my friend Cameron who first GM’d for me back in my days at Brighton Polytechnic.
We lost contact decades ago.
I hope he kept his interest in RPGs over the years, and life has been kind and generous to him.
But it’d be super cool to reconnect and start crafting stories together again. Especially if it was using The One Ring second edition so once more we were in Middle Earth, and Dram the hobbit would once more be wandering the hills and meadows of the Shire.
I know a day or late on this one. But better late than never. Besides I do have this whole #RPGaDAY2022 thing going on at the moment if you hadn’t noticed.
Plus I had my last shift at my current store yesterday before moving to a new one and a new role.
I’ve been really taken aback about how supportive and kind everyone at work has been. There’s a bit of me that thinks it doesn’t deserve all these kind words.
Yesterday my boss came in to say good bye, thank me, and give me a card and a bottle of Monkey Shoulder whisky. Charla a friend gave me a couple of chocolate cup cakes (I do have a whole cake thing going on). Then at the end of the shift I was given a card signed by lots of friends and colleagues, lots of chocolate and a chocolate birthday cake.
That last bit nearly made my eyes leak.
I’m kinda sad I won’t be working with them all. However it’s not a good bye. More I’ll see you around. As I’ll still be shopping there, and possibly picking up the odd overtime shift.
Anyway I digress and you want to know more about the blog post title.
Friday was once again that time for another Fenland Gamers club night at our hosts Wisbech St Mary Sports and Community Centre.
As per usual I was there early to get set up. With the help of Charlene, Colin and Ben we put up three tables, and some chairs. Got our refreshments in, and waited for others to turn up. My waiting included ordering and enjoying a banana split.
When Jonathan arrived he pointed out we didn’t have enough tables out! He was expecting seventeen people to turn up! Seventeen!
That is the club record that was broken. We’ve never had that many attend before. That’s massive for us.
Despite having so many attending I did get to game with Jonathan on a club night. Which as I’ve said before is a rarity these days.
But then I did have a couple of games Jonathan was interested in trying with me.
Our first game was The Bloody Inn. A game I came last in. I had an engine built that was good for bribing guests. But that took far too long to set up, and I let it too long before bumping off and burying guests.
Marcin on the other hand took quick and easy points and ran away with the victory.
Our second game of the evening was a new arrival that day Santorini New York.
I quiet enjoyed play this. It’s definitely a much better multi player experience than Santorini. Which is a two player game only. Never play it with more.
There are some nice twists to the core Santorini game play in this new version.
I like the different ways to win. There are now three ways. Two require that you meet the win condition and be the current player with the Statue of Liberty. The third just be the last person standing.
That requiring to be the player with the Statue of Liberty in order to win is nice. It creates some interesting decisions when it comes to selecting a card to play. Possession of the statue goes to the person who played the highest valued card each round. However that also means that person is going last that round.
There is the whole hand management side to the game deciding which and when to play a card. Even which card to keep for the next or future round.
I like the fact everyone has access to the same “god” powers. Although it’s possible to get a hand of cards that are mostly the same ability. In our second game on our final round I had three engineer cards out of the five cards in my hand.
Placing skyscrapers is a nice new addition, and adds in a whole new decision of how best to place to screw over an opponent. Ideally blocking them in so they have to lose a worker.
Visually like it’s predecessor New York looks stunning on the table. A real wow factor.
But there is a but! A big but!! The quality of the game board and cards is atrocious. It really lets the game down. I know it’s not an expensive game. But a better quality game board would be worth an extra couple of pounds to the price of the game.
There is room for both versions of the game in my collection. Especially considering that merits of both games. If I was just playing with another player it’d be Santorini every time. It’s an amazing game, and a better game. But want to play at a higher player count it has to be Santorini New York. That’s where it’s strength is compared to Santorini. It’s a much better multi player experience.
Results of Fridays games
When I left what seemed like the longest game of Ticket to Ride Europe was going on. I think they are still playing!
This was an amazing evening of gaming. So great to see so many people playing games.
After yesterdays near slip up and just about posting within the days deadline (by the UK time zone that is). I’m writing todays hash tag entry before I’ve even had my first coffee of the day!
So let’s get on with this so I can have my coffee.
“Suggestion Sunday: Roll 1d8+1, and tag that many friends and suggest a new RPG to try.”
I’m not going to follow this to the letter today. Instead I’m going to suggest to who ever reads this blog a couple of new RPGs to try and why.
These won’t be RPGs I’ve played. But they will be ones I own. The reasons I give to try them are basically what attracted me to the RPGs and why I want to eventually get them to the table.
My first recommendation is the FFG series of RPGs, The End of the World.
There are four books in this series, Zombie Apocalypse, Wrath of the Gods, Alien Invasion, and Rise of the Machines.
I own two of them, Zombie Apocalypse and Alien Invasion.
So why should you play them?
Firstly the players play as themselves usually in whatever town/city you live in. Their starting equipment is whatever they have in their pockets and in the room the game is played in. You also if you are the GM get to kill yourself off in some gruesome way right at the start of the game. There has to be a reason you aren’t taking part in the adventure after all.
I find this first reason so, so cool. It also makes the whole game so personal. All of a sudden it’s not some npc villager dying and coming back to life as a zombie, it’s John Satt who you went to school with. Wait that’s my best friends house those aliens just blew up.
The second reason is the d6 system used by the game. It’s very narrative based. Very similar mechanics wise to the FFG custom narrative dice used in the Genesys system. So no special dice needed. Very quick and light to use.
The third and final reason is the variety of choice of apocalypse you want to experience. Each book has at least three variants based around that books theme. These books theme and variants inside can be said to be inspired by one or two movies. Which I love.
Ok on to the next recommendation.
I think you should try either the Labyrinth RPG or the Dark Crystal RPG.
Most definitely if you are a fan of either or both the movies. But I think you might enjoy these even if you are not.
Each book is the complete adventure, you only need add pen and paper, plus d6 dice in the case of the Dark Crystal.
These are rules light systems. Very accessible.
They look fun.
I love both movies. So I was sold on the theme.
Let me know if you’ve played these and what you thought about them.
“How would you change the way you started RPGing?”
I don’t think I would change anything about it really.
Sure it would have been fun to have started playing with my friends that I grew up with, and went to school with.
I’m not sure if that had happened I would have actively searched for an RPG society at Brighton Polytechnic. But instead been happy to play D&D with my friends whenever I returned home (which I did often).
I made some good friends playing MERP. Unbeknownst to them they were helping me through a very difficult part of my life. They played games with me, treated me normally. Something I needed at the time.
