Rantzilla

It's been one heck of a week, what with the bloody chaos in Boston (apparently coming to a head) - terribly bad, S&W appreciation day - terribly good, job stuff (that's personal but I'm sure you all can relate)- terribly boring, that when I read this post from Zak which was a highlight of a thread on Story Games I think that was pretty much all I could take this week.

First, Boston...

Tragic event, yes, without a doubt!  But with the press jumping on any brown-skinned person in the crowd as a potential terrorist and the far right-wing extremists ready to pull their guns out and hang, burn, torture anyone that fits their narrow world view conspiracy forgetting all laws of due process that this country (which they are supposed 'patriots' of) is founded on is pretty fucked up.  The posts I've read online during this event were pure insanity.  Ignorant, racist insanity.  I probably should have taken a step back but it was all over the place.  These are the far right extremists who worry about Obama taking their guns and fascist-socialist-communistic-islamic take over from within the government and Obama declaring martial law in the "next two days".  Your quick-to-judgement racist rantings and arm-chair detecting and your call to violence has done nothing but affect the lives of kids who are innocent Americans and had nothing to do with any of the fucked up events (see NY Post & CNN's John King and then reality).  But you folks are a bunch of unhappy, ignorant, trigger-happy racists who would have the blood of the innocent on your hands in no time.  You are also the folks who are so deep up the ass of the NRA's and Wayne LaPierre's paranoid rantings that even mild common-sense background check legislation is looked at as an attack on your freedom.  Ironically, you're also the folks that would love a racist theocratic police-state.  Go figure.  Don't get me wrong or label me as some stereotype.  I have no problem with responsible gun ownership (read that again if you must) though I don't own one, but you folks are loose cannons and shouldn't be near any type of lethal weapon.  I'm sure most of you wouldn't pass any psychlogical test for gun ownership and maybe that's what you're really afraid of - being called out on your bull shit and seeing yourself for who you really are without the 'enhancement' of a firearm.

Second, Story Games...

D&D is, has been and always will be just a game. Period. It's a pure fantasy game for ages 12 to adult if I recall by Holmes box set correctly.  To young folk, goblins, orcs an other creepy things are not races they're monsters, monsters as in The Creature from the Black Lagoon or Ghidorah, the three headed monster.  They're not real.  They don't exist.  They're meant to be nothing but fodder.  To adults playing the game perhaps you consider some of these creatures as race based  but they're still not real so it's okay to kill as many imaginary goblins, orc and kobolds as you like, or I should say as your character likes.  If you think they are real, you should probably stop playing fantasy RPGs altogether, and video games, and watching TV or reading books and you probably shouldn't own a weapon (see above).   The fact that people still need to explore this argument just shows how backwards and behind the times some people are - then again there's a creationist museum so I shouldn't be too surprised.

I'll give the parent in the thread the benefit of the doubt.  He may never have played FRPGs before.
Maybe he grew up in a christian household in the 80's and is scared of this 'devil-worshiping' game and is now open enough to look for a little guidance, and I hope he gets it, but the thread really takes some wacky turns. If you're worried about your 5 year old daughter playing the game "without it becoming training in sociopathic behavior".  There are may different ways to introduce a young child to FRPGs and there are many folks on the interwebs that have made 'kid' versions of the game, but it's up to the parent (DM) to make it a kid friendly rated 'G' game.  Simple as that.  But, come on, it's a game.  Don't read too much into it.

People need to chill the fuck out.

Here's a little treat for those of you who read though this indulgance...

Peanuts Komandi Mash-up

p.s. - for those of you planning on commenting that I'm being a hater being hypocritical making stereotype accusations, keep in mind that with regards to my Boston comments, some of the 'folks' I call out are real people that I'm related to in one way or another - of course, plenty were online as well,  so yeah, I'm grouping plenty of people together but based on their actions.  And yeah, a creationist museum is pretty fuckin' stupid.

Star Wars: Before and After....

Some Thoughts On The Upcoming Conan Movie

Now that the first teaser trailer is out for the new Conan the Barbarian (2011) I feel it's time to say a few words.



I don't like to say anything if I don't have anything positive to say, but....

Since there has been a trickle of photo stills from the sets of the film I can't say that I've been much impressed with what I've seen. I'll admit that these are pre post production shots meaning that lighting and tinting can be altered after the fact. I can't help but think Si-Fi original TV movie (that's Si-Fi and not Sci-Fi). I think that even more-so with the teaser trailer.

This time 'round, Conan is played by Jason Momoa (from Stargate Atlantis). Mamoa may be a decent actor and he's not as 'bulky' as Arnold, a plus in my book (like my friend Mike says, "he's a warrior not a body builder"), but every time I see Mamoma's Conan I just don't quite see the character of the Cimmarian. Don't get me wrong, he's no-name enough (for me anyways) to play the part (no typecasting here) but that may be less Momoa's fault and more of the director Marcus Nispel (and through him, the art direction, set design and costumes).

Now maybe the film-makers will tint his eyes a steely blue in post, I'm crossing my fingers.

Say what you will about the 1st flick from the 80's but one thing you have to (hopefully) agree upon is that the art direction by Ron Cobb did set a certain Hyborian mood with it's Frazetta influenced sets. Sure, the movie itself may have been more Kull than Conan but the bulky Arnold did work to some extent in the role of the character (in a more Buscema kinda way). And John Milius' took the Howard vision (as a whole feeling and mood) to heart (IMHO) to a great extent. Was that the perfect Conan movie? I'd have to say not but it did get some things right.

Now Hollywood has to break away from the burly barbarian heavy metal over-sized sword concept of the character and redefine it more closer to Howard's powerful yet cat-like thief-warrior-king. I hope they try to do that in the new movie but from the teaser trailer I don't get that impression. Do we have to leave this up to fan films to do right? Has Hollywood failed again? We'll know in a few months.

All Conan fans have a different impression of the character and that may be hard for any one actor or director to satisfy. But get it in the ballpark at least or let it be.

It's a great character, with fantastic gritty stories. Only time will tell if the new movie even gets close to that.

Can't say that I'm overly excited for this one at the moment.

Oh and speaking of everyone's individual impression of Howard's barbarian, my first exposure to the Conan character was when I was about 5 years old when I had the Marvel Treasury Edition of Rogues in the House and Red Nails so I have a very Barry Windsor Smith vision of the one day king.

I Don't Play Dungeons & Dragons Anymore

No I don't.

Let's face it. The stewards of the IP are hammering the final nails into the coffin of what the original game use to be. With their lack of focus on what the heck 4E is (is it Essentials, is the PHB(s) is it the "Red Box"), their total disconnection of all previous versions of the game, to their final 'Fortune Cards' (Hasbro/WotC call it the Pokemon Effect), the official game of Dungeons and Dragons is now something completely different and stand alone.

But that is not all. It has been talked about the blogosphere that Pathfinder is now outselling D&D 4E (see here, here and here).

Dungeons & Dragons is now just a couple of words that are loosing all meaning. Maybe not yet monetarily for some but the title Dungeons & Dragons is fast becoming a relic of the past. It use to be the best quick descriptor of what an RPG is. Many people have heard what D&D is having lived through the 80's even though they may not have played the game. The name Dungeons & Dragons has become a part of our pop-culture, a term used more as part of the background foundation of the history of RPGs than as a game - and that's it's only value right now.

And that's fine. I really don't care. I haven't bought an official D&D product in over 20 years so no money lost on my part.

So I don't play D&D anymore.

That doesn't mean that I don't roll my dice in my fantasy realms. The spirit of Dungeons & Dragons and it's creators has given us a game that can be what we want it to be and right now for me that game is Swords & Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord, or any of these other spin-offs and branches of the original game. Maybe for me it can even be Pathfinder.

WotC's D&D has too evolved and that's okay. The game was meant to evolve. Perhaps it will evolve itself into oblivion. But from this deep rooted tree has branched off an entire industry, sub-industry, hobby-craft, culture.

Besides, isin't everything just a house rule anyway?

So I don't play D&D anymore.

Again, to reward those of you who have read through this little rant I present to you yet another obligatory contribution to my fellow bloggers & loyal readers.

Out Of Dungeon Living Expenses

During a campaign, time outside of the dungeon tends to go by quickly. Below are charts to keep track of some general expenses based on the PC's chosen standard of living. These are very loose guidelines to help the GM deplete the financial resources of his party of adventurers. The GM should feel free to ad-lib these charts as he/she sees fit. Some daily expenses have been added for convenience.

Are Playing FRPG's An Expensive Hobby?

No, it's not.

We'll, it doesn't have to be.

When I first got into fantasy gaming back in, oh '79 or so, the business model (if there was one) for the D&D game was quite simple. Here are the rules, get some graph paper, dice and some friends and imagination and have at it. You really didn't have to buy anything more than a $10 set of rules. Sure there were modules and Minis but when your allowance was a dollar a week, that didn't get you much (okay $5 for mowing a lawn - still!) but you really didn't need any of that stuff. It didn't stop us at all from playing any of the RPGs that came out back then, Top Secret, Gamma World, Traveller. We all just made everything up. That was the simplicity and fun of the game.

It was one hell of a hobby but it really wasn't a good business model which is probably why many small game companies back then vanished and TSR slowly evolved and got eaten up.

So an RPG, (d)evolving from a hobby into a business has to constantly feed the 'consumer' with product they think they need or are forced to need. Case in point: one certain Wizard's 4th edition of everyone's favorite game. Book upon book (expensive hard cover no less) of crap that is wound ever so tightly into their official version of the game, The Box(!), Essentials, online subscriptions and now a bunch of 'optional' power cards. Sure, maybe you don't need it all but then you're really left out if you start playing in other groups or in stores, etc. So the entry into this game is a considerable investment of ever scarcer dough. And then there's this online service to gain access to updates to their rules. More money. Official campaigns - more money. Minis and battlements - more money. If you don't play it the right way, you suck - more money.

So, can an RPG game actually be a viable business? Sure if you think of yourself as a 10 HD Vampire sucking 2 levels of cash out of your loyal customer base. 'Cause once the rules for the game are out there the publisher is kinda out of the loop. The bottom line doesn't look so good at that point.

The game as a hobby, however, is something to talk about.

As a hobby the game can be whatever you want it to be. And that's just what it is; a hobby. Get yourself some rules, many of which you can download for free, some graph paper, some friends and imagination and have at it.

And the hobbyists of the OSR and pre-OSR have produced a ton of material, most of which is free or modestly priced from print on demand versions. There's also a great community of bloggers and forums here on the interwebs that can supply you with endless resources which didn't exist 30+ years ago. But don't let that stop you from picking up some of the many items put out by the DIY publishers, 'cause they're awesome!

For me the game will always be a hobby. A fun and inexpensive hobby.


Okay, since I ranted a bit, here's my obligatory contribution to my fellow bloggers & loyal readers.

Not all wilderness encounters need to be NPC's or monsters. I like to throw in something odd to throw the players off or make them think. So here's 10 wilderness encounters to toss around.

1. A hollow whistling call can be heard off to the left that is soon answered by another from the right. The source cannot be found.
2. The breeze stops blowing and no animal movement or call is heard. Complete silence. After a few moments, the breeze begins to blow and birds start singing once again.
3. A large black raven is seen perched on a branch or rock and appears to be watching the party. Miles later, the same raven again appears.
4. A colorfully painted abandoned gypsy wagon or tent lies just off the path. It is empty but for a small shiny black spherical stone.
5. An incredibly large fresh pile of dung fills the path. There are no signs of tracks.
6. A large rock or tree with a magic mouth spell cast upon it says to the party as they pass, “I wouldn’t go that way if I were you!”
7. An impaled body is hanging from a large spike in the ground. Vultures are picking at it’s flesh and bones.
8. A child’s laughter can be heard. If searched for, the source cannot be found but the laughing moves deeper into the wilderness.
9. Along the side of the path is a wooden table. On the table are two flagons filled with red wine.
10. A large smiley face with devil horns has been drawn into the dirt. A stick is on the ground nearby.

Frogs And Wizardry

I usually don't dip into any of these (lame) OSR controversies as I feel it's just a waste of time (it takes a while to whip up a blog post) and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I felt I might throw in my two cents on the news that Frog God Games will be releasing Swords & Wizardry products including a new updated rule book. It's not so much the actual news of this merger if you want to call it that because any thing that will introduce people into playing a rules-lite fantasy game is fine by me (throws out hint to local RPG Guild) but it is more the way that Frog God Games announced it (which, it appears they have retracted so I'm a day late and a dollar short on this one).

Because I use Swords & Wizardry as my core rule set and I've 'donated' illustrations to various old school products and publications and produced my own publications which I distributed through Lulu I feel I can chat about this from a real personal perspective (really, why stop at this point).

Like Matt Finch said, and I paraphrase, Frog God Games said what they said to entice their Pathfinder fan-base.

So yeah, it's strictly business, it's not personal.

But in what they stated, many people took as a disregard to what has been happening these past number of years in this OSR. And that's understandable. In many ways it is. Frog God Games is saying that they can put out better 'product' material than any of these self-publishing fans. That's a tall tale to live up to.

Like one poster's response yesterday on one of the blogs talking about this very topic; Why alienate the 400 of us who might buy the product?

Am I bothered by what they said? Ah, only slightly. I think it was just off the mark and a bit arrogant. Again, who cares. They said what they said. One just has to look at the publications that have been published by all of these do-it-yourselfers to see that Frog sGames word's are off the mark.

Just flip through any of the rule books and supplements published (S&W, BFRPG, LL, Wilderlands and there are a ton of other). These are all very well produced 'products'. Great layouts, fun illustrations, and a true sense of love for the game in all of these items. As far as I'm concerned, perfect!

Does slick production make an RPG product better? Not really. It's the content inside, the imagination put into the game is what counts. We'll all see if FGGs lives up to their own high standard.

Is this going to stop me from playing S&W? No.

Is this going to affect my gaming at all? No.

Is this going to discourage me from putting out my little gaming aids (or modules if I ever get to another one) on Lulu or my blog? No.

Do I think this will kill the community spirit of this fantasy RPG community? Not at all.

It's just another little meaningless blip on the larger radar of gaming history.

So unbunch your panties and Game On! Everyone!