NPC Toolkit Tables

Over the next few months I'll be working on a booklet (that may turn into a book) of NPC-related tables. Of course, this may even expand into something bigger. I already have some ideas of where this whole project could progress, but I am fundamentally interested in creating a set of useful tools that can be used in-game to quickly generate ideas.

My tables follow a d100 design thus far - because the more ideas the merrier right? Other tables may not follow this progression, but for now they will. I released my "Dispositions" table earlier this week, but I have added another two to the complement:

1. NPC Appearance Table

2. NPC Professions Table

Both can be found under the "Downloads" tab on my blog. I will hopefully make time to update and add to these tables over the coming weeks and months, eventually providing a whole package of tables. 

Happy gaming!

Wacom Bamboo Pad USB - Review of Mapping

Company: Wacom
Compatibility: Windows & OSX
Price: $39.95 (Out of Stock)

Mapping is generally an enjoyable pursuit. I enjoy the tangibility of sitting with a piece of paper and imagining various geographies, whether that is a town, a city, a dungeon or a continent. With a bit of spare birthday cash I purchased the Wacom Bamboo Pad, hoping to emulate this process in a digital format.

The Good
I opted for the USB version because I hate replacing batteries. I have a cordless optical mouse which depletes batteries rapaciously. Therefore something I could plug-and-play was desirable. Wacom does produce a wireless version of this product, so if you have the patience for rechargeable batteries that may be an attractive option for some. Luckily the Bamboo Pad enjoys compatibility with both PC and Mac. While initially my computer did not recognise the device it was very easy to find drivers. I'm running 'Mavericks' and thus far it has been working perfectly. I have only tried it with my MacBook Pro so cannot comment on whether there is much difference on my iMac.

Before getting into the meaty stuff let me first describe my typical mapping workflow, hopefully providing some context for this review. I typically begin with a blank piece of white paper. Preferring to work with pencil I generally sketch my maps, before scanning them as PDFs then editing them in either Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop (sometimes both). My purpose in purchasing the Bamboo was to eliminate two steps of this workflow - drafting straight into Photoshop before tidying up.

With that in mind I found there to be a slight learning curve with this tool. The pen itself is pleasing to touch and easy to grip, however the surface of the pad is rather sensitive. I'll discuss this more shortly. I was surprised how easy it was to pick up however, and after some initial trial and error, I really enjoyed messing around with different brush types. I could get a nice variation in effects, similar to watercolour, pencil or paint brush. For the price I feel like it provides a great tool in comparison to the sometimes cumbersome nature of a mouse. It successfully eliminated the two prior steps of my workflow so for that reason I was satisfied. 

The Bad
The sensitivity of the pad will be a deterrent to some. At times I accidentally bumped it, or produced a wild line or shape for seemingly no reason. Because the surface works like a touchpad I would sometimes flit between windows or minimise Photoshop when I didn't mean to. This could be frustrating and made me wonder whether a mouse could be faster for some things. Spending a reasonable amount of time getting used to its nuances should help, though I suspect this will be a recurrent complaint.

Final Thoughts
For the price point, and overall usability I feel like the Bamboo Pad is a worthwhile purchase. I would certainly recommend it as an alternate to a mouse, which can be infinitely infuriating for some specific mapping techniques. There are some general annoyances, though with a bit of patience I feel like it's a good alternative for sketched or illustrated pieces. In around an hour I produced the piece below. I'm considering including this in a mini adventure I'm in the process of writing. 

On Artwork And Inspiration: The Works of Nicholas Roerich

Delving into the work of H.P Lovecraft revealed to me the work of Nicholas Roerich. It would appear Lovecraft had fondness for his work, or at least considered it somewhat evocative in the creation of his own works. He cites it at least twice in his sprawling tale At the Mountains of Madness, referencing the likeness between Roerich's paintings and his own 'Cyclopean' cities. That Lovecraft was an important literary inspiration to Gygax and Arneson should also not be overlooked*.

An Internet search demonstrated what Lovecraft was discussing with promptness, and in no small way helped me to visualise the megalithic black cities he referred to. While I personally find a good piece of artwork quintessential in the formulation or muse of my own writing, I feel the linkage is ephemeral rather than concreted in any discrete permanency. That is, I often find myself becoming inspired by a piece, but what begins as a visual appetite may continue in an imagined context, becoming more than the original image alone. The new piece of writing (hopefully) transcends the original piece of artwork that inspired it, becoming its own thing. The pieces I have included in this article may all contain hints as to what Lovecraft spoke of, yet no singular image mirrors exactly what I see in my mind's eye. And I think this exact distinction is important: namely that imagery and writing should assist one another, yet neither should be relied upon.

The work of Roerich in particular amasses a brilliant use of colour that I may call vivid or bold. Were these same paintings reproduced as sketches I doubt they would hold the gravitational pull I currently feel towards them. It is the uncanny representation of reality through colour and shape that I admire, in many respects mirroring a similar relationship between 'reality' and the gamed fantasies we indulge in. Our gaming worlds are somehow more vibrant or outrageous than those we may otherwise occupy, yet evocative of something strangely substantial, though often difficult to quantify.

Whether a painting of a natural cave networks conspires to amount in the creation of the 'Old Ones', or simply becomes the lair of a purple worm I see a epiphytic relationship between the two creative forms of art and writing. Most of my favourite fantasy role-playing games have artwork that somehow transports me from here to there ('there' being that other place where one thinks to themselves 'Yes! I want to travel there. But how?').The same goes for a particularly potent piece of literature. The imagery can be so sharp, and the atmosphere so poignant that I indeed travel to 'there'. Likewise fantasy role-playing games are nothing without the atmosphere they conjure, and quite frankly without sincere atmosphere I'd rather not play. 

Life is too short to play in games where the atmosphere is anything but electric. A game, I feel, should inspire you to some kind of vicarious experience. It's not really up to me to determine what that is, or what that may look like, but if I'm playing a game I want to experience something! One reason I particularly like Roerich's work is that each piece hints at a cosmic greatness or peculiarity just outside of reach. Lovecraft's work hints at this too, and is probably why he elected to specifically name Roerich's artwork in his tale. Again, I think a good game will reflect this metaphysical tale: it may be a struggle with self or others, a struggle with the seeming futility or ambivalence of the world, or even the relationship between mortal 'man' and a greater being. Or you may just want to hack some monster to death (maybe on some level that monster stands in the place of something else, or maybe it doesn't). 

That lucid and liminal space between a boring old tale and something that truly inspires is a worthy pursuit, and luckily there are many excellent gaming companies that attempt to tell a 'new' tale. I for one do not want to play the same game everyone else is playing - I want to play the sort of game that me and my friends want to play. The idea of someone else writing my adventures has always been a discomforting thought, and I think it's because the creation of a tale is such a sacrosanct act. I don't mean that in a weird way, I just mean it's pretty damn cool I can sit down with my friends each week, pull out some whacky-looking dice and create literally endless tales with a few rulebooks and some imagination. The best part? We're creating these narratives communally, but in our individual minds they look distinctly different to each person playing. At least I think they do...

So then, let artwork inspire you, but let it be a springboard towards something different or more rarely, something greater.

* Check out Jon Peterson's Playing At The World (2012).

Hill Cantons Compendium II - Review

Hill Cantons Compendium II - Review

Author/s: Chris Kutalik & Mike Davison (Hydra Collective LLC)
Price: $0 - Pay what you want
Format: PDF
Page count: 21
System: OSR (0e/1e/insert retroclone here)
Year: 2015

Procrastination is a funny thing - you often end up places you would not expect to. Today was no exception, as I stumbled upon the Hill Cantons Compendium II. The PDF is free to download, and for anyone running a 0e-styled game (or AD&D or Labyrinth Lord or whatever) I recommend checking it out. Actually, you know what? Check it out even if you're not running any of those systems.

You may be asking why. Well, for starters it's free. If that isn't appealing enough, then how about the fact it includes a very brief setting overview, a bunch of new classes, and a whole swathe of random tables?

The Good.
Right off the bat I'm going to say it: I like this. When I began reading I thought okay, another home-brew setting where I don't understand the in-joke references, but between that thought and finishing my read-through, something clicked. I like how sparsely defined the setting is, and while I would never use it (because I have my own imagination, and thrive on designing my own settings), it had some interesting bits that I would certainly steal - like the idea that there is a rather 'normal', seemingly magic-less hub of civilisation, whereupon the further one ventures out things get weirder and weirder. It describes in loose terms the socio-political setup, and the idea of 'hostels' - multi-storied buildings of (usually) ascending swankiness. The world seems to be an amalgam of weird fiction, sci-fi and swords & sorcery, with some more traditional fantasy tropes, but due to the brevity of the work it's a little difficult to be certain.

Then it gets really fun. The Compendium adds some new classes like the Black Hobbit - chaotic and black-hearted halflings; Chaos Monk - think bad 80s kung-fu movie characters made into a class; Feral Dwarf - crude, cave-men dwarves; Half-Ogre - mank, stinky, disgusting beings; Mountebank - illusory trickster; Pantless Barbarian - the name really says it all; Robo-Dwarves, War Bear and White Wizard - magic-user/cleric/druid combo. My personal favourites were the Black Hobbits (the little bastards), the Pantless Barbarians (because LOL), White Wizard (I've long thought the cleric class should be ditched and replaced with a magic-user class who can cast cleric spells too), and the Mountebank (cos I love all things thief). I found myself knee-deep in half-ogre faeces, chuckling to myself at a few things written therein. It's quite tongue-in-cheek, and very self-conscious.

The tables too, make a great addition to this compendium, and I can see myself using them just for NPCs: "Bob looks at you with..." *rolls dice* "...sad eyes - 'my parents didn't love me', he finishes".

The compendium is funny, useful and even rather innovative (if I may use that word, despite the fact EVERYTHING under the sun has been done already).

The Bad.
When something is free, one shouldn't really complain. However, I'm still of the opinion if you're going to bother with something do it right. My only complaint, if it even is a complaint, is at times I felt a little excluded from the text, almost as if this was used in a campaign, but then wasn't properly or extensively explained to the intended audience. Then again, I've been doing this hobby long enough that I actually don't care. I'm an adult, I don't need to be spoon-fed by a gaming company, and I can sift through the ideas to find the gems; which in this case is very easy to do. I noticed a few proofreading errors here and there, though honestly no more (or less) than my Adventures in Highwold supplement. The description for Isle of Tolmin and the House of the Axe was completely omitted. Is that a big deal? No. I didn't pay for it. Too, given my own experiences with writing and self-publishing, once something is 'complete' and published, it's only then that you notice the mistakes, but by that time you really can't be assed to correct it.

Conclusion.
You still haven't downloaded it??!

But seriously.

Birthday Swag

Okay, it's my birthday today. Unlike some I actually enjoy getting older, reflecting on the year that has passed, and looking forward to the things to come.

My wife clearly knows my tastes, because this year's birthday gifts were awesome. I'm looking forward to running some Deadlands Noir in the near future.

• Savage Worlds: The Deadlands Noir Companion
• Savage Worlds: Oversized Action Deck (for initiative order)
• Savage Worlds: Deadlands Noir GM screen & The Old Absinthe House Blues Adventure

There's a clear theme emerging here right?

I'm a newly fan of Savage Worlds: it's fairly rules-lite, while providing plenty of option for the players; a good mix as far as I'm concerned. For those unfamiliar with Savage Worlds it is essentially a generic system (like GURPS or FATE) that one can use as a background engine for custom games. The rules are pretty damn comprehensive (I don't mean Pathfinder comprehensive, yuck), while leaving plenty of space for the Game Master to inject their flavour and arbitration. Of course, many different settings can be purchased for Savage Worlds, and Deadlands Noir is but one example. 

Personally I find Deadlands Noir setting to be an intriguing escape from the usual tropes and genres my gaming group immerse ourselves in - fantasy, sci-fi and Western. To understand the gist of Deadlands Noir think 20s to 40s depression-era America, but in a parallel universe. It's what may have transpired if the Civil War had not been won by the Union, the Native American Indians retained some land, and the Mormon church assumed control of Utah. Throw in some weird science, anachronous technologies, catastrophic events, and anomalous and monstrous beings, and you'll have a pretty good idea of what to expect. 

Knowing me I won't be using it all 'by the book' but I will certainly tamper and tweak to create something more 'me'. Having said that, Deadlands Noir as written is a very compelling and alluring setting, with the Noir shining through like a dirty, oily diamond. I like gritty and dark settings so this one will sit happily on my shelf next to my Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea box set, and my soon-to-arrive Carcosa hardback. 

If you like the sound of this, I'd recommend picking up the Deadlands Noir hardback first, before grabbing the Companion (pictured).

Happy gaming!