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DrGames's page
392 posts. 1 review. No lists. No wishlists.
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The NPC wrote: What RPGs in which you can play anthropomorphic animals, in particular reptiles and amphibians, would you lot recommend? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the first one that springs to mind.
Beyond that, there are many games that offer you the chance to play all kinds of anthropomorphic creatures, but do not necessarily focus on reptiles and amphibians.
Bunnies and Burrows sets up all kinds of potential creatures to play as does Mouseguard.
If you are looking for something more lighthearted, you could play Toon.
Infected is designed around insects, but could easily be manipulated to use reptiles, ...
And, there are legion.
"Bert the Dark Lord" tis very cute.
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The things that bother me the most are less game and more player things.
If you say you are going to show up then you should show up.
It seems to be popular now to commit to a session and then not bother to show up, let anyone know you will not be coming, etc.
If this was a rare event, it would be one thing, but it seems to be pervasive.
As a GM, if you are willing to put many hours into prep then the least the players can do is make realistic predictions about their attendance.
Grumbaki wrote: That's my pet peeve. What's yours? When people promise to show up for a game and simply don't bother to come or to tell you they are not coming.
It has become wildly common.
Tequila Sunrise wrote: For me, anime is the most frustrating genre on the screen because I want to like it. But with the exception of a few gems, everything I've seen is garbage. The thing about Anime is that there is a lot of it, and with that volume there is going to be some good and some horrendously bad.
Bear in mind that most Anime is commercially produced in order to make money. Keep the target demographic in mind as you watch it.
If something flickers across the screen, I am apt to enjoy it (or try my level best to enjoy it anyway).
If I am watching something and it is wildly juvenile then I realize that it is aimed at the 8-10 year old crowd. Once you know that, you manage expectations, and life is better and the Anime more enjoyable.
CapeCodRPGer wrote:
It's official. Its Blizzard, so no release window. They said they taking alot from Diablo 2. I loved that game.
I've read some of the Blizzard online materials, and it looks pretty good. They are going back to the more dark, cinematic look of D2.
Vidmaster7 wrote: Just think about this but I feel I need to give much respect to any actress who has had to play Eva Braun over the years. Imagine the challenge of having to pretend to be madly in love with Hitler. Wow! That’s meta on meta!
It wasn’t really Hitler they were playing opposite, just some actor pretending to be Hitler.
I’m also amazed by some of the performances by people in real world relationships playing parts in the same production.
Chris Lambert and his wife played lovers in “Knight Moves.”
Interesting thread that I would like to devote more time to when my calendar clears a bit.
Alni wrote: What do you think? How do you handle this? I eventually, recently went to Play by Email (PbEM).
See QE PBeM Homepage
Face to face tabletop gaming has other joys, but at least it lets you interact, be creative, and likely keep an interest in face to face sessions. It also creates a body of work to use a recruitment tool.
In service,
Rich
www.zhalindor.com/staats2.htm
GRiggs77 wrote: Hello all, Due to some recent soul searching while toiling away at my mundane job I went through the old exercise of trying to find my "true calling". I basically fell back on the old high school guidance counselor bit: ... What problems do you have as gamers ? What keeps you from enjoying your games as much or as often as you would like ? Good question ... my personal answer has several parts. Gaming fun (enjoyment) has always been something multi-functional for me. (1) It is part spending creative time immersed in a different setting than the mundane (as is true for readers of novels, travelogues, or descriptions of anything other than the readers' own experiences). (2) It is part helping facilitate fun for others both by being a decent, fun person to be around as well as the role as creator for worlds and adventures for others to venture into. (3) It is also part catharsis and the ability to work through broader, vexing issues through the mechanics of the gaming table. (4) Finally, the ability to learn new things through play and preparation for gaming is the icing on the cake of gaming. That said, the main reason (5) for limiting gaming is a lack of time and players willing to commit to regular, on-going sessions.
When any of those (1 - 4) is limited, the enjoyment is lessened, and sometimes it is lessened to be un-enjoyable. When (5) is true, you simply cannot game because of the constraints.
I was running a large group a while ago, but within the last several years. Originally the party members signed up for a mini-campaign (two or three sessions), but the players asked for (nay, demanded) more sessions. We were all professionals with many competing time demands. Factors (1-4) were strong and drove us to play well beyond the initial commitment.
Alas ... Finally, the spouse of the person hosting the sessions said essentially "enough is enough. I want my husband and my home back and don't want you to invade our space every three weeks for several hours." You can't really blame her. We were well past the original time frame for the social contract when she raised her concerns.
The group looked around for other logistical possibilities, but the large number of gamers (nine players) with many outside commitments made the solution set infeasible. So the constraints (5) kicked in.
In another case, Meetup has provided many players for the Zhalindor campaign over time, but in the last five years there seems to have developed an unwritten rule that you can commit to something and then either cancel at the last possible moment or simply ghost away the social obligation. The last five times that I have set-up Meetup RPG sessions, out of five to six players who signed up, zero or one actually showed up. That ends up being factor (5) again, constraints. It also makes the prep and potential play something less enjoyable too. If you know that there is a 75%+ that you will not end up playing then you will not have the fond anticipation when prepping.
As another example ... When I got back from a very stressful combat tour in the early two thousands, I lacked the creative energy to put into gaming for a long stretch. It was a combination of (1-3). I needed to apply all my emotional and creative energy dealing with day to day, mundane requirements, and a gaming session that I could run would not have been fun for the gamers involved (well, more accurately, not up to standards of reasonable fun that I would set for a successful session).
Finally, there is also the challenge of those close to us who are "not into gaming" and would like to see you limit your involvement too. This one has been relatively minor for me, but gaming friends have certainly had this loom large in their non-gaming. The nay-sayers can be friends when you are younger, kids/children who are embarrassed by a gaming parent when you are older, or even a spouse that feels that you should give that up along with your other "childish" hobbies.
That is plenty to chat about.
Another topic is, given the constraints, what do you do to get your gaming fix?
In service,
Rich
www.zhalindor.com/staats2.htm
DungeonmasterCal wrote: Is anyone having computer issues after installing the April Win10 update? My laptop runs slower than ever and the audio keeps trying to buffer every few seconds, causing the music to "buzz". It's so irritating. The laptop is the one I use on game nights for Skyping with long distance players and looking things up on d20pfsrd. Anyone have any helpful tips? The update essentially destroyed not only my hobby programs, but also many production (read that work) programs.
In some cases, I was able to download patches from the manufacturers.
In other cases, I was able to use the "compatibility" tab under program properties.
In other cases, I had to turn off some of the Win 10 security to run the programs or run them as Administrator.
In too many cases, there was nothing to be done, and thousands of dollars worth of software are inoperable after the April update.
I also did a Gamer Skillz video Here:fixing Win 10 apps don't work errors that might work if some of the other suggestions fail.
It is an RPG, but it is an online game.
Does anyone else in the Forums play?
I have played a fair number of MMORPGs, but I confess that I am having a hard time getting into Guildwars.
The Gamer Skillz series has been greatly expanded in the past year since the initial post.
Check it out.
There are videos on game walk throughs, common technology challenges, etc., and as always I'm taking requests for new topics to explore.
Enjoy!
Gamer Skills videos by Dr Games
DungeonmasterCal wrote: That's what it says, all right. Data disc. Do you know of any freeware authoring software? There are many free DVD programs.
What kind of system do you have?
Marios wrote: Hello people!
Can someone suggest for me some RPG for young (age 8) children? Violence should be minimal to non-existent and mystery-themed would be appreciated.
Thanks!
Marios
Marios, what did you finally decide on?
John Napier 698 wrote: This is why I don't do Kickstarters. It's too much like gambling. I have to confess that I have backed many KickStarters. (In fact, a group of us ran a KS a few years back, 2014, were successfully funded, and tried to do everything we could to ensure that everything was delivered on time or way early in terms of rewards.) Not everyone does that.
I'm less upset about folks that can't deliver because they get overwhelmed by life and the universe (and they are legion) than about people who maliciously go into the whole venture with a view to rip folks off.
There are a number of serial KS cheaters that have bilked folks out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
More to share if you like ...
Marios wrote: Hello people!
Can someone suggest for me some RPG for young (age 8) children? Violence should be minimal to non-existent and mystery-themed would be appreciated.
Marios
Here are bunch of games Staats RPG Lib Extract.
Some specific recommendations are: "Meddling Kids" (based on Scooby Doo type mysteries), "Mouse Guard" (based on the graphic novels of the same name), and Toon (it is cartoon based).
In service,
Rich
The Original Dr Games since 1993
Greetings Gamers!
Most years the gang from Zhalindor get together and play a fun, light hearted adventure. There are several systems that we have used for the holiday session including: "It Came from the Late, Late Show", "Og", "Meddling Kids", "Bunnies & Burrows", and a host of homebrew, just for the holiday session systems.
This year we are going back to Bunnies and Burrows. The Party will be taking on the roles of bunnies asked to save the world from the EEEEEEEEEeeeeevil conifers! Mu-hu-ha-ha!
Enjoy this short, teaser video to get an idea of what lies ahead for our intrepid group!
Enjoy the video teaser:
Teaser Video
In service,
Rich
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Fellow Gamers,
I have started to put together some videos of interest to gamers on Tech Topics. There are four so far.
They are all posted here on YouTube:
Gamer Skillz Videos.
What are some other topics that you would like to see covered?
In service,
Rich
Plenilune wrote: Outside of background music, my group likes songs played diegetically (songs played that are being heard or sang by characters in the story as well as the audience).
What are some songs you've used during a game as part of the experience and not just background at the table?
I have used songs and poems as props for many gaming sessions.
Thank you for the new term, diegetically, I never heard that one before.
Recently, we compiled a bunch of the songs used in the campaign over the years and released them. Check out:
Ancient Aires & Marches: Gamer Music by Gamers for Gamers.
Nohwear wrote: The dirty GM, not to be confused with the killer GM. Wants to push the characters to their limits, but wants them to succeed. I like it!
A lot has been written about player types, e.g., "power gamer", "actor", "explorer", etc., and how to best accommodate the player style in play.
I don't recall seeing as much about GM types.
Let's chat about that topic.
Here are a few off the top of my head:
(1) Entertainer - the GM is interested in having fun and in providing for fun. Consistency, uniqueness, and ego signature take backseats for this type of GM.
(2) Novelist - the GM has a story to tell. The players take part in the process, but ultimately there are wheels in motion that will continue whether the players take action or not (or in the worst cases - despite what actions the players take).
(3) Simulationist - the GM loves wargames. Ultimately, RPG sessions are contests between the GM and the players in this type of campaign. The GM can make the sessions very fairly balanced, but make no mistake in the end these sessions are competitions between the GM and the players using a fixed set of rules.
(4) Friend - this GM is most interested in having the players like and love him. He is going to give the players what they want in order to appease them. Consistency, challenge, etc. are less important than the players liking the GM.
What other types are there?
In service,
Rich
The Original Dr Games site since 1993
Check out my latest album of gamer music! Ancient Aires and Marches
John-Andre wrote: Part of a conversation tonight involved the concept of "dump stats". It is an interesting idea.
This is vaguely related to "munchinism" and min-max'ing of PCs.
Ultimately, it depends on (1) what the gamer is trying to achieve through role-playing in this particular campaign with this particular GM, (2) the GM's world concept, and (3) how the player reacts to the challenges the GM presents.
If the player is a "power gamer" then the GM's "punishment" of the player might mean some less than fun sessions for both the player and the GM.
On the other paw, if the player is a "role-player" or an "acting" focused gamer then those challenges presented by the GM might be the fuel that the player is looking for. This might result in either terrible or great sessions for the GM.
This brings up the potential for another thread, GM motivations.
Over the years, a lot has been written about gamer types and how to relate to each type in the most positive way.
I have not personally seen as much about GM types ...
Hmmmmmmm ...
The Original Dr Games Site since 1993
Rich Staats' new Gamer Album.
Amazon review:
Quote: I've supported some albums for gamers on Kickstarter (KS), and being honest my bar wasn't very high when I downloaded this album.
Wow! Was I surprised. I supported the team of Ann McCallum & Rich Staats for their KS back in 2014. Rich's first album, Day of the Mantid, was some traditional instrumental music with some simple, but addictive tunes.
...
This album is layered, complex, and powerful. Some of the tunes could be played on Game of Thrones or Lucifer without missing a beat. Some of the songs are deeply affecting and disturbing. The Caves of Chaos is listed as a live recording, and you wonder what the audience was feeling as the narrator descends into obvious psychosis over the course of the song. Oi vey! It is super creepy and soooo well done!
I cannot recommend this album enough!
When is the next album coming out?
Do you have a mailing list? You need one if you don't !
The Original Dr Games Site since 1993
Greetings and Happy New Years beloved Gamers!
One of the practices that my gaming group observes is an annual holiday, lite gaming event where we play using an alternative system and generally with a relatively silly theme.
It is a great way to have fun and help to prevent GM burnout.
Players generally see the end of the creative process in developing and refining adventure ideas, but they don't get to see the sketches, the scaffolding, and proto-ideas.
Unfortunately we did not get to do the Holiday Session this year, but I thought that the Paizo Gaming Crowd might enjoy seeing the one-page notes for session ideas.
They are scanned and in a PDF file at: One-pager holiday session ideas .
The four systems were: game systems for holiday session.
In each case, my thought was to have an opening movie with the elements identified in the one-pager.
The first part in the Meddling Kids was a song as the backdrop to the video.
Enjoy! I would love to hear your thoughts.
In service,
Rich
The Original Dr Games Site since 1993
Robert Forward's "Dragon's Egg", Niven's and Pournelle's "A Mote in God's Eye", and the "Lost Fleet" series by Jack Campbell are great starts.
TOON and Mouse Guard are both great, fun games that are relatively rules lite.
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Alan_Beven wrote:
I would love more input from you all given that we have had 6 years to get to know what the rules can do.
It works well for folks who have played in an MMO, but have not played a tabletop game before.
Check out my 4e campaign at Bold Beginnings .
I'm listening to Day of the Mantid. I also use some of the songs as background music for gaming sessions. Psych Up makes a great battle warm up song.
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Starlit wrote: Might be a total and complete shot in the dark here, but I've been getting the itch to write an adventure/module/anything and the task is quite daunting when you're all by yourself.
Are there any fellow GMs on here that would be down for some collaboration and creation?
I always have a few interesting ideas knocking around and I figure you may as well.
I would be willing to chip in.
Check out gaming site for ideas about what I could help out with.
Jacob Saltband wrote: Do you name your adventuring group(s)? How much though goes into the name if you use one? Generally the group comes up with a name. The previous party was Team Glarg, named after the party leader, a dragon-newt warrior, and the most recent party is the Fourth Honor Company of the Duke.
After the exploits of the previous group, the party gained so much positive recognition that the Duke decided to form a new organization around the core adventuring group.
It has worked very well. The group now comes with a crest and other recognizable items.
Check out Team Glarg Adventuring Site
Forever Slayer wrote: Well we all know the basic rules for D&D 5th edition are free for download. If you've read over them, what do you think?
Does it seem like a game you are going to play?
My group was one of the thousands involved with the review/playtest effort. (That was very, very clever on WotC's part by the by.)
We enjoyed the playtest, and several of us have ordered the basic set of materials, e.g., introductory box, PHB, MM, DMG, etc.
That said, my group has been playing 4e for about four years now, and they voted to continue with 4e. For them, the simplicity of the 4e rules, and the PC survival++ nature of 4e makes it a less stressful alternative than Next (5e to me).
Left to my devices, I probably would have converted, because 5e (Next) has less of a combat focus and does a better job of helping me portray the gaming world.
I have a few table rules in 4e that let me bolster the excitement and suspension of disbelief, e.g., PCs can die from really bad decisions like swimming through lava. No, I don't feel obligated to give them multiple saving throws whilst the PC swims despite what the rules might imply. :-D
Next would not require some of the DM hardwires that I have put into 4e.
Here is my review of the boxed, starter set:
"First, as I write this, you can get the starter set most places for less than $13. In other words, you get the entire starter game for the price of a movie ticket for one person.
The box does indeed come with everything you need to play, including a set of polyhedrons (gaming dice) including: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and the the mother of all dice, the d20/icosahedron.
The box comes with a blank character sheet (on the back side of an ad for dungeonsanddragons.com) that can be photocopied plus five pregen characters including: two fighters, a rogue, a wizard, and a cleric. The front of the pre-gen sheets has the basic stats for running an adventure, and the back contains some background for the race, the class, and what the level advancements would be from 2nd through 5th levels.
There is a shortish set of rules in folio form bound with staples aptly called "D&D Starter Set Rulebook." It comes in at 32 pages.
If you have played previous versions of D&D, this next section of the review will give you some insights into how the new rule set plays. If you have never played D&D or a fantasy role-playing game before, you might want to skip to the end.
5e is an amalgam of the previous four editions of D&D (although 1st Ed. was just called AD&D when it came out).
Characters have races (e.g., human, elf, halfling, etc.), classes (e.g., fighter, wizard, rogue, etc.), backgrounds (i.e., back-story that both provides motivations as well as some specific skills), and equipment. Each character has six primary attributes called abilities that include the standard set of: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma. These ability scores generate modifiers that are used in play. For example, an average ability score in the 10 to 11 range has a modifier of zero, and a score in the 12 to 13 range has a modifier of +1. If a character had a DEX of 13 then the player would add +1 to any rolls involving DEX.
Those of you who have played D&D before will remember that there are saving throws to either avoid or recovery from bad situations and conditions. In the original version of AD&D and AD&D second edition, these consisted of five separate saves for magic, death, etc. In editions three and four, this number was reduced to three, will, fortitude, and agility. Now all saving throws are based on the six ability score modifiers.
In fact, all of the mechanics are based on ability checks.
But, worry not doughty gamers! The core mechanic in D&D has always been casting the d20, adding some type of modifier, and comparing it to something else.
This remains unchanged.
There is a very cool mechanic called "advantage and disadvantage." The way it works is if you have a situation that grants you an advantage then you roll two d20s and choose the higher of the two to be your roll. If you are in a situation that grants you disadvantage then you also roll two d20s, but you take the smaller of the two rolls to represent your result.
The rulebook covers skills, contests, and the various checks associated with each of the abilities. For example, intelligence checks include: Arcana, history, investigation, nature, and religion. As mentioned previously, saving throws are based on the ability modifiers.
The order of combat rounds remains largely unchanged since the advent of the third edition. You start by determining if surprise has occurred. Then you establish the positions of all of the characters both player characters and non-player characters involved. Then you determine initiative, and then you follow with alternating turns.
One thing that has changed from three and four to the new 5e is that there is less of an emphasis on purely combat abilities and actions.
There are no figures or counters included with this starter box set. There are no hex sheets. There is no mention of Texas (ah! you *are* reading!). There is also no mention of "hexes" or "squares." (Danged auto-corrector!!!)
In this way, the fifth edition really harkens back to the first and second editions. There is a large emphasis on non-combat actions and activities.
The one thing you may find disappointing is that this starter set comes with a large insert that takes up about half of the volume of the box.
I have been told that this was to let the box take up more space and to allow it to hold future released material. It doesn't work for me, but that is a single viewpoint.
For those of you who played in additions since third edition, you will recognize the mechanics of damage resistance and vulnerability. These have been brought forward and are also used in fifth edition.
You will also recognize the conditions in fifth edition as being an amalgam of third edition and fourth edition conditions. The dazed condition no longer exists though, at least in the starter set rulebook.
Finally, there is an included module that is both interesting and serves as a decent, graduated introduction to the 5e rule set.
All in all for less than $13, it would be hard to go wrong buying this boxed set.
I look forward to the release of the Players Handbook in a few weeks."
In service,
Rich
The Original Dr. Games site since 1993.
GENCON is right around the corner.
Who is attending, and, if you are, will you be presenting any events or selling any wares there?
I will be going and will be running several events. Hope to see you at some of them!
Gen Con LLC | Gen Con Indy 2014
Game ID Event Title Start Time Duration Actions
SEM1458651 Complete GM Series: World Creation Fri @ 2:00 PM 2 hrs
Location: Westin :: Senate II Cost: $0
SEM1458654 Complete GM Series: Creating Engaging NPCs Fri @ 5:00 PM 1.5 hrs
Location: Westin :: Senate II Cost: $0
SEM1458653 Complete GM Series: Creating Engaging NPCs Sat @ 5:00 PM 1.5 hrs
Location: Crowne Plaza :: Pennsylvania Stn A Cost: $0
RPG1458649 The Trouble with Goats Thu @ 1:00 PM 3.5 hrs
Cost: $4
RPG1458650 The Trouble with Goats Fri @ 10:00 AM 3.5 hrs
Cost: $4
Haladir wrote: To a certain extent, it's hard to go back to the earlier style. It can be. I'm running a campaign now that uses 4e, but has a definite "old school" feel to the DMing.
You can see more about the campaign at: Bold Beginnings WWW Site. We are actually playing the follow-on campaign, Strands of Fate now, but I have not had time to update the WWW site.
In service,
Rich
The Original Dr. Games since 1993
DM Under The Bridge wrote:
Well said, pretty thorough.
Thank you!
:-)
DrGames wrote: I did an alternative ending here ...
In service,
Rich
Alas, taken down - guess it was a bit too humorous ...
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