Was just emailed this and had to share. I think it's a great idea.
What do you think? What Merit Badges do you have?
Here are Mine
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
- My games are Safe and you don't need to worry about content or character death
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- I roll Dice in the open and don't fudge the results in my games
- My games include Disturbing content
- My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
- My games are more of the Social, Fun and "Beer & Pretzels" style
- My game is primarily Non-Combat in nature
- Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
- I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game
- Tactics are an important part of my games
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games will be Scary
- My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- My games include Disturbing content
- My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
- My game is primarily Non-Combat in nature
- Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
- I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game
- My game focuses on Player Skill rather than character abilities
Great thread premise. My "missing badges" tell me a bit about what I ought to work on.
This is cool, but I'd be curious to see how my players assign the badges to me (I originally typed "badgers" which could also be entertaining). I wonder how their assessment from their perspective would differ from my own.
MY assessment
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games focus on Exploration & Mystery
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- My games use a pre-made Map and pre scripted content
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content (yes both of these)
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
Parts I'm not sure of:
- There will be Player vs Player combat allowed in my games (I allow it, but it's never happened)
- I roll Dice in the open and don't fudge the results in my games (this is usually true but I have to admit there are times I've fudged)
- My games are Safe and you don't need to worry about content or character death (you CAN die in my games but I do not put people through the Tomb of Horrors. I tend to avoid triggery content and check anything that might be questionable with the player first before session)
- My games are more of the Social, Fun and "Beer & Pretzels" style (I want people to have fun and socialize--especially since my particular gaming group doesn't get to see each other that often--but I also want people to focus when it's time to get down to the nitty gritty. Speaking of which, how come there isn't a badge for "my games are serious business and everyone must be in character at all times" because that would be the other extreme wouldn't it?
Just curious how you folks who have both the tinker and By-the-Book reconcile those two as, and I may be misunderstanding, seem to be at odds more than by the book is with rule zero.
I know what I have seen of EL's ideas (and I like them) so was surprised to see the by the book tag .
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- Tactics are an important part of my games
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games will be Scary
- My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- My games include Disturbing content
- My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
- Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
- My game focuses on Player Skill rather than character abilities
- Players characters Death is a likely event in my games
Just curious how you folks who have both the tinker and By-the-Book reconcile those two as, and I may be misunderstanding, seem to be at odds more than by the book is with rule zero.
I know what I have seen of EL's ideas (and I like them) so was surprised to see the by the book tag .
I like to tinker with the rules, but my standards for admitting a rule into my ongoing campaign are extremely strict. The majority of my "house rules" are actually encapsulated in feats, and so are really just additional options. The remainder of my "rules" are usually clarifications or re-phrasings of the RAW intended to retain the mechanics as much as possible (for example, the way I handle stealth and hit points are both derived from the RAW, but cherry-picking the parts I wanted to make my life easier).
Also, any actual deviations are written out ahead of time, and adhered to as much as possible during play. I took the merit badge to mean that the GM won't move the goalposts or overuse fiat — a matter of pride for me, even if I have appended the RAW with a short list of changes. If you read the CRB and my house rules for the campaign, that is how the game will be run. Rule zero will be invoked only in situations that demand a mechanic that does not exist, not to "edit" the outcome of a situation already covered in the rules.
Contrast this with "Rule Zero is always in effect" (which I accept as a style) ... Having a short list of house rules doesn't actually call upon GM fiat during a game.
Why are "I roll dice out in the open" and "I don't fudge the rolls" on the same badge? What the heck says I can't roll behind a screen and not fudge the rolls?
Why are "I roll dice out in the open" and "I don't fudge the rolls" on the same badge? What the heck says I can't roll behind a screen and not fudge the rolls?
Just fudge the "and" as "or" and take the badge!
I like to tinker with the rules, but my standards for admitting a rule into my ongoing campaign are extremely strict. The majority of my "house rules" are actually encapsulated in feats, and so are really just additional options. The remainder of my "rules" are usually clarifications or re-phrasings of the RAW intended to retain the mechanics as much as possible (for example, the way I handle stealth and hit points are both derived from the RAW, but cherry-picking the parts I wanted to make my life easier).Also, any actual deviations are written out ahead of time, and adhered to as much as possible during play. I took the merit badge to mean that the GM won't move the goalposts or overuse fiat — a matter of pride for me, even if I have appended the RAW with a short list of changes. If you read the CRB and my house rules for the campaign, that is how the game will be run. Rule zero will be invoked only in situations that demand a mechanic that does not exist, not to "edit" the outcome of a situation already covered in the rules.
Contrast this with "Rule Zero is always in effect" (which I accept as a style) ... Having a short list of house rules doesn't actually call upon GM fiat during a game.
Thanks EL I know I had to be missing something simple.
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cool idea. Need to make room for them on the PFS table tents. :)
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Tactics are an important part of my games
My games will tell an interesting Story
My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
I roll Dice in the open and don't fudge the results in my games
My games include Disturbing content
My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
Players characters Death is a likely event in my games
Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
Why are "I roll dice out in the open" and "I don't fudge the rolls" on the same badge? What the heck says I can't roll behind a screen and not fudge the rolls?Just fudge the "and" as "or" and take the badge!
<.<
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It's an interesting blogpost, and I have to agree with this part, especially;
What would be helpful is if GMs let players know not only what we think we do well, but also what our philosophy on Game Mastering is. Knowing two GMs are both running games of D&D is less important (for me anyway) than knowing that one believes in letting the dice fall where they may, while the other believes the dice shouldn't get in the way of telling fun stories with interesting and long-term characters. Even if you'd be happy to play in both games it would be good to know this stuff ahead of time.
Just curious how you folks who have both the tinker and By-the-Book reconcile those two as, and I may be misunderstanding, seem to be at odds more than by the book is with rule zero.
See, it's reasons like that why I think using the term "Merit Badges" for these might is something of a misnomer. A merit badge would tend to indicate an achievement or mastery whereas these are more like settings. Just because someone is good at statistics doesn't mean that has to be mutually exclusive of creative writing. Maybe "Campaign Decals" or something would be better, I dunno.
Anyway, the settings for my games vary somewhat depending on whether it's a PbP or a Face2Face game, but here's my self-assessment. (Like DQ, I'd be interested to see how my players rate me.)
- Tactics are an important part of my games
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games will be Scary
- My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
- I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game
- My game focuses on Player Skill rather than character abilities
I've actually posted my merit badges on the website for my campaign.
My gaming buddies here in Boulder and I were discussing that they seem like really good campaign or con-game tags, perhaps even more-so than just for GM's as some will run drastically different games at times.
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My gaming buddies here in Boulder and I were discussing that they seem like really good campaign or con-game tags, perhaps even more-so than just for GM's as some will run drastically different games at times.
Yes, this kind of foreknowledge would make me far more likely to get involved in organized play. I wouldn't even select for my preference of GM (barring extreme cases) I would just want to know the basics of their style.
Various GM styles are a strength of the hobby, I wouldn't want to homogenize them. But having accurate expectations makes for a good game session.
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It is worth mentioning, that a GM may need different badges for different games or genres.
Their D&D game may be PG, but if they're running Call of Cthulhu, or another game based on a specifically 'horror' ruleset, it had better be scary.
I'd also expect to see more 'PvP' and 'Death' in a game of Paranoia, or else someone (GM or players) is doing it wrong.
Well, let's see. My self assessment is:
- Tactics are an important part of my games (sometimes; I judge by the group weather tactics will be important or not)
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- There will be Player vs Player combat allowed in my games (it doesn't happen much, but it's allowed)
- My games are Safe and you don't need to worry about content or character death (This one is only half true; character death is a rare thing in my games, but adult content crops up more frequently)
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- My games use a pre-made Map and pre scripted content
- The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content (my players tend to blow my plans to hell)
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
- My game has Shared GMing responsibility with the other players (between me and my wife)
- My game is more enjoyable when I keep my GMing style Unknown (well, certain aspects anyways; like that your character likely won't die, or that I sometimes fudge rolls)
- My games are more of the Social, Fun and "Beer & Pretzels" style (my campaigns' stories are epic, but the atmosphere around the table is this)
These last three are dependent on the campaign:
- My games will be Scary
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- My games include Disturbing content
This Is my line up of merit badges for my current Call of Cthulhu Campaign:
My games will tell an interesting Story
My games will be Scary
My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
There will be Player vs Player combat allowed in my games
I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect
My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
My games include Disturbing content
My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama
Players characters Death is a likely event in my games
My game is primarily Non-Combat in nature
Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
My games will tell an interesting Story
My games will be Scary
My games focus on Exploration & Mystery (50%)
My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama (50%)
My games use a pre-made Map and pre scripted content -only to the extent that I write up my campaign before-hand (outline the AP, detail the encounters and create things like riddles and clues prior to the game). I fully map my sessions before hand as well.
Players characters Death is a likely event in my games (Every few sessions. Death, of course, is reversible and I do offer options).
I play By-The-Book and "rule-zero" is not being used to alter existing rules. (Only recently - I've been testing content for publication which kinda works best when you use the base-line assumptions). I do allow Hero Points to give the Players a fighting chance...
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According to my players:
'My games will tell an interesting Story'
'My games focus on interesting Characters and Drama'
'I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game'
'I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game'
'Tactics are an important part of my games'
I agree with all of them. I often play without a map, and the tinkering has more to do with adding sub-systems that I think are interesting. I rarely change class abilities (I did remove the ability for guns to make touch attacks, unless the character spends a Grit Point to do so).
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See, it's reasons like that why I think using the term "Merit Badges" for these might is something of a misnomer. A merit badge would tend to indicate an achievement or mastery whereas these are more like settings. Just because someone is good at statistics doesn't mean that has to be mutually exclusive of creative writing. Maybe "Campaign Decals" or something would be better, I dunno.
Anyway, the settings for my games vary somewhat depending on whether it's a PbP or a Face2Face game, but here's my self-assessment. (Like DQ, I'd be interested to see how my players rate me.)
- Tactics are an important part of my games
- My games will tell an interesting Story
- My games will be Scary
- My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery
- I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game
- My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content
- My games are Gonzo and can include a lot of strangeness
- Characters in my games are Destined for greatness, not random death
- Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them
- I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game
- My game focuses on Player Skill rather than character abilities
Speaking as one of his players, Laithoron is pretty much on target here, although I would also add:
My games include Disturbing content.
BTW, I am not quite sure the the tag Scary means in this context. Does it mean are the players continually fearing for their lives (definitely applicable here) or is it referring to the Horror themed aspects of the Ravenloft genre? In Laith's game there are horror scenes, but maybe not as many as there could be. Of course, maybe in future chapters, this will change, he he.
It's an interesting blogpost, and I have to agree with this part, especially;
What would be helpful is if GMs let players know not only what we think we do well, but also what our philosophy on Game Mastering is. Knowing two GMs are both running games of D&D is less important (for me anyway) than knowing that one believes in letting the dice fall where they may, while the other believes the dice shouldn't get in the way of telling fun stories with interesting and long-term characters. Even if you'd be happy to play in both games it would be good to know this stuff ahead of time.
I do this before any game I run, and I discuss these points with prospective GM's of games I'm joining. We discuss, at length, just what kind of game the DM wants to run, the players want to play, etc. If it's going to be a dice-fest, hack and slash game, a skills-intensive problem solving game with little combat, story-heavy, home-brewed, module/AP, etc.
In my most-played group, we have some pretty heavy variance among preferred play styles, so we discuss compromises ahead of time to the best of our abilities.
Are these like Girl Guide badges you can earn? :)
I want a GM cookie! :)