The Home Straight

Well, as a journey, trying to get my first indie published RPG adventure has taught me a lot so far. So as a quick summary:

• For every note written down there are 20 things I have generated in my head.
• I have to try and get those 20 things out, and in a way that makes sense!
• The first thing I write is likely tosh and will require re-writing.
• Art makes things really look better.
• Layout is really not the easiest thing in the world.
• Layout takes way more time than anyone could imagine if they haven't had to do it.
• When I layout a document, it flows subtly differently to when it is just in a text document. I need to change some of the text to take this into account.

So after those quick lessons learnt I'm heading into what I see as the final stretch! So whats left to do ...

• Lay everything out. (I have a PDF with everything in but the page numbers need sorting, and the formatting is only done for the first 3 chapters)
• Commission the art I want to finish it off. I have 2 pieces in, and 2 out on commission at the moment. My rate of art commissioning is dictated by my available funds :\
• Finish the pre-generated characters (I'm setting myself a goal of 1 per night and I need 8, one for each super power).
• Get the maps and insert them in.
• Get it play tested.
• Make changes from play testing.
• Publish.

Ok so looking at it now that list looks quite daunting, but really compared to getting everything written originally it isn't worrying me :) 

So as I sit here I have a PDF that is starting to look like a finished article. Still a work in progress but the bulk of the content is there. I find myself querying whether I put too much information in, whether it is overkill, this is meant as a one night adventure. I know one of the great things with Fate is that there is so much scope to expand the story and go in any direction, it shouldn't be too constrained. But then I also, and this is just my opinion, think that if I'm asking for someone to pay for something, then I should give them as much information and content as possible. They can use as much or as little as they want, but the seeds should be there for them to build off, or use in their entirety.

Only time will tell. With this being my first piece of work I'm sure there will be things I get wrong, and I will need to work on that and improve what I deliver. But then I think we could use that as a great way of living life. I will try, I may well get things wrong, but I will learn and I will strive to get better.

On that note I'm going to go work on a mechanic for a totally different RPG.

Is simplicity the key?

So. The other day I read a rather well known and popular systems SRD. I didn't get far into it before calling it quits. It looked way too much effort to be fun, and that was just to work out if I hit something. I closed it down and haven't been back.

Fast forward to today. I was playing in a Cthulu Black Hack adventure. Minimalist rules, but enough to really let you do what you want to do. The tension, the atmosphere all really build a fantastic game.

I have also in the meantime read some other OSR rule sets, or rules that people would put inside that sphere, and none of them filled me with the sort of dread the first SRD I read did.

So this evening I got to thinking, is minimalist rules they key. I'm starting notes on my second RPG adventure to publish and I think I want to follow those rules. Keep it small and tight, but let the players and GM expand it where and when necessary.

I'm still keen on the idea of a library of one night adventures. Simple to pickup and play, but with enough to them that they can be played more than once, and they will be intriguing to play through.

So there you have my musings, maybe if the simple systems got more limelight more people would see the beauty of the RPG and fall in love with the game style.

RPG: Head in the world and Immersion

So I recently delivered a bespoke adventure which for want of a better way of putting it was a commission piece. Now I'm moving back from that piece into finishing off the Carnival of Dreams adventure.

What I have found is that transitioning my thinking from someone elses world, back into worlds of my own making is in its own right a process.

My process works as follows.

Step 1
Read the source material. If this is the authors RPG world, or anything else they reference in their material. I read through everything in its entirety and then I leave myself a few days. This lets it start sinking into my head. During this time I won't work on other projects, I'll doodle and make notes but on the whole I stay away from other items.

Step 2
Read the source material... Now you are probably thinking hasn't he already done this! Yes. But with every reading the world they are building strengthens itself in my head. Political intrigue, monster habits, the time of day the local occult hold their ceremonies. It all seeps into the brain. After completing my second reading I ease off again giving it chance to settle in the back of my head.

Step 3
Read the source material .. Ok I realise I sound like a broken record now, but this one is different! Now I start making notes. Predominantly key facts figures and events that I think could be used to create adventures, or be wound into them to support the atmosphere.

Step 4
Using the ideas from step 3 I create what I call pitches. They are shortish phrases or paragraphs that give a feel for what I'm thinking the adventure could be. These then are presented so that the client can select what they are most interested in.

Step 5
If they didn't like any of the ideas, it is back to Step 4 to work up some more pitches. If there were multiple that they liked the idea of I then add a bit more depth to those and re-pitch. I keep following this process until I have what they want.

Obviously Steps 4 and 5 are redundant if the client already has an idea and just needs someone to write it up.

Step 6
Write, investigate, write and re-write. So start putting in the key sections, the key ideas of what happens in each section. Stopping to investigate elements that may be required. So for example checking the speed of horses, or the methods spies use to identify an unknown contact. Each element is written and re-written until I am happy with it.

Step 7
Submit the piece. If they are happy great. If they aren't back to step 6 and a re-write of anything they aren't happy for. The client/customer is king. This is their world and has to represent what they want.


What I'm finding is that after this process my head is still "in" that other world. I'm a strong believer in getting yourself in the right frame of mind. I spent time reading and re-reading source material to help in scene setting. After being really immersed in that I'm now struggling to let that world go, to get back into this piece.

Now there are a lot of differences, different rules system, different backgrounds, history atmosphere etc. I also have loads of other sub ideas, potential adventures and items that are floating around for that world, ones that I hope will be given chance to see the light of day! Only time will tell on that though.

In the meantime I need to settle my mind and re-immerse into my world. Oddly enough I have never had this problem before, possibly because I have always worked on purely worlds of my own creation, and shifting my mind from one of my own worlds to another of my own worlds is a seamless transition.

All told the process was really enjoyable, and if I'm lucky I'll get to build on those.

For now I wait with baited breath to see how the adventure is received (I believe the person it was written for is happy with it). I shall continue to chip away at putting my brain back into gear to get the Carnival of Dreams moving!

Writing Process - Carnival of Dreams

Let me catch you up if you want to skip all those previous posts! I'm on a journey to write and publish my first RPG adventure. I want to go on to publish multiple adventurers, hopefully improving as I go!

The last month or so I got super busy with writing a totally different adventure, but at the moment I'm back onto Carnival of Dreams.

One of the things about Carnival of dreams is super heroes and super powers, but a more tongue in cheek version. So as I write I tend to start with ideas, then I re-write, and I change and I morph what I have. Eventually I settle on something, for better or for worse, hopefully the better of the options.

As an example of this I was working on the farting super power ..... oh come on what non serious super power set would be complete without some form of flatulence! Each power has its cost, what you can do, and a description. The point of this post is to show the different options and the way things change.

Note the items below would potentially need work and rework in their own right. I have put them in with poor grammar and typos as I hammered in the keys, as it is a look into the process.

So my first description was this ....

A look of peace spreads over the heroes face as their inner tension releases into the world around them. Dirty green gaseous tendrils stretch out from the hero seeking their enemies.

Now that just didn't hit the spot for me. Time to try again ....

A look of relief spreads over the heroes face their whole body seeming to deflate, the tension built up in their guts releasing into the world. Dirty green gaseous tendrils thread their way out of the hero, winding and stretching away searching and probing for enemies.

.. ok getting there but still not what I'm looking for ... maybe third re-write is a charm ..

The heroes eye starts to twitch, the corner of their lip twitching in concert with their eye, their brow furrowed as tension builds up in their whole body. As quickly as the twitching starts it ceases, a look of peace spreading across their face, their body slumping as the tension leaves their body. Murky green gaseous tendrils wrap around their torso before spreading out probing for enemies. If the tendrils touch an enemy they speed up expanding around the enemy smothering their face, pushing into their eyes and nostrils and any available orifice.

..too long too much repetition and just not quite right. Feels like a bit more off track ... dive in for number 4 ...

The heroes eye and mouth twitch, their brow furrowing as tension build sin their whole body. As quickly as it starts the process ends, a look of peace washing over their face their body slumping as the tension leaves their body. Murky green gaseous tendrils wrap around the hero before reaching out for enemies. If the tendrils touch an enemy their flowing speeds up as they expand around the enemy smothering their face and pushing into their eyes nostrils and any available orifice.

...ok a bit better but still too long for me and not quite flowing how I would like it to, back to the keyboard ...

The heroes eye twitches, their brow furrowing as tension contorts their whole body. As quickly as it begins the process ends, their whole body sagging with relief as the tension oozes out of them. Murky green tendrils wrap around the hero before reaching outwards. If the tendrils touch an enemy their flow speeds up as they smother their face, pushing into their eyes, nostrils and any available orifice.

.. Right I'm semi happy at this point. It is certainly closer to what I was looking for. But maybe still not quite there. Lets change it a bit ..

The heroes body spasms as it tenses. A look of peace suddenly washes over their face as the tension oozes out of their bum, murky green tendrils wrapping around the hero, before probing outwards. If the tendrils touch an enemy they seek their eyes, mouth or any available orifice.

Ok I like that one. Might needs some polishing but on the whole I'm not upset with it, but I'll give this one more shot to see what I can get ...

The heroes back arches as spasms wrack their body. As quickly as they begin the spasms stop, a look of peace washing over their face as the tension oozes out of their body, pulsing green tendrils wrapping around the hero before probing outwards. If the tendrils touch an enemy they pulse more quickly as if excited, searching out the enemies eyes, mouth or any other available orifice.

Ok so the last one I like as well. I can already see things I would tweak with it. But I guess what I'm trying to get at, is when you see something written down, in print or online, the author probably put a lot of different versions into it. You may like what they put, you may hate it. The thing is they may well have put a lot more time into trying to get it to resonate with what they are looking for than you realise.

So I'm still not sure on which of the last two I like the most. But I do know I will carry on writing.

Workload and an old setting

Well. When I started this it was meant to chronicle my journey through my first ever indie published RPG. Since then everything seems to have gone pretty mental.

I am working on an adventure for a friends setting which is awesome. More on that when they have seen it and decided they are including it 😀

I have the first couple of pieces of art for the Carnival of Dreams which really set it off.

I have decided to run a new group with my local gaming group, with the first bits on that coming together. I have done a map, but I need to iron out some wrinkles before that's all ready!

At the same time one of the group has asked if we can re-visit a post civilisation downfall setting I originally started a year ago, but was mothballed when everyone sort of got caught up in real life. That one has some back story to it ... I'll post it if I can find where I put it!

In fact I just dug it out. So here for your perusal is the background history that my players asked for. I give you Re-Rio the setting.

Two hundred years ago the world was poised on the brink of greatness. Scientists were beginning to unlock all the key secrets around ageing and life. NASA had begun the first forays into space travel with key tests of a warp engine yielding positive results. 20 years on and ISIS had consolidated the Arab states under one united banner. The United States was still recovering from the economic shock of losing the Arab states oil and investment, being slowly bled dry financially as money was slowly withdrawn from their economy. Russia had moved back into a Communist state, as capitalism continued to fail to deliver food and jobs for the masses. Forced by starvation and anger at home all three major powers looked to direct that anger at external sources. The ensuing wars consumed most of the known civilised world. A computer virus known only as "The Peace Worm" had infiltrated key government systems for all three major super powers and disabled their ability to launch nuclear weapons. However their massive arsenals of conventional weapons soon laid waste to all major cities. With water purification plants and power plants targeted first the loss of power and clean water spearheaded a rapid decline in society as people turned feral fighting for the most basic of resources. Through all this some cities managed to hold onto the vestiges of science and technology. Hiding their books underground and coveting the scientists who could make things work. Rio De Janeiro managed to survive through the control of three strong families. As the politicians fled to underground bunkers the criminal overlords took control. 100 years full devolution of society was under-way. Keen to ensure their standard of living didn't decline the three main criminal societies met. No one knows the full details of that initial meeting, those have been lost in the mists of time. However there are some facts that are true to this day. The three families each took responsibility for one of the key resources (Food, Water, Energy). By doing this they ensured none of them had total power of the others, and all were reliant on the other families to survive. As the families moved forwards they consolidated their power base on the top of the old Rio Hill around Christ the redeemer. As the years passed and the families grew in number their need for servants also grew. To feed the supply of servants and to ensure they didn't get ideas above their station the families instigated the Delta project. From each generation the families selected members to be promoted into the servant classes. These were then sterilised to ensure they couldn't breed and create a new sub class. This also ensured that those in the slums always had the hope that their children, or their children's children would be promoted to the servant class with all the privileges that would entail. Each surviving city built walls to keep the wilds out. After 200 years no-one is really sure what the wilds are, but they do know they don't want them inside the walls! The surviving cities remain in communication with each other, however with all major forms of transport and the technologies that supported those gone they communicate via radio to share information. Just inside the walls are the slums. The shit pits of the city. If shit rolls down hill, and it does in Re-Rio, the slums are where it all stops. Large iron barred channels allow the shit and piss to run free of the city, the sewers and sanitation of the past long since collapsed or filled in to secure the city from everything outside. The shit pits are where the slums lie, and where most of the people who live in Re-Rio live and eke out their miserable existence. Each "layer" of the city rings the once great hill overlooked by christ the redeemer. Once a great symbol of Christianity but now a symbol of the Re-Rio uber religious Christian faction, who are police, judge, jury over all military matters. Above the slums there is a blank of no mans land. Long since scoured with flame it is kept barren as a sign of the split between the masters of this city and the poor. Several people have tried building houses in no mans land, only for swift retribution on them and their families from the Christian soldiers. Four roads lead up from the slums through no mans land to the next ring of inhabitants. This is where the servants live. Although basic they live in brick houses with basic sanitation (pipes that flow their piss and shit down into the slums) and heating that stops them falling ill and potentially passing on contagions to their masters. Upon being selected as a servant the lucky slummer is implanted with a cybernetic device called "the worm". The worm burrows into the slummers brain and integrates itself into their spinal column and nerve centres. This allows the masters from the families to deliver punishment to servants who fall below their expectations. It also acts as a tracker device that ensures that the servants never go where they are not expected. Above the servants quarters is what is called the Oasis. Ringed by a glistening white wall (kept pristine by hundreds of servants whos only job is to keep the wall clean). Although they hold the keys to technology that could replace the servants the families feel its good to keep them close at hand, to give slummers hope they may achieve something better, but once there to remind them that they are nothing more than animals there to do their masters bidding. Inside the oasis are multiple sprawling mansions with perfectly kept lawns and fountains. Each mansion is an individual palace constructed to the personal whims and fancies of the family who own it. A lot of their inspiration has been drawn from the archives that show the palaces of France and England when in their prime, with large ball rooms and huge chandeliers. Each main family mansion has what they call the key room. This is the most heavily guarded room in the mansion and allows access into the underground. Here the factories and facilities and labs that keep everything running, and the families in power are kept. Not much information is generally available on these locations. Slummers often tell myths of people being dragged off in the night and never seen again, but those are just urban myths... they hope. One thing is however certain. Re-Rios natural climate doesn't support the type of gardens and lands that the families have in place. Somehow they have access to some form of technology that allows them to keep the flowers blooming all year and the grass green. Behind the families is the ever present Re-Rio Church. No-ones sure if the church is behind the familes, or the families are behind the church. The church controls all the security and military style forces within Re-Rio. The religious order sends its warriors of the faith into the slums to protect them from themselves. Times are changing. Food seems harder to come buy. Brownouts are covering areas of the city and water doesn't seem to be as clear as it once was. The religious warriors are on the streets more, and the families are even more reclusive than they once were. However one thing is certain. Things are changing, powers are moving and no-one seems happy.

RPGs - That Player who hates them ....

So you mention playing RPGs and someone will often chime in with "oh I tried that and I didn't like it"..... now at this point I get a little stumped. But then I always loved doing RPGs.

It got me thinking, what could lead someone to not like an RPG!

How Many Times?

Like many things in life our tastes change as we mature. There may be some things that will stick with us all our lives, but there are plenty of things we didn't like when we were younger that we really dig when we get older! Sometimes people gave RPGs 1 shot and declared they didn't' like it and just like that it becomes set in stone. They don't like them and will never try again! Go on .. give it another try but bare in mind the following bits too!

The Genre

There are so many genres out there. Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Sch-Fi-Horror etc. that maybe they just played a genre they didn't like. Maybe if they tried with a totally different genre they would enjoy it? Check out all the different genres and see if you can get in on a game that your really intrigued by, or even better gets you really excited or passionate about playing the game!

The System

Just as there are many genres there are many systems. Sure lots of them share similarities in gaming mechanics, but it really is true that some people just can't get on with certain gaming systems. I'm quite agnostic, but I can see I wouldn't like a system that enforced minute detail. I prefer larger scale generic approaches to things. If you don't enjoy an RPG try some different styles of systems, you may find it was just the system holding back your enjoyment!

The Other Players

Lets be brutally honest. The group you game with is key. In a way you bare a little part of your soul to the people in that room. They get to see a part of you that no-one else will ever see. There is an almost sacred element to it. What happens on game night stays in game night! You have to not only be comfortable with the group, but comfortable enough to show elements of yourself and see others. You may not have really gelled or felt comfortable with the players when you first tried an RPG, so give it a go with another gaming group, maybe that will work for you!

The GM

Ok after the players there is also the GM. Are they out to play every little aspect of the system to try and foil you, or kill your character. Are they delaying the inevitable just long enough to really make it smart when the ogre crushes your skull. Different people enjoy different elements. Some people may enjoy an adversarial GM. Me, I like a GM who works with the players to make a fun enjoyable game. Again work out what would be best for you and make sure your getting in on a game with a GM who is going to suit your play style.

The Adventure

Ok we have the genre you like, you have a bunch of people you are cool with and a GM who wants to see you all be fantastic. But what if the adventure itself just sort of falls flat. Maybe it just doesn't capture your imagination. In my mind an average adventure is made or broken by the skills of the GM and the players round the table. They can make an average adventure awesome, and an awesome adventure mundane. But like it or love it, if you don't dig the adventure your on then your just not going to have fun. Discuss with the group what would be interesting to do adventure wise!

They Wore What?

Did everyone else turn up to that session in cloaks, swords belted to their sides and slightly crooked fake elf ears? You didn't feel comfortable with that? That's OK. There are plenty of RPG groups that don't go for the fully immersive style, but then again maybe it was the other way round. You flounced into the room and with a florid bow introduced yourself as Lorell the archer only to realise everyone else was wearing jeans and t-shirts ... that's OK too, there are plenty of groups who dig really getting into the whole scene. It is about what your really going to enjoy, so whichever style suits you, roll with it. But don't discount the game from a single bad experience.

I guess what I'm saying is ... if you had 1 bad RPG experience try and analyse why it wasn't working for you, and see if those elements can be addressed. You know, if you liked the group and GM but didn't really get the Fantasy vibe, maybe they would be happy to play a Sci-Fi campaign. Never hurts to ask, and ultimately RPGs are games, there to play and have fun.

So anyways that's what I think when someone says they don't like RPGs. Maybe next time someone says that we can all encourage them to have another go.