Shields Are Down...

Both literally and figuratively...

I revised, expanded, and finished shield rules and materials for DICEBAG last night. Now to work on armor and weapons. I have those pretty much done for a fantasy setting, but they need help in being brought into the modern-day context.

On top of that, I found an old (and much more complete) weapons chart for an early version of the DICEBAG rules, complete with references to rules I had forgotten about when I redid the system. While more "realistic", the new/old rules complicate things a bit. They would not be difficult to implement in the current iteration of the system. They would just slow things down a fair chunk. That may be why I ditched them originally.

As I type, I am having thoughts of "optional" rules to make things either "cinematic" (quick and dirty rules that don't slow the game down too much) or "realistic" (rules that are not difficult to implement, but could cause extreme slowdown of play). Gah! Too much to worry about at this stage of things, but given how my mind works, I am already trying to think of ways to implement a simpler variation in a relatively painless manner.

Tonight, at the store, is Friday Night Magic. Part of me wants to either play or ditch to go home and write/revise rules once we've started. Not sure if that will happen though. Ditching on our busiest day of the week instills a chunk of guilt in me that feels like it weighs about twenty pounds...

We'll see what happens...

-- GopherDave

Semi-Crunch Time...

Okay... not much got done last night or this morning as I piled myself into bed around 10:30PM (about three hours early for me) and woke up around 8:45AM. I feel rested, though.

Not a lot is going on today. We had three RPGs scheduled for the store, but I just received a note saying that one has been permanently cancelled. One of the others is a game that is trying to start but he is having trouble attracting players, so I don't expect that to be on the schedule that much longer. At this point, I am not certain if we are going to try to fill the empty slots with RPGs, or give the night to Malifaux so they can meet every week. No decision has truly been made, and I will be speaking to the players of the cancelled game to see if they are starting anything else up. Hell, depending on how things shake out, I may just try to run another DICEBAG playtest game. Who knows?

Depending on how Lo and the Pumpkin are feeling, tonight will involve me either diving into DL:R books to catch up on rules and setting or working on a modern-day genre document for Unveiled. I should be doing the latter, but will probably end up reading instead... ...and falling asleep while doing so. =P

-- GopherDave

Better Than Expected...

Though you cannot see them, I am also rocking dice cuff links. Boo-yaa...

So, last night was mostly a character building session for the Deadlands: Reloaded game, followed by a sample combat to get the group (who are all entirely new to Savage Worlds) kind of up to speed on how things work in the system. It was also a good way to point out the necessity of some skills in the setting. We'll actually be starting the upcoming campaign this Tuesday. The following week, we'll be doing characters for the DICEBAG/Unveiled game.

That gives me a week to read up on SW/DL:R:/the Last Sons, and two weeks to sketch out and write out a setting document for Unveiled. I've more in less time, but I was unmarried, without kids, and didn't have the responsibility of running a business on top of me. As it goes, I need to get off of the stick and get work done.

As for the sample game, it went well, though I have one player who is overthinking things and wants his character to be involved in everything that goes on, even if his character isn't in the same place as where the action currently is. Adding to this, the player is pretty much a boisterous, alpha-type person who is used to getting his way in a game. I don't want to discourage his playing, but I do want to curb his tendencies to dominate the proceedings, ESPECIALLY in situations that his character has no business in. It's going to be fun.

On a lighter note, there is much less kicking and screaming than I expected in regard to D&D familiarity to Savage Worlds. There were a number of intelligent questions asked, and I did my best to answer them. I did okay, but it did point out that I am out-of-practice behind the screen and with the game system.

I've got a week... =P

-- GopherDave

Back In The Saddle Again...

Yep, it's a little off-kilter, but I was in a hurry as usual...

...In more ways than one...

Tonight, I get to walk a bunch of folks who have not played much beyond D&D/Pathfinder/D20 into the quick as a hiccup system that is Savage Worlds, more specifically, Deadlands: Reloaded.

It's has been about a year, not counting the help I gave Shady at GenCon, since I sat behind the GM's screen. To be honest, it has been too damn long. I know that my absence from the chair is part of what has contributed to my stress and anxiety as of late. It's more a part of me than I realized.

To a certain extent, I am looking forward to it. I love introducing folks to new settings and game systems. I do anticipate some friction due to what these guys have experience with in terms of settings/systems. It's always a shock to be dragged out of the D&D pool. Initially, it rarely goes well, as things no longer work the way a player expects them to. I am pretty much ready for it, though.

As for campaign material, I have looked through the Last Sons campaign book for DL:R and I believe I will be using it as it will free up some prep time for me...

...and time is a commodity that I find myself in short supply more often than not...

-- GopherDave

Choices, Choices...

[NOTE: This photo and blog entry was started on Friday, October 5th. That's how far behind I am.]

It's Friday, and it is a combination of Friday Night Magic and release day for the new MtG set, Return to Ravnica. I look for it to be a busy day, made even busier by the fact that our cross-town competition got screwed on his order and will not have any singles available for release day.

On the role-playing side of things, one of my players actually made a decision about the DICEBAG setting they wish to play in. We're going with the Unveiled concept, which is a modern-day horror set-up. That means I do not have to do a ton of setting info (it's now, how hard is that to grasp?). I just have to do some modern weapons. I am toying with putting together a set of mechanics for low-level psionics, but have not made a final decision on that one yet.

The other game I am planning on running is Deadlands: Reloaded. I am debating about just running a series of one sheets to make for a free flowing game, or picking up one of the two plot point campaigns they have published for it (the Flood or the Last Sons). I will admit that it would be easier to pick up a published thing and run with it. The plot point structure is loose enough for me to throw in the occasional side trek or homemade goodie, while still keeping an overall story moving.

Ehhh... We'll see...

-- GopherDave