Comments for Evil Machinations

Comment on Adventure Creation Handbook now on Kindle by Keith Davies

Keith Davies — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:55:54 +0000

Is there any chance the freebie works the other way — I bought the PDF, can I get the Kindle version? I actually have a Sony, but I can work with it…

Keith
Keith Davies´s last [type] ..Introducing the Hall of Fame

Comment on So How Do You Win? Explaining Roleplaying to Non-Gamers by Paul

Paul — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 21:59:30 +0000

I had to chuckle when I saw this. My girlfriend still doesn’t understand the concept of an RPG, even though I bought her her own copy of the Exalted core rules. When I try to explain a RPG, she keeps saying, “How can you play a game where you don’t ‘win’?”
I keep telling her she’ll have to try it firsthand to see what it’s like. Unfortunately we’re in a long-distance relationship, so I can’t just have her drop by when my group is playing.

Comment on Passing it On: Introducing New Players to RPGs by Jade

Jade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:27:36 +0000

@Lugh – Thanks for the advice. You bring up a really good point. I like your idea of making the failure something spectacular as well. I’ll be giving it a try myself the next time I run a new group of players.

Comment on Character Questionnaire by Jade

Jade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:25:38 +0000

@JourneymanGM – Thanks for the link to your questionnaire. I’m always on the lookout for new questions I can ~~steal~~…er, use with my own group. .

Comment on So How Do You Win? Explaining Roleplaying to Non-Gamers by Jade

Jade — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:23:38 +0000

@JourneymanGM- Thanks so much for posting and for the kudos (my computer access is a little irregular right now, or I’d have responded sooner). I can be really difficult to describe our hobby to someone who’s never encountered it.

Comment on Character Questionnaire by JourneymanGM

JourneymanGM — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:18:31 +0000

I created a similar sheet that can be found here. It doesn’t have as many specific questions, but does cover general things like goals, memories, and backgrounds. It also includes a secrets system like Mike Page suggested.
JourneymanGM´s last [type] ..A Gamemaster Manifesto

Comment on So How Do You Win? Explaining Roleplaying to Non-Gamers by JourneymanGM

JourneymanGM — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:15:51 +0000

Great job compiling this list (and I was pleasantly surprised to find my blog on it)! I guess the multitude of explanations just goes to show how difficult it is to describe it to someone new.
JourneymanGM´s last [type] ..A Gamemaster Manifesto

Comment on Passing it On: Introducing New Players to RPGs by Lugh

Lugh — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:47:39 +0000

Great post! Looking forward to the rest of the series.

One other piece of advice on the “ineffective choices” topic: try and make the choices effective. This is especially true if you are converting people over from video games. The selling point of tabletop, aside from the social aspects, is that you can do anything. When they want to try something wacky, like swinging from the chandelier, let them do it! And don’t stack on penalties and make them make Acrobatics checks to pull it off. Stack on bonuses! If you do put in an Acrobatics check, have failure result in something spectacular as well, like the chandelier coming right out of the ceiling and taking out two mooks.
Lugh´s last [type] ..Reverb #1: So it began

Comment on Passing it On: Introducing New Players to RPGs by Jade

Jade — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:36:20 +0000

@OnlineDM – You’re welcome. I’ always trying to think of ways to make RPGs more beginner-friendly.

Comment on Passing it On: Introducing New Players to RPGs by OnlineDM

OnlineDM — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 21:38:26 +0000

Good advice all around! Anything that can help get more folks into gaming is good advice in my book. Thanks for sharing!
OnlineDM´s last [type] ..WotC to reprint 1st Edition AD&D books – woo hoo!

Comment on My RPG Bucket List by RPG Bucket List Or Gaming Resolution for 2012 | Take On Rules

RPG Bucket List Or Gaming Resolution for 2012 | Take On Rules — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:31:32 +0000

[...] I subscribed to the Evil Machinations blog and read through Jade’s RPG Bucket List. The idea is to list the RPGs that I would like to play or run. Below is a list of RPGs that I [...]

Comment on 18 Adventure Archetypes by Links of the Week: November 14, 2011 | KJD-IMC - KJDavies "In My Campaign" Articles

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 04:38:23 +0000

[...] 18 Adventure Archetypes [...]

Comment on Beyond ‘Fred’: Names for Victorian Games by Links of the Week: November 7, 2011 | KJD-IMC - KJDavies "In My Campaign" Articles

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:03:28 +0000

[...] Beyond ‘Fred’: Names for Victorian Games [...]

Comment on Campaign Mastery is Exactly What It Says by Book Review: Assassin's Amulet by Michael K. Tumey, Mike Bourke, and Johnn Four from Roleplaying Tips, Part 1 | Game Knight Reviews

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 11:02:22 +0000

[...] Campaign Mastery is Exactly What It Says from Evil Machinations (rpggm.com) [...]

Comment on Character Questionnaire by Mike Page

Mike Page — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:08:37 +0000

Also enjoying the content. I’m quite proud of one further question I put to my players recently (including my two 10-year olds) as they created their characters for a new 50 Fathoms campaign: Name one secret about your character that you don’t want the other players to find out. Came up with some good answers.
Mike Page´s last [type] ..Savage Legend Druid

Comment on My RPG Bucket List by Jade

Jade — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:50:32 +0000

@Paul– Thanks for taking the time to reply. I’ve got a copy of L5R that I’ve never even cracked open yet–and it’s been on my shelf for almost five years now. One day…but I’m sure that once I open it, it’ll be added to the list, too.

I’m actually just the opposite with WoD–I”ve run many more mixed games than single type ones.

I haven’t tried the Hero system. I think my husband has a copy from before we were married. I’ll have to dig around and see if I can find it. But I agree with you–the pulp era is a great one for rpgs.

All-in-all, it’s a great list and you’ve given me some ideas of things to take a look at. Thanks!

Comment on My RPG Bucket List by Paul

Paul — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:56:44 +0000

Great topic! Here’s my RPG bucket list, though it’s a bit shorter than yours:

1. Legend of the Five Rings – My friends and I in my regular gaming group all bought copies of this last summer. I’m dying to run a game of this, but I need to get some other gaming done first, such as…

2. World of Darkness, mixed character types – I just LOVE the World of Darkness, but I’ve always stuck strictly to one style–Vampire and Mage in particular. My friends and I are planning what may turn out to be a mixed game to start early in 2012, so this is my current project. There could be vampires, mages, even werewolves…oh, my!

3. Pulp Hero – I’m talking about the Pulp Hero supplement for the Hero system. I have a long history of the Hero system going back about 25 years to when we played Champions. But I have a special place in my heart for pulp fiction stories, so I’d really like to run a pulp hero RPG.

4. Shadowrun – I ran a one-shot game of this about a month ago, and I’d like to do a full-length campaign.

5. Exalted (Dragon-blooded) – My friends and I currently play Exalted. My best friend is the GM and we’re playing the Solar Exalted characters by default (well, except for my one friend’s wife, who’s playing a Lunar who is married to my Solar). I’d like to shift gears and run a game for Dragon-blooded PC’s thought. And here’s the kicker: These characters would all be martial artists. I have definite plans to do this. Maybe after I get through a couple of games higher up on my list.

6. Traveller – This is a maybe. I don’t do much science fiction gaming, but I’d like to turn my players loose on the universe with a spaceship and see what they do.

7. Pendragon – I once owned an early edition of this game but never played it. Every time I see an Arthurian-style movie though, I get the urge…

Hmmm…that’s all I have on my bucket list right now. Anybody else?

Comment on Beyond “Fred”: More Anglo-Saxon Names by Making Up For | Making Up Made Easy

Making Up For | Making Up Made Easy — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:26:32 +0000

[...] is a great site. Has the names of all cultures can be imagine and meaning of names. Can you give me some tips on making up good names for characters in my novel? I always come with ba…s come with bad names to call my characters. Any idea on how to make an ideal name for a character? [...]

Comment on Quick Survey about Dealing with Players by Jade

Jade — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 15:59:01 +0000

@Swordgleam — They’re people who expect tabletop games to act like console rpgs, as you guessed. Usually they’re a problem because they expect to be spoon fed through the entire adventure. I had one guy at a convention who’s player needed to get some information from an NPC. When I asked him what he was going to say, he looked at me in all seriousness and said “How am I supposed to know if you don’t give me a list of choices!?”

They also tend to get very indignant when you tell them they can’t fit 20 swords (or worse, suits of armor) in their backpacks. At another point, the same guy above started walking into random houses in town and taking their stuff and was very angry at me when the occupants of the houses ran for the town constables and he ended up with his butt in jail for the night, was told to return all the items he stole, and to compensate the victims.

I don’t know if he ever played another tabletop RPG, but he never again played at my table, thank goodness.

Comment on Quick Survey about Dealing with Players by Swordgleam

Swordgleam — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:18:01 +0000

Console drones is a player type I hadn’t heard of before. Is that people who expect tabletop to be like videogames, or people who you can’t tear away from Angry Birds for more than the space of a combat round?