You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2009.
We’re looking at doing some heavy revamps soon, incorporating some new content, as well as (possibly) bringing back some old ones. The layout will be changing, as well as the logo.
So, I pose the question to you: What are you looking for in the Dice Monkey blog? We’ve featured a lot of out there series (or the beginning of series), some varied content, as well as a formerly frequent posting schedule. Here’s a list of some of the series we’ve done, or tried to get off the ground. If you liked that series, let us know, so we can deliver the best content possible.
Off the shelf reviews: In which I review products I pull at random off my RPG shelf
Recipes of the Forgotten Realms: In which Bridget shows you new and interesting recipes that are quick and easy to make, perfect for your gaming nights.
Critical Failure: The web comic about the misadventures of a gaming group
The Star Wars Infinities campaign: Combining SW Miniatures and role-playing to see what would happen if things changed in the Star Wars universe.
Do you think Dice Monkey should be a more focused blog? Or is the random element what you’re looking for?
Let us know what you think. As much feedback as you can give is most welcome.
Skill checks are a fairly ubiquitous feature in RPGs. Whether they’re called “Skills”, or “Abilities” or “Talents”, in the end, your character is going to have to roll one. You may be rolling hot all night, but then, at that one fateful moment, the DM tells you, “roll for your Acrobatics check” and you roll… a 1.
What happens from there? It’s entirely up to the machinations of your DM. Some may simply say, “you don’t succeed” and you move on. Others, depending on the degree of failure, make you really fail.
I’m of the view that if the player attempts to do something that is potentially life-threatening that involves a roll, I warn them. “If you fail this check, you will probably die. Are you sure you want to do this?” If they do, it’s on their heads, not mine.
Here’s an example: It is the Star Wars galaxy, six months before the Trade Federation’s invasion of Naboo. One of the heroes is on the roof of one of the Coruscanti skyscrapers, miles above the surface of the earth. On the floor below, the rest of the heroes are engaged in combat with a group of smugglers, fighting for their lives. The rooftop hero, (we’ll call him Mike, because, ironically, that’s his name) decides that instead of taking the stairs, he’s going to do something heroic.
Him: “I want to jump over the edge of the building and swing in through one of the windows.”
Pause.
Me: “Are you serious?”
Him: “Dead serious.”
Me: “You do realize that if you fail this check, you’re going to fall. And fall. And fall.”
Him: “I do. But what an awesome way to die, huh?”
Me: “Roll.”
He rolled. He succeeded. With flying colors. Swinging in through the window, he took down one of the smugglers with a boot to the head. And play progressed.
There is of course, the flip side of the coin. What happens when players fail? Badly?
The player is warned that this dungeon is full of fatal traps, and fails to disarm one of them, causing massive wounds to themselves or other members of the party. They fail a critical piloting check, and now their A-Wing is barreling towards the side of a Star Destroyer. There’s no walking away from a fighter exploding in deep space.
Is it simply a risk that comes with the territory? Or is it something that should be mitigated by the DM? After all, Luke Skywalker never blew up and died. Should death be reserved for moments that matter, dramatic points in the story, or should that be left up to the dice?
I think that failures can lead to some great moments in RPGs. I’m not talking about a skill check failure that ends with someone’s death. I’m talking about the Rogue pickpocketing the city guard and rolling a 1. When that guard turns around and sees you, you’re going to have a decision to make.
When you are meeting with the king of some far-off kingdom and roll a 1 on your Diplomacy, you’re going to have a decision to make.
When you are trying to sneak into a room to steal a priceless artifact, and roll a 1 on your Sneak, alerting the guards, you have a decision to make.
How do things go in your game? Do you warn players about the consequences of failure? Have they ever surprised you with their successes?
After a 3 week wait, the Song of Ice and Fire RPG finally came in to my local game store. I picked it up a few hours ago, and have gotten a chance to look through the preliminary parts of the book. Right off the bat, I really like the index, as well as the layout. I wish they could have used some of the art from the Guardians of Order version of the game, but the art is usable. They have some great information on the Seven Kingdoms, and I’m digging their rules for house creation. I’ll keep you updated as I delve further into this silver-award-winning tome.
Progress on the Savage Worlds Automata supplement is… well… progressing. I’ve got 4 different Automaton races, a few NPCs, and some great new layout designs, including running “Clickwise” along the bottom of the page. Things are going nicely.
Today’s preview is simple: Here’s the cover.
It’s coming soon!
The other day my husband brought two sites to my attention. These sites are based around creating personalized card decks. For instance, Go Deck Yourself, is a terrific site that allows you to create customized decks you can print.
Go Deck Yourself also has pregenerated decks that fit with certain settings and adventures, such as Keep on the Shadowfell. The cards for the adventure contained quests that could be found in the module.
Another terrific site for creating power cards is DnD Italia. This one allows you to create the cards and has a spot on them where you can include all of your bonuses so that you don’t have to reference other resources while you are playing and keeps you from possibly missing something. This site also has a forum as well as a gallery of images.
So, now that you have these cards what do you do with them? Here are my suggestions…
Try incorporating randomized decks into your adventures. The GM would be in charge of the decks but even they wouldn’t know what was necessarily coming next.
For instance you could have decks labeled as following:
Major Quests: This would be the main reason your party was heading out to do something heroic. It would still be the GM’s responsibility to help lay out the path and create some of the story but it also allows for a sense of really not knowing what was coming next.
Minor Quests: This deck would give those small tasks such as helping to find a lost dog or child but while still in the middle of following through with the Major Quest. It could also be used to help flesh out the Major Quest and provide ‘clues’ along the way.
Random Encounters: Is exactly what it says. “Your party is camping by the fireside in a dark forest. You hear rustling in the leaves. One member of your party spots a large bear wandering nearby.” The players then have to choose whether or not to pursue the bear, try to hide, etc.
Treasure: Once an encounter is finished the players can begin to search the area then the GM can use these cards randomly determine what is found. And depending on the difficulty of the encounter it may be worth more than 1 Treasure card.
The great part about incorporating decks is that they can be used and adapted by multiple game systems. While looking into these sites I found it very easy to imagine their use from Savage Worlds to D&D to Star Wars to d20 Modern and even games like Serenity and Stargate.
The possibilities are endless. Next time you are looking for something new to add to your game, whatever it may be, try some cards… you never know what you may get 
I’m the new official Norfolk RPG Examiner at Examiner.com.
I encourage everyone to check out my first article: Finding a new gaming group.
And definitely subscribe to my RSS Feed and tell all your friends!
A few people may have noticed on my Twitter feed, a discussion on converting Automata, the fantastic webcomic miniseries by Penny Arcade into an RPG, specifically, that of Savage Worlds.
Well, as the Penny Arcade guys are now continuing the story, it will allow me to complete the dark work I began. I’ll be posting up small previews of the material I’ve made so far, and get some feedback. Expect a complete PDF within a month or less. Please note that because the world of Automata has not been fully fleshed out, I will be filling in information on my own based purely off my own opinion of how things should be. The additional material is in no way reflective of any intentions of Gabe or Tycho.
Introduction
This is not the future you expected. It is the year 2023. Machine Intellect has been outlawed as the American people began to believe that man was not meant to “create life”. Introducing the 34th Amendment, “The Prohibition of the Creation of Artificially Intelligent Life”, Congress ordered all production plants to cease the manufacture of automata. That was 3 years ago.
But the question arises: What to do with the existing machines, fully sentient and aware? What rights should they hold in this grim world? Is their intellect real, a ghost in the machine, or simply a program? This is the question you and the other players at your table will explore as you delve into the world of Automata.
In Automata, you will play someone living in this strange new world of humanity and the legal automata that still exist as second
class citizens.
New Race: Swangee Men
The creation of Albert Swangee, Swangees are a more advanced stock than the Asimovs. Built to fit more into human society, Swangees are built with a human-like physique, but with emotionless faces and glowing blue eyes. Their dead expressions often set people on edge, and their voices carry an air of detachment. Most take on human names with the surname of Swangee.
Clickwise: All Automata are able to communicate with other automata through a language known as “Clickwise”. It sounds like an early 90’s modem, but transmits information between the automata at incredible speeds, allowing them to pass along information in a short amount of time.
Construct: +2 to recover from being Shaken, do not suffer wound penalties, and are immune to poison, diseas, suffocation. They gain a +4 to resist the effects of heat, cold and radiation.
Artificial Lifeform: Automata can’t heal and must be repaired if damaged.
Rare: Automata are becoming increasingly rare and getting parts could be difficult.
Electrical Susceptibility: Automata take an additional d6 damage from electrical attacks.
Outsider: Automata have a difficult time expressing their emotions and have difficulty relating to organic beings. They start with a -2 to their Charisma.
Eidetic Memory: Swangee Men have minds like cameras. They gain +2 bonuses on Common Knowledge rolls and on Smarts rolls made to remember something.
It’s been a while since an update, so I’ll fill you in on the latest.
The 4th episode of RPG Circus is live. You can listen to it here. Also, go onto the iTunes store and add a comment and rating. Thanks for all your support, everyone!
I’m prepping for our upcoming Eberron game, which should begin in a few weeks.
I’m now the Norfolk RPG Examiner for Examiner.com. I just need to get to writing some articles, now. I’ll let you all know when that’s going.
My wife and I beat Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, and will begin Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel soon.
That’s about all. I should be getting “A Song of Ice and Fire RPG” soon, so expect a review about that.
Later, all!
