Coyote & Crow Review # 3 - An Indigenous World To Explore

THE ALTERNATE TIMELINE

At the end of chapter 4, the authors give us a very interesting Timeline - vague enough to be useful, but with some intriguing events. First, the primacy of math and STEM skills comes as a surprise initially, probably due to modern media associations of the indigenous with mysticism, which is often contrasted against western empiricism. Yet in our world, indigenous tribes such as the Tsimane in Bolivia can do calculations on base five at much greater sums than their western counterparts, so a uniquely indigenous scientific enlightenment from non-western ways of knowing is quite intriguing. Additionally, there is a mention of 3D printers called ‘gats’ without any details, and such a world changing invention on par with Gutenberg’s printing press needs more explanation, in my opinion. 

I appreciate how the Adanadi (ie superpowers) are made into a cultural ceremonial practice, received at the highest the levels of potency and only at the peak of adolescence. This really makes a striking comparison with western supermen and their individualistic origins and appearance.

Other highlights include the positive religious reaction to exploration, and the All Tribes War for resources during the ice age, which was followed by the current peace. Having this peace threatened by growing tribalism is compelling politics, and once again shows the authors’ intent to present indigenous people as human and not magical noble savages.

The C&C creators are going the hard route in terms of setting, trying to make an internally consistent world that feels very different from our own. I really admire their efforts.

But if the Timeline is an appealing taster that whets one’s appetite for roleplaying in Makasing, the next chapter is a flood of information that some may find awe inspiring, but others may feel a little adrift in.

RETURN TO MAKASING

Because Makasing is comprised of the Americas, it is enormous, and so the authors limit the initial setting to the capital city of Cahokia. Although I am impressed by the scope and ambition of all I have read so far, there are two criticisms I have heard about the book, and they become evident in Chapter 5 as the authors introduce their world via Cahokia at length.

First, people have told me that the book’s organization has issues. I can see this in chapter 5, which introduces the world soup to nuts, from geography to culture to snippets of life to technology and economy, etc etc, leaping from one concept to the next with little warning. In a way, it is a worldwind tour that proves more useful as an inspiration to improvisational Story Guides, rather than as a guide to by-the-book GMs. For those used to gameworld atlases with searchable indexes, this chapter may come as a shock.

(The headings I use below are all my own, and I hope that if there is a Coyote & Crow 2nd edition, a few subheadings or other signposts will be used.)

Second, people have expressed vague disappointment that the technology is just a reskinning of our own, and that our realworld innovations are historic and culturally specific, and so Makasing’s progress should be different. Although I haven’t finished reading the chapter yet (old man, I needed to break it up into two sittings), I am surprised at the vagueness of technological descriptions at this point.

To be blunt, I am totally onboard with a high tech indigenous society. However, I would love to insert existing indigenous technologies, such as the Incan & pre-Columbian stonework that was based on corn kernel distribution. This non-standardized brickwork has resisted time and movement for centuries, and the buildings at Machu Picchu were examined by Japanese scientists after the Kobe earthquake due to their stability and durability. Similarly, Tenochitatlan boasted an intricate yet robust water system, while the Incan civilization used a knot-based writing style that was destroyed during Colonization. Reviving indigenous technologies destroyed or disappeared during Colonialism would have been a nice touch here.

As we shall see, the authors touch on many indigenous technologies, but I feel more could have been done to connect these to lost realworld examples.

DESTINATION CAHOKIA

I was initially a  little surprised at the urban focus, probably due again to western media depictions of indigenous people as nomadic, and the impression that indigenous cities were more of a south American phenomenon. But I decided to give it a chance, and the more I read the more I agree with the authors’ instincts.

Cahokia is detailed as having 2 million inhabitants, making it equal to Houston TX. Defining Cahokia as a sovereign city-state is interesting, and seems pre-industrial in a way, like many fantasy RPG settings. The authors further state, “Cahokia is a sprawling, energetic city, but not a hurried or crowded one.” This differentiates Cahokia from modern cities and their urban sprawl and social decay, and aligns with many utopian fantasy locales.

Again, I consider this depiction of Cahokia as deeply Decolonial. The authors write, “Without the poverty and inequality present in our real world cities, there is not as much petty crime. But that doesn't mean that Cahokia is a safe place or that there aren't dangers. Clashing belief systems, political and spiritual, are always simmering below the surface. There are secrets around every corner and new threats lurking in every shadow.” To me, Cohokia seems like Tokyo from a James Bond movie, safe on the surface but with dangerous depths, and that is precisely how I would run it.

The city map and descriptions are beautiful, both works of art. Once again, there is mention of 3D printers called ‘gats’ but they haven’t been properly introduced so are perplexing. On the other hand, the etymology of Cahokia is interesting, and reflects the loss of original place names under colonialism.

I am glad to see references to comedy clubs and restaurants, but it is a bit perplexing. If there is no colonialism (and capitalism), why is there up and down scale? I guess humans are the same everywhere.

I do appreciate the inclusion of comedy as part of healing, and later food. This helps step outside of the western medical tradition, and reflects the more holistic indigenous view of health and well-being. In our world, several restaurants in the U.S. focus on indigenous cuisine and healing practices, with the most prominent being Owamni by The Sioux Chef in Minneapolis. This restaurant is part of the North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS), a group that emphasizes the revitalization of Native American culture and health via food.

In the description of shops I felt there is a  bit too much focus on what each district offers for sale. For a decolonized indigenous setting, I would add free gardens, pick it yourself fields, etc. This was part of my upbringing in Labrador, filling pails of blueberries and cloudberries in summer, and I would have loved to see guerilla gardening as a staple of Cahokia.

SUYATA (MARSHALS) & SUNDRY

The chapter shifts to a brief mention of Cahokia’s market socialist government and gifting economy, although there is an Economics section later on. The authors detail how there is no owning of land, just individual stewardship based on shared rights and responsibilities, which suits the game perfectly. Next they shift into a brief introduction to governing councils, notably how Council members caught between social good and benefit to their lineage, once again underlining the humanity of this world’s inhabitants.

From there the text introduces Suyata, 10, 000 marshals who go around righting wrongs, which has a very Dogs in the Vineyard feel to it. Citizens have to give two years of social duty (peace corps army style). One interesting tidbit dropped in this section is that the success rate of Adanadi (super powering process) is only 20%, which has produced 400 K supers in total. This means under a quarter of the population of Cahokia has powers, but that only 1 in 200 is on patrol at any given moment.

Basically, Suyata is the indigenous version of One Riot One Ranger, with the Adanadi taking on the mantle of outnumbered agents for the Council.

HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION

Although the previous section introduced Cahokia’s multigenerational homes owned by diverse bands, a detail very in keeping with the indigenous setting, the text next focuses on the architecture of Cahokia. The description of Cahokia as a largely underground city, with its half buried mound homes, is very interesting, and similar to Inuit winter lodges. Ditto the decolonial description of the lack of power grid, which is replaced by self-generating green homes.

This clear picture of Cahokian home life contrasts with the nonchalant reference to flying ‘yutsu’ barges and mini trains. Like the previously mentioned ‘gat’ printers, an explanation of the word and its social significance first would have been nice. Maybe they’re trying to ramp up expectation, but it is just frustrating to hear these key terms and have no idea what they are. Another nice touch is the description of tribal decoration as part of technology. 

More details reinforce both the green tech and socialist nature of Cahokia. Beetles and fish are used to filter waste water, there is no homelessness, and visitors to Cahokia stay with extended family over hotels. In addition, there is a Keynesian freedom from work, and high taxes to support all the communal infrastructure. In other words, SOCIALISM! This is a brave choice for US based authors, where socialism is often used as a slur or bugbear by demagogues trying to protect their exploitative free market system.

At this point, there is a sudden switch to a 3rd person narrative of a woman welcoming visitors for a meal. This would have been less jarring set apart as fiction, but it does its job of emulating the feel of Cahokia life & social interactions well.

AGRICULTURE

Realworld indigenous tech such as The Three Sisters (ie growing corn, beans, and rice together) are finally introduced as cuisine, then agriculture. I really dig the idea of seed exchanges, greenhouses, and trade for ungrowable things as part of the Cahokian food economy. This leads into another big decolonial notion, the lack of lifestyle diseases due to healthy diet. The authors stress the freedom from struggle for sustenance, but also the connection to food and land via social life (ie berry picking). Chefs are also finally introduced as healers.

VERDICT

Overall, I feel this chapter is brimming with innovative, decolonial ideas, but organizing by theme would help the reader be ready for roleplaying better, which is the point after all. Personally, I would rewrite the chapter as a lesson taught by older Suyata to young initiates from all corners of Makasing, who would be brimming with questions as they walk through the city for the first time, kind of a Socratic dialogue that brings readers along for the ride.

Coyote & Crow Review #2

MAKING ALTERNATE TIMELINES

Worldbuilding is tough for anyone, and doubly so when trying to imagine an indigenous world that never was.

The C&C team has done a great job of it.

First, the C&C team set up their world as a divergent history, where a mysterious meteor struck 700 years ago. This came to be known as the Night of the Awis, and marks the start of an alternate timeline to ours. No Europeans ever make it to Makasing, their cognate for North America, and the Awis causes a brief ice age which forces the peoples of the land to band together, but leaves powerful gifts that enhance human abilities. Makasing is thus a wholly indigenous land without capitalist or western cultural influences, and the authors list some of the important differences:

Some other things that don't exist in this world: Alcoholic drinks (alcohol exists, but not as a part of the culture in any relevant format), fossil fuels, culturally embedded shame over nudity and sexuality, wheat and wheat products, industrial meat farming. The list is long. 

The gameworld itself thus acts as a mental exercise in decolonialism, urging the players to imagine a world where none of the destructive ‘innovations’ (ie alcohol, body shaming, and gasoline) exist. I find this very liberating, especially more than the corporate RPG sphere where orcs and other ‘pest’ races have shamans, coding them as primitives fighting against the civilized races of (western) men 

The retreat of the mini ice age’s existential threat poses the twin problems of internal dissent and fear of external unknowns. Facing these twin challenges is where our enhanced heroes come in. In C&C’s world, Colonialism never was, but indigenous peace and prosperity are just as complicated.

This is a converse approach to NUNA, where a mysterious event in our future cuts the region off and forces the Inuit back to the land, where they thrive and lead other peoples in survival. In NUNA, Colonialism happened, but it was just another drop in the river of time and the world is moving on in mysterious ways, with remnants of our time scattered about. Survival is a key theme, as is conflict between the Inuit, Vikings, and Whalers, all of which are futuristic echoes of the region’s history. There is also an alien technology used by the awakened Scientists, as well as supernatural threats from Inuit folklore, and Lovecraftean Ice Leviathans, to keep adventurers on their toes. In NUNA, culture is a superpower, whether it be Inuit knowledge of the land, Whaler knowledge of technology, or Scientist access to weird science.

IT’S A KIND OF MAGIC

Every fantasy gameworld needs its own form of magic, and Coyote & Crow provide a unique origin for theirs.

C&C presents the Gifts of the Adanadi, supernatural powers stemming from the Night of the Awis, which are cultivated and bred, treated as sacred, and linked to animal totems, but rest beyond the knowledge of mundane biology. I appreciate that the authors don’t fall into the trap of trying to scientifically explain their magic and mystery, an all too common tendency that has hobbled other franchises (mitochlorians, anyone?). As the authors put it,

This is also a world where legend meets science. In our world, this is often seen as a battle between right and wrong or good and evil. It is the idea that one has to be fundamentally correct and by necessity, the other wrong. This viewpoint comes primarily from a western European way of thinking. In Coyote & Crow, an advanced piece of science can still have spiritual value. A supernatural experience doesn't have to be dismissed because science doesn't easily explain it. For most folks, the mystical and the logical exist side by side on a daily basis.

I don’t think this will be as hard to accept as the previous decolonial landscape. Modern people are inherently superstitious, they buy lotto tickets despite being broke, blow on dice for luck, and in Japan they purchase lucky charm amulets to pass an exam then board the bullet train to go to the test venue.

By contrast, NUNA has three types of technology that seem magical. First, there is the near future technology that survived the cataclysm and is used by Southern Inuit, Whalers, and Vikings. Second, there is the traditional Inuit knowledge and skills that almost died out in our world after the Moravian missionaries stopped the traditional migratory Inuit lifestyle, then the sedentary lifestyle that prevailed after Labrador joined Canada in 1949. Because of these two events, many Inuit lost touch with traditional practices, and fell prey to lifestyle diseases, but in NUNA they have refound their traditional path. Finally, Scientists access a form of super science that seems like magic or science fiction, and defies traditional logic, and is inspired by retro futurism. These competing ‘magics’ reflect the setting of Labrador as both home of Inuit myths, Cold War DEW line early warning and US Air Force bases, and setting of post apocalyptic fiction like Joh Wyndham’s The Chrysalids.

SUPERPOWERS

Connected to the general magic of a gameworld, heroic characters also need superhuman powers in most RPGs.

C&C introduces the Adanadi as superpowers for its player characters. The pink mark on living organisms left by the Night of the Awis has been incorporated into the indigenous way of knowing, and is used to create heroes. As the authors write, 

Introducing more of the Adanadi into the body at just the right point in adolescence transforms the person permanently, improving them physiologically and sometimes granting them abilities beyond normal human parameters. The choice to take a specific form of the Adanadi, concentrated from a specific animal, became known as choosing your Path. While different nations and tribes have an array of ceremonies and customs surrounding this ritual, they all have many common aspects. 

This is an inversion of the Steve Rogers supersoldier serum of Captain America, where one test subject is transformed from zero to hero so he can go fight in colonial wars. He is the American dream made flesh, a technocratic silver bullet that can fulfill the promise of By contrast, Adnani powers are rooted in indigenous community, tied to nature and traditions.

The closest analogy in NUNA would be the Scientists, whose knowledge comes to them one day and lets them gain access to godlike technomagic powers, at the cost of fealty to unknown forces. For the Inuit of NUNA, their greatest superpower is the deep culturally ingrained knowledge of their land, both its physical and mystical properties. The Vikings cling to pre-cataclysm technology for survival, as do the Whalers, who also add the mystical powers gained from their hunt against the monstrous deep sea Ice Leviathans. This means that NUNA is a grittier land than Masaking, but with flashes of alien magic.

CALL TO ADVENTURE

Finally, players need a good call to adventure in any game, and Makasing has its challenges. As the authors put it,

Now though, with the climate evening out and with nations possessing rapidly advancing technology and the will to use it, the race is on to explore this great new world; to discover new resources and power, to make discoveries for scientific progress, and to meet new people for crafting strategic alliances.

Many now believe that while the change in weather has allowed people to venture out, it might also be opening the door to let things in. And the dangers in this world aren't just external. With a surge in population and an explosion in new technology, old treaties created when the climate was suffering are no longer enough to keep some nations and leaders from looking to expand their advantages over their neighbors. 

This is a refreshing change from the ‘kill them and take their stuff’ ethic of older roleplaying games, and once again is deeply decolonial. Additionally, the inclusion of internal strife and political maneuvering avoids the noble savage trope, and paints the people of Makasing as human and inherently flawed. I see the same complex characterization in the hit anime Frieren, where humans have learned magic to fight against the predatory Demons, but after defeating the Demon King, they now have to deal with infighting and political maneuvering. The only issue with this nuanced setting could be that it presents a high bar for Gamemasters, who are used to the low bar of colonial roleplaying tropes (kill + loot). But I think it is worth the effort.

NUNA presents the twin themes of survival and exploration, with the second often serving the needs of the first. Characters may need to search for a Tunit cave or wrecked Iceship Macguffin to save or heal a community. Thus adventuring in NUNA is a much grittier, pressing affair.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I am thoroughly impressed by the ambition of Coyote & Crow. First, they propose an entire continent of adventure, while in NUNA I limit myself to one large territory. Second, they envision a non-colonial setting and gameplay, something that is a challenge for many of us born and bred in a world where exploration & exploitation are considered heroic traits. Still, I am greatly inspired by their work, and confident I can make NUNA an equally compelling game, even if it is not of the same grandiose size.

Coyote & Crow Review #1

 Coyote & Crow Review # 1

OK, since I am an indigenous game creator it would be a major oversight not to read and play Coyote and Crow, the hit Kickstarter game made by a team of indigenous creators, and which partially inspired my game proposal. The anime inspired cover art kind of threw me at first (22 years in Japan makes me a bit of an art snob), but now that I am reading through it is all making sense.

SETTING

I like the idea of a world without colonialism, but the notion that indigenous people “blossomed technologically” makes me a little sad. Anthropologists who studied the Inuit and Yupik rightly called them the most prolific inventors on the planet. They had a tool for each and every situation. Sun reflecting off the snow and blinding you? They carved badass futuristic looking snow goggles from bone, wood, or ivory.

Badass Inuit Cyclops?

Ditto snow shoes for walking in knee deep snow, many types of ulu knives for different skinning and butchering jobs, komatik for sliding over the snow, intestine parkas to keep you warm and dry, etc etc. In NUNA, this ingenuity of the Inuit is exactly their superpower.

I would say indigenous people were ‘flowering’ in their own right with their adaptation to the land, and even today peoples like the Minto Athabaskan in Alaska have had to advise the government dispatched scientists, whose disconnected scientific domains (biology, chemistry, geology) left them unable to comprehend the ecosystem of the area and the changes the Minto had recorded after centuries living there.

PLAYSTYLE

I like that the authors went into depth with the type of playstyle they expected. They stress that telling a good story is the main objective, something that is huge in indigenous culture and is somewhat lost in the individual western culture reflected in roleplaying. There is an old joke that D&D is a game where Gandalf, Bruce Lee, and Conan band together to save the world, and the implication is that three such heroes cannot possibly be thinking of the group first and themselves second.

I like the C&C advice that just as the players must understand the Who, Why, and How of their character, Story Guides must try to ensure all have a good time. This balance between playing your character truthfully and group enjoyment is the eternal dilemma of our hobby, and grounding it in indigenous culture is just another great part of this game.

DICE

I’ve just read the intro to the dice, which are 12 D12 split into 9 white and 3 black. As a BRP fan I am a little trepidatious about non D100 systems, but the alienness of this set up brings me back to my first RPG days where the whole dice tube was a mystery to me.

Stay tuned for part 2!

Stormbringer redux + Berserk

I just watched THIS video and, as a fan of the manga Berserk for a long time, it has made me ponder applications to Stormbringer.

I consider Kentaro Miura's Berserk saga a spiritual successor to The Eternal Champion in many ways. Gutz is called The Struggler (a moniker that could apply equally to Elric), both wield a giant sword, and Gutz loses a hand and an eye like Corum. In Berserk there is the phenomenon of history repeating itself like ripples, interspersed with the idea of doom & sacrifice, much like Moorcock's Vanishing Tower.

What insights from Berserk can we use in Stormbringer roleplaying? I see two useful takeaways for Saga style play. Groups enjoying pulp adventures in the Young Kingdoms will largely steer clear of gods at any rate - just not worth it.

ONE - Where Invisible Armies Clash By Night

In both Berserk and Elric, we know the names of the godhand / Lords of the Higher worlds. This does not mean we know what they want, or that mortals can hope to rise against them, or that they are inviolate. Just as the video I linked indulges in the fan theories about the Godhand, their origin and fate, and the concept of Causality that makes their victory unavoidable, so too do the gods of the Elric saga remain an inscrutable, irresistible menace that should leave players puzzling.

This gives us three corollaries for running Stormbringer games:

1) Whatever you do plays into their hands.

Elric would have been doomed regardless of whether had he taken Yrkoon's life or not in the Shadow Plane when he acquired Stormbringer. Elric's dream of a demon haunted Imrryr, with Arioch manifested and Cymoril as his bride (a la Tim Curry in Legend) gives us a glimpse of other possible outcomes to the saga. Gamemasters thus have to be ready to improvise at any instant when players (invariably) throw a spanner in the works, but always make the gods come out on top, one way or another.

One exception to this is if player characters commit heresy or try to ursurp a god, in which case they will rightly be sent to hell for their temerity.

2) It takes a god to kill a god.

If the player characters take it into their heads to kill a god, they will need equally strong allies. As noted before, D&D gives stats to gods, implying they are killable. Stormbringer / Elric! doesn't, which means players will have to get creative and roleplay like mad to make useful friends if they want to rub out a cosmic lord. In Moorcock's works, we see Corum 'kill' Arioch (ie banish him from a plane), but he needed the help of the mad immortal Shool (who had stolen some of Arioch's power) and the alien hand of a forgotten god to do so.

The downside (and there should always be one in Stormbringer) is that the new godly ally will likely prove worse than the god they depose.

3) A God Never Truly Dies

Corum may have crushed Arioch's heart, but he never truly killed him. Instead, Arioch exists in different forms on different planes, much like the Lich in Adventure Time. This means that if player characters DO succeed in banishing a god from their home plane, they may have some explaining to do when they meet the deity on another plane, or better yet they will be forced to act when some cult moves to let the exiled god back to the gameworld.

In a way, death is only the beginning for gods. Berserk hints at this with the existence of the previous Godhand, and it will be interesting to see what the Berserk team comes up with on how the older pantheon was deposed.

BONUS QUESTION - What if Arioch & posse were younger gods who replaced an older pantheon? Who were they, what happened, and how could this affect a game?

TWO - Great Power Needs Great Sacrifice

In Berserk, Griffith sacrifices his mercenary army, the Band of the Hawk, to become Femto, an Apostle or basically god of evil. Similarly, Elric ends up sacrificing nearly every companion he has, from Smiorgan Baldhead to Moonglum and Zarzonia (not to mention his entire civilization), but only ends up playing into Arioch and Stormbringer's hands.

Once again, let's take 3 lessons for Stormbringer games.

1) You have to choose to let them in, but you must always pay the cost.

A god will never just give boons without expecting something in return. In too many games, contacting or summoning powerful entities is a one and done with no longterm ramifications. I call this Pokemon summoning, and it is dull.

Instead, summoning any type of entity should make a character beholden to it. Call on  beast lord or elemental? Then expect to be asked to protect the natural world from destruction.

There is never a free lunch.

2) The brand of sacrifice and ghosts of those you sacrifice will ever haunt you.

In games I have run, players have sent NPCs and other PCs to their doom to save their own skin. This is soon laughed off and forgotten, which is really antithetical to Moorcock's works. Instead, sacrificing someone, even a nameless NPC, should weigh on characters.

You could give Elan (allegiance points) every time someone is sacrificed. Also, expect the ghosts to appear and oppose the character whenever they move through a spirit realm. Perhaps sensitive NPCs will shun a character that has lots of skeletons in their closet.

Once again, there is never a free lunch, especially when someone else pays the bill.

3) In the end, you are doomed.

I probably don't need to say this, but becoming an Agent is like becoming a vigilante in Watchmen - no one dies peacefully in their bed. As I noted before, being an Agent should make you a magnet for weirdness and danger, much as the brand of sacrifice does to Gutz.

In game terms, an Agent becomes an easy adventure seed generator - no need to look for a quest or purpose when they come knocking at your door, and your allegiance means you cannot refuse an entreaty.

In Pulp games, this would mean an Agent would best be an NPC to let the PCs keep their autonomy and right of refusal. But if your are running a Saga and everyone is in on the Ride of Doom, this is a feature of the game, not a bug.

BONUS QUESTION - What if we replaced Amulets of allegiance with Brands of sacrifice? Imagine a character with the Sigil of Chaos (or Law) carved into their flesh, bleeding whenever danger approached.

Food for thought.

Summer Mode

Atelihai!

So I have been busy with Real Life but finally getting back to gaming. Currently reading Coyote & Crow with intent to run in in August. Have talked to a local game shop and might test NUNA there in fall.

So, why am I reading and intending to run Coyote & Crow?

C&C is both imposing and inspiring for any indigenous RPG creator. Although the anime style cover art was perplexing at first, reading about their teamwork, then diving into the rules has filled me with determination to get NUNA out into the world.

Reading C&C's disclaimers about gaming as indigenous folk, I can see the decolonizing effect of the game. You either bring your indigenous culture, or just bring respect if you aren't indigenous.

The worldbuilding is also amazing. A world in which colonialism didn't happen is a breath of fresh air, and contrasts with NUNA's post apocalypse where Inuit are back on top. Both are equally compelling.

I have a few players signed up and will be playing online hopefully by the second week of August if I am ready. 

If anyone is interested in joining, please drop me a line and I will add you to the roster.

Observing Frieren + FRPG Inspirations

So...

I am thoroughly enjoying the clips of Frieren that the algorithm has been sending my way, and also devouring Pey's Youtube videos dissecting the storytelling strengths of the anime (good one on foreshadowing HERE). I hope to be getting some Japanese language manga to read later the year.

How would one make a FRPG with as deep storytelling as Frieren?

Two lessons:

1 SLOW IT DOWN

In most FRPGs, characters are going on adventures constantly, either ignoring the gameworld calendar or filling it up with breakneck speed.

How about we flip this? An adventure happens only once every D100 years. Travel either to or from the dungeon or locale takes D12 months. So, exploring a dungeon might take take 2D12 months to get there and return to town, plus however many days are spent exploring it.

Add to that the party's next adventure could take place 30 years later. This means all human characters would be middle aged, while demihumans would be unchanged. You'd have to carry on with the fighter's son or the priest's acolyte instead, adding depth and some wistfulness to the tale.

2 MAKE MEMORIES COUNT

How about if we link any non combat ability to a RITUAL or an OBJECT. Just like Frieren's ring, which reminds her of Himmel and helps her connect to Fern, or Eisen's habit of making big steaks for a character's birthday. In game terms, these could be used to give insights or information, make connections with PCs or NPCs, or give a clue for the next big challenge.

3 FORGET THE RULES

Notice I didn't suggest any ruleset or rule changes. I think these suggestions could be ported into any OSR style game with ease and really deepen the roleplaying experience. Maybe throw in some of those wonderful old Yearly Events table from older editions to spice things up with natural disasters, character sickness, or raises in social status. It would make demihumans worth playing, and make the game closer to its literary inspirations than the video game aesthetics that seem to be dominating the genre.

I'd play it.

Role-playing wisdom and life update

 I’m on my phone so excuse the clunkiness

Here’s a great interview that has hints for game mastering and role-playing and not letting yourself be hemmed in by your original conception.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1977qqERrR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Personal note is I just got certified to teach so big salary bump incoming. Fall courses are lining up, will be teaching Japanese online as well as as a few literature courses face-to-face.

University/college seems to be very close door here in North America so looks like teach school while I work on games.

Looking forward to a regular check again after summer.

T

Tedankhamen's Twist of Fate

Hello!

Let's see...

In January we got turfed out and were living in Air BNBs. Sonny was melting down and I was freaking out.

In February, I got us an apartment in a nice corner of Vancouver. I also got a job as literature teacher at a top French school. Also got sonny ADHD meds and back to school after a year dropped out.

We dodged a bullet and are enjoying life again.

Just enjoying a paid spring vacation and time with my boy.

Hope to get back to writing and gaming soon.

Thanks for reading and sending positive vibes.

Hello Blogger!

 Long time no see!

It has been a busy new year.

The good - I published my novel on Kindle. Paperback & hardcover to follow. If you're into Japanese ghosts, WWII enemies, Shinto exorcists, and all kinds of Tokyo weirdness, give it a read.

BUY IT HERE

The bad - we left Newfoundland and moved to Vancouver on the prompting of a former colleague, but it has been hard getting a job. The teacher credential office won't accept my outer provincial license, so I have had to sic the union on them. I have an interview with an online medical interpretation outfit tomorrow, low pay but any port in a storm and I get to stay home with sonny, whose autism is skyrocketing from the stress. I interviewed at 2 unis but one already denied me. Finger's crossed for the last place

The Ugly - The people who invited us out here to stay and work on a start up kicked us out of the house January 2nd because sonny was sick at night and made noise because his ears hurt. We've been floating around in Air BNBs for 2 weeks now, trying to save money (impossible) while job hunting. At least we have a car.

I have never been this close to homelessness. Especially not with a child.

I've started a Go Fund Me, so if you can help out please do. Link is HERE.

And how has your 2025 gone?

AI Art Apology & NUNA

A few followers of NUNA pointed out what looked like wonky AI fingers in some draft art for the game last year. I was totally flooded with the Kickstarter + work + single fathering, and so didn't pay enough attention.

My apologies. I had told the NUNA team that AI art is unacceptable from the start.

I talked to the artist, who is a graphic designer. He uses Photoshop, which has AI tools and enhancements, some of which are options, some of which were hardbaked in. He finds it harder to do without them year by year. The fine line between photo manipulation and AI art is blurring rapidly.

He apologized and returned the pay I had sent him.

Let me be absolutely clear.

First, I abhor AI art. I hate the way it steals from real artists, and detest the schlocky, canned art products it creates. It is threatening the future of art itself - why work hard to be an artist when with a click you can churn out AI schlock?

Second, for my current RPG project, the Japanese social game Giri-Ninjou, I am making all art myself. By hand. I think this is perfect for a small, indie product.

In fact, I had a HUGE problem finding good artists for NUNA. Especially indigenous ones. Some didn't like RPGs, some didn't get the project. Lots that I saw make amateur or folk art, again, not suitable. My own art looks like 90's first time pen ink RPG art, and pales in comparison to all the professional level Kickstarter RPG art I see. Just look at Coyote & Crow, my inspiration, and you'll know what I mean.

Once again, my apologies, and expect nothing but human made art from me.

PS Living out a suitcase in Vancouver now, but on the trail of some academic work. Wish me luck!