Thoughts On Horror & Terror In Games

I just saw (and LOVED) the Resident Evil movie. It is making me think about horror in RPGs.

What do I mean by horror? And what is terror? And how does tension fit in?

As literary critic Devendra Varma summarized, if terror is the smell of death in an old house, horror is stumbling over the savaged corpse. Terror is thus affective, emotional response, how your imagination runs wild at the thought of what you'll find, versus the horror of actually finding the blood and gore and the physical reactions of shock they entail. Between these two, Tension is the anticipation or stress between feeling terror and finding the horror, and amplifies the shock.

For example, in the Resident Evil movie (SPOILERS), when the protagonist moves through a winnebago blocking a tunnel, there is a burst of terror when a washroom door rattles and a plaintive female voice whispers "Help me..." from the other side. There is a splash of horror when we see that it is a mutated girl hiding, which shifts to unease then mounting horror as the hero sees to what extent she is infected.

Emulating horror is tough in movies, and is equally a sticky wicket in RPGs. From my Call of Cthulhu, Ravenloft, and CHILL experience, I can say games do horror passably well, but often lose the plot with terror.

D&D  

Old D&D (up to 2E) did horror well enough. Hit points were low and only the DM had read the monster manual, so there was palpable terror and tension with what you would find in the dungeon and what they would do to you. Creatures like green slime also embodied the horror as they were not only revolting in description, their ultimate horror was that they could infect you and turn you into one of them. The fear of the unknown and fear of death were the pillars of OD&D horror.

The last time I played was a 4E game, and the game had 0 tension in the fight after fight we were dragged through and the 4 page character sheet of kewl powers I had to evade any sense of danger.

As I discussed on the Breakfast in the Ruins podcast, the real horror of OD&D was level drain, a purely existential dread considering level advancement was the impetus of gaming back then. The fact that newer editions have nerfed this threat points to their prioritizing heroism over horror.

Call of Cthulhu

Like D&D, CoC has the low hitpoints and strange creatures that hardwire in the fear of death. Yet the main horror is the unkillable nature of the enemies, in keeping with the source material. Yes, you can get a bazooka and destroy Cthulhu, but in 24 hours he just coalesces again, and some power mad or just plain mad humans will help him. That said, lots of my games have been closer to black comedy as the easy of death and futility of fighting cosmic forces kick in.

Dead of Night

DoN Starts out like a trad RPG with its stats, but its Survival Points and Tension score take it off the rails into darker territory. Survival Points bring you closer to death as they are spent, while Tension warps the world as it builds up. Having Survival Points as basically spendable hit points really works to build tension and terror from player actions instead of GM fiat. The game is rules light and built to emulate horror genre films.

Ten Candles

This game is fittingly described as 'tragic horror.' You sit in a darkened room, each player having a candle before them, which goes out if their character dies. Character creation is shared between players and partially randomized, and this ceding of power contributes to the fear of the unknown and loss of control over who you play. Ditto the enemy, which is also randomized between player suggestions, so you never know what is coming. Finally, control of the narrative switches between the GM and players depending on dice rolls, amping up helplessness and the terror that accompanies it.

There are elements of LARP and gothic horror here, and they work well.

Dread

Like Ten Candles, this game externalizes the terror to a physical mechanic, in this case Jenga. Also like Ten Candles, it is rules light and focuses on minimal characterization so as not to distract from the game or make overcompetent / unkillable characters. The use of Jenga hardwires tension into the game, but can be derailed if players are too good or bad at taking blocks. Neither Dread nor Ten Candles are suited for longterm play, which is in keeping with a game where death is always at your elbow.

Conclusion

In traditional games, horror was based on fear of death and disempowerment of heroic characters. In more modern horror games, players cede power to create flawed everyday characters, while games have added externalities that either reflect the atmosphere or mechanically create tension.

I have no intent on making a horror game, but the above considerations are useful to any horror fans who want to.

Stormbringer Redux #33 - Elric On Drugs

(This article is one of the backlog that piled up when I went off on a much needed vacation. As I slowly get back into blogging and prep for fall semester, I'll be working my way through these in addition to more NUNA, game design, Coyote & Crow, and Stormbringer posts)

I just watched this amazing video about how medieval pharmacology was the engine of knighthood.

And it got me to thinking, doing drugs is a HUGE part of Elric's (pre-Stormbringer) life (and Moorcock's youthful writing practice). That said, every Stormbringer game I have played in or run never gets around to using drugs in any meaningful way. Heck, D&D has more of a reliance on potions than old Stormbringer.

So let's dive into Elric on Drugs, and see if we can't figure out how to juice it up! As always, I'll flesh out the rules based on what is there already, extend it to match the source material, emphasize themes such as addiction and the price of power in this case, and make easily-implementable suggestions that don't overbalance the game.

Let's go!

Imagine the mic is a sword
and that's my head canon Elric

ELRIC'S LUST FOR LIFE

From my long past readings of the Elric books, my biggest recollections of drug use are first and foremost the albino's daily need of drugs to survive, and his helplessness without them. My second recollection is of Elric avoiding the Noidel berries on Imrryr, which drive one 'blind then slowly mad.' Last, there is Elric and Moonglum's infamous partying while taking the Elixer of Invulnerability. Past the original books, in Fortress of the Pearl, Elric is tricked into taking a poison that revives him but will ultimately kill him unless he completes a task to get the antidote. Then there is Stormbringer itself, a potent metaphor for addiction, as Oona from The Pearl intimates.

With these in the back of our mind,  let's dive deep into drugs in the Stormbringer rules.

FUN THINGS WITH DRUGS PART ONE - ELRIC'S POISON CABINET

The rulebook does give us the basics of drug creation, but as usual details are scattered throughout the skill section with a lot of handwaiving. Let's put it all together.

Poison Lore [4.8.8]

Buying Poisons - The Poison Lore skill can be used to see if a merchant has the right poison to sell. A bit meta but poorly thought out - sellers don't appear because you have a high skill. Later on it states that large cities have apothecaries, with a natural 20 on D20 being a Poison Master (or just use POW x 1% Luck roll as I dislike arbitrary rolls).

Costs - No costs are listed (of course), but let's use a baseline of 100LB per level of poison. Moreover, people and city officials are likely to look dimly upon a poisoner in their midst (especially levels 2 and 5), so characters using poison openly should be targeted by the authorities. Also, a Demon or Virtue of Knowledge used by the authorities should be able to track down any successful poisoner.

Conditioned Immunity - Poisoners can also get immunity to poison after a time if they prepare in advance. No details given. I'd rule you can only do one poison type at a time, and can't adventure or exert oneself while doing so. Immunity takes a year to build and dissipates after a fortnight I'd say.

Learning Poisons - Poison Lore can't be learned from XP, only taught by other characters or Demons of Knowledge. I kind of like this, it provides atmospheric adventure seeds. Two players meet and talk, learn 0-9% off each other after talking for an hour (I would prefer a day, and limit the gain to the percentage the teaching character has. If you only have Poison Lore 5%, that is the max someone can get off you).

Knowing Poisons & Antidotes - The rules are a bit vague, bit you can recognize and make an antidote if you have the right level for the poison. Make a roll if you don't for a Hail Mary play.

Antidotes - Max skill % is 200 due to Antidotes, skill is halved when researching or making them, 00 is ALWAYS a fumble. Yes, poison, like magic, should always have a chance of failure.

Poison Classes - Once again, the information is scattered throughout the section, so let's put it all in one place. Note that ALL classes can be either one of PAINLESS or PAINFUL. Painful poisons reduce ALL skills and physical attributes by half as they work.

Level 1 (01-20) Instant Damage. Antidote BEFORE poison. Considering how low HP are, these seem a tad high.

Level 2 (21-40) Slow Death. Antidote AFTER poison. No natural immunity.

Level 3 (41-60) Paralysis or Unconsciousness. Natural Immunity possible (CON x1% roll). Antidote AFTER poison.

Level 4 (61-80) Fake Illness. Natural Immunity possible (CON x1% roll). Antidote AFTER poison, Master must have 120% skill. Healing plants don't work. Needs more details, so roll on following:

 1 Nausea (lose balance, DEX and related skills at half) 2 Shakes (can't use hands) 3 Blindness 4 Deafness 5 Amnesia 6 Weakness (STR reduced to half)

Level 5 (81-00) Instant Death. Antidote BEFORE poison, Master must have 120% skill. No natural immunity.

Ambiguity # 1 - The rules state there is no natural immunity for 2 and 5 (death), but there are for 3 and 4 (paralysis or sickness). What about 1? I'd say yes as those damages can be high.

Ambiguity # 2 - How is poison delivered? Syringes are not a thing in The Young Kingdom (unless Jerry Cornelius arrives with his needle gun), so there are two methods.

Oral - The poison is put in food or drink. The imbiber has a chance of a Taste roll (minimum is INT x 1% unless skill points have been used) to notice the taste and stop drinking or eating.

Weapons - Poison can only be applied to small cutting weapons (daggers, darts at 1D4 damage), and last only 1 hour before dissipating. Only one application can be done at a time, and if a weapon does 1 HP of damage the poison is delivered and must be reapplied.

FUN THINGS WITH DRUGS PART TWO - PLANTS OF THE YOUNG KINGDOMS

Turning to Plant Lore [4.8.9], again we have the bones of a useful system with a lot of handwaiving and incomplete ideas. Let's build it up a bit.

Buying & Costs - There is even less in this section than the Poisons section. No costs are listed (of course). Foraging is usually done for free, but a Hunter could be hired for INT x 2LB per day to provide food in the wilderness. Apothecaries and merchants everywhere would definitely sell poisons, healing, and cures (levels 3, 5, and 6). Poisons are as previous section, 100LB per level, and frowned upon by authorities. Sorcerous herbs are usually sold by wizards or apothecaries in Chaotic lands for 400LB per use, highly illegal in Lawful lands (double price). Healing is usually administered by Priests of the temple for a donation of 25 LB for minor, and 50 or more LB for major, and 100 LB or more for a cure. Stimulant potions or magical elixers are costly, so a flat 1000LB per potion and 1500LB per elixer. Moreover, Lawful people and city officials are likely to look dimly upon a brewer of potions or elixers in their midst (levels 9 and 10), so characters using potions openly should be targeted by the authorities. Stimulants would be limited to Nobles or High Priests in all lands, while Elixers (9-10) would be limited to Nobles and High Priests in Chaotic lands, both due to cost and the need to protect their power.

Learning Plants - As Poisons.

Right from the start the rules tell us we can recognize plants and their effects, but actual use is restricted to 10 levels. 

1 Recognition (01-10) General knowledge of plants.

2 Foraging (11-20) Basically can feed oneself if edible plants are available, I'd add that on a roll you can feed 1D4 others but must spend the day foraging. This could save a party trapped in the wilderness.

3 Poisons (21-30) Helps you recognize poisonous plants, plus gives you a free 10% in Poison Lore.

4 Sorcery (31-40) Effectively a stealth rule that you can't do demon summoning without getting these herbs and burning them. I would also allow it to give 10% in Sorcery skill, so learning Plant Lore becomes a gateway to magic.

5 Minor Healing (41-50) Helps you make a weak healing poultice (1D6 HP after 1D6 hours). Let's clarify this is for minor wounds incurred by combat or accident (falling, fire, etc).

6  Serious Healing (51-60) Allows you to make a stronger healing potion (2D6 HP after 2D6 hours), useful against wounds, poison, and disease. Note doesn't cure poison per se, just lets you outheal it.

7 Cures (61-70) Find plants to cure infections & disease in 1D6 days. Good as an adventure seed 

8 Mind Altering (71-80) Allows you to make hallucinogens, emotion-affecting drugs, aphrodisiacs, hate-agents etc.

9 Stimulants (81-90)  Allows you to make a potion that increases or decreases a single attribute by 1D20 for 2D6 hours.

10 Potions & Elixers (91-00) See below.

Addiction (NEW!) Since Elric's addiction to drugs then Stormbringer is a major theme of the books, this should be reflected in the game. For Plant Lore levels 8-9 (Mind Altering drugs and Stimulants), there is a POW x 5% chance of resisting addiction whenever these are taken, and the modifier for this chance is reduced by 1 each time the drug is used in a week. If a character fails to resist, they are addicted and cannot function without the drug. I leave details up to you.

NB - I may flesh out poison and drug details at some point, but for now I leave as is and suggest GMs craft effects that reflect the themes of Stormbringer.

MAGIC POTIONS ARE US

It is somewhat disappointing that the only genuine magic potion we get is the Elixer of Invulnerability, but since it comes straight from the novels, this can be forgiven. However, players and GMs demand more from a game, so let's just take new Elixers from [5.7.1.4 Special Demon Abilities], which already includes Invulnerability, and add 2 for fun. Remember, these all only last 1D6 hours, but are great ways to power up PCs to fight Elric level cosmic baddies or multiple groups of smaller foes who may just surrender if overpowered.

There are limitations. First, you cannot take more than 1 elixer at a time, as that power is too much for mortals. Also, only one a day to reflect human fragility and preserve game balance.

List of Elixers

1 Invisibility - Half chance to be hit, double surprise chance, ie Ambush roll I suppose

2 Life Drain - Soul Leech sounds better, sucks 1D6 POW from a foe in combat if a POW vs POW roll is successful. This is added as temporary POW to the Leech, so useful for Sorcerers or those needing high POW to fight off spectral attacks. Extra POW dissipates when used or by 1 a day till gone, does not increase actual POW attribute, as that would be OP

3 Strength Drain - Vampire sounds better, sucks 1D6 STR from a foe in combat if a POW vs POW roll is successful. This is added as temporary STR to the Vampire, so useful for Warriors or those needing high STR to do more damage, also may reduce the foe's damage bonus. Extra STR dissipates  by 1 a day till gone, does not increase actual STR attribute, as that would be OP

4 Regeneration - Regains 1D6 HP per turn, very useful and in keeping with fantasy literature

5 Fear - Intimidation sounds better. If POW vs POW is won, foes in combat cower in fear. The POW roll is only ONCE per target and you must make eye contact, so a good limitation and useful when outnumbered

6 Sleep - If POW vs POW is won, foe falls into a slumber for 1D6 hours. The POW roll is only ONCE per foe you make eye contact with, so a good limitation and useful when outnumbered

7 Invulnerability - Original rules state they ignore ALL physical damage, but magical weapons do half damage. Let's change this to the 20 points of armor of Demon abilities, normal weapons have 50% change to break when hitting the drinker, magic & demon weapons do half damage against them

8 Acid - Instead, change to Flame Form. Drinker is wreathed in flames that does no harm them, but does an extra 1D6 fire damage to any foe they hit, plus 1D6 per round to any foe in close combat (short weapons or grappling).

9 Speed - Gets first and last attack in any round, cannot be caught if chased

10 Teleport - Teleports 50 ft in one direction once per turn in addition to their normal attack. Can still be hit by missiles and melees if in range

11 Transformation - The drinker turns into an animal. INT and POW remain the same but everything else is rerolled. More fun if the animal is random. 1 tiger 2 great ape 3 bear 4 eagle 5 6 7 8

12 Intangibility - The drinker can only be hit by magical weapons, but cannot do physical damage unless holding a magical weapon. Can pass through non-magical walls, so good for escape or dungeoneering / scouting / spying.

MYSTICAL HERBS & WHERE TO FIND THEM

Finally, the availability & location of materials is handwaived in the rules, so let's nail it down a bit.

Poisons - Exist just about everywhere in The Young Kingdoms, like on Earth, but grow more readily in Chaotic nations (+5% to find) and especially ruined lands (+10%, Forest of Troos, Melnibone, The Silent Lands, Sorcerer's Isle, The Marshes of Mist, The Sighing Desert, R'lin K'ren A'a and Jungle Lands, etc).

Healing herbs - Exist just about everywhere in The Young Kingdoms, like on Earth, but grow more readily in Lawful or Balanced nations (+5% to find) or sacred lands (+10%, ie Tanelorn, Myshella's castle grounds, Myrrhn, etc).

Sorcery & stimulant plants - In all Chaotic nations (no bonus) and ruined lands (+5%).

Elixer ingredients - In ruined lands only (no bonus).

Foraging - For every day spent foraging to the exclusion of all else, roll on the following.

Critical - Get a double dose of what you search.
Success - Get one dose of what you require.
Failure - No luck, spend another day.
Fumble - No luck, also have an encounter.

SOURCES

https://nat20w.wordpress.com/2022/02/21/rereading-elric-2-1-drugs-are-bad/

NUNA Plans

Hi all,

Busy doing orientations here. After that I have to get to work while pay is flowing.

Week 1 - Turn notes about special rules into complete sections (Community, Culture, Transport, Weather, Shaman Whisperers, Super Science). Delineate between One Shot (as in the Quickstart) and Community Building play styles.

Week 2 - Rewrite the text from old guy prattling on to newer, welcoming text for beginners.

Lots of work but lots of fun.

Cover Sketches for NUNA

I've been working on cover sketches for NUNA. A lot of it has been derivative of other adventure RPGS.

So basically I have started over and am sketching around the themes of NUNA.

The Land

The People

Community

Culture

So, instead of the party mid fray with some beast, I am thinking of a party with an Inuit, a Rigger, and a New Scientist returning to a coastal community

Some issues.

My art skills besides sketching and drafting are fine, but coloring talent is severly atrophied. I am currently relearning watercolors now.

Labrador is hard to draw, Endless forests of trees, white expanses, rocky vistas drowning in sunset flames and blue skies, or shrouded in blowing snow.

Got my work cut out for me.

Style is my natural Bande dessinee / Manga. It is what I know.

Clearing My Workspace

 Just sent off three chapters about the difference between debt morality in Japan and the rest of the world. One of my last academic publications but one that’s paid this time.

Starting tomorrow, my workspace is free of everything except in Nuna. Time to sit down and see what I got, what I need to make, and how to get to the finish line with a full complete game.

Lessons In Art & Life

Not like I am one to give advice, as I have made my share of mistakes in life.

And my biggest success - sonny boy!

But I am REALLY happy with where I am now.

A businessman friend asked me how I maintain focus.

I replied that I don't think focus exists. It is like motivation, an excuse made up NOT to do the thing instead of just sitting down and doing it.

So in case anyone is wondering how I achieve anything (mastering French & Japanese, blackbelt in karate, professor in Japan, BRP design winner, now art resident) here is my unasked for advice.

Do the thing. Do it now.

I lived in Japan 22 years, but also traveled around the world. I remember meeting an old school chum who had read my travel articles about Hawaii, Japan, and Mongolia. He said he'd love to travel to all the places I've been to one day.

I felt sad, looking at him. I was mid 30's at the time, still fit from karate, looking 10 years younger. My friend was the same age but had white hair and a beer belly from his job, 2 kids, 2 cars, a nice house, and a not so nice mortgage. We lost touch after that, and I hope he got some traveling done. But I remembered how hard it was climbing the Great Wall, learning SCUBA in the Red Sea, falling off horses in Mongolia, fending off scammers alone in Rome when young, and I can say that he was not in shape for it physically or family wise. Although family is important, you have to do things for yourself when you can, because the time you can't comes for all of us.

習理破

The above three Chinese characters are often seen in ateliers or dojos in Japan. They mean LEARN (習 SHU) UNDERSTAND (理 RI) and BREAK (破 HA), and I have seen alternate formations of this message. What it means is, to master an art, you first study it until you understand it thoroughly. Once you have done this, you must break the rules and find your own style.

I have studied and played many games, and used that to make Stormbringer Redux. Now, I am breaking out with NUNA, which is very different from other trad RPG games, and prioritizes community and culture over violence and riches. Giri-Ninjou, my RPG of duty and humanity in Edo Japan, will be even more ground-breaking.

Finish it first, fix it later.

Whatever thing you want to learn or make, be ready to suck at it, but just get it done. When I worked in a (disastrous and scammy) start up, they called it the MVP - Minimum Viable Product. NUNA Quickstart was my MVP.

Basically, companies make a product that works (or seems to) at minimum functionality, then go sell it to investors. Too many people I know doing painting or making games are waiting until they have a PERFECT product.

One, this is an impossibly high standard to set for yourself, and usually leads to burnout and abandonment of a creation. Second, while you are waiting on perfect (or avoiding finishing), 12 other people have put out 'good enough' products and are satisfied with that.

Which brings us to my next point...

If you make it, you are a pro.

Imposter syndrome is a HUGE impediment to any artistic pursuit. This is bad in writing especially, where people write books, put them up on KDP or other sites, then call themselves failures and not real writers because no one bought them or they never got a book deal.

Which is total self-defeating BS. If you write or paint or make an RPG, you are a writer, a painter, or an RPG designer.

The only difference is knowing the business, which is the flip side of any creative endeavour. Shakespeare never made up his stories, but instead copied plotlines from classical and contemporary sources. But he was a great promoter, always getting a noble patron to foot the bill for a production, and keeping his folios in print. That is why so much of his work survived, while others around him have disappeared.

Work on yourself, art will follow.

Last, you need to have stamina and a way to relax to succeed at anything. When the Daruma Buddha started teaching in China, his pupils became sick from sitting around meditating or reading too much. Buddha started them on an intense regimen of daily exercise and making healthy temple meals. These practices became the seeds of Shaolin Kungfu.

Just like Daruma, you need balance in your life, to strengthen mind and body for the challenges you set yourself, and the events that you have no control over. I used to do karate, but have switched to calisthenics, aikido, and taichi fan as my body (especially knees) loses some capability. I also learned Japanese hospital cooking to take care of sick inlaws when I lived there, so making healthy and inexpensive meals keeps me in shape to work on my creations and raise my son.

And that's what it is all about isn't it?

Mexico is Crushing It With RPGs

Seems like Mexico has a burgeoning indie RPG scene.

Article is HERE.

Thinking of going there for vacation this year. Might be fun to attend an event.