NUNA Lore change

So rewriting NUNA now.

I had originally set it 500 years after the fall. That is a LONG time and no technology would still function.

Going to bring it down to under 100. Just a few generations after the fall, old tech still holding on.

Also, baddies will not only include Inuit and Viking folklore monsters, sea monsters for the Riggers, and mad science / cosmic horror entities, but also (drumroll) CAPITALISM!

Specifically, the inevitable result of our prime minister opening up Labrador's rivers for hydroelectric power and resources both mineral and animal for sale to billionaires worldwide. Although I had hinted at this in the Quickstart, going to lean into it for the final game.

As Sheeran found out, art must speak to power. RPGs as a hobby started about playing heroes fighting to make the world a better place. From Red Markets to Paranoia, some of the best games have this as a central tenet.

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, but 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. Double these prices, if buying a herbal healing concoction to take with you. 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.

We're Only Making Plans For NUNA

Hullo,

As you may have heard, I am now the indigenous artist in residence at Kwantlen Polytehnic here in Vancouver.

This is what an artist wears to the first day of work. I think.

After years of working on my game alone while juggling a dayjob and single fatherhood, it is a relief to have access to great creative young minds who want to collaborate with me and a vindication of my artistic choices.

Thanks to YOU readers for all the support! You kept me going.

So what is the plan?

As an artist, I plan to learn the biz (tax breaks, government grants, networking and events) while retraining myself in art technically (starting digital watercolors now).

As a game designer, NUNA needs a rewrite to make it simpler and more appealing, then relaunch on Kickstarter at year's end.

As an academic, I am happy to step away from the grind of teaching. Also nice to be an artist on campus rather than academic or professor as Canadian higher ed has been DECIMATED by cuts in international student enrollment and positions are still being axed left and right.

Otherwise, going to get myself back in shape by daily exercise (calisthenics and martial arts), practice art and writing daily, and give workshops on my interests at the university.

Here are the topics I suggested:

Escaping the Dungeon - Roleplaying games as decolonial practice and space for the arts vs corporate money sink.

Creating Labrador - The imaginarium of The Big Land in literature and art

AlternNative Visions - The anticolonial and  postcolonial worlds of Coyote & Crow and NUNA RPG

What I Learned From (failing) Kickstarter - Crowdfunding for Creatives

Blogging here will slow down as I immerse myself in giving NUNA a true sendoff into the world.

Nekkumek!

PS Sonny is quitting school again, so that complicates things but no big deal. I was raised in my Nan's kitchen as she painted, and I found one of her paintings on the wall of the Ambassador's Residence for the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo. I can do no worse than she did.

Also, an an indigenous person I know exactly how jarring our colonial education system can be and that it has little relation to my son's learning and growth.

Pits of Mars

 I read this absolute banger of early Moorcock today.

Well worth the read, I'll have to read the previous two books.

As ever, here is my Good, Bad, and Ugly.

GOOD

Here we see the prototype of Moorcock's soulsearching champion. Kane regrets killing others (which he also does a LOT of), sees the humanity even in captors, enemies, and the insane or sick, and has a very philosophical view of human nature and behaviour. Unlike Elric, he is optimistic and wary of the 'magic' of ancient technology.

BAD

Not so much bad as meh, but Moorcock is still finding his feet describing action. The melees are vague, and he will focus on a detail, such as a stinging cut on the arm that has to be bandaged later and seems to portend it is infected or worse, but which goes nowhere. Contrast this to the economy of description of fights in Hawkmoon and Elric and you can see he is cutting his teeth.

UGLY

There are a few references to notions of 'man and woman' that are outdated and could be taken as misogynist. I prefer to think they are just mistakes of a young man, and considering the catwoman heroine, and that Kane's wife is just as intelligent and valued in the council of nobles, and this can be forgiven.

VERDICT

Definitely add it to your collection if you are a Moorcock fan. I'll have to pick up the previous entries in the series, and maybe actually read Jon Carter at some point.

Le BIG NEWS

I will be starting an artist's residency at a university here in Vancouver next month. Focus is indigenous roleplaying and art.

No more teaching juggling work & family then squeezing in time for games. Producing the full version of NUNA and art for it will be my focus for 6 months. As well as building community and learning the trade.

I am so happy.

Thanks for coming along for the ride.

BIG News Coming

Exciting things are coming.

In the meanwhile, here is a great video on writing and producing an RPG.

Video is HERE.

The Truth of Being A Paid Gamemaster

When we were young, we used to dream of doing gamemaster as a job. For the past year, I have run paid sessions of NUNA and Coyote & Crow at a big game store here in Vancouver. I was slated to run Stormbringer 1E today, but not enough people signed up.

So instead,  I thought I'd share my experiences of being paid to run a roleplaying game.

First thing you need to know is...

It's Not For The Money

Unless you have a corporate retreat or team building gig, you won't support yourself GMing for cash. My hourly rate is just above minimum wage and less than half of what I make teaching. Even if you could get a higher rate, it would be difficult to cobble together enough hours to support yourself. And like teaching or counselling, interacting with people at work is an exhausting experience because...

You Are Always Dealing With Baggage

Paying customers bring LOTS of baggage to games. I have had players ask to get a free success after a few failed rolls, or to have me let them be the hero. Some have only played one system, and some have never played at all. Others have their beloved system and find it hard switching to another game. I've had people fake rolls, use the wrong dice, etc etc. That said, I have had a ton more positive experiences than negative. But still, these little hiccups are part and parcel of the experience, and something you will have to deal with calmly. Other important abilities you will need are...

Preparation & Improvisation Skill

As with friend gaming circles, preparation and improvisation are huge drains on time and energy. I prepare a situation, then let the players come in and trash it. I am not stuck on one solution to a problem, and both accept interesting player solutions while coaxing them away from useless or disruptive courses of action. I also minimize my preparation by streamlining NPC or monster stats, and having a guide to relative strengths so I can ad lib encounters. This lets me be very improvisational in ways that respond to player choices and which guide the adventure to a satisfying conclusion in the 3.5 hour session time limit. I think response to my style has been positive, but even still...

Cancellations Happen

I was supposed to run Stormbringer 1E today, but only a few people signed up. I offered the session 2 weeks ago, which is a bit short, and with the end of summer people are probably preferring to spend time at home before work and school starts up again. So between the season, popularity of a game, and personal preferences, there are a lot of reasons a game might be cancelled. My NUNA and Coyote & Crow filled up super quick, so I see my games as more of a way of...

Building Community

It has been VERY nice to meet players interested in indigenous gaming, and people who bring their best performance to the table. I think this shows also what games or styles are likely to get more people to sign up here in Vancouver. Stormbringer is just too niche and Eurocentric, probably. But in general, I regard paid GMing as...

A Growing Need

Paid gamemaster is like being a video game tester. Someone needs to go to the corner of level 3 and jump 25 times to see if there is a bug, so let's pay an intern to do it until they get sick and quit. (I know a game designer how did this and it sounds terrible indeed) Paid GM is not that bad, but it is not a cakewalk either.

I think there are 2 markets where you have a good chance of getting steady work. The first is naturally running D&D 5E. I don't know what the game itself is like, but it is a marketing juggernaut that many have been programmed to believe represents the hobby. I see lots of stores and programs looking for DMs, so if that is your bag and you have the interest and ability, you should look into it if you live in an urban center that has stores or spaces that support such an activity.

The other would be running new, indie, or community oriented (ie LGBTQ) games for a cult audience. I think you would enjoy yourself more and meet a gamut of interesting folks, so the money would just be gravy.

Anyway, paid GM is no longer fantasy, so contact your FLGS or put up flyers and best of luck!

My Plans

With school and work impending, I don't think I'll run more than a game a season. I am slowly getting Giri-Ninjou ready for (hopefully) Kickstarter in November, so definitely run that in a store if I can. Lots of Asians and weebs here in Vancouver, so wish me all the luck I wish you.

All Art Aspires To The Condition Of Muzak

The title of this post comes from the last instalment in the Cornelius Quartet. As a lad, I started Moorcock by reading Elric (naturally), but finding the Jerry Cornelius books in university blew my mind and set me on the path to an MA in English.

If you haven't read them, you should. I need to order and reread them myself.

The fourth book (which won the 1977 Guardian fiction prize) follows Jerry through a shattered and surreal London as he searches for his sister/lover Catherine. The book is a trippy exploration of identity, and Jerry takes on a Harlequin persona to forward his plans. It reminds me a lot of Thomas Pynchon's work, unsurprising as Moorcock published Pynchon's early work, the story 'Entropy' (ahem), in New Worlds. Both authors share a tendency to question authority, a fascination with breakdown, and a subversion of non-literary genres into post-modern works of great depth.

Little did I know at the time, but Moorcock was actually referencing Walter Pater's 1873 opus The Renaissance, and its assertion that 'all art aspires to the condition of music.' To Pater, music was the ideal art form because it annihilated the divide between object & form, collapsed narrative for pure abstraction, and directly pushed listener's emotional buttons. Oscar Wilde was inspired by Pater, and Schopenhauer agreed that music is purer due to it being non-representational.

Of course, later critics have noted that this kind of ranking of arts has lots of issues.

So how are we to parse Moorcock's modification of the question?

First, the metaphor of art as music implies that it trends upwards to a pure form. Pure art, pure emotion as one sits listening in a salon, theatre, or sitting room. This, Pater argues, is both what the artist should aspire to, and the direction in which art naturally trends in the face of intensifying modernity.

By contrast, art as muzak implies a downward trend to a base, commodified form, good only for passing time in an elevator or NHS office. It makes me think of the Blue Harvest parody of Star Wars, where the elevator scene in the Death Star (TM) is extended and accompanied by an Imperial March that trades the militaristic drums and sinister brass for a syncopated, bouncy vibraphone bossa nova version, complete with bubble popping sounds.

So, what does this imply about Moorcock's work, and the forces of art in general?

First, Moorcock's oeuvres in fantasy have become 'muzak' versions of themselves, as evidenced in such derivative works as Game of Thrones and The Witcher, two series that I tried and failed to get interested in. The experience reminded me of when Dan Brown's simplistic DaVinci Code became all the rage, and I could only shake my head at how such a pale imitation of Eco's Foucault's Pendulum could eclipse the original. Ditto Harry Potter's fantasy slop eclipsing A Wizard of Earthsea and The Books of Magic (not to mention gaffing its name from Troll 2).

Second, all art now aspires to background status. Films are shorter and more bombastic, music lyrics have become simple and repetitive, and art is now mass produced prints. I saw this first in Japan, which is always ahead of the curve in social change, a cultural canary in the coal mine. When I arrived in the 90's, my fellow foreigners and I marvelled at how Japanese friends would put on a movie then walk around cooking, doing laundry, and talking on the phone as it played. Meanwhile, we outsiders all sat enraptured.

Now I see the same change here in Canada. When I went to see The Backrooms recently, I was also privy to an endless drama from the cellphone of the patron sitting beside me.

In a word, art is aspiring to entropy. This is only increasing as AI replaces creativity with endless pastiche, social media whittles our attention spans down from hours to minutes, and platforms for books and music push only the safest, anodyne works.

However, all is not lost.

There are spaces where amazing Indie books like This Is How You Lose The Time War and music like The Mountain Goats are trumpeted. More and more, it is not the art or artists themselves who are choosing the baser forms, but instead the corporate platforms that decide what the popular works are based on their algorithm. 

But there is a resistance. Sierra Ferrell is singlehandedly reinvigorating American music with her Heavy Petal tour and moving country music back to Hank Williams levels of poetry after decades of cold beer and MAGA petulance.

(Yes I respect country music. Moorcock lives in Texas, REH did as well. Don't come for me.)

Hell, I remember when Moorcock was in every Chapters I visited, now they are rare finds.

We see this in rpgs with the how the marketing wizards for the supposed World's Most Popular RPG has helped it eclipse other games, becoming a synonym for TRPGs to the media and newcomers. But there are greater games out there, Bluebeard's Wife and Mork Borg and Mothership and Coyote & Crow and an endless embarrassment of indie or small press riches that go largely unnoticed on itch.io and Drive Thru RPG.

They are all waiting for you to find them.

With NUNA and Giri-Ninjou, I will aspire to the condition of music.

Thanks for all the support. NUNA is now 3/5 of the way to Bronze.

Sleep beckons...

Giri-Ninjou Sneak Peek - Trigger Warning

In recent years, RPGs have become very accommodating and safe for everyone.

My design philosophy for Giri-Ninjou is the exact opposite.

It is a game about the ugly side of being Japanese.

Your actions are restricted.

No one can be trusted.

It'll probably end in Death, Dishonor, or at best Enlightenment.

But you'll have to wade through a river of blood to get where you are going.

Great Thoughts on Running Games

Andy at Breakfast in the Ruins gives some great wisdom on running games, the perfect system, and keeping things rolling as a GM.

Podcast is HERE.

Getting Around NUNA

 

Map by Dave Paddon, who is working to preserve the old knowledge of Labrador.

Atelihai!

In traditional roleplaying games, travel to and from destinations is usually handwaived, and does not vary much throughout the seasons. In Lord of the Rings, the ringbearers decided to walk across the whole land and only vary due to a magical snow and windstorm they deem too dangerous.

In NUNA we call this type of weather a normal Tuesday.

In pre-modern Labrador, all travel from when the snow fell in late October to April was done by dogsled. Whether you were delivering mail or taking people to a hospital, it was the only way to go as the ocean was battered by winter storms and the land was covered in snow over your head.

I am working on the Travel systems for Nuna now and found the above map of pre-aviation dogsled routes. People back then were built different, and the effort and skill needed to complete the mailroutes by dogsled back then was nothing short of superhuman.

Here is the message of the OP:

"Hello in the Big Land. 

I made up this map a few years ago mostly based on Them Days (gistory magazine). It shows the dogteam mail routes prior to air travel and I have been thinking a bit about the mail carriers and the unimaginable hardships they went through. I know that Sam Lyall was 8 days from Burwell to Hebron to get the mail and then 30 days getting back!

There are other stories for sure and I would like to collect a few and maybe put them in a recitation. Or at least post them on pages like this one.

If you had an ancestor who was a dogteam mail carrier and you know of a story or incident they experienced while on the job maybe you could write me a paragraph and send it on Messenger. It could be serious or funny or anything really. For instance, one of Henry John Williams' descendants told me he once dumped off a load of catalogues as the going was to soft for all the weight!

I think these guys deserve some recognition."

Stormbringer Redux #32 1E Character Generation + Vancouver Game + Nuna Sales Report

I have been asked to run a Stormbringer 1E game here at a game store in Vancouver, so I will be fulfilling my aim of working through the old game before the new ones come out.

If you are in Vancouver and want to play, link is HERE.

Here is the blurb:

"This year, both Free League AND Goodman Games have announced their own Stormbringer games, based on the writings of Michael Moorcock.

To celebrate this impending revival of Moorcockean gaming, Theodore Bonnah (aka Tedankhamen), winner of the 2024 BRP Game Design Contest, will be running a Stormbringer RPG retrospective using the original Chaosium D100 system. The system is known for its lethality and dangerous demon summoning magic, as well as gonzo character generation."

My first task was to Moorcockify the old Tower of Yrkath Florn adventure in the 1E rules, which is both unfinished and a lackluster dungeon crawl. Instead, it is now a decidedly weird adventure that portends upon the fate and eventual doom of The Young Kingdoms.

Should be a lark!

My second task in prepping for this game was to codify character generation, even though I will be rolling characters in advance.

Without further ado, here is my guide to chargen for the old Stormbringer game.

Stormbringer Chargen Redux

So, I’ve wanted to sit down and codify the changes I’ve made that streamline the old Stormbringer character generation process, incorporate attributes more, put together all the rules spread throughout the rulebook, and give more options that smooth out the ‘hopeless characters’ or perceived racial inequality via player agency. These changes should be empowering and fun.

STEP ONE – NATIONALITY
Ah the much maligned Nationality Table. Roll as usual but ignore the old attribute bonuses. Instead, choose one of the descriptors of the Nation (Urban, Rural, or Magical) and apply its bonus to an attribute of your character.

Urban gives +1D4 to either INT or CHA
Rural gives +1D4 to either STR, CON, or DEX
Magical gives +1D4 to either SIZ or POW

For instance, if you roll a Melnibonean (Urban and Magical), you can choose +1D4 to either INT or CHA for dwelling in Imrryr, or +1D4 to POW or SIZ for being in Chaotic Melnibone.

Melnibone (Urban, Magical)
Pan Tang (Urban, Rural, Magical)
Myrrhn (Rural, Magical)
Dharijor (Urban, Rural)
Jharkor (Urban, Rural)
Tarkesh (Urban, Rural)
Vilmir (Urban, Rural)
Ilmiora (Urban, Rural, Magical)
Nadsokor (Urban, Magical)
Weeping Waste (Rural)
Elwher (Urban, Rural, Magical)
Island of Purple Towns (Urban)
Argimiliar (Urban, Rural, Magical)
Pikarayd (Urban, Rural, Magical)
Lormyr (Urban, Rural)
Filkhar (Urban, Rural)
Oin (Rural, Magical)
Yu (Rural)
Org (Rural, Magical)

NB For Religion, any roll of ‘none’ should be considered a unique deity, such as a Beast Lord, a demigod, an alien entity, etc.

STEP TWO - ROLL ATTRIBUTES & CALCULATE ATTRIBUTE BONUS POOL
Roll 3D6 for the seven characteristics (STR, CON, SIZ, DEX, INT, POW, CHA) down the line. Next, for every roll of 7 or under, roll an extra D6 and note the sum of these extra rolls as a pool. (After rolling your Profession, you distribute these points to increase attributes and make your character fit the profession better via higher skills. Maximum attribute for starting characters is 20.)

STEP THREE - PROFESSION & STARTING SKILLS
Roll as usual then calculate skill levels as below.
NB Don’t forget to use your pool of attribute bonuses to make your character fit their Profession better. Hint – look at major skills and increase the attributes that determine them.

WARRIOR
First weapon Attack DEX x 5%, Parry STR x 5%
Second weapon Attack DEX x 4%, Parry STR x 4%
Third weapon Attack DEX x 3%, Parry STR x 3%
Make a Luck roll (POW x 5%). If you succeed you are Calvary and get Ride at STR x 6%, if you fail you have Ride at STR x 3%.
Gear is 3 weapons of choice & suitable armor,
Starting purse is INT x D100 in LB.
Income if hired is INT x 1 LB per day. Jobs include Soldier, Mercenary, Guardsman, etc.

If INT and DEX add up to 32, is also an Assassin.

(ASSASSIN)
Poison Lore INT x 3%, Search INT x 3%, Move Quietly DEX x 5%, HIDE DEX x 4%
Ambush DEX x 5%, Listen INT x 5%
Gear is one Poison of choice.
Starting purse is INT x 1D20 LB.
Income is INT x 100LB per target, but punishable by death if caught.

MERCHANT
(Choose wandering Trader or Shopkeeper in a named city of their nation)
Weapon of choice Attack DEX x 4%, Parry STR x 4% (reduced to x2% if Shopkeeper)
Read & Write Common INT x 7%
Persuasion CHA x 5%
Credit CHA x 4%
Evaluate Treasure INT x8%
Gear is one weapon of choice, non metal armor, and a donkey for Traders. Shopkeepers have a tiny stand and a young lackey with a broom.
Starting purse is INT x 5D100 LB (double if a Shopkeeper).
Income is INT x 5 LB per day if a Trader on a caravan or sailing expedition, INT x 1 LB per day working in a shop in a city.

If INT is 16+ INT and POW add up to 32, the Merchant has a 50% chance of being a  Sorcerer, and can start magical studies if they find a teacher or school.

 

SAILOR

If INT is 16+, character is a Captain. If 12-15, a Mate. Otherwise, they are just a Sailor.

Weapon of choice Attack DEX x 4%, Parry STR x 4%
Swim STR x 5%
Tie Knot DEX x 7%
Climb STR x 4%
Balance INT x 5%
Navigation at INT x 8% (Captain), x5% (Mate), x2% (Sailor)
Gear is weapon of choice. Captains get a small sailing ship, such as a sloop or catamaran.
Starting purse is 10D20 x INT for Captains, 5D20 x INT for Mates, and 1D20 x INT LB for Sailors.
Income is INT x 10 per day for Captains, INT x 5 per day for Mates, and INT x 1 per day for Sailors as Merchant Marines or Pirates etc.

 

HUNTER
Weapon Attack DEX x 3%, Parry STR x 3% (NB: Man-killer weapons are forbidden ex. battle ax, greatsword, Lormyrian ax, sea ax, heavy mace, or Filkharian pike)
Self Bow Attack DEX x 3%
Set Trap DEX x 5%
Ambush DEX x 5%
Track INT x 5%
Blacksmith INT x 2%
Gear is starting weapon & bow plus 12 arrows
Starting purse is 1D100LB
Income is INT x 1LB per day as guide, gameskeeper, scout etc.

 

FARMER (limited to farm implements such as hatchet, scythe, hayfork etc)

Cudgel Attack DEX x 3%, Parry STR x 3%

Small ax Attack DEX x 2%, Parry STR x 2%

Spear Attack DEX x 2%, Parry STR x 2%

Blacksmith INT x 2%

Track INT x 2%

Plant Lore INT x 2%

Gear is cudgel and hatchet

Starting purse is INT x 1D20 LB

Income is INT x 1LB per day as gardener, herbalist, groundskeeper etc

PRIEST

(Roll POW + CHA/10 on 1D100, success means you are a High Priest)
NB Literate - If any other languages are learned later, Read/Write includes Speaking.

Dagger Attack DEX x 3%, Parry STR x 3%

Read/Write Common at INT x 8%
Read/Write Low Melnibonean at INT x 6%
Read/Write High Melnibonean at INT x 6%
NB Literate - If any other languages are learned later, Read/Write includes Speaking.

Plant Lore INT x 4%
First Aid INT x 4%
Persuade CHA x 3%
Credit CHA x 3%

Gear is a dagger.

Starting purse is 5D100 LB, gets renewed per month at temple.
Starting Elan is 2D6.

Income is INT x 5 per day if Priest, x 10 if High Priest.

NOBLE

NB - De facto leader of any group, if multiple higher INT is leader.
If INT 13+, roll again on Class Background for second class. If Noble again, 1D6+1 people between them and the throne.
NB Literate - If any other languages are learned later, Read/Write includes Speaking.

First weapon Attack DEX x 4%, Parry STR x 4%
Second weapon Attack DEX x 2%, Parry STR x 2%
Credit at CHA x 4%
Gear is weapons and armour of choice, plus 1D6 hawks.
Starting purse is 100 x 1D100 LB, also has property worth 10,000 x 1D100 LB.
Income is INT x 100 per day as Commander (if also Warrior), or INT x 50 if Courtier, Magistrate, etc.

THIEF (no large weapons like Lormyrian ax, Filkharian pike, the lance, greatsword as first weapon)
Weapon of choice Attack DEX x 4%, Parry DEX x 4%
Dagger Attack DEX x 5%, Parry STR x 5%

Read/Write Common Tongue at INT x 3%

Climb at STR x 1D10%

Conceal DEX x 1D10%
Jump STR x 1D10%
Pick Lock DEX x 1D10%
Listen INT x 1D10%
See INT x 1D10%

Search INT x 1D10%
Move Quietly DEX x 5%

Cut Purse DEX x1D10%

Evaluate Treasure INT x 5%
Gear is a dagger, 1 weapon of choice, and lockpicks
Starting purse is 5D20 LB

Income is INT x 2 LB per day as Robber, Scout, Spy, etc.

BEGGAR

Roll on Afflictions table.
NB: When buying additional weapon skills, Beggars have to pay TWO skill points.

Any weapon Attack DEX x 1% Parry STR x 1% plus 1% per extra Beggar in the group.

Persuade CHA x 6%
See INT x 6%
Search INT x 3%
Pick Lock DEX x 5%
Gear is bowl and affliction gear (ie blindfold, crutch etc).
Starting Purse is 1D6 LB.
Income is INT x 1 LB per day as Lookout, Spy, etc.

CRAFTSMAN (Gets +3 to DEX)

NB Must choose speciality (Blacksmith, Armorer, Weaponsmith, Leatherworker, Bowyer, Fletcher, Weaver, Jewelsmith, Carpenter, Rope maker, Shipwright, Tailor, Cartographer, etc)

Weapon of choice Attack DEX x 1D10%, Parry STR x 1D10%

Craft INT x 7%

Gear is tools and weapon of choice.

Starting purse is INT x 1D100 LB. Has an atelier in a city of choice.

Income is INT x 3 per day of work, INT x 6 if jeweller or goldsmith.

(SORCERER)

Sorcery Skill INT x 3%

Sorcery Rank 

1st (INT + POW = 32) Can summon one type of elemental.

2nd (INT + POW = 36) Can summon two types of elemental, one type of demon.

3rd (INT + POW = 40) Can summon three types of elementals, and three types of demon. 

Can try summoning 1 Elemental Ruler if near the element.

4th (INT + POW = 44) Can summon all types of elementals, and five types of demons. 

Can attempt to summon two Elemental Lords, and if Melnibonean, one Beast Lord.

5th (INT + POW = 48) Can summon any elemental or demon type. 

Can summon any Elemental Ruler, plus any one Lord of Law or Chaos if ceremonies performed & entity is willing. If Melnibonean, can summon three Beast Lords

DEFAULT SKILLS

For non-profession skills, base percentage is usually appropriate attribute x 1%, except for Dodge which is DEX x 2%. If the skill description is 0%, like for foreign languages or extra-planar skills, the character cannot attempt them until trained.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

Roll 2D6+2. This is a pool of improvement points that can be used to increase a skill’s modifier by 1 per point spent. For example, if you want to improve your Dodge (usually DEX x 2%), if you use 2 improvement points to increase your skill to DEX x 4%.

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NUNA Quickstart is now 3/5 of the way to Bronze medal on Drive Thru RPG. Thanks to everyone who dropped a few coins in support. If you haven't downloaded a copy yet, or want to share the word, the link is below or HERE.

60 page Quickstart $1.99

https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/product/575172/NUNA-Rpg-Quickstart