A Most Metal Roleplaying Games: Stormbringer

As a self professed metal head, and a big time gamer. I know must profess the love of all that is METAL in Roleplaying Games. I want to highlight fantastic games that are truly metal. What makes something metal? Unbridled balls-to-the-wall passion! True metal takes no prisoners and gives no apology. Metal conjures up imagery of the impossible, improbable, and crazy while making it feel true. So I want to highlight games, that I feel are truly metal.

If you want listening recommendations, here is a list: Hammers of Misfortune, Virgin Steele, Cauldron Born, Slough Feg, Dio, Iron Maiden, (early) Manowar, Manilla Road, Hawkwind, Bathory, Candlemass, Cirith Ungol, Mercyful Fate, Richie Blackmoor's Rainbow, Scanner, Voivod. (Bolded come highly recommended for personal reasons)

To start, lets start this first entry with a game from the 80's...

STORMBRINGER

In 1981, Chaosium unleashed a most epic roleplaying game based on Micheal Moorcock's Elric Saga --- Stormbringer! The game was released in a box set (which I am proud to own, it even has the dice!) with a fantastic painting by Frank Brunner on the lid. Frank Brunner's art is gorgeous, and evocative of the epic melodrama of the Elric stories. Brunner provides a majority of the art for the roleplaying game. I am especially found of the cover (to my right), and the Empress of Dawn picture (NSFW there are boobs. Remember when boobs weren't a big deal in gaming? I don't because I'm a younging and grew up in more puritanical times for the hobby).

Elric and heavy metal have a long history together, you got some Blue Oyster Cult songs written by Micheal Moorcock not to mentions Hawkwind's concept album "Chronicles of the Black Sword". So it is no surprise that this game screams out and raises the devil horns mightly above its theoretical head.

From my one session of play (I'd love to play more), I have to say it is the game feels like the art and the songs inspired by the Elric Saga. Stormbringer uses a stripped down form of Basic Roleplaying System, which is found in Call of Cthulhu and Runequest. It features a highly random chargen system which produces some very powerful characters (and the occasional diseased beggar), a gore-soaked combat system (limbs will be lost, weapons lodged into foes), and a sorcerous magic which involves trafficking with demons and the elemental of the world.

Stormbringer is suited for short campaigns, or epic one-shots, which makes it unique for its time. Back then,  games were primarily focused on long campaigns with a focus on character advancement. Stormbringer, not so much, more-likely-than-not you'd start out fairly powerful, and if you had the ability to summon demons...well no task would be insurmountable, if you were willing to pay the price. On top of this, the game master advice focuses on an episodic structure to mimic the books. A game master was advised look at the characters involved and create an adventure to highlight each character, as well as to challenge their abilities.

I have the first edition, and the fourth edition of the game. To be frank, I like the more freewheeling feel of the first edition versus the more "complete" fourth edition. If you can find a copy of Stormbringer, I recommend you pick it up.

Lonely Fun Projects

I've been working a lot recently, and haven't had much/any time to socialize. No gaming, no going out the bars, movies, walking in the park, nothing. Gugh

I've retreated to the lonely fun of scenario design, and rules hacking. I used design small games, but I don't actually like game design, I am fairly happy with the games that exist. Hacking games though, especially to suit a setting is something I have tremendous fun with.

I've been messing with a Burning Dying Earth Magic document, which is going slowly. Mainly, because there isn't a good online encyclopedia for Dying Earth. So as I discover the rules, I'll make them. Yes, it is a very slow process.

On the flipside, I also want to make a more cohesive (something along the lines with the Burning Harn project) Artesia document too. Luckily, I have all the material (except the 3 or 4 issues of Besieged) in print which includes the very detailed roleplaying game. That is more on the back burner.

Then there is a scenario, which will basically require an afternoon, a pot of coffee, and the gusto to finish it. I'll be posting that shortly too.

Yes, all of these revolve around the Burning Wheel. I find myself coming back to it, it is my favorite game and frankly I want to play it very badly. *sigh*

I'm broke

I am honestly legit broke ($14 to my name, all for gas). I work 36 plus hours of fucking nights a week! I don't have time to see people, I have no time for fun....and I'm broke.

Maybe I should've stayed unhappy in Bellingham versus desperate and hungry in Portland.

But...life is exciting now. Bellingham was an unending grey sky. The same melancholy or subdued excitement as the 'hamsters call it, day by day by unending day. Here the sky is ever changing, I am broke and desperate. This makes me hungry, my creative energy is rising, my tongue is yearning to taste all the new experiences I've been looking for. Yet I can not indulge, I must wait. The waiting makes any small taste pure bliss.

Besides being broke means losing weight! No money for beer, or snack foods.

I live in interesting times, and damn it I'm glad something is happening.

The Burning Wheel Gold and Updates

So, I got my numbered copy of Burning Wheel Gold! Weee! I like what I see, and can't wait to dig into some deep actual play....someday. :-)

Also, yep, living the life in Portland, OR! Well...working a lot, at weird hours in Portland.

Its 5:45pm and that means, I shit you not, its time I head to bed.

G'night!

Anxious

I can not wait until tomorrow evening, by then I will know...

- If I have an place to live

- If I have a job

I still am waiting for the call for my job interview with a security contractor in Portland. Sitting in the Powell's Books on Hawthrone, enjoying the local scenery (nudge nudge) and sipping on some coffee.

I know I'll like Portland, and that after I get settled in things will be a lot less hectic. Hell, I'll have Burning Wheel Gold soon and perhaps I'll be doing regular gaming other than D&D and boardgames.

Overall, I just want everything to settle down. I still have things to pack, and I need to load up all my shit into a Uhaul/my car on Sunday (perhaps earlier?).

Nothing to do but try and relax, and enjoy the grey skies.

Moving on up, to the southside!

Life is funny, in a manner of hours your entire perspective can change. I have been looking at moving to Portland the past two months, I found some roommates, and have been looking for a place to live. Today, I get two good bets on future homes. Then, out of nowhere, I get a job offer from a security contractor I applied at last month.

I look at the apartments on Saturday/Sunday. I have a job interview on Monday. Then come hell or high water I move down there the following weekend.

I should get packing.

The Anarchy Burner - Almost Completed Version

The Anarchy Burner
'Tis the year of our lord, 1135. King Henry the First, The King of England, The Ruler of Normandy has passed. His only heir is dead, before King Henry died he had his barons swear to support his daughter, Empress Maude (widow of Emperor Henry the V of the Holy Roman Empire) to be The Lady of the English, Ruler over England.

Upon news of King Henry’s death, his nephew, Stephen of Blois came to London. With him came a legitimate claim to the throne; with the support of barons, and the church he usurped the throne from The Lady. Thus began a civil war, which would last for nineteen winters. This is the Anarchy, a time when Christ and all his Saints slept.

As players, you will be playing nobles from a single house. Before the game, we have the responsibility of fleshing out your houses fief and your character’s relationships with England's various people. While we stock the fires of Anarchy, remember, this game is not about recreating history but about playing in it’s spirit. The game is historical fiction. We use history to provide the context, and the focus; upon which a theme will emerge. Our shared fiction does not have to be bound by the demands of historical accuracy, we can and will change the details to add a dramatic twists and to better suit our story’s needs.

This is a game of tragedy. The tragedy of choice; between one’s personal needs, the needs of kin, the needs of community, and the needs of society. The consequences of your decisions is what will drive the game. Together, we will setup the fuel and the spark, and in play we will watch it smolder, burn to the ground. Leaving nothing but the ashes of the past behind.

Summary of Setup
- Openly talk about ideas, follow the questions, answer and discuss. Build a character concept out of the questions, or say your concept and work with the questions. Remember, this is our story. But also keep in mind, we are playing within a situation and a setting. In that regard, think of the GM as a guide. Who will keep you within the framework.

- The Nail That Sticks Up Is Hammered Down. As a group we must reach consensus, however sometimes one person is not in agreement. The polite thing to do is, modify your desires and bend to the will of the group. I exaggerate, just speak out on why it feels badwrongfun to you. Hell its probably just a miscommunication on my part anyhow.

- No secrets between players, but keep them between characters. Burning Wheel lends an authorial authority to players. We are all creating a story after all.

The Anarchy Burner (Draft)

Preface: This is for my upcoming Burning Wheel/Chronica Feudalis/etc game, I want to run through out the summer. I've drafted this setup document (minus questions, because I plagiarize from the Clan Burner from "Blossoms are Falling") for my group to lookover and setup the game. Give feedback, and ask questions if one desires.

The Anarchy Burner
'Tis the year of our lord, 1135. King Henry the First, The King of England, The Ruler of Normandy has passed. His only son is long dead, before he died he had his barons swear to support his daughter, Empress Maude (widow of Emperor Henry the V of the Holy Roman Empire) to be his sole heir, The Lady of the English.

Upon news of King Henry’s death, his nephew, Stephen of Blois came to London. With him came a legitimate claim to the throne; with the support of barons, and the church he usurped the throne from The Lady. Thus began a civil war, which would last for nineteen winters. This is the Anarchy, a time when Christ and all his Saints slept.

As players, you are playing nobles from a single house. You will be tasked with fleshing out your fief and your relationships with England's various people. This is game is not about recreating history but about playing in the spirit of history. Its a game of historical fiction, we use history to provide context, and focus upon a theme which emerges from our interactions with it. Our shared fiction does not have to be bound by the demands of historical accuracy, we can flub with the details, maybe deliberately to add a dramatic twist or two.

This is also, a game of tragedy. The tragedy of choice, between one’s personal needs, the needs of kin, the needs of community, and the needs of society at large. The consequences of choice is what will drive the game. Together we will setup the fuel and the spark, and in play we will watch it smolder, burn out. Leaving nothing but the ashes of the past.

Summary of Setup
- Openly talk about ideas during play, follow the questions, answer and discuss. Remember, this is our game. Consensus is a must, however as GM I will ensure the game stays along the theme. Think of me as a guide, I will keep you within the boundaries to ensure the game remains consistent with itself.
- Openly discuss character concepts during creation. DO NOT SET ANYTHING IN STONE! They can change, morph as we play. Feel free to make characters who don’t like each other, or who support one another.
- No secrets between players, but keep them between characters. The games I run, will reward this authorial level of play.

Musings on middle earth...*stream of thought ranting*

I miss The Cimmerian, the single greatest fantasy literature blog I have ever read. I recommend going through its archives, the quality of articles is fairly good through-out. Today, I'd like to talk about how middle-earth shaped how I viewed fantasy. Also these entries from THE BARBARIANS OF MIDDLE-EARTH were the catalyst to such thoughts.

I like Tolkien, quite a lot actually. My early readings of Tolkien were untainted by a lot of the fantasy culture (the exception being the Rankin Bass cartoons), hell I was in 2nd grade when I read the Hobbit and tackled Lord of the Rings soon after. The imagery and feel of the blood-stained battles, and the world-weary people of Middle-Earth as seen through my young minds eye has left a very distinct impression.

The images faded with time, an overexposure to fantasy tropes and I was plain getting older. It was years until I seriously returned to Tolkien & I rediscovered the sombre beauty of middle-earth, and the terrible carnage of the wars between the Light & the Dark. The Children of Hurin rekindled my love of high fantasy, and for Prof Tolkien's genre-defining world. I would return to the rest of his works with an open, and more mature eye than I had in the past. His writings weren't fairy tales, in a bright shiny world that certain people would like you to believe (oh, you read this "on campus in the sixties"). Nor wasn't it the overly simplicstic, morality tale, with two-dimesional characters others would lead you to believe (angsty teenagers, pedantic asshats*).

*I completely own being a pedantic asshat, still am at times too.

The works of Tolkien were written in the tradition of sagas, folk tales, and the ancient chronicles. His stories are tragic in nature. They are about mistakes, endings, and new beginnings birthed through pain.. All punctuated with moments of levity, wonder, and romance. His stories are very human at their core, told through a historians eye (with a linguist ear).

But this brings me back to the articles, The Barbarians of Middle Earth. The writings bring for a side of Tolkien's writing that are apparent the those who really read, but seem to be lost on the teeming masses, the humans of Middle Earth were not "white teethed, Knights in Shining fucking Armor saving damsels in distress". By Crom, this glossy view of medieval inspired cultures piss me off. They were the Saxons, the Scottish, the Irish, The Gauls, The Franks, hell the damn Normans! Our ancestors (for white people) were not NICE folk. Yes, they had culture, yes they were probably quiet friendly. But in NO WAY were they bright and shiny, herp-de-derp bullshit gah!

I have no idea where this popular idea of Middle Earth came from...other than campus on the sixties. Then again, I was even a twinkle in my Mom's eye at that point. So maybe I'm off base. No, Middle Earth is even being differently trivialized. Have you seen the myriad of games? Magic that has nothing to do with Valar or Melkor. Orcs are nothing more than icky nasty mooks to be killed, instead of creatures filled with hate who are threats to the people of Middle Earth. Pretty boy elves who ride shields down stairs. Comic relief Scottish Dwarves. Oh, and combat being a relatively bloodless affair with no real consequence. NIPPLE HELMETS! Gah, no one gets Tolkien Elves write. Have you read the Poetic Edda? Fuckers not effeminate or passionless.  They are full of passion, they sing rousing battles hymn, lament the tears of the many fallen. THEY CLIMB MOUND OF BODIES!

I'm an o'erbrimming with da fire and fury. I end without really making a point!

Projects!

Things I'm working on that may (or may not) be posted...

Alternate Artha Rewards for Burning Wheel!

Penny Dreadful: A story game about spotlight hogs monsters destroying scenes.

Swords & Savages: Robert E. Howard inspired historical adventures! Hard men/women who lived hard lives.

Subjectivity in Reward Systems: Less is best!

Games I'd like to run...

My current game is going to die. *blam* I'm working nights. *blam blam* My shifts are 12 hours long. *kick* I work 7 or more nights in a row. *stab* My off nights aren't on game day. *stabity stab* Oh, this will be going on for two months. *bury*

My game is buried alive, I'll exhume the damn thing when I get the chance...but it is as good as dead. So now I can fantasize about what I will run next...


Dogs in the Vineyard: Recently, I found out I am strong Mormon roots on my Mother's side. This fact alone re-sparked my interest in DitV. I would love to run a western with no gonzo elements, also Town Creation would force me to really delve into prep, which is something I avoid doing. 


Poison'd: Its a D. Vincent Baker lovefest! Actually, I would love to see what happens with a full crew of dirty pirates, with players who are more than willing to go that far. Besides I get the chance to be Satan!


Sorcerer: I've ran Sorcerer once, it was a really interesting experience. I played with a bunch of lazy fuckers, who hate making decisions.* Forcing them to do so, really scared the fuck out of them. By far the most effective horror game I ever ran. However, I would love to run Sorcerer from a more interpersonal level (I've ordered Sex & Sorcerer) and really get some good bangs going. 
*I'm not refering to the Sword & Sorcerer game I ran. That was a fucking disaster. 


Summation: Interestingly, each of these games would force me to work on certain GM skills I lack. Yes, I can improvise like a mother fucker, but can I hit upon emotional situations. My issue is this. I see mechanics as the pure source of adversity, instead of creating tense story situations. Where a choice will lead to different outcomes, which will then lead to the use of mechanics. I see mechanics as the means to the end. Oh, you've made a choice! Bam! I'll make it SUPER HARD! Little to no color, players end up feeling like I'm out to screw them over. [This comes from my hardcore Hackmaster background, and my rejection of all things illusionist.]


Anyway, I will not have time to write anything for a long while. (Hell, I'm not editing this post. I don't got time too.) So game with savagery!

Good roleplay, a savage definition. [Ver 1]

Now Justin, you can't say what good roleplay is? Well it turns out I can! 

Good roleplay, a savage definition: You play to the games' premise from an emotionally honest, and consistent center. You abide by the agreed upon rules. You don't squash other people's engagement. This applies to player and GM, who are bound by the social contract of good roleplay. Disagreements with the rules, the premise, or other players should be discussed, and brought to an understanding before play begins/resumes. 

What does this mean...

• You shouldn't play every game the same. Each game wants you to behave differently at the table. You should embrace this, and exploit during play! You'll find that playing different games, in different ways, can be enticing and exciting.
  
• Abide by the agreed upon rules. See that? Agreed upon, that means you can change/ignore rules if you the group agrees too. Don't cheapen the game by violating what has been agreed upon. I will personally kick you in the nether regions.
  
• Everyone is responsible for everyone's enjoyment, and their own. It isn't the player's responsibility, it isn't the GM's responsibility. Basically, orgy rules! If the game isn't your cup of tea, talk about it, adjust your expectations or barring that come back when the game changes.
  
• If you have an issue, bring it up. We should all be civilized enough to discuss our differences. Don't DON'T shun a player because they bring it up during the game.

This is a high-standard, that I often fail to live up to.  Hopefully though, I'll be able to put it into practice more often (and have other people too). I encourage feedback, so we can even further nail down the definition. 

Gotta get out of here.

I have decided. By fall I will either be living in another city (Seattle-area or Portland-area) or I will be visiting a foreign country. I can't stand this town. The only good things are my friends, and they tend to move. There is nothing for me here but a career as a security guard (as I go to school) for the next few years.

I'll have a lot in savings by end of summer, and I'll have worked at my job for over a year. I will be able to swing a move, and if I find a job squeeze by for awhile.

So much for working on my creative projects tonights. Haha.

Voice

I own a lot of roleplaying games. I've read all of them, maybe not in depth, but at least more than a gander (and I've played roughly half of them). The games that are the best to read, and are stronger, in play, have a factor in common. The author(s) have a vision and communicate this through the language of the text, and not just in the fluff but through the book as a whole.

This isn't rocket science from a reader's point-of-view. Would you rather read a 400-page legal manual, that sounds like it was written by a committee? Or a book that has a personal touch to it. However, certain games adopt a voice as appointed by a committee to sell copies (trying to be edgy), or obfuscate the game itself (trying to disguise a body of fiction as a game), sometimes both...I digress. 

Now, what gets Justin all hot-and-bothered, and what leave me cold-and-apathetic [Plinket: Like my dead wife, hah]. I'll give you a nice numbered list of things if no order. 

1. The Writer Gives a Damn!
   I love it when a writer voices his opinion on the game. Please, let me know how you intend for the system to work! I'll give it a shot, I may disagree with you after some play. In the end, all I have really learned is how I like to play and ways to play differently. Play gets dull, if you approach every game the same way. So, show me something I haven't done before. I'll give it an honest shot, I promise.
   
   Note: I'm serious, if you have no passion and show no opinion on play. I'll play it like Burning Wheel, I'm warning you. I will do it!
   
2. Brevity is the Soul of Big Settings
   Every roleplaying game has a setting, you can't play without one. For big settings, which are worlds with details, color, and a history. The best way to write these is be brief enough to plant a seed in my mind, but don't bury the seed into my fucking colon. Provide enough details for a hook, and but don't give all the specifics. Just inform play, and set the boundaries. Don't give me a meta-plot. There is a fine-line between a setting (which SETS up play) and a meta-plot (which drives/shoehorns play along one avenue), learn it and don't cross it.
   
3. Conversational and Active
   My favorite game books are written in a conversational and active voice. Instead a passive, detached which reads like a legal document. I want the author to engage me. I find the games easier to digest, and the book itself holds my interest longer. If its written passively, my eyes tend to glaze over, and I forget important rules.
   
4. Ooooh, we are so edgy. *mini-rant*
   I can tell when a book is trying to be edgy, and when a game itself provocative. There is a distinct difference. For example, Apocalypse World is provocative game. AW has trans/ambiguous as gender options (note: not sex, but gender) and doesn't make a big deal out of it. AW also has sex moves. The game says it, and moves on. It doesn't go "Oh ya, we got fucking! Did you know people fuck! Fuckity fuck fuck!" Apocalypse World handles it maturely, and doesn't make fucking a spectacle.
   
   Note: RPG texts tend to go to extremes when it comes to sex. It is either "Sex! Look! PEOPLE FUCKING! YA!" or "Sex should not be discussed". Fucking nerds.

This sums up some major points, I could go on-and-on for sometime, haha, and I probably will (working nights in 12 hour shifts soon), anyway catch ya'll later.

The Speed of Play

Disclaimer: Wine, no editing, harsh language, and passion ahead.

Speed of Play, how fast does shit take to go down. Whether I am running a game, or playing a game. The fiction must be moving foward, on multiple fronts, with no useless downtime. I want the players to actively driving the story. I don't want silly "lets go shopping", "lets just talk in a bar", "GM scenery/exposition wank", and...wait, let me talk about what I like and how its done.

One game, Burning Empires, makes the kind of scenes I'm refering to a resource. The game also outlines the four types of scenes there are. You have color, interstitial, building, and conflict. Each of these scenes has an explicit purpose in the fiction, and in the mechanics!

Color scenes are sequences that enrich the world, and the characters while providing context for future events in the plot. There are no dice rolling, no conflicts, just beats in the story that color the fiction in.

Interstitial scenes are intimate moments between two (or more characters), by intimate I mean personal. Whether its a simple rely of information, or a conversation outline someones philosophy. Either way, they establish facts known between characters. No rolling, no nothing, just important talk.

Building scenes move the action forward! They build the story in a direct manner. In Burning Empires, this is represented in a die roll of some sort. You of course, use color/interstitial scenes to setup building scenes which in turn are the direct story beats. By direct, I'm talking about players going "No, this is going to happen *roll dice*, these scenes usually flow out of color/building scenes, and are extremely useful in knowing what the players (not characters) feel is important to their story.

Conflict scenes are the climatic moments of fighting, arguing, or what-have-you. I live for these moments! However, they are hollow without the aforementioned scenes. Without color, interstitial, or building, it is just an arbitrary conflict with no investment. Yes, these scenes are important but no more than the others, in fact conflict scenes are dependent upon them. These scenes tell you what the players REALLY care about, what they really want to fight for!

*ahem*

As a player, these are useful tools to keep in mind. Knowing how to focus on what you want out of a scene, and whence you have it. Moving play to the next. As a GM, these are indispensable implicit communication between what the PLAYERS (not characters, they don't exist) want and how to keep them biting, while at the same time being able to challenge them creatively.

Fuck it, perhaps its the wine to heal my horse throat after today's intense session of Apocalypse World. But god damn, I love thinking of scene framing, structures, and goals! I feel the call of Butcher Bay now....

Success!

I moved, my job hours went up, my gaming was canned for a few weeks, and I got sick.

Overall, despite being hectic and crazy. Great success!

Looking for a Room

For the first time in my life I am room-hunting. In the past, I have managed to secure a place to live with friends, and family. This time, no friends have any rooms available, and I do not wish to live with my family again. During this search, I noticed some interesting simularities and an subtle but major difference between job-hunting and room-hunting.

In either hunt, there is the initial prioritizing of what you need, what you can't deal with, followed by a list of wants. When you find a target that fits, you pitch yourself to those in charge, and if your pitch passes, you get an interview.

The subtle difference lies in the interview. In a job interview, you try to sell yourself and how well you would fit in. All the while, looking out for bullshit the employer throws your way. In a roommate interview, you are still trying to sell yourself. However, the renter's are also selling the room to you and how it would (or wouldn't) fit. The potential roommates then begin to sell themselves, and the hunter responds with how they would fit. Each side unveiling a little bit about themselves, and both determine if both parties will fit together.

A most curious difference. I wonder, what if job interviews worked the same way?

Or maybe I am just crazy.

First entry

I have decided to create a personal blog, instead of having a half-assed focused blog (half-assed because I don't have the time to commit), this one is just about...my mind (vain much?). Without further ado, welcome to the Life of a hominid! 'Tis a tale of work, lies, goblins, sex, obsessions, and not-dying.