My Rock crushes your Sizzors – Unarmed Combat in RPGs

There is a revered place in folk-lore, popular fiction, and RPGs for the unarmed martial arts and their superiority and uber-effectiveness vs. armed opponents. Typically, this relates to Eastern martial arts such as Kung Fu, Karate, or Geek Kwan Do. Often there is a mystical aspect to this, be it Ki powers or The Force. While I understand all this and from whence it came, I am still confronted with a few relevent fundamental principals, ideas, etc. that I feel come to bear when designing games that will be fun:

1) Swords are better than Fists – In the real world and all things being equal, a swordsman (or otherwise armed fighter) is going to carve an unarmed martial artist into dogmeat 9 times out of 10 (lets not get into the whole FDA, poison dog-food, dead-pet thing….that’s for another more politically-minded blog). That’s the point of using a weapon in the first place. See CrouchingTiger, Hidden Dragon for cinematic example of this….Though there does seem to be a code of “Don’t bring out the bad-ass sword until needed”….i.e., don’t escalate the arms in use unduly in that movie. Let’s not pretend that the unarmed karate guy is going to take out the sword wielding scottsman anytime soon, unless he’s the uber-bomb-diggity, 69th-level Pornstar of Smiting and the sword guy is just a “smelly old scottsman-wannabe with an accent”.

2) Justification is Important to many Gamers – If you want it to be otherwise in your game (e.g., to emulate some particular fiction or whatever), it is necessary to develop a convincing rationale for this. Be it special Ki powers or The Force, there had better be a reason why the fists work as well or better than swords, knives, and axes in any RPG. Many players will demand it….and if I’m that player, it had better not be “Its Eastern, so it’s somehow inherently better than the shit we have over here”. Not that Asia is incapable of superiority in the martial arts arena, but it so so cliche these days. And Inaccurate; There was a flourishing Western Martial Arts until the Renaissance/Enlightenment/etc opened up the eyes of the West to the possibilities of FIREARMS, but then, I digress.

In fact, that’s all I’ve got right now. There’s more rattling around in my head, but I’m not ready to type it out. I’ve got some seriously important shit to do….like watch Crouching Tiger Again. I will likely revisit this topic soon as it is an important HAG item…..an item that has been coming up again and again in Shadows of Reality (SoR) playtests. We’ll get this bit on again.

Peaceout Saturdayers,

~Adaen

 

Indiana Douche and the Temple of Blonde

I have to tell you, that Hot Chicks with Douchebags site is still making me laugh and a lot of people seem to be looking at my original post for it.

<——Here is one of my favorites.

Being a big fan of Indie, I couldn’t help but post this here. I highly recommend you check it out.

The funniness comes mostly from the witty and insightful commentary by the host at HCwDB, DB1.

You, my friend, kick ass. I salute you!

~Adaen of Bridgewater

The Stars Over Mestea

One of my fellow members (Maurice Forester) at the YahooGroup that’s dedicated to the old Bard Games “Atlantean Trilogy” has an excellent writeup for his short ( but sweet) campaign “The Stars Over Mestea” on his website:

It makes for a good read and I personally find it very inspiring in working on my own gaming endeavors. I know, I know; it is pretty geeky reading other people’s campaign write-ups for out-of-print games…. and I’m guilty as charged.

I’m actually hoping to get our own Doc Pazzazzu to post some of his geeky, gaming goodness sometime soon. Now those were some good times in Atlantis, let me tell you. Come-on, Doc. Doesn’t the Lay of Elric, Adaen, & Slash deserve to to be told again?

[uh huh huh huh....Hey, Beavis....he said "Lay"]

HAG System Name – still on the table

I’m still wrestling with this as I write up a more explicit text for the core system. My thought is that the name ought to really say what the system does. It should provide a “High Adventure” feel in the games. Correction, it should increase the “High Adventure” feel. For example, the Grim and Gritty Combat System is very clear in what it does for d20.

The following are extracted from an email I sent my friend and fellow game designer, Dr. Pazzazzu. I’m going to have to sort them out a bit, but all things told, it’s not a bad brainstorm (in blue):

A = Action

High Adventure Game Action System = HAGAS

vs.

I = Integrated

High Adventure Game Integrated System = HAGIS

The main idea is that it is the variable mechanic 3 dice (take the mid resultexept for when a meta-game item is activated, invoked whateveriiiiin which case the high is used for an advantage and the low for a disadvantage).

The default will be 3d20 since this applies well to other systems d20/D&D, 3d6 (HERO, GURPS, etc.), etc. that have a 10.5 average (mid20 maintains this average result). But options for using other dice will be presented for other games (e.g. FUDGE, etc.). There will be an analysis of what using the weighted dice does as a mechanic (compared to other dice methods).

There will also be a section on differing meta-game schema’s such as (bear with me these are just examples):

1) I have a pool of HERO points that refreshes due slowly or based on GM fiat. I can use these points whenever I want, but when they’re gone, they’re gone.

2) I have a pool of HERO points that refreshes every session. I can use them whenever I want and am penalized if I have any left over at the end of the session (either mechanically or via ridicule from the other players)

3) I have a pool of points that must be used towards one of my predefined “character goals/passions/obligations/alignment” whatever. I decide when I want to use them. The GM can also activate metagame items at will…

etc. These are options for use in any game.

The idea is for this to be presented as a new mechanic or a tweek to a game’s existing mechanic for use in D&D/Rolemaster/GURPS RO for new game designs. Aega Mythea will be designed using this HAGIS/HAGAS mechanic. I’d like to keep the reference to haggis (the food item), because it just jives for me. My brother really likes it a lot too. “Aega Mythea…..made with HAGUS…its not just for breakfast anymore!”

Basically, I need to decide for HAGXS….what is the X….and what does it stand for?

HAGIS

HAGAS

HAGUS

HAGES —-nope

HAGOS —-nope

etc. and what it stands for. All will be “High Adventure Game _______ System” in which

A = action, activation, Adaptive, abstract, abstraction, add-on, anima (innerself, soul)

I = integrated, intelligent, Invocation, isometric

U = Unilateral, undulating, ultra-modern, ubiquitous, umbrella, unadulterated, unclean, unfettered, universal, utile, utopian, user-friendly

I’m leaning torward universal, action, activation, or invocation now…..Any thoughts?

RPG Design Patterns

I highly recommend this book by John Kirk for those table-top RPG designers, Gamemasters, and even players who want to understand how the nuts and bolts of the varying design elements can make a game work (or not work) in supporting design goals.

Design Patterns of Successful Role-playing Games

Even if one disagrees with any of the specifics contained within, it definitely can serve as fodder for thought. It has greatly influenced some of the decisions I’ve been making in my own designs.

~Adaen