The Anarchist Gamemaster Cookbook
Well, after almost a week of being down, due to massive server difficulties, the Labs is back up and running. While the Labs was suffering from implosion, I received some interesting emails. One is the following Press Release from Nicolas Logue’s Sinister Adventures:
Announcing The Anarchist Gamemaster Cookbook: Recipes for Games That Don’t Suck
The Anarchist Gamemaster Cookbook
Peer into Nicolas Logue?s demented mind and taste his darkest sanity-shattering gamemaster tricks from a decade teaching theater in NYC, China and London. These forbidden fruits come screaming through the interwebs straight to your home gaming table. For use with any game or system.
Anarchist Gamemaster?s Cookbook is packed full of terrifying advice on gamemastery that Nicolas Logue has never dared share before with man or beast. Secrets that will transform novice gamemasters into towering Gods of Gaming and supply even the most grizzled veteran storytellers with new tricks to slip up their sleeve before the next time the dice hit the table.
What do your favorite movies, books and TV shows have in common? Story, Drama and Action! Don?t let the rules rule you. If story matters then the Anarchist Gamemaster?s Cookbook matters to your game.
Put your humanity at risk with lessons including Improv by the Skin of Your Teeth, Murder Death Kill, Ultimate Climaxes (you know what I mean), Fates Worse Than Death, Soundtracks, Romance, Redemption, God Like Powered Player Characters, Why Dragons Should Always Win and more collected here in one master tome.
- New Twists and Sage Advice on?
- Plot
- Setting
- NPCs
- Villains
- Adventure Design
- Pacing
- Cut Scenes and Fade Outs
- Gripping Backstories
- Hooking the Players
- Spotlighting the PCs
- Improv by the Skin of Your Teeth
- Cinematic Action
- The Art of the One Shot
- Epic Length Campaigns
- Ultimate Climaxes (you know what I mean)
- Motivating Your Players?and Their Characters Too
- Suspense
- Soundtracks for Your Game
- Amnesia
- Nightmares
- Drug Addiction
- Flashbacks
- Fear
- Mind Control
- Romance
- Redemption
- Twists and Turns
- Mysteries
- Noir
- Traps
- Wizard?s Duels Done Right
- God Like Powered Player Characters
- Murder Death Kill!…or?Bringing Combat to Life
- Why Dragons Should Always Win and other Fine Truisms of Good Gamemastery
Besides being a veteran game designer and adventure writer for DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS (3&4), DUNGEON magazine, and PATHFINDER, Nicolas Logue is a Professor of World Theater in London, a full instructor with Dueling Arts International, a produced playwright, award winning stage director, and has taught improvisation and acting all over the world. Anarchist Gamemaster?s Cookbook combines Nicolas Logue?s most potent techniques from over a decade in theatre and his demented weekend RPG ramblings into one very extreme tour de force of gamemastery. A must have for any gamemaster of any system, novice or veteran.
ANARCHIST GAMEMASTER COOKBOOK SHIPS IN MARCH 2010. PURCHASE A PRINT COPY AND GET A PDF FREE. PRINT COPIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR A SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE. ORDER NOW FOR ONLY $16.99
Check out the first preview, You?ve Got the Fear: http://tinyurl.com/ybuen2v/
To join our mailing list, visit: http://tinyurl.com/yd3482h/
For more, please visit: http://sinisteradventures.com/
Thoughts About the Book
I have read a handful of books dedicated to Game Mastering, including:
- Master of the Game by Gary Gygax
- Robin’s Laws of Good Game Mastering by Robin Laws
- 1st Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide
- 2nd Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide
- 3rd Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide
- 3rd Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide II
- 4th Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide
- 4th Edition D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide 2
I’ve even thumbed through Hickman’s X-treme Dungeon Mastering book not mention loads of articles about game mastering in magazines and on the web. So when a new book comes along I always wonder if it has something new to say worth investing my money and time.
I think Mr. Logue’s book might actually provide something I think will be worthwhile: his notes on improv. I believe the ability to improvise during game mastering is the key difference between great GMs and good GMs. So I definitely want to take a look at the Anarchist Gamemaster Cookbook when it releases.
With the XDM, 4e Dungeon Master’s Guide 2, The Anarchist Gamemaster Cookbook, and the upcoming Pathfinder Gamemastery Guide, we appear to be in the Age of Gamemastering.
Geist: The Sin Eaters Preview
Geist: the Sin-Eaters
Geist: the Sin-Eaters is the reimagining of the original World of Darkness game-setting called Wraith: the Oblivion. While the general concept of playing an entity that can operate in both the realm of the dead and the lands of the living are still present along with a smattering of terminology (like caul and [ecto]plasm), that is where the similarity ends. Notice how Geist’s cover has keys, but the old Wraith book had chains and a lock? That is very indicative of the difference between the old and the new.
This is a good thing, because the new setting is pretty damn good in its own right. The Atomic Array was kind enough to give me a pre-release PDF copy of the Geist core book that will hit the shelves during GenCon. I’ve spent about a week reading and skimming the pages, mostly reading the always excellent short fiction pieces that bookend each chapter.
Premise
In Geist, players take on the role of someone who has died, but came back to life. However, it wasn’t without a price. When the character died a Geist, a spirit of the dead, offered a deal to be returned to life if the person also allowed the Geist within them. This gives the character extraordinary powers, but also causes them to truly become someone other than they were as the process merges the two entities.
Every Geist was sensitive to the supernatural before their death, so they are not wholly unprepared. But now they have been given a new lease on life, strange powers, new motivations, the ability to walk in both worlds, and presented with new challenges. How these characters meet these new challenges with the knowledge of death is what a Geist chronicle is all about.
Sin-Eater Template
Geist Promo Pic
Just as with the other settings in the World of Darkness, Geist offers a new template to add to the basic World of Darkness character that provides some unique new traits. You begin by making creating a basic character per the World of Darkness core book, and then apply the template.
Archetype
An Archetype is a more advanced Virtue/Vice mechanic in that if the character would regain Willpower from actions that are in line with those elements, the character would also regain Plasm (the Geist energy trait) in the same fashion.
Additionally, if the character activates a Manifestation (the Geist supernatural powers, similar to Disciplines or Gifts) in a manner that reflects her archetype, then the cost in Plasm to activate the Manifestation is ignored; of course what is in line with a Geist’s Archetype is up to the Storyteller to determine.
New Advantage: Psyche
Psyche is a measure of the strength of the bond between the Bound (the living person) and the Geist. Mechanically it limits the amount of Plasm a character can have and spend and maximum attribute and advantage scores (much like a Vampire’s Blood Potency trait).
Anchors
Geists with powerful Psyches require Anchors to connect them to lands of the living. Destroying anchors can have profound effects on Geists as they lose their connections to living world. It is very much akin to the Fetters of ghosts.
Plasm
Plasm is the fuel that empowers a Sin-eater’s Manifestations and other supernatural abilities (mechanically similar to Blood for a Vampire). Other supernatural abilities include healing and opening Avernian Gates to the underworld.
Synergy
Synergy replaces the standard World of Darkness Morality trait and represents how in tune a Bound is with their Geist. There are of course a new set of “laws” that govern what a “sin” is for Synergy. Example sins include killing other Geists, destroying anchors, and murder.
Merits
Several new Merits make their way into the World of Darkness. The first is Ceremonies, which are just rituals that can be performed to aid a character on his mission. The next Merit is Haunt, which is a refuge for a Geist to restore Plasm or make it easier to cross over into or out of the underworld. The final Merit is Momento, which are powerful relics that serve as foci for supernatural power.
I hope you enjoyed the small preview, check out the book when it hits the shelves this August.
Want to learn more about Geist: The Sin-Eaters? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Geist: The Sin-Eaters (Atomic Array 027)
- Game Cryer: Review by Chris Perrin
- Flames Rising: Deal with the Dead
- Gnome Stew: Running Geist
- RPG Aggression: Rudis Review
- Atomic Array: Free Demo Quickstart
Drop by White Wolf Publishing today!
Listening to: Skinny Puppy - Rabies – Worlock
Super Human Role-playing in the World of Heroes, Archetypes, and Modern Myths
- Gestalt: The Hero Within
Gestalt: The Hero Within is an original campaign world, written by Scott Bennie, for use with either the 5th Edition Hero System or Mutants & Masterminds 2nd Edition (along with the Ultimate Power sourcebook). It is a mammoth book; with the PDF weighing in at just shy of 350 pages and it’s published by Black Wyrm Games.
Many gamers avoid the short stories many game supplements include to set the atmosphere and tone of the game, yet this is usually the first thing I read when evaluating any material. Why? Well it establishes what kind of game the designer(s) was aspiring to create. This is especially true of campaign settings, where the aesthetics are the primary objective of the product. I think Gestalt: The Hero Within hit its mark.
The introductory fiction for Gestalt is titled In Mourning and chronicles the origin of a super called Lament, who is the Gestalt (or archetype) of Eternal Grief. The tale of her origin, dealing with her gestalt abilities, and learning to master them is very graphic and definitely sets the mood for the campaign world. Lament’s story is a hard look at how superhumans (known as gestalts) of Gestalt-Earth are the living embodiment of their archetype.
The world is recommended for experienced GMs and players, and after reading about Lament, I agree. Not because Lament’s origin is rather graphic, but because I feel only mature gamers could take advantage of Gestalt’s true potential as an exploration of the human psyche. Gestalts are the personification of the human condition, and that is where the strength of the material lies. Of course, that being said, a campy style campaign could still probably fit right at home on Gestalt-Earth, I just think it would be under using the material.
Gestalt brings a unique (or at least I haven’t encountered it before) origin for superhuman powers. The source of all gestalt abilities stems from a source called the Gestalt Dimension, which is a realm where the collective minds of humanity generates large amounts of psychic energy. This psychic energy is the power source for all Gestalts, of which there are three types: Pure, Bonded, and Chain.
Pure Gestalts are being spawned completely from the Gestalt Dimension is pure psychic energy contained in purely fabricated forms (usually human). Bonded Gestalts are humans that have merged with psychic entities and serve as the entity’s link to the world. Chain Gestalts are humans created by other Gestalts, are usually controlled by the creating Gestalt. Most gestalts were created during one five Gestalt Waves. These waves of pure psychic energy originated from the Gestalt Dimension and tore through the world creating superhumans in its wake.
The Gestalt world is described as “a serious campaign world with a lot of really dark places, some really light moments, and a lot of genuine weirdness.” It doesn’t focus on any single age of comics (Golden, Silver, etc.), but takes what worked best from each and uses it. Gestalt-Earth is a super-heavy world, but one where many gestalts remain unnoticed (such as the Gestalt of the Perfect Cucumber Salad). There are those that where tights, and those who don’t, and most normal people fade into the background.
Gestalt: The Hero Within includes chapters on character creation, history, new heroes & villains, extraterrestrials, the Gestalt Dimension, Gestalt influence (entertainment, politics, educations, space, space, technology, public opinion, and religion), and even two adventures. If the world of Gestalt sounds interesting to you, I recommend that you head over to Black Wyrm Games and download the Gestalt Player’s Guide for free (it’s under the Extras tab)and take the setting for a test drive.
Want to learn more about Gestalt? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Episode 019: Gestalt
- Game Cryer: Gestalt Review
- Uncle Bear: Gestalt: A Mythic Supers Setting
- All Games Considered: The Hero Within
- A Butterfly Dreaming: The Pieces of Gestalt
- The Bone Scroll: ‘G’ is for Gestalt
Drop by Black Wyrm Games today!
Listening to: Nine Inch Nails- Starfuckers, Inc. – The Fragile, Right
gamingMutants&MastermindsHERO Systemrpgroleplayingcomicssuperhero
The RPG Blogosphere Speaks Through the OGT
The Open Game Table
The Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs, Volume 1 released today (March 23, 2009). The OGT collects nearly fifty articles penned last year from over thirty of the RPG blogosphere’s best & brightest. Yours truly wound up with an article (on designing Pantheons) that was selected for inclusion, a feat that both surprises me and bolsters my confidence.
I watched the Open Game Table come together since Jonathan Jacobs, of The Core Mechanic, made the crazy announcement about his intent publish such a compilation. I was involved in the review process, where the reviewers read and scored all the submitted articles (except our own). I must say, the competition was pretty intense, because it was difficult to narrow the submissions down to the few to be selected. I had a great time reading some excellent articles that I missed and finding blogs I never knew existed!
I was excited to see the fresh art that was being produced for the book from a stable of rising talent and watching the book come together as Jonathan and his retinue of editors chipped away at this masterpiece of creativity. It was a privilege to be asked my humble opinion of how things looked for suggestions to make it better.
I just finished reading my digital copy of The Open Game Table and I am honored to have been included in the anthology, because this is some fantastic material that people are writing about. The book provides a lot of articles on everything from mechanics to gaming advice to history, and much of the quality is on par with what you would expect from a major publisher (yet these authors are doing it for the love of the game!).
While a lot of the content is driven by 4th Edition Dungeon & Dragons, most of the material can be applied to other formats. I totally recommend that you grab a copy today! Here is a list of the table of contents:
- Play Style
- Game Play
- Characters & Players
- Monsters & NPCs
- Encounters, Settings, and Locations
- Adventure Design
- Campaign Setting Design
- Classes, Action, and Equipment
- RPG History & Commentary
- The RPG Toolbox
The Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Blogs
You can find The Open Game Table at the following retailers:
Indie Press Revolutions (coming soon!)
Listening to: Static X- Shadow Zone – Destroy All
gamingD&Dd20rpgroleplayingOpen Game Tableblogging
Fierce Advice from a Kobold on Magic Item Design
Kobold Guide to Game Design, Vol. II
Open Call has closed for the 2009 RPG Superstarcontest hosted by Paizo. I am sure that many contestants are beginning to question the quality of their entries and probably wish they had a look at Kobold Quarterly’s [Open Design] The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II: How to Pitch, Playtest, & Publish before they submitted their magic items.
I happened to have the opportunity to review a chapter from The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II and was very interested to see what one of the RPG Superstar judges had to say about the design of a magic item. The chapter I was able to get a sneak peak at was entitled “How NOT to Design a Magic Item.”
I want to give a brief overview of the book before I leak some of the nuggets of magic item design wisdom. The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II: How to Pitch, Playtest, & Publish is a 96 page the sequel to the first volume that compiled “advice from Wolfgang Baur, Ed Greenwood, and Nicolas Logue on how to think about different genres, how to improve your game as a DM, how to make a setting come alive, and how to use design compression to strengthen your work. ” [1]
Volume two is authored by Wolfgang Baur and Nicolas Logue and promises to help game designers in the areas of freelance, playtesting, and publishing. Its table of contents lists the following chapters (some of which have also been reviewed by the RPG blogosphere):
- Fortunate Accidents
- Lessons from Playtest
- Talent Won’t Save You
- Design Guidelines: Playtesting
- The Infinite Onion: Creating Play Depth
- Promises, Promises: The Art of the Pitch
- Challenge and Response
- The Mystery of Mysteries
- The Magic Bullet for Publication
- Maps, Monsters, and Bottom-Up Design
- How NOT to Design a Magic Item
- Design That Matters
The chapter is fairly short, weighing in at a mere five pages, but the advice is sound and points out some things that a burgeoning designer may not take into consideration. The chapter is written from the perspective of designing a competitive item for any contest, whether its for the RPG Superstar, design tests for industry jobs, or submissions to magazines.
The chapter starts out with the easiest way to destroy your chances, not meeting the format. When narrowing the field of entries, the easiest method is trashing all the ones that don’t comply to the format. It could be the greatest item ever created, but no one will know because the judges simply skipped it because of formatting. Format includes the system guidelines, spelling, and grammar.
I do not want to give away all the advice, but the other topics covered include boring item, spells in a can, swiss army knives, breaking class abilities, the gozo factor, the numbers game, and flavor. If you plan on doing freelance work, or you plan on winning next year’s RPG Superstar contest, I suggest you consider picking up The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II: How to Pitch, Playtest, & Publish.
Want to read more about The Kobold Guide to Game Design, Volume II? Read on…
- Kobold Quarterly
- Capturing Fantasy
- Chgowiz’s Old Guy RPG Blog
- Critical-Hits
- Musings of the Chatty DM
- The Core Mechanic
- UncleBear
[1] Kobold Quarterly Announcement
