tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35306197798287503142024-03-08T02:44:48.924-05:00RPG In ProgressThis is a Role Playing Game I promised my son I'd write. We called it the Counting Game, and it is a free pen and paper RPG released under the Creative Commons License as "The Counting Game RPG". Watch as I take this homebrew game and try to turn it into a self-published product!Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-25897186528208942932012-03-12T07:25:00.001-04:002012-03-12T07:25:01.902-04:00Big fan of Lego HeroicaWalking past the games section of Target for the last few years, we<br>had seen the Lego Heroica games and wondered how good they are. For<br>the longest time if we were going to spend money on Lego sets, they<br>would be for the Star Wars or Bionicle figures. Recently my youngest<br>son has been sick and typical guilt-ridden parents that we are catered<br>to his every whim. When he asked for the Lego Heroica sets I<br>reluctantly gave in, still wondering how good could they be.<p>Well I have blown the dust off of my blog to tell you that the Lego<br>Heroica sets are fantastic. They are a very approachable way to get<br>your child interested in Role Playing Games. It is like a classic<br>dungeon crawl but with tiny Lego figures. The rules are very basic<br>and fun. I hope to post more about this later, but I'd say that if<br>you have kids and wanted to have a little Lego-RPG fun then you should<br>get these games.Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-50371946468242756112011-07-26T18:07:00.001-04:002011-07-26T18:22:31.904-04:00Offline GamesEach summer my family goes up to stay with my in-laws for about a month. I don't have that kind of vacation so I usually go up for a week or so and then work the rest of the time.<br />
<br />
This time my kids took their favorite stuffed Pokemon and the latest Pokedex book from Prima publishing ( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Pocket-Pokedex-Vol-3-Official/dp/0307469484?ie=UTF8&tag=rp04c-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969">http://amzn.to/p3Dqdf</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=rp04c-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0307469484" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding: 0px !important" /> ). When they were not actually playing Pokemon on their Gameboys, they came up with a way to play it with their stuffed animals.<br />
<br />
The Pokedex book is very complete and contains the stats from the game for each pokemon as well as the possible moves and the chances each would be successful. My kids took the dice out of a Monopoly game and were rolling for initative and the whole deal. It was a proud moment when my daughter described their game to me on the phone.<br />
<br />
I always am afraid that future generations will never look for games beyond the nearest "app store". For the first time I see that there is less of a distinction for them between video game, board game or RPG -- they are all just fun games. So game designers out there, take heart! The next generation loves games, and a RPG can compete for the attention of even the most connected young mind!Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-43393440630703786852011-02-07T10:33:00.001-05:002011-02-07T10:33:07.141-05:00The big game on sunday: BattletechSo, my oldest son and his friends have discovered Warhammer 40k. I have dished out a lot more money than I care to think about to support his 40k habit. He has an army of Dark Eldar which I have helped him assemble and paint. I am glad for him to have a hobby that involves real people over his previous addiction to Modern Warfare on the XBox.<div> <br></div><div>The problem is that the younger kids would like to relate to their big brother and want to bond with him over his new game. The costs involved with the prospect of my youngest getting an army of Tau and my daughter to start buying Chaos Marines is more than my bank account can bear at this moment.</div> <div><br></div><div>So I offered them an alternative, BattleTech. I have an old basic set from 1993 in the basement. We blew off the dust and started playing. When the superbowl was on in the other room my youngest said "I don't even like football, those people could get hurt." and kept playing.</div> <div><br></div><div>Now I have to track down where to buy the miniatures and hope they are less than Warhammer.</div><div><br></div><div>Did you have any alternative plans over superbowl weekend? </div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-91840604540998037812011-01-31T10:22:00.001-05:002011-01-31T10:22:06.902-05:00Simplified RPG: Example Character Creation.<div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">So this game is intended to be for kids. Now this is after RPG Kids and not intended to copy from the work of NewbieDM (</span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><a href="http://newbiedm.com/" target="_blank">http://newbiedm.com/</a>). I encourage you to run out and buy RPG Kids (and save some money for my game when it is done).</span></div> <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><br></span></div> <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">This is an example of creating a character in the system. The idea is to have the bare minimum elements to support standard combat in a RPG. My RPG style includes much more use of skills than pure crunchy combat, but this game is supposed to be a gateway for a parent or reluctant RPG player to enjoy a game without fully becoming a nerd.</span></div> <div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br> </span></div><div style="margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;background-color:transparent;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Example Character Creation:</span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>As an example, there once was an adventurer named Yorik. He was the orphaned farmhand in Berkshireby. He tended the cows but dreamed of traveling to distant lands and becoming a famous adventurer. Each day he would save his wages and practice fighting moves in the fields. He grew stronger each summer until one day he decided to leave the farm in Berkshireby. He had his life savings with him as he went to town and bought an old wooden buckler shield and a long knife. With shield and knife in hand he was ready to see where the road would take him.</span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>Yorik had started with a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 5, </span></span></span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Attack</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> of 0, and </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Defend</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> of 0</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. He rolled a 3 (1d6) in </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Character Points</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> points to customize his character. Yorik focused on fighting moves, he did not spend as much time working on his defensive moves or even getting much exercise. Yorik moves 2 from </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Move</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and 1 from </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Defend</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> to give him +3 in </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Attack</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and -1 </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Defend</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and 3 </span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Move</span><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></div> <div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; "></span> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span style="white-space:pre-wrap"> </span>Yorik bought the wooden shield and knife with the 3 </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">cp</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. The shield gives him +2 </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. The knife might be nearly a sword, but it is old and dull. The knife has a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 1. His character sheet looks like this:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent;"></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; font-size: 11pt; background-color: transparent;"></span><table style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse; width: 624px; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "> <colgroup><col width="*"><col width="*"></colgroup><tbody><tr style="min-height:0px"><td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Name: Yorik the farmhand of Berkshireby</span></td> <td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Description: Tall, red hair and freckles. Likes to tell stories which start with "One time there was this cow.."</span></td> </tr><tr style="min-height:0px"><td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Attack: +3</span></td> <td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Current: +3</span></td> </tr><tr style="min-height:0px"><td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Defend: -1</span></td> <td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Current: +1</span></td> </tr><tr style="min-height:0px"><td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Move: 3</span></td> <td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Current: 3</span></td> </tr><tr style="min-height:0px"><td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Equipment:</span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Wooden Buckler Shield: +2 Defend</span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Long knife: D:1</span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></td> <td style="border-top-width:1px;border-right-width:1px;border-bottom-width:1px;border-left-width:1px;border-top-style:dotted;border-right-style:dotted;border-bottom-style:dotted;border-left-style:dotted;border-top-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-right-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-bottom-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);border-left-color:rgb(170, 170, 170);vertical-align:top;padding-top:7px;padding-right:7px;padding-bottom:7px;padding-left:7px"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0, 0, 0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span></td> </tr></tbody></table><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; "> As you can tell, the characters are very, very underpowered. This is so that even someone min/maxing a starting character, they still can have a fun time playing the game.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; "> <br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; ">I have most of the rules in place at this point and actually am working on getting art for the game. Once I have the art and layout finalized I hope to make a PDF and post it here.</div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-87280290713829259432010-12-08T19:27:00.001-05:002010-12-08T19:27:54.025-05:00Who needs a distopian future when we have the TSA today?I am still working on my modern cyberpunk game. My setting is the year 2030 when the US is not a world power and lacks freedom and liberty. Due to economic, political and criminal pressures the US, Canada and all of Europe are subject to extreme control.
<br>
<br>As I was working on this setting last year I felt I was looking far into the future but recent events make me think such things are not too far off.
<br>
<br>If you were to tell a air traveler in the 1970s that all flyers would be subject to strip searches they would laugh at you. Now, virtual strip searches are common. There is talk of using the scanners for trains and boat passengers, how far are we from the same scanners anywhere there are metal detectors? Attending a concert or going into a federal building might require a body scan.
<br>
<br>A constant theme in Cyberpunk media is the concept of hackers trying to steal information to make society better. Wikileaks and Gary McKinnon are examples of this theme. Even those who live under a rock are aware of Julian Assange. Like him or not, he represents this hacker idealism. The public and private ways the governments of the world have worked to discredit and silence him would upset the founders of the United States. The back room deals and things the governments do to each other would fly in the face of the idealism of early patriots. Suppressing speech via hacking, political pressure and trumped up criminal charges is move like 1980s Soviet tactics than the actions of a "free" society that values liberty.
<br>
<br>This is not intended to be a political post. Looking to the future, based upon the present trends, I'd be surprised to have more liberty in 2030 than we did in 1990. So, what do you see happening next?Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-43020573850282950392010-11-26T10:25:00.001-05:002010-11-26T10:25:46.906-05:00Thanksgiving tradition: Play a RPG with the family!So this Thanksgiving I have a new obsession. I remember the old days of going to grandma's house for Thanksgiving and after we ate the "men" collapsed on the couch to watch football and the "women" sat and talked in the kitchen. The "kids" played ancient board games in the den, ones like these <a href="http://www.reliablecomics.com/2010/05/lm046/">http://www.reliablecomics.com/2010/05/lm046/</a>. These old days of the turkey, leather and cigarette smoke have me thinking about how cool it would be to have a tradition for my kids at Thanksgiving.<div> <br></div><div>Truthfully, my entire family does not care about football in the least. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and following Dog Show have much more appeal. But those old days? How about the card table in the den or basement with a large grid map on it? Dice and character sheets littering the table and the sound of people having fun accompanying the smell of turkey? I write this, but my day was making the mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes then sitting to eat the turkey followed by everyone sitting and watching television together with a common feeling of illness due to too much food.</div> <div><br></div><div>Wanting something more seems to come after the fact because at the moment my mind was on deciding if I was too full for pumpkin pie. I was not thinking of "Thanksgiving 2010" and the memories I'd make. I was missing an alternate past I had wanted to exist, but not at the time.</div> <div><br></div><div>Next year? I'd like to say I'd have room in my life to pull out a AD&D book with the kids on a card table and folding chairs. Maybe it is something I will do when I am a grandpa and the grandkids come to our house.</div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-50657474405215917642010-11-15T16:34:00.001-05:002010-11-15T16:34:14.721-05:00Latest changes to my simplified game systemNow let me say first, my interest in simplifying my game system predates my knowledge of the fantastic RPG Kids ( <a href="http://newbiedm.com/rpgkids/">http://newbiedm.com/rpgkids/</a> ). It was not my primary goal to create a RPG to play with kids, but I think the need is there. RPG Kids is a great place to start for that, I give NewbieDM the props for his idea. In fact I mandate you all who are under my influence to purchase a copy of his excellent work, should you fail to do so I will regard you as hypocrites to the cause of Independent role playing games.<br> <div><br></div><div>Now that the elephant in the room has been mentioned, it should be of no bother.</div><div><br></div><div>In my last impossibly long post, I pasted the draft of a simplified version of my game system. As I looked at it and ran it past some RPG buddies, I got some valuable feedback and have applied it. Rather than another unreadable control+v of the latest version, here are the highlights:</div> <div><br></div><div>- Attributes: </div><div> In my full game system, learned skill augments natural talent. The learned skill component is time spent with a teacher practicing a skill. The natural talent portion of the skill is the controlling attribute. Skills can be used in contest and non-contest situations. In a non-contest situation you take half the controlling attribute and add the skill, then roll under that with a d20. In a contest situation you use the learned skill and add it to a d20 roll vs your opponent's roll, the highest roll wins the contest.</div> <div> This is a bit heavy for a "simple" system. So I threw out the non-contest rules as this simple system is all about crunchy combat. In the latest draft, there are two skills which are treated as attributes: Attack and Defend. As you take damage, Attack and Defend go down until they are so negative that even the highest roll would be beat by a low roll.</div> <div><br></div><div>- Weapon Ranges:</div><div> In my full game there is a simple formula for calculating the cost of a weapon in character points. But the formula was not simple enough, I wanted a 8 year old to be able to GM a game and following formulas might be beyond them. Another issue was the way I deal with extra effort as well as point blank damage, it was all just too confusing for young newbies.</div> <div> Now in the current draft a weapon's damage is made lower for each square a target is from the attacker. Rather than spending points on a missile weapon's range, they just do a lot of damage up close and less the further away you are.</div> <div><br></div><div>I look forward to more playtesting with my kids as well as making some art for this project. I hope to have a free edition available by Christmas and a more retail oriented version by spring. The biggest problem at this point is coming up with a name for this mess... I am not good at that.</div> <div><br></div><div>If you have an idea for a name or would like to see the latest draft please let me know!</div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-43906852475760023582010-08-23T08:33:00.001-04:002010-08-23T08:33:42.735-04:00Early Draft of "Simplify" RulesSo I will cut and paste a draft of the rules for my light system. The goal was to create rules which would appeal to a video game player with little RPG experience between the ages of 7 to 14. Real "Role Playing" is not possible with the system as well as anything other than pure combat, but it makes for a fun dungeon-crawl type game. It is also intended to be picked up and played for a total game time of one hour, so character creation might take ten minutes and the players can jump into playing immediately. The game is also level-less and XP-less, players are rewarded with treasure enough to increase their attributes 1-2 points per hour of play. The game is not intended for prolonged gaming, so a long campaign would become quite boring as the players become gods (depending on GM generosity).<div> <br></div><div>control+V of draft rules (enjoy!):</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; "> <span id="internal-source-marker_0.13701117597520351" style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The Game:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>A long time ago Role Playing Games were fun and simple. Over time they grew more and more complex. The focus shifted from combat to role-playing. This shift unintentionally made Role Playing Games inaccessible to many potential players.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>This game is a very light version of a modern Role Playing Game. The focus of this game is a classic dungeon crawl where the players fight monsters and creatures to gain power and treasure. This is a pure combat version which has more in common with a video game than role playing game.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>To play this game you will need: players, 6 sided dice (at lest one) and pencils and paper (graph paper is best). The game requires the ability to read and do addition and subtraction. With some assistance a 6 year old could play the game. It was designed to be picked up and played quickly over short gaming sessions.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>In this document character attributes will be in bold font, the use of the lower case "d" following a number indicates rolling the preceding number of dice. For example: 3d indicates to either roll 3 dice or one die 3 times, 1d+2 indicates to roll one die and add 2 to the result. All abbreviations and acronyms will be defined the first time they are used.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">The World:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>In the ancient times of wonder, Wizard-kings took the power of the stars and ruled the world with magic. They ruled entire nations with their spells and magic. In the centuries of their rule great cities were built around their palaces. Great treasure was taken from the depths of the world and wrought into magical items of wonder and beauty. Magical races rose from the very ground to live in all corners of the world.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>After many centuries of peace the Wizard-kings grew mad with power and the age of darkness came. Twisted with age and insanity, these Wizard-kings created armies of magical monsters. They attacked and corrupted the lands with the evils of death and war. The great cities fell, the magical creatures disappeared. Treasures were hidden below the ground in vast labyrinths to protect them from armed invaders and thieves.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Now is the time after the age of darkness, the age of adventure. The Wizard-kings are now fallen. Their power is only in the shadows of forbidden places. The races of creatures that once served the Wizard-kings are now nations. Farmers till the fields, merchants travel and trade with other towns and nations along well-traveled roads and waterways.</span><br> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Adventurers seek fame, power and wealth as they expand the frontiers of nations into the forbidden lands of magic. Where the Wizard-kings used to dwell great treasure is guarded by powerful forces. Evil still hides in low places and in shadows of the old places. Still, the people who seek adventure go out into the forbidden lands hoping to return victorious and wealthy. </span></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">5. Creation</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Character Concept:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>To play the game you must create a character. In this game this process is very simple. The game is all about combat, but that does not prevent you from thinking of your character as an individual. How they look, how they dress, where they are from and how they fight are all important considerations. A character might be a human blacksmith seeking adventure, or a exiled elf who is on a quest to be able to return to his people with honor. The character might be a spy for the goblin king or a mixed-breed half giant who townsfolk consider evil. The character might have been a normal human who changed after contact with a magical artifact and is seeking a cure. The character might be a student of the old ways of magic and is seeking the knowledge hidden ages ago. Let your imagination run wild.</span><br> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Once you have a mental picture of what your character might look like, copy the following on a piece of paper:</span></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><table style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse; "> <tbody><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Name:</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Description:</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack: </span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Current:</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend: </span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Current:</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move: </span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Current:</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Equipment (Weapons/Armor/Spells):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span></td> </tr></tbody></table><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>This will be your character sheet when you play the game. It will contain all the details you need about your character to play the game. It is important to use pencil when using this sheet. In this game details about your character will change and it is no fun to constantly cross out things or use extra paper, the ability to make changes is important.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>To begin using this sheet, you can immediately fill out the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Name</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Description</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of your character. Use any name you wish and make the description enough to help you remember your mental picture of this character.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>On the left side you will see 3 attributes; </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> is your ability to attack and do damage in the game. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> is your ability to avoid attacks in the game. If you have an </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> or </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> above 10 then you get a bonus of 1 per point, below 10 then you get a penalty of 1 per point. For example, an 11 will get you a +1 while a 8 will get you a -2. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> is how far you can run in a turn, roughly it is equal to 3 feet per point. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> both start out at 10 each, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> starts out at 5. </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The points may be moved to different attributes to customize your character. If you imagined a strong warrior who was not fast but very tough then you might make Attack 11 and Defend 10 and Move 4. If you imagined an elf who was fast then you might make Attack 9 Defend 10 and Move 6.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Finally determine equipment you have to start with. Roll 1d for your starting Gold. You may use this gold to purchase equipment, weapons, armor or spell training or you can use it to increase </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> and </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">. Any remaining gold should be written on your character sheet under equipment. If you don't buy a weapon or spell then you are limited to physical attacks like punching or kicking.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The chart below lists common equipment and prices for the equipment. Armor, weapons and spells affect the player's attributes while the item is in use. In the chart a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> stands for Damage and refers to the average amount of damage the item can do. A weapon with a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 3 can do 3 points of damage or 1d can be rolled. In the chart </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">R</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> stands for Range and like move is measured in squares (which are about 3 feet). This is the range a weapon is most effective, to use a weapon out of range you have a penalty of -1to </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> per 2 squares. In the chart </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">AOE </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">stands for Area of Effect and is the number of squares which receive damage when the weapon or spell is used. In the chart </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">ROU</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> stands for Rate of Use and is the number of times per turn the item can be used. A decimal </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">ROU</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> means that the item can't be used every turn, so the player must only defend until the item can be used again.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><table style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse; "> <tbody><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Adventurer's Pack: </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Backpack with Rope, sleeping blanket, flint, tinder, torch, water skin, cooking items.</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">1 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Clothing (cloak, robe, sandals, leggings, etc):</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">1 gold for an outfit</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Very Small Hand Weapon (dagger, bat, etc): </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 1 R: 0</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">1 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Small Hand Weapon (mace, club, knife, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 2 R: 0</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Large Hand Weapon (sword, staff, axe, etc)</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 3 R: 0</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">3 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Thrown Weapon ( throwing knife, dart, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 2 R: 4 ROU: .5</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Large Missile Weapon (Spear, Bow, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 3 R: 10 ROU: .5</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">4 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Light Armor (shield, buckler, leather, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> Defend: +2</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Medium Armor (Mail, Breastplate, shield, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> Defend: +3 </span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">3 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Physical attack (Punch or Kick, etc):</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 1 R: 0 Attack: -1</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">0</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Big Physical attack </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> D: 2 R: 0 Attack: -1 ROU: .5</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">0</span></td> </tr></tbody></table><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If you are a magic user, you can spend points to learn the following spells:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><table style="border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-collapse: collapse; "> <tbody><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Magic Arrow: D: 1 R: 4</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">3 gold </span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Damaging Touch: D: 3 R: 0</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">3 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Flying Fist: D: 2 R: 4</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">4 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Ring of Fire: D: 2 R: 0 AOE: 4 ROU: .5</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">4 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Invisible Armor: Defend: +2</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2 gold</span></td> </tr><tr style="height: 0px; "><td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Eye of the Tiger: Attack: +2</span></td> <td style="border-top-width: 1px; border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width: 1px; border-top-style: dotted; border-right-style: dotted; border-bottom-style: dotted; border-left-style: dotted; border-top-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-right-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); border-left-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); vertical-align: top; padding-top: 7px; padding-right: 7px; padding-bottom: 7px; padding-left: 7px; "> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">2 gold</span></td> </tr></tbody></table><br><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Your character should now be complete and ready for your first adventure. To add fun to the game, be sure you have thought about a good reason why your character is willing to go into the unknown places and face new challenges and possible death. As you will hopefully be playing with other characters, try to be friendly to other players and treat them the way you like to be treated.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">6. Mechanics</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>In this game, there are the players who have characters of their own and play together to achieve victory. There is also a Game Master who understands the rules of the game and is in control of everything the players are not in control of, such as Non Player Characters. </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Most of the action in this game comes from getting your character in combat. There are plenty of things that happen other than combat, but the real focus of the game is combat situations. Combat flows through a predictable pattern of Initiative, Movement, Attack, Defense and Damage.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Initiative: </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>When the players and Non Player Characters are about to get into a fight, a roll is made to see who can go first. Each player and non player rolls 1d and adds their Move attribute. The combat round flows in order from highest to lowest.</span><br> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">If the fight is a surprise, the first winner of initiative who is ready to make an attack can do so without the defender having a chance to defend. To be a surprise the attacker must have a ready missile/thrown weapon (and be in range) as well as moving quietly (using less than full </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Move</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">).</span></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Movement: </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The winner of initiative can move their player first. In combat movement is essentially running, smooth movements and turns are likely and sharp turns will cost more movement points. A movement point is for each square which is crossed, the square you land on is not counted in the use of movement points.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If a player uses all their movement points to get to a target then once they reach the target they will not be able to attack or defend, as the whole turn was taken up by running as fast as the character is able. It is important to reserve two points when moving, one for an attack once the character stops moving and another to defend.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Not moving will not allow the character to make multiple attacks, the character can attack only one target at a time (for the most part, see the Game Master Section on Combat). If a character has a thrown weapon such as a spear or axe they must use the movement round to get their thrown weapon to use it again. Missile weapons like Bows with arrows are treated as essentially unlimited ammunition during combat itself. It is assumed the user of such weapons has the materials to make more ammunition or recycle used ammunition once combat is over.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If everyone is not surprised the fight is coming, and the character is done moving and has movement points left to attack, the player can make an attack to a target in range. Weapon ranges are counted like movement points, squares crossed are counted.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The attacker will roll 3d and adds the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> modifier for their current attack attribute. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> above 10 gets a bonus of +1 per point above 10, </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> below 10 gets a penalty of -1 per point below 10. </span><br> <p style="text-indent: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; "><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Before the dice are rolled, the player can choose to use extra effort. The difficulty of the attack can be raised to increase damage, or the damage can be lowered to ensure a easier attack. A harder area to hit on the target might do more damage, for every -1 to the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> the damage inflicted will go up 1. A easier area to hit on the target will have the opposite effect, for every +1 to the </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> the damage inflicted will go down by 1. The range of an attack can also be extended in the same way, for every -1 to damage or </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> the range is increased by 2 spaces.</span></p> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>The roll is made, then modified (by Attack attribute modifier and then by any difficulty modifier) and the result is determined.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defense: </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If the target is aware of the impending attack, they become ready to dodge or block the attack. The defender must roll the same number as the attacker or below to avoid damage. On a tie, the defender wins and takes no damage from the attack. The defender rolls 3d and adds the current </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> attribute modifier. There is no extra effort possible in defense, only good modifiers and rolls.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Damage:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>On a successful attack, the damage is determined and deducted from the defender's highest attribute. A weapon can do the listed damage (</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">) or the damage can be rolled. A </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 3 is the same as rolling a 1d, a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 2 would be 1d-1 and a </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">D</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> of 1 would be 1d-2. Rolling for damage might result in a higher amount of damage just as much as it might result in no damage at all. Write the attribute's current value next to the original value since damage is not permanent and can heal back.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If the target's attributes of </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Attack</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> or </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">Defend</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "> drop below 10, they will suffer a penalty modifier when they attack or defend. If these attributes get too low they will fail all their rolls and become useless in combat and in further danger of death. Once any character is -5 to any roll, they should consider fleeing the battle. </span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "></span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; ">After Combat:</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>If the characters have access to food and shelter, they can rest for a day or two and heal back to normal. There is no specific rate and it is assumed that adventurers can perform necessary first aid to heal most injuries. The goal of damage in this game is for short combat resolution and not for longer term role playing, so while a realistic approach to injuries would dictate a person with a broken leg can't just sleep it off, in this game they can.</span><br> <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Treasure and items can be traded in towns or between players. 100 silver coins is basically equivalent to 1 gold coin and one gold coin can be used like one point in the character creation process.</span></div> </div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-76565655755681148192010-08-17T12:20:00.001-04:002010-08-17T12:20:06.631-04:00Is "Microlite/Pocketmod" the answer to everything? Synnibar sure isn't.I am at a loss for time lately. I have to say that the idea of making a whole game system and world with the vivid details I desire is very overwhelming. So I want to take a break, and then I tell myself that such breaks can last years so I should not and force myself onward. In the struggle to force myself onward I am in effect taking a break.<div> <br></div><div>In this break I have been reading and looking at things I have missed in the last year, or two. I have become obsessed with the idea of Greywulf's ( <a href="http://home.greywulf.net/">http://home.greywulf.net/</a> ) Microlite20 ( <a href="http://www.microlite20.net/">http://www.microlite20.net/</a> ). I think this approach is almost exactly what is needed to entice the current generation of 13 year old nerds to come to the gaming table. </div> <div><br></div><div>The idea of a game that fits in your pocket is very interesting to me. Back in the day the smallest sized RPG system I had come across was "Justifiers RPG". While the biggest single book was the "Synnibarr RPG" (**Greywulf, you should make a Micro version of Synnibarr.. lol**). I really liked Justifiers (from what I remember), it felt like the Palladium games but a bit more "indy". It was a munchkin game, but fun none the less ( in looking up the spelling of "Synnibarr" I came across this classic fan page - <a href="http://www.ilmatar.net/~np/rpg/Synnibarr/">http://www.ilmatar.net/~np/rpg/Synnibarr/</a> ). I think the best part of Justifiers was it was a small sized book with everything you needed to play in one place, or at least more so than the other major games of the time.</div> <div><br></div><div>But as small as Justifiers was, it is an encyclopedia set compared to these Microlite and pocketmod editions. They are the cliff notes of my favorite games.</div><div><br></div><div>So, can a game be condensed into 8 pages? In looking at these Microlite and Pocketmod games, they are basically just the rules and some important charts.</div> <div><br></div><div>Well, I can't say that 8 pages is enough. I think a minimum of 12 pages of text, and around 20 with charts and pictures might be a minimum for a real game. But the thought is intriguing. A small system to capture a more casual gamer who has less time to devote to playing a role playing game (because often the RPG sessions I have had are a lot more like the opposite of "dream time" from Inception).</div> <div><br></div><div>So with this new obsession, I have set to create a very light system for the casual gamer. I am calling it "Simplify RPG" right now. The plan is to have 3 levels of play. Level 1 is for someone who has never played a RPG before, and that is the system I am writing right now. Level 2 will be heavier than Level 1 and introduce basic RPG features. Level 3 is the full-on version of the game will all the rules.</div> <div><br></div><div>This Level 1 I am writing now is basically what you would use just for combat. The world at this point is a good and crunchy dungeon crawl, but I have plans for a "meet interesting aliens and kill them" game as well. The idea is to have the absolute basics to play a game which would appeal to the typical 13 year old boy. I play tested it this weekend with my 13 year old and 7 year old. They liked it. The only reservation is what you might expect, the appeal of a totally combat RPG is short lived (but once people are bored of hack-n-slash they can graduate to level 2 where you actually role-play).</div> <div><br></div><div>I hope to put the rules out in a text form by the end of the month. I also hope to draw a bit (put my graphic arts degree to work) and have a complete version for download by the end of next month.</div> <div><br></div><div>Please leave a comment on your thoughts about these Microlite/Pocketmod rule books and the idea of light game system (not rules-light, but light rules)... or about Synnibar RPG or the threat of Synnibar D20!!</div> <div><br></div> Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-33815108118265560222010-06-09T14:33:00.002-04:002010-07-08T08:39:04.342-04:00Ethics in RPG Design (and how I am dealing with it)I have a question for you all out there: Is it ethical to create a game that allowed or encouraged negative behavior?<div><br /></div><div>Steve Jackson Games was raided by the Secret Service because of the subject matter of the "GURPS Cyberpunk" sourcebook and the activities and views of the author ( <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/SS/">http://www.sjgames.com/SS/</a> ). What if, in a small way, Cyberpunk sourcebook was an instruction manual to train future hackers? Would it be ethical on the part of Steve Jackson Games to bring the book to print?</div> <div><br /></div><div>Information is free and speech should be free too, but they both have limits placed on them. Shouting "Fire" in a crowded movie theater, slander, inciting violence are all obvious examples of speech which should not be free. The skills and information you pass along are directly controlled, but what about attitudes your speech creates?</div> <div><br /></div><div>I am not comfortable with my first draft of my game. I don't like the attitude it creates and I don't think I am on a path where I have the ethical high ground. So I am making some changes in the gameplay and to make specific groups have more defined boundaries. So, in the first draft you can play an anti-government anarchist who fights for "freedom"... not good. Why? Well, I believe in democracy, freedom and peaceful means to achieve objectives. While I can create a game world where such things are in limited supply, I also can't encourage the things I don't accept should a misguided person apply them to the real world.</div> <div><br /></div><div>The new draft will allow more realistic consequences to a person's actions. Should a person choose, like <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">SPC Bradley Manning ( <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired27b/~3/aq6x1WL0pZM/">http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired27b/~3/aq6x1WL0pZM/</a> ) choose to violate information security guidelines and release classified data (even if it is about bad and possibly criminal conduct) they will end up prosecuted for it. Even after a person like Adrian Lamo (who was once a fugitive hacker ) had served his time, would continue to be under scrutiny and would fear prosecution if he was implicated should it come to light he had knowledge of a crime and not reported it -- something an average citizen would not be charged with. </span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">So in the current draft of the game a person would have a new attribute like "reputation" which would change as time goes on. It might start high for a politically connected person who had "dirt" on everyone, or low for a reality TV star or other criminal (just kidding! ..or am I?). The reputation would go into the equation whenever there is a interaction between people which requires trust. Typically the "Influence" attributes of Beauty (Bodily Influence) and Charisma (Mental Influence) are used alone, but each would get a bonus or penalty based upon the reputation. </span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">So a person who might have a Salemanship skill of +3 and a Charisma of 12 giving another +2 for a total of +5 might have committed some hacking in the past and have a reputation of 8 and have a penalty of -2, for a total of +3. The fear of people he is working with becoming implicated in whatever might be his latest crime might be, will have a chilling effect for him to interact with them. Just like Loyd Blankinship's reputation caused Steve Jackson Games to be raided by the Secret Service.</span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">The reputation attribute will also come into play when a character is trying to avoid Government scrutiny or "harassment". Like Adrian Lamo, a person with a low reputation will be an automatic target by the Government should anything bad happen nearby. They will be the face recognized on the video footage at the bank prior to the robbery, their fingerprints are in the big database, their DNA is on file so they will be the first suspect. A low reputation subjects a person to become a target and prioritized in the surveillance systems. In 2032 with pervasive surveillance tracking everyone's every move, the sheer amount of data will overwhelm most automated and manual systems of analysis. Targets will be prioritized according to the reputation attribute, so a person with a very low reputation stealing a pack of gum might have a higher priority in the surveillance system than an average person robbing a gas station.</span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">A reputation is lowered by the Game Master once a "bad" action is performed. It has an immediate effect. Why? The effect of a bad reputation applies if law enforcement is aware of the action or not. C</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; ">onsider Adrian Lamo's reaction to Manning's confession of releasing classified documents. He went to the police because Manning's reputation was lowered by what he had done and Lamo's current low reputation would result in secondary investigation once Manning was discovered to have contact with Lamo. It is the fear of guilt by association which chills people's reactions regarding reputation.</span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; "><br /></span></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif">Reputation can be masked or people can be fooled but once the reputation is discovered there can be negative effects. Should the latest news be believed regarding Joran Van Der Sloot (where he was fine until Flores Ramirez discovered he had been suspected of the murder of Natalee Holloway) a reputation can be masked or hidden. But once discovered it makes you an automatic target of suspicion.</font></div> <div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif">Reputation in this manner would not allow the idea of a low reputation as a bonus to a criminal element. Everyone is subject to surveillance and possible arrest in this game. If your low reputation character is hanging out in a bar with others of equally low reputation, you might be implicated in anything they get caught for -- past, present or future. That is also regardless of any actual involvement, drinking with a buddy who goes on to rob a bank might make that meeting look like a planning session. Most warrants and investigations will occur in software long before a human is sent to arrest a suspect. The instant an alarm is tripped in the bank a program analyzes all the current occupants in the bank, the person who is active in the robbery as well as the occupants and employees (for accomplices), once immediate suspects are identified a trace is done on each person as to where they all went and who they met with for the last few days, then the people they met are traced.. within a few minutes the surveillance systems can deliver a network of possible accomplices prioritized by reputation. This is the power of pervasive surveillance in the year 2032..</font></div> <div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif">So, remember kids.. don't do drugs or hang out with others who do..</font></div> <div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif">What other behavior might a game encourage and is it ethical to create a game with such encouragements? I know the D&D == Suicide craze of the 80s was a total farce, as well as the link between the Columbine shooters and "violent" video games, but a games with actual links to negative behavior? What lengths should designers go to prevent unethical behavior in the real world which might be connected back to a game?</font></div> <div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif"><br /></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="arial, sans-serif"><br /></font></div> <br /><br /><br><b>Thanks to some comment spam bots, I have disabled comments on this post. Comment on any other post if you have something to add (unless you are a bot trying to spread malware). I appreciate it!</b>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-86612633766970550272010-06-04T09:27:00.003-04:002010-08-03T08:35:09.829-04:00With a little help from my friends...Life has been a bit crazy lately. I don't always get the free time I'd like, but with that kind of time it would imply that I was unemployed with no friends or family. So I choose to not be totally alone and therefore get busy from time to time.<div> <br /></div><div>So, I have not made the progress on my game that I had wanted to. It is obvious to me that I will miss the June deadline for the "Cyberpunk Revival Contest". Such is life, I would stand little chance to win the $30 Amazon gift certificate with such great competition.</div> <div><br /></div><div>But my intentions for this Cyberpunk thing were not to win a prize of such magnitude. My intentions were to finally put my game system out for someone to play. So, I will continue. I think that if I work hard I can have a final product up for people to look at and hopefully earn me some folding money by the fall.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Progress might be slow but it is significant. I have written a few pages of text now and have lined up a great artist and greater friend -- John aka "Ajaxone" at <a href="http://ajaxone.deviantart.com/">http://ajaxone.deviantart.com/</a>. He is a talented comic artist and I am quite pleased he is able to prove some art in my efforts! If you are a wealthy RPG developer and want high quality art, please contact him and shower him with cash to work on your next major project. His amazing talents are unlimited but his time is not, act now before you are at the end of the queue!</div> <div>*NOTE: I had to block comments on this entry because of spam. I will put up a new post soon!<br /></div><div><br /></div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-45219516146154117822010-05-26T10:34:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:43:52.900-04:00"Cyborg" infected with computer virus infects computerFrom <a href="http://idle.slashdot.org/story/10/05/26/1214214/Scientist-Infects-Self-With-Computer-Virus">http://idle.slashdot.org/story/10/05/26/1214214/Scientist-Infects-Self-With-Computer-Virus</a><div><br /></div><div>Here is the gist, a man with a RFID chip infected with a computer virus scanned the RFID chip with a computer and infected the computer with the virus.</div> <div><br /></div><div>I hope you are thinking "so what?". I hope are thinking "why?" The idea that media can contain malware which can infect other systems when opened should come as no surprise to most computer users.</div> <div><br />In the world of Cyberpunk (as I am working on the contest, but know I will not meet the deadline unless there is some miracle) malware would be a threat for all systems. In my game there is a big lack of implanted Cybernetics. In 30 years I think the idea of implanting a dirty machine should be thought of as crude and primitive (like a hook for a hand or peg leg). In a world where tissue can be cloned and grown I don't think there will be a need for hearing aids, pace makers and other common cybernetics we see every day. </div> <div><br /></div><div>But an idea remains. Scientists recently created artificial life (here <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100526/full/465406a.html">http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100526/full/465406a.html</a> ) -- as much as the guy from the above article is a cyborg. The idea of manipulating or programming DNA as you might software is the roots of genetic engineering. A custom virus used to insert DNA to correct a genetic disorder might cause harm to another person. It might mutate or be fused with another disease in an unexpected way. As this branch of medical science progresses there will be points in time where scientists will have to choose between their Boss' desire to make money and their ethical responsibilities. My current view of doctors and where medicine is headed in general, I am sure there is some sloppy guy about to enter medical school today who will make the wrong decision in time to mess up life in the year 2032...</div> <div><br /></div><div>what do you think?</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-88083339951027837872010-05-06T15:23:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:43:42.182-04:00Detriments (I hate coming up with names for stuff)What I hate most about my sick need to make a RPG of my own is coming up with names for stuff. When I look at other games I think to myself "Oh, there is a good name for something." But then immediately feel self-conscious about plagiarism.<div> <br /></div><div>This is not healthy because I am drawn to games, especially homebrew games (I am really liking where StarGazer is taking Gears -- <a href="http://www.stargazergames.eu/2010/05/04/catch-a-glimpse-of-gears/">http://www.stargazergames.eu/2010/05/04/catch-a-glimpse-of-gears/</a> ). But when I look at them it is like I have seen something which I can not un-see and therefore am aware of "copying".</div> <div><br /></div><div>There are so many things you can call a spade (Shovel.. ah, spade.. digging-stick?), so it should not be a surprise to use a name for a mechanic in a game the same name as another game.</div><div><br /></div> <div>In "the Counting Game" (yep, still keeping with that name), you have abilities which are worth character creation points. The good ones that help you cost points and the bad ones give you points. I'd call the ones that cost points "abilities" but have been on the fence as what to call the ones that give you points back. The opposite of an ability is a disability, but it would not be politically correct or sensitive to use "disability", right?</div> <div><br /></div><div>Then that makes me say "Disadvantage" and then ability becomes "Advantage". If you are a GURPS player, you see that that is a term they use. I don't like that, I'd rather steal from a more obscure source. So I have been thinking of calling them "Detriments"..</div> <div><br /></div><div>Yeah, I hate coming up with names for stuff.. I stink at it...</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-26827299603562975102010-05-06T15:12:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:43:29.267-04:00Gaming this last weekend with my kids..My wife went out of town this last weekend and I had the kids. We watched "Iron Giant", "Princess Bride" and the older one and I watched "Dune". We also had a chance to play a very short game of "Fair Use Space Opera" similar to a unrelated Space Opera with the initials of "S.W."<div> <br /></div><div>The game was a big hit with my 7 year old. He was instantly fascinated by the idea of numbers on paper to simulate the world and dice to decide how things work out. He was very excited and we had a great time. His brutish "Space Trooper" had a hard time with pushing the correct buttons and natural 20s resulted in some exploding control panels. Great comic fare for a 7 year old.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Character creation was interesting, he has a great grasp on mathematics but most of the process was verbal -- "Could your guy walk a tightrope without a net?" His 7 year-old exuberance left him wanting to play the "Ultra" version where attributes normally on the scale of 1-20 were in the hundreds. While this was possible, it is not really playable.</div> <div><br /></div><div>I look forward to playing again soon with them as each time it is a lot of fun.</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-21556001132853928542010-05-04T15:05:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:43:14.539-04:00When would you freak out?I enjoy playing a RPG that lets people be human. Back in the day playing D&D or Palladium's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"/"Robotech"/"Rifts" you were not often playing a true person but more like a video game character from "Double Dragon". You had no fear, there was no reason to hang back.. as long as you had hit points and your sword ( gun/mecha/etc) you were all set.<div> <br /></div><div>The first time I played GURPS it occurred to me that playing a game could be more "real". Now, not real in the tedious way and also not real in "skill roll for everything, including tying shoes", but real in that the character might get scared or that a person's motivations in playing a game are more than just achieving the next level. I had old skool D&D players tell me how much the levels and hit points made sense, but really it is a stand-in for the ideas that later made video games possible (levels and hit points are the basis of most video games). I can't see my own life where I am seeking experience points to get to my next level, I am not seeking a better understanding of Cisco Routers so that when a guy punches me I can take it better. The old systems were so one dimensional.</div> <div><br /></div><div>*major confession time*</div><div>I am too old to understand Twitter and I have never played D&D 3E, 3.5E or 4E.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know you all think less of me, but I will continue writing this...</div> <div><br /></div><div>Many games need a sense of tension and fun that only real life "S*&T Happens" type stuff can offer. If your 4th level Cleric could always "Inflict Critical Wounds" then you are just a video game cabinet away from Gauntlet. If your Cleric was allergic to cats and was -4 dexterity in a sneezing fit around them, now things are interesting.</div> <div><br /></div><div>In other games such things were forced. In Rifts if you faced a Daemon there might be some forced "save vs insanity" roll, where you hit up a table on failure and ended up with a fear of heights. But I think when a character confronts a life or death situation for the first time (ever or even "in a while") and the blood gets pumping, there should be a roll. Anything a rookie "Glitter boy" does the first time they get face to face with "Azemodeous the eater of souls" is the right thing to do (even if they have to change their pants afterward).</div> <div><br /></div><div>In my game, such a reaction roll would be base upon the Mental Endurace/Will attribute. There are two kinds of rolls, contest and non-contest... This would be a non-contest roll. In a non-contest roll you must roll under half the attribute plus any applicable skill and modifiers. A normal person has a ME/Will of 10, with no skill (+0) and default modifier (+/-0) would have to roll under a 5 with a 20 sided die -- or 25% to hold it together. Now let's say that they Glitter Boy Rookie had seen video of Azemodeous dancing with a puppy on YouTube, he might get a +3 for a modifier which would have him roll under a 8 with a 20 sided die, or about 40% chance to keep it together.</div> <div><br /></div><div>The same goes with Tunkar the Warrior. If Thunkar is out in the woods and stops to look at a butterfly, a sneaky DM might ask Thunkar to make a Wisdom roll. </div><div>"Why?" says Thunkar's player.</div> <div>"I will tell you later." says the DM.</div><div>Thunkar has a Mental Power/Wisdom of 8. Half 8 is 4, with no modifiers or skills applied by the sneaky DM Thunkar has a 20% chance and completely fails the roll.</div> <div>Later, as Thunkar is ambushed by two Lollipop Trolls, he reaches for his two-handed axe and is surprised to find out he left it next to the pretty butterfly.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am sure this stuff is possible with every system out there. I am sure you have even played D&D with such things happening. If you have not then I encourage you to find a way to add it to your games. It is a good way to prevent Munchkin-ism ( "Can I drop my charisma to 2 and raise my strength to 18?" "Yes -evil laugh- I am sure charisma will not come in handy.").</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-7999595899951656792010-04-28T09:15:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:43:01.947-04:00A trip to the mall confirms body modification interests(no, not me.. I am decidedly "factory" and un-modified)<div><br /></div><div>So, in pondering all this Cyberpunk stuff I really wanted to design a believable game world. All too often game worlds are designed almost based on a drawing or single frame of reference regardless of how such a thing can be explained. For example, I think "Rifts" was designed based upon a visit to a custom car show -- "Man, that van with the airbrushed Dragon fighting a wizard in a mecha was awesome!" And BOOM a game world was created...</div> <div><br /></div><div>I am joking, Rifts is a favorite of mine (not really to play but to read and look at all the great pictures and ideas). But I didn't want to create a world without valid explanation.</div><div><br /> </div><div>So, as such I am forced to ignore Sci-Fi cannon because some things just are not realistic in my setting of the year 2032. Robots and space living might exist but only slightly more common than the present day (there are Robots with minimal AI and there are people living on the International Space Station, but tell that to a kid in Mogadishu). </div> <div><br /></div><div>I am totally ignoring Cybernetics and Bionics for the same reasons. It is not that people are uninterested in body modification and it is not that people don't want to spend money on gadgets, it is that I don't think that is a combined interest. Body modification has two classes, both want to control what they see in the mirror but they have divergent ideas of what they want to see. One group could never be young or skinny enough and choose the more socially acceptable route of cosmetic surgery. The second group is interested in a different aesthetic, and chooses piercings and tattoos. </div> <div><br /></div><div>While people are willing to do strange things to their bodies (things we should not get into but a quick Google will reveal), I don't see people ready to cut off arms and legs to get robotic ones. Without demand, the development of robotic limbs is and will be stagnant. Recent advancements based upon war injuries (young men who are injured and want to return to active duty military) has given us some life-enhancing technologies. In 2008 a runner who had prosthetic lower legs was disallowed to compete in the Olympics because his prosthetics gave him a mechanical advantage over runners with flesh ankles and feet. But these are not the prosthetics we think of when the topic of bionics is discussed, but rather his prosthetics were metal "blades" which act more like springs attached below the knee (far cry from the art in Rifts).</div> <div><br /></div><div>As DARPA and other groups research these prosthetics and the technologies to accurately control them, the central question to forming a Cyberpunk market for Bionics must be addressed: "Will the technology and the demand meet at a point prior to 2032 where consumers will willingly hack off perfectly good limbs to have mechanical prosthetics installed?"</div> <div><br /></div><div>Before you answer there is a critical factor to consider, Sex. Will a prosthetic make a man more or less attractive to a woman? Would a Rifts "Full Conversion" be able to meet a woman at a bar or even on Harmony.com? Well there is "Acrotomophilia", or the attraction to people who are missing limbs. I just think that the present and near future population has a long way to go before such body modifications are mainstream enough to support a demand for mechanical replacement of limbs, and that was provided the technology provided even similar levels of performance to normal biological functions.</div> <div><br /></div><div>I feel the future is in Biogenics and the generation of living tissues via cloning or growth in laboratories. Presently ears and noses have been grown in labs and the technology is developing to use stem cells to regrow adult tissue (<a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000915">http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000915</a>).</div> <div><br /></div><div>I think it would be far easier for Arnold Schwarzenegger (as Conan the Barbarian) to meet a woman than Arnold Schwarzenegger (as the Terminator). Biogenically grown tissues would be natural and could offer better performance than tissues a person might have via birth.</div> <div><br /></div><div>But, what has me doubting this is a trip to the mall. I went to Teavana and was waited on by a group of heavily modified twenty-somethings. The woman who waited on me had pierced cheeks, the bridge of her nose, ears (of course), several tattoos and a sub-dermal implant. Now I consider I have an open mind, but I can't say I get the sub-dermal implants. Hers looked like a misshaped heart (it was hard to tell because of the scarring). But, if my attitude about her modifications when our age differences are about ten years what about twenty years from now?</div> <div><br /></div><div>Would the world trend toward real horns and perhaps functional tails in twenty years or will people be willing to have hands and feet taken to get robotic ones in their place? Which would you rather have?</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-90321474608702765742010-04-22T15:06:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:42:50.349-04:00Cyberpunk implants in the Biogenic ageSo I have been thinking hard about this game world. I am a fairly thoughtful person and am rather unencumbered by a previous love of cyberpunk beyond "Blade Runner was cool". As such a person I have taken a very realistic approach to my game setting so far. But right now the feel ("Minority Report" without psychics or Tom Cruise) is not quite what I'd take the time to play.<div> <br /></div><div>It is time to spark things up. I don't like the idea of a future with flying cars and I don't think AI robots wanting to rebel is realistic. But I'd like to at least hit action movie realism but not nerdcore sci-fi.</div> <div><br /></div><div>What to do?</div><div><br /></div><div>Well, to add color to the game world I have been thinking about body modification. In a world where organs are grown in jars, burns are healed with "skin in a can" and cosmetic surgery has more in common with cloning than the "plastic surgery" of old.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Why not hybridize animal cells with human cells to create tissues and organs normally found in animals and transplant them to humans. So in 2032 hardcore body modification would be to have cat eyes installed, or a prehensile tail. Tattoos are piercings are so old fashioned after all. So when little Jimmy goes off to college, he can rebel by having wings and horns installed. But why not when Mom goes off to "Rejuvenation Camp" and literally gets a new face installed.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Now, biogenic implants that alter the structure of the face would be heavily regulated because it would alter the facial recognition profile for a person. So a person getting a new skull or just face might have some requests to submit to the government as well as practitioners would have strict licenses, supply companies would be required to verify licenses before products are sold.. etc.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Back-alley and underground alterations would be possible using stolen and possibly damaged or bad parts. Risks of disease and side effects would still not stop people seeking inexpensive and fast implants where few questions were asked. Criminal or underclass people using these services would be prohibited from polite society as nerve damage, disease or disfigurement would be fairly evident.</div> <div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-32803086439640374242010-04-19T23:37:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:42:19.195-04:00The 30 year cycle and the Cyberpunk world of 2032Here is more "Nerd Fail" fodder but I am compelled to post it anyhow...<div><br /></div><div>In 1988 I was in going into high school and I loved skateboarding and thought that 1950s fashion was cool. Even 50s music was cooler, as far as "oldies" went. Bands with a 50s vibe were great and a lot of the "Modern Rock" or "New Wave" music movements were influenced by 50s music. In my mind the 80s was a cultural mashup of the 50s.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Then in the 1990s we had "grunge". Things had a more decidedly "Hippie" feel, but suddenly this was acceptable (prior to that it felt sloppy and dumb). The 80s were less political (at least for me), while the 1990s felt more like the 60s as far as liberal politics went. We saw a rise of the Earth Liberation Front just as we saw Waco burn or the Oklahoma city bombing. The 1990s were a mashup of the 1960s.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Once 2000 came around, things felt influenced by the 70s. We even watched a show called "That 70s Show" -- you can't get more transparent than that! There was a musical based on the music of Abba... But most of all there was the issue of "Executive Privilege" and the similarities between the Nixon administration and the Bush administration. Like the 70s, the 2000s were a time of shadowy politics and divided population who felt powerless to do much other than watch things unfold. Unpopular wars, spying, back room deals, the power of activist journalism.. the 1970s had some similarities.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Now that we look into 2010 and beyond we can expect some similarities to the 1980s, and by proxy the 1950s. I expect we will see the economy rebound and conspicuous consumption increase (iPad or new iPhone anyone?). Personal indulgence will be popular as social media and mobile technologies increase in popularity and capability. Music will be tight and possibly more electronic as all things digital are considered fashionable. Politically people will be more apathetic and assume the bad times are behind. Perhaps President Obama will have a second term, or a moderate and popular republican will take the next two terms. In my gameworld this administration contributes to the further fall from grace the United States has been feeling for the last 10 years. Possibly some scandal or relaxed regulations allow another massive financial collapse at the end of the decade.</div> <div><br /></div><div>I think we can expect 2020 to be a time of radicalism. Rebellion to the consumerism and consumption of the 2010s will make environmentalism and a return to hand-crafted goods and values popular. We might see old environmental figures and movements resurge and become mainstream again. In my fictional gameworld this is when we see the North American Union form and the governments of Canada, the US and Mexico merge in response to the economic power of the "BRIC" countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China). In my gameworld the "socialization" of the new United States and NAU members will lead to massive government programs and control of the economy.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Then, 2030 will be like 2000 or 1970. There will be political double-dealing, government corruption and a apathetic public who parties the days away feeling like those problems do not matter or there is nothing to be done to change the situation. The gameworld set in 2032 will be just as the corruption is becoming rampant but undetected by most people. Just like in the early days of the second Iraq war the public will be thrilled at the success and victories in the public's name (but ignorant of the idea that one person's victory is another's defeat). The United States, or NAU will lack the power or will to make military victories -- but victories over homelessness, drug addiction, unemployment, equality and other social ills will be likely targets. Just as "Shock and Awe" in Iraq gave way to a violent insurgency, these victories will be expensive and hollow. The burden of social program obligation will be a yoke on the necks of all citizens and the freedom and liberty will already be given up to the corrupt government.</div> <div><br /></div><div>This is how the 30 year cycle will effect the future as I consider it for my Cyberpunk gameworld...</div><div><br /></div><div>(submit your ideas below)</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-81588090797449050372010-04-19T15:23:00.003-04:002010-05-27T16:42:37.554-04:00Cyberpunk Character: LarryLarry was born in 1986, in 2032 he was 46. Back in 2008 Larry graduated from college with a degree in Computer Science. In 2010 he got a job with the government and by the time 2017 rolled around, Larry was married with a son and happy.<div> <br /></div><div>In 2020 Larry took a job with the Department of Homeland Security and started work on "black" projects. The demands of these classified projects and constant moves to seek promotions took their toll on his marriage and in 2025, at the age of 39 Larry had divorced and lost all custody of his son in a bitter court battle. Larry became bitter and started drinking. </div> <div><br /></div><div>About this time, the North American Union was formed and the government functions of the United States, Canada and Mexico merged. The merge of functions impacted domestic Law Enforcement the most as the prior laws and agencies changed over to uniform laws. These changes cost Larry the promotions he had been seeking. Larry's bitterness left him a drunk and a racist. He blamed all his problems on "non-whites", but specifically on "Mexicans". In 2030, Larry moved to a different job at a DHS data center in a position in "Mission 12", a classified DHS unit to track various US Citizens. </div> <div><br /></div><div>Larry's job initially did not give him access to know why he was tracking these people. He assumed they were enemies of the state of some sort and that his information was allowing their arrest. After a year of work on a new version of the tracking system, Larry noticed in the local news two of his targets (a mother and daughter) had been found dead beside the interstate in a maintenance tunnel. After a quick Google, Larry was surprised to learn that every one of his targets in the last year were either missing or dead and none had been published in any court documents. While he could accept several of the targets had likely been "Mexican Gang members", not all of them could be criminals and therefore not all deserved to be dead.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Upon this search in Google, Larry's accesses were flagged and within a month he was placed on probationary leave. He did receive a "Operating a Manual Vehicle Under the Influence" but Larry was convinced it had more to do with his discovery. While on administrative leave Larry discovered a flaw in the tracking system which gave him access to tracking query targets in real time. </div> <div><br /></div><div>Starting with just one person, Larry rescued the targets from arrest and potential murder at the hands of "Mission 12". Now Larry is a target himself but will not stop until this shadowy police unit is disbanded and the targets are allowed to live in freedom. He still dislikes "non-whites" and misses his family. He knows if he every attempts contact with his son it will cost both of them their lives, so he refuses to admit his desire to find him.</div> <div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:13px;border-collapse:collapse;color:rgb(34, 34, 34)"><div>Larry</div><div>MP (Wisdom): 10 (Average)</div><div> MS (Intelligence): 11 (Above Average)</div><div>ME (Willpower): 11 (Stubborn)</div><div>MI (Charisma): 8 (Below Average)</div><div>BP (Strength): 9 (Below Average)</div><div>BS (Dexterity): 10 (Average)</div> <div>BE (Endurance): 9 (Below Average)</div><div>BI (Beauty): 8 (Below Average)</div><div><br /></div><div>Skills:</div><div>Government Computer Systems(MS) +14</div><div>Computer Vulnerability Exploitation(MS) +10</div> <div>Government Contacts(MS) +6</div><div><br /></div> <div>Detriments:</div><div>Wanted Criminal (treason): -15</div><div>Compelled to help victims of "Mission 12" targeting: -5</div><div>Racist (toward "non-whites"): -3</div><div>Alcoholism: -3</div><div> <br /></div></span></div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-3643815431647305492010-04-16T11:52:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:42:06.460-04:00Robotics vs Automation<div>(I have read this a few times but the haze of my cold medicine might have the better of me)</div><div><br /></div>I love getting comments on this blog. The RPG community is just as alive as ever, despite the competition with video games.<div> <br /></div><div>In a recent comment about this Cyberpunk theme, it was brought up that I have not theorized a place for robots. And that is true, like moon bases and flying cars I think that some cannon elements of science fiction are just unlikely. I drive in a lot of heavy traffic, but I thank good fortune that the flying car is not part of the mess of the daily commute. With Metro trains smashing into each other, buses running over people and the daily multi-car pileups.. I shudder to think of a world where anyone with the cash to buy one can take a flying car to work each day!</div> <div><br /></div><div>What does that have to do with Robots? Didn't ATMs replace most face-to-face bank transactions? Don't they send robots to Mars, or under the ocean? What about the Predator or other military robots?</div> <div><br /></div><div>At the extreme risk of committing Nerd Fail.. those are not robots. An ATM is an example of automation just as the bank web page to manage your account is an example of software. The Mars rovers, Predators or even autonomous submarines are examples of remotely operated vehicles. I consider a "Robot" to be an independent artificially intelligent device which can interact with the environment in some way. We might achieve semi autonomous vehicles, and many UAVs can land automatically just like the new vehicles which can parallel park on their own. Such features are not really examples of artificial intelligence, and the greater discussions of morality and the true nature of humanity can not be played out with the level of robotic technology I think we will have in 20 years.</div> <div><br /></div><div>I think that in 20 years we will see many advances in automation and software. Information will be more mobile and automatic. We will give up a lot of privacy and liberty but will gain a life of almost "Jetson" level of automation. As each person is tracked everywhere they go, what they buy, who they interact with and what their tastes are focused advertising can target the individual's needs and tastes. </div> <div><br /></div><div>The current fast food restaurant could be replaced with what would amount to a giant vending machine where the only people running the place are loading food items to be cooked and repairing the automated appliances to cook and vend the food. </div> <div><br /></div><div>GPS navigation and safety devices in cars will finally make cars and trucks that drive themselves on the highway possible and common. Once at highway speed the vehicles on the highway will network together to avoid hazards and make driving on a highway more efficient. </div> <div><br /></div><div>What the iPhone did for personal communications and personal electronic devices, new technologies will be integrated in clothing, buildings and vehicles and a mesh of devices will always be nearby providing information and entertainment to their users. </div> <div><br /></div><div>The issue is to consider what people would realistically buy. Spending several thousand dollars on a servant-robot is just not what mainstream people are looking to do. People are more than willing to spend several thousand dollars a year on personal electronics, internet-aware devices and countless hours using web services (time == money).</div> <div><br /></div><div>It is very easy to forget that money drives technology. In a "Nerd Utopia" where technology is developed and funded for the sake of curiosity, fully artificially intelligent robots would currently exist (as would our Moon Apartments and orbiting office parks imagined in the 1950s). But progress expands the world where there is interest and funding and so far humanoid robot workers are just not in demand. Everyone I know with a Roomba has given up on the darn thing as it is stuck under the couch or dead because it got lost and couldn't get back to the recharging station. My daughter has a whole toybox of robot dogs and other items we allowed to starve to death by not replacing the batteries.</div> <div><br /></div><div>As the population of the Earth increases it is more likely there will be more people than jobs for quite some time, and corporate or military desires to have endless workforces to exploit and abuse are tempered by the fact that replacing people with "robots" is unnecessary as long as there are people who want to feed their families. The investment in buying and maintaining a robot is far greater than building a new factory in a country where labor laws can be stretched. The desire to keep soldiers from unnecessary harm is great enough to justify building spy satellites, unmanned vehicles and even stepping back to drop a nuclear bomb -- but not to totally replace the "man in the loop". Before humanity gets to face the questions Asimov brings up it is more likely we will murder each other over scarce resources and an unstable environment, overpopulation and pollution are a far greater threat than run-away technology or the other themes Science Fiction connects with robotics.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Was that Nerd Fail? Offend anyone? Any Robot-lovers out there who can't wait to buy their own Cylon? Well you have my apologies...</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-64706669803662081052010-04-13T12:17:00.003-04:002010-05-27T16:41:53.170-04:00Cyberpunk Character: Annita Gonzales "Bogon"Annita planned a career in Cosmetology. She studied fashion, make-up and hairstyles constantly. As she graduated high school her ambition had already gotten her a seat at a local stylist's shop. The owner of the shop had offered to pay part of the tuition for her to attend the local beauty school.<div> <br /></div><div>Her plans were cut short when her youngest brother was arrested for robbing a high-end electronics store. She had no doubt of her brother's innocence because the night in question he was at home very sick with allergies (the smog in the city was very hard on him). Despite her testimony, he was convicted based entirely on facial recognition testimony from the security cameras used by the store and public security surveillance systems.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Annita was determined to prove her brother's innocence. She began to experiment with the security systems in the beauty shop where she worked and was able to exploit issues with the facial recognition software using disguises, movements and even special tattoos. As she was ready to bring her research to the attention of the authorities for an appeal of her brother's case, his health had failed and he eventually passed away in jail.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Annita then became dedicated to finding the real thieves who had robbed the store to bring them to justice. She hopes that by penetrating the Underground and establishing a reputation for her skills of surveillance avoidance she will be able to gather the evidence needed to get the actual thieves arrested.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Now Annita goes by the name "Bogon" which comes from the name of network traffic which should not be there but is allowed to pass within a network anyhow. She can hide in plain sight by avoiding video surveillance or quickly disguising herself. Because of the prevalence of video surveillance, her skills are in high demand by both criminals and fugitives. She will often help fugitives who remind her of her brother's plight of wrongful accusation.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Annita Gonzales "Bogon"</div><div>MP (Wisdom): 12 (Above Average)</div><div>MS (Intelligence): 14 (Genius)</div><div>ME (Willpower): 11 (Stubborn)</div><div>MI (Charisma): 10 (Average)</div> <div>BP (Strength): 9 (Below Average)</div><div>BS (Dexterity): 11 (High Average)</div><div>BE (Endurance): 9 (Below Average)</div><div>BI (Beauty): 12 (Pretty)</div><div><br /></div><div>Skills:</div> <div>Cosmetics (MS)+4</div><div>Hair Styling (MS)+2</div><div>Tattoo (MS) +2</div><div>Video Surveillance Systems (MS) +5</div><div><br /></div><div>Detriments:</div><div>Compelled to go into harm's way to avenge her brother: -10</div> <div>Minor Criminal: -5</div><div>Compelled to help fugitives avoiding wrongful prosecution: -6</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-37460351985209529902010-04-12T13:27:00.007-04:002010-05-27T16:41:30.185-04:00Cyberpunk Part 3So what will the year 2032 look like? Base on the prior themes and the present, here is what I feel that the Cyberpunk Gameworld of 2032 would look like:<br /><br />- Fall of nations: Just as the Soviet Union fell, our current democratic alliances will fall as well. The US has been subject to leftist ideals for a very long time and the radicalization of the educational institutions will create ever more left thinking youth. In the new Socialist United States, the United States, Canada could join the European Union and collectively establish socialized education, healthcare and heavily regulated commercial companies. The bureaucracy will slow innovation and amplify social crimes (smoking, speeding, child abuse, etc). The threat of terrorism (from libertarians and religious extremists) will increase domestic surveillance and limit personal civil rights. <br /><br />- Rise of nations: China and India will collectively become the new economic force of the world. As new superpowers the will push the world in new directions. China will continue to be communist with a nationalistic approach similar to the foreign policy of the United States in the 1980s. China will become the world manufacturing leader and establish a low-middle class of blue collar workers. China will approach growth very strategically and manage their population through wage and education to ensure they retain a proper balance in the career diversity of the workforce.<br /><br />India on the other hand will be much more "American". India will repatriate all the people who left India in the 90s to work as technologists in the United States and the mixture will add to India's already diverse population. India will struggle with radical terrorists and China's aggressive military and commercial threats (military and industrial espionage).<br /><br />- Terrorism: China as a world power and the United States no longer acting in a "world police" role will increase the number of dictatorships and other oppressive governments. Much of the world will become increasingly more lawless as small armed groups fight for control. New terrorists, guerrilla groups, pirates, gangs and criminal organizations will spring up all over the world and commit overt and covert war on all opposition.<br /><br />- Technology: Two technologies will be pervasive in 2032. Personal communications and surveillance. Personal communications devices will evolve into a pervasive mesh of sensors, peripherals, networks and processors in and on everything possible. Clothing, jewelry, appliances, vehicles and almost anything else a person comes into contact with will be networked and personalized to each user. Everything will be connected to a internet-like network of almost infinite information. Consumers will drive this technology via purchases of the latest gadgets or applications for their latest gadgets. Wearable computer interfaces will be integrated into everyday items and augmented reality (also known as "terminator vision") will be as common as today's smartphone applications.<br /><br />Surveillance: China's stance as world leader of manufacturing coupled with their totalitarian ideology will create a golden age of pervasive surveillance. Every person in a lawful country will have their every move tracked and analyzed. Unmanned Arial Vehicles will patrol the skies as unmanned vehicles patrol the streets, and public places of the world. Video surveillance and facial recognition will not only track individuals but their moods, intentions, what is said to others and networks of associates. Vast networks owned by intelligence agencies will monitor and analyze data automatically.<br /><br />-Punk: Why so glum? We knew the future would suck. But people will always rebel and fight authority. There are cracks in the system and the new hackers know how to exploit them. In 2032, Chinese hubris will allow them to insist there are no security vulnerabilities in their systems when the Chinese government itself is responsible for installing intentional back doors and vulnerabilities in the first place. The governments of the future will have no choice but to implement the flawed technologies because of the Chinese monopoly on technology. Underground cultures will rise up and systematically rebel in any way possible. The locks are only there to keep honest people honest...<br /><br />How does this all tie together? What might the possible characters in this game world be like? More on that later...Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-21226059926643776782010-04-08T13:25:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:41:18.354-04:00Cyberpunk Part 2This is a academic and fun exercise and not intended to offend, predict or otherwise influence any potential reader (other than to consider the current world's direction and where it will be in the year 2032). This is also from a US-centric view of the world, my apologies to other readers in other countries.<br /><br />A great resource for this thought process is Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1988). What was significant in 1988 which leads to the events of 2010? How would those event be perceived in 1988 vs how the events shaped 2010?<br /><br />Some things jump out, which serve as a basis for the events of today: <br /><br />- Start of the fall of the USSR: So much of the 50s to the 80s was about the Cold War between the US and USSR. 1988 was the start of the fall of the communist USSR, following years would lead to independent nations and ultimately economic troubles. This event shows us that nothing is permanent and the actions of one leader can have a very big impact with a decent amount of public will.<br /><br />- Soviet Troops in Afghanistan: This time also gives rise to terrorism. As the US tries to force the USSR from Afghanistan it militarizes the terrorist forces which would come to dominate world security from 2001 on. This shows us the care and feeding of wild animals is best left to professionals.<br /><br />- Windows 2.0: While not the only technology development of the time, the introduction of Windows 2 and then in 1990 Windows 3.0 (as well as Tim Berners-Lee publishing a proposal for the World-Wide Web) is especially significant. Putting a graphical interface on computers was not new, but the idea that it was a necessary part of the user interface was a big deal. This shows the roots of the modern internet and current computing technology.<br /><br />- Mobile Phone Technology: In 1988 I saw my first mobile phone. The first SMS text message was sent in 1993 with Finland and Nordic nations leading the way. Could we have the iPhone without both the universal concept of the GUI and mobile technology?<br /><br />- Punk: 1991, ultimate Cyberpunk Linus Torvalds announces the Linux Kernel. There are countless examples of hackers and their activities but Kevin Mitnick sticks out the most. In 1988 he was at the end of a supervised release from hacking Digital Equipment Corporation's network and stealing software. In 1989 he hacked Pacific Bell's voice mail system and became a fugitive when a warrant was issued. He spent the next two and a half years on the run, under assumed identities with cloned cell phones he wiretapped phones and hacked computers all over the country.<br /><br />So, where is our cyberpunk future in the year 2032? What current trends can add to these previous trends, and what might they look like in the future?<br /><br />More on that later...Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-9395499404615857382010-04-05T13:24:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:41:06.086-04:00CyberpunkI have been considering the "Cyberpunk Revival Contest" at 1KM1KT. Not really seriously entering the contest but rather as an excuse to declare a game world for the system I have blogged about. It is about time, really.<div> <br /></div><div>So under the idea of making Cyberpunk "cool" here are my thoughts:</div><div><br /></div><div>Cyberpunk was cool because it was futuristic but not in a 50s utopian way. There were no rocket packs or lunar apartments where Jim would fly to work on Mars and be home for dinner. We knew that the 1980s was the future at one point and the threat of nuclear war sucked, so it stood to reason that the future would suck just as much in 2012 as it would in 1982. So Cyberpunk dictates the future must suck.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Cyberpunk was high tech in cool ways. There is lame high tech, like robot housekeepers or shiny robots that whine all the time in English accents, and cool high tech. The technology was cool because it was realistic things people would buy, who would want a robot housekeeper when you could plug your brain directly into a virtual reality? So Cyberpunk dictates technology must be realistically cool.</div> <div><br /></div><div>Cyberpunk would also not be Cyberpunk without the "punk" attitude. This might be the biggest missing piece which limits the appeal for the current RPG demographic. The concept of Punk has changed so much. Current Cyberpunks could be considered hackers, crackers, pirates, modders, vandals, gang members, university researchers, Facebook/Twitter/Myspace users... So, Cyberpunks are quite mainstream these days. Back in the 80s it was very tempting to think about a world where people made technology work for them -- but you have to remember that pre-PC days computers came with people to run them and technology was very proprietary and protected under trade secrets. Cyberpunk was made reality by the people who enjoyed it, we consumed the genre and thought "why not?". So, perhaps the rule of Cyberpunk for the future is that it must continue to evolve..</div> <div><br /></div><div>So, with these rules of Cyberpunk we must look to a future for the gameworld. "Blade Runner" was set in 22 years after the book was written (1982 written, set in the year 2014 according to Google). If we were to look at the far-flung future of 2032 what would we see? Well, we should first look at the year 1988 and consider how things are the same and different with 2010.</div> <div><br /></div><div>More on that later...</div>Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3530619779828750314.post-48135937301320721642009-10-14T13:57:00.002-04:002010-05-27T16:40:38.335-04:00Very Quick SystemBack from vacation with a VERY fast system:<p>The player characters all have amnesia (not the interesting part).<br>They have no idea who they are or what they can do. Each time they<br>try to do anything for the first time they make two rolls with a die,<br>any die on hand (good for when you want to play but only have a D6<br>around). The first roll is what their skill will be for that task from<br>then on. The second roll is the attempt to accomplish the task. Roll<br>under the skill to be successful in the task.<p>The system is not sustainable because after an hour the character<br>sheet is filled up with skills and it is hard to find "read a<br>wristwatch" on the page. But it is fun when you don't have time or<br>supplies for a more in-depth game. It is also best for "normal human"<br>characters because who wants to sit for an hour and GM a guy "trying<br>to shoot energy from his eyes" (although if you get too bored there<br>are creative solutions for trying to "fly"). And "normal human"<br>should also assume that the characters have average capabilities, a<br>"walking" skill might be funny at first but a character who has a 1<br>for walking might not be that fun to play.<p>In this, everything is a skill - even common attributes. So, "lifting<br>heavy things" might be part of what is usually Strength. "Jumping over<br>something" might be part of Dexterity. The important part is the<br>skills should be generic enough to be used more than once but not so<br>generic they are used constantly - the balance between the two makes<br>the discovery of each new thing fun.<p>No hit points, the GM should provide negative consequences for<br>actions. Remember that just as "punching" is a skill, so is "taking a<br>punch" - you might be like Mike Tyson but have a glass jaw.<p>The point is, this is a quick way to play a fast one shot game that<br>might give you ideas for other characters to play.<p>This idea came from a friend of mine when we played a quick game set<br>as elementary school kids, we used D4s and had stats like "dental<br>hygiene" and "parental coolness". My Character had high dental<br>hygiene and very uncool parents...Christopher Hillmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06541965767356620060noreply@blogger.com0