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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 21, 2017 11:27:28 GMT -5
I like the Oriental fighter class, especially some of the special abilities. Maybe they simulate the sort of thing we've seen in Kung Fu movies, like evading missile weapons, feigning alliance and hiding in plain sight... I especially like the secret parry. "You thought you dealt me a mortal blow, but I parried it without you knowing it... and made you think I was hurt worse than I was! Such is my skill!"
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 21, 2017 11:50:26 GMT -5
The samurai films usually deal with elaborate deceits I even cut a few back.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 21, 2017 12:17:30 GMT -5
I have my OD&D game coming up this Friday. I'm going to try to get some pics, or videos to post. That would be cool. I would love to film one of my own games... IF I WAS HAVING ONE! Somewhere I've fallen off DM draft mode that I used to have. Is it because D&D is so far in the distant past that its like asking for the "Cotswold Olimpick Games of 1622" (a renaissance fair) and everyone thinking you're talking about the "Zappas Olympics of 1859" (short lived sports revival) so why don't just go with an all new Modern Olympics? Everytime that I think of using old standby players I hear George Carlin saying "Don't go back in there and use yourself again... bring flowers." Seriously, its me and Sam at this point with Gollum creeping along every now and then in the shadows so the Fellowship is definitely broken. Wait a minute, I thought I was Gandalf, man.... I should try to con my wife into a game then film that. THAT would be scary.
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Post by Scott on Jun 21, 2017 12:29:47 GMT -5
Just thinking about the Dark Universe movies makes me want to try running a horror game, but I want to see if I can maintain a regular game night before I get too ambitious. I'm planning on making this current OD&D game a short romp, until we hit 3rd level, and then switch to another edition. If we're still after that I'll think about something sci fi or horror.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 21, 2017 12:59:25 GMT -5
What horror rules? DJ?
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Post by Scott on Jun 21, 2017 16:16:33 GMT -5
Unhallowed is definitely a candidate. I've ran Chill in the past, but I don't think I still have the rules. I've also thought about CoC, for the mechanics, but a more generic setting.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 22, 2017 9:27:17 GMT -5
Did EGG write an adventure/scenario for Unhallowed? Or did he not get that far?
CALL OF CTHULHU rules would probably be the easiest, they're so basic. And it would be easy enough to not use the Mythos and come up with your own monsters or threats in that game, too. I'd rather see creativity in the horror genre, rather than the usual suspects. After all, nothing is scarier than the unknown, right?
You should do a "Creepypasta" game with Slenderman, Jeff the Killer, or something else that scared your kids when they were little.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 22, 2017 9:56:32 GMT -5
Did EGG write an adventure/scenario for Unhallowed? Or did he not get that far? That would be interesting to look at but there is always the factor that a co-designer was heavy handed as usual. Usually when things don't contain details in Gary's stuff (sometimes in the form of charts and lists) then I get a little suspicious that things were just pushed through as is.
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Post by Scott on Jun 22, 2017 12:10:57 GMT -5
Unhallowed was the first set written for DJ. GDW put it on hold because they thought a fantasy RPG would be more in demand. If they would have released Unhallowed first there probably would not have been a lawsuit. Gary did write an adventure for it and did run it for a local group, Including Luke. I don't remember any details other than the party never figured it out and they were all killed by a demon. I guess I could ask Luke if he remembers anything.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 22, 2017 12:30:46 GMT -5
So an elaborate premise with demon(s)? Well, he has been the only fantasy person to detail orders of infernal types in a really decent way so why waste that? I wonder how translating D&D to modern horror directly would work (well, without any of that D20 bullshit)? Just relying on minimalism in a vacuum-like setting... THE SWORD (Zooms in to a dinner party with the guests all staring at the sword in the middle of the table.)
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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 22, 2017 14:30:33 GMT -5
Sure, I think D&D rules could work for a horror game, too. With D&D I'd keep everybody at, or mostly at, "normal" level. Anything too heroic, and it's not in the horror genre anymore, it becomes just like standard D&D. In the horror genre, I don't think rules matter as much as how to create the right atmosphere and a sense of vulnerability to scare the players.
Now that you started it with an image, you should finish writing a scenario for THE SWORD!
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Post by Scott on Jun 22, 2017 16:40:30 GMT -5
I think there are two possibilities. You have straight up Lovecraft horror with not a lot of movement away from the baseline normal man, where, without some judge fudging, characters are doomed to short life spans. There's also a more adventure horror option, like the Brendan Fraser Mummy or Van Helsing, where your protagonists are heroic and can live to fight another day. I think it depends on your group. A Lovecraft fan may be disappointed if traipsing around backwater New England didn't end in insanity and death, but that's not for everybody.
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foster1941
Warlock
Duke of California, Earl of Los Angeles, Knight Bachelor
Posts: 475
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Post by foster1941 on Jun 22, 2017 19:28:55 GMT -5
I'm reminded of Robert Howard's take on the Cthulhu Mythos, where our hero encounters some unspeakable mind-shattering horror from beyond space and time and then, usually, fights and kills it
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Post by Scott on Jun 22, 2017 19:44:52 GMT -5
That's what I'm talking about.
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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 23, 2017 8:38:46 GMT -5
I'm not saying that every horror game needs to end in insanity or death, but that every horror game needs to scare the players or it fails at its own genre. Heroic characters run the risk of making players feel confident rather than scared. If it becomes "Oh, we can handle this, we've killed monsters before," then it starts to feel more like fantasy adventure than horror. "If it bleeds, I can kill it!"
That being said, there are games that try to occupy a middle ground. Chaosium recently published PULP CTHULHU, which is a supplement with rules that allow you to play more heroic characters, ranging from slightly above average (double normal hit points) to those with special talents, mystic or psychic powers, and/or better fighting ability. Think the "The Shadow," Doc Savage, etc. I haven't tried these rules out yet, but this is more like the genre of the Indiana Jones movies, more adventure than horror, or maybe what you could call adventure horror... Yeah, like some of Robert E. Howard's Cthulhu Mythos stories.
There is an optional rule in 7th edition CALL OF CTHULHU that lets you spend and recover Luck points, but it is fairly limited and can't be used to affect damage rolls, critical hits or fumbles -- and only can affect your own rolls. Using and/or tweaking an option like this -- and giving characters double normal hit points -- could go a long way to making characters more survivable. When you think about it, guys like Indiana Jones aren't super-powered, they're just resourceful and lucky... Like when he used the inflatable raft to survive a fall out of the airplane in TEMPLE OF DOOM. That might be a good way to simulate an Indiana Jones sort of character in a game.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 24, 2017 9:45:25 GMT -5
I believe the meter might be perceived with ALIEN (1979) to ALIENS (1986). The second one is a horror adventure that maximizes the subtle adventure elements from the first movie and puts twists on the horror elements. The original's "fighting back" (in this case it happened to be a feminist message which seems dated now) is a limited resource situation but the adventure is just as prominent. The CoC game is on the Alien end of the spectrum because of dated resources and lack of palpable interaction with the story beyond direct action. A horror game ideally has to find a way to have the action have no hit points or at least HP be extremely secondary to the horrible things happening. What's the score for FRANKENSTEIN? Could this be played with a winning motivation? Victor? Elizabeth? The nanny? The captain narrator? The monster? Or secondary characters?
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Post by Scott on Jun 24, 2017 11:22:40 GMT -5
Ran a game last night. Hopefully this will be the start of a new regular thing. With beginnings in mind I’m running straight up 1974 boxed set rules and using the first known dungeon adventure as inspiration. On the northwest coast of an as of yet unnamed land mass is the village of Blackmoor. The lord of Blackmoor is Baron Arn. Within the past few days the Baron’s councilor, the wizard DaFant, was slain. Witnesses state he was murdered by his apprentice Abner and a demon of some kind. Abner looted his master’s chambers, and, along with his demonic companion, fled into the dungeons beneath the castle, killing several guards and the gate keeper on duty at the time while making their escape. Several heroes have volunteered (were drafted) to enter the dungeons and capture or kill The rogue spell caster.
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Post by Scott on Jun 24, 2017 13:58:20 GMT -5
Bishop Carr another of the baron's advisors, volunteered his under priest Alfric and his companions Tylaron the fighter and the magic-user Erdashar to enter the dungeons and search for Abner. The Baron ordered six of his men-at-arms to join the party (2 were given to each player to control). After entering the dungeons the party began by heading north. They encountered several rooms occupied by large spiders. Lucky for the party I rolled terribly and none of the spiders hit the party. One did hit a M-A-A and killed him. Moving south they started encountering kobolds, and I started rolling better. Another M-A-A was killed and HPs were running low. Since OD&D clerics have no spell at 1st level the party returned to the castle. Several hundred in coins and gems, and potions of healing and invisibility were taken as loot.
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Post by geneweigel on Jun 24, 2017 19:53:18 GMT -5
Morale at all time low
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Post by GRWelsh on Jun 26, 2017 13:27:24 GMT -5
Well, don't jump off a bridge or anything... Maybe try drawing something to get the creativity moving again!
I think I want to get back to the idea of the art motivating the gaming ideas...
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