GM Merit Badges

Stuart over at the Strange Magic blog has posted something that I find interesting, as he has designed several GM merit badges. The name may not be the best descriptive term, as 'merit' implies accomplishment or worth, and what Stuart is doing is detailing a way for gamemasters to let prospective players know what style of game they run, and what their preferences are.  Which I think is a fine idea, as much of the problems that occur during role-playing sessions is clashing game styles and unspoken assumptions.

I haven't run anything in a while grumble grumble but when I am eventually able to do so (either with the Trollslayers rules or with something else), I will use the merit badges to let the players know just what sort of game I plan on running.  In the past, different badges would have been picked, but this is what I have in mind for the eventual Trollslayers game:

Tactics are an important part of my games

My games focuses on Exploration & Mystery

I will Mirror back player ideas I think are interesting in the game

My games use a pre-made Map and pre scripted content (moreso the map than the content being pre-scripted, although rough outlines will be pre-developed)

The GM is In Charge in my games and "rule-zero" is in effect

My games rely on a lot of Improvisation rather than pre scripted content (within the already mentioned rough outlines)

I roll Dice in the open and don't fudge the results in my games

Players characters Death is a likely event in my games

My games are more of the Social, Fun and "Beer & Pretzels" style

Players in my game should be prepared to Run when the odds are against them

I frequently Tinker with the rules of the game

My game focuses on Player Skill rather than character abilities



Besides the aforementioned map/improv schism, some might also say that beer & pretzels is contradictory with tactics, death, and running.  Well, in my mind they fit together, at least.  And if not... very well, I contradict myself.

Sandy Peterson talks Call Of Cthulhu

(yes, I've been horribly negligent on my posting - not certain when work will calm down enough that I can post in a more timely fashion, to be honest)

Just passing on a link where Sandy Peterson, the creator of the Call of Cthulhu RPG, talks about the genesis and creation of the game.  There's some interesting stuff there for both COC fans and RPG historians:

"However, the good folks at Chaosium did not respect Lovecraft. Greg’s exact words were 'HPL is a terrible writer.' That was mild, compared to some other Chaosium opinions."

"In the very first game I ever ran of Call of Cthulhu (long before the rules were finished), my players found a book which enabled them to summon up a Foul Thing From Otherwhere (a dimensional shambler) and decided to do so. At the moment they completed the spell, the players suddenly chimed in with comments like 'I’m covering my eyes.' 'Turning my back.' 'Shielding my view so I don’t see the monster.' I had never seen this kind of activity in an RPG before - trying NOT to see the monster? What a concept. You may not credit it, but I had actually not realized that the Sanity stat, as I had written it, would lead to such behavior. To me it was serendipitous; emergent play. But I loved it. The players were actually acting like Lovecraft heroes instead of the mighty-thewed barbarian lunks of D&D." 

Well worth a read.

Capsule reviews: Comics from 8/10

As it turns out, these posts don't write themselves, unfortunately...

Supreme Power #3 (of 4) (Marvel/Max, $3.99, Kyle Higgins, Manuel Garcia) - Both Hyperion and Dr. Spectrum continue to deal (poorly) with their current challenges, and each of them lose something important, albeit in very different ways.  Meanwhile, the metahuman who slaughtered people in Spain last issue takes it up a notch, and in general everything is quickly escalating beyond anyone's control.  For those who care about such things, the gore and brief nudity this issue definable warrants the 'explicit content' label (more for the gore than the nudity).  More importantly, the characterization still remains strong.  My only worry is that, with the disparate plot threads established, the wrap-up next issue may be a little rushed.

Doc Savage #17 (of ?) (DC, $2.99, J.G. Jones, Phil Winslade) - Okay, this is clearly not intended to be the final issue - there's even a "to be concluded!" at the end of the issue.  And yet, as far as I know this is the last issue solicited for the series, and with the upcoming relaunch/reboot it seems rather unlikely that the series would another chance to wrap things up.  Which is a shame, because things are finally coming to a head, questions are answered, and there's the setup for what could actually be an interesting finale.  The story by Jones wasn't perfect, but it was a marked improvement over the first two story arcs, and quite frankly it's a shame that the series gets cut off at the heels just as it was getting good, all in the name of DC restarting all their titles at #1.

The Spirit #17 (of 17) (DC, $2.99, Howard Chaykin,Paul Levitz, Will Pfeifer, Brian Bolland, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, P. Craig Russell) – A collection of three black and white stories , presumably taken from inventory intended for the earlier issues of the run, back when the book had b&w back-up stories as a matter of course.  All three stories are entertaining, each in their own way.  'Strange Bedfellows' by Chaykin and Bolland is a straight whodunit, 'Lottery'  by Levits and Garcia-Lopez is a character piece told from the POV of one of Central City's citizen caught in a criminal shakedown,  and 'Art Walk' by Pfeifer and Russell is a fun, playful piece that derives as muchenjoyment from the layout of the story as it is the actual story being told.  Between this and the previous issue, at least The Spirit, unlike Doc Savage, gets a proper send-off before being cancelled.

Rachel Rising #1 (Abstract, $3.99, Terry Moore) -This was dropped in my pull list last week by mistake (although given my lack of memory for what I pre-ordered three months ago, who can say?), and I put it back on the rack.  However, looking at it this week, I figured, it's a first issue, I could give it a shot.  So I did.  Not without some reservations; while I enjoyed Moore's Strangers In Paradise, I gave up on Echo after the first few issues.  

We start off with out title character exhuming herself from a muddy riverbed, in a sequence that runs for nine pages without any caption boxes and only a single grunt of dialogue.  Another writer probably wouldn't risk that, but Moore clearly has enough faith in himself as an storyteller to let his art carry the sequence.  It's pretty clear to the reader that Rachel was killed by some unknown assailant, but she (consciously, at least) seems to be unaware of it, or perhaps is simply in denial.  The rest of the issue introduces us to what will probably be our supporting cast, both through flashback and present-tense narrative.

It's a strong set-up, although hopefully finding out who killed Rachel won't be the entire impetus of the series; a single whodunnit can only sustain so much for an ongoing series.  Moore's art is, of course, quite nice, and his storytelling skills are strong, so I'll probably be around for at least a few more issues. 

Music Monday: "Voo Doo"

Rachel Sweet never got as much commercial success as she probably deserved...

Capsule reviews: Comics from 8/3

Adventure Comics #529 (of 529) (DC, $2.99, Paul Levitz, Geraldo Borges, Marlo Alquiza) - The final issue of the current run of this title, and although it was by no means perfect, I'm going to miss the stories of the various would-be heroes of the Legion setting.  The trainees struggle to face off against Cosmic King, who by all rights should easily defeat them, but Levitz writes CK as being hesitant of using his full abilities to kill off untried opponents, which gives are young heroes a slightly better chance than they might otherwise have.  It's a bittersweet ending, one with sacrifice and loss - overall, it's a good ending to the series, and a very Legion-esque one, at that.  I just hope that, somewhere down the line, we get to see some of these characters again in the future. 

Jonah Hex #70 (of 70) (DC, $2.99, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Ryan Sook, Diego Olmos) - Final issue of the current run, although the series gets revamped slightly next month.  Jonah is witness to various versions of how he might die, and gets to revisit some old acquaintances in the process.  Of course, death and Jonah are old friends, so in many ways the prospect of dying is less troublesome to Jonah than meeting some of the specters of his past.  It's an odd tale (even odder than some of the previous Hex stories), but a good one.  If this were truly the end of the series, it would be a poignant and fitting ending.  As is, it's an interesting retrospective to the current run, a capstone to what has been one of the consistently best titles published by a mainstream company in the last decade.  If you haven't been following this series, and have any interest or liking for westerns whatsoever, do yourself a favor and pick up the various trade paperbacks collecting the entire Gray/Palmiotti run.

A History Of Violence (DC/Vertigo, $14.99, John Wagner, Vince Locke) - A new printing of the story that inspired the 2005 film of the same name, originally published by DC's Paradox Press imprint, now being published under the Vertigo umbrella.  For those familiar with the film, the first third or so of the movie and the comic are roughly the same, but diverge more and more and things progress.  Wagner's story here is a strong one; like much of crime noir, the emphasis is more on character than on plot.  Locke's black-and-white art is sketchy in places, but strong on layout, more interested in pacing and storytelling than flash.  Overall, the combination works well.  If you have an interest in crime fiction, it's well worth checking out.  If you've seen, and liked, the movie, then it's definitely worth getting a copy of the original version of the story. 

Moriarty #4 (Image, $2.99, Daniel Corey, Anthony Diecidue) - The conclusion of the 'Dark Chamber' story arc.  Moriarty faces off against Tartarus and his forces, with the threat of the Cyclops Eye looming.  However, the former crime lord's success is short lived, as he finds out that all is not as it had appeared, and that his troubles are just beginning.  An excellent issue, one that provides a satisfying conclusion to the current storyline, while setting the table for future story arcs.  Highly recommended; if you haven't been following this one, be sure to get the trade collection when it comes out in September.

Elric: The Balance Lost #2 (of 4) (Boom!, $3.99, Chris Roberson, Francesco Biagini) - More aspects of the Eternal Champion show up in this issue, which probably should have been titled "The Eternal Champion: The Balance Lost"; anyone picking this comic up hoping to read a story centered primarily on the doomed albino prince may well be disappointed.  As a story on its own, for the most part it moves well enough, as different realities suffer the effects of swaying too far toward either Law of Chaos.  The weak point of this issue, like last issue, is the part centered on the new character, Eric Beck.  Given that Beck will most likely play a pivotal role in the story's conclusion (even more so than Elric), one hopes that he'll become a more interesting character over the next few issues.

Dark Blue (Avatar, $8.95, Warren Ellis, Jacen Burrows) - A new collection of the storyline that ran in the Threshold anthology series.  What first appears to merely be a cynical and brutal police procedural quickly turns into an exercise in questioning what is real and what is only in our heads, and just how little difference there can be between the two.  For some, the story may be somewhat reminiscent of The Matrix, although for those who are well read in speculative fiction the themes explored here are much older that said film.  The story represents the first collaboration between Ellis and Burrows, who would go on to work together on Bad World, Scars, and Chronicles of Wormwood.  The story by Ellis is a good one (no surprise there), and Burrows' black-and-white art works perfectly with the story as presented, but it's definitely not for the squeamish, or for those who like their fictions to be comfortable ones.

Genecy #1 (InVision, Gerald Cooper, Eddy Barrows) -  This was sent to me by the publisher, who asked if I could provide a review for it, which I am happy to do.  It was actually published back in 2009, and the publisher is attempting to fund the second issue via a kickstarter program.  The pitch of the first issue is "Conan becoming the Silver Surfer after being a slave on Apokolips."  Which gives you a decent enough idea of what you're in for.  It's a space fantasy, somewhat reminiscent of Starlin's oeuvre.  The art by Barrows is quite nice, if occasionally a bit stiff and posed.  Cooper's story isn't bad, but it takes a while to get to the point, and relies heavily on caption boxes to explain what's going on.  I personally wish the writing was a bit tighter here; the script seems in part stretched out to give room for Barrows' art.  It would probably be best if any future issues gave our lead character some traveling companions, both to flesh out his character a bit more and to not rely so heavily on the caption boxes.  

Admittedly, this is something of a difficult sell for me: aside from Starlin's Metamorphosis Odyssey and Dreadstar stories, I'm not that big a fan of 'cosmic' stories.  That said, I do have a real fondness for space opera, so I'm willing to give it a shot.  Overall, the basic set-up is interesting enough; if the scripting of future issues improves a bit, this could be a series of interest.

Recent superhero RPG news

Monkey House Games has filed a lawsuit against Fantasy Games Unlimited over the publishing rights for the Villains & Vigilantes RPG.  Given that for decades FGU let the publishing rights to V&V (along with their other various games) lie fallow, I hope this is resolved quickly in MHG's favor.

Also, it seems that Margaret Weis Productions has acquired the rights to publish games based off of the Marvel Comics universe.  While I'm not a big fan of the Cortex+ system, MWP has had a decent amount of success with licensed products in the past, so this looks like good news for gamers who are also fans of Marvel comics.

Photodump Friday 8/5

As has been obvious, I haven't posted anything for almost a week. It's been a rather hellish work week, and here sadly just hasn't been a lot of time (or inclination, to be honest) to write up anything. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get a little posting done.