D&D Disney

Mostly this post is inspired by a kickstarter I saw for a D&D setting called Warrior Princesses in the Realm of Everafter. I missed the kickstarter, but I hope he is going to sell them publicly soon. I think this would be a great way to introduce my nieces into D&D.

But then, I thought, we could probably introduce elements of Disney into D&D. You may think this is a silly idea, but really, there are some fun character possibilities here. Especially if you go with the versions that have appeared on Once Upon a Time.

So, besides the fact that Warrior Princess should totally be a D&D class, here are some fun ideas for Disney inspired D&D characters:

Tarzan – Barbarian, Totem Warrior: Ape
True, the Disney Tarzan isn’t exactly a berserk type of fighter, but if any of his loved ones were in danger he would throw himself into the fray in their defense.

Hercules – Cleric, Tempest Domain
He could channel his father’s storm powers, while striving to be the wise hero he knows he can be.

Pocahontas – Druid, Circle of the Moon
She was a fierce protector of the wilds and of nature, and if she had had the chance to become a wolf, pretty sure she would have taken it.

Mulan – Monk, Way of the Open Hand
Either from the cartoon or from Once Upon a Time, this girl is very clearly warrior material, but would totally understand the way of ki.

Merida – Ranger, Beast Master
I think she might have been built on a ranger template. Really.

Flynn Rider – Rogue, Thief
Bonus points if you get to fight with a frying pan.

Elsa – Wild Magic Sorcerer
She would also have an elemental companion that looks like a snowman.

I’m going to be playing an Elsa like character in an upcoming campaign. I’m hoping it comes across as fun as I think it will. I will let you know.

Dystopian Universe RPG – First Impressions

As a disclaimer before I go into my first impressions of the Alpha test of the Dystopian Universe RPG, this was a very quick and dirty session. Most of the players had tried FATE based games before but were not very familiar with the system. And I was not ‘full-on’ prepared for this. So keep all that in mind, if you please. I am hoping to have  more fully prepped and fleshed out sessions starting Sunday.

GM STUFF

Setting

Love it. I loved it the first time I read through it. Though I was expecting to love it. I love dystopian stories, and I have always loved the games The Resistance and Coup. So, no surprise there.

I also thought it was great that I could break out my games and use components for the RPG. Credits from Coup became FATE points, and characters from Coup actually play a part in the game, and I used the tracking system from The Resistance to keep track of threat levels during missions.

Rules

Explained well, with clear examples, much in the way the FATE core rule book is set up. It’s like FATE, and it’s not like FATE. There were more fiddly bits. When I first read the rules, I was excited about the extra things that the GM could track and use. There is a mechanic called blowback, that allows the GM to up the threat level during the missions. I was thinking this would create great tension. However, during the game this played out differently than I expected.

Also, I don’t know that I was quite grocking the new actions that this game employs. Rather than Attack, Defend, Overcome and Create Advantage, there is Fight, Manipulate, Maneuver and Observe. I’m not complaining, I think it works well for the playsheet style character sheets, I just think it will take a little time to get used to.

Both players and GM need to get used to having Le Resistance as a character, almost, during game play. We could have taken more advantage of that.

PLAYER STUFF

Players liked the new character playsheets. Mostly. One player had trouble creating useful aspects from the questions asked on the playsheet. Otherwise, it made character creation very easy, and players got the idea of who they were playing right away.

They also would have liked (and I will prepare this before playing again) a list of resources that are available to the characters when prepping for a mission. There are a few examples given, but not a very big list.

GAMEPLAY

Game play was smooth, and fun. The player that usually betrays other players in our usual RPG games was already excited about that aspect being built into this game. I used a white board to show zones and keep track of aspects on the location, and the players picked up on it right away.

There were three players, the Hacker, the Malcontent, and the Cleaner. This was a great team combination, and the players meshed perfectly to accomplish one part of the first mission. They also commented that this would work well (at least the first mission) for a solo run, as each character would have been able to pull it off on their own.

The only thing that surprised me was how the blowback/threat level ended up playing out. The first level I could advance to in the mission didn’t make sense in the narrative. So instead I switched level 2 with level 3. This is hard to explain without spoilers, so hopefully this makes sense. The characters all passed their rolls so well as to make the level 2 threat not make sense. I don’t see this as a big deal, as I personally tend to run games in favor of the narrative rather than mechanics. But some people might get hung up on this.

SUMMARY

So, over all, I really enjoyed my first quick run through of this game. I’m hoping to start a more formal game on Sunday, with more players, and cheat sheets for myself so I’m not flipping through my book like crazy. So many aspects of this game appeals to me, like the secrets characters keep, the favors that may get called in, the puzzle like mission setup, and the dystopian theme.

Dystopian Universe RPG Playtest

Corruption. Betrayal. Intrigue. Just another day in Paris Nouveau.

 

I can’t believe I got in to the playtest for this game! I’m so excited. I have pinged a few friends to play through it with me, and I will do my best to report here on how it plays.

I have always enjoyed playing The Resistance and Coup, and the idea of an RPG in that universe, with a built in traitor mechanic, just sounds awesome.

You can read more about the Dystopian Universe RPG here on Evil Hat’s website.

On a side note, there will also be a Dresden Files card game coming soon. I keep meaning to make it to a playtest of that as well, but it’s always on a bad day, or just out of driving range for an evening. Ah well. I guess I can be patient.

Back from Hiatus

I apologize for having stepped away for so long. There was a tragedy in our gaming group, and none of us wanted to continue the game without our captain.

That was about a year ago now. And our group is pulling back together again, looking to start some new FATE games. Thanks to the new Mindjammer Kickstarter, I may finally have gotten them to want to play that one. We are also working on an Ars Magica hack for FATE. I just need to finish up the details on the locations we will likely be playing in, as well as some ideas I have for player aids that will help keep the fate points flowing.

I should have some images here for that in the new year, so stay with me. There are space and medieval and all kinds of adventures coming up.

Savage Worlds: 50 Fathoms Typical Shenanigans

The most regular game I am part of is a group I joined at my FLGS (7th Dimension) in response to the store’s email asking for participants. The first game we played was a modified D&D campaign, made to work with the Savage Worlds system. I was hooked. Savage Worlds is a fast, easy to pick up system, that lets the story teller and characters really get into the story, and not worry quite so much about mechanics. There are a few more mathy intensive parts, but not many. And it was a blast.

Once that campaign ended we started fishing around for something else to do, and decided to launch into 50 Fathoms, a fantasy pirate setting for Savage Worlds. It’s a sandbox setting, what they call a plot point campaign, so the characters do not follow a linear story set out by the GM. Instead, they can choose how they want to explore the world, and what part they want to play in it. Sometimes to the surprise (or dismay) of the GM.

We were supposed to be on our way to Brigandy Bay, as official Privateers, to recon the pirates that were headquartered there. We stopped on the way at a town called Swindon, a town that we had previously burned down as well as scaring their evil lecherous leader, Glut, off. While there it came up that Glut was back, had refortified his house, and owned most of the town since he had helped rebuild it.

So much for Brigandy Bay. We decided to stay and take Glut out again.

Three of our crew, those Glut had not previously met, got themselves hired as laborers for Glut, who was busily fortifying the house that we had ripped into with cannon fire on our last adventure. They discovered that something sneaky was going on in the basement, involving large shipments of apples and bananas. So my character, and the other crew member that Glue had met before, snuck into the fruit shipments. Once we were all in the basement, we burst out of the crates, and generally created mayhem. We managed to capture Glut – but then we were stuck in the basement, as his guards gathered on the floors above us. We ended in a Mexican standoff, trying to get ourselves out alive, while still making Glut pay.

We had discovered that Glut was creating part of a formula with the apples and bananas for a pyromancer who planned to start bombing towns. Glut was also keeping women chained in his basement for his amusement. We saved the girls, ruined the formula, and managed to escape alive. Barely. We headed back to Baltimus, where we were in good with the authorities, to make sure that the first version of the story they heard was ours, and that it had a good spin to it.

We didn’t start out to be pirates, really! We were trying to be the good guys . . . and ended up vigilantes. Sigh. Well, now the crew is off on a borrowed pleasure yacht to infiltrate Brigandy Bay, disguised a partyers. Can’t wait to see what trouble we get into next.