Three Castles Award Finalists Announced

Over on the NTRPG Convention website, the finalists for the 2012 Three Castles Award have been announced. This year’s contenders, in alphabetical order, are:

• ASE1 - Anomalous Subsurface Environment by Patrick Wetmore
• Realms of Crawling Chaos by Daniel Proctor
• Stars Without Number by Kevin Crawford
• Tome of Adventure Design by Matt Finch

The finalists now move on to this year’s judging committee consisting of Dennis Sustare, Sandy Peterson, Steve Marsh, Zeb Cook and Rob Kuntz. Congratulations to this year’s nominees!

I've Never Laughed Harder While Being Terrified

Thanks to Jim Ward for sharing this on Facebook. I'm on record stating that the alien from Alien absolutely terrifies me, but I heartily endorse this sort of prankery. If more people thought like this, the world would be a much more magical place.

'Naut Fight! Playtest 2

This cocludes the 'Naut Fight! portion of the consolidation process between Secret Antiquities and The Society of Torch, Pole and Rope. New content is on its way shortly.

This week we were back to four players again, allowing me to see if ‘Naut Fight! remains playable with even more ‘Nauts battling it out in the arena. Not only do the rules still allow for fast and exciting play with more players, the game seems to increase in fun at an exponential rate! The only drawback was I had to supplement my playing pieces with a Binary Load Lifter from WotC’s Star Wars Miniatures line

Everyone except last week’s winner chose to create new ‘Nauts this time and we had a wider array of engines and specials. Our first-time player allotted most of his build dice into Speed, allowing him to run rings around the other three combatants. Seeing that it would take their combined efforts to bottle up and destroy the swift-moving construct, the rest of the gladiators put aside their differences for several rounds and turned their attentions on the poorly armed and armored ‘Naut.

Having learned that putting a big hill for the ‘Nauts to fight over in the middle of the arena keeps the battle in one place, I decided to mix things up this time around. Instead of a pile in the middle of the board there was a pit with a single hex platform at its center. A glowing orb floated above the platform, and the returning players recognized this as a body reinforcement globe that added to their ‘Nauts’ hit capacity. One player headed straight for it in the initial round, almost reaching it, before discovering that the orb jaunted around the arena randomly, coming to rest in the middle of areas of intermittent fire. This proved to be no obstacle for one ‘Naut who possessed an engine that help resist fire damage. He scooped it up early in the fight, but the flame rings around the arena continued to be obstacles throughout the fight.

There was still a lack of body slams or overbearing attacks in the match, despite my reminding the players of that option. We almost had an attempt to push one ‘Naut into the center pit, but the opposing gladiator lacked the movement that round to close and make the attack and the threatened ‘Naut moved clear in the following round.

The special weapon of the game was undoubtedly the Fimbul Gun, a cold-emitting cannon that could inflict freezing damage on a ‘Naut or be used to ice down hexes in the arena to create slippery terrain that slowed down movement through them. Two gladiators had these, and you can see the iced-down ground in the pictures (the hexes marked with blue lines). The Fimbul Guns helped corral the speedy ‘Naut into a corner where it was finally destroyed.

The game is turning out to be a surprise hit and the guys are beginning to hint that I should be working on a demonstration model to shop around. They continue to provide valuable feedback and suggestions, but the real proof of the game will come the next time I get together with my friendly, non-roleplaying board gaming group. If ‘Naut Fight! proves to be a hit with them, it demonstrates that this could be something more than another portion of the October Country. I may have to pick up two more ‘Naut miniatures to bring the possible number of players up to six. If six is still fast, furious fun, I might really be on to something here.

After ‘Naut Fight! wrapped up, we managed to squeeze in some actual October Country roleplaying. The party picked up a fourth member at Hunger Rock College and got a lead through some useful inquiries (and thus skipped a part of the adventure, but this is a good thing) that led them out to the burned-out insane asylum downriver from the City of Midnight. Hired goons were encountered and defeated, and the party now believes a group called “The Silence” is involved with the attempt to shut down the library. Sounds of chanting were heard and exotic incense filled the air as they entered the asylum, but what awaits them at the end of the soot-covered hallway will be revealed next week (along with some pictures and game stats).

'Naut Fight! Playtest 1

The consolidation process continues. The purpose of my last post was to lay the groundwork for this post and the following one, both of which concern playtesting a new skirmish miniatures/board game I've developed based on the October Country setting. 'Naut Fight! has become a popular diversion with this group and I suspect I'll be running another playtest of it again in the next two weeks. I've had non-roleplayers express interest in giving it a go, which I interpret as a good sign that I might be on to something here.

Yesterday saw the first official playtest of the October Country stuff and I was extremely pleased with the way things turned out. My gaming group is going through a transitive period, but is reorganizing to better address what everyone wants to play/run. I’ve finally put Labyrinth Lord behind me for awhile, and although I will return again one day soon, it was nice to explore other options and systems.

 We started off with a playtest of my steampunk automaton gladiator game, ‘Naut Fight! Although intended for one-on-one bouts, the rules are flexible enough to allow multiple ‘Nauts the opportunity to square off. And square off they did as three hulking brutes powered by experimental engines took to the area to battle it out for dominance. A little pre-match skullduggery didn’t turn out too well for one player when his pit crew spy was caught sneaking a peek in an opponent’s ‘Naut depot, but the trio was pretty much evenly matched at the start of the bout.

I sketched out the arena while the guys were building their ‘Nauts, using whatever popped into my head. A few walls, a pair of tar pits, a big old pile to play “King of the Hill” on, and a pair of special “You don’t know what happens when you enter these areas until you do so” spaces filled out the battleground. The ‘Nauts headed for the high ground early and most of the fight took place around the hill as everyone sought to use the top of the heap for combat advantage.

Speed was definitely the red-headed stepchild of traits as only one person decided to allocate more than a single die into that aspect of their gladiator machines. That could have been a bad move for one fighter when he fell into a pit and needed to roll above a certain number to escape. I’m wondering if this choice of allocation will remain true in future matches.

There was one attempt at an alliance to take out a less damaged ‘Naut about halfway through the fight, but it was rebuffed. Had it been accepted, we might have had a different winner. Instead, the two ‘Nauts with the least health beat the snot out one another for a bit while the souped up ‘Naut watched with glee.

The playtest revealed that I need to tighten up the language in my Specials descriptions and that I should make a cheat sheet with some of the other options available besides just blasting away with ranged weapons or slugging it out. That also could have changed things as ‘Nauts tried to clothesline one another or slam an opponent into one of the tar pits.

The guys had some good suggestions for future Specials to be added to the list of options: 360° Sensors that make it impossible for an opponent to gain a tactical advantage when attacking from behind and a Self-Destruct Feature that causes an area of effect blast when your ‘Naut goes down. I originally wrote the first rules draft with two fighters in mind, but after the three-man fight, I can see where those options would make play interesting when fielding teams or with multiple players. The match lasted about an hour and fifteen minutes, which, with three players, is a good sign that the game is short enough to be used in conjunction with the roleplaying game if needed, but also a fun diversion when you can’t get enough players for an RPG but need some entertainment on a rainy afternoon.

After the match, we took the October Country roleplaying game out for a drive. Three would-be heroes traveled to the City of Midnight to make a name for themselves. The group consisted of a budding magician who was an agent of the Juggler; a ballisturgist gun-slinger and agent of the Unnamed; and a great sword-wielding agent of the Red Ruin of War. They quickly found themselves hired by a librarian whose business was overrun by bibliophages. The trio went in, took names (thanks to an ungodly number of critical hits), and discovered that somebody is trying to drive the librarian out of business before he could even get started. The band is headed off to Hunger Rock College to collect a bounty on the slain bibliophages, but it’s obvious that there’s treachery afoot.

Running GORE was a snap, although I need to run through the rules again and make some adjustments and corrections (a blackjack can’t do 1d8 damage unless that’s subdual damage and I’m overlooking the rules for that). The benchmark skills are working as intended and so far they are allowing the PCs to do “cool stuff” early without overpowering the system or making combat a cake walk. We’ll see if this trend continues as the game progresses.

From the October Country: 'Naut Fights

One of the many purposes of the October Country setting is to give me a world where I can put all the genres and stories I want to experiment with in one place. It’s really a microcosm (or perhaps it’s a macrocosm) of my interests on display for all to see. When the setting is complete, the players and referees will find a wide variety of people, places, and things to power their adventures—many of which are very far removed from traditional fantasy.

As much as I pretend to be aloof from it, I am susceptible to popular culture and the current climate of entertainment. That includes advertizing, movies, and other popular trends. Lately, I’ve been seeing a hell of a lot of commercials for the movie Real Steel, a film where Wolverine builds a boxing robot and uses it to bond with his son. And while I’m not a big fan of machine-on-machine violence, the idea of gladiatorial matches between constructed warriors does tickle my fancy a bit. So I decided to add it to the October Country. I already had a region where it would be a natural fit, so why not? Even better, this made me to think about how I’d implement it in the campaign. That led to the creation of a mini-game that I’m currently working on. If I’m lucky, I might test the basic rules after my weekly game session on Sunday. But, without further ado, here’s a brief guide to ‘Naut Fights in the October Country.

High in the northern mountains, where stands of firs and lightning-struck pines grow thick on the granite peaks, is the legendary domain of the Lightning Lords. Secretive sorcerers of technology, the Lightning Lords tap the elemental forces of nature to birth miraculous constructions and machines rarely seen outside of their savagely beautiful country.

This devotion to their science comes at a cost: very few have the luxury of stepping away from their laboratories to attend to mundane matters. This lack of attention extends from simple matters such as hygiene to more complex concerns like the security of their borders. But, as men of science, the Lightning Lords long ago created a means to deal with certain pressing matters by means of mechanical proxies. No greater example of this exists that the famous ‘Naut Fights of the Lightning Lands.

Whenever two or more of the Lords come into conflict, be it over borders, resources, or the shared network of wires that channels lighting down from the heavens and throughout the nation, disputes are settled not on the battlefield, but in the arena. Each Lord activates one of his stable of Juggernauts (commonly called simply ‘Nauts) and the combatants battle it out in a formal duels attended by the Lords’ servants and seneschals. The Lord whose champion wins the bout has his way in the matter under dispute and the disagreement is put to rest. It is extremely rare for the losing party or parties to dispute this—partly because of tradition, but mostly because they lack the time to submit a formal protest to the informal council that arbitrates the myriad baronies that comprise the Lightning Lands.

These duels are seldom to destruction—the cost to build and maintain a stable of ‘Nauts is high and the strange susceptibility to deterioration that technology in the October Lands already deals with is enough to convince a losing ‘Naut’s master to throw in the towel. The battered ‘Nauts are pulled from the arena to be repaired by the Lightning Lords’ crews of Gearheads, those uncanny argents of the Clockwork Man who keep technology functioning beyond the Pale.

A ‘Naut is a wonder to behold. Standing near 10’ tall, these machines are typically humanoid in appearance and operate on steam, phlogiston, zeusiam, or clockwork engines. Two or more weapons are affixed to each ‘Naut, and close combat is preferred over ranged armaments. Each champion is armored, but the level of protection varies from model to model. Some Lords prefer Hulk Class bruisers or Behemoth bashers, while others prefer Springheel skirmishers or Dancer Class athletes. No matter what style meet in combat, one never forgets their first ‘Naut Fight.

What makes these battles so memorable is the skill of the combatants. ‘Nauts do not fight like constructed warriors, animated by gears and fire, but like living fighters that think, strategize, and react much faster and more skillful than a machine ever could. The secret to this is that each ‘Naut is operated by a literal “ghost in the machine.” When crafted, the spirit of a dead creature is attuned to a ‘Naut, allowing the soul of that individual to possess the machine and operate it as if it were its own living body. The ghostly fighters serve their masters for a variety of reasons and are usually well-treated by their individual Lords. Some ghosts have served their Lord’s family line for centuries, becoming legends in their own right and feared by all challengers when met in the arena.

When visiting the Lightning Lands, be it to hire the services of a Gearhead or to book passage on one of the realm’s electrical barges or dirigibles, be sure to attended a ‘Naut Fight. Exhibition matches are commonly held for bragging rights and entertainment, and it is rare for a week to pass without at least one bout occurring in a barony.

Jean Wells 1955-2012

Steve Sullivan has posted on Facebook’s Old School Gamers page that D&D pioneer, author, and original voice of Sage Advice passed away on January 25. Quoted from that post is the following:

RIP Jean Wells - D&D Pioneer
I'm very sad to report the death of my friend, D&D pioneer, and the original sage of Sage Advice, Jean Wells. 

When I first got to TSR in September of 1980, Jean was one of the first people to try to really make me feel welcome. She was a big, brash, opinionated, and very loving personality. She was fun to be around. She was also a Southern girl through and through, who cooked great fried chicken. I remember fondly her ongoing "feud" with Gary Gygax over whether dwarf women had beards (Gary: Yes; Jean: No), and the fun-loving one-upsmanship the two engaged in over the subject. I remember her inadvertently getting TSR involved in the Indiana Jones franchise, several years before the license, when she used TSR letterhead to write to Lucas, asking for some photos from the film. (And implying there might be an interest in the license.) I remember stepping in to draw illos for B3, to help her out, when some in the art department didn't want to -- and I remember the big to-do about the original version of that module when it came out.

It was pretty wild at the time, but those are precious memories now.

And I remember the friend who would go out of her way to help you if you were in need. The one and only time in my life I've had a panic attack (heart racing around 150), I ended up sleeping on her couch, 'cause she was there for me. She cared about this skinny geek living 1000 miles away from home. 

Thanks, Jean, for that and for many other fond memories.

You were one of a kind. 

And my deepest condolences to her husband Corey and all her family and friends.

She is gone too soon.

-- Steve Sullivan 

Here's the obit, as passed on by Tim "Ollie" Cahoon: 

Oeva Jean Koebernick, 56, of Beloit, WI died Wednesday, January 25, 2012, in Beloit Memorial Hospital. She was born July 25, 1955 in Jacksonville, FL, the daughter of Walton and Ellen Loft Wells. Jean was a member of St. John’s Ev. Lutheran Church.She is survived by two sons, John Teague and Steve Teague both of Memphis, TN; sister, Jennifer (John) Hines of Memphis, TN and brother Finis Wells of Memphis, TN; father, Walton Wells; former husband, Corey Koebernick of Beloit, WI; mother-in-law, Elaine Koebernick and brother-in-law, David Koebernick both of Beloit, WI and her special canine companion, Darlin.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ellen Wells.

In honoring Jean’s wishes, there are to be no funeral services.

And here's the information from the family as I heard it via Dave Conant:

I have the sad duty to share with you that Jean has passed away recently. I received word from Cory this past weekend and he asked to I send word to all of you. Please pass on to others that you might know who remember Jean.

Here are the few details I know: Jean was admitted to the Beloit Hospital last Tuesday (1/24) with what seemed non-life threatening symp...toms. Cory was with her for a while that night. However, he received word from the hospital at 6:00 AM Wednesday morning that she had died. He is not aware of the cause at this time.

He indicated that there is no plan currently to have a service or memorial for Jean since family and friends are so distant and widespread. However, although he will be deactivating phone numbers and email addresses for Jean, he did indicate that he would leave one to which friends could send condolences and/or memorials — DancerUnderAMoon@aol.com. He also shared that if anyone was interested in a donation that they donate to whatever charity they feel appropriate in Jean's memory.

For those of us that were close to Jean over the years (all the way back to the early years at TSR and the TSR Dorm for me), this message comes with mixed feelings. Jean has struggled much over the years with pains and various illnesses, some very serious. She always tried (and did well most of the time) to keep a positive frame of mind and certainly always cared much for others. I know from talking with Jean that she is in a better place now without all the pains and concerns, but she will be missed.

Good bye ole friend,

Dave Conant

Lurking in Lake Geneva

Event registration for GaryCon went live at 4 PM EST today and, like some of you, I was perched at my computer ready to snatch up seats in my first-choice games. Unfortunately, 30 GP just doesn’t buy what it used to and conflicts forced me to make some hard choices. Hopefully, I’ll be able to correct that at GaryCon V.

For those of you attending (or just interested in what I’ll be playing in Wisconsin in two-month’s time), I’m registered for the following events:

Friday @ 2 PM: “Legends of Wargaming: DUNGEON! With Dave Meggary.” It’s been forever since I played Dungeon! and the opportunity to play it with original designer was simply too good to pass up. Its low cost in Gary Points and short duration made it a perfect choice to ease into the Lake Geneva gaming scene.

Friday @ 6 PM: “OD&D with Tim Kask.” It came down to either playing AD&D with Frank Mentzer or OD&D with Tim Kask in this time slot. Having had the opportunity to play OD&D with Frank last year at my local con, I decided I’d give Tim’s game a whirl and let someone else take a seat for Frank’s game.

Saturday @ 12 PM: “We Got Ourselves a Real Bug Hunt!” Metamorphosis Alpha with Jim Ward! As much as I wanted to sit in on Jeff Rient’s “Caves of Myrddin” at 10 AM, I simply had to play a game with Jim before I left Lake Geneva and, due to scheduling and my flight times, this was my only opportunity during GaryCon. I’ll have to catch Jeff’s game on Goggle+ one morning to make up for it.

Saturday @ 6 PM: “Gary Con Open – Mission Critical.” An old school convention tournament game in Lake Geneva: How could I say “No” to that?

I’ll be arriving at the Lodge in Lake Geneva around 5 PM on Thursday. Since Thursday night and Friday morning is free for me (barring gaining a seat in a game with openings), I’ll probably break out Stonehell or a super secret playtest during those times, so if you’re in town and are also free, track me down!