Apathy Games

What Was the Best House Rule You’ve Used?

Back in the days of our third edition D&D games, Paul ran a campaign in which he introduced karma. Karma, as he ran it, functioned similarly to bennies in Savage Worlds. They regenerated every session and allowed for useful things such as re-rolling and such. The manner in which we earned karma was slightly more complicated.

Basically, karma came in two flavors: karma points and karma pool. Karma points were given out at various points in the game for achieving plot objectives and generally being a bad-ass. These were good for purchasing permanent skill points, base attack, save bonuses, and, best of all, ability increases. These were, of course, appropriately expensive, but I had trouble justifying spending them on anything else, being the little dex-whore that I am. Paul finally had to put a cap on the number of times this was allowed, as my un-enhanced dexterity was creeping up on thirty.

So that part was really cool, but in addition to being able to buy character abilities, for every ten karma points we earned, we received one karma pool. Even if we spent all of our points, we still kept the pool. As I mentioned, karma pool worked a lot like bennies, though typically we had much more than three. These were good for re-rolling bad rolls, adding +10 to any one roll, adding a +5 to all defenses for a round, or making called shots. If the dice really hated you that day, or you were feeling particularly dramatic, you could always burn a point permanently to invoke an automatic natural twenty with max damage or to avoid certain death. I was always in the habit of saving a point for just such an occasion, as such dire circumstances were not exactly uncommon.

My favorite use of the avoid-certain-death feature wasn’t by me, but by a fellow player.  His illusionist mage had perished in particularly nasty fight in which the church we were in was destroyed down to the bedrock. He burned his karma point and was allowed to live. Eventually. Now, just because you survived didn’t mean you would come back unscathed. As far as we knew, he had been in the building when it was destroyed, but about a week later he shows back up at the home-base, looking none the worst for wear. Ok, he had a tendency to fade back into the shadows, but he had always been kind of quiet. So what if he sometimes passed through a door instead of opening it.  He was a wizard; that’s what they do. It was understandable that he couldn’t tell us where he’d been.  It had been a traumatic experience. We learned much later how true that was; he had in fact willed himself back into existence from the shadow plane and was now ten-percent shadow. If he wasn’t paying attention, he ran the risk of becoming incorporeal. Eventually he was able to control and enhance this power, which led to some serious shenanigans. Best karma ever spent.

Now Your Turn:  What was the Best House Rule You’ve Used?

Leave your story in the comments, and next week we’ll post the best story.  If you have any questions you’d like us to answer in a future Behind the Bar, let us know.

Last Weeks Winner is:  UTSquishy

The Question was “What was Your Most Anti-Climatic Fight?”, to which he wrote:

The End of Zombie Run. I had Minifigs all over my Kitchen Table (Both Leaves In). I had a Wall constructed, and some towers, and 100 Zombies, a little scenery, my paper Buses.

This was my first attempt to use the Savage Worlds Mass Combat Rules. I attempted to modify the rules a bit, since they seemed to point toward an anti-climatic ending. I had a way of placing some PC action between rounds.

First the Buses full of zombies attempted to Ram the gates, and were taken out by the PCs’ clever use of tactical nuke mines—only a hand full of the zombies survived, and they were on the outside of the gate where the “villainous” NPCs were located. Then the first mass combat roll, after 15 minutes of discussion about how the rule worked, I forgot to let each of the PCs take an action as I had planned and rolled the second round of Mass Combat.

Multiple Aces from the PCs decimated the opposing force and triggered the one action that would cause them to turn tail.

I chose to ignore the turning of tail and moved from mass combat rules to standard combat rules and it was still over in the next round.

So Much for an explosive action packed evening as planned—wanna play some Guitar Hero or Rock Band?

Big Announcement! Shoes: The Roleplaying Game

Three girls.  Three weapons.  Only one pair of perfect shoes.

After many months of secretive work and multiple attempts by our arch rival to destroy us, we are proud to present our flagship product:  Shoes:  The Roleplaying Game.

This has been the culmination of much sweat and many tears here at Apathy Games.  Seeing it finally launch is like seeing your child go off to college.  We’ve been dying having to keep this secret, and now that we can talk, we want to tell you everything.  First, here’s a bit of fiction from the game.

Stiletto saw her from across the room.  Miss Perfect Hair.  Miss Little Black Dress And Nylons That Never Run.  And those little black pumps with the white bow on them.  They were stunning.  It was clear to Stiletto.  This woman must die.

But how to do it?  That was the tricky part.  Stiletto was wearing her armored skirt, and her Slippers of Speed, but it probably wasn’t enough.  Her enemy would have to be led into a trap.  If only she could find some help.

Shoes is a dangerous world of wars, fortune, and footwear.   Mighty kingdoms have risen and fallen, crushed under stylish boots.  Mighty heroes, dressed in the most powerful of fashion, duel eternally for power.  Even as you rise to the top, you must always be ready for the next challenger.  Stopping to rest could destroy you and all that you’ve worked for.

For a bit of an inside look at Shoes:  The Roleplaying Game, we’ve conducted an interview with the project lead, Captain Apathy:

Jeff Carlsen: So, what was the inspiration for Shoes?

Captain Apathy: We’ve been thinking for a long time about what kind of game could appeal to women.  It was a difficult task until we realized that they aren’t so different from men, just the trappings are different.

JC: How so?

CA: Well, when men play a roleplaying game, they strap on weapons, delve deep into dank and ugly dungeons, kill slobbery, disgusting monsters, and steal their treasure.  Treasure they use to buy new weapons.  We realized that women do the same thing, only for shoes.  But they strap on shoes, go into stores, fight with one another, and leave in more shoes.  From there it was merely a matter of translation.

JC: So magical shoes give women the power to destroy other women, in order to take their yet more powerful shoes?

CA: Essentially, yes.

JC: That seems so circular and pointless.

CA: That’s what my wife says about D&D.

So, what amazing material can you expect to find in Shoes:  The Roleplaying Game when it releases?

• Dozens of new fashion edges.
• Hundreds of magic shoes like the Sorceress Sandles and the Flip-Flops of Fate.
• Five artifacts, including the mysterious Elder Pump.
• A complete plot point campaign taking place in a local outlet mall.

Shoes:  The Roleplaying Game is due out in stores on April 31st, 2010.  Don’t wait!  Reserve your copy today!

Romance, Marriage, and Player Characters

Tyson has betrayed you, loyal reader.  He promised, in Take on all Comers, that he would write a post for every suggestion, in order, and without stopping except for previously scheduled posts.  But he is taking today off to write his vows.  Apparently, he’s getting married this weekend.  But I must ask:  how can he make a commitment to one woman for a lifetime, when he couldn’t even keep a commitment to you for a few weeks?

I suggest leaving him a comment congratulating him on his upcoming marriage.  That will show him just how disappointed you are.

While We’re on the Topic

As my fellow players and I have grown older, more and more romantic elements have seeped their way into our games.  Long gone are the days of, “If there are any girls there, I want to DO them!” Instead, we’ve attempted to take a more mature approach to sex and romance.  But it’s very difficult and often awkward.  But, when done well by two players who are able to figure it out, it can be very rewarding.  In fact, our last long-term campaign (30 levels in Third Edition D&D) ended with some of the characters getting married.

What follows are some tips to employ, and some pitfalls to avoid if you want to add this element to your games.

• Step back to the thirty mile view. It isn’t uncommon for players to get very deep into their characters and to act out many of their interactions with the world.  Combat is generally brought to life with detailed description, and most dialogs are acted out.  When approaching romance, try to back out of this a bit.  At least for a while.  Instead of flirting with another player or NPC, simply say that you’re flirting with them.  This gives the other player, or the game master, a little removal from the situation.  Over time you can get a little closer to the action, easing in to it as both players get comfortable with the concept and have had a chance to discuss it outside the game.
• Discuss it outside the game. This allows the entire group to have and idea of what is going on.  You’ll probably talk about this romance is likely to lead, or not lead as the case may be.  Discussion is not only valuable because of player comfort levels, but also because a romantic story is more fun to play if everyone at the table is anticipating developments.
• Keep it subtle.  You don’t always have to approach romance wh0le-cloth.  Sometimes it’s more fun to just have a little hint of it here and there between characters.  This can also prevent the storyline from derailing the campaign while still influencing character actions.
• Fade to black. If two characters are at a point where they may become physical, and especially if that involve sex, just fade to black and imply that it happened.  Unless you think you’re mature enough for the Book of Erotic Fantasy, which I’m pretty sure nobody is.
• Don’t use gaming as an excuse to hit on someone. It can be easy to do.  The level of separation between player and character might let you be more comfortable flirting with a player who otherwise wouldn’t engage in that activity with you.  This will only make the group, and the other player, very uncomfortable.  Also, don’t hit on the Game Master’s girlfriend.  He can do things to your character that are far worse than death.
• Be willing to back off.  If a player isn’t comfortable, and isn’t likely to become comfortable, just let the entire matter drop.  It’s really not worth it.
• Don’t hyper-focus on it. It’s definitely possible to take the romantic part of roleplaying too far by focusing too much time or attention on it.  It’s simply an element of the game, not the focus.

Going on Dates

This can be a fun interlude during a campaign, and it provides two valuable opportunities for you and your character.  First, it’s an excuse to explore areas of the game’s setting that combat or intrigue are unlikely to deal with, such as social customs, fancy dress, nightlife locations that aren’t seedy, etc.  Secondly, it provides you the opportunity to plan date ideas that you could never afford or otherwise accomplish in real life.  This can actually be surprisingly fun, and utilizes the creative portion of your brain that drew you to gaming in the first place.  Have you ever watched the fireflies during a midnight walk in a forest city?  How about dancing under the stars in the observation dome of a space station?  Or perhaps you just want to give your date a necklace forged from the bones of your mortal enemy.

Getting Married

Weddings have been used in stories since before the written word.  They’re a powerful symbol.  The represent unions, new life, dramatic change, or the end of the turmoil of courtship.  It isn’t uncommon for novels and movies to end with a wedding, leaving everyone feeling good at the end.  It can work that way for your game as well.

Moreover, every advantage I mentioned about going on dates is extended to weddings.  In a fantasy game, you could conceivably be married directly by your god in his own planar cathedral.  In a cyberpunk game, you could be wed in an abandoned shed by drug crazed priest with only your battle-hardened compatriots as witnesses.

Marriage can also have a dramatic effect on a character’s adventuring life.  Vows represent a responsibility that may interfere with your mission objectives.  If you marry an NPC, perhaps you can’t stay away from home for long.  Or maybe your spouse is the reason you leave on a life-threatening journey, because anything is better than staying home.  The added level of complexity having a spouse, and even children, can add to a character is exhilarating.  At least, if you like that sort of thing.  For example, our artist, Hillary, had a character with a rocky marriage.  She rolled every session to see how things were going with her spouse.

A Formal Conclusion

To be honest, we’re all still learning about this.  The complexities of a RPG group make the whole subject a bit of a minefield sometimes.  Everything stated above is merely what we have gleaned in our experiences.  So now I turn it to you.  How have you handled romance and marriage in your games, and has it felt satisfying?  Also, don’t forget to congratulate Tyson.  His adventures are about to get very interesting.

Top Twenty Reasons Your Players Hate You

1. Rust monsters destroyed my epic magical items.
2. Rocks Fall [WARNING: TvTropes.org Link we are not responsible for the time suck that is about to occur].
3. Your NPC is more interesting then me.
4. NPC’s should not be able to out drink me.
5. Your dice don’t hate you / We can’t see what your rolling.
6. All your characters talk the same.
7. You’ve canceled the game.
8. Your wife/girlfriend is playing an albino vampire were-tiger, and I’m not.
9. You keep wanting to play an online game and can’t get the tools working (My GM has Gremlins).
10. My foot has been tied to a train.
11. Your toddler/cat keeps walking over the battle map.
12. You’ve turned this game into a drinking game and I can’t remember my character’s name.
13. Because I’m hungry, and you don’t live next to a Circle K.
14. The only beer you have in the fridge is Bud.
15. Hummus and Vegetables are no substitute for Cheetos and Mountain Dew, goddammit!
16. You made me sign a contract with the Infernals.
17. Uzi wielding Ninjas dropped from the ceiling.
18. Mirror of Opposition.  On the ceiling.
19. Zombies should not be your default.
20. Your idea of prep work is two hours of FreeCell.

What is your worst experience with a GM? Share it with us in the comments and continue our list!

Take Frequent Sabbaticals

Bill Watterson is often referenced for taking frequent sabbaticals from Calvin and Hobbes. He’s cited for taking some long breaks during his cartooning years to rest and gather his creativity. Currently Apathy Games is on a one week hiatus from game development to unwind from an intense run of developing and it got me thinking about Sabbaticals.

I take sabbaticals from gaming. I love playing in games and running them but occasionally I need a break. I take a month or two off from gaming and come back ready to go at it again. For me it’s been quite a while since I took a sabbatical and since starting the blog gaming has been on my mind all day every day. While I’m passionate about my hobby and love talking about it I need to be careful not to burn myself out. Weariness is why we have multiple authors and only post four times a week (Savage Mondays writes itself, let’s be honest). Most weeks are split between Jeff and I, with the occasional post from Paul. Hillary will eventually break her vow of silence and pull herself away from her sketch pad long enough to dictate a post then disappear into the ether. We pass the podium around so none of us get weary. If you’re getting weary from GMing try a different game, pass the GM duties off to another person to run the game for a bit, or take a sabbatical. Games are supposed to be fun, right?

While I’ve been talking about endings and sabbaticals please rest assured that Apathy Games is not going anywhere. We’ll be running a guest post from Dave Martin from Tabletop Armory tomorrow but rest assured we’ll be back on Friday. We’ll have a fist of beer in one hand and dice in the other giving the one, two punch of apathetic goodness.

Holiday Album: Christmas in the Underdark!

We here at Apathy Games have decided to completely sell out and bring you a new gaming Christmas album! If you liked last years Dwarven Songs of Hanukkah, then you’ll love our new album, Christmas in the Underdark. With such memorable tunes as We Wish You a Natural 20, and Oh, Holy Die!

Oh, Holy Die!

Your numbers brightly gleaming

It is a night of a much needed roll!

Long lay the dead and loot before the party

Till foes appear’d and my sword felt it’s worth.

A gleam of coin and weary rouge rejoices

For a few XP and a new and wondrous rod.

Fall to your knees,

and thank your Dungeon Master.

Oh fight designed.

Oh fight with CR wrong.

Oh re-designed.

Oh fight, oh fight resigned.

And who could forget?

Silver Spells

I’m Screaming form a Wight Christmas

Joy to the Loot

And, of course, the songs we hold deepest in our heart:

God Rest Ye Merry Paladins

Let nothing evil play.

For Smite, your Holy Avenger

Was given for this day.

To save us all from risen dead

Lest they eat all our brains.

O tidings of justice and law.

Justice and law.

O tidings do justice and law.

And if you buy now we’ll throw in these bonus tracks:

Trek the Halls of Dwarven Folly

The First Party Kill

Away in a Tavern

I Saw Mommy Kissing Dire Bears

I Want a Giant Oliphant for Christmas.

and,

What Goblin is This

This package can be yours for three easy payments of 12 gp and 99 cp. Sorry, no COD’s.