mind_of_richard

Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 08:59 @roguepuppet You using Windows or Mac OS X? #
• 08:59 One survey down. #
• 09:05 @roguepuppet I like ubuntu, but Mac OS X is where it is. How often do you go between reboots in your WIndow's environment? #
• 09:11 @roguepuppet As a non-windows user. Is Vista as bad as they say? #
• 09:25 @roguepuppet Wow. I might have issues with Mac OS X from time to time, but I am glad I do not have to deal with the Vista issues #
• 09:29 @fredhicks I am sorry Fred. #
• 09:36 @roguepuppet If I had to give up my Macs, I would move to Ubuntu, or wax tablets. #
• 09:48 @roguepuppet Totaly understand. Unlike most Mac fans I do not seek to convert. :) #
• 11:23 Have iPod on Shuffle. Run-DMC, moves to Sinatra moves to Bitter:Sweet. My musical tastes amaze me sometimes #
• 11:39 @irishspy How you going to pay them? IOUs? #
• 11:49 @rosswinn story of my life. If I wanted everything in the air, I would've been born with wings #
• 13:07 I actually had lunch today -- Big Bowl #
• 14:40 The day, it is almost over. #
• 14:43 @roguepuppet I feel for you. #
• 06:07 Agh. It is about to be "one of those days." #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 08:16 @ephealy Damn man you beat me to it. :) #
• 08:16 if you did not hear, check this out; tinyurl.com/b7jfbp #
• 08:19 @ephealy Um, no one, since it is Main Rogue. :P #
• 09:11 Man, I feel good. Amazing what getting a new product out does for your mental well being. #
• 09:20 @irishspy Yeah, it feels good to get this one out. Took longer than I thought, but it was worth it. #
• 10:19 @pydanny Cool. I hope you enjoy it. #
• 10:53 This problem is not caused by markets, it has been caused by central banks. #
• 10:53 Even in areas of the world that do not have free markets but do have central banks, the economies are experiencing strain. #
• 11:14 I think tonight I will cook chicken. Need to figure out what exactly. I gots my ideas #
• 11:26 My eyes hurt. #
• 11:30 @irishspy That will be this weekend. Takes to long to roast a chicken during the weekday -- I am too busy. :( #
• 12:04 @eddyfate dude I know more about waxing and laminates then I thought I ever would. I take your research anyday. #
• 12:10 Ok, this day needs to change now. #
• 12:24 @fredhicks That happens to me all the time as well. I have a hard time judging my workload #
• 12:33 @pydanny both. :P #
• 12:34 @fredhicks Ah, I see what you mean. I still agree with you. It happens to me all the time. #
• 12:59 You know I think Gov. Hairdo is going to play the crazy defense. There is no other explanation for it. Well, maybe the Donald Trump hair. #
• 12:59 Yes. It has to be the Donald Trump Hair that is behind the whole thing. #
• 13:04 @irishspy I actually think the hair is behind it. Gov. Rod is actually an animated robot. The hair knows all........... #
• 06:23 @ephealy Have a safe trip. #
• 06:23 Morning. Snowing here in Chicago. #
• 06:28 @roguepuppet Thanks. We did not get as hard as they thought we would, but it was still enough to slow things down. Stay warm. #
• 06:30 @eddyfate Thanks man. I still wish I knew more about the revolution. :) #
• 06:31 @roguepuppet Wow. My sister-in-law was in OK and got caught in the ice storm. Not fun. #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 06:43 The day has begun, I have things to do, and I left my desire at home. #
• 06:57 @ephealy I hear you my friend. It has just been a bad month, and I think the stress is getting to me. #
• 07:38 @ephealy Yeah. As you know, it is the day job that is what gets me. #
• 07:38 @ephealy Your cat brought you the mouse so you would have something to eat. #
• 08:06 @ephealy You cat is not dumb, it just refuses to show you how smart it is. :) #
• 08:12 Busy weekend, but a good one. #
• 08:36 @roguepuppet We are due for snow up here in Chi-Town #
• 09:26 Blah #
• 10:02 You know, life would be much more enjoyable, if we could feed people to the lions #
• 10:08 @irishspy Nah, if I am tossing people to the lions I want them ready for action. #
• 10:12 @LUXURY713 volcano is cool, but there is no enjoyment from it. #
• 11:17 @Highmoon It has been one of those days for me as well #
• 11:20 @Highmoon Due mine started at 6:30 this morning -- I should have stayed in bed #
• 13:49 Ok, let me state for the record once more -- blah #
• 13:51 Ok, Seven Seas of Rhye puts me in a better place. I cannot explain it. #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 09:47 Winter has return, and she has decided to punch me in the face. #
• 11:42 I am in the Apple Store with Ariana -- she is buying a MacBook Pro. #
• 17:18 @buddyholly You're welcome! #
• 19:20 Later world. I got things to do. One of those days #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 09:52 Thomas Jefferson: I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. #
• 09:52 Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. #
• 09:52 The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs. #
• 09:52 James Madison: History records that the money changers have used every form of abuse, intrigue, deceit, #
• 09:52 and violent means possible to maintain their control over governments by controlling money and it's issuance #
• 09:53 I am angry this morning. First meeting did not go well. #
• 11:18 @irishspy Fight the power! #
• 11:22 Today's thought: Garrison Keillor will always be Minnesota’s Least Funny Humorist. #
• 12:28 @irishspy I agree with you. I cannot find the humor either #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 07:34 @irishspy Is it this storm the stat of California's bankruptcy? #
• 07:38 @irishspy Ah. Well if you are getting rain, you might want to collect in the drum for drinking water. You might need it to survive. ;-) #
• 08:31 @irishspy Yeah but plastic is bad. #
• 09:01 @psynister I agree with you about TwitterFox, I hate that as well. #
• 11:15 Why do I care about this issue? #
• 11:39 @irishspy I wish those were the issues I was referring to. Sadly it is day job related. As for the Pack, I am happy they are going 3-4 #
• 13:01 Day 345 of captivity. Eyes glaze over. I see laminate and waxes. I see walls of scalp treatments. #
• 13:15 My analysis suggests that, since the value of our money is mostly imaginary... #
• 13:15 we may as well have a government agency to perform the imaginary function of propping up this imaginary market. #
• 13:45 @psynister Wife always wins. :) #
• 13:50 I wish there was a way I could share the music I listen too while writing with others. I think it would explain a lot #
• 19:33 This day has been a crap one. I am done for the night. #
• 19:33 Good night moon. #

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Richard's mind blasts in 140 characters...

• 06:28 Long day ahead of me. #
• 07:32 @jasonlblair Well the pink bathrobe and bunny slippers might be the reason for the lack of beauty this morning. :P #
• 07:38 @jasonlblair Well, as long as you feel pretty you look pretty. :P #
• 08:15 @psynister Once I find the three hours, you got it. #
• 08:49 Two surveys done, raw results sent, and I still am not anywhere close to finishing my To Do list today #
• 08:55 @jasonlblair I do not think my To Do list will be done today. It is two pages long. #
• 10:56 You know, I really like Reel Big Fish. I cannot help it. #
• 11:41 I am a dork: tinyurl.com/8cktzy #
• 12:03 My eyes hurt #
• 12:11 Buddy Holly is far better than I ever knew #
• 13:29 I hate freaking cold calls. Dumb ass, if I wanted to try your service, I would have contacted you. Back to programming. #
• 13:42 @Highmoon I live the new pic #
• 13:49 @JamesWallis I agree with you 100% on this. #
• 13:55 @irishspy re classical authors. You mean Jackie Collins? #
• 15:15 @irishspy I'd rather read Gygax #
• 22:10 Goodnight Moon #

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Well folks, this is it. The last post here on LiveJournal. I have been on this site since May 2004, and I thought I would never leave. Late last year I started thinking about changing blogs. Wandering Mind Online Almost Live was nice, but it really did not represent me any more. I have grown up, both as a writer, a game designer and a man. Add to this was my growing frustrations with LJ, the changes that have taken place, and the general lack of having fun with it anymore. Then the news broke dealing with the cloudy future of LJ.

Still it is sad to be leaving here, I have a lot of friends here and I fear that upon leaving I will be just another voice in the wild.

Anyway, I have set up a new blog it is:

…still waiting for a clever title…

The url for it is real easy to remember: http://riorio2.wordpress.com/

Also, even though I am no longer a librarian, I have decided to set up a archive of this blog. You can find it at:

Wandering Mind Online Almost Live 1.0

This blog will stay here until LJ goes dark -- and I hope it never goes dark. I have a back up of this place, private posts, friends only posts, and the like.

In many ways, this is the closing of not just a chapter, but a book of my life. I have learned a lot, been taught a lot, and discovered a lot. I hope the friends I have made here, follow me over to new site. Last one out, please turn the lights off.

Bye.

The above subject line is a long way to go for me to sum up a design issue in Ninja. That issue is detail.

One of the main goals behind the 12° Cookbook is for James and I to create two playable games, self contained between the covers. By this, we each have a game that says what it needs to say in a minimal amount of space. The design is focused, the rules are focused, and the writing is focused. Both games deal with specific themes, and both games differ from what we have done in Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns.

First a little back story/history.

When coming up with the idea of the 12° Cookbook about 16-months ago, James and I had some ideas that on their own did not support a full game. Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns had and still have specific goals. There is a vision at play here, in that we wanted two games that not only appealed to us as designers, but allowed for a style of play we enjoyed.

In the case of Colonial Gothic I wanted supernatural historical horror, and I wanted to play with the entire tapestry of Colonial American History (not just the original Thirteen, but the New World). With Thousand Suns, James wanted to create a sci-fi game that was "generic" in the sense that it gave players the tools they need so they could create their own setting.

As we worked on the games, the thread for Colonial Gothic was lost for awhile, but has since been found. While Thousand Suns became a love letter to not only a certain style of science fiction, but a a love letter to a favorite game.

The 12° Cookbook is a different beast. The Cookbook is a concept that takes the 12° mechanic, and with it, we cook up the little game ideas we have. These ideas are ones that could not support a whole game, let along a whole book. These are mini-games in a sense, but it sells the games short. Ninja deals with the concepts of family and clan. By that, what come first for you as a player: your family ties or your clan loyalty? Depending on how you answer this question, your role as player changes as you take part in missions with your fellow players.

The design of Ninja is tight. The rules are tight, and what you do as a player and as a game master is tight. I like this. For me, Ninja is the first time I have ever been this focused as a designer. I knew what I wanted to design. I knew what I wanted to "say."

Now with the rules done, and the revision underway, I find I am stuck. The area I am stuck on is the world. When you do a focused design for rules, that is easy. With a world, it is not so easy. Part of me wants to leave it vague and let the game master design their own. Part of me thinks this is bad, because you need to have some type of setting for a game master so that they can see how the rules work. For me, a setting is flesh that rests on the skeleton of good rule design. By skimping on the setting, or worse, not including one, you are putting out a naked skeleton. This might appear to be okay at first, but after awhile you want to see something more than bones and organs.

So I am stuck. I can easily write many words on the setting, but this detail will derail the tight design and writing I have done. I can go the minimalist way, and give the barest of sketches, but this I feel, weakens the tightness of the game in that a game master does not have a enough out of the book they could use.

Writing this I realize I might be over thinking things a tad much. Would not be the first time.

So anyway, that is the current dilemma I find myself in. When do I say too much and when do I say not enough?

Going to be a busy few days for me, so I might be a bit silent. I just want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I am truly blessed with having some of the best family and friends in my life.

Currently I am working with five moleskins. (Damn that sounds dirty.)

Anyway.

Moleskins, by the way is my notebook of choice. I like the portability of them, as well as their sturdy construction. Nice little notebooks, and I recommend them highly for my fellow writers.

These moleskins contain the various projects I am working on, and are a combination notes, random thoughts, rough drafts and the like.

As for the topics, here is what each moleskins covers:

Moleskin 1: Colonial Gothic: Enemies. Notes, snippets and random bits.

Moleskin 2: Secret Project James and I are working on.

Moleskin 3: Colonial Gothic: Enemies. Notes, snippets, random bits and the ideas for what is turning into a larger book than I thought.

Moleskin 4: Thousand Suns mini project. This one deals with robots, I do not know where it will show up, but it will show up sooner, rather than later.

Moleskin 5: Colonial Gothic: Enemies Odds and Ends. Notes and snippets for two projects that will come later next year. One is the Halloween Surprise and the other is the Thanksgiving Surprise.

Now, what annoys me is that I have to buy two more now because I suddenly got struck with inspiration for two new projects.

For two years I have been stuck on a writing project. Said project is for Colonial Gothic, and is an adventure. This adventure has gone through at least twelve freaking drafts.

The reason?

Who knows.

For some reason this adventure has been stuck, and no matter how much (or how little) I worked on it, I could not get past it. I think part of the reason might lie in the fact that I broke my usual writing form.

Writing form?

Yes.

A little know secret is that no matter what the project is, the first draft I write in longhand.

Yes. Longhand.

From the original Colonial Gothic Rulebook, to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, every draft is always written in longhand. The reason is that it helps me focus on the mater at hand, and allows me to get all the ideas on to paper first. I pretty much sit at my desk, yellow legal pad in front of me, outline of said project in one of my ubiquitous moleskins, and I write.

I write until I am done. I work off my outline, and I write. As I write, do not edit. I let the work shape itself. If there are errors, I do not worry about them. The goal of this first draft is to empty the mind of everything. Once done, I then type up this draft, and do the first edit. Once done, I print it out, and sit on it for about two weeks. When I follow this method the writing is easier. When I don't. Well. Forget.

That is the problem I faced with this adventure. I tried to mix things up, and and not follow my typical writing method. No mater how hard I tried, I could not get it down, and I hit mental roadblock after mental roadblock. Finally last weekend I had it. I chucked everything. Printed out my outline, grabbed a fresh moleskin, and wrote.

Boom.

Rough draft done.

I still have a lot of work to do. Yet, for the first time in years, the log jam is free.

So what is the adventure about?

It deals with a cult, a business deal gone bad, someone stealing money, and the missing son of a connected member of the Continental Congress.

The title?

The Philadelphia Affair.

(null)

...and I am greeted by snow falling from the darken skies.

it sure looks pretty right now.

As the son of a career Army man, I look at Veteran's Day a little different. For me, as a kid who was raised in the military, every day should be a day you thank those who have served. Still, today is Veteran's Day, and it is on this day let's take a minute or two to thank those who have chosen to serve. To those who have given their life in service to this country -- thank you. Finally to those families who stay behind as their loved ones serve in harm's way, thank you.

Regardless of the approach to history one takes, Colonial Gothic, as stated numerous times earlier, is a “cinematic” roleplaying game, at least when it comes to action and adjudicating tasks. What this means is that neither the rules nor the advice presented here fixates on minutiae, the nitty-gritty details bogging down the flow of a game session and be of interest only to experts on the period. Colonial Gothic unapologetically takes it cues from movies and television and other “non-scholarly” approaches to history.

Cinematic does not mean “low brow” or “thoughtless.” Just because the game does not include complex rules for handling inter-colonial commerce or lengthy charts outlining the orders of battle for different British regiments does not mean its’ approach to history is simple-minded. Rather, the game focuses on those things deemed most likely to be of general value to players and GMs of all persuasions who play this game. Naturally, if individual Game Masters believe they need complex rules for inter-colonial commerce, they can do some research and build upon the rules presented here to create them. Most players, though, won’t notice the lack of such rules nor will they demand them.

As a cinematic game, Colonial Gothic focuses first and foremost on the heroes and their actions. Yes, they live and act in a tumultuous time filled with great events and great people but the heroes remain the stars of the show, so to speak. The Game Master must never lose sight of this. Certainly, no hero will ever pen the Declaration of Independence or cross the Delaware but then neither will Thomas Jefferson face down a black magician or George Washington battle a werewolf and live to tell the tale – well, they might, this being a secret history game, after all! The point is Colonial Gothic is not about Thomas Jefferson or George Washington; it is about the heroes you create. They are the most important people in the world from your perspective and you, as GM, must bear this in mind at all times. So long as players feel that what they do matters, they will be happy and all the concerns about approaches to history will be a sideshow to the real game – the adventures you’re running with your players.

The more I work on this game, the more James and I share our ideas and thoughts, the more I love this game. The above is just part of a much larger chapter I am working on (Chapter 9) and was written by both James and myself. It is a summation of what we like about the style of games we design.

I have been an avid reader of the Orwell Diaries. This blog started on August 9, 2008, and has been blogging diaries of George Orwell. Each diary entry is published exactly seventy years after it was originally written by Orwell, beginning in 1938. The blog is a great reader, especially when you get to the political thoughts and writing of Orwell.

What is fascinating about the blog is the mundane life Orwell writes about. Such topics as the weather and what he ate offers a different look of a writer I really respect. What is fascinating is his writings about the egg production of his chicken.

Back on October 30, the following entry was posted:

30.10.38

Fine, not very hot. One egg.

I thought this was such a great minimalist entry. That changed on November 4, 2008 when the following was posted:

4.11.38

One egg.

This simply little entry done in a style only the poet William Carlos Williams could appreciate was then joined by this one today (November 5, 2008):

5.11.38

One egg.

I do not know what this tells you about a person, but I cannot help to think a few things:

1. He loved eggs.
2. Something was on his mind and he did not know how to articulate it.

I am making great progress on the revised rules.

A lot of tweaking, and a lot of excitement on my part, because the revised version is making me happy. Of the 13 Chapters, I have only 5 more to go before the first draft is done. Then I need to heavily edit, revise, tweak, beat, mutilate and work the draft. There is a lot more I need to do with this game, but my goal of having a working draft done before next weekend is on track.

Anyway, here is a very _rough_ draft of the first chapter. Please note, that a lot of this will be rewritten, but the guts should remain.

A Primer

Introduction

Colonial Gothic is a supernatural historical roleplaying game drawing inspiration from the history of the Colonial period of the Americas. From discovery to the war of Independence, Colonial Gothic gives you the tools to set games during this period. In Colonial Gothic you play a Hero, who through the course of their adventures slowly uncovers the reality of the world.

What is this reality?

Lurking in the shadows are mysterious and foul plots. Enemies have been influencing events, and pulling strings. Though the world may be entering into a new age of reason, there are many seeing the world in a different way. Creatures of the occult and supernatural exist, and magic is a real force of nature. Your Hero might know this, or they might come to know this.

Everything you need to know as a player and GM is found in the chapter. This primer, tells you what to expect from the game, explains the core mechanic, and tells you what to do with the game.

What to do with the game? Yes. Roleplaying games tend to forget to tell you what to do with the game. After all the rules and options, often little room is spent telling you what a game should feel like. This Primer does this. As a player, you should know after reading this chapter what your Hero is able to do, and what they should expect from the world of Colonial Gothic. As a GM, you will know what to do with Colonial Gothic and the type of games you can run. The Primer is your amuse-bouche if you will. This one bite sets the table for what is to come. So without further ado, let’s have a taste!

Setting

Colonial Gothic is a world mired in mysteries, secrets and plots. Some of these secrets and plots you determine for yourself; other secrets are found within this book. In this rulebook, the horror relies heavily upon your imagination and ingenuity using the tools provided for you to play the game. Whether you choose to play a Hero fighting a campaign in the American Revolution who discovers how brutal and bloody war truly is, or whether you decide to play a Hero tracking down an accused Witch just outside of town, that is entirely up to you. As a Hero, you play a mortal fighting against Villains. As you discover more and more about the Villains you face, you’ll begin to realize that some enemies are all too human while others are just simply monsters.

Colonial Gothic is designed with the following premise: the occult and supernatural is real. Drawing upon history and Colonial Gothic comes from the perspective of how the colonists viewed the occult and supernatural. Witches are real. Devils exist, as do demons. Magic actually exists and is able to be worked. Most colonists have either chosen to rationalize the occult and supernatural away, have been irreversibility damaged by their experiences, or have accepted it for what it is. Those accepting it have chosen to put no only their sanity and faith on the line, but their reputation as well. Viewing themselves as the last line of defense, these Heroes war with these forces out of sight in the shadows.

On a larger scale, there is something not right in the world of Colonial Gothic. Something dark, malicious and purposeful gnaws are the edges and its’ touch causes the world to go awry. Though many try to give this a name, no name defines it and no one knows what it truly is. Not even the Natives who have lived on the land before the White Man “discovered” it, know what it is. They know evil infects the land, and it is spreading. What is this evil? There are many theories, but no real answers. What is known is that it influences things, inspires events and threatens all life. Who stands against this? Your hero.

For the Players

Your Hero is a colonists hailing from one of the colonies found in the New World. For the most part the world is entering a new age—The Age of Reason. The world is slowly leaving behind its’ roots of myth and superstition and is beginning to embrace a world that is defined by mathematics and science. It was Descartes, Hobb, Newton and others who moved the world into a new way of thinking. Though most have embraced these new roots, some have not. There are those who know the truth—magic is real!

In Colonial Gothic you play a Hero who knows that Magic is real and the horrors that it can create in the form of monsters. These monsters could be anywhere. They could be witches cursing a settlement, vampires that followed European immigrants to the New World, or angry spirits terrorizing a Cherokee tribe. Whether you’re fighting in the frontier or you’re fending off a supernatural disease like Curse from the Grave you, along with others like you, will wage a hidden war because there is no one else brave enough to face the Devil’s minions, fight them and win.

For the GM

As a GM, you create adventures and campaigns loosely inspired by Colonial American history. The horror adventures you create revolve around the supernatural and the mundane. From monsters, to scheming merchants and politicians, there are many campaign possibilities for you to discover in Colonial Gothic. To help you craft your game, we’ve outlined three, different styles of play:

High Action Style is one that downplays the supernatural and the occult. Instead of slaying demons, the Heroes will fight against more common threats like slavers, French Traders, and the British Military, to name a few. Campaigns that work well for this style would be movies like Last of the Mohicans, Dances with Wolves or The Patriot; or the stories of Robert Howard’s Solomon Kane. If a military campaign does not interest you, you could create a campaign based around discovery or exploration. The Colonies and Her lands are still new to most people--many resources and Native cultures are waiting to be discovered. This style works well for players that like a lot of movement in their game; it also works well for players that want to explore the natural side to this setting.

Occult & Mystery Style is one that introduces players to the occult, but takes a softer approach to the horrors that might await them. The threats your players face are few and far between; you create adventures that are focused around a mystery. The mystery you design might be based on a strange cult intent on winning the War for its own, devilish reasons or a necromancer intent on infiltrating the militia. While the setting details of movies like Sleepy Hollow and From Hell are not an exact fit to Colonial Gothic, these are two movies that are written in a similar vein—strong setting, an aura of dark mystery, and a suspension of disbelief. For books, both the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Nathanial Hawthorn, Irving Washington and H. P. Lovecraft Whatever mystery you choose, the goal of this style is to utilize players that are more interested in investigating than engaging in constant, heavy combat.

Supernatural Style is the default style of Colonial Gothic. Similar to Occult & Mystery, this style has that same touch of magic and mayhem. However, in this style of play, the Hero’s threats are more ancient and widespread than they would be in Occult & Mystery. Similarly themed examples of a larger, supernatural threat that would be considered “epic” would be movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, and Brotherhood of the Wolf. These movies each have a large-enough threat that, if it succeeds, would change the world’s fabric of reality. For writers, Shelly and Stroker. Many Heroes don’t know much about how Magic works; they only have a vague understanding of how to fight what monsters it sometimes creates. Some Heroes try to use Magic and the occult to their own advantage; others shy away from it.

Regardless of the style you choose, action in Colonial Gothic is larger-than-life. What does this mean to you, as a GM? Heroes and Villains are capable of performing feats that others may find impossible. When you’re designing your adventures and running your games, remember to think “big” and allow your players to react “bigger.” We’ve designed the rules with the swashbuckling Hero and the dastardly Villain in mind; not only will your players have fun being the Hero—you’ll have a great time watching them interact with each other in game.

Do you have an idea of the game you’d like to run?

Let’s get ready to play!

12°

Everything you need to know in order to play Colonial Gothic is found in this book. The basics found in this chapter should allow you to quickly understand the game’s mechanical foundations. Of course, Colonial Gothic, isn’t complex. Most rules are fairly straightforward and easy to remember. Nevertheless, there are a handful of occasions when multiple modifiers and special cases come into play. The better you understand the basic rules, the better equipped you’ll be to deal with those few exceptions.

Playing the Game

To play Colonial Gothic you need a few things.

* First, two twelve-sided dice (D12). GMs might want to have a few more handy.
* Second, a blank piece of paper (or a Hero sheet) and a pencil.
* Third—a willingness to have fun.

Rules Overview

Let’s talk briefly about the core mechanic running the game.

Action in Colonial Gothic isn’t intended to be “realistic” or “gritty.” It’s meant to recreate the type of action you’re likely to read in books, seen in comic books or magna, or see in a movie or television show. Note—Colonial Gothic is not cartoonish or ridiculously over the top, but the emphasis is on verisimilitude and plausibility rather than a strict reality simulation. The game’s rules, known as 12°, are designed to accommodate this style of play with ease. Action is about doing things in a flashy and larger-than-life way. It is one thing to say your Hero is fighting a zombie; it’s another to say they are doing so while balancing on a church’s roof.

Every action, regardless if your Hero is firing a musket, or intimidating a merchant, is handled the same way. Roll 2d12 and if the result is equal to or less than your Target Number (TN), the action succeeds.

Simple as that.

Your TN is a number based on two associated Abilities or Skills plus or minus any modifiers. For example, if your Hero wants to throw a tomahawk and has an Agility 6 and Throw 6, your TN is 12. Thus, rolling a 2d12 and getting a result of 11 results in a success; rolling 2d12 and getting a 23 results in a failure.

Tests

All actions in Colonial Gothic are called Tests. There are three types of Tests — Ability, Skill, and Opposed — that depend on specific situations; the Game Master will tell you what type of Test you need to make if it’s not obvious.

Ability Tests

Ability Tests depend on one of your Hero’s Abilities and used in times of great need or danger. These Tests are not tied to Skills; instead they are tied to your Hero’s inborn ability to do something. Your Target Number is always the unmodified Rank in your Ability.

For example, suppose your Hero is running away from some cultists thugs. You decide to shake your pursuers by declaring your Hero is diving into a nearby canal and holding his breath while underwater, hoping the thugs don’t spot him. Once your Hero reaches his limit, your GM tells you to make a Body Test, to see if your Hero still manages to hold his breath. In this case your TN would be your Hero’s Body Ability (8). Rolling 2d12 the result is 15, failure. Thus your Hero fails his Body Test and begins drowning.

Skill Tests

Skill Tests are the most common tests found in Colonial Gothic. Most actions, from shooting a musket to researching a demon, are handled by Skill Tests. Your Target Number in a Skill Test equals your Skill Rank plus the Rank of the Skill’s associated Ability, plus or minus any bonus or penalties associated with the Test. The resulting number is the one you need to meet in order to succeed.
For example, your Hero is climbing a wall. This is normally a Routine Test. Unfortunately, your Hero is attempting to climb a wall in the pouring rain while not being spotted by guards patrolling the area. Your Hero’s Athletics skill is 7 and his Agility is 6, making your TN 13. Due to the rain and the need for your Hero to be silent, your GM assesses your Hero a –4 penalty, which lowers your Hero’s TN to 9 for this Test.

Opposed Tests

Opposed Tests are tests between two, separate Heroes, usually occurring when your Hero is competing against another Hero or is acting out against a non-player Hero of some sort. Opposed Tests are necessary because the degree of your Hero’s success (or failure) determines how the game’s events unfold. Opposed Tests require two or more parties to make a Test; whoever rolls highest, but still below their Target Number, succeeds. Opposed Tests also come into play for some specific skills, such as Stealth, as well as in combat.

An example of an Opposed Test for Stealth would be in the case of hiding. Your Hero is trying to sneak into a protected house. A guard is keeping watch, and the GM states that they have a chance noticing your Hero sneaking into the house. The GM tells you to make a Stealth Test; while the GM makes an Observe Test. Rolling the dice your result is a 4 (your TN was 12)—success! The GM, rolling for the guard (whose TN is 9), rolls a 12—failure. Your Hero easily sneaks into the house, while the guard standing watch, fails to notice him.

Success and Failure

As long as you roll a number equal to your Target Number or lower, your Hero succeeds at his actions. Anytime you roll higher than your TN, your Hero fails. In some cases, your Hero may also experience a Dramatic Success or a Dramatic Failure.

Dramatic Success

Anytime you roll a “2” on a 2d12, you score a Dramatic Success. The meaning of a Dramatic Success varies with the type of Test being used. Typically it means your Hero has not only succeeded, but did so in a spectacular, memorable fashion. In combat, a Dramatic Success indicates you have dealt your opponent maximum damage for his weapon type, whereas in a Skill Test it indicates that you’ve achieved all you were attempting and more.

Dramatic Failure

Rolling a “24” on a 2d12 means your Hero experiences a Dramatic Failure. What this means is that your Hero not only failed their Test, but also performed his action so badly that he has either placed himself in danger or otherwise adversely affected himself (and possibly his companions). In combat, a Dramatic Failure indicates that your sword breaks, while in a Skill Test it indicates that you are either badly mistaken or have failed in such a way so as to make his situation more precarious.

Degrees

As you might expect a game mechanic called 12°, your Hero’s degree of success is important. Your degree of success is the amount by which you roll under your Target Number. For example, your Hero’s TN is 14 and you roll 11, your degree of success is 3. In combat, your degree of success acts as a multiplier to your weapon’s base damage.

Using the above example, if your Hero is fighting with a sword with a base damage value of 5 and achieved 3 degrees of success, he would deal 15 points of damage to his opponent.
In skill use, degrees of success have a much more “impressionistic” meaning, which is to say, largely up to the GM. Generally, degrees of success either indicate the time factor removed from the task or the increase in its effectiveness. Returning to the above example, a task normally taking 10 rounds might take only 7 if you achieve 3 degrees of success. Ultimately, the Game Master is the final arbiter of how degrees of success improve Skill-based tasks, but it should always be an obvious improvement that increases with the more degrees of success a Hero achieves.

Bonus and Penalties

Sometimes, depending on the situation, your Hero gains a bonus or penalty to a Test. These modifiers change the Target Number of the Test, making it easier (or harder) for your Hero to achieve what you want. Bonuses and penalties are never applied to the die roll; they are added (or subtracted) directly to the TN.

GMs, as they run adventures, determine what the situations are and whether any penalties come into play. For example, suppose you are the GM, and one of your players wants to fire a crossbow while riding a running house. Typically, firing a crossbow is a Routine Task (no modifier), but firing it from a running horse is more challenging. As the GM, you decide that, due to the nature of this task, the player suffers a -3 (Challenging) penalty while firing from a running horse.

[BEGIN TABLE]
Situation Modifier
Impossible -6
Daring -5
Reckless -4
Challenging -3
Difficult -2
Hard -1
Routine +0
Feeble +1
Easy +2
Trivial +3
Simple +4
Basic +5
Instinctive +6
[END TABLE]

Fate Cards and Faith Points

Colonial Gothic succeeds, or fails, based on the Heroes played. Of course, the Game Master’s skill at creating an interesting and fun adventure is almost as important, but it’s the Heroes and their actions driving the game. To encourage you to create interesting and well-rounded Heroes, and to encourage your bringing their most interesting Heroistics to bear in your adventures, Colonial Gothic uses Fate Cards (or Hooks).

Fate Cards are roleplaying tools describing some aspect of your Hero’s past history, personality, or connections to other Heroes, among other things. For example, a Hero might have “Last surviving member of their family” or “Bearer of the devil mark” or “Strong as a ox” as Hooks. Each of these hooks is suggestive about your Hero and possibly about his relationship to the larger world—both of which make them invaluable to the GM as he plans engaging adventures in Colonial Gothic. Besides suggesting interesting things about your Hero to the GM, hooks have another more immediate benefit: Faith Points.

Faith Points (or Faith Points) are dramatic “currency” you acquire by creating Hooks. They can be traded for situational boons, such as bonuses to your Target Number, free re-rolls, and other benefits. Faith Points are finite in number, with Heroes having no more than 10 at any given time, sometimes less.

Faith Points can be regained by bringing your hooks to bear in an adventure in ways your GM thinks makes the game more exciting and fun for everyone.

I went into Starbucks this morning. Like I always do.

What do I see?

Freaking holiday cups are now out. It is November 4 and already the Holiday Red is here. At least they are not playing Christmas music. Yet.

They also have a new roast -- Thanksgiving Blend.

I tried it.

Verdict?

A cup of crap. Bad roast. Bad mix of beans. Mind you I had the roast as a drip coffee, and I prefer French Pressing my brew. Drip tends to water out the coffee, but you can usually pick up some of the characteristic of it. This roast taste smokey and has that bitter Sumatra after taste.

I make no bones about it--Harlan Ellison is my favorite writer. Period. I have other writers that I enjoy, and read over and over. It is Ellison, however, that has had the largest impact on me. One of the coolest things to ever have happen in my life was the random phone call I got from him one day. It came at an important time in my life, and the 30-minute phone conversation is one that I will always remember.

Comic Book Resources has interviewed him, and both part are now up. In all the interview was a good one and there is some very interesting things brought up. I am looking forward to the documentary.

You can read Part One here and Part Two here.

What amuses me is that the older I get, the more I find myself agreeing with him more and more. What that says about me, I am afraid to guess.

Busy few days, but I've gotten somethings done.

First off, the Halloween Surprise is in the final stages of being done. It should be ready either Sunday or Monday. The surprise, as you remember, is for Colonial Gothic, and it will be a cool little thing that will set you back $1. As to what it is here are a few hints:

1. It has two maps.
2. It has background.
3. It has some ideas.

I am pretty excited about this, but I will be honest, I am worried. I just hope that people like it. Why? I am always my harshest critic.

In other news, work on the Revised Colonial Gothic Rulebook is underway. I am shooting for a new working draft (one that is ready for others to see and playtest) by next month. The work has been fun, and I am really enjoying the changes and tweaks I have made. My regular group has taken to the rules, but I am looking forward to getting other reactions as well. I will have a post about this in a few days.

I have been very lucky as of late to get some really cool proposals for Colonial Gothic. There are some really nice projects in the work, and some of them took me by surprise.One adventure, which has been written by a new writer is in playtest, new projects are being worked on, which will see the game added to in a great way. I am very happy that James and I decided to bring on some help. Doing this brought in some new ideas and perspectives.

So the question remains, what's next after the revised rulebook? I am kicking around a few ideas. There are three supplements I want to write, but I am not sure which one to do first. I have three supplements in various stages of research, notes and outline form. Here are three working titles:

• Colonial Gothic: Enemies
• Colonial Gothic: War
• Colonial Gothic: Natives

Judging by the titles you can guess what they are about. All three have been nagging me, and all three are ones that I want to do. I am leaning toward tackling them in that order, but I am not sure. As you can see, I have a lot of thoughts knocking around in my mind.