An important key to any good story - whether book, movie, TV series, or game - is the characters involved in the story. Think about it - Firefly is just another space-western without the likes of Mal Reynolds and his crew of misfits; where is Seinfeld without Jerry, Kramer, George, and Elaine; and the Lord of the Rings is not the epic "trilogy" without the Fellowship of the Ring. The same is very true with games, especially when one is talking about tabletop RPGs. Every RPG, regardless of type (D&D, 4.0, D20M, Dragon Age, Call of Cthulu, the list goes on), requires PCs (Player Characters) to help "tell the story" ... the villain(s), the monsters, Cthulu himself are all meaningless within the world if the PC's aren't there.
Anyone familiar with the Walking Dead (comic or TV series) knows the importance of the characters within - from Rick or Carl down to T-Dog or Allen. The characters are what make this zombie piece stand apart from any other. Moreover, Kirkman has assembled what could be considered a "motley crew" of character types throughout the 100+ issue run of the comic, characters who fit multiple roles - some common and some very unique. The same can be said for the AMC series, as the show's creators (including Kirkman and Frank Darabont) have given us familiar characters and new ones, while also excluding others for the adaptation.
It is because of those characters, and the importance of the characters in the series, that I am excited to run my own Walking Dead based D20M RPG. And it is because of my own group's characters that excitements has grown. I spent part of the day yesterday trying to figure out how I was going to get a mentally challenged janitor, a Latina drug/gun/people runner, a black market doctor, a southern "hillbilly", an abused, fed up ex-army "single" mom, and a badarse driver (who happens to be gay) into the story and bring them all together into one friendly little group. What's more, I will definitely have to build upon that group with NPCs (Non Player Characters) to keep flavor alive and ensure no one is bored with what is going on. Yes, folks, this is likely to be a game with a heavier "role playing" aspect and a mere "hack and slash".
More than just the 'good' PCs/NPCs are those the party will encounter during the game itself ... as Kirkman has even shown, not everyone has the best of intentions in the world gone dead - there are thieves, murderers, cannibals, rapists, sadists in the world - many of whom would have done no such thing prior to hell unleashing on earth. The story is survival - how far would even the best intended soul go to keep themselves and those they love alive? Even the protagonists of TWD go to great extents to protect those they love - Rick has murdered more than one man for preservation, and he is not the only good guy to do so.
My own character development and exploration is something that gives me thrills thinking about for the game - a GM can only go so far in "developing" zombies, their personalities don't lend to much growth. Characters like the Hunters, Negan, and (everyone's favorite) Philip the Governor ... people who would grow in rank and power in the dead world. Already ideas are brewing in my mind ... hope the party is ready ...
24 August 2012
22 August 2012
hit point theory and reality
One of the major differences between real life and gaming is the presence of "hit points" in the gaming world. Hit Points (or HP) represent the amount of "vitality" that a PC has within a game (whether that is table top or video). Most often, in gaming terms, a character's hit points increase as they level up ... Operating that a person becomes "stronger" or "more vital" as they gain experience. This is, of course, not quite what happens in the real world.
As we age, our vitality does increase - a healthy adult is able to do more and undergo more stress/damage than a child does. This is a natural progression that has little to do with experience -my genetic disposition, certain actions, and specific life choices will determine what my vitality is ... and how many HP I have. Speaking from experience, in D20M terms, I am definitely closer to a Smart or Dedicated hero type - I can hold up well, but I am definitely not physically "tough" enough to take a lot of serious damage. I am average.
This is, of course, not the same for any game played with "experience points" - as your character will inevitably fight bigger, stronger, more fierce "bad guys" as the game progresses. To keep up with the game progression, the hero/heroes become stronger and "more vital" as their HP increase with each level gained. It is an interesting dynamic that is featured in all of the common games - RPG, FPS, Third person (Assassin's Creed series), and tabletop.
It is that exact reason that causes me to buck convention and limit my PC's hit points in the upcoming Walking Dead game. The series (TV and comic) are set in a similar reality to the world we live in - a sort of "it could happen to you" glimpse at reality. What's more, there are limited ways that the characters can improve themselves ... sure, Andrea becomes a sharpshooter with practice, Michonne picked up a katana and taught herself how to use a blade effectively, and even Carl learned to shoot properly and accurately. However, none of the characters gain "life" or vitality from their experiences through 101 issues. They survive (fortitude, not life), adapt, and heal (many times over) - but a character like Glenn doesn't become able to take more damage inflicted upon him by someone.
This is one area of great importance I have taken into my game. My PC's are capped out at second level hit points ... because their "enemies" aren't going to progress. They are facing Roamers and Lurkers - not some 20th level behemoth of Sephiroth proportions, with 200 HP to spare. At worst, they will face numbers and likely other humans who may not be so nice ... just look at the Governor or Negan. With limited healing and even more limited HP, I hope to put a little fear of 'god' in my PCs, without driving them away from the table ... after all, sometimes it's better to climb up a building and run, than it is to face down 2 dozen walkers with only a Beretta 9mm and a machete ...
As we age, our vitality does increase - a healthy adult is able to do more and undergo more stress/damage than a child does. This is a natural progression that has little to do with experience -my genetic disposition, certain actions, and specific life choices will determine what my vitality is ... and how many HP I have. Speaking from experience, in D20M terms, I am definitely closer to a Smart or Dedicated hero type - I can hold up well, but I am definitely not physically "tough" enough to take a lot of serious damage. I am average.
This is, of course, not the same for any game played with "experience points" - as your character will inevitably fight bigger, stronger, more fierce "bad guys" as the game progresses. To keep up with the game progression, the hero/heroes become stronger and "more vital" as their HP increase with each level gained. It is an interesting dynamic that is featured in all of the common games - RPG, FPS, Third person (Assassin's Creed series), and tabletop.
It is that exact reason that causes me to buck convention and limit my PC's hit points in the upcoming Walking Dead game. The series (TV and comic) are set in a similar reality to the world we live in - a sort of "it could happen to you" glimpse at reality. What's more, there are limited ways that the characters can improve themselves ... sure, Andrea becomes a sharpshooter with practice, Michonne picked up a katana and taught herself how to use a blade effectively, and even Carl learned to shoot properly and accurately. However, none of the characters gain "life" or vitality from their experiences through 101 issues. They survive (fortitude, not life), adapt, and heal (many times over) - but a character like Glenn doesn't become able to take more damage inflicted upon him by someone.
This is one area of great importance I have taken into my game. My PC's are capped out at second level hit points ... because their "enemies" aren't going to progress. They are facing Roamers and Lurkers - not some 20th level behemoth of Sephiroth proportions, with 200 HP to spare. At worst, they will face numbers and likely other humans who may not be so nice ... just look at the Governor or Negan. With limited healing and even more limited HP, I hope to put a little fear of 'god' in my PCs, without driving them away from the table ... after all, sometimes it's better to climb up a building and run, than it is to face down 2 dozen walkers with only a Beretta 9mm and a machete ...
20 August 2012
the dead walk
"... you find the alley entrance in front of you choked off by walkers ... you've backed down the alley, only to find yourself pressed against a brick wall ... luckily for you, there is an old fire escape ladder just to your right. Checking your pistol, you realize you only have eight shots remaining ... and many more walkers wanting to dine on your flesh ... what is your next step?"
if you have stumbled upon my blog from elsewhere, you may be feeling a bit confused ... well, fear not blog adventurer (or maybe you should fear and head to the "next blog" link above), this is merely the home for a new homebrew 3.5ish ed RPG that I am running, set in Robert Kirkman's bleak future of "the Walking Dead". While I am not crazy enough to follow the graphic novel, or put any of my player characters (PC's) into the roles see in the comic or show, we will be playing under the same greater storyline, only in a significantly different location ... my current home, Des Moines IA. I intend to borrow more from the graphic novel than the TV series, given the wealth of information on those pages exceeds what is available on the show.
I plan to use this blog for a number of different purposes - thoughts, GM notes, recaps, ideas - so feel free to drop in often. We have 3 PCs (and 1 NPC) created, with 2 fleshed out, and 1 more to go. It will be an interesting ride, as the majority of our happy little group will be gaming first-timers. This leaves me with a bevy of untested waters and ideas that may or may not work with this group. In the coming week or two, I will introduce you to them each and give you a little backstory before we get to game time. I should be able to fill in time with some of the ideas and basic concepts that we will be using ... starting with the setting.
The Setting
The comic and show are both set in modern day Georgia, with Atlanta being a major backdrop in the TV series season 1. Since I am keeping with that "real world" theme and feeling, but not wanting to risk delving into an unfamiliar city, I chose to set our game here in Des Moines. All of my PC's either live in Des Moines or are familiar with it, so I am using this to drive home the severity of damage that would be done to familiar sites. Severity to the extent that one of my PC's (who is also my fiancee) and I have had multiple "what if" conversations about the city after a zombie apocalypse. This concept was brought up to me by a fellow GM on a game that he previously ran set in Des Moines. The familiarity adds a little extra oompf for the PC's. I am hoping to capture that ... and then tear it down.
Setting the game in DSM also means that I am "safe" from coming into conflict with any of Kirkman's characters and potentially portraying them incorrectly/incompletely. This also gives me the liberty to create my own characters with their own personalities, strengths, and flaws ... and do I ever have some ideas! Playing in an area my PC's are familiar with and a setting they all understand, gives me the opportunity to craft a better game for them and a better experience ... one that will keep them coming back session after session.
if you have stumbled upon my blog from elsewhere, you may be feeling a bit confused ... well, fear not blog adventurer (or maybe you should fear and head to the "next blog" link above), this is merely the home for a new homebrew 3.5ish ed RPG that I am running, set in Robert Kirkman's bleak future of "the Walking Dead". While I am not crazy enough to follow the graphic novel, or put any of my player characters (PC's) into the roles see in the comic or show, we will be playing under the same greater storyline, only in a significantly different location ... my current home, Des Moines IA. I intend to borrow more from the graphic novel than the TV series, given the wealth of information on those pages exceeds what is available on the show.
I plan to use this blog for a number of different purposes - thoughts, GM notes, recaps, ideas - so feel free to drop in often. We have 3 PCs (and 1 NPC) created, with 2 fleshed out, and 1 more to go. It will be an interesting ride, as the majority of our happy little group will be gaming first-timers. This leaves me with a bevy of untested waters and ideas that may or may not work with this group. In the coming week or two, I will introduce you to them each and give you a little backstory before we get to game time. I should be able to fill in time with some of the ideas and basic concepts that we will be using ... starting with the setting.
The Setting
The comic and show are both set in modern day Georgia, with Atlanta being a major backdrop in the TV series season 1. Since I am keeping with that "real world" theme and feeling, but not wanting to risk delving into an unfamiliar city, I chose to set our game here in Des Moines. All of my PC's either live in Des Moines or are familiar with it, so I am using this to drive home the severity of damage that would be done to familiar sites. Severity to the extent that one of my PC's (who is also my fiancee) and I have had multiple "what if" conversations about the city after a zombie apocalypse. This concept was brought up to me by a fellow GM on a game that he previously ran set in Des Moines. The familiarity adds a little extra oompf for the PC's. I am hoping to capture that ... and then tear it down.
Setting the game in DSM also means that I am "safe" from coming into conflict with any of Kirkman's characters and potentially portraying them incorrectly/incompletely. This also gives me the liberty to create my own characters with their own personalities, strengths, and flaws ... and do I ever have some ideas! Playing in an area my PC's are familiar with and a setting they all understand, gives me the opportunity to craft a better game for them and a better experience ... one that will keep them coming back session after session.
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