Tabletop Roleplaying

[Kunoichi]

So, after a long and involved discussion about System games and tabletop RPGs in the ShoutBox, we've been strongly urged to make a proper thread here to continue the discussion.

So... continue on with the discussion?

[akiraneko]

I'm new to tabletop games. I like vampire stories and darker tales, as well as sci-fi things.

Anyone have suggestions on where I should start out?

[Kunoichi]

Well, Star Wars: Saga Edition is always a nice starting point if you're into science fiction. ^^ Buying a good set of dice should also be helpful.

Unfortunately, I haven't had any experience with any vampire games, so I couldn't give you a fair evaluation of any of those.

[akiraneko]

What qualifies as a good set of dice?

I've only ever played with a 6 sided die...

[Kunoichi]

Most dedicated gaming stores have dice sets for sale.  They typically include a d20, d12, two d10s, a d8, d4, and at least one d6. ^^;

Oh, and just for reference, d20 is a twenty-sided die, d12 is a twelve-sided die, and so on.

[Ericnox]

Most gaming shops can get ya set up with some dice for rather cheap. As odd as it sounds, see if they let ya roll em first. Dice seem to have minds of their own and some roll better in some peoples hands then others.

I used to have some pink glow in the dark dice that rolled hot when I needed em to. No one but me got em to work.

Next up, check for any local groups seeking members, call around, see if they post in the gaming place and what they do. Most DMs will teach a newer player with in a few sessions. I had character making down in a half hour and DMing down in 2 weeks. Its rather simple really.

[HairyHeretic]

If you like Vampires and darker stuff, White Wolfs Vampire game is probably a decent place to start. I understand its fairly popular (I don't play it myself) so that makes finding a game easier.

Call of Cthulhu is probably one of the best known horror ones, and has setting books ranging from ancient Rome through Victorian, 1920s/1930s and present day.

The Warhammer 40,000 Dark Heresy line would probably cover both sci fi and horror, though it helps to know something of the universe there.

Star Wars has a fairly easy system to learn, and its a fun one to play.

[Ericnox]

Pretty much. It doesn't take long to learn the basics of a system, just be willing to adapt and grow. Don't be like some people and simply refuse to expand on anything.

[HairyHeretic]

That being said, as long as the GM knows the system a new player doesn't need to. Certainly it helps, but it's not essential.

[auroraChloe]

i've never played any 'official' rpg either.  feel like i'm missing out.   

i was graciously invited to observe one, though it was done via IRC.  still, dice rolling and all that, so i assume it is based on table top. 

[HairyHeretic]

The main difference between an RPG and a story type game on here is that with the story, you have control over everything that happens. As the writer you can decide this works and that doesn't. When you play a game, the dice make that decision for you, and you go from there. Of course, if the dice decide you're going to fail, then you have the story possibly moving in an entirely new direction.

[auroraChloe]

The main difference between an RPG and a story type game on here is that with the story, you have control over everything that happens. As the writer you can decide this works and that doesn't. When you play a game, the dice make that decision for you, and you go from there. Of course, if the dice decide you're going to fail, then you have the story possibly moving in an entirely new direction.

yes, i understood that much out of my observation and Q&A.  the girls just came up with the 'story' to flesh out the roll of their dice.
it was interesting, and time consuming (but i believe some of that was because of the venue, all online in different places, etc)

[Revolverman]

GURPS is good if you like flexibility in your stories, AND if you want simple dice (It only uses the normal D6 dice.)

[HairyHeretic]

Well, I know there are a number of system games that run on here. If you wanted to lurk and keep an eye on some of those, you'd probably pick up how things worked in fairly short order.

[Kunoichi]

True. ^^ They've usually got pretty entertaining stories to read, as well.

[HairyHeretic]

That too. Talk to any system gamer and I will guarantee they will have a pile of favourite in game stories. Possibly more than you want to listen to  ;D

[Kunoichi]

Speaking of which, we could probably share some pretty entertaining ones right here...

[HairyHeretic]

I think there might be a topic for gaming stories hiding deep in the depths of the board somewhere.

[Kunoichi]

*searches for 'stories'*

Well, I didn't find any specific threads dedicated to it, but people do seem to tell various stories about gaming experiences in just about any gaming topic... ^^;

[HairyHeretic]

That might have been it. Gamers tend to tell stories if you give them the opportunity :)

[Kunoichi]

Yeah, like the time I ran a session and sent the party on a troll-hunt beneath a city. ^^

[HairyHeretic]

Never sent anyone on a troll hunt, but I did have one game that involved the party following a glowing sheep through the sewers  ;D

1st ed Warhammer, starting characters, so pretty weedy. To earn some cash they were hired by a freakshow owner to track down an escaped 3 legged goblin. It had vanished into the sewers under whatever Empire city they were in. Of course, there were rumours of some horrible monster in the sewers as well, so they hit on the idea of getting a sheep on a rope, and casting a light spell on it.

This would reduce the need for a lantern, and if there was something horrible, hopefully it would attack the sheep first, giving the players time to evaluate it and either attack it or run like hell.

I don't think they found the monster, but they did find the remains of the goblin. Apparently it found the monster, judging by the teeth marks. At that point they decided running away was the better part of valor :)

[Kunoichi]

Ah, sounds entertaining. ;D

My party was playing in a Kobold campaign, so they took advantage of the fact that trolls are stupid to set up a variety of clever traps.  The druid made particularly good use of a Warp Wood spell at a few points to alter the terrain to their advantage.

Basically, they were in this town that was built on a giant bridge across a river, and the trolls had moved into the docks beneath the town and pulled a bunch of boats out of the water to make the place feel a bit more like home.  They did some pretty clever things, like taking nets and working in bits of metal and scraps of armor from the last few adventurers to go after the trolls.  Add a bit of raw meat for bait, then cast Heat Metal when the troll was caught in the net and voila, instant oven. ^^

[HairyHeretic]

Believe me, I've had much more entertaining players in my games. One of the fondest was a guy whose famous last words were "I headbutt the dragon AGAIN!"  ;)

[Kunoichi]

xD Sounds hilarious.  I haven't actually had much experience GMing at all, so most of the stories I'd have to relate would be from my experiences as a player.

[HairyHeretic]

A couple of the best I have come from running the City of Lies, a Legend of the Five Rings campaign. The players were a group of Imperial Magistrates, sent to this city to find out who killed the previous Magistrate, and to break up the illegal opium trade. The city in question is the center of both the legal and illegal opium trade.

One of the players was playing a Crane duelist (one of the finest sword schools in the empire, from the most courtly clan), acting as bodyguard to the Dragon Clan shukenja (magic user). They'd been invited to the Governers palace for a formal dinner. Now, the Governers daughter had been to marry the son of the local Unicorn clan leader, but the boy had apparently overdosed on opium. She was then to marry the brother of the guy that died.

At the dinner, the Crane starts off by expressing how sorry he was to have heard about the OD. Bringing this up was a fairly big faux pas .. you just don't do things like that. He then goes from bad to worse. "I hope that the upcoming wedding will restore honour to your family."

You can see the silence spreading outwards as people hear this. He effectively saying the city Governer and her family have no honour.

He was only saved from being turned into very small pieces (the Governers son commands the city military and guards, and had just suggested they go outside to discuss things) by the Governer declaring that he was obviously drunk, and should go for a long walk to clear his head.

She didn't want to see relations with the new Magistrates start on a sour note by having to kill one of their party. The Crane probably appreciated it too :)

The other story would take a little time to type out, so I'll leave it til the morning.

[Delta Echo]

I've never actually played an IRL game yet, done lots of PbP (primarily on Myth-Weavers) but need to get into the tabletop scene at some point.

Alas, Tallahassee doesn't have much in that regard. Ther was this one place in Gainesville though that looked great...

[HairyHeretic]

Ok, the other story, as promised.

There are three major families of the Scorpion clan that run the opium trade in the City of Lies, supplying medicinal opium to the Empire. The bulk of it is controlled by two of them, one of whom is the governing family.

Now, as the campaign has progressed, things have gone from bad to worse, and its getting close to all out war on the streets. In an effort to prevent this, the Magistrates has arranged a meeting in their residence for the heads of each of the three families. Given that they've so far dealt with notorious bandits, ninja, Oni (demons) and all sorts of other threats, they're got the power to ensure the three heads show.

Now, because of having to deal with about 3 different Oni, the Dragon shukenja had cast a spell around their house, that anything with the Shadowlands Taint (which Oni have) that crossed this line would burst into flames. It had proven its worth previously when they had to fight an Ogre and a horde of bakemono (goblins).

So, the three family heads turn up, with an escort of about 50 heavily armed and fairly twitch samurai between them. The deputy to one of the magistrates (an NPC) meets them at the gate, and while the nobles can come in, the guards stay where they are, with the magistrates pledging their own honour to ensure things at the meeting go smoothly.

Another of the deputies (a PC this time) is waiting just at the entrance of the house for the three to arrive, them walking up in reverse order of importance. As the least important is about to reach the house, the PC bows politely to her. She returns his bow, and explodes.

My entire gaming group goes "WHAT??????"

She went boom. Pillar of flame. Nothing left but a grease spot on the ground.

So, you have the city Governor and the second most powerful noble in the city a few steps back, 50 heavily armed samurai at the gates dropping their hands to their swords, the poor little NPC on the gate in need of a new kimono and the players still going "WHAT????"

The one on the door realises what has happened. The noble must have been tainted, and when she stepped over the line of the Evil Ward, she burst into flames. The dice mechanic on L5R is d10s, and if you roll a 10 on the dice, you roll again, add it to the total. If you keep rolling 10s, you keep adding them.

This was one of those occasions where the tens kept coming, and I rolled enough damage to kill the noble about 3 times over.

The PC on the door goes "Governor! There is an Evil Ward up around the house. She must have been Tainted, but we know you are not Tainted. Please, come in."

By putting that publically (so all the guards could hear) if she didn't cross the line, she'd lose a lot of face. It could still have gone horribly wrong, but they lucked out and swords were kept sheathed.

One of my players will still collapse in fits of the giggles if I use the line "She bows politely and explodes." :)

[Mnemaxa]

I ran a 10 year long game of Spelljammers, which is Dungeons and Dragons in space, on magical sailing ships, traveling between planets.  We actually changed rule sets during it, and I took them from level 1 to level 25.

About the middle of the game, i gave them a magic item.  Now, magic items are a staple of most roleplaying games, and they range in power from incredibly simple to majestically potent.  But this magic item was different.  It wasn't powerful - quite the opposite, it was a very simple item that didn't actually do much of anything as far as making the characters more powerful, difficult to beat, or protected.  Yet this one item was the one the players - not the characters, but the players - would fight over given half a chance. 

It was The Cloak of Death.  If you put it on, it made you look and sound like the classical specter of Death, black cowled robe and scythe (which was harmless, being an illusion), and with the ghostly voice of death.  And that is really all it did.  no magical death powers, no amazing defenses againsN weapons or magic....just...look and sound like death. 

And they loved it.  That was the most coveted magic item in a game that lasted ten long years of play.