Trey Causey (Weird Adventures) Q&A Log

[19:02] <+trey> Great. Hi, I'm Trey.  I'm the author of Weird Adventures, which is a "pulp fantasy" setting
[19:02] <+trey> usuable with any game, but sort of geared toward D&D-ish OGL systems
[19:03] <+trey> (done)
[19:05] <~Dan> Anyone have any questions so far?
[19:05] <~Dan> Okay, then, I'll get the ball rolling.
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[19:05] <~Dan> Can you tell us how the setting relates to the real world?
[19:05] <+trey> Sure.
[19:05] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, Everwayan! Here for the Q&A?)
[19:06] <+Everwayan> Yes, hi there Dan and Trey
[19:06] <+trey> hi
[19:06] <+trey> It relates to the real world roughly in a the way that fictional comic book cities of the Golden Age to (Gotham, Hub City, etc.)
[19:07] <+trey> Only in this case, it's the whole of the world that has that "just a bit off" veneer
[19:07] <+trey> Think of it as the 1930s version of Howard's Hyborian Age (except for the pseudo-prehistory aspect)
[19:08] <+trey> I draw on a lot of stuff though, from fiction to Age of Exploration ideas of geopgraphy
[19:08] <+trey> (done)
[19:09] <~Dan> What are some of the "off" bits, beyond the obvious fantasy elements?
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[19:10] <+trey> Well, names are the most obvious one. "Septentrion" instead of "North America" for example.
[19:10] <+trey> But geography is a bit altered too
[19:11] <+trey> There's a Northwest Passage, for instance
[19:11] <+trey> Political structures are different, too.
[19:12] <+trey> The Septentrion has more wild places and is much less unified than North America at a comparable era
[19:12] <~Dan> (Howdy, Ettin!)
[19:12] <+Ettin> Sup Dan
[19:12] <+trey> The Great Plains (the Dustlands) are in the handsof malevolent tornado tyrants and black dust zombies.
[19:12] <+trey> Stuff like that.
[19:12] <+trey> Hey, Ettin.
[19:13] <+trey> (done)
[19:13] <~Dan> What fantasy races are present?
[19:13] <+trey> None of the usual D&D-ish demihumans (at least not in the way normally seen).
[19:14] <+trey> There are several sorts of pgymy races in the past that might have been comparable to dwarves or halflings
[19:14] <+trey> But their mostly full size in the current era
[19:14] <+trey> There are hobo-goblins, though
[19:14] <+trey> And mer-folk in some places
[19:15] <+trey> and mushroom men
[19:15] <+trey> But it's a world dominated by humanity
[19:15] <+trey> (done)
[19:16] <~Dan> Can you say a bit about why you did away with the usual fantasy suspects?
[19:17] <+trey> I felt sticking elves and what not into the pulp setting diluted the "feel" at best and added an element of unintentional humor at worst
[19:17] <+trey> I want all my humor to be intentional. :)
[19:17] <+trey> There are hints of these things.
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[19:17] <+trey> The Dwergen that founded the CIty
[19:17] <+trey> The gill-men
[19:18] <+trey> and hints a people with mixed fae-blood
[19:18] <+trey> But their mysteries or histoircal curiosities for the most part
[19:18] <+trey> (done)
[19:18] <+trey> I mean "they're" ugh
[19:18] <+trey> (done)
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[19:19] <~Dan> But there are ogre hillbillies, as I recall?
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[19:19] <+trey> Oh, yeah
[19:19] <+trey> hill-billy giants
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[19:20] <+trey> and ogres (their inbred moonshining cousins)
[19:20] <+trey> The hill-billy giants being the degenerate descendants of the Ancients
[19:20] <+trey> those sort of people that build all those dungeons
[19:21] <+trey> Analogous to all those anamolous mummies and tombs found through out U.S. history--if you believe the fringe writers
[19:21] <+trey> (done)
[19:21] <~Dan> What sorts of fantasy monsters are running about, and how well-known are they?
[19:21] <+trey> A lot of standard D&D sorts.
[19:22] <+trey> There are slimes and what not beneath the City (some natural, some the effluvia of industrial alchemy)
[19:22] <+trey> There are the ogres and the giants in the Smaragdine Mountains
[19:22] <+trey> Various sorts of elementals and para-elementals causing trouble
[19:22] <+trey> Lounge lizards disguised as humans, hanging out in cool jazz clubs
[19:22] <+trey> shark worshipping fish men
[19:23] <+trey> And things from other planes
[19:23] <+trey> No dragons, though
[19:23] <+trey> They're extinct, maybe.
[19:23] <+trey> But their are a lot of large, weird monsters on the continent to the East.
[19:23] <~Dan> Oh? Like what?
[19:23] <+trey> Gargantua of various sorts.
[19:24] <+trey> Cyclops with disentegrating eye beams.
[19:24] <+trey> Things made as living weapons
[19:24] <+trey> in the Great War
[19:24] <+trey> The Tarasque is being mined
[19:24] <+trey> for the magical material in its blood
[19:24] <+trey> (done)
[19:24] <+phgaw> You said humour was itended to be intentional. How do you mean that? Is the setting self-aware? Do you lampoon tropes common to pulp? Or plain ol' jokes?
[19:24] <+phgaw> *intended
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[19:25] <+trey> Well, I'm quite aware
[19:25] <+trey> that things like hobo-goblins and hill-billy giants may seem a bit silly at concept
[19:25] <+trey> things like that
[19:26] <+trey> Celebrity sorcerer's as pitchmen for cigarettes
[19:26] <+trey> etc.
[19:26] <+trey> It's a self-awareness, mainly
[19:26] <+phgaw> So, leaning quite heavily on the 4th wall?
[19:26] <~Dan> Cast a Deadly Spell-type humor?
[19:26] <+trey> Yeah (leaning on the 4ht wall).  It is strictly necessary, but it enhances the enjoyment a bit
[19:26] <+trey> a little less than Casta Deadly Spell, but similar I suppose
[19:26] <+trey> Much of the setting is completely serious
[19:26] <+trey> there are jus these things
[19:27] <+trey> A lot like D&D as written by Gygax et al.
[19:27] <+trey> (done)
[19:27] <~Dan> Hmm. It sounds like the setting is a bit more specific than D&D-meets-pulp. Fair assessment?
[19:27] <+trey> I would say that's the essential origin of it yeah.
[19:27] <+trey> It posits a world where dungeoneering occurs
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[19:27] <+trey> and the monsters benefit from the OGL
[19:27] <+trey> and a familiarity with D&D
[19:28] <+trey> However, it's easy to play in it and not do D&D things
[19:28] <+trey> None of the games I've played in it have included a dungeoncrawl, as yet
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[19:28] <+trey> (done)
[19:28] <~Dan> Well, maybe I didn't phrase that quite right...
[19:28] <+trey> ok
[19:28] <~Dan> ...What I mean is that it seems that you went a step beyond just "D&D-meets-pulp". If you had, it would be elves with Tommy guns and so forth. You seem to have had a more original setting in mind.
[19:29] <+trey> Oh, certain
[19:29] <+trey> I was after some of the tropes of D&D
[19:29] <+trey> Not just moving it to a pulp setting
[19:29] * ~Dan nods
[19:29] <+trey> Clerics (as in D&D) really don't exist
[19:29] <+trey> Their aren't demihumans running around
[19:29] <+trey> Monotheism (mainly) is the order of the day
[19:29] <+trey> I guess I would liken it to China Mieville's Bas-Lag novels
[19:29] <+trey> If you're familiar with those.
[19:29] <~Dan> I am.
[19:29] <~Dan> Interesting...
[19:30] <+trey> Mieville lets you know D&D informed it
[19:30] <~Dan> So maybe Bas-Lag with D&Disms serving as the weird bits?
[19:30] <+trey> (the adventures, for instance)
[19:30] <+trey> That's fair
[19:30] <+trey> D&D-isms are closer to Weird Adventures than Bas-Lag, for sure
[19:30] <~Dan> Speaking of the weird bits...
[19:30] <+trey> yeah?
[19:30] <~Dan> ...we touched on this a bit in previous conversations, but what pulp-specific weirdness is present?
[19:30] <~Dan> (As opposed to D&D-based weirdness, I mean.)
[19:30] <+trey> Sure.
[19:31] <+trey> Well, there are mad scientist types with outre inventions
[19:31] <+trey> (even if they might have a magical base)
[19:31] <+trey> There lost cities
[19:31] <+trey> and sort of Indiana Jones-ish stuff
[19:31] <+trey> Monsters informed by more sort of horror stuff
[19:31] <+trey> Like malevolent, corrupting pulp magazines
[19:31] <~Dan> Heh. Cool.
[19:32] <+trey> Ethnic crime lords
[19:32] <+trey> Aviators
[19:32] <+trey> Lost valleys with dinosaurs
[19:32] <+trey> That sort of stuff
[19:32] <~Dan> (I was gonna ask about dinos. :) )
[19:32] <+trey> Yeah, the Grand Chasm has them
[19:32] <~Dan> Any chance of a giant ape or two?
[19:32] <+trey> Of course.
[19:32] <~Dan> Excellent.
[19:32] <+trey> It doesn't make the book
[19:32] <+trey> But I've done several blog entries
[19:32] <~Dan> But it would just fit?
[19:32] <+trey> on pulpy islands
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[19:32] <+trey> Of course, yeah!
[19:32] <~Dan> :)
[19:33] <~Dan> Again, we talked a bit about this, but how well would pulpy proto-super types like the Shadow, the Avenger, and Doc Savage fit?
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[19:33] <+trey> I think they would work.
[19:33] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy!)
[19:33] <+trey> There's the Titan
[19:33] <+trey> A Doc Savage-y construct
[19:33] <+trey> (robot)
[19:33] <+WonderRat> (Howdy, Dan)
[19:34] <~Dan> (Wondy: Need a link to what we're discussing?)
[19:34] <+trey> And at least one of the sample characters is a turbaned mystic sort
[19:34] <+trey> like Ibis
[19:34] <+trey> in Fawcett Comics
[19:34] <~Dan> Ibis the Invincible?
[19:34] <+trey> Yep.
[19:34] <+trey> So that would totally work.
[19:34] <~Dan> Heh. Hopefully not as munchkiny. :D
[19:34] <+trey> No, hopefully not. :)
[19:34] <~Dan> Speaking of mystics, what is magic like in the setting, and how common is it?
[19:34] <+trey> Really sort of "sorcery"
[19:35] <+trey> (Magic-user-ish magic)
[19:35] <~Dan> Full-blown fireballs and lightning bolts?
[19:35] <+trey> is common enough that people are well aware of it, but maybe not enough that most people know a practitioner
[19:35] <+trey> Fireballs and lightning bolts would be rare
[19:35] <+trey> And get you in trouble
[19:35] <+trey> If not with the law
[19:35] <+trey> with the Thaumaturgical Society
[19:35] <+trey> If you're in the City
[19:35] <+trey> Vulgar displays of power
[19:35] <+trey> get people nervous
[19:35] <+trey> Magic is regulated, to a degree
[19:36] <+trey> Still, adventurers would do stuff like that where they can get away with it
[19:36] <~Dan> Hmmm... so what's "acceptable" magic?
[19:36] <+trey> Magical research is certainly acceptable as long as it doesn't blow up!
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[19:36] <+trey> use of Forsenic necromancy
[19:36] <+trey> And killing monsters, certainly
[19:36] <+trey> Agian, though these things are best left to the authorities
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[19:37] <+trey> But to a large degree, the setting leaves this a bit open
[19:37] <+trey> It implies things, but leaves plenty of room for a GM's interpretation
[19:37] * ~Dan nods
[19:37] <~Dan> On a related note...
[19:37] <~Dan> ...we have D&D-ish magic and weird science. To what extent to they affect everyday life, and why?
[19:37] <+trey> First off, the "weird science" and magic are intertwined.
[19:38] <+trey> This isn't  a setting where there's a hard dividing line.
[19:38] <+trey> Alchemy has probably made the biggest impact on peoples lives
[19:38] <~Dan> (brb -- please continue)
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[19:38] <+trey> Minor healing potions can be bought at the corner drug story (though they vary in quality)
[19:38] <+trey> for example
[19:39] <+trey> People can also visit a small time magical practitioner for a love or luck spell or a future-reading
[19:39] <+trey> Just like in our world--except here they might work!
[19:39] <+trey> Magical artifacts and events are things people are aware of even if they haven't witnessed them personally
[19:41] <+TheEverwayan> Not sure if it is ok to ask questions, but if so, pls feel free to talk about how you are using WARP in WA
[19:41] <+phgaw> (It's a Q&A, so feel free to ask!)
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[19:44] <~Dan> (Sorry, back. And yup, everyone's free to ask questions, Ev. :) )
[19:45] <+trey> That's a great question to ask. :)
[19:45] <+trey> It's rules as written, pretty much.
[19:45] <+trey> Most of my player's that have magic are using a sort of freeform fringe power.
[19:45] <+trey> They tell me how they see it working
[19:45] <+trey> (hoodoo woman is one example)
[19:45] <+trey> And we work out how they will work
[19:45] <+trey> (takes time, so isn't for combat, needs components)
[19:45] <+trey> And then we go
[19:45] <+trey> I've got another player that has limited psychic powers
[19:45] <+trey> So he's got telepathy and related
[19:45] <+trey> stuff
[19:45] <+trey> psychometry,, maybe, and suggestion
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[19:48] <~Dan> WARP being the OtE system, correct?
[19:48] <~Dan> (Howdy, egyptian!)
[19:49] <+TheEverwayan> Exactly
[19:49] <~Dan> That would seem to be almost the polar opposite of D&D. What's it like using a system that's that far from the system you envisioned using originally?
[19:50] <+trey> I think it works fine.
[19:50] <+trey> It's just more freeform, but you can do the same sorts of things.
[19:50] <+trey> It's the actions and tropes I was after.
[19:50] * ~Dan nods
[19:50] <+trey> I've also used Lorefinder
[19:50] <~Dan> What's that?
[19:50] <+trey> (the Pathfinder GUMSHOE mashup)
[19:51] <~Dan> Oh, right. I heard of that.
[19:51] <+TheEverwayan> How did you like Lorefinder, trey?
[19:51] <+trey> I enjoyed it.
[19:51] <+trey> Pathfinder is a little complicated for me, though. :)
[19:51] <+trey> But I thought the GUMSHOE aspects made mysteries easy
[19:52] <~Dan> Really? Did you design any particular edition of D&D in mind?
[19:52] <+trey> I was thinking something more old school-ish
[19:52] <+TheEverwayan> I have been wondering how you'd create an OSRfinder, since the classic games have few skills
[20:11] <+trey> Well, you'd add the GUMSHOE investigative skills, I guess
[20:11] <+trey> And those would be the only skills you'd have
[20:12] <+trey> It would be sort of GUMSHOE with d20 combat, I guess
[20:12] <+TheEverwayan> Oh yeah :)
[20:12] <~Dan> Have you used any other systems with Weird Adventures?
[20:12] <+trey> Just the Lorefinder and WaRP
[20:12] <+trey> There is a group playing it with a modfied B/X
[20:13] <+trey> And another group with a modified Castles and Crusades, I think
[20:13] <+trey> But I don't know too much about how those games are going
[20:13] <+trey> People just email me and telling what they're planning sometimes :)
[20:13] <+trey> Or to ask questions
[20:13] <~Dan> When you were designing the setting, did you think in terms of character classes? Like, "This NPC is a fighter, this one is a thief," etc.?
[20:14] <+trey> Sort of.
[20:14] <+trey> I thought about how the classic base classes might be translated over.
[20:14] <+trey> But, I didn't usually bother to specifically map abilities when I described a character in text only
[20:15] * ~Dan nods
[20:15] <+trey> Still, the types Tough Guy, Man of Magic, Man of Faith, Thief, are there
[20:15] <~Dan> Man of Faith, even though there are no cleric types?
[20:15] <+trey> Yes
[20:15] <+trey> There are "the gifted"
[20:16] <+trey> People of faith who manifest a power from that
[20:16] <+trey> but they don't necessarily have a place in a church hierarchy
[20:16] <+trey> Faith healers and the like
[20:16] <~Dan> How do you see them as being distinct from clerics?
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[20:17] <~Dan> wb, trey!
[20:17] <+trey> Sorry had an internet burp
[20:17] <~Dan> No problem. Did you see my last question re: clerics?
[20:17] <+trey> Yes
[20:17] <+trey> Clerics have a place in church heirarchy and have a variety of spells
[20:17] <+trey> or powers
[20:17] <+trey> These folks may not and typically only have one
[20:17] <~Dan> Ah, so more like Divine gifts.
[20:18] <+trey> yes, exactly
[20:18] <+trey> But if faith falters...so do the powrs
[20:18] * ~Dan nods
[20:18] <+trey> Now, priests/preachers can be spell casters
[20:18] <+trey> The Oecumenical Hierarchate has its own theurgical orders
[20:18] <+trey> But their really magic-users
[20:18] <+trey> with clerical investment
[20:18] <+trey> they're
[20:18] <~Dan> Is that the setting's Catholic Church?
[20:18] <+trey> yes
[20:19] <+trey> On this issue and the system issue, one of my player's always says he would run WA in GURPS
[20:19] <+trey> But he hasn't yet
[20:19] <~Dan> It occurs to me that WitchCraft might be a handy system for the setting.
[20:19] <+trey> True.
[20:19] <+trey> I hadn't thought about that,  but it would work
[20:19] <~Dan> With its distinct supernatural power systems.
[20:19] <+trey> yeah
[20:19] <+trey> One reviewer suggested a modded Shadowrun
[20:20] <~Dan> Interesting.
[20:20] <+trey> Everybody's got ideas.
[20:20] <+TheEverwayan> I think it would work well with Spirit of the Century or Dresden Files
[20:20] <+trey> Which is good. :)
[20:20] <~Dan> I think I may have mentioned this, but I can see using some BRP variant as well.
[20:20] <+trey> Yeah, I think those would all work.
[20:20] <+trey> That's why I made it mostly system neutral
[20:20] <~Dan> Did you ever consider making it a complete self-contained game with its own system?
[20:20] <+trey> I thought about it.
[20:21] <+trey> But system creation isn't where my real interests lie
[20:21] <+trey> I would need to either work with someone who dug that
[20:21] <+trey> or turn it over to them to do :)
[20:21] <~Dan> Not even using an open-source D&D variant?
[20:21] <~Dan> Or do you think it would have required enough adaptations to make it a new system?
[20:21] <+trey> I think it can be done in an open source D&D variant, given all the things that have been done with them
[20:22] <+trey> It was just a sideline issue
[20:22] <+trey> for me
[20:22] * ~Dan nods
[20:22] <+trey> People are divided.
[20:22] <+trey> Some reviews dinged me for not doing that.
[20:22] <+trey> Others praise it's mostly systemlessness
[20:23] <~Dan> Well, speaking for myself...
[20:24] <~Dan> ...I think both approaches are a little silly.
[20:24] <~Dan> By which I mean, I think products should be judged by what they set out to be.
[20:24] <+trey> Ah. :)
[20:24] <+Damiar> that's a good way to do it Dan
[20:24] <+trey> Yeah, "does it do what it sets out to do?"
[20:24] <+trey> is the thing
[20:25] <~Dan> So saying that a book that was intended to be a systemless setting is good or bad because it lacks a system is a bit like slamming/praising a generic game for not having a setting.
[20:25] <+trey> Right, yeah.
[20:25] <+trey> As long as people are clear about their intent
[20:25] <+trey> no bait and switch
[20:25] <~Dan> Damiar: Thanks. Really, I see that as the only way to do a fair review.
[20:25] <~Dan> trey: Yup, certainly.
[20:26] <~Dan> Of course, part of the trick of reviewing is often figuring out what the author was trying to do.
[20:26] <+trey> ha! true. :)
[20:26] <~Dan> :)
[20:26] <~Dan> But back to your product... :)
[20:26] <~Dan> Staying on the same track... and this may be a little hard for you to answer...
[20:27] <~Dan> ...but do you have any idea of whether your systemless approach positively or negatively affected your sales?
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[20:27] <~Dan> (I ask this fully realizing that you have no access to market research. ;) )
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[20:29] <+trey> I don't, really.
[20:29] <+trey> I think that a lot of people didn't pay attention to what was said
[20:29] <+trey> so they didn't know what to expect
[20:29] <+trey> Even though I say "an rpg setting" on the cover
[20:29] <+trey> And in the copy say "for any game"
[20:29] <+trey> I do think it might be a be of a hard idea to incapsulate, over all
[20:29] <+trey> I don't know if that hurt though
[20:29] <+trey> But at least one reviewer said he didn't pick it up until Grognardia;s review
[20:29] <+trey> Because he thought it was gonna be just another Indiana Jones-ish thing
[20:29] <+trey> Instead of a fantasy world with a modern-ish setting
[20:29] <+trey> Pulp is a word that permits different definitions
[20:29] <+trey> people bring their own to the table
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[20:29] <+trey> (done)
[20:30] <~Dan> (Howdy, Logomachist!)
[20:30] <~Dan> If I can return to one of my earlier questions for a moment...
[20:30] <~Dan> ...what keeps powerful magic and/or inventions from changing the nature of the setting? Are all inventions one-offs by their nature, for example?
[20:31] <+trey> I have two answers to that. :)
[20:31] <+trey> And I think it could be approached either way.
[20:31] <~Dan> I'm sorry. I'm afraid you're going to have to choose one.
[20:31] <~Dan> (j/k!)
[20:31] <+trey> Never!
[20:31] <+trey> :)
[20:31] <~Dan> ;)
[20:32] <+trey> On one hand, I could say they don't in the same way that magic doesn't transform the economy of a typical D&D world
[20:32] <+trey> Or everybody doesn't wear unstable molecule clothing in the Marvel Universe
[20:32] <+trey> genre convention, in other words
[20:32] <+trey> On the other hand, I could say their is evidence that it does:
[20:32] <+trey> The Great War devasted the Old World because of thaumaturgic weapons of mass destruction
[20:33] <+trey> Alchemical research has recently lead to contraception
[20:33] <+trey> (of a sort)
[20:33] <+TheEverwayan> So if you mess with the universe too much, it messes back at you?
[20:33] <+trey> yes
[20:33] <+trey> But smal changes can occur, and are occuring
[20:33] <+trey> And they'll add up to big ones over time
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[20:33] <~Dan> Are magic and super-science relatively new to the world, then?
[20:34] <+trey> Magic is old, and again no "super-science" in the Reed Richards sense
[20:34] <+trey> All robots are constructs (like in 3e)
[20:34] <+trey> for instance
[20:34] <+trey> magic and science are starkly separated
[20:34] <+trey> alchemy is a branch of chemistry, on a spectrum
[20:35] <+trey> Magic wasn't usable on a more industrial scale without a certain amount of mundane tech, though
[20:35] <+trey> There are "magical assembly lines"
[20:35] <+trey> aren't
[20:36] <+trey> I menat
[20:36] <+trey> meant
[20:36] <+trey> But "magical" processes lead to better materials, etc.
[20:36] <~Dan> Hmm... So since "weird science" is tied to magic, the same factors apply?
[20:36] <+trey> Yeah.
[20:36] <+trey> pretty much.
[20:36] <+trey> Though there are some villianous species that have strict pulp super-science
[20:37] <~Dan> Aliens?
[20:37] <+trey> The Brain Invaders, yes
[20:37] <~Dan> <--- genius!
[20:37] <+trey> And the Reds from under the earth
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[20:37] <~Dan> Reds = "mole men" or the like?
[20:38] <+trey> Sort of. Think Shaver's Dero with a political agenda
[20:38] <~Dan> Ah. Heh. So they're "Red" as in literally dirty Commies? :)
[20:38] <+trey> right.
[20:38] <~Dan> That's awesome. :)
[20:38] <+trey> Communalitarianism
[20:38] <+trey> Which may have been invented by elves
[20:39] <+trey> But it's uncertain. :)
[20:39] <~Dan> But then the movement went... underground?
[20:39] <+TheEverwayan> As in Marx's Old Mole?
[20:39] <+trey> Yeah, a decadent underground civilization was overthrown by their humanoid underclass
[20:39] <+trey> :)
[20:39] <~Dan> I can dig it. :)
[20:39] <+trey> In a way.
[20:40] <+trey> But they are strict materialists and disbelieve magic.
[20:40] <~Dan> Do they try to explain it in rational terms?
[20:40] <+trey> In a limited doublethink sort of fashion.
[20:40] <+trey> Denial is there main thing.
[20:41] <+trey> Now, I should say not all Communalitarians are bad.
[20:41] <+trey> Just the totalitarian Reds
[20:41] <~Dan> That's Pinko thinking right there.
[20:41] <+trey> Who use their "philosophy" as a world-conquering cover
[20:41] <+trey> ha!
[20:41] <~Dan> :D
[20:41] <+trey> :)
[20:42] <+trey> Anarchists exist too
[20:42] <+trey> And have an alien body-warping magic
[20:42] <~Dan> So the setting has its Commies and Anarchists... What about Nazis?
[20:42] <+trey> No Nazis
[20:42] <+trey> But the Party of Purity
[20:42] <+trey> is on the rise over in Staark
[20:42] <+trey> So, their going to be a future threat
[20:42] <+trey> they're, I mean
[20:42] <~Dan> Do they represent a Staark contrast?
[20:42] <+trey> heh.
[20:43] <~Dan> (Sorry. Should have warned you to mind the puns...)
[20:43] <+trey> I was thinking more Stark as in Deutsch for "strong"
[20:43] <~Dan> Ah. *nod*
[20:43] <+phgaw> DanL usually used as in strong coffee.
[20:43] <+TheEverwayan> Or Leigh brackett?
[20:43] <+phgaw> Dan:
[20:43] <+trey> I love Lee Brackett, but it was just a German word, here.
[20:43] <+TheEverwayan> :)
[20:43] <~Dan> Are there any other obvious "bad guy" factions?
[20:44] <+trey> The Hell Syndicate
[20:44] <+trey> The nine infernal crime families
[20:44] <~Dan> Run by demons?
[20:44] <+trey> Devils.
[20:45] <+trey> And "made men" get diabolic powers--and mutations, kind of.
[20:45] <~Dan> Ah, speaking of the demons/devils thing... is there an implied presence of D&D alignments?
[20:45] <+trey> Law and Chaos are forces in the universe, yeah
[20:45] <+trey> But people don't have alignment
[20:45] <+trey> No alignment language or anything
[20:45] <~Dan> But not Good and Evil?
[20:46] <+trey> It exists, but it's more nebulous
[20:46] <+trey> the monotheistic god is Good and Lawful, presumably
[20:46] <~Dan> Well, so in old school D&D, devils are Lawful Evil. How does that manifest in WA?
[20:46] <+trey> In a way.
[20:46] <+trey> They oppose the God and the angels
[20:46] <+trey> but they also oppose the qlippothic demons of the chaos of the PIt
[20:47] <+trey> things after the unmaking of the universe
[20:47] <+trey> whereas devils want to rule
[20:48] <~Dan> Is the monotheistic God an objective reality in the setting?
[20:48] <+trey> Yes, but so are different interpretations of him.  Multiple mutually exclusive heavens can be visited, confusingly
[21:07] <+trey> It seems everything humans believe exists in some fashion
[21:07] <~Dan> What about some version of Fairyland/Arcadia?
[21:10] <+TheEverwayan> I have to go now, but thanks trey and Dan for a very informative session
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[21:10] <~Dan> (Still there, trey?)
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[21:11] <~Dan> wb, trey!
[21:11] <+trey> don't know what's going on with the DSL tonite
[21:11] <~Dan> No problem. Did you get my Arcadia question?
[21:12] <+trey> Oh, did my reply not come through?
[21:12] <~Dan> Nope.
[21:12] <+trey> Anyway, yeah there's an Arcadia that is a sort of Disney movie-esque land of talking animals and mythological creature
[21:12] <+trey> Part of it is a city where talking animals wear clothes and do human stuff
[21:16] <~Dan> ...
[21:17] <~Dan> That's hilarious. :)
[21:17] <+trey> but most is pastoral and Aesop fable/Bullfinch's mythology-ish
[21:17] <+trey> thanks
[21:17] <~Dan> Do you visualize it as being animated? :)
[21:17] <+trey> Yeah
[21:17] <+trey> Definitely
[21:17] <~Dan> Sweet.
[21:17] <+trey> Of course, the planes don't enter in a lot
[21:17] <+trey> though they could
[21:17] <+trey> like in D&D, theiy're mostly backdrop
[21:17] * ~Dan nods
[21:17] <+trey> but planar exploring is possible
[21:18] <+trey> Most of that's on the blog though
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[21:18] <+trey> Well, I guess it's getting late.
[21:18] <~Dan> Well, looks like I lost track of time a bit, not that it matters. We're over the 2 hour mark, so I should probably call a stop to the "official" Q&A.
[21:18] <~Dan> Heh.
[21:18] * ~Dan high-fives trey
[21:18] <+trey> Thanks
[21:18] <+trey> Thanks for having me.
[21:18] <+trey> It's was cool.
[21:18] <~Dan> I was just going to add that you're welcome to hang out as long as you like, but sounds like you need to head out?
[21:19] <+trey> Yeah, probably should get a few things done and get to bed early. Tomorrow is an early day.
[21:19] <+trey> of work
[21:19] <~Dan> Gotcha. Well, please know that you're always welcome to stop by!
[21:19] <+trey> Thanks, Dan.
[21:19] <~Dan> I'll have the log posted to my blog shortly.
[21:19] <+trey> Good night!
[21:19] <~Dan> Good night!
[21:19] <+trey> great, cool
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Christian Conkle (Swords of Cydoria) Q&A Log

[19:11] <+Evilschemer> Okay. I'm Christian Conkle. I'm the author of Swords of Cydoria, Lightspeed, and two Dragonball Z sourcebooks. Swords of Cydoria is a monograph for Basic Roleplaying. It's a setting that takes inspiration from swords-and-sorcery, pulp, and science fiction.
[19:11] <+Evilschemer> I've described it as Swords and Blasters, Monsters and Aliens.
[19:11] <~Dan> (Welcome back, Canageek! Q&A beginning with Christian Conkle. #rpgnet2 open for general chat. :) )
[19:11] <+Evilschemer> done, I guess.
[19:11] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[19:12] <~Dan> Anyone have any questions so far, or shall I get things rolling?
[19:12] <~Dan> Okay then!
[19:12] <~Dan> Christian, what sets the setting apart from the "crowd", so to speak?
[19:14] <+Canageek> j0
[19:15] <+Evilschemer> Good question. Two things: I intentionally tried to keep it from feeling "steampunk", it's kind of like a planetary romance in style. Additionally, I wanted to create a book with lots of built-in campaign and story material. I give several options for "campaigns" right out of the gate. It's very obvious what the player characters are expected to do.
[19:15] <+Evilschemer> (Sorry, I have to remember to hit Enter more) (done)
[19:16] <~Dan> I saw that. Very helpful.
[19:16] <&Le_Squide> So, does your version of BRP add anything new? (Even if it's just stats for superfuture weapons, beasts, etc.) Or does it take anything particularly notable from other BRP implementations?
[19:16] <~Dan> I like the airship crew idea, in particular.
[19:17] <+Evilschemer> Hi, yes. I tried to make the book about half crunch/half fluff. There are some new power rules, some additions to old power rules.
[19:17] <+Evilschemer> There are alternate wealth rules.
[19:18] <+Evilschemer> There are rules for building and maintaining super-technology.
[19:18] <+Evilschemer> Plus there are several non-human races and about twenty or so new monsters.
[19:18] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[19:18] <&Le_Squide> Neat! Any particularly cool examples of the super tech?
[19:19] <~Dan> And on a related note, how do you keep the tech angle from overwhelming the swords and sorcery side?
[19:19] <~Dan> (Question pause while Christian catches up, please.)
[19:20] <+Evilschemer> Sure. The super-tech came out of my playtest. One of the players was playing an outlaw tech, a kind of mad-scientist inventor, so I needed to come up with player-based rules for him.
[19:21] <+Evilschemer> So I created a system that allowed him to keep track of resource points from various types of parts: electrical, pneumatic, mechanical, etc.
[19:21] <+Evilschemer> New devices require parts to build and time. The more complicated a device, the more time and parts.
[19:22] <+Evilschemer> In the game, he built portable breathing apparatuses for walking in a poisonous desert, and modified his air pistol to be a revolver.
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[19:25] <+Evilschemer> Tech is limited in the setting in three ways: 1) Most technology is controlled by the Octavium, a kind of religious order/trade guild that protects the secrets of technology.
[19:25] <+Evilschemer> 2) Advanced alien technology is hard to get to the surface because of a powerful force field that surrounds the world.
[19:26] <+Evilschemer> 3) Only those with Gate Keys can grant access through the force field. The Emperor of the evil Empire controls one of the gate keys. He limits access to technology to only his armies and his nobles.
[19:27] <+Evilschemer> The Octavium view the alien technology as taboo and evil, and that leads to friction between the Octavium and the Emperor who wants to use the technology to conquer the world.
[19:27] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[19:27] <~Dan> Hmm. Is there a mid-range between swords and armor and the alien tech? What's the "average" tech level?
[19:30] <+Evilschemer> The vast majority of civilians have access to horses, swords, spears, etc. The Octavium has allowed certain technologies to progress, but keep most of it secret and controlled.
[19:30] <+Evilschemer> So before the aliens came, there were air-powered rifles for the troops. But civilians were still pretty medieval.
[19:31] <~Dan> So kind of an early Renaissance?
[19:31] <+Evilschemer> Electricity is out-right taboo. There are energy beings in the setting that are drawn towards electricity and possess electric devices, so the Octavium intentionally kept that tech supressed.
[19:32] <+Evilschemer> Yeah, I guess you could call it late Renaissance to almost industrial revolution.
[19:32] <~Dan> But that's fallen apart post-invasion?
[19:32] <+Evilschemer> Lack of coal and oil in the setting (which was by design) supressed some technologies.
[19:33] <+Evilschemer> Well there's been no alien "invasion". The force field sees to that.
[19:33] <~Dan> Oh, right -- just alien-backed factions?
[19:34] <+Evilschemer> Right. It gets complicated. but I can explain if anyone is interested.
[19:34] <~Dan> Sure!
[19:35] <+Evilschemer> So, the setting tells the story of several City-States on the sub-continent called Cydoria.
[19:35] <+Evilschemer> The city-states were pretty much in status-quo equilibrium.
[19:36] <+Evilschemer> One day, an archaeologist discovers an ancient device that allows him to contact "aliens".
[19:36] <+Evilschemer> It turns out these aliens have been wanting to come to the world of Uruta but can't because it's protected by this force field called the Oudh
[19:37] <+Evilschemer> The archaeologist figures out a way to let one ship past the Oudh at a time. The King of Vrildar, where the archaeologist lives, then confiscated this device.
[19:38] <+Evilschemer> He made contact with the aliens and set up trade arrangements. The aliens can access Uruta for resources in exchange for fancy new weapons to conquer his neighbors.
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[19:39] <+Evilschemer> War starts and the city-states form two major factions: the Vrildarian Empire and the Federation of Timan.
[19:39] <+Evilschemer> Empire = bad guys. Federation = good guys.
[19:39] <+Evilschemer> The archaeologist feels bad about what he caused, so he goes to the Federation and says "Hey, look, I want to make this up to you."
[19:40] <+Evilschemer> "Here's how you contact the aliens."
[19:41] <+Evilschemer> As it turned out, there were these OTHER aliens that are at war with the first aliens. So the Federation made contact with them and got their own weapons.
[19:41] <+Evilschemer> So there was this big war with lasers and hovercraft on this world that was used to swords and spears.
[19:41] <+Evilschemer> The Federation's alien allies had to withdraw because their world was attacked, and the Federation lost the war.
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[19:43] <+Evilschemer> The game takes place 12 years later (as I recall). Most aliens on Uruta are Malusians, the bad guy aliens.
[19:43] <~Dan> (Howdy, GH! Q&A in progress! Subject: (Link: http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=6718)http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=6718)
[19:43] <+Evilschemer> But the rebels still have contact with the Phanosians, the good guy aliens. And pirates and criminals also have contact with some unaligned aliens who smuggle tech onto Uruta.
[19:44] <+GoldenH> hi dan, mmm q&a
[19:44] <+Evilschemer> But like I said, there are maybe 6 total gate keys in the world.
[19:44] <+Evilschemer> (done) phew!
[19:44] <~Dan> Thanks, Christian. :)
[19:45] <~Dan> Anyone have further questions before I continue?
[19:45] <+Dirian> what is your favorite color
[19:45] <~Dan> Cute. :p
[19:45] <+Evilschemer> Blue.
[19:45] <~Dan> So what powers are featured in the setting?
[19:46] <+Evilschemer> There's Psi Magic, which is a form of Psionics and builds on those rules in the BGB
[19:46] <+Evilschemer> There's Ta'Oudh which is like Jedi powers mixed with Kung Fu super-powers. It uses the Sorcery rules as a base.
[19:47] <+Evilschemer> There's Biomancers which can create potions to cause temporary mutations.
[19:47] <+Evilschemer> Using the mutation rules.
[19:47] <+Evilschemer> Plus a lot of races use mutations to simulate special abilities.
[19:48] * ~Dan nods
[19:48] <~Dan> Are there "human mutants"?
[19:49] <+Evilschemer> No, not in the post-apocalyptic sense. Though in retrospect I should have added more of that kind of thing.
[19:49] <~Dan> Would adding them throw off the setting? And if not, how would you incorporate them?
[19:49] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[19:50] <+Evilschemer> Not at all. 1500 years ago, there was this big apocalyptic war that wiped out an Atlantis/Rome style society.
[19:51] <+Evilschemer> That was used biological weapons and genetically modified creatures (created through permanent biomancy).
[19:51] <+Evilschemer> There are places in the setting where it is explicit that they cause mutations in the races that were "touched" by that war.
[19:52] <+Evilschemer> One could easily extend that to humans. Now I kind of wish I did.
[19:52] <~Dan> Yeah... based on my skimming, I saw the weirdly mutated 4-armed apes.
[19:52] <+Evilschemer> My other regret is not making more "crazy" chimera monsters ala D&D's owlbears or other fanciful beasts.
[19:53] <~Dan> Well, you've only got so much room, right? :)
[19:53] <+Evilschemer> They would all have resulted from the bio-war and its lingering effects.
[19:53] <+Evilschemer> I mean, I've got lots of mutant monsters that resulted from the bio-war and its lingering effects, I just kept myself reined in.
[19:53] <+Evilschemer> I should have gone crazy with the "a wizard made it" style of monster.
[19:54] <~Dan> Any chance of an online supplement with this sort of thing, maybe?
[19:54] <+Evilschemer> Absolutely. I had to cut a lot out of the book!
[19:54] <~Dan> Excellent.
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[19:55] <~Dan> Is that something that's in the offing, or just something you're considering?
[19:55] <+Evilschemer> Future online additions include: Techno-Wizards that imbue devices with the captured Aya spirits. The gods and cults of Cydoria. More technology that I had to cut.
[19:56] <+Evilschemer> It's written. I had to literally highlight and cut those chapters out. They're just MS Word documents right now.
[19:56] <+Canageek> Hey, Dan; Can you tell me a bit more about these Aliens?  Do they look like humans, or are they giant bugs or what?
[19:56] <+Evilschemer> And lots of useless detail.
[19:56] <~Dan> Oh, great!
[19:56] <+Evilschemer> Yes, the aliens. Here's the big secret of the setting. (drum roll)
[19:56] <+Evilschemer> I based the setting on the idea that it's our own world set 25 thousand years in the future.
[19:57] <+Evilschemer> The Malusians are bio-engineered descendants of those who terraformed Mars.
[19:57] <+Evilschemer> The Phanosians are bio-engineered descendants of those who terraformed Venus.
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[19:58] * ~Dan chuckles
[19:58] <&Le_Abject_Terror_Fleeing> Awesome!
[19:58] <+Evilschemer> Zhuvitans are descendants of those who built space habitats aroudn Jupiter. Zirisians = Ceres asteroid.
[19:58] <+Evilschemer> So Phanosians are basically humans.
[19:59] <+Evilschemer> Malusians are tall and slender, weak-boned, they can't take bright light. They must wear exoskeletal suits when walking around on Uruta.
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[19:59] <+Evilschemer> Didanians from Titan have long spider-like limbs.
[20:00] <+Evilschemer> But I kept it intentionally vague in the book. Are they planetary romance natives of those worlds or descendants of future terraformers?
[20:00] <+Crazy-Cabal> Jeeeeeezus. The new walking dead episode goes from dark to uncomfortable and had to take a break in like five minutes.
[20:01] <+Evilschemer> Oh, and the Deru are squat dwarf analogs from Mercury (but also Earth) who are like mole-men.
[20:01] <~Dan> (CC: Q&A in progress. #rpgnet2 is open for general chat. :) )
[20:01] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[20:01] <+Crazy-Cabal> (D'oh)
[20:01] <~Dan> (Cool book, though: (Link: http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=6718)http://catalog.chaosium.com/product_info.php?products_id=6718 )
[20:01] <~Dan> Hmm. So... does the setting really exist within a semi-hard sci-fi framework?
[20:02] <+Evilschemer> Yes. There's no FTL. Period. There might be human colonies on other worlds, but if there are, they went there the long way.
[20:02] <+Evilschemer> Psychic powers are actually people who can tweak the Oudh, the force field that protects Uruta.
[20:02] <+Evilschemer> Monsters are basically mutants.
[20:03] <+Evilschemer> I have an entire section about how sorcery=advanced science.
[20:03] <+GoldenH> for some reason i keep thinking your setting has cthulhu. And I'm like "Cthulhu obeys relativity?"
[20:03] <+Evilschemer> In fact, At one point I called the super-science "karak", which is an in-joke. It's a corruption of "Clarke" as in Arthur C. Clarke.
[20:04] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[20:05] <+Evilschemer> yeah, like Lightspeed, the book is filled with hidden easter egg in-jokes.
[20:05] <~Dan> How familiar are you with Chronicles of Future Earth, and assuming you are, was there any concern about overlap between that book and SoC?
[20:05] <+Evilschemer> The name of the aero-ship in Flight of the Tonbo is based on the Japanese word for "Dragonfly".
[20:06] <+Evilschemer> I'm very familiar with CoFE and had to re-write a lot of my ideas to avoid overlap.
[20:06] <+Evilschemer> It's an excellent setting BTW.
[20:06] <~Dan> What would you say are the main points of difference?
[20:07] <~Dan> At first glance, they both appear to be far-future swords-and-sorcery settings.
[20:07] <+Evilschemer> The biggest difference between CoFE and SoC is the tone. CoFE is "Weird Fantasy". It's Fantasy first, with magic and demons. Her setting feels ancient and decadent and impossibly old.
[20:08] <+Evilschemer> Cydoria is science fiction first, and more pulp. The cities are new. There's an energy, an animus to the empire that is not quite decadent.
[20:08] <+GoldenH> it still has that 'new empire smell'
[20:08] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[20:08] <+Evilschemer> Hah. yes.
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[20:09] <~Dan> As an aside, I think it's really cool that Chaosium would go with both settings.
[20:10] <+Evilschemer> Some of my earlier ideas for Cydoria were more planetary romance, with stargates connecting the worlds and ancient magic.
[20:10] <+Evilschemer> After reading Future Earth, I abandoned those plans.
[20:10] * ~Dan nods
[20:10] <~Dan> Speaking of overlap...
[20:11] <~Dan> ...do you see much with the forthcoming Interplanetary?
[20:11] <+Evilschemer> Yes. The monograph system at Chaosium is very forgiving and I like it. It allows them to take a chance without making a huge investment.
[20:11] <+Evilschemer> No, unfortunately.
[20:11] <+Evilschemer> I was kind of hoping to piggy back on some of his stuff.
[20:11] <+GoldenH> so could you run cleopatra in space with this game?
[20:12] <+Evilschemer> (ponders) no real "in space" at all. The entire game takes place on Uruta.
[20:12] <+GoldenH> ah ok
[20:13] <~Dan> Could you say a bit about the prop-driven airships?
[20:14] <+Evilschemer> Yes. Like I said earlier, there's no fossil fuels on Uruta (a consequence of it being Earth in 25,000 years).
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[20:15] <+Evilschemer> But they do have this alien mineral called Zephyrium, the result of an interplanetary collision twelve thousand years ago.
[20:15] <+Evilschemer> Zephyrium is used to levitate airships, so no helium, helicopter blades, or lifting wing-shapes are required.
[20:15] <+GoldenH> woot
[20:15] <~Dan> Like that, GH? :)
[20:16] <+Evilschemer> Because there's no gasoline, there's no internal combustion engine.
[20:16] <+Cassie> Cassiemouse to the rescue!
[20:16] <+GoldenH> i have a thing for floating stuffs
[20:16] <+Evilschemer> So after the alien contact twenty years ago, they replaced the sails on their aero-ships with electric motors.
[20:16] <+GoldenH> now i have floating stuffs, i just need to put rockets on them, and find the last gas tank on earth
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[20:17] <+GoldenH> then blow it up
[20:17] <~Dan> Are areo-ships armed?
[20:17] <~Dan> (wb, Wondy!)
[20:17] <+Evilschemer> Yes, aero-ships are armed. And there are aero-ship battles. Though by the time of the game, it's been 12 years since the big war.
[20:18] <~Dan> What are they armed with?
[20:18] <+Evilschemer> Most battles are between frigates and pirates, or pirates and cargo haulers like the Tonbo.
[20:18] <+Evilschemer> Laser blasters, blaster cannons. The Cydorians never discovered gunpowder, so there are no cannons.
[20:19] <+Evilschemer> They did have air-powered rifles though. A real thing in history, BTW. Air-powered rifles were used in the 16th century and had the punch of a 45 handgun.
[20:19] <+Evilschemer> (gunpowder was controlled by the Octavium)
[20:19] <~Dan> I've heard of those! Pretty cool.
[20:20] <+Evilschemer> The Octavium is a perfect story device for explaining why there's no technology X.
[20:20] <~Dan> How aware are barbarian types in the setting with the existence (if not the source) of technology?
[20:21] <~Dan> Do they see an aero-ship and do the whole "What big bird with no wings do in sky?" bit?
[20:22] <+Evilschemer> Lasers and force fields are the equivalent of magic weapons and armor in a traditional fantasy setting. Everyone in D&D knows magic exists and isn't suprised bit it.
[20:22] <+Evilschemer> But it's still relatively rare.
[20:22] * ~Dan nods
[20:22] <+Evilschemer> The barbarians in the setting are more "Ooh. I want one of those."
[20:22] <~Dan> Heehee. :)
[20:23] <~Dan> So what sort of ordinance would the crew of the Tonbo be packing? Are we talking about sword-armed crew manning laser cannons?
[20:24] <~Dan> (And the visual of floating prop-driven airships trading laser broadsides is really cool, btw.)
[20:25] <+Evilschemer> The Tonbo itself is probably unarmed. Looking at the listed NPC crew of the Tonbo...
[20:26] <+Evilschemer> They've got air pistols and air rifles, maybe one or two illegal laser rifles (control of access to technology is a big part of the game), but mostly spears and crossbows.
[20:27] <+GoldenH> now im imagining little blocky airships with massive sculpted forcefields in the shape of dragons or angels that only appear when they get hit or pass through smoke and clouds
[20:27] <+GoldenH> and then, when they get close enough - LASER BROADSIED
[20:27] <+Evilschemer> Pirates will not attack the ship, they want it. They'll close for boarding, get above the Tonbo, and rappel down, shooting at people on deck with air-rifles and crossbows.
[20:28] <~Dan> So how common are air guns?
[20:28] <+Evilschemer> The airships are, indeed, blocky. There's little need for aerodynamics.
[20:28] <+Evilschemer> Air guns are fairly common as they were the primary weapon used in the big war 12 years ago.
[20:28] <~Dan> So would even barbarians have access to them?
[20:28] <+Evilschemer> The lasers and force fields were reserved for shock troops, elites. etc.
[20:29] <+Evilschemer> Yes, barbarians could totally have an air-pistol. A kahn might even have a laser pistol and reflec armor.
[20:29] <+Evilschemer> But you'd need an air-compressor to recharge it. Those are more rare.
[20:30] <~Dan> So a really weird Gamma World-like mix of tech, more or less?
[20:30] <+Evilschemer> Same with lasers. You can recharge them in the cities, which are powered by Tesla broadcast power.
[20:30] <~Dan> Awesome. :)
[20:30] <+Evilschemer> Yes, totally. A mix of primitive and super-tech.
[20:31] <~Dan> As to the eponymous swords, then... How practical are they in the setting?
[20:31] <+Evilschemer> But keep your alien tech under wraps will ya? If the city guard see you with that, they're going to ask to see your permits.
[20:31] <+GoldenH> just be careful not to make your sword out of alien metal, or else someone will try and surf on it
[20:32] <+Evilschemer> Well, when your laser pistol only has ten charges, and you have to get back to town to recharge, you tend to use it less.
[20:32] <~Dan> A fair point.
[20:33] <+Evilschemer> Oh, that reminds me. Like I said, control of access to technology is a big part of the game. As is being hassled by the Man.
[20:33] <+Evilschemer> Proper documentation is required for all your fancy technology. Or convincing forgeries.
[20:34] <+Evilschemer> So I wrote detailed but easy to use rules for creating and detecting forgeries.
[20:34] <+Evilschemer> (or purchasing forgeries)
[20:35] <+Evilschemer> (done)
[20:35] <~Dan> Did you create the setting specifically with BRP in mind?
[20:35] <+Evilschemer> Not originally.
[20:36] <+Evilschemer> ORIGINALLY, it was a setting that was based on the Muse video for "Knights of Cydonia".
[20:36] <~Dan> Heh. I've gotten a lot of questions about that. :)
[20:36] <+Evilschemer> I created it way back in 2004 and ran it using d20 Dragonstar.
[20:36] <+GoldenH> excellent
[20:37] <~Dan> How did it change based on the BRP frame work?
[20:37] <+Evilschemer> Back then, it was very explicitly cheesy 80's European Star Wars rip-off.
[20:38] <+Evilschemer> Well, I wanted to develop it into a setting. But I was ready to abandon d20.
[20:39] <+Evilschemer> I wanted a rule system that felt "old-school". Something that had room for science and robots and monsters.
[20:39] <+Evilschemer> Also, it needed an accessible license.
[20:40] <+Evilschemer> BRP was perfect on the rules-side. Chaosium's monograph model was perfect on the license side.
[20:40] * ~Dan nods
[20:41] <+Evilschemer> Since then, I have secured rights to also do a Savage Worlds version. I'd also like to do a version using the V6 engine which powers Atomic Highway, a system in which I have recently fallen in love.
[20:42] <~Dan> How much do you foresee the setting changing to fit the various systems?
[20:42] <+Evilschemer> I keep mulling around ideas for tweaks to the setting. I usually wind up dropping it because the setting is such a finely tuned machine.
[20:43] <+Evilschemer> If I remove one thing, it causes a different thing to not make sense any more.
[20:43] <+Evilschemer> So I have to be careful.
[20:43] <+Evilschemer> Mostly, I think it's going to change in look-and-feel.
[20:44] <+Evilschemer> More color artwork for the Savage Worlds version.
[20:44] <~Dan> Well, let me be more specific. Let's take mutations, for example. Right now, you're using BRP mutations. Would you convert each of those into SW terms? Or "start over"?
[20:44] <+Evilschemer> Ah, I'd make it native to the new system. Savage Worlds has its own powers rules, so I'd re-do all the mutations to fit their powers system.
[20:45] * ~Dan nods
[20:45] <+Evilschemer> I've already re-written the Ta'Oudh and Psi Magic rules to use Savage Worlds powers.
[20:46] <+Evilschemer> Savage Worlds also had air-ship rules and air-ship combat from Mars. I'd contact Gareth Michael-Skarka to ask permission to re-use some of those.
[20:46] <~Dan> Oh, that
[20:46] <~Dan> oops
[20:46] <~Dan> That's a good idea.
[20:46] <~Dan> (Well, other than having to deal with GMS, that is. ;) )
[20:47] <+Evilschemer> It's also because of Mars that I'm still on the fence about a Savage Worlds version. I love the Mars sourcebook, and it already does 90% of what Cydoria wants to do.
[20:47] <+Evilschemer> :-(
[20:47] <~Dan> Ah. Yeah, I can see that being problematic.
[20:47] <+Evilschemer> V6, however, is a fun system and I'd be making up more rules from scratch.
[20:47] <+Canageek> How did you handle the change in power level from d20 (High power) to BRP (Low power)?
[20:47] <+Canageek> Also, have you ever looked at GURPS?
[20:48] <+Evilschemer> By making the starting power level = Heroic.
[20:48] <+Evilschemer> I have looked at GURPS but not the 4th edition. It's also harder to license.
[20:50] <~Dan> What sort of craziness can you get up to with Ta'Oudh?
[20:51] <+Evilschemer> Ta'Oudh is mostly ninja/jedi powers. You can leap onto the roof, make yourself psychically invisible, and disable your opponent with a touch.
[20:51] <+Evilschemer> You can also heal wounds or draw impurities out of food or water.
[20:51] <+Evilschemer> or poisons/toxins out of bodies.
[20:51] <~Dan> And you said this is based on the Sorcery rules?
[20:51] <~Dan> So just "pay-and-play" in power point terms?
[20:51] <+Evilschemer> Yes, meaning it uses the same basic mechanics.
[20:52] <+Evilschemer> Correct.
[20:52] * ~Dan nods
[20:53] <~Dan> Do you prefer running the game with natives to the setting, or do you prefer taking the "John Carter" approach that you mention in the rules?
[20:53] <+Evilschemer> You know a certain number of powers based on yoru skill level and have a number of power points based on the campaign level.
[20:54] <+Evilschemer> Ooh, good question. I do provide the "stranger in a strange land" option in character creation. I haven't personally run any of those types of characters in my campaigns yet.
[20:54] <+Evilschemer> But if someone wanted to create one, I'd welcome it.
[20:54] <~Dan> Speaking of adventures, I see that the game includes one. Which premise does it use?
[20:55] <+Evilschemer> Hah. All of them.
[20:55] <~Dan> Even the Tonpa? :)
[20:55] <+Evilschemer> So for those that haven't read the book, the game comes with several built-in premises. Meaning- what do player characters do?
[20:55] <~Dan> Er, not Tonpa... that's one of our chatters.
[20:56] <~Dan> Tonbo, sorry. :)
[20:56] <+Evilschemer> For example: members of the rebellion (ala Star Wars), crew of an aero-ship (ala Firefly), explorers of the unknown (ala D&D), etc.
[20:57] <+Evilschemer> When I wrote the adventure, "The City in the Mirage", I provided story hooks for each premise. Then, throughout the adventure, NPCs will do different things or different events will happen dpending on which premise you're playing.
[20:58] <+Evilschemer> Yes, even the crew of the Tonbo, which is the aeroship that is chartered to escort the expedition out West.
[20:58] <~Dan> A clever approach!
[20:59] <+Evilschemer> My original adventure was much more ambitious and had different chapters telling a larger connected story. Each chapter would focus on a different premise.
[20:59] <+Evilschemer> I abandoned that idea because it would take like 100 pages.
[20:59] <~Dan> Well, our regular time is almost up, although you're more than welcome to hang out and answer questions in "regular" chat as long as you like, Christian. Does anyone have any more questions?
[21:00] <~Dan> And if not, is there anything you'd like to say about the setting that we haven't covered, Christian?
[21:00] <+GoldenH> souds cool to me. thinking where i could join a group of this
[21:01] <+Evilschemer> Thanks everyone for giving me the opportunity to talk about my game. Feel free to e-mail me at geekrampage@gmail.com if you have other questions, or join the Cydoria yahoo group.

Matt Forbeck (Brave New World, Magic: the Gathering comic) Q&A Log

[19:03] <+Forbeck> Hi! I'm a longtime freelance game designer and novelist. I used to run Pinnacle Entertainment Group, and I've written games for most of the games in the industry.
[19:03] <+Forbeck> These days, I mostly write novels, comics, and computer games. I wrote for Ghost Recon Online, for instance, which is in beta at the moment.
[19:04] <+Forbeck> I also write the Magic: The Gathering Comics for IDW. My big project this year is my 12 for '12 project, in which I plan to write a dozen short novels this year.
[19:04] <+Forbeck> I broke them up into trilogies to run on Kickstarter, and the first three were big successes. I'm running the last one right now, for Monster Academy.
[19:04] <+Forbeck> That's a trilogy of YA fantasy novels about young monsters being put into a reform school. You can find out all about it here: (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-40-monster-academy-novels)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-40-monster-academy-novels
[19:05] <+Forbeck> And, I could go on a lot longer, so... Done!
[19:05] <~Dan> Any questions so far, folks, or shall I get the ball rolling?
[19:05] <+phgaw> What's the biggest difference when writing for a video game as opposed to analog games?
[19:05] <&Le_Squide> Oh, hey! I didn't know you did work for IDW. Awesome. *ahem* Not really a question, sorry.
[19:05] <+Forbeck> You have a lot more control over analog games. The budgets and teams are much smaller, so the writer plays a much larger role.
[19:06] <+Forbeck> In many computer game companies, the writer is an afterthought or a necessary evil (although not in the best ones, for sure), but in tabletop games, the writer is the headliner.
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[19:06] <~Dan> (Howdy, Dave! Here for the Q&A?)
[19:06] <+Forbeck> As for IDW, I've written a number of things for them. Besides the Magic comic, I wrote a Dracula's Revenge comic many moons ago. Also three different Complete Idiot's Guides to Drawing Manga.
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[19:07] <+Forbeck> Plus a book called Extreme Facts.
[19:07] <~Dan> (Howdy, Ben!)
[19:07] <+BenRogers> Heya, Dan, thanks for the reminder!
[19:07] <~Dan> (Certainly. :) )
[19:07] <+DaveGross> (Yep. Thanks, Dan.)
[19:07] <+Forbeck> Do I say done after every question too? I'm a noob.
[19:07] <~Dan> (Matt, same deal -- just drop us a "(done)" when...yeah, please. :) )
[19:07] <+phgaw> Ideally. :)
[19:07] <+Forbeck> DONE! :)
[19:07] <+phgaw> Followup: Was the technology limiting what you could do?
[19:08] <~Dan> (No worries. Everyone's a noob who does this.)
[19:08] <+Forbeck> And if that's not enough, feel free to ask me to go more in depth. I can ramble on. :)
[19:08] <~Dan> (Oh, Dave and Ben, #rpgnet2 is open for regular chat as well if you're inclined.)
[19:08] <+Forbeck> Video games are always limited by their technology, but that affects every aspect of them: art, programming, design, writing, etc. Budgets limit them as well.
[19:08] <+Forbeck> It's a lot easier to tell the players to imagine the planet exploding than it is to show it properly in a video game. Those models all cost money to create and render.
[19:08] <~Dan> (Matt, just FYI: Ben here is the author of Promised Sands. He's got some new games in the offing and is here in part to see how these Q&A thingies go. ;) )
[19:09] <+Forbeck> Plus, we don't have natural language parsing that's up to par for most games, so there are always compromises there for interaction too.
[19:09] <+Forbeck> Done!
[19:09] <+Forbeck> Hi Ben!
[19:09] <+phgaw> Thank you!
[19:09] <~Dan> Matt, for those not familiar with the game line, could you say a bit about BNW?
[19:09] <+BenRogers> Greetings, Matt. :)
[19:10] <+luc> Hey folks
[19:10] <+Forbeck> Sure. Brave New World is a dystopian low-power supers RPG in which the players take the roles of outlaw superheroes rebelling against a government that drafts supers (known as deltas) into mandatory service.
[19:11] <+Forbeck> It came out in 1999 and was cancelled as a line in 2001. I recently returned to the setting for my first trilogy of 12 for '12 novels. These are now available for sale.
[19:11] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:11] <~Dan> I'm curious why you took the approach you did to supers in the game. Can you describe that for those unfamiliar, and share your thoughts on the subject?
[19:12] <~Dan> (Oh, and howdy, luc!)
[19:12] <+Forbeck> They're low-powered heroes because that interested me most. There are lots more chances for drama with heroes that can't move planets.
[19:12] <~Dan> Well, I was thinking more in terms of the strict power sets.
[19:12] <+Forbeck> The rules allow you to pick a power package and go. It's fast and easy and was meant to be marketed to comics readers rather than gamers.
[19:13] <+Forbeck> Turns out gamers like to tinker a lot more than that, so they generally prefer systems that let you dig into the power sets more. Sadly, Pinnacle broke up less than six months after BNW hit print, so we never got to put it into comics stores either.
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[19:14] <+Forbeck> Pinnacle's still going, of course, but Shane Hensley continued on with it while the other partners (including me) went our own ways.
[19:14] <+Forbeck> Done?
[19:14] <+luc> So given this tie in with comics, do these play a large part in what influenced Brave New World? If so, any particular examples?
[19:15] <+Forbeck> Sure. I'm a huge comics fan. I actually wrote the revised edition of The Marvel Encyclopedia for DK Publishing a couple years back.
[19:15] <+Forbeck> When creating BNW, I took a lot of the tropes I loved about comics and tried to put them into a setting in which they made more sense. For instance, the main city is Crescent City, which doesn't exist.
[19:16] <+Forbeck> Like Metropolis or Gotham. But I wanted it in the real world, so I destroyed Chicago and built Crescent City on the banks of the crater left behind.
[19:16] <+Damiar> yeah, I have met Shane on several occasions, he's cool and has done well for himself with savage worlds. I remember BNW, I played it a few times at a firend's place.
[19:16] <+Damiar> *friend's
[19:16] <+Forbeck> That brought up all sorts of story opportunities too.
[19:16] <+Forbeck> Shane and I are still friends, although we don't see each other nearly as often these days. He still owns Pinnacle, although other people run the daily bits for him while he works in the computer game industry.
[19:17] <+Forbeck> Computer games = more money than tabletop.
[19:17] <+Forbeck> Done.
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[19:17] <+J_School> I am a man of constant sorrow.
[19:17] <~Dan> A question about the BNW setting, Matt...
[19:18] <+Forbeck> Shoot!
[19:18] <~Dan> ...I know that it's a "single source" supers setting, but I also know that there's some other weirdness in the setting -- vampires come to mind. How generally "weird" is the world aside from superheroes?
[19:19] <+Forbeck> Not too weird. Even the zombies I had in the game run down to that single source. They're more meatbots than horror movie zombies.
[19:20] <~Dan> Did any players you know of find that restrictive?
[19:20] <+Forbeck> It's much more of an "all its own thing" setting than a kitchen sink setting. Much of the weirdness comes from interdimensional oddities.
[19:20] <+nick3> meatbots better then nazis for shooting
[19:20] <+Forbeck> The setting? Not really. Every setting has some restrictions. No guns in D&D, for instance. The rules? Yes, certainly.
[19:21] <+Forbeck> Bingo.
[19:21] <+Forbeck> Done.
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[19:21] <~Dan> Why don't you tell us about the M:tG comic, Matt?
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[19:22] <+Forbeck> Most people really dug the setting. Lots of them liked the rules too, but I got the most vocal complaints about the power system.
[19:22] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest96589! You can set a nick with the "/nick" command.)
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[19:22] <+Forbeck> Sure! I started work on the Magic: The Gathering comic last summer, meeting with the people at Wizards and IDW. I've known both crews for years, so this was a real treat.
[19:22] <+Colombus> thanks
[19:22] <+phgaw> (welcome to the Q&A, Colombus)
[19:22] <~Dan> (Certainly. Here for the Q&A with Matt?)
[19:23] <+Forbeck> IDW asked me for a pitch and selected it against a couple others they had in hand. It's the story of a thief turned mage who has the special power of being able to pry spells from artifacts he can touch.
[19:24] <+Forbeck> He also can pry memories from these items, giving him glimpses into how they've been used in the past. He's gone when his entire town gets slaughtered, and he uses these powers to try to track down the killers.
[19:24] <+Forbeck> It's broken into four-issue miniseries. The first one's out, and in trade paperback now. We're two issues into the second ("The Spell Thief") and the third "Paths of Vengeance" was announced at Comic-Con.
[19:24] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:25] <+nick3> This is a bit of tangent , but you have any idea why there been such a long gap in magic the gathering comics
[19:25] <~Dan> That must be a lot of pressure, creating a comic based on such a beloved property.
[19:25] <+nick3> I remember there was a bunch of them in the early 90's then next to nothing till recently
[19:26] <+Forbeck> It's a bit of pressure, but I've written for high-profile projects before. The folks at Wizards really care about it, so they're a great help with making sure that I stay true to the property and its backstory.
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[19:27] <~Dan> (Welcome to #rpgnet, HalG! Here for the Q&A?)
[19:27] <+Forbeck> There was a large gap because the original licensee (Valiant/Acclaim) went out of business, and no one picked up the license again.
[19:27] <+HalG> Yes I am
[19:27] <+Forbeck> IDW has a broad license with Hasbro, and that includes Magic, as well as GI Joe, Transformers, D&D, etc.
[19:27] <~Dan> (Excellent. Please feel free to ask away! :) )
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[19:28] <+Forbeck> Again, because the Magic team is so careful with the property, they don't approve anything unless they have the time for it and are comfortable with their partners. They tried some in-house comics on the web, but they weren't ecstatic about the results, so they turned to IDW.
[19:28] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:28] <+phgaw> How difficult is it to work within somebody else's world? Was there something that was particularly hard to write for?
[19:29] <+Forbeck> I've written in lots of other worlds, done many tie-ins, so that was't onerous at all. Some of the controllers of those properties are tighter with them than others, but there are ways around that.
[19:30] <+Forbeck> I always try to get an outline approved before I start work. That way we all know where I'm headed, and there are fewer chances for disappointments along the way.
[19:30] <+Forbeck> It's hard in the sense that you have to try to anticipate what the approvals guy wants as opposed to your readership, but it's easier than doing original work in that there's a built-in audience and much of the world-building has been done for you.
[19:30] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:31] <+phgaw> Editors and world bibles are worth their weight in gold, then?
[19:31] <~Dan> How did you translate the magic rules into a narrative context?
[19:31] <+Forbeck> I always appreciate a good world bible, and I love the editors who treat me well, which has been almost all of them. I've been fortunate.
[19:32] <+Forbeck> While most people don't see it, there's actually a world bible for every new Magic expansion, and it's filled with all sorts of story seeds you can take and run with. These have been used for developing novels and comics in the past. It wasn't too hard for me to follow in those well-laid tracks.
[19:33] <+Forbeck> That said, I try to stick to the rules and the cards when I write the comic. The Magic team, especially Brady Dommermuth, who's their main story guy, often supplies me with better cards/spells than I could have guessed about on my own.
[19:33] <+Forbeck> He just knows the backstory and the game far better than I ever wil.
[19:33] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:33] <+HalG> I may have missed it did you slip what your plans are for 2013? And hi Matt! :-)
[19:33] <+Forbeck> Hi, Hal!
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[19:34] <+Forbeck> My plans for early 2013 are to finish up the production on my 12 for '12 novels and hopefully to keep writing Magic: The Gathering comics. I have a few other things in the works that are too early to talk about yet, but those should keep me busy as well.
[19:34] <~Dan> (Howdy, onine! Q&A with Matt Forbeck in progress!)
[19:34] <+Forbeck> I try to both book up and be flexible. Juggling projects is the freelancer's biggest challenge, but I enjoy it.
[19:34] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:35] <~Dan> BNW is a "Big Secret" setting. To what extent to the novels address that secret, and did the fact that you already revealed the secret making writing the novels more problematic?
[19:35] <~Dan> (Okay, that came out garbled. I hope it make sense regardless. :) )
[19:35] <+Forbeck> The novels blow all those secrets out of the water. I wrote them as if most people wouldn't be familiar with the setting at all, and then I threw in a few twists sure to surprise even the longtime fans. The end of Book 2 has a twist that made my wife want to kick me.
[19:35] <~Dan> Heh. :)
[19:36] <+Forbeck> Just because some of the secrets of the backstory have been revealed doesn't mean there's no more room for surprises. :)
[19:36] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:36] <~Dan> Can you say if Alphas show up in the novels? Or would that be a big spoiler? :)
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[19:37] <+Forbeck> I don't think it's too big a spoiler to say that they do. In a big way.
[19:37] <~Dan> Sweet.
[19:37] <+Forbeck> One of the great things about the novels is I don't have to worry too much about the game mechanics. I can introduce alphas, for instance, without a new rules set for them.:)
[19:37] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:37] <~Dan> Heh. Good point. :)
[19:37] <+phgaw> What's your dream project? For what would you drop everything that's on your schedule?
[19:38] <+Forbeck> I'd be happy to write the next Avengers movie. :)
[19:38] <+phgaw> hah!
[19:38] <+Forbeck> Honestly, I'm enjoying what I'm doing. I do think writing for Spider-Man or maybe Star Wars would pull me away. I had to face that dilemma earlier this year actually.
[19:39] <+Forbeck> I helped set up a book deal for the people at the Leverage TV show, and the offer to write one of the novels came through after I'd started 12 for '12. I had to decide whether or not to try to cram that in.
[19:39] <+Forbeck> I'm a glutton for such things, so I said yes. It's put me a bit behind schedule for the rest of the year, but I had an absolute ball writing the book.
[19:39] <+Forbeck> It's set at Comic-Con, which made it that much more fun.
[19:39] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:39] <+HalG> Do you think there is longevity in Kickstarter?
[19:40] <+Forbeck> Yeah, I think so. In many ways, I think we're still in early days on it. Most people don't have any idea what it is, so there's a lot of room for growth.
[19:40] <+Forbeck> I think it's been remarkably free from growing pains too. We haven't seen too many projects implode spectacularly yet. Eventually something will, but even then I think Kickstarter will continue on.
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[19:41] <~Dan> (wb, Squide!)
[19:41] <+Forbeck> I plan to do more with it once 12 for '12 is done. I'll try to give my backers a brief breather first though. :)
[19:41] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:41] <+HalG> Well you are a huge supporter of it I have never seen anyone back more projects LOL
[19:41] <~Dan> Any plans to return to gaming? Or does that fall under stuff you can't talk about yet? ;)
[19:42] <+Forbeck> I haven't really left. I don't believe in burning bridges or declaring things to be over and slamming doors behind me.
[19:42] <+phgaw> And if so: Would a new BNW revision be in the cards? And if so, what would you definitley change?
[19:42] <+Forbeck> For instance, I worked on the new Marvel RPG from Margaret Weis last year, although just a bit. I also wrote a bit for the Kobold Guide to Board Game Design.
[19:43] <+Forbeck> I'll have more in the future, I'm sure. I'm even writing a Fiasco playset for my Dangerous Games trilogy of novels (thrillers set at Gen Con!).
[19:44] <+Forbeck> I don't know if I'll ever get back to BNW as a game. For one, AEG owns the game now, and paid me well for it. They'd have to be interested, and they have plenty of other projects to juggle.
[19:44] <+Forbeck> If I did return, I'd come up with a new powers-creation system. Other than that, I'd probably keep it much the same. I'd save groundbreaking new ideas for new games that fit them better rather than shoehorn them in.
[19:44] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:45] <~Dan> To expand upon my earlier question... It's been a while, but as I recall, M:tG is pretty abstract in terms of what's really "happening" with spellcasting. How did you translate tapping lands for mana, for example, into prose?
[19:45] <&Le_Squide> What's your favorite RPG to play/GM?
[19:45] <~Dan> (Question pause while Matt catches up, please.)
[19:45] <+Forbeck> I haven't played in a regular RPG campaign in years, but I always enjoyed D&D in its many incarnations. There are a lot of other gems out there too. I want to play a bit more Fiasco before I write this playset, for instance.
[19:56] <+Forbeck> Part of being a game designer is I tackle games differently from most people. I usually play a game once or twice and then move on. I'm more interested in seeing how a game works than in getting good at that particular game.
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[19:57] <+Forbeck> As for tapping lands for mana, I use that in the comic, but I don't focus on it because it's such an abstract concept. The Magic folks don't really have a set way for it to work either, so it was easier to dance around it than concentrate on it.
[19:57] <+Forbeck> That's often the solution for such troubles. It's a lot easier to avoid the sticky spots than it is to tackle them head on, especially when licensors are involved.
[19:57] <+Forbeck> Done.
[19:58] <~Dan> (Welcome, Guest05824! You can set your nick with the "/nick" command.)
[19:58] <+Forbeck> Whew. :)
[19:58] <~Dan> Matt, what's your opinion on current trends in game design? For example, I've noticed a trend in supers games becoming a lot more narrative and abstract. Thoughts?
[19:58] <~Dan> (You're doing great, Matt. :) )
[19:58] <+Forbeck> Thanks, Dan! :)
[19:59] <+Forbeck> Most indie games are heading in that direction, becoming storytelling games rather than tactical combat games. I think that's because video games do a better job at that kind of combat game. It's natural for tabletop games to move in directions that video games can't copy so well.
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[20:00] <+Forbeck> The freeform nature of tabletop games makes them idea for stories, even if they can't compete with graphics and adrenaline-pumping gameplay.
[20:00] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:00] <~Dan> Hmm. Would you follow that trend yourself in designing a new game?
[20:01] <+Forbeck> Probably. Or if I wanted to go tactical, I'd likely go with a board game rather than an RPG masquerading as a minis game.
[20:01] <+Forbeck> I enjoy games like that. I just played Space Hulk with my eldest tonight, and it's one of my favorite games ever. It's important to know what each category's strengths are though and play (literally) to those.
[20:01] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:01] <~Dan> See, for me, hard stats helped get me into gaming. I love knowing the "real scoop" behind people, places, and things.
[20:01] <~Dan> I don't want to be told that Galactus "can't be" or "shouldn't be" statted up, for example.
[20:02] <~Dan> How do you feel about that?
[20:02] <+Forbeck> Sure, and there's a lot of fun in that. Take a look at the new Marvel RPG for an example of how to stat out heroes and villains without going totally tactical though.
[20:02] <+phgaw> (nice save! :P)
[20:02] <~Dan> Well, I think even the Marvel RPG has a "hard cap" on attributes, doesn't it?
[20:02] <+Forbeck> You can get those stats from other sources nowadays, like the Marvel Encyclopedia or the Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe.
[20:02] <~Dan> True.
[20:02] <~Dan> But I want game stats, darnit! ;)
[20:03] <+Forbeck> It does. Every game's a compromise between all its possible versions, and we went back and forth on that spectrum a lot.
[20:03] <~Dan> Yup. And I realize that my tastes are not the end-all, be-all of the game market.
[20:03] <~Dan> As crazy at that may be. :D
[20:03] <+phgaw> Do you see a way to reconcile these extremes of tabletop games?
[20:03] <+Forbeck> When I created the Marvel Heroes Battle Dice game for Playmates Toys, for instance, I lifted the stats directly from the Marvel Handbooks. This made it a LOT easier to get them through approvals, as I could point to the handbooks and say, "See? It's all right there."
[20:04] <+Forbeck> I don't know if a game can be all things to all people. The designer needs to identify goals for the game and shoot for those. It's okay to appeal to a particular kind of gamer — as long as there are enough people like that to make for a viable product.
[20:05] <+Forbeck> D&D's a good example of a game that came close in its early days. Lots of people played it in loads of different ways. That's diminished as time's gone on, though, and now it's far more restrictive than it once was.
[20:05] <+Forbeck> Perhaps the new edition will fix that, if it can be done.
[20:05] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:06] <~Dan> Speaking of which, what are your thoughts on the OSR "movement", and do you see it as something that will last?
[20:06] <+Forbeck> I think it will, even if only as nostalgia. There's something pure and simple about those original rules, and it's fun to try to recapture that.
[20:07] <+Forbeck> I've played those games with my kids too, and they've enjoyed them, so it's not exclusively nostalgia of course.
[20:08] <+Forbeck> It's great to see people realize that they can continue on with their favorite games even after they're no longer actively published though. The idea that a game dies when it's discontinued is silly, and it's been perpetuated by publishers who would like you to believe that so you buy their new thing instead.
[20:08] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:08] <~Dan> (Anyone else? I don't want to "hog the mike". :) )
[20:08] <+phgaw> This is helped by easier access to publishing tools, isn't it?
[20:09] <+phgaw> With a word processor and an internet connection you can keep stuff alive longer (circulating the tapes, perhaps).
[20:09] <+Forbeck> Sure is. Anyone with a computer and some basic software can produce a game these days. It's much easier.
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[20:09] <+Forbeck> The internet also makes it easier to find people who enjoy the same things you do and to keep the game alive that way. Used to be you were restricted to your own town, but now the entire world can join in with you.
[20:10] <+Forbeck> All these new online play environments help too.
[20:10] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:10] <~Dan> No kidding. I play almost exclusively online these days, just because it's so much easier to create and maintain a group.
[20:10] <+phgaw> If you see a copy of BNW online in the usual channels of illicit content: How do you feel about that?
[20:11] <+Forbeck> It's inevitable. I don't see the need to rail against it. As is said, the only thing worse than being pirated is not being pirated.
[20:11] <~Dan> Hmm... actually, my next question might interest BenRogers. Given the uncertainty involved with marketing a new game, what combination of Kickstarter, PDF, POD, print, cover type, color, B&W, etc., would you go with initially?
[20:11] <+Forbeck> That said, I don't encourage filesharing, and I don't engage in it myself if I can help it. Sometimes I've done it for research purposes for projects that I can't find things for any other way.
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[20:12] <+Forbeck> If you're starting out? Go with a black and white PDF and POD. Go as low-cost as you can and try to make it as cheap as possible to broaden your reach.
[20:12] <+phgaw> And related to Dan's question: Would you use a permissive license (Creative Commons, as an example)?
[20:12] <+Forbeck> Color art costs a LOT of money compared to the elements in the game. I love it, but it's not cheap.
[20:12] <+Forbeck> If you run a Kickstarter, though, make color art a stretch goal. Then you cover the costs fine.
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[20:13] <+Forbeck> POD and PDF tech means zero inventory control problems, though, and I've seen that sink many a publisher in the past. Try to not get caught up in that guessing game if you can avoid ti.
[20:13] <~Dan> (Howdy, Wondy! Q&A with Matt Forbeck in progress.)
[20:13] <+BenRogers> Is it better to have a beautiful product (lots of great art) or a well marketed product (average to good art, but wider reach) for success, in your opinion?
[20:13] <+Forbeck> Would I use a CC? It depends on the project. I took part in a Crucible of the Realms podcast, for instance, in which we released the world we riffed up together under a free CC license.
[20:14] <+Forbeck> Most times it's just easier to keep the rights yourself, but again, it depends on the project and what you want to do with it.
[20:14] <+Forbeck> I think marketing means a lot, but if you have a bad product, you don't have anything to really market. Good marketing can't save a bad game, and honestly, great art is marketing in and of itself. Little beats a fantastic cover for marketing.
[20:15] <+BenRogers> What about the internals?  I agree on the cover and *select* images--but where do you draw the line?  or do you?
[20:15] <+Forbeck> Best money we ever spent on Deadlands at Pinnacle was for that Brom cover. It was pricey, but it was worth every penny.
[20:15] <+BenRogers> I have to agree, that cover was beautiful. :)
[20:15] <+Forbeck> I usually go for high-quality art and less of it over more, lesser art. The game looks far more professional that way.
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[20:15] <+Forbeck> Also a decent layout artist can make the game look great, even if you skimp a bit on the art.
[20:16] <+Forbeck> Sink some money into that before you spend a ton on the rest of the graphics.
[20:16] <~Dan> A good point. Art for art's sake is never a good idea, IMO.
[20:16] <~Dan> (I have another marketing-related question when you're ready, Matt.)
[20:16] <+Forbeck> Sure. Shoot!
[20:16] <+Adam_Kadmon> For>I will say the Stone cover certainly was a shot in the arm. Made it pop off of the shelves.
[20:17] <~Dan> Okay. Currently, I work for a market research company, and I can't help but wonder how, if at all, that field is used in gaming for anyone beyond the big boys like WotC. (more)
[20:17] <+Forbeck> Yeah, that and the flame orange trade dress in that sea of black books really grabbed people's attention.
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[20:17] <~Dan> If you're introducing a new RPG, do you do any market research, or is it pretty much always a leap of faith?
[20:17] <+Forbeck> It's not. No one can afford it outside of Wizards.
[20:18] <+Forbeck> It has to be a leap of faith. Market research is notoriously bad for predicting hits in the creative fields anyhow. If it was a perfect science, we'd never have flop films, for instance.
[20:18] <~Dan> Fair point.
[20:18] <+Forbeck> Fact is no one knows what will catch fire and be a hit. We all just take our best guesses, line up our best shots, and hope for the best.
[20:18] <~Dan> Heh. That's pretty much what I thought, but I wasn't sure.
[20:19] <+Forbeck> That's not to say it's useless for pointing out potential problems, but it's far from a magic bullet.
[20:19] <+Forbeck> Wizards actually focus grouped the first novel I wrote for them.
[20:19] <+phgaw> so, gaming in all forms is a "hit driven industry"?
[20:19] <+Forbeck> Secret of the Spiritkeeper, their first YA book. That's part of the Hasbro heritage infecting them, I think.
[20:20] <+nick3> not really phgaw, but strictly a personal opinion
[20:20] <+Forbeck> All entertainment is hit driven these days. On one side we have large producers, and on the other we have hobbyist/artists. You see this in film, music, novels, video games. The gap between the hits and the indies grows every year.
[20:21] <+Forbeck> There's little room in the middle any more. But that's okay. You can make a living on the lower end, but you just won't have the same reach unless you find a fluke hit.
[20:21] <+Forbeck> Then the larger companies will often dive in and fight to see who can show you to the top.
[20:22] <+Forbeck> Done.
[20:22] <~Dan> I don't think anyone's asked this directly yet, so... do you have any games coming up? :)
[20:22] <+Forbeck> I have the Fiasco playset I'm writing for my Dangerous Games trilogy, and I have a few other things I'm looking at. Nothing for sure yet.
[20:23] <+Forbeck> I get asked to pitch games all the time, and I have a standing invitation with many publishers. It's a matter of finding time.
[20:23] <~Dan> Really? That's pretty impressive. So they basically tell you that if you come up with a game, they'll publish it?
[20:23] <+Forbeck> It's hard to make a living on RPGs, which is why I mostly did collectible games over the past several years. That market's shrunk down a lot too. Only a few designers working in that field that aren't in-house.
[20:24] <+Forbeck> They tell me they'd love to see anything I might want to pitch them. If they like it, they'll publish it. Given the relationships, there's a good chance it would happen, but it's never a guarantee.
[20:24] <~Dan> Ah, gotcha.
[20:24] <+Forbeck> I could come up with some crazed RPG that mixes Cthulhu with the songs of Janis Joplin, for instance, and I think that would be a hard sell. ;)
[20:24] <+phgaw> :(
[20:24] <&Le_Squide> I dunno, Janis Joplin moves units
[20:25] <+Forbeck> Damn. Did I type that out loud?
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[20:25] <+Forbeck> My kids encourage me to get back to it. Every year at Gen Con I think I will. I just have to find some time to tinker. Given 12 for '12, it won't be this year.
[20:25] <+Forbeck> Hard to make money writing short stories, too, although I do a few of those every year it seems.
[20:26] <+Forbeck> For RPGs, my needs are beyond most publishers' budgets. I'm considering board games, card games, etc., though, that are a bit less of a commitment. They can take a long time to design, but once you're done, that's usually it — unless it's a hit, of course.
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[20:27] <+Forbeck> If I did another RPG, I'd probably self-publish, and I'd probably keep it smaller because of that.
[20:27] <+BenRogers> Do you have an opinion on a genre that sells better than others? I ask because we have six realms and are still debating the order of release.
[20:27] <+Forbeck> Fantasy traditionally outsells everything else. It's also the starter genre for every hit category in the past forty years.
[20:27] <+Forbeck> Doesn't have to be straight fantasy, but it needs to be recognizable as such.
[20:28] <+BenRogers> Do you categorize "sci-fantasy" as "fantasy" or "sci-fi"?
[20:28] <+Forbeck> I think most people recognize that as SF, much in the way that they'd put Star Wars into that category.
[20:28] <~Dan> I agree, for whatever that's worth.
[20:28] <+nick3> genre dicussion alway fun
[20:28] <+BenRogers> I agree, just wnated your perspective
[20:28] <+Forbeck> Still, it's up to you how you want to position your launch. Fantasy tends to have the broadest appeal though.
[20:29] <~Dan> Even given the market saturation?
[20:29] <+nick3> like being in a room with your favorite music turn up to ear bleeding loud
[20:29] <+Forbeck> Which market? RPGs? The market's been saturated since D&D. Nothing comes close to it. All other games stand in its shadow.
[20:29] <~Dan> Well, I mean the fantasy RPG market, specifically.
[20:30] <+BenRogers> If I can toss in some info, we're planning to release a "Dark Desert Fantasy" followed by a more traditional fantasy, then a Steampunk/Sci-fi.
[20:30] <+Forbeck> Being different from D&D is a valid marketing position though, and it's stood many companies well.
[20:30] <~Dan> If your goal were to sell well, would you design a "standard" high fantasy game, or fantasy with a twist, like, say, Iron Kingdoms?
[20:30] <+Forbeck> I think Dark Desert Fantasy can find a market. There's the whole Al-Qadim setting, for instance, that Wizards hasn't gone back to much.
[20:30] <+BenRogers> ...not to mention Dark Sun.
[20:31] <+Forbeck> I'd do something with a twist. There's no use saying, "I'm like D&D but better." Even if you are, those people playing that game already have their vanilla fantasy fix.
[20:31] <+Forbeck> For instance, I'd do something like the setting for my Shotguns & Sorcery novels, which was originally a d20 setting I'd planned to release.
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[20:32] <+Forbeck> Selling well is a relative thing too. You can sell well enough to make a living without making a hit. If you want a real hit, you need to concoct a whole new category, like RPG or CCG. We don't see those too often though.
[20:32] <+BenRogers> Eberron seemed like a perfect "D&D with a twist" setting.
[20:32] <~Dan> Oooo... What was that going to be like? (Shotguns & Sorcery, I mean.)
[20:32] <+Forbeck> Right, although Wizards didn't support that well with 4E.
[20:33] <+Forbeck> I ran a Kickstarter for the S&S books. You can find it here: (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-20-shotguns-and-sorcery-novels)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-20-shotguns-and-sorcery-novels
[20:33] <+willows> What makes you say that? It seemed like 4e was built from the ground-up as an Eberron-style kitchen sink system
[20:33] <+Forbeck> Think of the 1920s or so, but with magic replacing lots of that era's tech. Wands and guns and enchanted pistols side by side.
[20:33] <+willows> Almost as if it were -intended- to mesh with the setting's kitchen sink attitude
[20:33] <~Dan> Sounds a bit like Cast a Deadly Spell.
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[20:34] <~Dan> Wheee.
[20:34] <+Forbeck> Well, that was interesting. :)
[20:34] <+Forbeck> Anyhow.
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[20:35] <~Dan> As I was saying: Sounds like Cast a Deadly Spell. :)
[20:35] <+Forbeck> The books are set in Dragon City, a place in which the Dragon Emperor rules by virtue of a pact to protect the people from the hordes of undead that scratch endlessly at the city's walls.
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[20:35] <+Forbeck> It's more Tolkien than Chandler, but yeah, Cast a Deadly Spell's on that continuum.
[20:35] <~Dan> A bit like Unhallowed Metropolis, too.
[20:36] <~Dan> (The city under undead siege bit, at any rate.)
[20:36] <+Forbeck> You can read one of my stories in it for free here: (Link: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/99365/Goblintown-Justice?term=goblintown)http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/99365/Goblintown-Justice?term=goblintown
[20:36] <~Dan> Cool. :)
[20:37] <+Forbeck> I like to think of it as a place in which magic's been around long enough that we've built sophisticated cities around it. In that sense, it's a bit like Eberron too.
[20:37] * ~Dan nods
[20:37] <~Dan> As an aside, have you seen Weird Adventures?
[20:37] <+Forbeck> I concocted it and sold it to Mongoose back in 2001, then had to abandon it when my wife became pregnant with quadruplets. Just not enough time.
[20:37] <+Forbeck> Which ones are the Weird Adventures?
[20:38] <+Forbeck> Looking at it now. Google is my friend.
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[20:38] <~Dan> It's a systemless setting. 1930s pulp mixed with fantasy. Hillbilly ogres packing shotguns and brewing moonshine, for example.
[20:38] <+Forbeck> There's some of that flavor in it too, although the conceit of Dragon City gives it a bit of a sharper edge.
[20:38] <~Dan> Gotcha.
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[20:53] <+Forbeck> I have the first novel in that going out to backers this week or the next. I'll release it to the public soon after.
[20:54] <+Forbeck> Also people who got in on Reaper's huge Kickstarter get a free copy of the first book as part of the Vampire package too.
[20:54] <~Dan> Well, let's see... We've got just over 5 minutes left in "regular" Q&A time. Anything you'd like to bring up that hasn't been addressed, Matt?
[20:54] <~Dan> (And as I said, you're welcome to hang out and answer questions as long as you like.)
[20:54] <+Forbeck> Um, that's been a lot. If you like what you've seen from me before, I urge you to check out my latest Kickstarter for Monster Academy. (Link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-40-monster-academy-novels)http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/forbeck/12-for-12-40-monster-academy-novels
[20:55] <+Forbeck> It's a trilogy of YA fantasy novels in which the good guys won and set up a reform school for young monsters that haven't proven themselves to be evil — yet.
[20:55] <+Forbeck> Even if you don't back it, just spreading the word helps, and I appreciate every bit of that.
[20:56] <+Forbeck> Kickstarter's been very good to me so far.
[20:56] <~Dan> Glad to hear that. :)
[20:56] <+Forbeck> I can hang out a bit longer, but I ought to tuck my kids into bed before too long. :)
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[20:57] <+BenRogers> On a more personal note, how many kiddos?
[20:57] <~Dan> Welcome to #rpgnet, Mixmaster!
[20:57] <+Forbeck> I have five kids. My eldest is 13, and we have quadruplets who are 10. :)
[20:57] <+BenRogers> I saw that you mentioned that earlier.  That must've been quite a change in lifestyle!
[20:57] <+phgaw> woah
[20:58] <+Forbeck> When people ask me how I can work so hard, I point to my kids. :)
[20:58] <~Dan> Awwwww. :)
[20:58] <+BenRogers> When people ask me about my retirement, I point to mine... ;)
[20:58] <+Forbeck> Nothing can be harder than that first year with the quads, but we had a lot of help. 30-35 people volunteered and came into our house every week that year.
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[20:58] <+phgaw> :)
[20:59] <+Forbeck> They were wonderful, and I don't know how we we would have made it without them. The kids are a LOT easier to deal with these days. And so much fun.
[20:59] <~Dan> Okay, on that high note, I'd like to thank Matt for his time! Very informative chat, Matt!
[20:59] <+Forbeck> Thanks for having me, Dan. I truly appreciate it.
[20:59] <~Dan> (Again, not trying to rush you off or anything. :) )
[20:59] <+Ettin> Man where was my hello Dan, you are LOSING YOUR TOUCH
[20:59] <+Ettin> (I am kidding)
[20:59] <+phgaw> indeed, lots learned here.
[20:59] <+Forbeck> No worries. After this, if anyone has questions, you can always reach me at matt@forbeck.com or follow me on Twitter @mforbeck.
[20:59] <~Dan> Heh. Sorry, Ettin. :)
[20:59] <+BenRogers> Thanks for all your excellent information, Matt.  I really appreciated it.
[21:00] <+Forbeck> Anytime, Ben! Good luck with your game.
[21:00] <~Dan> Matt, I do hope you know you're welcome to hang out here anytime you like. :)
[21:00] <~Dan> That goes for the rest of you who just stopped by for the Q&A as well. :)
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[21:00] <+Forbeck> I'd like that. Thanks! I don't have a lot of spare time these days, but feel free to prod me when you like too. :)
[21:00] <+phgaw> Forbeck: Done! Careful what you wish for... *Twitter stalks*
[21:00] <~Dan> I'll take you up on that. :)
[21:01] <~Dan> As always, a log of the chat will be posted on my blog.
[21:01] <~Dan> I'll give you the link once it's up, Matt.
[21:01] <+Forbeck> I'm good about saying no when I need to, and I'm sure y'all won't be offended if so. I try to be polite.
[21:01] <~Dan> Certainly!
[21:01] <+Forbeck> Thanks, Dan! I'll be sure to post that on my site too.