Reverb Gamers #14

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #14: What kinds of adventures do you enjoy most? Dungeon crawls,
mysteries, freeform roleplaying, or something else? What do you think that says about you?

My preferred game is something that crosses heavy roleplaying and a mystery. Our long running 3.5 D&D game is about urban investigators solving supernatural crimes for the city watch in Sharn. It's even inspired our 4e campaign about the same thing. In a roleplay/mystery I can develop my character and solve a puzzle simultaneousy. I like to tell stories about interesting characters and places but I love a good mystery. Mysteries in RPGs can be tricky though. If finding a clue is based on requiring specific steps be taken by the PCs the threads can go unpursued. Gumshoe does an interesting thing and guarantees that each scene reveals a clue but it's up to the players to role play how that find them. I think I may need to play more Gumshoe.

Reverb Gamers #13

It's Friday the thirteenth of January. What does that mean? It means it is time for Reverb Gamers Post 13.

Who's the best GM/storyteller/party leader you've ever had? What made him/her so great? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

This question is a bit tricky. I have a few solid long time gaming groups that I have been in. How do I answer this question without upsetting someone? I could pick a GM, a storyteller, and a party leader and still upset all my other gaming friends. I could go the vanity route and say I am, but that's just not true(I've played with a lot of skilled Role Players in the short while that I've been gaming). Gaming groups are sometimes fragile things just waiting for egos, and interpersonal drama to crack them like eggs. I will try to talk about what makes a great GM/storyteller/party leader in non-specifics(I really don't want to upset anyone).

Ask open ended questions that invite collaboration from other players at the table. Everything is open and friendly even in the most tense moments of narrative. above all encourage and facilitate fun for everyone. Don't try to mash up three things together as one thing(limit yourself to 2 things). Genre emulation is hard only try it with a group where everyone is buying in.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #12

Do prefer collaborative or competitive games? What do you think that says about you? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

I definitely prefer colloboration over competition. When it comes to boardgames it's how I ended up being Design partners with Evan Denbaum. He and I formed a band of cooperative board gamers at EndGame's Boardgame Night.

I still like to win though so competition is still important to me(our first game design to be published will be competitive). I would just prefer to work with others toward victory.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #11

Have you ever played a character that was morally gray, or actually evil? Why or why not? If yes, did you enjoy it? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

People in general are morally gray, so of course I've role played evil and morally gray characters. This happens most often when GMing NPC villians. But I've played many characters who fall into this category. Sure it's fun to play the hero in the classic dungeon crawl but playing the backstabbing rogue can be just as fun(in fact for many players this is the default moral setting).

Fiasco, anyone? It's a game where Everyone is of questionable moral fiber. I've had lots of fun playing and facilitating this RPG.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Repbblic and Mass Effect have in-game mechanics for monitoring evil and good acts. I once ruined a save file of KOTOR II by deciding my straight arrow jedi was tired of it all in the Sith Academy and decides to turn to the dark side. I must tell you that it was not rewarding, because the dialogue choices for a fallen paragon Jedi don't exist and the game just stalls out when it loads conversations with your fellow Sith apprentices.

Reverb Gamers 10 - Doctor Who?

Have you ever played a character originally from a book/TV/movie? How did the character change from the original as you played? If not, who would you most like to play? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

The most recent time that I played a character originally from a book/TV/movie was at last year's Dead of Winter Invitational(it's a local horror RPG gaming convention in the Bay Area put on by the Terror Rabbit). I was asked to play The Doctor. Who? Oh you know...

It was the morning game at the very beginning of the convention. Everyone but one other person was already around the table waiting. I took the empty seat closest to the door and waiting for me there was a fez(fez's are cool. I wear a fez now), a sonic screwdriver(a replica prop of the 11th Doctor's "magic wand"), and a picture of Matt Smith. So I sat don't and thought "Geronimo."(see I'm already getting into character). The GM felt it was important for his story that The Doctor be played by one of the players. We had the options of all the canon characters from Season 6 Doctor Who including (Spoilers!). No one had seen a lot of the show except for me, I was the person at the table with the most Whovian cred.

I think the major difference for me playing the doctor is that I had absolutely no idea what was going on in the story and was essentially winging it by making stuff up and trying to sound like I did(okay, it wasn't different at all). It was a lot of fun. We were playing the cubicle 7 role playing game which means that the Doctor is capable of anything and everything put has no plot points and really has to rely on the Companion players to move the story along, even when it means watching other players fail rolls that the Doctor could easily make. It is a strange balance that replicates the TV show well I feel. It is a little unusual for an RPG though, for one player to have all the skill power(I guess it's akin to high level 3.5 D&D in that way but in this case the skilled character isn't driving the story at the expense of other players).

Reverb Gamers 2012 #9

Atlas Games is hosting a new RPG blogging group called Reverb Gamers that is posting a writing prompt(1 each day in January) with a focus on RPGs LARPs and MMORPGs. I missed yesterday because I really couldn't think of an answer and I got sucked in by Star Wars The Old Republic. Sometimes you just have to play games instead of blogging about them. Anyway today's post:

Have you ever played a character of the opposite sex. Why or why not? If yes, how did the other players react? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

I have played characters of the opposite sex before. I usually only play female characters in single adventures or convention RPG games though. Our home campaign has a rule that you can only play characters of the same sex as you, which invariably someone tries to break(and usually they get away with it). The reaction was the same as if I had played a male character, from what I can tell.

It does, however, remind me of a odd thing about MMORPGs and the Internet. MMO avatars can provide a strange kind anonymity. I have seen people get upset when they think they are talking to a male or female person based on the sex of the avatar. Hey, I thought you were a woman/man.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #8

What's the one gaming accessory (lucky dice, soundtrack, etc.) you just can't do without? Why? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

Don't really have one. If you pushed me I would say good players. If the game doesn't have creative players at the table I'm checking out and going home.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #7

How do you pick names for your characters?

I covered this briefly yesterday with the story of Hal Duran, here. For that I just chose two names that I thought sounded cool and made the characters first name and the second their surname. It only turned out to be a cool "in joke" name after the fact. Depending on the genre, the game length era its from I choose different names.

For four color supers its important to have rhyming or sound alike names or aliteration. My supervillain for Necessary Evil is called Darklight. Darklight because he is a lantern weilder in the style of Green Lantern and Sinestro. Where does the rhyming come in? With the civillian Identity of Dr. Marcus "Marc" Wright. For our Gamma World game I made a fiery leader with a temper named Paul Cano which sounds like volcano when you say it fast.

One way I like to name characters is to brainstorm random words, write them out on a sheet of paper and sound them out string them together put different emphasis on syllables and recreate sounds you like with new spellings.

For D&D one-shots I use the random name generator on DDI until I find something that matches my character concept.

Another way I like to name a character is through play. Come up with a title or a nickname and then through play find the characters history by connecting yourself to other NPCs. is there a family in distress who needs the party's help. Take their surname and say that your character is a distant relative arriving in time to save the day. Thus creating backstory on the fly and a name approriate to the setting.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #6

Describe your all-time favorite character to play. What was it about him/her/it that you enjoyed so much? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)


My all-time favorite character to play, huh? Sounds like another bad episode of Let me tell you about my character.... My retailer friends will often complain that while running a game store they have to hear a lot of the "let me tell you about my character..." stories. Hear enough of them and you'll snap. I think because for the person telling the story it's a very personal thing. A connection you make in your own mind between yourself and the character you are creating and playing. For someone hearing the story without that context it's just details strung together. For those who wish to avoid such nonsense please read no further.


My first character in a "real" RPG with a real gaming group is probably my favorite character to play. A male Twilek Jedi Padawan named Hal Duran in my friend Wes' Star Wars SAGA edition game. It's set during the Clone Wars and Dark Times eras between The Phantom Menace and A New Hope. In an early session it was pointed out to me that "Hal Duran" sounds like Alderaan. I swear it wasn't on purpose. My Jedi's name is not a tribute to that doomed world. The inspiration for the name was from HAL 9000, the computer in 2001: a Space Odyssey and the band Duran Duran, they combined as an interesting name for a Jedi Padawan.

What do I enjoy most about playing this character? Hello? Jedi. For this game it's all about cinematic action. What highly improbable feet of acrobatics, and sword play will Hal pull off this week? Probably my favorite scene so far was chasing a personnel carrier with a speeder bike. It's hard to fight a moving target with a light saber. So I maneuvered the speeder in front of the carrier while using my light saber to protect myself from it's guns. Then I leaped off the bike while spinning like a top with light saber held angled in front of me, cutting a hole through the plasteel window simultaneously killing the driver and wounding the co-pilot. I landed on my feet in the back of the carrier. So I was fighting the guys inside while the carrier is crashing. Mandalore bounty hunters coming in the top and jumping off just in time for the carrier to explode from a thermal detonator. Boom! Awesome. That was just as a padawan, just gained knighthood in the last session.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #5

Have you ever introduced a child to gaming, or played a game with a young person? How is gaming with kids different than gaming with adults? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

This question strikes me as funny. I was a young person once(a long time ago, I know). And when I was young we were introduced to gaming by our parents. And with a little brother around I obviously played with " a young person" as a a young person(as a child I played games with other children).

I must of course interpret the question as: Since you became an adult, "have you ever introduced a child to gaming or played a gane with a young person?

Sure of course, I have. It is very different than playing games with adults. For one you have to watch your lanquage. No swearing in front of the impressionable youth. usually parents of kids don't want to have to explain bad words to their kids at a young age. One of my college friends and his younger siblings would come over to my house and play D&D as a family. I really had to alter the content of my usual game to account for the wide range of ages at the table. I also had to take time to explain the rules with a new mindset. it took a lot of patience. We played several sessions but never actually finished the campaign.

Reverb Gamers 2012 #4

Are you a "closet gamer?" Have you ever hidden the fact that you're a gamer from your co-workers, friends, family, or significant other? Why or why not? How did they react if they found out? (Courtesy of Atlas Games. Visit us at www.atlas-games.com)

Addendum: Do you know anyone who is? Would you ever "out" another gamer? via Twitter

No. Definitely not. It's my primary social network. At my day job I let everyone know that I'm a gamer. I may not wear distracting gamer attire but I let my words and actions communicate that "I am a Gamer". I had a co-worker who totally wore gaming shirts all the time. It was okay with the people at our work so I guess sometimes it's okay to let your gamer geek flag fly at work, it just wasn't for me.

As a a game designer it's in my interest to let people know about the hobby and to try to spread the word. How else will anyone know about my work and the awesome work of my friends and colleagues.

I've known a few people who like to play it off as if they don't game when we got socially, but I wouldn't out them. It's a personal thing. They shouldn't be embarrassed by their hobby but I understand it. Just like you shouldn't be embarrassed about anything that you genuinely are.

Reverb Gamers 2012 Prompt #3

What kind of gamer are you? Rules Lawyer, Munchkin/Power Gamer,Lurker, Storyteller/Method Actor, or something else? (Search "types of gamer" for more ideas!) How does this affect the kinds of games you play? For example, maybe you prefer crunchy rules-heavy systems to more theatrical rules-light ones.


Role-Player not Roll-Player with a nice side of Storyteller. I am into story and theatrical combat. I try to bring what my friends call the 'awesome'. Christian's daughters rightly capture my play-style by shouting "Boom!" at the table.

I think Ryan Macklin does a good job of pointing out that this prompt "It's a trap!". I feel like all of these lavels for types of gamer apply to me depending on the game. sometimes more than 1 label at a time.

I enjoy mastering the rules for my PC when playing D&D so crunchy rules/Rules lawyer. But when I run D&D I care more about facilitating fun for everyone else and don't let things like rules get in the way of everyone's fun.

In Savage Worlds the rules are so simple that I find myself lurking in most games and occasionally trying to play the 'troublemaker'.

For Do it's a storytelling game so it's all about telling silly stories for me.

In the big picture I would say that the rules of a game and its themes will dictate my play style.

Reverb Gamers 2012 Prompt #2

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #2:
What is it about gaming that you enjoy the most? Why do you game? Is
it the adrenaline rush, the social aspect, or something else?

It's definitely the social aspect. I have met many great friends through gaming. One bit of statistics based evidence for you. It was pointed out to me by the Face Book that more than 25% of my friends on Facebook are fans of a little FLGS(Friendly Local Game Shop) called EndGame. This also doesn't include more of my friends who game but aren't local to Oakland. So they only know about because I talk about it so much. Gaming is definitely a social thing for me(also I love telling stories; to people, with people, for people; the collaborative story telling that RPG play allows for is another major reason that I play games).

Reverb Gamers 2012

Atlas Games is starting a new RPG blogger group called Reverb Gamers 2012. You can follow the results at their website and also on Twitter @ReverbGamers. For each day in January they are posting a prompt for RPG, MMORPG, and LARP players to discuss. I will endeavor to write a response, however brief, to each one.

Prompt for the 1st:

REVERB GAMERS 2012, #1: What was your first roleplaying experience?
Who introduced you to it?
How did that introduction shape the gamer you've become?

How should I answer this one? Do they mean formal roleplaying experience like with rules and stuff? Everyone's first roleplaying experience is when we are little kids and we imagine that we're the 'police' chasing down our 'robber' friends or some similar game. Do I count the Milton Bradley published Hero Quest, which is really a boardgame now that I look back on the experience? You know what? that's it.

Hero Quest 1989



It was designed by Stephen Baker, according to boardgamegeek.com. HeroQuest was developed by GamesWorkshop, you know The Hobby Games guys. It was released in 1990 in North America by MB so I must have first played this game when I was 8 or 9 years old. It was the go to boardgame for me, my brother, and our best friend Chris. We would all imagine we were our characters and take them on each quest in sequence in the game. We'd take turns playing as the evil Zargon. Eventually we upgraded the game and got the two expansions as they game out. Kellar's Keep and Return of the Witch Lord. And when we finished those we started 'hacking' the game. We made up new heroes using the stats for the other characters mixed up. I think one of the characters we made was really weak in dice rolling but had access to Zargon's spell cards. We also made a ranger. And we upgraded some of the characters so we could play the game with fewer heroes and really roleplay one character at a time(in the three player games we usually played two heroes per player for balance reasons).

It is the earliest in my life that I considered game design as a career path. I think I was 10 or 11 at the time. I always dabbled with the idea in middle school and high school. Turn the clock forward 20 years and I'm finally starting a career in game design. Just last week I was looking through some old notebooks and found card designs for MtG from the mid-nineties that I wrote while I was in high school. So I guess the lesson is pay attention to the career dreams of your 10 year old self.

My copy of the game is pretty beaten up. It is not at all like the video I posted above. My heroes and a few goblins are painted but are chipping badly. The box is not holding together and some of the cardboard furniture is missing. This game was a gift from my parents so thanks Mom and Dad for making sure I was a lifelong hobby game enthusiast. It is something of a treasure that I will never think about parting with though.