Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal - part II

Originally Posted by Greentongue

I believe they have been successful in promoting this mindset. When you feel you have to be able to correctly pronounce Tsoly�ni to play.

I have to believe that, "I can play in a bazillion D&D worlds as a hairy-thewed barbarian" justifies presenting it as Different which can be attractive or off putting.

Are not some of the Foundation faculty currently?
=

Agreed. What's now the TF had been promoting this viewpoint as being The Only Right Way To Play Tekumel starting in the very late 1980s and through the 1990s in order to emphasis their special status as the elite of the gaming community. (They have no real connections to the local gaming scene, here in the Twin Cities, by the way) They very strongly promoted some myths that they later admitted were false, in order to promote themselves, and a a result Tekumel has become a footnote - and a very minor one at that - in gaming history. We still have some very valiant and devoted die-hards still doing some amazing and wonderful work for Tekumel, because they love the setting, and I try very hard to support and encourage them in their work.

It's been a long and bitter fight. On the one hand, you have people like me telling the game hobby about Tekumel and encouraging folks to give it a try, and you have The Official Authorized set doing the exact opposite most of the time - mostly through inaction and indolence. The really sad this about them is that they have, in the past, done some very good work - and then never finished it.

Probably, but I have to say that I've never had any problems getting people to play in Phil's world - but then, as Pundit said a while back, "You make Tekumel sound fun!"

(By the way, thank you, Pundit,; coming from you, that's one great compliment!)

One is, as Gronan pointed out; the reviews from the students are fascinating reading - you can read them on the web.

Originally Posted by estar

While I am not a IP lawyer, I did consult with one before signing my license with Judges Guild. I asked him some questions about copyright. One thing to remember is that you can't "lose" your copyright. You can only lose the right to recover damages. However if you choose to exert your rights then from that time on damages could be recovered. Provided that the work in question was registered with the Copyright office. If it isn't then all you can do is sue the party to cease and desist to distribute the infringing work. So it always worth consulting with a IP attorney to see if you have a case.

Mentioning Feist came to mind because many of his early novels are just now available for the Kindle.

Agreed. I was deposed for some four hours on this subject by the lawyer; it made for a fascinating afternoon, as so much of what we'd had to deal with was explained.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Somewhere in my memory is the vague recollection that Mr. Feist somehow thought in good faith he'd been given permission. Something about talking to TSR instead of Phil, I think, or something like that.

But yeah, the whole "affaire le Feist" was a thorough FUBAR from back to front.

Ray did indeed; he told me he'd contacted TSR, and one of the Blumes had given him permission to use the material.

It was indeed, and still has echoes to day. I did get a very nice little "Midkedmia" section in the archives out of it, though...

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

Yes, but long after getting into Tekumel. As in, decades.

And not only had Tekumel come before the game unlike Blackmoor and Greyhawk, as Chirine so logically pointed out, but Gary and Dave were in the Castle and Crusade Society after Phil had learned Urdu, so they were interested in different parts of the world.

Yep.

Agreed; good observations, and very accurate as well I think.

Did the 5e game session today; got through the fight with the undead elves from one of the d20 adventure books and then got the party to a place of safety. I had been planning to stay with the party until they got back to Blackmoor proper, but after a discussion with one of the newer players about my not having memorized the 5e rules being a drag on the group - niche protection actually came up, as this version of dear old Chirine was the party's only cleric and thus a vitally important asset to the party - I ended my participation in the group.

This will, I suspect be the end of my formal participation in organized gaming groups for the foreseeable future. I've been finding, over the past couple of years, that my old-fashioned play style simply does not mesh well with players at the FLGS. I am likely to be called on to do special events, where I will be 'on display' running games in Ye Olden Style for people to see. So it goes; I'm not perturbed, myself. Times and people do change, and what I might like to do may not be what others might like or do.

I'll be around, and I'll announce any 'public appearances' as they get booked.

You know, at some point, someone just needs to man up and give someone other than the Cleric proper healing abilities. Primary healer being tied to religion just doesn't play for too many people.

Anyhow, 5e is probably the best D&D has been since 2e. But it's overly encumbered by special case rules and the rules for the various magic-users are too fiddly.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Did the 5e game session today; got through the fight with the undead elves from one of the d20 adventure books and then got the party to a place of safety. I had been planning to stay with the party until they got back to Blackmoor proper, but after a discussion with one of the newer players about my not having memorized the 5e rules being a drag on the group - niche protection actually came up, as this version of dear old Chirine was the party's only cleric and thus a vitally important asset to the party - I ended my participation in the group.

This will, I suspect be the end of my formal participation in organized gaming groups for the foreseeable future. I've been finding, over the past couple of years, that my old-fashioned play style simply does not mesh well with players at the FLGS. I am likely to be called on to do special events, where I will be 'on display' running games in Ye Olden Style for people to see. So it goes; I'm not perturbed, myself. Times and people do change, and what I might like to do may not be what others might like or do.

I'll be around, and I'll announce any 'public appearances' as they get booked.

I'm sorry it turned out that way. Congratulations on your restraint; holding the malefactor's head in the toilet until the bubbles stopped coming up, though tempting, would have caused much paperwork for poor ol' Bob.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

I had been planning to stay with the party until they got back to Blackmoor proper, but after a discussion with one of the newer players about my not having memorized the 5e rules being a drag on the group - niche protection actually came up, as this version of dear old Chirine was the party's only cleric and thus a vitally important asset to the party - I ended my participation in the group.

This will, I suspect be the end of my formal participation in organized gaming groups for the foreseeable future. I've been finding, over the past couple of years, that my old-fashioned play style simply does not mesh well with players at the FLGS. I am likely to be called on to do special events, where I will be 'on display' running games in Ye Olden Style for people to see. So it goes; I'm not perturbed, myself. Times and people do change, and what I might like to do may not be what others might like or do.

Oh for crying out loud, what a putz of a player in the group. If I learned that one of my players said that I would have serious issues and a chat with him or her.

Because my primary system was GURPS for so long and I live in a rural area in northwest PA, my attitude is that it incumbent on me as the referee to make sure the rules don't get in the way of playing. By either me coaching people on the mechanics or focusing on description first figuring which dice to roll second.

Originally Posted by David Johansen

You know, at some point, someone just needs to man up and give someone other than the Cleric proper healing abilities. Primary healer being tied to religion just doesn't play for too many people.

Anyhow, 5e is probably the best D&D has been since 2e. But it's overly encumbered by special case rules and the rules for the various magic-users are too fiddly.

Agreed; the player flat out refused to go into the woods with the rest of the party after I offered to stay with our horses and cart full of treasure as a rear-guard, stating that since I was the only cleric in the party is was too risky to proceed without me. I didn't know what to make of this during the game, and still don;t tonight; I thought that adventuring was all about calculated risk-taking, myself. I just don't know.

Agreed! I was very put off by the game mechanics in 4e, and I do think that 5e seems to be much better. But, as you say, there are a lot of of rules for magic-users!

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

I'm sorry it turned out that way. Congratulations on your restraint; holding the malefactor's head in the toilet until the bubbles stopped coming up, though tempting, would have caused much paperwork for poor ol' Bob.

Can't kill the customers, remember my General? To their credit, the rest of the group was pretty open-mouthed, and then somebody told him who I was and who I used to game with. It got very quiet, after that.

I don't go where I'm not invited. Or welcome. I've been burned too many times, over the decades. There's plenty of other fish in the sea, as Fifth Daughter (she was also playing in the game) allowed.