Exactly. We're here to adventure, thank you. "Action! Adventure! Romance!"Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya
Exactly. We're here to adventure, thank you. "Action! Adventure! Romance!"
Well, funny you should ask about this. Today is the first of the new year: One Hasanpor, of the year 2,395 A. S. in the Long Count Of Years that Phil kept. (The game year / date varies by campaign, of course.)
The Tsolyani Civil War is over, and the Five Empires are all trying to figure out what to do next. There's a lot of messy loose ends leftover from the 2370s and 2380s, and player-characters will have to be hired in droves to clean it all up.
Firu ba Yeker may be gone, but the game continues.
I wonder if he would refuse to play chess with the black pieces
Also, a question: have you seen someone foolish enough to summon Demons? If so, what was it like? More specifically, was it always a lenghty process (as I assume it is to summon the more powerful demons, as described in the Book of Ebon Bindings), or a sorcerer could do it in the heat of battle?
No idea; I didn't game with him, after that incident.I wonder if he would refuse to play chess with the black pieces
Also, a question: have you seen someone foolish enough to summon Demons? If so, what was it like? More specifically, was it always a lenghty process (as I assume it is to summon the more powerful demons, as described in the Book of Ebon Bindings), or a sorcerer could do it in the heat of battle?
Yes. Eyloa, the Livyani wizard and perpetual menace to navigation, did it all the time in the early days of Phil's campaign when you simply picked the spell / skill from the list and just rolled dice to see who or what showed up. At that point, you just rolled. Phil did "Ebon Bindings" to try to rein him in, as it simply got silly; he'd summon demons like we'd change our underwear, and for the most trivial reasons. It did get him into a lot of trouble, both with the demons and with any interested bystanders.
After Phil did "Ebon Bindings", we all stayed well away from summoning demons as a general practice - it was just too risky and dangerous. Didn't stop Elyoa, and we got a lot of laughs - from a safe distance, of course.
Summoning a demon during a battle was tried (by Guess Who?) exactly once, during the battle for Jumre's Ladder. It didn't work, in very spectacular fashon, and nobody ever tried it again. It's too much ritual, too much stuff, and the enemy light infantry has a great time killing the sorcerer while they're doing all the dancing around. It just doesn't work, at least the way Phil played it.
It's not worth the bother. And even if you did understand it, someone will tell you you understand it wrong.
Save your time for better things. I can list few things less useful for one's enjoyment, so you have quite the choice...
"I won because you're acting like a stereotype instead of like a human - since humans have brains" usually gets that reaction.
Well, I think you shopuld have opened the door first...but I can understand the frustration.
I need to add "cheater" in my title, then.
Last year, when we were playing a game based on "Romance of Three Kingdoms" - read "lots of army action against religious fanatics" - my xiongnu diplomat got bored. And he went to show some of his immediate diplomacy to a reinforced place we had to take.
Day first, nothing. Night first, they lost exactly one guy, and got a new recruit disguised as him.
Day second, third, and fourth, information gathering, silence.
Night fifth, Mao Tun weakens the wooden constructions they used to protect their front ranks from the stones our machines were lobbing at them. The things suddenly giving probably didn't have their morale.
Night sixth, Mao Tun attacks their food supply. After slaying the guards with surprise and overwhelming skill, he set fire on it and jumped out through a window. People tried to rush and save the food, but alas, the guards seemed to have blocked the doors...
(At least I gave the poor guys such a funeral pyre, the Gods of Cooking were sure to have admitted them in Chinese Heavens!)
That, however, managed to lower the spirit of the fanatics, and we managed to rout them.
Later on, we needed a guy on our own side removed. That was achieved, and the best part? They accused his doctor, who wasn't part of the plot!
So yeah, call me on when there's cheating to be done...
Then why...oh right, for self-promotion. Gotcha.
I think we've heard about this guy in the thread already. Is this the "bisexual people of colour only" guy?
...LGBT relationships are a thing in settings I run, because really, I'm sure we can all name rulers that were LGBT. But there's also a "16+" age requirement for getting into my groups, and most of the time, I insist on prospective players being 18+ instead.I had a very sad little series of incidents that killed my game group back at the turn of the year. One of my players, who is a Very Big Wheel in the local F/SF LGBT fan group, ran a couple of game sessions using the very nice murder mystery he'd written up. He, however, had made sure to include a lot of LGBT elements in the scenario, and it didn't mesh very well with the high-school-age players - if they'd all been middle-aged gay guys, they probably would have liked it more. The 13-year old girl liked it even less, and all of my warning comments to the GM got blown off - he was going to run his age-inappropriate adventure, no matter what the audience reaction was.
Presenting any sexual materials to a 13 yo player might well get you bashed by a parent, around here.
Why didn't you ask him politely something like "which group was that? Because I'm sure it wasn't in any game I ran, and Phil didn't include such elements in Tekumel"?Later on, he brought over his new LGBT game group for a tour of the place, and everything was going quite well (I thought) until he started carrying on about how his PC had been "persecuted" for being gay. I just stood there with me mouth hanging open - I ran those same games, and nothing of the sort had happened. (I have the audio tapes, as well as my journals) He was taking this line to increase his standing with his LGBT people.
*Sigh*.
I admit it, I would have done that.
We simply outnumber you. Karakan and Vimuhla both favour the bigger legions, most of the time...
It was probably worth seeing, then!
Different expectations, I see.
I admit, that was sneakier. Bonus points if you also mentioned that LGBT discrimination isn't part of the setting as conceived by MAR Barker.I just smiled, took care of his guests for him - he left early, as he's a very busy guy - and made sure that they had a good time learning about Phil and Tekumel.
I then simply announced that guest GMs here at the house had to provide their own players, as I was spending more time and energy on the logistics that I was on the games. Solved the problem right there. The vast majority of people can't organize their way out of a paper bag.
"That is good! That is good!"Shrug. A lot less work and stress for me, and a lot less wear and tear on the miniatures. I play what I like, when I like, with whom I like, and I'm very happy with that state of affairs.
/Warlord from Conan movie.
Indeed.
Well, "you are the defenders, but get 3 times less forces" leads to the same result, right?On the other hand there are guys who come up with ways to cheat by setting the terrain up in their favor or building the scenario to cripple their opponent. There's the story of the guy who brought a four foot long hill to his Warhammer games and placed it in his deployment zone so all his missile troops could shoot in two ranks right over his front line troops and his enemies automatically had to suffer the penalty for charging up hill. Of course, GW being GW, they now sell terrain and you pay points to have it in your army list
The lack of background is a problem even with adults, alas.But I think part of it is just where mainstream society has drifted to. Kids don't just go play ball at the park anymore, they have to be organized into leagues and those are generally hyper competitive. Then you've got the rolling backlash against any competition or grading, especially in schools. There's also the lack of background, I sure spend a lot of time explaining that Games Workshop didn't invent miniatures games, nor indeed Elves, Dwarves, and Orcs.
So you got the same prize as most loyal soldiers that served the Imperium?
I'm ahead of you. I did try to hang other PCs for insubordination!
The GM didn't allow it, but I tried...
Well, I've always assumed it's about the courtship, when I say "romance". Or to quote a Referee I deeply respect and trust (myself
Never had a problem with people being unable to follow.
I really hope the parent got his ass handed to him.
OK, now I have a question. How does one get a hold of those rulesGreat! He's a pretty darn decent guy.
The second edition will mostly update the technology of gaming; we've come a long way since then. The basic game mechanics and stats will all stay the same - this new edition will be fully backwards compatible to the original. I am putting in a new armor class, though; back in the day, almost all our battles were inside the Five Empires, armored troops against armored troops. Later on, in Phil's campaign, we started doing a lot more 'frontier' battles, and I need to allow for this in the new rules.
Newer and better naval rules, newer and better siege rules; these were pretty sketchy in the original, as we didn't do much of that and it was sort of assumed that the referee would be able to make snap decisions in game play. We tended to play these kinds of games more as RPGs, actually.
For me, the biggest thing is that with the 'new' publishing technology, I can illustrate the rules with color photos - something we could only dream of, back in Ye Olden Dayes. And all the new figures too!
Did that happen often?
"And a hard-boiled egg!"
How did he even survive? I mean, you summon a demon without having prepared anything to pay for his services, you might reach for the character generation rules!
I bet you did. I've got players like this, it never gets old, especially if the Referee is like those guys mentioned in Harn. "It has been observed that there is a slight streak of sadism in some GMs", or something like this. I'm quoting from memory here, but the observation is validAfter Phil did "Ebon Bindings", we all stayed well away from summoning demons as a general practice - it was just too risky and dangerous. Didn't stop Elyoa, and we got a lot of laughs - from a safe distance, of course.
I like multi-quote posts.
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." - Rocky
Well I did open the door first, by using his head. Theoretically I could have thrown him through the door, but that wouldn't have ended good for me or him.
Well, I think you should have opened the door first...but I can understand the frustration
Besides, as we say in the old country: "Tој беше голем будала"
Well I did open the door first, by using his head. Theoretically I could have thrown him through the door, but that wouldn't have ended good for me or him.
Besides, as we say in the old country: "Tој беше голем будала"
Sounds better. Not much better, but slightly better.
And as we say in a neighbouring country, "Глупаците требе да се бият, докато поумнеят
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." - Rocky
From AsenRG: It's not worth the bother. And even if you did understand it, someone will tell you you understand it wrong
Save your time for better things. I can list few things less useful for one's enjoyment, so you have quite the choice...
Agreed. We just got out there and played. These days, there seems to be so much 'baggage' involved.
"I won because you're acting like a stereotype instead of like a human - since humans have brains" usually gets that reaction
Agreed. I've had a pretty good time in gaming, over the years, and I treasure the good games. I would be less then honest if I didn't admit that there have been some pretty bad ones, some right here in the game room.
I need to add "cheater" in my title, then.
Great story - reads like an account of some feudal Japanese epic!
Then why...oh right, for self-promotion. Gotcha.
I think we've heard about this guy in the thread already. Is this the "bisexual people of colour only" guy?
Yep. One gay friend of mine who knows all about the situation has described it all as being just like gay bath-house politics from the West Coast. I have to agree.
...LGBT relationships are a thing in settings I run, because really, I'm sure we can all name rulers that were LGBT. But there's also a "16+" age requirement for getting into my groups, and most of the time, I insist on prospective players being 18+ instead.
Presenting any sexual materials to a 13 yo player might well get you bashed by a parent, around here.
I have no issues with LGBT relationships; two of my numerous daughters are LGBT activists with Amnesty International. The guest GM had known in advance - he'd been e-mailed before the game - that we would be having the young lady as a player, and it got blown off. She got handled one of his pre-gen PC sheets that she was very uncomfortable with, and he blew her off; he was going to play his adventure as he'd written it, no matter what anyone thought. (He dad was also there, I should add, so we were legal under local laws.) I felt that the material being presented was age-inappropriate, but I got blown off as well even after I discussed it with the GM.
So, now I also have an '18+' rule.
It also may not have helped that the guest GM was also one of those GMs where unless and until the party generates the exact specific response needed by the written adventure, the game stalls until they do and the party can't advance to the next paragraph of the adventure. Basically, the GM would read the text, then sit back and wait until the players had guessed the correct response. One of the players, an old friend of the GM, actually fell asleep during the game session.
It was everything I don't like in gaming, all rolled into one.
Why didn't you ask him politely something like "which group was that? Because I'm sure it wasn't in any game I ran, and Phil didn't include such elements in Tekumel"?
Because I was standing there with my mouth hanging open in astonishment at the sheer effrontery of it all.
I admit it, I would have done that.
I just gave up, myself. I've had over thirty-five years of this sort of thing happen to me, and I'm told that I should just shut up and sit down.
I admit, that was sneakier. Bonus points if you also mentioned that LGBT discrimination isn't part of the setting as conceived by MAR Barker.
I did, several times during the visit, and that's when he started in on his tale of brutal repression. I was not following the current party line, or being a good supporter of his political position.
I really hope the parent got his ass handed to him.
Nope. It was all hushed up, and the teacher told not to say anything. The local police, had other ideas, though; one of the other parents reported it. The offender got fined and a restraining order.
OK, now I have a question. How does one get a hold of those rules
If carl doesn't have a set, let me know. I have spares. Or I can scan it for you, what with you being in foreign parts and all that... (I do own the thing, the Copyright Office says; Phil did the paperwork himself...)
How did he even survive? I mean, you summon a demon without having prepared anything to pay for his services, you might reach for the character generation rules!
No idea. The player involved could talk a duck off a lake, though.
I bet you did. I've got players like this, it never gets old, especially if the Referee is like those guys mentioned in Harn. "It has been observed that there is a slight streak of sadism in some GMs", or something like this. I'm quoting from memory here, but the observation is valid
I'd agree with that!!! Eyloa was a never-ending source of laughs...
The players brought itFrom AsenRG: It's not worth the bother. And even if you did understand it, someone will tell you you understand it wrong
Save your time for better things. I can list few things less useful for one's enjoyment, so you have quite the choice...
Agreed. We just got out there and played. These days, there seems to be so much 'baggage' involved.
Well, I'd rank "showing people a variant of a famous WWII strategy" as being a good game. Too bad the players didn't get it in time, but you did effectively bypass and encircle him, didn't you"I won because you're acting like a stereotype instead of like a human - since humans have brains" usually gets that reaction
Agreed. I've had a pretty good time in gaming, over the years, and I treasure the good games. I would be less then honest if I didn't admit that there have been some pretty bad ones, some right here in the game room.
It was somewhat inspired by Chapter 13 of a famous book.I need to add "cheater" in my title, then.
Great story - reads like an account of some feudal Japanese epic!
Your friend has a sense of gallows humour, or it's really bad.Then why...oh right, for self-promotion. Gotcha.
I think we've heard about this guy in the thread already. Is this the "bisexual people of colour only" guy?
Yep. One gay friend of mine who knows all about the situation has described it all as being just like gay bath-house politics from the West Coast. I have to agree.
Or both.
Ahem, I didn't mean I wouldn't present 18- players with LGBT materials. I wouldn't present them with much material involving any adult relationships, hetero or not - unless I knew them in person....LGBT relationships are a thing in settings I run, because really, I'm sure we can all name rulers that were LGBT. But there's also a "16+" age requirement for getting into my groups, and most of the time, I insist on prospective players being 18+ instead.
Presenting any sexual materials to a 13 yo player might well get you bashed by a parent, around here.
I have no issues with LGBT relationships; two of my numerous daughters are LGBT activists with Amnesty International. The guest GM had known in advance - he'd been e-mailed before the game - that we would be having the young lady as a player, and it got blown off. She got handled one of his pre-gen PC sheets that she was very uncomfortable with, and he blew her off; he was going to play his adventure as he'd written it, no matter what anyone thought. (He dad was also there, I should add, so we were legal under local laws.) I felt that the material being presented was age-inappropriate, but I got blown off as well even after I discussed it with the GM.
So, now I also have an '18+' rule.
I call those GMs simply "bad"It also may not have helped that the guest GM was also one of those GMs where unless and until the party generates the exact specific response needed by the written adventure, the game stalls until they do and the party can't advance to the next paragraph of the adventure. Basically, the GM would read the text, then sit back and wait until the players had guessed the correct response. One of the players, an old friend of the GM, actually fell asleep during the game session.
It was everything I don't like in gaming, all rolled into one.
Why didn't you ask him politely something like "which group was that? Because I'm sure it wasn't in any game I ran, and Phil didn't include such elements in Tekumel"?
Because I was standing there with my mouth hanging open in astonishment at the sheer effrontery of it all.
OK, I can understand that.
It's better for the nerves when you do, indeed. I tend to skip it more and more often, myself.I admit it, I would have done that.
I just gave up, myself. I've had over thirty-five years of this sort of thing happen to me, and I'm told that I should just shut up and sit down.
"Get your politics out of my gaming" seems to be gaining momentum as a slogan.I admit, that was sneakier. Bonus points if you also mentioned that LGBT discrimination isn't part of the setting as conceived by MAR Barker.
I did, several times during the visit, and that's when he started in on his tale of brutal repression. I was not following the current party line, or being a good supporter of his political position.
Well, it's better than nothing.I really hope the parent got his ass handed to him.
Nope. It was all hushed up, and the teacher told not to say anything. The local police, had other ideas, though; one of the other parents reported it. The offender got fined and a restraining order.
Ahem, I was talking about the new edition. Would Carl (of Tita's HoG, I guess) have copies of that?OK, now I have a question. How does one get a hold of those rules
If carl doesn't have a set, let me know. I have spares. Or I can scan it for you, what with you being in foreign parts and all that... (I do own the thing, the Copyright Office says; Phil did the paperwork himself...)
That was probably entertaining, then.How did he even survive? I mean, you summon a demon without having prepared anything to pay for his services, you might reach for the character generation rules!
No idea. The player involved could talk a duck off a lake, though.
Isn't this Blue Fish guy? Yeah, he does sound funny!I bet you did. I've got players like this, it never gets old, especially if the Referee is like those guys mentioned in Harn. "It has been observed that there is a slight streak of sadism in some GMs", or something like this. I'm quoting from memory here, but the observation is valid
I'd agree with that!!! Eyloa was a never-ending source of laughs...
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward." - Rocky
When Eyola was on, he could be immensely entertaining.
The player playing him could be rather a pill. "Roleplaying is a NARTFORM!"
I don't care if you respect me, just buy my fucking book.
Formerly known as Old Geezer
I don't need an Ignore List, I need a Tongue My Pee Hole list.
The rules can't cure stupid, and the rules can't cure asshole.
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