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So I was sitting upon my duff and looking over the collection of RPGs my wife and I have grown over the past year, when I realized that almost all of them require roughly the same items and player counts in order to play. Dungeons & Dragons, Robotech: The RPG, Vampire: The Masquerade, Mechwarrior, and Big Eyes Small Mouth all play best with lots of research/backstory, some key planning, and particular items.
Then it hit me: Why not talk about the bits needed to play a game? Of course, one will need rulebooks, character sheets, pencils, paper, and dice... but what of them? Rulebooks and character sheets change from game to game as do any additional papers (in D&D it's a good idea to keep a running map and a personal inventory, and in any game it's a great idea to take notes), but what about each item's significance? Does your game even require some of these items? This time around, I'll talk about dice and the next time I do a 'requirements' theme pick a different tool at random. Doesn't that sound FUN?
First off, what kind of dice do you need and how many of them will your game require? Of course this is a very general pair of questions, but something to bear in mind is that many of the popular games require the same sets of dice and often involve similar quantities. Assuming you are going to play a game that isn't based entirely upon one die (such as those published by Whitewolf Games or the now defunct Guardians of Order), it's a good idea to have the following dice handy:
d20 x 1
d12 x 1
d10 x 2
d8 x 1
d6 x 3
d4 x 2
Obviously if you play D&D, Battletech, Mechwarrior, Robotech, or Rifts you know that each of these dice see common use (with the exception of the d12, because apparently only D&D Barbarians and some weapons in other games like the straight 1-12 of a d12 instead of the 2-12 of a 2d6 roll). This has been the combination of dice that has brought me the best results in gaming both as a games master and a player. However, most sets of dice you buy in the store come with the following:
d20 x 1
d12 x 1
d10 x 2
d8 x 1
d6 x 1
d4 x 1
Why do they come with a different set, and why do they arrive with what they have? Part of it is the simple fact that in an absolute pinch, one of everything will do; then again, one cannot argue against the fact that we gamers are a stereotypically compulsive bunch and will gladly buy new dice just because they have pretty colors. In absolute truth you only need that basic set per person (or to be willing to share) in order to play, but the moment you have to re-roll a die multiple times it can get tedious. As an example: in the Robotech RPG, a standard Battlepod does 4d10 damage per particle cannon, per shot. These can be dual fired, so every time that pilot hits the target it's time to roll 8d10. Falling or magical damage in D&D is much the same way: at first level your wizard's spell Magic Missile only does 1d4 damage, but by the time you've maxed that spell out it's doing 5d4 damage divided however you like it between up to five targets. Having the extra dice around comes in handy.
Aside from obviously going to the local hobby shop or ordering online in order to purchase dice (which is in and of itself capable of being a hit or miss topic), you will want to think about who manufactured your dice. There are many companies who manufacture dice with slightly different numbering systems depended both on design and intended game. I've been most satisfied with Chessex dice, both because of their clear numbering and vast design selection. Chessex dice have very crisp shapes and angles which I feel allow for a better roll, and their four-sided dice are very easy to read (see die at left of the image).
I must admit that Crystal Caste dice have some very unique materials and designs, but I do not like their more rounded appearance nor the fact that their d4 is read by looking at the bottom for a small upright number, as illustrated by the die to the right of the image above. Also of concern to me is that Crystal Caste seems to have slightly lower quality standards, as I've on occasion bought a bag of their dice only to discover dimples or nicks in the dice which lead to their being unsuitable for fair rolling.
I personally don't care much for 'gimmick' dice as a practical idea: Why do I need a d2 or a d9, and couldn't I just use percentages to determine a random hit location instead of a cube with words on it? The 'bone shaped' dice that look faintly like a vertebrae are interesting at first premise, but they're still just a basic six-sided die. I don't need an eight-sided die that's shaped like some psuedo-crystal and full of glitter when I have a 'standard' octohedron. It comes down to personal choice, of course, but I'm a purist when it comes to shape. Give me small, simple polyhedrons with numbers on them.
The one place where I deviate from this opinion of "small, simple polyhedrons with numbers on them" are the monstrously over-sized dice. The crazy human fist sized dice that are often available at a hobby shop for $20-$50 a piece always intrigued me when I was only a little bit younger. Perhaps it had to do with the idea of placing one in a dirty gym sock and hitting ignorant players over the head with them.
Here’s the next installment of Roy’s RPG Tactics! As promised, this session will cover some basic small unit tactics. It’s mostly common sense, but often the ideas presented are overlooked. The examples used are meant to get one’s creative juices flowing for designing an encounter, and hopefully they will do just that.
When you’re attacking or defending with more than one person/unit in a game, you would do well to read the writings of past great generals. Erwin Rommel and Sun Tzu spring readily to mind for ideas as well as mindset. Playing games such as the Total War series of games will give you even more ideas on how to handle larger engagements, if you plan to win.
One of the biggest points these things will teach you is that your surroundings are your best weapon. Hiding in the woods and firing your weapons at the enemy is far favorable to jumping out onto the road for an epic hand to hand fight. If the enemy can’t see you and you keep moving from place to place, they may think you have far more resources than you really do. When this happens, they’re more likely to quit the fight and retreat or surrender.
If you don’t wish to fight your enemies directly, run them into unfavorable conditions, or wait for them to encounter them on their own. Run them into the desert, or force them into a narrow passage of some kind. If the enemy is constricted, they have fewer choices in how to fight back or retreat. Consult the rules for your favored game, and see what they have to say about rough or cluttered terrain. Use those rules to your advantage.
Terrain can be the big factor in determining the winner of a tactical battle; bottlenecking corridors, wide rolling grass fields, and heavy growth forests all dictate the movements of the combatants differently. It’s harder to use long ranged combat (say, a crossbow) from the rear of a melee in a narrow dungeon hallway than on the open field of battle. Aimed magic could be impossible to use in such a tight space without hitting your fellows, while having a pike could mean you have no way to defend yourself if the enemy gets past the point of your weapon.
Fighting in and around a graveyard or similar place would be a nightmare for an organized force; the enemy can crouch behind headstones for cover, or hide an entire unit behind a temple or mausoleum. The ground is frequently uneven in the stereotypical graveyard, which can lead to injuries and losses for fast moving combatants. Low hanging trees or funerary decorations can block effective missile fire and prove to be an obstruction to ground movement. The same basic ideas could be applied to mecha combat in an urban or suburban setting. The varying amounts of cover make such settings ideal for hit and run and long ranged attacks.
That pretty much covers it for this session. I hope this series has been of use to those of you out there who take the time to read this blog. I’m not sure what I’ll be pontificating about next time, but it should be interesting. Tell a friend, and come back often!
Seriously, Wizards of the Coast; I surrender. You have once again milked the cash cow that is geek fandom, and I hate you all the more for it.
I had a lot of fun with revised AD&D when I was a young teenager; I didn't have many friends who weren't on the internet, and those that I did have all played Dungeons and Dragons. My older brother got me an AD&D rulebook for Christmas, and helped me learn a game that I'd only played one other time before. My friend across town introduced me to a group of dedicated nerds, geeks, and weirdos who played the TSR games religiously.
That group rejoiced when Wizards of the Coast bought out TSR, and nearly sang for joy when an easier to play, more accessible (and only relatively more expensive) update to the classic game was released. We were all happy, because we thought that D&D 3E might give us something the game sorely needed - a dearth of new players.
We were right, as kids and parents alike began to play. The adventure modules were a bit lackluster, but pre-published adventures usually are. The open license format of third edition meant that more and more publishers could jump on the game. Some products were absolutely amazing! I couldn't begin to express my joy as Dragonlance came out, and in a great time setting to boot!
Then came the 'updated' system, D&D 3.5 Edition. I balked, and asked "why do they need to do this so soon?" When I purchased the handbook, I realized it was almost exactly the same, down to the artwork. True, it had a more advanced tactics section for miniatures, and included some needed changes for a couple of the core classes, but still... why?
When my fiancee and I got our hands on a preview copy of Fourth Edition, we nearly vomited with anger; the rules have changed, the classes have changed, and most importantly, the feel has changed. Now miniatures are a requirement to get the full benefit of the rules! What the hell was going on here?
Having talked to several hardcore gamers, as well as shop owners and would-be buyers of the game, we made our decision: we will never purchase Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition. There will be no browsing of the half-price bookstores, nor any downloading of the reduced price .pdf files that are available for purchase. The only miniatures we buy are for my benefit as both a hobby painter and sometimes tactician wannabe. They are not just so we can play a rip-off pretender that is a thinly veiled computer game adapted for table-top play!
We spurn you, Wizards. I know that five people won't matter much to you, but mark my words: You have ruined any and all desire we had to purchase your products; anything you touch from now on, we shall boycott.
While the late Gary Gygax is universally hailed as the father of the RPG as we know it, one cannot forget his inspirations for Dungeons and Dragons. Robert E. Howard is plainly listed as one of his primary inspirations for creating D&D in the 1970's, and anyone who has read his Sword and Sorcery work will see why.
Robert Howard created Kull the Conquerer and Conan the Cimmerian, which were of great inspiration to Mister Gygax when he created his game. One can see the influences in this pop culture gaming icon's work rather readily, especially in early versions of the game where the settings are openly used. Gary always professed to be a fan of Howard's creations, and is sorely missed by both the roleplaying community and the fandom of Robert E. Howard.
I bring this up because I just came home today from the 2008 Robert E. Howard Days and Barbarian Festival in his home town of Cross Plains, Texas. One of the keynote speakers brought up a personal conversation he'd had with Mister Gygax about Robert E. Howard's influences on his games and ideas, and it reminded me - sometimes, the origins of a game can be more interesting and rewarding than the gamer would ever believe until they've tried.
I encourage all gamers, whether they play video games, table tops, miniatures, or live action games to investigate the humble beginnings of their games. On the way, they may well come across something that opens a whole new world for them. The whole wide world awaits.
Sometime this month, you've probably seen the advertisements or fliers for Dungeons and Dragons 4E (or seen the books themselves). I admit that I've not looked at them very extensively - nor do I want to. I do, however, have an opinion forming about it from what I have seen and heard; that opinion can be summed up in one word, and that word is 'no.'
Some of the more entertaining classes have been removed from the Player's Handbook; Barbarians were one of the better classes in D&D, and having them added back in was what initially drew me to D&D 3E. Now, one must wait for a supplement or an official release (both of which might cost you) in order to get them.
Another major change is on the list of player races. Gnomes have been removed, and Tieflings and Aasimar are now starting races with no real modifications. I'm sorry, but Tieflings and Aasimar were only supposed to be a rarity, even in Forgotten Realms (where they were apparently most common). Changing it that way seems to remove that last bit of believability that makes D&D so appealing to so many people.
Now, obviously there's nothing I can do, or could have done; but I still don't like these and other changes (such as a near requirement of miniatures and tiles according to the PHB's supplies list), and that's enough to keep me from paying good money to play it. I'll have a good enough time playing my now 'outdated' games that I shouldn't even miss the new stuff.
You may be wondering, what does Roy play, then? Well, for now, I'm engaged in preparing for an AD&D second edition game. My fiancee has a wonderful idea for one and has worked dilligently upon it. When we get together with her brother and his wife, then we'll start playing one of my favorite games of all time. Yes, it's very math intensive and archaic, but it's an excellent vehicle for that nostalgic feel.
One must never forget that their games are about entertainment and sharing; otherwise, it's only money and time you've handed off to someone else.
