Grumpy RPG Reviews: Apocalypse World, Master of Ceremonies Book

Episode 56: Apocalypse World, Master of Ceremonies Book

• The Aggies beating the Longhorns at the Cotton Bowl led to the end of the world,
• Apocalypse World is a game from D. Vincent Baker, who also wrote Dogs in the Vineyard,
• Apocalypse World is all about the players interacting,
• The game mechanics are straight forwards because the game is about what the players do to each other and their world rather than being a grab bag of special powers,
• Rules mandate party balance, more or less, and characters have an attribute of their history with each other,
• Acererak doesn’t know what qualifies as sexy music,
• Apocalypse World includes a good mechanic for sex as a social tool, which make sense given the games focus on sex,
• However, the book doesn’t have any bookmarks or hyperlinks – a failure in a PDF of this size,
• Given their importance to the game, the value – in terms of game mechanics of a relationships – should be clearer,
• Apocalypse World gets a 15 on a d20 roll,
• The group heads out to roast s’mores over the burning wreck of civilization.

Video and Image: You Blew It Up, you Maniacs!

Game Content: Chapel of Saint Alberic

[caption id="attachment_10167" align="alignright" width="200" caption="North entrance of the chapel."][/caption]

Chapel of Saint Alberic (1), the adjacent rectory and the campus tunnels running under these buildings house the Ouroboros University’ seminary, one of its major colleges. Here paladins, clerics and others engage in religious studies.

The Chapel

The chapel possesses Carolingian architecture and is 800 years old – it predates the formation of the university – and at the time of its first consecration served as home to shrines to three gods of light and law, one from the human, elf and dwarf pantheons. Following a war about 500 years ago, the structure saw a dedication to only the human deity (a god of law appropriate to the campaign). It retains a slightly rounded triangle shape to its floor plan – each side of this triangle once sported a shrine to a different deity. The worship hall dominates the structure, with small offices, storerooms and hallways scattered throughout. A balcony faces the worship hall over each of the entrances. Narrow spirals staircases lead up to the balconies and bell towers and down to the campus tunnels.

Grumpy RPG Columns: Blacks in Gaming

Episode 55: Blacks in Gaming

• For Black History Month, this column discusses the role of blacks in tabletop role-playing games.
• The essay employs the term black rather than African-American or Africa because most fantasy settings do not have an America or an Africa, even if they do include black people.
• Race is an important part of character creation, though there it usually refers to what should be called different species (elves, orcs, humans, etc.) and there is no real mechanical difference between blacks and whites.
• The default assumption of both the text and art of most RGP games is the characters are white.
• White Wolf Games are transgressive and progressive, making an effort to include blacks in the text and art of their games.
• Some fantasy versions of Africa do exist, though your mileage may vary as to the quality and results.
• RPGS lag behind other areas of society – such as business, sports and politics – in terms of including blacks. This will change only when fans make it change.

Links;

• Steve Sumner’s essay on Race in D&D-
• Chris Vav Dyke’s essay on Race in D&D-
• Atlantic Monthly Comments on Van Dyke’s essay
• ENWorld discussion of racially diverse artwork-
  Black History Month
• Black
• White
• Blood Meridian
• Dante,
• Ember
• Seelah
• Roy Greenhilt
• Monte Cook’s observations about gaming art
• Blacks are better than 12% of the population
• Black’s will have purchasing power exceeding $1 trillion
• Tokenism.
• Travis Williams
• The African continent in the Rifts game line
• Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom
• Africa had its own underworld kingdom
• Shaman mages
• African settings Nyambe
• Atlas Games
• Acererak

Video: Blacks in Gaming

Video: All is Silent...

Grumpy RPG Reviews: Strange Dead Love... for Valentines!

Episode 54: Strange Dead Love

• Strange Dead Love is the latest book in the Vampire the Requiem line from White Wolf.
• Depravity! Yay!
• Acererak says Grumpy has no romance in his soul… and Grumpy agrees.
• The book is too wordy and tells people what they can figure out for themselves.
• The art is alright, though nothing special.
• Some of the tools provided in chapter three are good.
• The interstitial fiction is also good.
• SDL is an unfortunately mediocre book.
• Strange Dead Love gets a 10 on a d20 roll.
• Acererak and Baba Yaga have a hot date planned, one that involves karaoke. 
• Note: The animate clip is from "Ouran High School Host Club" and is  added here because it made me laugh very hard. Also, because I am callow I blame its inclusion on JesuOtaku.

Video: Paranormal Romance... for Valentines!

Game Content: A Musical Education

[caption id="attachment_8659" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The "bards" deny any melodrama is going on."][/caption]

“Bards suck”
-Zack Sabbath

“I take that as a challenge.”
-Grumpy Celt

Ouroboros University provides the finest musical teaching for leagues around, providing many with instructions in singing, dance, musical instruments and oration. They also practice the school’s fight song. Because of the instructions of Miss Jennifer Zamzanoble (1), and other teachers, many noted warriors, wizards and wanderers may call themselves… “bard.”

Grumpy RPG Columns: Looking at the News for 5E D&D

Episode 53: Looking at the 5E News from D&DX

• This is another out of character entry, again looking at the 5E D&D News.
• In particular, the news from the D&DX in January 2012
• The design team is solid.
• The next version will apparently be use something like an old version of the rules as a foundation with optional bits added on.
• “I got it one piece at a time…”
• D&D core elements include combat, exploration and role-playing.
• Classes may be ranked by common or uncommon.
• Vancian magic will return.
• D&D Next is a silly name.
• I say some things I dare you to disagree with about what I actually want from 5E, making irrational and hysterical statements.
• My feet.

Enworld 5E News

Wizards of the Coast D&D Next

Video: 5E D&D Spoilers

Nothing!

Nothing today, as real life has gotten in the way and postponed things. There will be a Friday posting next week though.

Grumpy RPG Reviews: Lamentations of the Flame Princess

Episode 52: Lamentations of the Flame Princess

• The guys are at the IHOP on Carcosa.
• Grumpy confesses to disliking two of the parts of the LotFP; Old School Renaissance and boxed set.
• He also talks about the background for LotFP.
• LotFP takes its name and feel from dour old pulp stories from writers like Howard P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard.
• The rules are well executed, for the most part, though an adaptation of the oldest rule sets.
• Grumps rants about Old School Renaissance for several minutes.
• Products have to be judged on their own merits and Jame Raggi succeed in his goals with LotFP, so the set gets a 15 on a d20 roll.