Roleplaying Tips Weekly E-Zine Issue #433
Distilled Cultural Essence - Creating a Different Society
Contents:
This Week's Tips Summarized
Distilled Cultural Essence - Creating a Different Society
Gamemaster Tips Summarized
- Use the Written Word to Spice Up Campaigns
- Prop: Give Your Wizard a Wand
- Save Web Pages in OneNote
- Online Tutorial: Sculpting Miniatures with Polymer Clay
Latest Posts @ CampaignMastery.com
- Distilled Cultural Essence - Part 1 of 4: Creating a different society
- Distilled Cultural Essence Part 2 of 4: Expressing a different society
- FreeMind Tips for Game Masters
Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
A Brief Word From Johnn
Issues 1-431 Zipped and Ready for Download
A reader requested a new zip file of plain text past issues
and it was a snap to make one. So, if you want to download
all issues up to #431 feel free.
Thanks for the Terrain Ideas
I appreciate everyone e-mailing in with ideas and tips for
building great terrain for miniatures. Based on several
gamers' recommendations, I ordered a few molds from Hirst
Arts and can't wait to try them out. With these molds, you
pour Plaster of Paris in, wait till dry, assemble how you
please, then paint it all up. Because the molds give you
building blocks, you can make an unlimited number of floor
plans.
I received excellent service from Hirst Arts too. I ordered
six molds to give me a variety of building pieces, mostly
with a dungeon theme. Shipping was based on five item lots
(i.e. what can fit in their standard packaging) so I paid
for shipping for two packages. However, I received an e-mail
after payment saying they were able to fit the 6th mold in a
single package with the rest, and they refunded part of my
shipping.
Now that's taking care of your customer. Thanks very much Hirst Arts!
In an upcoming issue of the e-zine I'll post the links and
tips I received for terrain. There are a few options out
there, which is exciting for the crafty GM.
In the meantime, check out this game master's setup for his
minis. It's pretty awesome:
Have a game-full week!
Cheers,
Johnn Four,
johnn@roleplayingtips.com
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Expeditious Retreat Press in 2009
Fans can now view the State of XRP at our web-site. Read
about how 2008 faired and our plans for 2009 in which we
plan on producing new products in pre-existing lines, making
new products to continue supporting multiple game systems,
and developing our very own game: Sorcery & Super Science!
www.xrpshop.citymax.com
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Distilled Cultural Essence - Creating a Different Society
By Mike Bourke
It's relatively easy to create a new culture for your game.
Creating one that makes sense is more work, but also more
worthwhile. Expressing the difference is even more work, and
apt to be boring as hell unless you enjoy lecturing your
players and they are in love with the sound of your voice.
Bringing the culture to life in players' minds _without_
droning on or giving your players all the answers from the
back of the book is harder still.
Unless you know how to cheat. That's where this article,
re-posted from the first part of a series of blogs at
CampaignMastery.com, comes in.
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Step 1: Point of Distinction
The first step is to create the new culture. Pick a single
point of substantial difference between this culture and the
usual one within your game. Write this down at the top of a
very long list, which you'll spend some time adding to. Put
a big 1 next to it.
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Step 2: Causation
The second step is somewhat trickier: explain _why_ the
culture is the way it is, in a new paragraph labelled 2. If
the difference is a form of behaviour, explain how and when
and why this behaviour arose. If the difference is
philosophical, answer who first articulated the difference
in philosophy, what events in his life equipped him to
conceive of it, how did this philosophy become dominant in
society, what did it replace, are there those who still
follow the old ways, and so on and so forth.
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Step 3: Consequence
The third step is more difficult still: with one numbered
sentence each (from 3 to whatever) to explain the
difference, identify as many areas of everyday life as you
can in which the difference in culture makes a difference to
the manner in which the ordinary action is carried out.
What are the ordinary things that happen to ordinary people
on an ordinary day? They rise, they bathe, they dress, they
eat, they travel, they work, they purchase goods and
services, they play games, they come of age, they marry,
they bear children, they raise children, they celebrate,
they mourn, they show respect, they disrespect, they argue,
they are arrested, they are tried, they are convicted, they
are punished. One or all of these may be affected by the
change in society. Once you've finished, you can put a check
mark next to 1 and 2.
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Step 4: Ramifications
The fourth step is even more arduous: identify the ripple
effects. Each of the sentences numbered 3 and higher might
itself affect one or more of the others. So for each one, go
through this list again, looking for secondary effects.
Number these "something-A" "-B" or whatever, where
"something" is the original sentence number.
When you've finished with a sentence, put a tick next to it
(so that you can always tell where you are at). If the
ripple effect stems from sentence 4 on your list, the first
of the ripple sentences will be 4a, the second one will be
4b, and so on.
*Don't repeat something that's already on the list.* You
will find there are far less of these than there were
original sentences. You'll also discover that your concept
of the new culture is gelling in your mind as you go.
Repeat step 4 until every sentence on your list has a tick
next to it. Don't neglect the original topic, either: one
difference in the way the members of this society eat may
inspire a different one on the same subject. Don't be afraid
to add to the list either - "they dress" implies laundering
of clothes, and clothes for different occasions, and the
farming of whatever the clothes are made from, and so on.
You might also discover the need for extraordinary
capabilities, or perhaps that was the initial difference you
came up with. A society in which guilt or innocence is
automatically and infallibly recognised in its members
through some form of mental link would be very different
from anything else out there.
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Step 5: Compilation
Step 5 is to take all these notes and rewrite them, forming
a paragraph on each of the ordinary activities (and any
extraordinary abilities). By numbering the sentences the way
that you have, you will find all the 3s relate to a single
topic, all the 4s naturally group together, etc. In essence,
you are using these notes as guides and reminders to help
you articulate what you have in your head as briefly and
succinctly as possible.
Along the way, you will often find you identify a different
"key difference" as the one responsible for everything, or
may add further differences to explain and justify it. Make
a note of these, highlight them, but don't start over! These
really are the key - starting from these core concepts, you
should be able to recreate the society even if all the other
notes you have made get lost. Reading these back to yourself
should be enough for you to 'place' yourself, mentally,
within the new society - a handy trick when the time comes
to GM them.
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Step 6: First Reactions
Step 6 is to append a key paragraph describing how this
culture reacts to strangers of different types and
reputations. In other words, to the PCs. This has been left
to the very end of the process because that's when the new
culture is clearest in your mind.
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Step 7: GMs Primer Notes
Finally, step 7 is to take the highlighted sentences and
write a one-paragraph introduction/summary of the society
that you've created. This is your primer, designed to remind
you of the ideas behind the society, so that when something
comes up that you haven't translated into the cultural idiom
of that society, you will have the tools you need to do so.
* * *
This article is also available online right now. And if you
liked the tips in this article, Mike has just posted the
second in the series.
Join Mike and I in the discussion. See you there!
www.campaignmastery.com
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An Adventurers Guide To Information Gathering
By Ripper X
With permission from:
Advanced Gaming & Theory
Lots of people who are just starting out in the business of
adventuring always ask me the same question. "Tal," they
say, "how do you find so many fabulous adventures?" Well,
the answer is a simple one. Before dragons can be slain,
princesses can be rescued, or ancient temples explored,
before all of these things can begin you have to be open to
gathering information.
Going into a tavern and sitting with your back against the
wall is not gathering intelligence. If this were the case
then everybody would be an adventurer. Finding the adventure
is actually half of the adventure. Forming a network of
information is just as important to me as my broad sword.
The difference between a successful adventurer and a loser
is relying on more then just luck alone to find jobs.
Joining A Guild
Many cities have different guilds that do require membership
dues and a percentage of the profits. These are helpful, but
you are working for someone else. Adventurers are typically
seen only as employees and grunts. They will be given orders
they must fulfill to the letter and not be distracted by
even bigger riches. The bonus, of course, is you don't need
to finance an expedition with your own coin.
Before you can try your luck at adventuring you must first
possess the skills, which typically means you are already a
part of a guild! Soldiers were trained by other soldiers,
wizards learned from a master, thieves mastered their trade
by other professionals. One must be careful never to burn
any bridges, as even fellow students can help form this
information network. If we want to be an adventurer then we
must quit our previous employer who most likely taught us
these skills - again, don't burn the bridge.
Sadly, most adventurers will fail. Adventuring is a business
just as coopering or shop-owning is, and there will be times
that are slow and we'll need to return to our previous
employer for simple jobs so we can gather money to finance
an expedition once it comes our way.
Well, this is how soldiering is. I am sure that simply
leaving the dangerous profession of the thief is a different
matter entirely. Quitting a thieving guild is the equivalent
of committing suicide, and the same can be said about the
priesthood. Thankfully, with both professions, one's
presence is not required all of the time, as long as we pay
our dues on time.
Competitors
A wise man once said that all is fair in love and war. Well,
he left out adventuring. This is a cutthroat business that
we are in, and typically, the biggest dog gets all of the
glory. The greatest riches are not stumbled upon; we must
find the information from several different sources. Your
competitors are not stupid, and they typically don't tell
henchmen the entire story until they are ready to go out
themselves, and even then they won't tell them the whole
story.
We could hire spies, and in some cases this is the best
option, but under most circumstances it is both cheaper and
smarter to just do your own gathering. Thankfully, henchmen
aren't hard to spot, but keep in mind that this includes
your own.
Spying
People talk, and we want to hear the things they have to
say. Thieves are the most skilled at listening in, I have
even seen a friend of mine, whom shall remain nameless,
gather great intelligence just by reading the lips of two
people talking.
Of course, I have spied a bit myself. All you have to do is
get close enough to two henchman talking. From there we can
figure out what else we can use these people for.
Intimidation
If a henchman has something you want to know, then usually
you can follow him into a dark corner and beat him until he
tells you what you want to know. Thankfully, as long as we
keep it civil and keep to using fisticuffs, then the city
guards will leave us alone. After we get what we want to
know from these gentlemen, we have to make a judgment call
based on the chances of this guy telling your competitor
that he talked. If we don't want that happening, it is
sometimes best to just tie up the loose end right then and
there.
Pick Pocketing
I personally am no good at this, however I have a friend who
comes in handy. Sometimes a henchman will have something we
don't want to risk destroying when we are beating them, like
maps and letters. Many times it is just as easy to have a
thief pick pocket a guard for a key than it is to fight the
entire garrison. Never make light the power of subtlety.
Naturally, you'll want to be able to trust the thief in
question, else it is all for not.
Bribery
Bribery is a handy tool that can't be underestimated. I
always keep a coin-purse full for just this occasion. As a
soldier myself, I know how hard it can be to make ends meet
on a soldier's wage. We don't want to ask a fellow to risk
to much, but a bribe can make all the difference in the
world!
Bribes can keep people loyal for as long as the money lasts.
It can also allow those we depend upon to work just that
much harder, tipping an inn keeper a little something can
make all the difference if somebody comes to the inn
unannounced. It can also loosen the lips of barmaids,
guards, and other professionals who disappear into the
woodwork.
Doing Favors
A large part of any information network is forming alliances
and friendships. If somebody requires your skills, a trade
can be made for information. Keeping friendships is just as
important as sharpening and oiling one's weapons. Allies are
more powerful than steel when it comes to adventuring. We
all have our favorite shops and shopkeepers. Use them! If
you take care of a shop, then the shop will take care of
you.
Taking care of a shop can be a chore, but think of it as an
investment. I recall a rather lengthy favor we did for Old
Man Sedrik who supplies us with our foodstuff. His supplier
had died and his son had taken over the business and doubled
the cost. Investigating the reason, we discovered a band of
pirates had taken advantage of the new businessman. Once
this was resolved we were able to restore the trade route
and get a better deal from the supplier, which made Old Man
Sedrik really happy!
Being a Hero
Adventuring is a cutthroat business, and while we need to be
cutthroat, we must be professional about it. We need to keep
public opinion in our favor. If the public is against us,
then they will only hinder our ability to gather work. If
the public sees us as heroes then we have them in our
pockets!
Sometimes we want to keep ourselves anonymous for as long as
possible, especially if we are in the territory of a major
competitor, but sometimes we can get more information if
those around us know of our fame. A name means something.
The most important ally in your quest for riches is making a
name for yourself. The more your name is out there, the more
it is synonymous with heroic deeds, righteousness and honor,
the easier it is for you to gather information that you need
to keep in business.
Take my main competitor, Felix the Horrible is what they
call him, a title he has earned. He is a highly skilled
adventurer, but he doesn't care what people think of him. He
is just as ruthless and underhanded as I am, but he lets it
show too much. He has failed at appearing to be a hero, and
I can gather more intelligence about a rumor than he can,
because people just give it to me. Part of this is because
of my friend Shamus, and as we all know, Shamus can smooth
talk a troll. I daresay if it weren't for the charisma of
Shamus, I would share an unflattering title with Felix.
What is Good Information?
A successful adventurer needs to know what to look for. Maps
are helpful, as is intercepting notes and letters to
competitors and other people of interest. Rarely will we
find the whole story from one person, but it is a clue as to
what jobs are out there. We also must gather enough
intelligence together so we can spot true information from
what is untrue. When dealing with secrets, one finds many
inconsistencies to the story, and if we follow these false
leads, it will usually cost us money down the road.
Good intelligence makes our jobs easier. Take man-hunting
jobs as an example. If we are looking for a specific person,
we want to know as much as we can about him or her well
before we actually apprehend them. We want to find out about
how they protect themselves, who they know and depend upon,
and any objects they might own that can make them more
dangerous then what they would normally be. Where they are
most vulnerable? Who hates them and who loves them? Get as
much info as we can gather!
Gathering information is a skill, and if you can master this
then you will be a formidable adventurer indeed.
DM Notes:
Information brokering can be difficult, but, like all things
that are time consuming, it can be rewarding as well. We'll
divide up the information that you are willing to give up
based on the skills of your adventuring party. There should
be at least 3 opportunities per party member. People to
help, pockets to pick, rooms to sneak into, villains to beat
up, and allies to bribe.
Keep in mind that sometimes a member will fail in his mini-
quest, so we shouldn't have the map in an NPC's pocket be a
necessary part of the adventure. The map should be helpful,
and not the adventure itself. Perhaps it is a quick map of a
secret entrance to were they want to go? Information found
should be extremely helpful to the party, but not always
necessary to complete the quest. If the object is a key,
there has to be another way to get around not having one.
Often, a Charisma check dictates if an NPC talks or not,
especially 0 level NPCs. There is a reaction chart in the
DMG which was designed for just this thing. The rules
governing the reaction chart are simple. We can only make 1
check per day, thus if a player fails his reaction check,
then that NPC will not talk to them that day for whatever
reason - usually he is scared or doesn't trust the PC.
A random chart of information can be made by you during your
prep. As an example I'll use one that came from a fabulous
adventure, Night of the Walking Dead. This featured a murder
mystery, and the following table was supplied to tell us
what an NPC knew or said to the PCs depending upon a d20
roll.
- In the past three weeks, the villagers know of nine
"sudden" deaths that have occurred. (True. This is Marcel's
work.)
- Of the nine who died suddenly, seven were buried in
sealed coffins, and two escaped into the night as zombies.
(True.)
- Six villagers are missing. (True. This is Jean's doing.)
- Red licorice pieces were found along with articles
belonging to four of the missing people. (True. This is
Jean's work.)
- Lady Grissim, one of the missing, was seen walking in the
cemetery. (False.)
- Besides licorice, there is always lots of blood at the
scene of a murder or disappearance. (True.)
- Three weeks ago, Hogarth the field worker fell dead,
quickly decayed, and rose as a zombie. (True.)
- Just over three weeks ago, Marcel Tarascon died. Some say
he was killed by the undead, too. (True.)
- If Marcel was given a funeral, none of the villagers
attended. (True.)
- Jean Tarascon has taken full control of the family
business. (True.)
- Cultists loyal to the Lord of the Dead are operating in
the village. (False.)
- The old cemetery is haunted by wraiths. (False.)
- The constable's son was the second to die, simply
falling to the ground inexplicably. (True.)
- The Vistani told Old Fiora that the night of the dead
was fast approaching. (True. The night is night.)
- Shaman Brucian worships the Lord of the Dead. (False.)
- The night Marcel died, villagers saw Jean carry him to
the church. (True.)
- Shaman Brucian has gone into the swamp frequently since
Marcel died. (True.)
- A vampire has been stalking the village streets.
(False.)
- Many people are missing. (True.)
- The Old Cemetery was sealed long ago, and no one has
entered it in decades. (True, until Luc and Marcel found
the secret entrance.)
* * *
This is a very simple tool, but it can be an effective way
to giving good information out quickly.
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Gamemaster Tips
Have some GM advice you'd like to share? E-mail it to johnn@roleplayingtips.com - thanks!
1. Use the Written Word to Spice Up Campaigns
From: Stephen Hilderbrand
It's nice to take a break every now and again and reflect
upon running role playing games in a way that adds drama and
excitement to the experience.
The written word doesn't tend to take place so much in
fantasy worlds, partly due to the historical precedent of
illiteracy in Medieval European societies. However, most
player characters end up interacting with the upper classes
and power mongers of the societies they roll in, so at some
point, they will likely encounter the written word.
This can provide a fun game element, especially if many of
the characters do not read the official written language.
Present your characters with a riddle, cryptogram or a set
of hieroglyphs and watch the players try to solve the
puzzle. This will likely lead to various competing
interpretations, which, if your players are role playing,
will play out in their interactions. A cleric may consider
it a message from a god and consider it his word and thus up
to him to interpret. A rogue may see it as a coded message
leading to a treasure. A fighter might see it as a document
of surrender. An elf might find it primitive dribble.
Hopefully your players will find a more nuanced position,
assuming you present the right symbols.
For sources, check out books in the library or have a look
online in old books for something that seems right. Or, make
one up yourself. It's easy to sit down and write something
up. For instance, in a recent session, I presented my
characters with a sheet that was nailed to the door of an
abandoned keep. What was written wasn't as important as the
fact it was written in three languages. So, I made up some
characters and used them in ways that looked like a fancy,
almost magical script, a character-based language, and a
hieroglyphics-inspired pictorial representation.
In addition, consider using writs of passage and official
documents that travel the land, as well as secret messages
sent out during the night. These present opportunities for
characters to be sent on missions as couriers, and end up
starting or preventing a war upon delivery, involving them
directly in the overarching story of the campaign and thus
have the players feel agency in the game itself.
These scenarios also allow the party to discuss the ethics
of opening mail before it arrives at its intended
destination. Some might find this despicable, others might
consider it the only way to ensure the right things are
done. Still others might be dastardly rogues who just want
to meddle in other people's affairs. All of these are
welcome (nay, encouraged) in fantasy role playing games!
This drama is harder to sustain and play out with the common
use of message, sending, and other spells. Limit the use of
these spells in your campaign if you want the written word
to have any use. I recommend it; in my opinion, convenience
kills role playing. It is urgency that propels storylines,
not convenience.
The same is true for the use of multiple spoken languages.
Ways to spice up your game are to have NPCs who do not speak
so-called "common," speak a different common than the PCs,
or have strange accents and broken use of the language.
Imagine a Frenchman or German speaking English. Even when
they do speak it well, there are regular pronunciation
artifacts that tag someone as having a French or German
accent. This can be a great way of linking an NPC to a
specific region. No blunt, cumbersome in-game "Where are you
from?" "I hail from the Kingdom of Blah" dialogue is needed.
Why would this person who doesn't know you tell you where
he's from, or even more fundamentally, why would this NPC
parley with the party in the first place? But if the
characters overhear him gloating about killing a giant, they
learn much about where he's from and what's been doing.
Of course, spells like tongues can completely negate the use
of different languages in your game. This is why it might
make sense to remove these spells entirely from the game, or
have them only be able to be learned after a considerable
amount of work or a quest.
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2. Prop: Give Your Wizard a Wand
From: Darryl Hodgson
One of my player plays a warlock and uses a pen or the
chopsticks from a Chinese takeout restaurant to do his in-
game "cursing of the foe". I thought for Christmas I'd
surprise him with two sets of "realistic wands". I ordered a
bunch from an online place (shipping runs around $7-10) and
gave them as gifts to all the players. These are a bit short
but look wonderful, and he loves having them for
roleplaying.
Prices range from under a dollar to over ten. Many of my
choices were under four dollars in the Decorative & Carved
Wooden choices, but I saved nicely in the Under a Dollar
section and found cool designs in all the areas.
Purchased from Mrs. Lin's Kitchen.
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3. Save Web Pages in OneNote
From: Chris
Johnn,
I use OneNote to keep 4th Edition Rules I copy and paste
from the official D&D website as a subscriber. I do this by
saving the page to my hard drive and importing into OneNote.
I also game from my Blackberry Storm nowadays. Documents To
Go reads and makes .doc/.xml/.pdf and PowerPoint files with
ease. I use Dragon and Dungeon Magazine adventures a lot on
my phone by downloading the .pdf files. You can print files
into Word format if you want with OneNote, but I have Adobe
Acrobat Pro 8.
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4. Online Tutorial: Sculpting Miniatures with Polymer Clay
A great recipe for crafting your own monster minis.
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Latest Posts @ CampaignMastery.com:
Campaign Mastery is the official blog of the Roleplaying
Tips E-zine. It's a great way to get more GMing advice and
to chat with me and other readers about GMing. Here is a
quick summary of what's new.
Creating a different society.
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Expressing a different society, Section 1
A different society makes itself apparent to the PCs without
a lot of briefing material in 4 ways: What the locals say,
How the locals behave, How the locals react, and What the
locals and locale look like.
In other words, through Expression, Behaviour, Reaction, and
Appearance....
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Mindmapping is a great game master technique. Use it to
explore ideas, plan sessions, or build worlds. In this
article I offer several FreeMind software tips for easier
mindmapping with that tool.
* * *
Be sure to subscribe to the blog to get the latest updates sent to you:
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Johnn Four's GM Guide Books
In addition to writing and publishing this e-zine, I have
written several GM tips and advice books to inspire your
games and to make GMing easier and fun:
How to design, map, and GM fresh encounters for RPG's most
popular locales. Includes campaign and NPC advice as well,
plus several generators and tables
Advice and tips for designing compelling holidays that not
only expand your game world but provide endless natural
encounter, adventure, and campaign hooks.
Critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning guide to
crafting, roleplaying, and GMing three dimensional NPCs for
any game system and genre. This book will make a difference
to your GMing.
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