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From: Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Re: What have you been playing in APRIL 2024?
Date: Fri, 3 May 2024 22:34:23 +0200
Organization: Campaign Wiki
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On 5/3/2024 7:32 AM, lkh wrote:
> Kyonshi <gmkeros@gmail.com> wrote:
>> So, it comes to the end of the month. I know, I asked about the whole
>> thing a bit into the last month already, but it's a brand new month, so
>> lets go over the last one...
>> What have you been playing in APRIL 2024?
> 
> I took part in three games this month. Not to bad I guess, but the month
> was quite busy with work and stuff.
> 
> # Burning Wheel
> 
> First game I played in was a one on one Burning Wheel game, which I
> enjoyed a lot. There's an after action report by GM alex here:
> https://campaignwiki.org/wiki/MontagInZ%c3%bcrich/2024-04-04_Starhome
> It's amazing how much can happen in a two hour game when you're the
> only player.
> 

I never really got into Burning Wheel. I think I looked at it before but 
my eyes glazed over.

> 
> # Labyrinth Lord
> 
> Next up was your game :D
> 
>> This month was the first LABYRINTH LORD game in a while, played with the
>> MapTool VTT, which actually was pretty nice. We were going through
>> Skerples' Tomb of the Serpent Kings (only the first two parts so far),
>> and then half the group died to some snakemen skeletons.
> 
> Well ... I'll freely admit, that I played that coward of character and
> his hireling who were to live, because they (I) chickend out ...
> 
>> For what it's worth I actually liked the experience with the MapTool,
>> but it feels like it's idea for such a short enclosed area. I don't
>> really see it being that useful in more open spaces.
> 
> Yes, I enjoyed that technical / visual part too, and I think MapTool
> is underestimated when compared to roll20 or foundry.
> 
> As for the open spaces, I've used Roll20 quite extensively for overland
> travel and classical player mapped dungeon crawls. The trick is, to
> keep in mind, that you don't *have* to use fancy maps, lighting and
> field of vision tricks and all the bells and whistles.
> 
> In wildernes / hexcrawl mode, you'll use the map for basic reference,
> and just a single counter to indicate "you are here". In dungeon crawl
> mode I used to put the players on a simple map with squares and let
> them draw themselves as we went along, just as you would with pen and
> paper. For combat you have all the choices: perpare an area in advance
> with a fancy map and all, or just put up a basic black on white map,
> quickly sketch in some interesting obstacles.
> 

I think this would be possible with Maptool even, there are some of the 
free libraries which can be used to just create ad hoc dungeons with 
common dungeon shapes.(Wyrframe's Shady Halls specifically)
I was thinking they might be a good way to quickly create some dungeons 
for use in the game, but your comment just got me the idea that the 
dungeon mapper might just map along if given the right rights in the 
program. Hmm... this might be something to think about.

> I've also used the VTT for some wargame like scenarios with a scale
> of 10 yards to an inch, both for Traveller and OD&D.

I was thinking of doing a bit of wargaming in there, I was thinking the 
hex and counter kind, or some skirmish games though.

> 
> VTTs seem to suggest, that you'll use them to map and display every
> nook and cranny of a dungeon. This might work nicely for a small
> linear dungeon designed for editions 3.5 upwards, where the meat and
> potatoes are in complex preplanned encounters. But when you look
> at a classical mega dungeon, the whole idea becomes silly. So just
> relax and play like you would at the table, and use the VTT to show
> handouts, and pop up a blank map with counters to show marching
> order and maybe some rough sketches (it helps it the mapper uses
> a graphics tablet).
> 
> 
> # OD&D
> 
> Next and last game for me was our f2f OD&D campaign, which felt
> like one of the grandest rpg experiences I've ever had. I'll write
> about it elsewhere ... but just for some basic facts:
> 
> We started out with three magic users levels 3, 5 and 6, one level 2
> halfling fighter/thief, and one level 2 cleric. The players took a
> solid 1.5 hours for perparations, planning and book keeping ...
> no kidding ... but then they delivered:
> 
> Summoning illusions of old red dragons, throwing
> fire balls, lightning bolts and commanding guerilla style units of
> about 80 heads, they broke up the seige of a nearby castle, defeated
> the besiegers, and freed the inhabitants from their foul
> cultist lords, banishing a demon along the way. Too bad the
> halfling succumbed to his greed for magical swords and failed his
> resurrection save ...
> 
> They went home with almost 20.000 XP honestly earned, plenty of loot
> and ... apparently ... their own castle.
> 
> Which left me, as a referee, somewhat puzzled but super happy :D
> 
> 
> So looking forward to May. There's another Burning Wheel scheduled,
> more Lab Lord goodness coming up and also some UVG ... good times!
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> lkh
> 
> PS: never got into Shadowrun ...
> 

I think Shadowrun makes more sense if you really see it as DnD but with 
guns. Even the classic starter setting of the Seattle megaplex feels 
very Keep on the Borderlands: a single city state, cut off from their 
main homeland, port city, surrounded by tribal lands full of hostiles, 
and elvish kingdom to the south, multiple big fortresses and dungeons in 
the city.
Dave Arneson even wrote the first proper module (DNA/DOA) and Ken St. 
Andre got involved in the first book.
By now it is it's own thing, but back in the beginning it was very much 
a reaction to DnD.

We are playing through some of the early modules and I feel like a few 
of the scenarios we had have some issues. I still don't know if I want 
to run DNA/DOA for example, because it has some great setpieces, but it 
also manages to be somewhat railroady. It also manages to put a dungeon 
crawl into a cyberpunk setting.