Monday 29 August 2011

Sorry, no 8th edition T&T says Trollgod

Sorry folks, but I received an email from Ken stating that, although the rules are written, there are no plans to release an 8th edition. Here's what he said:

"The latest post on the Trollish Delver may be a little premature. Although I have talked with Jason Kempton at Fiery Dragon about doing an 8th edition, and although most of the rules for such an edition have been written, that does not mean it will happen. Flying Buffalo really doesn't want to see an 8th edition. My idea for an 8th edition may be transmogrified into something else entirely. Don't go jumping the gun, folks, and be making assumptions that have not been verified. I've talked about the 8th edition before, but it hasn't happened yet. And probably won't."

I did think I was justified in thinking there would be a new edition of the game due to the fact that Ken had mentioned writing it on both Trollhalla and his Twitter, but I clearly misunderstood. So apologies to Ken and you guys for that.

Sunday 28 August 2011

8th edition Tunnels and Trolls announced {T&T}

Ken St. Andre has announced that the 8th Edition of Tunnels and Trolls is in production.

The so-called 'Chaotic 8th Edition' will be published by Fiery Dragon, who also published the 7 and 7.5 editions.

There is no word yet on release date but it's safe to say that fans are eagerly awaiting the newest instalment of the second oldest roleplaying game.

As soon as I have more information, I'll let you know.

Friday 26 August 2011

The Situation (not Jersey Shore)

Oh how I miss you, gentle reader. I'm currently writing this on my Blackberry because I still don't have the internet in my new place. The dude came to activate the phone line on Tuesday but I have to wait until next Tuesday for the internet to start working. So this is just a quick update to let you know that, all being well, I will be back to posting regularly on Tuesday and I can't bloody wait.

Thursday 11 August 2011

An Ode to the Humble Skeleton {T&T}



Before Stormtroopers became the most expendable beings in the universe, skeletons held this rank proudly. There's something quite cool about a skeleton brandishing a scimitar and holding a round shield as they so often do. They are literal shells of humanity that are popularly portrayed in many forms; from the lowly henchman to the all-powerful lich to death incarnate, skeletons are a versatile kindred with great roleplaying potential. First, let's see the stats:

STR 1, DEX 1, CON 1, INT 1, CHA 1.25, WIZ 1, LK 1

As you can see, skeletons are average aside from the baffling increases charisma. I think the following stats are a better reflection of this kindred:

STR 1, DEX 0.5, CON 1.5, INT 1, CHA 0.75, WIZ 1.33, LK 1

I believe these modifiers better represent the skeleton's innate abilities and drawbacks. I can't see a skeleton leaping all over the place, but they can withstand a beating (no flesh wounds) and being animated bones they do have a higher than average magical presence. 

Skeletons aren't going to be the most popular people in society, what with the lack of skin and vital organs, so will often be shunned by major towns and cities. This means they will have to disguise themselves if they're going to function like a normal citizen. In which case, giving a skeleton character a starting talent of Disguise (INT) may be a good idea.

Being hardy enough to withstand close combat and also intrinsically magical makes skeletons able to take on most roles - so perhaps the rogue would be a good choice. 

So there you have it, a little tweak to the skeleton to make it a more playable kindred. I imagine there are some great roleplaying opportunities to be had with the skeleton and I'd love to hear if you use or have ever used one before in your game - no matter what the system.

Wednesday 10 August 2011

What is your favourite RPG race to play? {Characters}

Yesterday I spilled my love for Rat people, but today I want to know what is your favourite race out of any RPG and why. Do you like the typical fantasy races or do you prefer to play something more exotic? If you play sci-fi games do you love being a weird alien or a human?


Tuesday 9 August 2011

My love for rat people {Characters}

I've never liked being a human. I mean in gaming terms, I don't get anything out of playing a human character when there are often so many other species to choose from. Part of escapism is to be someone that you could never be in real life and I find race/kindred plays a big role in that 'escapist' persona.

I'm a fan of Dwarves, which is weird because in most game settings they're just hardier, squatter versions of humans. In Tunnels and Trolls I play Dwarves often out of necessity as a Dwarf Warrior is the most bad-ass common character you can create. They can take a hell of a knocking and can deal out a nice amount of pain (I opt for the 'traditional' Dwarf weapons like hammers and axes) making them ideal for solo runs. In fact, my highest level solo character, Mogwrath, was a Dwarf, and a fine one at that.

Out of tabletop and into CRPGs I like playing evil or evil-looking characters - the undead being high on my list. But if there's the option I will always pick the Rat person.

Rat people, Ratlings, Skaven or whatever you want to call them, are intrinsically cool to me. They're dark, sinister creatures who suit assassin characters well. In many games they lick their blades in a coat of venom so even if their victim doesn't die from the fight, they will probably die of infection. I like the thought of a big rat army on the tabletop in a fantasy wargame due to their mass numbers and weird contraptions. Skaven warpstone is a particularly cool idea that could be implemented into other games.

Image -http://slappingpaint.net/ramon_skaven.html 

I wish more games allowed you to play as Rat people but often they are portrayed as evil beings who seek to corrupt and murder. While I do like being a maniacal bastard every now and again, maybe it's time that we look at this race in a different light. Can't Rat guys be good? Can they not enjoy an ale in the pub with the other adventurers? I think it's time for the rat to rise and become a member of the party.


Tunnels and Trolls does have Ratling as a rare kindred. Unfortunately, they are incredibly weak, having no advantages in any area, only disadvantages in strength, luck and charisma. Here's a Ratling I rolled up:



Nimrata

Level 1 Male Ratling Warrior

ST:    8,       IQ:    11,        LK:    8
CON:   14,  DEX:   13,   CHR:   6
SPD:   14,   WIZ :   9

Persona Adds: +1

Wt. Possible: 800, Wt. Carried: 50.0
Languages:
Common Tongue (native language)

Gold: 50 gp

I think the Ratling needs some tweaking. For instance, I would think that they are quite dexterous and not as weak as they're made out to be. I'll make DEX x2 and ST x1. I'm fine with them not having great luck and they're certainly not the most charismatic creatures, so those negatives can stay. Now let's take a look at the new Ratling:

Nimrata


Level 1 Male Ratling Warrior

ST:    16,       IQ:    11,        LK:    8
CON:   14,  DEX:   26,   CHR:   6
SPD:   14,   WIZ :   9

Persona Adds: +19

Wt. Possible: 1600, Wt. Carried: 50.0
Languages:
Common Tongue (native language)

Gold: 50 gp

The Trollgod does GenCon {GenCon 2011}



Another year, another GenCon goes by. I hope everyone who attended had a fantastic time and played lots of games and made some new friends. Ken St Andre went along to champion Tunnels and Trolls and met up with some fellow Trollhallans and friends of mine. Check out his website for some great photos of the events.

Let me know your experiences in the comments.

Saturday 6 August 2011

The results are in, Paizo wins the day {ENnies}

The results are in. Here is the full list of winners for 2011's ENnie Awards:

Best Website
GOLD: Obsidian Portal (www.obsidianportal.com)
SILVER: d20pfsrd.com (d20pfsrd.com)

Best Podcast
GOLD: Yog-Sothoth (www.yog-sothoth.com)
SILVER: Chronicles: The Pathfinder Podcast
(www.pathfinder-podcast.com)

Best Blog
GOLD: Critical Hits (www.critical-hits.com)
SILVER: Gnome Stew (www.gnomestew.com)

Best Art, Cover
GOLD: A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide (Green
Ronin)
SILVER: Shadowrun: Attitude (Catalyst Game Labs)
Best Art, Interior
GOLD: Pathfinder: The Inner Sea World Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: DC Adventures (Green Ronin)

Best Cartography
GOLD: Pathfinder: Inner Sea Poster Map Folio (Paizo)
SILVER: Bookhounds of London (Pelgrane Press)

Best Production Values
GOLD: Pathfinder: Bestiary 2 (Paizo)
SILVER: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)

Best Writing
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity (Arc Dream
Publishing/Pagan Publishing)

Best Rules
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: D&D Rules Compendium (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Free Product
GOLD: Old School Hack—Basic Game (Kirin Robinson)
SILVER: A Time of War: BattleTech RPG Quick Start Rules
(Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Electronic Book
GOLD: Continuity (Posthuman Studios)
SILVER: Shanghai Vampocalypse (Savage Mojo)

Best Aid or Accessory
GOLD: Hero Lab (Lone Wolf Development)
SILVER: D&D Essentials: Dungeon Tiles Master Set—The
Dungeon (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Miniatures Product
GOLD: Mousling Heroes (Reaper Miniatures)
SILVER: BattleTech 25th Anniversary Introductory Boxed
Set (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best RPG Related Product
GOLD: Castle Ravenloft Boardgame (Wizards of the
Coast)
SILVER: BattleTech 25th Anniversary Introductory Boxed
Set (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Adventure
GOLD: Pathfinder AP #43: The Haunting of
Harrowstone (Paizo)
SILVER: Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity (Arc Dream
Publishing/Pagan Publishing)

Best Monster/Adversary
GOLD: Pathfinder: Bestiary 2 (Paizo)
SILVER: Monster Vault (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Setting
GOLD: Pathfinder: Inner Sea World Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: Dark Sun Campaign Setting (Wizards of the
Coast)

Best Supplement
GOLD: Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: Space 1889: Red Sands (Pinnacle Entertainment
Group)

Best New Game
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: The Laundry (Cubicle 7)

Best Game
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: Mutants and Masterminds Hero’s Handbook
(Green Ronin)

Product of the Year
GOLD: Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)

Fans’ Choice, Best Publisher
GOLD: Paizo Publishing
SILVER: Wizards of the Coast
www.ennie-awards.com

Best Website
GOLD: Obsidian Portal (www.obsidianportal.com)
SILVER: d20pfsrd.com (d20pfsrd.com)

Best Podcast
GOLD: Yog-Sothoth (www.yog-sothoth.com)
SILVER: Chronicles: The Pathfinder Podcast
(www.pathfinder-podcast.com)

Best Blog
GOLD: Critical Hits (www.critical-hits.com)
SILVER: Gnome Stew (www.gnomestew.com)

Best Art, Cover
GOLD: A Song of Ice and Fire Campaign Guide (Green
Ronin)
SILVER: Shadowrun: Attitude (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Art, Interior
GOLD: Pathfinder: The Inner Sea World Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: DC Adventures (Green Ronin)

Best Cartography
GOLD: Pathfinder: Inner Sea Poster Map Folio (Paizo)
SILVER: Bookhounds of London (Pelgrane Press)

Best Production Values
GOLD: Pathfinder: Bestiary 2 (Paizo)
SILVER: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)

Best Writing
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity (Arc Dream
Publishing/Pagan Publishing)

Best Rules
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: D&D Rules Compendium (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Free Product
GOLD: Old School Hack—Basic Game (Kirin Robinson)
SILVER: A Time of War: BattleTech RPG Quick Start Rules
(Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Electronic Book
GOLD: Continuity (Posthuman Studios)
SILVER: Shanghai Vampocalypse (Savage Mojo)

Best Aid or Accessory
GOLD: Hero Lab (Lone Wolf Development)
SILVER: D&D Essentials: Dungeon Tiles Master Set—The
Dungeon (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Miniatures Product
GOLD: Mousling Heroes (Reaper Miniatures)
SILVER: BattleTech 25th Anniversary Introductory Boxed
Set (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best RPG Related Product
GOLD: Castle Ravenloft Boardgame (Wizards of the
Coast)
SILVER: BattleTech 25th Anniversary Introductory Boxed
Set (Catalyst Game Labs)

Best Adventure
GOLD: Pathfinder AP #43: The Haunting of
Harrowstone (Paizo)
SILVER: Delta Green: Targets of Opportunity (Arc Dream
Publishing/Pagan Publishing)

Best Monster/Adversary
GOLD: Pathfinder: Bestiary 2 (Paizo)
SILVER: Monster Vault (Wizards of the Coast)

Best Setting
GOLD: Pathfinder: Inner Sea World Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: Dark Sun Campaign Setting (Wizards of the
Coast)

Best Supplement
GOLD: Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: Space 1889: Red Sands (Pinnacle Entertainment
Group)

Best New Game
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: The Laundry (Cubicle 7)

Best Game
GOLD: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)
SILVER: Mutants and Masterminds Hero’s Handbook
(Green Ronin)

Product of the Year
GOLD: Pathfinder: Advanced Player’s Guide (Paizo)
SILVER: The Dresden Files RPG (Evil Hat Productions)

Fans’ Choice, Best Publisher
GOLD: Paizo Publishing
SILVER: Wizards of the Coast

Margaret Weis Productions gains Marvel license {News}

Roleplaying game company Margaret Weis Productions yesterday announced it has acquired the license to Marvel Comics.

After hinting at a big announcement at this year's GenCon, the company revealed the news at their panel on Friday while donning Marvel t-shirts. By now Marvel has enough merchandise to brand everything in Meijer retail and beyond, so it's no surprise that a new RPG is being released.

The company plans on releasing 16 products within 15 months, including a basic game and event tie-ins, including the famous Civil War where heroes clashed with one another over legislation to make revealing secret identities to the government compulsory.

The game will use the Cortex + system, which focuses on relationships and storytelling over combat.

Christian Lindke of Cinerati, who was at the panel, shares his views: "A Marvel game based in interactions and relationships harkens to what is great in comic book storytelling - remember the Claremont/Byrne era of the X-men?  It has some epic battles, but it also has engaging tales of relationships.


"The (Cortex +) mechanic ensures that players interactions with nemesis characters matter, and the mechanics aid players and GMs in the creation of exciting and engaging narratives."


Margaret Weis Productions' previous games include Smallville, Serenity and Supernatural - but Marvel could be the most ambitious license the company has taken on to-date.







Thursday 4 August 2011

Feara - The Gamebook

After writing a good chunk of Feara's first chapter I've been thinking how much I want to make it into a gamebook rather than a straightforward novel. This doesn't require that I lose the themes that I want to evoke in the story and it doesn't mean that the main character i.e. the player, should be any less interesting.

Interactive fiction allows for a new way to look at a tale. Integral decisions take precedent over actions and I think this would be an interesting dynamic for Feara. Asryth, the protagonist, shouldn't lose any of her independence and her sense of humour, but having the reader play the part of the author and decide what decisions she should make creates a fresh way to take in a story. In the novel Asryth may head into a cave to hide from the oncoming Blackswords, but in the gamebook she could choose to hide in the forest, confront the Blackswords or go into the cave.

I much prefer this idea. A gamebook can be more than rolling dice and collecting cool things. Sure, I love these types of solo adventure (I myself write them!) but I think the genre should evolve and mature. Perhaps this is what I should do with Feara. Let's wait and see.

Speaking of gamebooks, Lloyd of Gamebooks is currently doing a fantastic in-depth series about how to write your own. I'm definitely pulling some tips from him.

Feara: Prologue

The west of Alestra had bore the brunt of the biting winter that passed its icy white hand over the land. Treebrook was shin deep in snow the night they came. Three men standing gaunt atop their sinewy steeds scanned the small town from a hill, their breath drifting in cloudy wisps into the air. The man at the front dismounted and the two others quickly followed suit, landing with a gentle crunch in the crystalline snow. The front man pointed to a house close to a small frozen lake: “That is the one,” he spoke in a hushed, gravelly pitch. “We will wait for you, Tobias. Should anything go awry we will come.” The slender man to the left nodded and made his way down the hill and into the town proper.

As it was after midnight, Treebook was silent in its slumber. A baby lay in its crib, its mother and father close by in their low bed. Nobody heard the door unlock and nor did they hear the figure enter the house and creep into the baby's room. They were in too deep a sleep to react when the intruder slowly lifted the child from its bed, careful not to wake it, and carried it out into the winter night.  

I'm going to be away for a bit

No, not at GenCon, no matter how much I wish it. On Monday I'm moving into a new place and I won't have any internets there, so it may take a week or so to get back online.

Until then, I'll be posting. Someone has to keep the RPG blogosphere in order while everyone's gaming their brains out at GenCon.

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Introducing Feara - a blog novel

Sometimes I find a bit of time to knock out a few paragraphs of what I'm hoping will be an eventual novel that is currently called Feara. I have decided that, to keep myself motivated to write, I will publish the first draft of the book as a series of blog posts so I can tell what people are interested in, what they don't like so much, and how they see the story going.

My next post will be the prologue to Feara, but in the meantime here is a little blurb:

A king falls in the dead of the night. His brother, Casteen, rises to the throne of Alestra and vows to destroy the ones who killed his sibling - the Feara.


The Feara are the greatest warriors in the world but they are unable to stop their ultimate destruction by Casteen. 


Asryth is a young girl orphaned by Casteen's knights. She discovers that she is the last Feara. Hunted by the King and an even darker enemy, Asryth must travel the kingdom in search of her true identity. 


Along the way she will meet new allies and discover secrets that should have remained buried in the past.

Monday 1 August 2011

Google Hangouts T&T

I am considering holding a game of Tunnels and Trolls on Google Plus using its Hangouts feature that allows up to 10 people to talk at once. 

I would run the GM adventure I wrote called Forest of the Treelords and probably allow up to 5 players to join, since it may get a little out of hand with 10.

Deciding on a date will be the next thing, since I'll likely be moving out next week, so it will have to be late August.

Anyway, please let me know if you would like to be involved.