New Shirt Designs
Monday, May 19, 2008
I just updated my Spreadshirt profile with new shirt designs. One is a Monkey King head logo and the other is the universal symbol for quality story gaming: someone getting stabbed in the face.
As always, if you don't see the exact product you want, you can make your own using Spreadshirt's online designer. It will let you add and edit text, too.
Go Play Monkey King Shirt
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
The Go Play Monkey King shirt is now available for purchase at Spreadshirt.
We have several colors and styles available, or you can use the shirt-creator to design your own shirt and ink color combo. Check it out!
Space Patrol!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
When I was a kid, I listened to my Dad's 45s on our record player, compilations of the original radio series. Thank you, YouTube, for this bit of nostalgia.
[IAWA] Block, Dodge, Take the Blow
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
After fighting the 503 errors on the Forge for an hour (can you tell I'm annoyed?), I was able to read this excellent thread where Vincent explains the resolution system from In a Wicked Age in terms of Block, Dodge, and Take the Blow actions from Dogs in the Vineyard. It's very clever and clear, and should help out anyone who has ever struggled with explaining just how IAWA works.Also worth a read: [IAWA] Breaking Bad Habits
And another one: Describing injury and exhaustion. "I rip his ears off!" Ouch.
No-Prep Gaming
Over on the Forge (aka "503-ville") Ron talks about a game of Trollbabe he ran at Forge Midwest. He describes how he ran the game with no prep, and how Trollbabe situations are constructed from very simple elements. I've used this style of GMing to good effect before, and Ron's breakdown is clear and practical. Definitely worth a read.Fun With SketchUp
Friday, April 25, 2008
Google SketchUp is so great. I'm toying around with it to make maps for a game project. I want the classic Tony Dowler look, but with a more technical/modern style. SketchUp is pretty much perfect for this. Here are some test maps I did in about an hour.
And, this being 3D, you get plan and elevation views too, with no hassle.
To get this look, I just played around with the Styles until I got a line/fill/shadow combo with the right feel. The models themselves are taken from the 3D Warehouse. For the real maps, I'm making my own buildings, which turns out to be both easier and harder than I expected. They're easy to make, but it's hard to conceptualize really cool looking architecture. I'm going back to my deco art books and online galleries for inspiration.
Gotham
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Characters:Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent
The prosecutor. Harvey is an ambitious young man who wants to make cases and make a name for himself. Is justice more important than his career?
Detective Jim Gordon
The investigator. Even though he's new to Gotham, Jim has been around the block. He has an easy, confident way about him. He knows how to do the work and put a case together without cutting corners. Will Gotham corrupt him?
Officer Renee Montoya
The cop. Before being assigned to the Major Crimes Unit, Montoya walked a beat in The Narrows, Gotham's toughest neighborhood. She is as hard as nails and doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. Or does she?
Detective Harvey Bullock
The brute. His cronies in the GCPD will swear up and down that he is a good cop, despite his reputation for taking bribes, police brutality, and ties to organized crime. Harvey always takes the role of "bad cop." Is it just an act?
Lt. Gerard Hennelly
The guns. Jerry runs the Quick Response Team, Gotham's SWAT unit. When it's time to kick down a door, Jerry and his team get the call.
Mario Falcone aka "Roman"
The boss. Mario has fought to establish a powerful criminal enterprise in Gotham and has some of the city government and the police on his payroll. Can he hold on to what he has?
Vincent Hightower aka "Tower"
The dealer. One of Falcone's lieutenants, who runs the drug trade in the Narrows. Poised to make a move and take over territory from his rivals. Will he spark a gang war?
Johnny Crane aka "Scarecrow"
The addict. Johnny is hooked on the heroin that Falcone is pushing in the Narrows. He's almost always high as a kite, but he sees everything that goes on, even if it doesn't always make sense. He sometimes works as a CI for Montoya. Will he make his life work, or succumb to the streets?
Bruce Wayne
The businessman. Wayne runs a powerful Gotham corporation primarily concerned with real estate development, especially in the poorer areas of the city. As the heir of the Wayne family fortune, Bruce's ties to Gotham run deep, connecting him to money and power both legitimate and dirty. Will he profit from human misery, or be an agent for change?
The Kicker:
The Bat
The demon. The bat is a thing of darkness that preys on those whom it deems corrupt and evil. It's a creature of mystery that only a few know to be real and not just urban legend. The Bat has upset the status quo, striking down people of all stripes -- cops, councilmen, criminals, and citizens. Who will learn to summon the demon, and can it be controlled?
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This is The Wire meets The Shield with a touch of Sorcerer, in Gotham City.
We'll use the Anthology Engine, modified. Most significantly, the Owe List will apportion screen presence rather than control which characters recur. In other words, the core cast members can always recur, but if you have your name on the Owe List three times then you have SP 3 when you're in an episode. SP can be crossed off for advantage dice as normal and is earned in the usual way (go into conflict with smaller dice).
The Oracle draws will set up the crimes, opportunities, and situations that the cast will have to deal with for a given episode.
While writing this and poking around on Wikipedia, I found out about Gotham Central, which looks like an interesting parallel idea (less demony, I'll wager).
The Temple of Hera
Monday, April 21, 2008
Ben Robbins has written a glorious quick-play adventure for Agon called Temple of Hera. And it's free! Click the image below to download the PDF.
This is the first in a series, so keep an eye on the Lame Mage website for future Agon goodies.
Agon in KoDT
Monday, April 14, 2008
It's official. My game is now part of gamerdom.Agon has been reviewed in Knights of the Dinner Table (#137). They did a little comic strip about it, too. Check it out over on Esoteric Murmurs.
Rayguns & Relationships
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
