Unexploded Cow

 

I have a confession to make.  I like exploding things.  Fireworks, kittens (no really, I’ll review that game when it gets delivered), and yes cows.

From the Cheapass Games Website:

“Europe. Summer. 1997.
You have discovered two problems with a common solution: mad cows in England, and unexploded bombs in France.
In Unexploded Cow, you play a savvy entrepreneur who wants to help solve the world's problems, by blowing up lots of cows. You'll round up a herd of mad cows, give them a stirring pep talk, and march them through the French countryside. In doing so, you will clear fields of leftover ordnance from long-forgotten wars. And you'll make a few bucks doing it.”

This is the brilliant concept first arrived in stores in 2001, and has since become one of Cheapass Games most popular titles, re-released in 2013 as a Deluxe Version.  While the original, like all Cheapass Games, was printed in Black & White, and came without the money, or dice needed to play, just the cards, and instructions.  The deluxe version, again like all of the newly rereleased deluxe versions, comes in beautiful full colour, high quality cardboard money tokens, and standard six-sided die (with a cool custom die available from the website)

The basic rules are as follows.  You play cow cards into your field, and role a die to see if it blows up.  If you blow up one of your own cows, on your own turn, you get the victory points for the city that you were in, and payment for the now deceased cow.  If it was someones else’s cow that goes boom, they get payment but not victory points and play continues with the next player.  There a several different types of cows, some good, some bad, and several variants to each type. My personal favorite is Kasper, the Fat Cow who's art is a homage to the great movie The Maltese Falcon.

It’s a simple enough game to learn, and it’s just strange enough to be a HUGE blast to play.  (heh heh see what I did there?)

You can download the free print-and-play version here: http://www.cheapass.com/freegames/uxcow but if you enjoy it, I strongly recommend picking up the full deluxe edition at your friendly local gaming store, or you can go here for a link to order it online (along with some other rare goodies) http://www.cheapass.com/games/uxcowdeluxe

Whether you are playing the original, free, B&W edition, or the beautiful rereleased deluxe edition, you are sure to have a great experience with this game. I don't know ANYONE who hasn't.

Hanabi Deluxe

I have a confession to make. I love fireworks. The bright lights. The big bangs.

You may be asking yourself, "self, what do fireworks have to do with board games?"

The answer is Hanabi Deluxe, a unique, cooperative tile game. In Hanabi Deluxe you are trying to set off a Grand Fireworks Finale by playing tiles in the correct order. The trick to the game is that you can only see other players tiles, not your own.

You have the ability to tell other players if they have specific numbered tiles, or specific colored tiles, but not both, and nothing else. While you can give hints, your group only had a finite number of hints that may be given. If you are out of hints you can play a the next tile in order (again, you can't see your own tiles) or you can discard a tile to regain a hint.

There are a possible 25 points. But if you accidentally discard all of a specific color/number tile (ie Blue 2) you won't be able to play the next number tile in that color sequence, thereby losing the potential points for that sequence. If that seems too easy for you, you can add in a number of "wild" tiles that can throw off your hints.

Hanabi Deluxe has high quality plastic tiles, raising the price point a fair bit, compared to it's card based predecessor, but I personally think the quality is worth the extra coin.

While the box claims the game is for 2-5 players, ages 8 and up, I recommend playing with other players that are at a similar skill level as each other, as one player at a lower level can make the game run less smoothly and get frustrating. Or perhaps I need to remember it's just a game, and there's no reason to ruin friendships. After all, this isn't Monopoly.

Terra Mystica

I have a confession to make.  I don’t understand Terra Mystica.

When I went into my friendly local games café to meet an out of town friend for some “light gaming,” little did I know I’d be playing a hardcore pure strategy game.  One of the other regulars suggested it, and I’m always up for learning a new game, so into the world of Terra Mystica we went.

The basics of the game are actually quite simple.  Build stuff, expand your territories, get more points then the other guys.  But once you get playing there’s much more to it. There are multiple build options, each simultaneously increasing and decreasing a different resource.  Of course in order to build, or take any action really, you need resources so you need to find a balance between what you build, and when.

The game last 6 rounds, each round giving different bonuses for different actions and giving you a varying number of victory points.  There are several ways to earn and lose victory points (more than I wish to go into here) some take effect immediately; others don’t get added until the end of the game.  A mechanic that very easily allows the frontrunner and a player seemingly behind switch places very quickly.

Overall Terra Mystica has a steep learning curve.  But if you are willing to give it a chance, and maybe a second chance, it’s a fun and thought provoking game.  It may not be a staple in my gaming collection, but I would definitely like to play it again sometime.

Gaming: How to deal with those pesky players.

I’ve been DMing/GMing for a while.  I’ve run into many types of players.  Most are demanding and can provide issues for your games, though they can be amusing as well.  It is helpful if you can identify and know how to deal with them. Most gamers will fall into one or more of the following categories:

         The role-player. This gamer likes to think they are the Olivier or O’Toole of the gaming world.  They will write out elaborate stories for their characters, complete with genealogy, family history, and enough detail to make George RR Martin cross-eyed.  They live for the interaction; wanting to know that you have read their background and often will ask little questions “What do you think about my mother’s Ferret . . .” They’ll use accents to differentiate themselves from other players. They don’t always like to use dice because they have a grand plan that the dice often will throw out the window. This type of player can be fun but get tedious since they are only interested in their characters story and progression.

How to deal with them: Incorporate some of their story into the overall story arc. I will give them little notes or exchange emails with their ideas and interactions with NPC’s as to avoid bogging down actual game time. As much as I hate to say it I will pay lip service to them but skim over their backgrounds so I can get a basic idea of their character.

·         The roll-player. This is the person who just wants to roll dice.  They’ll give you what they want to do and just roll dice even before you decide if it is feasible or not. They will say things like “I want to persuade the guard to let us pass” and then dice crash on the table. No idea as to how they will persuade but just hope the dice rolls succeed.  No real description or flourish – just rolling dice.

How to deal with them: I politely tell them to tell me what they want to do and I’ll mull it over. I can see the fingers twitch, the jonesing need to roll the bones,  but I let them stew. All in all they are not bad though they won’t really add too much to the story.

·         The Rules Lawyer. This gamer is typically the most feared and loathed of the bunch. They will memorize huge swaths of text and regurgitate it without warning. As a GM when I make a ruling I don’t mind having the decision question – except by a rules lawyer. They will quote case studies and examples of how the ruling is incorrect. They won’t even ask for a side-bar.  Any idea brought up by another player will be stabbed repeatedly unless it falls within the Book of Laws that the Lawyer has memorized.
How to deal with this player: I don’t usually allow them in my games. If they do persist in questioning my ruling or judgment in a game I will politely (or not so politely) tell them if they don’t like it to find a game that they would like. Of course, the rules lawyer usually bounces from game to game – but never seems to figure out why.

·         The combat monster. This Gamer lives for the fight. They will play the fighter, warrior, or street samurai.  The solution to every problem is a sword. Or a warhammer. Or a gun. Or their hands and feet.  Stealth is a skill for the weak. Social skills? That would cut into their killin’ skills. Cannot bribe or con your way past the guard? I hope he had life insurance.  Their strength will be super human – so they can break the necks of the enemy and carry enough firepower to take over a third world country. They will ignore everything else and jabber on until their gunney-sense tingles and a fight is brewing.

How to deal with this character: I love to remind these characters that there is always someone bigger, better, or has a bigger gun.  Their weapons usually get slagged, armor destroyed and any money made goes to repair of their gear.  The other players will often cut them loose as well. The combat monster is pushed down the corridor towards the attacking minions while the rest of the party stays way back.

·         The Min-Maxer: This player will over analyze any game system to find the sweet spot to maximize every advantage and avoid every hindrance.  They’ll justify it somehow, usually in a background of some kind. They don’t care for flare or ambiance; they just want the most power with the least expenditure of resources.  They won’t take a hindrance like “Major enemy” but will take a phobia of chipmunks or an allergy to something that usually doesn’t come up much.  They will play up any advantage and neglect to mention the disadvantage.

How to deal with this player: I like to get a copy of their character sheet and go over it before playing.  I will point out some of the hindrances that are pretty lame and if they don’t remember them I’ll make a special note to bring it up.  Don’t like chipmunks? Well you just got sprayed with cologne smelling like acorns.  Bad news for you, buddy.

·         The sleeper. This is the player that shows up to the game to escape their home life.  They’ll bring a pillow and blanket and curl up in a corner.  If you are lucky they don’t snore and will wake up long enough to let you know what they want to do, roll a few dice, then back to bed.

How to deal with this player: Let them sleep is the best solution I’ve found.
·         The Encyclopedia. This player has sacrificed large amounts of long term memory to memorize the lore of whatever setting you play in. They can tell you the lineage of kings, the full history of the pantheon, and draw out the geography with little thought. The issue is the Encyclopedia has a nasty habit of correcting you or pointing out flaws in your story.

How to deal with this player: I ignore them and let them know this is an alternate reality if I am running in a pre-generated world. That is usually why I prefer to create my own worlds to avoid such shenanigans.
·         The Comedian. This player should wear a jester's cap. They will quote Monty Python or something else at the most inappropriate time. All the tension you had built up, watching your players sitting on the edge of their seats is destroyed when he quotes The Holy Grail or something else.

How to deal with this player: Usually, a harsh glare silences them.  The first few times I am polite and ask them before the next or after the current session to tone it down. We’ll share a laugh and then I threaten their kitten. No, not really but I let them know that I don’t appreciate that. If they continue, their character often will meet a very unpleasant situation that even the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch could not save them from.

There are probably more player types but these are the ones I have run into. The truth is, most players fall into several of the categories above.  They can also progress from one to another, though most finally wind up as the Role-Player.  In general I find the carrot approach best to guide my players and their behavior. The stick doesn’t come out until they either miss my subtle hints or flat out ignore my requests.

If you have any suggestions for dealing with players or a different player type please let us know!

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Collusion

For more information or to pledge to bring Collusion to life, check out the Kickstarter page!

Setting the Mood...

Setting the mood can help take a good game and make it great.  The right music, sound effects, voices and accents, lighting, and props can all help set the mood. Doing can be difficult depending on time and resources.

For me, music is the easiest thing to do for setting the mood.  I have all six Star Wars movie soundtracks plus the music from The Old Republic.  This is my standard for any Star Wars game I run. With it being all digital, I can set up a track list and easily switch out to the appropriate music depending on the scene or battle. I have various soundtracks from the Lord of the Rings, Conan, Gladiator, Braveheart, plus more for fantasy games.  I prefer orchestral music for my fantasy games. If I'm running Shadowrun, I’ll pick some techno music and a friend turned me onto the Batman Beyond soundtrack for that. With used CD stores or digital downloads from iTunes or Amazon it is so easy to get music for your games.

Sound effects are another great tool. With laptops, tablets, and digital downloads, you can find so many things for the background. Howling winds, gulls, sounds of the city... I have quite a few clips of blaster fire from the various Star Wars movies, droid sound effects, swords clashing, even various animals. These sounds in the background can help draw your players in.

Lighting is important depending on the game as well. A friend who used to run Call of Cthulu only ran her game at night and only lit the table with candles. She had gotten some cheap candle holders and we would take one if we had a private scene with our character. It helped set the stage for the horror that would soon follow. The way the shadows danced on the wall added to the game.

Props are a fantastic way to immerse your players. This can be from the simple hand written note to maps.  I will often write out a note in code to let the players try to decipher it.  Crude maps to represent what they may have taken from a body.  A friend went so far as to purchase cheap cutlasses and hats for a naval game.  The icing on the cake was the bottle of rum that we had to toast to the Kings health during the officers' meal.

Voices and accents are a lot of fun but I’m not good at them.  These can certainly bring your characters or NPC’s to life. Most of my characters end up sounding very similar though I try to change up the dialog. No matter how many times I rehearse the voices they just never come out right. Stage fright, perhaps. On the other hand, I’ve played with GM’s whose characters each have a distinct voice and personality that comes out. It’s impressive and I wish I could do that for my players. 

These are but a handful of different ideas to try and get you and your players into the mood for your game. I highly recommend trying different things, mixing and matching. It may not work out the way you plan but it’s never bad to try something new.   What are some of the things you’ve done to get your players into the mood for your games? Any great stories or interesting ideas? Please share them!

What kind of a world do you play in?

What kind of a world do you play in? Do you play using a pre-generated world – such as Forgotten Realms, Dragonlance, World of Darkness, or even Shadowrun perhaps? Or do you prefer the home brew world where you are the Almighty creator? Do you meld the two – making your own Expanded Universe of a sort?

For me, it depends on the setting.  When I run Star Wars, it is in what is called the Rebellion era. Usually either just before or just after the events of A New Hope, and I have yet to make it to Return of the Jedi.  I will use existing canon(minus midichloreans) but will also add my own spin on things. For Shadowrun, if it is a new campaign I start off around 2051 and move forward from there.  I follow the time line and keep up with the continuity. For my fantasy, I don’t use a pregen world – I have almost always gone homebrew for it.

The bonus to using an existing setting is that you have so much lore to draw from. Forgotten Realms has had I don’t know how many novels. It has so many sourcebooks devoted to it, you never run out of things. You don’t have to worry about maps, a pantheon, NPC’s – they are all there.  Many people are also so familiar with it they know the kingdoms, the continents, the heroes, the villains. The world is rich. You also don’t have to plan too much – there are adventures a plenty!

That is part of the problem I have with them. There is so much – and with so many heroes, villains, and Gods it’s hard for me to imagine players making a difference.  Plus at least one person will want to be Dritz or one of the other NPC’s. I tried to run in Forgotten Realms and had an adventure planned out. The problem became a player who seemed to be a walking encyclopedia of Forgotten Realms lore who questioned everything I put forward.  I was told such events would not have happened because of this, such and such would not be there because of that – and any desire for me to continue that campaign pretty much died on the cross.

Because of this, my fantasy games are homebrew using a world I’ve been working on for almost ten years.  It is mine and I am greedy about anyone else contributing much to it. The thing I like about this is with no pre-established lore, it is new and fresh for my players. They are exploring the world with me. They are the heroes here, they don’t have to contest with other heroes or follow a set time line.

Homebrew worlds are often more work, depending on the amount of time you wish to put into them. You can put as much – or as little – detail into them as you want.  It allows you to put in the things you like. You can even make your own rules for magic. The pantheon (if there is one) can be as hands on or as minimalist as you desire. One of the things I didn’t like about Forgotten Realms was how the gods seemed to have such a direct hand in the world events. Why have priests when a god will come down and do his will?

Now, this is not to say that I never use products from a pre-established world. I borrow (IE steal) from other worlds all the time. It might be a gentle tweaking of a concept or the blatant lifting of a character.  I enjoy the sourcebooks for they are filled with so many ideas, maps, and colorful characters. One of the things I love doing is looking at the portrait of someone in a sourcebook and writing an all new background for them. I make no apologies for things I borrow. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery is it not?

In the end never forget the first rule of gaming – have fun! You are there for your enjoyment and the enjoyment of your players. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Try creating a simple world and build upon it. That world can be as simple or as complex as you want to make it. Or you can grab a stock adventure and run with it. Gods above and below know that I’ve tried new ideas. Some of them have worked out and I still use them to this day. Some of them have crashed and burned.  Never stop trying new things – you never know what is going work for you until you try it.

Living and Dying by the Dice

When you run a game, are your dice rolls absolute?  Do your players live or die based on random chance or worse yet the fickle whims of the Dice Gods? As a GM who’s been running some form of a game for the better part of 20 years, I must say that how I use the results of my dice rolls are completely dependent on the game and the situation.

I am not a Malevolent GM. I don’t enjoy killing off characters. Hurting them- check. Maiming them - sure. Having them lose all their treasure just to escape – oh yeah.  Burn a few bridges or earn the ire of the evil warlord – oh Gods yes.  Indiana Jones didn’t look so good after he finally recovered the Ark of the Covenant. Neither do my players once they finish a brutal session.

By the same token, I’m not a benevolent GM either. I don’t give my players what they want – they have to earn it. Rarely do they escape unscathed.  The treasure they earned may be to repair their gear, get new stuff that was damaged or destroyed – or pay for or to rebuild something they had a hand in destroying.  In my games money is easy come – easier go.

The dice help me tell my story.  They give me an idea as to what NPC’s and villains will do.  If I roll really well I’ll take that into account for the outcome. Maybe they break, maybe they hold. But I have never let the dice be the arbiter of my games. I even fudge the dice rolls or completely ignore them if it helps me further the story.

I have killed players before. For sheer stupidity.  I do put things in the game that they have no chance of beating – but usually enough clues that it would be a bad idea to try. Subtle clues and sometimes a flashing neon sign aren’t always enough .The ginormous paw prints that are longer than one of their horses. The charred and molten remains of the armor just outside of the cave.  When they use every skill and spell they have to sneak up on their foe only to find him waiting casually for them and then they attack him anyway. Then comes the TPK and the complaining.

I’ve killed a character for a player’s story arc. The player wanted to retire the character but go out with a bang. We built the tension, entered the scene, and at the most dramatic time he went down.  It was perfect because the other players had no idea.

For me the dice are more of a guide. I’ll often set up some options in my head and roll off it.  I’ll make my players roll against me – usually a single D6. If they beat me it’s usually a good thing. They fail – well time to break out the battle mat. Sometimes it is just to make them think something is about to happen.

Sometimes I’ll just roll dice behind my GM screen and make little comments to myself, or write little notes just to make my players paranoid.  Or I’ll just roll the dice to hear them roll. One player has told me he hates that.

For me GMing is all about the story and how my players help me tell it. I want them to have fun. The dice help add tension and maybe help something happen that normally would not have. If it is a one shot, I’m a bit more brutal. The characters are normally pre-generated and usually throw away.  If I’m running a Cthulhu game then all bets are off. Sometimes the best thing that can happen is that you die. Right now I am running a full blown campaign with a long story arc. I’ve had my players write up backgrounds; give me details, plot hooks, goals for their characters.  Unless they get bored with their character they should survive – though they may be missing some body parts.

One GM I played with briefly was the complete opposite. The dice were absolute and he loved to throw us at things that we didn’t always have a chance to survive. He had some program and would run simulations of the expected combat. One that he put us in, the party survived only 1 time in about 20 simulations. And by survive one or two did not die.  Needless to say we had a TPK early on and the time I spent writing and developing his background went out the window in about 2 sessions.  In that aspect it is good to let your players know just how brutal your campaign is going to be. 

I’ve also had a character killed by a lucky shot and brutal damage roll from a mook.  If you are a GM and you have fun doing that to your players, I’ll be sure to skip your game.

The dice are but one item in your toolbox. Don’t let them run your game, let them help you tell your story. But most of all don’t let them destroy the fun you are supposed to be having.

Kickstarter/Indiegogo Spotlight: Men vs Cosplay

We’re celebrating the talented male costumers of the cosplay community with a video game-themed calendar for 2014!

Our group, Men vs Cosplay, is launching it's first calendar and highlighting some of the very best the male costuming community has to offer in gaming!

Our team reached out to gamers, convention goers and cosplayers, and we're putting together a roster that brings our favorite characters to life - plucked from the realms ofSkyrim, Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Age, Assassin's Creed, Resident Evil, Warhammer 40k, Fallout, and more!

The gaming calendar also acts as a showcase piece for the amazing talent involved! 

For more information, head over to Kickstarter and back what's sure to be one amazing calendar. The previews certainly make it look like one of the best ones that we've seen! Rumor has it that our very own Eric is one of the photographers involved with this project!

Defiance

I may have mentioned elsewhere, or may at some point mention, or possibly gripe incessantly about how I hate MMOs. It's something that I'm kind of infamous for amongst my gaming circles. It was with great hesitation, then, that I approached Defiance, a recent post-apocalyptic MMORPG from Trion Worlds.

I'm a huge fan of the Fallout series from way back when, but I've played Fallout 3 and New Vegas to the point of which I just don't want to go back anymore. I've spent that much time in the DC and Mojave wastelands that I just can't go back in anymore, and the old games sadly haven't aged well (and barely run on modern systems). I'm also a fan of the Borderlands series, with over 1500 hours between the two games and their various DLC campaigns, so when I heard there was an MMO that was "like Borderlands on Earth" and "like Fallout with Aliens" I had to at least take a look.

This wouldn't be the first time I'd been let down by an MMO with an interesting aesthetic, though. Fallen Earth was suitably action driven, with direct control with your mouse instead of point and click, but it felt weak and empty in the gameplay department. Secret World was a fantastic world to poke around, but it had that same control and interface MMOs have been using since WoW took over the market. Same with Old Republic (when all I wanted was KOTOR 3!), but that's another story.

Steam recently had a free weekend for Defiance, which was mysteriously 2 days shorter than the usual Thursday-to-Monday deal, but I gave it a shot. My first big problem with MMOs was notably absent (possibly thanks to Steam and its stringent update policy), as there was no staggeringly huge patch to download. Setup was easy enough, and I was surprised to learn that not only did you have direct control over your character (like in a 3rd person action game), but the PC version also supports gamepads, with a very clever, very familiar control scheme. Anyone that's played Borderlands will be right at home with these controls.

Eight hours and two cramped hands later, I realized just how long I'd been playing this game, and just how much it felt like the last time I'd spent this long in the wasteland. The controls are tight, the shooting is satisfactory, character movement feels fluid and natural, and the color palette is pleasingly diverse. I was even able to pull a strategy in that I'd used in several other games, as I'd picked a cloak as a power and the game was generous with the double-barreled shotguns. I even had fun gathering with two dozen other players around a piece of fallen debris wiping out armies of raiders or giant bugs.

The setting isn't terribly original, but the back-story (if you're paying attention to it) at least sets it up differently than most post-apocalyptic wastelands. Also, bonus if you're watching the show, you at least know who these two recurring characters are, and are kinda flattered when one of them keeps hyping you up as a badass to the local NPCs.

Like with any MMO, we have to talk business model: Defiance is a one-time, upfront purchase with no monthly fees. There is a cash shop I'm not terribly happy with, but I only got about 12-13 hours into the game. Most of what I saw in the cash shops were rare and powerful weapons, and bigger, faster vehicles. Like the Dodge Charger. The branded, just-like-in-real-life, only Mad-Maxed-out Dodge Charger. I can't say if these weapons, vehicles, and costumes are available from just playing the game, but I'd found 5 or 6 purple items, and about six outfits and hats from the 12-13 hours I spent, plus enough in-game currency (scrip) to buy an upgraded quad-bike.

Defiance was $41.99 this weekend on Steam, usually at $59.99. If I hadn't been short on scratch from having moved, I probably would have broken and bought it. As it is, I'm setting the game aside after spending more time on it than a lot of games in my inventory, and will come back to it when the price has dropped. If you're looking for a more action-oriented online experience, and you're willing to drop full-price on a game that you'll probably get your money's worth on, Defiance might be for you.

Defiance is available athttp://store.steampowered.com/app/224600/

Kickstarter of the Week: The Ragged Man Adventure

I'm back again with my Kickstarter addiction!  Actually, I'm realizing "addiction" is the wrong word.  I'm more of a "Kickstarter connoisseur". "Addict" implies I'll back just *any* project. Not true. I throw my endorsement behind projects I'd truly love to see thrive.  This one is no different.

Those in Southern Arizona are no strangers to the Adventures Under The Laughing Moon, a table top RPG set in a universe created by local teacher and author, Todd Vanhooser.  It's finally time for a new adventure!  Part fantasy/part horror, The Ragged Man is an independent campaign set in the Laughing Moon universe.   With all of the compelling story elements veterans of the game are familiar with, countless hours of fun are sure to be had with this project.

So grab your dice bag, throw a d20 against The Ragged Man and see if you and your party come out alive.

Kickstarter of the Week: MaricopaCon 2013

The Grass Roots Gaming Convention of Arizona

August 3rd and 4th, 2013 at the Mesa Convention Center

MaricopaCon started in 2010 as a local yearly mini-con at someone's house that is growing into something bigger each year.  Board games, card games, tabletop war games, and RPGs flourish at MaricopaCon.  Attendees get to play those old school games they played when younger, plus the new popular games out there.

The team being assembled for MaricopaCon 2013 is some of the best Gamemasters in the southwest gaming community.  Come play your favorite games and learn some new ones.  Browse the dealers' tables for some cool loot.  Show off your custom D6 dice and canvas bag.  The team organizing the convention has 40+ combined years of experience planning and helping out gaming conventions.  If you went to Conflagration 2012 or MaricopaCon 2012 you know how awesome MaricopaCon 2013 will be.

MaricopaCon is gonna rock, and we want you to be a part of it and shape its format.  The bigger the project gets, the more awesome the convention will be. Just some of the gaming groups running events at the con will be the crew of Arizona Men In Black, Laughing Moon Chronicles, Time Renegades, UAG, and Catalyst Game Labs Demo Team.

Kickstarter of the Week: Deluxe Tunnels and Trolls

The team who created the classic role-playing game Tunnels & Trolls comes together again to make the finest edition yet.

Launched: Jan 3, 2013
Funding ends: Feb 5, 2013

When it was first published in 1975, Tunnels & Trolls opened up the role-playing game genre, showing that these games could encompass a multiplicity of ways to make this segment of the game hobby exciting. Today hundreds of diverse RPGs explore every genre, every play style, and serve every player. T&T led the way first.

In the 37 years since then, T&T has seen eight major editions with many accessory adventures and supplements. The game has been published worldwide, including translations into French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, and even Finnish. It had two computer games created for it, and it has influenced other games time and again. A lively fan community shares their love of the game in blogs and forums. Fan publications abound, licensed and approved by the original designer and publisher. Tunnels & Trolls is a solid substantive game that has weathered the years, worldwide, and thrived.

Now we’re back for more.

In T&T, your heroes might shine or stumble, they might seek adventure in dark alleys … or for some, adventure comes knocking on the round front door with a kazoo band led by red-suited monkeys!

We want to throw wide open the gate of possibilities once more. The original team that put together T&T has reunited: Ken St Andre, Liz Danforth, and Bear Peters are working together with Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo and graphic genius Steve Crompton. Our dream is to create the best version of Tunnels & Trolls yet seen.

The minimum we intend to deliver is a book of at least 200 pages (and possibly a lot more) wherein designer Ken St Andre lays out new rules, including new options for character creation, better methods of character development, new playable kindreds, and new personas like Paragon, Specialist and Citizen.

Further, the book offers the players access to rich, deep world development as never before. Deluxe T&T reveals the Trollworld, as known to the original players, in detail for the first time, and whole continents previously unknown are defined. Steve Crompton has created a beautiful, definitive map assembled from every initial resource available. The book gets a complete graphic make-over, including new art and old favorites, and a new cover painted by Liz Danforth.

The game will play much the same as it did in the 70s and 80s, and be backwards compatible to existing modules and adventures. It will still be fun, lightweight and customizable. It remains a great way to introduce new players to fantasy role-playing while offering a system robust enough to support long-term campaigns. You will still be able to play with friends face to face, or using any of the virtual tabletop hosts. And you can still play the solitaire adventures when you have a little time to kill and no one else to play with.

We believe the game is better and stronger as a system than it used to be. No matter who or where or how you play, Deluxe Tunnels & Trolls will have the power to carry you away.

Or at least, that’s the plan.

Back in the old days, putting out a book like this was easy. Ken’s First Edition was run off at the university’s copy shop, stapled together, and handed to his friends. Even after the Fifth Edition came out, Flying Buffalo would still print solitaire adventures on the leaky old printing press in the back of the warehouse-offices, and staff would spiral-bind the pages together.

New printing technologies make possible options to us that were once prohibitively expensive. In the rewards offered you will see a downloadable pdf and a traditional soft-cover print edition, but also two hard-cover versions. We are looking at what is possible for color interiors. We have some more ideas we don't want to reveal just yet. We intend to get good quality publications across the board. We still want to make great games and that’s why Kickstarter is so important.

We can't do it without your support.