Welcome to issue 2 of Mimesis!
This year is already one of rapid growth for our association. Following on from our successful Junta! party (with Paddy Bollinger, allegedly a novice, earning his gold bars as the most successful Latin American dictator), and our Terra Australia's SF video day, Mimesis has been very active in the opening months of 1998. Apart from the production and release of this journal, we were also involved in the successful advocacy for a community Internet grant for the Melbourne/Yarra region, attendence at GloranthaCon Down Under (see review this issue), Conquest (next issue), Sydcon (next issue), and Swancon (next issue), where we presented our History of the Middle Ages simulation game.
Speaking of which, this product is developing in leaps in bounds. This is a (currently unnamed) year-by-year simulation of medieval europe, a little like Civilization, but with much greater detail and dynamism. For the past ten months a small but dedicated bunch of mimetic entities have been conducting a table-top playtest of a model initially developed by Jay Patterson. This year we've begun programming under the direction of Matt Castles, formally of Beam Software, with the objective of producing an education-orientated CD-ROM simulation game, with alpha version ready by the end of the year. A little less than a week after we began programming the Gippsland Regional Ecology and Economy Network contacted us through the Monash University Centre for Technology and Business expressing interest in our project.
As would be expected the details of this arrangement are far from finalised. The next issue of Mimesis will, however, contain a number of articles relating to the gameÕs development and history. For this issue it is worth mentioning, for entertainment purposes, some of the unusual changes to history that have occured in our playtest.
A further spinoff from this simulation has been a character-level RPG campaign, which combines the prosletysing of the Celtic Catholic heresy by a group of Elves and Half-Elves (who are, incidentially, on a search for Annwyvyn, the elvish homeland). This of course has led to a reconsideration of the powers of the various dieties presented in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, the creatures used, and the power of magic in the campaign (as in, greatly reduced). These features are all part of an article in the next issue of the journal.
Having spent some time mentioning what is going to be in the next issue, some consideration should be given to what is in this issue. Our theme is psychology & roleplaying, which is well served by two generic articles by Lev Lafayette, one by John Simpson, a Star Trek psychoanalysis by Peter Caffin, and a RuneQuest article by Darius West. In the same theme is an excellent Amber campaign by Claire Coleman, a Space 1889 pbem campaign by Dorian Davis, and an Over The Edge campaign. This is apart from articles relating to new products, desigmnerÕs notes for Dark Realms, and fraternal exchanges with the Chaos Society of Australia and SVEROK, a Swedish roleplaying federation, whom Australian gamerÕs should take some examples from!.
The theme of the next issue of Mimesis is 'Technology'. After that is 'Conspiracy Theories' (oooh!). If you have articles or comments on either of those themes, please send them in. We love getting mail.
Yours,
The Mimesis Committee of Management
From: Cenneth Loof
Dear Mimesis,
Of course even we have grumpy old people who think we are all satanists and evil worshippers, but they are not many in Sweden.
Maybe it is the system we have. Youth recreation is supported all over the country. We have thousands of associations supported mainly by the state,the largest of them being Hockey clubs.
I don't know how your country supports their young (and not so young) but we have our own club house payed mostly by taxes. Taxes are of course high in Sweden.
Information also helps to lessen the suspicion. We had live roleplay at the manor of Tyreso, and lots of families showed up to watch.
Feel free to ask SVEROK how thir organisation works and they will be glad to help.
Cenneth
SVEROK, Sweden Role-playing and Conflictgaming Federation, is a national federation which cause is to encourage the interest for role-playing, boardgames and other parlour games. Since the foundation of SVEROK in 1988 it has had a growth rate of 70% per year. Since 1991 SVEROK is acknowledge of the Government Youth committee and has since the start active supported gaming activities in all of Sweden.
More than 90% of the members of SVEROK is in the age between 7 and 25. You become member in SVEROK when you become member in a society that is connected with SVEROK. The only fee that you have to pay is the one you pay to the society. SVEROK accepts any non-profit organisation that works in some of the fields that SVEROK organises.
In the annual report 1994/95 SVEROK had 23 148 members which of 21061 was in the age of 7 - 25. Among the youth ( those between 7 - 25 years old) 82% were boys. In the annual report 1996/97 SVEROK had over 1100 connected societies.
SVEROK consists of connected societies and the members in them. All the members have the possibility to influence what the federation are to do. Every year, in spring, SVEROK has its ordinary National Meeting. This is the federations highest organ with the right of decision. To this National Meeting the societies choose 101 representatives from all of the country. On the National Meeting a national executive committee is elected for a period of one year.
SVEROK has district-activities all over the country. These districts acts on county-level. These counties are in Sweden special sub-governmental districts that primary administrates hospital and medical attendance in the county but also distributes money to the youth recreation activities. SVEROK's districts have their own activities and can help the connected societies more than the federation because that they are more local.
SVEROK is a non-profit federation and has no religious or political connections and do not accept societies that have such. SVEROK accepts only open and democratic societies. It goes without saying that its free for a society to be a member of the federation. SVEROK gives financial support to the societies.
SVEROK is one of the Swedish federation that is acknowledged by the Government Youth committee and receives government money for carrying on with their activities. These money is then distributed out to the societies in the form of different financial support based on for example the frequency of gaming and the size of the society. Some of the money also goes to federation to secure its existents.
SVEROK's most important support is the activity-support. The societies gets a certain amount of money every day they gather for at least an hour and practise their activity. This is the main reason that so many societies can continue to exist practising such an expensive hobby that it is. Other things that SVEROK supports is different arrangements like live, conventions and contributions to fanzines ( that is small hobby-newspapers made for and of role-players). SVEROK also gives money to all kind of projects that the societies and its members are working with. These projects can be almost anything but general rules are established for the judgement of the applications.
In a report from the Government Youth committee they refer to the British youth scientist Paul Willis that establish the fact that youth in their teen experiments with different identities and this can be characterised as a symbolic creation. Paul Willis continue with that the youth often use the popular culture as a mean for understanding the world. Government Youth committee therefor pronounces that it is to "consider role-playing as a constructive spare-time occupation as something that above all gives the youth the possibility as a pastime and enjoyment under social forms." But, they continue, role-playing is so much more than that; role-laying gives the youth the possibility to acquire qualifications." The game in it self invites to both creativity and a learning in among other things oral presentation. The ability to co-operate, being flexible, to negotiate and re-negotiate in a social situation is probably such qualifications. And by writing their own adventures and through a need of learning more about historical, cultural and social situations a learning is stimulated above the ned of the game. Through role-playing the youth also gets acquire knowledge about the western mythology. Role-playing should therefor be a good example of how the modern societies popular culture is used by the youth.
Role-playing is one of Sweden's biggest youth-hobbies. In a national study ( the recreation and culturehabitstudy 1995 ) made by the Government Youth committee about the youths cultural habits in the age 13-25 was questions about role-playing. It then showed that 16% percent of the youth had played role-playing sometime or more often the latest year. 9% of the boys had played sometime or more often the latest month. The same percentage among the girls were 3%. If you divide these figures down in age-categories you can see that the frequency based on the monthly activities is 13% in the age of 13-15. In the age of 16-18 it was 6% and in the age 19-25 3%.The study also shows that the differences in social background is almost non-existence.
This text-material is from one of SVEROK's information-brochures.
Copyright SVEROK 1997
From: mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu [1] (Mary K. Kuhner)
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
I had a weird and amusing experience with Immersive play in the multiple-PC game, which I thought people might enjoy.
Markus, temporarily in command of a mission, got saddled with a really awful decision--political ramifications, personal ramifications, moral overtones, the possibility of psychic influence trying to sway him, the whole works. He/I stewed over it for most of the 1.5 mile walk to work this morning. Finally he realized that the issue was too big for him, and with a deep sense of relief decided to drop it in Chernoi's lap (after all, she's a Magistrate and is supposed to deal with these things). We got all the way to the scene where Markus sat down in front of the comm screen, called Chernoi, and explained to her what had happened. I was very bouncy, with a definite sense of having escaped a horrendous situation--
And then it suddenly dawned on me, literally for the first time, that though Markus was getting out from under his decision, Chernoi is my PC so *I* was still stuck. As soon as I turned to consider what Chernoi was thinking, wham! there was that decision to make again.
I had a good laugh at myself; I'm amused that I could have completely missed this obvious fact because I was so wound up with Markus.
Multiple-PC Immersion tends to involve following one PC at a time, with quick glimpses of the others; it's most intense when the scenario cooperates with that, as this one did.
On a more serious note, the particular decision involved was a nice testbed for thinking about game/drama/sim from the player's point of view, because as Markus' player I had some pretty strong opinions on what *I* wanted him to do (for example, he has a lot of occult power already, and it's not necessarily good for the inter-PC dynamics to give him any more). I was trying, as I considered the decision, to sort out which were Markus' motives and which were mine, and decide whether I could afford to take the strict simulationist approach and ignore mine.
From: "Jeremy Sadler"
Greetings everyone,
Frontier: The Australian Science Fiction Media Magazine has recently started a SF gaming column, and we are looking for writers.
Reviews, comments, news, interviews, almost anything is of interest. I would like to be able to fill the gaming column with heaps of great information about SF gaming, as it relates to Australia, every issue.
The column began in Issue 8 (Space: Above and Beyond on the cover, August - October 97, on sale now, plug plug!) by covering news mainly to do with recent released linked to Babylon 5 - The Babylon Project, Babylon 5 Wars - but also covered new miniatures released by Ground Zero Games (Full Thrust, Dirtside, Stargrunt series of games) and put out through Eureka Miniatures in Carnegie.
Role playing, table-top miniatures, boardgames - we're interested in the lot, as long as it's SF and as long as it's gaming. We are VERY interested in anything that is a "tie-in" - to a television show or a film, though we are not just interested in this. Unfortunately, at this time, scenarios will not be accepted.
If you're interested, please return email to me, email Frontier (frontier@rocketship.com [2]) or write to:
Frontier
PO Box 634
Carlton South Vic 3053
AUSTRALIA
Regards,
Jeremy Sadler (sadlerj@ocean.com.au [3])
Design/Sub-Editor
Frontier: The Australian Science Fiction Media Magazine
From: Carter T Butts
Dear Mimesis.
I personally tend to avoid the idea of societal alignments, since the notion is sociologically laughable (though the idea has _literary_ validity, of course). The idea of having a simple system of description for societies, cultures, etc., however, I see as a very good one. My own approach to this has tended to follow a loosely Parsonian mode, with nested conceptual variables which describe various aspects of the society in question. (I don't do this because I like Parsons, by the by, because I don't; it just happens that his approach is convenient for RPG purposes.)
The major difficulty I've encountered in doing this is that the societal variables which emerge are very difficult to fit to empirical data. Although one can always fudge a bit and focus on qualitative differences, without an intersubjectively valid means of setting zero points, these systems simply don't work very well. As a result, I'm rethinking my original system (see the CDO section in the Alternate Realities PRG), and may wind up reconfiguring it largely along demographic/social structural lines.
Anyway, that's just to add my own experience with this issue to the mix. I tend to think that the problem of societal description is a very important one in RPGs, and am pleased to see increasing attention being
paid to this facet of game design (two examples of this being the demography section in the ill-fated Dangerous Journeys system, and (from what I understand) at least some of Aria). That said, I don't see
"alignments" for societies as being the way to go. (The caveat, of course, being _unless_ your goal is critical/discursive, rather than simulationist in nature.)
Carter.
Carter (a doctoral student in Social and Decision Sciences) with very good fortune, as this issue of Mimesis includes many of the concerns that he has raised in this letter. Attention is particularly drawn to the "Rational Domains In Developmental Psychology" and "The Social Psychology of Alignment" articles.
From: reason@pegasus.rice.edu [4] (Peter D. Thacker)
I find myself in the situation of needing writers to produce (in collaboration with myself as editor and
answerer of questions) scenarios for Da'akfal. I myself have just been hit by the Dreaded Thesis, which means that I have far less time than I would like to write my own material for the next three to six months.
So, what I would like is for anyone who is interested to go and have a look at:
http://spacsun.rice.edu/~reason/daakfal/ [5]
to see if the background interests you. If it does, e-mail me and send a writing sample (or reference to something previously published, but preferably a sample, as my archives are not large). If I like it, we'll talk about contracts.
Da'akfal is to be published later this year by Fractal Dimensions (www.fractal.mandarin.org [6]), along with it's parent multigenre system SORD. Accepted scenarios can expect to follow right along in the schedule.
I look forward to hearing from the writers that must be lurking out there somewhere...
Reason
ARIEL (Australian Roleplaying Information Exchange Library) is a body which Mimesis shares fraternal relations with. Established years ago in Sydney it is currently on the move to Townsville. Brett Easterbrook, the coordinator of ARIEL, as this letter indicates, would dearly love any Australian roleplaying material that has had some public exhibition (e.g., has been used in a tournament).
Greetings All,
Well Grant has been a bit busy and so I'm still waiting on the collection, I was going to wait until I knew exactly what the collection consists of before asking people if they would like to contribute, but IÕm getting restless so I may as well start the ball rolling now.
Ok, the Ariel Archives is now looking for submission for addition to the Archive of material already in its collection (or at least some input on the subject), if you have written for a convention and would like to submit your work please drop me a note, if you have written and DON"T want to submit your work also please drop me a not and tell me what it would take for you to do so!!!
Also if you know that you have something in the Archive already, could you also drop me a note telling exactly what (if anything) I can do with your work, at the moment I have listed a range of options for distributing the work freely to not giving it to anyone! If you also still have an electronic copy of your work it would be much appreciated if you could send me a copy. Please note that all copies of work distributed in ecectronic form are in PDF format, a list of exactly what benfits this has and an example of what the end products looks like can also be downloaded from the Ariel Archives web pages.
If anyone has also any suggestions on basically anything from how I can get people to contribute, different layout of the files, etce etc please feel free to suggest them.
I think that that is about all at this time, except to say a thank you to Wes for adding a link to the Archives on his RPGA pages http://www2.dynamite.com.au/wes/ [7], and also to Lisa for adding a link on the Conquest pages
http://www.very.net/conquest/useful.htm [8] and Tonia for addind a link on her RPG pages
http://www.uq.net.au/~zzsean/ausgame.html [9]. If anyone else adds a link to the Ariel Archive, please let me know so I can have a look at you page.
Thanks:)
Brette:)
(Amanda.Wone@jcu.edu.au [10])
From CASTLE@uq.net.au [11]
Hi
I saw your message about Mimesis in aus.games.roleplay. I have a page about Australian gaming up and used to have some info about Mimesis on it but lost contact with the net rep and I wasn't able to update the info. If you would like to post me the updated contact details about Mimesis I can put it on the page.
If you would like to have a look at the page it is at:
http://www.uq.net.au/~zzsean/rpg.html [12]
Cheers from Tonia
This an exceptional web page with excellent club and convention information. Our Australian con info is shamelessly lifted from this source.
Dear Channel Ten,
"What shame, what misery! To become the murderer
Of my most dear sons! Why do I not take my own life?
Leap from some bare cliff, aim a sword at my own heart,
Become myself the avenger of my children's blood?
Or burn my flesh with fire, to avert the infamy
Which now awaits me?"
These are the words of Heracles as told by Euripedes. They are spoken after he, under the influence of Madness, slays his wife and children.
Today the words should refer to the murder of the genuine story of Heracles by Channel Ten.
In the original, Heracles is visited by Madness who, under the command of Hera, leads to his insane disposition. Madness, it should be noted isn't terribly fond of such activities ("My nature's noble, as my parents were - Heaven my father, Night my mother; and my privilege is not to take delight in slaughter ").
Of course, when faced with the moral difficulty of having the "good" character commit such an atrocity, simplifies the action to a fireball from Hera. So much for complexity.
Nominally conservative thinkers used to complain about young people reading popular culture items, such as science fiction and comics. Their silence is deafening. It's not as if we're complaining that someone has decided to screen Baywatch set in Ancient Greece. For the lowest common denominator, appealing to a priuent interest of heroic violence and sexual inneudo (absent of eroticism), this is a perfectly reasonable marketing strategy. The problem is that there already is a story called "Heracles"; quite a few in fact, and to abuse these tales simply because the story is in the public domain (i.e., wihout copyright) does not lessen the level of abuse.
"Heracles" as it stands is an offense to anyone with affinity to Hellenic culture, or to the ideal of using mythology to improve the narrative content of our own society. It should be substantially modified or scrapped as an example of false advertising. A travesty among contemporary cultural products it is yet another example why the public sphere needs to be protected by enlightenment.
Next target; Disney's version of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". What do you really think Victor Hugo would think of this?
Lev Lafayette
Recorded at Apollo Studios, Coburg.
Distributed through Shock Records., 24 High St, Northcote, 3070., 9482-3873
Beanflipper are; Peter Rowley (Guitar & Vocals)., Richard Kelly (Vocals), Matthew Harrod (drums), Sean Barley aka ÔSnowyÕ (Bass)., Craig Webster (guitar)
Sanctimonious., Remove Skin Before Use., It's Only Life., Slow fukin thing., Blinding Sun., Johnny the song., Never want to believe., Mine., Mongrel guts., Bucket o' blood., TrentÕs song., Power of Corruption., Glass eye stare
Beanflipper require no elaborate introduction, having supported several major international acts, being well established with several releases, those who are familair with their rough edge punkish delivery will receive a welcome addition with this latest release.
With punkish growls, quantum chord changes and peformed at breakneck speed, Beanflipper further elaborate a musical style which we've grown to love since the days of the Dead Kennedy's. Unlike that band, whose politico in-your-face lyrics had the right amount of cynicism and the right lack of subtlety to be effective. Well Beanflipper, in this album anyway, go for the mental states, hazy and ethereal, but certainly without fae beauty. The faeries at the bottom of this garden play with razor blades, especially on my personal favourite "It's Only Life".
Track 13 ('Glass Eye Stare') was unnecessary. A rendition between some very silly bleeps and squeks to a Western Soundtrack. Oh hang on. That's dust on the CD-player. No, actually it's really, really good. This should be an theme music for a Western. Along with Beers, Steers and Queers, of course.
Guess I liked all of it. Except for the CD inlay booklet. Very nice graphics, but the lyrics are just a little hard to read. Four point font black on grey? I mean I already wear glasses, do want me to upgrade to a microscope? Have pity on poor reviewers, please!
The Cursed Earth., Hail the King., I am All, I am None., The Ritual Sinister
Justin Mutiner (Vocals)., Katherine Ramon (Bass)., Rafael (Guitar)., Matt Castles (Guitar)., David Ferox (Drums)
Independent release: contact; PO Box 1042, St. Albans, Victoria, 3021
Ach, I was right. My school boy Latin (I started this year) told be the title of this band was 'no more beyond', yet they swear it means 'no further beyond'). Whatever, I'm being pedantic and without context, as the title was used on the far west of the mediterranean sea to describe that there really was nothing beyond that point (except for Atlantis, Annwyvn, and now The Evil Empire (TM)).
Well this band sound evil and imperical, with the sufficient irony attached to such music. "It's metal", I was warned when handed the tape. Really? Like the person handing me the tape isn't 6'5" with well beyond shoulder length hair, dressed all in black with a studded belt. What a surprise, I was expecting country OR western.
Irony? Well, they swear that they are Vampires, no really, they drink BLOOD.
Metal it is, and damn good metal at that. Very much reminds me of Cremator, a reference which only Western Lands skate punks from ten years past would recognise, but there you go. The music is rapid without losing clarity, it attacks without being abrasive, the vocals howl, yet remain comprehensible. Another big plus that must go in their favour is the epic length of their works. No two-minutes fifty nine pop radio classics here, nor are there twenty minute sounds of whale songs. These are works with a story, albeit an angry, bitter, but never, never, a trivial one. There is no doubt these people set themselves high standards, and by and large, they achieve it.
My personal fave on this sampler tape is "Hail The King", which takes great delight in the ritualistic cannabalism of the Eucharist. Not a bad opportunity, really, eating the flesh and drinking the blood of a diety (or part of a diety). ('God? Gorge yourself on the meat. Drink your fill, the wine is sweet'). As for the other pieces, The Cursed Earth is an excellent opener, with just the right tempo to put one in the spirit of the the sounds to come. Earns extra kudos for Robert E. Howard/Conan references. The music of "I am All, I am None", doesn't really move me. Lyrically it was quite grand; self-reflection of the disturbing kind, replete mirror references ('Look, see the argent demon, source of my pain'). which makes it a metal equivalent of Front 242's "Angels" (hmm... metal/industrial fusion seems very apt). "The Ritual Sinister" is a fine concluding work, taking its time to land from this aural halycon thus presented.
BoltThrower were never this good.
Oh, and one more thing. Excellent recording quality, especially for a sampler. I don't know what they diod right, but I hope they keep doing it.
jonathan@rmit.edu.au [13]
http://www.srl.rmit.edu.au [14]
I just spent two days at Gloranthacon (in Melbourne). They reminded me just how much fun roleplaying conventions can be. Amoung other things, this con had floods and fire alarms and I had lots of fun!
There were people there from Germany, England, America, Perth and Brisbane, which gave the con a bit of a different atmosphere. The guy from Germany told me that his last con was run in an 11th Cent castle on the Rhine. Drool :-)~
European cons have to deal with multiple languages. He described how the organisers over there are organising voluteer interpreters for seminars. So someone coming from Sweden might agree to translate for the 'Roleplaying on the Internet' seminar, for example. Later, some of locals suggested that we could introduce this at Australian cons:
From the podium: "Well, thanks for coming to the con. We've all rolled a bunch of dice this weekend and we've all had a bunch of fun. Thanks to some unnamed SMOG for their assistance. Now, without further ado, here's who chopped the wood...
Diceless translator: "Well, thanks for coming to the con. We've all [Buzzzzzzzzzt] and we've all had some fun..."
Whitewolf translator: "Ahhh! The extacy of the transendental role differenciation gestalt overwhelms
you. You writh on the floor as waves of joy wash over you, wrapping you in layers of ..."
Sydney translator: "Well, the Arken-Arken people have had fun. But did you hear what the boy in the red
bustier did with the canteen staff..."
BNG translator [to newbies]: "... Thanks to some unnamed _Secret Masters of Gaming_ for their
assistance. Now, without further ado, here are the prize winners..."
Anyway, enough bitchiness. Here's what I thought of what I played (in the order that I played them):
** Death in the Family, by Richard Todd **
[Blurb at http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page5.html [15]
(scroll down)]
Lots of fun! This was a tightly knit murder mystery where the players investigated the death of a cousin.
Because we were all related, it was easy to assume relationships and work as a team. I really liked the
fact that this wasn't an easy puzzle to solve. Luck, intuitition and hard work were needed - the
solution wasn't just handed to you on a plate. As a consequence, we didn't work out what was going on. But we had a lot of fun failing.
You could tell how much we knew about Pendragon - we thought all our horses were called Rouncy. :-)
** Fall of the House of Malan, by Jeff Richard, Dave Pearton & Neil Robinson **
[Blurb at http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page2.html [16]
(scroll down)]
I should say at this stage that my knowledge of Gloranthan lore is pretty non-existent. I know that
there are bad guys (broos), good guys (who mostly ride Llamas in Pent) and the evil Lunar empire, who
always win 'cos they have a big bat (does that make them bat riders?).
For this freeform, it didn't matter. Anyone can imagine a bunch of tribes struggling against a high
chief who has 'mad cow' disease.
I really liked the structure of this freeform. Every character belonged to a tribe and the freeform started
with those tribes talking amoungst themselves. As with "Death in the Family", family ties allowed people to build up relationships quickly. That meant that there were fewer 'lost souls', wandering the freeform without much clue about who to talk to or what is going on. Tribes members tended to work together, as well as talking to members of other tribes.
I loved this freeform. I got to be a cross-dressing Queen - what more can I say!
Thanks to the writers for bringing this freeform over from England and thanks for Chiara for passing her
character on to me.
** Southern Gothic by David Witteveen **
[Blurb at http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page4.html]
Another family affair. This time we were trying to rebuild the links between two sides of a bitter family
divide. This time, we succeeded - the fueding family members met around grandma's deathbed and made up. Of course, being Cthulhu, by succeeding we ultimately failed, but no matter - we had fun failing (again).
I love David Witteveen's stuff, and this module was no exception. Atmospheric without smothering, fun
without detracting from the roleplaying. "That team from Sydney" once said that they particularly liked
modules that provided simple, clearly defined characters that were fun to play. David provided just
that. Of course, I played the 'Spooky Youth', so I got to ham things up a bit. Maybe I'm biased.
** The Adventure of the Chasm of Bones by Garry Fay **
[Blurb at http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page5.html]
Read this blurb. It is a masterpiece of procrastination - you know, you haven't actually written the module, but the organisers want you to put the blurb in so that they can print the entry forms.
So you pull out a non-specific, but atmospheric, quote. You add a bunch of text that will get people
interested, but not tie you down too much, and you make up a name.
Then, when the entry form is printed, you have a handy reminder of what you thought your module was going to be about.
Sometimes Lyn and Garry's modules are way too angsty for me. Luckily, this wasn't one of them. Garry gave us a handy hint - they only add angst to their AD&D modules. This was Pendragon, and it was a classic romp through Authurian set pieces. We ticked off all the items in the blurb as we met them, and they were all there (drowning squire became drowning infant and drowning knight, but whose complaining?).
In some modules, this would have decended into a plodding marathon of encounters. Garry knitted them
into a story that we all cared about and wanted to develop. So maybe that blurb wasn't so haphazard after
all. And he even got to introduce the new adverb, "languidity".
Again, the characters were simple to grasp and immense fun to play. As the romantic knight, I owe my
team-mates an apology - I grabbed this character and ran with it, to the extent that I took over a bit.
Sorry. Then again, I did manage to fail the quest. :-)
** Life of MoonSon by Reaching Moon Megacorp **
[Blurb at http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page2.html]
This was a marathon three-session freeform, lasting about 9 hours. It was huge and complicated, with
multiple aims and a host of sub-plots. There were lots of Gloranthan references and I thought that I was going to be all at sea.
But then the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate out into the rain. I thought, "If these guys
can cope with that, then I can cope with this". And they did, so I did, too.
Besides, I got to wear a great plastic bustier and a snazzy red cape (thanks, Marion). And I came withing
an inch of becoming the Red Empress(?) Anyway, you can't go past a freeform which closes with
Sandy Peterson swan diving into a cauldron of seething Chaos, so that only his (very impressive) pointy hat remains.
Congratulations to Caitlin - mother and evil monster baby are both fine. And thanks to my ever-faithful
Bent-Pot, who knew just as little Gloranthan lore as I. We made a great team. :-)
Thanks to Chaosium for the sponsorship and everyone else for a great time.
Also at http://www.next.com.au/~peter/roleplay/cons [17]
First run in - 1986 at International Grammar School,Redfern, Sydney. Next scheduled to be run from 10 Apr 1998 to 13 Apr 1998 at University of New South Wales, Kensigton.
Contact mailto:clubsmed@ign.com.au [18], Mr. Aleksander Yap
More information available at SydCon [19] is a joint venture between SUtekh (Sydney Uni) and ClubSmed PRIME (UNSW Gamers) In 1998 there will be over 30 games run at Sydcon 1998. It looks set to be the biggest in it's history. Sydcon was not run in 1997 due to organisational difficulties. In the past it was very well organised, and attracted a large number of high-quality games.
Next scheduled to be run from 24 Apr 1998 to 27 Apr 1998 at Hotel Grand Chancellor, PERTH.
Contact; mailto:pcoles@alpha7.curtin.edu.au [20] (Kita Coles)
More information available at http://www.gu.uwa.edu.au/swancon/ [21]
Swancon 23 is the 23rd annual West Australian SF convention. It runs from Friday 24th April to Monday 27th April 1998. It is held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor (Hotel Formally Known as The Orchard). The Guest of Honour is Lois McMaster Bujold, Fan Guest is Gina Goddard and the Local Guest is Tess Williams. Cost is $65 til 31/12/1997, $70 til 31/3/1997.
SwanCon 23 will have a gaming stream running in conjuction with a panel, video and social stream.
First run in - 1985. Last run in May 1997 at University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Next scheduled to be run from 02 May 1998 to 04 May 1998 at University of Queensland, BRISBANE.
Contact:johnc@starvision.net.au (Mr John Collins)on (07) 3267 7488
83 Gold Street
Banyo
Brisbane
QLD
Mr Travis Hall [22] on (07) 3397 5118
57 Ferol St
Coorparoo
Brisbane
QLD
More information available at http://www.starvision.net.au/johnc/briscn/briscon.html [23]
It's on again! Entry forms are currently available for BrisCon 98. If you haven't seen one, and you want to, contact Travis and he'll add you to the mailing list.
BrisCon, as always, will be running on the Labour Day long weekend, this year the 2nd to the 4th of May (plus a registration night on the 1st of May). We've got more events than ever before in the history of BrisCon, for more fun for everyone, and the organisers are working hard to bring you the convention you want.
As always, we are looking for willing helpers (who will get a discount), including Gms.
While submissions are always welcome, you're too late for 1998. Still, contact us and we'll put your submissions away for 1999.
So, see you at BrisCon, Queensland's Premier Gaming Event.
First run in May 1998 at Moreton TAFE College ,1030 Cavendish Road, Mt.Gravatt
Next scheduled to be run from 02 May 1998 to 04 May 1998 at Moreton TAFE College ,1030 Cavendish Road , Mt.Gravatt
Contact mailto:k.done@qut.edu.au [24] (Mr Michael Stamp) on 07 3982 5326
Maelstrom
GPO Box 2148
Brisbane
QLD
A new convention will begin in Brisbane in 1998. The event is Maelstrom 98 and will feature a diverse group of traditional and contemporary gaming interests, including Chess, Go, Monopoly, Bridge, AD&D,Warhammer, Magic, Battletech, Shogun and Robo-Rally.
First run in - 1987
Next scheduled to be run from 06 Jun 1998 to 08 Jun 1998 at University of NSW, Kensington.
(Mr Michael Corbin) [25] on 02 9637 4710
Mr Tony Fahd on 02 9740 6013
SAGA
18 Dunlop St
ROSELANDS
NSW
SAGA is a roleplaying and miniatures convention run every year on the JUNE long weekend. It has been run by the Spartan Association since 1987.
The Sydney Adventure Gaming Awards has been run for many years, and is often a good place to find more "traditional" role-playing competitions. Miniatures competitions are also still run
First run in Sep 1983 at Melbourne University, MELBOURNE.
Last run in Jul 1997 at Collingwood College, Collingwood.
Next scheduled to be run from 04 Jul 1998 to 06 Jul 1998 , MELBOURNE.
Contact Arcanacon XV
PO Box 125
Parkville
VIC
(Melissa and Fraser) [26]
Arcanacon
PO Box 125
Parkville VIC
More information available at http://www.zip.com.au/~arcanacon [27]
Arcanacon is Victoria's longest-running Roleplaying convention. Since I've never been, I don't know much about it, so it's difficult to comment.
First run in Jul 1998 at Newtown School of Performing Arts,King Street, Newtown.
Next scheduled to be run from 10 Jul 1998 to 12 Jul 1998 at Newtown School of Performing Arts,King Street, Newtown.
(Mr Andrew Sinclair) [28]
Scarab Productions
PO Box K14
Haymarket
NSW
(Mr Mark Barnes) [29]
Scarab Productions
PO Box K14
Haymarket
NSW
More information available at http://www.conclave.zip.com.au [30]
Conclave is representative of all sub-cultures of gaming. We host role playing tournament, card games tournaments, computer games tournaments and board game tournaments.
Our philosophy is to provide value for money to our players, since players are consumers. Our convention is fully sponsored, and every winner team receives trophies and prizes. We have the games manufacturers - and others - to thank for their levels of support. Just because we are not being paid for our efforts, it does not mean we shouldn't act professionally!
We are the first - and only - convention in Australia to offer a best team of the convention award, with more prestige style awards to follow. It is our aim to innovate - not imitate.
Conclave - challenging convention.
First run in Jul 1998 at Illawarra Senior College, Port Kembla.
Next scheduled to be run from 17 Jul 1998 to 19 Jul 1998 at Illawarra Senior College, Port Kembla
(Ms Trish Arnts) [31] on (02) 4227-2026
PO Box U18
WOLLONGONG UNI
mailto:CD@tpgi.com.au [32] (Mr Peter Waegele)
Illawarra Games Society Inc.
PO Box U18
Wollongon
NSW
We are looking for game writers, designers, for ANYTHING!! We will see you at any of the NSW conventions (Melbourne is sucfh a long way away from where we are), but we will try to get there.We will offer you (the writer, designer, lunatic) anything we can to help you. Food discounts, mugs etc are part of the bribes, we aim to please. Gongcon has seen the problems that the other cons have had and we have 7 lunatics with too much time on their hands to nip any problems in the bud, before they arrive. Come and support our FIRST convention. We need to better the image of Wollongong, due to previous conventions ran in this region (though I hear that their first cons quite alright!!
CONTACT US ASAP, between 6pm and 12AM nightly.
NOTE: We have NOT in ANY way, shape or form ever been part of ICON and nor will we ever be!
First run in - 1989 at Sydney University, SYDNEY.
Last run in Oct 1997 at Newtown High Scool of the Performing Arts, NEWTOWN
Next scheduled to be run from 09 Oct 1998 to 12 Oct 1998 at , NEWTOWN.
(Andrew Devitt) [33]
56 Audley St
Petersham NSW
More information available at http://www.zip.com.au/~tc/necro.html [34]
Necronomicon has gained a reputation for exploring the artistic and avante garde side of roleplaying, but also caters well to those wishing to play more traditional games.
Having said that, more and more "traditional" games are also being offered, possibly in line with the growing numbers of people attracted to the con.
First run in Dec 1984 at Macquarie University, North Ryde
Last run in Dec 1997 at Macquarie University, NORTH RYDE.
Next scheduled to be run in Dec 1998 at Macquarie University, NORTH RYDE
Macquarie University Roleplaying Society [35]
Students' Council
Macquarie University
More information available at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/fulkonah/murps/index.html [36]
Macquariecon has run for several years, with a reasonably good venue and usually competant organization. There is usually a large range of games with a variety of subjects and styles catered for.
(Damien Moore)
For some vague amusement, photos taken at arcanacon are available at http://arcadia.buseco.monash.edu.au/~korg/qv/qv0007/arc/ [37]
(Unlike Django's photos from _last_ arc :-)
Visit the EPIC RPG homepage and get a free copy of the limited edition rules at: http://www.angelfire.com/mo/vrindex/index.html [38].
(Justin Fitzgerald)
Today, I'm announcing the best test release of the Frontier'sRoleplaying system. I'll be releasing it full-scale, hopefully in hardback in the near future.
Basically, consider a future, where time travel has been discovered, magic re-discovered, and that however hold the most technology rules all. Consider the thousands of races in the universe, and the new nation, known only as the Syndicate, that has enslaved the entire galaxy.
They have allowed a select few the abilities they have, the abilities to fold time and space, and go wherever they want. These people are the jumpers.
Needless to say, this is a pretty brief statement of my new game, but it should give you an idea of what's going on. I've set up to system so anyone can make anything, and time. Somewhat like Gurps does, but my system is actually cool compared anyway.
Anyway, to playtest my new game requires a small registration fee of $50. I suppose this sounds like another scam, but it's not. The reason I'm charging this fee, is I'm in the middle of putting up all sorts of stuff, which only playtesters will have access to, such as the new FrontierWeb. (coming soon)
If you'd like to be part of this, you will recieve a printed copy of the current rulebook, as well as the opportunity to have your comments, and new races placed directly into the new book! I will definitely be incredibly receptive of all of your comments, because that's what this is all about.
If you would like to please send check or money order to:
Justin Fitzgerald
304 1/2 W. 7th St.
Maryville, MO 64468
And if you have any more questions, please contact me at
justinf@hotmail.com [39].
Also, I have a friend who plays that might like receiving email too, robncjon@netins.net [40].
(Beppe)
This is the HP of The RPGs ,you can find all about your favourite rpg, and you can also help us in making a rpg on line, using the materil that you will send to us. You can also find the HP of Story Telling 20, the rpg created by Mitsuhashi, Anderson and Vegeta.
Come and visit us at
HTTP://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/1425/ [41]
(Joseph Teller)
The Shadow Bindings RPG main mechanics have been completed and are available
online and for downloading at the Fantasy Realms Journal (www.fantasyrealms.simplenet.com [42]). This is a new free-to-use game system and we are interested in comments, suggestions and feedback on them.
(Eden StudioÕs)
Cryptozoology for Conspiracy X has shipped to distributors last week nd should be in stores.Anyone unable to get there hands on a copy can e-mail us for information on ordering the latest Conspiracy X products.
Also, The Aegis Handbook has been released. Also available from Eden Studios are Conspiracy X t-shirts.
Customer Service (518) 435-1128
(Greg Porter)
The upgraded v1.1 spreadsheet for 3G3 is now available from Hyperbooks Online. It is in Excel 5.0 format. Excel 5.0 is available for both Mac and IBM machines, and is part of the Microsoft Office package.
The current version of the 3G3 sheet has on-line help, less bugs ;), a cleaner interface and can import data from other design sheets. So, for instance you can import your ammo parameters into the gun design page, or import your gun into the global conversions page. Speaking of which, we now have a Fuzion license so that system has been added.
As thanks to those who bought the previous versions, BTRC will email (on request) the v1.1 to anyone on our list of Hyperbooks customers who bought a v1.0x.
On related news, the version 1.1 .pdf of the 3G3 rules is now available. The only major change is the addition of Fuzion to the conversions and Universal Damage Chart. We hope to have an independent .pdf of the Fuzion conversion available on the web site in a week or so.
Anyone who wants to do an on-line review of this or our other on-line products, feel free to do so, but please send us a copy so we can link or put it on our web site.
(A rumour from Mark at Goldrush Games) & USAGI YOJIMBO!
I've spoken with Paul Hume at length about Bushido (and at one time about revising the game
Mark @ GRG
PS: Watch for the USAGI YOJIMBO Role-Playing Game. Based on the hit comic by Stan Sakai. Original cover by Stan Sakai and Tom Luth! August '97 | Gold Rush Games POB 2531 Elk Grove CA 95759; 916-684-9443; http://members.aol.com/goldrushg [43]
(Michael John Weaver)
The IRPGL is a not for profit organization dedicated to three mainobjectives.
1. Increase the diversity of RPGs offered at conventions
2. Increase the participation of women and minorities in role playing
3. Helping gamers find one another via our contact list
Membership is FREE. To join see our membership form via our link from http://www.rpg.net/ [44]
(Sue Solberg)
For anyone interested in Play-by-Mail games, Reality Simulations Inc. (on of the world's largest pbm companies) now has a branch in Australia. We're offering three of our games in Oz: Duelmasters, ancient gladiatorial combat; Forgotten Realms (R), realm conquest in the Savage Frontier; and Hyborian War, imperial conquest in the age of Conan the Barbarian.
For more information on-line check out: http://www.reality.com/ [45]
Or e-mail me at: morrighu@ambience.com.au [46]
(Mark C Mackinnon)
Guardians Of Order Announces A New Japanese Anime Role-Playing Game
Guardians Of Order announced today that its latest product, "Big Eyes, Small Mouth -- A Universal Japanese Anime Role-Playing Game", has premiered at August 7th, 1997 at North America's largest gaming convention, GenCon (Milwaukee, Wisconsin).
"This is an exciting moment for us," commented Guardians Of Order President Mark MacKinnon. "We believe that Big Eyes, Small Mouth fills a void in the anime role-playing market, since most current releases are grounded in mecha-style anime. We wanted to offer something different -- a universal game that could accommodate all genres of anime, with a heavy emphasis on role-playing. I think we accomplished our goal."
"Big Eyes, Small Mouth" is inspired by the dynamic characters and stories found in all genres of Japanese animation. The flexibility of the rules allows Game Masters to design adventures for nearly any setting or time period. Character creation can take less than ten minutes, and is extensive enough to offer characters magic, psionics, battle mechs, acrobatics, enhanced combat skills and unique artifacts. The game also features amazing artwork by talented fan artists, easy-to-follow flowcharts, a quick and elegant combat system, game "seeds" to assist Game Masters develop adventures, as well as a comprehensive glossary, bibliography and index.
"Our playtesters really appreciated the speed and smoothness of the game mechanics," added Vice-President Karen McLarney. "Dice rolling is kept to a minimum, which really puts players in the role-playing spotlight."
"Big Eyes, Small Mouth" (ISBN 0-9682431-0-X) is written by Mark C. MacKinnon.
Available from Guardians Of Order (Product Number 02-001). The retail price is $13.95 US ($15.95 CAN). For more information, contact Guardians Of Order at guardiansorder@hotmail.com [47] or at the address below. The Guardians Of
Guardians Of Order
c/o Mark C. MacKinnon
176 Janefield Ave, Unit #300
Guelph, Ontario
CANADA N1G 2L6
The long awaited summary of the "Dark Realms, Role Playing Universe."
"The Dark Realms are a place of Indescribable evil and horror; a center for evil and chaos in the universe. They, like the Elemental planes and many others, sit just beyond the boundaries of conventional existance. Since the beginning of time the Denizens of the Dark Realms have tried to influence the realms of the living and tried to gain enough support to open a permanent gateway into conventional space. The Realms of Light have opposed them every step of the way. Wherever and whenever you choose to set your campaign, there is the potential that the characters could get swept up in this conflict"
The Dark Realms role playing system is a set of gaming rules that can be used for any setting. The core rule book includes all the information gamers will need to run any fantasy setting. A little information has been provided on the Dark Realms themselves and the creatures that come form that dark realm.
Weapons and equipment for different tech level will be forthcoming in future suppliments. Read the bottom of this message for a glimpse at the support material in the works for the Dark Realms.
The following is a brief summary of the Drak Realms gaming system...
The most important element to to the Dark Realms system is the "Results Table". Using the Results Table any and all random outcomes can be determined. The Results Table is a set of columns that represent ratios, with each column having 12 potential outcomes. This allows the entire Dark Realms system to be run using a single D12.
Everything in the Dark Realms works off of a ratio comparison. Say for example a character had a skill rating of 6 in Tracking. That character was attempting to Track a specific type of critter, lets say one that was fairly stealthy. The "Realm Master" will have to assign a Difficulty factor to this task. (average difficulty of 5). The Realm Master decides this task has a Difficulty Facotor of 7. Subtracting 7 from 5 puts the character on the (-3 to -2) column of the Results Table. The D12 would then be rolled and the outcome copared against the (-3 to -2) column. A result of a dash means the character will have failed in his tracking attempt. Any number result marks a successful Tracking,with a higher number result meaning greater success.
Races: Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Human
Hybrid Races: Half Elf, Gnoman (Human/Gnome), Half Dwarf, Olme (Gnome/Elf), Dworm (Dwarf/Gnome)
Optional Races: Felinian, Goblin, Kobald, Minotaur, Rylar
Primary Attributes: Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Endurance, and Presence.
Personality: "Personality Traits", which are short desciptions of the negative and positive aspects to the character's idiosyncrasies. The player will have to role play these aspects of the character and they will recieve experience bonuses for how well these traits are played.
Character Professions: Archer, Assassin, Fighter, Healer, Knight, Psychic, Rogue, Spell Twister, Tradesman, and Woodsman.
Skills: Skills make up the core of the character's knowledge. Skills are divided inot two categories; Skill Fields and Skills. A Skill Field is a broad selection of knowledge relating to a general topic. A character must first learn learn a Skill Field, gaining a basic understanding of everything in that topic before moving on to study Skills, which are specific sets of knowledge and abilites. In this manner, all Skills fall within a certain Skill Field.
Combat is determined by three basic Combat Attributes. These are Attack Level, Defense Level, and Dodging. The Attack Level of the attacker is first compared against the defender's Dodging, and then if the Dodge attempt fails, against the defender's Defense Level. The Defense Level is subtracted from the Attack Level in the same manner as a Diffucluty factor is subtracted from a Skill rating.
For example: If the attacker had an Attack Level of 7 and the defender a Defense level of 3, then the attack would be rolled on the (+2 to +4) column of the results table. A result of a dash would mean no damage was dealt, with any number result being equal to the amount of Hit Points inflicted.
And naturally there are adjustments for speed, strength and all the usual, but they are incorperated into the three basic Combat Attributes just mentioned.
Attack Level: This is a combination of the weapon type the character is using, the quality of that weapon and the character's Weapon Mastery skill with that weapon.
Defense Level: This is a combination of the armor (defenses worn) the character has, the quality of that armor and any shield the character may be using. No factor for skill go into Defense level, for that is portrayed in the character's Dodging skill.
Magic is portrayed by Spell Fields. A Spell Field represents an entire topic of magic, just a a Skill Field represents a broad set of knowledge. Examples of Spell Fields would be Fire, Water, Air, Detection, Necromancy and so on. The character with this knowledge may then attempt any magic that uses that knowledge. For example: a Spell Twister with the Spell Field of Fire could throw a fire ball, try to light something flamable on fire, summon a Fire Elemental or do anything else the player can imagine at that moment. In this fashion every spell use can be different and made specific for what is needed at that time.
The harder the attempted use fo the magic, the higher the Difficulty Factor the Realm Master will assign the task. The character's Spell Field rating is then compared against the Difficulty factor of the attempt to see what column will be used on the Results Table. Whatever level Spell is being attempted is how many Spell Points are used. And a player may chose to ast a spell at less than its maximum potential potency, thus using less Spell Points, but eneded up rolling on a lesser column on the Results Table.
And yes, certain specific Spells may be designed and mastered, giving the character bonuses to cast that exacting thinng.
And that is a brief summary of the Dark Realms, Role Playing Universe.
We are currenlty taking mail orders for the Dark Realms. The book is (still) at the printers and should be ready for mailing within about a week. The Dark Realms is a 96 page book, with a glossy color cover and perfect bound.
Retail and mail order price of only... $9.99.
To mail order a copy send check or money order for the amount of $9.99 plus $1 shipping and handling to:
Guild of Blades Publishing Group
2002 E. kalamazoo
Lansing, MI 48912, USA
All locations outside the continental US, send $3 shipping and handling (not $1). All funds to be in US currency or equal value amount of any other currency.
Or save youself that shipping cost and look for Dark Realms on the shelf of you local hobby stores. Ask your retailer to pre order it now!
Future releases for the Dark Realms:
Mystic's beacon:
This is the forthcoming tome of magic for the Dark Realms, detailing the Spell Fields in greater detail, explaining how to create new Spell Fields, listing countless famous Spells from around the universe and depicting a number of magical critters that are associated with magic. A must have for any Spell Twister.
Book of the Realms:
This expansion brings the conflict between the Dark Realms and Realms of Light into greater detail. Setting will be detailed for inside each realm and new player races and classes offered so you can play a minion from either side of the conflict.
Weapons of the Ages:
This book of warfare will list weapons, armor and equipment for every time setting imaginable. With this suppliment you will be able to play the Dark Realms in any tech level and timeline.
Empires & Overlords:
This will be the first book detailing the epic space conflict for the Empires & Overlords setting. This expansion will introduce a multitude of galactic empires, dozens of new races, new technologies, multiple new Professional classes and a brief history of the 5 Galactic Wars.
Empires & Overlords Atlas:
This Atlas will map the cronological history of the Empires & Overlords Universe and the 5 Galactic Wars. Each galactic empire and race will be explained in greater detail, examinig the religions and Overlords that lead them.
Empires & Overlords: Space Warfare:
This suppliment for the Empires & Overlords setting for the Dark Realms will detail the front line and specialty space and battleships for the many galactic empires. Included with be ship diagrams and stats. Tips and scenarios will be included for the Realm Master so the characters may be introduced to this unique campaign setting.
Guild of Blades Publishing Group
(Member of the GPA)
Contacts:
John L. Ross - WebMaster
Ryan O. Johnson - Sales/Product Inquiries
Marisa K. Boese - Editor
Web: http://www.guildofblades.com [48]
e-mail: rossjoh1@pilot.msu.edu [49]
Office: Guild of Blades
2002 E. Kalamazoo
Lansing, MI 48912
Phone: (517)267-1409
Chaosium has begun the process of creating a new Glorantha-based corporation, tentatively called Issaries Inc. Glorantha is the popular fantasy world developed for the pastthree decades by Greg Stafford. This corporatyion shall hold the Glorantha trademark, create books and games for sale, actively license the trademark to create other income souurces.
We want to have a new Glorantha roleplaying game on the market 18 months after the company begins operations. All stockhlders will receive a free copy of the first edition, first printing of this new game.
This new corporation will be separate from Chaosium Inc., primaruly to isolate its funding so that the investors know that the money is going to Glorantha products, rather than to Chaosium projects. Nonetheless, Chasoium will be the majority shareholder, and will also be commisioned to handle many of the more mundane business apects (administration, warehousing, sales, etc), for a reasonable fee. Thus, Issaries Inc., shall be a design house whose paper game products will be licensed to Chaosium.
Our publication plans begin witha triop of reference books, followed by a roleplaying game and a regular scgedule of supplements. We have many new and exciting ideas for this. With our first release Introduction To Glorantha, you will be able to just say, "Here, read this first." As a stockholder, you will get a copy of this book before we send them to our paying customers.
Issaries Inc., shall also actively seek licensors for its trademark. A computergame is already well into development. We will also seek licensees in the traditional realms of t-shirts, posters, and minature figures. All other potential licensed products will be aggressively pursued as well, including movies, comin books, board games, action toys, and food products.
We had previously discussed working with Stratelibri, our Italian allies, to be our major financial investor. That plan has fallen through because of rapidly changing financial conditions in Italy. Although we sincerely hope that Stratelibri will be an investor, and that they may still benefit from sublicensing from us, their previously discussed involvement has not materialised. Thus this letter to you.
A new business can ordinarily anticipate two types of investors: the fan and the financial investor. WeÕre asking you, our fans., for help first. We ask that you can help us complete an Issaires Feat and create something new. You can share in the process of takling immaterial ideas and transforming them into a solid, successful, publishing company.
We at Chaosium have always tried to please our fans, and we gratefully acknowledge your loyal support. Many of you have asked how to help. Here is one concrete way.
A single share of Issaries Inc., will be only $100
This is how you can join us, knowing that you have contributed to the welfare and growth of Glorantha. YouÕll also reap further benefits thereby. Normal stockholder benefits include an invitation to the annual board meeting, the right to vote for the Board of Directors and on decisive money issues, and receipt of an aannual budget and report on sales activities. Share ownershiup in Issaries Inc., will also get you one or more free game books or games per year, depending upon your total investment.
We can't realistically rely upon professional financial investors to help us here. They want a large return on their investment, which our conservative numbers do not show. Our business plan will succeed because the expectations of our stockholders are not to collect huge dividents, but to focus on publishing Gl;oranthan products.
We know this plan can succeed because Chaosiun has done this before. Our financial estimates are realistic rather than ballooned up for special effects. We want to err towards caustion hgere.
We can not honestly begin anything until we have $50,000 on hand. We are absolutely committed to having that amount of money on hand since we can not be sure of suucess wiothout it. We hope we can find either 500 of you who will buy one share each, one person who will purchase 500 shares, or some combination thereof. We have prepared a full business prospectus for thos who are interested.
Are you interested?
If you are, please contact Greg Stafford at Chaosium Inc., to discuss this offer, and to be put on the list for more information.
Chaosium: 950 56thStreet, Oakland, CA, 94608-3136., Ph: [510] 547-7681, fx: [510] 547-2651, Web: http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html [50] e-mail: greg@chaosium.com [51]
The RuneQuest Society was founded in 1990 in Germany by twelve fans of RQ and Glorantha. Its main goal was to produce a German magazine for RQ, Glorantha and related games (Call of Cthulhu, Elric!, Nephilim, Hawkmoon, and ElfQuest). The new magazine wasnamed Free INT, and the first issue was published in 1991. Since that time 16 issues of Free INT have been published. Over the past seven years the RuneQuest Society also organised eight RQ Cons in Germany. The eigth one was held at beautiful Castle Stahleck in Bachrarch, Germnany on the weekend of May 16-19, 1997.
The need of strong fan in Germany was strong. RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu and Elric! have not been promoted in Germany by the respective licensees when theyÕve had full licenses at all. As a result, those systems nearly disappeared among role-players in Germany. The RuneQuest Society's work on Free INT and the RQ Cons have helped mainatin and strengthen RQs presence on the German roleplaying scene. Since our founding weÕve enlisted 160 new members from around the world.
The success of the RuneQuest Society got us thinking about exporting our set-up to other countries. After all, there are a lot of gamers out there. But far too many of us are isolated unable to get support material for our favourite games in any quantity. We realised that a worldwide organisation for all RuneQuest/Gloranthan fans could be a great thing for all of us, allowing gamers to communicate with each other, share new material, and pool ideas.
It soon became clear, however, that it wouldnÕt be practical to run an international RuneQuest Society from a single headquaters in Germany. The task is just too big, and the result would be too unwieldy. The solution was obvious. If a single world-wide RQ Society was too big to handle, we'd start sister organisations throughout the world, administered locally, but co-operating internationally.
And so we searched for and found committed fans in the USA and Australia to organise local RQ Societies (renamed the Chaos Society in those areas). Scott Knowles is the co-ordinator of the Chaos Society in the USA, and in Australia Andrew Bean recently passed the torch to Hugh McVicker and Peter Tracey who are jointly running the Australian organisation. Each is responsible for running the Chaos Society in their respective regions. TheyÕll handle the distribution of products we have produced so far and plan to publish in the future.
As our firststep towards an international RuneQuest Society, we published the English-language magazine Tradetalk. The first issue was made up of articles translated from German originals in Free INT magazine,; however this and future issues will draw upon the huge volume of fan-created material from all around the world, most of which are originally written in English. Since Tradetalk is an English-language magazine, that makes our job much easier. Incidentally, Free INT will continue to published in German and has been renamed Schattenklinge.
An international fan society for RuneQuest and Glorantha is definately an idea whose time has come. Most new material for RuneQuest overthe last decade has been created and published by fans of the game and of Glorantha. Look at the things that fans have been creating;
Mind you, that list is hardly complete! There;s for more activity out there than we could catalogue. The Chaos Society will help bring all RQ/Glorantha fans together in one club, enabling us all to give better support to RuneQuest, Glorantha and the related Chaosium products we play. Our first steps are magazines - Schattenklinge and TradeTalk - but we're always looking for ways to expand and improve. WeÕre supported in this effor by Chaosium and the discoverer of Glorantha, Greg Stafford )who is one of our members, as are Sandy Petersen and Ken Rolston).
The membership fee is 30.- DM per year, UK 12lbs, US $20 or AUS $30 in the respective regions - the latter prices subject to change depending on the future of the Chaos Societies overseas - the latter prices subject to change depending on future plans of the Chaos Societies overseas.
All members receive:
A subscription to that year's TradeTalk (probably three issues a year), access to all material produced in the past (The Jonstown Guide and The World's Greatest Tournament), all material published in the future, and the membership list of 170 RQ fans around the world.
With support from our Australian and American branches we hope to get enough submissions to produce TradeTalk four times per year (and things are looking good). The physical quality of Tradetalk wonÕt be quite as high as that of Tales of the Reaching Moon (for example),but our main goal is to make as much high-qualiyt material as possible available to players. First and foremost, TradeTalk is a magazine made by fans for fans.
RuneQuest Gesellschaft
c/o Ingo Tschinke
Schevemoorer Lanstr 33
28325 Bremen
Germany
+49 421 40 26 34
tschinke@nordwest.de [52]
Chaos Society USA
c/o Scott Knowles
PO Box 1658
Jacksonville, OR 97530
USA
Delecti@aol.com [53]
Chaos Society Australia
c/o Hugh McVicker
37 Walker St
Northcote VIC 3070
AUSTRALIA
ph 61 3 9481 5564
mrwhippy@bud.cc.swin.edu.au [54]
Traveller Interviewer Notes
When I first heard that Marc Miller was getting back the rights to the Traveller line from GDW, my first thought was great! My next thought was maybe Mr. Miller will agree to an interview. Mr Miller was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to answer some questions. I would like to thank Mr. Miller again for his cooperation.
Hope you enjoy the interview,
Craig Janssen
Q. You been away from the industry for quite sometime. Can you tell us where you have been and what you have been doing? Or were you abducted by Ancients ;-).
A. Between 1988 and 1991, I was executive vice president of Game Designers' Workshop, Inc, which meant that I had day-to-day managerial responsibility for the company, and I did not do large amounts of design. I left GDW in 1991 and pursued a variety of activities: in the real world, I sold insurance for four years, which I believe gave me valuable experience and a grounding in non-game business operations. I work in partnership with my wife Darlene in Heartland Publishing Services... that company provides printing and publishing consulting services to game companies (both established and start-up) in print and in marketing activities. I designed several computer games and published a collectible card game.
Q. What computer games did you design?
A. I worked on MegaTraveller, MegaTraveller II, and Twilight: 2000 (from Paragon/Microprose) and on Challenge of the Five Realms (also Paragon/Microprose). In each case, I was writing the basic story/scenario and then looking over their shoulder as they programmed and implemented what I provided. It's amazing how it changes in light of what is possible and under time pressure.
Q. Can you tell us of your background in the gaming industry?
A. I started in gaming in 1967 in college when, as a political science minor, I worked with political science role-playing and simulation games at the University of Illinois. In 1972, after leaving the Army, I attended Illinois State University, where I hooked up with Frank Chadwick, Rich Banner, and Loren Wiseman in the establishment of SimRAD (Simulation Research Analysis and Design), a project at the university dedicated to producing educational simulations for classroom use. I produced a variety of custom simulations (on politics, economics, and history) between 1972 and 1974. In 1973, the four of us also established Game Designers' Workshop.
Q. Are you going to use ideas and rules based on Classic Traveller for the new Traveller game? Or are you looking to overhaul the entire system? Or start from scratch?
A. My statement on T4 has been that it will be based on Classic Traveller in light of 20 years of role-playing experience. By that I mean, the rules will be upgraded to include a task system, new character career types, and other details. I have seen the final basic rules set (which is now at the printers) which will release at GenCon (keep your fingers crossed).
Q. There have been all kinds of rumors on the direction that you will take the new Traveller. Can you enlighten us on the direction and theme(s), that you currently have in mind?
A. I think the proof will be in the game book at GenCon.
Q. There will be quite a few of us,that will not be at GenCon. Can you elaborate?
A. We have reduced the broad number of character / career types a double handfull. The new ones of note are: Agents, Scholars, and Entertainers. I think entertainer has great potential... as a talented person, you are travelling to the stars performing you speciality in order to survive, and having adventures along the way.
The task system (in its latest incarnation tanks to Lester Smith) continues our effort to make Traveller able to handle any situation.
Q. For the people not acquainted with Traveller product line, can you give us some of the background of the game and changes it has seen?
A. The original Traveller science-fiction game rules were published in 1977 as three 5.5 by 8.5 inch books in a distinctive black cover highlighted with a characteristic red stripe. Book 1 detailed the creation of characters and resolution of personal combat. Book 2 dealt with starships (including interstellar travel, starship design and construction, and starship combat). Book 3 included a system for describing worlds and how to adventure on them.
This original edition (now called Classic Traveller) was envisioned as generic or universal game system in which any situation or adventure could be player out. Each individual referee was expected to create and administer his or her own adventures. Its innovative rules introduced the concept of skills for characters and detailed random generation tables for characters, animals, and worlds.
The game was an immediate success, filling the as yet unfilled need for science-fiction (and more sophisticated) equivalent to the fantasy oriented Dungeons & Dragons. For more than a year, the three black books in a box were the only items in game system. But player response during that period demanded additional game support in the form of additional rules, and in an expanded, more specific background against which to play.
For expanded rules, Game Designers' Workshop began a tradition of issuing additional Books numbered in series with the first three. Mercenary (Book 4; by Frank Chadwick) appeared in 1978 and detailed military characters and operations. High Guard (Book 5) appeared in 1979 and detailed naval characters and space combat. Scouts (Book 6) appeared in 1983 and detailed interstellar scout characters and star system and world generation. Merchant Prince (Book 7) appeared in 1985 and detailed merchant characters and an expanded trade and commerce system. Robots (Book 8; by Joe Fugate and Gary Thomas) appeared in 1986 and dealt with robots and their place in the universe.
For a more specific background, Game Designers' Workshop began a concerted effort to publish materials which defined the interstellar society of the future. In more than 60 additional volumes, extensive details of the vast Third Imperium were revealed to followers of the Traveller game system. This milieu of the Late Imperium became the foundation of the Traveller universe.
At the same time players and referees wanted to publish their own materials, and a series of licensed materials were authorized. Judges Guild, Digest Group, and Seeker produced numbers of materials. It is interesting to note that FASA began its existence as a Traveller licensee.
In 1987, the Traveller game system was revised to consolidate the materials of the past ten years and in the process, it became a more detailed and somewhat more complex game system. To its credit and at its core, it introduced a task system capable of resolving a wide range of situations.
MegaTraveller also introduced violent change in the Traveller universe by advancing the background of the game one step into the future. The new edition introduced the Rebellion Milieu, which chronicled the assassination of the Emperor who ruled the Third Imperium and the deterioration of the empire into a number of competing states embroiled in rebellion and civil war.
In 1992, Game Designers' Workshop determined that all of its role-playing game rules systems should be consolidated under what was called the house rules system, which was essentially the rules set for Twilight: 2000. An extensive re-write of the game system by Dave Nilsen produced Traveller: The New Era, which again advanced the background one step into the future: into the increasingly chaotic aftermath of the Rebellion called the Virus Era. Although the game won the Origins Award for best role-playing game and has devoted followers, it also introduced another level of complexity to the system.
The following is by no means a fully fledged article for the use of developmental psychology in roleplaying games however it should point to specific issues that effect psychological development that should be catered for in role playing and simulation games (most of which are not).
Actions and their symbolic references provide the data which can be located in value complexes. In doing so, both psychology and sociology can assess the level of development in rational value complexes, distinctions between transcendental and imaginary vvalues, and effects of action types. Using complex function theory, it is possible to locate structural affinities and repititions in behaviour according to an analysis of legal codes (sociology) and moral codes (psychology). In both cases however, specific levels of development need to obtained. In the society, sociology presupposes social systems of sufficient functional scope. In the individual, psychological assessments must presuppose physical and cognitive abilities.
This article examines developmental psychology according to biological status, cognitive development (Jean Piaget), moral development (Max Kohlberg), psychoanalytic development (Sigmund Freud), and a general category of expressive development.
| Biological (Age) | Cognitive | Moral | Psychoanalytic | Expressive |
| Infancy (0-1.5) | Sensorimotor | - | - | Instinct |
| Early Childhood (1.5-6) | Preoperational | Preconventional | Id | Language |
| Late Childhood (6-13) | Concrete operational | Conventional | Ego | Industry | Adolescence and Adulthood (13+) | Formal operational | Post-conventional | Superego | Sexuality |
Biological (Age): Stages in biological status is a matter of medical science. Positive age is expressed only as a general reference as not only individual variations, but social circumstances can radically alter physical status. Twenty is a nominal age for the completion of adolescence representing the average age when all physical growth has been virtually completed. However, individual characteristics often develop at a much earlier age. For example, Tanner's (J.M. Tanner. Growth of Adolescence, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1962) comparative study including data from the United States, Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Great Britian, notes that the average age of menarche declines according to general physical health. In 1850, the average was 17, 1875 (16.5), 1900 (15.5), 1925 (14.5), and in 1950 (13.5). The ages presented above probably best represent those for a medieval/traditional campaign, but are appropriate probably up to the late 19th century. From that point onwards, use Tanner's data for a comparitive reduction.
Cognitive Development: The exhaustive research of Jean Piaget correlates cognitive skills which concur with biological development. Piaget's categories (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) refer to the scope of cognitive skills. The first represents instinctual stimulus-response, the second cognitive references without manipulation, the third cognitive manipulation of the individual environment, and in the final stage, hypothetical environments. Notably cross-cultural applications of Piaget have confirmed the general model of stages, but have noted cultural variations within specific stages. Piaget's research deals specifically with cognitive developments in children and adolescents. The inclusion of "imaginary" cognitive abilities for adults represents problematic concerns beyond cognitive resolution (e.g., metaphysics, transcendent moral reasons, atemporal aesthetics).
Moral Development: The development of cognitive skills correlates with the development of moral codes whose general stages reflect expectations of behaviour (preconventional), norms of behaviour (conventional), and principles of behaviour (post-conventional). It is useful at this stage to distinguish developments in moral procedure as a critique of the implicit evolutionary assumptions concerning the development of law. Kohlberg can be effectively differentiated as follows, according to normative attitudes and value of others. The former can be reflects committment to legal and cultural codes, the latter respect for individual autonomy.
| Level | Stage | Normative Attitude | Alter-Value |
| 0 | 0 | None | |
| 1 | I | Fear of authority | Object |
| 2 | I | Naive Hedonism | Instrumental |
| 3 | II | Approval | Affection |
| 4 | II | Civic-Legal | Independence |
| 5 | III | Welfare | Universal |
| 6 | III | Principles | Sacred |
| 7 | IV? | Matyr | Avatar |
This differentiation of procedural attitudes in morality is useful to elucidate the distinction between pathological, normal, and virtuous moral behaviour. Pathological behavior is represented by a radical fragmentation of moral principles, normal behaviour as the mean of individual codes, of moral principles, normal behaviour as the mean of individual codes, and virtuous behaviour according to rational development and synthesis of codes. For example, a pathological individual may be prepared to die for their assessment of the alter as an object (7/1), whereas a virtuous individual would be prepared to die for the rights of others (7/7).
Psychoanalytic Development: Stripped of its biological pretensions (no development at the infant stage), Freud's categories of id, ego, and superego can be reflect the psychoanalytic categories of the individual according to symbolic scope. These categories concur with moral and cognitive development. The development of the id reflects a mentality of individual eroticism, the ego of individual autonomy and sublimated eroticism, and the superego of recognition of the consciousness of the alter (morality).
Expressive Development: This category is included here to represent the combination of cognitive, moral, and psychoanalytic developments into contents of action expressions which are confirmed by psychological data. Language begins with the reference of the signifier to the signified, industry with egoistic concrete manipulations, and sexuality with the formation of moral principles. Variation in cognitive categories at the adult stage is the expression of values, which include attitudes from cognitive imagination, psychological, and sociological repression, which correlate to structures of agency, therapy, and social criticism. Ambiguity of value expressions is the resulting content of distortions and freedoms available to cognitive development.
aka A Gloranthan Medical Research Article
Note from the Celerida True Spoken, High Censor of Lhankor Mhy in Nochet.
The document you are about to read has been classified for use by only high priests of the Lightbringers and must not be distributed to those without the wisdom to use the information properly.
The author of the commentary known as Karla the Younger while a fine healer was prone to consider heretical theories which brush dangerously close to the evil of the Godlearners. It is of small matter for Karla the Younger ventured into Snakepipe Hollow on a Heroquest in 1622 and was never seen again.
If there is any wisdom of note in this document it lies in the fact that misinterpretation of holy scripture by the ignorant can lead to grave catastrophe. The gods in their wisdom allow deviationists to mete out their own punishment. Karla the Younger for her part was of a shrewish disposition and of noteable ugliness whatever her merit as a healer.
Excerpt from the Chalansaga
... having crossed the mighty Rockwoods in the chariot of Mastakos the party alighted nigh unto the lands of lost Seshna for she too slumbered in the Earth-Womb for fear of the Krjalki. The souls here too wandered lost to their prayers and their eyes were hollow and limbs scrawny for their gods were dead. Issaries chose and blessed the campsite that the Lightseekers might receive the prayers and hopes of their followers and they retired to do so.
The silence was broken by the freakish wails of Flesh Man gibbering with fear about his visions of the trail of the great army of the Wakbothi despoiling land and kin. Chalana sang him the song of comfort to ease his troubles but his restlessness grew the closer they came to the Gates of Dusk. Orlanth brooded with dark brow and even Issaries and Lhankor Mhy grew quiet and grim as the Flesh Man began to utter the obscenities he witnessed. Eurmal, ever the lover of trouble disliked having his worship disturbed by the vile ravings of the Flesh Man drew up his worst visage and mocked him. Look on me Meat Man and know silence for I am Wakboth stealing your flesh through your vision ! quoth the Trickster with an ominous laugh. There was an audible snap as the mind of the Flesh Man broke under the fear and he fled into the dying woods like a mad ghost.
The All-Compassionate Chalana had ceased her surprise at Eurmal s heartless idiocy and bade Orlanth see to his discipline while she fled into the blackness in search of her companion. With care and trepidation she followed the noise of the ravings though she herself was in danger of becoming lost and fearful. Twice Chalana thought she saw her foe the Zorak Zoran moving in the woods and once an apparition of Wakboth himself appeared. Then there was silence and Chalana could follow no longer it seemed. She feared to call to her companion as her cry might summon any kind of monster, indeed perhaps his silence indicated death ! Then Chalana realised that fear and madness were akin and that courage was her only way forwards to save her comrade. So Chalana called out to Flesh Man and he answered with a wail of fear.
Chalana Arroy ran towards the screaming and found Flesh Man in the oils of a creature of contradiction. A half woman half snake wound around a dead tree and with a face as serene as a sleeping babe, the entity could well have been Krjalki. While her lower half disempowered and paralysed Flesh Man her upper half offered succor and comforting words to her fevered charge. As Chalana approached, it looked up and demanded to know who she was. Chalana Arroy identified herself and with calm and determined tone told the creature to release Flesh Man back to her care. The creature mocked the healer saying I was told that the Chalana Arroy was a great healer and could even charm away Malia, yet she cannot even look after one man ! You are not the Chalana Arroy ! .
Chalana Arroy paused, for the creature spoke truth and showed her error and weakness. But that was ridiculous ! Chalana was there specifically to care for Flesh Man. Becoming more stern Chalana then demanded that the creature identify herself. It said its name was Serpent Girdle and that Flesh Man was now hers to heal. Chalana spake that she could not allow that but the Serpent Girdle bade her consider that he was now calm and at ease and to move him would be foolish.
Serpent Girdle assured Chalana Arroy that she was a good and worthy servant of life and that no harm would come to Flesh Man . Looking deep into Flesh Man s ebbing mind and soul Chalana could see his vision was as if he were in a pit of serpents, twisting, choking and poisoning him. When she looked into the eyes of the serpents however she diagnosed that the cause of Fleshman s growing insanity was Serpent Girdle. At the same moment both goddesses realised that they knew the intention of the other and Serpent Girdle prepared to strike. As the blow came Chalana called upon her serenity to transcend her adversary and the poison and pain of insanity washed over her soothing prescence without effect. Then with a touch Chalana reached out and touched the cruel heart of Serpent Girdle, calming her.
Then the other Lightseekers burst into the clearing for Issaries had followed Chalana and Flesh Man s trail. Issaries struck first at her fingers, then Lhankor Mhy at her ear; finally Orlanth with six swift and mighty cuts severed her limbs until she lay in seven parts and hurled them clear over the Rockwoods. Chalana Arroy wept and her comrades asked her why for they had saved both she and Fleshman from the clutches of Serpent Girdle. To this Chalana told them that Serpent Girdle posed them no threat and that with her magic she Chalana Arroy had overcome their foe but they had done great woe to have slain Serpent Girdle. Orlanth quoth that for his part he saw no harm in slaying chaos when it overran the world. Chalana spake that she took an oath that none who were powerless would come to harm under her care, and that she feared the consequences of what had transpired. Orlanth spoke again saying that Chalana swore no oath to protect Krjalki but Chalana was uncertain whether Serpent Girdle was Krjalki as she was unable to diagnose what indeed she was. Orlanth squalled and blustered maintaining his opinion but Lhankor Mhy and Issaries looked worried. Eurmal, (who had been chased up a tree by Orlanth) taunted them and bared his buttocks at them. Flesh Man rested less fitfully and Chalana Arroy and Lhankor Mhy discussed what they had learned and the the skeins of possibility their actions would bring...
Commentary by Chirugeon Sage Karla the Younger of Nochet. ST 1618.
In these troubled times when war seems imminent yet again, I and many Lightbringer Worshippers have found comfort in the legends of our Goddess and the Grey Lord. Having read these words many times in passing in the holy Chalanasaga I had never been struck by the possible interpretation which I offer here.
Within the holy scripture I posit lies a cure for the growing incidence of crippling madness with which we find ourselves increasingly beset. While it is true that most of the afflicted have been savaged in battle with the forces controlled by the Red Moon s magicians, others have been driven to insanity though clashes with Chaos, the loss of loved ones to war, and other aetiologies.
While we all understand fear and grief (are we not all children of the Flesh Man ?), it seems a hard fate that while we who minister to the wounded can bring the very dead back to life yet when a mind is broken the best we seem able to offer is a song of comfort. Indeed what good is it to send a lune-shocked warrior back into battle with her body intact when her ability to fight effectively is shattered ?
Not to mention the painful plight of the hundreds of refugees who daily beg for food while carrying who knows what terrible cycle of woe in their minds.
It is my contention that within this passage of the Chalanasaga there is food for thought such that only one with the unique insight of both the Blessed Lady and the Grey Lord such as myself could truly fathom for I believe it is the key to overcoming madness. This I do equally for the sake of both my gods as the pursuit of knowledge and healing go hand in hand here. I place my thesis at the seat of knowledge for approval and offer 12 scribed copies to the libraries of my gods.
Posit: That madness is not a disease as we have been taught, and that while the prayer of restoration are effective in rehabilitating victims of Malia, that often wild passion and madness remain after a healing spirit has done its work against disease.
Posit: That observation of those crippled by lune madness and mindblasting often have much in common with victims of the deadly fear of shades. It is unsurprising perhaps given the nature of the goddess.
Jakaleel the Witch of the Seven Mothers who is rumoured to have had shades at her beck-and-call when mortal. This fact is alluded to in the text in that Our Lady believes she observes the form of Zorak Zoran following her. A clear reference to this proximity between madness and fear. Clearly high emotion untouched by wisdom is the state of madness. Does this mean that the berserk fury of the Stormbull indicates madness ? No, for madness must impair one's ability to live life as one should. We respect the power of the Stormbull and his followers fight chaos most efficiently, but their surly humour outside such is not appreciated. Madness seems to jumble one's mind and spirit such that divine truth is unobtainable.
Posit: That Chalana Arroy pursues the Flesh Man not only into the dead forest of Shanasse, but indeed into a place in Flesh Man where the madness of the Serpent Girdle can be seen and is palpable such as a healing spirit would do. The difference being that while a healing spirit is able to repair the body and sometimes reduce a fit of passion, it is wisdom and compassion tempered with a truth the victim has lost and a courage which comes from facing fears which (while often terrifying) are not one's own which will triumph over madness. Most important however is that the healer never be seen to waver in courage or compassion in the eyes of the victim for this will not aid them.
Posit: That madness threatens the Life and Truth aspects of the Man rune and it is the force of these contradictions to the natural order which attack the virtuous humours made present through the free expression of these aspects. Thus madness must incorporate death and illusion, possibly disorder and often Chaos. The other possibility however is that madness has no effect on any of these areas and is instead a wound of the spirit, affecting neither the mind nor power of the victim but their memories and perhaps something more subtle again.
Thesis: That the above being true I plan to journey to the town of Alone in the Far Point wherein dwell many hundred victims of lunar madness magics. It is said that a full gamut of mandess insanities can be found there, compounded according to Lycondris Wyrmreader by the unusual effects of certain Dragonewt magics from their community in hidden valley. There I plan to conduct studies into a new method of treatment of the effects of madnesses. I will dedicate myself while there to the service of Arroin and attempt to develop a new healing art which can serve all living things by removing the taint of madness from them.
How many times have dedicated RQ players wanted to play with a Sanity Point System ? This article can be used as a plot hook for GMs who want to develop the cult of Chalana Arroy such that the PCs might begin to develop something like a Call of Cthulhu Psychoanalysis skill.
The scenario would involve players finding this document in Nochet City and allowing a Chalana Arroy character to read it. If they think about it (with perhaps a little GM propmting) they will realise that they might be able to develop a skill which will treat insanity in much the same way that poisons and diseases are treated. This creates the interesting possibilities of running a sanitorium in Sartar. How will the Lunar Empire respond ? Perhaps the High Censor of Nochet is a Lunar Agent trying to outlaw this knowledge.
Will Karla the Younger have completed her research by the time the characters arrive ? Helping the insane provides many interesting opportunities for role-play, after all, what drove them insane; trauma or a Thanatari Consume Mind spell ? There are few enough ideas for Chalana Arroy HeroQuests. Perhaps bringing this skill into Glorantha will require one ?
"The purple worm rests just inside the corridor's entrance, blocking your way. Behind you, five zombies advance, now only metres away. There are no other exits."
The DM looks up, regarding us. Momentarily stunned, we all look back, then scramble for our spell sheets.
"Five_" the DM begins.
"Sliva," I say, some desperation leaking into my voice. "What offensive spells do you have?"
She shrugs. "None. Unless you call Friends an offensive spell."
"Does that work on zombies?" Baraka, aka John, asks.
"Four_" the DM counts.
"Sven Thunderloins," I turn to James. "What about that Ice Wall scroll?"
"Used, remember," he sighs. "The vampires."
Yes, of course. The vampires. How could I've forgotten?
"Three_"
"Dammit, can anyone do anything?" I ask helplessly.
"Whistle?" suggests Tremane, the comedian.
"OK," I say, resolute. "I take my staff and jam it in the worm's mouth, then run inside."
The DM nods, looking at the others. For some reason John smiles.
"Two_"
"Come on!" I yell, forgetting I'm in someone's lounge room and not the belly of a great slug.
John grins widely, looking around at the others. "I move up to the worm," he says casually, "and break the staff in half with a kick."
"You what!?"
"Just before the great jaws snap shut," the DM says, "you see your teammates smile. One by one, their incisors elongate into sharp fangs. It appears your encounter with the vampires was not as successful as you thought!"
And as my character is slowly digested, I can only think one thing. Betrayed!
We've all had times in role playing when the actions of our fellow team mates surprises us. It can be intriguing - and also disturbing - to watch someone you though was sweet and innocent casually behead a villager. For some strange reason even your most trusted buddies can become a scheming bunch of misfits you would never hope to find in a dark alley.
So what gives? Role playing is a vehicle for the imagination, a ferry ride to the other side of the Styx, where nothing is what it seems. It can bring out a side of people that you'd never seen, and had never expected to see. One guy I once played with was given the ability of seduction (similar to a tracking ability but with a charisma check). Almost every encounter, he would ask the DM who was the most attractive woman, and then spend the next half hour frantically rolling the dice, trying to get her into bed. In real life he was plain shy. About as likely to approach an attractive woman as Christopher Skase to return to Australia.
You all know the type, and have probably seen even stranger things happen. All this uncharacteristic behaviour poses the question: are we just "in character" when we do these things, or is this our real selves, coaxed to the surface like so much black oil? Some psychologists would argue that we're all capable of doing what appear to be uncharacteristic actions, but usually hide these feelings by methods of repression. Sigmund Freud for one was enamoured with the idea of the "Freudian slip", whereby we unconsciously reveal our true feelings by making an unintentional comment (a guy looking at a menu on a first date: "I think the beef would be breast - ah_ best!"). Another classical psychologist - Carl Jung - said we all have a "shadow self" that lurks just under the surface, waiting to pounce. Jung said that it's only our notion of morality and social conscience that keeps our dark behaviour in check.
Is there any evidence that we use "psychological plugs" to keep our more fecund emotions hidden? There are a number of interesting case studies that show our brains aren't just responsible for things we do outright, but also control the things we shouldn't do. The case of Phineas Gage is an interesting one. Phineas, a mine worker in 1848, was packing a charge with a metal crow bar. A slip, and the crow bar was launched explosively through his eye socket and out the top of his head, effectively destroying the frontal cortex of his brain. Miraculously he survived.
After a quick recovery, friends and family noticed a curious change about his personality. He was no longer inhibited by his social conscience, saying what he wanted when he wanted, and giving his opinion at the most inappropriate times. He liked going naked, no longer body shy. He became more hostile, to the point where the people close to him feared for their safety. Scientists debated that the accident hadn't made him more aggressive - he'd simply been that way previously, as we all are, but had used his frontal cortex to repress his true nature. Think of the primal urges you momentarily experience when the jerk driving beside you suddenly wants to be in front of you, or your checkout queue moves half as slow as the others. Our true selves bubble to the surface, but are quickly repressed by our social conscience.
Similarly, the case of Natalie, a girl born without an amygdala, or mid-brain. Natalie could not repress emotional responses, a characteristic attributable to the amygdala. We all have an innate fear of strangers and tend to regard them with caution. However, Natalie could not control this fear, encountering an overriding urge to flee when a stranger was in her presence. She would even fear her own reflection, and would often have wild bursts of uncontrollable crying or laughing. Without her primitive brain to regulate and mediate her primal instincts, she had no emotional control.
So what does this say for role playing? Your friend next to you has whipped out the imaginary garot to torture a prisoner - is this what he'd do to you if his mid-brain went missing? Perhaps (if you too had hidden his $10,000 gem!). Then again, role playing may be cathartic. Rather than throttling the checkout chick, we can act it out on an imaginary NPC. It gives us a chance to vent our steam, and be the person we long to be in the real world, using the guise of a short fat dwarf or cyborg. Any actions that we make that are unacceptable in the real world can be blamed on the alignment of our characters.
So the case for role playing as catharsis is a good one, a "release valve for the psyche". Pound the head of your team mate; it's all part of being a Drow! Push that hobbit down the cliff - he deserved it! By taking our repressed aggressive tendencies and putting them into action in a fantasy environment, we do ourselves, our friends and our workmates a service. Compared to sex, role playing is the ultimate in escapism, luring our hidden demons to the surface in an all-pervasive "whoosh!" of action. And tell me truthfully - when was the last time you blasted down a wall, rescued a damsel in distress, and been knighted for bravery while having sex?
In this essay, it my aim to create a synthesis between the fields of Psychoanalytic theory and sociological theory. This might appear an almost impossible venture, and I shall briefly canvass the arg- uments against such a synthesis, however, its synthesis is very much a possibility. For the purposes of this essay, I shall use this resulting theory to analyse the original pilot episode of the popular television series, 'Star Trek'.
This is, indeed, an interesting topic: this pilot episode was only showed in Australia in December of 1991. This first version was rejected by 'the network', and another was commissioned with 'Star Trek' characters more familiar to us today.
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The works on Psychoanalysis derive their fundamental origins in the works of Sigmund Freud. His ideas are explicitly derived through experiential means, specifically, his treatments of mental patients as a clinical psychiatrist.
I can, however, assume this much - that you know that psychoanalysis is a procedure for the medical treatment of neurotic patients ... you cannot be present as an audience at a psychoanalytic treatment. You can only be told about it; and, in the strictest sense of the word, it is only by hearsay that you will get to know psychoanalysis (Freud, 1976, pp39-42).
Indeed, the factor that information gained about a culture can only be realistically gained through interactions specifically with individuals and over a lengthy period of time, seems to make psycho- analytic theory as a sociologically empirical praxis unfortunately limited.
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But when we take a neurotic patient into psychoanalytic treatment ... we point out the difficulties of the method to him [sic: or her], its long duration, the efforts and sacrifices it calls for; and, as regards its success, we tell him we cannot promise it with certainty, that it depends upon his own conduct, his understanding, his adaptability and his perseverance (Freud, 1976, p39).
Yet, perhaps the most convincing argument against the use of psychoanalytic theory for 'common sense' is that it refuses, not only to provide the basis for its falsification, but, to recognise our own experience. Freud's reply to these arguments is to explain that he firstly begins upon self-contemplation, and tries to understand the workings of his own mind.
If there is no objective verification of psychoanalysis, and no possibility of demonstrating it, how can one learn psychoanalysis at all, and convince oneself of the truth of its assertions? ... But of course there is a practicable method none the less. One learns psychoanalysis on oneself, by studying one's own personality. ... Nevertheless, there are definite limits to progress by this method. One advances much further if one is analysed oneself by a practised analyst and experiences the effects of analysis on ones own self (Freud, 1976, p44).
This might seem hardly the basis from which to base such an overarching theory on the conscious and unconscious structures of personalities of people. Freud's reply to this conception is that he has had many many experiences of peoples' denial of their subconscious and that this is simply another example: to argue against the method is to deny what is generally true.
Overall, we might say that much of his theory derives almost solely from his works of mental patients. The question we must reasonably ask is 'can we hope to create a theory of the overall culture from Freud's psychoanalytic studies on the conscious and unconscious mind of the neurotic?' Neurotics are judged to require 'treatment' solely due to their perceived deviance from societal normalities. This would seem to place its critical notions, for example, the Oedepus Complex in adults, as being rather a difficult to maintain. This is the greatest barrier to an understanding of individuals within the overall society, yet, perhaps due to its origins within self-analysis, Freud deals with this problem.
Thus, a healthy person, too, is virtually a neurotic; but dreams appear to be the only symptoms which he [sic] is capable of forming. It is true that if one subjects his [sic] waking life to a closer examination one discovers something that contradicts this appearance -- namely that this ostensibly healthy life is interspersed with a great number of trivial and in practise unimportant symptoms. This distinction between nervous health and neurosis is thus reduced to ... whether the subject is left with a sufficient amount of capacity for enjoyment and of efficiency (Freud, 1976, p510).
In some ways, it is one of my principle aims in this essay to incorporate the Psychoanalytic tradition within the sociological. Due to the nature of the text to be analysed, it is most certainly required that this must take upon it the concerns of feminism: The pilot episode of 'Star Trek' is obviously sexist (in its legitimation of assumptions of female inferiority, seen particularly with the Captain's surprise that there is a woman on the Bridge!). Yet, it is clear that Psychoanalysis has been seen by feminists as a theory negative towards gender-issues.
Freud was fiercely denounced in most early writings on sex roles and womens liberation. Indeed the whole psychoanalytic tradition was seen, with some justification, as a (if not THE) bastion of male supremacy in our society: a pseudobiological imperative used by clinicians and welfare agencies alike to impose domesticity and inferiority on women. Its phallocentric notion of penis envy as the pivot of feminine identity offended most feminists (Segal, 1988, p121).
Yet, historically, in the 1970s, feminists found that the rather hopeful concept of a universal female collective, made difficult only due to male subjugation which would have to be fought, was untenable given their own experiences: women in women-only environments (without male influences) have as many differences of opinion and arguments as men in men-only environments without the influence of women.
[feminist theory] should only be at odds with the idea of there being some single type of conflict-free female essence, which all women share, but which patriarchy has denied, crushed or distorted, the idea which prevails in radical and revolutionary feminist accounts of the essentially autonomous, gentle and pure sexuality of women when uncorrupted by heterosexual imperatives (Segal, 1988, pp128-129).
Thus, feminists have turned to Freudian psychoanalysis to seek solutions to this problem; however, they have not chosen 'pure' Freud, instead, they have turned more toward Lacan's reinterpretation of Freud's psychoanalytic theory. What has emerged is something very much akin to Hodge & Kress's (1988) studies in social semiotics. The relevant key features of this framework I shall now discuss:
Human individuals are the sums of individual experiences. And so, it cannot be maintained that we are all similarly socially constructed by 'social realities'. Whilst such social structures might exist, it is our individual interpretations (which are necessarily dependant upon our personalities) which contribute to our social knowledge.
The overall impact of the Lacanian reworking of orthodox Freudianism on feminism, however, remains problematic and contentious. Clearly, it is important to assert and to study the complexity of a [psychological] reality which is not reducible to any immediate social reality (Segal, 1988, p129).
Our structures of thought and knowledge are determined through a process of implicit and explicit decision-making; it is through a dialectical consciousness. First conceptualised in detail by Hegel, as process of 'thesis', 'antithesis' and 'synthesis', this reflects ordinary thought to a greater degree than formal logic.
the dialectic gives expression to a law which is felt in all other grades of consciousness, and in general experience. Everything around us may be viewed as an instance of dialectic. We are aware that everything being finite, instead of being stable and ultimate, is rather changeable and transient (Hegel, 1989, para81).
However, whereas Hegel would have posited that syntheses made as a result of the dialectic are a direct result of 'pure reason' which makes an intelligent decision as to what to keep and what to discard within our ideas, the feminist freudian would argue that our decisions are made partially due to reason, but, with just as much influence, is the individual personality of the individual. This personality depends on the development of the psyche which emerges from the enclosed interweaving web of systems (sexuality and gender, affection, power, et al) that are an inevitable part of the nuclear family.
However, it is this very factor which makes the Oedepus Complex active in certain situations: when an individual is brought up in, for example, a single-parent family where one or other parent is not an element of an individual's development experience, Oedepus is clearly not an issue. It is now the time to explicitly describe this theory on the Oedepus Complex.
A baby (of either sex) gains most of its initial nurturing, and sensual contact, through breastfeeding: when the baby is finally weaned from the breast, it is deprived of this sensuality and nurturing. The baby, understandably, feels frustration at this depr- ivation. However, due to its dependance upon the activities of both mother and father, it represses these feelings (they have no other outlet than crying, and it is eventually realised that this is to no avail). As the baby grows, this child begins to understand that much of this time and sensuality is being bestowed upon the child's father. It is then, according to Freudian theory, that the male child will fear punishment from the father for his sexual feelings for his mother, manifested says Freud in a fear of castration. This causes the eventual repression of these feelings. The female child, however, will repress her feelings of sexuality toward her mother only when she realises the physical relations of the sexual act: for her to have a sexual and sensual relationship with her mother she must have a penis. This is the core of Freud's notion of 'penis envy'. The female child will then attempt to find an alternative, and will become more passive in an attempt to gain love and sensuality from the father, and a desire for a baby which only the father may provide. All in all, what this serves to suggest is that there is no such thing as a biological determinant of personality difference: it is only through individual experiences, and indeed, relations of sensuality, power and dominance that the core matters of our ideology (structures of thought and knowledge) are formed.
The centrality of importance of the Oedepal drama in orthodox psychoanalytic theory is Freud's belief that men and women are neither simply 'masculine' or 'feminine', but that they acquire their adult social identity only through the resolution of childhood incestuous attachments to their parents. Only at this stage, and not before, do boys and girls acquire a sexual identity, and with it a differing relationship to their own sexuality (Segal, 1988, p124).
Yet, the truth of this is often repressed by our unconsciousness. Thus, whilst it may still greatly affect the dialectical consciousness, the fact that it does indeed affect the dialectical consciousness may be
hidden.
However, a cursory note must be attached to this overly-assuming Oedepus theory: children generally don't actually understand the true nature of sex organs at least until puberty (if they did, we wouldn't need 'sex education' courses to help children understand). When a child sees sex organs of a different sex than him/herself, the child merely thinks of difference, not of function. And so, I will posit that the child, when confronting the problematic Oedepus situation sees the displacement of attachments, not as sexual, but, as affection and nurturement, and that there are strange rules (imposed by 'social reality' -- a mysterious thing to the child) which leave physical affection untenable except in forms limited and delineated by their physical gendeer: the penis is only symboli of this relation.
In examining 'The Mind Cage' we find that, when examined by this sort of analysis, the results seem quite concrete and complete. In a storyline, or other genres of recorded texts, we might expect this sort of concreteness of idea; however, when examining an ideology, or an externalised form of statement of unconscious ideas, we expect to see contradictions. This, in itself, may suggest that the writer of this episode (Gene Roddenberry) anticipated such a Freudian analysis and planned for it to be analysable as such. This would be nothing new -- many episodes of 'Star Trek' eventually used all sorts of theoretical frameworks and speculative concepts to plan their episodes. This may, indeed, falsify our attempts at psychoanalysis in that the episode does not necessarily contain notions which are identifiable in people ouside the range of Freudian theory.
However, this analysis is still valuable in that, as the genre of 'science fiction television series', it does not make this Freudian influence explicit: indeed, it is barely recognisable as such without studied knowledge of the psychoanalytic view.
In the opening scene, the Enterprise comes into view. At the top of the ship, we are led inside through a superimposed area through which the Bridge, and the people inside, are visible. Once inside, we begin to watch the plot unfold from within. In this, I shall posit that this superimposed area is representive of a female vagina: and not just anyones!
Inside this Enterprise/womb, the people are comfortable and it is 'home', it is a mother/Enterprise/womb. During the 'timewarp' to get people restored to their proper health (after their last encounter), we notice that the scene on the Bridge fades in and out of the scene of the starscape. We might suggest that this is similar to the pulse of the over-stressed mother at the height of her pregnancy: the mother/Enterprise/womb is going to the doctor!
If we are to suggest that the Enterprise is a mother/womb, the strange relationship which the 'beam-down party' represents is intriguing: for at once, they have left the mother/womb, and are born: yet instead of receiving love and attention, they are to give this attention to the remnants of the crash survivors.
And yet, we are aware that there is only one female among them: she has remained celebate 'among a group of old scientists'. There are six among the 'beam-down party', yet the female is seemingly attentive to only the Captain. Just as surely as if it were a relation of sperm, the female/ovum only allows the Captain (who is the successful spermatazoa) to engage her attentions. Entering the alien base's lift, which might be compared with the vaginal tube leading to the womb. Yet, the Captain was brought unwillingly into this other- womb/alien-base.
The relative sizes of skulls, as compared between the captain and the aliens, here becomes a symbol of power. As if two men were comparing the size of their penises and saying 'mine is bigger than yours', the first meeting between the Captain and the aliens is one of comparison of 'intellect'. Yet, the Captain doesn't measure up, and is proved predictable and ,thus, loses face. A power relation has been set. However, an interesting element within this is that the Captain finds, strangely enough, that a way to 'prove dominance' is by the showing and exercising of anger and violence! This is rather frightening from a feminist perspective (indeed, from any perspective which values justice): it quite clearly legitimates, for all to see, violence as a response to personal insecurity. Yet, it is very much in line with the showing of frustration at the deprivation of the child's mother.
When the Captain's recent experiences on Rigel 7 are used to construct a 'reality' for him, we are witness to an intriguing drama: the Captain is to rescue (what he takes to be) one phantasm of his imagination/memory from another. This takes the form of rescuing the female used to lure him into the other-womb/alien-base from one of Rigel 7's supposed inhabitants: yet, look again -- for, at this stage, aren't these two supposed phantasms of one and the same 'family'? The Captain 'kills' the giant/father, thus taking the femal/mother for himself. She then offers herself to him. When asked why she wears the clothing of the aliens, her wistful reply is an offering "Well, I have to wear some clothes -- don't I?"
Just as the alien base is used to signify an other womb/vagina, so the analogy is continued with the aliens' stated plans for the Captain: Just as the Captain/successful-sperm has been selected by the female/ova, so it is the intention of the alien-base/womb to create a human society from this 'adam' and 'eve'. However, the Captain/ successful-sperm/adam's resistance to captivity eventually results in a search of the Enterprise/womb's knowledge of human kind (racist against Vulcans?) which reveals humanity's supposed preferal of death to captivity. To this end, the Captain/sperm/adam is finally rejected (although the Captain may console himself with the knowledge that there are two other females/ova from his own starship/womb.
The technique of psychoanalysis depends much upon the analogies which the mind creates to 'hide' its repressions of its psyche. In my analysis of 'The Mind Cage', I have attempted to flush out some of these intriguing analogies. An overall freudian storyline was promised before I began this deluge of 'items'.
Is this not the story of the birth, the encounter with the not- mother female, and sensual rejection of this female and the return to the Enterprise/mother/womb? Is it also not only the fantasy of the Oedepus, of killing the father for the posession of the mother? Is it not also the Captain which the male viewer will wish to identify with, and doesn't he 'show' the 'effective' way to deal with insecurity? The whole of this 'Star Trek' episode plays upon, not our reasoning mind, but upon our psyche to fulfil unconscious wishes.
Elizabeth Cowie points out that fantasy does not depict objects as they are desired in reality (they could well be anathema in reality) but rather it provides the stage or backdrop to allow for the possibilities of playing out different forms of infantile desire (Segal, 1988, p129).
In this, it partially seeks legitimation (but only as a work or genre of fiction) of a point of view which encompasses a 'view of reality'. What is most striking today about this episode, made in 1965, is how incredibly sexist it is! It legitimates the male 'revenge' complex against women; revenge for the emotional closeness which little girls can receive from their mothers which little boys are socialised to aviod.
Reprinted from"Guy Debord: Revolutionary", Len Bracken, Feral Press, CA, 1997, pp240-251
This Kriegspiel puts into play the operations of two armies of equal strength. Each one seeksm by maneuver and battle, the destruction of the adversary's army while being oligated to cover the resources on its territory (indispensable for waging a campaign) and to protect the freedom of its communications.
The whole of strategic and tactical relations is contained in this 'Game of War' according to the laws established by the theory of Clausewitz on the basis of classical XVIIIth Century warfare, which were prolonged by thge Revolutionary wars and those of the Empire. Thus the nature of tactical units - on foot or mounted - (their conventionally fixed offensive and defensive strength, the proportion of diverse types of units in an army and the support that they can have), also proceeds from this historic model.
The Game of War is played on a terrain of 500 squares (25 x 20), divided by a parallel frontier running along the longest side. Each territory this has a depth of ten squares. The asymmetrical terrotories of the armies have two arsenaal squares each, three fort squares, a montain pass square and nine montain squares. Mountains are untraversable and block fire; they block lines of communication between the armies and their arsenals or transmission units.
Each side can freely position all its units in the interior of its territory. One unit occupies one square. The initial deployment of each army is chosen not knowing the disposition of the adversary; at least one of the two side must write down the placement of all its units on a map, which is places on the terrain after the other side has positioned its units.
The first turn is chosen by a roll of the dice. Each turn is constituted by the movement of five freely chosen units (combatants or non-combatants) and by the attack, resulting from this movement, of an enemy unit that finds itself about to be enagegd.
One is always permitted to abstain from announcing an attack. Likewise, an army can move less than five units, or even none.
The goal of each army is the complete destruction of the military potential of the other. This result can be obtained by destroying all combat units, or by taking both enemy arsenals (an arsenal being placed outside use as soon as it is occupied by an adversary's combat unit).
Each army, at the opening of hostilities, has 15 combat units - the breakdown is as follows:
9 infantry regiments
4 cavalry regiments
1 foot artillery regiment
1 mounted artillery regiment
The marching speed of each unit is 1 square per turn for infantry and foot artillery, and 2 squares for cavalry and mounted artillery. Each unit can move in any direction. The units that can move two squares per turn, can move in a straight line or in a diagonal, or even by one square in a straight line, then another in diagonal, or vice versa, But the only restriction is that they can only move through empty sqaures. One is allowed to move these rapid units only one square per turn, according to available opportunities.
Each units tactical strength is defined according to each type of arm, which is different depending on whthere they are attacking or being attacked. This tactical force is expressed, in diverse situations, by numerical coefficients.
Infantry regiments have an offensive coefficient of 4 and a defensive coefficient of 6. The defensive coefficient reaches 8 when it occupies a mountain pass, 10 when garrisoned in a fort.
The cavalry regiment has an offensive coefficient of 7 when it charges, which is to say when it is in immediate contact with the square occupied by the enemy that it attacks. Its defensive coefficient is 5; it is not raised if the cavalry unit occupies a mountain pass or a fort. Beyond the charge, cavalry can be employed as infantry in attack, and its offensive coefficient is thus 4.
A cavalry charge is the addition of the offensive weight of all cavalry units aligned horizontally, vertically or diagonally in a series of squares (not necessarily with continuity) behind a unit placed in immediate contact with enemy units. Cavalry can't attack, by a charge, a unit of any king that is entrenched in a mountain pass or a fort.
Artillery regiments (mounted on foot) have an offensive coefficient of 5. Its defensive coefficient is 8. This defensive coefficient rise to 10 when the artillery is placed in a mountain pass and to 12 when it is a fort.
The shots of all units -as well as those of cavalry - operate in a single line (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) with the square occupied by the target unit. The offensive or defenisve reach of the artillert is 3 squares in all the colums around it. The firing range of the infantry is 2 squares. The reach of a cavalry unit deployed defensively (or employed as infantry in attack, which is to say when it doesn't make contact with the square under attack, be it immediate contact or be it by the intermediary of another friendly cavalry unit) is also 2 squares. The offensive reach of the cavalryt when it charges ina single column can attain 4 squares for the last of its four regiments, thus the offensive coefficientr is felt up to the square arrived at by the first. But if the first regiment is counter-attacked on the next turn, it will not be upheld other than by its own defensive coefficient, except bty those of the wto units that follow - the fourth finds itself out of reach.
To attack an eenemy is to concentrate fire on the square that it occupies, or in the case of cavalry, it''s the charge of a terrain number of units witrh reach of that square.
Add up the offensive coefficients of all units in a sutuation to attack a square. The add up the defensive coefficients of all adversary units in position and within reach of fireof the same square under attack (including the unit occupying the square under attack). If the total figure of offensive force is less than or equal to that of defense, the unitr resists. If the offense is two or more points greater, the target is destroyed, and the destroyer must occupy the empty square. If the offense is only one point greater, the target must abandon the square it occupies and this alkwats the first move of the five moves of units of that side's next turn. The unit fired upon, can't be in an attack for the next move.; its offensive coefficient can't counted that time with the other units of its side and thus is so even if if finds itself within reach of the adversary iunit that will be attacked. Finally, if a unit is dominated by one unbit in aan attack and is incapable of leaving its square becuase the neighbouring squares are occupied by the other units, the unit is destroyed.
The obligation to provide for the best defense of each unit is imposed by the fact that a prolonged inferiority in a tactical shock leads to a unilateral material weakening. This quantitative weakening, in every case strategically disasterous, can sometimes be quickly transferred on the tactical scheme, in irreversible qualitative inferiority on the front of engagement, as soon as the number of the total offensive force of the army has undergone its losses and fallen too low to permit any effective counter-attack.
All offensive and defensive value and the entire mobility of a combat unit is absolutely subordinated to the necessity for it to stay in communication with one of the arsenals of its side. This communication represents the transmission of orders and information and arrival of supplies and munitions and accounts for the internal coherence of the army. An arsenal can only be used by the original side- it can't be conquered to be used, only destroyed to depriove the adversary of it.
A unit doesn't march or fight if it doesn't remnain on squares in direct or indirect liasion wityh one of iuts arsenals.
Direct liaison with is when each arsenal can communicate with its army by alignment of squares (vertical, horizontal, diagonal) than fans out from it (no limit on reach) except when blocked by mountains.. For example, all forts are aligned oin squares that relay to one of its side's arenals. One whatever square on its line, this line of communication can be relayed by a transmission unit of the advanced mobile echelon of tyhe arsenal, which is itself sent in liaison (with unlimited rangfe) in all the alignments of squares fanning out from the square it occupies temporarily. A second transmission unit, if plaxced on a square relayed to the first unit of transmissions of its side, re-sends, in turn, the liaison in the same way from its square.
Each side has a foot transmission unit that moves 1 square, and one mounted that moves 2 squares. These non-combat units have no offensive coefficient and their defensive coefficient is 1 (with a range of two squares). They constitute a good target objective for the adversary so it is good to keep them out of range, if isolated, or protect themm with sufficient force from the combat units. The transmissions units theonly ones capable of moving without liaison with an arsenal, but all moves made this way are done so without relay power.
Indirect liaison is when each combat unit is in liaison with all other combat units in contact with itl that is placed one of the eight squares that touch it. This communication is understood by all units of the same side in contact with one of the other units. Thus, for an army of detached corps where all units touch square-to-square, it must be and it suffices that one of the units is in direct liaison with an arsenal or a transmissions unit.
A combatant unit can move up to a square where it won't be in liaison. But there (if this liaison isn't reestablished by contact with another unit that is in indirect or direct liaison with the arsenal, or by movement of a transmission unit that reopens the line of communication) the isolated unit is immobile and deprived of all offensive and defensive force - it can be destroyed without resistance by all enemy units within or who move into range. Meanwhileevery unit that stays in liaison and finds itself in range to cover an immobile unit with its shots, lends the immobile unit its defensive coefficient.
A line of communication is cut by all enemy combat units placed on whatever square on the line for as loing as it is there.
A liaison broken by the presence of an enemy unit on the line of communication can be reestablished directly if the intercepting unit leaves the square (by itself or if destroyed) or if the transmission units reopen lines oif communication via another alignment of empty squares. The liaison can be reestablished indirectly by friendly units that are free to move and who re-tie the liaison with units with units with whom the communication had been cut by reaching any square immediately next to one its units.
If a maneuver of one side surrounds all or part of an enemy array, this side can, at the beginning of each of its moves, uses its attacks to destroy, without encountering any resistanmce, one of the surrounded units within reach of its shot. Resistance can't respond with its remaining units, except when liaison is reestablished. In the case of a detached corps that is surounded by an enemey who is interposed on all practical lines of communication, the last resort is to try to free it before its complete destruction byt means of an 'army of rescue' composed of friendly troops who could remain or be replaced in liaison - they must try to pierce the enemy front and make a junction with the surviving units.
Given the vital strategic importance of communications, the strategic goal is often a maneuver against the communications of the adversary rather than an offensivve run successive;y against its two arsenals. This situation also influences tactical engagements and the order adopted in the battrle in its diverse moments, to position itself well for defense and ocunter-attacks, but also cover the lines of communication. An army can, even before its numerical equilibrium is broken, find itself in a disequilibrium situation beciase oits lines of communication are menaced. An army whose lines of battle are confused iweth the lines of communication quickly loses its tactical hold in the engagement and soon runs the risk of being partially or totally surrounded. The destruction of only one unit can creat a break in liaison for any part of an army, which will be lost if the contract can't be re-establsihed. This result of the tactical engagement on only one quare is susceptible to bringing about big strategic consequences.
This keeping the placement of one one of the arsenals is the necessary condition for a side to fight and win. It's best to keep both for as long as possible even if than means changing the lines of operation fo the entire army or comhinng the operations of detached corps operation on distinct bases.
The destruction of an arsenal can be assimilated in an attack. As soon as one side occipies an adversary arsenal by one of the five moves or its units the blow in which this move was made can't bring an attack against another square. Theonly way to destroy an arensal is to occupy it when it is empty of all adversary units. When an adversary arsenal is occupied by an enemy unit, this unit must first be destroyed. On eth following turn, the empty arsenal can be invaded.
A transmission unit, being deprived of offensive value can only destroy an arsenal by occupying it. Likewise, contrary to the combative units, a transmission unit doesn't block the line of communications of the enemy by occupying a square.
A cavalry unit, plaxed in a fortress, can't attack in a charge except by leaving this square. However, a cavalry unit can charge from a mountain pass that it occupies.
An arsenal is like other non-mountainous squares, and imples no adjunction nor limitation to the tactical employment of units.
A fort, regardless of whose it is, can be used by whoever occupies it: from the moment an enemy unit seizes it the tactical defensive addvantage of the fort goes to trhat unit. Contrary to arsenals, forst are never destroyted and can change hands several times during a battle.
The territoiry of the eastern mountain, in its greatest length, oriented perpindicular to the border is called the 'North Side'. The white units are attributed to it.
If the two sides, after a large recipricol weakening, or for other reasons. simultanaeously renounce all offensive maneuvers, they can agree on a non-result without any further delay.
The Game of War, like war itself and all forms of strategic action, tyends to impose at each instant, considerations of contradictory necessities. Each side, to the extent that it knew how to keep its freedon of maneuver finds itself constrained to choose between operations in which it lacks sufficient means in space and time.
Spatially, on one side as on the other, and so long as no break in equilibrium has been attained, there are never enough forces. One can't protect oneself everywhere one should. Nor can one attack and supply one's offensive everywhere it wouyld be desireable, not even where neccesity to do so is imposed by the adversary. Temporally, the movements of an army are never as rapid as one would like (this represents the 'friction' that lessens all movements of war, the transmissions of orders and the inevitable delays ion execution).
One must often choose between opening quickly with few troops, or slowly with more trrops to the point where one will have to fight, Urgent movements are often required - making reinforcements march or moving transmission units - by tactical encounters when engaged in combat. Because in each attack there is the need to send the maximum units while assuming the best support against the subsequent move by the enemy, or in recalling the unit that the result of the preceding effort of the enemy had left open.
To comprehend all the implied uses of the present Kriegspiel it will be useful to consider the principal limitations.
First of all, the study of the summary application of the general theory of war introduces intended historical limitations: this doesn't represent ancient warfare, feudal warfare, nor modern warfare transformed by technology since the middle of the XIXth Century (railways, machine guns, armor plating, motorization, missile).
Three essential, and more troublesome elements of all wars are absent or under-represented becuase they don't appare to be able to figue in a conflict that is decided on a checkered terrain, and that excludes all exterior intervention of chance. These are firstly, climatic conditions and the alteration of day and night; secondly the moral and strength of troops; thirdly the uncertainity in regard to the positions and movements of the enemy.
In the unfolding of Kriegspiel all time is equal: the solstice of war where the climate never variess and night never falls before the inevitable conclusion of the conflict. This is a serious lack vis-a-vis reality. It couldn't be corrected except at the price of a loss of rigor in the schematic representation of the totality of the conflict processes.
The morale and strength of the troops are only summarily accounted for by the effect of instantaneous paralysis of the combative units of all units whose communications have been cut (including the garrison of a fort; so that the forts don't function as a barrier, but only a point of tactical support). In this sense, it's like the armies of the Seven Years' War which were directly dependent on their warehouses amd convoys, rather than those of the French Revolution. The limitation of the refative effectiveness of troops, and their irreplaceable character that makes them so valuable are linked with the miliatry model of the same epoch. One can also consider the offensive weight identified by the depth of a cavalry charge to have an effect on morale - Ardant du Picq having clearly established that a cavalry's action in real combat isn'y the mechanical result of mass multiplied by speed. The usury of morale, which always had the biggest effect in war (the usury of morale by generals), is suspectible to act jhere on the command of each army in a grand way. One is frequently given to exaggerate the consequences of a maneuver tha one sees sketcjhed by the adversary; although it might only be a fake. One can't effectively have the firm assurance if what to do (and nor even always when one has acquired a crushing numerical superiority) becuase, in certain circumstances, tyhe beaten army can still launch decisive operations on the communications of the victor.
Finally, this game is far from a total representation of war in that it doesn't maintain uncertainity in regard to the position and movements of the enemy, except its initial battle conditions, which one doesn't know; but the enemy can only reasonably choose betrween fairly few zones of concentration and its prudent to do likewise. A soon as the operations begin, one instantaneously knows exactly and confidently all the moves that are made bythe adversary one is facing. "The east knows what the west is doing" that is it has to strike (thus the cavalry doesn't have an exploratpory function here; only shock effect, pursuit, or raid capabilities).
These restrictions being formulated, one can say the Game of War exactly reproduces the totality of the factor that deal with war, and more generally, the dialectic of all conflicts.
Each side must strive to keep the initiative and compensate for insufficiencies in the speed of concentration on a decisive point where one must be strongest because strategic victory doesn't succeed except if it can claim victory on a tactical engagement. Defense is itself the strongest - tactically and strategically - bit only offense or at least a counter-offensive can obtain success.
Defense can't remain static, except temporily on a few highly localised positions, which give it the means tou counter-attack. As the offensive develops, it goes towards its point of culmination, be it when it encounters superior forces that require it to turn into defensel be it when the ocunter maneuver of the enemy begins to make its effect felt on distant lines of communication. This counter-maneuver can be repulsed in turn by the direct defense of friendly troops who block access to that line of commuynication. or by an indirect defense that menaces the flank of the enemy counter-offensive. The limits and combinations are fixed by lack of effective and the lack of time for the execution of this or that movement.
It is favourable to extend one's front to meance the flanks or rear of the enemy, but the concentration of battle forces is the most imperios necessity. The defeat of the enemy is a major battle is the most direct path for triumoth in the ensemble of a camoaugn, becuase this defeat can lead to the defeat of an entire defeated army, or at least to an irreversible numerical weakening. If a concentrated army interposes itself betrween corps of enemy troops that are seperated, one of them risks being completely destroyed without the other being able to help: and an army spread out on a thin linecan be pierced, which can bring anbout the preceding situation.
It is advantageous to attack the adversary's communications, protecting one's own, which may be extended. If undertaking a maneuver with a detached sorps of troops, this corps mus t have offensive and defensive strength to oblige the enemy to oppose it with a sizable faction of its forces, But if the detached corps is too well reinforced, it dangeously diminishes the tactical resistance of the main body, which is the point of maneuver. A detached corps should remain so far the shortest possible time, and it constitutes a stronger strategic menance if it marches quickly, and will normally be composed of mounted units. But these mounted units are also the shock units, thus the main body of the army can't go completely into battle if the enemy captures them, Plus, these strong offensive units are defensively weak if caught by the enemy and without the infantry for support (the infantry support, which could be adjacent to them, would slow their march). This difficulty is undelined by the fact that the two sides have few arms. The combative forces are limited to the smallest army possible for maneuver and battle. Such an army tied up in a vast territory, authorizes the use of detached bodies that can obtain decisive victories, but at big risks, because the army wouldn't be able to wage war in good conditions without the recipricol support brought by those units.
Parallel to trhis is the tactical engagements of two armies that are completely reunited. It is best to maneuver to the enemy's flank to close in one his lines communication or to obtain a concentration of fire surrounding a wing. But the eneru can use the occassion to do the same on the opposing wing: 'What turns is turned'
The faction of an army which, having been locally dominated in an engagement, will find istelf too weak to continue to mount counter-attacks, will go into retreat to obtain higher concentration, or will try to retire to its reinforcements, or towards a stronger position. For example, a mountain pass or a fort. The victorious army should pursue the loser if an engagement to augment the total number of losses until the loser is reestablished. But this victorious army can only march in echelons of five units in each move so that theu mainatin contact with the retreating army; they risk being counter-attacked by the army that regains its superiority in the concentration of its forces and wants to regain the initiative as soon as it can. As the right momesnt when the tactical exploitation of engagement stops, one must launch the exploitation of victory, for example, by operating against arsenals and lines of communication of the enemy, as a function of the new situation created bythe retreat his army , and by the enemy's numerical inferiority, because the enemy's losses had been heaviest after the miment when the balance of power turned against the enemy.
In the Game of War, there are numerous bad dispositions and maneuvers, but none of the best maneuvers on which one can decide, at least as long as there remains a certain equilibrium of forces and positions, is assured of being good. It will become so or not according to what is done or not by the adversary. A degree of inattention is present in both sides, and the best calculations, depend largely on the modifications introduced by the unforseen succession of replies by the adversary, and the responses they they in turn create, all more or less correctly understood, and above all more or less well executed. The permanent interaction of tactics and strategy can bring about surprises and reversals- sometimes at the last instant. The principles are steadfast, their application is always uncertain.
This is a war of movement - sometimes momentarily frozen on a static front, in the defense of a pass or fort - where the territory has no interest in itself, but only by tactical or strategic positions that are necessary to an army or harmful to its enemy. One can occasionally with without battle, and even win with only very few partial combat situations. One can also win by frontal attack without maneuvers. But oustdie these two extreme cases, one normally employs a series of maneuvers, combats, and a principle battle, followed by new maneuvers. In the principle battle, maneuver is usually in the form of envelopment, retreat and moves against communications.. One must not spare troops or maneuvers, nor dispense of them vainly. He who wnats to keep all, loses all. However, he who lets himself lose more than his adversary can no longer contest the adversary.
A twenty five (1-25) by twenty (A-T) grid. Mountain chains exist from 10-C to 10-I with a pass at 10-F. The range also traverses from 10-C to 13-C. A second range runs from 11-N to 16-N and from 16-N to 16-R. There is a pass at 16-O
by Lev Lafayette
The formulation of moral alignments is as varied in roleplaying games as it is in behavioural psychology and the philosophy of ethics. Both universal and context bound models require assessment on quantitative and qualitative scales. Comparative evaluations through social simulation models, such as role playing games, may allow for a consistent synthesis of existing approaches.
A character's alignment is represents their general outlook and approach to life. From the outset, therefore, there is a notion of behavioural consistency which is beyond functional biology. It is evidently clear that character behaviour is hardly a matter of being an inert bunch of nerves waiting to be stimulated, rather there is activity to view the world not only as it is, but as it could and should be (aesthetic and moral domains).
But even on this level there are problems. Does a character without aesthetic and moral domains to their behaviour have an alignment? Even more problematic, does a character without consistent moral and aesthetic outlooks have an alignment? And just to throw a further spanner in the works, how are variations in moral and aesthetic outlooks evaluated against each other? An exhaustive analysis of such questions may be beyond the scope of this article, nevertheless some key concepts and directions are possible with a view to further elaboration.
Historically, alignment is a famaliar notion in Western philosophy. With origins in ancient Hellenic thought and carried through the middle ages, the initial concept of alignment refered to the balance of the elements (Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water). Such a concept of alignment is strongly supported in games like Everyway and RuneQuest. With the advancement of medical knowledge, or such as it was, the assignment of alignment according to the repective balance of vital fluids was an evolution from the elemental perspective. Assigning general personality according to "humours", sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and vitrolic is used in Swordbearer, which also adopts the evolution in its magic system. Personality humours were still in fashion as terminology this century.
The conversion from alignment as a measure of disposition to principled standards of moral and aesthetic principles is a direct result of the seperation of the mind and body in renaissance and enlightenment philosophy. Immanual Kant's principle of the categorical imperative elevated each action as a moral good if, and only if, the specific act could be universalised. Of course, earthly contexts problematise such acts, hence alignment being that which results from a series of judgements. The disjunction between universal principles and technical law can evidently only be transcended in these cases by appeal to reason, or specifically, common law.
In roleplaying games there are three sorts of alignment models which match with theoretical inquiries in social psychology; universal, contextual, and normative. A universal model of alignment assumes that there are universal principles of moral behaviour by which all behaviour may be evaluated against. In contrast, a contextual alignment system highlight relative differences, particularly with narrative considerations. Contextual alignment systems operate with varied principles and absolute aesthetics; Finally, normative alignment systems are without moral or aesthetic standards, rather the evaluation of alignment is normal/abnormal behaviour evaluation, or in the case of systems theory, legal/criminal. The following outlines the different variations in roleplaying alignments;
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons: Universal alignment system based on moral principles (good, neutral, evil) and context-bound standards (law, neutral, chaos). Extreme confusion in the latter as a code of norms, principles, or aesthetics.
Call of Cthulhu: Exceptional lack of an alignment system perfectly appropriate for a nihilistic model and Nietzchean ethics.
Dungeons & Dragons: Confused alignment system with attempt to combine moral principles from AD&D into context standards (law, neutral, chaos). Pre-principled legalistic standard of moral behaviour (i.e., the law cannot be evil, chaos cannot be good). Psychologically immature but appropriate according to clientelle.
GURPS: Normative alignment system. Specific moral or aesthetic components are not important in comparision to variation from cultural norms.
Palladium: Systematic and normative alignment system co-existing with system of moral principles. Internal inconsistencies are glossed over in favour of completeness.
Pendragon: Context bound religions using normative assignations on a univesal personality scale.
RuneQuest: Context bound religions using universal symbolic order to reflect paticular dispositions. Appropriate pre-principled, polytheistic alignment system, however includes no means for univesal principles to develop.
Swordbearer: Universal disposition system, without moral principles or aesthetic standards. Interesting not as an alignment system, but rather as a disposition system.
An example may elucidate these variations. According to the Dieties and Demigods manual for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (1980) in Babylonian mythology all demihumans and intelligent creatures are considered to be demons. Communicating with such beings is considered to be a major clerical transgression resulting in the loss of all religious spells and excommunication until a quest is fulfilled.
In contextual alignment systems, such a proposition isn't a problem. The overwhelming aesthetic is pro-human, anti-alien to the point of extremism. Clearly the Bablylonian dieties would have the Grandfather Mortal rune in RuneQuest. In normative alignment systems the same applies. Devoid of any moral.evaluation, a simply application of fanatical antipathy would suffice in the Hero system and GURPS (or criminality if the requirement is ignored).
In a principled alignment system, pragmatic difficulties arise. The recognition of intersubjective sentience proposes from the outset recipricol relations as a code for good behaviour. Treating an alter-ego as a "demon" is hardly condusive for an enduring relationship. Whilst the majority of Babylonian deities (Anu, Anshar, Dahak, Druaga, Ishtar, Marduck, Nergal, Ramman) are assigned neutral or evil alignments in AD&D and would tberefore would be indifferent (at best) with this abdication from the moral good, a problem would occur with Girru, the god of fire, who espouses a lawful good alignment. The problem is further complexified as Girru, at least in the AD&D game, resides with other Lawful Good supernatural beings in the Seven Heavens, which as it happens, is the home of Yondolla, lawful good goddess of the Halflings, and Garl Glittergold, lawful good god of the gnomes (both of whom are ahistorical figures), albeit in different regions of that plane.
So what are the lawful good worshippers of Girru supposed to do when they encounter halflings and gnomes? Adopt their lawful position, that is, treat them as demons, or adopt their good position, and accept them as fellow beings of equivalent suasion (albeit with culturally induced caution)? To pose the question in this way, is of course, to answer it. It is simply not possible to assign alignment as a code of behaviour and expect cultural contexts to override universal principles, regardless of the normative position or distribution of principles within a society. Prejudices or laws aside, in order to remain "good", worshippers of Girru must accept Halflings and Gnomes (and presumably other "good" non-humans, such as Elves), or slip towards lawful neutrality, or even a lawful evil persepective.
Nevertheless, an equivalent validity claim would suggest slippage towards neutral or even chaotic good, as the laws of the Babylonian mythos have been overturned in favour of the common weal.
The results are quite destabilizing from a traditional point of view. There is either an inevitable conflict between Girru and the rest of the Babylonian mythos (Girru sides with the "good"), or within the Seven Heavens (Girru sides with Babylonian "law"). Ultimately, the conflict arises from the differences between culturally assigned "law" vs "chaos" as opposed to universal principles of "good" vs "evil". If the law/chaos dichotomy is to be rid of its earth-bound contexts principles for these concepts need to be assigned. The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons alignment system lacks the qualitative values for such assignations.
The typical notion of the law/chaos alignment is a representation of legality, as we witnessed in the preceeding example. The conflict between cultural contexts and universal principles can only be transcended by adopting universal principles of law/chaos alignment. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons already rejects the possibility of such an alignment system, at least in second edition, which deregulates to the position of the chaotic neutral alignment to that of insanity.
In Stormbinger (and the new edition, Elric!), the conflict between law and chaos is fundamental to the behaviour of the universe itself. Understandably, a different sort of principles are required, because law and chaos are clearly not representations of legality/criminality in this case. To express succintly, the conflict between law and chaos in Stormbringer seems very much a conflict between powerful, one-dimensional trajectories (law) and adaptable, multi-dimensional scope (chaos). It is under this guise that law is technologically proficient and chaos spiritually proficient.
Disposition should be distinguished from alignment. A general disposition cannot accurately evaluate moral principles, aesthetic desires, or legalistic standing. Variation in disposition standards should be historically bound. For example Everyway for mythic representations, Swordbearer for traditional/medieval representations, and perhaps the Call of Cthulhu Sanity stat for modernity).
Alignment needs to be differentiated from systematic referents of legality/criminalty. A lawful (in a metaphysical sense) person in a chaotic (in a legal sense) society, remains lawful, if perhaps, criminal. Rather, it is appropriate to establish a two dimensional "System Evaluation" of each character based on their systematic status (as derived from wealth and power) and legality/criminality. As these are quantitative norms they may be distributed according to a standard roleplaying bell curve (3-18), or as appropriate according to game system. For example, a character with a Status of 15 and Legality of 5 would be equivalent of an Australian multi-millionaire forced to flee to, say Spain. (As for their moral alignment, we'll leave that for their own conscience).
Moral and aesthetic alignment can also be quantified, again on a same bell curve. Moral principles can be assigned as per Kohlberg's structure of moral development. Because moral principles as assigned from social ethics each _player_ at the end of each game _session_ should vote, by secret ballot, on what they think the alignment of the other characters should be. The GM should also assign a vote which would represent the perspective of NPCs that the characters met. Bear in mind that some characters, particularly those who act secretly and quietly, may have an average moral alignment, until their secret (good or evil) is discovered.
Aesthetic alignments, as explained previously, are entirely based on personal judgment. The quantitative value assigned here is for the purposes of roleplaying only with the rate of change representing the mental stability of the character. One point per session is the rate a reasonable person would adopt, whereas a character at three points per session would be considered flightly and without focus. This doesn't preclude extreme variation within specific circumstances.
Select Bibliography
Kant, I., Prolegema Concerning any Future Metaphysics As A Science
Kant, I., Critique of Practical Reason.
Nietzsche, F., Beyond Good and Evil
Smart, N., The World's Religions, Cambridge University Press, 1989
Ward, J., Kuntz, R.J., Deities and Demigods, ed. L. Schick, TSR, 1980
King Random is going insane. For several days he has been acting violent and destructive and having uncontrollable fits and extreme mood swings. As he has such great control over the pattern and the Jewel of Judgement this madness is effecting the weather and conditions both in Amber and throughout shadow and causing destructive pattern storms that have already destroyed several shadows.
Gathering of Player Characters
- Anyone in Amber -
The first thing noticed is that the weather is acting strange and that strange creatures are appearing from nowhere. If characters investigate they will eventually find themselves in the throne room. If they do not eventually head towards the throne room they are summoned there by Martin and or Corwin.
- Characters elsewhere in shadow -
Weather in all parts of shadow is acting strange and the closer to Amber the stranger it is. Travelling through shadow has started to have unusual effects and is becoming increasingly difficult and dangerous. Players may wish to travel to Amber to investigate and when they reach there (it should not be too difficult. Perhaps elder amberites are helping) they will be summoned to the throne room.
Any characters who do not travel to Amber will be contacted, via Trump or personally, by an elder Amberite or Martin who will urge them to travel to Amber.
"The first thing you notice is that the throne is empty. King Random and Queen Vialle are nowhere to be seen. Standing by the empty throne is Random's son Martin looking very worried and nervous about something. Before the throne dias stands the enormous bulk of Gerard with an alarming look if concern on his face. He is clenching and uncleanching his fists in a quite alarming way.
To one side stands Corwin in his black and silver. He too looks worried and he stands alert with his hand on his sword Greyswandir. Bleys Fiona and Flora stand talking in worried whispers in the center of the throne room. Martin gestures with his hand for you to come closer and when you are close enough to hear clearly he speaks
in a soft voice. 'My father, King Random, has gone mad'.
Then Corwin speaks more loudly,' the King has hidden the Jewel of Judgement and locked himself in with the Primal Pattern. It is his madness that is destabilising Amber and Shadow and our borders are at more risk from attack than ever. Benedict and Julian are even now preparing to defend Amber from any attacks that may come. I ask you, for the sake of the stability of Amber and infinite shadow, to assist in curing the King of his madness.'"
If the Players ask what can be done, Corwin will reply, "We must find some way to discover the nature of his madness. Then we may have some hope in curing it."
It asked where Caine is, Corwin will Answer, "I do not know" but will say no more.
A powerful and ambitious lord of Chaos has, using a complex procedure involving Logrus, Shapeshifting and Trump has entered Random's mind in an attempt to controll or destroy him. The madness is a result of Random using his considerable powers and psyche to fight against the Chaos Lord. He has locked himself in the room with
the primal pattern and used pattern to seal the room.
Other Lords of Chaos are attempting to take advantage of the confusion and attack Amber. Fortunately for them the defence of Amber is being hampered greatly by the extreme weather changes caused by Random. The Lords of Chaos, most of them being shapeshifters are unaffected by the etreme conditions. Over time the weather conditons
will steadily worsen until Random is cured or killed.
1: If Random is helped too late, the lord of chaos could concievably take over his mind, gaining the power of pattern and attunement with the jewel of Judgement. This could potentially lead to a powerful Lord of Chaos taking the throne of Amber.
2: Chaos armies cold use the confusion to attack Amber with definately disasterous results.
3: Random could in his madness cause permanent damage to Amber and or the pattern. Being locked in with the pattern, he could possibly erase it destroying Amber and all of shadow. The Lord of Chaos could even force him to do this.
Benedict.- "Defender Of Amber" version (400 points)
Benedict is only concerned with keeping Amber safe so is marshalling forces to defend against outside attack. He will leave all matters of saving Random to others and will not enter anto any arguments over succession that may occur.
Bleys.- "Master Manipulator" version (400 points)
Bleys will not take sides. He will wait to see what is going to happen before either, helping Random or plotting against him. Aware of the danger of being caught on the wrong side he will be ready to appear as an ally to whomever is going to be King.
Brand.-
Brand is in the Abyss and unless the GM has some particular use for him he should be left out of it. If however he is out he would probably continue to plot against the others.
Caine.- "Amberite of a Thousand Faces" version (400 points)
Caine doesn't like Random and fancies himself as king. He will spend the crisis out in Shadow attempting to find the Jewel of Judgement and plotting to take the throne.
Corwin.- "Sorcerer of Avalon" version (500 points)
Corwin has been spending a lot of time in Avalon and his personal pattern. He has returned to Amber only to help his friend Random. If things get dangerous enough and for various other reasons he may simply leave again without warning. He has many responsabilities.
Dara.- "Queen Of Shape Shifters" version (250 points)
Dara believes herself to be heir to the throne and now with Random insane she intends to take the throne. She will attempt to ally herself with anyone except Corwin. It is possible she helped the Chaos lord to enter Random's mind to allow her to become Queen.
Dierdre.-
Diedre is also in the Abyss with Brand so it is probably easier to leave her there. If in your version of Amber she is out, she would either plot to take the throne or owing to her friendship with Corwin help him help Random. It's up to you.
Dworkin.- "Embodiment of the Pattern" version (700 points)
Dworkin would be the most useful ally but unfortunately he is unaware of all that is occuring and of all the Amberites he is the hardest to reach. He is busy in his cave next to the Primal Pattern and is locked in with a monster posted at the door. Even to reach Dworkin would require breaking all of the locks on all the doors to the Pattern and then getting past Random. Not easy.
Eric.-
Eric is probably best left dead for this adventure but if alive would be plotting to take the throne.
Fiona.- "Mistress of the Pattern" version (350 points)
She, like Bleys, will be biding her time ready to take sides at the most opportune moment.
Flora.- "Proprietor of Shadow Earth" version (200 points)
She is helping Gerard with administration in Castle Amber but is ready to escape to Shadow Earth if things ger really bad.
Gerard.- "Defender of Amber" version (500 points)
Gerard is governing in Randoms absence but his main concern is with protecting Amber from outside invasion, now that it is weak. He will spend a lot of time planning with Benedict and Julian and may noteven notice others plotting to take the throne. However, he will do all he can to protect Martin from assasination. If he does notice plotting he will undoubtable take the side of fairness. He will not leave Amber for any reason at such a turmultuous time.
Julian.- "Ardens Champion" version (350 points)
Julian is mostly concerned with proctecting Forest Arden from attack. He is inlikely to get involve with any other plans although he is likely to overlook any attacks on the throne by Caine, his friend, or maybe even help if given enough reason. If it seems unlikely that Random will recover Julian will sopport Caine in a bid for the throne.
Llewella.- "Deep player in Ambers's Favorite Game" Version (300 points)
Llewella is in rebma and is not overly concerned by it all but she might be a usefull source of information.
Martin.- "Heir to Amber" version (120 points)
With Random debilitated, Martin is in a lot of trouble. He will help Gerard and Flora with governing Amber while doing all he can to help his Father. If It appears the throne is going to be taken he will flee to Rebma. Because he is not particularly dangerous and is well liked, it is unlikely any elder Amberites will kill him. In fact they would all asist him against attack from Dara.
Merlin.- "The Ultimate Neutral" version (150 points)
He will not get involved because he has no interest in politics whatsoever. Other Amberites may attempt to use him as a pawn. He is likely to spend most of his time in Shadow and not even answer the summons.
Random.- "Latent Powerhouse" version (400 points)
Of course Random is pivotal to the situation but is unable to have any concious effect on his predicament. His power over the pattern and the Jewel of Judgement mean that even though he has hidden the Jewel he controlls the weather in Amber and can create and effect shadow storms. This danger is the reason for the frantic attempts to rectify the situation.
He has hidden himself in the room with the primal pattern and has sealed the room. Queen Vialle despite her love for him has fled to Rebma for her own safety.
This is probably the neatest resolution but probably the most difficult for the players. Firstly there is the challenging job of finding out what is actually the cause of the madness. This would be quite simple really and there are many possible ways to do this.
The first and most obvious is beating Random in a Psychic battle through a Trump contact. Fiona or Llewella could each do that or it could be done by several minds working together.
Once the cause is determined it is necessary to actually cure the madness.This involves entering Randoms mind in some way and then doing battle with the chaos lord who is hiding there. This will be up to the Player Characters because the Elder Amberites have too many other responsibilities.
There are several possible ways to enter Randoms mind.
1. The same method used by the Lord of Chaos.
This would not be easy because first one would need to determine the exact method used, which would involve a trip into the Courts of Chaos, during time of war, to try to uncover any notes he may have made. The players would then need to use Logrus, Shapeshifting and Trump. These powers would all need to be posessed by one character.
2. Tir-na-nogth.
Walking the Pattern at Tir-na-nogth, the reflection of Amber that can be seen in the Sky by moonlight, and using Pattern or Advanced Pattern may give access to Randoms mind. This is because Tir-na-nogth exists at least partly in dreams. However, there is some danger in this because this mirror of Amber is very strange and unknown dangers would exist.
Travel in Tir-na-nogth would be like traveling in a dream version of The City and Castle Amber. Effort should be made to make this as surreal and unearthly as possible. The addition of monsters that attack the psyche and possibly dream reflections of the inhabitants of Amber will increase the atmosphere.
3. Trump.
It would be possible to enter Randoms mind using Trump but there would be enormous difficulty in creating the appropriate Trump. Drawing a Trump of the insipe of someones mind would be extremely difficult. The assistance of Dworkin would almost certainly be required but, as he is not answering Trump calls, the players would have to get past Random to get to him. If they find some way to do so, Dworkin would probably help.
Another use for trump is that there would be no reason that they would not work between characters inside Randoms head and those outside. Thus, characters in Randoms head would be able to communicate with others and even pull other characters through to randoms mind via Trump.
4. Pattern
Use of Advanced Pattern with some other power such as sorcery or Shapeshifting might work. However, this is up to the Players' inventiveness and imagination. They would have to come up with a good method and a great theory behind why it would work.
There are probably other creative methods that the players may surprise you with. Let the characters try them and, if they sound like reasonable theories, let them work. If the characters do enter Random's mind the description and rules below will be very useful.
This resolution would be the easiest but probably not the best. Random is either killed or simply left insane and a new king or queen takes his place. Caine and Dara are both plotting to capture the throne but a child of Random or Martin could take it with the help of some elder Amberites. The Players could work with one of the plotters and gain their favor by helping them take Amber.
Unfortunately there theoretically cannot be a new king without the Jewel Of Judgement and while it is lost only Random has power over it and over the conditions in Amber and shadow.
This resolution would be bad for Amber. The characters could assist an army from Chaos, possibly led by Dara in an attack and capture of Amber. This could work out well for the players but not so well for Amber.
"The exquisite corpse shall drink the new wine"
The world inside someones mind would probably consist of a physical representation of their thoughts and state of mind. Fantastic landscapes would stretch away as far as the eye can see and movement by the players could have an extreme effect on the landscape. Players could be walking through a desert of purple sand and then, after falling into a pit, find themselves in half flooded catacombs.
This is the world of the imagination and anything thought or imagined by Random would have physical form to those inside his mind.
A reasonable example of how I believe the scenery would look is almost any Salvador Dali or Max Ernst painting of surrealist landscapes.A problem arises because Random is currently mad and also doing battle with a Lord of Chaos in his mind.. Thus the scenery and occurances would be even stranger than normally expected.
Randoms 'internal demons', which could be described simply as out of control emotions, would take on physical form in the universe inside his head. They would cause the Characters some trouble and would probably attack them. The attacks would probably consist of Psyche battles where losing characters end up taking on the appropriate emotion. Emotional demons likely to be powerful in Random are anger, jealousy, selfishness and mistrust of others.
ATTRIBUTES Psyche: 150 Strength: Chaos Rank Endurance: 50 Warfare: Chaos Rank POWERS Advanced Logrus Mastery Shape Shifting Advanced Trump Artistry
Blob Monsters. Their thrue forms are amorphous blobs. However these are rarely seen as the creatures are expert shape shifters. Each one has several horific forms it uses, such as a mass of tentacle with the face of a baby.
Their qualities and powers are: Combat reflexes, able to speak in tounges and voices, psychic neutral, limited shape shift.
Quantity: Named and Numbered (12)
A rundown district with a sinister reputation.
Dead Man's Plaza is a no-go area situated north east of Great Men. It is not a true plaza, but a collection of buildings in a dillapidated area, a general locale which has acquired the slang tag. No one is sure where it got its name from, yet even the Peace Force do not venture there. Anyone who enters is attacked and dumped unconscious on the Plaza of Great Men to recover. Curiously, people are seldom killed but are usually beaten within an inch of their lives. Demolitions experts, covert operatives, military strategists have all attempted to penetrate the secrets of Dead Man's Plaza but all have failed. Short of calling in an air strike, it seems impossible. As the location is derelict anyway, and not worth the cost of the payload, the peace force choose to live and let live. Dark rumours abound regarding the plaza. Some say that vampires and other foul creatures of the darkness make the place their lair. In response to the confusing architecture, some claim that only on the dark of the moon is there a clear path into the heart of darkness.
It is a little known fact that when Al Amarja fell to the Fascists in 1933, one sector held out against the invaders. A small guerrilla army, secretly operating out of the Hotel Totorum snapped at the jackbooted heels of Mussolini's troops during the occupation. When the island was `liberated', these brave freedom fighters held out against the new D'Aubainne regime. The key to their success came as the troops evacuated the island. One of Mussolini's scientists defected and joined the Marxist rebels. They did not trust him at first, but he provided them with the product of his research - a drug which provided miraculous enhancement in strength, agility and resistance to injury. This drug, like an early form of PCP only much more potent, enabled the small group of rebels to fight on in the name of the people. The rebels call themselves "The Dead", invoking both the plaza's sinister reputation and Orwell's revolutionaries.
They use hit and run tactics, ambushing from the shadows to pummel an intruder senseless and then disappear into the night. This augments their supernatural reputation. Some hysterical victims have claimed that they have had blood drained from them and therefore the plaza must be a nest of vampires or ghouls. On one occasion the revolutionaries thought of marking fang marks with red felt pens on their victims but realised that this was just too silly...
Today there are few of the original rebels left, and they are in their seventies (although the drug does act as an anti-agarthic so most appear in their fifties). Vitus Stansky is not the most brilliant of leaders, yet he is one of the original freedom fighters and is much respected. Recently the group has been trying to recruit to supplement the dwindling numbers.
Dead Man's Plaza is an odd collection of shops (mostly closed) and buildings surrounding a small plaza, more of a courtyard. There is a dark, narrow and twisting lane which used to lead to the centre of this place, but it has not been boarded up and plastered with peace force warnings at the entrance and blocked by collapsed buildings further in. The inhabitants use other, secret ways to enter and leave the district. It originally took its name from the replica of that famous statue of a dying Gaul which rests in the centre of the plaza. It is tarnished but free from graffiti.
Vitus Stansky. Aging Marxist
The Leader of the Dead, Vitus was a member of the Marxist cell which resisted Mussolini's invasion of Al Amarja. Their sabotage schemes and hit-and-run tactics were a constant thorn in the Fascist's side the D'Aubainne inheritors. Most of the early members are now dead, making Vitus the reluctant leader. He is good at making speeches and get mundane details organised, but he is not really a military leader. If not for the guidance of the enigmatic Fixer, the group would have been captured long ago. Vitus is now tired of the fighting and half-wishes for failure just so it will all end. His wife, Pedi, would prefer to live in a real home, rather than stay barricaded in run-down rat trap. As tempting as this is, he is a principled man and will no doubt resist the D'Aubainnes until he dies, or someone takes his place.
Ukrainian Man, age 70 (looks fifty), red hair and moustache
Central Trait: Administrator (3 dice) Vitus used to work as a civil servant before he became a rebel. He now puts his skills to good use making sure that everyone has enough to eat and that the Fixer has the right supply of reagents to make the victory drug.- Motheaten suit
Side Traits: Speechmaker (4 dice) Vitus can make stirring, inspiring speeches that even he ends up believing in. He can stir the rebels into a frenzy of violence or lift their spirits after a defeat - Likeable smile
Cunning Trapper (3 dice) In his youth in the Ukraine, Vitus enjoyed hunting. He now applies his hunting and trapping skills constructing a variety of wicked (usually non-lethal) traps for the enemy. - Carries a notebook full of complex designs.
Flaw: Agoraphobic. Vitus dislikes wide open areas, partly due to a finely tuned sense of paranoia and partly due to childhood nightmares about the sky falling on his head - Prefers to sit in his favourite chair in the back of the Cafe Brittany.
Motivation: To protect those close to him from harm.
Influence: Lenin. A great revolutionary.
Secret: When he was a teenager, before the Fascist invaded he once went to a ball with the daughter of a wealthy American Industrialist, Hector D'Aubainne. Vitus knows that the Fixer's drug is responsible for his slow aging but is not sure what Monique does...
The Fixer. Enigmatic Biochemist
The strange old man who works in a cluttered laboratory off
of dead man's plaza is known to everyone and beloved. It was his miraculous victory drug which helped the resistance fight back the enemy. Little do they know, but the Fixer was once one of the enemy and it was the inhuman experiments sanctioned by Mussolini's government which enabled the scientific advances which led to the drug's invention. The Fixer has been embraced with open arms as a member of the resistance family. He is well respected and his advice is sought on all manner of problems. It was the Fixer who lead the drive for new members which resulted in the recruitment of Rick and Obidiah. He is still on the look out for new blood, to swell the ranks of the resistance.
Italian Man, Age 70 (real age unknown), white hair and beard.
Central Trait: Fringe Biochemistry (4 dice) The Fixer could be one of the world leaders in biochemistry. He keeps up to date with new developments via several email contacts around the world. No one asks who he is or where his expertise comes from. - Smells of strange reagants
Side Traits Clear Thinker (3 dice) The resistance is a fairly disorganised and chaotic bunch of people. It is often left to the Fixer to see things clearly and make the most rational choices. - Sparkling eyes
Occult Knowledge (3 dice) Much of the biochemistry which lead to the creation of the victory drug comes from ancient sources. The Fixer researched herbal and mystical psychedelic in order to sort fact from mythology. - The communist party badge he wears seems to be missing its hammer.
Flaw: Aged. The Fixer takes a penalty dice when attempting anything physical or strenuous - Cautious step.
Motivation: To atone for his sins and protect the innocent.
Influence: Mussolini, a man who showed the Fixer that anyone could be convinced to do anything to anyone, given the right incentive.
Secret: The Fixer does not allow anyone to know his real name. This is because he was a scientist who worked for Mussolini, performing inhuman experiments on live human subjects. He regrets this now and helps the rebels in order to find atonement.
The Victory Drug
The Fixer's drug is the ultimate combat booster. It enhances strength, agility and reflexes, adding two dice to any combat manoeuvre and gives the recipient another 14 hit points. When someone boosted by the drug is incapacitated, this tends to result in a knockout rather than severe injury or wounding. It is almost as though the local laws of physics are suspended by the drug. A curious side effect is that this also applies to the enemies of the drug user.
This creates a predilection for slapstick. Combat tends to devolve into a huge punch-up with a big pile of unconscious people at the end, but no-one hurt more than a few bruises. The Fixer has tried to discern the reason for this and has no clear answer but lots of pseudo-scientific occult theories about biorhythms, auras and ether dampeners.
Rick Astor. Tough Leatherman
Rick Astor was a Hollywood stuntman in the early eighties. When motorcycle stunts went out of vogue, he found himself out of work. He moved to the San Francisco area and got work in a variety of professions; bodyguard, lifeguard, spa attendant and even some stunt work with a seedy circus. This was a period of great idyll in the gay community; lots of sex, few cares and a new sense of emancipation and freedom. Then the virus came. In 1989, Rick lost three friends in one year and decided that he had enough. He packed up his meagre belongings and set off around the world, to see the sights. He got as far as Al Amarja. When a throckmorton recruitment drive went wrong, he ended up a suspect in the murder of a senior peace force detective. Rick had killed the man in self defence after the enraged (and eyebrowless) cop had learned of his sexual preferences. Rick was a fugitive for months, but finally found sanctuary among the Dead. He and the Fixer are close friends and often plan the group's raids and sabotage ploys together. But it is that great lummox Obidiah who has a special place in Rick's heart. The two are constant companions and are usually the members of the resistance who are sent far afield on the most dangerous of missions.
American Man, aged 34, blonde hair and moustache
Central Trait: Toughguy (4 dice) Rick knows how to look after himself when the shit hits the fan. - Confident Swagger.
Side Traits Motorcycle Stunts (3 dice) Rick's teenage hero was Evil Knieval and he spent hours imitating the great man on his bicycle. When he was old enough to get his motorcycle license there was no stopping him.- Missing the little finger on his right hand.
Clever (3 dice) When in trouble, Rick uses his wits as much as his fists. The rest of the dead respect his ability to make quick decisions and come up with ideas under pressure- Cocky grin.
Flaw: Short. Rick is of below-average height and feels that he must overcompensate to make up for it. This often can lead to the wrong decision based on proving his masculinity, impairing his otherwise impeccable decision-making ability - Takes bodybuilding very seriously.
Motivation: To give one in the eye to the Fascists.
Influence: Michel Foucault, a regular at some of the San Francisco bars and spas.
Secret: Rick's mother still sends him knitted jumpers (to a post box in Flowers) to keep him nice and warm on those long nights of sabotage and mayhem.
Obidiah Liske. Steroid Abusing Wrestler
Obidiah was expelled from the Munich amateur wrestlers' association for abuse of steroids, ruining his chances of Olympic competition. For several years he fought in the vaudeville professional arena in America, finding new and exotic chemicals to fill his body with. Somewhere along the line these drugs combined in a potent mixture and transformed Obidiah into someone other than human. At first his monstrous strength was a novelty - the fans thought it was a gimmick anyway. It ceased to be trivial when an weapons research corporation kidnapped Obidiah, seeking to study him and replicate the transformation. He was shipped to a compound on a Greek island. Fortunately the Fixer had learnt about this from a contact inside the corporation and sent the Dead to rescue the hapless wrestler. Obidiah has been with the Dead ever since. He is never far from his constant companion, Rick. He has recently picked up a stray as a pet - a pure white pit bull puppy which he calls Idefix and insists on taking with him on missions, against Rick's protests.
German man, age 30, red hair and moustache
Central Trait: Wrestler (4 dice) Obidiah could have been a contender, but he naively fell in with the wrong crowd. - Big brawny hands.
Side Traits Steroid Monster (fringe, 3 dice). A weird chemical cocktail of steroids has transformed Obidiah into something quite terrifying. He gets a three dice bonus on any roll that requires strength or fortitude. The Fixer refuses to give him any of the victory drug because of what it might do to him. This is a source of much sulking - Huge bulk.
Good Natured (3 dice) Obidiah is a genuinely nice person, if somewhat naive and child-like. Where his superhuman strength can't help him, his disarming manner often can. - Gentle smile.
Flaw: Inhuman Hunger. As a side effect of his strange physiology, Obidiah must devour an enormous amount of food. He is always hungry and often devours a table-full in a single meal. - Sensitive about his weight
Motivation: To enlarge his collection of trophies - a huge assortment of police and peace officers' helmets.
Influence: Rick, his best friend who rescued Obidiah from the vivisectionists.
Secret: ?
Kafka Onyx. Incompetent Grunge Musician
Perhaps the most unsuccessful busker in history, Kafka Onyx (real name: Miles Bush) left his middle-class family to tour Europe before embarking on his career as the next Grunge sensation (or go back to working in his father's bait shop). After being beaten in nearly every major European city, he found his way to Al Amarja. The Dead found his broken body lying on a pile of garbage outside the Terminal and took him in, healing his wounds. Although they are secretly fond of Kafka, many have regretted this decision ever since, such is the appalling nature of his warbling voice and his poor guitarmanship. He lives in a garret, far above the square where he doesn't disturb anyone, except Fulio the mechanic who is disturbed by Kafka's very existence. While Fulio is often quite cruel to the `musician', there is a strange love-hate relationship between them. Kafka is a good spy for the Dead as no-one suspects that the awful busker is someone undercover, trying to blend into the background.
American Man, Age 19, Blonde hair
Central Trait: Desperate (4 dice) Kafka has had to survive by scrounging and getting people to take pity on him. Sometimes the only thing saving him from a beating is his pitiable, cold chihuahua-like patheticness. Then again, sometimes not. - Plaid flannelette shirt.
Side Traits Scruffy Good Looks (3 dice) Some women find a handsome, completely dependent layabout irresistible. This is one of the great mysteries of life.- Full and glossy head of hair.
Dumb (3 dice) Some people get their own way because it just isn't worth trying to explain otherwise. Kafka uses the dumb act to get away from the Peace Force, into embassies and out of having to pay for his round. But is it an act? - Dopey grin.
Flaw: A terrible musician. Kafka claims that he is before his time - sign
Motivation: To become a great rock star.
Influence: Kurt Cobain. When irritated by Kafka's singing, Fulio often suggest that he follow his hero's example.
Secret: Kafka knows all too much about fly-fishing.
Other Characters
Fulio Mattocks is a mechanic who runs shop out of Great Men. He lives in Dead Man's Plaza and acts as the general odd-job guy for the group. He dislike's Kafka's singing intensely and has been known to gag and handcuff the unfortunate grunge victim, rather than listen to his busking version of `Smell's like Teen Spirit' again.
Uni Genicks an Al Amarjan man who sells fish on the Plaza and acts as one of the spies for the group, bringing much gossip from the fishmarkets.
Gerald Atkins is an elderly British gentleman who runs the Hotel Totorum. His wife, is young, pretty and the source of much gossip. In truth, she loves the old man honestly and is not interested in the rumours of the fortune he has supposedly stashed away. The strange thing is, no one can remember her name...
As a part of another story, characters are forced to enter Dead Man's Plaza for some reason, either pursuing someone or being chased themselves. Play up the dark, gothic architecture and get them really paranoid about vampires. Characters can get what they came for and be hit from the shadows by the Dead. Next thing they know, they wake up with a headache in a pile of garbage off of Great Men.
The Fixer decides that it is time for some new recruits. Rick or Obidiah could be introduced to your series as recurring characters as they check out the characters. They will keep their home secret until they decide they trust the characters or some event forces their hand.
Characters may encounter the Dead during one of their raids or, more curiously, as they highjack a truckload of food for the every-hungry Obidiah. This should raise interesting questions as to why revolutionaries need so much food - perhaps there is a secret army waiting in the sewers? Perhaps not.
Various conspiracies would no doubt love to get their hands on the victory drug. Of course, even if they do, they will not expect the slapstick results.
A conspiracy which has an interest in twisting reality or deconstruction (such as the Cut-ups, the Semiotic Assassins or the Arcadian Club) becomes interested in the dead. They have their suspicions about the strange nature of the group, having no reports or memory of them existing until quite recently. The fact that the entry to the plaza is located on the corner of Goscinny St and Uderzo Rd has confirmed some of their theories. Someone or something has made the Dead. Now if only they could get their hands on that quiffed reporter with the little dog or his friend the sailor, they might be getting somewhere...
Mars, 1890. Far to the north of the British Crown Colony of Syrtis Major lies the Boreosyrtis League, a confederation of city-states whose principal source of revenue is the production of a rare, and mildly narcotic spice: bhutan. In return for certain defensive guarantees, the League has signed trade agreements which give the British exclusive rights to purchase the spice, a fact that angers Martian and non-British human alike.
But now that the British are engaged in a prolonged, bloody war with the Oenotrian Empire, Tzarist agents are rumoured to be snuffling around Mylarkt, an independent city-state which sits astride the vital Meroe-Syrtis Major canal. H.M. government fears that the Russians may have already conducted secret talks with the ruling Prince. Furthermore, raiders from the Meroe highlands have started using a secret pass to swoop down and plunder the rich spice caravans as they journey between Mylarkt and the Colony.
Preperations are therefore underway to raise a small expedition with orders to locate the hidden pass; seek out the skulking 'Bear'; and tame a Martian Prince. Needless to say, the success ofthis (unofficial) operation on the Colony's North East Frontier is crucial to the protection of future British and League interests.
Campaign World:
The universe of GDW's Space:1889 - Science Fiction Role Playing in a More Civilized Time (by Frank Chadwick; copyright 1996).
There are a number of excellent Web sites which detail both Space:1889, the game; and the historical Victorian era. Below are several URLs of interest to prospective Victorian Adventurers:
- The Heliograph Unofficial Space:1889 WWW site:
- The Victorian Research Web Page:
Rating:
Mature. Some graphic violence may occur.
Theme/Focus
Playing the Great Game on late C19th Mars.
The 'Game' is best described as a clandestine quest for information and power over the vast tracts of Central Asia and Mars which lie trapped between British and Tzarist Russian geopolitical spheres. During the Game's first phase on Earth in the early C19th, players tended to travel in disguise and great secrecy. It was one of those early players, Lieutenant Arthur Conolly (6th Bengal Native Light Cavalry), who coined the term "the Great Game".
By the 1880s, this silent war of nerves was entering its second phase. No longer was the emphasis on disguise and secrecy, and the rivalry with Tzarist Russia was more blatant. After Russia's intervention in the Hecates Lacus civil war in 1883, and the international recognition of its "special interests" in the region, the Tournament of Shadows, as the Russians called the Game, began in earnest. Mars was about to become "a vast adventure playground" for ambitious officers and explorers on both sides.(i)
Morality:
This is a most complex issue. As Frank Chadwick writes: "Victorian society was characterised by a strong adherence to a widely accepted set of values ... Each value tended to produce both virtues and vices, sometimes, paradoxically, at the same time and in the same person ... At his best, the Victorian Englishman combined a boyish zest for hard work and adventure with tremendous personal courage and integrity. At his worst, he was smug, prudish, half-witted, hostile to everything alien to his race and class, and pointlessly obsessed with sporting activities ... Players should be aware that a general acceptance of, and adherence to, these basic values is essential to success in Victorian society at large".(ii)
Realism:
A blend of daring, do-or-die cinematic heroics, and pragmatic realism. "Bearding The Bear" is as much inspired by M.M. Kaye's "The Far Pavilions"; Kipling's "The Man Who Would Be King", and "Kim"; T.N. Murari's evocative "The Imperial Agent" and "The Last Viceroy" (both sequels to "Kim"); the movies: "Gunga Din", "Tales of the Bengal Lancers", and, of course, "The Man Who Would Be King"; as it is by the Larger-than-Life exploits of men such as Sir Francis Younghusband, the Last Great Imperial Adventurer, and a leading player in the Great Game.
Outlook:
The Great Game is both alluring and dangerous. As one of Colonel Creighton's agents tells Kim: "We of the Game are beyond protection. If we die, we die. Our names are blotted from the book. That is
all".(iii)
Continuity:
Continuity will be entirely dependent upon the success (or failure) of the Mission. Either way, the Great Game /will/ go on!
Characters:
Characters should, of course, be Englishmen of sterling character; adventurous in spirit, and heroic of heart. The potential Great Gamer might be a 'special correspondent' for "The Times", a representative of the RMGS, or perhaps a member of a shooting party in search of an elusive eegaar.
Martian characters are motivated to play the Game by the lure of membership in London's learned societies. ('Do you know what Ta-na-Roo really wants? He wants to be made a member of the Royal
Society by taking ethnological notes. Curious, his wish to be an FRS. Very human, too'. Cummings to MacGregor, 25 Jul.1888 Secret, F.O. 77/2310.)
PC Group Structure:
Although the Mylarkt Mission is not (strictly) an Expeditionary Force, it will be formally structured, with a clearly defined Chain-of-Command. Player characters can elect to be either a part of this chain, or act as independent observers/advisors attached to the Mission.
PC Importance:
Officially, characters will not be on secret government service; they are simply freelance adventurers. If they are unsuccessful, their political master(s) will disown them where necessary.
Combat:
When/if combat occurs, the GM will use Jim Cambias's "elegantly simple" combat resolution system; that is: "all combat is conducted using Skill rolls, employing the standard 1889 Task Difficulty levels". A html copy of these 'rules' can be downloaded from the Heliograph Web Page (see above), or email the GM for an ASCII copy.
Gamemaster:
Dorian Davis
Game System:
GDW's Space:1889 - Science Fiction Role Playing in a More Civilized Time (by Frank Chadwick; copyright 1996).
Players do not need to own a copy of the rulebook to play, as detailed information on generating a character will be made available upon request. Such players might also want to check out the GURPS:
1889 web page: http://home.forbin.com/~kritter/gurps/1889/1889.html [55] which contains a transcription of several chapters from the rulebook, notably the "Introduction" and "The Victorian Age". These will tell
players what sort of world they are adventuring in, and explain how the proper Victorian Adventurer behaves.
Player Experience:
Can range from complete novice to experienced pro. Some familiarity with the Victorian era would be desirable, but is not essential to enjoying the game.
Time Frame:
The GM checks email daily, and will respond to urgent questions asap.
The goal is to post one (or two) turns per week, which assumes a turn around time of three or four days. However, this may not always be possible. The GM will endeavour to provide warning of any (unreasonably) long delays.
Turn Frequency:
Player response times may be as long as needed, provided no other players are waiting on the response - if there are, the GM assumes an appropriate response after three (3) days from the other player(s)'posting.
Turn Formatting:
GM turns will have a moderately formal format.
***---***---*** is used to begin and end the turns.
Within the turn, any notes of general interest (exposition, adminstrative comments, etc.) will be separated from the turn text by [square brackets].
Within the turn text, a {Character Name(s)} will indicate each character's (or group's) actions.
(Repost) following the character name indicates text duplicated from an earlier turn, usually for technical reasons.
A centered ---//--- indicates a scene break within an action.
Turns will be presented in annal form (that is: all PC and NPC actions will be written up in the third person).
Player's Turn Formatting:
Players can submit their turn in the format of their choice, just as long as the difference between metagame and in-character statements are clearly defined. The GM would prefer it if replies were written in narrative form (in complete sentences and paragraphs, rather than point form). Players may choose to describe a character's thoughts or just his actions, as they prefer. Please refrain from excessive quoting.
Turn Breaks:
The GM will attempt to avoid ending a turn at a point where there is only one obvious choice; it will be assumed the character makes the obvious choice and continues on. It may take some time to learn what
sort of choices are obvious for each character, however. Initially, assumptions will be kept to a minimum. Each player must decide for themselves whether or not to allow the GM greater leeway in assuming
character actions.
In important conversations, a significant decision may be only one or two lines.
Player responses to GM turns should also try to advance to another significant decision or event; that is: each player turn should stop at a point where the player doesn't know what happens next.
Questions:
Questions about the story (or the era) that would be of general interest to all players and lurkers, and which does not require an immediate answer, should be included in a player's turn as well, rather than in a private message to the GM.
Mechanics
The game will run more like a face-to-face roleplaying game than a collaborative story. In most games, players have control over their own characters, and the GM has control over everything else, including Setting, Non-Player Characters, and Chance. So, in order to advance the pace of the game, players will be given more control than is usual in a face-to-face game.
If they desire, players can add various elements to the setting, create, and interact with some non-player characters, and decide the results of certain actions that have an element of chance. The worst that can happen is that the GM decides a part of the player's turn did not actually occur that way, and truncates the response. It's okay if this happens occasionally, but if it seems to crop up too often then more elaborate or restrictive guidelines may have to be defined.
Setting:
Players can elaborate on the GM's description by adding or describing 'typical' things that might be found in the setting that were not specifically mentioned in the GM turn -- so long as it does not contradict or invalidate the GM turn.
If the GM turn relates that your character is in a crowded market place, the player can decide that there is a typical sort of stall nearby - but not that there is a tunnel leading to the Prince's Treasury. If the GM turn describes the character being attacked in a tavern, the player can decide that there is a tray on a nearby table, or that there is a cleaver on the counter - but not that there is a suit of armour in the corner.
Non-Player Characters:
Likewise, players can create common people who might be found in the setting. In the market, a player can describe merchants and passers-by, but not that the ruling Prince is strolling by.
Players can interact with, and describe the actions of, NPCs they create as well, so long as they have them react in a typical fashion. A player can describe haggling over some item with the merchant -- but not that the merchant gives away items for free.
Chance:
Players can dictate that their character succeeds (or fails) at certain tasks they attempt. Players can assume success for high- probability actions that their character is particularly adept at. For instance, if the character is a skilled craftsman, the player does not have to ask the GM if he successfully creates a professional quality item; the player can just decide that he does, and keeps on writing up his turn.
However, players should never assume that they can significantly interfere with other characters, whether they are run by another player or by the GM. Even if the character is a superb Marksman, the player cannot decide that the character kills someone with one shot. Nor should they just write that their glib investigator convinces the suspected criminal to confess.
NOTES:
(i) Hopkirk, Peter, "The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia", London, 1990; p.4.
(ii) Chadwick, Frank, "Space:1889", Bloomington, 1988; p.23.
(iii) Kipling, Rudyard, "Kim", Ware, 1995 (1st edn. 1901); p.173.
Links:
[1] mailto:mkkuhner@phylo.genetics.washington.edu
[2] mailto:frontier@rocketship.com
[3] mailto:sadlerj@ocean.com.au
[4] mailto:reason@pegasus.rice.edu
[5] http://spacsun.rice.edu/~reason/daakfal/
[6] http://www.fractal.mandarin.org
[7] http://www2.dynamite.com.au/wes/
[8] http://www.very.net/conquest/useful.htm
[9] http://www.uq.net.au/~zzsean/ausgame.html
[10] mailto:Amanda.Wone@jcu.edu.au
[11] mailto:CASTLE@uq.net.au
[12] http://www.uq.net.au/~zzsean/rpg.html
[13] mailto:jonathan@rmit.edu.au
[14] http://www.srl.rmit.edu.au
[15] http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page5.html
[16] http://www.sd.monash.edu.au/~mdick/GCDU/page2.html
[17] http://www.next.com.au/~peter/roleplay/cons
[18] mailto:clubsmed@ign.com.au
[19] http://www.ign.com.au/~clubsmed/sydcon/
[20] mailto:pcoles@alpha7.curtin.edu.au
[21] http://www.gu.uwa.edu.au/swancon/
[22] mailto:Wraith@uq.net.au
[23] http://www.starvision.net.au/johnc/briscn/briscon.html
[24] mailto:k.done@qut.edu.au
[25] mailto:dcorb@osr.nsw.gov.au
[26] mailto:arcanacon@zip.com.au
[27] http://www.zip.com.au/~arcanacon
[28] mailto:drew@zip.com.au
[29] mailto:mtbarnes@fl.net.au
[30] http://www.conclave.zip.com.au
[31] mailto:gongcon@hotmail.com
[32] mailto:CD@tpgi.com.au
[33] mailto:ajd@zip.com.au
[34] http://www.zip.com.au/~tc/necro.html
[35] mailto:murps@hardy.ocs.mq.edu.au
[36] http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/fulkonah/murps/index.html
[37] http://arcadia.buseco.monash.edu.au/~korg/qv/qv0007/arc/
[38] http://www.angelfire.com/mo/vrindex/index.html
[39] mailto:justinf@hotmail.com
[40] mailto:robncjon@netins.net
[41] HTTP://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Dungeon/1425/
[42] http://www.fantasyrealms.simplenet.com
[43] http://members.aol.com/goldrushg
[44] http://www.rpg.net/
[45] http://www.reality.com/
[46] mailto:morrighu@ambience.com.au
[47] mailto:guardiansorder@hotmail.com
[48] http://www.guildofblades.com
[49] mailto:rossjoh1@pilot.msu.edu
[50] http://www.sirius.com/~chaosium/chaosium.html
[51] mailto:greg@chaosium.com
[52] mailto:tschinke@nordwest.de
[53] mailto:Delecti@aol.com
[54] mailto:mrwhippy@bud.cc.swin.edu.au
[55] http://home.forbin.com/~kritter/gurps/1889/1889.html