A Breath of Fresh Air by Janek Sielicki for the Cypher System, Adventure Review

I've talked before about the differences between strategic and narrative role-playing games (RPGs). Some systems lend themselves more to one than the other. Sometimes it comes down to the adventure being played.

There are adventures written to be a series of combats, emphasizing the strategic aspects of the characters being played. Others, like A Breath of Fresh Air by Janek Sielicki for the Cypher System has combat, but is designed to give the players an opportunity to dig into the characters' personalities.

A Breath of Fresh Airhas the party facing challenges that are more than just overcoming a number of combats to achieve their goals. Some of the ideas are familiar to what narrative players are used to, but with a nice twist.

The party is positioned to put themselves into the hands of fate. They're faced with overwhelming odds and an escape route presents itself (a standard play for one-shot convention style games). They just don't know what is in store for them by utilizing the opportunity.

This leads the party to be in an environment they cannot survive in for a long period of time. With the timer set, they have to figure out how to communicate with creatures they're not familiar with. Then, as they come to understand the position they are in, they must take actions which could have serious consequences.

Using this adventure as a one-shot or in a campaign has the potential of impacting players and characters in future play. A Breath of Fresh Air will have most players, and characters, questioning their choices as they start to learn about their predicament and the possible consequences of what they decide on doing.

For the standalone adventure, that is the part affecting the characters. In a campaign setting you now have characters who have faced a situation most people don't have to ever face. This gives the players the opportunity to role-play out the impact on their characters in future adventures. The characters will have something to look back on, see what they've done before, and use it as a significant part of their story.

For those who are familiar with ethical dilemmas, A Breath of Fresh Air establishes one nicely. It is well placed in the setting. The options are their within the framework of the game, which makes this a more acceptable location of delving into the underlying theme.

This has been a fun adventure leaving the players, and the game master, thinking afterwards.

A Breath of Fresh Airis written by Janek Sielicki for the tier two characters in the Cypher System and distributed through Cypher System Creator at DriveThruRPG (link to adventure on DriveThruRPG).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng)

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Local wargaming club - active and moving forward

The Old Dominion Military Society has reformed and has been gaming weekly with great success for several months. We recently held our summer convention (Guns of August) at the local military museum, the Virginia War Museum in Newport News, and it was a great success.

Check out the after action report on the club blog.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

The Temple of Gruumsh in Hork

From Slavador Trakal

There are six major orc deities and all are worshipped in the city of Hork. The religions are an independent major power structure that competes against and works with the political power of the Council of Kings. Gruumsh is the most worshiped deity of the pantheon within the city. The other five maintain strong followings and their numbers fluctuate as their popularity grows and wanes. Because of the position of the high priest of Gruumsh in the Council of Kings, none of them have the same influence and control of the general populace.

All the temples maintain their positions of power in Hork by appealing more to the common orcs and across the tribes. This helps their political power as well, since the kings know that upsetting the higher priests, of any temple, can be a quick way of losing leadership.

Most orcs pay tribute to more than one of the key gods of the pantheon. There are also followings of the more obscure ones which aren't talked about much. This style of worship is also reflected by the tribes. A tribe has their patron deity and the others are worshipped to a lesser degree.

Here is the leadership of the priesthood of Gruumsh.

The high priest of the temple of Gruumsh is Gorrukk. This older orc is older than most orcs in the city and still looks like he could manage himself in a fight. However, he knows he doesn't have the quickness he once had and has turned to dealing with the politics at the Council of Kings.

Gorrukk maintains influence in the Court due to his extensive knowledge about the individual kings and what is happening within their tribes. His network of informants includes priests he has personally placed with each king as consultants to their tribal court. An intermediate for the king and tribe to Gruumsh.

The kings' know these consultants are a two-headed axe. And, both sides of an axe can be wielded. Gorrukk also understands his consultant priests have divided loyalty to their tribe, king, and temple. To ensure he has the right information, his network goes well beyond those few orcs.

Gorrukk has two main goals while in the Council of Kings. The first is to maintain the King of Black Fang as the King of Kings. Tuagout is a capable figurehead leader for the city. However, Gorrukk ensures Tuagout's position is always working to maintain the conflicts within and without the city so he doesn't get too involved with the matters of religion.

From Deviant Art

Along with maintaining a somewhat stable leadership for the city, Gorrukk works to ensure the other races now living in the city are controlled. He believes the largest threat to the city of Hork are the non-orcs who have been allowed to enter the city. And, those now living in the city would best be dealt with by killing them or expelling them. He doesn't trust non-orcs and the only slaves he keeps are the undead he has created and can control.

With his time being devoted to activities of court Gorrukk leaves most of the temple business Kuhkill.

Kuhkill is the next highest ranking priest in the temple. Where Gorrukk is concerned about maintaining the current order of the city sitting in the council chamber, Kuhkill is inclined to be an orc of action. His main goal, besides ensuring his place in the pecking order, is to strengthen the temple of Gruumsh's position within the city. His own spy network gives him much of the same information about the tribal activities that his leader gets. With that information Kuhkill focuses on what can be used to recruit more priests and followers. His manner of growing the following of Gruumsh uses whatever means he feels useful.

Kuhkill's rise in power has been helped by his association with the thieves' and assassins' guilds. He has found a level of fear of not following a command from the temple is a strong motivator for many orcs to be faithful. When the fear is generated by the unknown hand of Gruumsh, faith can even become stronger.

He is also willing to use the priests and the holy warriors of Gruumsh as he feels they are most useful. Gorrukk has turned is eye away from how Kuhkill manages the faithful since his heavier involvement in court.

Kuhkill is well known by many orcs in the halls of Hork and spends a lot of time in the market hall consorting at the different businesses. Kuhkill's activities brings money to many commoners and they don't want to upset the current order, as long as it is paying so well. He is also known for not wasting time of killing an individual who has offended him.

Many see him as the real leader of the temple. This is not spoken openly. There are more informants than not. If you're not selling information, you're shorting your purse.

Kuhkill allows the next priest in line at the temple to be the Gorrukk's assistant. Mogfu is better suited to sit with the old orc. And the two underling priests have an unspoken understanding that the power arrangement of court and city will be maintained after Gorrukk's death.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

What Immortal Hand, Book Review

For me, this is the first time I have seen a story that starts in Wendover, which sits on the border of Nevada and Utah. Having lived for over 40 years in the Salt Lake valley, I have traveled to many of the locations and over the roads in Johnny Worthen's What Immortal Hand. It was a hook for me, and the story drew me in deeper.

Michael Oswald is hitting a mid-life crisis. Life has been going in the wrong direction for a while. He has gone through a divorce and his kids are living in another state with their mom and her new husband. His job is one he despises, and he despises himself for doing it. He no longer has a house, or apartment, preferring to live out of his car and the occasional motel room.

Now he's even losing it mentally, he is experiencing hallucinations and blacking out. We see Michael grasping for something to cling onto, something to help him get grounded. He starts exploring his past to find out who he really is.

Just about everyone goes through a time in their life where they feel lost, and losing. Like Michael, we look for something to ground us. Something to help us get an understanding about who we are and where we come from.

Self-discovery can be a dark path. For some it is darker than others. Science has proven that our brains block out the memories of pain. Then, when we go digging through our thoughts to find what is missing we must deal with it in some manner. Isn't that the idea of going to therapy? After we find what we are looking for, we still have to decide what to do with it. Where we take it into the future.

In What Immortal Hand, Johnny Worthen (published by Omnium Gatherum) has created a 300-page journey of discovery with dark twists and turns. A psychological horror story for adults that contemplates those losses we have, the memories we are missing. Then, the inner battle we face when we learn about ourselves.

Join Michael on his dark adventure of discovery. Find out where it leads him. Decide if digging into your past is something you want to do to find out who you are, where you are from, and where you want to go.

What Immortal Hand is available at Amazon (link).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

FilmQuest, Upcoming Articles and Reviews

I have received an opportunity of covering Utah's second largest film festival, FilmQuest.

The festival is September 8^th through September 16^th. FilmQuest is an international film festival specializing in sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. They had over 1,000 submissions this year and will be screening over 200 full length and short movies.

I will be writing articles about the festival for Utah Geek Magazine. My goal is to cover as much as I can, which means I will be writing a lot of articles. First publication will be going to Utah Geek Magazine, then I will be adding them to Guild Master Gaming.

The articles I will be publishing will be extra articles, I plan on continuing to publish articles about table top gaming. However, because several of the outlets that allow me to share my articles are specialized to different types of gaming, I will only be publishing the articles on a limited number of locations, unless I hear from the site owners it is alright to share across their platform. Otherwise, if you are interested in getting all of the posts I please ask that you like or follow the blog, or one of the social media feeds I maintain.

I hope you will enjoy the information about FilmQuest and the movie reviews that will be forth coming.

Thanks,

Daniel Yocom

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Main Political Structure of Hork, a city of Orcs

From Lord of the Rings

Adjusting the City of Hork to a Location

In building the city of Hork I started out in a generic setting. However, due to some comments I received, the information presented for Hork will be part of Forgotten Realms by Wizards of the Coast. The responses have also been about developing in the older d20 systems so that it can be easily converted into Pathfinder and another system (they didn't say which one).

Main Political Structure

There are seven major tribes in the city of Hork. They continuously fight between themselves to better their political position. The fighting is rarely in the open, but there are times when the blood overflows into the tunnels. When one tribe is known as the attackers, there is almost always a level of retaliation from the attacked. Every tribe has decent numbers of warriors,           but retaliation by the smaller tribes is usually limited away from bloodshed because they would have a harder time of a war of attrition.

Alliances are common. The strength of any alliance is always in question. For, an alliance is only as good as it is serving your needs.

The Seven Main Tribes

After the King of Kings (Black Fang) there is no specified order of who is the next in line. Orcs are not well known for creating organized lines of ascension. Unless, there has been some level of influence pushed as one King of Kings ages the transition could break into a major battle. Two actions have prevented this breakdown so far. The first is the sitting king of the Black Fang has handed over his sit to a son before his death, and the temple of Gruumsh has blessed the new king as the rightful leader.

Black Fang

King (King of Kings): Tuagout

Black Fang has maintained the ruling seat since the conquering of the city Several times it has come close to losing control, but has come through each time. One of the major reasons for its ability to maintain power is its connection to the power of the priests of the temple of Gruumsh. The Black Fang also have a larger fighting force because they have taken control of smaller tribes that have entered the city, and instead of killing the new orcs, adopted them in as tribesmen.

Orc LARPing in Denmark

Leg Breakers

King: Spakak

This tribe of orcs has always kept to itself and maintain little control outside of their own area in an isolated set of tunnels. The tunnels are easily defended by orc and trap, making it hard to do any real damage to the tribe. The Leg Breakers took the heaviest losses when capturing the city and found a place where they could rebuild. Over the years, they have expanded their border slowly and methodically to maintain their protectiveness. This tribe, in many ways, is one of the best organized, especially in military matters.

Dark Death

King: Kollodob

In one of the higher levels of the city, close to one of the city gates to the surface, Dark Death has taken control. This tribe has maintained a stronger connection to the surface world than any other city tribe. This has played out for them in two ways. The first is they have members who are better on the surface, including the highest-ranking druid of the city. Kollodob has also maintained political connections with surface tribes of orcs and other monstrous races.

Fire Wolves

King: Looshik

It's understood by most orcs that Fire Wolves are connected with the assassins' guild. In fact, this is more of a ruse than anything else. The guild acts in its own interest, and not for any particular tribe. Because the rumor really only goes through the common orcs, and doesn't hurt their business, the guild has not tried to end it. Fire Wolves have allowed the ruse to continue so they can work on their own agenda with less interference.

Blood Swords

King: Gordung

Deeper in the tunnels of Hork, the Blood Swords have established their tribe's home. The Blood Swords control one of the major routes into the underdark. Their work in the section of tunnels has led to protecting the city from a couple of attacks from dwarves and they have been honored in the city. The Blood Swords have been expanding their territory out of the city and into other tunnels.

Dark Hammer

King: Abgod Queen: Uhucki

From Giantbomb

Abgod is the political front, but Dark Hammer is run by queen Uhucki. Within the tribe, the orcs know Uhucki is the voice to listen to, but they maintain the appearance that Abgod is their king for political reasons. They have built a stronger hold by working in areas of commerce. This has been by controlling the trade in one form or another. Dark Hammer is probably the richest tribe in the city, and they use the money for well-placed tributes (bribes) to maintain control over the flow of goods. They have been at odds with several bands of "smugglers." Not that what the smugglers are doing is illegal in the city, but they are circumventing the control Dark Hammer works to maintain.

Oozing Eye

King: Kruckak

This is currently the smallest tribe, or so it is believed. They don't get involved much with politics of the city and work on maintaining a control of the seedier elements of the city. They are willing to work with outside forces and have stronger connections than most realize with non-orc strengths. They are in a lower section of the city, away from Blood Sword territory. Unknown to most in the city, Oozing Eye controls a smaller entrance to the city, which they use to enter and leave the city without other tribes knowing.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Conflicted: Surviving the Apocalypse--Game Review

You've seen the signs and you've prepared for society's collapse. When the time was right, you evacuated and established yourself on the outskirt of civilization. You were ready. You are ready. You will be ready.

Conflicted: Surviving the Apocalypse is a board game with the same theme as Conflicted: The Survival Card Game. Instead of the scenarios being read off the cards to be discussed in a party setting, Surviving the Apocalypse puts you in a more active role of building a camp, adding survivors, and working through conflicts with the government, other groups, and other players.

A friend and I had the opportunity to see the game at Salt Lake Gaming Con, but didn't have a chance to play it there. Instead, arrangements were made with one of the developers to play it at another time.

At the start of the game, each player has enough to build one camp: a place (Asset) to base yourself out of and a Leader. Along with those cards, you also receive Survivors and Equipment. You have to decide who goes into the camp and with what equipment. Each cards show the limitations and benefits they provide. It is important to build a camp strong enough that can defend itself. Since society is collapsing, others are after what you have, be it the Government, Attackers, or other players.

The Mechanics

The game uses different decks of cards to represent the different items mentioned above along with Chance, Death, and Disaster. During Each turn players gain two Chance cards. Other cards are collected by landing on a corresponding marker on the game board by moving around a lap, or by taking out other camps. You can only keep five cards in your hand, so it's important how you build and manage your camps.

The cards have a lot of information on them. For example, Assets can only support so many people, people can only use certain levels of equipment, and some equipment is used better by certain people. You need to keep an eye on what and who you have.

The End Game

There are multiple ways Conflicted: Surviving the Apocalypse can end. We decided we would end if one of three conditions were met: having four leaders in play (building four camps), removing four opposing leaders, or completing a lap on the board. Ours ended with four camps being established.

At the end, three of the four players were close to each other in what they were building. I was the fourth player, who wasn't really a threat to anyone else in the game.

Strategy Thoughts

Managing your cards during the building a camp phase determines how well you are defending your camp, and thus your camp's leader. You can also do this through negotiation with other players.

Bargains can be struck to help defend your camps, or attack others. There is no rule though about how you follow through. Conflicted is a game of opportunity, so to survive, and to come out on top, go after the opportunities when they present themselves.

Some of the random events almost have a reset value to the game. We were hit by a super volcano that took out all of the Assets, Survivors, and Equipment. We were left with only our Leaders that were in play.

Re-playability

There are enough cards that every game would be providing a different set of conditions to work with. In our game the developer (Shanna) mentioned it was the first time she was hit by a super volcano.

I wouldn't expect people playing back-to-back games since it takes between 1–2 hours, but you can expect it to be different each time you play.

The Look

Conflicted Games has gone with photographs to decorate the cards. This brings a different, more realistic feel to the game. Along with the pictures, the cards have additional statements that bring some light-heartedness into the game.

Overall

Conflicted: Surviving the Apocalypse is based on a disaster film on steroids. Society is collapsing and natural disasters can strike at any time. Along with the super volcano, our game was hit with a tsunami and a drought. Then, again, because of the randomness of the game, you could go an entire game without a disaster occurring. It is about surviving whatever happens.

We enjoyed the game. The developers are working out a few variations. However, the kinks observed were minor and easily worked out. Conflicted Games is taking their board game to Kickstarter soon and I am sure that by the time it releases, the game will be polished.

Conflicted: Surviving the Apocalypse is developed and distributed by Conflicted Games. It is designed for 2–6 players and no age was yet assigned.

Times are tough. Your crew is tougher. You are part of the few who have survived the apocalypse.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

You can also join Guild Master Gaming on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter (@GuildMstrGmng).

reade more... Résuméabuiyad