D20 Cognitive Overload

Posted on March 14, 2021 by First Age

 I sometimes make a rod for my own back; some may even say it is of Deadly Casting. At present I am running three different D20 Fantasy games: True20, D&D 4e and Pathfinder 2e. Each of these games are terrific and deliver a different experience at the table. True20 particularly stands out as different, just as it did back in 2006, delivering a high fantasy experience with an ever present sense of vulnerability, having discarded the Hit Point bloat trope of classic D20 games. I am mindful of the similar style and feel of 4e and PF2e. They are both super-heroic player character high fantasy games with a super tanker load of options and widgets built around fairly sleek tactical play. I love them all.

At the same time I am really enjoying playing out D&D 5e adventures in gloomdark Barovia. Dom is running an excellent game in a well developed setting. Our group approach is fairly gung-ho and out to resolve the place by toppling the evil vampiric count in the centre of it all. I think this game has pushed my capacity to juggle multiple iterations of D20 beyond my limit. D&D Beyond, if you like. Concurrently I am juggling variations in sub-systems such as Initiative, Criticals, Saving Throws, Action Economies, Attacks of Opportunity, Spell Management, Healing, Aiding Another, and the list goes on. They are all close, designed variations of similar themes, but they are all different, and I do sometimes get muddled. My groups are all fantastic gamers and make everything fun and rewarding. They also carry some of the game rule load, so that I can manage the games I run, or manage my player character in the case of the Barovian Strahd.

Of the games I am playing, I have to admit that 4e may well be my favourite. I’d like to go deeper with it, and the campaign that we have commenced could have long term legs, affording an opportunity to delve into the Points of Light back catalogue whilst pushing the game rules to see where it takes us. Both Pathfinder 2e and True 20 games have something about them too, with Pathfinder being 27 sessions in, I can tell you that it delivers a sustainable and fun rules chassis for heroic fantasy long term play. It’s tremendous. True 20 has given me a D20 edgier expression that I have been adapting for the long term as my Truer20!

This is almost all good, but there are casualties. The most recent one seems to be my capacity to play my 5e character effectively. I think I may be letting the group down a bit by my sub-optimal rules play.  I can turn on some elvish charm when the moment requires and I have a sense of my position in the group team and role interplay, but I think the weight of all my other gaming has pushed me into only a light understanding of the character’s sorcerer abilities, which at critical times have undermined group success.  I could fumble excuses about Roll20 sheet design, folding away powers that I missed, but there is no excuse. I should know what my character can do and push these to the limit, not least because the setting is bleak and unforgiving. A heavy and challenging real life work load probably compounds my congested cognitive faculties.

In our 5e game, I sense that most of the opposition we face are considerably more powerful than us and I have felt for some time that we are always a session or two away from a TPK. Our last session was very close to, and perhaps should have been a TPK. Mid-way through, myself and another player simply accepted the inevitability of it and decided to go down fighting. It was a calm moment in a difficult session. However, we would be more effective if we harmonised our abilities as a team to get at the opposition, as is essential with all these D20 team games. I will have to step up a little bit more to play my part in that. It’s not a ‘rock up and just enjoy the play’ kind of game. It has setting depth and just enough rule depth for me to have to get my overstuffed brain around it.

At North Star I plan to run a session of Traveller, which will take me right of the D20 mold and will be a nice refreshing change.

Enjoying the gaming so very much, but I think I have reached my processing limits. It may be time to dial back on one of the games to let me be more excellent at the others?

Posted in D&D4e, Games, Pathfinder, True20 | Leave a comment

Jumped back In to Traveller

Posted on February 19, 2021 by First Age

Some playing about with my new Foundry VTT has propelled me into Jumpspace and back to Charted Space, through uncharted technology. North Star will open soon enough. I had been holding off thinking too much about it as I thought Seven Hills Convention would be in April. But no, it has jumped into early June instead, which puts me of a mind to get my route set out for mine and Dom’s science fiction convention in May.

The Foundry community are great. The TwoDsix system delivers a very good Cepheus/Traveller implementation to get you up and running. I’m bringing back a slightly revised roster from my 2014 TravCon game for another outing.

TwoDSix System on Foundry VTT

The System is setup to allow you to add in your own items, so I have been adding a few skills and equipment honed for the MGT2e rules.

Really, I’d like Mongoose Publishing to provide supported content for Foundry, allowing TwoDsix to further embellish the system with a compendium of content. As it is I can crack on without, but the easy drag and drop of correct entries would be terrific.

Still, all fun and good gaming.

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Traveller Hull Points – 2016 but not in 2020

Posted on February 18, 2021 by First Age

 I’m planning to run some Traveller online, either on the Role or Foundry VTTs.

Something I have noticed is that in between printings of the core rulebook, the Hull ratings for common starships have been removed. During playtest (all that time ago!), I asked for Hull Points to be added with the common starship stats in the core rulebook so that starship combat could take place without the need for High Guard.

Now, they’ve gone again.

2016

2020

Different paint job too!

I have High Guard, so it is no loss to me, but seems strange to remove them.

Here’s my current online avatar, courtesy of my son’s Cameron first digital drawing!

Anyway back to thinking about North Star…

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D&D4e II & True20

Posted on February 12, 2021 by First Age

 Second session coming up of our 4e mini campaign. Fortnightly is too infrequent, and I miss the game. With luck we’ll get the full roster of the ‘Sturm und Drang’ company to attend to create maximum mayhem.

Sturm und Drang – changing Nentir Vale forever

I am enjoying the buzz and it is inspiring me to try and raise my game. I have D&D4e masters in the player roster and don’t want to embarrass myself with some poor rulings, so am trying to keep tight on the rules if I can. We have an ‘in character’ text chat on Discord too, to round out some of the roleplay that we can’t squeeze inot the 2.5 hour session. The game will be fun and look foward to it.

It is deinitely a case of double fortune that I have a great set of Greyhawk True20 players too! Lovely interplay between them and I must say that I am such a fan of good old True20. We managed to get through a large chunk of an adventure, interposing some broader connecting pieces and some NPCs that could recur and prove meaningful if the game develops in some possible directions. I hope we can finish this adventure soon, get some leveling out of the way, and work out some more of the background tapestry.

Good gaming!

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VTT Juggling

Posted on February 12, 2021 by First Age

 With 2020 firmly dominated by the Lets Role Virtual Tabletop (VTT), I am looking at a more mixed experience during 2021. Lets Role provides a great simple VTT for tactical maps and tokens. It lacks player Audio Video (webcams), which is a must for me, so it is always going to be competing with other offerings. I’m backing the Lets Role Kickstarter, partly as a “thank you” for all the good times, and to continue to use it as it develops further throughout 2021. I really must get proficient at the system builder as I could then make the sheets I really want for it. In reality that’s unlikely, so that will again limit its usage.

Role VTT arrived last year and has now embedded itself as a default for gaming. It lacks many tactical map features and focuses on the audio/visual experience for the players. This platform is, for me, the most exciting, as it gives point and click building tools, great AV built in, and a lovely community. This one is not going to have deep integration with game systems, but will provide a light and attactive platform to play personable games. I will be using it a lot.

I don’t run D&D5e, so some of the appeal of Roll20 and other Beyond options just isn’t there. I’m not much of a fan of Roll20, much to the bemusement of some fo my gaming chums. I’m happy to play on it, especially as I have persuaded our group to switch on the V bit of AV. I really do like to see everyone integrated intot he VTT experience. A new 28″ 4K monitor means that I can run Diescord video in a stripe next to a VTT as a makeshift solution, which is useful for Lets Role. 

For the deep and heavy integration with more complex systems I’m looking at Foundry. There’s an upfront investment of money and then a follow-up investment in time to master the fiddliness of it. It’s sophisticated and has some very clever integration, but it is pretty much community driven and I am iunlikely to get to grips with the coding to make me self sufficient. It’s a balance and I am teetering towards getting it. One module lets you take a Paizo purchased Advemnture Path PDF and import it direct into Foundry as a series of assets. That in itself is a massive timesaver for me. I blanche thinging about the amount of time I’ve spent creating assets for our Pathfinder 2e game. On top of this is the capacity to import chatrcaters from the Pathbuilder2 Android app. Blimey!

Despite all the capabilities it is still a teeter, a waver, and probably a wibble on the way. I like clean, elegant, and simple. My two above have that, Foundry has at least two of them. Still, if I’m to run deep systems then Foundry could prove to be the right tool. It also has some community work underway on D&D 4e. I might endup using Foundry for my regular Pathfinder game and leave it at that. If I start to master it then I may migrate more to it.

As it falls right now, I think Role will prove to be my default, as I can create sheets with it. There will then be options for me to weave in more features through Lets Role, or go full on VTT with Foundry. I’m off next week so will lok at Foudry, possibly acquire, and start to build in my Pathfinder game for a start in mid March.

Exciting to have such great tools available. My online gaming is set to continue strongly throughout 2021 and beyond.

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Will it be another F20 Year?

Posted on February 4, 2021 by First Age

 Last year’s gaming stats confirmed a dominent display of D20 fantasy games of various hues had been played and GM’d. I suppose that a year with the numeric 2020 really should see the d20 predominent, though really I should be playing a lot of Modiphious 2d20 games if I was doing it properly. Pathfinder 2e, D&D5e and True20 all made strong showings amongst a smattering of others.

Games as of the close of next weekend

Well, this year has got off to an even paced start and it certainly seems to be continuing the D20 trend with a big fantasy theme going on. All the games have at least some legs for the year.

  • I’m playing in the 5e Curse of Strahd. I have no idea how long we have to go to resolve the story, but due to other people’s schedules we can only do fortnightly and I sense that this may play through for a good chunk of the year.
  • The Pathfinder 2e is a continuation of my Shattered Star campaign, with a player swap about to take place. We have decided to play on and we will be moving into the Age of Ashes arc at about 7-8th level. Always hard to predict, but this may well play through for the rest of the year on a weekly cadance.
  • True20 in Greyhawk is fulfilling my desire to run a game back in the gameworld that I started in but re-imagined using a different take to the 3.0 SRD. The West Marches style has foxed people and hasn’t generated the critical mass, but it has legs and will continue in a more ad-hoc way for a while yet I think.
  • DMing D&D4e is a left field, unexpected additon to the game roster that came almost out of nowhere. I have a great group of players, some in-character text chat happening independently of the VTT sessions and a super version of the game; albeit a sacred cow slaying different take. Fortnightly for now, but I’d very much like to see this move to weekly if it creates enough energy and interest. Exciting. I can see me running a lot of 4e.

One facet of this D20 juggling is a real need to up my game in bterms of rules mastery. The context switching is slightly doing my head in. Interesting that the game wheer the rules seem to stick most accurately is the 4e. There is an incredible clarity to the game and a succinct and effective description of traps, poisons, NPCs and monsters. Really well done.

Most strangely I have also been looking at True20 for some SF action too, which would make the D20 dominance complete. I think Traveller is going to have a showing too, so will be interesting to see which way I go.

I could talk about a possible move to the Foundry VTT, but I’ll save that for another post.

It’s all good gaming!

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First time D&D4e DM

Posted on January 31, 2021 by First Age

 Well, 12 years too late (it’s never too late), I am now a 4e D&D DM, having run my first session last night on the Role VTT with a great group of players. If you are only counting official D&D editions, then this is the first time that I have DM’d for 36 years. It went rather well.

D&D4e on the Role VTT

The setup for the game was simple and directed to get us started in the Nentir Vale, the official setting for 4e. this is not a heavily lore infused setting, it is a lightly drawn place of danger as empires have fallen, leaving lots of space for heroes to make a difference between the fragile points of light in a shroud of many dangers. Having said that we have access to all the collated lore of the lifetime of 4e, as compiled by a dedicated fan. The PCs are nicely thought out and gelled well together. 

The player characters (hoping Toitham will join next time)

4th Edition is a ton of fun. Plenty of roleplay to get us started and introduction of some NPCs that either brough out elements of character or signposted to developments in the setting. The interations throughout helped bring the game into the setting, whilst also delivering a great game too.

Some of the opening cast of other characters

We had our first tactical encounter battle, with the heroes fending off some buzzing stirges that swept into the line of settler caravans to feed hungrily on anything they could find, including the horses.

This edition is noted for its combat and this flowed very well, perhaps at first level the options are that bit more limited, but as far as I can tell all the good things held up in play. All characters had lots of good things to do and looked and felt heroic. The rules elements were tersley and clearly expressed, making interpretation quick and enabled us to move through the gears fairly quickly. No, the combat wasn’t that quick, it was our first time out and we were also getting used to Role, but it was exciting and meaningful and fun, which bodes well for the rest of the campaign. I really enjoyed running that fight. Some Daily powers were burned as were Action Points, those stirges were tricky.

Role VTT held up pretty well. We had some sound hiccups that required some reconnecting, but it was great to have large video boxes for all the players so that we could all see each other. It felt more like us being around a table as a consequence.

To help me manage multiple same monster tokens I have created a series of small tokens that are just numbers. I assign them onto other tokens to help me keep track. It’s a bit cumbersome and would be much easier to have a text box accessible from a token to keep track of status changes. Things worked well enough though.

A good start, and I now appreciate, in play, that I have a great edition of D&D on my hands. I’ll be running it at a convention this year, by request, and look forward to discovering more of the game through play.

On the way into the game yesterday I discovered the old Masterplan tool, which still runs and, with all the libraries included gives you the tools to design encounters, spending your XP budget, and output the monsters to HTML that can then be picked up elsewhere. Blimey, that is also going to be very useful indeed. I could also talk a bit about Notion (https://www.notion.so/), a great note taking and organisation app, but that is the subject of another post.

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D&D 4e Countdown

Posted on January 25, 2021 by First Age

With less than a week to go before we start our D&D4e game set in the Nentir Vale, the Discord chat channel is now full of posts about characters and forging a team of heroes to right the wrongs and turn the tide of this tucked away northerly province.

The players have used a mix of tools to get the characters created, including the offline Character Builder, now maintained by the community. It’s a Windows app, a snap to load, and contains much of the 4e corpus, providing a rich array of options to create your character and to maintain through the levels.

Character Builder Splash Screen

Creating a character

I’m excited by the characters. An elf wizard with something of a past that makes her nervous of other elves, a half-elf hexblade who works power through his blade, a dragonborn warlord who has seen and knows much of battle, and a rarely seen goliath, down from the Dragonforge Mountains, to help keep everything in order.

Four heroes are ready with a possible fifth on the way

For online play I am preparing to use the Role VTT for some light touch tools, mostly a dice roller, but with the option of using the 4e character sheet that I have created. Part of me would very much like to go with a VTT that is more feature heavy, providing integrated 4e rules, token management, Fog of War, music, integrated chat, etc, but for now I’m happy to try a light VTT and see how we go. Many of the features mentioned will come to the VTT over the course of this year.

D&D 4e on Role VTT

To keep me busy between now and Saturday I am researching the fan compiled history and gazetteer of Nentir Vale and, you know, actually learning the rules of the game! I have three old hand players who are happy to help with the rules lawyering, and I’m happy to let them. 😊

I have the scenario path prepared in that I’m running a blend of two official, pre-generated, scenarios to get us going and take us towards about 4th level. I really don’t know if we are going to be able to keep the sessions running, but I am fully committed to do so if there is interest and it is fun.

Ah well, back to my research and preparation.

Posted in D&D4e, Games, VTT | Leave a comment

Preparing for my first 4e Game

Posted on January 17, 2021 by First Age

 I’m new to 4e and thought I’d share the things I’m doing to get started with a 4e game, inhabiting as I do, a 2021 time-frame, rather than late 2000s. This grants me some hindsight advantages and gives me some tools that weren’t available ‘back in the day’. Mostly, I’d just like to give it a go!

Books

I’ve gone a bit mad and got a lot on eBay and raided Drivethru/DMs Guild. Many of the Core rulebooks and Essential titles. I have been reading and enjoying hte physical books, the top quality DM advice and the general feel of the game.

POD is a viable alternative too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buC6v_lcouE

Research

I’ve bought quite a few more titles than i have any need to do to get a game going. Here’s hoping it is not a huge and wasteful extravagance. My research has got me following the praise amongst the shouty discord. I’m unaffected by the tumult of the time and interested in what people have found to work and any pitfalls.

I was momentarily a bit confused by the history and the relationship of Core to Essentials. That is now passed and I’m just opening the door to everything and seeing how it all plays out. It’s all 4e, just with different emphasis. Predominantly it will be a Core game and set in the Nentir Vale, as i’d like to explore 4e in home situe. Research has also ‘solved’ the retrospective maths conundrum. I’ll be applying MM3 adjustments to monsters, or at least double checking them and applying any HP or damage variations to maximise the fun stuff.

Tools

Offline Character Builder – what a great tool this is and makes creating and maintaining a character an absolute breeze. It also gives you pretty much all the options, so you have lots to go at in a pick and mix style. Reminds me of the pathbuilder2 app for Pathfinder2e. Quick and easy to create characters.

Instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iDN … GGYZo/edit

Monster Manual 3 stat adjustments – there are lots of things out there to help you get the maths right. There is all the errata collated in one PDF. That helps for any cross checking of later wisdom. The ‘MM3 on a Card’ gives all the logic to apply if you want to. I also have a spreadsheet to do calculations depening on level and role, provided by great people on the 4e discord. Sly Flourish also has a useful table to cross reference against.

The card: http://blogofholding.com/?p=512

Power Cards – someone has created lots of power cards. I’m not entirely sure if I’ll use them, but if someone is juggling powers as a player then I can always create custom decks for them. Most of htis is available on the Character Builder outputs, which also export to MS OneNote as images so that I can copy them into a Google Doc and share with players from there.

The 4e Database – a quick look up of, well, just about everything. So you always have the rules to hand.

The database: http://iws.mx/dnd/?list

A VTT – Currently I plan to use the Role VTT and ignore deep integration. The Audio Visual experience is most important for RPGs whether you are 4e or Fate. I’m tempted to go with something inegration heavier. If Foundry had a 4e module then I’d get Jitsi integrated and go all in. D20Pro is tempting, not least because it imports PCs from the character builder and Hero Lab. Roll20 is the obvious one, but I’m holding off. I’ve created a 4e character sheet on Role, though I expect its use will be optional. Not very sure how it will work with a real character with lots of powers. Only one way to find out. I also have a flexible die roller ready to go.

The Role VTT: https://www.playrole.com/

Maps, Tokens and Handouts – Tokentool gives me a free means to create as many tokens as I like. I use Affinity suite, Wonderdraft and Dungeondraft for maps and handouts. Deciding to have a go with reavers of Harkenwold persuaded me to purchse Mike Schley’s lovely set of maps.

Campaign Setting and Adventure

I’m going to go with a pre-published and will explore the Nentir Vale. I have bought some PDFs that give me some adventure in the Dawnforge Mountains and then down to Harkenwold for the Reavers mini campaign. Looks to be good fun and brimming with potential.

There is a lot of fan work, much I have found through this inestimable forum. A full history of the Vale and a gazeteer! I’ve also done some research on broader Nerath, which I shall also have fun with through the boardgame that i found cheap in the UK. If I feel like spending the time I may create a bigger map of Nerath with my take on the Western lands. For now, no need at all.

Now trying to recruit some players. I’m going for occasional Saturdays at about 19:00 GMT (as I have a PST zoned player).

The process of discovery has been such fun. Hope the game gets close to that… 😀

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My Look Ahead for Gaming in 2021

Posted on January 1, 2021 by First Age

 We are all probably looking forward to something that looks a little bit like old normal for 2021. With a fair wind and a strong dose of ingenious science, perhaps we will as the year continues. Most markedly, I would like conventions to be face to face at some point during the year. Of those that I am most heavily involved in, I remain hopeful that Furnace 2021, scheduled for October, will see us meeting each other at The Garrison Hotel once again. How lovely that will be, with the added opportunity to actually roll some physical dice, something that I have only really managed with the occasional family games. I expect that North Star, slated for May, will be online.

For my regular gaming though, I think the patterns set in 2020 will now become a fixture, whatever happens in the life of the pandemic. Online gaming suits me very well, and in a silver lining of an awful year has set me on a course for my future regular gaming. The advantages of the format outweigh the pitfalls to such a great extent that my regular weekly gaming will continue on a Virtual Tabletop. The convenience of signing in and out from your own home, the broader range of people you can connect with, and some of the inherent advantages of online play will ensure that is where the majority of my games will take place.

I have already noted how much more gaming I have had in 2020 compared to pretty much any year except perhaps my undergraduate times. The quality of the games have also been very high. The sessions are typically shorter, but I have found more focused on the actual game, which is a slight surprise given the Internet distractions that are in everyone’s faces. I’ve noted a few players that have regularly zoned out, in game, to other online windows, but they have been a minority. Or, at least, for some, the distractions haven’t influenced the quality of their play, so I haven’t really noticed. The use of the online resources for maps, tokens, dice rollers, information sharing all add to the experience, without being necessary for a great game. So, online is where I will be.

More games than ever before

The virtual tabletops themselves are continually improving. At present I don’t think there is one that does everything the best. As such it is more a case of choosing the right tool for the job. Having said that, I am not wanting to spread myself too much beyond a couple of online offerings. The obvious choice is Roll20, which currently is predominant, but I don’t really like it enough, despite very strong integration with a large number of systems. I will say more below, but I am keen to get D&D 4th edition to the roster of games this year, a game built with a VTT in mind. The obvious thing to do here is use Roll20, as it has a character sheet ready to go for it. Even then, I find that I hold back.

I backed Role, a new contender, because it looked at the VTT experience differently. The audio visuals are much more video conference, and the best I have seen, providing simple tools for non-coders to add character sheets. However, it lacks basic features I could do with, including: fog of war, persisting attributes for tokens, chat window,  dice log and music integration. Many of these are slated for release during 2021. I’m looking forward to see how it will improve during the year and will subscribe when the time comes for me to be asked.

The Role VTT with some 4e prep

My other is Lets Role, which I have supported through play and advertising, but without any money for well over a year. This one ignores any audio or visuals for players and focuses on an attractive maps and tokens experience with tools for people to write their own sheets. I have found the first steps to do this a bit too steep, so have used the generic sheet instead, which can be customised, to an extent, to suit. Lets Role is about to go into Kickstarter for their next phase. Even for no other reason than a thank you for providing me with such a nice home for my gaming throughout 2020, I will say that ‘thank you’ by backing them.

I’m not saying ‘never’ to Roll20, but I expect that if I decide to back and use one of the mainstream VTTs, I’d end up using Foundry, which looks excellent.

For regular campaigns that I will GM, these are currently in the plan:

  • Pathfinder 2e – continuing our weekly adventures in Varisia as expressed in the Shattered Star AP. If interest and enthusiasm continues, we will get to quite high level play, which I have wanted to explore with Pathfinder since getting into it.
  • True20 – continuing our West Marches influenced Greyhawk game. True20 has been a real find, and possibly, on the quiet, my favourite d20 game so far. Greyhawk is a great place to run games, as its philosophy of open play, but now backed with lore if you want to use it, lends to the more sandboxy style I’m going for with this game. Although I don’t have the volume of players to create a broader West Marches mix and match approach, I shall leave it as player led and not force it. If people coalesce around an expedition out into the wilds, then I would be delighted to guide them there.
  • D&D 4th Edition – I would like to run a Points of Lght campaign set in Nentir Vale. I have some great material, maps and excited ambition to try out this version of D&D. I’ve taken some askance and good natured flak for my pre-try enthusiasm, but hey, that’s me, so phooey! I think I’ve found a great version that really appeals. Maybe I’ll slope back to 13th Age, after I work out what slightly dissatisfies me about it.
A mad eBay Christmas spending spree
Those three could well be significant time sinks and are more firmly in my planning. However there are others that I think are likely:
  • Coriolis – a continuation of the Mercy of the Icons game, that alternates with Dom’s excellent Curse of Strahd.  This is currently on Roll20, but I’d ideally like to get it off there.
  • Traveller – located either in the near future Hostile, or out in the Gateway Domain
  • Heroic Fantasy – some quick playtest games prior to releasing the update onto Drivethru
Others will doubtless jostle for position, and I could find I take a different turn or two, but as I look above, I think I’ll be doing really well to squeeze them in. Will I beat my mid-80s number of sessions in 2020? I’ll go for a quantity target of 100+ sessions for 2021. Let’s see.
For RPG play, I can think less and hope more. Dom’s game is a certainty, and assume we will get through much of Strahd during the year, especially if we are happy to play through on a fortnightly basis. I would like to play in Pete’s kind offering of 4th edition Eberron, if he gets that off the ground, and we can find a slot. The other Wednesday would be good for me, but Pete has lots of other commitments. I’d love to get in on a game with the Dungeon Muser, but their roster is quite full and busy, so I will probably just continue to enjoy watching some of their play on his channel. Maybe another Atlantis game with Jerry? As ever, there are so many fabulous games and so little time.
Publishing wise, well, maybe, the following:
  • TRIPOD Essence – ‘in layout’ so will happen in year and when possible.
  • TRIPOD Dramaguhl: City on the edge of Nowhere – I really hope this progresses. Writing is at about 70% complete. Either we self publish, or we try for a Kickstarter for a professional book.
  • TRIPOD Fantasy – a theme book to run high fantasy using the new Wordplay. It’s already 50 pages, but it needs some substantial work.
  • Heroic Fantasy 2 – Almost complete in writing. A few new Kin, new armour rules, cantrips, new Class (Druid). Bit of playtest and me having a go at a cover using Publisher.
  • Ten Step Campaign – highly aspirational and thus probably 2022. Write a building, 10 adventure, campaign framework. Possibly stat free, but more likely embed some examples using Heroic Fantasy or TRIPOD and guidance on adapting to others.
If I can get through the top four, then I would be super happy.
I’ll start to draw a veil there. I hope to continue blogging and contributing to online spaces. Regular podcasts and some more streaming to Twitch and YouTube. It’s all very exciting, and I will find this personally enriching and sustaining as we head into a transitional year as vaccines start to become available to the broader population.
Good day, and good gaming!

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