Novarium: RPGs I Like

WHAT IS IT?
Free fantasy RPG with a dynamic magic system set in a world where women control sorcery.


FIRST WORD
Once again Greg Christopher has created an amazing rpg product, a work of professional quality, and released it as free download. As with his previous creations, including Cascade Failure and Errant, he's crafted a deceptively simple game, presented in a format that has design goals of its own.

Novarium is a fantasy rpg with a system backbone that feels close to the "Old School Renaissance" or OSR work of the last few years. But that's a superficial analogy and the author takes some of those simple mechanics in a new direction. Beyond that Novarium brings a sharp and distinct premise to the fantasy table. Magic exists, but can only we done by women, the Novaria of the game's title. That gender-based magic echoes themes from fantasy literature (such as Jo Clayton's Duel of Sorcery, Dave Duncan's The King's Blades and even Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time). As well, Novarium is a kind of re-imagining of Ars Magica, done with an OSR spin. Players have multiple characters, including a mage, effectively a troupe. The magic system itself is flexible and improvised, based on combining two factors to create a spell.

THE BOOK ITSELF
Novarium can be obtained from RPGNow or the author's site. The zip file includes several elements, all in pdf format. Novarium's core content comes in the form of an introduction document (11 pages) and the rulebook (99 pages). There's also a nice separate file with the two-page character sheet, clean and with plenty of space. I often look at the cs first to get a sense of a game. Excessive details, bad layout, or overly dense design turns me off. Christopher juggles the need to have a number of factors at the ready with user-accessible design. He manages a neat trick of providing a sheet laying out the information for magic users, but which can easily be used by other character types. The set includes a number of sample materials as well, three different maps, working down in levels. First a world map, then a continent map from that world, then finally that continent broken down into sample regions. These full-color, unlabeled maps offer an excellent resource for gamers lacking map-making skills or software who still want to put their own spin and names on the game world. At the lowest level, there's also a truly lovely sample "Mark" map. Marks are the sets of properties granted to the players at the beginning of the campaign (more on this below).

Greg Christopher has an eye for good, clean design. This particular product combines that with some new experiments- working to make the game more accessible to new players. The introduction chapter tries a more graphic and iconic approach to explaining the game. To complement that, Novarium once again marshals an amazing stable of artwork, donated by artists. Each image has a hyperlink back to the artist's website and there's a complete list of sites at the front of the rulebook. Modern rpgs have moved towards more consistent art - with a single artist, one artist per chapter or at the very least a small talent pool. There's something to be said for that approach. Novarium comes from another direction, by necessity, with art of very different tone and style from page to page. It works, evoking an 'anything can be imagined' feeling that reminds you of classic rpgs. That art is pretty great- and amazing for a free product.

INTRODUCTION
Novarium begins with a separate 11 page pdf, introducing both the core concept of the game and the idea of role-playing in general. I'll admit that I usually skip the "What is a RPG?" section- but Christopher here tries a new approach, one that made me slow down and consider how we actually show new players what an rpg is. Barring a mentor or a group, how do people actually pick up and learn a game? The last few years have seen more products aimed at a younger audience (Argyle & Crew, The Princes' Kingdom ) or as introductions (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Beginner Box). I had the luxury of being taught by older players when I first started. Novarium's approach combines simple icons with quick text to show players what to expect. It includes a example of what a session looks like, leading into a teaser that hopefully pulls the player into the main book.

At the same time, Novarium sets up what makes it different from most other fantasy rpgs. It puts magic into the hands of a narrow group: women only, a radical shifts from the usual D&D set up. The game explicitly comments on those gender roles, with power and chauvinism moving in the opposite direction. Power creates a hierarchy for the setting. Each player in the game will play a Novaria, but they will also have secondary characters to play. The introduction sets out several other cornerstone concepts loosely- the idea of attachments, which join a diverse group together is suggested but not explained. Novarium begins with a fairly definite campaign frame: the players take possession of a Mark, delineated by magic and possessing sources of power. It also suggests that arcs in the game will take place over seasons. That scale allows for growth of the mark, as well as adventures within that time. If you've played other games with seasons, such as Blood & Honor or Ars Magica, such ideas should make sense.

CORE RULEBOOK
The main Novarium rules take up 99 pages, with a hyperlinked table of contents jumping readers to the eight chapters. One important detail is that the introduction is a vital first read. I began with the main rules, and was a little puzzled that the core concept of the game setting wasn't presented right away. That illustrates that a stupid user can always undercut a smart design. Chapter One, Basics, lays out a little more fully the "What is an RPG?" begun in the introduction. It then goes on to lay out the basic kinds of tasks and rolls. Novarium primarily uses d6 and d10's, with the other dice types only used for the damage resistance of armor and a couple of minor randomizations. The GM, here called the Architect, controls the narrative and set up.

The system itself is fairly simple. For standard actions, players roll a number of d10s depending on the difficulty. The tougher the action, the more dice rolled. The final result is compared against a relevant attribute. Rolling under the attribute means success. Special traits and other effects can modify the value of the attribute tested. The system does mean that the GM will have to set the difficulty for any action (as opposed to players having a standard reaction to "make a roll for me..." invocation). Saves constitute a special kind of test where players may not benefit from certain bonuses. Opposed actions are conducted via standard rolls with the margin of success being the tie breaker. Characters involved in such a contest may roll different numbers of dice, depending on the situation.

Chapter Two presents the fairly simple process of making up a character. This twenty-six page section walks the reader through step by step. Novarium uses random stat generation, with 3d6 being the default (though two other options are provided). Six attributes define characters: Agility, Fitness, Knowledge, Magnetism, Perception and Willpower. That's an interesting shift of roles from the classic six and their foci. Still those difference won't be too hard to pick up. After this players pick an Identity, effectively their class or profession. I should note here that Novarium does change a number of expected rpg terms. That works when the change points to an important distinction or shift in role, such as Architect instead of GM or DM. For the most part that works across these rules, but I will admit to replacing the terms in my head as I read them.

Novarium offers seven Identities, three of which cover the demi-human races of the setting. Female humans can be Novaria (magic users) or Tavaria (knights errant serving a Novaria). Male humans are second-class citizen and can be Sculari (warriors) or Rendari (scholars), Players may also choose to be Elves, Dwarves or Haflings. Each identity has an attribute bonus, specific weapon training, different starting gold, and a number of extra traits. These remain the same for all members of that identity. Each character also chooses four additional traits from a list of 69. These advantages range from Animal-Fried to Engineer, Lip Reading to Undertaker. Each character gains a number of languages depending on their Knowledge attribute. The setting puts an emphasis on literacy and the power of words. To help define a character's personality, players also select a major ambition. This offers a bonus in play when striving towards that goal. As well, in play minor ambitions may be added. Several other choices round out the creation process (equipment, magic and attachments) each dealt with in other chapters.

Chapter Three covers Equipment- with players having to spend starting money in order to outfit themselves. The section's brief but comprehensive, with a general statement on the economics of the setting. Weapons and armor get the most extensive treatment, with many of them having special rules or exceptions.

Chapter Four gets into the meat of the setting, laying out how this differs from a standard fantasy campaign. The group of player characters is collectively called a Novarium, which may have ambitions like a character. One problem here is that the game isn't clear about the process. It suggests that players will each have a Novaria, but will also play multiple characters. How many? Does each player make up two characters? Three? Is there a pool of these? It is left open-ended, but could use further discussion and explanation. On the one hand, for gamers who have played Ars Magica, the process will feel natural. But for new players or players unused to the concept, that needs further discussion. Given how Novarium opens by trying to make itself accessible and clear to those players, it needs follow through here.

The Campaign chapter does do a nice job of offering options which will entertain players who enjoy a building game. Each Novarium starts with a March. Different Marches have different fonts of magic, players can recruit diverse retainers (though the list of types offers no discussion of role or effect), and unique landmarks may appear. A discussion of "seasonal" campaign lays out some basics, with the division and assignment of labor being important. Several kinds of specialized activities are offered (such as crafting and social influence).

Chapter 5- Mechanics- talks about the application of the basic resolution system. Combat is a simple opposed roll, but damage is done using d6s. Each weapon does a certain number of dice damage. That is applied against a random attribute (1-4 Agility, 5-8 Fitness, 9 Magnetism, 10 Perception). Armor offers a die roll which is subtracted from the damage taken. The combat system has some detail and options; players can choose from a number of action/maneuvers on a turn. Moving and attacking, for example, adds one die to the attack difficulty. Defensive actions- Parry, Dodge or Block- take up a character's action. It is unclear what that means for multiple attackers against the same target. Based on the rules, I assume characters get only one defense as an action against one attack per turn. That has a significant impact on combat tactics. Finally as befits a game with OSR DNA, the game offers encumbrance and food rules, among other details on exploration.

Next comes Chapter Six covering magic. The magic system for Novarium offers a imaginative and flexible approach. For any spell, players choose a method and a materia. Method defines the effect they intend (for example control, create, protect, strike, or transform) and materia defines what they're using or affecting (for example fire, life, light, or thought). The rules present 8 methods and 12 materia, each with their own distinct icon. Novaria have ratings in these areas- so for example a character with Control 7 and Earth 9 has a target number of 16 for spells of that type. The relative power of the spell determines how many d10 the caster rolls. Failure means a point of willpower damage. Additional options exist for pushing spell use.

The magic system is the bedrock of this game- a really simple system with great depth and choice. Novarium lays out examples of casting with lovely graphics, making the system easy to grasp. Each method and materia is discussed, with excellent definitions of power, effect and difficulty. Anyone interested in magic for rpgs or how to lay out system information to make it accessible should read this chapter.

The last two chapters of the book, about fourteen pages, describe the Novarium setting, the world of Vaena. While brief, the discussion of the history and especially the social structure are particularly evocative. There's a great deal of room for GMs to play with the elements given, but at the same time the world could be run from the text alone. The Gamemastering chapter provides ideas for designing the Mark, fonts of magic, and creatures.

OVERALL
I'm honestly intrigued by the setting Novarium provides for several reasons. First, I like the focus on gender politics, which could be a great window into those issues (perhaps akin to the themes of Kagematsu). On the other hand, the GM will have to be fairly certain of their group before running. How will they respond to those questions? More generally, I like the idea of Ars Magica, but without the need to hide and stay underground. It takes some of the best and most interesting concepts from that rpg and makes them more accessible and playable. Historically-minded Ars players will cringe, but it makes it a solid fantasy game.

Any quibbles I have are minor- a few places where rules need to be clarified or repeated for emphasis (mention armor in the damage section, clarifying character building, defenses, explain attachments). Honestly my initial thought after reading this is that I want to see more- a larger, expanded version of the rules. Novarium feels like it is straining against the bounds of the rules size. I have the sense that gaps and problems come more from the desire to keep the material tight and focused while still allowing players freedom. This is an amazing game; lovely, well-written and an example for anyone wanting to see how to put a game together. And it is free.

Free.

Go and download it.

PORTABILITY
If you have a system of choice, the basic setting and concepts of Novarium should be fairly easy to port over. The trick will be converting the magic while maintaining its freedom. In the other direction, Novarium offers more than a few mechanics which could be lifted elsewhere. For our most recent homebrew campaign, I borrowed and only slightly reworked the magic from this system. That's honestly been the most successful of several different approaches to magic which I've used.

Guest Post: Two Influences on my Gaming Life

A couple of friends in my gaming circle generously offered guest posts for this month, to help me round out the year with some different voices and ideas. Today's post comes from Steve Sigety, who blogs at Kaijuville. Steve and I have played together since- I think- the mid '90's. He's run Call of Cthulhu & AFMBE for me, and I've run CoC, GURPS, M&M, d20 and our homebrew for him.

Two Influences on my Gaming Life

Like most people I'm a product of my influences, and that is particularly true of my gaming hobby, whether it means video games, board gaming or tabletop role-playing games. The experiences I've had with elements of popular culture have affected how I play and run RPGs. These various cultural properties have taught me many lessons, and represent many different attributes. In this post, I'll discuss what a novel and a television series taught me about gaming.

If you delve deeply into Robert E. Howard fandom, eventually you will encounter the arguments about L. Sprague de Camp and his role as editor in charge of Conan and other Howard characters and stories. While I understand the fervor -- and when looking at his role in changing and adapting stories in order to gain ownership, I agree with the reasons -- it has to be acknowledged that de Camp played a vital role in popularizing Howard's work in the mainstream of popular culture. One reason that I will give de Camp a pass on this score that he is partially responsible for one of my favorite books, Conan the Conqueror.

Howard didn't necessarily plan to write a Conan novel. Initially, he has submitted some short stories to a British book publisher. Denis Archer returned the stories because the British market wasn't at that time conducive to a collection of short stories, but if he had a novel... After reading that letter, Howard went to work on a manuscript. Archer went out of business before Howard could send it, and it was later printed serially in the pages of Weird Tales from December of 1935 to April 1936 as "The Hour of the Dragon". Published as a novel by Gnome Press in 1950 under the title Conan the Conqueror, it later became part of the Conan series of paperbacks edited by de Camp, starting with Lancer in 1967 through to Ace in the 1980s.

It wasn't until the Berkley Putnam edition of The Hour of the Dragon, shepherded by fantasy author Karl Edward Wagner in 1976, that Howard's version from Weird Tales saw print as a novel. This or the recent Wandering Star/Del Rey edition are the preferred texts, but I can't help but have a special spot in my heart for the Ace paperback. It became one of my favorite books growing up -- I'm fairly certain that I picked it up from among the shelves of books with similar Frazetta covers at the Waldenbooks on the second floor of the local (now demolished) mall. The paperback is comfortable and fun to read -- each page is jammed from header to footer with text but it never seems crowded. The font appears to be plain Times Roman, although a little more rounded and easy on the eyes. I've put books back on the shelf because of an uncomfortable text font. This paperback just seems like the perfect way to read pulp fiction.

A frequent criticism of Conqueror is that it's too derivative. It used the basic plot and some scenes from "The Scarlet Citadel" and ideas from "The Phoenix on the Sword", two early Conan tales. Certainly if an idea is successful once, Howard might use it again in his work. It also seems fair to think that Conan would have faced multiple challenges to his throne. Another criticism is that it's too episodic. While that may be a valid observation, I think it's one of the novel's strengths. This isn't a book full of meaningless dialogue and scenes where nothing of consequence occurs. Leave that for the multi-volume fantasy epics. This book moves. Things happen, and they're directly related to the plot. Al Harron recently discussed some of the plot elements of The Hour of the Dragon on his blog, specifically the motivations of the characters involved in the betrayal. Those were some points that I didn't really think about before.

Conan the Conqueror taught me several lessons about gaming, one of the first being about the episodic nature of events in a campaign game. I frequently try to plan and pace my games with a TV or movie feel, and thinking of each session as a TV episode can help. The scenes in Conqueror feel like different sessions of an RPG. Each separate scene could be fleshed out as a short story, but here they all tie together into the events of the novel. Another point is that the scenes are distinctive and the atmosphere is visceral. The Ace paperback was without illustrations, but they were unnecessary. From Howard's descriptions I can clearly visualize the back-alleys of Tarantia, the hills of Poitain, and the haunted catacombs of the vampire Akivasha under the pyramids of Stygia. The descriptions vividly brought these places to life for me. Finally, this was one of the first books outside of Dungeons & Dragons where I discovered vocabulary words like hauberk, cuirass, poignard, and burgonet. The only other work of popular culture that did more for my vocabulary was the Fantastic Four.

"Risk is our business! That's what the starship is all about!" -- Captain James T. Kirk

As someone who grew up in the late 70s and early 80s, I'm part of the Star Wars generation. I like Star Wars but I've always considered myself more of a Star Trek fan. As early as I can remember, my family and I would watch the syndicated reruns of the original series on TV.

Maybe it's because of my love of history, and Star Trek portrayed "future history". The crew of the Enterprise were real people, (mostly) from Earth, just like us. There was a chance that humanity would make it out of the 20th century and into a future of space travel, exploration, and contact with new life and new civilizations. Despite the dangers being faced, Star Trek shows us an optimistic vision of our possible future.

What Star Trek taught me, with respect to RPGs, was optimism in the face of danger and the value of cooperation. Those could be life lessons as well. It portrayed a future where competent professionals went about their business, doing what they do best, together as a team where each member had value as a person and skills that were valued. They were judged on their expertise and not who they were or what they looked like. The Medusan ambassador Kollos in "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" is from an alien species that is so mind-bendingly different in appearance that humans cannot look at them directly without going insane (a very Lovecraftian idea).

One of the best and most obvious instances of this philosophy occurred in the 3rd season episode "The Savage Curtain". After the alien "Abraham Lincoln" is beamed aboard the Enterprise there is this exchange between Lincoln and Lt. Uhura:

"What a charming Negress. Oh, forgive me, my dear. I know that in my time some used that term as a description of property."

"But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century we've learned not to fear words."

Even though there are moments where it flared up again, at least in most of the Original Series prejudice is a thing of the past.

It is also worth mentioning that Star Trek was among the first dramatic TV series to have B-plots that directly impact the A-plot. S. John Ross referred to this in the Star Trek Original Series RPG Narrator's Guide and Ken Hite has mentioned it when discussing Star Trek in interviews. Will the crew discover the vaccine for the aging virus in time to re-start the engines before they spiral down into the planet's atmosphere? That's a great multiple-plot race-against-time trope of the sort you might see in an RPG scenario.

These are two pop culture influences on my gaming life that immediately came to mind. Others would include H.P. Lovecraft and the Cthulhu Mythos, giant monster movies, Star Wars and many more. What are your influences and how do they manifest themselves in your gaming today?

Campaign Frames: Microscope for City Building & Night's Black Muggles

CALLING ALL GUARDS
Next year will see all five of my campaigns wrapping up, so I've been working on a list of capsule ideas. I'll give a comprehensive list of those in a later post. Some of the ideas I'd batted around I'm enthused about, some might work with the groups, and some might not work at all. Below are two ideas, with some discussion of how I might handle them- the first one I really like, and the second one I think might be a little too goofy, though it might work as a one-shot.

UNIVERSAL TOOLS
So far I've used Ben Robbins' Microscope three times to create campaign world backgrounds (The Fleet Departs, The Hunts Begin, and The Road to Doubtfall). Each group has enjoyed doing that and I think they've been more invested or at least aware of the background as a result. They know as much as the GM at the start, and can still be surprised when the GM twists or uses something from that history in a new or novel way. That's especially true when something created by a player comes back to them at the table. In any case, Microscope has been the best game purchase I've made this year and the product which has most inspired me.

When I started thinking about these new campaigns, I also began to think about how I might use Microscope as a lead in. It works better for some concepts. For example if I end up doing a Trail of Cthulhu game, I want an aura of mystery and detachment. But for other games it practically demands to be used. One idea I had that has stuck with me has been a fantasy City Guards campaign (given my love for games like L-1: City of Lies). I figured I could set that up with a session of Microscope. Then I started thinking further- having a history could help, but what I really need is to build an interesting and living city- one the players knew and had an investment in.

MICROSCOPE VS. SURVEYOR'S TOOLS
So here's my approach- a pretty obvious one- but one I hope the players will enjoy. Most of them have done Microscope before, so they should be comfortable with the structure. We've played with a modified version of the "scene" rules. We did this in interests of time, since we had a larger group. In the standard rules, a player adds a scene below an event. That scene takes the form of a question about the event (Why did the Duke decide to abandon his mistress? What made Aquaman decide to call off the sharks?). Then players take up characters on the fly and play until that question has been answered. Then play moves on. In our games, players could add scenes by stating a question about an event. They could then answer that question themselves or point to another player to answer it. This lacks the actual rp of Microscope but it worked fairly well for our purposes.

Here's how I imagine City Building using Microscope:

Begin with a premise, a simple statement about the city. (Decaying New England Industrial Town, Dwarven Trade Center). Obviously you should have some sense of the genre there.

Build a palette. If there are elements which might usually appear in the setting/genre but you don't want, establish those (i.e. no dragons in a fantasy game). Alternately, if there are elements which might not appear in the setting/genre, this can be established (i.e. fairies in a vampire game). This should be done by some consensus, with players offering options until someone passes. So pretty much we follow the normal Microscope structure, with a narrow focus.

Normally players would now take turns adding elements to the timeline. We follow that structure for turns (one free round, players begin and end a round, legacy ideas) but what we're actually adding differs:

Neighborhoods: At the top level, players will name and describe a neighborhood of the city. These can be districts, neighborhoods, sections, markets, souks, precincts, wards, quarters, hoods, etc. They might be defined by walls or by common lore (the High Castle vs. the Gathering Wells). Any neighborhood should be large enough to contain a number of lesser elements. Right now we won't care about the relative size or if there's any overlap (the GM can sort that out after). We also don't care about the geography. Players should name and offer a general description of their neighborhood. The general tone and wealth of the neighborhood should be understood from the description. Order and placement doesn't matter. This element corresponds to Eras in Microscope.

Sights (or Sites): Below each neighborhood will be a collection of sights. A sight is a Person (shopkeeper, rumormonger, civic leader, mysterious wanderer, local kook), a Place (a store, an inn, a burned out grotto, place of execution, warehouses, a temple, a gypsy camp), or a Thing (a particular festival held there, an important guild, the enclave of a race, a secret organization). The order of Sights below a neighborhood doesn't matter. This element corresponds to Events in Microscope.

Rumors: Finally, each Sight may have one or more Rumors attached to it. A rumor should be a statement or question about the sight. Rumors can be floating among the populace or may be limited to a particular group. Most importantly, they may or may not be true- or they may be partially true. So a rumor about a person might be "He's actually legate for a demon prince from the land of Iod." A rumor about a place might be "People looking for rare herbs can usually find them here." A rumor about a thing might be "The festival may be delayed this year because of the vanishing of the youngest daughter of the high priest." This element corresponds to Scenes in Microscope.

Players will end up constructing the history, people and details of the setting as they build the city. They're encouraged to develop connections between people, use elements from one neighborhood in the story of another, and twist things around as they wish- so long as they don't directly contradict something established. Of course rumors don't directly establish things, but more hint at concepts. The idea behind rumors is that these develop local color, give the GM plot hooks, and even more importantly give the players storylines they can opt to pick up and develop as they see fit in play. In that way, players will be building their own version of the The Kaiin Players Guide or the RumorQUEST system from products like Geanavue: The Stones of Peace.

NOW TO THE MAPPING
I think this might actually work- but to put it into play after will require the GM to organize things after. They should draw a rough map after the creation, actually putting things in a physical relation to one another. Special locations can then be marked on the map. I have to do some more thinking about the process- for example, how determining the Focus works in the each round, but I think it has real potential.

Now here's how I'd actually put this into play...

CITY GUARD
The players taking the role of city guards in a fantasy city. The actual genre background could be anything (steampunk, high fantasy, more medieval)- determined in this case by the city creation session. Players would work to maintain order, uncover conspiracies, limit the Thieves Guild, and most importantly- keep adventurers from burning the whole place down. I imagine the city would work best as a crossroads (like Lanhkmar) with several distinct cultures and/or races. Players could come from all walks of life, perhaps some having been sell-swords before taking an arrow to the knee. I see this as a hybrid procedural/networking/adventuring campaign.

To that end, I'd probably use a portion of GUMSHOE- at least the investigation mechanics. I talked about a number of hacks for that earlier. One option would be to pick up Lorefinder, the GUMSHOE adaptation for Pathfinder, and use that. That might work for other GMs but I haven't played PF and heading that route would take some investment or time and learning. More likely I would build a hack using either modifying either the standard resolution rules of GUMSHOE or FATE. For the former, I could easily adapt over some of the new "Thriller" combat, chase and action options from Night's Black Agents. For the latter, I'd have a little bit looser framework to play with. FATE has the advantage of being something my players have started to enjoy and building some of the sub-systems I want would be easier. Some things to consider:

MAGIC
In Mutant City Blues, all superpowers fit on a chart called the Quade Diagram. So if you see evidence of one kind or power or effect, you can look nearby on the chart and make an assessment of the other likely powers. That's a conceit that helps make the set-up playable in a straight mystery campaign. I think that you could build a similar device for magic in a fantasy setting. Mages might have access to several different schools, each with some specialties. They could be really distinctive, like the magic traditions presented in Greg Stolze's Reign. Alternately, it might be fun to build a set of characteristics (smells, physical components, visual cues, etc) associated with different kinds of occult practices. Different chantries could be given their own magical personalities or signatures. Perhaps different magics might be distinctive across racial or ethnic lines. Ideally these kinds of details would be nice pieces of the puzzle for the players. I don't necessarily want to have the logic challenge depth of something like Lord d'Arcy, but magic should offer clues and have limitations.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
I'd go with a smaller pool of investigative skills (a always default to that terminology)- and I probably should look at Lorefinder to see how they handle it. We'd want a number of lore skills. Cultural and/or Racial Lores would be useful and ideally we'd keep the number of those small, which offers a constraint on the setting. Monster Lore would be a useful ability as well, especially if something got loose in the city. That would be an investigative skill with a combat or tagging element as well. How one breaks up 'forensics' would be a question. Could a warrior identity a style or a weapon from the wounds inflicted?

RELATIONSHIPS
I would also consider issues of corruption, evidence disposal, covering up and so on. (I've been watching the Aurelio Zen series, so I have that in mind). Pull with superiors could have a rating and be based performance and "keeping things quiet" instead of how well you actually solve crimes. That rating or pool could be used for favors, access to resources or covering one's ass. Drawing on it too much depletes it- meaning you don't have it as a defense when the heat comes down. Cover Up or Evidence Disposal might be its own skill, or simply an aspect of the existing skills. I wouldn't have the player competing against one another- instead I think have aspects or ratings represent trust and teamwork between them could be more useful. Of course all of this could be treated more seriously or more comedic, depending on how the GM wants to turn that dial.

Also of interest to me would be developing some mechanic for players establishing relationships with people or groups. I know Smallville uses something like this and Ken Hite mentioned a mechanic like this in discussing the future Evil Hat project, Bubblegumshoe. You could have a general network or contact skill, but then gain specific affiliations. Your relative reputation and level of corruption could affect who would deal with you- I like the idea of tracking those on a spectrum. But for example, if a PC has established a link/relationship with someone from a minority group (let's say Gnomes) he might be able to spend or invoke that connection when dealing with a Gnomish Anarchist collective. Of course doing that strains and might even break the tie. The obvious idea would be to have friends in places like the Wizards' Chantry, the King's Guard, the Thieves Guild and so on. I think having some mechanism for public trust and friends in the community could serve as a nice balance or "carrot/stick" device for the players.

LASTLY
So that's the idea- when I try out the city building exercise I will report back. I'd be curious if anyone else has done collaborative city creation, either using this system or another.

NIGHT'S BLACK MUGGLES
THE SECRET PILGRIMAGE
So last week I wrote quite a bit on Ken Hite's Night's Black Agents. I'm a big fan of spy thrillers and campaigns. The first 'adult' book I read was Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy in fourth or fifth grade. The first rpg I played that really hooked me outside of D&D was Top Secret. I'm not so keen on technothrillers but I love the combination of the mundane and the dangerous that comes in the best spy fiction and cinema. I like the world of mirrors implied by that. I'll admit that when I first heard that NBA would include elements of the supernatural I was skeptical, but reading through it and seeing the way Hite's framed it really makes me excited. It's something I want to run eventually- with unambiguously monstrous opponents and characters trying to stay ahead of the opposition while trading on their past lives and careers. Anyway this idea hit me and stuck, so I had to get it written down and out of my head.

DEFINING MONSTERS
Night's Black Agents has vampires- but they can represent any of a number of hungry, powerful and control monsters. Other supernatural creatures show up in the setting, usually as secondary adversaries (zombies, werewolves). Of course that got me thinking about the World of Darkness. Some might dismiss NBA as simply a Hunter game, but I think it is better than either the supernatural weird of Reckoning or the loose and cobbled grab-bag of Vigil. It offers a distinct atmosphere. And I'd want to keep that atmosphere intact in my version. NBA suggests that the group begin play with the burn- the moment they came into contact with the conspiracy and it smacked them down. It left them out the cold, isolated and now driven to do something about it. Optionally that may have happened before the start of the campaign- but figuring out who these supernatural adversaries are should serve as the lit fuse.

In some ways this riffs off ideas from a thread about HP from about a year ago. So what if the players discover a cabal operating behind the scenes? A group with a parallel government, one which gives orders to our own. They possess powers beyond those of normal humans, and treat that as a birthright- gifts handed them by destiny rather than earned. They fight, battle and have their wars in the middle of the daylight world- thinking nothing of wiping minds, causing collateral damage, and leaving others to hold the bag. They're wizards, and they are awful people. Even the most enlightened of them use derogatory terms to refer to those without the gift...muggles, or worse. They take for granted their role and position, a paternal control behind the curtain.

They're dangerous, wielding great power combined with a narrow focus on their desires, interests and hobbies. They have access to monsters and relics of massive power, and well ready even the lowest of them present a dangerous foe. Some can teleport, some can shapechange, some can blast your mind from across a room. They can walk among us and not be known.

SHOOT THE WAND
But they are not invincible. They're hidebound- clinging to old traditions and ignoring the developments of the modern world. This isn't simply a question of ignoring technology, but everything about their culture remains traditional, a hierarchy of noble lines and old powers. Students in their schools are trained in their own history and stories, but almost nothing of the outside world. Beyond that, their training focuses almost exclusively on their craft, the arts and powers they possess. It is a kind of narrowly focused trade education- with no disciplines covering art, literature, the humanities, math, ethics, business sense, philosophy or any kind of training to make them into better people. They're stunted- with an enhanced sense of self based in the powers they've been born with. That's the way the upper echelon of their community want it. A happy class basking in their privilege and not wanting power, responsibility or answers to the why.

Beyond social and intellectual limits- limits to their thinking and planning, the mages operate under practical limits: the need for foci, the need for preparation for some of their more powerful effects, and certain somatic components. They can range from crafty to foolish, depending on their level in the conspiracy. But of course the agents will have to discover that in time.

SNAPE'S PEOPLE
So a couple of things about this idea- first, it would be really easy to set this up as a twist- with the characters "misreading" the world of the wizards and seeing a conspiracy where none exists. That's a little too empty a joke. Instead, I'd like to treat the wizards as a serious conspiracy. If you file off some of the softer details of the HP universe- the structure seems pretty dark. And Voldemort doesn't seem to be that much of an aberration- that in the past there have been similar battles over ideology among their society. Plus, if you stop to consider the sheer power put into the hands of these beings at a young age, without a real set of limitations, then you can see how that might turn out dark. If the GM wanted to stick closer to the original, then Voldemort or someone like him won- and the rest have been purged. I like that Ken Hite offers no good guy or ally monsters in Night's Black Agents, and I think that needs to hold true to make something like this work.

Of course how you do the reveal will depend on whether or not you do this as a one-shot or a campaign. In a campaign, you'll want some misdirection as to what these beings can do- perhaps they do read them as vampires or even psionicists. You'd have to consider the practical limitations of a wizard's power. Some seem potent, while others seem to simply uses wands like guns. You'd have to balance that raw strength against the careful planning and calculation of trained agents. The trick would be to make that satisfying- with the wizards appropriately dangerous. Of course, you'd also have to consider what a cell of the conspiracy looks like. As well, how the determination between muggle and wizard is made: how visible is it? How is it sensed?

Anyway, it is goofy bastardization of the original NBA premise, but might be fun to play with.

The Blood: Building a Vampiric Conspiracy in NBA

A first exercise in thinking about a different Vampiric Conspiracy for Night's Black Agent's.

THE INCIDENT
In 1987 a team of researchers were called by church authorities to investigate a decrepit Catholic Church in an undisclosed northern European city. The facility itself had effectively fallen off the map until the death of the final priest operating there. When local authorities contacted church bureaucrats about the dispensation of the church, a mid-level auditor was dispatched. He investigated the location and quietly called in a team of scientists to examine what he'd found. The details of what transpired there have never been made public: the church auditor went mad, at least a dozen graduate students assisting in on-location research died, along with three professors. Only two beings made it out of there, and one of them wasn't human.

That creature vanished into the night. It had been for the moment, stopped from its plan to call forth the Anti-God and bring about the destruction of the world. It had been reduced, cut off from its power- the sad, cast-off trappings of a force of once incalculable power- essentially Satan's Blood possessing one of the survivors of that incident. In the almost twenty-five years since it's escape, the Blood has been working to secure a power base for itself and to set in motion the devices necessary to rip open the gates between worlds and allow the greater darkness into this one.

THE VAMPIRES
The Blood
The primary vampire and head of the pyramid, it essentially is Satan's Blood in a human body. The Blood is powerful, but can only exist in a single physical being at a time. It moves between bodies through the transfer of its essential fluid. It doesn't do this that often, mostly because of the difficulty of making arrangements and maintaining cover. The Blood doesn't interact as a human, in fact it doesn't really speak- instead it gives mental commands to the Infected in its service. The few non-Infected who interact with it have the impression of having had a conversation with someone, but without specific details recalled. The more they think upon it, the more dread they feel.

The Blood keeps dwells isolated on an far northern European estate (picture the household from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). From there it works and pulls strings trying to generate the capital it needs to carry out its eventual plan, the alignment of various electronic devices to open a gate and allow its father back through to devour the earth. In the meantime, it prepares the earth, creating places where the mindless and the chattel can be managed for the culling.

The Blood has a number of visible effects, causing by its own nature as a being which bends space-time. Mirrors and reflective surfaces ripple when it approaches, like the surface of a lake. As well, those who hunt the Blood, and who have come into contact with the Infected will eventually begin to be haunted, but this is not The Blood's doing. Instead, they will begin to suffer future visions- bad and grainy transmissions and warnings from a future where the Blood has won. This may test the stability of the agents- but may serve as a source of clues or information. They may be able to use this to find others who have fought against them, probably in sanitariums.

Free Powers: Darkvision, Dominance (limited to Infected, Touched and Mindless), Infection (creating Infected), Regeneration, Vampiric Speed, Strength, Temporal Distortion, Acidic Blood (for the fluid outside the body)
Other Powers: Body Jumping, Mental Attack (Confusion, Loss of Identity)
Banes: The Blood should be significantly tougher than normal. It cannot be killed by normal means- but it can be trapped. In particular, the fluid which makes up its essence can be contained in a ritual constructed mirror vessel.
Signs: Distortion of mirrored surfaces, visual distortion in recording devices, the greenish fluid which contains itself when it transfers.
Requirements: The destruction and eating of souls on a monthly basis. Eventually bodies the Blood possesses will burn out and collapse, but this can take years. It has time to make proper preparations.

The Infected
The Blood can only imperfectly reproduce- can only imperfectly create senior level agents for itself. For all intents and purposes, these agents are the Blood, but a lesser version. They have little in the way of independent will or thought, a factor which makes them somewhat uncreative. The Infected have been created by direct fluid transfer from the Blood. This destroys the host body's mind within a matter of moments. They can mental communicate with other infected or the Blood within line of sight, but otherwise must use other methods to receive orders and exchange plans. The Infected can be detected by birthmark like bruising appearing somewhere on the body. Usually these take the form of an occult symbol.

The Infected have access to several different powers, however they have a major drawback. When they spend Aberrance to power an ability, they gain a permanent blemish, deformity or mark. This might be boils, it might be bloating, it might be a pulsating wound. The most basic of these can be concealed, but over time, they destroy their own effectiveness if they exert themselves too much. At this point, they must take on a new body, by direct exchange of fluids with a target. The previous body will then fall away and suffer a series of grotesque transformations before boiling down into a ichorous stew. To sustain themselves in a body, even without using powers, the Infected must feed every two weeks or so, absorbing energy through the fear and terror given off by murder. An Infected create new Infected, usually to replace itself. Otherwise this is an involved process, requiring the Infected make itself vulnerable They can however create lesser copies of themselves, the Touched.

Free Powers: Darkvision, Dominance (limited to Touched and Mindless)
Other Powers: Infection (creating other Infected takes time, energy and ritual); Infection (creating the Touched is a Plague-like attack, requiring fluid transfer); Vampiric Speed, Regeneration (through Aberrance Spend), Strength
Banes: while tougher than normal, the infected can be killed through normal mean if enough damage is done quickly- and their fluid is kept from splashing
Compulsions: Infected can be distracted by mirrors, objects which fascinate them. Depending on the size this may hold them in place for a time. They're reminded of the Other Side where the Anti-God dwells.
Signs: The most potent of the Infected may also cause a slight ripple to mirrors when they come close to them.
Requirements: feed on the stark emotional energy of a death, usually a murder they've committed close up.

The Touched
The Touched are essentially husks who can carry out the simple mental commands of Infected within range. These commands are non-verbal. The Touched have little in the way or skills or powers, but suffer no pain and effectively serve as fast meat shields for their master. Any Infected can only have a number of Touched operating for them at one time. The GM can base this on the Infected's relative importance or longevity, but shouldn't be more than the number of agents. While the Infected can pass as human, at least until then begin to show marks, the Touched begin to decay shortly after being turned.

The Mindless
Large groups or swarms, such as rats, flocks of birds, or insects can be commanded by The Blood or the Infected. This is s free power, but the Infected can only do this for a short time (a few minutes) or until some significant distraction or noise shakes the swarm into consciousness. This can also be used to command groups of human beings- crowds, gatherings, people working in a mindless state, those with mental problems or compromised self-identity.

GM NOTES
First, apologies to John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness. This is a rough first attempt, trying to come up with a fairly narrow vampiric group with a single master at the top level. I'll have to think about the various links in the chain moving up- but the conspiracy clearly needs money and victims. The Big Plan, the construction of a massive reflector or mirror for the Anti-God to come through should be something appears in pieces through the campaign. Research institutions or universities ought to appear scattered throughout the chain- perhaps crazed mathematicians. I imagine this as a game with a fairly limited and set arc with a final confrontation on the frozen tundra. The GM has a couple of tools for linking the PCs- the story and any survivors from the original release of the blood and the broadcast from the future.

Night's Black Agents: Tinker, Tailor, Vampire, Spy

WHAT IS IT?
This is a kind of pre-review of the newest GUMSHOE game, Night's Black Agents, written by Ken Hite. I'm basing my comments on the preliminary pdf released with pre-orders of the game from the Pelgrane site. They also sold bound copies at the recent Dragonmeet convention. What you get is primarily the text, not illustrations, but cleanly and usefully laid out. You could easily run the game with the material offered.

This is a game of modern spies taking on the vampiric conspiracy.

UPDATE: For a review of the final hardcover, see here: Night's Black Agents: The Hite Supremacy

ASSESSMENT
This is my new favorite GUMSHOE game and one of the best espionage game sourcebooks I've read. That's my review in a nutshell- I'll present a fuller assessment when the game actually comes out, but it is pretty excellent.

WHAT DOES IT BRING TO THE TABLE?
What I want to focus on is considering what Night's Black Agents (NBA) adds to the GUMSHOE toolkit. For example, Ashen Stars added cybernetics options, large scale vehicle combat, and ideas for improvisation. GUMSHOE is an engine, rather than a generic system. If you know the basic rules, you can pick up most of the other games fairly quickly- but there will be functional differences- in how abilities get refreshed, how weapons work, etc. That approach allows each game to stand on its own and be a solid emulation of a particular genre or genres. I like the toolkit offering and I think it could be easily used to build many kinds of campaigns.





1. Story Structures
Spy thrillers include investigations, but have other kinds of problem solving and information gathering as key elements. NBA covers those, shifting the mechanics and considering more open story structures. Beyond the default cinematic thriller approach of the game it presents options throughout in four different spy "modes": Burn: which considers psychological damage and issues heavily (Bourne, Alias, Graham Greene); Dust: in which the players are relatively normal agents (Rubicon, Three Days of the Condor); Mirror: a game of hidden agendas and player betrayal (LaCarre, Ronin, The Prisoner); and Stakes: games with players adhering to higher natures and loyalties (Taken, Burn Notice). More than any other GUMSHOE game so far, NBA offers supported campaign style choices and options throughout the rules.

2. Characters
NBA has a carefully tailored set of abilities for the spy genre- including Urban Survival, Human Terrain, Tradecraft, Digital Intrusion, Cover, and Network. These last two are interesting in that they represent a permanently expendable resource pool. Each character also gets to pick a specialty from the general ability sets- a MOS- which they can automatically succeed at once per session. General abilities also have a new option called "cherries" which are special abilities which may be invoked if the player has a rating of 8 or more. NBA offers many more options for spends from abilities, but also offers many more options for refreshing and recovering those ability points. Finally, Hite presents a compelling rationale for the ability pools- as a mean for players to take the spotlight and be cool. Spending down gives other players a chance to come forward in that area until the refresh happens. I like this conceptual approach.

3. Drives
Stability serves a major function in the game, essentially mental hit points. Contact with the supernatural as well as bad choices can impact a character's stability. Each character can gain a source of stability, some of which may get "burned" in the course of play. It reminds me a little of some of the Hollowpoint mechanics. Drives get used for more than simply character aims. Instead they offer ways of gaining refreshes. Several of the implementations of abilities and drives in the game remind me of aspects from FATE which I think is a good thing. I like players have some options for gaining benefits by taking losses. There's also a system for tracking trust within a group- allowing for a pool of benefits based on a kind of relationship map within the team. If the campaign includes betrayal, that can get flipped around and used against players.

4. Chases, Combat and Heat
NBA offers an excellent set of chase rules, useful from foot to car to plane. They're easy, but allow for some really interesting tension and choices. They strike the right balance between detail and simplicity. These rules will be useful in other GUMSHOE games. I especially like the narrative options for players. While not becoming a high-crunch system, NBA offers more combat options and maneuvers. These can be chosen and tailored depending on the kind of experience the GM wants at the table- a nice point. The idea of "heat," as in pressure by the authorities, is a great one which can be easily be translated to other games. The mechanics offered for that could be used elsewhere to represent abstractions like loyalty or facade.

5. Tradecraft
As you'd expect, Hite gives us a dynamite discussion of tradecraft and how players can actually apply that in game. Some of that's mechanics and some of its detail and color. I especially like the material on capture and modeling teamwork.

6. Vampires
In this setting, Vampires can be anything. They are monstrous- a point Hite makes clear at the beginning. While the moral areas may fade into the grey, the fact remains that the vampires are monsters. I love that as a baseline, and I think it helps establish a strong signpost for players. Of course figuring out exactly what the vampires are will often be the first stage of any NBA campaign. To that end, Hite offers a dynamite toolkit for building vampires and their agents. This is handled abstractly, choosing from a buffet list of concepts and powers- with vampires demonic and aline covered. Hite's comments about the implications of the choices for the GM make this section worth the money alone. It is great stuff and good campaign planning advice.

7. Gamemastering
It is worth mentioning how much fun this book is to read. There are in jokes, sidebar commentary and examples from playtesting scattered throughout. The materials a pleasure- especially when you come to the sections on conspiracy building, running in European cities, and gamemastering GUMSHOE in general. It offers a number of really great ideas for running any kind of modern game: investigation, conspiracy and/or supernatural. I'd recommend it as a sourcebook for that alone.

OVERALL
I'm looking forward to seeing the final product of Night's Black Agents. I love the tools it offers and I think it has relevance beyond GUMSHOE aficionados. I will say that it is a pretty dense game, and does assume some real experience with RPGs. If you like Spycraft, Conspiracy X or Delta Green, consider picking this up.

OTHER WORLDS, OTHER LIVES
Like most of the GUMSHOE setting books, this one has got me thinking about slight variations and more extensive hacks. NBA offers a wide-ranging toolkit for players and GMs. A few things occurred to me, ideas that I'll file away for the future:

I was talking with a couple of players about future campaigns and I mentioned cyberpunk. We'd played a lot of that back in the day and I'd even done a street-level superhero/cyberpunk mash up that was interesting. Of course, that was fifteen years ago or more and technology has rapidly advanced. I've generally been negative about cyberpunk as a genre because I'm not a fan of chrome-fetish or nihilistic settings. I like some of the cyberpunk window dressing, in particular the social impact and cost of developments like chipped skills, a shared VR space, and artificial personality implants. I like the rough, leading edge of those developments, rather than the fully integrated situations of most cyberpunk or transhumanist settings. And I like a challenge for GMing, so I have to wonder if I could run an interesting cyberpunk game.

Imagine Night's Black Agents done in a near future- we've seen sci-fi vampires like this in the awful Ultraviolet movie or more recent in Daybreakers. Moving forward to "the day after tomorrow" allows some access to interesting and weird technology, the kind seen in things like Mission: Impossible. You could integrate some of the cybernetic and viroware ideas from Ashen Stars. It wouldn't be that hard to build an interesting and flexible system system- NBA already offers some ideas for how to model "eye in the sky" support for groups. On the other hand, it might be a little too far- double mumbo jumbo- spies vs. vampires...in the future!!! That would be a Luc Besson film.

In the opposite direction, I also like the idea of using some of the premise and mechanics to do an Assassin's Creed II style game- taking place in Renaissance Italy, our characters have been in the service of various cabals and organizations battling across the continent. Then they discover the vampires behind it. So we take the video game and replace the Templars with Vampires. NBA has some interesting ideas for handling chases and parkour, and you could use maps from those games themselves- with characters acting as spies and assassins among the various Italian City States. Look to Mage: The Sorcerers Crusade for additional material. You could even do this as a cross-history or cross-generation nested game with players in one campaign finding the stories and tales of players in another.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my favorite existing RPG nest of spies, Al Amarja. I know it begins to trail off into a high weirdness that might pushing the setting over the top, but it could be a great base of operations or refuge for players in an NBA campaign. Plus, Over the Edge already has a couple of existing conspiracies which could be easily adapted over into the major threats to the world. The Pharaohs, on the one hand, could be retooled to be more vulnerable and vampiric, but still sitting atop a powerful network. The Kergillian aliens could easily serve the same role. I think that could be fun- dialing back something of the most fringe bits of the setting, but leaving a great deal of the color intact.

WhineSHOE: Rethinking GUMSHOE

FANNISH ADMISSION
I'm a big fan of GUMSHOE, I have all of the core system books, and even have the limited editions of Bookhounds of London and Ashen Stars. I think there's dynamite stuff there- and the recent pre-order of Ken Hite's Night's Black Agents really caught my attention. I've been going through that pdf and I hope to have a couple of other posts on that this week- a sample conspiracy and an overview of what NBA brings to the GUMSHOE system. That being said, I'm a also a wuss apparently.

THE FUTURE OF GUMSHOE
I've expressed some reservations about GUMSHOE's system for contests, for rolled resolution. That primarily uses one side of the system, general abilities. Last week, I happened to listen to the Pelgrane Press forum which took place at the Dragonmeet convention, a panel including Simon Rogers, Ken Hite and Robin Laws. You can find the hour-long audio here. The panel's especially interesting in that they give some insight into upcoming projects- including the possibility of a Trail of Cthulhu China sourcebook.

They also touch on some areas close to my interests. Robin Laws shoots down the idea of a GUMSHOE Companion or Compendium. And he does so quite rightly- as he defines it. He describes a compendium bringing together the variant rules and options from the different GUMSHOE books into a single resource. I agree that's a bad idea- it isn't particularly useful, undercuts the market for the different game lines, and establishes a "canon" for GUMSHOE rules. GS isn't a generic rules system in the way that Hero or GURPS is- instead it is a game engine which means that while the different flavors share some basic mechanics, there's no call for uniformity or established baselines between the games. I talked about that factor in generic systems a while back.

On the other hand, I don't think that completely invalidates my desire for a GUMSHOE Compendium. I imagine it more as a factbook or a collection of new ideas and options. Perhaps something done purely electronically, pdf rather than print. I talked about my wishlist for that kind of project in this post- which included (among other ideas) brief articles on historical period mysteries, new versions of the Quade diagrams for other settings, and Nancy Drew style games. This last one, it turns out, will be among the versions of GUMSHOE which Evil Hat will be doing- using relationship mapping as an element. I'm really looking forward to that.

EMBRACE THE NEGATIVE
But of course, one thing I'd like to see are some alternate rules approaches, some serious retooling of the system- hacks and options. Ken Hite takes up that question in the panel- suggesting that what might be useful would be an approved wiki or webspace where GUMSHOE people could offer their own system flavors and options...

...which he calls Whiny-Baby GUMSHOE, or later, WhineSHOE. I shouldn't be too surprised by that, since Robin Laws specifically calls players and GMs who want to state difficulties ahead of rolls wusses (page 68, Ashen Stars).

So here's the thing- I'm willing to accept that label, to take that dismissal. I really love GUMSHOE, and you can see that in the many positive reviews I've written of the products. (GUMSHOE, Trail of Cthulhu, The Esoterrorists, Fear Itself, Mutant City Blues, Ashen Stars, Bookhounds of London, The Armitage Files, etc.). And my goal is to have a game, a system that my group will enjoy playing. Because they didn't over the several different campaigns we played it with, across two GMs and distinct casts of players.

And mean to to use some of the elements I really love about the game, I have to run a WhineSHOE campaign. And I'm fine with that. I have to hack the parts my players didn't enjoy. And I shared their reaction when I played. I suspect our group's developed in a different direction- we've been playing together for many years, the longest of us together since the mid-1980's. Even the newest members of the group have been with us for at least five years. That means that we've developed habits of play, likes and dislikes, and have tried many different systems. All of the group's have a remarkable level of trust and they're generally willing to try anything, any genre, any system. We have a few exceptions- my wife would cringe if I ran HERO and a couple of people would flee if I suggested Rolemaster. But we have a solid level of fun- and that's the group I want to run for.

I think we have tailor the game to the group, not the other way around.

MAKING IT MY GUMSHOE
Again, I don't want to suggest GUMSHOE is bad or broken. If I were doing conventional horror, I would stick with the GUMSHOE. Esoterrorists, Fear Itself and Trail of Cthulhu all pretty much work for me. The uncertainty and feeling of stress and powerlessness works there. That's why I think highly variable "The dice screwed me" systems like All Flesh Must Be Eaten and Cyberpunk 2020 work to model their respective genres. The die represents the fickle middle digit of fate. If I were going to do a longer horror campaign, however, I'd probably make changes because I've found the resource tracking wearisome for more than a few sessions. And for games like Ashen Stars and Mutant City Blues I would significantly retool because I don't want the same tension as I want in a horror game. Just as I wouldn't use Dread to do a classic high romance fantasy game or FATE to do a terror scenario, I wouldn't use GUMSHOE as it is for certain genres with my group.

THE BREAK-DOWN
So let's consider the dimensions of the problem, based on the reactions I had from our group. I should also point to to responses Simon Rogers had to a couple of the issues I mention here- with some interesting approaches to the system.

1. Range
GUMSHOE uses a single d6 for action resolution. That means a fairly narrow range of results, with any modifier positive or negative, offering significant shift. This means that certain elements, such as weapons fall end up grouped together, with only a few options. I'm not opposed to that, though some may not care for it. But the flat line of the d6 bothers some players- especially those who prefer a curve or at least some granularity to the results. I think some of this is more an emotional reaction to the sparseness of the results, but that's still a legitimate response.

2. Spends and Uncertainty
In our groups players often felt a lack of control in the general ability system, despite the spend system. Not knowing the difficulty obscured judgement. The narrow range of the system made spends feel like guesswork, rather than a strategic or tactical decision. As a result, they viewed their characters as completely buffeted by fate or incompetent. A good roll could be just as wasteful as a bad roll depending on the amount spent.

3. Tracking
As the years have gone on, we've moved to less reference and less tracking of details in our games. Fringe systems such as fatigue, exhaustion, reaction rolls and the like have fallen to the wayside. General abilities (and to a lesser and more manageable extent investigative abilities) require tracking, marking and revising. Some abilities refresh at different rates.

There are a couple of other problems which could be considered, but I think they're secondary-

4. Can GUMSHOE Model Action?.
The blog Nerdtropolis has discussed this. I'm not sure I entirely agree with him, but he has a point- especially if that's the experience his group had with the system. I'd suggest looking at the new tools Night's Black Agents offers. Many of them make chases, combat and action more interesting and more dynamic. Beyond that, I'm not sure any of the options I suggest below address this problem, especially since our games have been moving towards more and more abstract combat/action sequences.

5. Excessive Number of Abilities
This is a personal preference. I come out of years of playing games with lots of detailed skill lists and options. What I've learned is that the more skills you have, the fewer opportunities for use most of them will get, and the more weight will fall on a handful of really useful ones. My preference these days is for "create your own" skill lists. But GUMSHOE, by its nature, requires a set list. Given that we want to make each ability cool and have the power to generate its own story, I'd like to see fewer abilities.

SOME APPROACHES
Option One: Changing General Spends
A somewhat unsatisfying option would be to allow spends after the die is rolled. That breaks suspense, but gives absolute control. On the other hand, it does beg the question as to why you'd need a resource system then. A better alternative would be to follow the standard procedure- declare action, declare spends, check success and then allow an alternate, stop-gap spend. In this case, players could spend from another source to make up the difference: Stability or Health, to represent their pushing themselves to their limits to succeed at a particular roll. The stakes on future rolls become pressing when players gamble with their "hit points."

Option Two: Overspends
In GUMSHOE situations, players overspend easily, so that a with a high spend feels like a waste of resources. Some test situations have a compared margins of success, but many don't. When the player makes a spend and rolls a they could perhaps be allowed a one or two point pool refresh, in another ability. This could be a related ability which has been tapped out, or perhaps Stability or Health. This is more a device for the GM to keep players from feeling frustrated with the system.

Those two options are minor tweaks, intended to keep most of the GUMSHOE engine intact. The next two are more draconian.

Option Three: FATESHOE
I've mentioned before my idea for using FATE as the engine for certain GUMSHOE genres. The excellent skalchemist suggested a few modifications. Essentially players would have a set of Investigative Abilities with no rank. They would also have a set of General Abilities, but these would have a rating. If the GM wanted, he could also have a set of stats to pair with those abilities, or else stick with success rolls based on the ability ratings. Players would also have a set of aspects, with one of them representing their investigative drive. You'd have two stress tracks, Stability and Health. In most other respects, the system would operate like FATE. However investigative abilities would not require rolls, but FATE points could be spend on them to gather extra information.

I like this one, as our group's really embraced some of the ideas from FATE. I can imagine trading off negative elements and scenes- being tailed, running into enemies, being captured- for FATE points. It also fits in well with the improvisational structure of something like the Armitage Files. It does put power into the hands of the players- reducing tension potentially but offering greater buy in.

Option Four: WhineSHOE Lite
A more elaborate approach to retooling GUMSHOE would start by knocking down the barrier between 'investigative' and 'general' abilities. In the chain of development, by the time we've gotten to Night's Black Agents, with have general uses for many investigative abilities and vice-versa. Certainly many abilities will be more often used one direction or the other, but the premise holds. So first we reduce the number of abilities down to a more manageable number- collapsing certain ones together. Let's say that we want to end up with something like thirty abilities.

Each ability would have a Rating and a Spend. When used in a contest (opposed or unopposed) players would roll and add their rating. The numbers for rating would vary, depending on whether you wanted the flat of a d10 or d20 or the curve of 2d10 or 3d6. In any case, we would balance the rating and the difficulties to the dice in that system. When used for information gathering, no roll is necessary.

The Spend for an particular ability is rated from 1-3. Spends are purchased independently from rating, and have a rising cost. I'm imaging each ability line will have three boxes to show and mark spends. If a player uses an ability for investigation, they may spend from that pool (if any) to gain additional information. For the most part this operates the same as investigative abilities in GUMSHOE. But players may also spend points from that pool to gain a general benefit. This could be either a bonus to a roll, with declaration made beforehand, or a special option- taking a cue from Ken Hite's new system of "cherries" for high level skills in Night's Black Agents. This would be kept simple but interesting, with no more than one of two non-investigative spend benefits. A more elaborate system might have addition epic picks for investment, but that's really more chrome than anything else.

This approach serves as a kind of "quick-start" GUMSHOE- it keeps the important elements of investigative skills. But it also has a much reduced and easier to handle tracking system and resource management. It works to reduce the barrier the rules offer between a player and their narrative. And it takes out most of the problems our groups had with the system.

LAST WORD
Several of the campaigns I have on my agenda are GUMSHOE settings or variations on those. I think the system remains among the most interesting out there. The trick I have to work out now is crafting a hack that I like and that my players will enjoy.

Why I Hate NPCs

Some days I hate NPCs.

But I also love NPCs. They're the engine that drives great and memorable campaigns for the players. In the kinds of narrative and dramatic leaning campaigns we play now, these characters offering sounding boards, connections, and windows into the setting. I've written about how great and important they are in many, many, many, many posts.

But sometimes....sometimes they drive me crazy. I want to clear the deck, kill them off, and tear the game down to players, plot, scenery.

Why?

1. MEMORY
Let's start with a basic problem- keeping track of the cast. I run six campaigns, and remembering all of the characters between them, is hard. I usually have to scan through the list before each session. And of course for the longer running campaigns, we've an assembly of personalities to rival Game of Thrones. I can usually remember the who and why of characters, but what I lose is the name. Which makes me feel stupid at the table. And I don't like going through my notes while I'm running. I get especially frustrated if I've done a particular 'voice' for a character and I can't remember it- either cadence, accent or tone.

2. AVOIDANCE
A friend of mine ran a game with a large cast of NPCs. He's a good GM and does an excellent job of creating interesting characters. Each of his players had an affiliated group. However some of his players didn't get along- there were arguments between them and conflicts of agendas. As a result players played less and less with each other, and more and more directly with GM. That created greater fragmentation of the plot and annoyance among the players when the GM actually put the PCs together through the NPCs. I've seen that in my games, where some players will ignore everyone else and go off to talk to NPCs by themselves- deliberately ignoring plot hooks or even short circuiting the arc in order to have the table to themselves. Essentially the player uses the positive of the NPC to justify a kind of selfishness at the table. I like to give players individual scenes and moments, but I like it even better when I can put two or more players together in a scene.

3. MINE!
The even greater danger arising from this we can call Mr. Jealousy. In this case players decide to consider certain NPCs as their own. Some do this from attachment, some from paranoia, and some as a way of taking control of the table dynamic. Players who operate this way become hugely defensive when other players attempt to interact with "their" NPCs. I've seen players get actually furious at the table when other players have suggested talking to or bringing in an NPC they were attached to. In other instances, I've seen players use those reactions to bully other players to keep them from stepping into plots they believed they own. In one case, another players became furious when we talked to their character's family, despite their being at the center of the adventure and despite the discussion being fairly innocuous.

4. FICKLE LOVE
I know some tables handle romance fairly well- and that's an element in many of our campaigns. I'd say the play more echoes anime more than anything- light and stereotypical. It is more about affection and misunderstandings, or offering plot complications. But sometimes players will start down the road of romantic sub-plot and then suddenly a shinier or more interesting NPC will catch their eye. Or more likely the NPC doesn't precisely validate their character's self-image, doesn't fawn over them the way they want, or actually presents some obstacles to overcome. Then the player decides to drop that NPC and wants to completely ignore previous developments in favor of a new tact. If you've spent any time as a GM on that, or have built any plots on the relationship, it can be maddening.

5. OMNIPOTENCE
I've played in games with omnipotent NPCs- or Mary Sue NPCs that take center stage. So I try to avoid that, but I also want to demonstrate competency and have characters in positions of authority for real reasons, not just goofs with a title. And some players react badly to NPCs in leadership positions. That's fine and something I can usually work past. But sometimes players assume that the NPCs are omnipotent and won't even attempt to engage with them. They just get angry. Ironically, in most cases that's been the reaction from players who GM and have those very same omnipotent figures in their games. Because that's what they would do, they assume an NPC will be invulnerable or unassailable. So a NPC who ought to be an interesting foil or interaction suddenly becomes a stumbling block. You're left with the choice of bending over backwards to show the agreeable or useful nature of NPC or just dropping the thread.

6. THE TRAIN
Having a large cast of NPCs, especially ones the players really like mean that as a GM you want to offer a chance to interact with them. That's fine if you have a static campaign setting, like a city. But for classic fantasy or exploration games, it can be a bigger problem. You have to plan around those NPCs showing up or the players returning to the NPCs location. If they're spread around the setting, then you want to make sure each player gets time with the NPCs they like which may mean more travel or strange coincidental devices. The Gm doesn't have to, but once the door's been opened to this kind of play, the group may expect it. An obvious but even more problematic solution is to bring the NPCs along, effectively doubling the group size and creating more things for the Gm to worry about. If you're at all considering the struggle for survival in dangerous environments as a theme, a host of camp followers undercuts that quickly.

7. AT THE TABLE
And of course bringing along all of those NPCs leads to a logistical problem. I'll admit combat's where I'm weakest at the table. I get flustered and I want to race though as quickly as possible. I cut corners but I tell myself that's in the interest of maintaining the pace. As well, I'm just not a tactical thinker. When I pit my forces against the combined skills of a table of gamers, I'm at a huge disadvantage, even with "all the points." I want to balance winning, providing a challenge, and making it feel fair. So the last thing I want is to have to deal with extra characters. With allies, I'm suddenly responsible for defeating the players and helping them at the same time. The details I have to track and worry about expand- in detailed games like Champions it becomes even more difficult. Its why I don't usually allow pets for characters either- one more thing to track.

I dread that moment in a combat when I've just got the rhythm going and I hear a player say "What about Sir Dorkus, he hasn't gone the last three turns...?" If I forget about the NPCs, then the players may think that I'm cheating them or that the NPC's just useless. The former only comes up with bad players or those in really tense situations. But I've also had players get angry at NPCs for not really 'being there' in combat, something not in the NPCs character but more in my desire to focus on the PCs. I certainly don't want to swing the other way and have the NPCs steal their thunder. The problem gets more complicated when you have a detailed system- one with plenty of combat options, styles and maneuvers. I don't want to track those options for NPCs. But that runs the risk of making them seem more incompetent than they are on one hand, or more powerful on the other if I completely wing it. I don't want to be asked afterward how X NPC was able to do Y thing that they players can't. I could spin a story about it, but I've already stepped on the players' toes there.

Here's the other thing: players like the idea of their NPCs being in conflicts alongside them (for utility, to show off to them, to deepened connections) but they hate when those NPCs get damaged, seriously injured or killed. I can certainly understand that, but on occasion they flip out. I suppose that ought to be a good sign- that the player or players have an emotional connection to the NPC, but every once in a while it can create a problem. We had a session years ago where one of the PCs effectively got an NPC killed and some of the table lost it. As a GM, I have to asses the cost benefit of targeting those NPCs- knowing that players will scrutinize those actions even more tightly for "fairness."

TABLE SOLUTIONS
For my first six points I don't have any quick solutions- beyond monitoring and balancing. For actual table play, I have come up with a few approaches. These may be obvious to veteran GMs, but I hope someone will find them useful. You'll note that I avoid giving players the actual NPCs, fully-statted, to control. I don't like that option for a couple of reasons. First, it means having to write up other sets of characters. Second, unless everyone has a 'buddy' then some players don't get the cool advantage. Third, when players control more than one figure in a combat, it feels less like an rpg and more like a tactical wargame.

1. Get the NPC Off the Table. If there are support tasks or things which can be done elsewhere (finding the winch to lower the portcullis, getting someone to safety, hacking a console) then say that the NPC will do it. A couple of caveats on this approach. First, those tasks shouldn't step over a player's role. For example, if you have a Rigger in the group then they should be the one to hack the electronics. Second, if you want to use this tactic, then don't screw the players with it. If you as the GM suggest that X NPC can move someone to safety, then they should get that person to safety. They should not get captured as a plot device. If you do that, the next time you make a suggestion that an NPC could do something off table, the players won't trust you. On the other hand, if the players suggest that an NPC could undertake a task, then the gloves are off. You haven't pushed them and they've made their own decision.

2. Trade-Off: This works if you have the players facing hordes or overwhelming odds (which you can, of course, engineer). During the first round or so, offer to have NPCs tie up a certain number of mooks or minions for the fight. The players can say where they want the NPC(s) to operate as crowd control. Essentially pawn neutralizes pawn. Don't roll for resolution or track damage, just let them keep a position secure. Again you're offering the players a benefit in exchange for making your task as the GM easier. The NPC should be effectively off the table in terms of attacks, at least until the stakes get raised or the situation changes.

3. Support: Pair up NPCs with PCs and give them a straight bonus. The NPC effectively vanishes into that bonus. The bonus or effect may vary depending on what the NPC does. If you don't want to directly pair up, say that the NPC serves as a floating bonus one player can use each round. A player can't use the bonus again until everyone has used it.

4. Advanced Support: As with the idea above, but with more complexity. This takes a page from FATE and HeroQuest, where NPCs can be aspects or abilities. You could, for example, pair NPCs up with PCs and have them offer a benefit- but they can also be sacrificed (K.O'd) to do other things, like prevent damage, use a special ability or give an uber-bonus. Another option might be to say that any NPC offers a power which can be called on by the players. However, once the players opt to do that, the NPC becomes 'at risk' and can then be targeted by bad guys or taken out as a consequence. This puts that choice in the group's hands.

HATE'S PERHAPS TOO STRONG A WORD
Of course, I'm exaggerating on most of these points. I can’t imagine a campaign without some interesting NPCs, especially recurring ones. Most of my campaigns are built around a cast of NPCs first- and I get a real delight when players become interested in their stories and ideas. But every once in a while, they do lead to frustrations. The vast majority of the time, they add to the campaign. But I do have to watch some players to make sure that they don't fall into bad play patterns with background characters. I've played in campaigns with zero NPCs. Or at least all of the NPCs were exclusively "roles" or "questgivers," like early computer RPG characters. I played with a GM who never introduced a female NPC, mostly because it never occurred to him. I played with a GM who put the only interesting NPC into a coma. Strong and returning NPCs are huge part of a solid story- in a tabletop rpg, a computer rpg (any Bioware title), television (Buffy) or elsewhere.