Z is for Zombie Cinema #atozchallenge

Today's post is about Zombie Cinema, one of my favorite role-playing games.  Zombie Cinema is a GM-less game that takes place during a zombie apocalypse.  Character creation is super easy and involves drawing a few cards that give you some basic characteristics about who you will be playing.  The game comes with a board that represents the increasing threat level of the zombie outbreak.  For example, at the beginning of the game zombies appear as rumors or news stories, but as the game progresses zombies come out in full force and can start to develop new powers.

They're coming to game night, Barbara!

The game is GM-less so every player narrates what they want their character to do in the game.  Whenever two characters' actions are opposed to each other them the players roll six sided dice to resolve the conflict.  I find this mechanic ingenious because it focuses on what makes a good zombie story compelling.  It is not about the zombies, it is about the horrible things that people do to each other to survive.  There are more rules to the game but those are the basics.  If you are interested in learning more you can read my review on boardgamegeek or order a copy for yourself.

This game is great as a filler game, a Halloween one-shot, or a game to run when the regular group can't meet.  There is no prep time and the zombie stories that are told are always memorable.  This was my first GM-less game and it is on my top five list.  I highly recommend it.

Y is for the King in Yellow #atozchallenge

Today's post is about the King in Yellow, the mythical play from the Robert Chambers story that supposedly drives anyone insane who reads it.  The idea has been coopted by the Lovecraft mythos and appears in the Call of Cthulhu rpg and Arkham Horror board game.  I find the idea that a work of art can drive someone insane to be fascinating.  I read a quote once about how art exists to express what we cannot say.  The link between art and emotion is strong, and I believe that there could be a a work of art that could break down the sanity of an individual.

As a gaming device the King in Yellow is a great MacGuffin.  A group of investigators can be searching for a manuscript that causes people to go crazy.  Not only do they have to search for a book, but they also have to deal with the wackos that the book leaves in its wake.  If you are interested in reading the book The King in Yellow, it is in the public domain.  You can grab an electronic copy off of Project Gutenberg.

X is for Xorn #atozchallenge.

Today's post is about the Xorn.  I will be honest, I was not sure what I would write about for the X post in the A to Z blog challenge.  I decided to flip open the AD&D 1st edition Monster Manual and check out the X section.  Staring at me from the page was the xorn.

Dungeons and Dragons has always been full of strange and unusual creatures.  The xorn is a great example.  If I saw this thing coming at me I would probable pass out and then be devoured.  While the title of the game has "dragon" in it I find that the most famous monsters from D&D are the more peculiar ones.  Owlbears, gelatinous cubes, rust monsters, and mimics are the creatures that adventurers tell stories about.  So in honor of the xorn, flip through your favorite bestiary and find the weirdest monster in there to throw at your players!

 

W is for Wargame #atozchallenge

Today's post is about Wargames.  I grew up in a house where my dad collected Avalon Hill wargames.  Wargames have been a big part of my gaming life.  I remember calling my dad on the phone at work so he could explain to me how the combat resolution tables worked in Kriegspiel.  I love how wargames incorporate history into gaming.  I think that they are one of the best ways to teach the history of conflicts.  Because of my playing of Vietnam Solitaire I was better able to answer my students' questions as to why the US pulled out of Vietnam.  If you have never tried one I recommend it.  Two good wargames for beginners are Memoir 44 and Quebec 1759.

V is for Vampire: The Masquerade #atozchallenge

Today's post is about Vampire: The Masquerade.  When Vampire hit the rpg market I was taking a break from role-playing games.  I was vaguely aware of what the product was, although I thought that is was mainly a LARP.  I understand that Vampire and White Wolf had a huge impact on role-playing games, but since I did not observe it while it happened and I never played the games I have a hard time explaining what the impact was.  Perhaps I can get bonus points for knowing that there was a brief TV show.

What I have heard about Vampire and other White Wolf games is that they are supposed to be modern Gothic horror but often play out like supernatural superhero games.  I've actually played one session of a Vampire game.  We were going to start a Hunters campaign and only got through the introductory session.  We never saw any vampires but I impressed the GM by making him have to look up the driving rules ("No one ever uses the driving rules!" he said).

I own a few Vampire books that I have picked up in used book stores.  I have the VtM 2nd ed. core book and the Vampire: Dark Ages book plus a few splat books.  The Dark Ages book intrigues me the most.  Maybe soon I will run a campaign full of undead vampire princes plotting against each other.

U is for Usagi Yojimbo #atozchallenge

Today's post is about Usagi Yojimbo.  One of my other hobbies besides gaming is reading and collecting comic books, and one of my favorite comic characters is Usagi Yojimbo.  I saw my first Usagi Yojimbo comic on the rack at the hole-in-the-wall comic store where I shopped as a kid in Hackettstown, New Jersey.  I did not recognize the character, a samurai rabbit, but I did recognize the other character on the cover who happened to be Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I bought the issue and went back to pick up another issue of Usagi Yojimbo.

If you describe the Usagi Yojimbo series it sounds silly.  It takes place during the Edo period in Japan.  All of the characters are anthropomorphic animals.  Usagi Yojimbo is a samurai whose lord was killed in battle and now roams the countryside.  The comic works and it works well.  The art draws you in and is full of peaceful peasant scenes and thrilling battles.  Characters die.  Every story is well told and engaging.  Reading an issue always gives me the justification that I always knew cartoon animal stories were awesome.  It is kind of like that feeling when you first see the cartoon of Porky Pig cussing.

There are actually two Usagi Yojimbo role playing games.  The one that I own, Usagi Yojimbo Role Playing Game, was published by Gold Rush games and uses the Fuzion system.  They also published a book of monsters and supernatural creatures called Usagi Yojimbo Monsters!  I am not a fan of the system but I do like the game.  There is setting material on feudal Japan as well as a chronology of the Usagi Yojimbo comic storyline.  The appendix also includes rules for converting the game stats to the Fudge system.  Unfortunately it is out of print.

Sanguine Games, publishers of the furry rpg Ironclaw, currently sell their own Usagi Yojimbo Role-Playing Game.  I haven't played this one but I know that it uses the same game engine that powers their Ironclaw game.  This game is definitely on my wishlist.

If you are a fan of comics, samurai, or good story telling then grab an issue of Usagi Yojimbo.

Official Usagi Yojimbo website

Dark Horse Comics, official publisher of Usagi Yojimbo comics.

T is for Traveller #atozchallenge

Today's post is about the science-fiction role playing game Traveller.  I tend to lean more towards being a fan of science fiction than fantasy, so of course I own at least two versions of the classic sci-fi game Traveller.  Traveller is the Dungeons and Dragons of sci-fi rpgs.  It was not the first sci-fi game, but it was created in the early days of the hobby, has gone through many editions, and is synonymous with sci-fi role playing today.  When I was younger I used to bike down to the toy shop in the town where we lived.  Back in the games section (where I bought Fortress America and Gangbusters) they always had a few of the "little black book" Traveller supplements on the shelf.  I had a vague sense of what they were but I never investigated them further.

Today I have the reprints of the original Traveller books as well as the 1st edition Traveller core book from Mongoose Publishing.  There is a lot of charm to the Traveller rules and setting.  What other game uses hexidecimal numbers or kills characters during their creation?  The setting is pure space opera with a heavy dose of hard science.  I find it in the spirit of Isaac Asimov over George Lucas.  I actually ran a play-by-forum game of Mongoose Traveller for a bit.  I loved that there is so much that a GM can throw into the setting.  In my game I had a murder mystery on a starship and a replicant uprising.  Many versions of Traveller are still in print, at least in pdf form.  Mongoose has also recently released a second edition of their rules.  If you have never looked at Traveller and you like science fiction, I would do some research on it.

The wikipedia entry on Traveller, not a bad place to start.

The Traveller entry at the Museum for Role Playing Games.

Guide to Classic Traveller, a free pdf covering the original game.

Introduction to Traveller, this is a free pdf introducing the Mongoose version of Traveller (which I recommend).

Freelance Traveller, a fanzine for all editions of Traveller.