Heroic Effort

London After Midnight from Dragoncon 2012

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:52:00 +0000

Hello everyone. Its Wednesday, Sept 12th and today's live play audio is London After Midnight from Dragoncon 2012. Its a homebrew setting for BRP published by Chaosium. Much thanks to them for their excellent prize support for my convention games.

Enjoy

The Last Convention

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 17:11:00 +0000

The Last Convention

This is the First of this year's Dragoncon games. I'll be alternating with some from last year and the year before. We're playing Delta Green and its my first time running it. The players were forgiving and helpful and entertaining.

Nocturne First Recorded Game

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Hey folks, long time no update but I'm getting on a regular schedule. I know but I do mean it this time. Here is a recording from last Saturday night of a group I found through Meetup.com. Its d20 CoC and modern era, two things I didn't know if I could get past but a great game with great people can transcend such things and this one does.
Give a listen: here

Call of Chtulhu, Haunted or Hunted 1

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:56:00 +0000

This is the first of the lost sessions from Dragoncon 2010. The prequel to Maiden Voyage.
Here we go. Enjoy.

After Party

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:51:00 +0000

This is a sequel to Michael Thompson's game from last Dragoncon which you'll find here in the feed. This one was a lot of fun and lots of great humor and laughs. I was a bit sleep deprived so I'm going to listen and refresh my memory.Here.

Get me Central Casting on the Phone!

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:57:00 +0000

This isn't about the wonderful Central Casting products from the nineties, though I got quite a bit of use out of them back in the day.
This is about how Casting can improve your game. Now, first off, this doesn't apply to games where you're playing giant robots or mutant chickenmen or a very non-human character.
When I refer to casting I refer to asking the player, prior to play, who would play their character in the movie that is the game session.
I've been doing this for years and it really helps some players visualize their character better. It also helps the other players see the characters around the table as not just the player with a character sheet.
I realize that not everyone out there will have an encyclopedic knowledge of cinema and its not required. IMDB is your friend but, as always, talk to your players, ask questions, get feedback and don't force your idea on them.
As always, tailor to fit your group. If someone is resistant to the idea, don't force them.

Ghostbusters 1884 part 1

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:30:00 +0000

This is the first part of the Ghostbusters FATE game I played in at Dragoncon 09. It was run by Michael Thompson and sharp listeners will recognize Steven Thompson's enthusiastic voice around the table.
Enjoy.

Matter of Honor from Dragoncon

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:42:00 +0000

This is the first of my Dragoncon recordings and I had a great time because I was PLAYING!
The game is called a Matter of Honor and its run by Michael Thompson, one of the Macguffin Society; a group of GMs in the Atlanta area who are all top notch GMs and great folks.
I'm sitting at the table with a couple of the folks from the Ghostbusters 1886 game from two years ago and we had a blast.
Its set in a fantasy realm much like the setting of The Three Musketeers though there's a liberal dash of intrigue and politics as well. It uses the FATE system, one of my favorites to play.
I hope you'll have as much fun listening as I did playing.
listen

Top 3 Genres that don't translate to the table that well.

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:20:00 +0000

I've been gaming for a long time. No, longer than that.
I was lucky, though, in that I wasn't in the initial, late-seventies generation of gamers. When I started gaming in '82 it was when companies and games were popping up out of the woodwork. D&D was the king of the sword and sorcery fantasy genre so other companies decided the best way to 'win' was to not directly compete.
This article is about which ones I've felt, over the years, that don't translate so well. I'm not saying that they couldn't, but so far, not so much.
3. Western.
Now, I imagine many folks have great Boot Hill stories but its not about the stories I'm talking about. No, my difficulty with a traditional western is the lethality. Don't get me wrong, I love westerns, film and literature, but when you are playing in a game with a random element for task resolution you are going to have folks get shot.
Without superpowers or some supernatural defenses, folks get shot, folks die.
So most 'western' games that do work do so by being non-traditional or, in the case of Dust Devils, make the destruction of the character the point of the game.
2. Super Heroes.
This is going to sound crazy coming from me, as its my second favorite genre to run but this one makes the list not because the rules don't work but, generally speaking, its the players vs the genre.
Most players find the idea of not killing their enemies and not looting the bodies and dealing with the melodrama to be dumb. Unless all of your players are superhero comic junkies, its going to be a rough road to hoe.
And finally, at number one..
1. Horror.
This one sounds even crazier coming from me as this IS my favorite genre to run. Once again, it doesn't go to fault with finding a game that works. There's some great systems for horror, from Little Fears, to Dread to Call of Cthulhu. The difficulty comes with getting the players to not only get into the mood but to STAY there. Players are friends and sometimes they want to joke and jibe and break mood. Its normally easy to recover the flow though, but in horror its much much harder.
Once one of the guys mocks the monster or makes a sexual innuendo about the dangerous psycho its almost over for the horror part. Also, since you are trying to evoke fear and horror, its doubly difficult because not everyone has the same idea of what is fearful or terrifying.
Some folks cover their eyes at a a slasher flick while others are having a ball and laughing.
Session 9 is my prime example. Its an hour plus slow burn until the horror erupts. I find it one of my absolute favorite horror films because of that slow build.
But you run a game like that, some of your players will get bored. And a bored player is a dangerous and disruptive player.
Tomorrow, the three that translate, for me, the best.

Countdown to Dragoncon

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:15:00 +0000

Well, another Labor Day weekend will soon be upon us and with it will be another Dragoncon.

This will be my 14th one. The con had started to become a bit dull for me about five years ago. I was beginning to feel that I was just going to be going.

That was when I started to run games at Dragoncon.

It changed things for me there. I felt like I had a reason to go besides all the stuff to see and do. I feel like I'm part of the con and an active participant.

This year, I'll be running two games, two sessions each.

The first is called Heroic Effort. Its a re-working, or even a re-imagining of one I ran my second year running using Mutants and Masterminds 2e. I'm updating it for 3e and changing the name from its original title, American Hero, to Heroic Effort.

Its about a reality gameshow to pick the newest member of the world's greatest superteam. Little did I realize that George R.R. Martin would steal the name and concept for his Wild Card novel a year later.

I'm kidding, of course. I'm certain its just great minds, or a great mind and a median mind, thinking alike.

The other game is a sequel of sorts to last year's CoC game. That one was about a weekend party gala held at a country estate for a family. One of my great regrets is that I lost the memory card with those audio recordings. They were great sessions and I think that family deserves another look.

I hope to try out some new games, see some old friends, and make some new ones. Hope to see you all there!

London After Midnight

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:23:00 +0000

http://www.heroic-effort.com/files/Lam1.mp3

New Year New Game

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Hello everyone, sorry for the absence. I can't really justify it. There are times in my life when I just get disinterested in everything. I'm seeking help so here's hoping it'll get better.

But enough about that.

We have a new game for you folks. Its called London After Midnight and it uses the Unisystem. I got everyone together, gave them each two chips, and we hashed out a game. What we got seems a bit Cthulhu, a bit Dresden, and so far a very enjoyable game.

Links to follow.

Dresden from Dragoncon2

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:36:00 +0000

Here is the second Dresden Files RPG recording from Dragoncon. Enjoy.

Dresden Files, my experience

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:29:00 +0000

I went into Dragoncon with one real intention this year: to get to try the Dresden Files RPG. What really helped me get into the games I wanted to was a combination of two things. One, that Dragoncon closed pre-reg very early this year, enabling me to have a chance to register on site. Two, just showing up at the alloted times for the sessions to start. I got lucky and had some drops in the Dresden game I wanted to play.

My only dissapointment? I couldn't get any of my local friends to sit in with me.

Hopefully these recordings will give them an idea of the game.

I played it twice under two different gms with two different styles. The first was Michael Thompson, who I played Spirit of The Century under last year. He's the one that ran the Ghostbusters 1885 game thats in the recordings.

He presented the system beautifully. The character folders he handed out have inspired me to step up my own games and made the game a wonderful experience.

I wasn't playing a mage in the first game, so I didn't really get a grip on how it works. Not the down and dirty but its discussed in detail in the recording.

The second game was run by Stephen Thompson, no relation. I played with him in the Ghostbusters game last year and he is, quite possibly, the most wild and enthusiastic player I've ever met.

He GMs a great game, very cinematic. I'll post that one in just a second.

Give 'em both a listen.

Dresden from Dragoncon

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 19:22:00 +0000

Here's my first experience with Dresden Files from Dragoncon 2010 this past Labor Day Weekend.

I'll talk about it more in the next post.

DC Universe RPG

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:33:00 +0000

I pre-ordered the print copy so I was sent the PDF for free.

Of what I've read so far, I'm liking it. The stats have changed the names a bit, and there are some that there weren't before. I'll go more in depth later.

The biggest change to the stats is you are no longer buying them on a 3-18 and beyond scale to get a +2 bonus beyond the human average of 10, which you started with for free anyway. Instead its on a scale of -5 to 20, with what you are paying for as the actual bonus.

Jamie, one of my players, complained just last week that he felt it was 'dumb' to buy the odd numbered stats since they didn't provide a bonus. Well, that's done.

The feats are now called advantages but are pretty much unchanged.

The powers section also seems unchanged, just much more clear.

I'll talk more about it as I dig in deeper.

So far, I'm liking it, though.

And on to number 2 for today.

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:47:00 +0000

And here is the second of three updates I promised you, the Arkham Horror/CoC mashup, part 3.

We were getting into full swing here and folks started to come out of their shells and participate.

Enjoy.

Sorry for the delay.

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:44:00 +0000

Apologies all, been on holiday this past week. But here we are again with the first of three updates.

First up is the intro session for Epsilon Terra. I hope you enjoy it half as much as we did.

Arkham Horror/CoC part 3

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 14:50:00 +0000

Well, we're back up and running, despite rumors to the contrary.

I'm happy to share with you today the third episode of CoC/AH mashup. Stan joined us for this session.

This was back during a time when we tried to play on the weekends. It was a hard and irregular schedule, do to conflicts with real life.

Overall, I've been happy with the move to Mondays we made last year.

Here it is.

Apologies for the absence.

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Sorry, folks.

The old computer went blooey. I'm not sure what it was but I have replaced the old machine.

Not with something top of the line but it will service.

Sadly, we also had a hiccup with the recorder and lost the epic last session of Bad Kansas. We've moved on but things took a very strange turn.

We're going to take a break from CoC for a bit to let tempers cool.

Next week we'll be playing something new. I hope you'll like it, I'll be posting more about it as I develop it this week.

I'll also be posting more Arkham Horror/CoC mashup later this week.

Epsilon Terra part 2

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Part two of our first foray into sci-fi gaming is now available, in which our players are introduced to Unisystem combat.

Enjoy: part 2

Arkham/CoC part 2

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:14:00 +0000

Well, this is the remainder of the last session when we discovered the recorder had, well, stopped recording.

Enjoy!

link

The Road, Twisted Tales From Route 66

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:29:00 +0000

About this time last year, I got the idea to set a CoC campaign along route 66. It was completed in 1927, right during the height of the cuthulhu mythos era and, the thing that caught my attention when reading up on it, there's a weird little thirteen mile stretch where the route runs into Kansas and right back out again.

Well, I did a scenario for Dragoncon called Thirteen Miles of Bad Kansas and ran it there. The audio of that is here.

Then I started the campaign for my friends. We are still playing it right now.

Part one of the campaign is here.

A wonderful gift from my friends

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:17:00 +0000

Last night, after our first arc of Epsilon Terra ended, I asked everyone what we should play next.

Something new? Or revisit an old setting?

Doug suggested, and I agreed, that, having been left out of the boys sci-fi adventure, Sasha should choose.

Before she could voice her opinion, Bryan, James, and Doug all voiced their desire to return to Call of Cthulhu, specifically our adventure on Route 66.

Sasha agreed that she wanted to do that too.

It was a really great feeling to see so much enthusiasm for a CoC setting that, seemingly, doesn't really seem to follow the traditions of the Cthulhu mythos published settings or stories.

I'll begin to start posting the older sessions to the feed so you can catch up.

As always, comments are appreciated.

More CoC mashup!

rbillings146036@comcast.net (Randy Billings) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:42:00 +0000

Here's part two of the Arkham Horror, CoC mashup. Its a shorter part, about an hour as we realized the recorder's batteries and done gone to a better place. Then they went back in the charger.

Enjoy