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Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 7

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 25 Jul 2016 19:55:00 -0600

I've posted before about bringing new players into existing games, and once again after finding myself at the whims of opposing schedules, I've found myself introducing a new player into a weekly gaming group. This time we welcome Cubbie in as Minnie, the aged ex-madame and no-shit taker.

Somehow my love for Fallout (apparently a shared love) has immunized me to the pitfalls of the unfamiliar player and allowed a solid (if short) session to come through.

This time, the party crosses paths briefly with a wasteland superpower and arrive in Junktown by way of a very truncated travel time. Alliances are made, foes are created, and new love blooms in this week's episode of Savage Fallout.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 7: Junktown Junction

Overseer: David Schimpff
Wastelanders: Russell, Clint, Joseph, Sage, and Cubbie.

You can download the episode here.

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 6

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 8 Jul 2016 18:04:00 -0600

So tonight we tested out some Mass Combat rules, seeing as we were down two players. Everything went pretty smoothly, though it was less interesting for the players themselves, seeing as they weren't leading the battle. However, the combat ended much more swiftly than it would have under standard rules, which gave some time to do some exploring and roleplaying. Apologies for the short episode; next one should be the proper length.

Also to note, the players have now just realized exactly what kind of scale of game they are going to be playing. And they still don't know the half of it. Should be fun.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 6: The Battle of Shady Sands
Vault Dwellers: Scott, Joseph, Russell, Sage
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here.

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 5

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sat, 2 Jul 2016 09:55:00 -0600

I've always been a bit nervous about bringing new players to the table, but tonight's game went off without a hitch. The takeaway from this game is that I've allowed my players to become something violent and blasphemous, and even their previous failures haven't taught them that jumping right to the bloodshed isn't always the correct choice.

In either case, shit gets burned down, Chekhov's Gun has been fired, and the people of Shady Sands have taken their first step towards their inevitable fate.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 5: Pros and Khans
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Sage
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As)

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 4

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 9 Jun 2016 23:03:00 -0600

It was really only a matter of time before my players got back to their old mercenary ways; I suppose it's a bit too much of a stretch for them to play any kind of role even resembling a white knight. People in RPGs always seem to want payment for their actions, especially if they're the ones coming up with all the dialogue.

I did get some good opportunities to create some foreshadowing for my players this week, however, but telling you how would be spoiling the fun for my group, which occasionally reads this blog. Veteran Fallout players will recognize it, though!

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 4: Wrath of the Khans
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Joseph
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 3

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 2 Jun 2016 23:03:00 -0600

"Into the Wasteland" by Dem0ralizeD

Well folks, here we are with the third session, our players are fully immersed in the wonderful world of Fallout, and their quest to save Vault 13 just got a lot harder.

It seems like my players are picking up the Savage Worlds ruleset a lot faster than I expected, and they are simply trouncing everything I'm throwing at them, which is nice for the flow of the game, but I'm really thinking I'm going to need to come up with something to challenge them and add some tension, or they're going to eat each other alive.

Regardless, we're about to get into the meat of the story of Fallout 1, so I'm super excited for the next few weeks, and I hope you all are, too!

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 3: Shady Business
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 2

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 26 May 2016 23:01:00 -0600

And here we are, a couple weeks after our first session of Savage Fallout and we have Session 2: Brak Gets a Dog. No, but seriously, I'm having so much fun taking the framework of the first Fallout game and throwing players through it like a sieve.

First impressions on the second episode: combat is very easy, which I have no issues with currently, seeing as the players are just getting started out in the wasteland. Sure, having the Savage Worlds mechanic of Extra/Wild Card enemies makes it so some of the more nerve-wracking enemies in the traditional Fallout sense get a little nerfed so others can really shine, but I think once my players encounter a Deathclaw, they'll be shitting their pants realizing that 'holy fucking shit that thing can spend goddamn bennies.'

I think I'm actively not trying to kill my players in this game, and that doesn't bother me as much as I think it used to. Really, I'm kind of hoping to see how they do without the constant adversity I throw their way in games. Plus they're sitting on alien technology. And rolling like goddamn pros.

The wasteland doesn't have a fucking chance.

Take a listen and enjoy, folks!

Savage Fallout Episode 2: Out of the Wasteland, Into the Vault (15)
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell, Joseph
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords IV

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sun, 15 May 2016 16:48:00 -0600

I've been dropping the ball on uploading my games for a while now, hopefully I've figured out how to not do that anymore. But then again maybe I haven't. Who knows? In any case, here's an oldie back from February of the group getting together to ridiculous it up in some Scrolls and Swords.

Enjoy!

Scrolls and Swords Ep 04: Stuck-U-Buses

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Savage Fallout Session 1

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 5 May 2016 23:39:00 -0600

Well folks, here I am, back again, with a brand new Actual Play series (I know, I know, I'll get to posting the remainder of my IKRPG games...sometime. When I have time. Which will be...sometime.)

Anyway. New shiny! Some backstory: after basically ignoring Fallout 4 for, um (December, January, February, March...) four months- heh, so many fours- I started playing again, got sucked in, then realized exactly how much I really dislike the entirety of that game. Like, so much. So, I started listening to some Fallout Let's Plays on YouTube, and I discovered that there are like TWO Fallout LPs! Maybe more, but I saw 2 after googling for like five minutes! Imagine my shock!

So I started my own Fallout LP, and decided that if I was gonna play through Fallout 1, I'd make my Thursday game play through Fallout 1 right along with me.

Well, after pulling up the latest update to Savage Fallout, I modded a few options on the character sheet and in the various handbooks, and suddenly had a general direction to move in for a five-player team of Vault Dwellers! Also, I had a pre-written campaign that:
a) I know like the back of my hand
b) One of my players knows just as well but also knows not to mess with the meta
c) A group of players who know how to have fun in the gritty wastes of California!

Also, after playing for a bit, I started wondering exactly how much FO 1 and 2 managed to...mess with geography. Like, Vault 13 is apparently almost directly east of San Francisco, but Bakersfield is like a short walk from Vault 15? I dunno, I'll have to look at my official map (which I'll likely need to use for this campaign...maybe. Or I'll keep using the Savage Fallout hex map. Seems more fun that way.

In any case, I'm having so much fun with this game already, it feels completely different than any other pre-gen campaign I've ever run, so hopefully I can keep up the steam. I'll also be posting my first LP pretty soon, so look forward to me linking that, too.

Enjoy!

Savage Fallout Episode 1: Out of the Vault, into the Wasteland
Vault Dwellers: Aidan, Scott, Clint, Russell
Overseer: David Schimpff

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Game Notes:

Around 1:57, I mistakenly tell Savage Hank not to add his damage dice together; this is in error. However, his modified damage roll of a 10 would still not have been enough to pierce the Radscorpion's Toughness.

Personal Notes:

Okay, I lied. There are like a million Fallout 1 LPs on Youtube. I'm just really lazy, apparently. Too lazy to keep looking, but the opposite of lazy when it comes to actually starting up a Let's Play? I don't fucking know....STOP LOOKING AT ME!

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 7

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 14:38:00 -0600

Here it is, our first entirely combat episode. It's also the last episode of the season so, you know, make an educated guess.

Episode 7: Cephalyx Blues (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 6

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Tue, 1 Mar 2016 14:37:00 -0700

The party momentarily forgets their woes as they pillage anything perceived to be of worth in the Orgoth maze. But are they the only ones raiding this tomb?

Episode 6: Blinded by Greed (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 5

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 14:35:00 -0700

Lost in an Orgoth labyrinth, the Immoren Liberation Front must avoid heinous traps (and their mutual distrust) in order to survive and see the sun again.

Episode 5: Lost in the Dark (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 4

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 1 Feb 2016 14:31:00 -0700

The group descends into the blast site to discover its perpetrator and bring him to justice. But will their path be as straight forward as they hope?

Episode 4: Into the Sewers (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 3

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sat, 30 Jan 2016 14:27:00 -0700

With their marching orders set, the Immoren Liberation Front decides to take care of the High Captain's problem the only way they know how: but will their heavy-handed tactics defuse the powder keg politics of Chaser Island?

Episode 3: No Hope for the Future (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 2

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 14:24:00 -0700

Arriving in Five Fingers, the ILF honors their strange invitation and encounters a figure from their recent past, who appears to be strangely...altered.

Episode 2: My Dear Komrades (download)

Actual Play: IKRPG Season II Session 1

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 1 Jan 2016 14:22:00 -0700

Welcome back to IKRPG! Season two kicks off with the Immoren Liberation Front receiving a mysterious and threatening missive.

Episode 1: Every Story Begins With a Journey (download)

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords III

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 22:03:00 -0600

This Week's Intrepid Party

My god, it's been almost five months since the last Scrolls and Swords episode. This time, I rolled the dice awesomely again and generated yet another exciting adventure to tie into our returning characters, while offering new players the opportunity to shine a bit in the system.

Once again I'm pretty astounded at the ability of everyone at the gaming table to pretty much pick up the bare bones of a game and create something really engaging and entertaining from a 4d6 roll on a static table, and we really had some standout roleplaying from our vets. Excitingly enough, we also had a bit of a newbie at the table with us, our friend Clint deemed to join in the fun and really rock out some exciting decisions during the game's climax.

I'm definitely a little rusty at running games, and now that I've got a bunch more free time I'm super excited to finally be getting back to running IKRPG next week, so expect more constant updates with Actual Plays on the blog real soon!

...and another hex is filled in!

Scrolls and Swords III: Almost Ready for a Reboot

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 13

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 22:06:00 -0600

Well here it is, finally. The end of an era, or at least a campaign arc of thirteen (really 14) episodes that managed to last for what, like 20+ weeks?

I entered into these finale sessions, completely abandoning a final twist that would have probably broken what was left of my players' spirits, instead deciding that after beating them down so continuously for session after session, it was time to give them something badass to do. It was time to roll out an iconic set-piece, and it was past time for the players to take a little vengeance on everyone who thought they were better than the Immoren Liberation Front.

I will say that I definitely enjoyed these last two sessions, enough that I am super pumped to get back into the setting (after finally reading through Unleashed, of course) and coming up with plot lines related to things that each of the players revealed to me throughout our story arc. I will say that I am exceptionally pleased that Privateer Press is about to release a bunch of new minis, as a fair few of them are Hordes specific, even Minions specific (so Gobbers and such. Sweet.)

I think, in terms of plotting out what will be happening in what I've been secretly dubbing Season 3 of IKRPG (Yeah, I know, this was Season 2 because Season 1 was the one that Susan was running. And now I need to look for that.) Anyway. Words. Plotting. I'm thinking of making season 3 a super open-world aspect for my players. They've set up these great relationships and conflicts, so I'm going to give them a state of the world every few sessions, but basically just let them run buck-wild through everything they want. There will obviously be places they just plain don't want to go, and that's fine, but meh, I suppose that's life. There's plenty more trouble for them to get into.

Final thoughts before I consider recording a GM aftermath for Unabashed Gaming...I think four players is pretty ideal. Though I kind of wish I could bring someone new into the game every arc. That would be cool.

Eh, whatev's.

Session 13: The Siege of Fellig

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 12

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 9 Jul 2015 07:52:00 -0600

The penultimate episode of Season 1, and the players are in for a rollercoaster ride of red hot chile proportions....or something.

Session 12: The 180 Turnabout

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 11

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 28 May 2015 18:25:00 -0600

Well, here we are a few weeks later. I suppose it's only to be expected, these two sessions are kind of examples of a GM taking an idea too far and running with it. In two weeks we've basically passed two days of sessions, because I was too focused on creating consequences for characters instead of moving plot. This could partially be because we haven't been at a full table for more than a month now, but one should place the blame where it belongs, on the vengeful GM.

It's not a bad stance to take, really, but in these two games I violated my stance of 'moderation in everything.'

Hopefully they're still interesting to listen to.

Episode 11: More and More Trouble

Actual Play: IKRPG Session 10

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Wed, 27 May 2015 08:00:00 -0600

Originally posted as a two-parter, episode 10 is the beginning of where I really let myself fall into the trap of just creating consequences for characters, instead of introducing consequences during the normal phase of just going through the plot.

But I suppose that's a pitfall of off-the-cuff GMing, stuff tends to be a bit slipshod.

Episode 10: Trouble

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords II

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Wed, 13 May 2015 17:14:00 -0600

Well, we certainly had a fantastic time this week with our Scrolls and Swords game. Luckily my dice rolls ended up generating a pretty solid follow-up story to the cliffhanger we found ourselves on at the end of Session One, and everyone at the table seemed to really enjoy the openness of the system, with the ability to do anything with justification and proper dice rolls.

I'm really looking forward to whenever we can run the next session, as I've got some pretty badass character sheets mocked up for the system, which I'd actually like to tweak some using hand-drawing rather than quick and cheap photoshops.

There are still a few random tables I think I'll create as well; it seems that the openness of character creation is a bit intimidating to players who just want to random-roll their character generation.

While considering that, I was also pondering about character improvement through sessions, and realized that I don't really like the idea of 'experience points' for Scrolls and Swords, partly because it's so basic a system that I can't really fathom the process of making it more complicated with leveling mechanics, partially because I'm somewhat intrigued by "experience" actually meaning that; players find themselves with more familiarity with the setting and characters of the world.

Speaking of the world...Updated Map!

There's also the thematic purpose of not really having character advancement; in most Saturday Morning-esque cartoon series, characters don't undergo dramatic increases of power between episodes, they always seem to have what they need to overcome the adversity in each plot.

If anything, I'll simply allow players to change their number between sessions, and possibly give them another 'item from their adventures' if they happen to pick up something interesting in any particular game.

Scrolls and Swords II: Eclectic Boogaloo

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Session 9

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 08:17:00 -0600

Well, there was quite a bit more action (not fighting, just plot movement) this session than last, but I remain firmly seated on the fence regarding the shorter runtime for the game. It has its pros and cons, but it does seem like there are fewer things the group is actually able to accomplish per session; that lends itself to being both pro and con all on its own.

What I did heartily enjoy about this session was the result of a certain mindset I find myself actually needing to force myself to present at the table; one in which I actually say yes to players occasionally.

Of course, there are circumstances where players will indeed act recklessly, and in those situations you need to punish the players most harshly for their trespasses: there is a good example of this in the tail end of our game, in fact. There was no hit point damage, or potential for death, but when the use of sound and setting gives players a hint of their own mortality, and you gift them a moment of 'oh shit,' such are the joys of being a GM.

I did have a combat encounter planned for this session, however the extra week of prep time will allow me to further elaborate upon a concept that came to me late before last night's session, and thus I would have been unable to fully capitalize upon it. Now, though, it is on. It is so on.

IKRPG Session 9: A Deal is a Deal

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 8

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:26:00 -0600

Well, session 8 is a thing that happened, and beyond the plot progression, which was minor, I have a few talking points. Let's just say that events occurred this game, events that were scripted in a less than stellar fashion, and the end result was a slapdash mishmash of roleplaying, roadblocks, and gaming woes.

The first new development here is the introduction of a new player character, who wanted to give the IKRPG a test run. It's always a difficulty introducing someone fresh into a game that's been running for awhile; it's much like a person unfamiliar with a television show just jumping into the newest season with not even a basic knowledge of who/what/when/where/how/why. They're just sort of left wondering what's going on with little to do. Aside from that, there's also the difficulty with introducing a tenuous player, because if they decide not to return to the gaming table (as this one did), you need to find a way to A) get them into the party with as little hassle as possible and B) keep their inclusion as minor as possible, so that if they decide not to return there isn't a massive amount of plot threads just left dangling. It's a fine line, and difficult to walk, and kind of just feels undercooked when it's done wrong, which is pretty much the only way to do it.

Aside from the new player, we also had an experiment with allowing a player to generate plot points due to their weekly interlude. I won't discuss the minutia of this player-input, or my personal reactions to it; all I'm really willing to say is that if you're planning on telling a player they can create some sort of event that will happen in the next gaming session, make sure you know that player and you know how to turn that event into something actually meaningful. I'm of two minds towards how I reacted to this development, despite using it to perform a call-back to another player's interaction with the setting in an earlier game, and I still have a bit to think about regarding exactly how I'm going to move forward from here with it.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about breadcrumbs and plot trails. Usually, I find myself throwing very few clues towards where I want my plots to go, because my players tend to cleverly bungle their ways into my main plot lines in ways that create more and more; however, in this situation I tried to be more sly about my plot crumbs and ended up dead-ending the players' investigations. They have a conspiracy, but no actual way in which to pursue it, and we left our session with them starting across a table at a plot-forwarding NPC with no way of actually getting him to move the plot forward.

This is what comes from games with slipshod preparation. Sigh.

IKRPG Session 8: Old Friends

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 7

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 6 Apr 2015 12:17:00 -0600

Another week, another IKRPG session. Here we find our party journeying back to Corvis after the successful completion of their eminently great works, and starting to discover just how much trouble they are in.

This session I fell victim to a trap that I tend to find myself actively trying to prevent, which is combat for combat's sake. It's a regretful hold-over from when I used to run D&D 4th edition, and I've been trying to stamp it out for years of GMing, now.

At least it gave me opportunity to break out the minis from Iron Kingdoms Unleashed; it'll be difficult for me to run something in that system for quite some time, due to the over-saturation of the Iron Kingdoms RPG that I currently find myself in.

Next session I'll be experimenting with a shorter-form, basically attempting to get a full session of gaming done in 2.5 hours instead of the usual 3-3.5.

Eh, it's something to find out.

IKRPG Session 7: To Fellig!

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 6

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 12:00:00 -0600

"Gatormen!" by Cribs

Oh boy, yet another successful session of IKRPG. Last night the party pulled out some serious retribution (no relation to Scyrah) on their Khadoran jailers, and there were explosions and deaths and lots and lots of gatormen.

Despite prepping a goodly amount of content for this game, I found the most common situation a GM can end up seeing, which is one where your players cling to one thing you design and ignore just about everything else. I suppose everything worked out well in the end, and of course we ended up discovering yet another piledriver that, as a group, we've been exploiting quite maliciously for just about our entire IKRPG careers.

I've got some great plans for what comes next, and am really looking forward to taking a bit more time to prep actually dangerous (as in life-threatening) situations for the players, now that I know a bit more about their strengths and weaknesses.

Most specifically, until our Rhulic warcaster learns Khadoran, he will be unable to bond with a Khadoran warjack. Fun times.

IKRPG Session 6: The Fall of Northguard

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 5

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 12:00:00 -0600

"Swamp (MPS Lands)" by AdamPaquette

And, of course, this one comes just a single week late, but I'm happy to announce that we are almost caught up with where the players are at. This session was spent pretty much entirely in the Bloodsmeath Marsh and the Blindwater Lake, as the party finally completes the research aspect of their mission from Padri Duranti, to witness the Gatormen ceremony on the night of the equinox.

Unfortunately, they run their mouths a little bit with regards to their plans towards a certain Khador outpost to the north, and in order to enlist the assistance of the primitives of the Blindwater Congregation, they get a bit...dirty I think is the best way to put it.

I feel like I should add some kind of disclaimer to this week's episode. There are depictions of gore. Nothing on the level of a torture porn film, but definitely talk about...anatomy. If you're extremely squeamish, I hope you'll be alright listening. If you're not squeamish, enjoy!

IKRPG Session 5: Dangerous Friends

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 4

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:04:00 -0600

Welcome back to my IKRPG Actual Plays. It's been a few weeks since my last upload (apologies), so here to make it up to you is Episode 4, where the players leave the relative safety of Cygnaran civilization to rough it out in the Khadoran boonies.

We had a lot of good player-side plotting at the table this session, and I'm super proud of everyone for getting into the swing of things and really starting to create their own mini-objectives alongside the primary plot hooks. I can honestly say here that at least an hour of game-time this session was completely devoted to an at-table decision by the players, and I have to say it is always a joy to see it when your guys (or gals) at the table really take the initiative.

That said, my players are really down on Khador, like, they really hate them a whole bunch. I'm still trying to think of a way to make them feel terrible for that. We'll see how much pathos I can inject into the next session. But, until then, enjoy Episode 4!

Players:
Scott - Gork
Aidan - 'Doge'
Russell - Tiberio
Joseph - Rhulo

Session 4: Giggity Giggity

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 3

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 12:00:00 -0700

Well, I seem to have gotten this week's game out on time. Huzzah for me! Another solid session tonight, though I did weaken and break one of the cardinal rules I'd laid out for myself in the IKRPG, and that's to have more than one session pass between major combats. This game, we started with some good roleplaying, followed by a pretty long and drawn-out combat, but at least the players were enjoying themselves.

I do have to say, though, that when I receive compliments about what happens during a session or campaign, it is rarely a grateful expression towards a combat experience, so that's another incentive to either figure out a way to shorten the fight scenes or find a way to make them as engaging as the entwining plotlines that the players are creating with me.

In any case, the party has left Merin behind and is moving forward to a plot point that intrigues everyone, which is the great Gatorman ceremony. They really seem to want to 'do well' in it, which is good, because I haven't exactly plotted out how I want it to go, and their roleplaying and intentions have been building it up significantly, so when we reconvene in two weeks (I know, I'm sporadic, but I'm gonna be in Southern California next week, and gods know I have good reasons to be there and good people to see.

In any case, look forward to the next session; with any luck, I'll be able to make it entirely role-playing and non-combat, but with serious tension and player satisfaction.

Cheers.

IKRPG Session 3: Luxury Cruise

p.s. I'm also debating uploading an mp3 of my players chatting about the various conspiracies that are combining and conflicting in the background. They've woven a story that is both intriguing and believable, and hell yes I'm going to steal some of the plot threads they've created out of their own perceptions. I'm just not going to tell them which guesses they have were right all along, and which ones were better than the ideas I had myself.

I will never tell them that last one.

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 2

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 18:31:00 -0700

Back again, and once again a week(ish) late posting last episode of IKRPG: Ord. What we're experiencing, mostly, in this session is a combat in the Khadoran Embassy, followed by that time-honored gaming tradition of new parties where they look at anything not riveted or welded to the ground, trying to pick it up, and carting it off.

It seems like the group had a decent enough time with the session, despite most of it being combat; as GM, I'm definitely in favor of keeping these combat-intensive sessions few and far between; even if spacing them out doesn't give the players a constant learning experience when it comes to the battle mechanics (not Battle Mechaniks, totally different thing, there.) of IKRPG.

What I'm mostly enjoying about this last session is that, despite handing my party a serious advantage in any future combat they may figure into, it's also technically handing them a serious liability. I'm finding in my now-thirties, that I'm able to look beyond the superficial acquisition of 'desirables' and really focusing on the cost behind such choices. My players are absolutely obsessed with shinies (shinys? shiny's? ...iunno), and they seem to either not notice or not care that they are digging themselves into holes that they may not be fully capable of getting out of.

Of course, the point in putting your players into holes is to emphasize the direness of their choices to them, and of the consequences of their actions, and so the best thing a GM can do at any time of their day when they aren't consumed with work or sleep or loved ones is to imagine how they can create situations that will make their game groups lives both terrible and exciting.

I should probably figure out a blog post to do on that one.

Sometime.

IKRPG Session 2: The Red Scare

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Episode 1

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 15:07:00 -0700

Well, finally catching up here. Last night (a Thursday), I once again brought my good friends and players into the Iron Kingdoms, this time to play a full-party game in the city of Merin, in Ord.

Scott returned as Gork, newly modified as an Intellectual Gobber Investigator/Pistoleer, but still retaining his penchant for stealing other people's drinks from their tables in crowded taverns.

Aidan returned, but due to events from her prelude Stershan was forced to change his name to Belisar . He remains Trollkin Gunmage/Soldier, and still manages to kick all kinds of ass. Good times.

Returning his appearance in the Fools Rush In system test is Russell, playing Rhulio the Dwarf Warcaster/Field Mechanic from...Rhul. He's as good at naming characters as Abed, apparently. Thus far, Rhulio is an abrasive tee-totaler.

Lastly, new to the IKRPG table is Joseph, playing Tiberio Antelero, Ordic Arcanist/Explorer, a respected author of exotic travelogues, penny dreadfuls, and bodice rippers.

They meet with Tiberio's patron, Padri Duranti, in the Broken Drum for a job offer, but soon are embroiled in a confounding series of violent eruptions by Merin's Khadoran population. Soon the party discovers that they are in a race against time to resolve a plot for bloody vengeance, pitted against an elderly and disfigured one-armed man whose deadly grudge against the Northern Empire may be all-too justified.

IKRPG Session 1: The Evils of Drink

Actual Play: IKRPG Campaign Prelude (Stershan and Gork)

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 30 Jan 2015 14:51:00 -0700

Well, a few weeks late with this one, the Actual Play was recorded two Thursdays ago, but I suppose I need to post this one before I post the second one.

Ever since my good friend and GM Susan over at EpicMiniPainting ran a nice, lengthy IKRPG campaign, I've wanted to run my own, bringing more and more people into the world of Caen and, specifically, into the region of Western Immoren.

This session I had some players cancel, but two were able to make it in, and so I had the distinct pleasure of running a prelude for my buddies Scott and Aidan, who were more than thrilled to come back after I'd previously run Fools Rush In, which also featured them in the pre-gen party.

All the action in this session takes place in the 'officially' Cygnaran city of Fellig that has been long-since cut off from the Cygnar mainland by Khador's southward expansion.

Scott is playing Gork, a Gobber black marketeer and drink-stealer from Merin, while Aidan is playing Stershan, a Trollkin gunmage deserter from the Cygnaran Army who is also the only survivor of his platoon of Arcane Tempest Gunmages.

They become involved with an Ordic military officer who is troubled by his mistress' seeming recent coolness, and hires the gobber and trollkin to follow her and see if she has been 'stepping out' with any other men.

Is everything as it seems? Find out in today's episode of Crit This! Presents...

IKRPG Session 0: For the Love of a Good Woman

Mechanical Errors:

2:18:00ish Gunmages do indeed cast their Rune Shot spells immediately before firing their weapons: they do not need to keep a list of imbued Rune Shots. They do, however, still need to make their bullets beforehand.

2:28:00ish Combat actions in IKRPG are Move, Attack, Quick action. There is no specific order in which you can take them; this is in contrast to the wargame, where one moves then attacks.

2:48:20ish Stat rolls cannot be boosted, only trained skills can be boosted with Feat Points.

Actual Play: Scrolls and Swords

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Tue, 6 Jan 2015 08:07:00 -0700

Scrolls and Swords RPG (larger)

Well, after getting linked by my good bro Larkins at the Esoteric Order of Roleplayers, how could I resist actually posting the thing that he, himself, posted?

Indeed, this game, called Scrolls and Swords, was the result of a last-minute decision to play a RPG the day after my birthday, when I had no prior campaign or core game, or one-shot scenario planned. Thus, I found Scrolls and Swords during a rousing game of Scrabble with the family (that I seriously underrepresented at, due to my serious reading of the above rulesheet, and trying to come up with interesting and hilarious takes on classic D&D monsters.)

I actually had a really great time prepping for this game, which involved ten minutes of learning the rules (so easy), and another hour and a half drawing up a hex map, of which the players experienced three locations, but I was happy to hear that Jade was particularly tickled by the concept of the Smorgasfjords, so we will likely be returning to my Scrolls and Swords world soon!

There is much more to fill in on the map, and I have some great character sheets to upload during later sessions, along with potentially more hexes filled in on the above map!

Players: Jade, Russell, Scott

GM: David Schimpff

Enjoy!

You can download the episode here (right click, Save As).

Actual Play: Catthulhu Dark

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 12:30:00 -0700

Well, this is kind of a subversion. A few Actual Plays ago I posted a game where Scott and I derailed The Fall Without End, run by my good friend @mousekins (Susan). Now I'm posting the results of my very own first-ever GMing rage-quit, where I got fed up with players acting like setting-breaking jerks and stopped talking. The game I quit was a Cthulhu Dark, and players kept trying to push each other into the cold atlantic waters of go-fuck-yourself, Ireland.

Then I collected myself, took a deep breath, and ran a Catthulhu Dark completely off the cuff.

I don't remember things ending prematurely in that one, so there's that for a win I suppose.

There's probably a lesson here for me. That I should be more flexible towards my players' idiosyncrasies or something. Fuck that. If my players are going to break the flow of the game by trying to beat each other up, they can play Super Mario 3D World.

Instead, the lesson you should all take from this Actual Play is that if your players are acting like children with ADHD, stop the game you're running, and run Cattthulhu Dark, and fucking bombard them with shiny shit to run after.

*drops mic*

Actual Play: IKRPG Fools Rush In (Quick-Start Scenario)

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Wed, 24 Dec 2014 17:08:00 -0700

Golly Gee Willikers folks it's been a Holy Guacamole Batman long time since I've posted anything to this fucking this. It's also Christmas Eve, and knowing that, I suppose it means I should be a little less selfish and actually blog or something, instead of going to Albertsons and picking up a handle of Bailey's Irish Cream and getting really lactose-intolerant drunk.

Also, I'm lactose intolerant. I'll never drink Bailey's Irish Cream again. Holy shit, this has been a weird year.

IN ANY CASE.

Hey everyone, how's it going? I swear to god I've actually been gaming these past two months; I've even been recording shit, but I've fallen under the sway of a Wii U...and Hyrule Warriors. And Smash Bros.

Dear god I keep getting sidetracked. What was I here to talk about? Oh yeah, Actual Play. Iron Kingdoms RPG. New Thursday group. Etc, etc.

Well, long story short, we were introducing some new players to the system/setting of IKRPG, and like a jolly green dumbass I decided to run Fools Rush In instead of making my own intro game like a person who doesn't have brain damage or chronic laziness would do. Either that or I just wanted to run a game that featured all the characters from Murder in Corvis.

Did I mention that I've been reading IKRPG supplemental novellas pretty much non-stop since Thanksgiving? It's probably kind of a big deal. Probably. Anyway- those are another blog post's problem.

So, Fools Rush In...it's not a terrible module. As I mentioned in my podcast this week, introductory scenarios are tasked with the problem of introducing potential novice players to new settings, new mechanics, and new methods of storytelling, so it's understandable if the balance is a little bit off. Unfortunately for Fools Rush In, it's super way off in favor of combat, to the detriment of off-the-cuff roleplaying whatsoever. We're talking railroading. We're talking static plot. And honestly, that's perfectly fine for an intro game. I guess I'm just picky when it comes to new stuff. The players in question seemed to have a blast, even if that last combat turned into what was probably an hour-long slog. So much grind...

Either way, I'm hoping that that last drag-out fight didn't sour the players on the setting, because my other group had a lot of fun roleplaying in Western Immoren, especially with a great GM like @mousekins at the helm.

I think I've rambled on long enough, so here's the game:

Iron Kingdoms RPG - Fools Rush In

GM - David Schimpff

Players - Scott, Aidan, Shane, Russell.

Enjoy!

Actual Play: Savage Fallout (SAD) Session 5

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sat, 27 Sep 2014 19:51:00 -0600

At last, we bring the grand finale to our system runthrough of Savage Fallout. A lot of emotions flew around (along with bullets), and our players got to experience some of the wackiness that the California Wasteland has to offer to its inhabitants.

Our Players: Randy, Susan, Scott, Cecilia

The Overseer: David Schimpff

Enjoy!

Actual Play: Savage Fallout (SAD) Session 4

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 26 Sep 2014 08:17:00 -0600

The fourth episode of my first foray into Savage Fallout, and players are just taking care of all kinds of business, aren't they? Hopefully their diverse motivations and personalities don't cause them to turn on each other...nyuk nyuk nyuk...

Our Players: Randy, Susan, Scott, Cecilia

The Overseer: David Schimpff

Actual Play: Savage Fallout (SAD) Session 3

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sun, 7 Sep 2014 12:00:00 -0600

This week, our friendly troupe of wastelanders arrived at the Sierra Army Depot, and immediately spent about an hour discussing how to short-out the perimeter turrets. Many hijinks followed and a goodly bit of pain was suffered, but the group made it into the facility intact, and proceeded with their looting.

I'm usually saddened when I realize that people I know haven't played the earlier Fallouts, or worse: that they've not enjoyed them in comparison to their next-generation successors. For this game, I'm somewhat glad of that regretful situation, as I'm able to basically rip an entire plot line from Fallout 2 and present it as a viable mission.

There's also, of course, the refreshing attitude to take towards the source material, as Fallout 2 is a computer game, so a lot of the varied options available to tabletop roleplayers wasn't presented, and so it offers a great amount of improvisation to me, as the GM/Overseer, at the table. It's also super convenient to already have loot tables and plot devices set up for the game itself so I don't really have to worry about that kind of stuff.

In any case, I guess all I'm really saying is that I hope Fallout veterans can enjoy this Actual Play as much as I do overseeing it, and as much as my players do playing it. I look forward to playing more Savage Fallout next week, which will be an extra long episode, possibly broken up into two approximately three hour sections.

Our Players: Randy, Susan, Scott, Cecilia

The Overseer: David Schimpff

Again, Savage Fallout rules are hosted at www.savagefallout.blogspot.com

Actual Play: Savage Fallout (SAD) Session 2

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 1 Sep 2014 08:14:00 -0600

Welcome to the second session of my first playthrough of Savage Fallout! Here players are well on their way to the Sierra Armory Depot, and who knows what awaits them?

Our Players: Randy, Susan, Scott, Cecilia

The Overseer: David Schimpff

Episode 2:

Actual Play: Savage Fallout (SAD) Session 1

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Sun, 31 Aug 2014 21:51:00 -0600

Hey guys, it's been quite a while since I've last updated. This time, I'm posting just before my podcast, Unabashed Gaming, airs, so I can link from there to here! How quaint!

Regardless, you probably want to know why I'm posting, unless you somehow guessed from the title that I've recently run some Savage Fallout for a few friends, and now have two episodes to upload! Note that on the audio I've made reference to the fact that Savage Worlds is a new system for me to be running, so there will be some core rules mistakes and omissions, mostly in the vein of speeding up play, but also partially to plain ignorance.

The plot focuses on a stolen storyline from Fallout 2 regarding a certain Army Depot northwest of New Reno. What you may enjoy is that in two episodes we still have yet to arrive at the Depot, so there's plenty of new content for people familiar with that quest line!

Enjoy!

Our Players: Randy, Susan, Scott, Cecilia

The Overseer: David Schimpff

For the Savage Fallout ruleset, visit savagefallout.blogspot.com!

Actual Play: Pathfinder’s Mummy’s Mask Episode 02

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Fri, 16 May 2014 10:00:00 -0600

This week we continue with the Mummy’s Mask Adventure Path! This session players progressed through a few rooms of the Tomb of Akhentepi, and encountered some truly horrible creatures. Good times.

Players:
Jesse - Solaire, Human Paladin
Jade – Rukka, Tengu Oracle
Russel – “Farmer” Farmair, Dhampir Inquisitor
Buck – Beduir el Siwat, Human Rogue
Susan – Ipera Blue-Eyes, Half-Elf Bard

Sir Not Appearing this Week:
Shane – “Ginger-Forge” Smakkerson, Dwarf Ranger

GM:
David Schimpff

Enjoy.

20/20 Hindsight Note: The party TPKs in this episode and I stopped running d20 systems for two years after this. Just FYI.

Actual Play: Pathfinder’s Mummy’s Mask Episode 01

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Mon, 12 May 2014 12:00:00 -0600

This past Thursday I began what will hopefully become a weekly Pathfinder game, running friends through the Adventure Path Mummy’s Mask. In this session, players convened in Wati, the half-dead city, and entered the lottery to see which part of the necropolis they would have the pleasure to loot, for fun and profit.

Players:
Shane – “Ginger-Forge” Smakkerson, Dwarf Ranger
Jade – Rukka, Tengu Oracle
Russel – “Farmer” Farmair, Dhampir Inquisitor
Buck – Beduir el Siwat, Human Rogue
Susan – Ipera Blue-Eyes, Half-Elf Bard

GM:
David Schimpff

Enjoy.

20/20 Hindsight Note: The party TPKs in the second episode and I stopped running d20 systems for two years after this. Just FYI.

Actual Play: Achtung! Cthulhu

atomicbananapress@gmail.com (Crit This!) — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 12:00:00 -0600

This past Saturday I had the great pleasure to run a one-shot of Achtung! Cthulhu, in celebration of a good friend visiting. The game was original and, in honor of it being Call of Cthulhu and all, ended with a suitably high mortality rate.

Enjoy.