World of Darkness: Overview

I do want to get into the nitty gritty of various games and how to run and play them, but I want to have at least two easy examples that I can use, and the White Wolf "Word of Darkness" setting is another big name and probably the system I am most familiar with. So what is World of Darkness?

White Wolf is a game publisher with a variety of products, most notably their World of Darkness line of games, which mostly consist of modern day horror. Meaning that whatever story you're happening is happening now, or close to now, and the setting intends to be used to tell dark, gothic horror stories. Now that's certainly not all that it's used for, but the source material is made with creepy and unsettling stories in mind. There are two "generations" of World of Darkness (WoD) books, called Old/Classic and New (oWoD/cWoD and nWoD respectively). Old world of Darkness had self contained books (you only needed one book to play, such as Vampire the Masquerade if you wanted to play a vampire game) each with a deepset mythology about that particular monster, such as vampire, werewolf, or magus, and how they came about, major players in the world, etc. New World of Darkness was a decision to reboot a lot of those lines and make them more compatible, so you could have a werewolf in a Vampire game that still fit, mechanically, with the other players. Both had some major pros and cons, and many people have their preferences, pretty interesting debates that you can find on plenty of gaming forums.

oWoD games are great, I played in and Orpheus game for over a year and it was fantastic. Many people I know have played old Vampire and loved it. However, I've really got the most know how on nWoD stuff, and even if I were to talk about oWoD, it's probably better to do that on a case by case basis as I pick various new titles up. Just keep in mind that many of the books I'm about to talk about have similarly named predecessors that are always worth checking out if you can find them. (Currently White Wolf is rereleasing some of their more popular oWoD games, so that hopefully own't be as hard as it once was)

How does nWoD work then, of oWoD was so book by book contained? Well, nWoD has one core book that you need to play the game, that gives you all the rules on fighting, skill checks, and what you need to run a game. All with mortal, fully human characters. Each major expansion expanded the universe to include some new type of supernatural "monster," (Not all might fit the typical monster definition, but it works here) including all of the rules needed for the characters to play that monster and the GM to run a story with those characters. Then there would be smaller expansion books that either expanded the mortal universe or one of the individual monster books. You've got a group of Vampire bad guys written into the Vampire core book? There's a slim little volume all about them. I'm going to talk about the core and the main monster books here, the thinner volumes are too many to count and are really only as important as you want them to be.

As a note on the systems before we start, both old and new WoD use a "d10" system of play, meaning that  one uses a variable number of ten sided dice in order to obtain an outcome. They also don't have any leveling in the traditional sense. Every skill and ability of your character has has a score, which can be bought up with "experience points" earned in play.

So what do we have?

The Core book. Sometimes referred to as "nWoD core."  This is the book you need to play or run any game. It gives an introduction to the world, tells you how to set up a character sheet, and gives advice on how to run a game in this setting. It sets up all the rules that will be modified or swapped around when the expansions come along.

Vampire the Masquerade (VtM). Vampire is one of the best beginner games if you or your players don't want to start as mortal. There isn't a whole lot of change to how the rules work, and the way Vampire superpowers work is pretty easy to pick up. Bullets don't hurt vampires very much, so it's good for a combat heavy game that you don't want to the characters to die too quickly in. It's also good for political campaigns, as Vampires do have a local hierarchy explained in the book. Gloomy, gothic, and traditional, most people don't need much of a briefing to understand how vampires work.

Werewolf the Forsaken (WtF). Werewolvs in this game are shapeshifting wolves harmed by silver that fight evil spirits. Everything is very tribal and primal, at contrast with the urban setting. Everything is about teamwork in this game, you have to think as a pack, but when you do, you're unstoppable. Werewolves are even harder to kill than vampires (arguably), and can come out in the light of day, which changes the sort of stories that can be told. With the various forms werewolves can take, this game is slightly more complex, but not a terrible starter game either.

Mage the Awakening (MtA). Play as a mage, a human with the power to rewrite the world with magic. Technically a mage can die just as easily as a human, however they have disgusting amounts of power to throw around when they need it. If you choose to follow the usual rules, magic is hard to perform in front of a lot of "Sleepers" (base humans), and can cause a lot of hurt if a spell goes wrong. The balance of power and wisdom is central. This game can be incredibly fun, however, it's a hard book to read and spells can be pretty complex to a beginner. This is not a first game to run or play.

Promethean the Created (PtC). In this one you play essentially as a Frankenstein's monster. You are an unnatural being stitched together from old bits and pieces  You are not human, though in a way you can pass as one. However, people will hate you on sight, and even the land rejects you if you stick around long enough. This is an incredibly sad game. It can be hard to run, but isn't incredibly hard to learn. Gamemasters take caution. This can be a game rich with emotional turmoil, but it's hard to get a reason for a group to remain together (as even fellow Prometheans despise one another)

Changeling the Lost (CtL). This game has one of the harder mythologies to learn, but is personally my favorite game. You play as humans that were kidnapped by a Keeper, a faerie of old, alien, not evil and not good, but often cruel. The humans soaked up faerie and were changed by it, mutated, taking on aspects of whatever job they had. A messenger becomes like wind, a butcher gains a taste for human flesh, a hunting hound keeps some of those traits. The game begins after the players have escaped and tried to restart their lives. Politics can come greatly into play, as well as missions of war and exploration.

Hunter the Vigil (HtV). You hunt the monsters, the bloodsuckers and mad dogs, the wizards and the monstrous fae. Different sects of hunters have different methods and different goals. You have increased mortal power and can gain access to ancient and powerful weapons and artifacts.

Geist the Sin-Eaters (GtS). Sin-Eaters died once, but then they got better. When they reached the final door to death, they were met at it by a Geist, a spirit that was once a ghost, but has grown to become more of an archetype of a ghost (Things like the Vengeful Bride, the Hanged Thief, etc). The Geist offered the recently deceased another chance at life... if they brought a new passenger with them. Sin-Eaters have a Geist sharing their mind and body, giving them power over death and other such things. A very interesting game, but the book is dense and poorly organised, and each players' Geist is supposed to be run by the Gamemaster, which can be incredibly hard if you're new to it. However, the way everything is set up it has amazing potential for story and I'm fond of the concept and power structure.

Mummy the Curse (MtC). As of my writing, the Kickstarter that funded this book has only recently concluded, and this may not even be the final cover design. Though I have received a digital copy of the book, I'm waiting for my hard copy before reading it in full. You play as somebody that is ritually bound to their remains, and who is very hard to kill because of that. There is obviously a lot of ancient Egyptian imagery, but otherwise I will be updating this entry when I'm done reading the core book in full.



These are the Core nWoD books. Some are harder to find now, but most have pdf copies available online through DriveThruRPG. Many of the books above have "Old World" counterparts, some of which that are very different from the new ones, some of which are pretty similar. So there you go, World of Darkness games in a nutshell. Next week, Core Mechanics!

Dungeons and Dragons: Overview

Well here's the big one. Dungeons and Dragons. I can't know for sure, as times change and everybody has different experiences, but it seems like newbies to tabletop games hear about them in a D&D context. Books, movies, and tv shows all seem most likely to use D&D directly or use some sort of D&D analogue if their characters are playing a tabletop game (Castles and Cauldrons, Witches and Warlocks, blah de blah de blah). Which isn't a bad thing. Dungeons and Dragons was the first real, commercial tabletop game out there, it used and helped solidify a lot of the Tolkien-esque traits of the fantasy genre as a whole, as well as laying groundwork for games as a serious hobby and business. There's a reason that most gaming pop culture references are referring to D&D. It's the great grandparent of everything else we're seeing nowadays. And hey, it had to start somewhere, right?

So how do you play D&D? The core mechanic is pretty simple. In almost all significant actions, the player rolls a 20 sided die and adds a number to the result. This added number is based off of how good your character is at doing certain things. And that's the basic gist of it. But hey, there are entire books that tell you the rules, and I'll be focusing on the nitpicky aspects of those later. What else is there?

Well, like any video game or operating system, Dungeons and Dragons has had several versions since it started. I'm not going to go too in depth, but some of the complaints I've heard about people trying to play is that the various versions were confusing and a little intimidating, as they weren't sure where they should be looking. I'm going to skip some of the versions, given that D&D actually followed two different sorts of production lines for a while, and I'm skipping 2.5 for lack of noteworthyness/you won't run into it that often if you're new to these games. These are what you'll see being played or hear about once you start meeting people in the community.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (AD&D). After a few boxed sets and booklets, this was one of the first sets to have what are now considered the three classic D&D core books (The Player's Handbook, the Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual.) It also introduced the classic 9-part alignment system (I could do a whole post on that too). Overall this one isn't played much, but it's good to know your roots.

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition (AD&D2ndEd.) Slightly more people still play this one. This book had a major change to the basic combat rules, streamlining THAC0 (if you're not playing it, don't try to learn it, you'll just sometimes hear people talking about THAC0 when comparing different games). Usually referred to as "2nd Edition," as in "Oh, I'm used to second edition rules..."

 Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 and 3.5 (D&D 3rd Edition, D&D 3.5) These are combined since the core principles of these games are the same. THAC0 was abolished, specific classes and races were changed AGAIN, etc. Many people still play this, as a lot of people like D&D and don't like the change in rules brought about by 4th ed. I probably won't write too much on these in the future, as Pathfinder is all for free online and is essentially the same game with more polished rules. I still love 3.5, but as a beginner, Pathfiner is just easier to get.

4th Edition. There's a bit of controversy over this, most recent edition (though there is a 5th in beta testing right now). This changed the rules immensely, changing the game from a more storytelling game, where spells and special abilities could be used out of combat for practical purposes, to a much more of a combat centered strategy game that was easily affected by min-maxing. It is a pretty decent strategy game, but in my personal opinion it lost some of it's customizability and storytelling focus in the upgrade. That doesn't make it bad, and many people do enjoy the game; it's easier to teach new and/or younger players, which can be great. It's just a little blockier, and in giving every class the same sorts of powers, they made magic less magic and special non magic powers less unique in their own rights. However, it's easiest to get these books right now, if you want to play D&D, and like I said, it's easier to teach. Your mileage may vary.


So there's a rundown on the various versions of Dungeons and Dragons through the ages. They all have their quirks, and I honestly haven't played a game where the rules didn't get modified a little by the Gamemaster before or even during play.

So what is a tabletop rpg anyway?

Tabletop RPGs (Role-Playing Games) covers a vast amount of ground and have often been mistaken for a variety of things. Since it's a pretty integral part to what this blog is all about, I figure it's best to give my definition. Most of my examples will refer to Dungeons and Dragons, since that's a pretty well known game that's easy to look up, and frankly ends up being what people frequently start out trying to play. Let's start with what tabletops are not.

1. Board Games: This calls to mind endless Monopoly and Risk games that everybody dreaded playing on "family game night." While some TRPGs are similar to board games, with pieces and maps that are pretty much game boards, I think it's best to draw the line. A game of D&D for example, could look like this, or even (rarely) this, but usually a gaming mat (the grid in the first photo) and miniatures (the play tokens) aren't needed for play. Without the monopoly board, dice, and money, you lose an essential part of Monopoly. I've seen D&D played without dice, using random number generators on a computer. Without maps, since ranges and attacks can be guesstimated. It's a different feel with each play style, but you still have D&D. Some games, which I'll be talking about in later posts, don't even need dice, or don't need character sheets. TRPGs are mutable and able to fill many situations. They aren't board games. Not to say board games are bad, though some are. Good board games just fill a different need than good tabletops do. 

2. Video Games: This is one of the other big mistakes. When people already into gaming start talking about it around other people, it can seem like an incredibly immersive video game. Which would also be cool. And by all means, video and computer games are not bad. They are a fantastic, ever growing art form. As I said with board games though, they just feel a different need. There are no disks or downloads or WASD controls for TRPGs. It is entirely pen, paper, and dice. Some people choose to cheep their character information on a computer screen, but that's not needed and sometimes more cumbersome, though there are some great resources online, like all of the Pathfinder game system rules. But not a video game.

3. Dangerous, Violent, or Cult-Like: Tabletops got a bit of a negative stereotype back in the early 80s, not too far off from the negative stereotypes you see from video games today. The fact that many fantasy games involve characters "casting spells" (with no real background to them, just like your Skyrim character) made some people throw around accusations of witchcraft and devil worship. This is one of the most serious cases of mistaken identity for TRPGs, but thankfully one of the most rare, as the old accusations have mostly fallen out of mainstream media. Tabletop games cause violence or witchcraft no more than video games would (so none), possibly less, since tabletops promote teamwork, positive social interaction, and critical thinking skills. It's an excuse to hang out with friends for people that often feel awkward around people. 

Alright, that's enough talking about what these games aren't. How about what they ARE. 

While many of these rules can be changed and altered, especially given the innovation and spread of indie tabletop games, these are the main components of a tabletop. 

1. More than one person, usually one Gamemaster and at least one player. At heart, a tabletop game is getting together with friends and playing through a story. There are Gamemaster free games, and some where one person will share leadership with another, but you've got a group of people sitting together.

2. Story. This is the core meat of tabletops, and one of the rules that I'm pretty sure can't be broken. Without a story being told, even the most bare bone, linear adventure, you don't have a game. My essential explanation to those who want to know how these games work is this: It's like those old Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, where the Gamemaster plays the part of the book and the players take the part of the reader. As a player, you think up who you want to be in a setting given to you by the GM. (You're all inhabitants of New York City? Alright, you can be a down on her luck ballerina.) Then the GM puts these characters in some sort of conflict, and the players decide what they do. (The GM tells you Miss Tippy Toes hears an explosion a block away. What is she going to do then?) If you've got the right type of group for it, sometimes a GM doesn't even need to put in super strong breadcrumbs or story elements for you to follow. Sometimes the players are just expected to create their own conflict based on their characters. But story is key. A bunch of dudes sitting around not doing anything is boring. A bunch of dudes trying to take out the vampire Prince in Washington DC? That's something you want to play. 

3. Equipment: This is the most easily broken rule, but usually a game has a core book of rules that tell you how to play that specific game, along with a setting and how to structure your characters. Usually that character structure involves you writing permanent or pertinent info down on a "character sheet." Conflicts, like getting into verbal or physical fights, are usually resolved with a roll of some kind of die (with variability anywhere from 3 to 100), with bonuses to how well you do based on your character sheet. Some games involve maps and play pieces  but often these aren't needed or are easily improvised (I personally never use minis and have always represented myself as the top hat from Monopoly whenever a gridded map comes out). Some people love them though, and if it makes the game more fun, I urge you to try all the trappings! Also, snacks and a meal often happen at games, given their usual length.

So a Tabletop Roleplaying Game is when a group of friends gathers together with food, books, paper, and dice, and act through a story together.It's pretty similar to extended improvisational theater, and there's a huge variety of game settings to try out. You can even make your own, altering other game rules to make your Pokemon/Naruto fanverse a reality! 

I figure that's a decent enough definition for now. Come by next time, when I start introducing a few core games it's good to know about. :)

First Post

Tabletop Roleplaying games are a genre of social, interactive (non electronic) gaming that has been around for quite a while now, and is starting to gain more publicity. I'll talk about what exactly one is next post, but for now, tabletop games are fun. They are fun, and usually not incredibly difficult to learn... if you have help.

(Heads Up: I'll be using words like "Tabletops" or "Games" and "Gaming" in this and most posts. When I say this, unless I say otherwise, I'm referring to Tabletop Roleplaying Games such as Dungeons and Dragons, World of Darkness, or Pathfinder, not video games, computer games, or board games.)

Something I've been noticing that a lot of friends I game with now have similar complaints. They wanted/tried to run a game (usually the ever popular Dungeons and Dragons) in middle or high school, and didn't even know where to start. When I first started getting interested in the hobby, I borrowed a friend's brother's copy of the D&D 3.5 (Dungeons and Dragons version 3.5) rulebook and tried to learn the rules by reading it. And had absolutely no clue what at least half of it meant. The terminology was strange and the book dense, though I loved the art and bits of world building and flavor text I did run into. But I gave up the idea of running a game after that, and didn't try again until my freshman year of high school, where I found a semi nearby gaming store that hosted several games a week. With other people around me that knew what they were doing and could teach me were all that I needed. Even then it was at least two years before I felt comfortable running a game. 

Now, I know other people who didn't take as long. I've heard of people playing for a month or two before playing the game, or a year. Some people have never run a game before and are dedicated players. Some run games having never played one before in their lives. But from my (granted mostly anecdotal) evidence, it seems like there are a decent number of people who hear about Tabletop Gaming from books or TV or just pop culture in general, and have no place to start, so they give up. Gaming is what I do. It's my primary hobby, and I love it. So this blog aims to help out with that a little. I've been wanting to start writing more, and this is a topic I can talk about for ages anyways, so why not, right? I've got a decent number of topics in mind, from specific game introductions to the basics of running and playing a fun game, but if anybody ever has anything they'd like to see brought up or clarified, feel free to ask in the comments. :)

Thanks for coming, I hope you enjoy your stay.