No More Forever Gamemasters

As a gamemaster, do whatever you can to also play in a campaign. It gives you insights that you can never see as a gamemaster. You don't understand how easy it is to miss the seemingly obvious unless you understand the player's experience.

I love gamemastering, I would honestly only ever gamemaster and be happy with that, but I do all I can to be a player because my greatest insights on how to be a good gamemaster have all come from being a player in someone else's game.

What I Learned Playing a “One-Shot RPG” for a Year (The Mutants of Ixx)

 For a year, my home campaign has played an almost-weekly game, using u/skullfungus amazing two-page RPG The Mutants of Ixx, which is a hack of Into the Odd by Chris McDowall. Mutants of Ixx I believe is mostly thought of as a one-shot style game because of its low page count (2 pages) and minimalist style, but I’ve found that it has enough meat on the bones to easily fuel long-term campaigns.

Here is what I have learned

The post-apocalyptic world is harsh.

Food, water and ammunition are hard to get and even harder to hold onto. Having food and water tied to healing makes them a valuable resource. My players always know exactly how much food and water they have and are on the lookout for more. When my players think of looting the body, they are pulling out their skinning knives and thinking of that sweet, sweet, meat the body holds.

I have encouraged this hunger by making most bodies riddled with toxins and parasites and the streams are polluted or consisting of salt water.

Ammunition is also currency; this makes every combat a question of how much money do I want to shoot at the enemy. You can see the players making the calculations and this makes for some interesting choices.

Being outnumbered is scary.

While player character death does happen, I have found it to be not as frequent as I first expected. That said, the scariest fights for the players have always been the ones where they are outnumbered.

The included map is more than enough.

When I started playing Mutants of Ixx I scrambled for other maps made by Skullfungus to use when the players tire of the starting area. All that scrambling proved useless. The included map is so evocative and full of inspiration that my players have yet to explore the entire map and a huge amount of content can be found (or easily created) in just two or three hexes.

The character sheet is awesome!

It immediately sets the tone and more than once players have taken the time to color their character sheets creating a vibrant piece of art.

Advantage is huge.

My players quickly learned that rolling advantage on their damage is a game changer and have become very adept at pulling of cool stunts and maneuvers to gain advantage. This has led to some exciting battles.

Most Battles last two or three turns.

Combat is quick, decisive and occasionally deadly. I love this.

The initiative system allows for a lot of teamwork.

Allowing the players to all act together on their turn is simple but powerful. PCs can easily work together to do things they couldn’t do on their own.

The level up system encourages ambition.

Having followers and commanding armies baked into and required by the levelling up system has encouraged my players to reach out and try a different playstyle than they normally do. Often the interactions between a PC and their follower have led to some of the best RP moments.

Sometimes a little bit of OP is not a bad thing.

I have watched Mind Blast decimate my big baddies and the result has been my players cheering and talking about that combat for several play sessions later. There are enough things to counter it (groups of enemies, robots who cannot be affected by mind blast, rolling poorly) that I am not worried about it becoming an “I win button” and the amount of fun they have when it works is worth it.

What I would do different next time

Armor is king.

There is really no reason for a character to not wear the maximum armor they can get a hold of. Max armor is fairly cheap and its ability to reduce all incoming damage by 3 is huge. If I did it over again, I would make the max armor very hard to get a hold of. Not something you could just buy, but instead the reward for finishing an epic campaign.

Mutations never run out.

In a year of play the only characters to have exhausted their mutations have been starting characters with only a d4 usage die for mutations. This is not a huge issue, because robbing my psycho mutant players of their precious mutation powers would be frustrating if it happened often, but as it is now, rolling the Mutation Die feels like useless record keeping since there is no real fear of it being exhausted. It is too easy to refresh the Mutation Die after a short rest. Going forward I will house rule that the Mutation Die requires resting overnight to reset.

What is there to buy?

The players do not have much to spend their money on or to save up for. This relies on the GM to create valuable items to purchase or excavate from old ruins. Which is okay, there is only so much room on two pages after all. I am partly handling this by creating cybernetic items my PCs can purchase and install at a high cost. If a GM knows they are going to be running a long-term game of Mutants of Ixx I would suggest spending a little time creating a high-end item list that will give the PCs something to drool over and save up for.

Players want more defensive abilities.

While my players absolutely love the system (even some of the crunchier holdouts that normally champion GURPS), the one thing I hear from several players is they wish there were some more defensive actions they can take on their turn since the system is auto-hit. I have handled this by adding some special mutations such as a healing ability (spend 1 STR to heal d4 HP) and defensive ones like protective thorns (d4 dam to opponents who hit you in melee).

An unwanted mutation can bum a player out.

Most of the time players are super excited after rolling their mutation after leveling up. The exception to this is that every once in a while, a player rolls a mutation that they just don’t like. It’s not even that they feel the mutation is weak, but it just doesn’t fit with their image of their character. My fix for this has been to have ancient tech in ruins that can allow a mutant to reroll one of their mutations before the machine breaks or having irradiated mushrooms that do the same thing, being sold by vendors for crazy high prices.

Some people rather go it alone.

Some of my players found controlling multiple characters to be distracting and slowed things down, but felt they wouldn't be weak in comparison if they did not take an apprentice. Next time I might limit players to one character.

I have no idea what a Panzerhound is.

Despite all this we did find after a year we were hungering for a game with more crunch, but two pages equaling a year of game time is pretty darn good!

TLDR: The Mutants of Ixx is light enough to fit on two pages, but crunchy enough for long-term play.

My players and I love this game and we are going to keep running it for the foreseeable future. Who knew so much goodness could be contained in two pages?!

It’s only 2$ which is a steal at double that price. Go show some love and pick it up at

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/274526/The-Mutants-of-Ixx?affiliate_id=568571

His Patreon is also filled with useful stuff that can often work great alongside Mutants of Ixx

https://www.patreon.com/skullfungus/posts

Some amazing Ixx paper minis are found here

https://gnarledmonster.itch.io/ixx-paper-minis

While not technically Ixx these paper minis fit the vibe

https://skullfungus.itch.io/warparmy

A second edition of Ixx now with more pages and a slightly tweaked system (note I have no experience with this version)

https://www.playrole.com/store/games/isle-of-ixx

Lastly, a handy pocketmod character sheet for the new version

https://uristmacitchio.itch.io/pocketfold-of-ixx

Swords Against Wizardry by Fritz Leiber

 I think of all the fantasy writers I have read Fritz Leiber may be the most skilled at writing longer fiction. The first story here illustrates that skill perfectly, describing in page after page the climbing of a mountain, I found I could not stop reading. It was a thrilling read and I think any lesser author would only get 3 or maybe 4 exciting sentences out of this action, but here Fritz makes a meal of it and you find you only want more.

This entry in the series is a strong one and has a bit more worldbuilding and sense of place than the others; not that the others were lacking.

The action in this book is a little less fast paced than the earlier entries, but I don't think most people will mind it at all.

Swords in the Mist by Fritz Leiber

 The beginning half of this book felt like more of what I already love about Fritz's work. The stories were humorous while still dark and full of interesting settings and events.

The second half felt different. Slower and yet somehow confusing. The action was more detached and was paced as if a horror story, ratcheting up tension slowly. The story felt more experimental. I found myself missing the action packed stories from earlier, but as I got closer to the end I found myself more and more invested and the ending had a noticeable emotional impact. More so than most of Fritz's other shorter stories.

In the end, I believe I enjoy the more traditional format of his past stories. I do not begrudge the author striking out on an experimental path and it was not a failure even if it will never be a favorite of mine.

Owls Hoot in the Daytime, and Other Omens by Manly Wade Wellman

 A collection of short stories involving John Silver, the Appalachia mountains and the strange going ons that take place there. Modern folklore essentially.

The thematic elements were amazing. I felt like I was actually tracking through the backwoods with John. The stories made me ravenously curious about Appalachia, it's history and culture. Many times while reading I found myself stopping and looking up Appalachia music or Appalachia food.

While it was well written and the author is highly skilled, I did find the stories a bit samey after a while. It is difficult to put my finger on exactly why, because the plots were different, but somehow mostly similar. I think if I had not been reading the stories one after another perhaps I wouldn't notice.

This is one of those rare times where I think I would have enjoyed each story more if they were stretched out. Perhaps each one a novella. I enjoyed The Old Gods Waken more so for this reason.

The last few hours of this book I in fact had to push through and was more doing it just to finish rather than out of enjoyment.

I am still willing to read more of John's adventures in following books, but maybe after a bit of a break or perhaps reading it at a slower pace.

Rhialto the Marvellous by Jack Vance

 The Dying Earth series has quickly become one of my favorite settings. I greatly enjoy the misadventures of Cugel, but I found Rhialto to be a refreshing change of pace. If instead the author would have penned another Cugel story it may have worn out its welcome at this point. The different perspective made it feel as if I was visiting the setting again, but for the first time.

Side note, having recently read an Ian M Banks' novel I noticed certain similarities to these author's famous settings. You have to squint and not look too close, but Dying Earth almost feels like a dystopian end to Ian M Banks' utopia. The power to do the impossible with trivial effort. The constant search of pleasure and novelty. There are similar vibes even if they are on the complete opposite spectrum of -topias.

The Bloody Crown of Conan by Robert E. Howard

 The stories of Conan have always been hit or miss with me and I have found this collection to be more misses than hits.

Robert Howard's stories when they are good get my blood pumping and creates a world that is different and yet somehow close at hand.

When they are not, it is work to get to the end. I had to drop this book and pick up another book often, before eventually returning to Conan, determined to finish.

The story at the beginning was of a longer format than usual. The plot itself was interesting, but I found a longer story made it more difficult to keep the blood pumping and I am now convinced that Conan is at its best in quick-paced short bursts.

Use of Weapons by Iain M. Banks

 Never have I had more fun being utterly confused. The book uses an interesting format that makes it difficult to understand the plot. This makes it less accessible. Whether the payoff makes it worth this loss of accessibility I honestly don't know.

I did not have a good understanding of the overall plot even as I finished the book. If I had read it more slowly and carefully would I have held on to the plot better? Maybe.

Despite this, I found things of interest in each individual chapter. The unique setting Ian M Banks creates is one of my favorites.

Perhaps someday I will reread it more carefully, but I am happy with the experience and looking forward to more of this series.

Hyperion by Dan Simmons

 I am not sure what I just read.

It was primal and passionate in every possible way. It made me want more passion, more life, more everything.

Despite that, the book itself is slow. This was my third attempt reading it, because the slow pace was difficult especially at the start. Before this I always stopped early on, before the real meat of the story began. The slowness was difficult, but at the same time I think it was necessary to have the affect it did. Some scenes will forever be burned into my gray matter and left me unsettled.

Throughout the book my grasp on the big picture always felt tenuous at best and I think that lead me to having a lackluster view of the book's ending. It left me feeling unsatisfied, wanting more, but not in a good way. I felt cheated out of a big payoff that everything seemed to point to. Compounding this was the fact that I felt the weakest parts of the book were all saved for the last third. A point where you much rather have a big build up.

The writer is talented, this there is no doubt of. I just don't know if I want to continue this series.

Also I need to learn more about this John Keats fellow.

The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

 A story of a man who grows up in the fairy lands, raised by elves. The tragic story of him and his love, the war between trolls and elves and the games the gods play.

The story has the scope of a grand epic all contained in a single book. There are points where the story gives you goosebumps and is so thematic that the image is burned into your skull, but sadly it is dragged down by the author's clumsy attempts at writing a love story.

The women in the book are poorly written and seem to be simple to the extreme (with one exception with elven women that has a good payoff at the end). The romantic relationships are so poorly written and cringey that it feels like a love story submitted as a middle school homework assignment.

When the love story is not front and center it is often an interesting story, but the love story is the main plot of the book, so it is difficult to recommend reading it.

The ending was well done and I would dare say powerful. If the middle of the story was better written it could have been so much more powerful though.

One thing I did find interesting was how elves were written as strange and alien. They were not simply men with pointy ears.

Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson

 A story of a soldier from WWII who is transported to a magical land where he meets and interacts with many of the classic tropes of fantasy one after another.

I enjoyed the book as an almost tour of fantasy. The strong points of the book never felt original and the plot was weak at best. The ending seemed to come out of nowhere and was a bit confusing. There also was the constant distraction of the main character's internal monologue of lustful thoughts that felt childish and not necessary at all.

Despite my criticisms I am glad I read it and I did enjoy the lighthearted tour-like quality of it.

I enjoyed the depiction of elves as being chaotic hedonistic tricksters (like classic fairy folk) and how Law and Chaos were similar to ideological war banners that people fought under. Law and Chaos are big picture cosmic level concepts rather than a behavioral requirement.

Orphans of the Sky by Robert A. Heinlein

 The concept is good. The writing is good. The characters... correction, some of the characters... no... one of the characters was interesting-ish and drew me in.

That isn't enough though. What I found most lacking was the world. There was the potential for a lot of interesting cultures, locales, flora and fauna, but instead there was only the bare minimum needed. The world felt sterile and empty with only a small hint at something more. Mostly through use of culture-specific swear words, but even this felt only half-finished.

Heinlein is a good author. I know he is skilled and not one to be underestimated. This though just felt like a writer creating in order to put food on the table (which, no judgment, you gotta eat). If there was passion put into this book, I never felt it.

The Vanishing Tower by Michael Moorcock

 In the moment I am always enthralled by the Elric saga. Action is always quick at hand, captivating ideas overflow and inspire me, the words read like poetry, but after finishing a Moorcock book I find the memory of it quickly slips away like a dream upon waking. This book is no different and even now I can only recall a few scenes with any surety.

While this may sound as if it is a negative, the positive of this is the thought of going back and rereading an Elric novel, even almost directly after finishing, is a tempting proposition.

The first book in this novel I found confusing as I struggled to pay attention. This picked up quickly though in book two, where the setting grabbed my attention and made for a city setting that rivals what Fritz Leiber can accomplish. Book three involved more of the eternal champion aspect of the Elric series and while I in theory like the idea of it, I find it doesn't add much to my enjoyment.

All together a solid continuation of what you can expect from an Elric novel.

The Weird of the White Wolf by Michael Moorcock

 This is my favorite Elric book yet in the series. If I was recommending this series to someone I would tell them to start here.

My one complaint is that I felt the author fumbled a scene early on that should have been the most powerful and emotional one of the book, if not the series. Michael Moorcock has a way of doing that occasionally. His writing isn't always polished and it is inconsistent at times. When he is good though, he is like staring into the blazing sun. Some sentences just drip with atmosphere and foreboding that it makes your hair stand on end.

The raw creativity, the raw imagination, is so powerful it is hard not to be blinded by it. If that comes at the price of an occasional lack of polish, I will take that bargain every time.

It is surprising how much detail he gives about the world and the gods and yet how utterly unfathomable and mysterious it still can be.

The world of Michael Moorcock is right up there with Jack Vance's Dying Earth in how captivating it is. This is the highest praise I can give someone.

Side note, if you ever gamemaster for fantasy roleplaying games, read this book! It sets your brain on fire and you will find so much to pilfer and put into your game.

The Sailor on the Seas of Fate by Michael Moorcock

 Sardonic. Never have I ever seen that word used this many times in a book. Not a complaint. I just find it funny.

I enjoyed this offering more than the second book in the series, but not as much as the first.

The concepts were big and I like that, but it felt as if they didn't quite deliver enough on the promise that the concepts made.

I have a strong feeling that perhaps if read in publication order rather than chronological the revelations found here would have more impact.

I think my biggest complaint is, now that I have read it and some small time has passed, I look back and I find the stories in this book to be largely forgettable. I remember enjoying them at the time, but this quality does not bode well.

The Fortress of the Pearl by Michael Moorcock

 I have cooled some on the Elric series having read this book. Its errors are not missing from the earlier entry. They can be found there as well, but the previous book had enough great things going for it to overcome those errors.

There are still some sparks of magnificent description and occasionally that sense of wonder. Just not as much.

The plot is weak, to the point that I feel the author would have been better served to have Elric aimlessly wander with no objective in mind, rather than the paper thin one that is presented.

The new cast of side characters which were so interesting in the past book seemed wholly forgettable here.

There are some interesting concepts and those I held on to to keep my interest going.

It's not a bad book and I am happily going to continue reading the series. It has just tempered my enthusiasm a bit.

Lack of consistency is a forgivable sin when the high points are so great.

Elric of Melniboné by Michael Moorcock

 I have heard this series equated to Lord of the Rings and have even heard that if things were slightly different, this series, and not LotR, could have been the pivotal series to change the fantasy genre forever.

If the series is anything like this first book I feel this high praise does not reach high enough!

I love this book and it is instantly placed on my favorites list.

Let's start with my only two quibbles, in order to get it out of the way and move on to full out fanboying.

First, it has a bit of a slow start, but no more so than most epics.

Secondly, the main character occasionally gets on my nerves. Let's pretend for a minute that the reasons for this are what I will go on to say, instead of the real reason, which is that he reminds me of the parts of myself that I don't like.

Elric is a nice guy and a deep thinker, I get it, but the worrying as to whether he was doing the ethical thing or the constant self-loathing was put on a bit thick at times. You want to grab him by the shoulders and just shake him and tell him to get over himself and just do the thing. Thankfully it happened less and less as the book went on and I feel like these insights into his thought process will pay big dividends as the series progresses.

Okay! Now on to why I love this book!

Some of the lines in this book are written with such simplicity, but yet such ferocity as to feel that they are deep truths normally only found in poetry. Sentences whir in my brain and continue to spring to life long after I have moved on from the page.

The world feels familiar, primal and filled with unadulterated power. This world is not A fantasy world, this world is THE fantasy world. All others should bow and grovel in its presence.

The world building is simple in the sense that concepts require only a few simple words to explain, but instantly feels right and from these simple primordial ideas unbidden complexity spirals out to infinity.

The world is alive. Factions fight for dominance at every level. From small squabbling barbarians fighting to rid the world of what they see as evil, to great powers, alien and unknowable, grappling to control fate.

The line between good and evil is not clear cut, but it never feels grimdark. Flirting with the darkness, yes definitely, but not once engulfed by it.

The sense of alieness and of the other is intoxicating. This is not earth, but with elves. No! This is a world that uses fictional structures that are known to us, but twists them without remorse into something completely new, and yet, this new thing feels like it should have been this way from the very beginning. As if the stories we have heard passed down through the generations by way of folklore and legends have been contaminated and warped, but this story comes and strips all that tepid waste away and shows us for the first time the beautiful secrets hidden within.

I cannot possibly do this work justice without spoiling it. Instead I urge you to stop whatever you are wasting your time with and instead sit down and read this book. Now, I must get back and start reading the next book in the series.

The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson

 There are parts of this book that are absolutely brilliant. There are setting details that make me marvel and want to visit this world and see it more closely. If only all the excess fat of this book wasn't there.

This book is more experiment than anything. The author chooses to write in a purposely alien way of speaking emulating an old fashioned but unique way of speaking and while this works okay when describing alien features of the world, most of the book is describing the romance between the protagonist and his love.

I think they are horrible to and for each other, and if I could speak to them I would advise both to break their romance off immediately and go work on themselves, but that is not really the point.

The point is the experimental use of language gets irritating after a while and doubly so when the protagonist is expressing his undying love.

If the author was to take most of the romantic plot out, use a more natural writing style with perhaps small snippets of the experimental language here and there I think this book would be a favorite of mine, but as it stands, I did not enjoy it.

The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

 This book was written by a true master of the craft. Despite the age of this book I think it holds up as a powerful tale of cosmic horror. It is a slow burn. Though, the author skillfully gives us a tease of what is to come right at the beginning so during that slow burn you are assured it will be worth it.

That slow burn slowly begins heating up in intensity and hits a point of critical mass and you find yourself devouring page after page not being able to turn the page fast enough to keep up.

It eventually becomes quite trippy.

This is all the more impressive considering that as far as I know this is one of the earliest books of this type. Predating even Lovecraft.

If I had any critique at all, it would be the ending felt just the tiniest bit unfinished and over too quick. That said, this is me being extremely nit-picky holding it to a super high standard.

Does this make my lofty and exclusive favorites list? Honestly, I don't know. If it doesn't, it is definitely standing there just outside of the gates. I am already looking forward to rereading it at some point which is high praise. I will let it sit for a while and ruminate for now.

This is certainly a good book to ruminate on after reading.

If you like this genre of cosmic horror and do not balk at a slow burn, read it, you will not be disappointed.

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus

 The French philosopher's take on life and why it is worth living in an absurd world and why you must imagine Sisyphus happy.

This was a refreshing read. I felt out of my depth reading this book, but there was still enough I could grab onto and benefit from. The prose was interesting and kept it from becoming dense. Each paragraph was packed with meaning. I am looking forward to reading this again less casually and digging into some of the deeper thoughts.

If I had one complaint (and this is me grasping at straws to find a complaint), it would be that if you were looking for practical actionable advice this book doesn't have it. Rather it is more on adapting an outlook and acceptance.

It is an encouraging book that often led to me greeting the day with a brighter outlook and for that I am thankful. This book ranks right up there with my favorites.

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman

 Overall I enjoyed this book, though with some mixed feelings.

The book suffered from one of the oldest writer sins; doing a lot of tell and not enough show. Often when a new character was introduced, a full page of backstory exposition followed, with most details not being the least bit relevant.

The writing leaned a bit towards the amateurish at times and the plot was pretty generic.

That said, I actually enjoyed it to a certain extent. It felt like a guilty pleasure, sort of read. The dynamics between the characters and the small moments where it really felt like a group of friends adventuring kept me coming back.

I have heard that the series quickly gets better as it goes and I am looking forward to reading the second book (which in my opinion has the best cover of any book ever created).

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott

 A unique book that explores life in many different dimensions. A mathematical fantasy that also skewers the victorian culture.

The book revolves around proposing a simple concept and taking it to its extreme conclusion. There are parts of the imagined fantasy where it breaks down, but rather than try to hide this, the author instead expertly lampshades it and you find yourself quickly overlooking the impossibilities and instead enjoying this strange and exotic land.

The book well illustrated how difficult, almost impossible, it is for us to imagine higher dimensions, while at the same time giving us possible clues as to how to do so.

As far as fiction goes, there is not much story, but I find its strength lies in it being a singularly unique book and handled in a deft manner.

Kill Six Billion Demons by Tom Parkinson-Morgan

 World-building at its finest. I feel the K6BD series as a whole knocks Tolkien completely off his throne of world-building king. I am four volumes in and I hunger for setting information more than ever. Every crook and cranny is filled with surprises!

The plot is fairly straightforward, but with an interesting exploration of the main character's inner life.

As amazing as the setting is, the relationships between the main characters is the beating heart of this series and it does not disappoint.

What's amazing to me is that in the four volumes there has never been a weak point. Every bit of it screams read me. Easily makes my series list of all time favorites.

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

 Arthur C Clarke amazes me with how his writing decades ago still feels fresh and modern when reading it today. The book was clearly written with the idea of exploring the hard sciences of the event, but despite this and the paragraph here and there exploring the minutia of the science involved, the book never lost sight of the human element.

The threat was always vague and the stakes too undefined to ever be a thrilling read. Instead it was a mostly calm exploration of an alien artifact that felt like it could actually happen and how it might take place.

It was a solid, enjoyable read.

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

 I found the parts of this book I enjoyed the most were in the beginning while the characters prepared for their trip and the journey down. The trip down was especially exciting and perhaps one of the scariest depictions of cave diving I have ever read. It stuck with me.

When the characters actually got to the the center of the earth I felt Jules Verne found a way to make this alien atmosphere feel dull. What should be the most exciting part of the story instead was sleep inducing.

Due to this I found the rest of the story lost all dramatic tension.

It was disappointing.

The Stars Are Legion by Kameron Hurley

 The setting of this book made it work. The plot is okay, but the strangeness of the setting is what will draw you in. The character development will keep you to the end.

This book could squig you out, so you have to know if for the time you spend here will you be okay living in a world of flesh and all the fluids and bloody tissue? If you are okay with that by all means read it, there are not enough weird things out there and while this is not the pinnacle of weird it is a breathe of fresh air in a world of sameness.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

 This was a reread of a childhood favorite that had a big part in developing my love of reading.

The story has been etched onto my heart. I recalled each scene as the chapter began. Perhaps because of this I found the reread a tad difficult, as it wasn't as exciting as I remembered. Or maybe my tastes have changed as an adult.

I still enjoyed it.

I had forgotten how much Jacques packed into this book. So much is happening! Yet it never felt confusing.

Also, the story has a gigantic cast of characters, but Jacques masterfully made it easy to recall each character instantly. Partly having the characters be different animals made it easy to remember. The bad guys had such hilariously wonderful names it was hard to forget them. Lastly, each character has a delightfully different personality. It is amazing to me how many distinct characters Jacques created for this novel.

The battle sequences are bloody. More-so than you would expect from a "children's" book, but then again, I do not think the author set out to make a children's book. I think he set out to create a great book, that also just so happens to be beloved by children. If you are a parent looking for a book for your child, do not worry, there is blood, but I would not call it graphic and the philosophy behind the book is a good one.

A great book.

The Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. Shea

 

This is a reread of one of my favorite books of all time. There is a newer version that is also amazing, but I still find value in rereading this book.

It's hard to give a revue of a book that you love so much that all you feel you can say is "Whatever you are doing drop it now and go read this book!"

This book fundamentally changed how I view gamemastering. Reading it again I find details that I can apply to help hone my game. I know that when I read it again I will no doubt once again find more advice to apply.

This is all to say, whatever you are doing drop it now and go read this book!

Some of the points I found in this reading that I wish to apply:

• Describe your campaign in one sentence and don't make it more complicated.
• Don't sell an ending you can't deliver. Realize that you are doing a character focused story and those rarely end well. Keep it simple and never over promise.
• Do 3-4 month mini campaigns.
• Too many tools can be a problem.
• The descriptions in monster entries in published books can be a whole mini campaign in itself.
• A good tool should save you time, not take it away. It should give you more freedom.
• Sort through my random maps and make the best stuff of each category easy to find.
• Delegate a player to keep track of ongoing effects.
• Ask the players what is one distinguishing physical feature of this new NPC.
• Delegate to the player who is the most distracted.
• Relax. Players just want to have fun and relax with friends. You don't have to be a perfect gamemaster. Your players aren't expecting that, why are you expecting it from yourself?
• Act as if you are relaxed even if you are not.

Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr.

 Using simple words along with a simple, but interesting plot, this book makes writing a great story seem easy. The author never took the easy way out, instead at every turn the monster proved to be perfect in its ability to kill and assimilate into the group. Plans that would have worked in the hands of other authors instead failed miserably. The book never feels dated, but instead feels as if it could have been published yesterday.

I would recommend this book to anyone.

The Face In The Frost by John Bellairs

 A fantastical whimsical story mixed with moments of horror and humor. Two wizards who, despite their supernatural abilities, are all too relatable with real fears and foibles, go on a journey to free themselves from a magical enemy who haunts them.

The story includes delightful anachronisms that make it difficult to pin down the exact time the story takes place in. This creates a sense of timelessness that adds to the fairy tale like nature of the book.

This book makes it onto my favorites list and I look forward to both reading it again and reading other works by the author.

It felt like lighthearted fun with lovable characters and the descriptions created mental images of fantastical scenes that will always stick with me. When the story veered into horror the mood was perfectly handled like a well done scary story told at a campfire. The mixture of humor and horror blends well creating a story that is never too slapstick or too heavy.

Burn, Witch, Burn! by Abraham Merritt

 This book is all atmosphere and I love it. The author describes a thing in such a way that you can see it clearly while not wasting words. Every line was punchy. Clear simple sentences that built to a beautiful tapestry. The plot and story was simple enough, but played with detective and weird fiction tropes in a masterful way.

I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Red Sails in the Fallout by Paul Kidd

The book has a lot going for it, but I just could not get into it.

Gamma World's strong point is its absurdity and over the top nature. In a game this is a great thing, but in this story it felt jarring. The author did a great job creating interesting and well developed characters, but this only emphasized how out of the place it felt in this world.

Descent into the Depths of the Earth, Greyhawk Classics #3 by Paul Kidd

This was a fun romp as usual with some unexpected character growth. I enjoyed it for what it is, but it was not quite as sharp as the past book. I worry too about the plethora of sidekicks the party seems to gain with each book. It's a bit distracting. Though if they are trying to emulate the average RPG campaign, they've nailed it.

White Plume Mountain, Greyhawk Classics #2 by Paul Kidd

This book was way better than it had any right to be. The idea of making a book based on a game module seems like it would be too cartoony and gamey, and don't get me wrong it had a few of those moments, but far less cartoony or gamey than I expected.

The set up for how the adventurers got pulled into this situation was interesting. Some may complain that it took too long before they reached the titlular mountain, but I found the banter between the main characters was entertaining and gave me enough time to get attached to the characters before they got into any real danger.

My one complaint is at times the sidekick gave me a little bit of the mary sue overpowered feel. That said, it wasn't enough to detract terribly from my enjoyment.

I want to continue these heroes' journey and read some more books from Paul Kidd in the future.

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. Shea

I consider this and its previous incarnation, to be the most useful RPG book ever written.

I cannot overstate how highly I recommend this book. Its goal of helping gamemasters focus on what is important and helping the gamemaster become more flexible and ready to improv has improved my ability as a gamemaster by leaps and bounds.

Things I have personally taken note of for improving on after this reread: 

• Be more structured with my game prep and follow the checklist so I don't overlook some of the steps. 
• Use the campaign chapter to make the core of my campaign clearer and keep it more easily in mind. 
• Before house ruling something first look if there is a way to address it in the fiction of the game world.

https://shop.slyflourish.com/products/return-of-the-lazy-dungeon-master

A Princess of Mars by Burroughs, Edgar Rice

Ironically the first bit of the book before all of the science fiction elements was my favorite. I think because it focused mostly on the protagonist's personality which was the best part of the book. The rest felt like something of a slog to get through and Mars itself never felt all that interesting.

The Dying Earth by Jack Vance

Rereading this book I only love it more. The world is different and the mix of fantasy, sci-fi and almost fairy-like stories is a heady mix. I want to continue exploring it long after the book is done.

One important thing to note when reading this series is that the protagonists are not necessarily people you should like or root for. I think some people hit a stumbling block because they are so used to books that are black and white and it is just assumed that the character who makes up the point of view is someone the author holds up as a virtuous person to be imitated. Do not be fooled, that is not the case here. This becomes incredibly clear as the series continues.

The Old Gods Waken by Manly Wade Wellman

A story set in the Appalachian Mountains. Written so expertly that you feel like you are right there. This book made me fall in love with Appalachia.

Fighting Fantasy Audio Dramas

If you are interested in audiobooks or dramas at all I HIGHLY recommend checking out the Fighting Fantasy series. I have been looking for something like this for years.

It tells a classic fantasy story with production values through the roof and while it is a very familiar fantasy setting/story to make you feel right at home, like curling up in a blanket to a good book with a fire crackling in the background, it still includes enough surprises to catch you off guard and keep it interesting.

https://www.fightingfantasyaudiodramas.com/

The Objective of RPG Combat

From a gameplay perspective there are many objectives for combat in an RPG. To ramp up tension. As a punishment for delaying or making noise in a dangerous dungeon. To allow PCs to use their newly found toys (what wizard doesn't want to cast fireball immediately after first learning it?). An often overlooked one is simply to stall for time as the party heads to a location you haven't entirely fleshed out. Nowadays, I am more likely to be honest with my players and call for a ten-minute break while I prep, but I have used combat in this way in the past. Then every once in a while you need a combat to just let the players whoop on the bad guys so they can feel powerful. In my case these are never planned, but happen anyways and when they do, I just embrace it.

Most of the time though, you want a combat to be engaging, to be tense and push the players. The type of combat that gets players excited. In future posts I will get into specifics, but for now the important lesson is this:

To have exciting RPG combat, go into it with the objective to push the players to change their tactics and try something new.

Bringing this mentality to the combat will lead to more exciting combats. Think about this when thinking of terrain, twists during battle, monster abilities, monster tactics, the monster's goals, and the loot you award PCs with. 

Remember that successful strategies in warfare do not stay successful forever, the enemy adapts and what once worked no longer does. Likewise, if the party is using the same strategy over and over, the world will adapt. Force your players to change tactics and they will not get bored.

Drifting Through Space

The star freighter has lost power. All systems are down, including life support. You have only a short while before the embrace of death overtakes you. What do you do? Write a roleplaying game of course!

Drifting Through Space - A Free Sci-Fi RPG by Michael E Cross and from Modiphius is a game you do not hear about often. Released over a decade ago it did not make much of a splash and yet the memory of that game sticks with me and I find myself going back to it often.

Handwritten in pen, with changes and corrections hastily crossed out and revised, the RPG is part art piece. The text is written in a conversational style along with his thoughts on the system as he has them, in a sort of stream of consciousness.

The mechanics are original, yet nothing revolutionary. Worth giving it a shot. The real greatness though lies in the presentation. I believe it belongs in everyone's RPG library and I hope that more designers take note of this forgotten gem and run with its idea of making the presentation of the rules itself a piece of fiction, a work of art in its own sake.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/114499/Drifting-Through-Space--A-Free-SciFi-RPG?term=drifting&test_epoch=0