Fifth edition thoughts - the depriving background?

A quick comment on a piece of fifth edition D&D.

At first I was generally positive about the idea of the so-called 'background' - the personality traits, ideals, bonds and flaws. Now I'm not so sure. It seems more gimmicky as time goes by, more predetermining of narrative as if establishing the characters for the first chapter of a novel, a set narrative, rather than supporting an exploration of another world - and ourselves - wherever it leads; and a shortcut avoiding the need for fuller player engagement, or further restricting player freedom.

Why play to someone else's prewritten background if you can decide one for yourself or start vague, as light as in a DCC funnel, or with a single word or less, and let specifics emerge in play, based on choice and the elaboration of the world in the interaction between players and GM, and characters, factions and landscapes? I'm genuinely curious as to the justification. Surely not just to save more of that increasingly precious time..? If so, I've got a suggestion - do less. None of us have to do everything we're sold.

The wombull - a possible new character class?

I read this. And with Saturday's round-up still fresh in my mind, it all started to happen.

Picture the scene. Late '80s, the UK, a temple of gaming near a rambling common. A creature looking rather like a Womble elopes with one looking a bit like a Citadel ambull into the folds of what could be a BECMI box. They dig a lair and start a character class.

If I was going to write up that character class - and why would I? - I might do it like this...

WOMBULL

Motivation  Likes holes in the ground. Drawn to the intolerable waste in forgotten spaces; prefers not to steal, but will to put a thing to better use.

Requirements  Strength and Wisdom of 13+

Nature  Wisdom is the prime, with dice, saves and levels as per the dwarf.

Equipment  May use any; has jaws and claws (1d4 dam.), and paws only a little clumsier than human hands (-1 with missile weapons and devices).

Abilities  Digs twice as fast as a human. Has infravision, the dwarven feel for structure and a 1-in-6 chance of identifying inconsistencies or later changes in the contents of a space. May combine suitable items into a new form given that form's gp value in minutes; the new form is one degree poorer for its type and has a 1-in-3 chance of failing with each use.

Knowing the creativity of the people round here, someone's already done it, but I think I'd be happy to play any version. Now, where could a party with a wombull go adventuring..?

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Appendix OSR (2)

I've been reading The Secret History of Star Wars on a now mysterious Marcia Lucas and thinking.

Thinking it's another good text for that reading list.

Thinking we may think we create, and do, but not so much as we might like to think we do. We can hold worlds in our heads (with art or miniatures to help maybe, and numbers etc.), but mostly these are variations on this world even when they're not.

And how well do we actually know this one..? Or each other's version? Do we even know our own?

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If you read nothing else today...

Three posts up in the past few hours seem to me to deserve a good cup of tea or coffee and a long reflection - maybe a cup each - and they weave one into the other very well.

The first post is this, which could feel offensive, at Astrogator's Logs, on simplicity and danger in understanding of sci-fi. The second is this at The Secret Sun on Jack Kirby, synchronicity and war, which might seem rather silly. The third is this, a review of the year at From the Sorcerer's Skull, which links to what could look like gaming material.

I'd suggest delaying the reaction long enough to be inspired and to be sure you're sure...

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Peake and British gaming

A couple of interesting articles on Mervyn Peake, probably best known as the author of the influential Gormenghast series. One has reflections from four writers, among them Michael Moorcock and China Miéville, the other an interview with Peake's children.

Tied in with this are two posts on British gaming and its major influences. The first is by Chris at Vaults of Nagoh and focuses on the dungeon concept; some Gormenghast too. The second, by Coopdevil at Fighting Fantasist, has more emphasis on WD and GW, 

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Big screen small (1) - Zen, dragon and daggers

No breakthrough here, but I'm sure skirmish wargamers and combat-oriented roleplayers will see something of value in it, as will cinema lovers and martial arts fans not aware of the links, and likely also creators of all kinds pondering the perennial issue of originality.

A Touch of Zen, 1969:

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000:

House of Flying Daggers, 2004:

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Next year's words

     For last year's words belong to last year's language

     And next year's words await another voice. 

Little Gidding, T. S. Eliot       

Thanks to Cygnus at Servitor Ludi I spent a bit of time today reading one very engaging blog in particular.

The blog is Secret Sun and the first of its many gems I'd like to commend to the readers of the Expanse is the series of posts in The Star Wars Symbol Cycle.

Most reading this will know - or see - George Lucas borrowed or absorbed a few ideas, but not everyone will know all of the speculated sources. I didn't, and probably still don't. But the sources named open up gateways to whole other worlds of speculation. Click around the blog and check some out. How inspiring, and limiting, is that?

My question to all you bright people is this. Can one of us wake up tomorrow and create a truly new work - whether game, story or image - one which draws on no existing works, and is based on, say, first principles?

Review - Humanspace Empires Playtest Draft (1/2)

Here's a game review in two parts, for the Playtest Draft of Humanspace Empires by The Drune, free at ix.

Today we'll have the design context and introduce the setting, and tomorrow a proper look under the hood.

If you've not heard of it yet, Humanspace Empires is a pulp science fantasy roleplaying game set in the sumptuous and complex Tékumel universe.

It's a reimagining of the famed Dungeons & Dragons development Empire of the Petal Throne. But just as EPT was much more than a new D&D in space, Humanspace Empires is far more than just another retro-clone.

The high frontier

A lot has been said about spaceflight over the past few days. That's understandable, but there's much else that isn't. For example, why we are still here. For anyone interested in our potential, and how we squander it through short-termism and little in the way of informed discussion, I point to a timely post at Beyond Apollo.

I found the link in the exchange at this article, which is a good look at the detail of the present moment; be sure to read the comments too.

If you didn't read this text via the Star Maker post, you might well be in the mood now.

Life in TV

A quick mention of something very cool for those of a certain age: a list of over 50 televisual influences on the life of The Sci-fi Fanatic. It's picture-heavy, but also memory-heavy. If that doesn't sway you, know that Wonder Woman wins pride of place.

For movie influences on the hobby from around the same, there's an open list here.

PROTOSTARS!

No difference and every difference this time. I'm aiming to satisfy most of the pulp wargamers and still keep the promise to Harald, to recommend a blog which is pure roleplaying and storytelling.

It's ix.

What's the blog all about? All I can say with a certainty is the parts are wondrous, but the whole is something else. I can give you links, but you need to feel your way in.

Heavens re-opened

A little more looking has turned up a few new movies for the list of '70s flicks that speak volumes about the hobby. Thanks to imaginarywars for the reminder of space1970 - I've added The Ultimate Warrior already. These posters at Coming Attractions of the Past! also gave me a prod, so I've added the four later movies in the original Apes series too. 

Here are trailers for two of the newest additions to the list. The mutants in the metro of Beneath the Planet of the Apes, and the sea and sorcery of Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. Watching them now, the ideas seem brighter than they did all those years ago.

Status report (1)

Some order from chaos, a snapshot of the mood in the Expanse as it is at the moment.

A little bit of several recent posts in this: Bond and his antics of course, as well as the 1970s, but also monsters (this one comes good), exploitation of space and exploitation of women, and even an annual celebration, albeit later in the year. Plus laser battles.

Can't go far wrong with all of that, surely...

To expand on another past post and its sequel, Damien G. Walter has a link to further discussion of truth and beauty in sci-fi, while Slight Foxing has a view on Tron: Legacy.

Seventies heavens

This one's for joe especially. Yesterday's post was a lot to take in, and he reminded me I need to keep it simpler for readers less familiar with the world of gaming. He and others might like a primer in key influences and mental atmosphere.

Building on yesterday's use of cinema and taking the bold cyclopeatron and his 10 greatest works of fantasy fiction as encouragement, I venture into something more joe's bag - the 1970s - vital to understanding what makes many of us tick.

My criteria won't be overall impact, but apparent popularity and importance to the hobby, especially in this particular corner of the internet, especially to me, and I won't be annotating like cyclopeatron because I'm nowhere near clued-up enough. If you want my take on the influence of the '70s on the alien from Alien, that's still waiting for the brave.

Here we go then. Watch these to understand us better. All of the links will take you to IMDb, which ought to have a trailer for most. I recommend Wikipedia too for more on context. Remember, as always, some will not be for the sensitive or easily scared.