Here is my next post, long overdue, for RPG-a-Day 2017!All the remaining questions in one go, plus the first 5 copied in (from my first post) at the beginning for completeness. :-)
1. What published RPG do you wish you were playing right now?
Toon. Because I've had some really fun and crazy games of Toon in the past and I'm feeling like I need an outlet of fun and crazy cartoon hi-jinx right now. :-)
2. What is an RPG you would like to see published?
Mine. My own, My precious... (I'd want to do it a bit differently than any of the past--or current--versions, with "dynamic" words of power spellcasting and invoked auras and legacy-building items and who-knows-what else...)
And as cheesy as it may sound, I'd like to see a really fun, quirky, and intellectually-challenging Harry Potter RPG designed for kids. I think that that kind of feel would fit well with the source material. I would probably do the design as a melange of very basic trad RPG and action/event card-board game.
3. How do you find out about new RPGs?
Word of mouth or select "social media" reviews and commentary. Typically online via G+ gaming circles and occasionally blogs I follow. I don't do Twitter-piddle, Instagroaner, or Facialbook tho.
4. Which RPG have you played the most since August 2016?
Pathfinder. Rise of the Runelords campaign. It's kind of funny because as a DM, I'm almost exclusively a grognard old-school game system fellow, but one of my buddies (who alternates as DM with me) wanted to give it a go, so we played... for a while. The crunchy nature of the ruleset combined with playing over the Roll20 platform became a bit too much fiddly and not enough fun, so we have since switched to Swords & Wizardry. :-)
5. Which RPG cover best captures the spirit of the game?
The Moldvay-Cook Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons boxed sets. Erol Otus. Can't beat them. Hands down.
Second best is probably the 1st edition Call of Cthulhu boxed set. So creepy. I love it.
6. You can game every day for a week. Describe what you'd do!
I would run a mini-campaign with a game system I've never GMed before. Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea would top the "want to run" list, although that might be a bit influenced by its AD&D roots. Although I favor OD&D- and B/X-based games these days, I still have a strong love for AD&D.
Following AS&SH on the want-to-run-but- never-have list is probably Traveller (original), White Star, Gamma World, and Crypts & Things.
7. What was your most impactful game session?
My first session, no doubt. It was in the basement of Miltos' house (or mine, I forget that part) and Mark was the DM, and Gary, Mike, Miltos, another Mike, me, and one other person (I forget who...) were playing. It certainly wasn't the most memorable game (although I do remember Mark cackling A LOT!), but without that first Basic Dungeons & Dragons session in 1981 -- me as Merlin the magic-user (how clever!) with his hold portal spell and dagger, and dying in his first fight -- there never would have been all the others over the decades.
8. What is a good RPG to play for sessions of 2 hours or less?
Any RPG can be played in 2 hours or less. However, if I were forced to choose which RPG works best when kept to an under two hour timeframe, I'd say Toon. (That's two for Toon on my RPG-a-Day list!)
9. What is a good rpg to play for about 10 sessions?
See above. Anything. Except Toon, actually. 10 consecutive sessions of Toon are probably too much for any reasonably sane person.
10. Where do you go for RPG reviews?
Reviews posted on G+
Reviews from R'lyeh
Ten Foot Pole
And, of course, recommendations made to me personally.
11. Which dead game would you like to see reborn?
I don't grok the question. Once a game is published, it is forever. There is no "dead" game as long as people are playing it somewhere.
But that's just me being a semantic asshat. I suppose the real question is which currently unsupported game would I like to see supported again with regular supplements by a publisher?
My answer is Dune: Chronicles of the Imperium. I have yet to be able to get my hands on this limited release game from back in the day (2000?) of the final throes of Last Unicorn Games after they were acquired by Wizards of the Coast.
12. Which RPG has the most inspiring interior artwork?
Same as answer #5. The Moldvay-Cook Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons boxed sets. Erol Otus, Jeff Dee, et. al. I am still inspired to this day by the amazing artwork.
13. Describe a game experience that changed how you play.
My Dark Sun campaign circa 1992. I ran a game with the regular group, but we all consumed various substances, both legal and illicit ... and we had an awesome session! Totally free-form, combat encounters were brutal and fun, rules were adhered to but almost meaningless, and the roleplaying was sublime. Atmosphere was great with music and player banter, but admittedly everything was a bit confusing and very tangential at times. We sorted it all out though. :-)
It taught me that my improv skills were way better than I ever realized, or imagined they could be.
14. Which rpg do you prefer for open-ended campaign play?
I don't have a preference, but I will say that my longest campaigns have been run using the two editions of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
15. Which RPG do you enjoy adapting the most?
Like many folks, no doubt, I enjoy adapting every game I play. But the most? Probably Swords & Wizardry White Box. It's just so flexible and easy to modify without upsetting the apple cart, so to speak. Unless, you wanted to upset the apple cart. But you could also easily do that with White Box, if you were so inclined.
16. Which RPG do you enjoy using as is?
Warhammer Fantasy Role-play. First edition. I have virtually no "mechanical" house rules for this game, other than extra bits and stuff added on.
17. Which RPG have you owned the longest but not played?
Rune. A rotate the GM-type hack-n-slash RPG of viking mayhem written by Robin Laws and based off a video game of the same name. I got it as soon as it came out in 2001 but have yet to play it ... 16 years!
18. Which RPG have you played the most in your life?
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Hands down.
19. Which RPG features the best writing?
Two-part answer.
For rules clarity and flexibility? Moldvay-Cook Basic/Expert Dungeons & Dragons.
For rules clarity and flexibility plus fluffy stuff plus general reading enjoyment? Star Trek RPG (really anything from the three series lines -- TOS, TNG, & DS9) by Last Unicorn Games.
20. What is the best source for out-of-print RPGs?
I mostly use eBay. There are no decent sources like Noble Knight to order from up here in Canada, not that I know of anyway. I sometimes just roll-the-dice at the local game stores and see what they have when I visit.
21. Which RPG does the most with the least words?
The original Dungeons & Dragons. I mean, seriously, what can beat original D&D for the mostest with the leastest? It started all this RPG shit and spawned two entire entertainment genres -- tabletop RPGs and computer RPGs. That's a lot of most!
Risus the Anything RPG would be my second pick. :-)
22. Which RPGs are the easiest for you to run?
Any TSR-era Dungeons & Dragons game. The rulebooks and modules are really interchangeable.
23. Which RPG has the most jaw-dropping layout?
One of the most gorgeous books I've seen (but not yet held in my hands) is the Swedish RPG Symbaroum by Järnringen. The English print version is available from Modiphius here.
24. Share a PWYW publisher who should be charging more?
There are quite a few, but I will single out James V. West's Black Pudding zine.
25. What is the best way to thank your GM?
Showing up at their games on time and letting them know you have a lot of fun and appreciate all their hard work. Show you care by being attentive and involved while playing. It really is as simple as that.
Maybe bring them their favorite beer or beverage. Perhaps offer to cook a dish to bring to the game, if you have cooking skills. If you are the gift-giving type, giving a gift card or something you know for certain they like (i.e. game books) is a classy move.
26. What RPG provides the most useful resources?
Basic Fantasy RPG has an awesome support and downloads page. See here.
27. What are your essential tools for good gaming?
Good people. A table (or chat room or whatever online). Dice (or dice roller). Imagination.
Seriously. Everything else is details and gravy.
28. What film/series is the biggest source of quotes in your group?
And now for something completely different...
Monty Python, by far. Second biggest is probably Lord of the Rings.
29. What has been the best-run RPG kickstarter you have backed?
The Mystery at Port Greely and the 3-pack of AS&SH adventure modules (Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes, Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess, and Beneath the Comet) by Jeff Talanian of North Wind Adventures.
30. What is an RPG genre-mashup you would most like to see?
I don't like mashups.
Unless it's the ultra-chauvinistic-fantasy-titties-n-beer/weed Sabrina the Teenage Witch-Charmed-Call of Cthulhu-Hackmaster RPG mashup I've had simmering on the back burner for years now...
31. What do you anticipate most for gaming in 2018?
Me writing more stuff for games. :-)
And tons of better stuff being written by tons of cooler folks than me in the OSR gameverse!
