I've just changed the name of this section from "Sunday Morning Swords" to "Organized Play" because, let's face it, not everyone can make a #SundayAMSwords.
But I'm not terribly satisfied with the title "Organized Play." Help an overeditor out...
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Real quick: If I wanted to play a game NOT on a Sunday morning, and invite people to it, is this a place for that?...
Real quick: If I wanted to play a game NOT on a Sunday morning, and invite people to it, is this a place for that? (Edit: It seems ok, so please see my reply to Aaron below!)
Saturday, August 27, 2016
A recent discussion with Ray Otus about a theoretical Swords hack inspired this ritual:
A recent discussion with Ray Otus about a theoretical Swords hack inspired this ritual:
The Ritual of the Aftermath
In a Rogues' Phase, ask not to be shown what the rogue does, but to be shown how the rogue's actions have affected the lives of the bystanders.
"Show us how your slaying of the Dead Queen's horde has displaced the village."
The Ritual of the Aftermath
In a Rogues' Phase, ask not to be shown what the rogue does, but to be shown how the rogue's actions have affected the lives of the bystanders.
"Show us how your slaying of the Dead Queen's horde has displaced the village."
Friday, August 26, 2016
Worlds Without Master Related Product! Plus Mars!
Worlds Without Master Related Product! Plus Mars!
This is by Rose Bailey, whose excellent short story "Two Swords of Mars" was in issue 4 of WwM. That story was in this setting, now an RPG by Onyx Path. I haven't had a chance to look at it, but it's got that Martian planetary romance I love so much.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191678/A-Festival-of-Blades-A-Cavaliers-of-Mars-Jumpstart?hot60=0&src=hnum
This is by Rose Bailey, whose excellent short story "Two Swords of Mars" was in issue 4 of WwM. That story was in this setting, now an RPG by Onyx Path. I haven't had a chance to look at it, but it's got that Martian planetary romance I love so much.
http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191678/A-Festival-of-Blades-A-Cavaliers-of-Mars-Jumpstart?hot60=0&src=hnum
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Continued from here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EpidiahRavachol/posts/HmTtJnV1M78
Continued from here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EpidiahRavachol/posts/HmTtJnV1M78
Let's talk about judging criteria. How could this be done fairly? What would you like to see professional Swords teams strive for?
Let's talk about judging criteria. How could this be done fairly? What would you like to see professional Swords teams strive for?
Sunday, August 21, 2016
A Tourney of Swords
A Tourney of Swords
Join me on this thought exercise: Imagine a televised, competitive Swords Without Master and tell me what it looks like to you.
I'm not interested in whether it's a good idea or not. And you don't have to describe the whole thing to me. Just consider this text from the rules...
"Together you will toil to craft an enthralling short story of sword and sorcery. The game is a fickle one. It will, at turns, aid you in this endeavor and stand against you. Keep this in your hearts while playing: your fellow players are your only true allies.
"All players share a responsibility to the story as both audience and creators. Create rogues that you want to know more about. Fall in love with them. Put them in wondrous and violent situations. And ache to see what happens next."
...and say a thing or two about how you might:
• Keep it fair,
• Keep it interesting to spectators,
• Make it profitable,
• Make it competitive,
• Or otherwise make it sporting.
-------
Here are my thoughts, which we can use as a springboard. Don't feel you have to stick to my vision, but for now, let's assume that it is both televised and competitive.
It's a team sport. Four or five players to a team, depending on the division. One player is the Overplayer, of course, just like you would have a player specializing as a goalkeeper in some sports. The rest are Rogue Players. Each team has their own personal stable of rogues they use, and probably have fan favorites. Like pro-wrestling, fans are at least as interested in the collective stories built around these rogues as they are the skills of the Rogue Players.
It's timed. Just as there are 100 meter dashes, 800 meter foot races and marathons, competitive Swords has different categories of timed games. Perhaps the shortest being the sword & sprint 20 minute game. Then the typical 45 minute game. Followed by the leisurely 90 minute. This allows networks to jump in after each motif card is filled with a short commercial break and keep the games inside their broadcast time slots.
It's judged on technicality and aesthetics. The games are scrutinized by a panel of judges. The judges have a strict criteria for awarding points. Criteria we could definitely start working out in the comments below. The criteria grant points for making aesthetic and narrative decisions the judges found interesting, beautiful and unique. And the criteria dock points for technical fouls where the game text wasn't followed correctly. The technical criteria can be completely objective. The aesthetic criteria should strive to appear completely objective, but will of course be subjective enough for fans to decry the judge's decisions.
It's pro. The relationship between the Swords we enjoy at our table and the Swords we watch is the relationship between pickup games of basketball and the NBA. The latter will clearly have more stringent rules in place to address concerns about fairness, time constraints, monied interest, and the spectacle of it all. And of course, the latter is going to sell you a shit ton of merch.
----------------
Edit to make this more Swords like:
For those looking for a specific demand, roll a d6 and show me what you would want from this as a...
1. ...spectator.
2. ...Rogue Player.
3. ...Overplayer.
4. ...judge.
5. ...broadcaster.
6. ...sponsor.
Join me on this thought exercise: Imagine a televised, competitive Swords Without Master and tell me what it looks like to you.
I'm not interested in whether it's a good idea or not. And you don't have to describe the whole thing to me. Just consider this text from the rules...
"Together you will toil to craft an enthralling short story of sword and sorcery. The game is a fickle one. It will, at turns, aid you in this endeavor and stand against you. Keep this in your hearts while playing: your fellow players are your only true allies.
"All players share a responsibility to the story as both audience and creators. Create rogues that you want to know more about. Fall in love with them. Put them in wondrous and violent situations. And ache to see what happens next."
...and say a thing or two about how you might:
• Keep it fair,
• Keep it interesting to spectators,
• Make it profitable,
• Make it competitive,
• Or otherwise make it sporting.
-------
Here are my thoughts, which we can use as a springboard. Don't feel you have to stick to my vision, but for now, let's assume that it is both televised and competitive.
It's a team sport. Four or five players to a team, depending on the division. One player is the Overplayer, of course, just like you would have a player specializing as a goalkeeper in some sports. The rest are Rogue Players. Each team has their own personal stable of rogues they use, and probably have fan favorites. Like pro-wrestling, fans are at least as interested in the collective stories built around these rogues as they are the skills of the Rogue Players.
It's timed. Just as there are 100 meter dashes, 800 meter foot races and marathons, competitive Swords has different categories of timed games. Perhaps the shortest being the sword & sprint 20 minute game. Then the typical 45 minute game. Followed by the leisurely 90 minute. This allows networks to jump in after each motif card is filled with a short commercial break and keep the games inside their broadcast time slots.
It's judged on technicality and aesthetics. The games are scrutinized by a panel of judges. The judges have a strict criteria for awarding points. Criteria we could definitely start working out in the comments below. The criteria grant points for making aesthetic and narrative decisions the judges found interesting, beautiful and unique. And the criteria dock points for technical fouls where the game text wasn't followed correctly. The technical criteria can be completely objective. The aesthetic criteria should strive to appear completely objective, but will of course be subjective enough for fans to decry the judge's decisions.
It's pro. The relationship between the Swords we enjoy at our table and the Swords we watch is the relationship between pickup games of basketball and the NBA. The latter will clearly have more stringent rules in place to address concerns about fairness, time constraints, monied interest, and the spectacle of it all. And of course, the latter is going to sell you a shit ton of merch.
----------------
Edit to make this more Swords like:
For those looking for a specific demand, roll a d6 and show me what you would want from this as a...
1. ...spectator.
2. ...Rogue Player.
3. ...Overplayer.
4. ...judge.
5. ...broadcaster.
6. ...sponsor.
Sunday Morning Swords: 21 August 2016
Sunday Morning Swords: 21 August 2016
#SundayAMSwordsComingDown
Good morning!
Here's our organizational thread for #SundayAMSwords. All are welcome regardless of familiarity with the game! Comment below if you're interested in playing this morning and mention if you're comfortable being an Overplayer and whether or not you have play Swords before.
When we get an Overplayer and three or four Rogue Players, those players will run off and start their hangout. For now, let's focus on getting everyone into a group. We'll probably wait until 9:30 EST to start the last group. If you can't make that, check back in a few hours. I hear rumors of other games firing up later in the day for those who wake at a more civilized time. If you don't see one, feel free to fire on up yourself.
Use the hashtag #SundayAMSwords should you desire to chat about your game on the social medias. And bring your breakfast or brunch. Adventurers need their sustenance! And coffee.
P.S. Got some tips on how to do this and links to useful files here:http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/blog/2014/7/14/sunday-morning-swords
http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/blog/2014/7/14/sunday-morning-swords
#SundayAMSwordsComingDown
Good morning!
Here's our organizational thread for #SundayAMSwords. All are welcome regardless of familiarity with the game! Comment below if you're interested in playing this morning and mention if you're comfortable being an Overplayer and whether or not you have play Swords before.
When we get an Overplayer and three or four Rogue Players, those players will run off and start their hangout. For now, let's focus on getting everyone into a group. We'll probably wait until 9:30 EST to start the last group. If you can't make that, check back in a few hours. I hear rumors of other games firing up later in the day for those who wake at a more civilized time. If you don't see one, feel free to fire on up yourself.
Use the hashtag #SundayAMSwords should you desire to chat about your game on the social medias. And bring your breakfast or brunch. Adventurers need their sustenance! And coffee.
P.S. Got some tips on how to do this and links to useful files here:http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/blog/2014/7/14/sunday-morning-swords
http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/blog/2014/7/14/sunday-morning-swords
Monday, August 15, 2016
True Confession: I am watching Beastmaster for the very first time right now.
True Confession: I am watching Beastmaster for the very first time right now.
Here's a hot #SundayAMSwords tip found by Johannes Oppermann this for this past Sunday's game--a link to the...
Here's a hot #SundayAMSwords tip found by Johannes Oppermann this for this past Sunday's game--a link to the original Hangouts interface which allows for vital apps like Dicestream: http://g.co/hangouts
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
In case anyone is interested in a character that started as a rogue for a Swords game, but grew into something...
In case anyone is interested in a character that started as a rogue for a Swords game, but grew into something distinctly more developed, I'll just leave this here.
Originally shared by Michael Miller
“The Mercy We Make”, the first tale of Oshala the Hex, now available.
My first foray into sword-and-sorcery fiction is now available!
I’ve never found the “sword” quite as compelling as the “sorcery”, so the main character of my stories, Oshala the Hex, is a sorceress who has sacrificed part of herself in exchange for magical power that few others possess.
In this first short story, “The Mercy We Make”, Oshala the Hex is a solitary figure who breaches the stoic mountain fastness of a long-forgotten emperor in search of an ancient artifact. The undying spirits within welcome a new, living soul to torment. But who will get the better of whom? Can Oshala the Hex escape where multitudes have fallen? Will her mission of mercy end in triumph, or eons of unending torment?
Check back next month for a new tale of Oshala the Hex.
The first 5,000-word tale is now available from these fine retailers:
~Payhip: https://payhip.com/b/BJna
~Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/655828
~Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-We-Make-Tale-Oshala-ebook/dp/B01JNB466K/ref=la_B01JWIS7SM_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470745673&sr=1-1#navbar
~DriveThruFiction: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/190368/The-Mercy-We-Make
http://ipressgames.com/index.php/2016/08/09/tmwm/
Originally shared by Michael Miller
“The Mercy We Make”, the first tale of Oshala the Hex, now available.
My first foray into sword-and-sorcery fiction is now available!
I’ve never found the “sword” quite as compelling as the “sorcery”, so the main character of my stories, Oshala the Hex, is a sorceress who has sacrificed part of herself in exchange for magical power that few others possess.
In this first short story, “The Mercy We Make”, Oshala the Hex is a solitary figure who breaches the stoic mountain fastness of a long-forgotten emperor in search of an ancient artifact. The undying spirits within welcome a new, living soul to torment. But who will get the better of whom? Can Oshala the Hex escape where multitudes have fallen? Will her mission of mercy end in triumph, or eons of unending torment?
Check back next month for a new tale of Oshala the Hex.
The first 5,000-word tale is now available from these fine retailers:
~Payhip: https://payhip.com/b/BJna
~Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/655828
~Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mercy-We-Make-Tale-Oshala-ebook/dp/B01JNB466K/ref=la_B01JWIS7SM_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470745673&sr=1-1#navbar
~DriveThruFiction: http://www.drivethrufiction.com/product/190368/The-Mercy-We-Make
http://ipressgames.com/index.php/2016/08/09/tmwm/
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Saturday, August 6, 2016
#GamesWithoutMaster
#GamesWithoutMaster
The Dread Geas of Duke Vulku worked great in the Ravenloft setting. Beforehand the Ravenloft thing was just an excuse to run a dirty hippy game at an D&D event, but after I rolled up 3 encounters with heavy themes of youth, skin and pain I realized that maybe Vulku is a cursed Darklord on an everlasting quest to reach the tome-tomb...
The Dread Geas of Duke Vulku worked great in the Ravenloft setting. Beforehand the Ravenloft thing was just an excuse to run a dirty hippy game at an D&D event, but after I rolled up 3 encounters with heavy themes of youth, skin and pain I realized that maybe Vulku is a cursed Darklord on an everlasting quest to reach the tome-tomb...
Friday, August 5, 2016
Saving for future eidolon mining.
Saving for future eidolon mining.
Originally shared by Ancient Origins
Hy-Brasil was an island which appeared on ancient maps as early as 1325 and into the 1800s. On most maps, it was located roughly 321km (200 miles) off the west coast of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean. One of the most distinctive geographical features of Hy-Brasil on those maps is that it often appears as a circle with a channel (or river) running east to west across the diameter. Stories about the island have circulated throughout Europe for centuries with tales that it was the promised land of saints or a paradise where an advanced civilization lived. In Irish myth, it was said to be clouded in mist except for one day every seven years when it became visible but still could not be reached.
#ireland #phantom #island
http://buff.ly/2auOjwr
Originally shared by Ancient Origins
Hy-Brasil was an island which appeared on ancient maps as early as 1325 and into the 1800s. On most maps, it was located roughly 321km (200 miles) off the west coast of Ireland in the North Atlantic Ocean. One of the most distinctive geographical features of Hy-Brasil on those maps is that it often appears as a circle with a channel (or river) running east to west across the diameter. Stories about the island have circulated throughout Europe for centuries with tales that it was the promised land of saints or a paradise where an advanced civilization lived. In Irish myth, it was said to be clouded in mist except for one day every seven years when it became visible but still could not be reached.
#ireland #phantom #island
http://buff.ly/2auOjwr
Thursday, August 4, 2016
Seen at #GenCon, a fresh new approach to simulacra & eidolons: Adventure Scents!
Seen at #GenCon, a fresh new approach to simulacra & eidolons: Adventure Scents!
www.adventurescents.com
www.adventurescents.com
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