• Here’s what the board looks like
• Stop the evil DIA horse!
• This is supposed to look like the Rocky Mountains
• Bangladesh is the primary producer of Jute which is used to make Nakshi Kantha tapestries. I had no idea, I was just making stuff up.

Come talk about this episode in the forum thread!

When I woke up, I decided to blog about the 9 Rule Zeroes in an attempt to determine which should be the one, true Rule Zero! I’ll take them from worst to best:

#9 Never do anything that might help the GM

I learned this one playing Living Greyhawk (the 3.5 version of Living Forgotten Realms) from another player who I thankfully only played with one time (no, most “living” players aren’t at all like this; I don’t care what you heard!). I can’t imagine a worse Rule Zero – it basically says, “Don’t play your character, don’t engage in the story, just stay in a tight formation until we get the XP and treasure.” While it was probably created in response to killer GMs, it just serves to reinforce that behavior as the only way for the GM to interact with the group is to throw more monsters at them!

While this is the most dysfunctional Rule Zero, it is fortunately rather rare, in my experience.

#8 The GM is always right

Sure…but only if you’re playing D&D…and you’re in Middle School. Really, adults don’t need this rule and they know better than to think that their friend running the game is right when they are clearly wrong. Better to say that the GM has the final call, but that’s not always the case these days. Group consensus or veto-with-seconds rules have proven just as effective at maintaining a fair and consistent fictional world. Overall, this one is a relic of the past.

#7 Never split the party

- Suggested by Eric from the Podge Cast

This is almost as bad as #9 in creating static, boring play. It may be tactically prudent, but if doesn’t fit the tone of the fiction (Star Wars characters always split up) or make sense for the character or their situation then how does it help the game? This is also a cause and effect of an infinite loop of Player-GM distrust – but this one is a lot more common than #9. And it’s intended to create peer pressure not to break ranks and play how you might want to play, which is pretty dysfunctional.

But then again…a lot of times…it’s right! A lot of table-top RPGs are balanced around a full party of characters taking on a threat. Facing the same threat with a split group might lead to quick character deaths – even TPKs. Still, a good Rule Zero should be near-universally true and not primarily a D&D in-joke.

#6 Roll on the fucking table

- Suggested by David from the Backseat Producers

It really hacks me off when my fellow players can’t keep the dice on the table, want to count the dice that landed on a high number on the floor (but not when they’re low), roll them in a shoe box – or a shoe, and a hundred other annoying things that human beings have found to do with their dice. Let’s all roll the dice on the table, where everyone can see them, and no funny business. Is that too much to ask?

But at the end of the day, this is trivial and more of a pet-peeve than universal directive. Just be aware of your groups’ expectations and try to play nice.

#5 Never touch another man’s dice (aka “The Herzog Rule”)

- Suggested by Tim White from Return to Northmoor

This one’s cool. It sounds like an Old West proverb and that makes it bad ass! Some people spend a lot of time and money on their dice, dice bags, dice towers, dice poppers – I could go on. Of course we should respect other people’s property and sometimes geeks need to be more aware of personal boundaries and the rules of polite society.

But can we just grab the women’s dice all willy-nilly? Definitely a double-standard, but that’s the Old West for ya. What really kills this rule is that most players don’t take their dice so seriously and share them out no problem. It’s far from universal… but that feller in the wide-brimmed hat over in the corner will take your hand clean off if you touch his speckled D20!

#4 Don’t be *THAT* guy

- Suggested by Talulla

*THAT* guy is the one that becomes an example of what not to do at the table. It could be the guy who is never prepared, or takes far too long to play his turn, or wears shorts that expose…things. This one is very context based and is probably a better Rule Zero for life than for RPGs. We need to realize when we’re annoying other humans or just completely missing the boat and try to fix it where we can.

But it’s also rather judgmental. We were all *THAT* guy or *THAT* girl to someone at some point in time and most of us will be again. The heart of this one is to know your group and try to find a play style that you can enjoy that works with that group – or maybe find a different group. None of us want to be *THAT* person but it’s not always worth conforming just to fit in.

#3 If the rules don’t work for your group, change them

Thanks to D&D 3E, this is the most common of the Rule Zeroes. So why doesn’t the game designer make better rules or explain their rules better? That’s usually the real problem that makes this rule necessary. I don’t think you would see this as a Rule Zero for board games or minis where the rules are expected to work and no one has time for broken or incoherent games. But for some reason roleplayers often give big problems with the rules a pass or they don’t bother to try to learn the rule and just play it “our way”. Maybe I’ve always been a rules lawyer at heart, be it traditional RPGs or Story Games, but this attitude always grates on me. Furthermore, it makes all our game tables little islands of incoherent house rules that are bound to frustrate new players if they travel from group to group.

So while I’m clearly not a big fan of this rule, I still rated it third place. That’s because the heart of this rule is that having fun together with the game should be more important than following the rules and certainly more important than arguing about the rules. And that certainly rings true.

#2 It’s a game, have fun

Yes, sometimes we need to be reminded. It’s easy to get wrapped up in personal politics, rules disagreements, disappointment over bad outcomes in the game, or even problems from home and work that we forgot to leave in their places. Don’t do that. Have fun with your friends and if the game isn’t fun do something else together.

Here comes the other hand again! Some games are cathartic or intense or disturbing. What do you mean by fun? I think those things are fun to experience, but this rule can be warped to mean, “I don’t want to go there and neither should you.” Fun doesn’t have to be goofy and light, but some people will always interpret it that way. And sometimes your funs won’t match, so this rule won’t always hold true.

#1 Don’t be a dick

- Attributed to Jesus Christ via Clyde from Theory from the Closet

This isn’t always the easiest Rule Zero to follow in every group, especially if you play with random people at a con and encounter someone that really presses your buttons. Try to remember that the game will end…eventually. But if you play with friends – or at least people you want to be friends with – you should definitely try your best to follow this one.

So is it universal? The only, very minor exception I can think of is if your character is supposed to be a dick, but then that should be understood and playing him or her as a dick doesn’t count as being a dick to your real-world fellow gamers. In fact they are meant to enjoy your character’s dick-ish behavior and will likely be disappointed if you don’t ‘bring it’ – especially as the GM.

But is this a Rule Zero for gaming or for life? It can be real easy to forget this rule when you’re in the thick of the game, immersed in the fiction, and fighting for what you want. You should be playing RPGs with passion and that passion is what can blind us and why we need this as our Rule Zero Supreme.

And in real life? Well that guy that just cut me off deserves the middle finger! Does he have any idea how hard it is to Twitter and drive!?!

The second is “The Brilliant Gameologists”. Careful, they ain’t safe for work (and neither am I on that episode). We discuss the RPG Podcast Listeners Survey Results, which I had a hand in.

Enjoy!

• We review “Burning Empires” and discuss my failure to record it in great depth
• We also review “Mouse Guard” from a very biased perspective
• We’ll teach you all there is to know about Ludic Peripety
• Are most Story Games “abandon-ware”?
• Why I haven’t recorded “Committee for the Exploration of Mysteries”, “Zombie Cinema”, and other games
• There’s almost too much praise for Adam W. in this episode, especially in the discussion of “My Life with Master”
• GMing techniques for traditional games and why they don’t apply to Story Games (or Ludic Peripety)
• Do Ludic Peripety (or Story Gamers) fail “casual” role-players? (I can hear the ice cream truck in the background during this part but didn’t notice it during recording. My wife was upstairs and got herself something but didn’t get anything for me.)
• Shticky Love?!?
• Join the growing Ludic Peripety movement today! Just email Arpie.
• The best D&D 4^th Edition gaming story ever!
• Arpie reveals far too much
• The proper use of White Wolf games – run a Twilight based campaign and score with Cougars (If you think you’ve won the contest, email me!)

• In A Wicked Age
• “Webs of the Endangerment” Campaign Page
• The next two chapters (after this one) – Four and Five
• “Play Passionately” blog on the the dangers of using techniques from different Story Games
• Abulafia – great source for Oracles for “In A Wicked Age”
• Oracles I formatted for convention play

Come talk about this episode on the forum thread!

Here’s a pic of the regulars from this gaming group in faux-period costumes. No, we aren’t LARPing; why do you ask?

Come talk about this episode on the forum thread!

Part 3 next week!

• In A Wicked Age
• “Webs of the Endangerment” Campaign Page
• Chapter 3 (this episode!) of “Webs of the Endangerment”
• Previous chapters – One and Two
• Story Games Names Project

Come talk about this episode on the forum thread!

Parts 2 and 3 will follow a week apart each.

As always, please come discuss this episode on the forum!

<— See “Scott’s Campaigns” over on the left sidebar (when prompted!)

See “Recently Played” on the right sidebar for an example of GeekDo‘s terrific tools —>

• Calle Ocho
• Conflict Sheet
• The Story Arc

Here’s the forum thread for this series of episodes.

Here’s my wife modeling the “thought balloon” referenced at the start of this episode

Here’s the forum thread for this series of episodes.

Part 3 next week!

• Spider-Man example character sheet
• Hancock
• Superheroes by Religion
• I always thought Superman was Jewish, but he’s not. (His creators were though. And so is Stan Lee.)
• Apparently the new Batwoman is Jewish…and a lesbian. (Hmmm…I wonder which will get more attention?)
• Silver-Age Comics
• “Florida’s Own” is a reference to Florida’s Natural brand orange juice – the best orange juice. Period.

Here’s the forum thread for this series of episodes. I’m also going to try and leave the comments on below. Hopefully we won’t get too much spam this time.

Parts 2 and 3 will follow a week apart each!

We briefly discuss a lot of different game systems on the show. Here are the links to those:

-    Spirit of the Century
-    Primetime Adventures
-    Dirty Secrets
-    Sons of Liberty
-    With Great Power…
-    A Flower For Mara
-    Dogs in the Vineyard
-    In A Wicked Age
-    Breaking the Ice
-    Shooting the Moon
-    Mortal Coil
-    Burning Empires

Here are some links to Arpie’s sites:

-    Mostly Unfinished PTA Games
-    The One We Did Finish: Relics of Earth

You can discuss this episode on the forums in this thread.

But here it is anyway. I recorded a podcast with three hosts from other Spooky Outhouse shows in something we’re calling the “Spooky Outhouse Showcase”. I’m putting it in the feed here as it’s generally entertaining and we do talk about Story Games quite a bit on it. I apologize if you download it twice as a result. Here’s a link to the episode’s blog post with links to the other shows and here’s on for the discussion thread on the forums.

I also did an analysis of the excellent Podcast Census I linked to below. You can find the results of that analysis here. Try to stay awake.

I plan to have a real Story Shtick episode out early next week, so stay tuned!

Midnight Raid by Scott Dunphy

Along with the game chef theme of “Immersion” and ingredients of “Burn”, “Horse”, and “Midnight”, I was inspired by the Battlestar Galactica board game, Primetime Adventures, “Are You a Werewolf?”, and bad cop shows.

Geek Girls Rule!: Attack of the Girl Gaming Podcasters

Fires Over Omac scenario for Burning Empires

Neroshima – the wonderful planet my Burning Empire group created!

D&D Panel from Genghis Con: Part 1 and Part 2

I lifted out one player character’s story to see what it would be like to hear it in sequence. Please let me know what you think.

Also on this episode I give some opinions on the game and issues surrounding it. Not really a review or commentary as I did with “Dirty Secrets” or “Primetime Adventures” – that wouldn’t be fair since the game has been in development a full year since this playtest. But it raised some issue I wanted to discuss. Here’s more of my thoughts on one of those issues.

Oh yeah, I also shoved a promo for these guys in there just to break things up a bit.

“Debra” from this episode is actually Jenn Tatroe. She blogged about this very game last year, but I failed to mention than on this episode. Also, she ran the latest version of APFMT at Genghis Con 2009.

I haven’t had a chance to go through my files, but I recorded a bunch of Role-Playing Poems in action and a few full games. The one I’m most jazzed about is a “With Great Power” (WGP) game that went really well. I didn’t feel any of my Genghis 08 WGP sessions were great examples by themselves as I was still learning how to teach the system within the time constraints of a convention slot last year. I took a completely different approach this time and I had the advantage of three Story Games veterans, one with WGP experience, at my table to speed things along and help with the conceptual stuff.

I meant to do some interviews of gamers and I brought my good mics to the hotel along with carrying my portable recorder with me everywhere, but I just never got the opportunity to do this. The role-playing side of Genghis is very focused on playing games and between slots most folks are running to get food or get something from the dealer’s room (myself included) and they don’t have a lot of time to chat.

But I did put that extra equipment to use. It turns out there was a panel discussion with three D&D designers/authors featuring Andy Collins. I didn’t know about it until I was at the con and I already had a game planned in that slot, but I set up my equipment, started the recording, ran to my table, came back to tear down the equipment 2 hours later when they finished, and ran back to my table. So I haven’t even listened to it! But assuming what I recorded was usable, I’ll put it up somewhere. Probably not on the Story Shtick feed as it doesn’t really fit there, but I’ll work with Spooky Outhouse to figure out where it should go and post a link here.

WARNING: This is a recording of a playtest version of the game. The final game may be substantially different than what you hear here.

Thanks to Meg from Brilliant Gameologists for the cool promo!

Please comment on this episode here!

I’m not going to copy over all the show notes from the old site, but you can get them here.

(Had to split this into two posts; see the PTA episodes below.)