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Greetings and salutations!
Hello everyone!
I want to preface my introduction with an acknowledgement to the staff of Obsidian Portal that if I cross any lines, step on any toes or otherwise violate the rules and regulations of Obsidian Portal Forums in any way that my posts may be removed without warning.
Now, with that done: My name is Frank, and I am from the Ottawa, Ontario area! I've been playing games (table-top, strategy, miniature, Live-Action and all things in between) for almost twenty years now, and I have no intention on stopping any time soon. I do want to clarify and say that - contrary to the forum name I have picked for myself - I am *not* an admin to the site. The name was picked as a moniker to represent the Game Master of the game that I have created. *_The Hunt RPG_* is a new, diceless role-playing game that is now in its final stages of beta testing, and I intend on hitting up several conventions this and next year. Of them all, I am hoping to attend GenCon next year, but that convention is but a dream at this point.
This particular game is, as stated, diceless, and it pits normal humans up against the denizens of the night. Vampires, ghosts, werewolves ... all sorts of things that go bump in the night face off against the resourcefulness of you, the player, and the friends that make up your crew. I've always found that role-playing a game felt much more satisfying than tossing the dice. Of course there is a time and a place for that - I wouldn't be here if it weren't for some casual casting of the bones - but when two or more players are engaged in a heated discussion, or the players are encountering a particular harrowing situation, nothing ruins the moment than when rolling dice. Sometimes the feeling is lost and can't be picked back up again. That's why I created this game as 'diceless'.
Also as a unique feature of this game is the lack of 'setting'. Although I might notate a few NPC's at the end for easy reference, there is no setting at all. This makes it easier to manipulate to the whims of the Admin (aka the Game Master). If you want a Lovecraftian Steampunk setting? Go for it. Modern-age chivalry campaign? Done. Post-apocalyptic zombie-fest? have at 'er. Hell, even if you wanted to - for one reason or another - create an Ice Age game, there is nothing stopping you except your imagination. And maybe the players. But that's it!
There is a question that often comes to me that I would like to address:
bq. But Frank! How can you possibly resolve anything without dice?!
And I'm glad you asked, anonymous individual. Through game play, the Admin takes a number of factors into mind and asks the players to quickly rhyme off their particular statistics or _Ranks_ in a skill (alternatively, the Admin could just take a copy of their character sheet and compare the numbers in his head) and determines whether the player should succeed or fail. Of course, there are contributing factors to think about, like the description of the intent and the difficulty of the task.
bq. But what about combat? Surely you need randomization in something like this, right?
When designing combat, I had to have something that would add randomness into the equation. The first Alpha Testing had our PC's attack each other, and if someone's attack wasn't nearly as good as the defender's ... well, defence, there was no way in hell that the attacker would ever hit. So I had to add in some features. *_Fatigue Points_* were added to simulate how tired one gets during combat, or how much someone could push themselves under stress, and one could spend these *_FP's_* for extra things like 'Extra Damage' or 'Extra Defence'. All in all, it comes down to a game of poker, where you lay out a few cards with your intended actions, with those cards adding to the appropriate score. Of course, you could always Bluff, as well.
Although the core game is pretty much done, I'm also working on a follow-up to the main book. Things that I wanted to put into the game, but didn't fit the 'feel' of the core rules. I do have to say, though, that I have a better understanding of some gaming companies and the need for supplements. Ugh ...
Nonetheless, that's my game in a nutshell. (Ever since seeing 'Austin Powers', I could never think of that saying ('in a nutshell') the same again, but I digress.) I just want to thank you for reading this and putting up with my ramblings! I'm very excited about this project and wanted to share it with my fellow gamers!
Thanks again!
~ Frank
aka Admin1
I want to preface my introduction with an acknowledgement to the staff of Obsidian Portal that if I cross any lines, step on any toes or otherwise violate the rules and regulations of Obsidian Portal Forums in any way that my posts may be removed without warning.
Now, with that done: My name is Frank, and I am from the Ottawa, Ontario area! I've been playing games (table-top, strategy, miniature, Live-Action and all things in between) for almost twenty years now, and I have no intention on stopping any time soon. I do want to clarify and say that - contrary to the forum name I have picked for myself - I am *not* an admin to the site. The name was picked as a moniker to represent the Game Master of the game that I have created. *_The Hunt RPG_* is a new, diceless role-playing game that is now in its final stages of beta testing, and I intend on hitting up several conventions this and next year. Of them all, I am hoping to attend GenCon next year, but that convention is but a dream at this point.
This particular game is, as stated, diceless, and it pits normal humans up against the denizens of the night. Vampires, ghosts, werewolves ... all sorts of things that go bump in the night face off against the resourcefulness of you, the player, and the friends that make up your crew. I've always found that role-playing a game felt much more satisfying than tossing the dice. Of course there is a time and a place for that - I wouldn't be here if it weren't for some casual casting of the bones - but when two or more players are engaged in a heated discussion, or the players are encountering a particular harrowing situation, nothing ruins the moment than when rolling dice. Sometimes the feeling is lost and can't be picked back up again. That's why I created this game as 'diceless'.
Also as a unique feature of this game is the lack of 'setting'. Although I might notate a few NPC's at the end for easy reference, there is no setting at all. This makes it easier to manipulate to the whims of the Admin (aka the Game Master). If you want a Lovecraftian Steampunk setting? Go for it. Modern-age chivalry campaign? Done. Post-apocalyptic zombie-fest? have at 'er. Hell, even if you wanted to - for one reason or another - create an Ice Age game, there is nothing stopping you except your imagination. And maybe the players. But that's it!
There is a question that often comes to me that I would like to address:
bq. But Frank! How can you possibly resolve anything without dice?!
And I'm glad you asked, anonymous individual. Through game play, the Admin takes a number of factors into mind and asks the players to quickly rhyme off their particular statistics or _Ranks_ in a skill (alternatively, the Admin could just take a copy of their character sheet and compare the numbers in his head) and determines whether the player should succeed or fail. Of course, there are contributing factors to think about, like the description of the intent and the difficulty of the task.
bq. But what about combat? Surely you need randomization in something like this, right?
When designing combat, I had to have something that would add randomness into the equation. The first Alpha Testing had our PC's attack each other, and if someone's attack wasn't nearly as good as the defender's ... well, defence, there was no way in hell that the attacker would ever hit. So I had to add in some features. *_Fatigue Points_* were added to simulate how tired one gets during combat, or how much someone could push themselves under stress, and one could spend these *_FP's_* for extra things like 'Extra Damage' or 'Extra Defence'. All in all, it comes down to a game of poker, where you lay out a few cards with your intended actions, with those cards adding to the appropriate score. Of course, you could always Bluff, as well.
Although the core game is pretty much done, I'm also working on a follow-up to the main book. Things that I wanted to put into the game, but didn't fit the 'feel' of the core rules. I do have to say, though, that I have a better understanding of some gaming companies and the need for supplements. Ugh ...
Nonetheless, that's my game in a nutshell. (Ever since seeing 'Austin Powers', I could never think of that saying ('in a nutshell') the same again, but I digress.) I just want to thank you for reading this and putting up with my ramblings! I'm very excited about this project and wanted to share it with my fellow gamers!
Thanks again!
~ Frank
aka Admin1
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Comments
(in my defence, I didn't see anything that prevents me from posting this, although I have been known to be wrong in the past)
I now have a new Rockethub initiative up! Check it out:
http://www.rockethub.com/projects/8679-the-hunt-rpg
Very exciting time for me right now. I'm in the process of going through some revisions on the game, some feedback from my editor and the beta testers! Very positive words and I'm very excited that the past several months have culminated to this point. The Hunt RPG is a wonderful piece of work, if I do say so myself, and I'm pumped to get it out to the public!
Very exciting time for me right now. I'm in the process of going through some revisions on the game, some feedback from my editor and the beta testers! Very positive words and I'm very excited that the past several months have culminated to this point. The Hunt RPG is a wonderful piece of work, if I do say so myself, and I'm pumped to get it out to the public!
Very exciting time for me right now. I'm in the process of going through some revisions on the game, some feedback from my editor and the beta testers! Very positive words and I'm very excited that the past several months have culminated to this point. The Hunt RPG is a wonderful piece of work, if I do say so myself, and I'm pumped to get it out to the public!
Very exciting time for me right now. I'm in the process of going through some revisions on the game, some feedback from my editor and the beta testers! Very positive words and I'm very excited that the past several months have culminated to this point. The Hunt RPG is a wonderful piece of work, if I do say so myself, and I'm pumped to get it out to the public!
Cheers,
-Arsheesh
So, Amma gonna keep on rattlin' them bones, Dude!
twiggyleaf
"Shimring - The Faces of Divinity":http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/shimring
(a multiplanar 3.5 D&D campaign)
"I met a traveller from an antique land....."
CotM May 2016: Mysteria: set in Wolfgang Baur’s MIDGARD.
Previous CotM Aug 2012: Shimring: High Level Multiplanar Campaign
Inner Council Member
@twiggyleaf: There ain't nothin' wrong with having a good ole fistful o' dice in your hands, I'll admit that! From time to time, I agree that it is most satisfying! So roll on, sez I, good Twiggy! Roll on! I still play those dice-rolling games, and I will continue to do so!
After ten years of running with a LARP group where our main conflict resolution was Rock / Paper / Scissors, it got a little out of hand. The momentum was severely reduced and the feeling of the situation was lost completely. So I offered this as an alternative, and I offer it to people to at least give it a try. 8 more days, and it's out to the public. I'm just a little more than a smidgen nervous >.
I've hit a bit of an unforeseen snag in my plans. I'm currently working diligently on this and hope to have something out soon.
I'm quite frustrated that I can't produce something on time as I had promised, as I am concerned about perceptions of the public (if I falter at this, what does it say about my product?), but I hope people are understanding.
Check out this link for the message.
And thanks again for your support thus far: http://thehuntrpg.com/?p=734
Check out my website for more information!
And thank you all who have shown your support!
~Frank