On crunch, fluff, and system necromancy

We're starting playing RPGs again this week - and I for one can't wait! It seems I've been handed the reins, although Dave has FantasyCraft ready to roll "whenever," but I've been struck by a thought:

My group likes crunch. We love rules, and stats, and rolling on tables. This may well be why the rules-light games (PDQ# etc) we've played have tailed off. I think this could also be why people don't seem too keen on Savage Worlds...

Why I'm running my next campaign in the Deadlands

Well, Thursday was a mixed bag.

Firstly, no gaming! As two of our group failed to turn up, there was a lack of Fantasycraft goodness.

However, I did get to talk to Dave about Deadlands, my next choice of setting under the Savage Worlds umbrella. In case you've not heard of it, Savage Worlds is a nice rules-light system that looks a blast to play; we made him a character, Lizzie-Lou McTire, but ran out of time to try the system out.

Deadlands itself grabbed me straight away - it's a mix of Wild West and Horror that somehow manages not to be hokey. I can see where and how I can get multiple story arcs in - I've got ideas for one or two already. After running a couple of PDQ# games, and trying to run Castle Falkenstein, I fancied something grittier which Deadlands serves up in spades.

The plan is to play the "Wild West" part in a more cinematic style, while toning down the "horror" to more Creeping Dread than Buckets Of Gore. Hopefully we'll end up somewhere Cthulhu-esque but with comic relief. Dreams will feature prominently.

Wish me luck, check back to see how we get on!

Character: Gobsock

As this was our first foray back into fantasy since 4e D&D, I wanted my Goblin priest to be a little different - and Fantasycraft delivered!

Gobsock's concept was gutter-runner gone good - at some point, his life was spared or saved, and he changed his ways. He works at a mission in the poorest part of the city, and is slowly discovering his miraculous powers.

Firstly, I didn't really know the system, so I went for a reasonable mix stats-wise; taking high Wisdom & Strength (to wield the "good" alignment's broadsword) at the expense of Constitution and Charisma. I took "criminal" as a background, denying him the ubiquitous Turn Undead in favour of Cheap Shot, increased intimidation and thieving skills, and a crucial speed increase to match the humans in the party.

With a decent speed and Dexterity, coupled with is small size, Gobsock's defence is pretty good at 15. I figured I'd leave his Con low as he was happy to trust in his faith to keep him alive - this has since worked out pretty well, in that every time he's on the verge of death the GM seems to roll low..!

I took the "life" and "light" paths as a priest, the former to highlight his work as a healer, and the latter to overcome his aversion to bright light (immunity to flash damage). His main skills are healing, haggling, and intimidation.

He's ended up being a pretty nice support character with healing and debuffing powers, sneaky and hard to hit while still being able to dish it out with his broadsword. Taking 90% damage from a single hit then miraculously dodging another four or five - before taking down the attackers next round - never gets old!

Fantasycraft campaign, session two...

Following a trail of clues back to a now-desolated village, the party finds a horde of zombies lying in wait in the fog-shrouded churchyard.

Gobsock moves forward, searching for survivors and keeping a wary eye out for the minions of evil, the others spreading out and engaging the enemy in the tattered streets. With a roar, one of the trees bursts free of the woods outside the village and charges the party, intent on tearing them limb from limb, driving the fighters into the cover of one of the ravaged houses.

As they whittle down its flailing branches, Gobsock despatches a zombie ravener and sneaks round behind the rootwalker, before dazzling it with a flare of holy light. Our heroes finally begin to wear it down, becoming bolder as all four hack away at it in a spray of sap. With a scream, the creature falls through one of the villagers' hovels and is finally still.

As the priest patches up his companions they hear movement on the other side of the church - more raveners, a dozen of the foul beasts! As a man, they rush out to meet the enemy in a clash of steel against claw. Gobsock takes a vicious wound, almost dropping him, as Captain Kelwin falls under the weight of the onslaught. As the others rush to Kelwin's aid, Gobsock deftly dodges the attacks of a brace of raveners (his God be praised!) before decapitating the pair with a swing of his broadsword.

The others are slowly pushed back, leaving our heroes bloody but victorious!

Thursday's gaming session

This week was the first session this year with a full complement of the regulars - so we finally started playing Dave's FantasyCraft campaign.

The system seems pretty good, there's quite a bit of complexity in character generation but there are a few nice touches once the dice get rolling. We'll see how it goes...

Having not "played" for a while, but mainly GMed, I wanted a fun character. My original sketch from a few months ago was for a rootwalker mystic, but I fancied someone a bit more fighty. Eventually I settled on a broadsword-wielding goblin priest with a criminal past - to contrast Nath's musketeer captain and Mark's fighty dwarf.

Gobsock was sitting quietly in a mountain inn, minding his own business and nursing his ale, when a ragged figure collapsed through the door, bleeding badly and telling of an attack. Gobsock ran to his aid as a stout dwarf and a moustached human (we haven't been introduced) checked outside for his pursuers - the latter followed by a doe-eyed barmaid, despite his warnings to stay inside.

An eerie mist rolled in, full of shadowy figures. The dwarf returned to our table and began loading his blunderbuss as the musketeer strode outside to confront the horrors, saber drawn. He was badly bitten but took down three of the creatures with the help of his man-at-arms. Gobsock couldn't save the stricken messenger, so made him comfortable and turned his attentions to the creatures swarming the bar area.

One leapt at him as the dwarf unloaded his blunderbuss at another - missing and showering the room and patrons in plaster and bits of wood. Gobsock ducked the flailing zombie and cleaved it in half with a swing of his broadsword as the dwarf finished off the final attacker.

But where had they come from..?