Previous Topics

9/8/2005 James_Nostack: Indie Supplement Design (?)
For the past three years I had been running an IRC campaign based on TSR's Alternity game.  Now that the game has finished gloriously--thanks in part due to Forge peeps--I'd…
In Indie Game Design
Participants: James_Nostack, MikeSands, Gamskee, Rob Carriere, Troy_Costisick.

8/13/2005 James_Nostack: [R Map] The Big Lebowski
I am working my way through Sorcerer's Soul, but since I seldom read mystery novels I thought I would use The Big Lebowski instead.  It's a "detective story" though certainly…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, Miskatonic, Sean, Yokiboy.

8/8/2005 James_Nostack: end of game: All Your Base Pairs Are Belong To Us
On Saturday, July 30 I ended my Alternity campaign, conducted via IRC for 157 weeks.  This thread aims to do three things; skip over the parts that don't interest you:…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Eero Tuovinen, cruciel.

8/5/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Demon: the Jar of Goo
I have a question about how to stat up a demon: Player envisions a big jar of protoplasm that can pour goop to form objects out of non-living biological matter. …
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards.

7/16/2005 James_Nostack: [&Sword] Trading Victories Question
On page 70 of Sorcerer & Sword: On a successful roll you may choose to bump the victories all the way down to an inconclusive tie, to save them for…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards.

7/14/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Ritual Questions
1. Does striking a Pact entail a Humanity roll? I would assume so, as it's a "sub-category of Binding" but I want to make sure. 2. How long does a…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Jeffrey Straszheim, angelfromanotherpin, Ron Edwards.

7/12/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] The Mini-Campaign of Mologn
This is an Actual Play thread from the player's point of view, and it covers maybe six game sessions set in the World of Near. Characters and a few logs…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Vaxalon.

7/11/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Idea for Setting
Here is a loose idea for a Sorcerer setting. I am still trying to figure out... 1. What would Humanity be, in a game like this? and 2. Is it…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, TonyLB, Sydney Freedberg.

5/26/2005 James_Nostack: n00bies: Why, and What Happened Next?
I am curious about why people, particularly adults, choose to participate in roleplaying games for the first time. I am also curious about how they reacted to (a) the game…
In RPG Theory
Participants: James_Nostack, GB Steve, Selene Tan, Mike Holmes, greyorm, Bankuei, M. J. Young, komradebob, GameLoft.

5/23/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] Why NOT to Bring It?
Question about the design: Is there any reason why a player wouldn't Bring Down the Pain whenever she doesn't get her way? Like, "Oops, I flubbed that roll. Bring the…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, KingstonC, pfischer, aplath, Victor Gijsbers.

5/14/2005 James_Nostack: Bangs: Am I Doing This Right?
I am struggling to write engaging bangs. I tried my best for this morning's session, with results shown below. ==== Game System - Alternity, modified a bit for Stakes Resolution,…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Eero Tuovinen.

5/6/2005 James_Nostack: [Donjon] Streamlining Combat for IRC?
Three characters fight three monsters. Let's assume that for each of these 6 characters, their (Level + Discernment + initiative abilities) give 6 actions per flurry. For each of these…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Selene Tan.

4/28/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] Three-Corner Magic Questions
I have some questions about the Day focus of Three-Corner magic: Creation, Enhancement, and Divination. 1. Creation - "the character can create a small amount of one of the four…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Clay, Clinton R. Nixon, Ben Lehman, Vaxalon.

4/16/2005 James_Nostack: [Capes] What Do I Take Pride In?
You've just been playing Capes with your friends, and the session has wrapped up. Let's say it was a blast, and you had a good time. What do you take…
In Muse of Fire Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Sydney Freedberg, TonyLB, Vaxalon.

4/12/2005 James_Nostack: [Capes] Takes Some Getting Used To
So: my first session of Capes Lite, kindly run by Vaxalon with some help from Lxndr. I do not own Capes itself. * Vax ran his energy-blaster hero, Kozmik Ray…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, TonyLB, Vaxalon, Doug Ruff, Miskatonic, Sydney Freedberg, Noon, Valamir, John Kim, hyphz, John Harper, Gaerik, C. Edwards.

4/3/2005 James_Nostack: [Pool] Coldblood & Dr. Mulberry
I ran my first session of the Pool last night! We didn't want to continue our regular science-fiction game because we were short a player, so we decided to explore…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, aplath.

4/2/2005 James_Nostack: [& Sword] Liches (again)
Allow me to do some forum necromancy here and bring this thread Becoming Undead back from the grave. But I've got some quick questions on that topic. 1. If you…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, dyjoots.

3/29/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Sacrifice Questions
On page 87 of the 2001 printing, it says... Furthermore, performing a sacrifice entails making another Humanity check. If it is a human sacrifice, this check has a penalty equal…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Trevis Martin, Ron Edwards.

3/25/2005 James_Nostack: Constructing Good Bangs
While most of the people who post at the Forge are regulars, I expect a lot of the lurkers are newcomers who don't understand all this Bang and Kicker stuff.…
In RPG Theory
Participants: James_Nostack, Paka, TonyLB, bcook1971, Noon, Alan, Ron Edwards, FzGhouL, Christopher Kubasik, Trevis Martin, M. J. Young.

3/24/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] Secret of the Berserker?
How would one model a berzerker rage type of ability in TSOY? I figure whatever it was, would either convert your Reason points to bonus dice for fightin', or else…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, sirogit, Ron Edwards, Andy Kitkowski.

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Subsequent Topics

9/30/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc Combat]
This is another thread in the long-running, "James is an idiot who keeps getting flummoxed by combat in Sorcerer" series.  In today's episode, he wonders about sucking up the hit…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Valamir, Nev the Deranged, ScottM, Lisa Padol, Ron Edwards, jburneko.

10/17/2005 James_Nostack: Donjon of Oz?
Has anyone tried running Donjon in children's fantasy books?  Like, say, The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?  These books are…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Vaxalon, John Harper.

10/21/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Possessor uses Host Stamina?
Quick question: Say you're the host of a Possessor demon.  When the demon comes out to play, what Stamina does it use for physical activity, its own or its host's? …
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards.

10/28/2005 James_Nostack: [PTA] Radio Free Kroia!
Welcome to Kroia, economic powerhouse of the Eastern European (or possibly Central Asian) nation of Navistan.  Kroia is a port city known for its shipyards.  In the Summer of 1991,…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Jonathan Hastings, nikola, komradebob, demiurgeastaroth.

11/2/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] Old BDTP, new Dice?
Hi, totally like the idea of using Fudge Dice for TSOY, but I totally hate the new "hit point" style BDTP.  So here was something I was thinking about this…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Clinton R. Nixon.

11/2/2005 James_Nostack: Science Fiction vs. Fantasy
[Ed.'s note: this is split from the [url=http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17373.0]Shock 0.1.0 Playtest Thread[/url] and pared down by me. -Joshua] 11.  Why is this necessarily [b]science[/b]-fiction, as opposed to say, socially conscious fantasy…
In glyphpress
Participants: James_Nostack, nikola, Turbo, Nev the Deranged, TempvsMortis, surecool73.

11/6/2005 James_Nostack: [SOY] Witches: Brides of the Shadow
What's a "pumpkin fantasy" game without witchcraft?  Secret of Witchcraft Pick an aspect of the world: this is your theme.  A theme can be something like Night, Love, Iron, Forest,…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Paka, Ron Edwards, Eero Tuovinen, Twobirds, Clinton R. Nixon.

11/18/2005 James_Nostack: [TSOY] Pimpin' Ain't Easy
Here's how I view my economic transactions with Anvilwerks Press: 1.  Clinton works hard, and makes awesome games. 2.  I mooch and don't pay him anything.  Largely because I have…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Paka.

11/19/2005 James_Nostack: [Trollbabe] The Blood Gates
[b]Who[/b] - Me, Jon, and Steven.  We've met maybe 3-4 times for a Primetime Adventures game about Serbia circa 1991, but we couldn't get the whole group together, so we…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, Jonathan Hastings.

11/26/2005 James_Nostack: [Sorc] Combat Wiki Posted
[url=http://random.average-bear.com/Sorcerer/HelpfulFlowchartForSorcererConflict]Helpful Flowchart for Sorcerer Conflict[/url] At least, I [i]hope[/i] it's helpful.  I'll try to monitor the combat threads, and modify this in the light of frequent questions and their answers. …
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Lisa Padol, Ron Edwards.

12/10/2005 James_Nostack: [SOY] Hybrid Harm
While I like most of the changes in Fudgy SOY, I kind of liked the old way of doing Harm.  This is my port of the Old SOY Harm thingy…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack.

12/23/2005 James_Nostack: Request: best "actual advice" on Scenario Prep
I'm asking GM's for their own Actual Play examples of good scenario design, for a project I'm doing.  My own contribution is at the bottom.  Project details follow: I've written…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, TonyLB, Ron Edwards.

12/25/2005 James_Nostack: [& Sword] First Time Prep: Atlantis Pulp Fantasy
After many months, I finally will have a chance to try out Sorcerer & Sword through IRC.  I'm posting this up here for advice, suggestions, and warnings.  This is the…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards.

12/25/2005 James_Nostack: [TSoy] Shakespeare 101
[b]Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark[/b] Key of the Mission Key of the Coward Secret of Speaking to Ghosts * Freeload 2 * Discern Truth 1 * Etiquette 1 * Duel…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, jasonm.

1/29/2006 James_Nostack: [& Sword] The Doom of Hanno Mad-Dog
After nine freaking months everything lined up properly to give Sorcerer & Sword a go.  It was a good time, slowed slightly due to the limitations of IRC as a…
In Actual Play
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, Bob the Fighter.

2/1/2006 James_Nostack: Social Contract: Editing Player's Demon?
A few days ago I ran a Sorcerer & Sword game.  The player's starting demon is a no-fooling pagan god-- Ogoun, the King of Swords.  In Ogoun's case, my player…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards.

2/3/2006 James_Nostack: [Donjon] Best/Funniest Classes
Inspired by the Ninja! thread, I'd like to see more fun classes for Donjon. Professional Coward * Hide Anywhere Beg to Reconsider Stab Wildly in Terror Run in Dread "Oh…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, xjermx, Bret Gillan, ubergeek2012, John Harper, Sonja, Gaerik, 1of3, Blake Hutchins, Iskander.

2/15/2006 James_Nostack: [Paladin] Reactive/Reactive Combat?
In the rules of Paladin, there's a chart for combat outcomes depending on whether someone is Active or Reactive.  As I understand it, an Active Flesh attribute is utilized whenever…
In CRN Games
Participants: James_Nostack, Artanis.

2/28/2006 James_Nostack: Octavia Butler dead at 58
Dang.  I only read a few of her books, but she was good.  I figured I'd post it here because she showed up in the bibliography thread. Head injury after…
In glyphpress
Participants: James_Nostack, nikola, Nev the Deranged, lopes-gabriel.

3/20/2006 James_Nostack: [& Sword] Armies in Conflict
In a Conan story--"The Scarlet Citadel," I think--Conan is in charge of a huge army, fighting against this other huge army.  In the first Elric novel, Yyrkoon and the Angsty…
In Adept Press
Participants: James_Nostack, Ron Edwards, MatrixGamer.

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