I'll Be Reckless If It Means I'll Win

It is nearly the end of the month and I have over 9000 views for April. Nine thousand.

That is the most I've had in a long while and I want to thank each and every one of you out there who has taken the time to give my weirdo, Narrative promoting, Anime discussing, Space Adventure loving RPG blog a looksee. 

You guys are the best.

For my final entry (for the time being) regarding my Goblin Slayer TRPG One-Shot run over the internet with four players in Japan, I want to talk about some interesting bits that didn't fit anywhere else. 

Hope you enjoy.

The Demon of The Lake

 of The Ruins of The Castle in The Lake

Deep Dive

I was reminded early on about one of the reasons I find Fantasy RPGs and just Fantasy in general so irritating sometimes - it is all so bog standard that any attempt to do something different often feels frustrating. 

I thought it would be cool to place the adventure in an interesting setting and terrain; a flooded castle, half submerged in a lake, and it was raining. I then took to the internet to find an image of a submerged castle. Nothing even remotely cool. 

I search for Sunken castle? No. Not completely underwater, how about Flooded Castle? Nope. Castle in a Lake? Hmmm. Castle with Water? Nothing. ARGH!

Are you telling me I am the first person in the history of Fantasy RPGs to have this type of setting in an adventure? Surely not. The first person to want a picture of it? Good grief man! WTH! I am other a savant genius of setting design or you Fantasy artists out there need to step up your game. 

Strangely, the idea was inspired by one of the early volumes of the Manga 'Dungeon Meshi' or Delicious in Dungeon. I didn't want to use that art though and confuse the IPs.

Don't even get me started on the Giant Killer Mermaid. At least that I could put together myself. Sheesh.

Favorite Quotes:

"I will make it rain Fire and Death." Naoko said this when it looked like the Lake Demon was going to eat Lady Knight and the children on the raft. She said it in a tone that was so incredibly nonchalant that I burst out laughing. It was an even, soft, but serious tone. She might as well have said, "Here are the quarterly reports you asked for" or "I took the liberty of ordering tea and scones for us". My favorite line of the night. 

Just like how [in the Anime] Goblin Slayer says 'Souka' or 'I see' a lot, Yasa's Armored Dwarf has the catchphrase Mondai Nai, which basically means 'It's no problem'. He said it often enough that it became clear he was doing it to be funny. He would lean back in his chair and smile the same way almost every time while saying it. His Dwarf was so laid back he wasn't bothered by any dangerous or difficult task the group asked of him. 

"Dwarf, do you think you could retrieve the dagger I threw into that goblin's guts?'

"Hai. Mondai nai." Sure, no problem.

When Jenn's Lady Knight needed to reach the three children tied up on a raft in the middle of the watery ritual chamber, she (the player) started to get this desperate, earnest look on her face. She was honestly worried Knight Woman wouldn't be able to jump the distance to save the kids. John noticed her look and mentioned that the Dwarf was already in the water. She looked at Yasa (via screen of course) and asked, "Is that OK?" Clearly Yasahiro had no idea what she was planning but leaned back and said, "Mondai nai."

Jenn describes Knight Woman leaping off the ledge of the pool of water and onto the floundering Dwarf. Then, bouncing off him, she jumped to the raft. Yasa's face was priceless. He laughed and laughed, moving his arms as if he was trying to tread water and then pantomimed sinking. Heroic and Hilarious! For her part, Jennifer described the Lady Knight landing on the raft with a Superhero 'Three Point Landing' stance. 

Lastly, I described the Lake Demon in some detail; a beautiful but gigantic mermaid with a very curvy figure. Yasahiro smiled and basically said, "Oh ho!". Then I mentioned her rows of razor sharp teeth and long, sharp claws. He then said something under his breath in Japanese that caused Naoko to laugh for a full minute. 

After the game I asked him what he'd said. He told me that after his "Oh ho", he had also whispered, "Sexy" in Japanese. After the full description he changed his opinion saying, "Oh. Not sexy Mermaid. Scary Mermaid."

Naming Convention:

In the Goblin Slayer series (Anime and Manga for sure - not sure about the Light Novels) none of the characters have proper names. We never find out the given names of any of the characters. The Goblin Slayer is always called Goblin Slayer. The High Elf Ranger is referred to as 'Elf', 'High Elf', ' High Elf Archer', and 'Ranger'. Even the credits of the show list the voice actors as playing secondary characters like 'Guild Girl', 'Sword Maiden', and 'Cow Girl's Uncle'. 

According to the series creator, Kumo Kagyu, this was done to reflect the fact that many players and Gamemasters of Fantasy TRPGs find it hard to come up with names for both PCs and NPCs and often forget them, simply calling them by their Race and Profession. 

When we started the game I told the players that it was fine if they created names for their PCs but I will only be calling them by their Species and Class. They were stunned and then told me the idea was brilliant. Perfect for this game world. I was pretty proud of that small but immersive choice.

A Sequel or Side Story?

We shall see.

One-Shot Wonder?

A question I've been asked by Tim Knight and others is, 'will we do it again'?

I would love to game with this group again and I am sure the players would too but the timing on the session we did was just a perfect zeitgeist. Normally Jenn, John, and Yasa only get the chance to play on the weekends and not usually together (though they might now - John and Yasa exchanged the names of their respective favorite gaming cafes.). 

If the opportunity comes up I would happily run for this group again. Such energy, investment, good RP, good tactics, and a mindset many gamers these days lack - We only have 4-5 hours to play. Do stuff. Take action. Convey your character in a line or two. Keep it moving.

I will conclude here by thanking Naoko for this opportunity and her hospitality in inviting me into her home and world if only virtually. The same goes for all those involved. Jennifer, John, and Yasahiro, it was a pleasure and I look forward to the chance to enjoy your company again. 

正式にありがとう Seishiki ni arigatō

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Barking Alien

Tabletop Gaming Online - English to Japanese Translation

A little behind the scenes information and analysis of my recent, online, one-shot of the Japanese Goblin Slayer Tabletop RPG by SB Creative, run for a group of four players living in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Let's meet the Players:

Jennifer is a White Female in her mid-20s, American, originally from California, who moved to Japan about 5 years ago. She teaches English to high school students but also does tutoring for adults. She only began playing TRPGs a year or so ago when she started dating her boyfriend John, though she has been an avid board game player for a long time. 

John hails from Seattle originally but moved to Japan a little over 5 years ago. Originally he lived in Tokyo but took a job that moved him out to Chiba. He is a White Male, mid-to-late 20s (he is a little older than Jenn). John was an avid TRPG player as a kid, stopped for several years and then got involved in it again 3 years back.

Naoko, whom I met through an online Art Forum, is a Japanese Female in her late 20s/early 30s who works for a Small Press Book Publisher. She has never played a TRPG before last night but became interested in them after seeing them at a Publishing Industry convention. She looked into them further and eventually started checking them out for her own company. She started reading my blog and that is how this whole thing really came about.

Last but not least, a colleague/co-worker of Naoko's, Yasahiro is a Japanese Male in his late 20s/early 30s who is very, very funny. Seriously, this fellow's quiet, subtle humor had me chuckling throughout most of the session. Yasa (he said to call him that) has had some experience with TRPGs but not a lot. He was the person most familiar with the Goblin Slayer Anime series. 

Now then...

This was my first time running a Japanese game for Japanese nationals living in Japan and as such I have no other experience to compare it with.

With that in mind, I put together some basic questions and answers based on ones I had going in and what I learned. 

If you want to know something that I didn't cover, please let me know!

Was this typical of how the Japanese play TRPGs online? I have no idea. As I said, I have no prior experience to compare it to.

Did you need to bring a 'gift' to the online session the way you would in Japan when visiting someone's home? No. As I understood it, this was more like when the Japanese go out to play RPGs at a Gaming Cafe. Yes, Gaming Cafes are a thing in Japan, one that is growing in popularity (or was prior to the Pandemic). Most Japanese Gaming Cafes primarily host Board Games but it is also a popular venue for TRPGs as well. 

How did you begin? Naoko facilitated things with introductions that were both more formal than a typical first time meeting of American gamers and more casual than proper introductions at Japanese business and social meetings I have attended in the past. This maybe because of the nature of the 'get together', the fact that three out of the five participants were actually Americans, or because modern Japanese social customs among people her age are less structured than they used to be. I don't honestly know. 

How did you introduce the game and the adventure? After getting to know everyone, I asked each if they had played TRPGs before, if so how often, and were they familiar with this particular game and it's Anime/Manga origins. 

I made it clear that I was not as well versed with the rules as I wanted to be. I was told that John had thoroughly read and understood the mechanics, while Naoko had gone over them the night before and got the basics. In practice their knowledge of the rules was incredibly helpful. Honestly, the two of them were handling the mechanical side of the adventure during play.

I kind of felt bad, like I was shirking my duties and letting them down. Even now I can't say I have a good sense of the rules in any detail. At the same time, having them overseeing the rules freed me up to focus on the narrative. 

I asked them if there were any elements or subjects they felt they wanted me to avoid and assured them that I had no desire to be particularly vulgar or graphic going in. There was a general consensus that we were all on the same page and that was that. 

I asked them to introduce and describe their characters and so they did, if briefly. Some of i it was especially interesting to me.

For example:

Yasahiro's Dwarf Warrior, sometimes called The Armored Dwarf, was the lightest of the characters in terms of pathos or background. As Yasa explained, "I just want to play a Dwarf. No one plays them for some reason. I think it would be fun. He (the Dwarf Warrior) is a fun guy. He is very likable." He played the character laid back, jovial, and very funny.

Naoko described her character, the Elf Girl Mage, as "More pretty than cute". She described her having white hair, blue eyes, and dressing mainly in red. She wore a hooded cloak outside but inside she often put on a witch's hat. She also asked if she could take the Spell 'Blizzard' and change it to be Fire - same effects and damage but with a Fire/Flame descriptor. I called it Firestorm and she loved that, so we made it so. 

Jennifer's character, The Lady Knight or Knight Woman was less interested in reward money and more dedicated to protecting people who can't protect themselves. Furthermore, because Knight Woman isn't motivated by money, she is more likely to leap into danger to save others as she isn't weighing their lives against a monetary value. I Instantly fell in love with this character. 

John's Priest of The Home followed a Home/Hearth Goddess. His idea was that his character was not well suited for the life of an Adventurer at first glance. His opinion was taking him on an Adventure was like taking a piece of Home with you wherever you went. The way he applied his Spells and Skills made him seem somewhere between a Cleric and a Druid.

Were there any difficulties with the game? What was the hardest part? There were a few things that did come up during the game, though none of them impeded us overly much. 

For some reason, I did something I rarely do - I described distances and measurements. "This is 15 feet away", "that's over 20 feet high". Every time I did this I could see the Japanese players doing the Metric conversions in their heads. This issue never even occurred to me.

I usually describe things by saying it's about as tall as a fire hydrant or it weighs as much as an unabridged dictionary. Why was I suddenly giving exact measurements? I switched and at the end got great reactions by saying the Lake Demon, "stood three floors high out of the water", and "She reaches out to grab you with arms that are two cars long". The players loved that.

At one point, as expected, I started to go a little too fast. It was pointed out to me and I slowed things down. 

Japanese TRPGs have very distinct scene structures. This is especially true of those that have come out within the last 5 years. There is a Introduction Scene, then a Role Playing Scene, then a Combat Scene, etc. I imagine my style, which often blends many of these separate events together, could be very confusing if you are used to the Japanese approach.

I have also been known to start games In Media Res and that can baffle new players but I do it because it reflects film and animation which they might be more familiar with. I did just that here and luckily it worked really well. We began in the midst of a battle with Goblins and after the fight I did a flashback in which the group takes the mission and gets part of the exposition. This was followed by some character banter. We then proceeded back to the here and now to show the Party delving deeper into the Castle Ruins. 

At first, this approach threw them. Even John, who had prior experience with RPGs, hadn't really played that way and was now used to the Japanese approach. They all liked it a lot though, saying it forced them to think quickly and get into the story right away. They also said it was so much more like an episode of an Anime (which was my goal). 

OK, that's a lot and I need to get some rest. There is one more entry coming, hopefully giving some more notes including some of the Easter Eggs, humor, and setting details. 

See you soon,

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Barking Alien

The Ruins of The Castle in The Lake - A Replay

"I will make it rain Fire and Death."

-Elf Girl Mage, my friend Naoko. Best quote of the session.

Goblin Slayer TRPG

Standard Edition Cover

"Plip. Plip-plop. Plitty-plip plop plip. Raindrops pitter-pattered across the landscape, covering the ruins of The Castle in The Lake in a heavy mist. As the raindrops fell upon the Lake, the water rose, flooding the already damp area.

'SPLOOSH' The Dwarf Warrior's foot came down in a large puddle as he blocked the Hobgoblin's massive club with his Axe. Several smaller goblins surrounded the heroes in a circle, attempting to trap The Armored Dwarf and his allies, The Elf Girl Mage, The Lady Knight, and The Priest of The Home."

This is how I opened the session this morning, paraphrased here and there, for our one-shot of the Goblin Slayer TRPG. The game was run over Zoom with myself as Gamemaster and four players.

I am in New York City, NY in the USA. They were in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

Jennifer played The Lady Knight (aka Knight Woman)

John played The Priest of The Home (aka Home Priest)

Naoko played The Elf Girl Mage (aka Mage Elf)

Yasahiro played The Dwarf Warrior (aka Armored Dwarf)

The plot was simple and straight forward - Merchants, mostly Farmers and Fishermen, had pooled together a lot of reward money to hire Adventurers whom they hoped would defeat Bandits hiding in The Ruins of The Castle in The Lake.

The ruins were off the road that led from the Fishing Village to Market Town. Bandits had recently attacked Fishermen on the road going to Market Town, as well as Farmers and Merchants leaving Market Town for the Fishing Village. 

The Adventurers Guild Party took the job only to find out these were not mere Bandits. It was a Cult of Evil trying to resurrect The Demon of The Lake. The items robbed and people kidnapped by the 'Bandits' were to be used in an Ancient Ritual of Dark Magic!

The Party were all 'Steel Level' members of the Adventurers Guild and it seemed they may have been a bit out of their element. Goblins had taken up residence in a section of the Ruin and had attacked the group as they entered the area. These Goblins were odd however; different in appearance from the usual fare. They had frog-like skin with molted markings. The deep gray rain clouds provided just enough darkness for the Goblins to come out during the day or perhaps they were aided by the rain itself. 

With some effort and teamwork the Party managed to slay the Goblins but that was only the beginning. The Bandit Cult (as they became known) had laid traps for the Party and without a Scout they often had to find other ways in and around the Ruins (which I must say was very clever). 

They encountered several Cultist Bandits and an Evil Bandit Acolyte on a series of staircases descending deeper into the keep before reaching the center of the ruined Castle, which was itself submerged in the Lake. The Cultists there was standing at various positions on a magic symbols carved into the stone floor. They were in the midst of their ritual to summon The Lake Demon, prepared to sacrifice three young children who were tied up on a raft that was floating in the water. 

The Party sprung into action like they'd being doing this for years! The Elf Girl Mage shot a Firebolt at the Cultists, causing them to break from their positions. The Dwarf Warrior followed up by charging the closest Cultist, though this sent them both tumbling into the water where the Cultist had the advantage; the Dwarf couldn't swim well at all. The Priest of the Home, brilliantly, blessed the Lake with a Purify Miracle, causing steam and a distant, inhuman cry to rise from the water. The Lady Knight...heheh...OK, so the Lady Knight...

Knight Woman leap off the ledge at the edge of The Lake, bounced off of the Dwarf in the water, jumped from there to the raft with the three children, and then cut them free. Just as she tried to figure out how to 'row' them back to dry land, a couple of Cultists jumped in the water and went after her. 

Meanwhile the Bandit High Priest is completing the Ancient Ritual, somewhat unaware of the fact that conditions aren't perfect. He is either ignoring it or so wrapped up in what he's doing he's in a kind of trance. 

The battle rages with The Party making short work of the Cultists but Knight Woman and the kids are still out on the raft in the water. Suddenly...'SH-THOOM!' A massive, muscular Mermaid with markings similar to the frog-skinned Goblins emerges from the water. She is both beautiful and creepy, the Demon of the Lake and she is not under the control of the Cultists. With their Ancient Ritual disrupted and the offering of the children not properly given, Mermaid Demon is angry, hungry, and out for blood!

Obtaining clubs from the Bandit Cultists she defeated, The Lady Knight and one of the kids use the weapons as makeshift oars and row back to the shore/ledge. Mage Elf covered them with Firestorm (a spell we made up based on the game spell Blizzard). 

As the team regrouped on slightly higher ground, a blast of steam so hot and powerful it nearly knocked them all over erupted from the center of the Lake. The Firestorm spell, mixed with the water on and below the Lake Demon had created a tornado of super-heated mist. With a furious scream, the Mermaid Demon emerged from the steam, clawed fingered and sharp teeth barred, leaping toward our heroes.

End of Episode. 

Behind the scenes info, thoughts, and more after the eyecatch.

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Barking Alien

The Four Sided World

A rare opportunity has come up and I couldn't say no...though perhaps I should have thought my yes out more carefully.

My friend Naoko, who lives in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan, has invited me to/requested that I run an Tabletop RPG One-Shot for herself and some friends tomorrow evening. To be clear, tomorrow evening for them is early tomorrow morning for me. 

The game in question is the official Goblin Slayer TRPG published by Softbank Creative. Not long ago, I was able to obtain a copy of the Limited Edition boxed set of this game thanks to Naoko. 

Box Set Art

Front

Boxed Set Art

Back

I am incredibly flattered to be asked to GM for this collection of players and overjoyed to run a game I know I might not get to play otherwise. I do have some concerns however.

Oh boy do I have concerns...

First and foremost, I do not speak Japanese. While I might know some words and phrases, I can't actually speak or understand the language for the purposes of a conversation. 

Second, I haven't read the rules. See the first conundrum. The game is written in Japanese instead of the use of English on the front cover of the box set and rule book. It has not yet been translated into English, professionally or by fans, though there are some groups working on that noble cause even as we speak. 

I don't know these players, their likes and dislikes, and the proper protocols for gaming over the internet with people from Japan. That is, are there cultural elements about gaming online that differ from those of the US? Given the subject matter of the early episodes of Goblin Slayer, is there anything that might offend any of them or make them uneasy that I should avoid referencing?

Well, check this out...

Accessories that come with the Limited Edition.

A Dice Bag, Custom Dice, and

a Goblin Slayer Miniature!

According to Naoko there will be four players - an American Female friend of hers who teaches English in Chiba, her friend's boyfriend - also an American, a Male colleague from work who is a Japanese native, and herself, also a Japanese native. 

The two Americans speak English fluently but also Japanese (particularly the teacher) so they can help with translations. Naoko and her Male friend speak English, though she says she knows her pronunciation and usage of some words isn't perfect. Her friend is similar.

Naoko and I have spoken a couple of times online and I have never had a problem understanding her. She sometimes has difficulty understanding me when I speak too quickly, which I realize I do quite often. I will make an effort to slow down tomorrow. 

As far as the rules, I have been able to obtain some basic rule information, though I am concerned about where it will be enough. At least one other person in the group has read the rules in full and Naoko is going over them tonight (or is that today? hmmm). 

Finally, in regards to what I can say, can't say, should or shouldn't say, I generally go by the simple rule that if there is nothing to added by being vulgar then there is no reason to be. It isn't something that concerns me because, generally speaking, I don't create scenes that might 'trigger' people.

Granted, I have also played with people who don't get set off by in game actions or words easily. Sure, this might come up and if and when it does we will address it. If there is anything they don't want me to talk about or cover, I will ask them up front if there are any such things so there won't be any issues later on.

After going over all that I am feeling...still nervous has heck but I am really excited and can hardly wait to see what happens. I do need to calm down and relax a bit though. After all...I'm gaming in 8 and a half hours!

Gamemaster's Screen

“Luck, wisdom and courage! It all begins with whether or not you’re going to do something,

So do something!”

-Burglar, Goblin Slayer Season 1, Episode 8

Let's hope this group, unlike many US players, take that advice.

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Barking Alien

RPGaDay Challenge 2020 - CHANGE

Ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes
(Just gonna have to be a different man)

Time may change me
But I can't trace time

The biggest change I've experienced in gaming of late is of course the same one many others are dealing with; gaming over the internet as in person sessions are not viable at this time of global pandemic. 

Now I, like a lot of you out there, have been gaming online for a good deal of time before the coming of Covid-19 made it the only way to safely play RPGs with friends but I have to say, it doesn't get any easier. 

More accurately and specifically, the more I game over the 'net the less I enjoy it. Instead of getting used to the change, it makes me miss meeting in person all the more. I have mentioned this before I believe but I have several issues that make gaming online less conducive to running a great game then I would like. 

First and foremost, not everyone has a camera or wants to show their face online. Even people I know in real-life, people I've gamed with in-person, just don't like looking at themselves on camera. I understand this as I don't really like seeing myself on video either. Unfortunately, much of my GMing style involves facial expressions, hand gestures, and 'acting' out what NPCs are doing. If you can't see me I often have to describe things I would never have thought to describe in the past. Also, I sometimes forget and make physical, visual references anyway and while three out of four people laugh, the last person is stuck going. "What happened? I can't see you", because they don't have their camera feature on. 

In addition, I base a lot of my reactions and responses on the vibe of the room and the look on my players' faces. If I can't see you and don't know if my last joke went over or you're sitting there with a confused look I can't see, I don't know what's working with my audience and what isn't. 

Lastly, I am notoriously bad at judging size and distance in the abstract. I can't visualize a twenty foot by twenty foot hallway. I always hated those descriptions in old D&D modules. 'The pillar with the statue is 9 feet high and it's 45 ft from the entry way to the pillar'. OK, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Seriously, I just can't exactly picture it. Instead, what I've always done is say something like:

It's about twice the length of my arm.
The creature is roughly the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. 
The distance from the door to the pillar is the same as from where I'm sitting to the bathroom of the apartment we're in. 

If you can't see me and heck, sometimes even if you can, you can't easily judge some of those references over Discord or Zoom. For example, one of my players lives in an apartment that is about the same size as mine but looks huge on camera for some reason. Does mine look too large to him? Too small? Ugh. 

I have been working on this one gaming project for a good 35+ years now that I recently went back to in hopes of running it after I complete my ALIEN FRONTIER campaign. Thing is, I will only finish that campaign if I can do it in-person. I will only start the new one if I can do it in a room with people. 

For now, I have adapted to this change in gaming but I for one and very eager for it to change back. 

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Barking Alien

The Calm...Before The Storm I Was Telling You About

Yeah...so, sorry about that last post. I've just been very surprised lately at how often I and other bloggers mention games and no one seems to have played them. Its disappointing to me because I've enjoyed so many different games and I think a lot of them don't get the coverage they deserve. I always attributed it to people not liking them as much as I do. Now I think that its more a situation where not that many people try out multiple games. I'm guessing most people find a game and if they like it they stick with it and expand it. I do that too but I can also say I've done it to at least a dozen systems and settings.

To each their own.

Now once more, before getting into the post I've been thinking about since early this morning, I have one more idea I wanted to talk about.

Last night, Erin Palette and I were discussing running tabletop RPG campaigns over the internet. We talked about her running a campaign and me playing in it and vice versa. About halfway through the conversation I pressed a secret button on my desktop computer that would send men in white coats over to her location. Playing a regular RPG over the internet? Obviously she'd gone mad. After a few moments I was intrigued enough to call off my lackeys. Besides, I couldn't sleep at night if I committed such a lovely lady to Arkham Asylum for the rest of her life now could I?

My questions to you out there in blogger land are simple:

Has anyone done this?
How did it work?
What was the format and who hosted it?
Is Obsidian Portal any good? Why?
Any opinion on Google Wave?

I don't have the first clue how to pull off an online traditional RPG. I seriously can't imagine how to do it. Perhaps its the last vestiges of old school flesh and blood in me that have yet to be replaced by clean, crisp new school bioware but if I can't see my players' faces, they can't see mine, they can't see my hand gestures or props or hear the weird voices and sound effects I do...it just seems to reduce the cool of what makes an Adam game an Adam game by about 75% minimum.

Maybe I am old school deep, deep down. Or maybe the coolest experience ever is waiting just over the horizon...

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Barking Alien