Behind the Screen #2 - Villains and Consequences

Hello everyone! As of writing this I have now run 3 adventures with my party and have learned a great deal about planning, writing, and responding to player choices. Now before I get too far into todays topic I thought I would describe a little bit about the player party:

We have Mishso, a Dragonborn Noble who is at the moment attempting to conceal most of his identity and is running away from his fate. 

Nabi, a elven druid who grew tired of the traditional druidic lifestyle and is looking for more thrills in this adventuring party

Thranduil, an half-elf sorcerer who was shoved into a position of power, and only recently came into his own magical powers, he is now on a quest not only to discover the truth behind his powers but also to avenge the deaths of his retainers and reclaim what is rightfully his. 

Thorin, a dwarven paladin who is one of the few remaining members of his hometown after being destroyed in goblin raids. 

The player make up is a unique one, 3 guys, 1 gal, 2 have played D&D games before while 2 really have not. It is a unique makeup but allows for us all to have a lot of fun. 

Now to the topic at hand, creating villains and providing consequences. One of the goals I initially made was to provide compelling antagonists for the party, and while only just beginning I know that Thranduil will be thinking about one villain for quite some time as we move on into the adventure. 

Our third adventure had a former advisor of Thranduil’s father (Sadron) come into town with the intention of killing our beloved Sorcerer when instead he found his retainers and decided to hold them for ransom. 

After a series of encounters for our party, the final scene led them to a clearing in which the retainers were chained to a central metal post in which Sadron has a wand of lightning bolt. He presented Thranduil an impossible choice, to give up his name, lordship, and right to rule in exchange for the lives of his retainers. 

He couldn’t give that up, and in it’s stead the retainers were killed. 

Now, my goal is to work with this character to help make this a driving force in our adventure. The villain in this adventure (Sadron) may not be coming back for a while, but the pain and the hard decision can have far reaching impact for several adventures to come. I’m curious to see how the player rolls with it, and have some ideas of how we can loop it in to the main plot. This also provides a great hook for later adventures. 

I don’t mind using death as a consequence and I have seen that many DM’s fear this because of the permanence of it. I think it not only has a constant state of reference, but also can be a driving influence in future decisions. I bet that the next decision will be answered with much less hesitation as this one was.  The party always learns from mistakes. 

I have to be honest, I have really enjoyed playing the cast of NPCs and especially villains. While our third adventure we took a little detour to provide some detail into one character’s backstory. Adventure 4 will drive us right back into the main plot. 

Ideas on what you like me to talk about on the next Behind The Screen? Leave a comment or reach out to me via Facebook or the Twitters. 

Behind the Screen #1 - Tales from a first time DM

Hello everyone! I haven’t been writing all that much here as I have been writing quite a bit for DFAT and have busy with life and such. As fall comes rolling in and tons of new content is coming with music/games/tv and more you can certainly expect more to come over here at “Harmonious Geek”.

Which brings me to a new idea on writing about my first experience as a DM. 

After years of playing JRPG and other great adventuring exposure. I played D&D for the first time in college with some of my Fraternity Brothers and I was hooked. I have been playing off and on now for the past 7 years. I have played 3.5, 4th, and now 5th edition D&D as well as several other gaming systems as well. What I have found in my time playing these games is that while the rules are all well and good and important to make sure games don’t get out of hand, what really makes a great gaming session is the people you are playing with.

With the upcoming fifth edition coming for Dungeons and Dragons, I figured now was the time to start working on creating my own campaign and to start working on developing some skills as a Dungeon Master. I have had the pleasure of playing games with some really great Dungeon Masters and each one of them have a very unique way of running campaigns. I have some goals for my first campaign and I want to list them here just for you to see:

• Create compelling NPC’s (Especially Villains) that will help drive the story and plot. 
• Work with the party to create interesting tie-ins to their characters and to help them develop their characters throughout the campaign.
• To have mastery of 5th edition rules 
• To appropriately scale the campaign with the characters development. 

And now for a bit of a teaser of the plot, the campaign is entitled Pantheon Panic:

What do you do when you don’t know who to believe? The party is thrown in the middle of a conflict between powerful foes who both believe they are right. With the world in the balance the party will be forced to make difficult decisions and ally with with some unlikely people in order to decide the ultimate fate of the world. 

This past week I had my first adventure where I was able to introduce the party to some of the cast of characters that will help set up the ultimate plot. Their reaction to some of these characters was expected, and others were not. I’m loving the aspect of world building that is already taking place and I think that as the characters are placed in more situations I’m really looking forward to seeing how they react. 

I hope to provide some regular posts involving the trials that I have to work through in running my first adventure. I already noticed that despite the party fighting I did not consider possible loot on any of their enemies. I actually improvised one reward that ironically turned into a potential plot point. That’s the beauty of the game right?

The continuation of the party’s first adventure is next Sunday, and they will be meeting their newest party member. Looking forward to it. 

DFAT X-Post: Deuces Wild- LastUrsa Interviews Comic Creator Brett Brooks!

Deuces Wild  is a graphic novel that is written and illustrated by Brett Brooks. (Website - Facebook - Twitter: @thebrettbrooks - Instagram: @brettbrooks) The story follows four Bounty Hunters as they pursue an assassin who has gone rogue. The book is currently being crowd funded through Kickstarter and you can contribute to the book’s creation by clicking the link HERE.

      Brett was kind enough to answer some of our questions as we got a change to take an inside look with the creator of this upcoming series:

DFAT: Tell us about what led you to become an artist and a storyteller?

Brett: I think I started out the same as any other kid, just enjoying art and storytelling at its most basic application - perhaps in the dialogue between the action figures I was forcing into a showdown, perhaps through a required journal entry every morning after we said the Pledge of Allegiance at school. Whatever the case, I feel like I was always looking for an excuse to be creative. I can tell you that’s where it started, akin to many other children. I guess I’ll never really know what kept it alive, per say. Growing up in southeast Alabama, there wasn’t a lot of advancement for the things I developed such a huge interest in, primarily art. And even more specifically, storytelling. So I absorbed a lot of things on my own, and everything sort of just…fell into place…as I got older (got older…not “grew up”… :) )

DFAT: What would you say have been major influences in your work?

Brett: At a younger age, I think the joy of creating was enough to motivate and influence me in and of itself. But as I’ve developed more in my later years, I think seeing how my work can potentially affect those around me has created this interesting symbiotic relationship between wanting to create and the results of creating - at least, when the public eye is somehow involved (which is more often than not at this point). I could probably list off a myriad of artists and creators that inspire me, but I think the root of why you do something has to be tethered to something deeper than others’ achievements and influence. It’s that kernel of truth inside you that can’t always be explained. When it’s right, it’s right. You know?

DFAT: Let’s talk about Deuces Wild, can you give us an idea of the premise and the setting?

Brett: Deuces Wild is set in deep space in The House Sector. The sector consists of four major terrestrial planets - Diamond-Gadol, Hearth, Spades, and Clover-3. The administrative body that governs these four planets is known as The Deck, and their hierarchy of rank is based on playing cards. For reasons undisclosed, Two of Diamonds (Deuces), goes maverick and starts targeting members of The Deck - his major threat being his trademark method of never taking down less than two targets in one hit. So in response, the four Kings contract a crew of bounty hunters to track Deuces down and bring him back to “justice.” The ins and outs of the story all launch from these broad strokes. On the surface, this is most definitely a sci-fi/action story with a lot of loaded personalities. But underneath, there is a much more intricate plot slumbering. To  me, that undisclosed storyline is the heartbeat of everything, and has been my favorite variable to develop.

DFAT: When creating the world for Deuces Wild, what influences did you draw from?

Brett: I could name a thousand sources for visual development - artists, illustrations, etc. But at this early stage in the book’s life, most of my visual influences have been drawn from hubble telescope images and wildlife photography (for the characters), honestly. For the story, I’ve been paying attention to films like Ocean’s 11, Tombstone, and The Usual Suspects. Science Fiction isn’t something I really sink my teeth into very often…which may seem a little odd, considering that’s where my setting is going to be for the next year or so of my life. Full disclosure, I think I would consider Deuces Wild closer to a heist more than a sci-fi tale.

DFAT: In your previous graphic novel, Dust Bunny (Website and Facebook) you used an all black and white style for your illustrations, in Deuces Wild you are moving to color - What led to this decision and what challenges does this bring?

Brett: Yeah, it’s quite the jump. Quite a big jump, actually. And I’m admittedly a little intimidated by the idea of tackling an entire 120 page color graphic novel by myself. But I’ve already washed the car and cooked dinner. So I’ve got a few minutes…ahem. I do think that the biggest challenges will be taking all of the principes and applications of Dust Bunny to the next step. The character designs are a little more detailed, which calls for a closer attention to craftsmanship. The world is bigger, which…ha…I don’t even want to think about right now.  And the book is in color, which introduces an entirely new dynamic for visual storytelling. Certain elements of this book (holograms, laser blasts, space, etc) are going to be carried completely with color. No linework needed. And that’s simultaneously exciting and terrifying all at once.

DFAT: What led you to using Kickstarter as a method for funding this project?

Brett: Dust Bunny did really well back in 2011. My good friend Josh Matthews over at Giant Step Films actually convinced me to give Kickstarter a shot. I had nothing but doubt going in, really. The concept of people funding a passion project for someone they knew nothing about seemed a little far-fetched. But it worked. Dust Bunny received 4x the projected goal and the book went on to be a wonderful success at several conventions this year (we’ll be at Dragon Con in Atlanta at the end of August! Come see us!). You’d think after seeing such an independent success with Dust Bunny, I would have a newfound confidence going in to the Kickstarter phase for Deuces Wild. Nope. Same doubts, new project. Doubt is a funny thing, really. Fortunately, Deuces Wild has done extremely well (funding itself in less than 24 hours after the launch). And it’s continuing to grow!

DFAT: When can we expect to see Deuces Wild in print?

Brett: I’m hoping to have Deuces Wild in print during the summer of 2015. The more support that the book gets at this point, the longer I can keep clients and freelance off the table. At the rate it's going right now, things are looking positive for that projected time-frame.

DFAT: Do you have anything you would like to add?

Brett: I really appreciate everyone’s support on this project, even during it’s first two weeks, Deuces Wild has started to see some very positive return. So I’m extremely excited to see what this next year brings!

      I want to thank Brett Books for taking the time to answer our questions. Please check out the Kickstarter page, as well as the Website and Facebook page for Deuces Wild. I will continue to keep an eye out on this Kickstarter and will keep all the Towelites posted on this Graphic Novel’s progress.

Jason Mraz’s “Yes!” - Solid Album That Lacks Variety

     Jason Mraz has recently released his new album entitled Yes! and while by the title you would believe this album to be an affirmation of some type the album overall does not have the upbeat affirmative feel really at any point throughout the albums 14 tracks. 

      The album begins with a track that ultimately sounds like an Orchestra warming up until you suddenly hear some vocal tracks. Of note this album does use voice tracks and chorus sounds very well throughout. I can only hope live shows actually have live groups and singers to help him out. 

     Jason’s songwriting is a strong suit as only one track I had any issue with was "Love Someone" in which the lyric was referring to the “Heart Beat Beat” and it sounds like “Heart Beep Beep” which is a bit too childish for my likes. 

     The highlights of this album are plentiful, my favorite track being “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday” which is minimalist in accompaniment (Piano and Vocals), has great lyrics and Jason’s melodies are excellent. If only more tracks were like this one!

     Other good tracks included “Long Drive” which the song mimics the topic (As a long drive that picks up and at the end slows down). The song also includes a fun bridge and good chorus. “Back To The Earth” includes the best line on the album and it’s not even sung:

“Let’s get Jurassic on this Bridge”

     ..Awesome. 

     The remaining tracks while decent kind of just blend into the overall feel that is the laid back sound Jason has produced on this album, it’s not bad, but it also isn’t amazing. 

      Overall this is a good chill album. I think most people who like Jason Mraz will enjoy this album. I hope to see him take some more creative risks in his future work, as overall this album felt “safe” to me. 

“Guacamelee Super Turbo Championship Edition” - Cultural Craziness in this Action Platformer

      Guacamelee is game by Drink Box Studios that was originally released for the PS3 and Vita. In the Super Turbo Championship Edition the game makes it debut to the Xbox side on the Xbox One. The game revolves around playing as Juan and/or Tostada as you try to save El Presidente’s daughter from Carlos Calaca and his band of minions. 

      The first thing you notice right out of the gate is the Mexican cultural influence throughout the game. From the art style to the music to the story. This game is heavily based in Mexican lore and culture. At some points a bit over the top, but overall a unique experience we rarely see in games. 

      The gameplay is heavily combat based and the combination of attack moves you receive also help you to navigate the various platform elements. The boss battles are intense and it may take you a few times to successfully figure out how to beat a specific boss. Notably Carlos Calaca is a very difficult boss fight until you understand his move cycle and signals.  

      There is replay value in the fact that you can collect various items and complete side quests. I was disappointed to see that one of the side quests that really isn’t elaborated at all in the actual plot has a direct correlation to the type of ending you receive. When I beat the game I got a sad ending which to someone like me who is heavily plot motivated was a real downer after coming that far. 

      As another Xbox Live Free Games with Gold this was a good experience to have in contrast with Max: The Curse of Brotherhood. While overall I have to say I enjoyed Max more, this came was certainly more action packed and the cultural aspects added a nice touch that made this game a unique experience.