Some of you already know what the Payoff is. It's that moment where there is a stillness in the air, where nobody is really breathing, where nothing is really happening. It's that moment where all of those days (or weeks, or months even) of planning finally come to fruition. It's that moment where your players are stunned for a moment, but then start to grin and nod their heads. One will mummer "cool" and another will give you that approving nod. The Payoff is an odd combination of surprise, plausibility, and all-around coolness. The Payoff is that moment where you've committed art.
To complete the Joey Z. experience I now bring to you all of his wonders and custom rotes. The rotes he knows and uses include many of the basic rotes included in the Mage The Ascension core rulebook as well as the ones he created himself. I hope you enjoy.
What is the last great CRPG? Three names come to mind for this gamer: Fallout 1&2, Planescape Torment, and Baldur's Gate 2; the latest of these three being BG2. After thinking long and hard, I cannot think of a single CRPG to top those 3 (Or 4, if you're counting.) Why is that?
Ever since the host of my regular gaming group put in wireless Internet access (802.11b, affectionately known as "wi-fi"), I've really started thinking about having my gaming notes and various campaign tools stored on the web. My personal laptop is a TiBook with wi-fi card, so it clicked with me at a recent session that there was a wide variety of resources available to a GM so-equipped. From on-line NPC generators through web based forums acting as virtual help lines, access to the web from the gaming table presents a powerful addition to the the GM's arsenal. The capabilities presented by a laptop alone can be of great assistance to overworked GMs. Coupled with a wireless or wired Internet connection, the toolkit is wide and capable.
When considering the techno-futuristic cyberpunk genre there are really only two choices for gaming: Shadowrun and Cyberpunk 2020. Shadowrun is a world of magic and machine guns. Cyberpunk 2020 is more pureblood, leaving magic to the fantasy games. For the money, Cyberpunk 2020 is the better choice. The system is more streamlined, you don't get a mixing of genres, and who can dispute the enjoyment of thumbing through the latest Chrome?
Okay. I have to admit. I wasn't that impressed with Moloch when I first met him. In 1988, some friends and I found ourselves in the possession of Monster Manual 2. Much to Tipper Gore's chagrin, this handy little accessory had the low-down on all sorts of demons and devils. We, however, were elated. The time had come to include devils into our campaigns. So, my friends and I pored over their stats and fantasized about taking our low-level halfling rogues on a quest through the Nine Hells. We were beguiled by Belial. We were impressed by Amon. And we thought Mephistopheles's whispering wind speech was ultra cool.
I stepped up to the lip of the concrete embankment and looked down on my new student. Spread below me was a concrete skate park filled with ramps, rails and one lone skater. He looked just like they described, small frame, spiky, blonde hair and the kind of face that made women melt. He was dressed as his kind commonly dressed, sneakers, baggy short pants and a loose fitting, red, button-up shirt with short sleeves. He zipped back and forth across the park performing stunts that were normally reserved for only the most elite of athletes and with every one I could feel the telekinetic manipulations he performed.
With my last article that detailed my views on DM cheating, as well as the discussion that followed, brought a very good question to mind. When is a game no longer considered a game in the strictest sense?
Miniatures have long been a nice enhancement option for D&D campaigns. You head down to the local hobby shop, pick out the figures that catch your eye or that you need to fill up the monster slots for your weekly campaign and voila, you have instantly clarified combat, movement, and scale. Miniatures generally are made from pewter and part of the fun is to paint your miniature however you wish. So, you want a green fire elemental or a fuchsia troll? Anything you wanted to experiment with was fine. And you can always throw your miniatures into a bucket of Pine Sol overnight and in the morning ninety percent of the paint would be stripped off giving you the opportunity to repaint particularly poorly finished or hideously ugly figs.
I've been intrigued by the Githyanki ever since I saw my first Fiend Folio (the year was 1988). I've always had a fondness for warrior races. I like Klingons. I like Luxans. I like Cimmerians.I like Githyanki.
