Jianghu Hustle ep14: Tobie as guest!

Episode 14 is ready for your ears! @ericmfarmer and @ZapDynamic chat with special guest @AllTobieNoShade watch the 2001 Tsui Hark film, The Legend of Zu, to chat about a super-power subgenre of wuxia called xianxia. Thanks for chatting us us, Tobie!

-----


Listen to me stumble and chew!  Hahahah!  This was me coming from a long rpg session and hitting over 24 hours being awake.  So I was kinda having trouble with some words in my head.
In all seriousness, I'm tremendously grateful to have been invited to be in this podcast.

http://misdirectedmark.com/2018/07/12/jianghu-hustle-14-the-legend-of-zu-genre-series-xianxia-w-tobie-abad/

Now Live on Kickstarter: Tiny Supers!

Gallant Knight Games is happy to present the latest genre-book for our TinyD6 minimalist roleplaying system: Tiny Supers!

Using the rules in this book, you'll be able to play superheroes of all types, from paragons and exemplars, to super-science heroes of the future or past, to cosmic guardians defending the far-reaches of the galactic civilizations from untold threats!

And even more awesome:
For the first time ever, a TinyD6 game will have its own detailed setting, as we bring the GallantVerse to you!

You can read more about the GallantVerse below!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gallantknightgames/tiny-supers-minimalist-superhero-roleplaying

Now Live on Kickstarter: John Silence

John Silence

The John Silence universe is about black, indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC) psychic detectives. It is set in the United States at some time between 1938 and 1998. TV shows like The Dead Zone and Heartless fit the tone of this game, but we want a more diverse cast of characters.

A complete rpg plus a shared-universe story/poetry anthology about psychic people of color saving the Earth from invisible monsters

Kickstarter us now live!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1080999837/john-silence#

12 new games a year update, July 2018

As I continue my 12 New Games Each Year challenge this 2018, I find myself still moving slower than expected.  With the lack of conventions and time to run TAG Bites sessions due to all the writing gigs and projects I have on my plate, I'm definitely at a delayed pace in getting more games in.


For the 12 New Games Each Year tally so far.1) Pasion de las Pasiones2) Protocol: Virtuax
3) Protocol: Dead Things in the Walls

4) Tiny Dungeon 2e - Legacy: War of the Widows
5) Tadhana
6) Once Upon a Time in Jianghu
7) Vampire the Masquerade 5th edition
8) Changeling the Dreaming, 20th anniversary
9) Itras By

There were plans to try Call of Cthulhu for the first time but sadly that got cancelled due to real life rearing its terrible head.  We finally wrapped up the super 7th Sea campaign we had and in its place started a Changeling the Dreaming 20th anniversary campaign which has been very fun.

Oh and I might as well mention here that I've realized tracking summaries for every game session might not be something I can do anymore. Writing takes time, and more so when you want to write good. Transcribing games that ran for 4 to 8 hours tends to require more or less the same amount of time, and I don't really have that much time to waste.  So, this sadly does mean I might not be able to track every game I run nowadays.  Or just have some kind of TV Guide summary for each one.  

TAG Sessions Discord Offering: Discordia

Celebrating the excitement of the upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade, 5th edition is the goal of this modern horror sandbox game. Given most of the rules aren't quite out yet, a lot of creative licenses is being embraced here. But we're having quite a blast in playing through the various stories.

The game has 9 players.

Enjoy reading their stories here:
https://discord.gg/3jZbv9h

May 2018 Report

May has been a tremendously busy month. I seem to be having more busy months this year than expected. And that's a good thing.

Worked on two projects for 7th Sea 2nd edition Kithai and I'm eager to know how the people will find them. The first is a take on the islands of Kiwa, which is the setting's take on the Polynesian Islands + the Philippines. While I personally would have wanted to have the Philippines as a standalone location in the setting, there is research that backs up a connection between both the Philippines and aboriginal Taiwanese, as well as with the Polynesian wayfarers. I hope I did the write-ups justice in allowing enough familiarity to exist but at the same time inject a creative dose of awesomeness that would be perfect for Kithai.  The second project is an adventure that will find some play at an upcoming major convention. I won't be able to fly over to attend it, but it does kinda sound insanely super that some adventure I wrote will be played at that event. If I'm lucky, maybe some reviews might come out regarding it.


Then, there's a lot of projects from other companies. I've got some writing to do for Familiars of Terra, the Elizabeth Chaipraditkul role-playing game where everyone in the world has an animal familiar. It's like next level Pokemon, which really works and offers so many roleplaying opportunities.

There's a project with Eloy Lasanta's upcoming Sins of the Father book. I don't know how much I can say about it, but I will say I'm a bit nervous working on this one as I feel I really need to brush up on my familiarity with the product line to give it my best. I have been doing my reading, of course, but there's always that fear of nothing doing something good enough that can make things feel harder to do. I know I had that failing with some games already, so I hope I make up for it soon enough.

Then there's Josh Jordan's John Silence which is a game unlike anything I've ever worked on before. It is kooky and sublime and I'm hoping I am able to craft the kind of confrontations he's hoping to have for the game. 

There are a few more stuff in the pipeline, but I think I'm spending too much time writing this post that I should be getting back to work.  With June came the end of our duo-campaign, 7th Sea: the Guissola.  The duo-campaign was the stories of two groups, Alas such Fates and The Nisab Diaries. The campaign was inspired by an Italian painter and Fringe, and the whole story reached its finale with all seven players having one joint session.  There were deaths, there were victories, and in the end, there were Heroes.

It is officially also a year since my trip to Strategicon where I got to hang out with more friends. My other geeky family across the sea. On nights like tonight when I can see shadows of those who very calculatedly bullied me once more proudly talking about acceptance and diversity and respect (despite never truly offering me the same), I find myself wishing I was there instead of here again.  They've successfully traumatized me enough to be afraid of engaging online or of participating in a lot of the local gaming community events and I hate how that victory seems to be one I can't easily overturn. Each year is that feeling that people are getting away with what they did to me, and I think its about time I just accepted the fact that justice really won't come. 

So yeah, there are wins.
There are losses.
All I can do is write.

#AprilTTRPGMaker 30: Top Tips and Advice

#30: Top Tips and Advice

In getting to role-playing games/a new system: Just dive into it. Experience is your best teacher in learning how a game plays. Reviews can help, but ultimately be aware that everyone has their own reasons for gaming. I've often seen games I love dissed by people whose reasons for hating it are the features I actually love. So form your own opinions on games by trying them.

In running a game: Remember you too deserve to have fun.  For some strange reason, many people think the GM is beholden to make things fun for the players... and yet it doesn't go both ways. People who GM aren't doing the players a service! They're also there to have fun. So if you find yourself in a group that seems to expect you to do whatever they want as if you were obligated to make them feel good, get out. That's not a healthy gaming group. That's more like an abusive relationship. You're all investing time to enjoy each other's company and have a fantastic narrative in the process.

In playing a game: Share the Spotlight, Trust the GM.  Remember that you're all investing hours of your time to play together. Doing stuff, "Just to see what happens" or "Only because my character would do so," are actually very self-focused choices and usually lead to the other players getting annoyed or frustrated. Don't be a fun killer. Consider how your choices can make the game fun for all. Weigh when to let others handle a scene. In any ensemble show or movie, other characters let others have their moment. Learn to do that too. And finally, know that the GM is also playing with you guys in this game. While some GMs do still think they're just meant to "kill the PCs when they can,"  the really good ones understand the game is intended to also be worth the hours you've all invested into it. So when you're with a GM who might throw unexpected twists in the story, trust them and see where they can lead. Running away from the "plot" rarely makes for a more interesting game.

In getting stuff published:  Write it. Finish it. And release it.  Your first work might be terrible. Hey, most are anyway. But write and get stuff out. Stop worrying about ideas being stolen. There are millions of ideas and barely 5% of them are original. But how you present them or explore them is where the uniqueness can shine. Get your work out there!  Your audience will find you. But they only will if you give them a means to look for you.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 29: Your Community?

#29: Your Community?

It has become much smaller than it used to be.
But at its core, I can see the people who truly cared for me and for the hobby. I can see the people who run games because we love sharing the moment with our friends. I can see the people who recognize and value fellow creators. I can see the people who don't use their connections, fame, and wealth, to gatekeep or marginalize others. I see people I am happy to call my friends.

While I miss the days of being able to serve and share knowledge with a much larger community, I know for now I have to take care of myself. To heal the scars and trauma I have gained from the betrayal and the bullying I had to endure. Maybe someday I'll fully have the courage to step out more often again. Maybe soon, I'll find myself invited to be part of things again and not feel like I'm the focus of rumors and lies being told behind my back.

Maybe someday I can be part of the larger community again because there will be more diversity-friendly and more respectful people in the position to guide things. But while those days are far away, I can focus instead on those who stayed close and supportive of me.  And I can write.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 28: Favorite Interview?

#28: Favorite Interview?

This is tough. It rattles some trauma. There was an interview that made me feel like I was extremely fortunate at one point in time, but has since become a reminder that one has to be careful when handling things in the industry. Bottom line is, you can never be too careful when dealing with people you don't know. And sometimes, the best you can do is to just chalk it up to experience and learn to do better in the future.

So I guess for now, the best interview I can mention is the one I did for GMA News. GMA News is one of the biggest local news outlets here in the Philippines.  When I was interviewed to share my thoughts on tabletop games and to talk about how it was like to write for 7th Sea and stuff, I was overjoyed at the thought that the interview might inspire others to try and do the same. Many even fan the flames of more local designers and writers to take the plunge and try to break into the industry.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 27: Feature a TTRPG designer

#27: Feature a TTRPG designer

I have to feature two friends.

First, I must mention Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.  The man has so much ideas and energy, he writes like a maniac and produces fantastic games. I've been fortunate enough to have known him for quite some time and to have gained his confidence, despite my work not being as profitable as I wished it was, he's been supportive and encouraging in so many ways. He's created games inspired by music, by sentai warriors, by kaiju, and more. He's just incredible.

Second, I must mention the legendary jim pinto of postworldgames. jim definitely is not a new name in the industry. His presence as long been felt and has been influential in so many ways. But he deserves this highlight because his two game systems, Protocol and Praxis, deserve to be better noticed. Both are fascinating works that encourage narrative focus and deep role-playing opportunities and are wonderful bookends to the crunch and fluff spectrum.

There are so many additional designers worth featuring, but I guess it loses its focus if I showcase too many.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 26: Blogs, streams, podcasts?

#26: Blogs, streams, podcasts?

I'm tremendously appreciative of the various shows and streams that are out there. Victory Condition, Riverhouse Games, Misdirected Mark, Weekly Affirmations, She's a Super Geek, Once Upon a Time, Party of One, Pocket-Sized Play, PallComm @ Visionary, and IdeateTV have been quite wonderful in helping boost the signal of my stuff.

Same with GMA News as well. For small indie designers such as myself, we are extremely grateful for the signal boost.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 25: Being a TTRPG designer means?

#25: Being a TTRPG designer means...

Being someone who attempts to translate an experience into a document which others whom you have never even ever met will be able to read and grasp to the point that when they play it, the experience you wanted them to feel will be there.

There is no one true way to play a game. But there are horribly wrong ways to do so.  And being a tabletop role-playing game designer is being sensitive to the possibilities and being aware of the paradigm shifts the reader may have while attempting to understand your game. This isn't about playing God or having a power trip. This is about finding a way to answer questions that haven't even been asked yet. This is about finding the words that will help the players feel that same excitement you had when you first imagined what it would be like creating a game like this.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 24: Most Notable Achievement?

#24: Most Notable Achievement?

There were a number of instances where I thought I had my most notable achievement. Some of them turned out to have been something else entirely compared to what I had expected. Many of them have become huge learning moments for me.

So I will instead cite what I feel are achievements I am proud of:

7th Sea: Pirate NationsI was one of the freelance writers contracted to be part of the book. The book won a Silver ENnie for Best Supplement. This might be the closest I can ever be to having an ENnie of my own.

(AUTHOR)ities: The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival
The event was, to my knowledge, the first time ever for tabletop role-playing games to be part of a government event. This opens the doors for our participation in future events and who knows, maybe even be recognized as an existing literary field in its own way.

A Single Moment
My first solo creation. The first original game that I self-published. The game has reached over 2,000 people and was recognized as the Runner Up for Best System in the Indie Groundbreaker Awards 2017.  The game has been hailed as revolutionary and continues to find an audience. I am very proud of it.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 23: People who've helped you?

#23: People who've helped you?

First person on the list will have to be Rocky, my partner. One can cite countless examples of people who are in relationships where only one of the other pair is into gaming. My partner not only enjoys games but also loves the geeky gay world we live in so much that he supports me in so many ways.

Then you have my family. My mom and dad were HUGE influences in my life. They gave me opportunities to learn to write, and an education that allowed me to gain the skills necessary to create.

This is followed by the online community of awesome friends and supporters I have who have helped me find opportunities to express my creative ideas. Josh Jordan, Alan Bahr, Ben Woerner, Dan Waszkiewicz, John Kennedy, Ryan Schoon, Ben Lehman, Andy Kitkowski, Ole Peder Giæver, Eloy Lasanta, John Wick, Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Giovanni Micolucci ...

And the late Stewart Wieck.They all believed in me and gave me opportunities to contribute to the tabletop rpg community. They were kind and extremely supportive.

Then, there are my TAG TEAM SUPPORTERS. Among them include Rob Abrazado, David Harrison, Mina, Karlo, Ryan Schoon, Riverhouse Games and Rob Deobald. The financial support has been amazing and has helped me fund more artists to work on my games. Thank you for your trust.

There are my friends. Flip Velez, Urim Hernandez, Josh Castaneda, Che de Leon and her partner, Kyle, James Lo and his wife, Lei, Aina and Brian, the Finer Gamer Things Club (Mitch, Myna, Mai, Karen, Jovan, Christian, and more), Gwen, the local table top game community leaders such as Thomas, Nico, Freddie, the people of Project Tadhana, Mon Macutay of abubot.ph, Hans of Gaming Library, and so many other friends who help me keep moving and rally behind me when things get tough.

And finally, the gamers who tried, bought, or shared my games with others. To the podcasters who featured my stuff or interviewed me. To the webshows that mentioned my name or tried my little creations. To the parents, or teachers, or uncles and aunts who tried learning more about rpgs and were thankful that I helped them understand what their kids, neices and nephews, friends, were into. Your messages of support, your youtube videos of appreciation, your emails of criticism, all of that is welcomed and appreciated because you opted to spent some part of your time to check out something I made.

These are the people who have helped me.
These are the ones who remind me to rise up no matter how many times I've been bullied or attacked or manipulated or taken advantage of. These are the people who have helped me see that life does get better. Life does go on. And we all can be beacons of hope and diverse examples of truly inclusive gaming safe spaces.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 22: How do you document ideas?

#22: How do you document ideas?

Three ways:
First, my ipad. I have either the Paper app or the Notepad app on my ipad which I use to quickly jot down any ideas that pop into my head.  These are for those days I might be out like at the mall or while driving, I have a voice recorder app in my phone that I use to dictate my ideas. Finally, when at my desktop, you have either notepad or Excel to track down my ideas.

Yeah, not too exciting.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 21: How Many Playtests?

#21: How Many Playtests?

The short answer: As many as possible.

Playtesting helps you get a gauge of many things: Does the reader get what you're trying to say? Does the reader get a feel of the mood you want to evoke? Does the reader grasp the rules quickly? Does the reader get lost on where to go next?  Are there terms that confuse instead of clarify? Are there rules that break the experience? Are there rules that don't serve a purpose? Are there parts of the game that generally feel unfun?

I don't believe that much in "balancing" as I feel in tabletop games, players and GMs are the final arbiter on how to properly make sure the game is always fun for all at the table. While I do design with the mathematical foundation of the rules in mind, I do not design with the intent to block any possible abuse or number crunching of the system. Why? Cause in as much as I don't like those, players have the freedom to do that if they want to. My focus is to make sure the rules are able to provide a guide to the experience I wanted to offer.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 20: Favorite design Tools?

#20: Favorite design Tools?

Not much. I use Word or Notepad for most of my writing. Unless I literally write stuff down in any notebook or pad I got. My handwriting is atrocious, however, so typing is better.  For lay out, I either use Word or InDesign.   Vector artwork is usually made with Illustrator but sometimes I use Photoshop instead. 

The internet is, of course, a resource I tap often. More so when writing on stuff that do not have that much dead-tree resources available.  I realize now I have no idea if I answered this question correctly.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 19: Game that's most essential to your design?

#19: Game that's most essential to your design?

I must admit this will once again be that one game by John Wick that has truly given me such a huge paradigm shift towards how role-playing games should be:

Houses of the Blooded.
A lot of people give Houses of the Blooded a bad review, calling it confusing or talking about how it doesn't have good balance and all that jazz. But a lot of these negative views, in my opinion, are born from the fact the reader didn't quite grasp the key point that is required for games like Houses of the Blooded to work: a truly brave trust in each other.  Unless this exists between players and Game Masters, games will be bogged down with players who don't allow the drama and tragedy to happen, or GMs who don't understand where the players are trying to bring the plot instead.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

More (AUTHOR)ities updates!

Was very happy to have had the chance to run Itras By: Menagerie during the (AUTHOR)ities event this April 2018. My good friend Mark (dressed in blue with stripes) played a bookstore owner who awoke in Imperia Manila with no clear memory of how long he has been there. With him was Shop, the embodiment of his bookstore given human form.

We were having so much fun that I totally forgot to try taking any pictures of us.  Thankfully, my dear friends Maita and Magsi passed by the table to say hello. Maita had taken some pictures which meant I now have two pics of me at the TAG Sessions table for the day 1 of (AUTHOR)ities

Day 2 was a very busy day. While I had to handle things alone on day 1, Day 2 had my partner Rocky at my side to help me juggle the affairs of the day. Beyond just the table tasks of introducing role-playing games to the people (with the most common inquiry being, "Do I need a computer to play that?"), I was also tasked to moderate two talks that day. The first talk was all about Book to Game adaptations and the second was on Interactive Storybooks.

We tried to feature as many games as possible at our table. Josh T. Jordan's Heroine got a LOT of interested eyeballs on them, with people asking if they could purchase the books. I had to regretfully tell them that I had no stock with me and that they were more than welcome to order it online.

Many also marvelled at the beauty that was Itras By: Menagerie, loving the book's heft and artwork. I wish I had a physical copy of the first book too, but I only owned that one  in PDF format.

I also tried to showcase some of my PDF only games. That Night Out, Sickening Queens, and Bad Timing also had some display time.  Some people who approached were very happy to see our Pride Flag, which I insisted I have on display because we all deserve equality, no matter what bigoted government people may say.

All in all, (AUTHOR)ities was a tremendously wonderful event. I do hope to get copies of the photos taken by the CCP people and I realy hope that we will be invited again to return in the coming years!

#AprilTTRPGMaker 18: Current Inspiration?

#18: Current Inspiration?

Each project has their own inspiration and muses.

Once Upon a Time in Jianghu
My Wuxia game which is Powered by the Apocalypse has drawn much inspiration from the various source material of the said genre, the old Weapons of the Gods role-playing game, John Wick's Houses of the Blooded, and Marvel Heroic Roleplaying games.

DreamscrapersThis young age role-playing game draws from Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Over the Garden Wall, D.C. Comics' Green Lantern, and the 80s cartoon, Visionaries. The game system draws inspiration from my upcoming Neko No Yume solitaire role-playing game.

A Second Moment
This draws inspiration from its fans and many supporters. The game has been quite well received by the gaming community and I am hoping that the upcoming plans for a second edition of the game, with rules that allow group play, traditional GM - Player play, and more will be welcomed just as warmly as the original game was.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Day 10: Dungeon World

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 10: Dungeon World

While I did have a copy of Apocalypse World and other games that were Powered by the Apocalypse before I had a tried a session of Dungeon World, it was with this game that helped my brain go "OMG this is genius." With this game, I realized the wonderful power of the engine, how it has players handle all dice rolls, how the GM simply focuses on the rules to support the narrative, and how narrative can be enough a "common sense" limiter for game mechanics.

As of writing this post, I am working on a Wuxia game that is Powered by the Apocalypse. I cannot wait to see how the gaming world will enjoy it and I do hope they do when it finally gets released!

Monday, April 17, 2018 #AprilTTRPGMaker 17: Favorite Form of Feedback?

#17: Favorite Form of Feedback?

Honest ones which focus on what the playtest was asking them to cover. I understand some people get eager, and when given a playtest document their attempts to give back feedback tends to shift into attempts to make another's game better.

While it can be nice when your playtesters opt to try to share their own ideas on what can make the game better, more often than not, they aren't coming from the same paradigm or perspective you are.  So that can be tricky to use as feedback.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Day 9: The Black Monk - Praxis

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 9: The Black Monk - Praxis

This game was an incredible game changer. jim pinto's approach to this game system was just incredible. It gave me quite a rush that was very much similar to when I first played a White Wolf game. It was a realization that I was looking at something that was quite new, and had a potent punch in delivering a new experience.

AUTHOR(ities): The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival Day One

Had a fantastic day at the AUTHOR(ities): The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival! I was so excited about the whole day that I totally forgot to take photos of the my table. But it was an opportunity to showcase Itras By, Itras B: Menagerie, Heroine, Girls Elsewhere, Dangers Untold, Sickening Queens, Bad Timing, That Night Out, and A Single Moment!

I loved being able to run games for so many people. Some of them were completely first time gamers, having never tried a game in their entire lives. Others had some tabletop rpg history but were happy to try something new.

I felt tremendously honored to be able to share my passion for gaming with more people. In the Itras By demo session, a man named Alvin Shoppe who owned a Shop that had become a personality had no memory of how long he had been in Itras By. The day was another festival, Fiesta ng Masayang Tuldok (Festival of the Happy Period) with the Manananggal Titas once more showing off their best dresses. After having a few drinks with Mang Tonio, the policeman at a cafe where a Corgi and some invisible companion asked for the toll, Alvin finds a golden key in his pocket and soon learns that Inang Bai had cursed him with forgetfulness. But when she saw how much Shop had fallen in love with Alvin, she gave her a challenge: If Alvin chose to stay rather than return home, then they were meant to be.  Alvin choose to stay and the two renamed their bookstore, Alvin and Shop.

One A Single Moment game was about a couple of gay Samurai who did not have the Honesty to admit their truth to one another. Their secrets lead to deaths and a sorrowful end.   Another ASM game had two close friends who were soon to be brothers from a Clan marriage becoming the direst of foes when one mistakes the other's friendship as a man without any Honor in treating his wife well. Death was a common thread in the games.

I was also able to connect with a number of educators, professionals, and other teachers who were eager to explore role-playing games as teaching tools or creative writing prompts. I offered my time to give talks if any of them needed a speaker to get their students more curious to role-playing games. For many, I gave them the links to DriveThruRpg.com so they can grab the PDFs if they're interested in checking out more games.

Finally, the night was filled with cool reunions. Was able to hang out once more with the fantastic people of Project Tadhana, the brains behind Darna (and the upcoming Lastikman and Bagani) game, and the creative minds who crafted the Talinghaga and Tala games.  Got to see Talecraft people as well and had a lovely hug from Carlo Vergara as well.  So that was the fun first day!  See you all tomorrow!

TAG Sessions features Itras By Menagerie at the 9th Philippine International Literary Festival

We are very honored to have been invited to take part in the 9th Philippine International Literary Festival!  The event is called (AUTHOR)ities and is a two-day event with talks, workshops, demos, and film-screenings. 

We will be attending to feature Itras By: Menagerie to introduce people and give them a chance to try the freeform surreal tabletop role-playing game.  I will admit, it feels fantastic to know that tabletop role-playing games is getting a bit more visibility. Even more awesome, I'm not alone in doing so! 

The mythical Tadhana role-playing game will be running demos as well!

As will the Talinhaga word game which throws a fantastic spin on the word game genre.

And of course, Darna at ang Nawawalang Bato will also be there, ready to challenge players to find the missing stone.

I'm curious to learn more about the two-player Tala Offline game which I shall admit is the first time I've heard of it. It is a card game spin-off of the Janus Silang comics. 

In addition, I've been tapped to moderate two talks as well. 

The first is all about Book-To-Game Adaptations.
The speakers for this are Ria Lu, Alvin Juban, and Shelly Kero
This is on April 20, 2018 at 1:15pm to 2:30pm at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute  (1st Floor)

The second talk will be about Multimedia Storybooks
The speaker will be James Palabay
This is on April 20, 2018 at 2:35pm to 3:35pm at the Tanghalang Amado Hernanez (Ground Floor)

Hope you all can attend!
For more information, visit their facebook page today!

Day 8: Lacuna - The Birth of Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 8: Lacuna - The Birth of Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

Memory loss is common in the Blue City.
This game is life changing.
I'd say more but that is beyond your clearance level.

Abort.
Abort.

There is static in the line.
3.

2.

1.

Eject.