Rupert Smith, Law Enforcer NPC for Tiny Frontiers

This is a non-player character (but can be used as a character) for the Tiny Frontiers Game in the Western Star micro-setting created by John D. Kennedy.

Rupert Smith, human law enforcer for the town of Southridge on Missick

Born and raised on Missick isn't something most people are proud of, or talk about. Rupert, though, loves his home world. Even with all of its problems, Rupert believes that Missick is not the dead world others claim it to be, it's just waiting for the right time to emerge again. Rupert's positive beliefs go far beyond that of just having the world come back.

A few years ago Rupert's parents were killed. There is still a lot of mystery around their deaths because it happened during an Avonti raid. But, it didn't look like they were killed by Missick's native race. The Star at the time didn't do anything more about it, and the people of the small town of Southridge were on the verge of rioting. Things changed. The Star along with some others left the town, none have been seen from since. Rupert stepped up. He knew the most likely reason his parents were killed were because they were working on creating a town of peace, maybe even working with the Avonti. He accepted the position of Star with the belief that his parent's deaths would never be solved, nor justice being served.

He looked to the future.  Deciding that he would carry on with dedication of solving the bigger problem his parents were trying to solve. He is helping the few people left in the town of Southridge to make a stable place with the best possible life they can create. They still have problems, but they are doing alright. And, because of the stability they are seeing a few more people come around from the outer reaches and even some who are using Southridge as a place to start from. With the growth Rupert turned out to be a good choice for Star.

As the law of the town, the MMA gives Rupert full authority, and so do the people who are permanent residents. This is good for the town because it sits on the edge of a wasteland that many consider dangerous, but with possibilities. The people that come to town are soon encountered by Rupert and confirmed that the town is no place for problems. The people here are under his protection and that if they want to create issues, there is plenty of room north of town to find them. Rupert is quick to put down trouble in the town, but is fair in his jurisdiction. This doesn't mean that he is willing to let strangers, or even friends, get away with creating problems.

When he can, Rupert explores the area around the town. His goal is to learn more about the native Avonti and to see if there are other resources to help the people he cares about. He has come across some sign of the Avonti and has been careful to show an interest, but respect for what he has found. He is not sure, but he believes this has led to some sort of peace agreement between the local natives and the people of Westridge. Although, some of the rougher prospectors that have come through town have not fared as well.

Rupert Smith, Human Star (Sheriff)

HP 6

Traits: charismatic, insightful, perceptive, prepared

Weapon proficiency and mastery: light range, laser pistol

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Switch, Game Review

More pictures on their page

Every so often you are sitting with a few people around and just wanting a quick game to fill in the time. Something everyone gets involved in. In my group we call these filler games. At a couple of recent conventions, Salt Lake Gaming Convention and SaltCon, I came across a game that really fits the definition of a filler game.

Switch is a fast-paced, everyone play at once, game. It reminded me of a game we called Speed crossed over with some Crazy Eights. In Switch you are working to get rid of your hand as fast as possible into a central discard pile.

A hand starts with each player having a dealt hand that you turn over at the same time. Then you get rid of them as fast as possible. You start out with a condition to play cards, pairs, color (suit), or runs. You keep playing on the top of the discard pile until you can't play or a switch card is used to change the condition.

When I played we just played individual hands, but you can keep score to have your game last longer than just a hand. Many hands are completed in less than a minute. I also watched other playing and how many younger players really enjoyed the fast pace of the game and how short of time a hand took.

I can see there is a lot of potential to create your own house rules for discarding. You can also change hand size. You could also create different hand sizes to provide a balance between younger and older players. All of these, and other ideas, create a basic card game that can be played differently to keep the game fresh.

You might be waiting for only a few minutes and be looking for something to fill the gap of time. Or, you might need to fill a little more time. You could even play this between ordering your food and waiting for it to be served.

Switch is designed and distributed by Bored Brothers Gaming (Facebook link). It designed for 2–6 players, with no age listed, to last about 15 minutes (based on the games scoring system).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Word Domination: Spelling Disaster, Game Review

Art by Ryan Goldsberry from Uproarious website

Criminal masterminds don't just have to worry about the good guys. There are only so many great treasures to take and other domineering deviants are going after them. You must devise your strategic maneuverings to position your plot in claiming the treasures available before the secondary scoundrels abscond with the booty. And, in so doing you not only secure the ancient and modern artifacts of the society, but promote the security of your position by establishing control of the territories.

Word Domination: Spelling Disaster is an area control game that uses your vocabulary as the mechanic to gain the spaces to earn points. However, having the great words at your disposal is only the means to the end. It is more about how you build the words to gain the spaces, not just using the biggest, grandest words you can come up with.

Each player takes on the role of one of the criminal masterminds who are vying against each other by capturing the space and stealing the great treasures of the world. The criminal character information gives players a unique advantage. Or, in the case when I played it, everyone is equal. This is a benefit for beginning and younger players. Word Domination is designed for 1–4 players with both cooperative and competitive rules.

We played a competitive game. On your turn you spell a word using the tiles in play. As the game progresses it becomes more important on the location of the tiles and not so much as what the word is. That's because you don't score for the word—it's the mechanic for capturing the space.

Along with playing a game against the developer (Jeff Beck), I had the opportunity of watching others play at SaltConthis year (2017). It was fun to watch as people realized the change in strategy because so many people are used to scoring the word. In fact, I saw one younger player give a solid run to a much older player by going for the basics they understood. It was a good example of how well the game is balanced.

There is also a lot of replayability with Word Domination. The letters that come into play vary, booth on the initial setup and as they are drawn into the game. Some of the tiles have special play options that you can use when you play a word using that letter. There is also the variability of the criminal personalities available.

I liked the twist of using words as the mechanic instead of the scoring mechanism. Another person playing the game (at a different time) commented how using this as the means to the end caused them to have to rethink what they were doing because they started out in the mode of looking for the words instead of the territories.

You've sharpened your thesaurus talents to stay a step ahead of the conniving competition. The master plan is made and now it is time to implement the scheme to take demonstrate you are the mastermind you have always known yourself to be.

Word Domination is designed by Jeff Beck and illustrated by Ryan Goldsberry and is from Uproarious Games. It is for 1–4 players and designed to last 30 – 60 minutes.

At the time of writing this the game has successfully completed a Kickstarted campaign and should soon be available on the market.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Castle Panic, Game Review

Picture from Fireside Games

The castle stands and we as the defenders stand ready to defend it. There are hordes of monsters coming from all around us. We can work together to keep them from tearing down the walls and invading our home.

Castle Panic pits the defenders of the castle against the invading monsters. Players build a hand and play the cards allowing them to strike at the monsters in different zones. The goal is to keep them from getting to the castle walls. If they reach the walls, they can tear down them down and invade inside the wall.

I had the opportunity of playing Castle Panic at SaltCon in the room hosted by Double Exposure Inc./Envoy games. Three of us sat down and played the basic game with no expansions. The base game is a good for beginners and younger players. The expansions might also work, but I haven't played the game with expansions. The three of us were able to start quickly because the rules were straight forward and easy to understand. For two of us this was the first time we had played Castle Panic.

The board

We played a cooperative game. The instructor told us there were several ways to play, which included the cooperative style, team play of one side playing the monsters, solitaire, and one with players collect trophies for a high score. We went with the pure cooperative game, which I also found out was the first time one of our players had played a cooperative game.

The rules are easy to understand. Players start with a hand of cards that are used and traded to other players. Monsters are randomly drawn and placed on a zone of the board and they move forward to attack the castle. The cards give the player the opportunity of seeing which area they can defend and at what distance from the castle wall. There is some planning of seeing when an invader is within range and giving the right cards to that player who can make the defense.

Playing the cooperative game gave us an advantage of helping each other with advice on how to pass cards. Even the less experienced gamer at the table soon understood the basics and was picking up on the options they could do on their turn.

Moster tokens

Castle Panic is a good family game. It is rated for ages 10+, but younger players, especially those who have played some other games, can easily join in on their own. Inexperienced younger players may need a little help. The game also has a quick pace so the game keeps moving and keeps the interest of younger players. A friend with children told me this has become one of their staples on family game night. To add a more excitement, they use miniatures to represent the monsters attacking the castle.

Castle Panic is designed by Justin De Witt and distributed by Fireside Games. It is designed for 1–6 players to be played in less than an hour (our game took about 45 minutes).

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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A Help for Maintaining Pace in an RPG Adventure

In a conversation with some game masters (GMs), we got into a discussion about some of the issues we have faced over the years. Most of the issues GMs face with in their groups are temporary ones based on the mood of the players and how people are responding to the events in their daily lives. There isn't much we can do as a GM about those issues, but provide a good game. There are different elements in a good game and part of that is the pacing of the adventure.

Every good story, game, movie, book, has good pacing—how well the story moves along from beginning to end. In the more traditional tabletop games this is done with the mechanics of the game, and some of the same basics apply to Role-playing games (RPGs). However, because RPGs are designed to give players a wider range of options the pacing of the game becomes more about the application of the mechanics and not just the mechanics being used.

Application of game mechanics is a balance between player and character wants. There is a balance needing to be struck between what the characters know, understand, and would consider acceptable, against those the players have. Players have another level of knowledge based on the mechanics the characters are playing under.

Players are not always trying to metagame or manipulate the game mechanics for their advantage, even though we have all met those players who will squeeze the rules (I believe this is the main reason rulebooks keep getting thicker). Everyone has a natural disposition to look at the situation they are in and try to make it better. The GM then has the responsibility to allow a level of manipulation without overtaking the game completely.

Curtailing some of the manipulation of the mechanics helps the game's pacing. This allows players, and thus characters, to move from the mundane events to the action-packed ones.

This doesn't require creating a new mechanics on top of your game system. And, the idea I have for you doesn't have to be applied every time. You can apply it in a general sense and then allow the circumstances in the game to direct you easily to the times you find you shouldn't apply it.

Create situational responses that allow a single check for the group.

From Spreadshirt

For example, the party is carefully making their way through the pirate's castle on the alien world to rescue the young son of the merchant prince. The long empty hall has couple dozen closed doors. The first party member steps up to the first door and declares they listen at the door to determine if there is anyone on the other side. They don't hear anything, so they step aside and the next member repeats the action. Because the second party member doesn't hear anything either, they step aside for the next member of the party. And, this continues until somebody in the party hears something, or everyone has pressed their ear near the crack of the door. Then, they move on to the next door.

This level of action becomes tedious.

Creating a situational response before the adventure begins can allow this encounter with the doors to move quickly. The players decide which character is best for listening at doors and how the rest of the party is acting during that encounter with the closed door. Everyone understands the character who has the best chance of hearing something is listening for the entire group—if they don't hear something, no one else will either.

When the party enters the hallway with this pre-planned setup the GM can have already determined at which point the "party" hears something. This allows the story to move past the mundane action and get the party to exploring the rooms, or moving down the hall, quicker and easier.

This concept of group rolls can be applied to other actions. If you find there are times where your game slows down because everyone is taking the same action to confirm a result, hold a quick chat with the players and see if that would be a good situation to apply a single roll for the group.

One of the GMs in our discussion says he allows a bonus to the party for doing these types of rolls. This gives the party an additional reason to go with a single roll. Another GM told how he applies this same idea on his own. Whatever the result of the first character attempting to do something is, it becomes the result for the rest of the party. I think that might be a little extreme for my group. However, I must admit I can see where in the past if I had taken this action, it would have been a good thing.

There are times when the group roll doesn't work. Those times are usually obvious during play. We also allow players to repeat the action if they can give a good, in-character, reason for doing so.

In preparing adventures I can use this setup to create a much faster paced game. For checks that are made by the GM, instead of waiting until the time of the action I can have predetermined some of the information the party has gained. When I have done this it has worked well and allows for a more during a game session.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Tiny Frontiers, RPG review

Tiny Frontiers Game Book

The expanse of space lies before you and your fellow explorers. You are cruising through the darkness of the vast to your next adventure. The captain has chosen the location and the navigator plotted the course to Messick. Though the ship is pretty much capable of directing itself through the darkness, the pilot is nearby and ready in case something unexpected happens. The only people appearing to be on edge are the captain and the quartermaster. There wasn't any word as to why you were going to the system. Maybe, it would be best to check to see what's in the computer.

Tiny Frontiers by Alan Bahr with Thomas Keene from Gallant Knight Games is a wonderfully compact gaming system for space adventures. It provides a game that can be used to introduce new players, new settings, and new games quickly and easily. The approach to creating Tiny Frontiers appears to be different the so many of the existing science fiction role-playing games (RPGs).

Many science fiction RPGs are based in an existing universe that provides boundaries so adventures fit the parameters of the overarching story the RPG is drawn from. On the other side of that coin, are the games systems that provide so much information trying to cover every aspect of what a game master (GM) may want to create for their universe. I have seen these taken to the extreme in both directions. If you are a fan of the existing universe, the guidelines given are not a problem because you have already allowed yourself to be in that universe. The, again, the other side usually means there is a lot of work for the GM when building a new universe to game in.

The size of the book is smaller than most game books. It can be tucked into the pocket of a pair of cargo pants. It is something to know that you have the universe in your pocket. Even though the book is 136 pages in total length, the first third of the book is all that is needed to create your characters and start playing. The additional 90 pages are micro-settings. The concept is to be able to build on the narrative, cinematic aspects of role-playing and not to get bogged down in the details of creating the tactical aspects of the strategy.

The 40 pages of game mechanics are straight forward, easy to understand, and readily adaptable.

Creating a character is a simple matter of deciding on your race, traits, and what you're carrying. Your personality can grow from their as you decide. There are races presented, which some would say provides those boundaries I was talking about earlier. And, they do. At the same time, the style of the game allows for development of additional races without having to do a lot of behind the scenes work.

Character traits and equipment are presented in the same manner to provide a quick start to play. In fact from start to finish it took fifteen to twenty minutes to have a character ready for adventuring.

Tiny Frontiers GM screen

When I received the book from Alan he told me he wanted to create a system where you can keep your character on an index card. And, a three by five or a four by six index card really is enough. The only thing that might take you more is how much backstory you want to give them.

There are 16 unique micro-settings from 12 other authors. Because the authors come from different backgrounds (including science fiction, fantasy and horror) each micro-setting has a flavor all its own. There is enough information that a GM can base an entire campaign in any of the settings. Or, like any good recipe, they can be combined to create a diverse universe.

The longest write up of a setting is only nine pages long (and these are small tiny pages). Most of them are structured to be about two standard notebook pages in length. The smaller format gives enough information so you can easily introduce the setting to your players and peak the creativity of the game master. Although it seems like these are short descriptions that would be lacking, they are not. Reading through the settings reminded me of the great paperbacks I read in my youth, places among the stars I wanted to visit.

Tiny Frontiers is a great RPG to have on hand for experienced and new players. The size of the book and the characters, along with using only six-sided dice, makes this game easily transportable. It is one of the few RPGs I feel I can say would make a good cabin game—something to play when you are away from home, but unable to get out of the cabin.

Everyone is nervous now you are coming into a dilapidated port. The captain finally spoke up that he took a commission to find some lost prospector in the desert on Messick. (This is drawn from one of the micro-settings presented.)

As a side note, Gallant Knight Games has acquired the rights for producing more on the Tiny Dungeonruleset.

I would like to thank Alan Bahr and Gallant Knight Games for the opportunity of playing and reviewing Tiny Frontiers.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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Nerdy Inventions, Game Review

Tinkering in the laboratory by adding a watzit here and a widget there can be a fulfilling career. Working to get the right combination of components to make a whole working invention is give a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. Then, after the first one is made, being able to put that invention to use to create more amazing creations can take you to a whole new level of self-confidence.

Nerdy Inventions distributed by Mayday Games is a quick playing game well suited for a small family, kids, or even when another couple comes over for game night. It is designed for two to four players and we played it with two and four players. The game moves quickly and easily along, but, you also have the capability of being able to step away from it or break out in conversation without disrupting the game. This makes it a nice addition to the game shelf.

First, I sat down with three other players of mixed ages and we were able to quickly learn Nerdy Inventions and play through without any problems. This first session was with less experienced gamers and everyone enjoyed it. I am sure we were all missing options that were available to us, but no one minded the fact. They were having fun, helping each other and enjoying the interaction through the game.

The next time I played was with a friend who is a gamer. The two of us started the game as we were waiting for the rest of the players on a game night. After we started, we found out the others weren't going to be able to make it and we played one game after the other for several hours.

Nerdy inventionshas easy to understand rules that provide a lot of combinations of what can be done on your turn. Although we didn't hit the lowest age of the recommendation our youngest player was able to understand and apply the rules on their own quickly. More questions came from the more experienced gamers as they were figuring out the nuances of what they could do. After a quick pass through the rules we were able to start our first game.

Each player starts with an invention. Inventions allow the player to make adjustments to their resources, or the inventions available to be created when you get the right combination of resources. The resources are determined by a roll of three six-sided dice.

The game

A turn starts by rolling the dice to determine what resources you have available. The right combination of dice allows you to build new inventions that becomes part of your laboratory. You can also spend dice to move inventions so the resource requirement changes or power one of your inventions you have used earlier in the game.

Using an invention allows an action depending on what the invention is. There are ten different inventions available. The combination of events in a single turn grows as you determine how to spend your resources and use your inventions. The game is designed that everyone will get the same number of turns, usually. There is an invention that allows a player to end the game immediately, if they think it will give them enough victory points.

Every invention is worth victory points. During play you have to decide how you want to fill your laboratory with what's available—what's on the invention row and what you have resources for. At the end of the game victory points are totaled to determine who has the best filled laboratory.

Along with being a good family game Nerdy Inventions is a good addition to have as a cabin game or a filler game. It is in a small package, is easy to set up, and easy to clean up. With the randomness of rolling dice and the order of the deck as inventions are made available the replay-ability of Nerdy Inventions is high.

Nerdy Inventionsby Chih Fan Chen from Homosapiens Lab and licensed to Mayday Gamesis designed for 2–4 players of ages 8+. A game is designed to last 25–30 minutes.

I would like to thank Mayday Games for the opportunity of playing and reviewing their games.

If you have a comment, suggestion, or critique please leave a comment here or send an email to guildmastergaming@gmail.com.

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We're reorganizing!

Hi, Everyone -

Good things are coming!

We're currently in the process of designing and setting up a website, which we hope will contain much of our blog information.

While we're working on that, we'll check in on our Facebook page regularly and would love to see you there.

We're also still offering classes:
       Bonding
       Confidence-building
       Clicker-training
       Out and about
       Shy dog social hour

We're still offering private training sessions in your home or at our St. Paul location, as well. To contact us or learn more, send us an email at giffydog@gmail.com.

And we still love rescue dogs!

Thanks for your patience while we move through this next phase of our development. We're grateful for the support you've given us during our first critical years, and we're looking forward to continue serving Minnesota dog-loving families in the upcoming years!

In gratitude -

Cheryl Gfrerer, MA KPA-CTP
Owner

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