Dragon Droppings

By Ian Warner

Introduction

To say the Monkey Roleplaying Game was hotly anticipated is something of an understatement. Frequenters of the Mongoose forums will be aware of the 100+ page thread begging for a Monkey Roleplaying Game. Well your request has finally been answered but not by Mongoose. D101 Games is a small outfit much like Postmortem and it is they who have published this long sought after Holy Grail of Roleplaying Games. Something of a coup that is sure to do well for them. Curses! Beaten to it! Ahem…. anyway here is my totally unbiased review of Monkey: The Storytelling Game of the Journey to the West.

Continue reading ‘Monkey: The Storytelling Game of the Journey to the West’ »

by Azrael

With Edge of Midnight Monday coming to an end, as Shadowrun Saturday did before it, I’d like to quickly canvas opinion on whether or not the readers of this ‘blog (if indeed there are any) enjoyed a weekly dose of RPG write-up/fiction.
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by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Eleven – The Unmasking of Mr. G

31st October, 1949

And now, for the thrilling finale in The Death of Harry Fontaine, read on …

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by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Ten – The Tale of Two Prisoners

30th-31st October, 1949

So in walks the boss, and cradled in his arms is Shirley, but she’s not looking in a good way with more holes in her than a dutch cheese. I don’t know many people who could take that kind of punishment and survive it, but the boss seems to have hope as he gets onto his boss to have a Doc sent round. I don’t know how the boss is feeling, he’s covering it up pretty well, but I’m gutted, and Rocky is clearly devastated. Despite their little fall out the boss is determined to take care of her, and I find myself wanting to do the same. I like having Shirley around, and she’d sure be missed. Anyways, turns out that Sinclair chap is still out in the van, Rocky and I are sent out to bring him in too. I don’t know what’s up with the guy, he’s not exactly got a lot of blood on him, but he can’t even move. With the boss taking care of those two, and our captives in the bathroom, it’s sure going to be crowded in here tonight.

Continue reading ‘Edge of Midnight Monday: The Tale of Two Prisoners’ »

by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Nine – The Terrible Tong and the Collapsed Cliff

Early Afternoon, 30th October, 1949

POV: Shirley Homes

The situation certainly was sticky, stickier than a kid enjoying their Halloween hoard. As Bill and I rounded the bend we could see James’ car in the distance, being pushed closer to the edge of the cliff by the large gaunt. Bill approached it as fast as he was able, but going uphill was a struggle for his car. The Tong fish van behind us also held a pack of troubles that we didn’t need to deal with when we got to the end of the road. I couldn’t do anything to help James from here, so I decided to try and slow down the van behind us. Winding down the window I turned in the seat, so I could find my target through the rear window. My heart sank as I saw the golden goons hanging out of the van all held tommy guns pointed at us. I hoped to incapacitate the driver or van giving Bill a chance to pull away from them. Holding my arm out the window I aimed at the man behind the wheel, squeezing the trigger of my Webley and Scott… Just as the car jolted over a pothole. I tried to keep my hand steady, but realised my aim had been off as I saw steam start to spew out of the engine. I guess I’d hit the radiator, but the van didn’t noticeably start to slow down.

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- By Skimble

Scott Lynch is the bestselling author of “The Lies of Locke Lamorra” and “Red Seas Under Red Skies”.

Given my audience I suspect no further introduction is necessary, but just in case:

Lies was published in 2006 to critical acclaim and follows the life of one Locke Lamorra; Gentleman Bastard, con-man, and thief; and his allies as they get involved in a complicated web of crime and intrigue. Red Seas followed in 2007 and took Locke to sea for another fantastic adventure.

If by some misbegotten chance you haven’t read either these books then I for one thoroughly recommend them. Not only are the two books already written a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre but the Gentlemen Bastards series is scheduled to total 7 books in all and promises to be quite a ride!

I recently caught up with Scott Lynch by e-mail and he graciously agreed to answer a few questions.

Continue reading ‘The Truths of Scott Lynch’ »

by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Eight – Enter the Tong Torturer

Late Evening, 29th October, 1949

I ain’t proud of it, but during my breathing days there were plenty of times I woke up after a night with too many whiskeys in it with a nasty taste in my mouth, like metal, vinegar and bile. This case is beginning to taste like that, sour like old pennies soaked in vomit.

Shirley doesn’t know who to trust any more, and she made the mistake of telling Jake about her doubts. The tension between the two of ‘em is like a gathering storm, and when it breaks I don’t know who’s going to come off worst. Doubt and suspicion are contagious, and Jake’s beginning to wonder if maybe the Pattersons really are involved in my death, somehow. The evidence is certainly sending mixed signals, and it’s getting to the stage where Jake isn’t even sure if he can trust his own boss.

Continue reading ‘Edge of Midnight Monday: Enter the Tong Torturer’ »

by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Seven – Depth of Deception

Afternoon, 29th October, 1949

I could see that the case was gnawing at Shirley’s innards the way a rat chews on gristle. Sure, we were friends, but her obsession with solving my murder was down to more than that. Every time she thought of my corpse laying in the artificial chill of the morgue, I knew she could see her brother looking back at her out of my own empty eyes. That was the key to her need for answers; she felt like she’d failed her brother and this was her way of atoning.

The problem was, where did she go from here? More importantly, who could she trust?

She thought she knew where she stood with Jake Bullet, thought she could trust him. She knew he was focused on business, but not cruel. That all started to change after he used her like a slab of meat this morning, making her cry out in pain as he took his ‘payment’ just to make himself look strong in the eyes of his goons.

Continue reading ‘Edge of Midnight Monday: Depth of Deception’ »

by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Six – The Hornet’s Nest

Morning, 29th October, 1949

It never ceases to amaze me how money can open up doors, even the ones with solid steel bars and obstinate locks to go with ‘em. Despite the eye witnesses in the case of the destroyed building and the other evidence against Giles, Ruby’s fancy lawyer and her donation to the judge’s retirement fund got Giles sprung loose before the arraignment hearing was even over. A short while after that he vanished in a limo to Ruby’s mansion, and I have to wonder if he knows what he was letting himself in for.

Meanwhile, things are hotting up with the investigation into my murder. Shirley not only spurned Inich and Matthew’s advances but threatened the assistant lab-rat with a gun, too. I don’t know him too well, but I can’t help but think that ain’t the kind of insult that either of them is going to take lying down.

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By Skimble

Roleplaying games don’t have to be like any other storytelling medium.

While branching or interactive stories have been developed to one extent or another in other media, nothing can rival the flexibility afforded by the dynamic nature of a tabletop roleplaying game session.

In a book, video game, film or a TV series the narrative is pre-defined or, at best, built with branch points that enable the consumer to select from a limited number of choices. Even “sandbox” or “open world” video games that offer self-generated content provide only limited flexibility in the primary story experienced by the player.

Contrast this with a tabletop roleplaying game, where the player(s) can theoretically do anything that fits within the constraints provided by the game’s rules and its setting.

In practice however most games have a degree of structure and linearity imposed upon them by the GM. To an extent this is necessary; without having any idea what is at least likely to occur, how can the GM plan ahead in preparing his sessions?

The question is, how much linearity is too much?

Continue reading ‘Deciding on Game Linearity’ »

by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Five – Date With Death

Late Evening, 28th October, 1949

I heard about it weeks before I got given a one-way ticket to the afterlife, but frankly I never had the guts to look into it. I wasn’t sure that I could stand another stab in the guts, another slap in the face, another dead end in my never-ending search for the dame who tore me apart and left me like roadkill.

All the while I knew there was a classy number who matched the description of my Eva dancing in that Eastowne cabaret, I could hold on to the hope, the fantasy that it would be her. We’d be reunited, and she’d fall into my arms, tears of shame and joy smudging her perfect mascara as she begged me to come back to her.

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by Azrael

Case One – The Death of Harry Fontaine

Chapter Four – Life is a Cabaret

28th October, 1949

So next thing I knew, Giles was trying a jumpsuit with arrows on for size. With Ruby busy pullin’ strings to try and get him out, that left the other three on the job. I didn’t know how much longer I could expect this mismatched trio to keep their own lives on ice while they tried to find out who put an end to mine, but frankly I was grateful for all the help I could get.

They’d been tossing around theories while, across town, Giles was getting the screws put on him by the Crystal Ball Squad, but I couldn’t quite believe where one of their theories was taking them.

Continue reading ‘Edge of Midnight Monday: Life is a Cabaret’ »