My computer crashed and I've tried now for a week to get it to work (lazily, I might add). To no avail. I am beginning to suspect that either the memory or motherboard have been damaged. I'll try to remember to take my other computers HD with me today from work (where the 2nd computer has been serving as a jukebox) and try to boot with that.
So, that's why there have been no updates for a while.
My weight has been the same 96kg for whole summer even though I have not mainteined any diet or beer dicipline, not to talk about excercising. I did go to play tennis with Tommi again and even though I sucked, I sucked less than last time. (This might be because Tommi did not play any curve balls this time.) Today, we'll play again. Interesting to see if there has been any proggress.
Jaakko has been in Hungary for couple of weeks and should return soon. So we'll get to play some RQ again. I am looking forward to see some action as opposed to the large amounts of intrigue (in which we suck like a litter of piglets on crack) we have had in the couple past sessions. Hopefully the skull bashing brings forth some revelations too. Otherwise we are in deep muck. And Sonja'll get to see the insides of lionide intestinal tract.
We also have an opportunity to play some WFRP again. There has been two things offered to PC's in the last session: a) the burglary to Dragons Ale Brewery and b) recovery of the body of Heinrich The Sewer Jack. If the PC's for some reasons do not go for these I have also not still used the Contingency plans A and B. Of which I think I'll go for B at this point as it is more urgent anyways.
I registered to Findplay and promptly got contacted by Newsalor. There is some hope of a Polaris session in the next few weeks. Which is cool as I really would like to see how these indie games are played. (We did try to play My Life With The Master of which I wrote an account to the now-extinct 1st version of this blog. It was less than a success.) I have however stongly beginning to feel that maybe these types of games are not really my cup of tea. In my view (with my limited experience), traditional RP's do the roleplaying thing better and board games do the game thing better. So I am not really sure what purpose these new games have, but, as said, I really have no experience of these yet.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
Runequesting
We have now played two more sessions of Tommi's Crossbow Wedding: The Fallout adventure. Intrique and investigations seem not to be among our groups fortes and without some dubiously easily appeared help from our friend Carain (a persian restaurant entrepreneur we rescued while sailing the seas beyond the Pillars of Heracles) we would not have made any proggress at all.
Even now I'm not entirely convinced we are on the right track. We are chasing the past of the False Sonja and it may be too time consuming course of action. As there is only one month before the final trial and the journey to White Hill and back will take most of that time. But we do not have the luxury of many leads so at least this is doing something.
My freetime has lately been mostly consumed by the little fella. He is learning nicely and is a lot more intelligent than the size of his head would suggest. If I'm not going to make too grave mistakes, I think he'll grow to be a fine dog. I have some aspirations of learning him how to follow a blood trail, maybe do some formal obediance training and maybe training him Agility as well. The blood trail I think would be especially interesting as it would require me too to move in the woods more.
Today we'll go to meet the others of his litter to the breeder. It will be nice to see how the other puppies have proggressed.
On Saturday we had a nice evenig at the Tuira Beach. We played board games (Bang! and Samurai) and Mölkky game (very) loosely based on an old ugrian game called Kyykkä. It turned out (surprising all of us because we have played together before) that Jenni and Hanne are in the same school. After we ran out of booze we went to a local watering hole / pizzeria. I managed to constraint myself on singing karaoke, but the beer was cheap.
Even now I'm not entirely convinced we are on the right track. We are chasing the past of the False Sonja and it may be too time consuming course of action. As there is only one month before the final trial and the journey to White Hill and back will take most of that time. But we do not have the luxury of many leads so at least this is doing something.
My freetime has lately been mostly consumed by the little fella. He is learning nicely and is a lot more intelligent than the size of his head would suggest. If I'm not going to make too grave mistakes, I think he'll grow to be a fine dog. I have some aspirations of learning him how to follow a blood trail, maybe do some formal obediance training and maybe training him Agility as well. The blood trail I think would be especially interesting as it would require me too to move in the woods more.
Today we'll go to meet the others of his litter to the breeder. It will be nice to see how the other puppies have proggressed.
On Saturday we had a nice evenig at the Tuira Beach. We played board games (Bang! and Samurai) and Mölkky game (very) loosely based on an old ugrian game called Kyykkä. It turned out (surprising all of us because we have played together before) that Jenni and Hanne are in the same school. After we ran out of booze we went to a local watering hole / pizzeria. I managed to constraint myself on singing karaoke, but the beer was cheap.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
On Plotting
Came across this link at the Black Industries forums.
I must say the crimson shade of shame conquered my cheeks in a very Ghengis Khan like manner as I read it. I have done it all. My name is Petri and I am a Plotdevice-aholic.
Coupons, Vouchers, Universal Plot Generator and, worse, the dreaded Deux-Ex-Machina have all appeared, nay, been overused in my latest Twilight 2000 (and I've savaged this game of all the possible and more deserving victims) campaign in abundance. I have sown, I have reaped, I have sinned. For I am The GM, Destroyer of Plausibility.
But I must say that if I am continuing my usage of published material in my present WFRP campaign the situation is certainly not going to improve easily.
For example in the first chapter of AoM there was a gargantuan plot-hole right in the beginning: 1. Enter three vagrant troublemakers. 2. A Vile Murder happens and said sword bums are the prime suspects. 3. The Watch Commander assigns the investigation to our three surprised "heroes".
Wow. Just wow! Even I could not come up with something so... so... My words are failing me. I really, really had to rub, tease and tap mercilessly my precious gray matter to justify this. But I managed to do it. And my players do not yet know how and thus are very suspicious. And rightly so, as they are going to discover in the coming sessions, hahaa.
I must say the crimson shade of shame conquered my cheeks in a very Ghengis Khan like manner as I read it. I have done it all. My name is Petri and I am a Plotdevice-aholic.
Coupons, Vouchers, Universal Plot Generator and, worse, the dreaded Deux-Ex-Machina have all appeared, nay, been overused in my latest Twilight 2000 (and I've savaged this game of all the possible and more deserving victims) campaign in abundance. I have sown, I have reaped, I have sinned. For I am The GM, Destroyer of Plausibility.
But I must say that if I am continuing my usage of published material in my present WFRP campaign the situation is certainly not going to improve easily.
For example in the first chapter of AoM there was a gargantuan plot-hole right in the beginning: 1. Enter three vagrant troublemakers. 2. A Vile Murder happens and said sword bums are the prime suspects. 3. The Watch Commander assigns the investigation to our three surprised "heroes".
Wow. Just wow! Even I could not come up with something so... so... My words are failing me. I really, really had to rub, tease and tap mercilessly my precious gray matter to justify this. But I managed to do it. And my players do not yet know how and thus are very suspicious. And rightly so, as they are going to discover in the coming sessions, hahaa.
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Thoughts About WFRP Campaign
We are now six sessions deep in the campaign. I am now thinking that we used too much time on Through The Drakwald. That time could have been more interestingly spent exploring Middenheim in AoM. On the other hand I think it was easier to flesh out the characters in the wilderness. It was also quite important to set the tone of time after a great war what with ruined towns and villages and chaos beasts running wild in the countryside. But, little tighter play would have achieved the same.
Anyway, now we are in a nice slow part of the AoM module where we can concentrate on the characters. The deal with Eckhardt is especially interesting and I am going to play it to the max when the situation is ripe enough. Berthoff is going to be a bit more involved in the main plot, I think. But with a twist, of course. It is never that straightforward with grim & perilous worlds ;) Kata is the most challenging one. I have pitched some stuff about her roots and mercenary ambitions, but we'll see if Tommi takes them. If not, I have already made some machinations about some other stuff...
Anyway, this is exciting time as most of the characters are going to change careers after a few sessions. At this rate, at the end of AoM the characters have probably had a good start with their second careers. (That is if they are sane and alive... Combat is so deadly that the PC's have been popping Fate Points like candy. Pretty soon they'll have to start choosing between losing FP's and gaining disabilities/insanities. Which is the whole point of WFRP.)
Anyway, now we are in a nice slow part of the AoM module where we can concentrate on the characters. The deal with Eckhardt is especially interesting and I am going to play it to the max when the situation is ripe enough. Berthoff is going to be a bit more involved in the main plot, I think. But with a twist, of course. It is never that straightforward with grim & perilous worlds ;) Kata is the most challenging one. I have pitched some stuff about her roots and mercenary ambitions, but we'll see if Tommi takes them. If not, I have already made some machinations about some other stuff...
Anyway, this is exciting time as most of the characters are going to change careers after a few sessions. At this rate, at the end of AoM the characters have probably had a good start with their second careers. (That is if they are sane and alive... Combat is so deadly that the PC's have been popping Fate Points like candy. Pretty soon they'll have to start choosing between losing FP's and gaining disabilities/insanities. Which is the whole point of WFRP.)
Wednesday, August 2, 2006
Update
Second week at work. It seems that I'm a bit rusty, making beginner mistakes. This job requires ones full attention and some tuning into before it can be done properly. It may also be that I'm a bit disoritented due to not having full hearing in my right ear.
There's plenty of weeks to tune in though. All in all I think I have had a quite relaxing vacation and it does not feel formidable at all to climb to Christmas again.
There's only three shows left of Treasure Island, being today, Saturday and Sunday. Can't say I am going to miss this production very much. All in all I think that my performance was not what it could have been. It is always difficult to fling oneself fully and without reservations, but this time my performance has been exceptionally stiff.
Well, but I am very probably quitting this hobby now, as is. I would not mind doing something with the impro group or some other group where one does not have to start over again from scratch. But these mass productions I will not do again.
Being a bit nervous about the new dog. Very worried about my abilities to train it properly. Pyry seems to feel just good though and is as energetic and happy as can be.
There has not been very much gaming lately. Next in line would be Tommi's RQ session, where one of our party members is on trial for murder, which she did not do. We should find some way to prove her innocent, and that is going to be difficult, as the murder was committed by her evil twin. So, it will be difficult and complicated scenario. But I'm sure it will be great fun too.
But that won't be until next week. Maybe there could be some board or strategy gaming before that. I'll have to check on that. We do have one battle of Seelöwe with Jaakko due after all.
I have also an exciting untested game called Russo Turkish War 1877-1879. I'll have to dig up some time to be able to test it.
Here are some links lost in Great Blog Cataclysm:
Pyry Tuli Taloon
Goblins
My Campaign
There's plenty of weeks to tune in though. All in all I think I have had a quite relaxing vacation and it does not feel formidable at all to climb to Christmas again.
There's only three shows left of Treasure Island, being today, Saturday and Sunday. Can't say I am going to miss this production very much. All in all I think that my performance was not what it could have been. It is always difficult to fling oneself fully and without reservations, but this time my performance has been exceptionally stiff.
Well, but I am very probably quitting this hobby now, as is. I would not mind doing something with the impro group or some other group where one does not have to start over again from scratch. But these mass productions I will not do again.
Being a bit nervous about the new dog. Very worried about my abilities to train it properly. Pyry seems to feel just good though and is as energetic and happy as can be.
There has not been very much gaming lately. Next in line would be Tommi's RQ session, where one of our party members is on trial for murder, which she did not do. We should find some way to prove her innocent, and that is going to be difficult, as the murder was committed by her evil twin. So, it will be difficult and complicated scenario. But I'm sure it will be great fun too.
But that won't be until next week. Maybe there could be some board or strategy gaming before that. I'll have to check on that. We do have one battle of Seelöwe with Jaakko due after all.
I have also an exciting untested game called Russo Turkish War 1877-1879. I'll have to dig up some time to be able to test it.
Here are some links lost in Great Blog Cataclysm:
Pyry Tuli Taloon
Goblins
My Campaign
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
My Head Is Rotting
Damn, I've been quite sick since last weeks tennis session. Fever, cough and so on. Last Saturday my eye got red, red as in 'Vlad Tepes Collection'. I vent to see a doctor and it was a bacterial eye inflammation. Glad I vent, because the doc said that with exactly same symptoms it could have been 'eye pressure disease', glaucoma leading to permanent blindness in few hours or viral infection wich could have rendered my pupil to be same shape as a gingerbread cookie for the rest of my life!
The mystery of my hearing troubles and ear pain was also solved. My inner ear is full of putrid puss, and I had a damn bubble on my eardrum, likewise filled with puss. Yuck-yuck-yuck!
AAAAAAGH! Why wasn't I told of these horrors lurking in shadows of an everyday life? Thank god of modern medicine and antibiotics. Otherwise I'd be blind and having gingerbread shaped pupil and dead. With puss pouring out of my ears. Did I mention AAAAAAGH!?
The mystery of my hearing troubles and ear pain was also solved. My inner ear is full of putrid puss, and I had a damn bubble on my eardrum, likewise filled with puss. Yuck-yuck-yuck!
AAAAAAGH! Why wasn't I told of these horrors lurking in shadows of an everyday life? Thank god of modern medicine and antibiotics. Otherwise I'd be blind and having gingerbread shaped pupil and dead. With puss pouring out of my ears. Did I mention AAAAAAGH!?
Unhappy Design Flaw
Great. Blogspot is a regular usability wonder child. I accidentally pressed "Delete This Blog" button. It did just that. Bye Bye blog. I managed to salvage some of the old posts, and here they are:
1. Genesis Of Roleplaying
1:1 In the beginning The GM created the heaven and the earth (and eateth much candy, and therefore He is even today Of Bad Dental Disposition).
1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of GM moved upon the face of the imaginary stealing Stuff from Bad Movies and Mediocre Sci-Fi Literature.
1:3 And The GM said, Let there be Players: and there was none.
1:3.1 And The GM said, Damn.
1:3.2 And The GM pleaded for his little sister and her friends, and the friends of Himself.
1:3.3 And then The GM triend Blackmailing and Bribery.
1:4 And The GM saw that there were players, that it was good: and The GM divided the players from The GM with a Paper Binder.
1:5 And The GM called the Night Day, and made Generous Promises Not Based On Anything and Felt Himself Important. And the evening and the morning were the first Play Session.
1:6 And The GM said, Let there be An Adventure in the midst of the Imaginary.
1:7 And The GM said, Let there be an Ubercool Plot: and it was so.
1:8 And the players Decided to Ignore it: and The GM Got Pissed Off. And Railroaded the players Mightily, for he had not created The Ubercool Scenario for nothing Damn It.
1:9 And The players were unhappy.
1:10 And The GM said, Let there be an Ubercool Monster with Ridiculous Abilities, that'll cheer you sods up: and it was so.
1:11 And The GM called on the Battle Scene; and the gathering together of
the polygons called he Dice: and The GM saw that it was good.
1:12 And The Ubercool Monster kicketh the Players Ass: and there was First Total Party Kill.
1:13 and The Players Left. And would not return before some more Bribery and Blackmailing.
1:15 And The GM said, Buggr'it.
1:16 And The GM said, Let there be An Other Adventure in the midst of the Imaginary,
and let it divide the Players from the Players for He Thought It Was Cool.
1:17 And The GM made A Plot Device, and divided the Players which were
Girls from the Players which were Boys: and it was so. And then there was much Bickering. And it was Not Cool.
1:18 And The GM called the Plot Device a Dramatic Tension betwixt the Player Characters, but the group still split; and the little sister and her friend would not return even with Blackmail and Bribery and the GM was left with only His two friends.
1:19 And The GM's little sister and her friends Ridiculed The GM and Made Faces in abundance: and The GM locketh them out of the room. And the little sister and her friends Made Faces from the Window: and The GM closed the Curtains.
1:20 And then there were more Scenarios and Adventures behind the Locketh Door and Closed Curtain; and they sucketh Mightily. And thus it became to happen that The GM and his friends grew Pale and Nerdy.
2. Mainly On Gaming
On Gaming: We have now had two sessions of the Ashes of The Middenheim. We managed to play the first chapter, Rats In the Walls all through during them. Jari was with us only the middle part of the latest session, but it was okay, as it is easy to have a character do something else in city-based adventure. (Oh crap. I forgot to adjust his characters exp downwards...)
I am beginning to like this module more and more. In my opinion it is only as railroady as you let it to be. And actually I do not mind the straightforward (until now that is hee hee) main plot as my nasty sub-conscious seems to be brewing intrigue-filled and downright evil sideplots like there's no tomorrow. Presently at least three of them have had their seeds sown in-game. I just have to suppress my nice-GM instincts when their consequences become evident.
The only worry I have in this respect is that maybe when the main plot accelerates in the coming sessions I'm going to have to curb the sideplots too much. One option would be to delay the main plot a bit in order to better introduce the players to the repercussions of their various actions. I have not also dwelled as much in the atmosphere rife with xenophobia as I would have liked. One reason of course being that the people my player characters have been talking to have been exceptional people themselves. But, before or later there is going to be an Angry Mob (tm), if the players are not careful.
The players seem to be quite comfortable with their characters and I am only hoping that I am not stonewalling their initiatives too much. I have tried to make also the main plot more character driven, but where the character centeredness thrives, lies the steaming pile of sub-plotage.
I has also been delightful to notice that people are eager to do session reports in return for additional exp.
In latest session I also introduced Josef's Modified Critical Charts. A truly wonderful resource. In my opinion the charts much better illustrate the reality of poking people with weapons.
Oh! I almost forgot! Look how cute they are! And then they die. This is the best comic, ever! I've been meaning to post this somewhere since we palyed the Through The Drakwald, Only With Some More Goblins.
Day before yesterday we went to the tennis course with Tommi. It was very interesting introduction to how curve balls and variability of speed and height relates to my poor positioning. I managed to hit the ball right only once I think, and then I was more successfully positioned. I also picked up a quicker-to-learn method on serving. Definitely a positive experience in the respect that I learned a lot. Only downside was that I was having a bit of a cold, and due to sudden exercise I had a nice fever and a sore throat to remind me on the wisdom of exercising while sick.
So the yesterdays show was not a very good example on voice projection. Otherwise the general feeling amongst cast was lot more relaxed than usually and we acted similarly on stage. There was some amount of certain playfulness to the play and judging by the expressions of the audience it mediated well too.
3. Random thoughts for This Day
Had a terrible summer cold, just after the doggie was sick. (I even had to skip one show.) Fortunately I'm cured now. And now I am left wondering where did my summer leave go? (I know, I know: one week rehearsing and building the set, one with the dog sick, one with the cold and one in future...) There is only this week left and then it's back to work again. I did not get the 'on holiday' feeling going on this summer, but I'm healthy as is my wife who had the cold bit earlier than me and dog is OK, finally.
Speaking of dogs: we have been taking care of our dogs former owners another dog, because the owner has been having some offspring. Tomorrow the extra dog will go back home and we are going to visit them also. The horror. Gooey baby talk and other girlie stuff. Bleurgh. But there are also puppies there, one of which may move to our place. Wifey has been very excited about it, and after the couple of weeks with two dogs I am beginning to accept it also.
Concerning theatre production, there were couple of really bad shows after premiere, but at the show yesterday I finally had again some spark to my performance in some scenes. You see, it is the nature of theatre: the minute you finish building your character, it starts to dwindle and die silently. So the whole Philosophers Stone of the matter is: how do you keep your expression alive? My answer is: by constantly changing and adapting it. Only, it is not so easy, because you never know exactly what are you doing on stage and what you do differently few days later. There are no gauges or meters, just a feeling. And that is why acting is a craft.
Picked up some interesting books at the sale in Suomalainen Kirjakauppa. Paulo Coelho's alchemist translated to Finnish, Irish Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, Poe's Tales of Mystery And Imagination, Phantom of The Opera by Leroux will provide me with all the fiction reading for some time. I also got Tournament of Shadows, which tells about The Great Game in Central Asia during 19th century, a subject I have always found very fascinating. The second fact book is Crimea by Trevor Royle, which I trust to be similarly interesting.
It seems probable that we'll be able to play some WFRP this week also. I'm positively teeming to see how my players will handle Middenheim and the possibly dramatic events therein. In few sessions they probably have some very powerful enemies and maybe some notable friends too.
Tommi lent me ST II: The Wrath of Khan, a film I had not seen previously. I must say the acting was not always very far from the acting in Star Wreck: ItP and the story was not strong enough to merit a whole evening film but it was nevertheless somehow very entertaining. Maybe the film was a bit stylized and the acting therefore could and should not be so much convincing as it was story and genre enforcing.
This morning my weight was 96 kilograms. And that is while not eating particularly healthily or doing any exercise. Anyway, I'm seven kilo's lighter now, and need to drop at least 4 more. I think it might be possible if, when the vacation is over, I do not start to eat at the office restaurant and isntead bring my own lunch.
4. Finally, Some Rest!
Yesterday was the premier night. All in all, I think it went pretty well considering the sound expert made a no-show, our Israel Hands had an accident at dress rehearsal and could not be in the premier and the set was ready just half an hour before the opening. We also had too little actual practise and it showed a bit: Kaleva, our local newspaper wrote that the show lacked speed, precision and accuracy.
At the premier party there was much more esprit de corpse to be seen than ever before. Now there's fifteen more shows to go, and I am hopeful that it will not all be suffering. Maybe there will even be some good moments.
Now I must go to sleep, plenty to do tomorrow: goin to barber, taking bicycle to repairs, and a Runequest session hosted by Tommi. And I'm quite exhausted, what with last weeks rehearsals, building the set and the premier party.
5. Dog's Better, Yay!
Dog Trouble Update: Hertta seems to be better now. The vet's best guess from the X-rays was couple of kilograms ingested sand. She gave pain medication and antibiotics and ordered 40 ml parafine oil each morning and evening to lube the intestines and hopefully to drive out the sand. The pain medication was of the new better smelling and tasting variety and so much so that H self-admistered to herself couple of extra pills when I turned my back. Damn junkie! Fortunately the dose was not too big. Now we'll just have to wait if the treatment works.
I had to be late for practise as Hanne had to go to work. That is fine by me but I suspect all of the group did not understand. Some of the group went to have couple of beers and I got the feeling that maybe I was not invited. (Might be also because I was driving..) Well, screw them in any case: I have my priorities straight. Plus I have been VERY flexible considering I was drafted promising 2 rehearsals per week / 2 shows per week.
Anyhow, I think this is my last theater production. Firstly I think I have reached the end of my talents and will certainly not be becoming any better (quite the opposite). Secondly I'm sick and tired of the constant poor chemistry in these groups. Of the productions I have been in, two had a good group and of these the other's director I could hardly stand. If it is not fun, it isn't much of a hobby, is it? Our impro group is great and I would love to to something with them.
But there is something in my narcissit character that draws me towards performance arts. For example, the following summer there is a 190 € seminar held by Finlands Impro Guru, Outi Mäenpää. I must say I'm very tempted to try to participate.
The trip to Rovaniemi went fairly well. Hannes trainee won! Suvi's BF was an OK chap and we ate well + played some pool. Only minus side was that I did not have the opportunity to see any folk music. I also discovered that if I drink slowly enought (less than one drink per hour), I will not become Ape Shit Drunken and can avoid The Lethal Hang Over even when drinking 24 hr's straight.
6. Dog Troubles and Agony Over Character
Our dog, Hertta has been sick lately, but we noticed this only while at Rovaniemi. Corgies have a very high pain treshold, an we should have known this by now. (Last year Hertta had a life-threatening uterus infection, that was visible only after being developed to near fatal state.) Very likely the disease now is somekind of intestine disorder, ulcer or something like that, but we know more after this afternoons veterinary appointment.
It is now only 5 days to our premiere and we have rehearsals every evening. I do now know the text almost by heart, but it is the character of dr. Livesey I'm having difficulties with. My interpretation feels quite superficial and there's too much of my previous character, dr. Gustav Toppelius in him. Also, I have discovered I have an irritating mannerism of lifting my right hand when acting this character.
The character himself should be quite plain one: a man of science and of reason, if not wisdom, who has a tendency to lecture about trivial matters. He is also quite conservative, lacking in imagination and cautious, and is only embarking this hazardous treasure hunting expedition after being persuaded into it by his adventorous and flamboyant friend Squire Trelawney. Our good doctor is also always interested in how things work, what is their reason d'etre and so forth.
But, the trouble is, how to react to other characters? Towards young Jim, the doctor should feel burdened by a great responsibility about his safety. And maybe guilt after taking Jim to this dangerous voyage. Towards captain Smollet the doctor experiences at first the greatest respect and only later a small amount of contempt as the captains cruelty and inflexibility start to manifest under pressure.
Trelawney is the most difficult one as he seems to grow and change more than anyone else. At first he is just an amusing dining partner with his tall tales and grand manners. Then he bacames an exiting guide to the grandest (and only) adventure of doctors life. Then he shows his lacking knowledge of real life, and is quarrelsome and hard to live with. Then he shows his disregard of safety and human life and is overpowered and controlled by his greed. Only at the end of the play he becomes human again by showing some good will and mercy and it is shown that his one-dimensional and never-quitting character has its merits also.
7. Summer Vacation
Holy Hawaii shirt, Batman! My summer vacation has begun! Yippeeee!! Boy, was this needed!
On Saturday, we will embark on a journey northward to see my sister (and her new boyfriend), with any luck some folk music and my wife riding her horse at Midsommer Trot. And I'm of course going to be completely and utterly plastered.
And, I saw, this is good, because: Lo and behold, it was the time I got rid of the two bottle of that horrible Plum Spirit Bechevrovka, I unfortunately took with me from Prague. Strong spirits perversely tasting like gingerbread cookies must be the doings of Shaitan himself, as it became to happen, that a brand of hard liquor was too foul for Me to ingest.
My bicycle was mangled last winter, presumably with a trailer of some sorts. So now my only means of transportation have been: a) my car b) my own two feet c) taxi. Now that it is summer, I would like to, once for a while, take a nice relaxing and healthy ride among my home city's numerous and very handy bicycle routes instead of my more customary means of transportation. And now, because of the Anonymous Bicycle Manglers Assoc., cannot. Have I mentioned I am deeply in hate with the mentioned wisely anonymous trailer wielding rascals? I am.
8. Musings on Campaign
It will be a very busy next couple of weeks: tough week here at work, the theater productions final days before opening and Midsommer. That means that there will be no time for roleplaying before 1st of July. Damn, just as we are getting to the juicy parts of the campaign. A break just when everything just got very interesting...
I will of course moderate the scenario somewhat, but because my players now know of this blog I can write about them only after we have played the modification. Mainly my modifications will have to do with setting right some inconsistencies and with binding the characters to the story in a personal way.
There is already some things that are quite clear to my players already so there's no harm in writing them here. Firstly and most clearly our Initiate of Church of Ulric, Berthoff. Middenheim being the central of Church of Ulric, much of Berthoff's personal involvement will have to do with religious matters. (BTW Jari promised to write a session report from our last adventure from the point of view of Bert. I can only imagine that he has some comments to be made of the lack of honor and coureage from the side of Sigmarite Priests.. )
Another already hinted personal involvement will be with Eckhardt, who must in some point reach a decision about his Magickal abilities. Granny urged him to be cautious and to contact mr. Dieter Longbeard of Amethyst College as soon as possible. And because of the middenlanders infamous tendency towards lynching mobs and merry bonfires that is a wise advice indeed. Similarly, in a city this big, there will be Inquisitioners, Witch Hunters and professional Wizards about.
Concerning Jekaterina the personal involvement bit is not as obvious, but it does have something to do with her past.
Only certain thing is that all of them will make plenty of new friends as well as enemies.
1. Genesis Of Roleplaying
1:1 In the beginning The GM created the heaven and the earth (and eateth much candy, and therefore He is even today Of Bad Dental Disposition).
1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon
the face of the deep. And the Spirit of GM moved upon the face of the imaginary stealing Stuff from Bad Movies and Mediocre Sci-Fi Literature.
1:3 And The GM said, Let there be Players: and there was none.
1:3.1 And The GM said, Damn.
1:3.2 And The GM pleaded for his little sister and her friends, and the friends of Himself.
1:3.3 And then The GM triend Blackmailing and Bribery.
1:4 And The GM saw that there were players, that it was good: and The GM divided the players from The GM with a Paper Binder.
1:5 And The GM called the Night Day, and made Generous Promises Not Based On Anything and Felt Himself Important. And the evening and the morning were the first Play Session.
1:6 And The GM said, Let there be An Adventure in the midst of the Imaginary.
1:7 And The GM said, Let there be an Ubercool Plot: and it was so.
1:8 And the players Decided to Ignore it: and The GM Got Pissed Off. And Railroaded the players Mightily, for he had not created The Ubercool Scenario for nothing Damn It.
1:9 And The players were unhappy.
1:10 And The GM said, Let there be an Ubercool Monster with Ridiculous Abilities, that'll cheer you sods up: and it was so.
1:11 And The GM called on the Battle Scene; and the gathering together of
the polygons called he Dice: and The GM saw that it was good.
1:12 And The Ubercool Monster kicketh the Players Ass: and there was First Total Party Kill.
1:13 and The Players Left. And would not return before some more Bribery and Blackmailing.
1:15 And The GM said, Buggr'it.
1:16 And The GM said, Let there be An Other Adventure in the midst of the Imaginary,
and let it divide the Players from the Players for He Thought It Was Cool.
1:17 And The GM made A Plot Device, and divided the Players which were
Girls from the Players which were Boys: and it was so. And then there was much Bickering. And it was Not Cool.
1:18 And The GM called the Plot Device a Dramatic Tension betwixt the Player Characters, but the group still split; and the little sister and her friend would not return even with Blackmail and Bribery and the GM was left with only His two friends.
1:19 And The GM's little sister and her friends Ridiculed The GM and Made Faces in abundance: and The GM locketh them out of the room. And the little sister and her friends Made Faces from the Window: and The GM closed the Curtains.
1:20 And then there were more Scenarios and Adventures behind the Locketh Door and Closed Curtain; and they sucketh Mightily. And thus it became to happen that The GM and his friends grew Pale and Nerdy.
2. Mainly On Gaming
On Gaming: We have now had two sessions of the Ashes of The Middenheim. We managed to play the first chapter, Rats In the Walls all through during them. Jari was with us only the middle part of the latest session, but it was okay, as it is easy to have a character do something else in city-based adventure. (Oh crap. I forgot to adjust his characters exp downwards...)
I am beginning to like this module more and more. In my opinion it is only as railroady as you let it to be. And actually I do not mind the straightforward (until now that is hee hee) main plot as my nasty sub-conscious seems to be brewing intrigue-filled and downright evil sideplots like there's no tomorrow. Presently at least three of them have had their seeds sown in-game. I just have to suppress my nice-GM instincts when their consequences become evident.
The only worry I have in this respect is that maybe when the main plot accelerates in the coming sessions I'm going to have to curb the sideplots too much. One option would be to delay the main plot a bit in order to better introduce the players to the repercussions of their various actions. I have not also dwelled as much in the atmosphere rife with xenophobia as I would have liked. One reason of course being that the people my player characters have been talking to have been exceptional people themselves. But, before or later there is going to be an Angry Mob (tm), if the players are not careful.
The players seem to be quite comfortable with their characters and I am only hoping that I am not stonewalling their initiatives too much. I have tried to make also the main plot more character driven, but where the character centeredness thrives, lies the steaming pile of sub-plotage.
I has also been delightful to notice that people are eager to do session reports in return for additional exp.
In latest session I also introduced Josef's Modified Critical Charts. A truly wonderful resource. In my opinion the charts much better illustrate the reality of poking people with weapons.
Oh! I almost forgot! Look how cute they are! And then they die. This is the best comic, ever! I've been meaning to post this somewhere since we palyed the Through The Drakwald, Only With Some More Goblins.
Day before yesterday we went to the tennis course with Tommi. It was very interesting introduction to how curve balls and variability of speed and height relates to my poor positioning. I managed to hit the ball right only once I think, and then I was more successfully positioned. I also picked up a quicker-to-learn method on serving. Definitely a positive experience in the respect that I learned a lot. Only downside was that I was having a bit of a cold, and due to sudden exercise I had a nice fever and a sore throat to remind me on the wisdom of exercising while sick.
So the yesterdays show was not a very good example on voice projection. Otherwise the general feeling amongst cast was lot more relaxed than usually and we acted similarly on stage. There was some amount of certain playfulness to the play and judging by the expressions of the audience it mediated well too.
3. Random thoughts for This Day
Had a terrible summer cold, just after the doggie was sick. (I even had to skip one show.) Fortunately I'm cured now. And now I am left wondering where did my summer leave go? (I know, I know: one week rehearsing and building the set, one with the dog sick, one with the cold and one in future...) There is only this week left and then it's back to work again. I did not get the 'on holiday' feeling going on this summer, but I'm healthy as is my wife who had the cold bit earlier than me and dog is OK, finally.
Speaking of dogs: we have been taking care of our dogs former owners another dog, because the owner has been having some offspring. Tomorrow the extra dog will go back home and we are going to visit them also. The horror. Gooey baby talk and other girlie stuff. Bleurgh. But there are also puppies there, one of which may move to our place. Wifey has been very excited about it, and after the couple of weeks with two dogs I am beginning to accept it also.
Concerning theatre production, there were couple of really bad shows after premiere, but at the show yesterday I finally had again some spark to my performance in some scenes. You see, it is the nature of theatre: the minute you finish building your character, it starts to dwindle and die silently. So the whole Philosophers Stone of the matter is: how do you keep your expression alive? My answer is: by constantly changing and adapting it. Only, it is not so easy, because you never know exactly what are you doing on stage and what you do differently few days later. There are no gauges or meters, just a feeling. And that is why acting is a craft.
Picked up some interesting books at the sale in Suomalainen Kirjakauppa. Paulo Coelho's alchemist translated to Finnish, Irish Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, Poe's Tales of Mystery And Imagination, Phantom of The Opera by Leroux will provide me with all the fiction reading for some time. I also got Tournament of Shadows, which tells about The Great Game in Central Asia during 19th century, a subject I have always found very fascinating. The second fact book is Crimea by Trevor Royle, which I trust to be similarly interesting.
It seems probable that we'll be able to play some WFRP this week also. I'm positively teeming to see how my players will handle Middenheim and the possibly dramatic events therein. In few sessions they probably have some very powerful enemies and maybe some notable friends too.
Tommi lent me ST II: The Wrath of Khan, a film I had not seen previously. I must say the acting was not always very far from the acting in Star Wreck: ItP and the story was not strong enough to merit a whole evening film but it was nevertheless somehow very entertaining. Maybe the film was a bit stylized and the acting therefore could and should not be so much convincing as it was story and genre enforcing.
This morning my weight was 96 kilograms. And that is while not eating particularly healthily or doing any exercise. Anyway, I'm seven kilo's lighter now, and need to drop at least 4 more. I think it might be possible if, when the vacation is over, I do not start to eat at the office restaurant and isntead bring my own lunch.
4. Finally, Some Rest!
Yesterday was the premier night. All in all, I think it went pretty well considering the sound expert made a no-show, our Israel Hands had an accident at dress rehearsal and could not be in the premier and the set was ready just half an hour before the opening. We also had too little actual practise and it showed a bit: Kaleva, our local newspaper wrote that the show lacked speed, precision and accuracy.
At the premier party there was much more esprit de corpse to be seen than ever before. Now there's fifteen more shows to go, and I am hopeful that it will not all be suffering. Maybe there will even be some good moments.
Now I must go to sleep, plenty to do tomorrow: goin to barber, taking bicycle to repairs, and a Runequest session hosted by Tommi. And I'm quite exhausted, what with last weeks rehearsals, building the set and the premier party.
5. Dog's Better, Yay!
Dog Trouble Update: Hertta seems to be better now. The vet's best guess from the X-rays was couple of kilograms ingested sand. She gave pain medication and antibiotics and ordered 40 ml parafine oil each morning and evening to lube the intestines and hopefully to drive out the sand. The pain medication was of the new better smelling and tasting variety and so much so that H self-admistered to herself couple of extra pills when I turned my back. Damn junkie! Fortunately the dose was not too big. Now we'll just have to wait if the treatment works.
I had to be late for practise as Hanne had to go to work. That is fine by me but I suspect all of the group did not understand. Some of the group went to have couple of beers and I got the feeling that maybe I was not invited. (Might be also because I was driving..) Well, screw them in any case: I have my priorities straight. Plus I have been VERY flexible considering I was drafted promising 2 rehearsals per week / 2 shows per week.
Anyhow, I think this is my last theater production. Firstly I think I have reached the end of my talents and will certainly not be becoming any better (quite the opposite). Secondly I'm sick and tired of the constant poor chemistry in these groups. Of the productions I have been in, two had a good group and of these the other's director I could hardly stand. If it is not fun, it isn't much of a hobby, is it? Our impro group is great and I would love to to something with them.
But there is something in my narcissit character that draws me towards performance arts. For example, the following summer there is a 190 € seminar held by Finlands Impro Guru, Outi Mäenpää. I must say I'm very tempted to try to participate.
The trip to Rovaniemi went fairly well. Hannes trainee won! Suvi's BF was an OK chap and we ate well + played some pool. Only minus side was that I did not have the opportunity to see any folk music. I also discovered that if I drink slowly enought (less than one drink per hour), I will not become Ape Shit Drunken and can avoid The Lethal Hang Over even when drinking 24 hr's straight.
6. Dog Troubles and Agony Over Character
Our dog, Hertta has been sick lately, but we noticed this only while at Rovaniemi. Corgies have a very high pain treshold, an we should have known this by now. (Last year Hertta had a life-threatening uterus infection, that was visible only after being developed to near fatal state.) Very likely the disease now is somekind of intestine disorder, ulcer or something like that, but we know more after this afternoons veterinary appointment.
It is now only 5 days to our premiere and we have rehearsals every evening. I do now know the text almost by heart, but it is the character of dr. Livesey I'm having difficulties with. My interpretation feels quite superficial and there's too much of my previous character, dr. Gustav Toppelius in him. Also, I have discovered I have an irritating mannerism of lifting my right hand when acting this character.
The character himself should be quite plain one: a man of science and of reason, if not wisdom, who has a tendency to lecture about trivial matters. He is also quite conservative, lacking in imagination and cautious, and is only embarking this hazardous treasure hunting expedition after being persuaded into it by his adventorous and flamboyant friend Squire Trelawney. Our good doctor is also always interested in how things work, what is their reason d'etre and so forth.
But, the trouble is, how to react to other characters? Towards young Jim, the doctor should feel burdened by a great responsibility about his safety. And maybe guilt after taking Jim to this dangerous voyage. Towards captain Smollet the doctor experiences at first the greatest respect and only later a small amount of contempt as the captains cruelty and inflexibility start to manifest under pressure.
Trelawney is the most difficult one as he seems to grow and change more than anyone else. At first he is just an amusing dining partner with his tall tales and grand manners. Then he bacames an exiting guide to the grandest (and only) adventure of doctors life. Then he shows his lacking knowledge of real life, and is quarrelsome and hard to live with. Then he shows his disregard of safety and human life and is overpowered and controlled by his greed. Only at the end of the play he becomes human again by showing some good will and mercy and it is shown that his one-dimensional and never-quitting character has its merits also.
7. Summer Vacation
Holy Hawaii shirt, Batman! My summer vacation has begun! Yippeeee!! Boy, was this needed!
On Saturday, we will embark on a journey northward to see my sister (and her new boyfriend), with any luck some folk music and my wife riding her horse at Midsommer Trot. And I'm of course going to be completely and utterly plastered.
And, I saw, this is good, because: Lo and behold, it was the time I got rid of the two bottle of that horrible Plum Spirit Bechevrovka, I unfortunately took with me from Prague. Strong spirits perversely tasting like gingerbread cookies must be the doings of Shaitan himself, as it became to happen, that a brand of hard liquor was too foul for Me to ingest.
My bicycle was mangled last winter, presumably with a trailer of some sorts. So now my only means of transportation have been: a) my car b) my own two feet c) taxi. Now that it is summer, I would like to, once for a while, take a nice relaxing and healthy ride among my home city's numerous and very handy bicycle routes instead of my more customary means of transportation. And now, because of the Anonymous Bicycle Manglers Assoc., cannot. Have I mentioned I am deeply in hate with the mentioned wisely anonymous trailer wielding rascals? I am.
8. Musings on Campaign
It will be a very busy next couple of weeks: tough week here at work, the theater productions final days before opening and Midsommer. That means that there will be no time for roleplaying before 1st of July. Damn, just as we are getting to the juicy parts of the campaign. A break just when everything just got very interesting...
I will of course moderate the scenario somewhat, but because my players now know of this blog I can write about them only after we have played the modification. Mainly my modifications will have to do with setting right some inconsistencies and with binding the characters to the story in a personal way.
There is already some things that are quite clear to my players already so there's no harm in writing them here. Firstly and most clearly our Initiate of Church of Ulric, Berthoff. Middenheim being the central of Church of Ulric, much of Berthoff's personal involvement will have to do with religious matters. (BTW Jari promised to write a session report from our last adventure from the point of view of Bert. I can only imagine that he has some comments to be made of the lack of honor and coureage from the side of Sigmarite Priests.. )
Another already hinted personal involvement will be with Eckhardt, who must in some point reach a decision about his Magickal abilities. Granny urged him to be cautious and to contact mr. Dieter Longbeard of Amethyst College as soon as possible. And because of the middenlanders infamous tendency towards lynching mobs and merry bonfires that is a wise advice indeed. Similarly, in a city this big, there will be Inquisitioners, Witch Hunters and professional Wizards about.
Concerning Jekaterina the personal involvement bit is not as obvious, but it does have something to do with her past.
Only certain thing is that all of them will make plenty of new friends as well as enemies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)