Colin Sinclair's Blog, page 3

RPGaDay2022: Day 8

Interesting question this one: Who introduced you to RPGs?

As I mentioned before, I discovered RPGs by reading advertisements, buying D&D and then just flailing around with that for a couple of years and running various trial combats and also Dungeon Module B2: The Keep on the Borderlands.

Midjourney tries for The Keep on the Borderlands. Gets close.

I met some other gamers in a local shop, or rather I asked the bloke behind the counter if they knew anyone who played D&D and they did. A...

RPGaDay2022: Day 5/6/7

Playing catch-up, as is traditional, and on to day five, Friday’s question, which was: Why will they like this game?

It’ll be fun. Simple as that really. I mean, I presume they understand the general idea of RPGs, of what they’re getting into by showing up. The first game will be not too taxing stuff — maybe with pre-gen characters, maybe not — where the characters have to find this, stop that, rescue the whoever. Adventure, excitement, and really wild things. What’s not to like?

Day six, ...

RPGaDay2022: Day 4

I expect this will be a short one (cue inevitable rambling), in answer to the question: Where would you host a first game?

Somewhere quiet, with a table.

Over the years I’ve typically gamed (played and run) in people’s houses. So there’s been a lot of ’round the kitchen table’ stuff. Once upon a time I was part of a weekly RPG thing at the Dragonslayers gaming group at QUB in Belfast…but that was way-back-when and these days I prefer something a bit more…if not private then at least less a...

RPGaDay2022: Day 3

Today’s question–which I had prepared for and yet somehow still ended up leaving to the last minute–is this: When were you first introduced to RPGs?

Initially I would have said it was around 1981, but checking the dates of various relevant things, it seems more likely that it was sometime in 1982 that I actually got my hands on a copy of an RPG and commenced playing.

The concept of RPGs came slightly earlier, in the form of advertisements in a UK science-fiction/fantasy/movie magazine call...

RPGaDay2022: Day 2

Scraping in under the wire (depending on time zone) for day two of this thing, and the question was: What is a great introductory RPG?

Most recently I’ve used AMAZING TALES and HERO KIDS; both are simple systems that are easy to pick up and play, and both are mainly aimed at getting kids involved in RPGS.

My own kids enjoyed them both, and whilst the older ones have since moved on to other more complicated systems with their own groups, the youngster still enjoys the occasional game of Her...

RPGaDAY2022: Day 1

In which I stumble over my plans to do this ‘properly’ this year…after an extended break…and instead just post some random thoughts.

First question was: Who would you like to introduce to RPGs?

Everyone, basically. Which is a glib and obvious answer I guess, but I do believe they are a tremendous entertainment, education and maybe, if we’re lucky, enlightenment. Who wouldn’t benefit from a more advanced form of “Let’s pretend”?.

Killing Rune – My Black Library Submission 2018

Fresh off the rejection train from Blacklibraryville, and here submitted for your approval, my pitch for the open door, and the 500 words of example writing.

First up, the opening pitch, comprising at most a couple of sentences that nevertheless fully encapsulate every element of the excitement, action and adventure that I’m trying to get across; outlining the situation, the protagonists, the goals and the consequences of failure. No pressure there.

KILLING RUNE is the Saint-Nazaire commando...

#RPGaDay 2018 Redux

Well, that all went nowhere near to plan…

Needless to say I’ve not been back to my blog for ages, and haven’t even got around to my #RPGaDay 2018 final answers and thoughts post. Still, maybe sometime this month, eh?

#RPGaDay 2018 etc

Well, that’s over.

Except it isn’t because I haven’t done the day 31 question or the ‘in summary’ post I was intending to do at the weekend.

Hopefully get back to that in the next day or so.

#RPGaDay 2018: Day 30

Day 30: Something learned about playing your character?

I guess what I’ve mostly learned over the years is that there are no small characters or minor roles. I can’t really do ‘throw away’. As soon as the numbers are down or the concept is imagined, that character is–for me at least–a living, thinking being with a purpose. I want to see how they respond to the world, where they go and how they get there.