Rallying the Role-Players of Brass Goggles?

[David Vivian Haraldson]

Dear all,

My first serious engagement with Steampunk was through tabletop role-playing games. I have recently arrived here and, using the "Search" facility, I have found several threads on this topic in which many delightful, knowledgeable, and helpful Brass Goggles Club members have participated. However, it seems that many of these posters have not been visiting the forum for several years.

So, I would be grateful if, in the spirit of camaraderie, current forum members who are devotees of any of these modern parlour games (whether confined to the tabletop or in the genre of "live action role-playing games") would make themselves known and say a little about their particular interests.

My nom de plume is David Vivian Haraldson and I am a role-player. I am currently playing a non-SP TTRPG (Traveller), but I have played Space 1889, and I would love to play Forgotten Futures, Castle Falkenstein, or the Adventures of Luther Arkwright.

[David Vivian Haraldson]

PS. I would also be interested to hear from Brass Goggles members who have never played a role-playing game but who would be interested in exploring the medium.

[Sorontar]

I occasionally roleplay. My present campaign is DnD 5E in the DnD 2E setting of Birthright. There has been a bit of artificer foolery that the party has encountered and it has got the interest of my punk bard, who has a creative mind. Not quite steampunk, but the closest I have encountered. I have previously done a Space 1889 Live Freeform session before on a steamy spaceship. That was fun.

I am presently writing songs and poetry about tea for this weekend's 5E session. Two of my party members (a half-orc paladin and a Vos fighter - like a Russian/Mongolian) have taken to liking the local tea, so my bard has to find a tea-based limerick about their actions (but I have also heard a related song). I might share them after the session.

Sorontar 

[RJBowman]

I haven't played an RPG in 30+ years, but I had an idea to make a game sourcebook for a steampunk world with the kind of world detail that was in the original Shadowrun sourcebook. But to write a source book, I'd need to create a game, and I have an idea for that. But to test the game, I would have to find people willing to play it and would probably have to game master it myself. I'm kind of a reclusive guy, so I don't know if this is workable.

[David Vivian Haraldson]

I occasionally roleplay. My present campaign is DnD 5E in the DnD 2E setting of Birthright. There has been a bit of artificer foolery ... Not quite steampunk, but the closest I have encountered. I have previously done a Space 1889 Live Freeform session before on a steamy spaceship. That was fun.

I like what I've seen of Birthright. Any experience of Eberron?

And the steamy spaceship LARP sounds grand!

I am presently writing songs and poetry about tea for this weekend's 5E session. Two of my party members (a half-orc paladin and a Vos fighter - like a Russian/Mongolian) have taken to liking the local tea, so my bard has to find a tea-based limerick about their actions (but I have also heard a related song). I might share them after the session.

Oh, that sounds marvellous!

[David Vivian Haraldson]

I haven't played an RPG in 30+ years, but I had an idea to make a game sourcebook for a steampunk world with the kind of world detail that was in the original Shadowrun sourcebook. But to write a source book, I'd need to create a game, and I have an idea for that. But to test the game, I would have to find people willing to play it and would probably have to game master it myself. I'm kind of a reclusive guy, so I don't know if this is workable.

Have you taken any inspiration from books that describe settings but aren't RPG books? I'm thinking, f'rex, of books about famous fantasy and SF series or even a book like Dinotopia. While I'd love to see your RPG, I wonder if the non-RPG worldbook would be a better fit for you.


(And then you could watch fans of various different RPGs try to adapt your setting for their preferred game.    )

[RJBowman]

I haven't played an RPG in 30+ years, but I had an idea to make a game sourcebook for a steampunk world with the kind of world detail that was in the original Shadowrun sourcebook. But to write a source book, I'd need to create a game, and I have an idea for that. But to test the game, I would have to find people willing to play it and would probably have to game master it myself. I'm kind of a reclusive guy, so I don't know if this is workable.

Have you taken any inspiration from books that describe settings but aren't RPG books? I'm thinking, f'rex, of books about famous fantasy and SF series or even a book like Dinotopia. While I'd love to see your RPG, I wonder if the non-RPG worldbook would be a better fit for you.


(And then you could watch fans of various different RPGs try to adapt your setting for their preferred game.    )

My original idea was to produce something lushly illustrated like those DK books on such subjects as James Bond and various superheroes that you see at the bookstores, but I thought it should be better written and more on depth. I realized that the Shadorun RPG books are closest to what I had in mind and I figure an RPG is more likely to be purchased than just another steampunk encyclopedia. I have an idea for a game world that would be very cosmopolitan and would incorporate some concepts that haven't had much exposure in steampunk before.

[Sorontar]

I like what I've seen of Birthright. Any experience of Eberron?

No I haven't played Eberron. Birthright throws some people because they don't understand it is generally medieval tech with low magic, so heroes don't have +3 swords and armour. Because it was made for AD&DII, there was no such thing as artificers. In fact, the full mages are rare. Magicians are just illusionists.

And the steamy spaceship LARP sounds grand!

It was a couple of decades ago at a con but we all were either the ship's crew or travellers, when things went wrong. I can't remember much at all.

For my present Birthright campaign and the songs I wrote about tea - one was about a paladin who challenged anyone outside a rival church's chapel, but kept asking for a drink of  tea first. Every verse was written as a limerick. Every chorus was a song chant for the whole tavern to join in:

Oh, give me a drink, so I don't have to think
About all my trouble and strife.
Swallowing it down, without ne'er a frown,
I'll drink to the end of my life.

That was based on the party's paladin deciding to sit the middle of the road outside the state religion's main temple to "spy" on them, and disguise it by having tea. They didn't learn much but the locals wrote the new verses and just used an existing chorus that they knew well (and twisted the story a little of course). The verses were actually inspired by the Australia folk song "Waltzing Matilda". The reason they were limericks is because that was what I was originally challenged to do - write a single limerick about them on the road drinking tea. In the end I decided that one limerick wasn't enough.

The second song was in reply to that, by a group of three people in the tavern who wore bright red kettle helmets. My bard didn't know who they were but someone said they might be cultists or Devoteas. I'll leave it to you to work out the tune.

Just for reference:
- The Gorgon is a big baddy in Birthright.
- Sera is the god of trade and fortune.

Brew it

Dip that leaf, Save your mum some grief,
Fill up the flask, Stop the other task

When the Gorgon comes along (you must brew it)
'fore the corpse starts to pong (you must brew it)
When something's going wrong (you must brew it)

Now brew it, in the pot
Shake it up, don't stop 
Go forward, add the leaf
Try to strain it, it's not too late
To brew it, brew it well

When Sera's fortune turns around (you must brew it)
If you're challenging the Crown (you must brew it)
You'll never strike it down (unless you brew it)

I say brew it, brew it well
I say brew it, brew it well

Dip that leaf, Save your mum some grief,
Fill up the flask, Stop the other task

When the Gorgon comes along (you must brew it)
'fore the corpse starts to pong (you must brew it)
When something's going wrong (you must brew it)

Now brew it, in the pot
Shake it up, don't stop 
Go forward, add the leaf
Try to strain it, it's not too late
To brew it, in the pot
Shake it up, don't stop 
Go forward, add the leaf
Try to strain it, it's not too late
To brew it, well, brew it well

Sorontar

[David Vivian Haraldson]

My original idea was to produce something lushly illustrated like those DK books on such subjects as James Bond and various superheroes that you see at the bookstores, but I thought it should be better written and more on depth. I realized that the Shadorun RPG books are closest to what I had in mind and I figure an RPG is more likely to be purchased than just another steampunk encyclopedia. I have an idea for a game world that would be very cosmopolitan and would incorporate some concepts that haven't had much exposure in steampunk before.

Sounds splendid! I wonder if you could pitch it as a guide to an alternate timeline or parallel reality for existing games like GURPS, TimeMaster, or Luther Arkwright?

Have you take a look at anything in the Old School Revival/ Renaissance design space? Some people have really shaken up game supplement design -- trying to think how to make books most usable at the table, for instance.

   
• Skerples's Magical Industrial Revolution seems really steamy (Not sure where you're based--US folks can buy the print version, at IPR). I've not got that but I do have ...
• Skerples's The Monster Overhaul which is lots of fun. (PDF seems pricey but print and PDF are available as per the details here.)
• David McGrogan (AKA noisms) has produced a marvellous fantasy setting, in the form of Yoon-Suin. 1e is available as a PDF (directly from him, here, but also at DriveThruRPG); the Kickstarter for 2e was successful and it's in the works.

[David Vivian Haraldson]

No I haven't played Eberron. Birthright throws some people because they don't understand it is generally medieval tech with low magic, so heroes don't have +3 swords and armour. Because it was made for AD&DII, there was no such thing as artificers. In fact, the full mages are rare. Magicians are just illusionists.

Sounds like my kind of fantasy setting.

The songs are quite marvellous. Bravo!