Size totally does matter! Not that way. Get your minds out of the gutter. This week, we tackled the conundrum of "just how many players does it take to run a game?". Not as easy a question as you'd think. When it comes to getting the proportions right, DCR says:

1. Balance. The scope and magnitude of your adventures should be proportionate to the size of the group. Don't make the mistake of coming up with an epic-sized adventure before you find out that only three players will be attending. Sort out exactly how many will be playing before you lay the ground work for the stories. Small groups can be overwhelmed by the scope of the events unfolding around them. Likewise, large groups can be bored to tears if the scope is too small. Also, especially for smaller groups of 2 to 4, focus your storytelling on the character and how the develop over the long term rather than a string of events climaxing in a grand battle. On the other end of the spectrum: players, don't worry about whether or not your party has a "healer" or "tank" until after the players have been established. The idea is to not limit your choices. But truly, a party can be comprised of any mixture of archetypes and be successful so long as your DM/GM/storyteller/referee/whatever can manage who is doing what in the group. Fights are always exciting when driving a story forward.
2. Groups can be rather large, but we say six to eight people is pretty darn large for a group. Any more than that, and you risk losing players' agendas in the mix. Nobody likes putting effort into creating a fun backstory and then it gets ignored. BOO FOR THAT! If whomever is running your game is comfortable with ten or more, then who are we to argue. But just because you know 20 gamers, doesn't mean you have to have 20 people in your game. Factor in you preferred mode of storytelling when deciding who to invite. Remember players: you are not obligated to participate in a game if you feel uncomfortable with the number of players. Exercise your freedom if you don't want to be in a large group. Gaming is not a chore, nor is it an iron-clad commitment. It is just a game.
3. When running for four or more people, keep in mind that more doesn't necessarily mean merrier. Whatever happens, keep the action moving! Experienced players should be leading by example and know what spells they have at the ready and what sorts of abilities they have at their disposal so that when prompted, they can resolve their attacks or actions quickly and efficiently. Experienced players who are indecisive or constantly look up stats or abilities in books, or in other ways stall the action should be passed over and allowed to resolve their actions at a later time. Adventure waits for no adventurer! We're pretty sure that Sauron didn't wait for Frodo and company to look up what they wanted to multiclass into when they gained enough XP.

Bonus XP: For even the smallest groups, splitting thing up to keep the plot moving is perfectly acceptable. Safety isn't always in numbers. Proper teamwork can overcome almost any problem. This also promotes inter-party relations and builds a higher sense of cohesion. Even the most epic characters in literature aren't powerful because of how many attacks they have. They become epic because of what they learn from the people they know. In the end, it doesn't matter how many players are participating, just that they are participating and having fun; the ultimate goal of any good game.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Axel the Mouth

Comments: Gentlemen,

I want to try my hand at playing an evil character in the game I am playing in. How can I play such a character in a group that is mainly good & Neutral character without being killed by the group.

Axel

Gamer Forge Response:

It's sometimes soooo good to be bad! When you're the only one playing the opposite side of the coin, DCR says:

1. Bribery is the easiest way. It's not much of a stretch to imagine that most characters can be bought off to ignore your smaller indiscretions. Send a little coin to your less-than-reputable allies, or give them some of the magic loot in return for looking the other way. While this isn't a foolproof solution, it is one to keep in mind at all times. Bribery can get you out of the small jams when you're about to be discovered. That being said, don't rely on it as your sole method of subtlety. Evil in the midst of good has to work in baby steps as to not draw attention. But more on that, later.
2. Use 'em! Convince others to do your bidding, and everything should be your bidding. This is where the evil character needs to start weighing the decision "Intent vs. action". What's more important, the spreading of your evil, or that you are the one doing the spreading? Some players are more hands-on, and that's totally okay. But this will be a constant struggle. Also, just because you're evil, doesn't mean you're a maniac. Not every action you take has to be something horrible or treacherous. Subtlety can be established by making your evil look like a freak, one-time event. Which leads us to...
3. Always, always, always have a good reason. "The Operative" in the movie Serenity believed that it was absolutely okay to kill children to achieve a better life for everyone. Believed. He believed it was necessary for something that he couldn't even partake in. But he could absolutely justify any atrocity with his belief. It's a bit radical for some players to take a hard line like this, but you are the one who wanted to be evil, thus, this is the consequence of being evil. Going back to the choice of "intent vs. action", remember you won't be getting much evil done if everybody who knows you believes you're evil. The trick isn't to convince the good people that you're not bad. The trick is to convince the good people that whatever you do is right, and they should be okay with letting you do it.

*Bonus XP: This one should be a gimme, but for a great, entertaining example of warping good intentions with evil actions, watch the television show Dexter. A fine example of justification. A villain who just does evil things for no reason gets boring pretty quick. It's funny to make a character do something treacherous to add some spice to the story, but remember that actions carry consequences. One act of evil can snowball into something completely unintended for your character. One evil begets another evil, and so on...

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Aaron
Comments: To my favorite radio show,

I am trying to create a character for my new group and I am wanting to know what is the best way to create a character?

Should I focus on his skills or feat?

How should I place my ability scores? What equipment should I start with? And then what are good classes to play?

Aaron

Gamer Forge Response:

Seeing as the details were scarce, DCR had to come up with an answer that everyone can live by. No pressure! When a player is stumped on what character to make, DCR says:

1. Well, what do YOU like to do? Start with something you already know you like to do. Do you like archery? Spell-tossing? Dueling? Raging? Kung-fu? Singing? It's all good. This is a question that only the player can answer, and must answer honestly. Best case scenario, the player will be this character for a long time, and should be comfortable with the idea before moving forward. On that note...
2. Use generators. The internet is full of character generators and templates that players post just for "lulz". Scan around on Google and see what others have done before you and gather some ideas. Chances are in your favor that something will jump out at you. There's a good reason why Flagoon is always proclaiming our love for the internet. Check player forums on the company websites to work out the kinks and clarify the what's-what. Character generators often compile all the game's options into one database and sorted for easy browsing. Try using the "random" feature and see what pops up. The answers may be something unexpected.
3. If all else fails, try "Fighter". This generic descriptor can be tailored to match most fighting styles and archetypes to fit your liking. While not as specialized as some other archetypes, a common bond between game mechanics is "fighter" is the simplest to begin a character in. It often has the fewest nuances and subtleties of all classes and is still flexible enough to allow for a wide array of ideas to fit in.

Bonus XP: The question, "What kind of character do you think I should make?" is a moot one. The answer will always be subjective to the people that are asked. Nobody can tell you what sort of things you like. If you are still stumped, try attending a hosted game night at your local gaming or hobby stores. (i.e. Epic Puzzles and Games, located in West Valley City and Lehi, Utah) This will give you a chance to try a sample of different combinations and "test drive" the game before you commit to one character idea. Game nights are usually free of charge and take only 1-3 hours, so risk to the player is minimal.

This week, DCR takes a look at playing with large, powerful, and oversized weapons. When it comes to pulling out the "big guns", DCR says:

1. If your game's setting allows for ridiculous sizes, then don't fight it. If your game has anime, action movie, or comic book inspired themes, let your players have those large weapons without fuss. These settings have large weapons all over in their episodes and issues, and it doesn't make any sense to deny players access to them, especially when it heightens enjoyment of the game. As always, players should at least have a reason why their knight has an oversized great sword, or their power armor should have a giant cannon mounted on it's back. It's just extra flavor and builds connection to the character they play.
2. Speed it up! If your game DOES have huge cannons and massive damages, don't slog your game by rolling more dice. Roll less whenever possible. Figure out a system of multipliers when more than three dice are involved. (example: 3d6x10, or 1d8x4). Yes, its funny to think that your character's laser sword does 60d10 damage with each successful hit. But when it comes to keeping the pace of your game exciting, that's a sure fire way to kill the mood. To establish the devastating power of the weapon, try NOT rolling dice. Have that giant gun just vaporize its target (with good description, of course) if you feel it does that kind of damage anyway. This will build a sense of just what the character has in his/her hands, and create some great dramatic moments for your story.
3. It works both ways. If the characters get big guns, then so do your enemies. Surprise the player characters by having them face an opponent with equal firepower. If the players have a warship equipped with ballistas, then have them face another ship with some ballistas. This establishes the scale within which they work. It's not about keeping them low on the food chain, it's about keeping the food chain moving so they don't become complacent at the top. This also helps prevent the game from becoming unbalanced on one side because the players shouldn't need to feel overwhelmed or underwhelmed by their opposition. If the players want a big scale battle, then facilitate that.

Bonus XP: Macross, Voltron, and Invader ZIM are fine examples of television shows that feature oversized weapons. Final Fantasy VII, Wild Arms, and Front Mission are great video games to explore themes featuring large guns and large-scale warfare. The Iron Man, Hellboy, and any title featuring the character Lobo are excellent comics for researching giant weapons and big explosions.

Since we didn't have a listener e-mail this week, DCR took it upon itself to revisit one of our favorite podcasts and give it some fresh perspective. We put forth our thoughts on the subject of playing characters of different genders. So when it comes to putting the shoe (or heel, or sandal, or whatever) on the other foot, DCR says:

1. Pay attention! Other players can't do this for you, so it is up to YOU to remember your character's gender. Failure to do so can lead to some pretty wild and, quite realistically, uncomfortable assumptions being made about the character you play. To avoid perhaps one of the most divisive subjects from ruining your game, just always bear the appearance and gender of your character as you play. Our own gender will tend to creep through just as a matter of course. Males tend to behave like males. Females tend to behave like females. Neither is bad by any means. Which brings us to...
2. Purely cosmetic. When it comes to the mechanics of a role-playing game system, gender doesn't really alter the statistics. BUT, it has a strong (and often hilarious) tendency to alter how each player moves forward. This is good. The personality and mannerisms of your character are where distinctions are truly made. There isn't (nor should be) a game mechanic that rewards or penalizes characters for being one gender or the other, or both, or neither. At this point, there is no reason to not try playing as a different gender if you think it would be fun. But...
3. Research. Ask other players if they are uncomfortable with certain subjects of the opposite gender. Don't derail your game by offending another player over something you should have just asked about beforehand. "My new character is female. Are there things about females that are not okay to talk about? Are there things that are acceptable? When is it okay to joke about this?" These are all good questions to ask. However, this is just a game. No need to take it further than this. If another player is getting creeped out or offended, do everyone a favor and just drop it. If another player is visibly upset at what you said, apologize, acknowledge your mistake, then move gracefully forward.

Bonus XP: Playing as a different gender for the first time can be a nerve-racking experience. It doesn't have to be. To take some of the edge off, some good films dealing with this include: Mrs. Doubtfire, Victor/Victoria, and Tootsie. Also, investigate the Eclipse Phase line of RPG products. The setting and mechanics make gender almost completely irrelevant.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Calvin Smith

Comments: Guys let me start out by saying I just love the show and I love the direction you've been taking the show.

I am a fellow gamer and until recently I have always listened to the gamer forge but never really had any reason to email until now.

I have been playing now for 5 or 6 years. My friends got me into D&D and I have really enjoyed playing. Now by no means do I ever want to attempt the feat of Dungeon mastering. You have to have a genius level intellect to do that I swear! To be able to keep everything straight and make the story fun has to be tough! Especially when your players get side tracked.

However let me get back to the reason I am writing. So I drive from Salt Lake up to Ogden to play with my gaming group and the drive can be a pain at times but its worth it. Two weeks ago I end up being late to the game due to traffic and the week before I did not attend the game because I was out of town for a business trip. This last week I got a flat tire and was 10 minutes late. Now because of this my DM has knocked me down one level, has made me give up 50% of my possessions, and has put me on notice that if I am late or miss one more game I will be exiled from the gaming group.

Now I realize that a player being late can be a problem but I think this is going a little overboard.

Your opinions? Am I just being over critical or sensitive here?

Gamer Forge Response:

DCR says: bag that old-school punishment crap!

1. If someone is having trouble making it to the sessions on time on a consistent basis, try a rotating schedule, where each member takes turns hosting the game. This way, everyone understands the hassle of making it to different places, and creates an environment of accountability between each person. Your friends would help you change your tire so you can make it on time.
2. Your game, any game, is not an iron-clad commitment, nor should it be considered a chore. If it is becoming so much trouble just to make it to where you play, it may be time to consider another option for getting your game on. This is a social event, not a business meeting. When your "friends" resort to such draconic methods for "teaching a lesson", it may be time to move on to a different group. Even better: make it a point to introduce some new people into the game.
3. DM's are not the coolest beings in existence, and should not be treated as infallible. If you are having a hard time dealing with the punishments handed out, it is totally within reason to question the authority of your Dungeon Master. If everyone else is okay kneeling before the DM, the more power to them, but you have free will. Exercise the crap out of it! A Dungeon Master who commands fealty or unquestioning loyalty should absolutely have their authority questioned. That's not friendship, that's subservience.

*Bonus XP: To meet a new group, try one of the hosted events at your local gaming store (preferably Epic Puzzles and Games, located in West Valley City and Lehi, Utah). These are perfect ways to learn a new game and meet lots of new people in a friendly, moderated environment. This would be a great time to try your hand at DM'ing, and earn some free swag.

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Jason the Drifter

Comments: So I have a question that is a little complicated. Now I realize most of the Gamer Forge questions have been D&D or Pathfinder related and my question is based in the Star Wars Saga Edition rules.

So here is my question. The game that I am play has had some fun and exciting moments where we have some amazing moments happen when we have failed or succeeded in the game so we have really enjoyed our game. So now I am sure your asking yourselves so what is the reason you’re emailing us then? Well that is the really difficult part because this game has been so great several of us have kind of lost track of what we set out to do.

And that is my question how do we get back on track? So let me explain what’s happened here. So we are playing in the Old Republic about 150 years before the start of the Mandolorian Wars and before the KOTOR settings. Now we have a mixed group of Jedi and various other individuals with specialized skills. The two Jedi in the group were commissioned with a task that required special skills. So they sought out the other members in our group. So we got our ship we plotted our course took flight and jumped into hyperspace and BAM! Our Astromech droid was sabotaged as it has purposely plugged in a bad hyperspace route. Thus we came out of hyperspace roughly which damaged our ship and left us in Hutt space with a damaged ship and two Jedi that aren’t really favored here. So we limp to the nearest planet, once there our ship is “Misplaced”, two of our companions were put in jail, and series of other unfortunate events. Now this was lots of fun roleplaying and getting its way out these situations.

What has got our goat is that our GM is so crafty in his story telling that we are constantly getting roped into something. Several of us want to get back to our original quest. Get off the hutt planet and go complete our mission for the Jedi.

Gamer Forge Response:

When it comes to untangling the knot of truth in your game, DCR says:

1. Perseverance. Just go with it. Remember that you can walk away from this game at any time. In the words of Captain Planet, "The power is yours."  By playing, you are consenting that everything is just peachy. If you're having fun getting into all sorts of mischief, then it can't be all that bad. Or is it? You're asking yourself, "When does the actual story begin?" That brings us to...
2. Part of the "Master Plan". Maybe this totally is part of the story. It's all in the set-up for the big picture. This one may be worth sticking around for. If all this hijinks ties back to the overall storyline a year down the road, your GM deserves a medal. Remember, one of the themes of Star Wars is "There is no coincidence". Adventurers coming together is significant, regardless of how disparate those characters may be. The GM should either recognize this and work it into the theme, or already took this into account and this further strengthens our statement about medals. Have a little faith in your GM. But not without...
3. Whenever you're presented with either option "A" or option "B", always take option "C". If and when you feel shoehorned into fulfilling a role or plot, that means your GM is getting lazy. Make him/her work for their position as storyteller. Throw a few curve balls to get the creative juices flowing. Instead of running around to save the universe, pop a squat and tell campfire stories. When the GM sends you to the cantina for information, walk back outside and try stealing a speeder. (note: Dungeon Crawlers Radio does not condone nor engage in the stealing, or destruction of, unattended speeders or starships) The world(s) you are visiting and exploring move and live whether or not you are there. Make your GM make that world come alive.

*Based on the details we were given, DCR says that it's probably best to ride this out. No shortage of action and an underlying theme. Plenty of characters with a diversity of personalities. Best of all, nobody is getting frustrated with a lack of options. Final word of advice: Go kick ass, players!

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: TJ

Comments: Hey guys I am just wanting to write in an ask for your help. I don't want to get into what system is best, 2nd edition, 3rd, 4th, or this system or that. What I want to know is whatever system I am running with my group how do I make it more fun for me as the GM and how do I make it more fun for my players. I will say that we are running a fantasy based system but we do have some elements of a post apocalyptic story going on where the players do stumble across ancient artifacts of a civilization that at one time had mechanical weapons.

I'd be interested to hear what you have to say.

Gamer Forge Response:

When it comes to turning your game up to "11", DCR says:

1. Sell your game. When you are passionate about your game, setting, action, relationships, etc., getting your players on board should be no sweat. Come up with a one-sentence pitch for your game. Something simple like, "vigilante justice" or "zombie apocalypse" will do just fine. Then show how much you love the material. Find a game system that works with your passion. It's a lot of work, but it's like the Peace Corp: the toughest job you'll ever love. Create the excitement by showing yours.
2. Pimp-slap every scene. Set mood lighting or some music to fit your scene. If your game is humorous, give it humor. If it's somber, make it somber at the right times. Players win when they're not just engaged with what's going on now, but when they're excited about what happens next. It's okay to fake excitement, so long as you're not sarcastic. Most times, you only have to fake it for a short time. If and when you find yourself not wanting to pimp-slap your scenery, it's time to move on to something else.
3. Shared experience. You may not make everybody happy all the time, but you can at least make it worthwhile for all involved. Your game should absolutely answer the question, "Why is my character here?" Whatever the answer is, you will create an experience that players will participate in actively, or at the very least, consent to. Creating an experience is the DM's/referee/storyteller/whatever's paramount responsibility.

*To bring your game to "12", DCR recommends finding your favorite book (comic or otherwise), movie, or video game and list out on paper five things you love about it. Why do you love it so much? Be specific.These are things you should strive to achieve in your game. Example: "I love the witty banter of the crew of the Serenity. It makes them more like family."

Gamer Forge Listener Email:

Name: Jason Roberts

Comments: Gentlemen,

First let me say that your doing an awesome job and my friends and I love listening to the show. We are part of the Seattle Gaming group. That use to participate in your Epic Showdown back when you where with UtahFM. It took us a while to find you again but it seems like you guys are doing amazing without the station. So congrats!!

So we have run into a problem in our game and we need help. We love our GM but we kind of feel like we have really been screwed over. Let me explain what is going on.

So we are a group of five adventurers that have been assigned a mission from the King of the realms to collect a magical artifact that will help save his kingdom from the plauge zombies that have been attacking at night. We have agreed to go retrieve this artifact.

Now this is where things kind of rotten started out. As it is our GM told us that the item was in the Tomb of some old dead guy and that it was rumored that the honored dead guarded it. Now our Cleric wasn't too keen on this idea but the greater good was at stake so he was willing to desicrate this holy place.

Well we get to the tomb fight through the undead warriors only to find a hole has been dug into the catacombs and the artifact was stolen. However we did find pools of blood that show that it was stolen recently so we went after the item going deeper into the mountain.

Big Mistake! We ran into a gaggle of goblins that were rather nasty and nearly killed our mage. We ran out of torches and our mage pretty much had to use up all his spell slots of magical light and was useless to us in fights.

We ended up finding the theives only to find that they were a small band of Duergar and those things were nasty! They killed off our Rogue, but he was brought back to life by our cleric and a lesser restoration scroll he had on him. Thus creating another problem. Because he lost a level his skill checks went down. So after killing the dwarves we came to this giant door that the dwarves were beginning to enter when we attacked. The Rouge checked for traps and foudn nothing. But of course his roll wasn't high enough because of his loss of those valuable skill points. So we pass through the door only to have our way our colapse behind us.

So now here we are level 7 characters stuck underground with no supplies for this type of adventure, no torches, a mage that is constantly burning up his spell slots to provide us with light (which is also making us a target), and no idea where this magical item is or a way back.

So we decide that they only way we can go is forward. So we continue on run into a few more nasty underdark creatures that nearly take us out (I mean most of us survived by mear single digits) to come to this vast caveren of magma and tremendous heat. And across this lake of magma is an island with a giant red dragon laying atop his horde of treasure. So we are thinking okay we are getting the "Heck" out of there when the cleric makes a percepsion check as everyone is examing their suroundings and of course the Cleric notices that the artifact we are searching for in laying in the dragon's horde.

So that was the end of our game last night. Now all of us are kind of feeling like we were just set up and we are not ready to fight a dragon especially in this terrian and were given no chance to really prepare for the this fight and we are stuck with no way out of this situtation because our only way out has been destroyed.

Can you help give us some perspective here and maybe some help?

A loyal DCR fan to the end!

Jason

Gamer Forge Response:

We talked so much about dangling carrots, now we're hungry for some stew.

DCR says about this one:  

1. We've said this how many times? When you draw attention to something, players will chase after it. That's clearly what happened here. The DM/GM/Referee/Whatever got a little anxious (or lazy) and kept feeding carrots to the players. Now they are stuck between an immovable object (the blocked path) and an unstoppable force (the dragon). So, the DM/GM/Referee/Whatever should follow one the Ten Commandments and cop to it. This is exactly the kind of scenario that builds resentment towards your storyteller. There cannot be any story if there is no trust in the storyteller.
2. Players: just because you saw the carrot, doesn't mean you have to follow it. Remember your place in this; you had the choice to go further into the cave and follow the blood, or not. But now that you are in this pickle, its time to find a way out. Obviously, the dragon across the river of magma will be too much for you. There's no shame in turning around and reporting what  you've found. It is better to leave this to more seasoned professionals. Unless you all agree to get yourselves killed and bludgeon straight ahead. This is a totally valid course of action, but one of many. Accept your responsibility and try to move gracefully forward. There may be a hidden side passage or a long way back out of the cavern.
3. It's totally okay to ask, "What's in it for me?" There is nothing dishonorable in weighing out the possiblity of death. Even the most noble of paladins would be remiss in their duties if they didn't. How can you continue your quest of do-goodery if you're dead? Hopefully, this group has learned a thing or two about choice and options, and next time they will think a bit more on just advancing straight ahead with force. There really should be no alignment or (healthy) mental state that should demand that you go forward without regard to safety.  

*To get more from your game, remember that alignment is not a rigid thing. Its a code of conduct which your character follows. What needs to be defined is how specific it is, and how loosely you are allowed to deviate from it. No two thieves follow the same code of conduct, nor does any two explorers share the same adherence to the same code.

Gamer Forger Listener Email:
Name: Arnold

Comments: Guys,

I am feeling kind of stuck in a situation that I feel emotionally obligated to. Let me tell you whats going on.

I have played in the same gaming group since I was 14. Since then many of us have moved out of state, gotten married, had kids, and so on. Every month we get together and run our game as we have since we were kids. Now for most of my friends this has not been much of an issue since they live fairly close and it is not to too much of a strain to drive a few hours across state lines. Oh yeah let me also include we all live on the east coast. so its not that bad to drive across two state lines in under 2 hours.

Now I have just been offered a job that I plan to take that will have me and my family moving to Oregon. Now it is going to be just too expensive to fly out once a month to play our game and yet this has been a huge part of my life and this group of friends has seen me through many a hard times.

How do I soften the blow and say good bye? Does it have to be good bye? Do you have suggestions that could help me out?

Arnold

Gamer Forger Response:

It doesn't have to be good-bye. DCR says,

1. Fascilitate! You've got alternatives. Skype and video chat are great ways to let the good times keep rolling. Just move the camera down to show die rolls, and since its all live, you're in on all the action, as it happens. No waiting. Even better, it's inexpensive. Even more, you get to stay in touch with your friends. Even more better-er, distance is not even a factor! 2. One last blast. Let's say Skype isn't an option, and it really is time to move on. Plan one last show. Add a few extra hours to the session to give plenty of time so everyone gets a chance to do anything that they may have been meaning to do. Someone can spring for a big breakfast or dinner. Throw some beef on the barbeque and make a deal about this session. Make this day a good day. Remember to take a break every once in a while. If this is your last game together, make it a good day, make it count. 3. No cliffhangers! When this game is over, please don't leave anyone hanging. Strive to give resolution for everyone. Have one big revelation and resolve it. This can be the story that you and your friends talk about each and every time you speak again. They should all still be your friends even after the game is over, and a good game brings and keeps friends together.  *To go the extra mile, think of your last game like a banquet. Give out awards for achievements like "Funniest Dialogue" or "Most Intense Battle" or "Sexiest Character"; specific titles that will last and you can laugh about for years to come.