Month: November 2019

The Dark Texts – What You Need to Know

nataix

I’ve reached a point where I feel comfortable posting some of the actual game text I’ve written in the hopes of getting some useful feedback. I’ve got a fair bit written, so there should be enough to get some first impressions and thoughts on presentation. I’ve updated the draft content posted to this point to using a knowledge base system, which should make it easier to read through.

For the time being I am calling this work-in-progress game of mine Our Terrible Fate. That may change down the road, but for now it will do.

There’s a lot of background and detailed explanation elsewhere on the site, but here is where I am going to post some of the actual draft text.

I’m always appreciative of feedback – be it criticism, comment, or questions. You can post feedback on the base113 Games subreddit.

Update: A PDF of the first chapter is now available as well. While there’s not much art, the layout should be much easier for many to read. Just click the link through to the draft text, and you should see a link to the PDF version along with an example image of the layout.

Available excerpts of this dark text currently include what is essentially the first chapter of the book, which will serve two purposes:

  • Giving a new player this chapter should tell them everything they need to know to begin play.
  • This chapter should introduce new Keepers to the game, give them an idea of how the game is run, and how running it may be somewhat different from other games.

Links to the current draft content and our subreddit (to post feedback) are provided below:

Delve into the Dark Texts

base113 Games subreddit

Yog-Sothoth and Site Updates

nataixLeave a comment

Yog-Sothoth November 2019

I continue to be amazed at the reception my Investigator Passports have received, and now they have been included in Yog-Sothoth’s November newsletter!

If you haven’t ever checked out Yog-Sothoth, you should definitely give it a look. You’ll find a large and active community dedicated to exploring Lovecraftian worlds of all types. The site does require you to register to access most of the site, but doing so is free.

Site Updates

I’ve spent some time over the last day or so making some small updates to the website. Most of this is just maintenance and backend updates to the theme or plugins. However, I’ve also added a couple of things. A separate project page is now dedicated to gaming tools and props – including the Investigator Handouts – and I’ve added a section on the Community page that links to projects that others in the Mythos community are working on or have already published.

Directions for Printing and Folding Investigator Passports

nataix9 Comments

The Investigator Passports props are simple enough to print and fold, but here are some quick directions to help you make them easily, as well as some tips that may help you get the most out of them.

Preparing and Printing the Passport

Get together any information or notes you have about your investigator. Use it to fill out the form fields on the first page of the PDF. The information will be used to automatically populate the passport templates.

Each page of the rest of the document contains the prop passports, with one country per page. Scroll down to choose your passport. Then print that page to a color printer. You shouldn’t have to worry too much about settings, as the passport is designed to just print on a single side of the page. If you’re unsure, start by printing using the Fit to Page setting. If you like, you can print the passport on the back side of your (single-sided) character sheet. Then when you unfold the passport, your reveal the character sheet for play.

Fold and Trim the Passport

You don’t need anything special to finish your passport, but there are a couple of common papercraft tools that can make the process much easier and the end product much cleaner. Specifically, a ruler, a paper trimmer, and a bone folder. If you’re not familiar with a bone folder, it’s exactly what it sounds like – a piece of bone used to help fold paper. Without going into a long discussion on why, I will simply say that I have found them useful. And they are cheap. Here is a link to the bone folder I have: Vencink Genuine Bone Folder

Align a ruler with the fold marks around the edge of the page. Run the point of your bone folder along the ruler to lightly score the paper. Repeat in the other direction. You can press down fairly hard without worrying. As long as you don’t tear the paper, you’re fine.

Fold the paper between the printed covers and the inside pages of the passport, using the scored line to help keep the fold straight. You may find it easiest to start the fold at the edges. Check to make sure the outer edges are aligned. Use the flat of your bone folder to press the fold. Repeat along the other fold your passport into quarters.

Keeping the passport folded and using a paper trimmer or pair of scissors, trim any remaining white paper from the two sides of the passport.

That’s it. Your investigator’s passport is ready to go.

Finished 1920s Soviet passport

Interested in New Features and Improvements?

Check out this post: Investigator Passports: Feature Survey

Investigator Passports Available for Download

nataixLeave a comment

I recently posted photos of passports I created for my investigators – which then unfold to reveal their character sheet. The response I received was quite positive, and some people asked if they were available for purchase or via Kickstarter. These are actually very easy to make at home using the template I’ve created.

These passports are very simple and have no impact on gameplay – they’re just props to add a little immersion. Using the form-fillable PDF, you enter the details for the character, then scroll through the pages of the document. Each page shows the information you provided on the passport for a different country. Pick which one you want and print that page on your color printer. Fold the page into quarters, trim off the white edges, and you have your very own investigator passport. If you print it on the back of your character sheet, then simply unfold the passport to reveal the passport for play.

These are based on real-world passports from the 1920s and 1930s. A little artistic license was taken to make things simple, but otherwise I tried to make these look as authentic as possible. The template produces passports from the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, and India.

Download Investigator Passports at DriveThruRPG

The PDF is quite large, nearly 48 MB, but that may be unavoidable without compromising the image quality and form fields. I’ve decided to make the template available through DriveThruRPG. (I’ve had a publisher account for years, but never used it for much.) The main reasons for this are to ensure people can access the file without relying on my web admin skills and to get updates if I post new versions in the future. As suggested to me after I posted the photos, the template is posted as a Pay What You Want product. I’m not looking to make money on these, but evidently there are those that would be willing to pay for them. A few extra dollars never hurts, and maybe it will enable me to offer more in the future.

 

 

 

Feedback Welcome

If you have any feedback on how to improve the passports or the PDF, please post it here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/base113Games/comments/duhi8y/feedback_on_investigator_passports/

Interested in New Features?

I’m also looking for some feedback on how you use your passports and what other features you might like. For details, check out Investigator Passports: Feature Survey

Mythos Tokens of Fate

nataixLeave a comment

Following up on my post about finding an Elder sign to use for my Fate point tokens. I’m using the Matzke Elder sign for the player side of my Fate point tokens, so that leaves the Mythos/Keeper side to figure out.

While the Elder sign is a commonly used symbol to oppose the Mythos, there isn’t a comparable symbol of the Mythos itself. There are a few symbols related to specific Great Old Ones, but I don’t want to narrow the focus quite that much. There are some other symbols in Fantasy Flight Games’ assorted Mythos games – doom tokens and the like. Beyond the obvious copyright issues, those symbols generally just look like some sort of demonic rune. They’re appropriate for how they’re used, but that sort of theme is a bit overdone these days. Nevertheless, FFG’s various symbols and tokens are a good source of inspiration.

FFG’s Doom Token from Arkham Horror 3rd Edition

I also recently came across some third party tokens for FFG’s Arkham Horror produced by Team Covenant, with some cool designs. Their options for different tokens depending on the campaign being played got me thinking about different ways to customize components, but that’s an idea for down the road. Looking at those gave me some ideas, so I started playing about and finally came up with a rough design for the Mythos side of the token.

I started with a Penrose triangle. It’s a design I’m somewhat fond of, and being an “impossible object” it fits with the idea of cosmic horror. While I’m leery of over-using tentacles, they are often used in Mythos-related art. I added some tentacles with the appearance of emerging from the triangle, evoking a sense of the Mythos entering our mundane world through the triangle. Then I introduced some icons based on lunar phases, along with an assortment of lines interlinking them – going for a combination of passing time and “the start are right”.

Having designs for both sides of my token, I set to making some prototypes. I wanted them to have some weight, and I also wanted a tactile component. The result is a combination of chipboard, printed cardstock, and a penny. The Penrose triangle is debossed on one side, and the Matzke Elder sign is debossed on the other.

Prototype tokens for Fate points

Searching for the Elder Sign

nataixLeave a comment

Since I’m using Fate Core as the basis for this project, I’ll obviously need something to track Fate points at the table. At the same time, I’m leveraging some board game mechanics and components, so I want to get as much out of how I track Fate points.

I hit upon using double-sided tokens. The tokens can be used to track both Fate points as well as free invokes on aspects in play. So I want the tokens to also indicate who has the free invoke – the Keeper or the players. That gives me one Keeper “bad” side and one player/investigator “good” side. Naturally, the first thing that came to mind for the player side was the Elder sign.

Derleth Elder Sign, as taken from Wikipedia

The Elder sign features in practically every Mythos-themed game in existence. There are two predominant version of the Elder sign. The first is based on a design originating with August Derleth and is used in most of Fantasy Flight Games’ Arkham Files products. It involves a flaming eye in a stylized star.

Lovecraft Elder Sign, as taken from Wikipedia

The second is based on sketches by Lovecraft and resembles a branch, though it’s sometimes confused for antlers. Unfortunately, I’m not particularly wild about either of these.

The Derleth sign just feels too “generic occult” with a five-pointed star. The Lovecraft branch is more unique to the Mythos, but it’s also a bit too simple for my tastes. And the fact that many people instinctively think antlers when they see it…

The Matzke Elder sign, as illustrated in the Necronomicon

Fortunately, not too long ago I came across another version of the Elder sign: the Matzke Elder sign. This one is based on Lovecraft’s original branch, but makes it more complex. It appears a bit more ritualistic, and more importantly, it ties the sign to “the stars being right”. Anyone familiar with the Mythos will recognize this idea, and Matzke’s Elder sign hits on the idea that the branch design is rooted in star constellations.

I really like this design, so using it for one side of my Fate point tokens is perfect. I’ll write more about these tokens and their Keeper sign soon, but first: The creator of this version of the Elder sign, Christan Matzke, is creating a full translation and imaging of the legendary Necronomicon. I’ve been helping support the project on Patreon and could not be more pleased with the pages I’ve received so far. See for yourself, at ProppingUptheMythos on Patreon.