Monty,

I believe in the "give it a try" approach. THere is nothing better than giving a player a character that they have only dreamed about but never could play due to the constriction of a previous game or GM and place those creatures into an Arduinian adventure that brings out the best of Arduin and their getting in character.

I have done this countless of times and seems that I will have do it yet again to entice another group of gamers to play in the on coming month to get them wanting to play...and I find its not that difficult to entice

I generally sit down with a group of people looking for a game and start talking "what ifs" Generally this leads to characterizations as players always want to know about what will get them through the game, achieve the goal, reach an inner childhood dream, or simply survive long enough to enjoy a game. After introduing them to some personal characters and telling a few stories about how they came to be, I introduce the world and the philosophy of Arduin...at least my interpretation of it. As they get excited I tell them to give it a try and if they have a few hours to kill I garauntee them that they will have an enjoyable and memorable time. I haven't been wrong in over 20 years

Mechanics never really come up, even when were playing that first game. Its all about setting the mood and it there need be a fight to get them active, we take the mechanics in at that time with their trust that I will spoon feed them, coddle them, protect them from the hideous thoughts of horrific mathematical statistical probability.

There is something to be said about customizing a game to fit the needs of a group of individuals that are interested. Giving the group "ownership" of the game and their characters to tighten the bonds to the game.

I think the best way is to sit down and talk to a group of people that want to play a game but for what ever reason, they are not. talk to them and share with them some personal experiences that will entice them, make them want more, but for themselves; then give them a short game they will remember for quite some time.

John

Well,

I run a game loosely based around 3rd edition, 3.5 edition and pathfinder with lots of Arduin thrown in, including but not limited to. Monsters, Magic, classes, HP system, crit and fumble system, mana system. Black Grimoire spells and alchemical concoctions. Techno, etc.

Some love it, some hate it. Most just play and have fun. I have never run any game strictly out of a box or book and have always changed things when I needed to. I use an AC system combined with an AV system. Meaning armor soaks damage and never helps your chance not to be hit. Shields and parrying is a much better way not to be hit, than just trying to dodge. Although that works as well.

Chris

I set up and run as many scenarios as possible and let players pick up on it the same way I did.

However--and I think this has been mentioned on the forum before--Steven Erikson's Malazan books, Gardens of the Moon, etc, have a very very Arduin feel. The world reflects basic principles, such as "Power Draws Power," that I associate with Arduin.

I don't by any stretch of the imagination think there's only one way to play Arduin, or only one kind of feeling that emerges from play, but the Malazan books are exotic, yet familiar, over-the-top, yet grounded by their characters, and always concerned with the consequences and ramifications of the strange things going on. I think those qualities are all very Arduin.

I've been waiting for this thread to light up for a little while, now, because the answers could be useful to me, as a n00b. I just started paying attention to Arduin about a year ago, and I don't personally know any Arduin players, past or present.

What I've got to go on, so far, is divided between old-time Arduin (reprints of all of the Grimoires, and various internet reminiscences and anecdotes from Hargrave's table) and latter-day Arduin (AE and the giant world book). The two parts don't seem disconnected, but the tone is a bit different, with the old stuff being delightfully old school and sometimes verging on crazed, and the newer material being more foundational, thorough, and serious minded.

Do contemporary gamers attempt to achieve the wild abandon of the original Arduin campaigns? Does dungeon crawling feature prominently in 21st century Arduin games, or is a globetrotting tale of political intrigue more likely? Do the original Arduin dungeons still rate as canonical?

What I'd really like to see are some condensed storylines, adventure seeds, or even a published adventure. I suppose I need to get a copy of White Roc Inn.

EDIT: I just rediscovered the 'fantastic tales of adventure' right here in these forums.



I haven't read a pulp fantasy novel in years, but I decided to take your recommendation. I have a shiny new copy of Gardens of the Moon right here, and plan on giving it a shot.

-SV

Stu - awesome recommendation!
SV - get ready

The Malazan series is one of my favorites (Glen Cook's Black Company being another)... Great reads!

As far as introducing players to the world of Arduin, I think playing is the only way. John and I have bounced around ideas with respect to pre-generated characters (conventions, first time players, etc.) and having a small write-up (5 pages or so) to go with the character to have the players read before playing the character. That write-up will be a Cliff Notes version of the characters history to date, including a few combat like encounters to give the player a sample of how to use whatever magic items or spells the character would have access to, etc. Imaging running Quick Ben now that you have read all those wonderful stories about him in the Malazan series (my favorite character *grin* ).

Another tool that we have tossed around to help get players into the spirit of story telling (really what gaming is about) is to have one session that is diceless Take away the ability to run into every room and attack whatever is inside by making them responsible to help create a story that is interesting to all... take away the adversarial barrier that is the GM to player dynamic and have the players try on your GM shoes for a moment... it will prove to be a very interesting session... Hopefully they will see how much more interesting things are when there is risk and reward... that may also suffice for the session John was referring to where you get to know what the players are interested in because they get to participate in the creation... help them understand how long term strategies are used in creation and also how hard it is to keep continuity... After a test run in the GM shoes, the hope is that the players will see things more from a story tellers perspective and less from the first person shooter perspective, and continue to be supportive and collaborative content creators to help the GM create a great experience when you go back to using dice...

my two little bits

-swc

A lot of people find about a hundred-page hump to get over before they internalize the rhythm of the first book. I myself took three running tries at the book before I got over it. I know it's a lot to ask, but the payoff is enormous.

I recommend the more accessible Black Company books, too. In fact, the first three Malazan books seem to me a lot like the first Black Company arc on steroids. The strength of both series is taking some pretty far out characters--the kind fantasy gamers like to make--and never letting go of the characters' essential humanity. They seem, for all their magic and exotic cultures and weird powers, like people you might know.

I love Conan and Elric, too, but I don't know anyone like those guys. I don't mind, in some cases, people playing their characters like cartoons, if they like. I want people to have fun. But I feel like they're missing a golden opportunity to create something with a little more nuance in Arduin.

Well, it's two weeks later, and I'm reading the first chapter of Deadhouse Gates. Gardens was a bit tough at the beginning, but I made it over that hump on the first try. It is a little rough and sprawling, but I hear that Erikson's craft matures as the series progresses. If I actually hang on to this series, and read the whole thing, it'll be quite a coup, since I've long avoided giant series.



I have a copy of the first Black Company book, bought at a supermarket when I was a teenager, and a copy of the second one bought used a few years ago. Never read them, though, and never found the third book, so I picked up a copy of the omnibus edition of the first three. I'm thinking about trying Black Company out instead of moving directly into Deadhouse Gates.



IMO, the original Conan (from the 1930s) is the perfect RPG adventurer archetype. He was no superhero. He starts out wet behind the ears, and with a healthy respect for the unknown, then hammers his name into history by gambling his own sweat and blood, but never his principles. Besides the rage and might, Howard showed the adult Conan as a world wise, savvy, and well-spoken leader of men. I can believe people like that exist.

Elric? Yeah, he's a bit too high opera for a PC. Great stories, though, if you're into existentialist psychedelia.

I totally agree that Conan as originally written is much more of a character than the cartoon he appears to be sometimes. But when people start trying to roleplay a mighty-thewed conqueror of all they survey, striding the kingdoms of my living room beneath their sandaled feet, my furniture gets chewed up and they scare the cat. It's a lot of fun, of course, but they tend not to want to go back to where they came from.

Here's a 100% true-life article of the dangers of integrating Conan into your everyday life. Take care, my friends!
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-way-of- ... ith-conan/

TAFMSV,
I will never argue with the reading of either Malazan or Black Company, I have read both multiple times

I found Deadhouse to be my all time favorite book in the Malaz series (so far - ten is not out yet), so if you can take one more book into that, I think it would be worth it...

I found plenty of inspiration in both, so there is not a bad direction here

-swc

I am a firm believer that melding a diceless piece into the game will greatly accenuate <?> the game for both the GM and his/her players. the diceless session can be anywhere from 20 - 60 minutes long, depending on how many players and the situation you are going to put them through.
Giving the players a goal then have them put away their precious dice and close all books really can build up the atmosphere in a positive, if not dreaded, chapter in their heroic chronicles. They know that the fate of a goal, the party, even their own lives [though hopefully nothing too dreaded] is in their own hands...errr, voice.
I believe this is a wonderful way to introduce pieces of your world and inner workings that might not get introduced or even understood by the players any other way. There is nothing wrong with explaining how parts of your worl works so that they can entertwine more fluidly within its working, but now use it as a tool for role playing, your world, your story.

I agree with Scott that when you are going to introduce the game or even run tournaments at conventions, start your players off with an envisionment of the character concept so that when they are playing it, they have a background to help them run the character, not the way you want it, but how they will percieve it after reading a piece of the character's past.

Books and movies are always a great addend to the world but when trying to entice others to play, always connect whatever book/movie your talking about to the world you are creating. Its a very powerful hook for other players.

John

A humorous detour - has anyone watched "The Gamers: Dorkness Rising" ??

If not, you should... take an hour to lyao...

-swc

Without doubt the single best film about gaming, anywhere! Not only did it keep me laughing literally throughout the entire film, but I found myself thinking "I KNOW this guy!" while watching the gamers interact at the table. It's like every character was based on some player who I sat with at my own table over the years.

Best use of a chicken carcass EVER!

Seriously, if you haven't seen this film yet, go order it from Amazon right now.

Doc

awesome!! and yes! uproarious!!

I found myself saying the same thing - "I know that guy"

-swc

and Monty, to your point about tribute, and with Easter right around the corner, are we gonna have an easter egg hunt??

-swc

(Blowing dust off)

Well I am an amateur GM, but I have a couple tactics.

I like to implement into that first game session personal hooks for the new players that they can identify with, as they may not be able to with the world(s) of Kaas in all of it's complicating and expanding wonders- let alone getting used to AE's mechanics for the first time! These hooks can be anything; one I use frequently is a character from a movie or book that I know the player enjoys. This also helps in a way push across the fact that anything can happen in Arduin.

"Yes Jim, correct indeed. That is a Stormtrooper you see over there. His' ship was caught in a black-hole while traveling to Naboo, and he came to be on Kaas. Funny enough, he didn't realize he was in another world for a month, as he continued asking local residents of Talismonde how to get to the nearest Battlestation- even so much as bribing them with credits."

The other thing I like to do in the way of enticement is letting the new players create whatever race that they want. I don't know if you or others do this (though I would bet you do) but I restrict certain races on my "main" campaigns. Deodanths, Phraints, and other very inherently powerful races are only permitted in my "evil" campaigns or "power" campaigns. However, if a new player wishes to select one, I will allow it to get them into it. Then after a while, they will find out why that "good" Deodanth they playing is hated and feared by everyone, even despised by his' own kind being an outcast male as he is; and why his "friends" always keep a good few paces away at all times (not that it would help them)

Though, you wrote the book on Arduin (pun absolutely intended) so I imagine this is all old news to you, but I like talking.

And there is a lot of really good stuff in this thread: I really liked thaumaturgist's bit about the coddling of new players and "spoon feeding" them the mechanics... hilarious!