Let the E Presses Roll!

Look for the Flying Pincushion's latest installment of our Into the Breach series, Into the Breach: The Rogue, coming soon to a fine E-Book seller near you.  So, make those Sleight of Hand checks, lift some gold from your party mates, and get ready to do things the rogue way.

Want to get into game design? Work-shopping is key.

Want to be a RPG Superstar? How about get into Wayfinder, or freelance as a game designer? It's the competition's worst kept secret that most of the best get there by practice and work-shopping. This however isn't going to be an advice article on how to get the most out of work-shopping this is going to be an article about being good at helping others through work-shopping.

The thing some people don't seem to get is that to get better you have to give  more.



When giving feedback the first and most important key is that it is specific. Telling someone something as general as "I like it" might be good for their ego but it doesn't help them identify what makes their work good that they can take to their next piece. Just slamming something in a general sense and saying you do not like it without being specific as to why is equally useless in helping them improve.

I used the good, bad, and ugly format with a summary for feedback for awhile because it forces em to look at something positive, something that isn't majorly bad but worth noting, my biggest issue, then a summation of my overall impression. Generally that turns into 4-5 talking points which is about right for a pass at something. Going more in-depth then that can be helpful but only if you're asked to do so, otherwise you might be overwhelming the author by giving them too much to focus on. which leads me into my next point.

Know your role as a pit crew person. What kind of feedback is the designer looking for from you. Grammar and format editing? Where they looking for focus group feedback (like this, dislike that and so on?) Are they looking to bounce and build which is to day they suggest something you expand on it or suggest a direction they run with that suggestion and develop it further into a new idea and so on... For the record I'm the king of bounce and build sessions or focus group style feedback and shit at grammar and format editing as I have a tendency to auto correct as I read. Knowing your strengths helps you build others and it also informs on what you need from them when they return the favor.

Detach from who they are. It is natural for you to want go go easier on your friends or perhaps be a little less respectful to someone you do not know or like. It is important to be around people that challenge you and it is important that you are that person even to people you really like.

Being honest isn't brutal. I tersely informed one contestant this year that his inherent concept would be an immediate must have for every power gamer. He toned it down but kept the concept going because the phrase every blaster would want one was in there and he held onto that. He made top 100.

Except for a pair of DQs I missed (sorry again Jeff and Andrew details aren't my thing) of the 16 items I pitted for 8 made top 36 along side my own item and the remaining 6 made top 100. The range is my best friend to people I've never met outside the boards. This doesn't mean I want to do 100 items next year this is me telling you as a community find people you trust and work off of one another. Practice, learn and come back stronger next year... because I know I will.

To the top 8, you know where to find me.

Don't be that Contestent.

Hi gang,

This is an open letter for those that participate in the RPG Superstar contest. Not just for those that have made it into the competition, but to those on the sidelines that entered an item into round one but fell short of the top 36 entries.

The TL:DR version of this article is some advice I heard a lot when I was looking to join up in the military... They's say, "don't be that guy." They's say don't be that lady to the women but we're past excluding those that don't fit into gender binary perceptions so; Don't be that contestant.




What they mean by this is don't do something stupid to eliminate yourself from your opportunities like get drunk and drive, or get arrested for drug use, or fail out because of the physical requirements. For me the end of the road was that my feet are a little too flat for the DOD but that isn't relevant here because the advice is still sound advice for this competition.

Even if you missed the mark this year, your words and reputation can carry forward into future years and if particularly ill advised cost you other opportunities. I'm far from the only publisher that pays attention to and hires off the Superstar design boards.

Here's my pitch for new designers: We're a great place to cut your teeth and develop as a designer, but we pay like good bbq it's low and slow. I basically tell people we're slow to publish, turn a profit and pay and I still get no shortage of takers. Oh and I factor in people's reputation on the boards and professional demeanour nearly as much as I do their design talent regarding who I invite to work with my team.

The truth is there's a lot of talented folks that want to design. It's a publisher's market and we typically cannot afford to bring in designers that are a liability so here's a list of deal breakers for most publishers.

Don't be that Contestant that...

1) Reacts poorly to feedback - We're willing to take on and train writers we see some mojo in. Running a 3PP is a risk, publishers are risk takers. Defending your choices professionally is fine, flaming out or reacting badly to feedback makes us question your maturity and your ability to handle criticism from an editor or a harsh reviewer. There is no bigger red flag than a thin skinned and fragile ego designer.

2) Lives in a puddle - I'm not taking about being shy, I'm talking about being unaware of opinions that differ from your own. I'm talking about living in a puddle and fighting any rival beta fish that enters your tiny puddle. You can always tell who these people are by how they react when they are called out for their behaviour. If your go to defensive move is to talk about how things work in your home game or within the confines of your limited experience then this is you, get out of you puddle and reach out and experience other game styles.

3) Casually offends people - This typically goes hand and hand with living in a puddle. I've seen some tone deaf statements about how 90% of the items this year suck... good luck selling your work to those 550+ people you just offended. There's a difference between snark and being a total a-hole and usually the line is this, would you say that statement after it was revealed you were in the top 32 and you need people to vote for you? If the answer is no, don't be that contestant.

4) Breaks the gag order - While I was happy to compete I'd rather have not done so on the grounds that my competitors DQ'ed themselves by not following the gag order. I'll wear my top 32 tag with pride but it wasn't my desire to get it because the competition hamstrung themselves. It happens every year, resolve yourself next year that if you get the opportunity it will not be you. I'd still hire the person that makes this type of mistake but a lot of publishers are a lot less lose with the concept of NDAs then I am.

5) Bores us - Look at the end of the day you can be a lot of things and succeed but don't be boring. I'll hire someone that took a risk and whiffed a little on execution over someone who did something plain and safe like gloves that give a skill bonus...

6) Forgets the prize is a job - You win, you get a job. Want a job in game design? You have other tools to reach that goal even with Paizo. That also means don't argue with your potential future co-workers in a way that is going to make them not want to work with you which can literally be anyone you're competing with. Don't piss off the possible winner of Superstar Season 12 then have to work with them because you won Superstar season 16 and they got an editing job... It's too small an industry to create enemies.

Behind the Scenes: TFPC and Friends

 By Richard Litzkow

What makes a kickstarter successful, is it the idea being pitched, the person or team behind the idea, or some combination of both?

I got to wondering about this as I watched the Potato Salad kickstarter reach 11 days left having raised $61k. It seemed remarkable that this kickstarter; created as a joke, could raise so much money. But other kickstarters like Non-Player Cards with much longer term use only just having reached 60% of it’s target goal.

I stumbled onto the Non-Player Cards kickstarter by accident while searching the RPG section of kickstarter. As a game master by day and developer for The Flying Pincushion by night i’m always on the hunt for tools that enhance my ability to provide immersive, detailed games for my players. This, of course, also helps inspire my writing. I’m used to using tables to find random personality traits, but a kickstarter that promised to bundle decks of cards into categories like Name, Profession, Personality, Traits and so on sounded fascinating. With one draw from each deck a unique NPC for any occasion can emerge ready for use in any fantasy setting.

But I was wary, i’ve backed RPG kickstarters before and for all the love poured into them by their creators, many fall to pieces when exposed to the reality of deadlines and logistics. I’ve backed indie RPG bundles by auteur developers that i’ve had to pay for postage twice for and still not received the full pledge, i’ve backed other games where i’ve worked with artists to have scenes drawn from my games - but never seen more than the finished pdf, there have been RPGs i’ve backed by veterans of the industry that due to bad luck have fallen through and ruined their creator’s lives. Kickstarter is harsh, the products that make it through do so on the strength of their creator’s planning and preparation.

The only way to find out whether the creators of the Non-Player Cards kickstarter had the wherewithal to see the project to completion was to look for transparency. So I sent Andreas Walters the project lead of Non-Player Cards a message and asked a few questions.

I wanted to know what sort of team he commanded, the sort of professional skills he was bringing to the table and what plans he had for logistics if the project saw fruition.

Andreas was kind enough to answer my questions; as it turns out he works by day in local government for the San Francisco Transportation Agency, specifically on accounts and planning. A job he explains that is one part cat herding to several parts logistics and systems maintenance.

But he stresses, that he is also a gamer, specifically a GM who loves D&D and still reminisces about 3.5. He explained that he prefers to run intricate games, heavy on plot and character with unexpected twists added liberally for good measure. The idea for a card based system to create quick NPCs came to friend and him whilst they were plotting out a new set of tables, and after much discussion and planning they decided that the idea was worth pitching to the public - Non-Player Cards.

He hopes that the project will, if it gets it’s funding, see the light of day and be available to order online, as well as be available to retailers down the track. But the funding goal is to establish the groundwork, create the product and manufacture it small scale before expanding it.

When the group did the budget for the kickstarter they investigated closely the process of printing and shipping as well as the associated costs. A professional skill, Andreas informs me, is key to his real life job.

This is frankly the sort of thing I want to hear from a kickstarter creator, it’s not enough that they have a love of their project, but that they have the business skills to plan ahead. It also doesn’t hurt to be willing to engage in discussion with members of the public who are on the fence about backing the project.

While only time will tell how the Non-Player Cards project turns out, they have my money and support. If you think the project is worth investigating I suggest looking it up here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/metalweavedesigns/non-player-cards-npc-a-card-based-npc-generator

Piercing the Viel: Sneak Peak inside Into the Breach: The Oracle

 Image by juliedillon and taken from www.Deviantart.com

I know this week we have talked quite a bit about the oracle class and the newest offering from TFPC games, Into the Breach: The Oracle.  Yet we haven't mentioned even briefly what is included in this installment of our Into the Breach series. 

I have to admit that when the base classes first released I did not touch the oracle for a long time.  I had only looked at the class quickly and decided that is was just a favored soul from 3.5 with a friggin' curse to boot that paid for this mystery thing.

However I was wrong, and once I bothered to get a deeper understanding of the class I realized it was well worth playing, and writing about.  What follows is a just a quick overview of the many new options for oracles included in, Into the Breach: The Oracle.

Archetypes

Karuna Sattva
A karunā sattva carries no simple curse or affliction; instead she bears  and relieves the ills of others. She is often crowded by those seeking her healing touch.

Diplomatique
Violence is a tool employed by those without the proper means to resolve differences in a more civilized manner. All life is sacred and the diplomatique derives personal strength from that revelation. He can be seen on bloody fields trying to avert further tragedy with calm words and  healing hands, divine power staying most who would raise weapon or spell against him.

Enigma Warden 
A whisper in the wrong ear can cause the downfall of a kingdom or challenge the divinity of a god. There’s a power in secrets, but only if they are kept. An enigma warden wields power in silence, swearing binding oaths with dire consequences if broken.

Ordained Scion 
Sorcerous blood can be granted rather than inherited when the gods will it. Discovering the reasons for this auspicious destiny often consumes those chosen.

Alternate Class

Warlock 
The warlock calls upon power from mysterious sources that are near divine. Occupying a place that has similarities to both the witch and oracle classes yet they differ in a key way, warlocks do not cast spells. They instead counter spells cast by others, call upon revelations, and blast pure magical destructive energy against those that oppose them.

Prestige Class 

Covenborn 
Sacrifices are made when power is one’s quest. A covenborn treads the line of completely losing sanity and racial identity, yet attains the powers of a hag coven as reward.

Mysteries and Curses
Five new mysteries including Intoxicant, Sand, and Volcano
Four new oracle curses including Addled and Ominous (that includes a special simple template)

The Fine Line: Detailed Descent

                                     Image by aissatan and taken from www.DeviantArt.com

By Scott Bingham

                “This is the place I told you to expect.

                Here you shall pass among the fallen people,

                Souls who have lost the good of intellect.”

                So saying, he put forth his hand to me,

                And with a gentle and encouraging smile

                He led me through the gate of mystery.

                Welcome back to the Flying Pincushion! This week’s theme of the poetic work of Dante, The Inferno, was altogether an enjoyable read and a conduit of inspiration in my own work as a DM. The topic for this piece is a discussion on the use of detail in our storytelling and the effect it can have on our players’ overall gaming experience.Details can be both a powerful point of interest in our storytelling and a mass of jumbled chaos that does little more than distract from what is truly important. In the instance of interest we take a close look at Dante’s The Inferno and the way in which the setting is presented in each of the Circles of Hell.

As Dante and Virgil travel together lower and lower through the depths of wailing and torment the most human response would be that of horror and fear. If any of my characters were to make such a journey (one has in fact) the overall play personality that I would bring to the table would be that of sheer terror and paralyzing revulsion. However because of the nature of detail used in describing the manner and method of each Circle’s tortured souls and their various punishments Dante feels wonder. He is impossibly pulled into the scenes of horrific and eternal damnation because of how brilliantly and beautifully these depictions are painted for him. Things that are so ugly, so grisly, so incredibly repulsive and yet Dante is drawn deeper and deeper into Hell as his curiosity and very interest is piqued.

This is a tool used graciously in the case of The Inferno to ensure that Dante involves himself in the story. Detail, when used properly, can turn the heads of our players and cause them to question and to investigate. Imagine for a moment what sort of difference that can make. Let us go the Third Circle of Hell, the one meant to punish those great Gluttons of the mortal life, for such an example. First, the version purposefully lacking any sort of hook.

As you awaken you find yourself on the floor of the Third Circle of Hell. Virgil explains that this plane is meant to punish the Gluttons. Off in the distance you see the three headed Cerberus torturing souls and Virgil calmly waves for you to follow him.

Boring.

I am in the Third Circle of the torments.

Here to all time with neither pause nor change

The frozen rain of Hell descends in torrents.

Huge hailstones, dirty water, and black snow

Pour from the dismal air to putrefy

The putrid slush that waits for them below.

Here monstrous Cerberus, the ravening beast,

Howls through his triple throats like a mad dog

Over the spirits sunk in that foul paste.

Absolutely chilling. Already there has been a sense of dread established and an innate desire to avoid the creature Cerberus at all costs. A picture has been painted for us as to the nature of these souls eternal torment and we wish more than ever to tread carefully. When you as a Dungeon Master can help your players to see what you are describing it becomes that more real for them. Personally I find it easier to be involved, interested, and participating when in my mind’s eye I can envision the scene laid out before me. I’d take extra care on where I set my feet in such a scene and keep my eyes on the beast Cerberus.

Now to the other side of things. Details are a profound and strengthening factor in our storytelling particularly when used to describe something that before would appear so small and insignificant. However such a thing must be used in moderation. It’s easy when telling our tale to our players to get lost in the details and forget that there are more important things to be accomplished. Sometimes a thing can be simple because it holds no value in what we’re trying to accomplish with our players. Sometimes a room is simply that; a room. There is a table, a bookshelf, and a chair. No embellishment needed for this room means nothing. It’s simply a room.

When detailing something of importance however we must take special care. Our stories matter to us most of all above anyone else and so it’s easy for us to get excited and at times a bit carried away in our telling. A scene of greatness can be too much for in our episodic expression of an incredible scene we run the risk of forgetting where the spotlight should shine; on our players. They are the heroes and need to know that as their DM we are interested and invested in them. For any and all who have taken the time and pains to fill out a character sheet and to write a backstory it’s nice to know that our storyteller appreciates our small contribution to building a living, breathing character to explore their world.

Consider detail as you would a spice; don’t dump the entire shaker into the mixture. Add just enough to flavor the meal and make it that much more enjoyable. Use too much and one’s appetite quickly becomes lost in the overwhelming, overpowering tang of far too many words.

Dante’s The Inferno does a masterful job of using detail in such a way that Dante’s character (which is himself oddly enough) is interested and involved, two traits that we long for in our players. Such use of detail prompts Dante to ask questions and to make skill checks all the while venturing further and further into the story and the very bowels of Hell. He feels the necessary fear and disgust at the twisted and tangled mess that is eternal damnation but the sense of curiosity that he feels is the one that we love most. Why else would he stop to speak to the various tormented souls that he meets or turn to Virgil with questions and curiosity in his eyes?

Details, especially the little ones, can make or break a scene in our story. Maybe the tiniest bit of embellishment ends up playing a crucial role in the grand finale or consistently resurfaces, drawing the party closer and closer to sinister undertones. In any case the use of details in moderation is the lesson to be drawn from this week’s Fine Line. U

Pairing It Down: The Doctor - Sonic Boom

By Kiel Howell

     
     Why, hello there dear readers! Greetings and salutations. This week’s theme here at The Flying Pincushion is Doctor Who.

     This is starting to feel like a weekly thing but I need to confess something to you. I have never, up until 10 days ago, seen a single minute of Doctor Who. I know, I know, revoke his nerd card! In these last 10 days I have watched 30 episodes and found a new show to love and analyze to death.

     Before I get to what I’ve paired down, let me tell you a quick story about my introduction to Doctor Who. I asked a coworker and fellow nerd friend of mine about the show. His face lit up with an intensity rarely seen outside of a Con hall and he began to spew forth facts, likes, and dislikes about the show and its various incarnations and actors. I had the rare (for me) experience to be on the other side of a fanboy discussion...the side that has no vested (at that point) interest or knowledge in the topic at hand. It was refreshing and cheering to experience that love for something from the outside. Which, incidentally, is an important aspect of the Doctor character and how he enjoys seeing the universe through his companions’ eyes.

Now, on to the pairing!

     What is the most recognizable thing about the Doctor and the show? The TARDIS? Very likely, but I want to go a little deeper. The sonic screwdriver! I’ll be honest and say that my first instinct was to simply stat up the sonic screwdriver. A quick chat with one of my editors, thank you J-Man for the impetus behind this idea, and I quickly rewrote much of this to stat out the process for sonicing an item.

     Why is this a good idea? Well, that’s subjective, but a spot in Series 1 Episode 10 (on Netflix) struck me. Captain Jack, Rose, and the Doctor are running through a building and Captain Jack uses his sonic gun he stole, and the Doctor pulls out his sonic screwdriver. After a very amusing exchange about what it is, Captain Jack says, “Who sonics a screwdriver?!”

What a lovely question!

     It is a good idea when building a world or a game system to have a process, a magic spell, or a deck of cards that allows someone to customize items, equipment, or both. So let’s get down to it!

     What is the process of sonicing a tool? Well, judging by what I’ve seen it is the process of altering a tool’s function to allow it to do multiple (and possibly unrelated or at best loosely related) things all while removing the need to have the tool interact physically with the target. It sounds an awful lot like putting special abilities like flaming or fortification or a +X on a weapon or armor. Alright then, we’ll build a set of properties that can be added to tools to represent sonicing it. I’ll also modify item creation by giving each ability a flat price, even to add abilities multiple times it will only cost the flat price again.

Name	Price	Description
Durability	Double current tool value	Doubles the hardness and hitpoints of the tool.
Extra Power Reserve	1,000 gp* *per power reserve	Allow extra 5 uses before needing to recharge the unit.
Memory and Recall	10,000 gp* *per additional memory slot	Store the last thing done with the tool and reverse that action upon pressing the recall button or switch.
Miniaturization	750 gp	Shrink the entire package down to handheld size. Does not reduce any effectiveness and increases power efficiency by 33% (rounded down)..
Non-Physical Interaction	1,500 gp	This special ability allows a tool to perform its functions without physically touching the target with a range of 5 ft. The range increment can be increased 5 ft. by doubling the base price of this special ability. The tool can be used 5 times before needing to be recharged.
Pocket Protector of Holding, Type I	1,000 gp	Holds up to 3 hand sized tools in a small extra-dimensional space located inside a pocket on your clothing.
Pocket Protector of Holding, Type II	5,000 gp	As the Pocket Protector of Holding, Type I but holds up to 10 hand sized tools.
Universal Adapter	5,000 gp* *per additional interface	This special ability allows a tool to interface with anything. Different sizes and shapes, analog or digital, electronic and mechanical—any method of interface is accommodated with this special ability.

     Now obviously this is only a short list and it doesn’t really quite fit a sonic screwdriver...but the makings are there! Let’s build a soniced tool using this table. And in the spirit of the Doctor, this will be a little whimsical with a nod to what it borrows ideas from (in this case the wondrous item template from Paizo).

Sonic Toothbrush

Aura moderate universal; CL 8th

Slot —; Price 29,000 gp; Weight 0.5 lbs.

This hand sized cylinder has a thick round bottom and a tapered off top. One button adorns it near the center of the bottom section.

The sonic toothbrush is a toothbrush that has been modified with the durability, miniaturization, non-physical interaction, and universal adapter special abilities, with the durability special ability applied last. This allows the toothbrush to brush, floss, and an application of mouthwash to any creature’s mouth within 5 ft. regardless of size and shape. Using the sonic toothbrush on oneself gives a +5 to diplomacy checks.

Construction

Requirements Craft Sonic Tool, 5 ranks in Craft (Tool); Cost 14,500 gp

     There we have it! One sonic toothbrush from our newly minted table of tool special abilities. I challenge you, the reader, to leave new entries for the table, a tool crafted from the special abilities, or just your thoughts on Doctor Who in the comments. Until next time in which we tackle the classic Dante's Inferno.