Lego Heroica
Definitely a gateway drug to traditional roleplaying. It is tempting to take the setting and convert it to Risus and see how my kids do. Lego provides a ton of information on the site.
January 27th, 2012
Taug (TOOK) Maciver
Vagabond Scottish Tinker with a knack for inventing things out of scraps (4)
Former priest seeking redemption (3)
Self-sufficient outdoorsman (3)
Taug Maciver is a failed priest from Inverness-shire, Scotland who left for America when he was excommunicated from the church. He has stayed in various Scottish settlements in Appalachia and Darien, Georgia.
He works as a tinker, but is helping to fix more than people’s mechanical devices, he helps to fix their spirits.
He is currently working his way across Texas, looking for word from God as to what his path should be.
NOTE: this is for a Ranger Company X game taking place towards the end of the US Civil War.
January 24th, 2012
January 15th, 2012
The Dungeon Dozen
A use for the d12 in your fantasy games. Many wonderful ideas to use. I got this like from a friend on Google+.
January 14th, 2012
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
I wrote about issues with Pokemon as a setting previously (Pikachu, I Choose You!). However, if you had to play as the Pokemon itself (al a Mystery Dungeon), what could you do? This came up on the RisusTalk mailing list. I thought I would share my response here.
I’ve seen quite a few episodes of the show and whatever bits of the video games that they boys want to show me…
This might be useful: http://www.pokemon.com/us/pokedex/
So you can see how many you have to chose from.
Basically, you have Pokemon of different types and each type has a benefit/weakness against certain other types (sort of a rock-papper-siscors) thing.
Wikipedia has a neat chart: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pokemon_types#Pok.C3.A9mon_types
I don’t know how you would want to translate this into Risus terms. Maybe something along the lines of number of die that can be used for rolling purposes (1/2 cliche if it is a type you have trouble with; only for rolling, not for damage if it is a type you have trouble with; 2x normal dice for rolling, normal for damage).
I don’t know how well a specific Pokemon would translate into Risus terms. Maybe you use Questing DIce and/or Lucky Shots to represent some of the special moves they can learn.
If you check out the Pokedex, you can see all of the Pokemon and the special moves they can learn.
If you look up Squirtle (a common starting Pokemon), you would see that he (or she) could learn the special ability of Torrent (and it is weak to Electric and Grass Pokemon).
I would definitely not play this with 10 die characters. Maybe 5 die (especially if this is some sort of beginners to roleplaying setup).
Here’s an example: Cocky, Sunglasses Wearing Squirtle Dude (4), Torrent [],[],[],[],[],[]
Here’s another: Mischievous Munchlax on a Diet (4), Pickup [],[],[], Thick Fat [],[],[]
Maybe I’ve thought too much into this…I have an urge to post this up as Risus TOTM.
Have fun with it! It is Risus, there’s no wrong way to play. Just be Arceus (4), God Powers [],[],[],[],[],[],[].
;-P
Larry
January 10th, 2012
Yet Another Edition…
In case you’ve ignored the news (I’ve tried, but this one got through), Wizards of the Coast is starting work on another edition of D&D. They want player feedback and what not because they think it will be possible to make everyone happy.
Good luck with that…
January 8th, 2012
Maximum Risus Fun
Applying concepts of Maximum Game Fun to Risus to help you flesh out your starting characters.
January 6th, 2012
Lair of the Sinister Seven
S. John Ross put together a map, and let Risus fans fill in the details. It was a fun little experiment, well worth checking out.
December 22nd, 2011
Risus One Page Challenge for the Holidays
There are two entries so far in the One Page Challenge. Get yours in before the Krampus comes and gets you for being naughty.
December 16th, 2011
Snowball Fright!
My entry for the Risusiverse One-Page Challenge is up for review.
Snowball Fright! - Buried in snow on Christmas Eve, what’s a poor soul to do but cause a little trouble with the wet, well-packing, white stuff. Too bad the supernatural got involved.
December 13th, 2011
Risusiverse One Page Challenge ending January 1, 2012
This OPC will be a for a holiday-themed one shot adventure. To keep it simple, that will be the guiding principle. It must be a one-shot adventure somehow using the phrase or alluding to the holiday season, and it should stand separate from A Kringle In Time.
Do you have what it takes?
Check out the fancy new version of the classic Risus solo adventure: Ring of Thieves.
December 7th, 2011
Calvin grew up and still fights evil alongside his pal Hobbes in these secret agent themed illustrations by Coran Stone.
Related Rampages: MEGAMUS PRIME (More)
Secret Agent Calvin and Hobbes (2) by Coran Stone (deviantART) (Twitter)
So, how would you stat out the boy and his tiger for Risus?
This post brought to you by ruminator
November 28th, 2011
I’ve been applying the concept of fake shemps and shemping, to tabletop roleplaying games for years in a number of ways. As a game master I’m called upon to create supporting characters on the fly. There are a number of techniques I’ve developed to keep the players from noticing that I’m flying by the seat of my pants, and that the bartender in this scene is the shopkeeper from the last scene with a different shirt and a fake mustache. I wrote a series of blog posts about it, which is reproduced at the end of this book. A few were reprinted in Open Game Table: The Anthology of Roleplaying Game Blogs (Vol. 1.) and were very well received there, which game me the inspiration to write this book.
The Compleat Shemp - Asparagus Jumpsuit | RPGNow.com (via berinkinsman)
And if you insist on stats for Shemp, Risus works really well for this.
While I haven’t read the book referenced, I did read a lot of the thoughts that went into this on Berin’s website. It should be a welcome addition to every GMs library.
(via berinkinsman)
November 25th, 2011
![collegehumor:
SquantOWN’D [click to share]
Is it just me or does this seem like an interesting idea for a Risus game? Just how gullible would early settlers be, and how long before it escalates into real trouble?
In US history, not very long. :-(](http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lv15n6Cu4R1qasthro1_500.png)
SquantOWN’D [click to share]
Is it just me or does this seem like an interesting idea for a Risus game? Just how gullible would early settlers be, and how long before it escalates into real trouble?
In US history, not very long. :-(
(Source: College Humor)
November 6th, 2011
Your mission, if you choose to accept it….
Just saw Johnny English Reborn over the weekend. This is what I imagine a well-run Risus espionage game to look like. The Johnny English movIes should be required viewing for anyone wanting to run a fun Bond-style adventure. It successfully sets up the appropriate cliches and then gleefully skewers them.
This post brought to you by Hank Harwell
