This is one of two posts I’ve submitted on Musings of the Chatty DM, under the pseudonyme Kitsune. If you didn’t enjoy them back then, please feel free to do so now. Thank you, that will be all.
Please note that this essay is incredibly experimental and is to be taken as food for thoughts rather than a serious collection of amazing tips. Except for the John Woo Principle. That’s freaking genius.
“When in Doubt, Blow EVERYTHING up!”
Hello, blogosphere, how I have missed you! It’s Kitsune again, self-styled apprentice of the dark side of RPG blogging, here to steal Chatty’s thunder until I can make my own. Like Thor. Thor’s cool.
Today, we blow stuff up up.
I’ve been thinking about explosions a lot lately, more precisely on how to use insane, out of this world destruction in a RPG.
I’m currently playing a Pirate captain in a 4E campaign once a week, and every time we leave an area, we are followed by wanton destruction, and we rejoice. I’ve figured if most players are like we are, they’ll enjoy the ridiculous epic-ness of exploding crap all over.
Basically, Michael Bay would be a freaking intense Game Master to play under, hence the Michael Bay School of GMing.
We’ve seen the Rule of C4 (and here too), now let’s elaborate.
The theory
It’s a rather natural thing for game masters to be protective of their settings. As a GM who puts way to many hours preparing my games (most often more then I spend playing) , seeing players wreck havoc in a carefully designed town where everyone is described to the shape of their knees would, obviously, feel both like a waste and a horrible turn of event.
The sad truth is that people love blowing things up, and we, as protective idiots, rarely grant to our players the simple joys of pyrotechnics.
That being said, the Michael Bay School of GMing teaches us new and simple way to make your players happier, but first, one must unlearn those pesky protective reflexes. With that simple shift, I guarantee you’ll have your small horde of players begging for more, and screaming how much they love you. With a rocket launcher!
The Michael Bay School of GMing is, simply put, GMing principles based upon the idea that destroying stuff is really fun. You’ll have to unlearn a few things and allow your players to get slightly bigger guns. Although it can be scary, I assure you you’ll get happy players. Well, unless your running a drama-heavy White Wolf campaign, in which case you really should dismiss this post.
Meet the Principles:
Chekov’s Rocket Launcher
The first rule of the Michael Bay School of GMing is Chekov’s Rocket Launcher. “Chekov’s gun” is a theatrical trope by which a loaded weapon in a scene should, nay, will be fired before long. (Chatty DM: I think the saying goes: A gun introduced in Scene 1 should be fired before the end of scene 4)
The idea is pretty simple : Without the means to destroy their environments, they players can’t destroy their environments. But if you give them bombs and missiles, they will obviously use them in the most spectacular fashion possible. The trick is to force yourself to allow the PCs to get the fancy pyrotechnics.
Of course, in a fantasy game, a wizard with a fireball spell will do the job just fine (especially if you apply the John Woo Principle, see below), but to put it bluntly, your first job is to give them to tools to destroy everything they touch.
(Chatty DM: I have reservations, I’ll add them in the comments)
The John Woo Principle
Watch any John Woo movie. Ever noticed what happens when a bullet doesn’t hit it’s target? It decapitates a statue, kills a bystander, hits some poor explosive barrel calmly hanging out in the background.
The John Woo Principle dictates that one should describe each attack, hit or miss, with destructive consequences. Why just make that hammer swing simply miss, when you could make it hit that statue over there. And obviously, if that statue’s hit hard enough, or more then once, it’ll topple and fall down (either on something or just crash on the ground). Even if it doesn’t do any damage, changes much to the battlefield (although it can), your player might just find some pride in the murder of a priceless statue of J’ania, the Goddess of Purity.
Also, no explosive effect (magical or mundane) should leave the battlefield unscathed. A fireball or a thermal detonator should change the battle field somehow, whether by destroying a wall, or making a crater where one could take cover. Make it so the enviroment feels maleable, and let your players amaze you with the use they will make of their world.
The Desecration of the Dungeon
I fear this principle myself as I am writing it. Since All-Father Gygax brought the game to us, we’ve been carefully building mostly architecturally aberrant dungeons with the utmost care, lovingly setting encounters in there to make for the most complete DnD experience in ages. We kept fleshing out our dungeons better and better, may it be with Gygaxian naturalism or just carefully balanced yet diverse encounters, since then.
It is, thus, understandable why we’d be bloody scared of losing the necromancer’s tower to a horde of mammoths (that was a plan a buddy of mine and myself had to survive a Second Edition game), or a carefully placed fireball. But it’s a must for the follower of this School of GMing to find ways to balance everything when your players just want to blow the crap out of the Tower of Despair or the Dead Forest of Sthrim.
It’s the idea behind this principle. The fact that if you give a way to simply destroy everything the players see, your going to have to find new ways to challenge them that doesn’t include an underground labyrinth (and one made out of adamantine won’t work, you want them to blow up the walls!). A war campaign, for example, would work great.
I can’t say I’ve devised a surefire way to make this one work (if not for the wise words of Chatty himself : “One-Shot!”) in a classic DnD game without completely destroying the mood of the game, but I’m thinking about it.
The last gunshot was an exclamation mark
Please note that all of the above is all very theoretical. I’ll see if these few principles maintain themselves decently in-game later this year (in a Traveller Sci-fi/Fantasy hybrid game, maybe)
Revel in the destruction, folks!
Hey, folks, expect a few more of those “School of GMing” posts in the future, making a series out of them would be pretty interesting.
What you said about the tools of destructions reminded me of something Yathzee said in his Saint Rows 2 review.
“Gamers are jerk. You give them a gun, they will use it to shoot an old lady. You give them the ability to drive a car, they will run over an old lady. You give them the ability to fly a chopper, they will get on it, fly high in the sky, undress and then throw themselves at an old lady”.
Of course, back then he was talking about video gamers. But gamers aren’t really all that different too, even if they’re roleplaying a pure and good character, they themselves will want to look awesome by causing havok sometime during the game (difference is that the good character will blow up an evil lair, instead of a peaceful colony like we did in the pirate game.)
Of course, the easy way to contain that would be to simply remove the means to blow shit up to your players. But that would end up in frustration, hence why I like your idea of learning to control that impulse and work it out with your players instead of just denying them that. Controlled destruction is still destruction, your players will have their fun and they will never suspect that they’ve blown it all because you worked for it to happen in the shadows.
I think I’ll take a swing at the Michal Bay school of gaming in my own mutants and mastermind game, the game itself seems to be a good match for your theory. After all, it is known that superheroes fighting in the open cause a lot of colateral damage that they never seem to pay for.
All this is true, however, there are some details I have to add.
While most player (if not all!) will enjoy a big explosion, the steps taken to achieve total havoc will differ from one player to another.
There are, in my opinion, two kind of players. The one who’s thinking is pretty straightforward :”it’s a grenade. pull the pin and throw it at stuff”, and the subtle kind (if there is such a think when dealing with explosives). The last one is more likely to booby trap a door with the grenade, or sabotage a rocket launcher so that it will explode when shot.
I believe the distinction between the two is important, because while they will ultimately produce an equivalent amount of destruction, it is way more fun to see the villain’s lair explode out of a tortuous plan, than by simply tossing a whole bunch of thermal detonators into it.
Not too long ago, while playing a post-apocalyptic game setting, we had to defend ourselves against a few punks. however, one managed to escape, and as the rising music and cloud of smoke on the horizon indicated, we would soon have to deal with the whole gang. While we discussed of the course of action we would adopt, our engineer frantically emptied his bag on the ground, and with a battery, a few sticks of dynamite and a movement detector, hold together with generous amount of duct tape, he soon had built one hell of a land mine.
The explosion probably achieved the same result as if we had simply tossed the dynamite on the punks and saved the duck-tape (it is a precious resource in a post-apocalyptic world, after all), but why do it simple when you could use a complicated and witty plan?.
So, while giving your players the mean of ultimate destruction, always think of to who you are handing the needlessly over-powerful device. Is it someone who will do something tasteless and obvious with it (read : simply blow it), or is it the player who will surprise everyone by thinking outside the box. The latter will produce a lot more of fun for everyone around the table.
I agree, smart booms are cooler than stupid booms. But the School is more about the destruction of enviroment then the explosion of people.
Fundamentally, structural damage is awesome and having a lot of it makes for interesting mechanics (new and interesting use of cover, or using the ceiling as a weapon with a better area coverage than, say, a fireball, etc.). I mean, that’s why missiles are cooler a few times more awesome then lasers. They blast buildings better.
A landmine is nice, but making a building fall on the bad guys, and seeing both the expression on their face, and on the Game Master’s face, is better.
I think something else must be kept in mind. Something like the Tarantino Principle. It’s cool if it break something when it misses, but it should do something even better when it does hit. Limbs should falls, blood should flow and spatter, clothes should be ruined, and the fact you sliced the guy doesn’t mean you can’t have smashed the statue head with the same swing!
A solid hit (like full hp to bloodied) should have dire consequences (bonus to following intimidate check, limb loss, pining on a wall, etc.), an overkill (putting the enemy lower than -10) should be gory, bloody, even overdone. Even a low damage hit could just ruin the vilain favored hat or shirt for good measure.
Destruction IS fun, but if you are to go over the top with that, might as well, go fully in this path and make it blow up AND bleed.
That strongly depends on both your player base and your own style, though. As much a fan of horrible bloody violence that I might be, I firmly believe that you don’t have to go all out describing gore if it’s not what your players are in for.
There’s been a few posts about extreme violence on the RP blogosphere recently, and I’m personnaly more of a cartoon violence kinda guy, when it comes to DnD. Bit o’ blood when dramatically appropriate, but keep them guts inside you where they don’t bother anyone.
Of course, in World of Darkness or Call of Cthulhu or what-have-you, all is fair game. Goes double if your players aren’t used to the stuff.
Actually, thinking about it, using extreme violence in every DnD game would, as a side effect, desensitize your players for a potential future game where violence is meant to be shocking. Call of Cthulhu or World of Darkness and their kin are fair game, I figure.
Although you do have a point when it comes to the consequences of a hit. It’ll keep the group entertained, for sure.
Welcome to the blog, by the way!
I think you can go bloody without being overly gory too. Think of comparing Kill Bill to Hostel. Of course, like everything, it depends on what you and your players are looking for.
Didn’t realize that until I’ve read this post. Very interesting indeed. Can I contact you for more details? ——– You might think I’m crazy but I love kids ceiling fans.
Easily, the article is in reality the sweetest on this notable topic. I fit in with your conclusions and will eagerly look forward to your future updates. Just saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the great lucidity in your writing. I will instantly grab your rss feed to stay informed of any updates. Good work and much success in your business dealings!
It sounds like you’re creating problems yourself by trying to solve this issue instead of looking at why their is a problem in the first place
Hi there, I found your blog via Google while searching for first aid for a heart attack and your post looks very interesting for me.
All I can say is keep it up. This website is so necessary inside a time when everybody just really wants to talk about how a lot of folks someones cheated on their wife with. I suggest, thank you for bringing intelligence back for the net, its been sorely missed. Wonderful stuff. Please continue to keep it coming!
This is among the most incredible blogs Ive examine inside of a quite prolonged time. The amount of info in here is stunning, like you practically wrote the book about the subject. Your website is excellent for anyone who wants to realize this topic more. Great stuff; please preserve it up!
Very good site, exactly where did you arrive up while using the info in this piece? I’m pleased I discovered it even though, ill be checking back quickly to view what other content you might have.
This is getting a bit more subjective, but I much prefer the Zune Marketplace. The interface is colorful, has more flair, and some cool features like ‘Mixview’ that let you quickly see related albums, songs, or other users related to what you’re listening to. Clicking on one of those will center on that item, and another set of “neighbors” will come into view, allowing you to navigate around exploring by similar artists, songs, or users. Speaking of users, the Zune “Social” is also great fun, letting you find others with shared tastes and becoming friends with them. You then can listen to a playlist created based on an amalgamation of what all your friends are listening to, which is also enjoyable. Those concerned with privacy will be relieved to know you can prevent the public from seeing your personal listening habits if you so choose.
Wonderful webpage! I dont think Ive noticed every one of the angles of this theme the way in which youve pointed them out. Youre a accurate star, a rock star guy. Youve received a whole lot to say and know a whole lot in regards to the theme which i imagine you must just teach a class about it…HaHa!
I just couldnt leave your internet site prior to saying that i definitely enjoyed the quality info you deliver for your visitors… Will be back again often to verify up on new things you article!
Hands down, Apple’s app store wins by a mile. It’s a huge selection of all sorts of apps vs a rather sad selection of a handful for Zune. Microsoft has plans, especially in the realm of games, but I’m not sure I’d want to bet on the future if this aspect is important to you. The iPod is a much better choice in that case.
Your web site came up during my research and i’m stricken by what you have prepared on this subject matter. I’m at the moment diversifying my hunt and therefore can not contribute more, however, I’ve bookmarked your website and will be returning to keep up with any kind of upcoming changes. Simply appreciate it and thanks for allowing for my comment.
Really great informative blog post here and I just wanted to comment & thank you for posting this. I’ve bookmarked youi blog and I’ll be back to read more in the future my friend! Also nice colors on the layout, it’s really easy on the eyes.
Muchas Gracias for the “work” you put into your blog says my niece
Wonderful blog! I definitely love how it’s simple on my eyes and the information is well written. I am wondering how I can be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which must do the trick! Have a nice day!
I propose not to hold off until you get big sum of cash to order goods! You can just take the loan or just financial loan and feel fine
Hoeveel kan ik lenen? (hypotheek). Wat worden mijn maandlasten? (hypotheek) … Hoeveel hypotheek heb ik nodig? Hoe hoog is de boete die ik nu zou moeten
Lenen zonder BKR toetsing gaat vandaag heel gemakkelijk. Binnen een paar uur geld lenen zonder BKR toetsing doet u hier, lees snel verder
Hoewel migraine op elke leeftijd voor het eerst kan optreden, begint dit type hoofdpijn meestal tussen de tien en veertig jaar. Bij de meeste mensen treedt
BKR problemen? Nu Geld lenen zonder BKR toetsing? Op zoek naar betrouwbare aanbieders? Wij vergelijken banken die u toch kunnen helpen aan een betrouwbare
Good blog! I truly love how it is easy on my eyes and also the information are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which really should do the trick! Have a nice day!
Good blog! I truly love how it’s easy on my eyes as well as the details are well written. I am wondering how I might be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which need to do the trick! Have a nice day!
Tired of obtaining low amounts of useless traffic for your website? Well i want to share with you a new underground tactic that produces me personally $900 daily on 100% AUTOPILOT. I could truthfully be here all day and going into detail but why dont you simply check their website out? There is a great video that explains everything. So if your serious about producing easy hard cash this is the website for you. Auto Traffic Avalanche
Why have you removed my post? It was very helpful information and i promise atleast 1 person found it helpful unlike the rest of the comments on this website. I’ll post it again. Sick of obtaining low numbers of useless traffic for your site? Well i wish to tell you about a brand new underground tactic that produces myself $900 every day on 100% AUTOPILOT. I could be here all day and going into detail but why dont you merely check their website out? There is really a excellent video that explains everything. So if your seriously interested in making quick cash this is the website for you. Auto Traffic Avalanche
Well, I don’t know if that’s going to work for me, but definitely worked for you!
Amazing post!
I am pleased I discovered this blog, I couldnt discover any info on this topic matter prior to. I also run a site and if you would like to actually severe in just a little little bit of guest writing for me if possible feel free of charge to let me know, i’m always appear for people to take a look at my site. Please stop by and leave a comment sometime!
I have to, I’ve not bin on this site in a long time… however it was anoda joy 2 see it’s such an important topic & ignored by so many.
This is really an incredible website!
U really deserve an applause for your post and most importantly, ur blog as a whole. Very high quality material.
The old link dont work, ill repost what i posted earlier… Hey, long story short. 3 weeks ago i saw a comment just like this 1 promoting a item called Mobile Monopoly. I decided to visit the site and check the item out, i was amazed with it and signed up correct away. So far i have made $2,512 in 3 weeks. I suggest you all check their site out, what have you got to lose? I GUARANTEE you will register with them once you watch their video… The technique is just amazing for making cash online and also the potential cash you can make from it’s near infinite. Really worth looking into… Mobile Monopoly
Hello , I have found a great way to make loads of money online creating blogs. I presume this is most likely for the website bloggers but there are probably alot more bloggers reading this. I have made thousands using the techniques detailed in the product and it’s only been two months. Auto Blog System X – Blog to the bank
Hey guys i wish to share with you a way i make $500 every day and i only spend 5 minuites doing it a day! I strongly suggest you check their site out as there is a brilliant video that explains everything you need to know. Check them out at DOMINATE MOBILE MARKETING
Hey guys i wish to share with you a way i make $500 daily and i only spend 5 minuites doing it a day! I strongly suggest you check their website out as there is really a brilliant video that explains everything you need to know. Check them out at DOMINATE MOBILE MARKETING