Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
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Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline
Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 4,674 Location: Near Chicago Karma: 178
Re: GangBusters Original Designer's Notes « Reply #3 on May 14, 2012, 2:48pm »
Hmmm. Arcadayn and Smokestackjones managed to sneak in before I could create a "holding spot" for my posts, so I guess if I have any attachments I'll have to hijack Rick's post and put something in there.
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Joined: Mar 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 138 Location: Reading, PA Karma: 12
Re: GangBusters Original Designer's Notes « Reply #4 on May 14, 2012, 4:28pm »
OK, a little background. This is going to be a free form and free flowing series. Don't expect many lists, but please feel free to jump in and ask questions and provide your comments.
First, I like simple rules. Second, I like simple rules. The majority of design for Bloody 20's (GangBusters) was done while I owned and operated a game store in Pennsylvania named "Gamer's Guild". Playtesting was easy.
Now, about the playtesters, because they always influence design. A sizeable number were fans of Runequest. B20s was destined to be a Skills influenced game.
Now, about the Judge/designer. Did I mention I like simple rules ? For those who understand Myers-Briggs personality testing. I am in the 1% of 1% of Intuitives. I was born and made to be a story teller. Recently, I had a chance to read various accounts of the legendery "Braunstein"games. Dang, it was exactly like a B20s session. Though no player ever asked me what they needed to roll, they knew better If you keep your players busy enough and the action going, they automatically roll the dice and keep the story going.
The trick as GM/Judge is to get the players to forget they're playing a RP game.
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
Joined: Mar 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 138 Location: Reading, PA Karma: 12
Re: GangBusters Original Designer's Notes « Reply #5 on May 16, 2012, 6:56am »
Contacts, expanded to Street, Administrative and/or Political Contacts in later versions of Bloody 20s were a very important part of play in the Bloody 20s.
Contacts were the highest rewards for the players. They were exchangeable, sometimes reusable "get out of jail free" cards, or just about anything a creative player could devise. The only limits were that the Judge was the final authority on how far a player could go in using their Contact. If Luck checks were a form of "saving throw", using a contact was dependent on how well the player justified their desired effort to the Judge and/or their fellow players. Contacts were also transferable between players. Wasn't it Vito Corleone's refusal to provide the use of his political contacts that resulted in his being shot in "The Godfather" ? Or, they could be used to attempt to block another player's use of a contact. There's a guaranteed way to start a series of ingame vendettas.
Why not try and incorporate Street, Administrative or Political contacts into your GangBusters game ?
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
Marv / Finarvyn DCC playtester (2011) C&C playtester (2003) I'm partly responsible for the S&W WhiteBox Builder of the TrollBridge Master of Mutants; MA since 1976 OD&D Player since 1975
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
Joined: Mar 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 138 Location: Reading, PA Karma: 12
Re: GangBusters Original Designer's Notes « Reply #10 on May 18, 2012, 7:20am »
When there were only a couple gamers around the store (Gamer's Guild), I let folks roll up some new characters using the various charts in the Original rules (found here http://odd74.proboards.com/index.cgi?act....150&post=95155) . I always liked how "Traveller" provided rules for character generation and backstories. I had even started to do my own rules for D&D character generation and backgrounds, but I was never happy with them. But, it seemed a good approach to introduce players to a new game. It was easy as they were rolling, to provide them some commentary (snarky optional) on their characters and help flesh out their personalities. Nicknames came easy. Tatooes and scars were given backgrounds. Even a rival might be revealed or groundwork layed for future problems. Before you knew it, there were lots of laughs and enough players to start up a "street adventure". Usually, the focus of these nights were unscripted and involved their first day in (if I can make it here, I can make it anywhere) or first day back in (for those who spent time in prison) Lakefront City.
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
Joined: Mar 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 138 Location: Reading, PA Karma: 12
Re: GangBusters Original Designer's Notes « Reply #11 on May 18, 2012, 2:45pm »
Weapons rules for B20s. Just 2 words here: "Bio One". Jim Muscala's "must have" 12 page rules set. That would be my base rules for any realistic gun fights. We used them for the majority of playtesting and also for Boot Hill games.
To me this TSR published rules book is the most under appreciated document that was ever published by TSR.
I certainly hope this document isn't lost to the Hasbro locked game vault. That would be a major loss.
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
Weapons rules for B20s. Just 2 words here: "Bio One". Jim Muscala's "must have" 12 page rules set. That would be my base rules for any realistic gun fights. We used them for the majority of playtesting and also for Boot Hill games.
To me this TSR published rules book is the most under appreciated document that was ever published by TSR.
I certainly hope this document isn't lost to the Hasbro locked game vault. That would be a major loss.
This is the first time I've ever heard of Bio One..... must find the Preciousssss.
[edit] now that I've seen a picture of the cover, I think I have seen it somewhere, just don't remember where....
Rick Krebs Creator/designer of Gangbusters Contributor to AD&D DM's Guide-1st edition "D&D meets the Electronic Age" Dragon #26 "Non-Player Characters have Feelings, too" Dragon #29 Founder/owner: Original Gamer's Guild game store Designer of EAMON Adventures Pubisher/Editor: Phanta Carta
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If you keep your players busy enough and the action going, they automatically roll the dice and keep the story going. ![[avatar]](http://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/3632089479/384133a24f0d799205d632883fe0448e.jpeg "[avatar]")