Get Your Questions In For The Next Ask Me Anything For "Army Men"!

It's been about two years since my first RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic dropped. And while I've been trying to keep putting out fresh content for it by talking it up here on my blog, making a series of videos called Tactical Plastic Report over on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, and writing as many supplements for it as I have time and space for, I wanted to take a moment to reach out to all my readers and fellow players out there. Because I could keep taking stabs in the dark all day, but I want to know what you want from the game going forward. I want your thoughts, your curiosities, and most of all, to answer your questions...

Which is why I think it's time to put together a second Ask Me Anything for this game!

My ears are open!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Wait, SECOND Ask Me Anything?

For folks who are just joining us, I actually put together an AMA when the Kickstarter was still running for Army Men several years ago. The video appeared over on the High Level Games YouTube channel, and it's still there if you want to take a look at it!

Now, I didn't intend on making that original AMA, but during the early days of the Kickstarter we were getting a lot of questions... or, more specifically, we kept getting the same question being asked by dozens of different people. As such, I figured it would be a good idea to take some of the most common questions, lay out the answers, and provide the truth straight from the horse's mouth, as it were.

 

However, it's been a hot minute since that video came out. As such, I thought it might be time for a sequel! So if there is something you're curious about regarding Army Men that wasn't answered in that original video, what I need you to do is put your question in the comment section of Tactical Plastic Report, Episode 16: Should We Have Another AMA For Army Men?

Now, I'm asking folks to leave their questions on that video for 2 reasons. First and foremost, it's a much easier comment section to monitor, and it will be seen by myself as well as Adrian Kennelly, the fellow behind Azukail Games. Secondly, it would be nice to get some extra upvotes, comments, and views on that video to help it spread its wings a little so that maybe the algorithm will help it reach more people's feeds, and thus I can get even more feedback before I start putting together an AMA!

So if there's something you've been curious about regarding the game itself, any of the supplements currently on the market, anything else that might come out for it in the future, or even about what goes on behind the scenes and what my experience was like with Kickstarter, BackerKit, and so on, leave those curiosities in the comment section for the above video, and if we get enough folks weighing in I'll be able to take some time to answer!

Army Men's Releases (At Time of Writing)

If this is your first time coming across Army Men, and it sounds like something you'd like to check out, consider grabbing the following materials to start digging in!

- Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic - The base rulebook which comes with everything you need to run or play the game, as well as an initial adventure to give you a jumping off point!

- Army Men: Threat Assessments - The first supplement released for the game, Threat Assessments is full of additional adversaries for your troopers to come across to really beef up the rogue's gallery.

- Army Men: Medals of Honor - This supplement introduces the Medals System, which is a way for you to reward your players, and to give troopers unique bonuses that carry through based on their past achievements. A good way to note successes, since equipment is requisitioned, and characters don't receive loot.

 

- Ungentlemanly Warfare: A Baker's Dozen of Booby Traps - A collection of noted in-world booby traps, these deadly hazards can make your troopers a great deal more careful.

 

- Boots On The Ground: Baker Team - A ready-to-play squad of troopers, Baker Team is ready to roll! Ideal for a pick up game, or for players who want to try out Army Men but aren't ready to make their own characters, this supplement can also be used as NPCs if your troopers need a little help on their current mission.

- A Night At Breckon's Beacon and Assault On Outpost 13: The first two stand-alone missions, the first involves searching for a squad that simply disappeared while out on maneuvers. The second involves an apprehension gone wrong, and a syndicate figurehead being held at a remote outpost. Troopers need to provide support, but will they be able to hold onto their captive when others come to spring him?

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Doing Something A Little Different With This Supplement For Arcane Academies

I've been writing TTRPG guides and supplements for quite a while now, and one of the unfortunate necessities of the job is that you need to write to the biggest market you can. After all, tabletop games are a pretty niche market as it is, and you need to command the biggest possible portion of that audience you can reach... which is why a majority of the stuff I've put out has been geared toward generic high fantasy with elves, dwarves, and orcs, or generic sci fi that could run the gamut from Starfinder to Mothership.

 

Sometimes, though, I find a way to step outside the usual boundaries, and to make something that will stretch into some more niche games... which is why I wanted to talk about my latest supplement 100 Sights To See At An Arcane Academy!

 

And if you haven't checked it out yet, you really should!

 

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

 

Putting A Twist On My Normal Releases

 

First and foremost, it's entirely possible to use this supplement in a high fantasy game, and the sights contained within it could show up in a Dungeons & Dragons or Pathfinder game, particularly in the worlds/settings that have arcane colleges that train arcane spell casters. However, the mix of the weird, whimsical, and outright dangerous were more meant to evoke the feeling one would find in the great tower in Grimm where kids can learn to become witches and wizards (at great peril to themselves), or in a game like Kids on Brooms. So in the event you're running a more niche game like that where you're going to have a magic school as one of the main locations or themes, I would highly recommend grabbing a copy of this supplement and flipping through it.

 

Also, as an aside, the necromantically-charged dust bunnies are probably one of my favorite pieces in here. Since dust is primarily made from dead, shed skin, the department that deals with darker magics needs to keep a clean house... otherwise they might end up with some truly dangerous dust devils trying to bite their fingers off!

 

Not all bunnies are cute and fluffy.

 While there are the usual sentient suits of armor and odd celestial happenings, this supplement also has angry, sentient mops that will bludgeon someone unconscious if they step on the wet floor, creeping ivy that tends to steal from students who leave the windows open, and even an ominous bell that tolls to warn of coming doom... supposedly, at least. So whether you just need a bit of inspiration for an encounter, you want a touch of mystery and lore to add to your academy, or you just want a couple of organic details floating around in the background, I highly recommend giving this one a look!

 

And if you're one of the folks out there who wished I would do more weird and unusual stuff like this that isn't entirely focused on Pathfinder, Starfinder, Dungeons & Dragons, etc., then the clearest way to send that message is with a purchase and a review. Because the main reason I stick to safer waters is that everything is getting more expensive, and I have to pinch every penny I can.

 

The more niche (or at least niche-usable) supplements sell, though, the more likely it is that Azukail Games is going to be willing to give me more leash to explore with. So help me help you!

 

And speaking of other supplements that are a little off the beaten path that I'd recommend folks check out, take a look at the following if you haven't yet!

- The Blade Itself - Corrupt Equipment For Hunter: The Vigil:  Hunter: The Vigil is a game I feel doesn't get enough love, and my first supplement for it focuses on the idea of Corrupt Equipment; items that are tied to the dark force that creates Slashers and Tainted Places alike!

- Like A Good Neighbor - Portraying The True Fae in Your Chronicle: The True Fae are beings of terrible power and bizarre, inhuman natures. This guide is for Storytellers who are planning to bring them into their Chronicles of Darkness game whether it's as antagonists, "allies," or anything in between.

- 100 Academics, Adventurers, And Information Brokers: While written for the traditional Jazz Age period where many Lovecraft-inspired games take place, this supplement can be used with any pulp adventure supplement... though it does work best for those exploring the horrors of the Mythos.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Bloodlines & Black Magic - Going Beyond The World of Darkness

There is something about the yawning mouth of a dark alley, the furtive look of people briefly caught beneath arc sodium lamps, and in the whispers heard in smoky bars, and gathered round burn barrels late at night. There's a draw to dark worlds, and something in your soul that makes you feel like there's more going on than what your eyes can see. A feeling that old gods still lurk in hidden temples, and that demons wait behind toothy grins to shake hands, and bind the unsuspecting to bloody bargains. There is a knowing in your bones that magic and madness both dance in the gutters, and that once you hear the tune, you won't be able to resist joining them.

And if you want to dance with the devil in the pale moonlight, then you should take a moment to check out Bloodlines and Black Magic, from Storm Bunny Studios!

Seriously, I highly recommend checking this one out!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

 

Dark Streets With A Different System

When most people think of a modern game of dark fantasy or horror with monsters hiding between the cracks and terrible truths lurking just out of sight, they picture a World or Chronicles of Darkness game. It has been one of the standby settings of the genre, after all, and is responsible for a lot of the accepted norms and tropes of this style of gameplay. However, there are some folks who feel too heavily bound by the lore of those games, or who want a different system to play that lets them capture the feeling of this genre in a wholly different way.

And that's where Bloodlines & Black Magic comes in!

 

The original version of the game used the Pathfinder classic system, using what was called an O7 game. Because while traditional Pathfinder games can go up to level 20, an O7 game only goes up to the first 7 levels of a campaign. While player characters might gain more knowledge, powerful equipment, etc., their level will never go above that rather low bar, which keeps things tense and dangerous. The updated version of the game, however, uses its own, unique system to explore the same world while giving players even more options to customize their characters.

Whichever you choose, there's a dark, damned world out there to explore.

The idea behind these games is that the characters are all tied to one of the bloodlines that run through the world. Magic is real, but it hides behind rain-slick windows, in the back rooms of hellfire clubs, and the upper echelons of power. The world is shaped by global elites who play games of shadows, and who are trying to control the narrative for their own reason. The real question is where will the player characters turn, and what factions will they seek shelter from, and lend their strength to?

 

Honestly, while I could provide details about the factions, the history, the world setup (I did contribute a bit to it a while back in Bloodlines & Black Magic, Whispers and Rumors Issue 4), this is a time that I recommend going in with knowledge of the vibe and little else so that you can absorb the game and its world as you read and play. However, for folks who want a bit of a glimpse behind the tapestry, there is a Bloodlines & Black Magic Quickstart Guide that I'd recommend downloading and giving a once over before you crack open your wallets.

 

Because whether you're not a fan of the Storyteller System, you want a world with a fresh cosmology underpinning its secret histories and occult truths, or you just like trying out RPGs that throw you into a game of shadows as colossal, unseen forces vie for position, this is a tabletop experience I would highly recommend checking out! And while things have been quiet over at Storm Bunny Studios for a bit, they're getting louder by the day, which means we should be seeing a lot of fresh updates and new material for this world.

 

So if you've slept on it, now is a good time to open your eyes!

As A Bonus For Those Stepping Into The Darkness...

If you're someone who enjoys secret world of magic and lost gods that lurk in plain sight, then I'd highly recommend checking out Suffer The Children, a tale of an Old Testament angel settling a grudge with a cult of Moloch in modern-day Los Angeles as he tries to rescue a child sacrifice. This story is the latest audio drama to land over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files. This is a YouTube channel I launched a little while back with Alice Liddell, and it caters to many of the same themes as Bloodlines & Black Magic, though from a more sci fi angle. Still, there are secrets lurking in plain sight, and even clues to deeper mysteries in some of the videos, so check out the channel, subscribe, and leave us some comments if you think you found an Easter egg, or you caught something that might be important later!

We need all the help we can get to keep this endeavor going, and it's free to all our viewers!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Moving From Reactive Characters To Active Ones In Your Tabletop Games

There is a tendency among players to be reactive. There may still be roleplay going on, and the character may still be doing things, but those things are rarely important or goal-oriented. They'll be drinking at the tavern, cooking meals in a kitchen, splitting wood, wandering through a carnival, fighting in a local pit, or any of a thousand other things, but these tasks are rarely in service to actually accomplishing anything... instead, they're merely things that can be stopped as soon as the actual task is set before them by the Game Master.

Put another way, a lot of characters are swimming around like fish, waiting for something that looks vaguely like a hook to appear. And then when the hook is there, it's like they're waiting for it to grab them, and pull them to wherever it is they're supposed to be.

However, a game often goes far more smoothly (and can actually be a lot more fun) if the player characters are actively pursuing goals and plots, instead of passively waiting for something to happen to them in order to spark a reaction.

When was the last time the king cleared the board?

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Motivation Is Only Part Of The Formula

When it comes to character actions, the discussion often turns to motivations and goals. After all, if a character isn't pursuing what they want, then it must be because they don't have a clearly defined brass ring they're reaching for, right? The difficulty is that motivation is just the gas in the tank; you need to have it, but the fuel isn't what drives you forward... it's pushing your foot down on the pedal that does it. It is applying action and ignition to the motivation that makes the wheels turn.

 

To continue this metaphor, you can have a character with deep, abiding motivations. They may have causes they care passionately about, or goals they must achieve if they're to move on with their life... but picking a direction doesn't mean you are moving in that direction.

 

Knowing the route isn't the same as walking the road.

For a less metaphorical example, do you play your character like Fred or Shaggy? Are you actively looking for answers, trying to find solutions, or even setting up traps, or is your character constantly making excuses, ducking plot hooks, or trying to run away unless the plot grabs them by the scruff of the neck, or they're dragged into things by the rest of the party?

 

Now, that is not to say you can't play a Shaggy. But if the entire party is reluctant to participate in what's happening, and is looking for reasons to get out of it to be somewhere else, and to do something else, then there's either not going to be a game to play, or the plot is going to have hem the party in to force them to solve a problem. However, if 3 of the 4 characters are being proactive and jumping in with both feet, this typically drags a reluctant (or a purely reactive) character along in their wake.

 

If you find yourself constantly twiddling your thumbs, looking around the table for someone to make the first move, or constantly waiting around for your character to be told what to do next, consider taking the initiative instead. Be the one who makes a plan, and gets the table talking. Call out to your companions, and tell them what you plan to do, and ask them to come with you on this endeavor. You don't necessarily need to be the party leader, but sometimes all it takes is being willing to dive in to really get the gears turning.

 

It also saves your Game Master from having to constantly prime the pump, and come up with some kind of event or NPC to give everyone a push in order to keep things moving.

 

Lastly if you are interested in a little extra motivation for your characters, then I'd recommend checking out my supplements 100 Character Goals and Motivations, which went Electrum a while back, and 100 Dark Secrets which is still Silver at time of writing, but could move up to the next metal level with your help!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Fluff post. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or the dark sci fi saga of The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

A Second Supplement Of Anti-Trope Suggestions (With A Snarky Title) Has Dropped!

So, I don't really know how to classify this particular series I've apparently started. Because they aren't limited to only worldbuilding questions, NPCs, lore, or background ideas. They're not primarily for players, or Game Masters. Mostly they're just inspired by seeing a prevalent trope in tabletop RPGs, and providing a list of ideas for folks who don't want to go along with the stereotype at their table, but who could use a bit of inspiration to move in a different direction.

The first supplement was 100 Fantasy Professions (That Aren't "Adventurer"), and it was something folks on both sides of the table could use for inspiration. The second supplement, which came out this past weekend, though, is 100 Ways To Start A Campaign (That Aren't In A Tavern).

And I highly recommend grabbing a copy if you haven't yet!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Which Tropes Should I Tackle Next?

Any time the audience sends me a message with their buying habits, I try to listen. And since 100 Ways To Start A Campaign (That Aren't In A Tavern) hit Copper today, and seems to be well on its way to cresting Silver before it fully runs out of momentum, this seems to be something that readers enjoy! As such, I wanted to tag in my regular readers, and ask you what RPG stereotypes you think deserve their own entry in this series? What would you actually use?

Some examples I've been kicking around include things like:

- 100 Friends and Family Members To Put In Your Backstory

- 100 Rewards (Other Than Gold)

- 100 Quirks For Your Character

 

These are just a couple ideas I've jotted down in my notebook of things to work on in the future, but I wanted to take a moment to see if this is something folks wanted to see more of, and if they'd like more tongue-in-cheek titles which were still offering useful resources to help improve your characters, your campaigns, and even your settings!

 

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Dungeon Design Tips: Limited Resources Can Lead To Creative Strategies

When you pop the hood on what makes an RPG challenging, there are a lot of different systems at play. However, if you dig down to the very foundations of what makes the game work, a lot of it comes down to a smart use of the available resources to complete a task, or achieve a goal. Whether it's spell slots, rage rounds, alchemical items, carrying capacity, or even time, limiting the resources your players have available is one of the main ways a Game Master establishes challenge... and it can often lead to creative strategies on your players' part.

We've got three of them left... how many villains are there?

As always, don't forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

Putting Pressure On Your Players

Challenge is, on the surface, a very simple thing to create. There is an obstacle, and the players need to find a way over it, around it, under it, or through it... and whichever strategy they use is going to come with risk, and it will use some of their resources.

 

What you have to determine, as the Game Master, is how you're going to apply pressure to ensure that your players have to get creative with both their risks and their resources.

 

Think this will be enough ammo for the quest?

 

What resources you have on-hand typically determines what strategies players will want to try... however, the most important consideration for you, as the Game Master, is that every strategy to solve a meaningful problem should come with some kind of potential risk as well as a potential reward.

As an example, take one of the most basic situations found in fantasy RPGs; your party is going to a crumbling ruin that is infested with monsters (and potentially traps) in order to take the treasure inside for themselves. A simple dungeon crawl... however, there are some ways that this scenario might lack challenge. And while most Game Masters just add extra monsters, slap more hit points onto existing creatures, or increase the difficulty and damage on the traps, those things can feel arbitrary.

So instead, let's ask what other things might add pressure to this treasure hunt. Potential challenges include:

- Time Constraints: If the dungeon is only accessible during a specific time frame, say for three days, the party doesn't have a lot of spare 8-hour recharge times to use. The same is true if they manage to get to the dungeon first, but there are other so-called adventurers hot on their tails that they don't want to fight for the loot.

 

- Food: While most campaigns don't pay any real attention to how much your players eat, take a moment and ask how many provisions they brought with them out into the depths of this old-growth forest. Do they have the necessary skills to forage? Do they end up eating something poisonous or rotten, and getting sick? Even if they technically have all the time in the world, they can't keep fighting on an empty stomach.

- Tools: Typically RPGs don't worry about weapon and armor durability, but there are some tools that can break if checks go badly enough. If the rogue only has two sets of lockpicks, and one set gets broken on a door because they rolled poorly enough, will they press forward? Will they allow companions to kick in doors instead, risking drawing the attention of monsters? Or will they use another strategy entirely to open locked portals?

- Material Components: We typically don't worry much about these things, but they are a major necessity for spellcasting. So while relatively simple components might get a hand wave and a pass, ask which spells require notable costs, and expensive or rare components. Because if the party can only bring a handful of those, their absence is going to be felt sooner rather than later.

- Resetting Dungeon: If the players don't complete the dungeon crawl, it should reset or change in a meaningful way when they either abandon it, or hunker down to rest. Perhaps the creatures are reinforced with fresh recruits, or the dead get back up, reanimated by the nature of the place. Maybe creatures that were held in check by creatures the party slew can now expand their territory and wander freely. Maybe the locks reset themselves. Perhaps the traps come back online, or they're reset by monsters who regularly patrol the dungeon. If retreating is a strategic choice, then the dungeon shouldn't just remain in status in their absence.

 

All of these, and many others, are ways you can use limited resources to put a squeeze on your players... and every way they find around one of these constraints is a victory for them. For example, if a ranger can reliably forage well enough to feed themselves and their companions, that removes food as a constraint that can weigh on players. If players have access to fast travel through spells or unique mounts, that also buys them more time, and lets them bypass the dangers of the wilderness.

 

The key here is to get your players thinking in terms of what will use the fewest resources, or what will be most effective, and seeing if it will get them venturing off the beaten path as they search for solutions.

 

Because if you have a thousand arrows, a trunk of material components, and all the healing items in the world, then it's likely your players might try to brute force their way through overwhelming odds by fighting a grueling war of attrition against every monster, bandit, and assassin that comes for them. However, if they just don't have the resources to make that a winning strategy, it can be interesting to see what they do instead. Do the players instead embrace stealth, either ambushing enemies to get the upper hand, or skipping combat altogether to reach the treasure chamber? Do they employ guile, using lies and disguises to hide in plain sight? Do they set traps, or use the ones already in the dungeon to damage or destroy monsters they themselves couldn't fight on their own?

 

When you have access to all the resources in the world, you can get lazy and just do whatever. But when the pressure is on, and you have limited options, that's when people start getting creative with the choices they make... and it can overall lead to a much more satisfying experience!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Crunch post! To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or the dark sci fi channel I contribute stories to, The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

Help A Creator Out On His 42nd Birthday?

It's been one hell of a year, and I've had a rough ride over the past decade or so. The wheel doesn't stop its grinding just because you have a milestone coming up, though, so I wanted to take a moment to both acknowledge my birthday this year (something I don't normally do), and to ask folks to help me out with a couple of projects I've been having trouble getting eyes and ears tuned in to.

 

So, if you'd like to help me make sure that this Douglas Adams birthday of mine is a good one, please check the list below for how you can help!

 

 

It would really give me something to celebrate!

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

 

How Can You Help (Free Stuff)?

 

First and foremost, I know we're all on the struggle these days, and most of my regulars are on very tight budgets. So, most of the things I'm going to ask for are things that will cost you nothing but a bit of time, but it will still go a long way toward helping make my coming year a little easier.

 

I'm not getting any younger, after all.

 

 

At the top of the list is the new project I launched with Alice Liddell a few months back, The A.L.I.C.E. Files. This YouTube channel features audio book readings, as well as an ongoing plot involving the mysterious Carroll Institute, and the latest "Alice" who has signed on as a witness cataloger. And because this project is new, we simply aren't getting paid for it yet. It's a huge amount of time, effort, and energy, though, which is why I'd really appreciate folks going to the channel, and giving the episodes we have out a watch. If you like what you see (or you just want to help us reach our goals so YouTube will actually share ad revenue with us), subscribe to the channels, like the videos, and leave some comments on ones you enjoy the most.

 

We just broke 300 subscribers, and we've got less than 1,000 watch hours. Those numbers need to be 1,000 and 4,000 respectively for us to actually start getting paid... so even getting us a few steps closer would be great!

 

We also have an AMA planned for when we hit 350 subscribers, which I wrote about recently in Ask Me Anything For The A.L.I.C.E. Files... Our Next Stretch Goal!

The second thing you could do to help also involves YouTube! I've been making videos for the Azukail Games YouTube channel for some time, and we did manage to get the channel monetized (in no small part thanks to the surprise success of my video essay The Problem With Pentex). However, we're really close to hitting a new milestone over there as well! At time of writing we're about 30 people away from crossing over the 2,000 subscriber mark... it's a drop in the bucket by YouTube standards, but it would still be a pretty awesome finish line to cross.

 

Especially since the channel only had 300 and change folks subscribed when I first started making videos for it.

 

Second verse same as the first with this one. If you aren't subscribed, please do so. And whether you are or not, watch a couple of videos, and see if there's something here that you'd like! We've got advice for World/Chronicles of Darkness, discussions about my fantasy setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age, crafting videos, previews of supplements, videos about my RPG Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic... and so much more!

 

And last on the free list, I want to let folks know about my Vocal.Media archive. I've got more than 300 free articles over there covering fantasy and sci fi, RPGs, fan and original fiction, and more... but more importantly, I get paid for every read! So consider bookmarking it, and reading through the archive. It's only a penny a read, but if you find something you really like, consider sharing it on your socials, telling your friends about it, etc. as well to help me grab some more eyeballs.

 

It really does help, when all is said and done.

 

If You Want To Throw Money At Something, Though...

 

If you're one of those people out there who wants to get me something to mark the occasion, and help me pay my bills at the same time, then you might consider becoming a Patreon patron. I recently switched to the monthly subscription model, and it's been tough to rebuild my earnings on that platform. Or if you just want to give me a little tip to help keep me going, you could just Buy Me A Ko-Fi.

 

Of course, buying a book or two is always great, as well...

If you want to actually get some of my work, though, then picking up a copy of Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic (or one of the mission modules I've written for it like A Night At Breckon's Beacon or Assault on Outpost 13) would also be great! And if you're more of a traditional fantasy RPG player (especially if you play either Pathfinder or DND 5E), then consider grabbing some of the books from my Sundara: Dawn of a New Age setting! You can find a full list of supplements for that setting in the post A New Year Is Coming For Sundara: Dawn of a New Age (What Would You Like To See)?

Of course, you can also check out my Amazon author page, or type my full name (Neal Litherland, for those who don't know) into Drive Thru RPG. You'll find a dozen or so books on the former site, and over 200 separate supplements on the latter to choose from!

However you choose to help, it's much appreciated! Thanks in advance, and I'm going to try to keep things going in 2026 to get even more stuff right in front of all of you!

 

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

An Ask Me Anything For The A.L.I.C.E. Files... Our Next Stretch Goal!

I wanted to start this month off with a bit of good news... the audio drama YouTube channel I launched with Alice Liddell, The A.L.I.C.E. Files, just hit 300 subscribers! And since this has been a goal of ours through most of April (the algorithm has been suppressing our signal hard), I wanted to dangle a bit of a carrot for folks who want to see the new project keep picking up steam.

 

Because if we can get that subscriber count up to 350, then Alice and I are going to put together an Ask Me Anything for the channel, and the ongoing stories of Alice and the Carroll Institute!

 

If you've got a curiosity, now is the time to ask!

 

Before we get into the nitty gritty this week, don't forget to sign up for my bi-weekly newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

 

You Want To Know, And We Want To Tell You!

 

At time of writing, we're getting a lot of fresh episodes in the can for the channel, and we're finally starting to set things up for the nebulous Season 2, where we're going to start opening the doors of the Carroll Institute, and figuring out some of the mysteries that lie beyond what we see in the files sent up by the archive. And while we're really excited about that, we also wanted to take a moment and let our listeners know that if you're enjoying what's going on, we're more than happy to give folks a little peek behind-the-scenes regarding what we're doing, explaining different plot points, and tossing out some world building explanations!

 

So, if you want to see us put together an Ask Me Anything video about The A.L.I.C.E. Files, here's what we need you to do:

 

- Subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files if you haven't yet

- Leave a question in The A.L.I.C.E. Files Behind The Scenes video with the tag AMA in the beginning

- Watch the videos we have on the channel so far to catch up on the plot

- Tell your family and friends to subscribe as well

 

As soon as we hit 350 subscribers, that's when we're going to go through the questions folks leave for us, put together a list, and sit down to satisfy some of your curiosities!

 

 

As a final note, if you go to the comments section and see that someone has already asked your question, that doesn't mean you shouldn't leave your two cents as well! If we see a question being asked more than once, that's going to make it far more likely that it goes on the list when we hit the magic subscriber number.

Until then, thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far, and a thank you in advance to everyone who will help us hit that goal we've set for ourselves!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Table Talk. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my more involved audio drama channel The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Obligatory Patreon Shout Out (And Progress On A New YouTube Project)!

It's a new month, and you all know what that means... time for my Patreon patron shout out! So, for all the folks who shoot me at least $10 a month, you can have a spot on this list as well. Before I move on, I wanted to offer my regular (and very heartfelt thanks) to:

 

- Joy Von Holle

- Brenton Ayres

- Phillip Litherland

- Tracy Bailey-Matthews

 

If you're a patron who wants a spot on this list, check my Patreon page and see if you can get up to that level! But even if that's outside of your current budget, you have my thanks as well. Big or small, everyone helps keep the wheels turning and the lights on over here!

 

 

Seriously... without you all, I couldn't do what I do.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

 

I've Got Some Fresh Updates For Folks, As Well!

 

As I promised in the title, I do have one other update this week that I wanted to get folks in on. If you're a regular reader you might already know about this project, but in the event you aren't, I recently launched a YouTube channel with Alice Liddell called The A.L.I.C.E. Files, which is a sci fi reimagining of Alice in Wonderland. We follow Alice, a witness cataloger for the mysterious Carroll Institute as she sees the reports that agents have filed, and realizes exactly how many other dimensions there are out there.

 

 

The channel currently has 12 videos on it which follow Alice's encounters at the Institute, the files she's examined thus far, a chapter-by-chapter reading of the original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (which may have some significance for folks who are looking for patterns), as well as our first behind-the-scenes video for folks who are curious about what it actually looks like to put together an audio drama.

 

And I bring this up at the start of this week because we've been straining to cross a certain threshold for a while. Because while the channel did very well for the first few weeks it was up, YouTube's algorithm quickly clamped on the chains to hold us back. We're currently at 296 subscribers at time of writing, and I wanted to get us at least to 300 before I offered a new incentive to get folks interested in helping us push forward.

 

So if you want to open up that door, and help me put together something new, please subscribe to The A.L.I.C.E. Files, and leave a comment on Episode 1 saying that you came there from Improved Initiative so we can track your arrival. Because while we're shooting for 300 subscribers, we need 500 before YouTube opens up some of the monetization options, and a full 1,000 subscribers before they share ad revenue, so we need all the help we can get!

 

I doubt we'll get there by the 12th of this month, which happens to be my birthday, but if you did want to give me a little present that won't cost you anything, a subscription to the channel and a nice comment will go a long way!

 

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

The Difficulty of Destined Heroes and Fail States

We have all been in those games where destiny takes a hand in the plot. Perhaps our heroes are chosen by the gods to act as their direct representatives in a spiritual proxy war (a similar setup to what I called The Cold War of The Gods). Maybe there was a prophecy that foretold them rising up to challenge a great power. Or this just happens to be the trope the GM is leaning on because it was difficult to find an organic way to get such a disparate group of killers, thieves, and liars to all come together to accomplish a shared goal.

However, there is nothing more likely to result in a clash between rules and plot than something going wrong in a destined hero game. Which is why, before you gear up to run one, you need to think through how you plan on dealing with a fail state.

The dragon warriors were supposed to free us all... but then they died. To one lucky goblin.

But before I get into the meat of today's post, remember, don't forget to sign up for my newsletter to get all my updates right in your inbox. Also, if you've got a bit of spare cash that you'd like to use to help keep the wheels turning, consider becoming a Patreon patron! Also, be sure you're following all of my followables, check out my LinkTree.

Lastly, for hundreds of extra articles on gaming, weird history, and for more free fiction, check out my Vocal archive, too!

How Does Destiny Manage To Weave Through Failure?

We've all read a story where a hero or heroes were destined to do something, and while things might have seemed bleak or hopeless at times in that story, the characters always seemed to make it through in an interesting way. Which is why if you're playing a game where the plot device is that your party have been chosen by fate, the gods, or some other higher force, you need to take a moment to ask how you're going to keep the game going if bad luck stalls out the story's progress.

The gods are not so easily denied, small one...

Let's start with the obvious... what happens if one or more of the characters get killed? They've been chosen for this great destiny, and they're on their way to fulfill it, when an orc ambush goes a little too well, and the party goes down. Now you've lost the champions of the plot... what is destiny going to do now?

Well, I have a few recommendations for how to handle this.

Firstly, if you're going to run a chosen one plot, wait until the PCs have gained a few levels before you start throwing around that kind of language and making them officially chosen ones. The major advantage of this is that it gives your players a couple of levels to get into the groove of their characters, and to get past the point where one good critical hit can spell an unlucky game over. The secondary advantage is that it gives the party time to become cohesive, and for players to get really attached to their characters. After all, a player wanting to bring in a completely different PC can screw with the whole destined heroes plot just as much as a character death.

However, even waiting until the PCs are a little beefier doesn't guarantee they won't meet with an ignoble end. That's why it's a good idea to have some kind of force in place to give the characters a way to survive at least 1 death. However, as I mentioned recently in both Undercutting Death Can Undercut Your Story, as well as Villains Can Cheat Death (Without Taking Away Your Players' Victory), it's important that this doesn't feel like you're just throwing your players a bone. Overcoming death should come with some kind of cost or hardship, or it should be uncertain in some important way. Perhaps a divine being must stand in the place of a PC in the Underworld until they complete their quest, or they have to make some kind of bargain with a powerful outsider.

You can even have a whole separate part of the campaign happen in the land of the dead if you want to bring in a game resource like The Black Ballad, which is all about running campaigns that take place partially (or even entirely) in the hereafter. Alternatively, you might find some inspiration in I'm Back! - 25 Reasons For A Villain's Survival.

Resurrection can be a finnicky thing.

Lastly, and this might sound counterintuitive at first, you should try to come up with fail states beyond death for the PCs.

I've talked about this before, but when it comes to a destiny-style game, consider the implications of death in the ongoing power struggle. Will killing the heroes of the prophecy actually stop the prophecy from coming true? Or will this just allow the divine essence to slip away, where it will empower a different, unknown hero that the villains will have to find and track down all over again? Do the villains want to steal the PCs destiny, but they can't do that if they're dead, so they have to be kept alive and captured? Are the PCs themselves a necessity for the villain to win, whether it's by turning them away from their current path, making allies of them, or getting them to somehow renounce the quest laid before them?

It's your game, so you're the one who gets to decide how the prophecy, destiny, or driving plot force behaves. However, providing multiple fail states, or a way for players to fail-forward is a good idea. For example, have the villains been given explicit instructions by their master to take the PCs alive at all costs? If so, then they should find themselves held prisoner in the enemy's fortress when that was where they were going anyway... the difference is that now they have to engineer a jailbreak instead of just sneaking in. Alternatively, perhaps they're in a race to acquire magical artifacts, and the fail state for that arc of the quest is not being killed, but rather the enemy acquiring the items first, which puts the PCs at a disadvantage they need to recover from in the next arc.

And so on, and so forth.

To wrap things up, I'm not saying that games where PCs are the chosen ones, or where they're fulfilling some grand destiny, are bad. Far from it. After all, everyone likes to be special from time to time. However, if that is the trope you're using as the main thrust of your campaign, it's important for you to have off-ramps and work arounds in the event things don't go according to plan.

Which every Game Master will tell you is basically guaranteed to happen as soon as you hand the reins over to the players, and the dice start hitting the table.

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my additional audio dramas over on The A.L.I.C.E. Files! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Blue Sky, Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!