Goodman Games

I know we've had several "types of magic" threads hereabouts, but it's been a while and I have something on my brain so here goes another...

I'm currently reading Howl's Moving Castle, which I realize isn't in Appendix N, but other books of a similar style are. (The Harold Shea books, for example, and The Face in the Frost and even Eyes of the Overlord.) What I'm noticing is that some of these stories are more "whimsical" in nature, or more like a fairy tale, with witches and curses and things that inconveniece a character without actually harming him/her.

PEASANT: "She turned me into a newt!"
SIR BELVEDEIRE: "A newt?"
PEASANT: (pause) "I got better."

I'm wondering if the DCC RPG really is designed to do that.

Seems like DCC is very action oriented, very combat-intense like a traditional D&D game. Characters go places, fight things, take their stuff. The kill is more important than the stun and capture. Dark crackling magic is common, and the tone seems to fit Howard and Leiber and their style of storytelling.

OD&D's Men & Magic says (on p.11) that "the charisma score is usable to decide such things as whether or not a witch capturing a player will turn him into a swine or keep him enchanted as a lover."

Should something like this be more integral to the philosophy of the DCC RPG?

Has anyone spent much time with whimsical adventures? Are there any good ones already written that I might use for my group? I'd like to step away from the "kill it" adventures to try something new, but am not sure what's out there or if the rules are really ready to handle that style of play.

Thoughts or suggestions?

I like what you said, for a change of pace in campaign.
E.G. The party heads to woods to fight and dispatch an evil witch. They fail and they all get turned into pigs, or charmed, or petrified. Why not send another 15+ 0-level people, as in a funnel, to try and win with numbers what skill couldn't achieve?! Then the players could decide to keep the previous character, nerfed back to lvl 1 maybe (their energy were spoilt by the witch curse), or one of the surviving 0s, updated to level 1.

finarvyn wrote: ... What I'm noticing is that some of these stories are more "whimsical" in nature, or more like a fairy tale, with witches and curses and things that inconveniece a character without actually harming him/her.

Welcome to the era of modern FRPG... stick around, you might like it. You might want to try: the Disc world novels, the "Iron Druid Chronicles" & "Stardust" by Gaiman, and the anime series: "Avatar" & "Mushi-shi"

I'm wondering if the DCC RPG really is designed to do that.

Nope. Not without serious DM intervention/ invention.

Seems like DCC is very action oriented, very combat-intense like a traditional D&D game. Characters go places, fight things, take their stuff. The kill is more important than the stun and capture. Dark crackling magic is common, and the tone seems to fit Howard and Leiber and their style of storytelling.

Yep, plays just like a video game. (IMO) If D&D had stayed with that & not evolved into a more whimsical style... it would have died a quiet death in obscurity.

OD&D's Men & Magic says (on p.11) that "the charisma score is usable to decide such things as whether or not a witch capturing a player will turn him into a swine or keep him enchanted as a lover."

Should something like this be more integral to the philosophy of the DCC RPG?

Absolutely... witches, Gods, the power of a dying creature using their last breath to curse a callous noble or adventurer... these are storytelling basics IMO.

Has anyone spent much time with whimsical adventures? Are there any good ones already written that I might use for my group? I'd like to step away from the "kill it" adventures to try something new, but am not sure what's out there or if the rules are really ready to handle that style of play.

I think most of my games would fit your definition of "whimsical." I think there are 4 ways to tell if you are in a whimsical game:

1. The players & their PC's are more like tourists out on holiday who get caught up in large events; rather than rampaging Visigoths out to bathe in blood & treasure.

2. Practical every-day magic. In this whimsical setting, folks find ways to use magic to enhance their lives. Think about it for a second: even an NPC with an INT of 6-7 knows that if they could just learn the Cantrip or Unseen Servant spell, they could employ them selves as a great Butler, or use those spells to run an Inn, etc... But not in an environment where practicing magic exposes one to odd/ arcane radiations, or vindictive/capricious patrons.

3. In a whimsical style game there is the expectation that the players will succeed if they try hard enough. In DCC RPG... all you can hope is that your dice karma holds out for one more session.

4. Witches & Wizards are not assumed to be Evil. They are respected members of the comunity like anyone else.

Thoughts or suggestions?

Apparently I had a few thoughts...

finarvyn wrote:Has anyone spent much time with whimsical adventures? Are there any good ones already written that I might use for my group? I'd like to step away from the "kill it" adventures to try something new, but am not sure what's out there or if the rules are really ready to handle that style of play.

Thoughts or suggestions?

The best one I've seen is Matt Finch's d20 module 'The Goblin Fair'



An adventure for characters of 4th-6th level, with humerous twists.

"By the dark of the gibbous moon, the fantastical folk of the fey realms gather for one day at the Goblin Fair: to bargain with merchants of the unique, the rare, and the bizarre; to duel with centuries-old enemies by starlight; to dally with faerie maidens by moonlight; to trade and quarrel, feud, parlay, revel and frivol. Ogres and dryads, hags and giants, elves and goblins, centaurs and hedge fey, they gather under the darkling green boughs of the Oldainahan Forest.

"The wizard Brandon Mistcloak has been trapped by his enemies in his manse Sparrowspell. The key to his rescue is the enchanted book, Taig Tell. He offers mysterious and wonderful rewards for the return of the Book. Will the party enter the Oldainhan on the trail of an enchanted book to win the wizard's reward? A trail that leads to...

"The Goblin Fair"

I have one suggestion:

UK1 - BEYOND THE CRYSTAL CAVE

This is an old TSR module and it relies on little to no killing. I would place it in a more whimsical approach.

JediOre wrote:I have one suggestion:

UK1 - BEYOND THE CRYSTAL CAVE

This is an old TSR module and it relies on little to no killing. I would place it in a more whimsical approach.

Very cool! I just looked on my shelf and realized that UK1 was one of the old TSR modules I bought in an e-bay auction years ago and never played. Heck, I'd forgotten that I even owned it. Sometimes my "library" of stuff amazes me.

finarvyn wrote:Sometimes my "library" of stuff amazes me.

Libraries RULE!

JediOre wrote:

finarvyn wrote:Sometimes my "library" of stuff amazes me.

Libraries RULE!

Marv needs a librarian. Perhaps Conan is free... or at least reasonably priced.

GnomeBoy wrote:

JediOre wrote:

finarvyn wrote:Sometimes my "library" of stuff amazes me.

Libraries RULE!

Marv needs a librarian. Perhaps Conan is free... or at least reasonably priced.

Maybe, but I'm afraid he might trash the place. Barbarians aren't known for being kind to books, in spite of the "Conan the Librarian" reference.

finarvyn wrote:

GnomeBoy wrote:

JediOre wrote:Libraries RULE!

Marv needs a librarian. Perhaps Conan is free... or at least reasonably priced.

Maybe, but I'm afraid he might trash the place. Barbarians aren't known for being kind to books, in spite of the "Conan the Librarian" reference.

Do you think he gets mad at them because he can't read...?