Create whatever player character you want

As long as players are at the table to game well, they understand and appreciate the mood and goals of the table and they're not there to make it about themselves, then I'm good.

The PC is yours to create - I'm not going to restrict you based on what the adventure or the game needs to function. You want to create a pacifist in a combat heavy game? You go for it. That's a challenge to me as the GM and THAT'S WHY I GM.

I GM for the challenge of doing things differently, being as spontaneous and creative as I can be. And other players should be the same, and adapt to the wildcard in the group because that's what makes the game fun and challenging.

So you want to create a combat-inclined character in a investigative mystery game? Cool! the sparks that will fly as other PCs try to keep that character in check, and for me to adapt the adventure to suit, is creatively challenging and should create some amazing moments.

There shouldn't be a 'requirement' in character creation, or PCs shouldn't be expected to function in a way that suits the game and group. It should be challenging, and as long as the group is good with it, and expect some turbulence, then a great game can be had with PCs that go against the grain. I don't want cookie cutter characters with specific roles in the group. That's a board game with set outcomes and definitive goals.

I want to tell a group story, and the best stories come from peculiar situations that are faced by characters that defy expectations. And it's fun for the players, too. They get to play what they want, and the others get to shine as they react to each other.

It's as much about the group dynamic and the relationships they have as it is about the unfolding story.

And I hate to tell a player 'you can't do that' when we're creating characters. Yes, I'll step in when things get insane or ridiculous, but I'll be damned if I step in because a player is being creative.

Create what you feel, what you're comfortable with. Don't let the game dictate what you play, even if the nature of the game requires specific types of characters. ESPECIALLY if that's the case.

Make it a challenge, not just as the GM but as a player, too. That's what gives an RPG fire.

Those Dark Places RPG - Designer's Blog #2

Today I wanted to talk more about the game system that 'Those Dark Places' will be using.

The system is called 'ODDS' (although it is not addressed as such in the game), which stands for 'One Die Determines Success'. The game uses a single D6 for task resolution as I wanted the game to focus more on the story rather than the crunch. The system is very simple - take an attribute, add any relevant modifiers due to the position in the crew, any equipment and actual situation, and roll a D6. Add the scores together to beat a target number, and interpret the results depending on the level of success.

This produces three levels of success that translate to 'yes, no' and  'yes, but' results that will make for some tense games.

These three levels of success are key to the tension and uncertainty that I want Those Dark Places to offer - the players can make their rolls with their modifiers and they have a target number to beat, but they can kind of succeed if they hit the target number. So, yes, they closed the airlock but did it seal properly? They convinced the guard of their intentions but will he reconsider his decision later, perhaps sound an alarm? The simple threat of these incidents possibly coming back to haunt the players always hangs in the air, and it helps the GM to come up with some fun and twisted ways to make sure that the story is unpredictable, as well as giving them a chance to game on the fly and spontaneously create new and exciting situations.

I also wanted the game to be quick and intuitive - pace and tension can be disrupted when players have to do a lot of number crunching or table searching. Many games of this kind that i have played in have been slowed as rules are read, debated and interpreted and once the tension is gone the atmosphere is ruined; I wanted a simple system that avoided that. It leaves a lot of the work in the GMs hands, for sure, but the system is easy to interpret so they can just make a ruling and get on with the story. It's fast, ever so simple and easy to grasp so you can have a game going in minutes. It's also really workable, so if you want to make modifications to the rules and add a lot more depth then you can do so with ease.

In my next blog entry I'll talk more about character creation.

A Cyberpunk-style TV show would be EASY to do, surely?

Soup up normal streets, add some flash and attitude, upgrade the tech and bang - Cyberpunk show. Imagine a show like that made in LA - the city is screaming Cyberpunk. Christ, imagine making it in The Volume, the digital set used in 'The Mandalorian'. It'd be insane.

You could have fresh music every episode, old school dance and house, industrial, metal, synth, revival. Bands like Celldweller, Gunship, Feint, all kinds of stuff old and new. Action, attitude and a dark, dystopian era of government and corporation corruption.

I mean, we're living it, so why not be entertained by it?

Why is nobody writing this? Surely it writes itself? The balance of life and tech, the corruption of the soul, the ethics of new technologies and breakthroughs, the thin wall between corporate greed and government mandate.

THIS IS WHAT WE NEED!

We need something in line with Cyberpunk, the street trash, corp bastards and the attitude. Thick Matrix-style action. Every week a new story that intertwines the top dogs and the bottom feeders, with all kinds of drama and face-offs.

A new and fresh band every week, showcase new music talent with edge and attitude. Make it fresh and exciting. Even throw in older stuff, remixes of classics.

Could you imagine some of the amazing writers the show could get involved? From street level danger to cop procedural to corporate intrigue to courtroom drama you could have EVERYTHING! A slew of TV dramas all mixed into a Cyberpunk setting, with curses and bullets flying.

It'd be like 'What's happening this week? Oh, the workers at the Gamazone distribution warehouse have all gone batshit insane due to spinal implants to make them work harder and the corp don't give a shit? The hardass lawyer hires the street gang to get the evidence! ACTION!'

The gang do it but then the corp mercenaries with cranal links to their guns trying to cover it up catch up with them, and then BOOM! You've got a car chase through a neon nightmare while Feint feat. Coma's 'Snake Eyes' screams out. Heart's racing just THINKING about that.

Look at all the police procedurals with a sheen of darkness to it, like CSI. Throw in some neon and some modded motors and you're almost halfway there. Budget might be a problem, but let it sing to a younger, more jaded audience and you're in.

Can you imagine the bands who would just DIE to have their music showcased or featured in an episode? As a main track, event score or just playing in the background? Guest star the mofos in a club where the streetrash hang out! It'd really call out to the younger audience.

And with cynical fuckers writing it, really letting the darker side of the modern age leaking out and presenting 'what if?' scenarios that either crawl under your skin or make you ponder possibilities, what could better reflect the shit going down in the modern world?

And, even better, we connect with characters with the cool hair, cool tats, cool clothes and cool gear who are barely getting by but are angry enough to cry 'FUCK YOU!' to the wagemasters and take a stand, fight back, and use the tech they've been controlled with to wage war.

Absolutely no compromise. Nothing twee, cute or morally uplifiting. You get dealt a hand, lose the bet, but then realise you've been had and you KICK IT IN THE BALLS! Melodrama, emotion, action, the whole nine yards.

Characters you can attach yourself to emotionally, and not feel too bad when they let themsleves go, so you're yelling at the screen 'OH, DAMN RIGHT, CLARICE! YOU FUCK THEM UP!'

I'm trying hard to get across what I want from a show like this. ATMOSPHERE AND ATTITUDE is everything. Yeah, show the streets as recognisable locations but when someone shows their robot arm, synthetic eyes, or a hovercar flies over then you KNOW you're not in Kansas, Dotmatrix.

/end rant

Those Dark Places RPG - Designer's Blog #1

I created something.

The press release for 'Those Dark Places' has been sent out and, suddenly the impending launch date is on my clock. The book is as finished as it's going to get and all that remains is for me to wait until it's out into the hands of gamers.

I will be talking about the game some more in this series of Designer's Blogs, talk about the kind of adventures I'm thinking about running, how the incredibly simple D6-based system works and how it all hangs together to become a playable game.

So, first of all - why did I write this game?

I'm a huge fan of dark science fiction thrillers. 'Alien' is my favourite movie of all time along with other classic of the time such as 'Outland', 'Blade Runner' and 'The Black Hole'. More recent movies such as 'Moon' have also been a massive influence, and I'm heavily inspired by computer games such as 'Alien Isolation', 'Dead Space' and the most recent 'Alien Breed' trilogy. These movies and games have a plethora of great big nasties to overcome but they all have something in common; their dark, claustrophobic atmosphere.

It's the aesthetic I love about these things; the design of the ships and locations, the oppressive and harsh environments and the sense that help isn't coming, that you're on your own and it's up to you to get the job done - or at least stay alive. Yes, the creatures and weirdness are excellent but the incredible level of atmosphere and reality these creations create and exude simply blows my mind. I had to take that feeling and translate it into a game somehow.

'Those Dark Places' is what I call Industrial Science Fiction; it's down and dirty, incredibly hands on and doesn't rely on fancy tech to help the characters get by. If a problem can be solved by a four foot powerwrench weighing thirty kilos then so be it. Players get their hands dirty, physically and mentally.

While there is plenty of scope for nasty aliens ruining your day, or genetic monsters getting all slasher on you, the game doesn't deal with those things directly. You'll not find rules for terrors in the dark, but there is always the hint of them being there, existing either physically or just in the insane ramblings of the broken mind of a deep space traveller who has allowed the void to get to them. Either one can be a threat and that sense of not fully knowing is what, I hope, gives 'Those Dark Places' the chance to offer something new to the gaming table. If players are not 100% sure of what is happening next, or if it's even real, then that's a level of uncertainty that can really enhance a gaming session.

The game system is incredibly simple and uses a single D6 for everything. It's a roll Vs target number system and there are three levels of successs. I'll explain more about this in another blog entry, but the system is easy to use and a player character can be created in less than a minute once you know what kind of character you want to play. More thought is put into the character's personality and role on the ship than scores and stats. This makes it easier to modify and add your own material so if you do want to add those monsters and aliens then you can do so with ease.

In my next Designer's Blog I'll talk more about the system and how it plays, and why I made that design choice for a storytelling game like 'Those Dark Places'.

Those Dark Places RPG - official press release

Osprey Games to publish Those Dark Places

Osprey Games is delighted to announce that in November 2020 we will be publishing Those Dark Places: Industrial Science Fiction Roleplaying by Jonathan Hicks, with illustrations by Nathan Anderson. 

Inspired by the aesthetic of iconic science-fiction thrillers such as Ridley Scott’s Alien and the Dead Space video games, this highly thematic RPG thrusts players into deep space; a grim, dark, claustrophobic setting that constantly hints at danger. A sleek ruleset keeps players focused on the story as they venture into shadowy corners of space that no-one has ever explored and face the unknown.

“I've written various articles, reviews, and interviews for the RPG industry for more than a decade, so of course I jumped at the chance to write a full game about my favourite genre,” commented author Jonathan Hicks, “I've always leaned towards rules-light systems so that the story takes precedence and the atmosphere is allowed to flourish. With Those Dark Places I hope gaming groups can take the simple rules and the evocative setting, run with it, and create their own stories of horrors in the stars... whether real or imagined. With Nathan Anderson's wonderful artwork and Osprey Games' excellent production values, I'm excited to see this come alive!”

Senior Games Developer, Filip Falk Hartelius, added that “Those Dark Places is a game dripping with atmosphere, capturing the frailty of human existence amidst the uncaring vastness of spaces. Whether you are deep in the political intrigues of a dystopian future or facing terrifying cosmic horror, Those Dark Places is constantly gripping, tense, and transporting.”

 ***

Space is a hell of a thing but you need to be sure that this is what you want. Like, what you really want. The idea of space exploration to further the frontiers of mankind is noble, but let's not kid ourselves – it’s really all about furthering the profit margins. There’s money to be made and out there is the place to make it, but you hear all kinds of stories… equipment malfunctions, strange discoveries, crewmembers going insane... You'll be out there in the reaches, alone, for months or years, breathing recycled air and drinking recycled water, with nothing but a few feet of metal and shielding between you and certain death.

Are you sure this is what you want?
– Crew Orientation Briefing

Those Dark Places is a rules-light, story-focused roleplaying game about the darker side of space exploration and the people who travel the stars in claustrophobic, dangerous conditions. Starships, stations, and outposts aren't havens of safety with clean, brightly lit corridors – they're potential deathtraps, funded by budget-conscious corporate interests and running on stale, recycled air and water. The stars may be the future of humanity, but they are also home to horrors and terror the human mind cannot comprehend.

***

About Jonathan Hicks

Born in the historic city of Lichfield and now residing in Northampton, Jonathan Hicks has been at the gaming table since 1983, and has more than a decade of gaming articles, reviews, interviews, and designs across multiple genres under his belt.

About Nathan Anderson

Nathan Anderson is a freelance illustrator based in Michigan who has had an interest in sci-fi, horror, and fantasy since he was very young. Influenced by European comics, Japanese fantasy fiction, Medieval history, and retro arcade games, Nathan's clients include Gale Force Nine & Wizards of the Coast, Little Caesars, Laundry TV & the SyFy Channel, and more. 

About Osprey Games

Osprey Games is the dedicated games division of Osprey Publishing (part of Bloomsbury Publishing plc) and publishes a wide range of wargames, roleplaying games, and board games. Launched in 2014, the company has produced an array of critically acclaimed titles, including Frostgrave, Bolt Action, Wildlands, Undaunted: Normandy and The Lost Expedition.

Those Dark Places RPG

News coming soon...

Kings of War the Roleplaying Game

'The roleplaying game for Mantic's epic fantasy setting: Kings of War. In a world of heroes, forge your own legend.

Kings of War is a fantasy setting of epic scope. Originally envisioned through the medium of a tabletop wargame, Pannithor has since been expanded with the Dungeon Saga board game and the Kings of War: Vanguard skirmish game. With Kings of War the Roleplaying Game, GMs and players will be able to explore this grandiose fantasy setting like never before!'

An age ago I bought the 'Kings of War' miniatures rules and had great fun with it. It was the game that got me back into wargames for a while and, while I didn't stick with it, it was the only other game since WFB that really stoked my passion for tabletop battles.

Of course, my thoughts at the time leaned to RPGing it, and I created some fast and loose rules to add on to the wargame to play individual heroes. The rules were published in the much missed Ironwatch fan magazine.

Now it has it's own full RPG and it looks excellent. I've downloaded the quickstart rules and what I've read so far looks great. I'm really looking forward to seeing the full game of this and what they do with the world the wargame created.

Alien Isolation is my preferred sequel to Alien

I've started playing Alien Isolation again recently and I love it to bits, so much so that I've come to regard it as my preferred sequel to Alien, rather than Aliens.

Aliens is, by far, my favourite 80s action movie; I saw it on it's opening night in the UK in 1986 and I riffed on it for years, in my games, writing and art. As I've gotten older - and probably more jaded! - I realised that Alien was my favourite movie of all time and I much preferred the unknowable Lovecraftian horror of the first movie rather than the action thriller that was the second. As much as I loved that film I do think it was the beginning of the end of what I loved about Alien and an end to the unknowable, cosmic terror that was the creature (Prometheus and Covenant only helped to compound that, but that's another story).

Then came Alien Isolation; it went back to it's tension/horror roots, removed any extraneous material that didn't refer to the first film (having no Queen was a great decision) and instead of changing the nature of the story, it changed the scope of it. Gone was the claustrophobic corridors of a starship, this was a huge station and it was the Alien's hunting ground. You, as Amanda, come into this when it's already gone wrong and the threat is tripled; Alien, Working Joes and desperate, terrified people who will do ANYTHING to just stay alive another hour.

I enjoyed the story - I even liked the conceit of Amanda Ripley looking for her mother because it kind of made sense - and the return to the space jockey's derelict on the Anisadora was just spot on. Regardles of certain issues with the actual gameplay (backtracking, repetetive tasks and sitting in a locker for half an hour at a time) I felt the story was solid and is pretty much what I was lookng for in a sequel to Alien.

Thoughts on 'Those Dark Places'

I thought I'd talk a little about my upcoming RPG 'Those Dark Places'.

It's a dark science fiction thriller game, and although it's influenced by movies such as Alien it's more in line with the character-driven psychological dramas of Outland, Blade Runner and the like. There's nothing stopping you from including alien mystery, cosmic horror or throwing in some Dead Space violence - the game alludes to that - but the game itself is centered around the very human problems surrounding the rigours of space travel and exploration.

What I've taken from movies like Alien and Outland is the design aesthetic. I love the dark corridors, the dimly lit rooms and the strange, misty atmosphere. Alien especially feels really cramped and claustrophobic, the corridors are low and the rooms apear to have ceilings you can easily smack your head on, and as for the air ducts... well, it's perfectly suited for that kind of story, being trapped in the back of beyond where there's no help coming for weeks, if at all. What made Alien terrifying was the fact that the crew were utterly alone and had to rely on their wits - which were in short supply - and what they could cobble together from what they had. In fact, it wasn't until the last twenty minutes where pure frustration, desperation and anger drove Ripley on did we see any decisive action being taken. The terror of the situation seemed to dull their senses.

Outland was a much bigger location and dealt with less cosmic horror, and it leaned more towards the uncaring corporate and profiteering company side of things. This was a much more human drama and, even though it was basically 'High Noon' in space, it dealt with the psyche, drives and ambitions of normal human beings be they corrupt business people, exploited employees or idealistic officers of the law. This is probably more in line with 'Those Dark Places' as it's a very story- and human-centric plot with a smattering of action. Again, it's the design of this movie that drives the atmosphere I'm trying to create in my game - everything is dark, dingy and very analogue with clunky CRT screens and chunky switches. It's a very hands-on world.

Those Dark Places is a rules light game and depends on a single D6 to decide actions and tasks. The system is incredibly easy and can be adjusted, modified and changed to suit most gaming groups. This is so that the focus can be on the setting and the story, trying to establish atmosphere and pushing the players along a route where a plot can unfold and the entire group can experience a very involved adventure. In my experience, some game systems can slow the story and interfere with the spirit of the game as the action stops to consult rules or tables to decide outcomes; Those Dark Places, I hope, does away with most of that and enables the adventure to unfold without the need to interrupt the mood.

More thoughts on Alien and Predator stuff

I don't like the Engineers in Prometheus/Covenant and I don't like the idea that David was somehow responsible for the creation of the Alien as we know it. The 'space jockey was a suit' idea really grates my nerves, and the whole 'they made us, too' is so far removed from the original cosmic horror and mystery that it feels like a different franchise altogether, with the Alien thrown in at the last minute.

I like the films, they look great and I appreciate the fact they tried to do something different but the mental leaps in logic and downright stamping on what came before makes it feel like the movie was created from half-remembered notes made from the original films, and it's hard for me to reconcile the two. It doesn't expand on the mystery, it utterly destroys it.

And don't get me started on Ressurection...

In my opinion, the AvP movies are a bit of joke and are more like glorified fan fiction than any attempt to bring the two franchises together. They did a really good job with the Dark Horse comic in 1990 and, even though I didn't feel the two worlds would - or should - co-exist it was an entertaining romp and would have made a far better movie than 'hidden temple in the snow and the predators were gods' rubbish. I can't even talk about Requiem, it felt like a knock-off movie that got away with using the title.

I love the first two Alien films and the appreciation of the 3rd, it was a good movie when it was cut properly. I love Aliens to bits but think it's a bad sequel, considering the lore the first movie et up, and I prefer Alien Isolation as a continuation of the first film. Resurrection can 100% do one, with it's comic book characters and ego-tripping main character. That could have been an interesting story but they decided to just throw as much dodgy imagery and exposition at the viewer in an attempt to hide a plot lacking in depth.

Prometheus? David was a great character but was ruined/let down by a weak story and a spotty character arc. His involvment in not only the history of the alien and his attack on the engineers was kind of ridiculous, and any interesting developments were tossed out of the window when he went HAL9000 'bad company robot is bad' on the story. It was a waste.

Covenant looked amazing, as all Scott films do, and there's a lot to enjoy but the story is undermined by trying to force on a continuity with Prometheus, and wasting Shaw - probably the only compelling character in the first film - so they could get to the 'Hey! here's the Alien you wanted! Yeah? Yeah?' moments. The end was incredibly flat and I have to wind past the shower scene - I mean, what the fuck? Really? After everything you're having a sexy shower scene so that the alien could turn up teen slasher movie stylee? Fucking do one.

If the sequels and crossovers did everything they could to murder the cosmic mystery and unknowable horror of the original, the prequels dug up the corpse, set it on fire and then tried to sell it as nostalgia cake with sparklers.

This is Hicks, signing off.