Mythic Index Topic 18: Science Fiction Resources

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I have always loved science fiction. So does Mythic. From customizing rules to full made games there is a little of everything below. A lot of what is below are rules modules or approaches that can be used in any style of game, but I feel would be very useful in a number of SciFi campaigns.

• Science Fiction Resources
  
  
  • “Randomized Starship Generation”
  • MM Vol. 7, pg. 13
  • Compilation 2
  • “Solo RPG Mythic Starter: Scrubber’s Error”
  • MM Vol. 12, pg. 13
  • Compilation 2
  • “Randomized Worlds Generation”
  • MM Vol. 15, pg. 3
  • Compilation 3
  • “Specialized Meaning Tables”
  • MM Vol. 18, pg. 10
  • Compilation 3
  • “Solo Setting & World Creation System”
  • MM Vol. 38, pg. 3
  • Compilation 7
  • “Rules & Tools For Science Fiction Adventures”
  • MM Vol. 40, pg. 16
  • Compilation 7
  • "Steal the Rebellion"
  • MM Vol. 48, pg. 16
  • "Event Crafter Collection"
  • MM Vol. 51, pg. 18
  • "A Mythic Bestiary"
  • MM Vol. 52, pg. 3
  • "Galaxy Creator"
  • MM Vol. 55, pg. 3

Blog Update: Life happened

I recently received a grant to continue my IT education by getting a series of certifications after was down sized as part of a mass layoff. The first of those certs is a tough one, a fundamentals class I wish I had taken in college, but I am grateful to have now. 

Sadly though, there are only so many hours in the day so my blogging time has been severely impacted. This blog is not dead. It isn't on hiatus. It just isn't being updated regularly. With that said I am keeping up and even improving my Mythic Magazine Index, and tidying up old articles. Editing has never been my strong suit, as I am sure you have noticed. So it is nice to take some time to get a bit of the older articles polished up. 

On the gaming front I have been exploring with using the GURPS 3d6 roll under dice system and there Advantages, Disadvantages, and a long stretch of a variation on their skill system, to play the mountain of D&D 3.x/Pathfinder 1e material I own. My special interest at this time is exploring the various nooks, crannies, and secrets of the Eberron setting.

I do plan to leave the guidelines of the D&D/GURPS hack up here when I am comfortable I have worked out all the kinks I can. Also, there will be more Mythic content coming down the line, like a list of articles from the Mythic Magazine that are Fantasy focused. 

So please enjoy the articles and tools that are here, and I will get back in the saddle to adding more material as soon as I can.

Until then Happy Gaming,

Wizard Dad

Mythic Index Topic 17: Setting Creation Elements

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Sometimes if you want something done right you have to do it yourself. Well, sometimes if you want to play the game of your dreams, you aren't going to find it on a shelf. Many Mythic players think nothing of making a character, generating a random scene, and jumping right in. I do that sometimes myself, but I am a long time GM, and the pleasure of making cities, countries, and whole worlds (not to mention the occasional multiverse) is too hard to resist. 

If you share that passion for creating on the large scale, the articles below will probably be a big help.

Setting Creation Elements

• “Randomized Location Crafting”
• MM Vol. 2, pg. 8
• “Random Dungeon Crawl Generation”
• MM Vol. 3, pg. 12
• “Generating Dark Woods And Wild Places”
• MM Vol. 5, pg. 12
• “Randomized Starship Generation”
• MM Vol. 7, pg. 13
• “Creature Crafter Simplified”
• MM Vol. 13, pg. 14
• “Randomized Worlds Generation”
• MM Vol. 15, pg. 3
• “Location Crafting Random Cities”
• MM Vol. 16, pg. 3
• “Turn Any Show, Movie, Or Book Into A Solo Adventure”
• MM Vol. 20, pg. 17
• “The Mythic Magic System”
• MM Vol. 21, pg. 9
• “Creating Complicated Campaigns”
• MM Vol. 23, pg. 3
• “Running Solo Procedural Dramas”
• MM Vol. 26, pg. 3
• “Giving Mythic A Personality”
• MM Vol. 27, pg. 3
• “Never-Ending Adventures”
• MM Vol. 28, pg. 3
• “One-Page Location Crafter”
• MM Vol. 31, pg. 3
• “Open World, Sandbox Solo Play”
• MM Vol. 33, pg. 3
• “One-Page Character Crafter”
• MM Vol. 45, pg. 3
• “RPGs As Inspiration For Mythic Adventures”
• MM Vol. 35, pg. 3
• “News Feeds”
• MM Vol. 35, pg. 22
• “Location Based Adventures”
• MM Vol. 36, pg. 3
• “Solo Setting & World Creation System”
• MM Vol. 38, pg. 3
• “Make Your Own Elements Meaning Tables”
• MM, Vol. 38, pg. 26
• “NPC Evolving Motivation Rules”
• MM Vol. 39, pg. 3
• “Rules & Tools For Science Fiction Adventures” 
• MM Vol. 41, pg. 16
• “The Villain Crafter”
• MM Vol. 41, pg. 3
• “Magical Tradition Generator”
• MM Vol. 45, pg. 18
• "Cozy Solo"
• MM Vol. 48, pg. 3
• "The Society Crafter"
• MM Vol. 49, pg. 3
• "Down Time Adventures"
• MM Vol. 54, pg. 23
• "Galaxy Creator"
• MM Vol. 55, pg. 3
• "Evolve Adventure Settings With The Adventure Crafter"
• MM Vol. 57, pg. 3

Wizard Dad: Locations and Objects that can be found in a second hand smugglers Starship.

So, imagine it. Here you are trapped on a backwater moon orbiting a gas giant no one is interested in. Sure it has been terraformed and is livable, but would you call gas mining a living? You want out. Out there! Amid the stars. Well kid, do I have a deal for you.

Locations

1. Gangway and loading dock (Are they clean? In good repair? scorched with blaster marks? painted with a symbol or graffiti?)
2. Primary airlock (is everything bolted down correctly? is the pressure indicator cracked? are there odd stains that defy easy explanation?)
3. Medical station (Does it have basic supplies? Is there a vid screen for medical instructions? Do the automated surgical arms look well upkept?)
4. Captains quarters (Is this still filled with the mementos of the prior owner? Does it smell bad or good in here? is there a badly hidden "secret" panel?) 
5. Crew quarters: double bed (is there a lingering scent of old socks? does it have an in suite shower? are the mattresses just thin plastic covered foam? Is there anything under the beds?
6. Cockpit (is there old chewing gum stuck under the seat? are there obvious signs that some equipment has recently been replaced? Is there a sticky dried substance inside of the life support control panel?)
7. Engineering room (Is there a liquor still hidden in one of the lockers? Are all of the tools clean and ready to use? is there a rusty red patch on the ceiling that appears to have been missed by the cleaning crew?)
8. Mess hall/ kitchen (is there a lingering smell of past meals? It there a table but no chairs? An old fashioned paper cookbook? The shadowy image of something in the oven?)
9. Rec room (is it cramped with exercise equipment? Empty except for an old dart board? Have a large screen monitor and a tangle of old fashioned VR gear?)
10. Cargo bay (full of empty crates? Smells like a herd of goats? Suspiciously sparkling clean?, greasy like an old garage?)

Objects 

1. weapons locker (biometrically locked? empty accept for a quasi legal fractal knife with a duct taped grip? Has a grenade taped to the back panel with the pin laying next to it?)
2. false panels (very well made and would be invisible if not slightly opened? Hanging by 1 hinge? Only has a roll of electricians tape inside?)
3. portable info tech devices (tablets synced to the ships data base? An old cell phone from a provider that doesn't even exist in this system, a cyber-deck with a broken data jack cable attached?)
4. tools (a full and well labeled toolbox? A crazy expensive liquid nano smart tool? A single rusty hammer with a wooden handle?)
5. an old service jacket (military issue with some ballistic armor sewn in? a courier jacket with a dozen access patches? a restraint suit top?)
6. space suits (oft patched and antique? Modern but with a cracked visor? silvery military issue with laser reflective qualities?)
7. drugs (old fashioned glass bottle of whiskey?, medical derms, ? an old pill bottle labeled as a universal antipsychotic?)
8. good luck charms (a rabbits foot- probably cloned? A feng shui mirror?, an ace of spades taped to something important?)
9. translation lenses (goggles? A thin transparent sheet? A hand lense stuck on some strange pictographs setting?)
10. a stone egg, slightly warm to the touch (a hand warmer with low battery? An old gag gift with a company logo on the bottom? A stone egg with a hairline crack which emits heat)

Mythic Index Topic 16: Genre Focus Fantasy

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I can speak with some surety, having watched RPGs as a hobby grow over the years, that probably the single most popular genre is Fantasy. Well Mythic Magazine will not let you down for options. 

Below are many articles that are clearly fantasy focused, but there are also articles on structure, creature creation, and campaign management, that seem especially good for a great fantasy experience. 

Genre Focus Fantasy 

• “Using Mythic With Published Adventures”
• MM Vol. 3, pg. 4
• Compilation 1
• “Random Dungeon Crawl Generation”
• MM Vol. 3, pg. 12
• Compilation 1
• “Generating Dark Woods And Wild Places”
• MM Vol. 5, pg. 12
• Compilation 1
• “Control Your Adventure With Keyed Scenes”
• MM Vol. 10, pg. 12
• Compilation 2
• “Solo Adventure Modules”
• MM Vol. 11, pg. 12
• Compilation 2
• “Creature Crafter Simplified”
• MM Vol. 13, pg. 14
• Compilation 3
• “Emotional Quest Adventures”
• MM Vol. 14, pg. 3
• Compilation 3
• “Randomized Worlds Generation”
• MM Vol. 15, pg. 3
• Compilation 3
• “Location Crafting Random Cities”
• MM Vol. 16, pg. 3
• Compilation 3
• “The Big Collection Of Big Examples”
• MM Vol. 17, pg. 28
• Compilation 3
• “Adapting The Event Focus Table To Your RPG”
• MM Vol. 18, pg. 3
• Compilation 3
• “Turn Any Show, Movie, Or Book Into A Solo Adventure”
• MM Vol. 20, pg. 17
• Compilation 4
• “The Mythic Magic System”
• MM Vol. 21, pg. 9
• Compilation 4
• “Journey To The Isle Of Kitra”
• MM Vol. 22, pg. 11
• Compilation 4
• “Creating Complicated Campaigns”
• MM Vol. 23, pg. 3
• Compilation 4
• “Generating Adventure Puzzles”
• MM Vol. 23, pg. 18
• Compilation 4
• “The Event Crafter”
• MM Vol. 24, pg. 3
• Compilation 4
• “Handling Long Journeys In Solo Play”
• MM Vol. 25, pg. 10
• Compilation 5
• “Never-Ending Adventures”
• MM Vol. 28, pg. 3
• Compilation 5
• “Mythic RPG Narrative Combat”
• MM Vol. 28, pg. 10
• Compilation 5
• “Swords & Towers”
• MM Vol. 29, pg. 12
• Compilation 5
• “Open World, Sandbox Solo Play”
• MM Vol. 33, pg. 3
• Compilation 6
• “Mythic Mass Combat System”
• MM Vol. 33, pg. 12
• Compilation 6
• “One-Page Creature Crafter”
• MM Vol. 34, pg. 3
• Compilation 6
• “Fluid Scene Structure”
• MM Vol. 34, pg. 10
• Compilation 6
• “RPGs As Inspiration For Mythic Adventures”
• MM Vol. 35, pg. 3
• Compilation 6
• “Location Based Adventures”
• MM Vol. 36, pg. 3
• Compilation 6
• “Troupe Style Solo Adventures”
• MM Vol. 37, pg. 3
• Compilation 7
• “Solo Roleplay In Video Games”
• MM Vol. 37, pg. 16
• Compilation 7
• “Solo Setting & World Creation System”
• MM Vol. 38, pg. 3
• Compilation 7
• “The Villain Crafter”
• MM Vol. 41, pg. 3
• Compilation 7
• “Mythic as a Player Emulator”
• MM Vol. 41, pg. 18
• Compilation 7
• “Creating Game Loops In Solo Play”
• MM Vol. 43, pg. 3
• “The Crypts of Krozen Crest”
• MM Vol. 44, pg. 3
• “Magical Tradition Generator”
• MM Vol. 45, pg. 18
• "The Society Crafter"
• MM Vol. 49, pg. 3
• "Event Crafter Collection"
• MM Vol. 51, pg. 18
• "A Mythic Bestiary"
• MM Vol. 52, pg. 3
• "Escape From The Somnus Citadel"
• MM Vol. 55, pg. 16

Mythic Location 3: Mad Libs Locations For Location Crafter RPG supplement, Small Spaceship

Today, I splurged and bought yet another sci-fi game. It has been a while since I indulged in picking up a truly new (to me) product, so I jumped in. Well, I am not going to have a self declared space opera and no way to get around in it, so it is time to build a space craft. A fairly cozy one, I hope, but we will see how it goes. 

This spaceship is brought to you today by Mythic Magazine #7. 

We are going to hold off on the Story Description Table for this template. When we play through it later on the context of the game or a random roll will fill us in quick enough.

The Starship Region Description table we can hold off on as well. The two of them are for context, which either the game will provide or it will be easy enough to roll when I set off to explore the ship.

[Editor note. The progress points on each line are one ahead of that line because I find it easier to glance up a line rather than write it in before I need it. Hope that doesn't lead to confusion - W.D]

1. Location Expected PP1, Objects None PP1, Encounter Expected PP1, Connection Simple Hallway

2. Location Expected PP2, Objects Expected PP1, Encounter Random (Aromatic/Energy), Connection Simple Hallway

3. Location Random (familiar/important) PP3, Objects Known or Random (reassuring/damaged)  PP3, Encounter Random (Curious/Hidden) PP3, Connection Short flight of stairs or ramp going down.

4. Location Expected PP4, Objects None PP4, Encounter Expected PP4, Connection A simple or common doorway to pass through.

5. Location Random (simple/official) PP5, Objects Expected PP5, Encounter Random (Happy/Exotic) PP5, Connection A simple or common doorway to pass through.

6. Location Known, or Random (new/cute) PP6, Objects Known, or Special (THIS IS BAD: Known) PP6, Encounter Expected PP6, Same, with a curve or turn

7. Location Known, or Special (COMMON GROUND: Expected -3PP) PP4, Objects Random (
Majestic/Official) PP7, Encounter Expected PP7, Connection Same

8.  Location Random (Negative/Mundane ) PP5, Objects Random (Resourceful/Warm) PP8, Encounter Expected PP8, Connection Leads Directly into Other Area

9. Location Expected PP6, Objects Expected PP3, Encounter Expected PP9, Connection Same with Curve or Turn.

10. Location Random (Festive/Fancy) PP7, Objects Expected PP4, Encounter Expected PP5, Connection Expected

11. Location Random (Echo/Drab) PP8, Objects Expected PP5, Encounter Known, or Special (THIS IS BAD: Expected, PP6, Connection A simple or common doorway to pass through.

12. Location Random (Magnificent/Helpful) PP9, Objects Random (Bright/Damaged) PP4, Encounter Random (watery/inactive) PP7, Connection A simple or common doorway to pass through.

13. Location Expected PP 5, Objects Expected PP5, Encounters Random (Powerful/Modern) PP8, Connection Leads directly to another Area

14. Location Expected PP6, Objects Expected PP6, Encounters Expected PP9, Connection Same

15. Location Random (Meaningful/Rustic) PP7, Objects Known, or Special (SUPERSIZE: Known) PP7, Encounters Random (Helpless/Beautiful) PP10, Connection same

16. Location Known  PP8, Objects Expected PP8, Encounters Known, or Random (Loyal/Frightening) PP11, Connection Same

17. Location Expected PP 2, Objects Random (Bright/Magnificent) PP9, Encounters Expected PP5, Connection Same with Intersection

18. Location Expected PP 3, Objects Expected PP10, Encounters Random (Disgusting/Official) PP6, Connection Same

19. Location Random (Important/Mysterious) PP 4, Objects Expected PP 5, Encounters Expected PP7, Connection Expected

20. Location Complete . Objects Random (Faded/Modern) or Expected , Encounters None or Expected PP, Connection None or Exit

For a small Starship this is pretty hefty.  There was a long space of  connections being Leads to another Area. This suggest a storage bay or hanger. 

Lets just see how it goes when I have it in context!

W.D. 

Variation 14: Using Adventure Crafter With Mythic

Using Adventure Crafter with Mythic (MGME2 pgs. 171 - 175)

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The final essay to be found in Variations is one of the longest, and one of the most useful. The Adventure Crafter is a great tool, when paired with an open mind and a good understanding of your games context, for adding a lot of richness and depth to an adventure. I use the Adventure Crafter card deck with nearly every game I start. 

This variation shows you how to use this tool to full effect in your solo Mythic adventures, to launch games with a first scene, or make an interrupt even more impactful. I found the additional system to become intuitive very quickly. 

There is a Mythic Magazine article where this variation got its start, but there are other magazine articles that also discuss starting games, and adding richness to scenes. Lets have a look at some of them.

The natural starting point would be the article that first introduced the idea. Though all of this is covered in the variation, seeing things worded a bit differently could spark off a different set of insights on the topic. 

• “Combining Mythic With The Adventure Crafter”
• MM Vol. 5, pg. 4

Other useful tools along the same theme of making richer scenes and stronger starts can be found in several other articles.

• “Making The Most Of Altered Scenes”
• MM Vol. 2, pg. 4
• “Customizing A Solo Adventure Before You Begin”
• MM Vol. 7, pg. 4
• “Generating Compelling Backstories”
• MM Vol. 8, pg. 11
• “Control Your Adventure With Keyed Scenes”
• MM Vol. 10, pg. 12
• “Creative List Tips & Tricks”
• MM Vol. 17, pg. 3
• “Creating Complicated Campaigns”
• MM Vol. 23, pg. 3

And while we are mentioning beginnings and middles lets not forget the importance of endings.

• “Conclusive Adventure Conclusions”
• MM Vol. 20, pg. 3