Coming up with names for NPCs on the fly can be tough. It can be even tougher in a fantasy setting. About a decade ago, I started keeping a list of random names in my folder of generic GM tools: Pick up the list, pick a name, and you’re good to go.

I generated the list below a little over five years ago when I was working at a temp job doing a massive amount of data entry: I quickly realized that mixed into the hundreds of common entries like “Bob” and “Susan” there would occasionally be an unusual or flavorful name. So I started jotting those names down on a piece of paper. And they were great. Particularly because they were real names (which meant, among other things, that they were pronounceable).

So these have served me well for half a decade, now I offer ’em to you in the hope that they might serve you well.

Playtest Tip: The process of picking up this piece of paper and looking at it, if handled properly, is indistinguishable from looking at any of your other notes. It also buys you a valuable breath of time in which to brainstorm the unexpected NPC and then put your thoughts into order before opening your mouth. Take advantage of both the bluff and the moment of reflection to sustain the illusion of the world for your players.

I’d like to welcome Margaret Frazer and her Midwinter Blog Tour for Circle of Witches, which is stopping by the Alexandrian today for a tour of the book’s cover.

I’ve previously worked with Ms. Frazer in designing new covers for the e-book editions of her award-winning short stories and Dame Frevisse Mysteries, but Circle of Witches proved a new and unique challenge. First, it required the creation of an entirely new product identity that would distinguish it from her previous work. Second, the book itself is an interesting enigma that lies at the intersection of many genres while belonging properly to none of them.

A GOTHIC ROMANCE. MISTY MOORS. ANCIENT SECRETS. FORBIDDEN PASSIONS. Her mother had always been afraid. That’s what Damaris remembered. From the time she was a little girl until the day her mother died, she had seen the fear in her eyes. But now she understood. Now she was afraid, too. Young Damaris wanted more than anything to be happy at Thornoak, the ancient manor owned by her aunt and uncle. Adventuring through the wide, open beauty of the Dale in the company of her rambunctious cousins she rediscovered a joy she had thought lost with the death of her parents. And in the deep, storm-tossed eyes of Lauran Ashbrigg she was surprised to find an entirely new emotion. But even under the warm and inviting sun, Damaris is chilled by the undeniable fact that the family which claims to welcome and love her is hiding truths from her: The truth of the Lady Stone. The truth of the Old Ways. The truth of moon and star and witchcraft. The truth of her mother’s death. Kindle Edition - Kindle UK - Nook Edition - Smashwords

In the course of creating the cover for Circle of Witches, several dozen distinct images were created of which only a sampling will be shown here. My earliest efforts focused on trying to capture the deep and disturbing beauty of the Yorkshire dales which capture the heart and imagination of both Damaris and the reader. But what I quickly discovered was that the true beauty of the dales lies in their vast openness: The minute you to capture or contain them in a 6″ x 9″ cover, the very thing which makes them breathtaking seems to vanish.

My attention, therefore, turned to Damaris herself. Let’s start with this image.

Here you can see an early effort to find a typographical identity for the title. (The font for Margaret’s name actually carries over from her other books, providing some continuity across all her works.) This work had begun, of course, with the early mock-ups of dale-oriented covers and the partial script-work was meant to capture the Jane Austen-like feel the novel had for me.

But I was ultimately dissatisfied with this particular typography, particularly as I moved into heroine imagery for the cover itself.

So here you can see the iterative evolution of what would eventually become the title — the flourish of the “s” in “Witches” being joined by a matching flourish in the “r” of “Circle”.

I’m actually very partial to this particular cover, but it simply proved too sultry for Circle of Witches: Those of you who have already read the book will know that this is definitely not Damaris.

So here’s something on the other end of the scale. This was another of my favorites, and ended up being on the final “short list” of four covers that were sent out to Margaret’s beta readers for feedback. You can see me experimenting with a very different title typography.

One concern with this cover was that it had gotten too “soft”, so we tried out the tagline “A Gothic Romance from the Bestselling Author” to provide some contrast.

On the other hand, I think Circle of Witches is one of those great books that will reward being revisited at different times during your life. The book will thrill you as a young adult; delight you in your thirties; and give you cause for reflection when you’re older. So I wanted a cover that could draw in young readers to begin that process.

This is the cover around which I conceptualized and essentially cemented the design elements that would define what the final cover would look like. But while I felt the image was good, it wasn’t great. Which led me to track down the cover image that appears on the final book and remix the design elements from this cover into the new composition.

But even when that work was done, I didn’t actually realize that I’d nailed it. I generated several more options, including this one:

This is another one of my favorites to emerge from this design process and it was the run-away favorite of people who had not yet read the book. But once people had read the book, the anachronistic discord between this imagery and the novel itself led many of the people who had championed it to instead veto it vehemently.

This created an interesting debate: The primary purpose of a cover, of course, is to sell the book. If this was the best cover for accomplishing that, the fact that people didn’t like the cover after reading the book might, ultimately, be irrelevant. If we hadn’t had another strong option, there’s a chance that such an argument might have prevailed. But there was also the case to be made that a cover like this could turn away people who would enjoy what the book actually had to offer. The false expectations it might create could also hurt the book even among people who would otherwise have enjoyed it.

And so, in the end, we turned to what had probably been inevitable all along:

I think it speaks well of the book that its rich depths are capable of evoking such a wide variety of covers. It’s a novel that I’ve enjoyed immensely over the course of several readings and I certainly think you’ll be rewarded if you pick up a copy, too.

As a final note, I do retain the copyright for the cover designs which were not used. If you have a book that you think they’d look perfect on, please drop me a line. And, of course, I’m also in the market to do original cover design work for other novels. My rates vary depending on the exact nature of the design work, but generally fall between $150 and $200. Contact me for details.

UPDATE: On the other hand, if you think you can do a better job than me there is a Cover Remake Contest being run over at the Authoress. Remix the cover or make an entirely original one and you can win a prize package. Check it out.

Tagline: The hit of GenCon ’98. The hit of your gaming table.

I know I used this word just last week, but I’m afraid I need to use it again: Unique.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen is a unique, high quality product. In twenty-four pages James Wallis – excuse me, Baron Munchausen has created one of the most memorable game manuals I’ve ever read. Hell, I’ll even go so far as to say it was one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had, period.

(Allow me to slip into the idiom of the game itself.)

The game was designed by the famous Baron Munchausen himself in the year 1798 while staying with a friend of his, the publisher John Wallis, in London. After receiving the manuscript – one of the most expensive he had ever paid for (the Baron had a habit of going through the best liquor in anyone’s house) – Mr. Wallis realized that the manuscript was simply unacceptable for its time period. Instead he sealed the manuscript until such time as one of his descendants thought the time was finally right to release it. His descendent James Wallis, the current director of Hogshead Publishing, has finally decided that such a time has come and has released the game on its 200th anniversary.

(Yeah, right.)

The game basically breaks down like this: You get together with a number of other compatriots (making sure to keep the number of commoners down to a minimum) and gather around a table at your favorite bar. Make sure you bring your purses and a good supply of coins because wagering will be involved (the Baron points out that all the coins should be of the same value in order to keep arguments to a minimum). The game begins when one of you turns to another and says, “So, Baron, tell us of the occasion when you gave birth to an elephant.” (Or some other outrageous circumstance.)

At this point the person may either say, “Ah yes, of course…” And begin to tell his tale. Otherwise he may say, “No, I’m afraid my throat is dry…” At which point he must buy a round of drinks for everyone else in his party and ask the person next to him tell a tale of his own.

During the telling of the tale others may interrupt the storyteller with objections such as, “But, Baron de Neuvillette, it is well known that the fire-breathing llamas on the moon are strict vegetarians.” (The key here is that these are potentially amusing complications, not serious nit-picks.) When doing this the objector pushes forward a coin from their purse. The storyteller may then accept the objection (“Ah, yes, but this llama was merely fetching food for the young wolf cub she had taken under the fold of her wing…”) and take the wagered coin. Otherwise the storyteller must put forth a coin of his own and decline the objection (“You must be thinking of the goats to be found upon the moons of Venus, for it is well known that the llamas of the moon are of no such character…”). The objector may either take both coins on the table, or he may add a third coin and renew his objection.

That is the basic mechanic of the game. There is also dueling, companions, methods of finishing a story, various drinking rituals, and (finally) the wrap-up of each round of storytelling. The book itself also includes an appendix with over two hundred suggestions for stories and another appendix which sums up the rules on a single page (which is useful since the Baron does tend to ramble in a thoroughly enjoyable manner).

(Okay, so why should you buy it?)

First off, the game is just plain fun to play. Swapping the outrageous stories which form the centerpiece of the game is great. Add on the ritualized drinking which is incorporated into the game (plus the elaborate wagering system which – in the end – makes no one and everyone a winner) and you’ve got an irresistible night’s entertainment.

Second, the book is a treat to read. It is written in the voice of the inestimable Baron himself. He is constantly wandering off the main track of the narrative in order to recount various snippets of his own outrageous tales (although none should doubt the honesty of his own stories, for he would take offense at this insult to his honor). The illustrations are by Gustave Dore, the “greatest illustrator of the nineteenth century”, who died in 1883 (I really hope I can trust this section of the book).

(Coincidentally the Baron himself died in 1797, which is revealed in his biography in the back of the book. Leave it to the Baron to write a game about himself the year after he died.)

Finally, the title of the game is no joke: This is truly a “Role-Playing Game in a New Style”. Wait a minute, you say, nothing that you’ve described sounds like the roleplaying games I know.

Well, duh. It’s in a new style!

Let’s break it down. First, it definitely involves roleplaying: Namely you assume a character who is inspired by the Baron Munchausen himself. You may find this limiting at first, but then I realized that the only important thing here is the element of your character which involves being the type of person who goes on outrageous adventures and then tells stories about them. Beyond that things are pretty wide open. I don’t consider that any more restricting than being told to “design a character who will go on fantasy adventures” or “design a character who happens to be a vampire”. Plus you get to play the character at two levels simultaneously (something “traditional” roleplaying games don’t let you do) – both at the immediate level of “telling the story” and in the events of the story being told.

Second, it’s definitely a game. What makes this unique is that inherits a different tradition than other roleplaying games do. Most RPGs stem from the traditions of wargames and boardgames. The game elements of Baron Munchausen are derived more from card games – involving bidding and wagering.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen is definitely a game you should buy. It was the hit of GenCon ’98, and it’ll be a hit at your game table… or, heck, the bar you go out to have a drink at afterwards.

[ Make sure you read the disclaimer on the title page. The quotes on the back are good, too. Save the “Table of Contents” for last, as some of the comments foreshadow pleasant jokes in the text; but definitely make time for it after finishing the book. Be warned that “you will require pencil, paper, imagination, a manservant, money, a selection of fine wines, noble blood, a sense of flamboyance, and at least one attractive member of the opposite sex (optional).” ]

[ I have been informed that the game was actually conceived in 1792 or 1793, with the explanation of its existence being written in 1798. Which is, of course, unfortunate because it ruins the perfectly good joke found above. In the interests of absolute accuracy I have, of course, attached this note to clarify my earlier mistake. ]

Style: 5
Substance: 5

Author: Baron Munchausen (James Willis)
Company/Publisher: Hogshead Publishing
Cost: $5.95
Page count: 24
ISBN: 1-899749-18-7

Originally Posted: 1999/05/28

At the time this review appeared, there was a massive debate raging at RPGNet concerning whether or not The Extraorindary Adventures of Baron Munchausen qualified as a roleplaying game or not. You can see my thoughts on the matter, circa-1999, above.

Today, my opinion on the matter would be quite different.

The discussions surrounding Baron Munchausen in 1999 caused me to formulate my definition of an RPG as “a game which involves roleplaying”. Applying the definition gave a clear-cut verdict in favor of Baron Munchausen, case closed.

But not really. Because when I found myself applying that definition beyond the confines of that narrow debate, it quickly became apparent that its semi-circular nature was only part of the problem: It also created far too many false positive, reporting that everything from Risk to Super Mario Bros. was a roleplaying game.

It took several more years before I evolved a better definition of “roleplaying game” that accurately encapsulated the history of the medium without simultaneously including a bunch of other games that clearly weren’t RPGs. You can read more about that in Roleplaying Games vs. Storytelling Games. (The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, for the record, is an STG, not an RPG.)

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.

There we go.

I told you those riders and goblins would appear.

We’re still in the holding pattern of “nothing new to report” updates, but finished pieces of art are hitting my desk with startling regularity at this point. On the other hand, one of my artists is currently in the process of getting uprooted out of his second apartment in as many months. (Which sounds like a complete nightmare.)

So… two steps forward, one step back.

I am very tempted to say at this point that we are perilously close to the point where I would have the art in hand necessary to start the final layout pass on the book. (After which we would have another pass to lay in the SRS, then a final digital proof, and then the additional proofing steps required for the physical book.) But I remember that the first time I was tempted to say something like that was in December of last year just after I finished revising the Grimoire… and then all my artists disappeared. So, like I said, still in a holding pattern here.

This is a fun little dice game I recently re-discovered in one of my desk drawers. I picked it up a couple of years back, so its probably still kicking around. It actually predates the collectible dice games (such as Dragon Dice) which followed in the wake of Magic the Gathering, and instead descends from older traditions.

Cosmic Wimpout comes in a small plastic tube containing five dice, a sheet of instructions, and a “Cosmic Wimpout” sticker. Four of the dice are white and the fifth is black. The four white dice are printed with a 5, a 10, and four symbols. The black die comes repeats the 5 and the four symbols, but replaces the 10 with the “Flaming Sun” symbol.

At the beginning of the game you decide on the game goal (usually 300 or 500 points) and the first player roles the dice.

Three matching faces (on the same throw) are known as a flash, and score various numbers of points depending which symbols or numerals you’ve matched up. Five matching faces (at any time) is known as a Freight Train and, naturally, scores far more points. Unless you roll five 10’s, in which case you’ve scored Too Many Points (a Supernova) and you automatically lose the game. (There’s also a Freight Train combination which automatically wins the game.)

The Flaming Sun is a wild card. The Flaming Sun Rules states that you must use the Flaming Sun to complete a flash if it is at all possible.

A “5” or a “10” by itself scores 5 or 10 points (respectively). A Flaming Sun can also be used to simulate these, unless (of course) the Flaming Sun Rule is in effect.

If you don’t score any points on a role that’s a Wimpout. Your turn is over and you’ve lost all the points accumulated in that turn. Wimping out with all five dice is called a Train Wreck. Unless you Wimpout you can continue rolling any non-scoring dice.

You can stop rolling at any time, scoring the points you’ve accumulated, unless:

1. You haven’t rolled yet.

2. You May Not Want To But You Must — if you’ve scored with all five dice you must roll all five dice again before stopping (risking a Train Wreck).

3. The Futtless Rule states that all flashes have to be cleared – meaning that if you’ve just scored a flash you must score additional points by rolling the non-scoring cubes. The Reroll Clause states that you cannot clear a flash while matching any one of the flash faces when clearing. (So if you roll three fives you’d flash; at which point you’d have to reroll the remaining dice and score additional points… but if one of the dice comes up a five you’d have to roll all the remaining dice again.)

Finally, once a player has reached the game goal everybody else gets one last chance to catch up and surpass their score.

It’s a fun little game. It fits easily in a lapel pocket I’ve found and is easy to teach to your friends quickly. Any number of people can play and it’s appropriate for just about any social gathering.

I don’t know how available this game is any more, so I’m going to include the address found on the instruction sheet:

Cosmic Wimpout
P.O. Box 3199
Greenfield, MA 03012

That’s current as of 1993 – which is, of course, an eternity in this industry. I hope you have luck finding it.

Style: 4
Substance: 4

Company/Publisher: C3, Inc.
Cost: $4.95
Page count: n/a
ISBN: n/a

Originally Posted: 1999/05/28

In the years since this review appeared, Cosmic Wimpout has appeared on the web!  You can find it here. Apparently the game has been around since the 1970’s.

For an explanation of where these reviews came from and why you can no longer find them at RPGNet, click here.