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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(un)reason" data-source="post: 8198037" data-attributes="member: 27780">Polyhedron Issue 47: May 1989part 1/532 pages. Tiger-men with chakrams! Do they roar or go ulalalalala when they throw them? Does it really matter, as that's merely flavour material that doesn't affect their statistics. Still, this once again shows how you can make something surprising and interesting by combining two familiar elements that don't obviously go together. Let's see what ingredients they've put into the big melting pot of gaming influences this time around. On Your Feet: This column returns to the topic of proper timekeeping. This is particularly important in tournaments, where you have to keep things moving if you want to finish the module before your slot is over. Equally important, however, is making sure time in game feels like the time that's actually passing. In a game where combat rounds are a matter of seconds, yet the lethality of the game is such that battles rarely get beyond a few of them, you aren't going to be seeing reinforcements until well after the fight is over even if they're only a few rooms away, let alone a police response that'd take 10-15 minutes to drive there if they scrambled straight away. Yup, this is one I've encountered personally as well. The kind of GM who gives their guards/law enforcement unrealistic powers of perception, enthusiasm and competence whenever the PC's step outside the bounds of the plot, which is more jarring than the obviously fantastical elements. If I can change the world and make a difference to my life's course with my decisions even less in the game than I can in the real world, why the hell am I playing in the first place? It's a common problem even with long-running GM's. You've got to know which rules are important and which are merely guidelines, and if you get them mixed up, both in reality and in game, you'll have to deal with no end of grief. A good lesson to be reminded of. Notes From HQ: The weather is warming up, and so is the frequency of conventions. So once again its time for them to give some advice about how to best participate in them, and their plans to make this year their biggest and best yet. So send in your adventure ideas now! We need lots of them. Don't get in a huff if they get assigned to a smaller convention rather than Gen Con, there's only space for so many in even the largest, plus they don't want to repeat themes within the same convention if they get multiple good adventures of similar types. If your adventure is well-received enough, it might even get republished in polyhedron, dungeon, or if you're extremely lucky, as an official module. (Although looking at the ones that actually achieved that feat, it's as much about nepotism as writing quality. ) Another reminder of the complicated logistics chain that they have to co-ordinate behind the scenes to keep all this running, and the compromises that need to be made in the process. It's not easy, and only becomes trickier the more they scale up. Do you have what it takes to take a turn on the sausage-making machine and consume the output knowing what goes into it? Let's hope at least a few more people have the stomach to join in and stick with it this year.</blockquote>

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