Main Gauche supplement for Zweihander- a read-through

[Some Dude]

CHAPTER 7: LIBER MALUS (CONTINUED)

Thanks for your patience, everyone. Chapter 7 continues on with the NPC Creator, a step-by-step guide for creating fully fleshed out and well-balanced, custom NPCs, using the same format as the Creature Creator. There are fourteen Steps in this process, compared to the ten in the Creature Creator. Frustratingly, the initial listing skips #11, and the numbering sequence from 8 on in the the initial list differs from that in the detailed descriptions of each Step. This part of my write-up will follow the in-depth descriptions in the Chapter. As with the Creature Creator, the book will here create an NPC, step by step. In this case, it's Danziger Eckhardt, the unfortunate, unlovable protagonist of both books' introduction. Each Step is broken down, with tables from which you may choose or roll the various characteristics of your NPC.The Steps are as follows:

Step 1: Determine Approach - This section instructs GMs to decide whether they need a "quickie" NPC with a limited stat block, or a full-fledged Non-Player Character, with all of the nuance and detail of a PC. The former is referred to a a Simple Approach, and consists basically of enough descriptors to provide limited mechanical interaction, without needing all of the stats. The second is called a Complex Approach, and it will use every step in this section to craft a balanced, fully functional NPC capable of performing any action a PC can.

It is also recommended here to give each NPC, regardless of Approach, five descriptors to define the ost important details about them. The book uses Robert E. Howard's Solomon Kane as an example, and gives him descriptors that include, "A dour English Puritan and redresser of wrongs", and, He is of the Warrior Archetype, driven by Judgement and is Order-Aligned".

Step 2: Persona & Identity - For the first, a short descriptor designed to give a "hook" to the PCs, so that they will "care bout" the character. There is a bit of advice here on how to use your players' frame of reference, combined with distinguishing characteristics or traits. Kind of along the lines of. [character from TV show] with a Southie accent, who is a bit of a practical joker."

Having encapsulated your character thusly, you will give them an Identity. This will consist of Name and Sex & Pronoun. There are two handy tables with 100 names each on them, for each Sex.

Step 3: Age Group & Ancestry - Tables from the core book, reprinted here for use in creating NPCs.

Step 4: Appearance & Social Class - For this Step, there are tables like the tables in the Core Rulebook, but it has been both simplified and added to, for maximum convenience and utility. In addition to tables for Age, Height, Complexion and Build, there is one for Manner of Dress. Distinguishing Marks have been reprinted here, as have descriptions of Zweihandeer's three Social Classes.

Step 5: Motivation - A table of twenty one-word Motivations, with descriptions. Designed to create a defining purpose for the NPC.

Step 6: Archetype & Alignment[/b] - Archetype is the same as it is for PCs, but Alignment in this case refers simply to either Order or Chaos. For the Simple Approach, this is as far as you need to go to create an NPC. If you require a more comlete NPC, one who will perhaps see combat, or be required to adventure alongside (or against!) your players, continue on.

Step 7: Primary Attributes - There is a nifty table of suggested Primary Attribute distribution by Archetype. VERY handy.

Step 8: Risk Factor - As with Creatures, NPCs have a Risk Factor and Notch, which give their relative dfifficulty as foes for Characters of each Tier.

Step 9: Skill Ranks - This section offers a guide for how many Skill Ranks to assign based on Risk Factor and Notch. Also has a full-page table of suggested Skill Ranks appropriate for each Archetype.

Step 10: Bonus Advances - Covers Bonus Advances, again broken down by Risk Factor and Notch, as well as Secondary Attributes.

Step 11: Talents - As above, with guidelines according to Risk Factor/Notch, and a two-page table of Talent distribution by Archetype.

Step 12: Additional Options - Ancestral Traits, Professional Traits according to Risk Factor, Taints of Chaos and/or Magick if these last two are applicable.

Step 13: Trappings - Your NPC's gear, weapons and miscellaneous possessions. Includes a bit on Fineries, or valuable items that may be in the possession of NPCs (for now, anyway, heh-heh).

Step 14: Final Considerations - Dodge and Parry values, if they have been affected by Trappings; Taint(s) of Chaos; Attack Profile (as for Creatures). Review and voila! Complex Approach Complete! Achievement unlocked: Create NPC.

The Chapter closes with a fully filled out two-page Character Sheet for Danziger Eckhardt. We know not only how he arrived at this current state, but why.

Overall, Chapter 7 is yet another example of the Zweihander "toolkit" approach. And a damn fine one, to boot.

Two or three slim Chapters to go, I'm intending to finish this soon.

 

[Some Dude]

CHAPTER 8: LIBER OBSCURUS


Chapter 9 is all about Conspiracies. How to write them, how to run them, and what to do when your players do the unexpected. It combines ideas for running a very particular kind of adventure with some general, all-purpose GMing tips.


Conspiracies can be used to add more narrative flavor, as well as intrigue and suspense which are very engaging, but can be very hard to build. In my own experience, I have found that a little mystery, or an unknown threat, will often be more exciting to players than a single big, bad monster or objective in full view.


Zweihander takes a more structured approach than one might expect here. It all begins with the "Rule OF Threes". You see, a Conspiracy in Zweihander has three parts: Clues, Leads and Revelations. 3 Clues uncovers 1 Lead; 3 Leads uncovers 1 Revelation; 3 Revelations blows the lid off the entire Conspiracy.


It is also recommended to use Index cards, so that both the GM and the Players may keep track of unfolding events and important facts (way ahead of you there, Zweihander).


Conspiracies in Zweihander are divided into 6 Steps. They are:


Step 1: Your Hook - This is the event that draws the Players into the story. Mysterious deaths, missing persons or objects. It is recommended that PCs are dropped into a story that is already in progress. That is to say, that the event or events that draw them in note be the beginning of a new conspiracy, but rather a facet of an ongoing one. At this stage, the GM is only concerned with what is happening, not yet with why.


Step 2: The Agenda - An Agenda is the overarching concept that drives the Conspiracy. It is advised that the GM define the Agenda in three "very abstract categories". This Chapter uses examples from the A Bitter Harvest scenario in the Core Rulebook, as well as the There's Something About Marie adventure in this book. In addition, the following advice is given:


Keep It Vague: Do not reveal everything, or too much, at once. The Consoiracy should be multi-layered, revealed in pieces, and give the Characters a reason to search out its true nature.


[/b]Time Is Not Their Friend:[/b] Putting the PCs under the lash of the clock is a great way to keep adventures on track and Players focused.


Go For Broke: Don't be afraid to make your conspiracies or your villains outlandish.


Reduce & Refactor: Listen to your Players' discussions and theories. Don't be afraid to make changes along the way, especially if it will improve your story and/or the Players' experience. They need never know that the nearly absurd theory that turned out to be true was, in fact, provided to you by them!


Web Of Conspiracy: Create a loose "Conspiracy network" that will help you to visualize how it is structured, and flesh it out from there, adding conspirators, henchmen and servitors as necessary.


Step 3: Clues - This Step gives an alternative to having Players roll for whether or not they find Clues. Instead, it is recommended to make the Players, in character, search for Clues, but letting Skill Tests determine what or how much they can glean from it if necessary. Advice on how and when to give hints is given here, as well as how to proceed when you Players just don't seem to be "getting it", and a general reminder not to over-complicate things. Which, I'd guess, is a common mistake when writing a Conspiracy-based adventure. Note: The Investigator Profession has a "True Detective" Trait that can confer additional benefit relating to Clues.


Step 4: Leads - Leads are defined here as a correlation between all three of the Clues. Though they may have an optimal "order" of discovery, for the purposes of your story, you may reveal them out of order, for a more comlex, challnging, and possibly realistic Conspiracy. After all, who thought that a break-in at the Watergate Hotel would unseat an American President? At this stage, it is still necessary to keep things somewhat ambiguous. Whereas the Players should be able to follow the Clues to a Lead, the Leads themselves should be more of a direction than a destination. There is advice for rescuing your Players from dead ends, mounting up tension and the sense of "someone" pushing back against their efforts, nad the importance of restraint when using GM fiat.


Step 5: Revelations - Here, it is impled that a Conspiracy can encompass an entire Campaign. I say "impied". because this is the first time in the Chapter that we are explicitly seeing that as a concept. While the into does say that Conspiracies can interweave complex storylines together, Step 5 suggests that each Revelation should come just before the end of each Character Tier of experience. This would certainly add deoth and flavor to many different types of Campaign, and it would have been helpful to have this laid out more clearly.


Examples from the adventure in this book are used to illustrate key concepts, and there is a reminder not to overload Players with minutiae. Just because I wrote it, doesn't mean it will come into play or even add anything. I have written lots of "background" and "flavor text" for my home games, that the players never saw.


Step 6: Beyond The Conspiracy - Think about what comes next. Is the Conspiracy truly foiled? Or have the players just uncovered one small wheel within many larger ones? Is this the end, or a new beginning? This will be up to the GM to decide.


Thus ends Chapter 8. Another fine set of tools, though it could have been a bit clearer in spots.

 

[Some Dude]

CHAPTER 9: THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARIE

There's Something About Marie is the adventure included in the Main Gauche book. As with A Bitter Harves, the adventure fro the Core Rulebook, There's Something About Marie was originally a fan-made, contest-winning module for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition. Like ABH, TSAM has been not only converted to Zweihander, but fleshed out considerably. It is nearly 30 pages in length, and designed to be completed in 3-5 sessions. So, it is a substantial adventure. Whereas ABH was designed to step Players into the Core Rules, TSAM uses the Conspiracy rules from Main Gauche, along with the Social Intrigue rules from the Corebook. Like its predecessor, TSAM features playtest notes in the form of sidebars. Unlike its predecessor, it includes a couple of maps. This is an adventure that will test the Players' wits as much, or even more, than their prowess in Combat. And there are multiple options for resolving the various conflicts and challenges within. TSAM is another well-crafted adventure that doesn't feel "tacked-on" or obligatory. While many rules supplements don't include adventures, this is a nice addition, and fits what I refer to as Zweihander's "everything and the kitchen sink" design philosophy.

Finally, there are the Appendices. The first is an expanded "Taints OF Chaos" Addendum. These were listed, along with their effects, in the Corebook. But Main Gauche greatly expands the descriptions of these marks of Chaos, giving you an extra, visual layer to use in your game. Yecch.

The next two Appendices are tables for Creature Size and Risk Factor, a nice reference, and for Creature Traits by Risk Factor. These are suggested guidelines for assigning specific Traits according to Risk Factor. A lot of behind-the-scenes math has gone into Zweihander's design, and it seems that the intent is to allow GMs to make use of this knowledge, rather than let it languish on someone's hard drive, seen by 2 or 3 people.

The book ends with blank Creature and NPC Profile Sheets, and an Index.


Final thoughts: Main Gauche is a fine addition to Zweihander. It shares its high production values, and plays to its main strengths: consistency, utility and modularity. That it is able to add so many options to the game without "rules boat" is a testament to the quality of the game's, and this supplement's, design. Also, nothing here is "necessary", and can be added, or not, according to taste. But there is much here that will add depth and flavor to your Zweihander game, even if darkness, evil and Daemons aren't your cup of tea. And there are some great resources for the Zweihander "do-it-yourselfer". Zweihander has a fairly active fan-created content community, and with tools like the ones here, it's easy to see why.

One of my only complaints about Main Gauche would be that I'm not a fan of adding terms like "Momentum Die" to describe what is basically a Fury Die, mechanically. This is a minor quibble, and more a matter of personal preference than a qualitative judgement. I understand the thematic reasoning, the flavor behind it, but it seems an unecessary complication to a ruleset that is so elegant at its core.

More seriously, while Main Gauche does represent a MASSIVE improvement over the Core Rulebook in terms of editing and clarity, there are a few typos, and two fairly glaring editorial issues in Chapters 7 and 8, as I noted previously in each Chapter's read-through. Neither will likely impact the game, although the one in Chapter 8 is confusing for sure. And, like I said, compared to the Corebook, Main Gauche fares far better in that regard. But, in a way, that made it all the more jarring, as I was cruising along for the first 6 Chapters, enjoying the relative lack of issues, then BAM! Duck, You Sucker!

Overall, though, Main Gauche is a great addition to and mostly shows editorial improvement over the original. Highly recommended if you want to add a more sinister element, a greater range of Player options, or more weird tech via Wytch-Science. Also, the GMs' tools included here are characteristically useful and intuitive. I see a lot of value for Zweihander Players and GMs here. A solid, useful supplement that is also well-made and beautifully illustrated. And while I hope that the move to Andrews-McMeel Publishing will bring some much-needed editorial oversight to future Zweiihander products, I still give Main Gauche a hearty endorsement.

I hope you have found this read-through useful, and thanks for sticking it out.

If you have any interest in Zweihander, you can buy it at Barnes & Noble, on drivethrurpg.com, or for more info, go to grimandperilous.com.