Feng Shui Converting DnD players
From: ve6neo Posted on: 7/24/2002 6:56 pm
To: ALL
Message: 56.1
Here's where I'm at. I've moved recently enough that I don't have the same availability to gamers. The gaming community is much smaller than I would've expected, and now I'm looking to play one of my favorite games without travelling 6 hours to meet up with my old group.

I know there are a few DnD players, but would like to show them how great FS is. I'm certain that the fast action will likely get them on-board, but I'm concerned I might not be descriptive enough to capture their attention. Or worse, that they fall into "Hack-n-Slash" momentum and want to go back to playing DnD.

Are there any ideas out there that might help me be more descriptive of the action?

How about ideas to get them into the fast action mood?

All help is welcome.
I miss my FS.
Neil.


Edited 7/24/2002 6:57:39 PM ET by VE6NEO
From: John Nephew Posted on: 7/24/2002 10:15 pm
To: ve6neo
Message: 56.2
in reply to: 56.1
Just direct them to that Feng Shui story hour over on EN World; that should inspire. Whose was it? Piratecat? Dang, that was one entertaining game write-up. I should go check and see if more was added to it.

You could start them out with "Burning Shaolin," using D20 rules, to give them some of the flavor of the game and see if it appeals to them.

From: Wordstudio Posted on: 7/25/2002 4:03 pm
To: John Nephew
Message: 56.3
in reply to: 56.2
I was running a D&D pulp adventure at the next table when PirateCat/Kevin Kulp ran that Feng Shui game. I'll tell ya, that was one entertained group of gamers. I think maybe two of them had played the game before, too.
From: ve6neo Posted on: 7/26/2002 1:53 am
To: Wordstudio
Message: 56.4
in reply to: 56.3
Converting them to the rules is the easy part. It's getting them into the action that I find a challenge. However after reading "Six in the Barrel" I'm no longer short of inspiration.

BTW - For those of you who don't go http://www.enworld.org will get you to en-world. Add a /Story and you're ready to read.

Thanks for the pointer to the story. I usually don't check that part of the site.
Neil.

From: Sensei Posted on: 8/8/2002 5:44 am
To: ve6neo
Message: 56.5
in reply to: 56.1
> "I'm concerned I might not be descriptive enough to capture their attention... Are there any ideas out there that might help me be more descriptive of the action?"

One thing GMs can try is not dwelling solely on the action in descriptions. Players are used to being told what they SEE, but their other senses are ignored. I find that even veteran players get more 'into' a scene when they are told what they hear, smell, and feel. I usually keep the visual details light, but intersperse it with other senses.

For example, everybody knows what a warehouse filled with mooks looks like; no need for 3 minutes of narrative from me. That bores players. But when they know that the interior smells faintly of machine oil, and a light breeze blows a whiff of propane to their noses, *that* gets their attention. Are those smells important? Are they old smells, or is there leaking propane in there right now? When they hear creaking boards and clinking chains echoing softly from deep inside the building, is it just the warehouse settling, or someone moving around? When the characters' neck hairs prickle up as they approach the creepy graveyard feng shui site, is it time for a HTNH roll, of just the GM's descriptive license at work?

> "Or ... they fall into "Hack-n-Slash" momentum and want to go back to playing DnD."

Just my two pesetas' worth... there aren't many games out there more "hack-n-slash" than Feng Shui! Granted, perhaps it should be called 'shoot-n-slash' or something, but D&D (which I have played devotedly for 20 years) has nothing on FS as far as mindless violence goes.
So, simply put, I wouldn't worry about your players becoming Der Hackenslashers; players who enjoy that sort of D&D game seem to take VERY well to FS, in my experience. ("He's dead? I shoot him again!")

> "How about ideas to get them into the fast action mood?"

Sometimes it helps to have the NPCs display the kind of style you're talking about. If the PCs start getting sluggish or simply say "I shoot at him", have the NPCs start performing outrageous (but effective) stunts that put a smackdown on the PCs. They either start emulating the NPCs so as not to be outdone, or they become inspired by the tricks you're thinking up.
My own players were like this. They tend to be a more cerebral group, and my D&D campaign is designed with as much character interaction as action. When we went from D&D to FS, it took them a while to liven up and get imaginative, but they caught on with some examples from my mooks.

From: ve6neo Posted on: 8/12/2002 6:36 pm
To: Sensei
Message: 56.6
in reply to: 56.5
Looking forward to trying out your ideas not long after Labour Day (Canada).

Thanks again for all the great ideas.

Neil.