Critical Miss Forums

Jonny Nexus · 13th Level Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 846 Location: London

This thread is for discussion of the Issue 5 article, "The Big Push". To comment on the article, just hit the "Post Reply" button and type in what you think.
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"...if you like your humour coarse and black, this will probably have you rolling on the floor with laughter."
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GURPS fan · Guest

This isn't an adventure, it's a boring meningless railroad. What's the point? Educate players? The read just wasted my time.

Jonny Nexus · 13th Level Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 846 Location: London

Aedwynn · 1st Level Joined: 28 May 2006 Posts: 2

Don't worry Jonny, I thought that article was excellent. I think that someone posted on the letters page for that issue that they'd like to see a D20 version of that adventure and i'm one of them. I really enjoyed it.

P.S. The quote at the end... is perfect. I can just imagine the ashen looks on the groups faces as the GM reads that aloud at the close of the adventure and then adding something like; "Yes. In real life survival in a battle is a lottery. Anyone want to play heroic fantasy now?"
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'...all is dust...'

Jonny Nexus · 13th Level Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 846 Location: London

Bogboy · Posted: Tue May 30, 2006 12:59 pm Post subject:

Mad Meg · All Out of Gum Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Posts: 106

Aww, you will make him CRY.

Can we watch?
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Mad Meg, wicked witch of the east

'And remember: if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel. Vague disclaimers are nobody's friend.'

Bogboy · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 7:31 am Post subject:

Ballscratch · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 8:38 am Post subject:

Bow chika wow-wow...

Sorry, needed some music.
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"I do not have a girl-friend. I just know a girl who would be very upset if she heard me say that."

Jonny Nexus · 13th Level Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 846 Location: London

Ballscratch · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 12:46 pm Post subject:

It needs more Bass.
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"I do not have a girl-friend. I just know a girl who would be very upset if she heard me say that."

Mad Meg · All Out of Gum Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Posts: 106

Kipper that to the pun thread...
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Mad Meg, wicked witch of the east

'And remember: if you hurt her, I will beat you to death with a shovel. Vague disclaimers are nobody's friend.'

Ballscratch · Posted: Wed May 31, 2006 1:46 pm Post subject:

...

Pun was not intended.

Honestly.
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"I do not have a girl-friend. I just know a girl who would be very upset if she heard me say that."

Spatula · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:41 am Post subject:

Actually ran this game last weekend, with a few small modifications. We spent just over an hour on character gen, and I really pushed the players to dig deep and make some complex and enjoyable characters. To begin with, I told them the game was set in 1910, so they all made very normal characters, not combat machines. One guy wanted to be an Indiana Jones clone, another wanted to own his own pub. Naturally, I gave them every possible indulgence.

Then I jumped ahead to the war and their characters "volunteered". They were a bit unhappy about this, but when I explained it was all to ensure that they developed really good, deep characters, they seemed to accept it. Then came the actual Big Push. I had decided to use the Cthulhu system, both because it's quick and easy, and because I detest GURPS. It also made a useful large distraction unit, helping to create the illusion that I had some actual plot in mind. But I digress; the result of using Cthulhu was that I may, possibly, have made the artillery too deadly (made up my own rules for it).

Even so, you should have seen the look on the face of one guy as his character got mowed down by machine gun fire in the very first round of combat. I don't think any of them made it more than 30m past their starting trench. One guy tried to run back, using the excuse of bringing his fallen comrades back for medical treatment, but I kept enough "friendlies" waiting in the trench that he couldn't just sneak by them, as he had planned. Eventually, he was forced to rejoin the attack, but he still insisted on leopard crawling his way there. That wasn't altogether stupid, except that a random artillery shell caught him dead-on (I believe I rolled 02).

However, thanks to his gallant cowardice in dragging half-dead corpes back to safety, two of his colleagues actually survived the battle, though with bits amputated or non-functional.

We spent over an hour on character gen, and played for less than 10 minutes. The flogging I got for this was totally worth it.

Also, I mentioned adding my own modifications: Apart from using Cthulhu, I also changed some historical facts a little. For a start, I put the players in a Highland division (I had stipulated at the start of character gen that they'd all be scotsmen from in or around Glasgow) which in reality only took part in the battle several months later. This was done for two reasons: First, to add insult to mortar-induced injury by having my players die wearing kilts, and second, so that I could have a Scottish NPC named Lt James Tait as the officer leading the party on their 'special mission'. James Tait was my great grandfather, and he actually was wounded at the Somme, an event I included in this session. It's not often you get to include real family members in roleplaying games.
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Jonny Nexus · 13th Level Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 846 Location: London