Why Dragons Are Too Weak in D&D

Dragons are the quintessential monster. They're massive in size, incredibly intelligent, can breath fire, and have wings. They're iconic the world over, and are in the very name of "Dungeons & Dragons". The very sight of one should send a bone-chilling panic into any would-be adventurer.

Yet I've noticed in the fifth edition of D&D, dragons have surprisingly low strength. Looking through the monster manual and I see dragons with STR of 19, 23, 26, 22, and so on. The strongest dragon I found only had a STR of 30. Now, this may seem like a high number, but when compared to the average human strength of 10, this means that the strongest dragon is only three-times better?

If we think about why dragons seem so dangerous and scary, it's easy to imagine a dragon being able to crush, chomp, or smash a human with little to no effort. In Lord of the Rings, for example, it took an entire village, equipped with a special ballista, and the fact that the dragon had a hole in his iron-hard scales, to defeat it. Yet in modern RPGs we see a watering down of dragons; an artificial nerfing to human levels to allow for PCs to triumph and defeat them with no more than four to six humanoids.

Dragon's True Strength

All of this got me thinking about what the "true" strength of a dragon should be. How much can they carry? What is their STR score? Here's what I came up with...

First a disclaimer: It should be said that yes, there are many different sizes of dragons throughout mythology, and that with that there will also be a wide variation in strength. So, to keep things simple, I'm going to stick with Smaug, the dragon from LOTR; since it's so iconic and seems like a fairly "medium" dragon.

To start, since dragons aren't actually real, we need to find a real-world comparison. I've chosen to look at elephants, since they're both large and are actually a thing. The average elephant is about 20 feet long and can carry 9000 kgs. Compared to a human of 6ft tall who can carry 90 kg (200 pounds) on their back. This means elephants are over three-times longer than humans are tall (foot to head), but can carry 100 times more weight.

Now let's look at this scaled image of Smaug the dragon.

I measured the human to be 66 pixels tall, and Smaug to be 620 pixels tall (from bottom of his front foot to head). One could easily argue that I should have measured the dragon length-wise (including or not including his tail), which would easily make him even larger in pixel count.

So, what do the numbers tell us? Well, for one, Smaug is over nine-times larger than the human; and if we use elephants as a guide, then he'd be able to carry up to 27,900 kg. That makes him an astounding 310 times stronger!

Conclusion

If an average human strength in D&D is 10, then in reality dragons such as Smaug should have a STR of 3,100. Incredible! In fact, it's kind of mind-boggling to think about. However, it makes a lot of sense, as well.

For one, as I stated earlier, dragons should be damn-near unstoppable. They live for ages, are colossal in size, are smarter than humans, and breath fire! The idea of an entire kingdom, with torches & pitchforks in hand, marching up a mountain to a dragon's perch to take them on seems so much more epic then some rag-tag band of adventurers.

Second, based off their sheer size, they should be able to crush humanoids like humans can crush cockroaches. So, having a near god-like strength works well.

Thoughts?

4 Ways to Make Your Dungeon Crawl More Tactical

Before I got into D&D, one of my favorite board games was Descent: Journeys in the Dark. If you've never played it, it's essentially a lite version of a dungeon crawl. Today I was thinking about why I liked it so much; then it dawned on me that most of the fun and excitement I experienced from the game can be codified into four simple rules, and used in almost any dungeon crawl game (particularly Dungeons & Dragons).

These rules are not for every style of game, though, and are particularly geared towards dungeon delving that the game master wishes to turn into a deadly, tactical shootout.

Rule 1: Characters are Mortal

If you're an OSR fan like myself, you're probably already following this rule. Essentially what it means is that characters should have low quantities of HP, and are fragile (can die quickly and easily). This is essential to instilling a sense of fear in the players; by letting them know that they need to fear everything in the dungeon; since almost anything can be a monster, trap, trick, and so on.

Increasing the lethality of the game will be the bedrock for the party to work together, as a team, to survive--rather than individuals waiting for their turn to roll dice.

Rule 2: Onslaught of Encounters

Traditionally, dungeons have moments of action and moments of rest. Parties start to clear out dungeons until they're completely empty. But in this variant, I want you to imagine the situation as if the party of adventurers were soldiers deep behind enemy lines. They're surrounded, they're outnumbered, and there is little respite to be found.

Movement and time management should remain in "combat" time, and encounters should be rolled every round (old school D&D does a good job of this, which sadly has been lost to new editions). Yep, that's right--the enemy will be constantly spawning at random times, and there's an endless number of them trying to kill the party. The monsters should also be a good variety of different creature types.

This rule drives home a message to the party: trying to "clear and hold" a dungeon is not an option. Dungeons are teaming with horrific monsters. These dark catacombs have never been tamed by the local towns guards, past adventurers, or even mercenaries. The goal is not to "claim" the dungeon; but rather to get in, get the jewel/princess/mcguffin and get the hell out.

Rule 3: Fear the Darkness

When the GM is spawning monsters, the placement of the monsters changes to any space that is not within line of sight of the adventurers. Typically the GM can spawn monsters essentially anywhere within 2d6 spaces or so, but here's why my new rule can prove to be better: when players cannot control the placement of monsters, they're bound to "huddle" together so they fight closer to one another. But if you tell the players that monsters can only spawn outside of the parties' line of sight (aka the "darkness"), the PCs will tend to work more tactically by covering the corners, doors, and various angles of the room to prevent a surprise spawn. In other words, they'll spread out more, and work in turns to leap frog one another.

This rule was one of my favorite in the Descent board game. My friend and I would stand at an L, T, or Y junctions while the other adventurers moved down the hallway and opened a door. But once the new room was revealed, there was instantly many dark corners, alcoves, and crevasses that needed to be "cleared". So the PCs would stack up and rush into the room then spread out. As for the hallway we just abandoned? Well, it was fair game for monster spawning (which is why we'd immediately close and bar the door, and never take our eyes off it).

Rule 4: Declare Your Actions

Before each character performs their actions, the players should discuss what they, as a whole party, want to do each turn. Once a consensus has been reached, they "declare" their actions to the GM. Only after this phase would they then move their pieces on the board.

A "declare actions" phase allows for all the players to plot and plan their next move; similar to a game of chess. The entire table is involved; in contrast to everyone waiting for their turn to arrive. Once the actions have been declared, there's no "take backs". So it behooves everyone to know what each character's intentions are.

Once a plan has been plotted, the next phase--performing the actions, is fun to watch as you try to set your plan into motion. Can the unarmed fighter run across the room and grab the healing jewel before the centipede blocks his path? Will the archer kill the orcs at the end of the hall while the cleric heals the magician, or will the orcs survive the assault and kill the magic-user? Can the rogue sneak across the room in time, or spring a hidden trap and foil their entire plan?

Having a plan, and executing it, are two very different things.

Conclusion

These four rules, as simple and "common sense" as they mean seem to some, really changes the dynamic of the game for me and my friends. Descent was one of the only board games I would play for six hours straight and be enamored over the entire time. I loved the tactical feel, I loved planning our moves ahead as a team, and I loved seeing if our plan would go off without a hitch.

Have you discovered any rules that add a sense of tension, suspense, or tactical combat to your game? Let me know in the comments below!

How D&D Became Boring

I've noticed a trend lately. One that was so slow it snuck up on me. Yet its a problem that persists at many game tables around the country: Dungeons & Dragons has become boring!

Low Effort Players

Many players these days, young and old, have adopted a video game mentality when approaching challenges in D&D. It's no longer about trying to solve a complex puzzle, negotiating your way out of a tense situation, or describing in detail how your character disarms a trap. Nowadays its "I made a knowledge roll", or "I want to make a perception check". Boring! How about we all get off our cellphones (I've been guilty of this myself), and pay attention?

Solution: Ask the players to write a two page biography about their characters, so that they know who they're playing, at a more than "sheet-deep" superficial level. Next, ask the players to put away their character record sheets, and truly role-play using nothing but the descriptions from the GM and their own wits.

Hand Waving Away the Minutiae

This is an epidemic everywhere. Encumbrance? Gone. Components for spells? Dead. Meticulous research of magic spells, scribing in spell books, and quests to find all-important focal items? Slashed and burned. When was the last time you tracked time? Or a torch burning out? When has your character began to starve, or develop major blisters on their feet for somehow hiking 20 miles cross-country with overburdening packs and no pony or wagon?

Nowadays, players & GMs alike have the wrong attitude. They think all of this "stuff" that makes the game is a chore, so they simply ignore it away, then wonder why the balance is out of wack.

Solution: Read the rules, follow the rules, as the author intended.

No True Challenge

In modern times, Game Masters have lost sight of the adventure because all they focus on is the campaign. Gone are the days of true excitement when you and your buddies had all Friday night, all Saturday, and some of Sunday, to overthrow the Lich Council that is pouring forth thousands of undead wizards. When the GM would pump you and your friends up with visceral descriptions of how epically awesome the weekend was going to be. Everyone ordered pizza, brought snacks, and drank entirely too much soda. No sleep was had because you and your forces marshed against a true evil that, in all likelyhood, was probably going to take over the world. You only had 24 real-world hours to save the day!

Instead, this fast burn has been replaced with a gradual warming. Your character is supposed to grow from level 1 to 20, which will take years, so slow down there partner. Don't get too excited. You've gotta grind some rats, kobolds, and street thugs down by the docks. The party pinballs from one sorta-important quest to another, with no lasting consequences whether they're successful or not.

Worse yet, the Game Master holds your hand the whole way through; dropping obvious directional markers for the players, fudging poor rolls, and padding the adventure with low-level grunts and plenty of rest time. And since resource management is gone (see above), everything has devolved into a mindless slog that makes no difference if you miss a week's session or not.

And ever since 3.X to 5E, dying isn't really a thing anymore (unless a monster gets a massive one-shot hit), thanks to plenty of potions, healing & reviving spells, healing rests, tons of HP, and several rounds of rolling dice when your down (designed to give the party time to get to the downed adventurer and save them).

Game Masters even give out XP when certain "milestones" are reached, rather than making the party earn their XP from monsters slain, hordes hauled, or secrets revealed. The players just have to show up and they get rewarded (whether or not they make any effort at the table).

Solution: If the players aren't in a dark, weird, and truly dangerous world; you're doing it wrong. Make the party fight tooth and nail, stack the deck against them, and truly try to kill them all off. The players will complain at first, but quickly understand the terms: band together and survive, or perish and let evil prevail.

Build real suspense and make lasting memories from a session that truly matters, and isn't just phoned in. Every character's strengths should be needed, and every weakness exploited.

Conclusion

Did I miss anything that, in your opinion, has made D&D a dull thrill, compared to yesteryears? Let me know in the comments below.

Part I: Identification

This is a continuation of a multi-post series about tracking, and how the real-world implications can be applied to role-playing games (RPGs). In this post, I'll cover the second discipline of tracking: Interpretation. For part I, see the link above.

2. Interpreation

Interpretation of "sign" means understanding the scene and what happened at the Last Known Point (LKP). In this stage, we're trying to paint a picture of what exactly happened when the quarry was last in that spot. This is something that is highly neglected in RPGs and games as a whole. Most games think only about following sign, but not interpreting the evidence/clues.

• Why was the quarry there?
• What were the events leading to the incident?
• What factors would push/pull the quarry a certain direction?
• What is the relationship between the quarry and the flora/fauna, environment, local population, etc.?
• Where did the subject dwell / rest and why?
• Who else was involved in the incident?
• When did this occur?

It may seem far-fetched that a tracker can "pull" this level of detail from the earth, but you'd be surprised by what your own eyes and intuition can reveal. Characters can use this ability to great effect; to almost peer into the past. Given a high enough level, a master tracker could have an almost super-natural post-cognition ability to see peer into the distant past and relive events.

Additional facts a tracker should be seeking, when interpreting sign:

• Speed and direction
• Number in quarry group
• Age and gender of quarry
• Physical condition and disabilities
• Attempts to counter track
• State of outdoor experience
• Weight carried
• Whether the quarry is armed
• Whether the quarry is moving tactically/stealthily
• Whether the quarry was traversing up or downhill
• Whether the quarry was moving during the day or night
• If and when the quarry rested
• Direction the quarry is traveling and where he came from
• Location of Campsites

The more time spent interpreting, the more complete of a picture will be painted in the tracker's mind's eye.

Counting Quarry

It's very rare to find a clean, standalone foot print of your target. In reality, many animals (and humanoids) choose paths of least resistance -- such as game trails, roads, and so on. These paths are often shared by other like-minded creatures; causing many foot prints to bunch up in a single area. Certain herd animals often travel in packs (or parties, in the case of adventurers). Trackers often need a way to count the number of passerbys on a trail. To do this, we use two different techniques to determine the size of the quarry's group.

Box Method. The first method is the preferred method, since it's faster and requires less effort on the tracker's behalf. After finding a trail of foot prints, the tracker draws two lines (perpendicular to the direction of travel) , about 48 inches (122 cm) apart. Then, the tracker simply counts the number of left-only (or right-only) foot prints between the two lines. Divide the total by 2 (round up). This final number if the approximate number of creatures who have travel on that trail as of recent.

 

Comparison Method. If the box method is not possible, or there's simply too many foot prints to count, the comparison method is a good fall-back. The tracker walks parallel to the path several paces. The repeat this process, counting the number of times they do--until their made-up path looks roughly the same as the true path. If both paths look like they have roughly the same number of foot prints, the tracker will have an approximate number of creatures that walk through as of recent.

Conclusion

Interpretation, while straightforward, is surprisingly challenging to pull off well. If you wish to practice yourself, have a loved one walk around your backyard or local park while completing several individual tasks. Be sure not to watch them do it! After they've finished, tell them not to tell you what they've done (that's the secret for you to discover). Find their starting path, then slowly find their sign, interpreting their actions along the way. You'll quickly find its not as easy as it sounds. This is a skill that should be reserved only for high-level rangers, druids, hunters and other tracker PCs.

Next post we'll discuss the ecological factors of tracking; and how to use that information to find your quarry fast. Thanks for reading!

Tracking in Role-Playing Games: Perspectives from a Certified Tracker

Part II: Interpretation

Over my five years as an instructor for my local search & rescue (SAR) group, I had many opportunities to train alongside some of societies' best. As a member of the cadre, I chose to specialize in two distinct fields of study: wilderness survival, and tracking (sometimes referred to as "mantracking"). I spent hundreds of hours studying tracking, and achieving several prestigious certifications--before moving on to write the entire curriculum for my SAR team and leading our local tracking task force. Now, I'm going to share with you what I've learned, and how it can be applied to RPGs to make tracking a more in-depth and useful skillset for PCs to call upon.

Tracking Basics

In its most basic form, tracking is the finding of clues or evidence left behind by someone's presence. We tend to think of this in the form of foot prints, but in truth there are countless forms of "sign" (also known as "Spoor") left behind (which I'll cover shortly).

However, the big difference between real-world tracking and fantasy tracking is that we almost always work in teams. Clue-finding is difficult, especially incredibly small ones like that from someone walking. Because it's so easy to miss sign--or misinterpret the wrong thing as a false positive--we prefer to have two or three heads, instead of one. The more eyes looking for spoor, the more likely something relevant is to be spotted. Likewise, when we're unsure if what we're seeing is from our target (also known as a "Quarry", to use a hunting term) or someone else, we can use each other as a second (or third) opinion.

Characteristics of a Tracker

Tracking is not for everyone. It's oftentimes very slow, and demands an eye for detail. For many people, they find the work laborious or tedious; and quickly give up or grow impatient. It also requires a lot of kneeling--which for people who like to stay clean and dry, is a bit of a turn off. Tracking requires a certain type of character. Some traits include:

• Honesty to himself and to others
• Patience and perseverance
• An analytical and inquisitive mind that continuously seeks out information
• Acute sensory skills and an intense attention to detail
• Mental and physical toughness
• Personal initiative
• Tactical and technical proficiency
• Excellent fieldcraft and bushcraft skills
• An understanding of the big picture and the part the tracker plays in it

If your PC is not patient, headstrong, and able to work with others with little information, tracking probably isn't for them.

Equipment of a Tracker

While it's possible to track using only your eyes, in reality trackers prefer to work with a few simple tools to help them along the way. These include:

• Small Backpack (“Tracker's Pack”)
• Flashlight (or "torch")
• A measuring implement
• Pencil & Paper
• Tracking Stick (with two rubber bands)
• Binoculars / Telescope
• Radios
• Map & Compass
• Food & Drink
• Contractor's Chalk / Flagging

Team Formations

As I mentioned earlier, trackers like to work in teams. Multiple teams, in fact. You see, tracking is sort of like walking around a crime scene. Potential evidence of the spoor could lay anywhere; so you have to be careful about where you step. If your PC is being reckless, its easy to trample over & destroy sign, ruining their chances of finding their target. Working in teams with strict formations insures that everyone is on the same page of what to do and where to go.

In a perfect world, the teams would have six people. Why six? Because this number can be divided into two groups of three, three groups of two, a group of four and two, and so on. Each PC has a designated role:

• Team Leader. They direct the team as a whole and are ultimately responsible for the success of the mission. Usually a ranger or druid.
• Navigator. They keep track of where the party is headed, and insures the party doesn't become lost.
• Navigator, Secondary. It's easy to lose the path, map, or have the compass become de-magnetized, or the batteries of a GPS go out. And, if the navigator unwittingly made a mistake, they make unknowingly be leading the party astray. For these reasons, the party should always have two characters navigating and comparing notes along the way.
• Radio/Communications. This character is responsible for staying in contact with other parties that may be in the field. Any news or updates that come down the wire are immediately relayed to the team leader.
• Scribe. This adventurer records the events of the day, keeps notes, makes foot print sketches, and so on. They're the "record keeper".
• Medical. In an RPG this would be the healer/cleric. If someone gets hurt, or starts falling behind, their responsibility is to make sure they get the treatment they need.

The Six Disciplines of Tracking

The six disciplines can offer a fun depth to the art of tracking in any role-playing game. Today I'll cover the first: identification, with the remaining being covered in the future.

1. Identification

The first step to tracking is to know how to see sign. Sign can come in many ways, but tends to fit into these general categories:

• Compression. The flattening of soil or sand, such as from a foot print.
• Transfer. The carrying of material on the foot/shoe to another location. Such as leaving wet foot prints behind because the quarry just stepped out of a lake.
• Color Change. Some vegetation will change color when stepped on or disturbed. Broken vegetation tends to bruise and will result in a color change, and walking through long grass, pushes the grass in the direction of the quarry's travel, making it appear lighter than the surrounding vegetation (we call this "shine").
• Disturbance. The unsettling of dirt, rocks, roots, etc. such as from kicking a rock or pebble while walking.
• Litter. The leaving behind of trash, equipment, waste, etc.

We can also place spoor into one of three general categories: ground spoor (found in or nearby the surface below the ankle level), aerial spoor (above the ankle), and non-visual spoor.

Ground Spoor. This is the most famous category for RPGs. Sign found on the ground can include:

• Footprints
• Vehicular tracks or tire impressions
• Boot scuffs
• Turned-over dead leaves (which will show a darker color after being disturbed)
• Broken cobwebs
• Crushed twigs or leaves on the ground
• Trampled grass pointing in the direction the quarry traveled
• Morning dew rubbed off by the quarry’s passage
• Bruised vegetation
• Disturbed grass, leaves, or ground vegetation
• Mud, soil, sand, or water transferred from footwear onto another medium
• Kicked or turned-over embedded material (rocks, stones, dead branches, and so on)
• Fallen twigs or broken branches
• Stones or rocks on the sides of hills moved slightly or rolled away
• Footprints on stream banks or in shallow water
• Mud stirred up and discolored water
• Rocks splashed with water

Aerial Spoor. This tends to be less featured in RPGs, but can offer a refreshing realism to any RP game. Sign found includes:

• Tall grass or vegetation pushed down into an unnatural position
• Broken cobwebs
• Tunnels through vegetation made low to the ground
• Marks on the sides of logs that lie across a path
• Detached or missing leaves
• Disturbed branches pointing in the quarry’s direction of movement
• Green leaves of bushes pushed aside and twisted, showing the undersides, which will usually be lighter than the tops
• Vines dragged forward in the quarry’s direction of travel
• Scratches or scuffs on trees trunks
• Bark scraped off trees
• Changes in color and unnatural position of vegetation
• Cut or broken vegetation

Non-Visual Spoor. In my opinion, this is the least-talked about form of sign. Non-visual spoor includes anything picked up without the use of the character's eyes, such as:

• Laughing
• Campfire smoke
• Body odors
• Scent of freshly dug earth
• Chemical odors
• Smell of latrines
• Movement Noises
• Yelling / Screaming
• Gunfire
• Vehicle Noise
• Abrupt start or stop of animal or insect noise
• Sneezing

Identifying Your Target

Now that we know what to look for, we need to be able to identify our specific target, and be able to filter out sign left by other creatures. To do this, we measure several factors of the sign we find:

• Measurements (width, length, stride, etc). What is the size of the foot print? By measuring its width, length, and stride, we can begin to create a profile of who we are following.
• Speed. How fast is the creature traveling?
• Direction of Travel (DoT). What direction are they headed? Why? Where will that eventually take them?
• Last Known Point (LKP) / Place Last Scene (PLS). The LKP is the last place that you have physical evidence of your quarry's presence (such as footprints). The PLS is where someone believes they last saw the creature (which may or may-not be true).
• Footprint Pattern. No two shoes or feet are the same. Finding small ridges, tread patterns, divets, etc. will help set-apart your quarry from other creatures.
• Litter, equipment, evidence, etc. Any found should be consistent with the quarry you're tracking. If not, you might be following the wrong set of prints.
• Apparent injury or illness in stride. Is the target favoring one side over the other? Are they bleeding? Is their stride off balance? All of this can help paint a picture of who you're tracking.
• Dwell (standing/resting) time. Often times the quarry will stop to rest, eat, defecate, etc. Try to determine how long they paused, and why.
• Age of sign. We'll get into this subject in a later post, but possessing the skill to determine the age of sign is very important. It'll help your PC understand how long ago the creature was in a location.
• Tire tread tracks. Just like footprints, no two tires are the exact same. Using the tread tracks is an excellent way to find a transports signature.

Tracking Sticks. A low-tech measuring tool we use is what we call a "Tracking Stick" or "Tracker Stick". Its made up of a simple wooden dowel or stick (about the same diameter as a broom stick), measuring about 1 meter (or three feet). Two bands are used to measure the heel and toe of a foot print.

We hover the stick over a footprint, then use the two bands to measure where the heel starts and the toe-print ends. If we know the stride length of the quarry, we'll set the bands up so that the end of the stick will "point" to where the next foot would naturally fall. In this way, it becomes a pointing stick that allows us to focus where on the ground we should be focusing our eyes.

As we follow sign left behind by our target, we, too, leave behind our own sign (typically foot prints). When working as a team, it is easy to get confused as to which set of prints are of the quarry's, and are from another tracker. So, we often "drag" our tracking stick through the dirt as we walk. This way, if another tracker comes across the sign, they'll see the stick drag and know that another tracker was here. It's important to remember, though, to drag the tracking stick on the side of your body farthest-away from the quarry's sign. This way, all trackers know the the set of prints closest to the stick drag are to be disregarded.

Conclusion

This is just a fast-and-dirty primer of what tracking looks like in the real world. I hope you gleaned some ideas of how it can be used within the fantasy realms of role-playing games, and give better insight into possible new mechanics.

Star Trek Discovery: What Would Picard Do?

I just finished the new Star Trek: Discovery pilot episode. To say the least, I was non-plussed. Why? You may ask. I'm glad you asked! To understand the many face-palm moments I experienced, I'm going to recreate the storyline with one change: instead of Captain Han Bo, we're going to put in Captain Jean Luc Picard. Now, that's not to say that I didn't like Han Bo (she was actually one of my least-hated characters), but rather I hope it'll illustrate something important. Let's begin!

BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD!

Opening Scene -- Begin Star Trek Music

[Opening Scene -- The starship is repairing a communications satellite that has been impaled or shot by something.

The first in command, Commander Rainsford, is overseeing the repairs on the bridge. She walks into Captain Picard's office.]

Picard: Yes, Number One?
Rainsford: Your chief science officer is worried something took a bite out of our relay.

[Picard has a long sagacious pause]

Picard: Why does Lieutenant Saru believe this?

[Rainsford gives a blank stare because the writers forgot to tell us why]

Picard: I see...What do you think it is?
Rainsford: By all indications...nothing intelligent.
Picard: In that case, it may be an enemy ship, or a space monster, or one of the thousands of asteroids outside our view screen, or any other million possibilities. Please continue your investigation until we know more. Is that all Number One?
Rainsford: Starfleet's tech hygiene is exemplary. When a relay goes down, Starfleet sends a ship to fix it.
Picard: Um, yes, Commander; I am aware of Starfleet's protocol.
Rainsford: Perhaps someone is trying to get our attention.

[Picard adjusts his uniform]

Picard: Now, let's not start jumping to conclusions. You just said that the evidence is supporting the theory that the damage was caused by an non-intelligent source!

[Six Hours Later, Picard is in his office writing on his iPadd, filling out Commander Rainsford's performance report]

Picard: My second in command has been acting weird lately, making conflicting statements. This is bizarre for a half-vulcan.

The Discovery

[An hour later, on the bridge, Captain Picard is sitting in his throne]

Lt. Saru: There is something out there!
Picard: Report!
Lt. Saru: Recalibrating sensors...active scan to deflector; I'm having trouble locating the source. Ah wait! I have it!

[The large viewscreen shows a majestic system-size asteroid field. It zooms in on one tiny section of the large field of rocks]

Picard: What am I looking at?
Lt. Saru: Object of unknown origin.
Picard: Very well, this could be literally anything. Let's get more specific Lieutenant.

[Commander Rainsford rudely pushes Saru aside and taps on the command station. A moment later a data readout begins cascading on the screen]

Rainsford: [Technobabble], the object is roughly 150 meters long, just below us. It's in a sensor deadzone...some kind of scattering field is confounding the ship's ability to translate the image.
Picard: Translate the image? Commander, we don't need to translate anything; just see it. But, since the object's image is blurry, let's send a probe.

Some of you at this point may be thinking that they don't have probes in this time; but that's of course crazy since we have probes here and now--they're called satellites! Literally just a camera strapped to a small stabilizer and guidance system.

[Commander Rainsford pulls out an old-time rusty telescope on a tripod and begins looking through the eye piece]

Picard: Um, Commander? What is this?
Rainsford: Perhaps if I look at the object with my naked eye through this telescope!
Picard: Our super-powered optical processors cannot make heads or tails of it. It's like a mirage! How do you possibly hope to glean any information this way?!

[Five Hours Later, Picard is in his office writing on his iPadd, filling out Commander Rainsford's performance report]

Picard: My second-in-command is exhibiting increasingly erratic behavior. I suspect she may have a Zultonian brain beetle making her mad.

The Investigation

[The probe returns, but its data is scrambled. Picard and team are still observing the unknown object. Probably trying things like viewing it from different angels, bouncing measuring lasers off it]

Picard: We've been at this for hours. Lieutenant, are the repairs on our communications relay finished?
Lt Saru: Yes Sir.
Picard: Very well, we've gathered enough data. Send out an encoded message to all ships nearby that an unknown object is in this sector. Request a science vessel to study the phenomenon, and escorted by two destroyer-class ships, since something did destroy our relay earlier. Otherwise, let's continue on our original mission. We're to deliver supplies to Outpost Pegasus 8-111.
Lt Saru: Very good Sir!

[Suddenly Commander Rainsford, wearing barely anything, busts into the bridge. She looks confused and distraught, screaming about Klingons]

Rainsford: There are klingons out there, we need to go to red alert.
Picard: Almost no one has seen a klingon in a hundred years!
Lt Saru: Captain, the Commander is currently irradiated and has a grade III concussion.
Picard: Oh my...Doctor! Your patient has escaped. Red shirt one, two, and three; please escort the Commander back to sick bay.
Rainsford: But Captain! That object could be hiding a klingon raiding party!

[Rainsford is dragged from the bridge, kicking and screaming]

Lt Saru: If there are Klingons nearby, we should retreat.
Picard: Agreed.

THE END

5 Things Game Masters Can Learn From Game Of Thrones

1. Houses & Alliances

In Game of Thrones (GOT), all the main characters belong to prominent families, known as "Houses". All of these houses wield consider political, militarist and economic power. Some houses are the ruling elite of kingdoms, while others are incredibly wealthy. Together, these different houses form alliances to run empires. This causes considerable allegiance conflicts between loyalty to a house/family and allegiance to the throne. In turn, rivalries are formed between different houses.

These type of political house of cards are nearly nonexistent in Dungeons & Dragons styled RPGs. In D&Desque games, the conflicts are usually external (e.g. orcs attacking a village, a rogue wizard trying to open a portal to a chaotic plane of existence, etc). The various kingdoms within most Game Master's worlds reside in the background; serving as a quest giver, or swift arm of justice when the party gets out of hand.

However, the dynamic of allegiances and rivalries can not only serve as an interesting backdrop, it can be the primary driver of the plot. Player-Characters (PCs) starting as honorbound knights can serve a house (or king). This provides players with a sense of duty for their PCs to full-fill (rather than the done-to-death merc hobos looking for work). Additionally, making the players choose where their PC's allegiance truly lies creates a fertile soil for moral dilemmas and strategic planning of the future.

2. Secrets & Betrayals

In most RPG adventures the objectives are pretty clear: clear out the dungeon, defeat the big bad monster, or acquire a priceless artifact. But in GOT the plot (and everyone's goals) are constantly evolving, reshaping and changing. One king takes the throne, then is backstabbed, only to be replaced by another. Secrets are the currency of the powers-that-be; and knowing who to trust them with and how to wield them is the name of the game. This creates a sense of a living world, full of other people; each with their own goals and hopes of achievement. Learning who is on your side and who is secretly plotting against you is a very useful skill.

Adding these elements to your own RPG adventure will bring the PC's charisma score front and center; and in some ways perhaps make it their most important attribute (instead of being considered a "dump" stat for most players).

Betrayals also play an important role throughout the series. Think of them more like "power plays"; as a swift and deadly move of a rook across the board in an attempt to take the throne or place another side in check mate (forcing them to bend the knee). PCs can also engage in this sort of behavior to move up the social ladder, acquire more wealth, uphold a loyalty pledge or seize a throne.

3. Low Fantasy

When I first started watching GOT, I actually thought there was little magic or fantasy in it. But the more I watched, the more I realized that there certainly is magic; but its kept low-key. Mentions of dragons, giants, undead, blood magic and so on add a nice garnish to an otherwise human-centric TV series. No elves, nor dwarves nor halflings.

Instead, the magic that is displayed feels more special. It gets more focus, more details. It feels more down-to-earth and even plausible in some ways. Most D&D style games, in contrast, have huge amounts of magic. Level 1 characters can start out as wizards, and magic is used throughout every demographic of society. It's always felt a little strange, to me, for so many people to know magic; but not see magic dramatically change the human condition of the in-game world.

In Game of Thrones, very, very few people know or understand magic. Mostly sorceresses. The dragons were thought to be extinct (the same with giants and other large mythological beasts). Humans reign supreme, and the focus is squarely on secrets, steel and steadfastness. People have to rely on their wits to keep their mortal bodies from easily being destroyed. No healing potions, no magic missile, no fireballs.

4. Morality

Game of Thrones is a very adult show. There are many depictions of brutal torture, executions, war, treason, rape and so on. It paints a picture of a cold, cruel world of survival. There are many, many people in the show who are evil and revel in sadistic pleasures. But there are also genuinely good, honorable folk who refuse to sacrifice their honor for power.

For me, it's a breath of fresh air to see such a raw, dramatic depiction of human nature. Moral and ethical choices are constantly being made by everyone, and the consequences of their actions soon follow. It all makes for a dramatic show, but also leaves me pondering my own thoughts and feelings about certain moral situations. Would you lead a coup to overtake the throne; if it meant you would be a more benevolent leader than the king's heir? Would you execute your rival if you felt they were truly evil and could not be reliably kept under guard? Would you choose to keep your honor and integrity or lie and aid an evil force to save your family?

Try adding more moral dilemmas to your game, and you'll be offering something far more deeper and rich than just killing vampires, lichs and zombie hordes.

5. History & Nature of the World

Any D&D player will recognize certain, familiar elements within Game of Thrones. One of my favorite is the "Night's Watch", a military unit tasked with guarding a northern, icy wall from invaders. Within this military force is an elite unit, called the "Rangers". In D&D there are also rangers, but the background history and story of them is typically left up to the GMs to decide. What I like a lot about the rangers in GOT, though, is the amount of history added to them. We don't just hear about the rangers, we meet some of them. We see how they train. We learn how they travel beyond the wall--and into the snowy wilderness--for months on end as scouts. They talk with "wildlings" (natives of the north), gather intelligence, and report back to Winterfell. They even have an awesome honor pledge they take to protect the world from invaders. Adding an entire backstory to various orders, is what makes the world feel alive. Details about not only what they are, but why they do it, how, and the conflicts they face.

The same can be said for the world as a whole. Their world operates much the same way as normal earth, but with a few twists here and there. For example, their seasons can span for many many years. Winters can last a generation. These twists add a nice "theme" to the setting, and allows for the viewers to explore how the characters react to such changes. This reminds me of the "Dark Sun" campaigns in D&D, which are similar to a generic fantasy--except it takes place in a post-apocalyptic desert world.

It's this extra level of detail that, to me, makes the whole world feel a "cut above" more generic adventures.

How to Use Strategy & Tactics to Improve Your Game & Life

In this post I want to start a series discussing strategy & tactics; both general and specific--as well as old and new. I'll discuss how strategy can be applied to nearly any game you play; as well as how you can use some of the lessons here in your own life for personal success.

The concepts outlined here are learned from years of me playing strategy games like chess, real-time strategies video games; as well as my own personal study in the subjects. However, I'm by no means a de-facto authority or expert in this field; and will leave more advanced topics to the true masters.

General Strategy

To start, let's begin by talking about strategy and tactics as a whole. Instead of copy-pasting the definition of each term; let's jump straight into some basic idioms; which I'll call "Kyle's Laws of Strategy" that can be applied to most situations & games.

Rule 1. Maximize Your Strengths and the Opponent's Weaknesses; Minimize Your Weaknesses and the Opponent's Strengths: It may seem like a simple concept--and that's good; it's easy to remember. The general rule here is to take inventory on what kind of advantages you have; and work towards bolstering them. At the same time, you should also work to minimize or mitigate your own weaknesses. Similarly, taking advantage of your opponent's weaknesses and eroding their strengths will also work in your favor.

Take the real-time strategy (RTS) game "Starcraft", for example. Imagine you have a military base and a modest-sized army. But, your opponent has a much, much larger army. Your opponent begins marching towards your base. What in the world will you do?

Your opponent's military is clearly stronger; but their size makes them slow and monolithic. Perhaps you attack and harass their forces while they're enroute; slowly killing off a few units at a time. Or maybe you wait until they're at your door step before your own forces invade their under-defended settlement. Or maybe you set up your defensive stand on a high ground, or funnel them into a tight wedge. The point is; no strategy is perfect, and understanding your own strengths and weaknesses (as well as your opponent's capabilities) will allow you to convert a bad situation into your favor.

Rule 2. When the Enemy Pushes, You Pull; When They Pull, You Push: This is a very ancient strategy that is used in many martial arts, such as Jujutsu. The idea here is when your opponent attempts to throw you off balance; you use their momentum to pull them off balance, instead. In this way, you're actually using their own energy to sabotage their efforts; rather then you having to exert your own.

This may seem like a pretty broad theory with hard-to-utilize application; so I'll give you an example on how I did this very thing in a game. Recently I won $80 in a poker game between myself and six other friends. It wasn't a lot of money; but the way I played allowed me to come out as the final winner.

When the poker game came down to just myself and one other man; the situation looked dire for me. You see, my opponent had been winning most of the hands of the night and had amassed a small fortune of chips--nearly quadruple what I had. Because he had so many more chips then me, each time new cards were dealt to us, he would "bully" me by betting a large amount of chips equal to the total amount I had left. I was forced to make a decision each hand; bet everything I had or fold. If I folded, my chips slowly bled away since I had to bet each round to play. If I bet everything I owned (known as going "all in"), one of two things would happen: I'd win a hand; or lose everything and be out of the game. My opponent knew this all too well, you see, which is why he was betting so much each round; in hopes that I'd play a hand and lose--thus winning him the spoils of war. So what did I do to win the game?

Well, it turns out I also knew what he was doing. He was using his weight to push me around. So, I waited patiently for a decent set of cards to come my way. It wasn't easy, as my pot was slowly disappearing to the bets I lost each time I chose to fold. Yet I continued to remain patient. Finally, a good set of cards came my way. My opponent, thinking he was mere minutes away from winning, was continuing to bet high in hopes I'd fail. But not this time. I called his bet, and thus "pulling" him as he was "pushing" me. We each revealed our cards; and I had the superior hand. I won the bet and instantly doubled my pot! All the spectators were astounded; and thought I got "lucky" with my cards. The truth is, my move was very planned and deliberate.

After that bet, my opponent was frustrated from losing. He wanted to win back his chips and make me lose. So, he continued to push hard; this time more aggressive than the last. With my newly-acquired chips, I easily could have been more aggressive as well. But that would be playing his game; of which he had the clear advantage. Instead, I was once again patient; waiting for the right moment for me to catch his push and pull him off balance. A few rounds later I had a decent hand, and his hubris got the best of him. It wasn't long before I was the heavyweight and my opponent was dumb-struck on how the tables had turned so fast. Everyone at the table couldn't believe my "luck".

Rule 3. The Aggressor Tends to Win: I see this maxim ring true all the time; such as during boxing matches. The person throwing the most punches will eventually get a lucky strike and knockout their opponent. This isn't always true of course (which is why I said "tends to win"). But, the logic is sound: a good offense can indeed be a good defense; and the team that brings the fight to the doorstep of their opponent doesn't need to worry about collateral damage nearly as much as the defender. This also creates a closed space for the defender, leaving them less space to maneuver (more on this shortly).

When you're barraging the opponent, they can fall into what I call a "backstep death spiral". That is to say, they begin spending all of their time, energy and resources simply on trying to stop your advance, and regain their forward momentum, rather than expanding their own objectives.

Rule 4. Embrace the Five Swords of Victory: There are five main forms of advantage you can gain over your opponent. Memorizing and understanding each one will prove pivotal in most competitions.

• Material Advantage: Materials are anything you, or your army, have to wage a war. This includes soldiers (such as pawns, rooks, knights, etc), as well as resources like minerals and vespene gas (in the "Star Craft" game), as well as buildings, defensive structures, and so on. Simply put, strength in numbers is a clear advantage. Inversely, causing your opponent to lose material will quickly limit their options in the game.
  
  For a beginner, losing a few small units may not seem like a big deal; but over time it can add up. In Chess, a pawn is the smallest unit of the game; but collectively they add up to 8 points (1 point short of the queen; the most powerful unit in the game). Exchanging material for another advantage (such as a better position) is called a "Gambit", and may well be worth the trade-off. However, don't forget that losing material is permanent; whereas other advantages are often fleeting.

• Positional Advantage: It's been said that superior play flows from a superior position. Understanding the game board, and how the natural layout and terrain can work in your favor, is paramount. Whether it's taking the high ground or channeling your opponent into a "fatal funnel", or a broader strategy such as "center control".
  
  
  
  In chess, and in most games, taking and holding the center provides a clear advantage. From the center, you have equal distance to all corners of the board, more maneuvering space, and can threaten the opponent's nearby pieces. Inversely, forcing your opponent to the side -- or in a corner, will quickly cram them into a crowded situation. Positional control also covers where the frontline of battle is drawn. By expanding your forces outwards quickly, you can claim more land than your opponent; affording your pieces to frolic and gamble. However, it's equally important to be aware that the farther out you expand, the more your defenses can thin, and the greater distance your forces will be away from support.
• Temporal Advantage: Also known as "tempo", a temporal advantage means to develop and advance at a faster pace than your opponent. Each side is jockeying for space, resources, new technology and better weapons of war. If you're slower at acquiring these materials than your opponent; you'll quickly find yourself playing catch-up. Temporal advantages can be gained by targeting, and destroying (or threatening) your opponent's fledgling enterprises and expansions. Force your opponent to deal with a clear danger you pose--rather than advancing their own objectives; and you'll quickly gain more tempo than them.
• Tactical Advantage: This section will be covered in greater detail in the future; but suffice it to say, tactics cover maneuvers such as forks, double attacks, skewers and other situations where one side is presenting a sticky situation for their opponent to deal with.
  
  
• Psychological/Informational Advantage: Another subject that will be covered in-depth in a future post. Informational advantages cover everything from misinformation, secrets & propaganda, to exploiting your opponent's ego, pride, morale & fears. Such matters have been present in nearly ever war throughout history; and used to great effect in the second world war. Other examples include using decoy vehicles, sending false information that was known to be spied upon by the enemy, demoralizing propaganda, and using disguise & deception to hide one's true intentions.

 

Rule 5. Hard Should Target Soft; Soft Should Target Hard: When two swords clash, they dull and chip one another. So, too, do two large armies destroy one another when locked in battle. Instead, the swords should cut flesh; not steel. Large forces should focus on and target small, under-defended resources of the opponent. The image above is an example of two powerful forces destroying each other; neither side gaining much ground on one another; meanwhile, a small, undefended outpost of the opponent's rests to the east.

Instead of the large army trying to march through the gates of the opponent's fortress, it would be better utilized by destroying a necessity of the opponents' economy. It might not be as flashy or dramatic as toppling their castle in a single stroke; but slowing the opponent's economy will give the attacker a tempo advantage; which could contribute to winning the war.

Likewise, some opponents have such a large and unbeatable army, they cannot be challenged by conventional means (e.g. hard vs hard). Instead, a small, clandestine "soft" unit, usually cloaked in secrecy, flexibility and guerrilla tactics, may slip through the cracks of the opponent's defenses (something a larger conventional army could not do). Behind enemy lines, this small unit acts like a back-stabbing dagger; by focusing it's sharpened tip at a very specific point to cause damage; or like a bull in a china shop by inflicting as much damage as it can before being forced to retreat, surrender or die.

One way to think of hard and soft units is in the resources it cost to produce them. Whether the units required money, minerals, time, or energy; each unit has an intrinsic value. Therefore, you should strive to keep your units alive; lest they die resulting in a "loss" of resources. A large army costs many resources; and therefore should not be sent on suicide missions, nor dulled over time by fighting fair fights. Longevity is the way to offset the cost-to-benefit ratio. Smaller, softer units, inversely, don't cost as many resources; and can be used in riskier missions to cause high damage to targets of high value.

 
Rule 6. Think Three Moves Ahead: Most of us, when strategizing, only think "What is the best move I should make?". So, we study the board and all of our available moves, then take an action when we find one we enjoy. However, playing a game like this is the equivalent of feeling around in the dark; unsure of what is two steps away from you.

The true strategist will not only find which move works best for them, but also consider what response their opponent will take. What is their best countermove to your move? Does the enemy even see this opportunity, or are they more likely to take a lesser posture? Figure out what the opponent's best move is--and why that move is the best (what are the weaknesses of the other countermoves?). From there, you'll then know what your next move is--three positions in the future--in response to their countermove.

You could continue to predict additional moves ahead (four, five or even six moves ahead), but practically speaking this is extremely difficult and many unseen (or un-realized) variables will usually change the game board before that theory becomes reality.

Stick to move, countermove, move, and you'll quickly put your opponent on the defense; confused by how you constantly have a response to their maneuvers.

Conclusion

These concepts are only general strategy. Next post we'll dive into the I.L.O. process, and the steps involved within. We'll cover the importance of intelligence & information, how to gather it, and the importance of secrets and surprise. Until then, thanks for reading!