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Friday 20 September 2024

When to go all-in

John Whitbourn, author of the wonderful Binscombe Tales and many other first-rate fantasy stories, has the knack of finding out about a wide range of interesting curiosities. "Perhaps you've seen this," he'll say, pointing me to an obscure book or a movie or a game that is absolutely right up my street and yet that I'd never heard of before that moment. If I try it in reverse, telling him about a little-known Nigel Kneale SF drama, say, or a 1960s Soviet folk horror movie, or a seminal work of English apocalyptic fantasy, it usually turns out he already knows all about it.

I've given up looking for an explanation. The universe just looks favourably on John while I'm its red-headed stepchild. But I'm grateful to be kept abreast of news that otherwise would have passed me by. For instance, he recently dropped me an email about an OSR game called Slay. This line jumped out:

Slay has a unique d6 combat system. Roll a red effort die along with your white task dice. Make a decision to either add the effort die to your attack or convert it to a dodge die and keep it to improve your defence. This makes every attack roll a decision: do you go in for damage but potentially leave yourself open? Do you play defensively even though you could potentially deal damage?
That made me think of Tirikelu, another RPG where you can trade off attack against defence. But there are differences worth pondering. In Slay, you roll the dice and then decide how to share out your zanshin. In Tirikelu, you set your priorities first, then you roll. You also get the chance to alter your tactics as the round progresses. Say you get initiative and you start off with a half-value attack. That leaves you with the option later in the round of either using the other half-value action to parry, or letting your opponent strike at you unopposed and then at the end of the round you can use the remaining half-action to attack again.

One system gives more tactical choice, the other is super-quick. Which you opt for depends on your playing style and preferences. In fact, since Slay is pay-what-you-want and Tirikelu is free, why not try both? And now that autumn is here, and Halloween barely a month away, the perfect reading matter as the nights draw in is the aforementioned Binscombe Tales. Tell a friend about them and you'll soon have a reputation for spooky synchronicity.

10 comments:

  1. I took your recommendation for Binscombe Tales and was lucky enough to receive it for Christmas one year. A superb collection of stories!

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    1. Perfect reading for Christmas! I still think that they'd make great audiobooks -- or even radio dramas, if the BBC were more eclectic in their tastes.

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    2. Binscombe Tales are brilliant. I would also strongly recommend Mr Whitbourn's Altered Englands and his novels. Possibly Downs-Lord Dawn as the best 'starter for ten'.

      I've been looking out for the Blake's 7 reference in Vulcanverse but haven't found it yet, Dave! Although reading Nigel Kneale's Wiki page just now, he described it as 'the lowest point of British television science-fiction'. A bit harsh! What was his SF drama you mention, as there isn't a link? VIY looks interesting, although annoyingly my weeks free subscription to 'Shudder' ran out yesterday. I watched 'The Lighthouse' last week by the way, that was good. Nobody does 'Salty Old Sea-Dog' better than Willem Dafoe! Robert Eggers's 'The Northman' passed a few hours entertainingly enough.

      I'm looking forward to The Vampire's Lair. I feel an urge to visit the sites of those old Fantasy shops in Derby, Nottingham and Stoke I went to in the mid 80s when trying to find the original.

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    3. I'm with you on the Downs-Lord books, Andy, and another personal favourite is Babylondon. But let's face it, they're all great.

      I wasn't thinking of a specific Nigel Kneale show (there are several) but actually that's much too obvious to be the kind of thing John would draw my attention to. More likely it would be a forgotten mid-'70s TV series scripted by somebody like Christopher Priest.

      If you find a talking head in Vulcan City, just imagine it with the voice of Peter Tuddenham. That's all I'm going to say.

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  2. I am aware that there is a convention called the "Innsmouth Literary Festival"...perhaps we could start a "Binscombe Literary Festival" Dave, Andy - I'm sure we could hire the back room at the Duke of Argyll?

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    1. I'd be up for that, John. A quick internet search shows that the only existing pub in real-world Binscombe is the Withies Inn, a fine old 16th century tavern, but I suspect if the Duke of Argyll is modelled on any actual pub it would be The Cricketers in nearby Farncombe. I've drunk in both and can recommend them, and the Cricketers has a "library" snug that can be hired. However, I would warn all who are coming that Mr Whitbourn would almost certainly (and quite rightly) refuse to admit he knows us.

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    2. That sounds like a great idea, both. Maybe it could start in the Withies and end in The Cricketers, taking in any other taverns along the way (purely for research purposes you understand). Perhaps in a future year it could be extended into a road trip to include the Long Man Inn. We'll have to wait about 15 years to include any pub near Triffid Alley of course.

      I note that the original owner of The Cricketers was Julius Caesar. Although not THAT Julius Caesar, I suggest the convention's terms of reference make clear all Kenneth Williams impressions are banned.

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    3. As it happens, Andy, Roz and I were married by Julio Caesar (a Mexican judge, not the publican nor the politician) so I see a theme developing. I'm all for the plan, although disappointingly I don't think there are any pubs between the Withies and the Cricketers. We can make up for that by ending with a couple of lagers and a curry at the Rajasthan.

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    4. We'd need to end it with that John Carpenter film night, Dave. And did you ever read John Christopher's 'The Tripods' by the way?

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    5. Not yet, Andy. it's there on my to-read pile... but the need to get Jewelspider finished means the pile isn't going down very fast these days.

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