S3E16 Oracles for Role-Playing Games

In this podcast episode, we look at Oracles for role-playing games. Oracles are a kind of random generator popularized by solo RPGs like Ironsworn and the Mythic Game Master Simulator. However the idea of oracles - in which you role some dice to determine a course of action or inspire some aspect of your game - have been around since the hobby's earliest days. We talk about those early inspirations, how you can leverage oracles in your own game, and how to create your own campaign-specific random tables. We're joined on this podcast by Chris Miller, Former Overlord of the Secret Lair, coding guru, and man least likely to be eaten by a grue. Before talking Oracles, we discuss the various video and role-playing games we're playing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1CIucTeW1k The Game Room Back to Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is out. Ken’s still catching up on the last one. Starting Shadows of Doubt Created by British developer Colepowered Games Savage Amber and Savage Dresden Chris created Savage Worlds versions of Amber and the Dresden Files. Not licensed; these are fan creations for your geeky enjoyment Godsend Agenda 3rd edition David got his copy of Godsend Agenda 3rd Edition It's not your typical mythology. Learn more by checking out S2E7 Godsend Agenda Guardians of the Galaxy video game David finished the game ... and enjoyed it quite a lot. The Library Cory Doctorow Novel-o-Rama Chris talks about his recent Doctorow readings. Main Topic: Oracles for Role-Playing Games What is an Oracle? “In Ironsworn, an oracle is anything which generates random results to help determine the outcome of a move, a detail in your world, and NPC action, or a narrative event.” - Ironsworn, p. 165. Dictionary.com: “(especially in ancient Greece) an utterance, often ambiguous or obscure, given by a priest or priestess at a shrine as the response of a god to an inquiry, also the agency or medium giving such responses.” In this case, the agent is the dice, and the deity is … well…you decide. Let’s call it Fate. The use of an oracle implies predestination, something is “supposed” to happen. Interesting, then, that consulting an oracle in RPGs is exactly the opposite, a specific decision of “random” chance so that the player need not decide. Oracles in Different Game Types Why use Oracles? Drawing inspiration from randomness Oracles in Solo games Solves for the blank page problem. Gives a channel for creativity to flow into. “Your ship has a critical issue,” causes the creative mind to try to solve the issue, or at least define it. Game specific mechanisms Thousand Year Vampire - using playing cards and dice Be Like a Crow - playing cards Ironsworn - all dice Converted games, MythicRPG, OracleRPG - oracles, tech tools, AI Oracles in Co-op games Oracles in Traditional, Game Master-driven games You cannot plan everything Two ways to use in GM games Spur of the moment in game - implied common usage Supplement planning, even wandering monsters. - This gives the GM’s brain a break, since wandering and random encounters are a staple of some games’ module writing. Specifics Oldest oracle we could find: D&D White Box Monsters and Treasures DMs screens Player-generated Tables! So many! The internet is amazing! Random Generators Random Tools we Have Known Dungeons & Dragons Monster & Treasure Assortment Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Masters Guide Specifically, the random dungeon generator in the first edition There have been oracles for D&D as long as there has been an internet. See textfiles.com/rpg/ Many online resources Donjon Perchance - create your own oracles Katans and Trenchcoats - old school World of Darkness Creating an Oracle How to create your own oracles and not feel like you are cheating/lazy ChaptGPT is helpful, but terrible at math Understanding the Bell Curve and Probability – a deep rabbit hole indeed Straight numbers lead to very random things More dice can mean more of a theme Oracles that remember Weather Oracles Wilderness Survival Guide. pp. 108-109 Winging it Other Ideas Bluebooking and Oracles Combining oracles from different games Oracle Resources Resources Oracle RPG Solo DM Guide Part 3 – ChatGPT As Assistant AI Dungeon Master Reddit: Some people prefer other tools for solo roleplaying over traditional oracles Augmented Reality: The Holistic City Kit for cyberpunk games Feedback We love feedback! You post a comment below or connect with us using these channels: Email Discord DiceCamp (Mastodon) Twitter Twitch