Tonights session went very well, with 3 of the 4 characters leveling.
The Paladin, Cleric and Ranger are trying very hard to convert the Half-Elf (Drow) Rogue to convert, but she seems bound and determined to hone her skills at killing.
The PCs have started the investigation of the Redbrand hideout, funny enough, they are not searching anything yet, lol.
They have missed so much stuff...
The Rogue has her own special move, jump on the opponents head and start stabbing. EVERY time she does this she rolls 18+ to hit on the grapple, then 16+ to attack (those are the actual die rolls...), so now the Ranger is copying her, LOL.
<spoilers here>
The Rogue found the pit trap, the hard way, the Paladin and Ranger both took the side ledges, with the Fighter almost falling into the pit.
The Cleric just jumped it, LOL, seemed like the first roll she made since the beginning that actually succeeded!
As far as investigation is concerned, they cleared the back room by the cistern in room 1, leaving one of the bad guys tied to the bunk, and killed the skeletons.
Next session they should be able to finish the dungeon, or at least face the Nothic and the Goblins.
Showing posts with label DungeonMaster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DungeonMaster. Show all posts
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Sunday, November 16, 2014
SAT D&D Lost Mine of Phandelver pt II
Second session of The Lost Mine of Phandelver, still in awe that people are finding this hard, yes, I do provide some insight to my players; this is the first game my wife has played since 2004 or so, and the first game for the 3 younger players (ages 10, 12 and 14).
Having a great amount of fun, I believe I will be picking up Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat also.
Synopsis (with vague spoilers) follows...
Continuing where we left off, the PCs were able to sneak up to the next cave, wherein there were 3 Goblins.
The cave with the twin pools went quickly, Ranger taking down one of the Goblins and the Rogue taking down another, before the 3rd one could run and warn Klarg, he was dead also.
And "Nubs," as he had been named by the party, was dispatched here also.
Charging into the next room, the party finally met Klarg.
The goblins and wolf charged forward attacking the Paladin and Rogue, Klargs javelin barely missing the Paladin.
The Ranger took her first shot at Klarg, who then charged in as one of the Goblins attacking the Rogue fell, Klarg killing the other with a surprising fail. Through acrobatic skill the Rogue leaped atop his shoulders and plunged her dagger into his neck, ending his reign of banditry, and garnering much respect from her comrades.
The wolf followed quickly, before it had a chance to run.
From there, the group went down to the last cavern, and showing tactical skill beyond their years, sent the rogue up ahead to scout.
After reporting back, it was decided that the two elves would take shots at the goblins and then the Paladin would charge in.
A killing blow to the leader from the rogue, and another to a normal goblin from the ranger, followed by a charge and kill by the Paladin, and finally a Guiding Bolt from the Cleric, left a mere 2 goblin survivors at the end of the first combat round.
They surrendered and were taken prisoner.
At this point, the party freed Sildar, loaded up the crates and treasure, and headed off to Phandalin, delivering their goods, turning in the goblins for a bounty, and returning the missing goods to the other service in town.
They have heard a few rumors regarding the Redbrands and the Black Spider, next week will be the next morning, their first morning in Phandalin.
Having a great amount of fun, I believe I will be picking up Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat also.
Synopsis (with vague spoilers) follows...
Continuing where we left off, the PCs were able to sneak up to the next cave, wherein there were 3 Goblins.
The cave with the twin pools went quickly, Ranger taking down one of the Goblins and the Rogue taking down another, before the 3rd one could run and warn Klarg, he was dead also.
And "Nubs," as he had been named by the party, was dispatched here also.
Charging into the next room, the party finally met Klarg.
The goblins and wolf charged forward attacking the Paladin and Rogue, Klargs javelin barely missing the Paladin.
The Ranger took her first shot at Klarg, who then charged in as one of the Goblins attacking the Rogue fell, Klarg killing the other with a surprising fail. Through acrobatic skill the Rogue leaped atop his shoulders and plunged her dagger into his neck, ending his reign of banditry, and garnering much respect from her comrades.
The wolf followed quickly, before it had a chance to run.
From there, the group went down to the last cavern, and showing tactical skill beyond their years, sent the rogue up ahead to scout.
After reporting back, it was decided that the two elves would take shots at the goblins and then the Paladin would charge in.
A killing blow to the leader from the rogue, and another to a normal goblin from the ranger, followed by a charge and kill by the Paladin, and finally a Guiding Bolt from the Cleric, left a mere 2 goblin survivors at the end of the first combat round.
They surrendered and were taken prisoner.
At this point, the party freed Sildar, loaded up the crates and treasure, and headed off to Phandalin, delivering their goods, turning in the goblins for a bounty, and returning the missing goods to the other service in town.
They have heard a few rumors regarding the Redbrands and the Black Spider, next week will be the next morning, their first morning in Phandalin.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
GM Notes: D&D Encounter Building
Okay, getting very used to the system, running a game on Friday and Saturday nights.
During the last couple of sessions I have come to realize that the Encounter Building system from the basic rules just does not seem right to me.
For the rules, reference the DM basic rules pdf.
According to that document, the 30 Skeletons, 3 Spectres and 2 Wights the Friday night group is up against is going to slaughter them...halfway through the battle and it is a tough fight, but the PCs are holding their own, next session will finish the battle and we will see what happens.
Overall, at this point I see them winning, minimal losses.
Breaking it down, the encounter building XP, according to the above document, would be 14,000, 35 times the deadly encounter XP allotment. Without the multiplier of x4 (for "horde"), the total XP would only be 3,500; still a "Deadly" encounter.
But if you look at it more in line with the way things were normally done in 1st/2nd edition, we get a little idea.
1st/2nd edition, hereafter AD&D, the method I used was total party level (TPL) = approx total HD of encounter with single creatures no more than 2-3 HD higher than highest level PC.
The TPL of the current group is 17. When I total up the CR of all the creatures involved in the battle we get 6 (2 Wights, CR3) + 7.5 (30 Skeletons, CR1/4) + 3 (3 Spectres, CR1) = 16.5 Total CR.
That seems about right if you look at the old way of doing things.
For comparison, tonights game had two encounters, the first with TPL of 4 (2nd lvl PC + 2 1st lvl PCs) vs a Carrion Crawler (CR2). PCs won with a decent battle.
The second encounter was TPL 2 (2 1st level PCs) vs 4 Cockatrice (total CR2), and the battle was perfect challenge for the 1st lvl Rogue and Ranger.
Both encounters tonight were straight up fights, nothing fancy.
The encounter XP for tonight's first battle, according to the DM Basic Rules, would have been 450, a "Deadly" encounter, for the second battle it would have been 400 XP (200 total XP x2 for 4 creatures), still double the "Deadly" level for 2 1st level characters.
I can argue that the Friday night group is way more experienced, used tactical considerations (cover, for example) and had the benefit of 2 Wizards, a Cleric, and some healing potions.
But tonight's group consisted of my wife (who has not played in years), my 12 yr old (2nd time playing an RPG) and my 10 yr old (also 2nd time playing an RPG). They did not use cover, or disengage options to move to long range, they stood and fought for both encounters; classes being Cleric, Rogue and Ranger; and they were able to mop up pretty well.
For the forseeable future, I will be using the old method of creating encounters, I will share my results here, stay tuned...
During the last couple of sessions I have come to realize that the Encounter Building system from the basic rules just does not seem right to me.
For the rules, reference the DM basic rules pdf.
According to that document, the 30 Skeletons, 3 Spectres and 2 Wights the Friday night group is up against is going to slaughter them...halfway through the battle and it is a tough fight, but the PCs are holding their own, next session will finish the battle and we will see what happens.
Overall, at this point I see them winning, minimal losses.
Breaking it down, the encounter building XP, according to the above document, would be 14,000, 35 times the deadly encounter XP allotment. Without the multiplier of x4 (for "horde"), the total XP would only be 3,500; still a "Deadly" encounter.
But if you look at it more in line with the way things were normally done in 1st/2nd edition, we get a little idea.
1st/2nd edition, hereafter AD&D, the method I used was total party level (TPL) = approx total HD of encounter with single creatures no more than 2-3 HD higher than highest level PC.
The TPL of the current group is 17. When I total up the CR of all the creatures involved in the battle we get 6 (2 Wights, CR3) + 7.5 (30 Skeletons, CR1/4) + 3 (3 Spectres, CR1) = 16.5 Total CR.
That seems about right if you look at the old way of doing things.
For comparison, tonights game had two encounters, the first with TPL of 4 (2nd lvl PC + 2 1st lvl PCs) vs a Carrion Crawler (CR2). PCs won with a decent battle.
The second encounter was TPL 2 (2 1st level PCs) vs 4 Cockatrice (total CR2), and the battle was perfect challenge for the 1st lvl Rogue and Ranger.
Both encounters tonight were straight up fights, nothing fancy.
The encounter XP for tonight's first battle, according to the DM Basic Rules, would have been 450, a "Deadly" encounter, for the second battle it would have been 400 XP (200 total XP x2 for 4 creatures), still double the "Deadly" level for 2 1st level characters.
I can argue that the Friday night group is way more experienced, used tactical considerations (cover, for example) and had the benefit of 2 Wizards, a Cleric, and some healing potions.
But tonight's group consisted of my wife (who has not played in years), my 12 yr old (2nd time playing an RPG) and my 10 yr old (also 2nd time playing an RPG). They did not use cover, or disengage options to move to long range, they stood and fought for both encounters; classes being Cleric, Rogue and Ranger; and they were able to mop up pretty well.
For the forseeable future, I will be using the old method of creating encounters, I will share my results here, stay tuned...
Monday, September 15, 2014
Attitudes in Gaming: DM/GM Responsibility
I have noticed an interesting attitude from some gamers, that the GM of the game is there to entertain the players and make sure they have a good time...even if it means the GM does not.
Role-Playing Games are just that, GAMES.
Games are a form of play, and therefore meant to be fun, for everybody involved, the GM included.
If a GM wants to run a horror game, and the players want to play a comedy game, then it should not be up to the GM to change their style of play to fit their players if they will not have fun running a comedy.
This does lead to only a few choices
The GM decides the story elements, works constantly on encounters, treasure/loot, NPCs, voices and making sure there is enough paper, books, dice and pencils for the players in case someone forgets something.
From my players I expect them to show up on time, voice any major concerns they may have, and participate in the game.
As a player, I expect the GM to fairly interpret the rules of the game, and not obviously railroad the players into something.
I do not feel it is any single persons job to make sure that everyone at the table is entertained, or that the story is good, I feel it is the responsibility of every person at that table to encourage the fun, in the spirit it is presented in.
As a GM, I spend most of my free time working on encounters that will be challenging, fun and vaguely survivable, researching rules and making sure everything is ready for the next session.
Mapping, writing descriptions, creating NPCs, writing plot points, reviewing previous notes to tie things together, going over character sheets to make sure the PCs have the appropriate skills, changing encounters because PCs do not have the appropriate skills, etc.
On top of that, we are the primary focus of the players. We are expected to entertain, use funny voices, provide pacing and fair rule judgments as well as not (obviously) railroad our players.
Over the past few years I have seen more and more people state that it is the GMs "job" to provide entertainment.
No.
This is not my "job." This is my hobby. This is (supposed to be) my fun time.
GMs are not slaves to the players to accommodate their every whim and fancy. GMs are players who do not get to kill the big bad. GMs are players who do not get to grow a personality from a bunch of mere stats on paper. GMs do not get to tell the glorious tales of how their character, alone and afraid, overcame the odds and became a hero.
No. GMs get to be beaten down and looted, tricked and insulted, left to die or banished back to the bowels of hell from which they came to destroy the world they created.
I am a GM, a referee, not a player. Not your personal RPG slave or lackey.
I posit that the players are there to entertain each other, but within the confines of the rules set forth by the GM.
The GM gets to use the information they have been working on, the players get to have fun overcoming challenges, and the game goes on.
If you want someone to entertain you, without doing anything yourself, go to a comedy club, or watch TV...but that is not what RPGs are about.
Role-Playing Games are just that, GAMES.
Games are a form of play, and therefore meant to be fun, for everybody involved, the GM included.
If a GM wants to run a horror game, and the players want to play a comedy game, then it should not be up to the GM to change their style of play to fit their players if they will not have fun running a comedy.
This does lead to only a few choices
- The GM can run the comedy game and not have fun
- The GM can run the horror game and not have fun because the players are not having fun
- The GM can find other players
- The players can find another GM
The GM decides the story elements, works constantly on encounters, treasure/loot, NPCs, voices and making sure there is enough paper, books, dice and pencils for the players in case someone forgets something.
From my players I expect them to show up on time, voice any major concerns they may have, and participate in the game.
As a player, I expect the GM to fairly interpret the rules of the game, and not obviously railroad the players into something.
I do not feel it is any single persons job to make sure that everyone at the table is entertained, or that the story is good, I feel it is the responsibility of every person at that table to encourage the fun, in the spirit it is presented in.
As a GM, I spend most of my free time working on encounters that will be challenging, fun and vaguely survivable, researching rules and making sure everything is ready for the next session.
Mapping, writing descriptions, creating NPCs, writing plot points, reviewing previous notes to tie things together, going over character sheets to make sure the PCs have the appropriate skills, changing encounters because PCs do not have the appropriate skills, etc.
On top of that, we are the primary focus of the players. We are expected to entertain, use funny voices, provide pacing and fair rule judgments as well as not (obviously) railroad our players.
Over the past few years I have seen more and more people state that it is the GMs "job" to provide entertainment.
No.
This is not my "job." This is my hobby. This is (supposed to be) my fun time.
GMs are not slaves to the players to accommodate their every whim and fancy. GMs are players who do not get to kill the big bad. GMs are players who do not get to grow a personality from a bunch of mere stats on paper. GMs do not get to tell the glorious tales of how their character, alone and afraid, overcame the odds and became a hero.
No. GMs get to be beaten down and looted, tricked and insulted, left to die or banished back to the bowels of hell from which they came to destroy the world they created.
I am a GM, a referee, not a player. Not your personal RPG slave or lackey.
I posit that the players are there to entertain each other, but within the confines of the rules set forth by the GM.
The GM gets to use the information they have been working on, the players get to have fun overcoming challenges, and the game goes on.
If you want someone to entertain you, without doing anything yourself, go to a comedy club, or watch TV...but that is not what RPGs are about.
Tuesday, September 9, 2014
GM Notes: Checking the Poles in Dungeons & Dragons
Lately there have been many discussions on Alignment in the various groups that I attend, facebook, tabletop and general talk with other gamers.
At some point in discussing the Alignment system of D&D (all incarnations) someone pipes in about how <insert Hitler, Mao, Stalin, etc> could be viewed as Lawful Good, and then speaks about how they saw themselves and how they thought or felt like they were doing the right thing, etc
This is rubbish.
In D&D, Alignment is more than just how you view what you do. It is a manifestation of cosmic forces. Lawful, Chaotic, Good and Evil are present in the universe and represent absolutes.
A Lawful character, or creature, believes in order and fights against the forces of Chaos. Likewise, a Good character or creature, believes in others over self and fights against the forces of Evil.
Notice the use of capital letters. There is a difference here between good and Good, lawful and Lawful, they are pronouns, they are named Forces that manifest in the universe at large.
I can go on for lengths of time regarding how the Empire from Star Wars was a Lawful Good society, sometimes it can be fun to argue that, but everytime I do, I have to admit to myself that it is complete and utter balderdash.
Yes, the Empire brought about Order, yes, that makes them Lawful. But the Emperor, and Vader, were Evil. They were power hungry despots that had not a care in the world for who they destroyed, as long as they were on top.
The Rebellion, honestly, was also Lawful. They believed in Order, but they were also founded on principles of Good. Fair people, and fair laws, must be the rule, and differences should be handled with discussion and compromise.
Again, these are universal, cosmic, definitions. Not definitions imposed by a single person, their friends/enemies, or society.
At the basic level, a lawful person obeys the laws of the land, a Lawful person instinctively strives towards order and away from Chaos without really understanding, or even caring, why, it is "right" to them while Chaos is just fundamentally "wrong," even alien in their thinking.
In the real world, Evil may not realize it is evil, but in the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons, it knows what it is, it embraces what it is, in order to act good, it has to force itself. And the same goes for Good, Lawful and Chaotic also.
One of the major aspects that separate Fantasy from other genre is the fact that these cosmic forces are there in the world, tangible, definitive and absolute. Evil creatures destroy because they are Evil, Good creatures protect others, because they are Good. There needs to be no other reason.
Science Fiction, and our real world, have come to view good and evil as merely gray areas instead of the black and white that is presented in the Fantasy genre. Evil is a term used by the other side that believes itself to be Good, and the other side feels exactly the same. Both sides cannot be Good, one side has to be Evil, or both sides have to be Evil, because if both sides were Good, there would be no conflict.
As someone who goes from game to game, genre to genre, I get where things can become clouded and grey-areas may pop up. But there is a huge difference in the fantasy genre were "Humans are Evil says the Orc from his perspective" and "Orcs are Evil, because that is their cosmic alignment."
I am speaking in generalizations, not ALL Orcs are Evil, not ALL Dwarves are Lawful, those that stray from their racial alignment are outcasts (like Drizz't from R.A. Salvatore's novels), and will invariably end up killed by their own kind, exiled, or self-outcast from their race.
I feel like I am starting to ramble and type ad nausea at this point, so I will end it here.
For those that skipped to the end for the final statement: Law, Chaos, Good and Evil are presented as cosmic absolutes in the game Dungeons & Dragons. They are black and white, there are no "grey areas."
Last thought: "What about Neutrals?"
They just have not picked a side yet.
 |
| Hitler, Stalin and Mao |
This is rubbish.
In D&D, Alignment is more than just how you view what you do. It is a manifestation of cosmic forces. Lawful, Chaotic, Good and Evil are present in the universe and represent absolutes.
A Lawful character, or creature, believes in order and fights against the forces of Chaos. Likewise, a Good character or creature, believes in others over self and fights against the forces of Evil.
Notice the use of capital letters. There is a difference here between good and Good, lawful and Lawful, they are pronouns, they are named Forces that manifest in the universe at large.
I can go on for lengths of time regarding how the Empire from Star Wars was a Lawful Good society, sometimes it can be fun to argue that, but everytime I do, I have to admit to myself that it is complete and utter balderdash.
Yes, the Empire brought about Order, yes, that makes them Lawful. But the Emperor, and Vader, were Evil. They were power hungry despots that had not a care in the world for who they destroyed, as long as they were on top.
The Rebellion, honestly, was also Lawful. They believed in Order, but they were also founded on principles of Good. Fair people, and fair laws, must be the rule, and differences should be handled with discussion and compromise.
Again, these are universal, cosmic, definitions. Not definitions imposed by a single person, their friends/enemies, or society.
At the basic level, a lawful person obeys the laws of the land, a Lawful person instinctively strives towards order and away from Chaos without really understanding, or even caring, why, it is "right" to them while Chaos is just fundamentally "wrong," even alien in their thinking.
 |
| Classic Good vs Evil |
One of the major aspects that separate Fantasy from other genre is the fact that these cosmic forces are there in the world, tangible, definitive and absolute. Evil creatures destroy because they are Evil, Good creatures protect others, because they are Good. There needs to be no other reason.
Science Fiction, and our real world, have come to view good and evil as merely gray areas instead of the black and white that is presented in the Fantasy genre. Evil is a term used by the other side that believes itself to be Good, and the other side feels exactly the same. Both sides cannot be Good, one side has to be Evil, or both sides have to be Evil, because if both sides were Good, there would be no conflict.
As someone who goes from game to game, genre to genre, I get where things can become clouded and grey-areas may pop up. But there is a huge difference in the fantasy genre were "Humans are Evil says the Orc from his perspective" and "Orcs are Evil, because that is their cosmic alignment."
I am speaking in generalizations, not ALL Orcs are Evil, not ALL Dwarves are Lawful, those that stray from their racial alignment are outcasts (like Drizz't from R.A. Salvatore's novels), and will invariably end up killed by their own kind, exiled, or self-outcast from their race.
I feel like I am starting to ramble and type ad nausea at this point, so I will end it here.
For those that skipped to the end for the final statement: Law, Chaos, Good and Evil are presented as cosmic absolutes in the game Dungeons & Dragons. They are black and white, there are no "grey areas."
Last thought: "What about Neutrals?"
They just have not picked a side yet.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
RPGaDay 19: Favorite Published Adventure
Since I do not (normally) use published adventures, I cannot provide a favorite, but I will talk about some of the ones I have read through, or used for inspiration.
Most of my module inspiration comes from the news, or a song, something I want to introduce, or something going on that I am thinking of, sometimes it changes mid-story arc in order to fit in with what the PCs are doing.
For example, I started working on a BPN (adventure/mission) for SLA Industries that would have the PCs tracking down a civilian that was taking advantage of the welfare system, essentially tripling his benefits.
During this time there was something in the news regarding people having multiple lifeline cellphones, people taking advantage of disability claims and also people getting more food benefits than they should because they were not declaring their incomes properly.
When the Ravenloft boxed set was released and the Loupe Garou detailed, I took that opportunity to introduce my players to the setting. It started off simply enough, find out what is killing the local cattle...with fire.
The bad guy was a Loupe Garou/Wizard that was trying to find a way into Ravenloft to become a lord of a domain. He succeeded in opening the portal and the brave heroes charged in after him. Was a great amount of fun, and introduced the players to Ravenloft in a "not go against Strahd" way.
Another SLA Industries campaign I based the BPNs and downtime stories on Duran Duran's Greatest Hits album. That was a super fun campaign, one of the longest I have had the chance to run.
Basically, you can find inspiration for your games anywhere, as long as you keep an eye out. We spend so much time driving from one place to another, or walking, or taking a bus, whatever, why not use that time to pick out interesting people or situations and turn them into stories for the games we play?
Have fun and game on!
- Ilse of Dread - an oldie but goodie. One of the first modules I owned. A D&D "Jurrassic Park" style adventure. If I remember correctly we were halfway across the island before we were killed by Rakshasa.
- Castle Greyhawk - interesting adventure, the party can easily become side-tracked. There are some serious traps in this one from my recollection.
- Keep on the Borderlands - how can one not list this one? Most of us older players have been through the goblin caves, maybe even died once or twice on this one.
- Desert of Desolation series - LOVE IT! Especially the scorpion-man battle!
Most of my module inspiration comes from the news, or a song, something I want to introduce, or something going on that I am thinking of, sometimes it changes mid-story arc in order to fit in with what the PCs are doing.
For example, I started working on a BPN (adventure/mission) for SLA Industries that would have the PCs tracking down a civilian that was taking advantage of the welfare system, essentially tripling his benefits.
During this time there was something in the news regarding people having multiple lifeline cellphones, people taking advantage of disability claims and also people getting more food benefits than they should because they were not declaring their incomes properly.
When the Ravenloft boxed set was released and the Loupe Garou detailed, I took that opportunity to introduce my players to the setting. It started off simply enough, find out what is killing the local cattle...with fire.
The bad guy was a Loupe Garou/Wizard that was trying to find a way into Ravenloft to become a lord of a domain. He succeeded in opening the portal and the brave heroes charged in after him. Was a great amount of fun, and introduced the players to Ravenloft in a "not go against Strahd" way.
Another SLA Industries campaign I based the BPNs and downtime stories on Duran Duran's Greatest Hits album. That was a super fun campaign, one of the longest I have had the chance to run.
Basically, you can find inspiration for your games anywhere, as long as you keep an eye out. We spend so much time driving from one place to another, or walking, or taking a bus, whatever, why not use that time to pick out interesting people or situations and turn them into stories for the games we play?
Have fun and game on!
Saturday, August 16, 2014
RPGaDay 16: Game You Wish You Owned
Interesting question, with different answers depending on context. Game I wish I owned the rights to, or game I do not have that I wish I did?
Definitely not sure about the first context. While there are games I am completely inspired to write for, owning the games themselves would be problematic. For one, I do not have the ability, or time, to devote to owning a games IP and keep it going. On another note, my biggest gamer love is SLA Industries, and while I have a ton of ideas for it, the game has a particular story, and that story belongs to Dave Allsop, the originator of the setting.
For the second interpretation of the question, there are many games that I have sold or given away that I wish I still had.
7th Sea, Deadlands, Shadowrun, and many others.
At this moment in time, I want the D&D 5th edition books. I absolutely love what they have done with the system. The changes bring the game into the current age and at the same time take you back to the Basic through 2nd edition AD&D feel of the game. Back to the heart of Role-Playing, classes, levels and dungeon delving.
To be completely honest, I am mostly unaware of games on the market outside of the few that I have, and those are mostly out of print.
For the games I am aware of, that I do not have, Iron Kingdoms, Victoriana and Rocket Age all look like something I could sink my teeth into. Somewhere out there, is a game based off of old 70s movies that I want to get my hands on also.
Feel free to comment with a game I might want to check out.
Definitely not sure about the first context. While there are games I am completely inspired to write for, owning the games themselves would be problematic. For one, I do not have the ability, or time, to devote to owning a games IP and keep it going. On another note, my biggest gamer love is SLA Industries, and while I have a ton of ideas for it, the game has a particular story, and that story belongs to Dave Allsop, the originator of the setting.
For the second interpretation of the question, there are many games that I have sold or given away that I wish I still had.
7th Sea, Deadlands, Shadowrun, and many others.
At this moment in time, I want the D&D 5th edition books. I absolutely love what they have done with the system. The changes bring the game into the current age and at the same time take you back to the Basic through 2nd edition AD&D feel of the game. Back to the heart of Role-Playing, classes, levels and dungeon delving.
To be completely honest, I am mostly unaware of games on the market outside of the few that I have, and those are mostly out of print.
For the games I am aware of, that I do not have, Iron Kingdoms, Victoriana and Rocket Age all look like something I could sink my teeth into. Somewhere out there, is a game based off of old 70s movies that I want to get my hands on also.
Feel free to comment with a game I might want to check out.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
RPGaDay 13: Most Memorable Character Death
Over the years there have been untold amounts of character deaths, so many that focusing on a single event is hard to do.
There was the Thief in Ravenloft that sacrificed himself for his Paladin friend so the Paladin and his betrothed could escape.
There was the Paladin being killed by his betrothed shortly after because he went berserk when his friend died, killing off the foe in Ravenloft, and then, beset by grief attempted suicide, multiple times. The Paladin thought he had lost his Paladinhood and was trying to commit suicide (he had not, his powers had faded a bit because he was in Ravenloft, unfortunately, with attempting suicide he did lose his Paladinhood).
There was the 12yr old boy in SLA Industries that sacrificed himself so his friends from the orphanage could live. (There were other ways out.)
In a D&D game the PCs threw a lavish funeral for Timmy. An NPC boy of 13 who wanted to be a fighter and protect his village, only to be killed when the village was set upon by a pack of werewolves, leading the party into a revenge-war vs the werewolf pack.
One time, in a Vampire LARP the following conversation took place:
Me: Hey man, I am sorry I diablerized your quadriplegic character
Him: My character wasn't a quadriplegic...
Me: He was when I diablerized him.
Over the past 30 years, there have been so many, lol. No, you do not hear about my characters dying, because I mostly GM.
The first character I ever played, he died, viciously choked to death, by the DM character that was traveling with us, because the DM did not want me playing (I was 9 or 10 IIRC).
There seems to be a point, where if I think hard enough, I can remember each and every death in the games I have run. I try to make the characters significant enough that if they die, we can remember why they died.
Some were just bad decisions, like trying to cross the street during a firefight. Some were bad luck, following a van full of terrorists on a hover board.
All were memorable in some way.
There was the Thief in Ravenloft that sacrificed himself for his Paladin friend so the Paladin and his betrothed could escape.
There was the Paladin being killed by his betrothed shortly after because he went berserk when his friend died, killing off the foe in Ravenloft, and then, beset by grief attempted suicide, multiple times. The Paladin thought he had lost his Paladinhood and was trying to commit suicide (he had not, his powers had faded a bit because he was in Ravenloft, unfortunately, with attempting suicide he did lose his Paladinhood).
There was the 12yr old boy in SLA Industries that sacrificed himself so his friends from the orphanage could live. (There were other ways out.)
In a D&D game the PCs threw a lavish funeral for Timmy. An NPC boy of 13 who wanted to be a fighter and protect his village, only to be killed when the village was set upon by a pack of werewolves, leading the party into a revenge-war vs the werewolf pack.
One time, in a Vampire LARP the following conversation took place:
Me: Hey man, I am sorry I diablerized your quadriplegic character
Him: My character wasn't a quadriplegic...
Me: He was when I diablerized him.
Over the past 30 years, there have been so many, lol. No, you do not hear about my characters dying, because I mostly GM.
The first character I ever played, he died, viciously choked to death, by the DM character that was traveling with us, because the DM did not want me playing (I was 9 or 10 IIRC).
There seems to be a point, where if I think hard enough, I can remember each and every death in the games I have run. I try to make the characters significant enough that if they die, we can remember why they died.
Some were just bad decisions, like trying to cross the street during a firefight. Some were bad luck, following a van full of terrorists on a hover board.
All were memorable in some way.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
RPGaDay10: Favorite Tie-In Novel/Game Fiction
I love the fiction in most games, it seems to add a quick break while reading the rules and at the same time provides a look into the vision that the creators of the game have for it.
Vampire, SLA Industries, Star Wars (WEG) and Talislanta would not be the games they are without the fiction in the pages of the books.
As far as novels go, I did really enjoy the Dark Elf and Icewindale trilogies from RA Salvatore. Those were, however, the only truly gaming related fiction I ever read.
I read the Xanth books, the Shannara series, the Complete Book of Swords and many other non-game related books that have a distinct effect on the games I run, but they do not qualify for the tie-in.
While I feel that the fiction is important, I do prefer either the flash fiction or the short stories in the gaming books over a full-blown novel. My attention is on the game, my players and my NPCs and I try to stay focused on that. Also, I would much rather produce ideas from the books themselves than novels related to the game.
Vampire, SLA Industries, Star Wars (WEG) and Talislanta would not be the games they are without the fiction in the pages of the books.
As far as novels go, I did really enjoy the Dark Elf and Icewindale trilogies from RA Salvatore. Those were, however, the only truly gaming related fiction I ever read.
I read the Xanth books, the Shannara series, the Complete Book of Swords and many other non-game related books that have a distinct effect on the games I run, but they do not qualify for the tie-in.
While I feel that the fiction is important, I do prefer either the flash fiction or the short stories in the gaming books over a full-blown novel. My attention is on the game, my players and my NPCs and I try to stay focused on that. Also, I would much rather produce ideas from the books themselves than novels related to the game.
Saturday, August 9, 2014
RPGaDay9: Favorite Die/Dice Set
With multiple dice around, and various games requiring different types, I still find myself grabbing d10s and d6s for just about everything.
Goes to figure, my 3 favorite systems are WEGd6, SLA Industries (2d10) and Talislanta (d20).
I used to have a sizable collection of dice, and when Vampire was released I actually bought $10.00 worth of translucent orange d10s.
Over the years they have mostly disappeared, but I still have a few left.
My current favorites are my blue marblized d20, my black/silver marblized d10s and my white/black pip d6s (simple, easy to read, and cheap!).
My all time favorite dice: My Dice.
I cannot stand using other peoples dice. It has nothing to do with any type of superstition, or germs, or anything like that. I just like to bring my own dice. I feel it is my responsibility as a player/GM to come prepared to the game.
This includes: pencil, paper, book (if possible) and, above all, dice.
I also expect the same from my players/GMs. I hate having to loan out dice, that is why so many of my dice have gone missing over the years.
New players are an exception, I expect to provide them with anything they need to play. If they decide to continue with RPGs, they can get their own dice at that time.
Goes to figure, my 3 favorite systems are WEGd6, SLA Industries (2d10) and Talislanta (d20).
 |
| Different Dice |
Over the years they have mostly disappeared, but I still have a few left.
My current favorites are my blue marblized d20, my black/silver marblized d10s and my white/black pip d6s (simple, easy to read, and cheap!).
My all time favorite dice: My Dice.
I cannot stand using other peoples dice. It has nothing to do with any type of superstition, or germs, or anything like that. I just like to bring my own dice. I feel it is my responsibility as a player/GM to come prepared to the game.
This includes: pencil, paper, book (if possible) and, above all, dice.
I also expect the same from my players/GMs. I hate having to loan out dice, that is why so many of my dice have gone missing over the years.
New players are an exception, I expect to provide them with anything they need to play. If they decide to continue with RPGs, they can get their own dice at that time.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
RPGaDay6: Favorite RPG I Never Get to Play
Talislanta. Hands down.
Matter of fact, one of my favorite settings, that I have only played one time, ever, since 1989. With all the books being free online at www.talislanta.com, I would hope that somebody else would throw on the mantle and take us around the continent.
No clue what I would play, would be easier to list off the archetypes I would not want to play. With over 100 different character archetypes in 4th edition, or the character generation system in 5th edition, I am absolutely sure that I would find something.
I love the system. It is quick and simple, with plenty of room for gritty, horror, action/adventure or mystery play, but I am the only one to run it.
I have recently reached out to my gaming group to see if anyone else would like to run it, keeping my fingers crossed!
Talislanta, for those unfamiliar, is set in a world that has been ripped asunder (literally) by magical forces. It has been 600 years since history was starting to be rewritten, and adventure abounds!
The game lends itself well to sword and sorcery, dungeon crawls, exploration, horror, mercantile and even comedy adventures without losing spirit of the game.
The tagline is "Still No Elves!" A 20th anniversary shout out to the old ads in Shadis, White Wolf and Dragon magazines.
Talislanta was definitely a fore-runner in system elegance, with many of the systems mechanics showing directly in the d20 system from Wizards of the Coast. No surprise when you look at the names that worked on 3rd and 4th edition and the names in Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 books.
System-wise, Talislanta easily ranks in the Top 5 of my Top 10 favorite games of all time.
If you have never checked it out, I highly recommend it. Even if you decide that Talislanta is not your game, what you do find there is easily converted to other games.
I have used creatures from Talislanta in Star Frontiers, AD&D, Star Wars and SLA Industries, and each time, it was a wonderful experience.
If there is a drawback to the game, it is also its biggest feature: an alien setting without the normal fantasy races and structures that we are accustomed. Highly detailed, the game itself is presented as both an authoritative work on an alien world, and a game system.
So much to do, it is easy to become lost.
 |
| My fav Talislanta cover, 3rd edition |
No clue what I would play, would be easier to list off the archetypes I would not want to play. With over 100 different character archetypes in 4th edition, or the character generation system in 5th edition, I am absolutely sure that I would find something.
I love the system. It is quick and simple, with plenty of room for gritty, horror, action/adventure or mystery play, but I am the only one to run it.
I have recently reached out to my gaming group to see if anyone else would like to run it, keeping my fingers crossed!
Talislanta, for those unfamiliar, is set in a world that has been ripped asunder (literally) by magical forces. It has been 600 years since history was starting to be rewritten, and adventure abounds!
The game lends itself well to sword and sorcery, dungeon crawls, exploration, horror, mercantile and even comedy adventures without losing spirit of the game.
 |
| Talislanta ad, circa 1990 |
Talislanta was definitely a fore-runner in system elegance, with many of the systems mechanics showing directly in the d20 system from Wizards of the Coast. No surprise when you look at the names that worked on 3rd and 4th edition and the names in Dungeons and Dragons 3.0 books.
System-wise, Talislanta easily ranks in the Top 5 of my Top 10 favorite games of all time.
If you have never checked it out, I highly recommend it. Even if you decide that Talislanta is not your game, what you do find there is easily converted to other games.
I have used creatures from Talislanta in Star Frontiers, AD&D, Star Wars and SLA Industries, and each time, it was a wonderful experience.
If there is a drawback to the game, it is also its biggest feature: an alien setting without the normal fantasy races and structures that we are accustomed. Highly detailed, the game itself is presented as both an authoritative work on an alien world, and a game system.
So much to do, it is easy to become lost.
Monday, August 4, 2014
RPGaDay4: Most Recent RPG Purchase
With the release of Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, I just could not resist picking up the starter box. Not sure why, to be honest.
As well done as it is, there is not much in the box for me, except dice, I do like dice.
From the playtest I already have plenty of character sheets, and the basic rules are free for download at Wizards of the Coast.
With the purchase of the Starter Set you receive:
Fold out maps would have been nice, and it would have been a heck of a shoutout to ages past if the adventure module was done with the stiff cardstock cover, map on the inside.
Alas, that was not the case, but you can download map images here.
The set looks great to me, would have preferred a Greyhawk reboot, but Forgotten Realms is the popular one, and the company is there to make money, not to answer my every whim.
All-in-all, a good RPG purchase.
If you decide not to purchase the starter set, you can download it, minus adventure and dice, from Wizards of the Coast.
As well done as it is, there is not much in the box for me, except dice, I do like dice.From the playtest I already have plenty of character sheets, and the basic rules are free for download at Wizards of the Coast.
With the purchase of the Starter Set you receive:
- A rulebook covering character levels 1 through 5
- 5 pregen characters with character sheets and background/role-playing information
- 6 dice - d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20
Fold out maps would have been nice, and it would have been a heck of a shoutout to ages past if the adventure module was done with the stiff cardstock cover, map on the inside.
Alas, that was not the case, but you can download map images here.
The set looks great to me, would have preferred a Greyhawk reboot, but Forgotten Realms is the popular one, and the company is there to make money, not to answer my every whim.
All-in-all, a good RPG purchase.
If you decide not to purchase the starter set, you can download it, minus adventure and dice, from Wizards of the Coast.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
#RPGaDay August 2014
David Chapman from Autocratik posted this idea on his blog.
I love it, and am going to be posting my share through August.
As my time is pretty crazy, I will be writing these early and scheduling them for publication on the appropriate day.
Seems like great fun, indeed!
Make sure you visit his blog to get the details and we will see how many people we can get involved in this!
I love it, and am going to be posting my share through August.
As my time is pretty crazy, I will be writing these early and scheduling them for publication on the appropriate day.
Seems like great fun, indeed!
Make sure you visit his blog to get the details and we will see how many people we can get involved in this!
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
GM Notes: Dragons in the Dome
I was recently exposed to a review of the D&D 5th edition unboxing, and the biggest complaint the person had was in regards to the basic set not having enough monsters to last until the PHB or MM is released. This triggered an inquiry, how many monsters do you really need?
So I started thinking about the games I usually run:
- Talislanta: tons of beasties, but I mostly use the races as the badguys
- D&D: lots of monsters, but I tend to only use a few
- SLA Industries: Carriens, Carnivorous Pigs, Manchines...the occasional weird thing I make up or convert from somewhere else (occasional meaning approx once in 10 missions)
Then I started looking at games I used to run:
- Vampire: Humans, Werewolves, Mages
- Werewolf: Humans, Vampires, Mages, Werewolves, Spirits
- Mage: Humans, Vampires, Werewolves, Robots, Demons
- Blue Planet: the occasional Aborigine
- Star Frontiers: Sathar, the occasional alien creature
Am I just slacking as a GM?
I remember running a game of D&D where the big bad was a werewolf, and there were a few zombies; in another campaign the baddies were all orcs, a couple of wolves and a bear.
Another campaign I ran took place almost exclusively, around 80% of the campaign, was inside the city walls of Greyhawk, and even outside the city walls I vaguely remember a goblin patrol; and another the only non-PC race badguys were some trolls and deep dwarves.
I guess what I am trying to say here is pretty simple, you do not need a ton of creatures to make a fun campaign. Having 1000 different monsters available is not going to make a difference if you are only going to use 4 or 5 of them.
Also, it seems it would crowd the world.
Next time you create an adventure for your players, think about this: if the villain, or big bad, is not required to be a different monster, keep to something you already have. If you really, really want to use a particular monster, think about the ecology of the creature and how it will fit into your world as a whole, if there is one, there are bound to be more.
Looking through various forums and adventure modules it seems to me that people will use what is available without thinking about using what they need.
Do you really need an Illithid at the head of a Saughin cult of the squid god? Why not just use a regular Saughin, boost its power and give it some minor spell-casting ability? Otherwise, you are having to not only fit the Saughin into your campaign world, but also the Illithid.
Just some thoughts and rambles, enjoy your game.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
GM Notes: Omni Table to Difficulty Conversion
For decades, I have loved the simplicity of the Talislanta/Omni resolution system: d20+skill+stat+/-modifiers check table.
After a couple decades of running SLA Industries and D6 almost exclusively it seems that while wonderfully simple, it underwhelms me as a GM.
With SLA Industries and WEG d6, and to an extent almost all the games produced after 1990, the common resolution method has been: roll dice, add/subtract stuff vs a difficulty number.
Difficulty numbers are a very fast and easy method of resolution, so easy in fact, that even with all the different task resolution systems in existence, they almost all follow the same basic setup.
5 Easy
10 Skilled
15 Moderate
20 Difficult
25 Very Difficult
30 Impossible
(for D20 difficulty, basically add 10, some numbers have been averaged/fudged for convenience of illustrating the point over exact definitions)
For Talislanta/Omni resolution, it would basically seem to follow the same difficulty as d20, but what about the Partial, Full and Critical Success, not to mention Mishap ratings of the Omni Table? That is what really brings home variety in a game with static damage.
This is where things can get fun (and this would be easily portable to d20 also from what I have seen).
Raises, or Staging
One of the greatest things found in games like Shadowrun, World of Darkness, Deadlands, etc is the ability to do "extra" stuff depending on how well you roll, Talislanta/Omni reflect this with the Omni Table by having the above levels of success.
Sometimes this can be a bit tricky, or non-intuitive, to interpret. I prefer things to be straight forward and fast, the less time I spend interpreting the rules, the more time we all get to enjoy the game. But, I do love me some critical successes!
In keeping with the scaling above for difficulty, degrees of success would follow the same pattern. For example, if the difficulty of the task is 15 (10+5 for 'easy') and you roll a total of 25, you can see easily that you have 2 'Raises' (25-15=10, 10/5=2).
After that, it is just a matter of telling the story: "You pick the lock with blazing speed, not very many of the simple locks like that one around anymore."
For combat in the Omni system using this rule it still works.
Attacker Rating (skill+stat) = 6
Defender Rating (skill+stat) = 7
Attacker die roll = 15
Normal method: 15+(6-7)=14, a Success, normal damage is done
Difficulty method: 15+6 = 21 vs Defense of 17 (10+defenders rating), still a success, but more intuitively derived.
Okay, so what about higher levels?
Attacker Rating = 12
Defender Rating = 7
Attacker die roll = 20
Standard method, this would work out to a 25 (20+5), and be double damage.
Difficulty method: 20+12=32 vs Defense of 17, 15 higher than needed, so, 2 'Raises.'
Each 'Raise' could then be interpreted as:
a) additional +1 damage per raise (eww...that kinda sucks comparatively)
b) additional +DR of weapon (effectively double weapon damage before STR)
c) -1 Defender Defense per raise
d) a mixture of various effects
Let's look at d, because that sounds fun. The defender would take 2x weapon damage for the first raise, then also be at -2 defense on the next turn as he recovers from the shock of the blow, or is trying to hold his guts in, possibly even from hesitation thinking "Do I really want to stay and fight this guy?"
The good thing is, rolling a total over 20 is now useful, the bad thing though is the inevitable 'Death Spiral' for the defender.
"But what about the ability to successfully Parry/Evade in Omni??" you ask?
Simply a matter of perception.
Normal method is the defender will focus his action on defense and roll d20+rating and if the result is a Full Success or better, the Attacker does not even roll, Partial Success indicates that IF the attacker hits he will only do half damage.
Standard parries (ie passive) are taken into account with Defense Rating (10+ applicable skill), an 'Active Parry/Evade' would work in the following manner:
d20+Defense = opponents difficulty to hit.
Using the above Ratings, if the defender decided to Parry as an action before hand and rolled a 15, the total would have been 32, still would have been a hit, but just barely.
This works great for melee, but what about Ranged attacks?
Remember the #1 rule of ranged combat: take cover!
As mentioned, melee Defense is 10+skill rating, this is fine for fighting face to face and you can (hopefully) semi-predict your attackers moves, but at a distance you cannot tell where your attacker is aiming.
So, my current thought is that Defense against ranged attacks would only be your Evade skill (passive) or d20+Evade Rating for an 'Active Defense.'
Yes, people with guns and bows are a bit more dangerous than people with knives with this setup, but you have nothing to defend yourself with at range, and the attacker still has range penalties.
Just some thoughts going through my head, until next time, enjoy your game!
After a couple decades of running SLA Industries and D6 almost exclusively it seems that while wonderfully simple, it underwhelms me as a GM.
With SLA Industries and WEG d6, and to an extent almost all the games produced after 1990, the common resolution method has been: roll dice, add/subtract stuff vs a difficulty number.
Difficulty numbers are a very fast and easy method of resolution, so easy in fact, that even with all the different task resolution systems in existence, they almost all follow the same basic setup.
5 Easy
10 Skilled
15 Moderate
20 Difficult
25 Very Difficult
30 Impossible
(for D20 difficulty, basically add 10, some numbers have been averaged/fudged for convenience of illustrating the point over exact definitions)
For Talislanta/Omni resolution, it would basically seem to follow the same difficulty as d20, but what about the Partial, Full and Critical Success, not to mention Mishap ratings of the Omni Table? That is what really brings home variety in a game with static damage.
This is where things can get fun (and this would be easily portable to d20 also from what I have seen).
Raises, or Staging
One of the greatest things found in games like Shadowrun, World of Darkness, Deadlands, etc is the ability to do "extra" stuff depending on how well you roll, Talislanta/Omni reflect this with the Omni Table by having the above levels of success.
Sometimes this can be a bit tricky, or non-intuitive, to interpret. I prefer things to be straight forward and fast, the less time I spend interpreting the rules, the more time we all get to enjoy the game. But, I do love me some critical successes!
In keeping with the scaling above for difficulty, degrees of success would follow the same pattern. For example, if the difficulty of the task is 15 (10+5 for 'easy') and you roll a total of 25, you can see easily that you have 2 'Raises' (25-15=10, 10/5=2).
After that, it is just a matter of telling the story: "You pick the lock with blazing speed, not very many of the simple locks like that one around anymore."
For combat in the Omni system using this rule it still works.
Attacker Rating (skill+stat) = 6
Defender Rating (skill+stat) = 7
Attacker die roll = 15
Normal method: 15+(6-7)=14, a Success, normal damage is done
Difficulty method: 15+6 = 21 vs Defense of 17 (10+defenders rating), still a success, but more intuitively derived.
Okay, so what about higher levels?
Attacker Rating = 12
Defender Rating = 7
Attacker die roll = 20
Standard method, this would work out to a 25 (20+5), and be double damage.
Difficulty method: 20+12=32 vs Defense of 17, 15 higher than needed, so, 2 'Raises.'
Each 'Raise' could then be interpreted as:
a) additional +1 damage per raise (eww...that kinda sucks comparatively)
b) additional +DR of weapon (effectively double weapon damage before STR)
c) -1 Defender Defense per raise
d) a mixture of various effects
Let's look at d, because that sounds fun. The defender would take 2x weapon damage for the first raise, then also be at -2 defense on the next turn as he recovers from the shock of the blow, or is trying to hold his guts in, possibly even from hesitation thinking "Do I really want to stay and fight this guy?"
The good thing is, rolling a total over 20 is now useful, the bad thing though is the inevitable 'Death Spiral' for the defender.
"But what about the ability to successfully Parry/Evade in Omni??" you ask?
Simply a matter of perception.
Normal method is the defender will focus his action on defense and roll d20+rating and if the result is a Full Success or better, the Attacker does not even roll, Partial Success indicates that IF the attacker hits he will only do half damage.
Standard parries (ie passive) are taken into account with Defense Rating (10+ applicable skill), an 'Active Parry/Evade' would work in the following manner:
d20+Defense = opponents difficulty to hit.
Using the above Ratings, if the defender decided to Parry as an action before hand and rolled a 15, the total would have been 32, still would have been a hit, but just barely.
This works great for melee, but what about Ranged attacks?
Remember the #1 rule of ranged combat: take cover!
As mentioned, melee Defense is 10+skill rating, this is fine for fighting face to face and you can (hopefully) semi-predict your attackers moves, but at a distance you cannot tell where your attacker is aiming.
So, my current thought is that Defense against ranged attacks would only be your Evade skill (passive) or d20+Evade Rating for an 'Active Defense.'
Yes, people with guns and bows are a bit more dangerous than people with knives with this setup, but you have nothing to defend yourself with at range, and the attacker still has range penalties.
Just some thoughts going through my head, until next time, enjoy your game!
Saturday, June 14, 2014
Conversion Machine: D20 SRD spells to Talislanta 4th/5th ed Part II
In my last Conversion Machine, we looked at the differences between
Talislantan magic and D20 SRD (DnD) magic as it relates to the most
widely used spell, Magic Missile. We looked at converting the basics of
the spell into the Talislanta framework and also a direct conversion
that had to use Sorcery elements, making this magical staple into a very
hard to cast bee sting. This time, we continue with Magic Missile and
way to get not only the same sort of effect, but make it even more
powerful for our beginning Cymrillian Magician.
To recap, this is the spell we want to convert:
What we are working with here is obviously an offensive, or Attack, spell. When we look at the Attack mode in Talislanta we actually have a couple of options:
In accordance with the rules in the book, we can make this a standard, single target spell, or an area effect spell. Something more along the lines of the following:
Or, for the AoE version:
Depending on description, and house rules, your Bolt spell you use for the single target effect, and your Blast spell you use for multiple opponents, I would definitely allow my players to state that the spell will only effect a maximum of 5 targets, no problem. Also, this removes the bee-sting effect and can make this simple spell a feared part of any magicians arsenal. That 3pt damage just became 9 for our Cymrillian friend with a straight d20 roll.
"Wait...he mentioned the rules in the book, what about the house rules he was talking about!"
Never fear!
There are various house rules that I have heard of regarding spells and their usage. The rules that I personally use have the Spell Level as the only thing that can be changed after learning the spell (as shown above, the Area and Range are static.) Although I prefer a more static spell, my players do not always like that idea.
For the conversions, I will be using Dynamic and Static spell levels depending on the mode and the spell itself and I will do my best to keep the feel of the spell as written. This means, of course, that there will likely be 3 or more versions of some of the spells, Magic Missile, for example.
To keep the overall feel of the spell, and not make it horribly difficult to cause minimal damage, let us attack this a different way.
We look at the qualities of the original spell:
So, we can use the following for the base:
Magic Missle
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic - meaning we can pump it for more damage)
Range: 50 feet (it halves the range, but we want to keep it as simple as possible)
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, unerring, -15
Base Difficulty: -16 (-1 per additional HP damage)
Hmm...still seems pretty difficulty, but with our +9 to cast it only comes out to a d20-7, still pretty hard for 1 HP damage. Let us bend the rules a little. So far I have been using the 'unerring' aspect of the spell as a 'Major Change' to the mode's capabilities, let me drop that to 'Moderate' which will save us -5 and make the Base Difficulty -11 instead.
That still puts our Magician at d20+9-11, or d20-2, but it also gives him the opportunity to boost the damage a little. To do 5 damage it will put him at that d20-7, and as long as he does not mishap he will hit.
But there is another way...
You can dodge an Arcane Bolt, you cannot dodge a magic missile, so we meet in the middle a little.
Magic Missle
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic)
Range: 50ft
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, Minor Change, hard to dodge, target dodges at -1/3 spell level, -5
Base Difficulty: -6
Now we have it set up a bit differently, still having to use Sorcery, but at a much lower difficulty. While still not the unfailing hit that the d20 version has, this does make it a bit harder to dodge and helps to keep the feel of the spell. But what about the additional missiles and targets?
Well, a 3rd level Wizard in DnD is actually pretty accomplished when you think about it. I believe in 3rd edition it breaks down to about 13 encounters per level, lets figure 6-7 encounters per session, so about 4 sessions.
I usually run a 'Heroic' campaign in Talislanta, so the PCs will be getting approximately 20 xp per session. A decent amount of 80 experience can be given to our young hero and we can get him casting the unerring version without too much difficulty, or we can use Qualitas again...
Magic Missile
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic)
Range: 50ft
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, Minor Change, hard to dodge -1/3 spell level, -5; Qualitas, additional target -1 per additional target, Minor Change, -5
Base Difficulty: -11
Still not too shabby, keeps the basic feel of the spell. Main caveat here though, is the damage would have to be split between the two targets, unless you up the additional target to a Major Change for an additional -5 difficulty.
Granted, that is starting to get very unwieldy, even for our experienced Magician. Personally, I think the best bet is to leave it single target and use a blast style spell for multiple targets just to keep it simple.
Well, I hope this little venture gave you something to think about, even though it was aimed specifically at d20 and the Talislanta system the thought objects are going to be pretty close with any kind of conversion.
How much CAN we keep from the original?
Can we make it feel the same?
What are the different ways to accomplish the same goal, and which one works best for what we want to do?
To recap, this is the spell we want to convert:
Magic Missile
Evocation
[Force]
Level:
Sor/Wiz 1
Components:
V, S
Casting
Time: 1 standard action
Range:
Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets:
Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration:
Instantaneous
Saving
Throw: None
Spell
Resistance: Yes
A
missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes
its target, dealing 1d4+1 points of force damage.
The
missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or
has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a
creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by
the spell.
For
every two caster levels beyond 1st, you gain an additional
missile—two at 3rd level, three at 5th, four at 7th, and the
maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot
multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or
several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You
must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll
damage.
What we are working with here is obviously an offensive, or Attack, spell. When we look at the Attack mode in Talislanta we actually have a couple of options:
ATTACK
Damage:
1 Hit Point of damage per Spell Level
Range:
50 feet (-1 to casting roll per 10 extra feet of range)
Duration:
Instant / 1 round per level (no range)
Area:
-1 to casting roll per foot of radius
In accordance with the rules in the book, we can make this a standard, single target spell, or an area effect spell. Something more along the lines of the following:
Bolt
Base
Spell Level: 1 (Dynamic)
Range:
50 feet
Area:
0
Duration:
Instant
Base
Difficulty: -1 per additional HP damage
Notes:
Example
Spells: Arcane Bolt, Necromantic Assault
Or, for the AoE version:
Blast
Base
Spell Level: 1 (Dynamic)
Range:
50 feet
Area:
5 feet radius (10 ft diameter)
Duration:
Instant
Base
Difficulty: -6 (-1 per additional HP damage)
Notes:
Example
Spells: Geomantic Blast, Fireball
Depending on description, and house rules, your Bolt spell you use for the single target effect, and your Blast spell you use for multiple opponents, I would definitely allow my players to state that the spell will only effect a maximum of 5 targets, no problem. Also, this removes the bee-sting effect and can make this simple spell a feared part of any magicians arsenal. That 3pt damage just became 9 for our Cymrillian friend with a straight d20 roll.
"Wait...he mentioned the rules in the book, what about the house rules he was talking about!"
Never fear!
There are various house rules that I have heard of regarding spells and their usage. The rules that I personally use have the Spell Level as the only thing that can be changed after learning the spell (as shown above, the Area and Range are static.) Although I prefer a more static spell, my players do not always like that idea.
For the conversions, I will be using Dynamic and Static spell levels depending on the mode and the spell itself and I will do my best to keep the feel of the spell as written. This means, of course, that there will likely be 3 or more versions of some of the spells, Magic Missile, for example.
To keep the overall feel of the spell, and not make it horribly difficult to cause minimal damage, let us attack this a different way.
We look at the qualities of the original spell:
- It is simple
- At base it is single target
- It never misses
- Just about everyone who casts spells knows it
So, we can use the following for the base:
Magic Missle
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic - meaning we can pump it for more damage)
Range: 50 feet (it halves the range, but we want to keep it as simple as possible)
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, unerring, -15
Base Difficulty: -16 (-1 per additional HP damage)
Hmm...still seems pretty difficulty, but with our +9 to cast it only comes out to a d20-7, still pretty hard for 1 HP damage. Let us bend the rules a little. So far I have been using the 'unerring' aspect of the spell as a 'Major Change' to the mode's capabilities, let me drop that to 'Moderate' which will save us -5 and make the Base Difficulty -11 instead.
That still puts our Magician at d20+9-11, or d20-2, but it also gives him the opportunity to boost the damage a little. To do 5 damage it will put him at that d20-7, and as long as he does not mishap he will hit.
But there is another way...
You can dodge an Arcane Bolt, you cannot dodge a magic missile, so we meet in the middle a little.
Magic Missle
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic)
Range: 50ft
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, Minor Change, hard to dodge, target dodges at -1/3 spell level, -5
Base Difficulty: -6
Now we have it set up a bit differently, still having to use Sorcery, but at a much lower difficulty. While still not the unfailing hit that the d20 version has, this does make it a bit harder to dodge and helps to keep the feel of the spell. But what about the additional missiles and targets?
Well, a 3rd level Wizard in DnD is actually pretty accomplished when you think about it. I believe in 3rd edition it breaks down to about 13 encounters per level, lets figure 6-7 encounters per session, so about 4 sessions.
I usually run a 'Heroic' campaign in Talislanta, so the PCs will be getting approximately 20 xp per session. A decent amount of 80 experience can be given to our young hero and we can get him casting the unerring version without too much difficulty, or we can use Qualitas again...
Magic Missile
Attack Mode
Base Spell Level: 1 (dynamic)
Range: 50ft
Duration: Instant
Special: Qualitas, Minor Change, hard to dodge -1/3 spell level, -5; Qualitas, additional target -1 per additional target, Minor Change, -5
Base Difficulty: -11
Still not too shabby, keeps the basic feel of the spell. Main caveat here though, is the damage would have to be split between the two targets, unless you up the additional target to a Major Change for an additional -5 difficulty.
Granted, that is starting to get very unwieldy, even for our experienced Magician. Personally, I think the best bet is to leave it single target and use a blast style spell for multiple targets just to keep it simple.
Well, I hope this little venture gave you something to think about, even though it was aimed specifically at d20 and the Talislanta system the thought objects are going to be pretty close with any kind of conversion.
How much CAN we keep from the original?
Can we make it feel the same?
What are the different ways to accomplish the same goal, and which one works best for what we want to do?
Thursday, May 29, 2014
GM Notes: Random Encounters
A friend recently asked about random encounter tables for Dungeons
and Dragons, I posted some suggested places to look according to the
best remembrance available to me, then it hit me, I have rarely used
random encounters.
This struck me a bit funny, I mean, Dungeons and Dragons is based off of Random Encounters...right?
Absolutely not.
I mulled it over a bit and realized that I never really used random encounters because there was no reason to.
I know where I want my story to be about, why waste time with pointless encounters? If the PCs are fighting against the Thieves Guild and have to go through a nearby forest to get something...why fight random orcs or goblins, when you can fight orcs or goblins that are in league with the guild?
This, of course, takes a little more preparation, but in the end it will fit the story and still seem like a 'random' encounter.
Random encounters are, I believe, meant to show that there is a world outside of the story, to "bring the world to life." I fail to see how this can be accomplished when you roll some dice, check a chart, and put the game on hold while you get all the stats and encounter notes drawn up.
If I am going to pause a game for 5-15 minutes, I am going to take a break as well, not sit at the table gouging my eyes out while getting writers cramp.
Now, I realize that there are reasons for random encounter tables and I am not saying that they should not be used at all. What I am saying is they should not be used during the game because it kills momentum, possibly sends the players on a wild goose chase and has a good chance of putting a player death in the hands of some nobody wolf or catablepas.
The best use of encounter tables I can think of is before the game, while you are still writing the notes for the adventure.
Three days of travel through woodlands? No problem. You know the PCs are going to have to do this, so you grab your d6, roll 4 times for each day (morning, afternoon, evening, overnight), consult your tables and voila! The 'random' encounters have now become regular, planned encounters.
The helps in a couple of different ways:
Party Strength - low to mid level party, and you just rolled an early morning red dragon. Following 'random encounter' usage, your party is now toast (literally). But now, with the 'planned encounter,' you can tailor to the group. Instead of said dragon pouncing out of the forest onto the party for an early morning snack, the party is awakened by a roar and leathery flapping of wings as the dragon flies over the forest. This still provides the feel that there is a world out there unrelated to the story, but has the benefit of not killing the party without a fighting chance or breaking momentum.
Party Gear/Abilities - especially important in low-level or low-magic campaigns. Using the random encounter method you may end up pitting the PC's against something they have no means to damage and then the monster just trounces them back to character generation. Never fun, players prefer to die by adversaries, not random stuff.
Storyline - here is where it gets good. So, lets say the random encounter is 5-10 orcs, you roll your trusty player-killers and get a total of 7. Since this is before the game starts, you jot down that 1 of the orcs is bigger and stronger than the rest, the leader. Another is his second-in-command, and the rest are just scabs breaking union lines because the rest of the orcs are on strike.
Taking it a step further, the main orc is written in as a hireling of the Thieves Guild and his small band of bandits bandies about preying on merchants and passerby's for the guild as well as scouting the area protecting the forest hideout.
Due to them actually being in the guild, they may even be better equipped than the standard orc. Maybe a couple low level magic items, a few healing potions, a map to the hideout or a letter of reference including basic instructions from the Lord Mayor.
And that is how it works, the 'random encounter' of the orcs has now become a 'planned encounter' that actually moves the story forward instead of breaking momentum, and as a bonus even provides more threads in the story to follow.
Enjoy your game.
This struck me a bit funny, I mean, Dungeons and Dragons is based off of Random Encounters...right?
Absolutely not.
I mulled it over a bit and realized that I never really used random encounters because there was no reason to.
I know where I want my story to be about, why waste time with pointless encounters? If the PCs are fighting against the Thieves Guild and have to go through a nearby forest to get something...why fight random orcs or goblins, when you can fight orcs or goblins that are in league with the guild?
This, of course, takes a little more preparation, but in the end it will fit the story and still seem like a 'random' encounter.
Random encounters are, I believe, meant to show that there is a world outside of the story, to "bring the world to life." I fail to see how this can be accomplished when you roll some dice, check a chart, and put the game on hold while you get all the stats and encounter notes drawn up.
If I am going to pause a game for 5-15 minutes, I am going to take a break as well, not sit at the table gouging my eyes out while getting writers cramp.
Now, I realize that there are reasons for random encounter tables and I am not saying that they should not be used at all. What I am saying is they should not be used during the game because it kills momentum, possibly sends the players on a wild goose chase and has a good chance of putting a player death in the hands of some nobody wolf or catablepas.
The best use of encounter tables I can think of is before the game, while you are still writing the notes for the adventure.
Three days of travel through woodlands? No problem. You know the PCs are going to have to do this, so you grab your d6, roll 4 times for each day (morning, afternoon, evening, overnight), consult your tables and voila! The 'random' encounters have now become regular, planned encounters.
The helps in a couple of different ways:
Party Strength - low to mid level party, and you just rolled an early morning red dragon. Following 'random encounter' usage, your party is now toast (literally). But now, with the 'planned encounter,' you can tailor to the group. Instead of said dragon pouncing out of the forest onto the party for an early morning snack, the party is awakened by a roar and leathery flapping of wings as the dragon flies over the forest. This still provides the feel that there is a world out there unrelated to the story, but has the benefit of not killing the party without a fighting chance or breaking momentum.
Party Gear/Abilities - especially important in low-level or low-magic campaigns. Using the random encounter method you may end up pitting the PC's against something they have no means to damage and then the monster just trounces them back to character generation. Never fun, players prefer to die by adversaries, not random stuff.
Storyline - here is where it gets good. So, lets say the random encounter is 5-10 orcs, you roll your trusty player-killers and get a total of 7. Since this is before the game starts, you jot down that 1 of the orcs is bigger and stronger than the rest, the leader. Another is his second-in-command, and the rest are just scabs breaking union lines because the rest of the orcs are on strike.
Taking it a step further, the main orc is written in as a hireling of the Thieves Guild and his small band of bandits bandies about preying on merchants and passerby's for the guild as well as scouting the area protecting the forest hideout.
Due to them actually being in the guild, they may even be better equipped than the standard orc. Maybe a couple low level magic items, a few healing potions, a map to the hideout or a letter of reference including basic instructions from the Lord Mayor.
And that is how it works, the 'random encounter' of the orcs has now become a 'planned encounter' that actually moves the story forward instead of breaking momentum, and as a bonus even provides more threads in the story to follow.
Enjoy your game.
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