This is a little different than most Random Campaign Ideas. Instead of a fleshed out idea it's more framework for creating your own.
Two frameworks already presented in blogs that I know of are Jeff Reint's Alchemical Formula and Scott's interesting thought experiment. Lacking the creativity of either gentleman I present my mix of the two. I hope you find my miscibility roll to be a good one.
You get three pairs of game items and three pairs of inspirations and all campaign material must derive from them and you and your player's imagination. However you only start with one pair, add one when your first PC reaches 3rd level, and then add one when your first PC reaches 14th level. This brings together the limited palette of both ideas and casts it in terms of the B/X tree Scott used.
What are those pairs:
Level 1 Gaming: Moldvay Basic and any single B module published by TSR (except B1-9 combined). It could also work if you opened it to "any TSR, JG, or Mayfair module for levels 1-3" or but limiting to TSR B series is "purer". You could even open it up to modern OSR modules if you like. The key idea is pick one thing in the 32-64 page range.
Level 1 Inspiration: Any one single book from Moldvay's list and any single movie or three episodes of a TV series.
Level 1 Reasoning: Instead of a pure Moldavy boxed set I allow for a roll your own with limits. Like Scott I think B2 is a bit too straight jacket if part of your required inspiration. I know in the review in White Dwarf the reviewer of Palace of the Silver Princess recommended it replace B2. Also, for many of us B2 is something we've used a lot. While I'm a big fan of writing sources of inspiration for roleplaying being able to show your players a movie and say "like this" can help get them up to speed.
Level 3 Gaming: Cook Expert and any single X module published by TSR or B10, Night's Dark Terror (which was designed as a transitional module). As with Level 1, opening it up to any single module for levels 4-14 from any source would work if a little less pure.
Level 3 Inspiration: Any one single book from Moldvay's list and any single non-fantasy novel or year of one comic book.
Level 3 Reasoning: As with the "roll your own Basic Set" I like to let those of us who have used X1 a bit too much although I don't find it as restrictive as B2. The move to a written medium for inspiration two here is an attempt to get something different: a detective novel, ancient astronaut book, or a Jack Kirby comic is to add some spice to the fantasy staples already in place.
Level 14 Gaming: The new B/X Companion and any single rpg supplement of any kind no longer than 64 pages letter/A4 (scale for other sizes).
Level 14 Inspiration: Any one single book from Moldvay's list and any single source including modern fantasy novels.
Level 14 Reasoning: The Companion finishes the rules set while the second book gives me Jeff's "third book" of RPG material. The ability to pick any game book, not limited to a module, and the option to pick any text as the sixth non-gaming inspiration reflects the advanced age of the campaign. At this point, your world should have it's voice and adding something very open or heavy won't disrupt it much.
One suggestion if you do decide to use this formula: pick your pairs as you get them...don't pre-decide. Let where the campaign has gone decide what you're going to add to the journey. Preconceived notions of what is coming at level three are liable to sink you.
For full disclosure if I was to start doing this tomorrow I'd add the following to my Moldvay Basic:
1. B7 Rahasia
2. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
3. Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger
Island as dungeons could easily become a theme here, but the module choice could balance it.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday Pointers: Minotaurs and Argonauts Edition
Since moving to Atlanta for the new job I've been staying with friends while waiting to move into my apartment. They have an eight year old daughter and a ten year old son. Last night the daughter was interested in the Mazes & Minotaurs book I was reading and I explained it. A quick check of Netflix showed the classic Ray Harryhausen Jason and the Argonauts could be seen on demand. I told her the game was like the movie and she and her brother not only agreed to watch it but were fascinated by it. Their mother couldn't believe how into it they, especially the daughter, were. There might be some classically influenced gaming tonight.
So, for the long awaited return of Monday Pointers I've decided to do something different. Instead of an assortment of links that had interested me throughout the week I thought I'd choose a theme.
D4:Mazes and Minotaurs
What if Arneson and Gygax had been playing with hoplites instead of knights? What if they'd enjoyed The Dancer from Atlantis more than Three Hearts and Three Lions? What if they'd read more Mary Renault than Lovecraft and thrilled to Tros of Samothrace more than Conan the Cimmerian? This might have been the game we'd be playing.
D6:Jason and the Argonauts
Stop motion animation including a giant bronze statue, Hercules played by someone other than Kevin Sorbo (not that I dislike his Hercules), and Pussy Galore doing a turn as Hera Queen of the gods combine in this fun adventure movie. How good is it? A modern 8 and 10 year old whose attention span often can't last a half hour show on Disney sat enthralled for 103 minutes and wanted to know if there was a sequel or TV series.
D8:The King Must Die: and The Bull from the Sea
Of course, if we have minotaurs we need the Labyrinth and that means Theseus as well. The closest thing to a C. S. Lewis for the ancients is Ms. Renault (to Robert Grave's Tolkien) and these two novels should inspire any classical game.
D10:The Argonautica (English Translation at Project Gutenberg)
Our major source on Jason and the Argonauts is an epic poem, The Argonautica. The only Hellenistic epic to survive it would serve as a source for another Roman poem on the same topic. At least one English translation (of many) can be found as a free e-book.
D12:Hercules, My Shipmate
If Graves is Tolkien to Renault's Lewis then we have to include his version of the story of the Argo and her crew of heroes as well in any M&M series of links.
So, for the long awaited return of Monday Pointers I've decided to do something different. Instead of an assortment of links that had interested me throughout the week I thought I'd choose a theme.
D4:Mazes and Minotaurs
What if Arneson and Gygax had been playing with hoplites instead of knights? What if they'd enjoyed The Dancer from Atlantis more than Three Hearts and Three Lions? What if they'd read more Mary Renault than Lovecraft and thrilled to Tros of Samothrace more than Conan the Cimmerian? This might have been the game we'd be playing.
D6:Jason and the Argonauts
Stop motion animation including a giant bronze statue, Hercules played by someone other than Kevin Sorbo (not that I dislike his Hercules), and Pussy Galore doing a turn as Hera Queen of the gods combine in this fun adventure movie. How good is it? A modern 8 and 10 year old whose attention span often can't last a half hour show on Disney sat enthralled for 103 minutes and wanted to know if there was a sequel or TV series.
D8:The King Must Die: and The Bull from the Sea
Of course, if we have minotaurs we need the Labyrinth and that means Theseus as well. The closest thing to a C. S. Lewis for the ancients is Ms. Renault (to Robert Grave's Tolkien) and these two novels should inspire any classical game.
D10:The Argonautica (English Translation at Project Gutenberg)
Our major source on Jason and the Argonauts is an epic poem, The Argonautica. The only Hellenistic epic to survive it would serve as a source for another Roman poem on the same topic. At least one English translation (of many) can be found as a free e-book.
D12:Hercules, My Shipmate
If Graves is Tolkien to Renault's Lewis then we have to include his version of the story of the Argo and her crew of heroes as well in any M&M series of links.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Starting away from the Megadungeon
Watching the beginning video in the prior post, I have a question for mega-dungeon fans.
Have you considered starting away from it and letting the players learn about and discover it as part of play?
Have you considered starting away from it and letting the players learn about and discover it as part of play?
Artistic Inspiration: Nemo/The Cave
In searching for an inspiration to post about today I was amazed I haven't posted this music video yet.
In the player handout first campaign in the World After I said:
While some of those have fallen by the side others have remained constant. The Blish books have clearly remained as does one of the urban fantasy series, The Dresden Files. Ken Hite's work is seminal in making my interests gel and are included. Most of the others have not.
However, this video is very specifically what I was referring to about Nightwish. This isn't the official video but includes scenes from the movie The Cave. I've never seen the movie but the video influenced my initial ideas for a mega-dungeon. I later abandoned them but they have come back full bore for Santuario Nero. The idea of a hidden complex with monsters sealed over by an abandoned monastery fits the World After very well.
In the player handout first campaign in the World After I said:
A random selection of inspirations for the game: The novels Black Easter and The Day After Judgement> by James Blish (a few years ago available as The Devil's Day in a single volume). The Nightwish album Once and the Within Temptation album Mother Earth. Memories of many Tunnels and Trolls sessions in the early 80s. Three on-going urban fantasy book series one of which is Carrie Vaughn's Kitty novels and the others would be telling. Ken Hite's GURPS Cabal and many columns from Supressed Transmission. The movies Heavy Metal and The Warriors of the Apocalypse (oh, and a tiny touch of Night of the Comet...well, not really but if you're renting bad movies to get ready for the game it's a classic). The various Horseclans books. The full range of D&D (not AD&D, which 3rd and 4th edition continue without the A), Judges Guild, Arduin Grimoire, and modern simulacrum games designed to fit the 80s vibe. Dragonfoot.org, The World of Thool (and it's predecessor Wilderlands of OD&D), Grognardia, Lair of the Flame Princes, Monsters & Manuals, Philotomy's OD&D Musings, The Society of Torch, Pole, and Rope, and RPG.net.
While some of those have fallen by the side others have remained constant. The Blish books have clearly remained as does one of the urban fantasy series, The Dresden Files. Ken Hite's work is seminal in making my interests gel and are included. Most of the others have not.
However, this video is very specifically what I was referring to about Nightwish. This isn't the official video but includes scenes from the movie The Cave. I've never seen the movie but the video influenced my initial ideas for a mega-dungeon. I later abandoned them but they have come back full bore for Santuario Nero. The idea of a hidden complex with monsters sealed over by an abandoned monastery fits the World After very well.
On the road...
Well, I've found a job and as of November will be relocating to Atlanta.
I'm sure that can't make me post less, but maybe I'll post more.
I'm sure that can't make me post less, but maybe I'll post more.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Flood Relief Package
DrivethroughRPG follows last year's Haiti relief bundle with a Pakistan Flood Bundle.
What jumps out at me are:
Hot War: I've long wanted this narrow, indie game about a post WWIII London, where WWIII included Nazi mystical WMD as well as nukes. It's bleak and ugly and just the thing I want.
Starblazer Adventures: "Traveller" for the Fate system, a broad sci-fi game drawing from the British comic of the same name. It might just provide the implied setting that allows "You play Luke Skywalker, I'll play Captain Kirk, and we'll fight the Cylons on Arrakis"
Don't Rest Your Head: Not being able to sleep means knowing the Truth. Knowing the Truth means things can eat you in your sleep. Insomnia is its own punishment as you use exhaustion to fuel you ability to keep the real nightmares away.
Dhanurvidya & Varman: The Arms and Armor of India: India is, to my mind, an underused inspiration for gaming so seeing a product featuring it always makes me happy.
What jumps out at me are:
Hot War: I've long wanted this narrow, indie game about a post WWIII London, where WWIII included Nazi mystical WMD as well as nukes. It's bleak and ugly and just the thing I want.
Starblazer Adventures: "Traveller" for the Fate system, a broad sci-fi game drawing from the British comic of the same name. It might just provide the implied setting that allows "You play Luke Skywalker, I'll play Captain Kirk, and we'll fight the Cylons on Arrakis"
Don't Rest Your Head: Not being able to sleep means knowing the Truth. Knowing the Truth means things can eat you in your sleep. Insomnia is its own punishment as you use exhaustion to fuel you ability to keep the real nightmares away.
Dhanurvidya & Varman: The Arms and Armor of India: India is, to my mind, an underused inspiration for gaming so seeing a product featuring it always makes me happy.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday Pointers: October 18, 2010 Edition
D4:It Was Only Due to My Years of Drinking I Defeated My Foe
A while back I got thinking on the one problem with 1GP = 1XP in my mind: it means by level 3 or 4 money is meaningless to adventurers. This track neither medieval history or Conan in most of his stories so needs work. The traditional answer is training but I'm not big on that alone. There is also the ever popular carousing rules. Hill Cantons introduces something I might play with: variable ratios depending on usage. While his chart isn't all I'd do it gives me some ideas.
D6:Plus, It's Technically Regency
Meanwhile, the Greyhawk Grognard has been watching a lot of Hammer Horror and concludes the 1830s are an untapped period for RPGs, specifically in Eastern Europe. Combined with my recent decision to move The World After to Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying this really struck me. LotFPWFR has a more 18th-early 19th century feel than D&D. I think moving the culture of my setting from bog standard pseudo-medieval with lots of renaissance ideas added to a Regency era feel has a lot of potential.
D8:Tales from the Dusty Vault
I just found this blog of OSR reviews. Very worth reading.
D10:Stupid DM Tricks
Zak gives us an aftermath report on an adventure based on every random idea we could post.
A while back I got thinking on the one problem with 1GP = 1XP in my mind: it means by level 3 or 4 money is meaningless to adventurers. This track neither medieval history or Conan in most of his stories so needs work. The traditional answer is training but I'm not big on that alone. There is also the ever popular carousing rules. Hill Cantons introduces something I might play with: variable ratios depending on usage. While his chart isn't all I'd do it gives me some ideas.
D6:Plus, It's Technically Regency
Meanwhile, the Greyhawk Grognard has been watching a lot of Hammer Horror and concludes the 1830s are an untapped period for RPGs, specifically in Eastern Europe. Combined with my recent decision to move The World After to Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying this really struck me. LotFPWFR has a more 18th-early 19th century feel than D&D. I think moving the culture of my setting from bog standard pseudo-medieval with lots of renaissance ideas added to a Regency era feel has a lot of potential.
D8:Tales from the Dusty Vault
I just found this blog of OSR reviews. Very worth reading.
D10:Stupid DM Tricks
Zak gives us an aftermath report on an adventure based on every random idea we could post.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Inspirational Art: The Harrowing of Hell
About five weeks late the next round of inspirational items for the World After and the one that drew a content warning.
As I have pointed out in the past, the changes between The World Before and The World After are inspired by the novels Black Easter and The Day After Judgment by James Blish (available in a omnibus called The Devil's Day
). The books use a good deal of medieval imagery and seem to draw heavily on both Dante and Milton (especially the second).
The final chapter of the second book is called "The Harrowing of Heaven" as a parallel to The Harrowing of Hell. The Apostles' Creed mentions Christ's decent into Hell for the three days prior to the resurrection. Depending on the source (religious or literary) this may have released souls dead before Christ, but the interesting part to me is from Dante. In The Inferno Virgil tells Dante of the Harrowing and shows him damage to the structures of Hell, specifically the destruction of the bridges that connect that span the ditches where the sinful are punished in the Eighth Circle of Hell.
It is from these two sources I drew my inspiration for The Harrowing or more properly The Harrowing of Creation. One of the simplest but to me very interesting thing is the destruction of bridges: literal in Dante and metaphorically in Blish. One has a harder time traversing Hell or contacting the creator. Now, 23 times 25 years after the Harrowing the world is still assorted city states, vast and very hard to traverse wastes separate people from each other, much that was known was lost, and fewer and fewer people can touch the divine. The Harrowing of Creation seems to have destroyed travel and communication. This includes the communication of knowledge...no one knows where the elves came from and even the Hierarchy, which predates The Harrowing knows few details of it.
The question is how to translate this to my game. The first thing, and easiest, is lack of roads and other structures of travel. The more complex some travel structure, the more creative effort required to built it, the less likely it is to exist and the more vulnerable it is to entropy. Reading and writing have fallen to medieval European levels in most places. Spells of travel and communication are rarer and perhaps of higher level.
Finally, the way around this transport problem is The Demon Ways that connect the parts of the megadungeon. People just need to remember demons aren't among The Fallen.
Art notes: the two illustrations of The Harrowing of Hell are by Pieter Huys and Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburg.
As I have pointed out in the past, the changes between The World Before and The World After are inspired by the novels Black Easter and The Day After Judgment by James Blish (available in a omnibus called The Devil's Day
). The books use a good deal of medieval imagery and seem to draw heavily on both Dante and Milton (especially the second).The final chapter of the second book is called "The Harrowing of Heaven" as a parallel to The Harrowing of Hell. The Apostles' Creed mentions Christ's decent into Hell for the three days prior to the resurrection. Depending on the source (religious or literary) this may have released souls dead before Christ, but the interesting part to me is from Dante. In The Inferno Virgil tells Dante of the Harrowing and shows him damage to the structures of Hell, specifically the destruction of the bridges that connect that span the ditches where the sinful are punished in the Eighth Circle of Hell.
It is from these two sources I drew my inspiration for The Harrowing or more properly The Harrowing of Creation. One of the simplest but to me very interesting thing is the destruction of bridges: literal in Dante and metaphorically in Blish. One has a harder time traversing Hell or contacting the creator. Now, 23 times 25 years after the Harrowing the world is still assorted city states, vast and very hard to traverse wastes separate people from each other, much that was known was lost, and fewer and fewer people can touch the divine. The Harrowing of Creation seems to have destroyed travel and communication. This includes the communication of knowledge...no one knows where the elves came from and even the Hierarchy, which predates The Harrowing knows few details of it.
The question is how to translate this to my game. The first thing, and easiest, is lack of roads and other structures of travel. The more complex some travel structure, the more creative effort required to built it, the less likely it is to exist and the more vulnerable it is to entropy. Reading and writing have fallen to medieval European levels in most places. Spells of travel and communication are rarer and perhaps of higher level.
Finally, the way around this transport problem is The Demon Ways that connect the parts of the megadungeon. People just need to remember demons aren't among The Fallen.
Art notes: the two illustrations of The Harrowing of Hell are by Pieter Huys and Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburg.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday Pointers: Unemployed Edition
D4:Starting Like a Kid with a Sears Catalog
Scott at Huge Ruined Pile suggests building a campaign like you just had the Moldvay Basic set and addiing the Cook Expert set when someone reaches level four. I'll discuss changing this to a more recent boxed set later this week.
D6:But What if I Added Harry Dresden and Dr. Who, then where are we
I'm actually linking to a comment, not a post but riffing on Jeff Rient's excellent description of D&D: "You play Conan, I play Gandalf. We team up to fight Dracula." in describing what a true sci-fi game in that vein would be: "Luke Skywalker and Spock team up to fight Cylons." James Mal would add "on Arrakis" and change Spock to Kirk but either way it is a goal worth shooting for if I ever get back to Space Monks.
D8:What Fits in a Session
A new blog gets to Monday Pointers: Telecaster's Receding Rule has a great little bit about dungeon design and what will fit in a session. Although I've been playing (and DMing) a long time my dungeons aren't the greatest. So I love collecting bits and pieces to help me get better.
D13:Yep, I'm Looking for Work
As the title says I'm out of work. My employer had large layoffs the first of September and that accounts in part for my absence for September. I have another month of severance and good leads.
Scott at Huge Ruined Pile suggests building a campaign like you just had the Moldvay Basic set and addiing the Cook Expert set when someone reaches level four. I'll discuss changing this to a more recent boxed set later this week.
D6:But What if I Added Harry Dresden and Dr. Who, then where are we
I'm actually linking to a comment, not a post but riffing on Jeff Rient's excellent description of D&D: "You play Conan, I play Gandalf. We team up to fight Dracula." in describing what a true sci-fi game in that vein would be: "Luke Skywalker and Spock team up to fight Cylons." James Mal would add "on Arrakis" and change Spock to Kirk but either way it is a goal worth shooting for if I ever get back to Space Monks.
D8:What Fits in a Session
A new blog gets to Monday Pointers: Telecaster's Receding Rule has a great little bit about dungeon design and what will fit in a session. Although I've been playing (and DMing) a long time my dungeons aren't the greatest. So I love collecting bits and pieces to help me get better.
D13:Yep, I'm Looking for Work
As the title says I'm out of work. My employer had large layoffs the first of September and that accounts in part for my absence for September. I have another month of severance and good leads.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
CSotA: New rules set...
Much like Scott at Huge Ruined Pile I may be moving away from S&W to Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying Game as my default system.
Why? Two main reasons:
1. His system for thieves is the perfect solution to the "what, fighters can't search?" question. I might modify it a bit but in general it's the thing.
2. Only fighters get better at fighting. This is so simple and so obvious that it takes a genius (and Raggi is clearly a mad genius...we really need to buy him a castle).
Or I might just port them over to S&W.
Either way I've been loving the boxed set. Expect some more commentary (I'm too lazy to do a real review) soon.
Why? Two main reasons:
1. His system for thieves is the perfect solution to the "what, fighters can't search?" question. I might modify it a bit but in general it's the thing.
2. Only fighters get better at fighting. This is so simple and so obvious that it takes a genius (and Raggi is clearly a mad genius...we really need to buy him a castle).
Or I might just port them over to S&W.
Either way I've been loving the boxed set. Expect some more commentary (I'm too lazy to do a real review) soon.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
A Far Warning
One product of using The Devil's Day as the key point in the past of my setting is it assumes the truth of real world Christianity and then, depending on your POV either turns revelation (upper and lowercase 'r') on its head or supposes it to be much more complicated than any school of Christian thought I'm familiar with understands. I'll admit I intentionally changed from the initial direction (and even name) for The Hierarchy because I was troubled by the theological implications for myself (as in, my soul) of the direction it was going (hewing very close to the close of the novel).
I'm pointing this out as my artistic inspiration feature is going in some new directions. One, it's going beyond visual art into a more general set of inspirations. More to the point, starting today it's going to take as its inspiration a key idea of Western Christian thought (I'm not sure of its status in the east) and art drawing on it. It is mentioned (in reverse) in the novel and I think it is a huge source of inspiration for what dungeons in the World After/City States of the Apocalypse are like. I also think it might provide imagery for the more unnatural areas of the world.
So, I guess this is my version of the "adult content" warning. I take my faith fairly seriously (one does not move from a major branch of Christianity to another on a whim) and understand why this might not be appropriate fodder for a game. I believe I walk inside the line, but I understand you might believe otherwise.
I'm pointing this out as my artistic inspiration feature is going in some new directions. One, it's going beyond visual art into a more general set of inspirations. More to the point, starting today it's going to take as its inspiration a key idea of Western Christian thought (I'm not sure of its status in the east) and art drawing on it. It is mentioned (in reverse) in the novel and I think it is a huge source of inspiration for what dungeons in the World After/City States of the Apocalypse are like. I also think it might provide imagery for the more unnatural areas of the world.
So, I guess this is my version of the "adult content" warning. I take my faith fairly seriously (one does not move from a major branch of Christianity to another on a whim) and understand why this might not be appropriate fodder for a game. I believe I walk inside the line, but I understand you might believe otherwise.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Random Campaign Idea: Marvel Star Wars
Sure, Star Wars campaigns have been common since 1977, with many a version of Traveller twisted to fit the first episode of Lucas's space epic (or vice versa). Since the late 80s with the first (of 2-4 depending on how you count them) official Star Wars game, a ton of novels, the prequels, and expanded universe (which the original WEG version helped create) it's hard to not see Star Wars as a fully developed setting with fairly known eras, places, and plots.
But as Space:1970 recently reminded me there is a cannon that you can build on that is mostly superseded. Marvel had a long running Star Wars comic. While the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back were both in the mainline of the series The Return of the Jedi was not, being relegated to its own miniseries. I'm not sure why, but given the dates I suspect it was simply a product of the comics industry at the time. Dark Horse has republished all these issues. That said, Wookiepedia reports the comics are marginal at best in terms of continuity. To me that spells opportunity.
So, the second Star Wars idea to make it to PtG,PtB (the first was my take on an old RPG.net thread) is to use this simpler Star Wars. Much like a Brian Daley oriented corporate sector game this would be more a classic space opera game set against the back drop of the first two movies (you know, the good ones). The cannon would be Star Wars, The Empire Strikes back, their novelizations, and the Marvel comic up to issue 80. For a system I'd hunt down the old WEG Star Wars (any edition) and the free version of D6 Space.
While not a campaign for the hard core Star Wars fan for a GM looking for an easily explained universe for space opera in either the heroic or scoundrel mode this is a fine background. Plus, the research: reading some cool if obscure comics and watching the best two Star Wars movies, would be great fun.
But as Space:1970 recently reminded me there is a cannon that you can build on that is mostly superseded. Marvel had a long running Star Wars comic. While the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back were both in the mainline of the series The Return of the Jedi was not, being relegated to its own miniseries. I'm not sure why, but given the dates I suspect it was simply a product of the comics industry at the time. Dark Horse has republished all these issues. That said, Wookiepedia reports the comics are marginal at best in terms of continuity. To me that spells opportunity.
So, the second Star Wars idea to make it to PtG,PtB (the first was my take on an old RPG.net thread) is to use this simpler Star Wars. Much like a Brian Daley oriented corporate sector game this would be more a classic space opera game set against the back drop of the first two movies (you know, the good ones). The cannon would be Star Wars, The Empire Strikes back, their novelizations, and the Marvel comic up to issue 80. For a system I'd hunt down the old WEG Star Wars (any edition) and the free version of D6 Space.
While not a campaign for the hard core Star Wars fan for a GM looking for an easily explained universe for space opera in either the heroic or scoundrel mode this is a fine background. Plus, the research: reading some cool if obscure comics and watching the best two Star Wars movies, would be great fun.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Monday Pointers: August 16, 2010, the back from vacation edition
D4:Artifact, My Artifact
Jeff takes a new look at magic items in D&D by getting rid of all the charts in the DMG except the artifact table. Coming out about the same time I got my copy of LotFP Weird Fantasy Roleplaying I think this is one of those ideas where the OSR can be the road not taken. A campaign without any generic magic items, but specifically placed weapons with background, strange powers, and consequences is an idea worth exploring.
D6:Trolls on the Odyssey: A Podcast
Listen to the gamemaster and player of a very interesting one person campaign in the old school style. I'm generally not a podcast person, but I enjoyed this. While I realize GenCon spawned it and is the primary subject (or at least frame) I'm hoping this will become an irregular occurance.
D8:New Cover Art
The Metal Earth has new cover art. The most important part of that is it means The Metal Earth is back from summer hiatus.
D10:The Pyrologist Transcribed
A "lost" OD&D subclass of the MU, the Pyrologist appeared in a fanzine edited by Len Lakofka in the 1970s and was written by Gary himself. Now it has been transcribed for the web.
Jeff takes a new look at magic items in D&D by getting rid of all the charts in the DMG except the artifact table. Coming out about the same time I got my copy of LotFP Weird Fantasy Roleplaying I think this is one of those ideas where the OSR can be the road not taken. A campaign without any generic magic items, but specifically placed weapons with background, strange powers, and consequences is an idea worth exploring.
D6:Trolls on the Odyssey: A Podcast
Listen to the gamemaster and player of a very interesting one person campaign in the old school style. I'm generally not a podcast person, but I enjoyed this. While I realize GenCon spawned it and is the primary subject (or at least frame) I'm hoping this will become an irregular occurance.
D8:New Cover Art
The Metal Earth has new cover art. The most important part of that is it means The Metal Earth is back from summer hiatus.
D10:The Pyrologist Transcribed
A "lost" OD&D subclass of the MU, the Pyrologist appeared in a fanzine edited by Len Lakofka in the 1970s and was written by Gary himself. Now it has been transcribed for the web.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Monday Pointers: August 2, 2010 Edition
D4:The price of being popular
Great thoughts from The Sorcerer's Skull about the affect comics being mainstreamed again has had on comics.
D6:All you need is a couple of XP and a lucky die
This is a very interesting idea from Lord Kilgore: roll to advance. It takes an idea that gained traction in the mid to late 80s: that just being in a session should be worth a fixed amount of XP (although the first time I saw it was in SPI's Dragonquest when it raised more than a few reviewers' eyebrows). Lord Kilgore combines that with a die roll (if you're not rolling for it it can't be old school :) ) to make advancement semi-random while lowering book-keeping.
D8:Sometimes food poisoning just makes you sick
ChicagoWiz takes on one of my least favorite parts of D&D, especially older version: save or die poisons. Take special note of his cool ideas both in the post and comments.
Great thoughts from The Sorcerer's Skull about the affect comics being mainstreamed again has had on comics.
D6:All you need is a couple of XP and a lucky die
This is a very interesting idea from Lord Kilgore: roll to advance. It takes an idea that gained traction in the mid to late 80s: that just being in a session should be worth a fixed amount of XP (although the first time I saw it was in SPI's Dragonquest when it raised more than a few reviewers' eyebrows). Lord Kilgore combines that with a die roll (if you're not rolling for it it can't be old school :) ) to make advancement semi-random while lowering book-keeping.
D8:Sometimes food poisoning just makes you sick
ChicagoWiz takes on one of my least favorite parts of D&D, especially older version: save or die poisons. Take special note of his cool ideas both in the post and comments.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Game On!
It is not without irony that a single sentence explaining not only why I play RPGs, but why I play TTRPGs and not MMORPGs is in a video about why it's okay to play MMORPGs:
<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&from=&vid=8cb424dc-cbdb-40be-90c5-8fb450462d2f&from=en-us" target="_new" title="Season 4 - Music Video - "Game On"">Video: Season 4 - Music Video - "Game On"</a>
Then again, I have a weakness for Bollywood.
Then again, I have a weakness for Bollywood.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Two Years
Today marks two years since my first post, on literary influences on my gaming. The immediate impetus to begin was a post on media influences by James Raggi. At that time I had been reading a handful of old school blogs, principally Lamentations of the Flame Princes, Grognardia, and the now gone Wilderlands/OD&D blog by HUGE RUINED PILE's Scott.
Excluding this post there have been 179 entries. I didn't start using any tracking software until November 30, 2009 when I added Google Analytics which has run except for one day when I broke it while changing templates. As I write I've had 18,063 page views over 12,932 visits.
Top five popular posts:
Top five traffic sources:
Here's hoping you'll still be here in another two years and here's hoping I have more than doubled the number of useful posts as well as improved the signal to noise ratio.
Excluding this post there have been 179 entries. I didn't start using any tracking software until November 30, 2009 when I added Google Analytics which has run except for one day when I broke it while changing templates. As I write I've had 18,063 page views over 12,932 visits.
Top five popular posts:
- Miss Manners Wouldn't Play D&D with 666 page views. This should surprise no one.
- Inspirational Art: Ken Kelly with 629 page views. This post almost always has at least one view a day and will probably over take the Miss Manners post by year's end.
- An Adult Hobby Now? with 477 page views. This is quite a surprise for an off the cuff post.
- Not A Golden Age But A Gilded Agewith 315 page views.
- The Current TARGA BS with 252 page views. Scandal always sells.
Top five traffic sources:
- Feedburner
- Direct (no link)
- Lamentations of the Flame Princess (I'm big in Finland!)
- Jeff's Gamesblog
- Grognardia
Here's hoping you'll still be here in another two years and here's hoping I have more than doubled the number of useful posts as well as improved the signal to noise ratio.
The Wolrd After: The Hierarchy
The Hierarchy is the sponsor of most clerics. It is the oldest institution of man, being the only one to pre-date The Harrowing of the World. Interestingly, even the most senior members of it know little more than the rest of the world of true nature of The Harrowing.
Dedicated to order and the preservation of that order The Hierarchy embraces only two principles, justice and wraith. The maintenance of civilization is their first and only real goal. As such many members of the The Hierarchy may be cruel or even evil in maintaining order. While the Hierarchy has never endorsed torture, tyranny, or similar practices they have accepted them both from their agents and others as long as civilization is preserved by them. This dedication to order often brings them into conflict with elves, who see themselves as agents of chaos to positive ends.
The Hierarchy takes no official position on the cause or result of The Harrowing but they have been known to be opening to fighting along side Devils against the Demons intent on consuming the world. In fact, the only absolute penalty of death endorsed by the Hierarchy is consorting with Demons.
Finally, just because The Hierarchy is a large, structured organization that does not believe it is uniform in its believes or even teachings. While all Hierarchs have absolute rule over clerics in their district (generally a single city) the office of Principal Hierarch has gone empty since the days of The Harrowing. The Principal Hierarch of the time was killed in The Harrowing and although a successor was proclaimed a few days later in Quavveniec he disappeared within a handful of days himself. The reason no successor has been named to this day is a cause of much speculation among the laity and minor clerics.
This work by Herbert Nowell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Dedicated to order and the preservation of that order The Hierarchy embraces only two principles, justice and wraith. The maintenance of civilization is their first and only real goal. As such many members of the The Hierarchy may be cruel or even evil in maintaining order. While the Hierarchy has never endorsed torture, tyranny, or similar practices they have accepted them both from their agents and others as long as civilization is preserved by them. This dedication to order often brings them into conflict with elves, who see themselves as agents of chaos to positive ends.
The Hierarchy takes no official position on the cause or result of The Harrowing but they have been known to be opening to fighting along side Devils against the Demons intent on consuming the world. In fact, the only absolute penalty of death endorsed by the Hierarchy is consorting with Demons.
Finally, just because The Hierarchy is a large, structured organization that does not believe it is uniform in its believes or even teachings. While all Hierarchs have absolute rule over clerics in their district (generally a single city) the office of Principal Hierarch has gone empty since the days of The Harrowing. The Principal Hierarch of the time was killed in The Harrowing and although a successor was proclaimed a few days later in Quavveniec he disappeared within a handful of days himself. The reason no successor has been named to this day is a cause of much speculation among the laity and minor clerics.
| Many Members of the Hierarchy (Roll a d20 three times) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Endorse physical punishment for crime (flogging, stocks, etc) |
| 2 | Study a formal school of painting, music, or sculpture |
| 3 | Use a handled baton as both their primary weapon and staff of office. |
| 4 | Are trained in dispersing mobs |
| 5 | Can practice law in many City States |
| 6 | Play rugby |
| 7 | Believe that spreading team sports encourages order |
| 8 | Have training in some form of traditional medicine (herbalism, therapeutic massage, acupuncture, etc) |
| 9 | Are celibate |
| 10 | Will walk everywhere unless the speed is riding is absolutely necessary |
| 11 | Eat dates or lamb whenever they can |
| 12 | Have spent time as a shepherd |
| 13 | Use bronze greaves and bracers |
| 14 | Are exceptional mathematicians |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
| 17 | Invent it |
| 18 | Invent it |
| 19 | Invent it |
| 20 | Invent it |
| Some Members of the Hierarchy (Roll a d16) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Have the means (such as a true name) to summon a minor Devil. |
| 2 | Have an irrational fear and hatred of elves. |
| 3 | Believe elves are the unholy spawn of Demons and women. |
| 4 | Have served as part of the internal guard of a City State in the past |
| 5 | Are trained in raising mobs |
| 6 | Play cricket |
| 7 | Discourage games of chance or individual achievement |
| 8 | Wear only black and white |
| 9 | Tend to blame witches (those who traffic with Demons) for bad events |
| 10 | Wear bronze helmets |
| 11 | Believe general poverty helps prevent chaos from spreading. |
| 12 | Invent it |
| 13 | Invent it |
| 14 | Invent it |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
| Common Traveling Gear for The Hierarchy (Roll a d16 1d3 times prior to spending starting gold) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | A combination staff of office/weapon (similar to a modern police nightstick) |
| 2 | A copy of "The General Commentary on the Black Law" |
| 3 | A token of office from the guard force of a City State |
| 4 | A set of prayer beads |
| 5 | A book of common prayers |
| 6 | Incense and a censer |
| 7 | Paper, pens, and ink |
| 8 | Personal seal and wax |
| 9 | A bronze holy symbol (generally a sun cross or a simplified Celtic Cross) |
| 10 | Reading glasses |
| 11 | Brushes and pigments |
| 12 | Blessed incense and a thurible |
| 13 | A shepherd's crook |
| 14 | Invent it |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
This work by Herbert Nowell is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Random Thoughts...
Last night while helping grout ceramic tile for a friend I came up with some ideas for the a Barony Generation system for Wanderer Book 3. Apparently that mock-up got lots of people back in the day.
I also have figured out a solution to my pathways problem, at least in terms of why the dimension warping nature of Santuario Nero isn't routinely used over more mundane travel.
Scott's DVDs look very cool, but I wonder about the legality. Still, following his link there is a lot I'd like to get...beyond the Warren horror one of the Gold Key disks has plenty, although not all, of Magnus, Robot Fighter who was my favorite thing to read at the barber shop as a kid. I bought them when I saw them, which was rarely.
While I'm recruiting for the new City State of the Apocalypse campaign I'm still trying to decide on a rules set, most specifically house rules. I really want to try something very minimal to allow organic growth a la Dwimmermount the urge to play around is hard. One thing I've given some thought is semi-3.x saving throws. Instead of building my own chart or importing others to the one type saving throw of S&W I thought of dividing up saving throws by attribute (I already know I'll be adopting a B/X style bonus for my game). While level will still be the main factor in saving throws this should also create a stronger class flavor: in general fighters will save in tests of strength while magic-users will in test of intellect.
The other thing I'd really like to get into the game are constitution and charisma prime attribute classes. I have no idea on the former and the later easily defaults to bard so it can't be that. I think the best bet is to go through my source material and find outstandingly hardy and inspiring characters to build the classes from.
As I've been filling in the Random List I've thought of posting updates. However, that seems a bit much. Is there any interest in a separate page for Appendix N: City States of the Apocalypse?
I also have figured out a solution to my pathways problem, at least in terms of why the dimension warping nature of Santuario Nero isn't routinely used over more mundane travel.
Scott's DVDs look very cool, but I wonder about the legality. Still, following his link there is a lot I'd like to get...beyond the Warren horror one of the Gold Key disks has plenty, although not all, of Magnus, Robot Fighter who was my favorite thing to read at the barber shop as a kid. I bought them when I saw them, which was rarely.
While I'm recruiting for the new City State of the Apocalypse campaign I'm still trying to decide on a rules set, most specifically house rules. I really want to try something very minimal to allow organic growth a la Dwimmermount the urge to play around is hard. One thing I've given some thought is semi-3.x saving throws. Instead of building my own chart or importing others to the one type saving throw of S&W I thought of dividing up saving throws by attribute (I already know I'll be adopting a B/X style bonus for my game). While level will still be the main factor in saving throws this should also create a stronger class flavor: in general fighters will save in tests of strength while magic-users will in test of intellect.
The other thing I'd really like to get into the game are constitution and charisma prime attribute classes. I have no idea on the former and the later easily defaults to bard so it can't be that. I think the best bet is to go through my source material and find outstandingly hardy and inspiring characters to build the classes from.
As I've been filling in the Random List I've thought of posting updates. However, that seems a bit much. Is there any interest in a separate page for Appendix N: City States of the Apocalypse?
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
The World After: A Bit More On Elves
This post is an addition to CSotA: Elves.
The thing most people in the World After (how people in the City States tend to refer to their entire world) ask about elves is where the elves came from.
No one wants to know this more than the elves themselves. All elves appear in the world as adults with no clear memory of life before. The location and time of their appearance seem to be random, at least to date no scholar, elf or human (not even the famed Parkin of the Still Pastures), has found a pattern to their appearance. No elf in the World After has born or fathered a child, despite two clear and obvious genders.
In general elves know three things about elves when they appear in the world. They know they come from the forgotten island of Rutas. They know they can, in fact, have children both among themselves and with humans or at least could in the past. Finally, they know they are the children of creative chaos. The last causes no end of problems with The Hierarchy.
Note on the Cleric posts: For those who saw the autoposted entries on cleric they will appear this week. I didn't realize how rusty my creativity is, but trying to write Devil's in the Details charts is tough. They pack an amazing amount of world design into a small space and aren't easily grooved creativity. The only thing harder for me is dungeon set pieces.
The thing most people in the World After (how people in the City States tend to refer to their entire world) ask about elves is where the elves came from.
No one wants to know this more than the elves themselves. All elves appear in the world as adults with no clear memory of life before. The location and time of their appearance seem to be random, at least to date no scholar, elf or human (not even the famed Parkin of the Still Pastures), has found a pattern to their appearance. No elf in the World After has born or fathered a child, despite two clear and obvious genders.
In general elves know three things about elves when they appear in the world. They know they come from the forgotten island of Rutas. They know they can, in fact, have children both among themselves and with humans or at least could in the past. Finally, they know they are the children of creative chaos. The last causes no end of problems with The Hierarchy.
Note on the Cleric posts: For those who saw the autoposted entries on cleric they will appear this week. I didn't realize how rusty my creativity is, but trying to write Devil's in the Details charts is tough. They pack an amazing amount of world design into a small space and aren't easily grooved creativity. The only thing harder for me is dungeon set pieces.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday Pointers: July 26, 2010
D4:Weird Adventures
Trey at The Sorcerer's Skull has announced his blog posts about The City will become a setting product for Classic D&D style games. I have to love the cover which is a brilliant homage to both the original PHB and classic pulps such as Weird Tales. I am bit surprised no pulp classes will be added, but it is just a setting not a full game.
D6:In my world drunken masters use the number of drinks so far this session
An old post, from last year, but one I just read. The idea of kung fu numbers reminds me a bit of cherries in Unknown Armies and are exactly the kind of low rules, low impact thing I've come to love in games. I don't need pages of rules to do cool stuff, just an imagination trigger. Like random tables, one that springs surprises on you tends to work best.
D8:Speaking of more combat crunch
The comments on the above link lead me to this post over at Sham's Grog and Blog that introduces 15 modules (plug-ins) that can add options to your D&D combat. What's interesting is you could probably mix up which ones you use when to get the right feel for a given combat.
Trey at The Sorcerer's Skull has announced his blog posts about The City will become a setting product for Classic D&D style games. I have to love the cover which is a brilliant homage to both the original PHB and classic pulps such as Weird Tales. I am bit surprised no pulp classes will be added, but it is just a setting not a full game.
D6:In my world drunken masters use the number of drinks so far this session
An old post, from last year, but one I just read. The idea of kung fu numbers reminds me a bit of cherries in Unknown Armies and are exactly the kind of low rules, low impact thing I've come to love in games. I don't need pages of rules to do cool stuff, just an imagination trigger. Like random tables, one that springs surprises on you tends to work best.
D8:Speaking of more combat crunch
The comments on the above link lead me to this post over at Sham's Grog and Blog that introduces 15 modules (plug-ins) that can add options to your D&D combat. What's interesting is you could probably mix up which ones you use when to get the right feel for a given combat.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
The World After: Races and Classes
Nothing completely definitive...more leaving myself a note, but I figured making the notes public is part of blogging (except for those super secret notes in my notebooks for PCs to discover).
Anyway, planned initial races and classes (no race/class split): fighters, clerics, magic-users, elves (using the old D&D pick every day fighter/m-u class), dwarves, and some kind of "other skills" class. I'm torn on how to do the last. I'm waiting to see how the specialist works. I remember someone (maybe Rob at Bat in the Attic) had a similar class. Or I may run with a talents and SR class of my own design.
Anyway, planned initial races and classes (no race/class split): fighters, clerics, magic-users, elves (using the old D&D pick every day fighter/m-u class), dwarves, and some kind of "other skills" class. I'm torn on how to do the last. I'm waiting to see how the specialist works. I remember someone (maybe Rob at Bat in the Attic) had a similar class. Or I may run with a talents and SR class of my own design.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The World After: If strict time records are not kept
you cannot have a meaningful campaign.
Yes, I reversed the clauses because the conditional makes a better post title.
While The Harrowing post may obscure this, this campaign is set in a version of our world (made slightly less explicit both for meta-game and personal religious reasons). As such the calendar is made easier on me in that I'll use the basic Gregorian one.
In order to add a bit of atmosphere and account for the campaign's starting location, however, I won't be using the normal English names for the days of the week or months of the year. Instead, I'll be using Italian ones.
The start date will be Lunedì, Aprile 16. I know the AD year is 23*25 years past The Harrowing, but the campaign year I'll figure out when I need to.
Yes, I reversed the clauses because the conditional makes a better post title.
While The Harrowing post may obscure this, this campaign is set in a version of our world (made slightly less explicit both for meta-game and personal religious reasons). As such the calendar is made easier on me in that I'll use the basic Gregorian one.
In order to add a bit of atmosphere and account for the campaign's starting location, however, I won't be using the normal English names for the days of the week or months of the year. Instead, I'll be using Italian ones.
The start date will be Lunedì, Aprile 16. I know the AD year is 23*25 years past The Harrowing, but the campaign year I'll figure out when I need to.
The World After: Elves
So, elves...
Elves are the bane of the fantasy roleplaying game. To get an idea of how tired elves have gotten Talislanta has been advertising "No elves" since 1987, a date closer to the original publication of D&D than it is to to today by almost a factor of two. More recently Sirth of the Scrolls at Scrolls of Lankhmar talked about boring elves and dwarves (and complimented my sea dwarves from a game last year...thanks Sirth).
That said any game which starts from the premise "Using a virgin old school rules set, create a megadungeon and minor surroundings, add players, and then see where it goes" is going to have elves. None of my potential systems: OD&D, Holmes (with one of the fan expansions), Moldavy/Cook/Marsh (with the upcoming Companion), BECMI, RC, S&W, Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy Roleplaying, Dark Dungeons, or even Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying lets me escape elves (maybe the last does).
So, elves...
Right now I'm looking at a handful of options to make them unique. First, to look as far from Tolkien as I can I've included one issue of a story set in Marvel's Weirdworld as part of my alchemical formula. I'm tempted to add an issue of Elfquest.
Second, regardless of what rules set I will use, elves will use the OD&D convention of selecting once a day what class they will be. Yes, even in T&T (if I use it) we're going to give this a shot.
Finally, I'm going to take up the Devil in the Details idea from Fight On! #1 (which also adds something to my canon). My tables are below. However, to encourage player input you'll notice six entries on the first table and five entries on the second and third are "invent it". I plan on doing this to some degree for all DitD tables to encourage player creation.
Elves are the bane of the fantasy roleplaying game. To get an idea of how tired elves have gotten Talislanta has been advertising "No elves" since 1987, a date closer to the original publication of D&D than it is to to today by almost a factor of two. More recently Sirth of the Scrolls at Scrolls of Lankhmar talked about boring elves and dwarves (and complimented my sea dwarves from a game last year...thanks Sirth).
That said any game which starts from the premise "Using a virgin old school rules set, create a megadungeon and minor surroundings, add players, and then see where it goes" is going to have elves. None of my potential systems: OD&D, Holmes (with one of the fan expansions), Moldavy/Cook/Marsh (with the upcoming Companion), BECMI, RC, S&W, Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy Roleplaying, Dark Dungeons, or even Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying lets me escape elves (maybe the last does).
So, elves...
Right now I'm looking at a handful of options to make them unique. First, to look as far from Tolkien as I can I've included one issue of a story set in Marvel's Weirdworld as part of my alchemical formula. I'm tempted to add an issue of Elfquest.
Second, regardless of what rules set I will use, elves will use the OD&D convention of selecting once a day what class they will be. Yes, even in T&T (if I use it) we're going to give this a shot.
Finally, I'm going to take up the Devil in the Details idea from Fight On! #1 (which also adds something to my canon). My tables are below. However, to encourage player input you'll notice six entries on the first table and five entries on the second and third are "invent it". I plan on doing this to some degree for all DitD tables to encourage player creation.
| Many Elves (Roll a d20 three times) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Have only three fingers (plus a thumb) |
| 2 | Are about four feet tall |
| 3 | Play a musical instrument very well |
| 4 | Wear only leather clothing |
| 5 | Know how to juggle more than three items at a time |
| 6 | Wear circlets on their head or neck |
| 7 | Enjoy playing practical jokes |
| 8 | Paint a personal sigil on trees as they enter and leave a forest |
| 9 | Speak the language of brooks and trees |
| 10 | Have elaborate tattoos on their arms and/or legs |
| 11 | Worship change and chance or a deity of them |
| 12 | Collect things in fives, twenty-fives, and twenty-threes |
| 13 | Refuse to go about during a new moon |
| 14 | Eat nothing but meat |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
| 17 | Invent it |
| 18 | Invent it |
| 19 | Invent it |
| 20 | Invent it |
| Some Elves (Roll a d16) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Have a small forest animal companion |
| 2 | Refuse to wear clothing while at home |
| 3 | Cannot swim |
| 4 | Have elaborate facial tattoos |
| 5 | Are allergic to horses |
| 6 | Will only eat meat they have hunted themselves (although they need not have killed it themselves) |
| 7 | Wear jewelry that frames their face |
| 8 | Will not use metal tools |
| 9 | Have hair below their waist when loose |
| 10 | Prefer human lovers to elven ones |
| 11 | Prefer to sleep during sunlight |
| 12 | Invent it |
| 13 | Invent it |
| 14 | Invent it |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
| Common Traveling Gear for Elves (Roll a d16 1d3 times prior to spending starting gold) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | A small musical instrument |
| 2 | Pressed leaves or flowers from their home |
| 3 | Razor sharp wooden hair sticks |
| 4 | A long, stone tipped spear |
| 5 | A bagh nakh |
| 6 | Bowl and spoon formed from wood grown bound in that form (non-magical) |
| 7 | Body Paints |
| 8 | Seeds of twenty-three flowers and herbs from their home |
| 9 | A set of several wooden dice with a die cup |
| 10 | Jerky of their own making |
| 11 | A pot with a bonsai tree |
| 12 | Invent it |
| 13 | Invent it |
| 14 | Invent it |
| 15 | Invent it |
| 16 | Invent it |
Friday, July 23, 2010
Some days you should set auto post...
Or you'll get two posts posting out of order.
For those wondering where the Hierarchy and the Cults went, they'll be back next week.
For those wondering where the Hierarchy and the Cults went, they'll be back next week.
The World After: The Harrowing of Creation
The world was created by The Creator also called the Architect of Creation. In this he was aided by lesser beings who, by his grace, could tap into the source of creation. In the end, some of his agents desired Creation for themselves and rebelled. They were cast from the heights of Creation to its lowest depths.
From there the Fallen, as they were called, whispered in the ears of the Architect's greatest creation, man. Man could tap the source of creation not by the grace of the Architect for he had given them a piece of it as their birthright. Yet man, tempted by the Fallen, often came to desire more of that power and thus was Creation corrupted by man's desires beyond his abilities.
The Creator gave a promise that when certain signs were fulfilled those who were worthy would be called to him and together they would create and enjoy a new and better Creation. The worthy would be separated from the unworthy in a final conflict with the Fallen.
Yet somehow man conspired with the Fallen to bring the final conflict before the signs were fulfilled. In one dark night the Fallen were released upon Creation. As they tore at Creation men fought them and other men, leaving the world scarred and blasted. Yet, in the end the Fallen remained unopposed by, at least as far as man could see, by the Architect. As such they appeared poised to rule the world. This is the Harrowing.
Yet the Fallen did not stay within the world as its rulers. They retreated to their depths and although the Hierarchy of the Throne and the Cults of the Thousand Saints agree they are more present in the world than before they do not rule it. Yet man can still touch the source of creation and priests may still call upon the power of the Architect and his Saints within the world.
What happened that they do not rule the world? Some claimed the Fallen overthrew him and either killed him or drove him from Creation only to find they had no desire to rule. Others claimed that the promise was fulfilled and those who remained, both among man and the Fallen, have been abandoned in the old Creation which is beginning to decay away. The later point to the coming of Demons as proof that the world is ending. Those of the first theory counter Demons have gained their purchase because the Fallen (also called Devils) have refused to rule and thus maintain Creation.
And what does man do in this age? He does as he always has: lives, loves, fights, seeks treasure, strives to do good, and often does evil. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
From there the Fallen, as they were called, whispered in the ears of the Architect's greatest creation, man. Man could tap the source of creation not by the grace of the Architect for he had given them a piece of it as their birthright. Yet man, tempted by the Fallen, often came to desire more of that power and thus was Creation corrupted by man's desires beyond his abilities.
The Creator gave a promise that when certain signs were fulfilled those who were worthy would be called to him and together they would create and enjoy a new and better Creation. The worthy would be separated from the unworthy in a final conflict with the Fallen.
Yet somehow man conspired with the Fallen to bring the final conflict before the signs were fulfilled. In one dark night the Fallen were released upon Creation. As they tore at Creation men fought them and other men, leaving the world scarred and blasted. Yet, in the end the Fallen remained unopposed by, at least as far as man could see, by the Architect. As such they appeared poised to rule the world. This is the Harrowing.
Yet the Fallen did not stay within the world as its rulers. They retreated to their depths and although the Hierarchy of the Throne and the Cults of the Thousand Saints agree they are more present in the world than before they do not rule it. Yet man can still touch the source of creation and priests may still call upon the power of the Architect and his Saints within the world.
What happened that they do not rule the world? Some claimed the Fallen overthrew him and either killed him or drove him from Creation only to find they had no desire to rule. Others claimed that the promise was fulfilled and those who remained, both among man and the Fallen, have been abandoned in the old Creation which is beginning to decay away. The later point to the coming of Demons as proof that the world is ending. Those of the first theory counter Demons have gained their purchase because the Fallen (also called Devils) have refused to rule and thus maintain Creation.
And what does man do in this age? He does as he always has: lives, loves, fights, seeks treasure, strives to do good, and often does evil. Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Buried Treasures: Old School RPG Magazines and Fanzines
Because I can't keep track I thought I'd create a list of RPG fanzines and magazines dedicated to pre-3.x D&D, clones of it, and T&T. Images are the most current issue. The order is not meant to be a comment, but just reflects the order I remembered them.
If I missed your magazine or you'd like the link or thumbnail changed please drop me a line. I'm only interested in those still being actively produced (I'm unsure of the status of Green Devil Face so I didn't list it).
If I missed your magazine or you'd like the link or thumbnail changed please drop me a line. I'm only interested in those still being actively produced (I'm unsure of the status of Green Devil Face so I didn't list it).
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Inspirational Art: John Martin's Pandemonium
Pandemonium is Milton's Palace of Hell in Paradise Lost. In my first inspirational book for City States of the Apocalypse Blish follows Dante's vision of Hell. In fact, the city of Dis is called forth into the world in part of the novel. I would like to bring that idea forward to the CSotA but perhaps not with Dante.
Looking at this painting we get great ideas for the trapping of devils in the setting. The hosts of Hell look more Greek than Medieval. Perhaps the ceremonial wear of those who follow the Devil would be not that of a friar or priest, but a hoplite. Given the Fallen are fallen angels can we use their imagery for powers of light of well and how their followers, at least those in the field and outside of monasteries, should appear. I would remind readers that modern Catholic ecclesiastical garb is inspired by that of Roman courtiers, a by-product of the Church's place in the late empire.
Paladins as hoplites instead of knights. I think I'll run with that.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The World After: Naming the megadungeon
Some names for the megadungeon, all drawn from its back story:
Foro Nel Mondo
Bocca Dell'inferno
Rottura della Creazione
Rottura nella Creazione
Ware Sorte Awersa Di s (shorten to Ware Sorte Awersa?)
Sorte avversa degli articoli
Buco Nero
Santuario Nero
Hmmm...Santuario Nero...I guess that's a good name to start. Not too exciting if you translate it, but I suspect I'll deform it some more along the way.
Foro Nel Mondo
Bocca Dell'inferno
Rottura della Creazione
Rottura nella Creazione
Ware Sorte Awersa Di s (shorten to Ware Sorte Awersa?)
Sorte avversa degli articoli
Buco Nero
Santuario Nero
Hmmm...Santuario Nero...I guess that's a good name to start. Not too exciting if you translate it, but I suspect I'll deform it some more along the way.
Random Campaign Idea: The Last God
At the dawn of time the gods who inhabited the Astral Sea warred with the Old Ones from beyond the known universe. Aberrant monsters of the Far Realm they sought to unmake creation. The gods were hard pressed and imbued the mortals with their powers to join in the battle. In the end the Old Ones were driven from the moral world and it's parallels as well as the Astral Sea. However, many gods fell and a handful of openings to the Far Realms permitted the servants of the Old Ones to corrupt creation.
For a time the gods worked to heal the world and mortals hunted down the fell servants but the Old Ones were not permanently deterred. Again the Old Ones struck and were defeated yet more gods fell. Like the tides breaking upon the shore each war ended with reality preserved but more of the gods, and often their planes within the Astral Sea, destroyed. Each time more of the Old One's servants remained behind.
Now, a thousand years after the last war, the world awaits its fate. The Last God imbues his servants with the power to destroy the aberrant monsters while runepriests join mystery cults dedicated to fallen gods to learn their powers. Other mortals, knowing that the gods are spent and the defense of the world falls to them, have taken to walking arcane paths and making fell pacts to garner power to defeat the Old Ones and their servants. The Fey wilds have sent forth their own champions and even beings of Elemental Chaos have stepped into the world to prepare for its next defense.
Yet even before that can begin the world must be cleansed of the corruption left by the Old Ones, including the promises of power to persevere against them or even among them. It seems no place is pure and no power lies uncorrupted.
This idea comes from two primary sources and one secondary source. The primary sources are James Raggi's how to make D&D metal and Palladium Book's Old Ones. The secondary source is Charnel Gods, a supplement to Sorcerer which has no web presence that I can find.
The principle idea behind the setting is an ongoing war for the universe between the gods and Cthuvian Old Ones. As the gods beat off each attack their numbers diminished faster than their ability to regenerate. Now, the Last God prepares for his final battle by empowering servants, while men try to claim both the powers of the fallen gods as well learn the powers of creation directly.
Meanwhile, these wars have corrupted the world itself. Most power is now seduced by servants of the Old Ones and the world wars among itself as much as it tries to heal and prepare. The characters are new heroes rising to fight the corruption of the world only to risk seduction by it. Those who persevere beyond that seduction can rise to defend creation itself.
I originally conceived this for my restricted classes and races 4e campaign.
For a time the gods worked to heal the world and mortals hunted down the fell servants but the Old Ones were not permanently deterred. Again the Old Ones struck and were defeated yet more gods fell. Like the tides breaking upon the shore each war ended with reality preserved but more of the gods, and often their planes within the Astral Sea, destroyed. Each time more of the Old One's servants remained behind.
Now, a thousand years after the last war, the world awaits its fate. The Last God imbues his servants with the power to destroy the aberrant monsters while runepriests join mystery cults dedicated to fallen gods to learn their powers. Other mortals, knowing that the gods are spent and the defense of the world falls to them, have taken to walking arcane paths and making fell pacts to garner power to defeat the Old Ones and their servants. The Fey wilds have sent forth their own champions and even beings of Elemental Chaos have stepped into the world to prepare for its next defense.
Yet even before that can begin the world must be cleansed of the corruption left by the Old Ones, including the promises of power to persevere against them or even among them. It seems no place is pure and no power lies uncorrupted.
This idea comes from two primary sources and one secondary source. The primary sources are James Raggi's how to make D&D metal and Palladium Book's Old Ones. The secondary source is Charnel Gods, a supplement to Sorcerer which has no web presence that I can find.
The principle idea behind the setting is an ongoing war for the universe between the gods and Cthuvian Old Ones. As the gods beat off each attack their numbers diminished faster than their ability to regenerate. Now, the Last God prepares for his final battle by empowering servants, while men try to claim both the powers of the fallen gods as well learn the powers of creation directly.
Meanwhile, these wars have corrupted the world itself. Most power is now seduced by servants of the Old Ones and the world wars among itself as much as it tries to heal and prepare. The characters are new heroes rising to fight the corruption of the world only to risk seduction by it. Those who persevere beyond that seduction can rise to defend creation itself.
I originally conceived this for my restricted classes and races 4e campaign.
Monday, July 19, 2010
How Much Does a Gold Piece Weigh?
According to S&W and most other old school rules there are 10 coins/pound regardless of type.
How much is that in real world terms? Roughly 8 modern US quarters.
The problem with this becomes more apparent when you consider older (1950s) US quarters which were silver. It took about 7.25 of them to equal one silver piece. Pennies, actual copper pennies, run a little over half that weight implying 12-13 pennies per copper piece.
I think I'm going to run with items roughly the weight of a silver quarter being a coin in game terms. The ratio would be about 116 coins per pound. Just to make life easy I'll probably go with either 100 coins/pound or 96 coins/pound. I realize this creates issue with the use of encumbrance to make players be choosy on treasure, but I'm doubtful this will be as damaging as it might seem.
How much is that in real world terms? Roughly 8 modern US quarters.
The problem with this becomes more apparent when you consider older (1950s) US quarters which were silver. It took about 7.25 of them to equal one silver piece. Pennies, actual copper pennies, run a little over half that weight implying 12-13 pennies per copper piece.
I think I'm going to run with items roughly the weight of a silver quarter being a coin in game terms. The ratio would be about 116 coins per pound. Just to make life easy I'll probably go with either 100 coins/pound or 96 coins/pound. I realize this creates issue with the use of encumbrance to make players be choosy on treasure, but I'm doubtful this will be as damaging as it might seem.
The World After: Devils vs. Demons
Popular parlance tends to use the words devil and demon interchangeably (except when Devil is used as a proper noun for the leader of the Fallen) as the minions of Hell and Fallen Angels. D&D (and as a consequence much of gaming) does pretty much the same thing, mostly mutating them into parallel hierarchies of lawful evil and chaotic evil extra-planar beings (the inherent contradiction of a chaotic evil hierarchy mostly ignored).
However, if you look at the bullet points for the City States of the Apocalypse setting they are not the same thing or even parallel things. At least they shouldn't be even though I fell into that trap with the original. The two relevant points, rewritten to take that into account are (change in bold):
Those denizions of a new underwold were based on the ideas of a first creation from Ken Hite's GURPS Cabal among other sources. Originally, following Hite, I was going to call these beings quillip. However, I think demons is a better term.
So, some bullet points about devils and demons in the world of the City States:
The biggest places I can see this coming into the game early are spell learning and the agendas of certain inhabitants of the yet to be named megadungeon (among other areas).
However, if you look at the bullet points for the City States of the Apocalypse setting they are not the same thing or even parallel things. At least they shouldn't be even though I fell into that trap with the original. The two relevant points, rewritten to take that into account are (change in bold):
- The world is mostly blasted waste from man's war with the minions of Hell. The war was a success in that the Fallen were limited in their ability to rule but the world was destroyed in the process.
- Due to man's disruption of prophecy the world itself may be undermined and denizions of a new underworld are chewing at its foundations, which troubles everyone.
Those denizions of a new underwold were based on the ideas of a first creation from Ken Hite's GURPS Cabal among other sources. Originally, following Hite, I was going to call these beings quillip. However, I think demons is a better term.
So, some bullet points about devils and demons in the world of the City States:
- Are beings dedicated to Creation and its preservation.
- Are interested in control more than destruction, seeing the later as a means to an end
- By rebellion are cut off from the power of creation itself
- Are great sources of information about creation
- As an example of how the prior two interact: most devils can teach a magic user any spell, but could not create a new one (this is important, as spells are rare and hard to find.
- When the chips are down are more interested in fighting demons (to preserve Creation and the devils' quest for power) than in allying with them to harm humanity.
- Are members of a hierarchy and have similarities vertically and horizontally within it.
- Are from beyond Creation and consider it at best irrelevant and at worst an affront to them
- Have interests beyond the knowledge of mortals, but generally have little desire for power in Creation. Such power is just a means to their ends.
- As forces of Chaos their agenda quite often is destruction for destruction's sake (at least as can be discerned by those in Creation)
- Often have knowledge beyond Creation such as how to tap primal chaos (which Creation was built from) but little knowledge within it
- Probably don't know the spell you're looking for but can help you create new spells by tapping primal chaos (whose side effects you may not like)
- Are unique (no two demons are the same) and have highly varying (and changing) relationships with each other.
The biggest places I can see this coming into the game early are spell learning and the agendas of certain inhabitants of the yet to be named megadungeon (among other areas).
Monday Pointers: July 19, 2010
D4:DC, the Line of Stars
Zak explains why DC comics are like pre-89 RPGs and thus why both are better than Marvel comics and Vampire. Okay, maybe that last part is just me and he only draws some great parallels between the two big US comic companies and the two "eras" of D&D among other games. Still, a great read.
D6:Forget BP, get Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser
Over at Scrolls of Lankhmar, Srith has an interesting post about Fritz Leiber being discussed in the Wall Street Journal in the context of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
D8:Why Gamma World Wizards Love Radioactive Cocaine
And the heavy metal-gaming connection continues. Cyclopeatron suggest a campaign idea centered around a post holocaust band. This reminds me a lot of the "Grunge Warriors" strips from KoDT but still rocks. You have to give him major props for the title too.
D10:Encounters for the Rest of Us
Newbie DM brings up the idea of a community group that creates a parallel to D&D Encounters. I wonder if some of us devoted to older games could get such a thing going, but with bi-weekly instead of weekly installments.
D12:So, You Sure You Want to Go into that Giant Ant Hill
Matt at Land of Nod posts a video showing just what goes into an ant hill of the Savannah really looks like inside.
Zak explains why DC comics are like pre-89 RPGs and thus why both are better than Marvel comics and Vampire. Okay, maybe that last part is just me and he only draws some great parallels between the two big US comic companies and the two "eras" of D&D among other games. Still, a great read.
D6:Forget BP, get Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser
Over at Scrolls of Lankhmar, Srith has an interesting post about Fritz Leiber being discussed in the Wall Street Journal in the context of the Deepwater Horizon spill.
D8:Why Gamma World Wizards Love Radioactive Cocaine
And the heavy metal-gaming connection continues. Cyclopeatron suggest a campaign idea centered around a post holocaust band. This reminds me a lot of the "Grunge Warriors" strips from KoDT but still rocks. You have to give him major props for the title too.
D10:Encounters for the Rest of Us
Newbie DM brings up the idea of a community group that creates a parallel to D&D Encounters. I wonder if some of us devoted to older games could get such a thing going, but with bi-weekly instead of weekly installments.
D12:So, You Sure You Want to Go into that Giant Ant Hill
Matt at Land of Nod posts a video showing just what goes into an ant hill of the Savannah really looks like inside.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Got Confirmation...
Of my order for Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplaying Game.
Do you have yours?
Do you have yours?
The World After: Substance to the Random List
Last week, as I was abandoning my idea of running a 4e game (I like playing it but just couldn't bring myself to read the books enough to prep) and thinking about giving something akin to a mega-dungeon centered campaign I came up with a random list of inspirational materials and created items I'd want to have.
Having decided to return to at least the ideas that initially sparked City States of the Apocalypse I started to make that list more concrete.
Old School Rules Set:Back to the drawing boards on this one...
Random Comics: I have one (of ten) selected and it could be very influential. Warriors of the Shadow Realm is set in Marvel's Weird World. Weird World has a very 70s take on both elves and dwarves. The elves remind me a lot of Elfquest (an issue of which might join the 10 pre-1980s comics). Interesting, based on both the illustration and text of the LBB I suspect a Weird World elf is much closer to Gygax's vision than all the Tolkien influenced elves that now over-run the hobby. Expect more on this topic next week.
80s "Metal" fantasy novel: The Lady of the Snowmist by Offut, which I just brought back from El Paso last month. The last of his War of the Gods on Earth books and the reason I bought the first two back in the 80s it's the one I never got around to reading back then. The tone is very different from what people think of for T&T and the Weird World comics. I like that. It's a random element, but I'll read it red notebook (and maybe blue notebook as well) in hand.
Notebooks: I wrote about a gaming table notebook with letter index tabs for keeping track of creation in play. I still intend to do that but from the same huge box of notebooks I've pulled two others fro megadungeon notes (blue) and campaign world notes (red) to keep next to me while reading source material. The blue notebook already has two entries: an outline of levels 1-3 in terms of shape and my first inhabitants, the Green Tunics.
This is the best I've felt about campaign prep in a long time. Much better than my last two clone games.
Having decided to return to at least the ideas that initially sparked City States of the Apocalypse I started to make that list more concrete.
Old School Rules Set:Back to the drawing boards on this one...
Notebooks: I wrote about a gaming table notebook with letter index tabs for keeping track of creation in play. I still intend to do that but from the same huge box of notebooks I've pulled two others fro megadungeon notes (blue) and campaign world notes (red) to keep next to me while reading source material. The blue notebook already has two entries: an outline of levels 1-3 in terms of shape and my first inhabitants, the Green Tunics.
This is the best I've felt about campaign prep in a long time. Much better than my last two clone games.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Is the plural of megadungeon simply megadungeon...
So, in returning to my megadungeon idea from the original City States game I realized there were three reasonable places to put it. Each is unique and in my inspiration has what is required. I thought I faced a tough choice.
Or do I?
If the megadungeon is a mythic underworld does it have to be in a single location. We're not talking multiple entrances like most have, but multiple locations such that it can be entered in places as separated in our world as America's Stonehenge, The Seattle Underground, and Carlsbad Caverns (which while not my goal here, if I wanted a megadungeon for my Demon Haunted World this would work).
Nor I am talking about something like the Underdark in the Forgotten Realms. There would be no realistic sense of distance or magical gates that connected the sections. You could simply walk through a normal dungeon region and walk out thousands of miles away. The problem, of course, is how to justify this without making it a valid route of travel for people. If that was so the dungeon, or at least the trade routes, would be controlled by some power for that purpose. Although, as an idea, that alone isn't too bad if used sparingly.
Or do I?
If the megadungeon is a mythic underworld does it have to be in a single location. We're not talking multiple entrances like most have, but multiple locations such that it can be entered in places as separated in our world as America's Stonehenge, The Seattle Underground, and Carlsbad Caverns (which while not my goal here, if I wanted a megadungeon for my Demon Haunted World this would work).
Nor I am talking about something like the Underdark in the Forgotten Realms. There would be no realistic sense of distance or magical gates that connected the sections. You could simply walk through a normal dungeon region and walk out thousands of miles away. The problem, of course, is how to justify this without making it a valid route of travel for people. If that was so the dungeon, or at least the trade routes, would be controlled by some power for that purpose. Although, as an idea, that alone isn't too bad if used sparingly.
Return to the City States
If you look at the reading box to the left I'm reading James Blish's The Devil's Day. I wrote about it setting inspiration early in this blog. I hadn't read it in years when I wrote that. However, it would inspire my short lived LL campaign from last year.
That I am reading it is distinctly related to that game, sitting down and reading all of James M's Dwimmermount posts, and this morning's random list.
Fall is coming which is campaign starting season around here and I want to run two or three things (life? what's that?) and one is Tunnels & Trolls. I think T&T has great potential as the core game for a game firmly in the old school and it answers most of my complaints about D&D.
So, I'm returning to the City States, but with several differences. I had an original megadungeon idea that I didn't run with and will this time. The setting won't be near the White City, although I won't eliminate it either. It will be closer to a location currently called Verteidigung, which is the megadungeon. That's over a thousand miles from the White City.
I also picked up four PDFs yesterday which I hope to use: The Dungeon Alphabet, Random Esoteric Creature Generator for Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and their Modern Simulacra, and both volumes of Mythmere's Adventure Design Deskbook. Look for reviews as I actually put them through their paces.
I'll be using T&T both because I like it more and certain assumptions in it work better with my ideas than D&D. Specifically I'll be using a mildly house ruled 7.5 (mainly toning down the characteristic growth rate) and I'm sure rules will evolve during play assuming I find players.
That I am reading it is distinctly related to that game, sitting down and reading all of James M's Dwimmermount posts, and this morning's random list.
Fall is coming which is campaign starting season around here and I want to run two or three things (life? what's that?) and one is Tunnels & Trolls. I think T&T has great potential as the core game for a game firmly in the old school and it answers most of my complaints about D&D.
So, I'm returning to the City States, but with several differences. I had an original megadungeon idea that I didn't run with and will this time. The setting won't be near the White City, although I won't eliminate it either. It will be closer to a location currently called Verteidigung, which is the megadungeon. That's over a thousand miles from the White City.
I also picked up four PDFs yesterday which I hope to use: The Dungeon Alphabet, Random Esoteric Creature Generator for Classic Fantasy Role-Playing Games and their Modern Simulacra, and both volumes of Mythmere's Adventure Design Deskbook. Look for reviews as I actually put them through their paces.
I'll be using T&T both because I like it more and certain assumptions in it work better with my ideas than D&D. Specifically I'll be using a mildly house ruled 7.5 (mainly toning down the characteristic growth rate) and I'm sure rules will evolve during play assuming I find players.
A Random List of Things For a D&D World
If I wanted to create a minimal D&D world designed for discovery through play a here's a random list of things I'd want to have/create:
- An 80 page spiral notebook with letter tabs with the following page counts for each letter tied to first letter frequency in English (combining J-K, P-Q, X-Z) for a glossary to fill in during play.
- Ten random pre-80s comic books on any theme
- A Horseclans or similar 80s pulp fantasy novel
- One old school rules set from D&D (up to 2e), T&T, the retro-clones, and EPT....the shorter the better.
- One each of pre-100 The Dragon, Knockspell/Fight On!
- A list of languages
- A list of names, male and female, for two cultures.
- Two levels of a mega-dungeon
- Three unique monsters
- A villain one step ahead of the character
- A rival party of adventurers (unless I knew I'd have two groups)
- A legend of ancient Rutas or treasure that references forgotten Rutas
- A brief history of the current age 8751 words in length (give or take)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Howard Names for the Lazy
Robert E. Howard's Hyborian age uses a lazy man's nation building: take historic cultures in stereotype, apply an archaic name, and viola fantasy world.
Okay, maybe not quite that lazy but not far off either and certainly a D&D tradition. The hard part is finding the archaic names.
Enter Wikipedia.
Okay, maybe not quite that lazy but not far off either and certainly a D&D tradition. The hard part is finding the archaic names.
Enter Wikipedia.
Old Charts: Jump Lines
Something it seems most people don't realize about the LBB of Traveller is they were revised at least once. I have both the early and later versions and there are two differences that jump out at you.
1. The layout is better. Some headings and spacers are added and charts are gathered together.
2. The various forms from the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society have been added.
However, I have one difference that I honestly thought I imagined until I got my old books from my parent's home last month.
The original LBB had a a table for determining jump routes. You compared the starport types of two worlds to their jump distance and the result was a number to roll or exceed on a D6 for their to be a jump route.
Some points to note. The table is not linear on either access and only goes to jump-4 despite the tech including up to jump-6. This implies an assumed tech level that allows at least some jump-4 ships. B drives provide jump-4 on a 100 ton ship and H drives do for 400 ton ships. Drives up to H appear at tech level 10.
The chart emphasizes the importance of type A starports which automatically connect via established jump routes to adjacent starports of type-D or better and to those of type-E 83% of the time. Only C or better starports will establish jump-2 routes and even then at most half the time.
I don't know why this was dropped from the revised LBB but I'm glad to have it back. Like any random table it might create odd results. Still, figuring out why there is a jump-1 route running a series of D and E ports for five parsecs from an A port which doesn't even connect to an A port two parsecs away is just the creativity you want to spark.
1. The layout is better. Some headings and spacers are added and charts are gathered together.
2. The various forms from the Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society have been added.
However, I have one difference that I honestly thought I imagined until I got my old books from my parent's home last month.
The original LBB had a a table for determining jump routes. You compared the starport types of two worlds to their jump distance and the result was a number to roll or exceed on a D6 for their to be a jump route.
| JUMP ROUTES | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Pair | ----Jump Distance---- | |||
| Jump-1 | Jump-2 | Jump-3 | Jump-4 | |
| A-A | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| A-B | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| A-C | 1 | 4 | 6 | - |
| A-D | 1 | 5 | - | - |
| A-E | 2 | - | - | - |
| B-B | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| B-C | 2 | 4 | 6 | - |
| B-D | 3 | 6 | - | - |
| B-E | 4 | - | - | - |
| C-C | 3 | 6 | - | - |
| C-D | 4 | - | - | - |
| C-E | 4 | - | - | - |
| D-D | 4 | - | - | - |
| D-E | 5 | - | - | - |
| E-E | 6 | - | - | - |
Some points to note. The table is not linear on either access and only goes to jump-4 despite the tech including up to jump-6. This implies an assumed tech level that allows at least some jump-4 ships. B drives provide jump-4 on a 100 ton ship and H drives do for 400 ton ships. Drives up to H appear at tech level 10.
The chart emphasizes the importance of type A starports which automatically connect via established jump routes to adjacent starports of type-D or better and to those of type-E 83% of the time. Only C or better starports will establish jump-2 routes and even then at most half the time.
I don't know why this was dropped from the revised LBB but I'm glad to have it back. Like any random table it might create odd results. Still, figuring out why there is a jump-1 route running a series of D and E ports for five parsecs from an A port which doesn't even connect to an A port two parsecs away is just the creativity you want to spark.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Now to fit in Dracula...
So, on and I'm off I've been trying to figure out how to turn Jeff Reint's description of D&D: "You play Conan, I play Gandalf. We team up to fight Dracula" into a setting.
First, you can cheat a little and substitute Merlin for Gandalf. Second, we know Cimmeria was north of Pictland.
So, Merlin, Picts, decadent empires, and a struggle for a better world...
This screams a setting resembling northern England circa 475-500 with the last druids resurgent as Rome and the Christian Empire retreat and great barbarian warriors carve their own kingdoms out of the chaos.
If I could only fit Dracula into it.
First, you can cheat a little and substitute Merlin for Gandalf. Second, we know Cimmeria was north of Pictland.
So, Merlin, Picts, decadent empires, and a struggle for a better world...
This screams a setting resembling northern England circa 475-500 with the last druids resurgent as Rome and the Christian Empire retreat and great barbarian warriors carve their own kingdoms out of the chaos.
If I could only fit Dracula into it.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Quest for Monday Pointers: July 12, 2010
D4:Old School Gaming in the Digital Underground
Chgowiz (you did know he was back, right) find the heart of the OSR in The Humpty Dance. Who says we're a niche.
D6:Getting Metal in Your Game
Meanwhile the OSR's official Metalhead lays down his formula for making D&D metal. I'm looking to make the Friday of my fall of insanity a D&D Essentials game that I wanted to be metal. I'll be adopting some of Jim's idea with the struggle for heroes to be not to fall to that fate but instead become the fallen heroes of the next generation's legends. If I make it to level 21 doomed Epic destinies only.
D8:Shakespeare Was Willing to Kill PCs
Meanwhile Zak goes all high art with a post about how character death is good. In fact, it's a plot hook to top all other plot hooks.
Chgowiz (you did know he was back, right) find the heart of the OSR in The Humpty Dance. Who says we're a niche.
D6:Getting Metal in Your Game
Meanwhile the OSR's official Metalhead lays down his formula for making D&D metal. I'm looking to make the Friday of my fall of insanity a D&D Essentials game that I wanted to be metal. I'll be adopting some of Jim's idea with the struggle for heroes to be not to fall to that fate but instead become the fallen heroes of the next generation's legends. If I make it to level 21 doomed Epic destinies only.
D8:Shakespeare Was Willing to Kill PCs
Meanwhile Zak goes all high art with a post about how character death is good. In fact, it's a plot hook to top all other plot hooks.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
The Oddity of Blog Readers
Last week I published a brief post about seeing games prominently displayed in Hastings. I went on to speculate that maybe this was a sign we have become an adult hobby like hex and chit wargaming was in its day.
I had my single highest number of visits ever. Even more than the day my manners post was made.
The biggest day ever had two posts, one a Shatner picture and the other was linked to by James at Grognardia.
In fact, the post last Friday is already my third most viewed post, behind the Ken Kelly art post and the above mentioned manners one.
Even at that it is at roughly 2/3 the views of the much older (and liked by Playing D&D with Porn Stars for crying out loud) manners post.
Yet that huge traffic generated exactly one comment.
I'll admit that boggles my imagination.
I had my single highest number of visits ever. Even more than the day my manners post was made.
The biggest day ever had two posts, one a Shatner picture and the other was linked to by James at Grognardia.
In fact, the post last Friday is already my third most viewed post, behind the Ken Kelly art post and the above mentioned manners one.
Even at that it is at roughly 2/3 the views of the much older (and liked by Playing D&D with Porn Stars for crying out loud) manners post.
Yet that huge traffic generated exactly one comment.
I'll admit that boggles my imagination.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Metal Fantasy: A Reading List
If I said I wanted to read metal fantasy novels or stories, what pops into your mind first and foremost.
Remember, I said read, not watch.
Remember, I said read, not watch.
An Aside...
Monday Pointers returns next week and I was adding my entries. No surprise, but one is from Zak S.'s blog.
Thus, a brief aside about Zak is in order. When I first started reading his blog I was jealous because he was, well, playing D&D with porn stars. I'm male and over 40 so I came of age when D&D was for guys who didn't get dates, even with ugly and/or frigid girls so I was insanely jealous. I'm still jealous of him but I'm more jealous of his players because his game is that good.
Anyone can play D&D with porn stars, but a good DM is a thing to treasure.
Thus, a brief aside about Zak is in order. When I first started reading his blog I was jealous because he was, well, playing D&D with porn stars. I'm male and over 40 so I came of age when D&D was for guys who didn't get dates, even with ugly and/or frigid girls so I was insanely jealous. I'm still jealous of him but I'm more jealous of his players because his game is that good.
Anyone can play D&D with porn stars, but a good DM is a thing to treasure.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Insanity...
Games here tend to be tied to the school year (College Station...gee, wonder what the main industry is)...
I always have more things I want to run than I do...
So, I'm wonder.
Weekly games, as DM, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Insanity or bliss?
I always have more things I want to run than I do...
So, I'm wonder.
Weekly games, as DM, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Insanity or bliss?
Catching Up Reading
I let the "what I'm reading" section get out of date. Below are books finished but never noted and the books are current.
For those wondering, yes I am anticipating a new RPG showing up (Wednesday the 7th according to UPS).
For those wondering, yes I am anticipating a new RPG showing up (Wednesday the 7th according to UPS).
An Adult Hobby Now?
I noticed something unusual at my local Hastings stores.
RPGs are front and center in a feature display this month.
Two things struck me about this display:
1. It wasn't just D&D, but Pathfinder, CoC, and some White Wolf.
2. It was surrounded by adult displays, not next to the Twilight or HP stuff.
The display also had a variety of other gamer games such as Settlers.
Barnes and Noble now carries the complete Settlers line, most of Munchkin, and even more gamer type games.
I've long said this era is our second chance to become not the teen fad of the 80s (I don't want that back) but the stable, adult hobby hex and chit wargaming was from the early 60s through the mid-80s.
While Avalon Hill games in that era were not the end all/be all of wargaming (SPI was much more the grognard's choice) they were the public end of the game. Regular toy stores and Hallmark stores carried a variety of their games. Hobby stores generally had them and, depending on emphasis, a sprinkling to a vast selection of alternatives. Most people bought an AH game or two, played them, and that was that. A small handful became serious AH players and expanded into the hobby.
The ongoing presence of D&D in major book sellers could easily supply the AH phase and the occasional CoC or WW game being present (also, Hastings has Dragon Age, but not up front) as well as internet searches could provide that sprinkling that shows the handful who want to move deeper what is there.
In this context I have high hopes for the new Essentials line. With a bit of luck and hiding the crazy aunts and uncles in the attic, WotC is giving us an opening to do the early 80s not the way they happened but the way they could have.
RPGs are front and center in a feature display this month.
Two things struck me about this display:
1. It wasn't just D&D, but Pathfinder, CoC, and some White Wolf.
2. It was surrounded by adult displays, not next to the Twilight or HP stuff.
The display also had a variety of other gamer games such as Settlers.
Barnes and Noble now carries the complete Settlers line, most of Munchkin, and even more gamer type games.
I've long said this era is our second chance to become not the teen fad of the 80s (I don't want that back) but the stable, adult hobby hex and chit wargaming was from the early 60s through the mid-80s.
While Avalon Hill games in that era were not the end all/be all of wargaming (SPI was much more the grognard's choice) they were the public end of the game. Regular toy stores and Hallmark stores carried a variety of their games. Hobby stores generally had them and, depending on emphasis, a sprinkling to a vast selection of alternatives. Most people bought an AH game or two, played them, and that was that. A small handful became serious AH players and expanded into the hobby.
The ongoing presence of D&D in major book sellers could easily supply the AH phase and the occasional CoC or WW game being present (also, Hastings has Dragon Age, but not up front) as well as internet searches could provide that sprinkling that shows the handful who want to move deeper what is there.
In this context I have high hopes for the new Essentials line. With a bit of luck and hiding the crazy aunts and uncles in the attic, WotC is giving us an opening to do the early 80s not the way they happened but the way they could have.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Random Campaign Idea: Make the Magic Go Away
For generations we have opposed the Fae. We wish to farm and raise families, build our own cities, and generally live our lives as men. They twist the world into their images of beauty whose form change every day. Woods that one day provide apples good for baking the next will provide red fruits which burst into flocks of butterflies. With such wonders they have stolen our children and left our lands barren.
We cannot match their mystery and magic but we have one advantage, iron. None born of the Fae and few among the Stolen can bear to touch it, much less wield it. But mere swords of steel were not enough to stop their sorceries. We needed sorceries of our own.
Now we have them. Great edificies of gears and rods, powdered by steam not magic, are our sorcery. Let the Fae cast their spells that can twist wood or raise the waters. They cannot stop a fist of iron the size of a man or drown a ship of steel driven by the fires of a thousand pounds of coal.
Now we will claim the land and make their magic go away.
A steampunk world where humanity, chaffing as the second fiddle to elves for millenia, has invented grand technology to combat magic. For as long as anyone can remember the Fae have stolen children and enslaved humans. No human nation has lasted past its founders great-grandchildren before drifting away for lack of children or outright conquest.
But in deep caves and hidden groves men have been working. Forging tools of metal, first bronze and now the dark iron that burn the Fae at a mere touch. Charcoal flames, first used to just bend metal are now used to move it. The modern human nations in just two generations have turned two millenia of hidden human research and oral traditions into their own magic, that of steam. Now they are ready to strike back.
You can be human defenders of nations under siege, warriors striking at elven woods, or great steam mechanics building the weapons of the day. Participate in scorched earth campaigns where elven forests are cut down and cooked into charcoal to fire the great and lesser machines of war. Or perhaps you are an elf...a traitor to your kind sickened by the treatment of man but trusted by neither sign or elven commandos send to destroy the infernal factories and gear plants.
Steam powered power armor, primitive cybernetics, swords of meteor iron, and most of all the power of the assembly line making the later are pit against ancient elven magics. This would probably work best is something like BESM, M&M, or regular D20 with all the steam supplements. If going retro-clone the best choice would probably be S&W or another minimalist set. No human magic users but one of the many inventor type classes out there would be perfect. A typical D&D end game could focus on reclaiming lands haunted by the greatest monsters of all: elves.
For literary source, the creepy fae required could easily be found in the Fairy Books of Andrew Lang. Steampunk could be Victorian/Edwardian proto-scifi or more modern material.
We cannot match their mystery and magic but we have one advantage, iron. None born of the Fae and few among the Stolen can bear to touch it, much less wield it. But mere swords of steel were not enough to stop their sorceries. We needed sorceries of our own.
Now we have them. Great edificies of gears and rods, powdered by steam not magic, are our sorcery. Let the Fae cast their spells that can twist wood or raise the waters. They cannot stop a fist of iron the size of a man or drown a ship of steel driven by the fires of a thousand pounds of coal.
Now we will claim the land and make their magic go away.
A steampunk world where humanity, chaffing as the second fiddle to elves for millenia, has invented grand technology to combat magic. For as long as anyone can remember the Fae have stolen children and enslaved humans. No human nation has lasted past its founders great-grandchildren before drifting away for lack of children or outright conquest.
But in deep caves and hidden groves men have been working. Forging tools of metal, first bronze and now the dark iron that burn the Fae at a mere touch. Charcoal flames, first used to just bend metal are now used to move it. The modern human nations in just two generations have turned two millenia of hidden human research and oral traditions into their own magic, that of steam. Now they are ready to strike back.
You can be human defenders of nations under siege, warriors striking at elven woods, or great steam mechanics building the weapons of the day. Participate in scorched earth campaigns where elven forests are cut down and cooked into charcoal to fire the great and lesser machines of war. Or perhaps you are an elf...a traitor to your kind sickened by the treatment of man but trusted by neither sign or elven commandos send to destroy the infernal factories and gear plants.
Steam powered power armor, primitive cybernetics, swords of meteor iron, and most of all the power of the assembly line making the later are pit against ancient elven magics. This would probably work best is something like BESM, M&M, or regular D20 with all the steam supplements. If going retro-clone the best choice would probably be S&W or another minimalist set. No human magic users but one of the many inventor type classes out there would be perfect. A typical D&D end game could focus on reclaiming lands haunted by the greatest monsters of all: elves.
For literary source, the creepy fae required could easily be found in the Fairy Books of Andrew Lang. Steampunk could be Victorian/Edwardian proto-scifi or more modern material.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Magic Users in Dawnage D&D
Jeff Rients has the second of a series on a campaign at the beginning of history.
I had a random thought reading it. One of the things people claim to like about B/X is the limited spell selection. Magic-users get one spell per daily slot and have to specialize. There is a great deal of argument about spell research allowing you to exceed this count or not.
A dawn age campaign can get the same effect without limiting spells known by a different method: limited spells lists. At the beginning of time no one will have created a lot of spells. I would consider limiting the spell lists, perhaps even beyond those in B/X. While lots of 1st level spells might be known I'd trim the lists as spell level went up.
Given OD&D only went to level 7 (or was it level 5, I don't have my books here) I'd work from highest level down. There would be 1 7th level spell known, 1 6th level, 2 5th level, 2 4th level, 4 3rd level, 4 2nd level, and a mere 8 1st level spells. All others would have to be researched or learned from their creator. You can choose different numbers but you get the idea.
This would also allow a variant of 2nd edition type specialist magic users from the Unearthed Arcania netbook. Instead of specializing by college, specialize by tradition. In the netbook a tradition is based on spell names that contain a magic user's name. Joining a tradition might give access to twice the spells or even the first 8th and 9th level spells. It could also provide an endgame option. Allowed a name level magic-user to create a tradition if he has researched his own spells of each level available and specialize in his own tradition.
You could get more complicated such as spells from a previous tradition founded by his master and so on. The idea is to have the players' magic users inventing the magic of the ages that follow instead of digging up that of ages that preceded.
I had a random thought reading it. One of the things people claim to like about B/X is the limited spell selection. Magic-users get one spell per daily slot and have to specialize. There is a great deal of argument about spell research allowing you to exceed this count or not.
A dawn age campaign can get the same effect without limiting spells known by a different method: limited spells lists. At the beginning of time no one will have created a lot of spells. I would consider limiting the spell lists, perhaps even beyond those in B/X. While lots of 1st level spells might be known I'd trim the lists as spell level went up.
Given OD&D only went to level 7 (or was it level 5, I don't have my books here) I'd work from highest level down. There would be 1 7th level spell known, 1 6th level, 2 5th level, 2 4th level, 4 3rd level, 4 2nd level, and a mere 8 1st level spells. All others would have to be researched or learned from their creator. You can choose different numbers but you get the idea.
This would also allow a variant of 2nd edition type specialist magic users from the Unearthed Arcania netbook. Instead of specializing by college, specialize by tradition. In the netbook a tradition is based on spell names that contain a magic user's name. Joining a tradition might give access to twice the spells or even the first 8th and 9th level spells. It could also provide an endgame option. Allowed a name level magic-user to create a tradition if he has researched his own spells of each level available and specialize in his own tradition.
You could get more complicated such as spells from a previous tradition founded by his master and so on. The idea is to have the players' magic users inventing the magic of the ages that follow instead of digging up that of ages that preceded.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Monday Pointers: June 7, 2010 Edition
D4:An interesting anti-mage
The Mule Abides has an interesting take on someone who doesn't cast spells, but counter or control the spells of others. I can't personally think of an archetype in literature although I'm sure there is one. I think this could be a very good character for a S&S game that concentrates on magic being the province of villains not characters.
D6:Custom Dice at Home
Have you needed Fudge dice or other custom D6 but couldn't find them? Well, break out the iron and open source them.
The Mule Abides has an interesting take on someone who doesn't cast spells, but counter or control the spells of others. I can't personally think of an archetype in literature although I'm sure there is one. I think this could be a very good character for a S&S game that concentrates on magic being the province of villains not characters.
D6:Custom Dice at Home
Have you needed Fudge dice or other custom D6 but couldn't find them? Well, break out the iron and open source them.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
My thanks to Dr. Holmes
I write a column for the local monthly arts and entertainment paper. My territory is gaming and re-enactment. While I generally don't post it here I thought my readers would appreciate the May Power Word Herb:
When Gary Gygax passed it was big enough news to make NPR's "All Things Considered" and "The Cobert Report". A year later when Dave Arneson, the other credited author of the first version of Dungeons and Dragons, passed it didn't make the big news, but word spread quickly in the roleplaying community. The same happened when Tom Moldvay, author of the first red box, died in 2007. I'm sure when the author of the second iconic red box version, Frank Mentzer, passes it will be news in the community as many learned to play from that versions.
None of those men, however, authored the version of D&D I and most of the second generation of players, learned from. For those who remember (or own the Great Unwashed Lumaries boxed set) the first D&D image was the blue and white dragon cover of the first basic D&D (although it was not called basic). The author of that set was John Eric Holmes, MD. He died on March 20, 2010, and the gaming community didn't notice until May.
The original boxed set of D&D, aimed primarily at minatures gamers, was poorly organized and included many assumptions. While minatures gamers would know these assumptions people who weren't would get lost. This was true of the supplements to it as well. After D&D's explosion TSR needed something more accessible to a broader audience. Dr. Holmes was hired, after he volunteered, to write an introductory version of D&D.
Dr. Holmes would go on to write a series of stories and one novel that are arguably the earliest gaming fiction. Three stories of Boinger the Halfling and Zereth the Elf were published in "The Dragon" after the first appeared in the classic (and still running) gamer APA "Alarums & Excursions". The novel was published by Space & Time.
His greatest gaming or fantasy writing success, though, was a novel of Pellucidar, Edgar Rice Burrough's world in the hollow earth, authorized by the Burrough's estate. "Mahars of Pellucidar" was published by Ace in 1976. He would also collaborate with Burrough's son, who was also a patient of Holmes, although the novel was never finished. Another Pellucidar's novel publication was blocked by the Burrough's estate.
Finally, Holmes was a doctor. Given that the high point of his career might have been "Basic Human Neurophysiology". He would also write a variety of non-fiction articles for a wide swath of science fiction and gaming publications. He also wrote about D&D for "Psychology Today" in "Confessions of a Dungeon Master".
Dr. Holmes taught me to play D&D at ten and thus introduced me to a lifetime hobby. I am far from alone. He should be remembered and remembered fondly as the Doctor of D&D. Or at least remembered as RPG's first fanboy made good.
Dr. John Eric Holmes, R.I.P.
When Gary Gygax passed it was big enough news to make NPR's "All Things Considered" and "The Cobert Report". A year later when Dave Arneson, the other credited author of the first version of Dungeons and Dragons, passed it didn't make the big news, but word spread quickly in the roleplaying community. The same happened when Tom Moldvay, author of the first red box, died in 2007. I'm sure when the author of the second iconic red box version, Frank Mentzer, passes it will be news in the community as many learned to play from that versions.
None of those men, however, authored the version of D&D I and most of the second generation of players, learned from. For those who remember (or own the Great Unwashed Lumaries boxed set) the first D&D image was the blue and white dragon cover of the first basic D&D (although it was not called basic). The author of that set was John Eric Holmes, MD. He died on March 20, 2010, and the gaming community didn't notice until May.
The original boxed set of D&D, aimed primarily at minatures gamers, was poorly organized and included many assumptions. While minatures gamers would know these assumptions people who weren't would get lost. This was true of the supplements to it as well. After D&D's explosion TSR needed something more accessible to a broader audience. Dr. Holmes was hired, after he volunteered, to write an introductory version of D&D.
Dr. Holmes would go on to write a series of stories and one novel that are arguably the earliest gaming fiction. Three stories of Boinger the Halfling and Zereth the Elf were published in "The Dragon" after the first appeared in the classic (and still running) gamer APA "Alarums & Excursions". The novel was published by Space & Time.
His greatest gaming or fantasy writing success, though, was a novel of Pellucidar, Edgar Rice Burrough's world in the hollow earth, authorized by the Burrough's estate. "Mahars of Pellucidar" was published by Ace in 1976. He would also collaborate with Burrough's son, who was also a patient of Holmes, although the novel was never finished. Another Pellucidar's novel publication was blocked by the Burrough's estate.
Finally, Holmes was a doctor. Given that the high point of his career might have been "Basic Human Neurophysiology". He would also write a variety of non-fiction articles for a wide swath of science fiction and gaming publications. He also wrote about D&D for "Psychology Today" in "Confessions of a Dungeon Master".
Dr. Holmes taught me to play D&D at ten and thus introduced me to a lifetime hobby. I am far from alone. He should be remembered and remembered fondly as the Doctor of D&D. Or at least remembered as RPG's first fanboy made good.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday Pointers: May 31, 2010 Edition
D4:In Reverse World You Bring a Knife to a Gunfight
Jeff has an interesting story about the beginning of a 3.5 game set on this map. The amazing thing was having allowed players to generate characters then bring them there was a bit of a mismatch.
D6:Christopher Columbus Didn't Shop Here
That map above came from a source of strange maps. The Lost State of Jefferson would be a great piece of background for Privateers of the Anglo-Mexican War. Perhaps some of the Privateers decide a kingdom in the Pacific Northwest beats statehood.
Jeff has an interesting story about the beginning of a 3.5 game set on this map. The amazing thing was having allowed players to generate characters then bring them there was a bit of a mismatch.
D6:Christopher Columbus Didn't Shop Here
That map above came from a source of strange maps. The Lost State of Jefferson would be a great piece of background for Privateers of the Anglo-Mexican War. Perhaps some of the Privateers decide a kingdom in the Pacific Northwest beats statehood.
Friday, May 28, 2010
A new alignment chart
One of the most influential books in my life is The Principia Discordia. I read it thanks to gaming and unlike many read it before I read The Illuminatus! Trilogy
, although that is as much an accident of availability as anything.
Like most people influenced by it I have a particular favorite section, The Curse of Greyface and the Introduction of Negativism. The core idea of the section just, that we could put order and disorder as well as creation and destruction on perpendicular axes and get four state, just grabbed me. As a diagram it looks like this:
For those who were around for Holmes or have read the Strategic Review issue with the five alignment chart you'll realize they're somewhat familiar.
I have used this chart in designing games, specifically a Mage: the Ascension game set in Berlin either in the mid-60s or the early 80s. I saw the four factions of MtAs in terms of this chart. The Traditions were disordered creation and the Technocracy was ordered creation. The Marauders were the brutal, chaotic destruction and the Nephandi, the cool ordered destruction. I liked the idea both because in casting the Technocracy as a whole as a force for good it changed the nature of the war somewhat. I also thought layering order/disorder and creation/destruction on top of Cold War Berlin had the potential for some exciting interactions. Sadly, this is another random campaign idea that didn't come about.
It would be easy to map the chart to D&D alignments, especially the Holmes five section chart, with creation equal to good (the rest should be obvious). While easy I'd consider this a cop-out to a degree.
More interesting to me is layering this chart on top of something like James M.'s thoughts on the three tier alignment. Now we have both creative and destructive civilization set against both the rampaging destruction of demon inspired hordes (human and otherwise) as well as the beautiful, alien, and artistic fae. In fact, this chaotic creativity version of chaotic good would open the door to elves drawn more from fairy tales or games like Changeling than the bog standard Tolkien derivatives. In fact, the original D&D elf, with the ability to change classes every day, seems to fit this model more than the happy go lucky freedom fighter chaotic good of today.
Alignment is a place where the OSR can really make their mark much like the Indie scene has with ideas like humanity. Philosophical books serious, humorous, both, and neither abound and they aren't always non-fiction (anyone think Starship Troopers isn't a philosophy book?). Trying mining one for its core moral conflicts instead of just taking the alignments we've inherited. You'll be surprised what you find.
, although that is as much an accident of availability as anything.Like most people influenced by it I have a particular favorite section, The Curse of Greyface and the Introduction of Negativism. The core idea of the section just, that we could put order and disorder as well as creation and destruction on perpendicular axes and get four state, just grabbed me. As a diagram it looks like this:
For those who were around for Holmes or have read the Strategic Review issue with the five alignment chart you'll realize they're somewhat familiar.
I have used this chart in designing games, specifically a Mage: the Ascension game set in Berlin either in the mid-60s or the early 80s. I saw the four factions of MtAs in terms of this chart. The Traditions were disordered creation and the Technocracy was ordered creation. The Marauders were the brutal, chaotic destruction and the Nephandi, the cool ordered destruction. I liked the idea both because in casting the Technocracy as a whole as a force for good it changed the nature of the war somewhat. I also thought layering order/disorder and creation/destruction on top of Cold War Berlin had the potential for some exciting interactions. Sadly, this is another random campaign idea that didn't come about.
It would be easy to map the chart to D&D alignments, especially the Holmes five section chart, with creation equal to good (the rest should be obvious). While easy I'd consider this a cop-out to a degree.
More interesting to me is layering this chart on top of something like James M.'s thoughts on the three tier alignment. Now we have both creative and destructive civilization set against both the rampaging destruction of demon inspired hordes (human and otherwise) as well as the beautiful, alien, and artistic fae. In fact, this chaotic creativity version of chaotic good would open the door to elves drawn more from fairy tales or games like Changeling than the bog standard Tolkien derivatives. In fact, the original D&D elf, with the ability to change classes every day, seems to fit this model more than the happy go lucky freedom fighter chaotic good of today.
Alignment is a place where the OSR can really make their mark much like the Indie scene has with ideas like humanity. Philosophical books serious, humorous, both, and neither abound and they aren't always non-fiction (anyone think Starship Troopers isn't a philosophy book?). Trying mining one for its core moral conflicts instead of just taking the alignments we've inherited. You'll be surprised what you find.
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