The final conversion for getting my Patfinder/Midgard campaign moved over to 5e is finding some way to implement the Psion class, as presented in Dreamscarred Press' "Ultimate Psionics" (a great product, but very Pathfinder-y).
In this case, the player has specialized as a "Nomad" (teleportation, I mean "psychoportation" specialist), and in keeping with my "just get this working" ethic, here is how I'm handling his character. It's going to be a work in progress, and the player is willing (and eager) to work with me to get the feel right over the first few sessions.
First off, Psions are analogous to Wizards. They improve their powers through careful study and have "specialist schools".
I had already decided to use "Psionics as another flavor of Magic" in the PF version of this campaign. Simply put, "magic" derives from three sources - arcane (powered by the structure of the material plane, by way of ley lines, and wielded through ritual and pattern), divine (powered by the collective belief of trillions of souls, both alive and post-alive, and wielded through emotion), and psionic (powered by the creative energies of the astral "Sea of Possibilities", and wielded through mental discipline).
But for practical purposes, I'm using the "Point System" magic from the DMG, and adding "Nomad" as a school of magic with the following properties:
At 1st level, you gain "Psionic Focus", which is similar to "Concentration". It takes one action to become focused, and if you ever fail a Concentration check, you lose focus as well. While focused, you can "cast" cantrips at no point cost (Normally they cost 1 point), and can manifest any special abilities. Your Intelligence is your casting attribute.
At 2nd Level, you gain "Nomad's Step" - while focused, you can use your action to teleport within line of sight up to 15 feet away, +5 feet for each level above 2nd. You also gain "Catfall" as an always prepared Cantrip. (Catfall is a single-person Feather Fall limited to 20' + 10' per power point spent.) Note, replaces "Arcane Tradition" - not sure about gaining extra Feather Fall, but that seems to be a decent way to simulate the Nomad's growing control over space and time.
At 6th Level, you gain "Inconstant Position" - use your reaction to give any attack a 50% chance to miss you. You may use this power up to 1+(level-8)*2 times after a long rest.
I'll wing it from there.
I'm "reskinning" some of the spells to sound more "psionic-y", but the game effects will be the same.
I'm leaving Arcane Recovery in, though I need to work out how many points you can recover. It'll probably be something like "regain your caster level in points".
Lastly - since "Psionics" is another form of magic, it's treated as magic for any detection or resistance checks.
There are a lot of holes in this system, such as how many "spells" does a Psion get, and can they collect them like Wizards, or are they "hard coded" like a Sorcerer? Though "Sorcerer" matches the original vibe of "psionics is stuff you know how to do", I like the Psion class as an explorer of the Psionic arts, and though having to prepare a limited number of spells is possibly goofy in this case, I think it will work fine for play balance.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Mongoose Traveller Character: Abigael Tynan
Field Agent 3 Abigael "Abby" Tynan - Age 34
Str: 5(-1) Int: 9(+1)
Dex: 11(+2) Edu: 7(+0)
End: 7(+0) Soc: 7(+0)
Skills: Persuade-3, Deception-2, Communications-1, Investigate-1, Streetwise-1, Flyer-1, Melee-1, Carousing-0, Art(Singing)-0, Art(Songwriting)-0, Trade(Waitress)-0
Possessions: TL-12 Wafer Jack, Cr30,000
Enemies: Count Haakon of Sacnoth
1/2 Term Performer(Singer/Songwriter), 3 Terms Intelligence (Field Agent)
Abby grew up on Sacnoth (Sword Worlds/Sacnoth A775956-C), where she had a brief career as a singer/songwriter. When one of her more political songs became a hit, the local noble whose corruption she was satirizing (Count Haakon) took offense and put an end to her career.
Hoping to escape Count Haakon's reach, Abby applied to be a colonist, but was rejected - the colonial office couldn't risk the wrath of Count Haakon. Dejected and wondering what to do with her life, she was approached by Sword World Intelligence, who moved her to the capital of the Confederation, Gram (A895957-C). Though reluctant to move to her homeworld's chief rival in the Confederation, Abby realized that Gram was probably the one world where Count Haakon's influence would not reach.
Abby rose quickly through the ranks, making a name for herself as a field operative. Her good looks and easy nature made her a natural operative, and she helped to uncover numerous worker revolts and other threats to Gram's leadership.
In her 4th term, an unknown enemy blew her cover and her brother was nearly killed. The service decided that they no longer required her, and she was mustered out. Unusually, Abby was permitted to retain her wafer jack (TL-12, hidden access port), though she did have to turn in her software package and submit to a wafer-jack wipe to remove any classified data.
Str: 5(-1) Int: 9(+1)
Dex: 11(+2) Edu: 7(+0)
End: 7(+0) Soc: 7(+0)
Skills: Persuade-3, Deception-2, Communications-1, Investigate-1, Streetwise-1, Flyer-1, Melee-1, Carousing-0, Art(Singing)-0, Art(Songwriting)-0, Trade(Waitress)-0
Possessions: TL-12 Wafer Jack, Cr30,000
Enemies: Count Haakon of Sacnoth
1/2 Term Performer(Singer/Songwriter), 3 Terms Intelligence (Field Agent)
Abby grew up on Sacnoth (Sword Worlds/Sacnoth A775956-C), where she had a brief career as a singer/songwriter. When one of her more political songs became a hit, the local noble whose corruption she was satirizing (Count Haakon) took offense and put an end to her career.
Hoping to escape Count Haakon's reach, Abby applied to be a colonist, but was rejected - the colonial office couldn't risk the wrath of Count Haakon. Dejected and wondering what to do with her life, she was approached by Sword World Intelligence, who moved her to the capital of the Confederation, Gram (A895957-C). Though reluctant to move to her homeworld's chief rival in the Confederation, Abby realized that Gram was probably the one world where Count Haakon's influence would not reach.
Abby rose quickly through the ranks, making a name for herself as a field operative. Her good looks and easy nature made her a natural operative, and she helped to uncover numerous worker revolts and other threats to Gram's leadership.
In her 4th term, an unknown enemy blew her cover and her brother was nearly killed. The service decided that they no longer required her, and she was mustered out. Unusually, Abby was permitted to retain her wafer jack (TL-12, hidden access port), though she did have to turn in her software package and submit to a wafer-jack wipe to remove any classified data.
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Tengu, D&D 5e Style
Similar to my previous Catfolk post, another of my players is playing one of the "Ravenfolk", also known as Tengu, Huginn, or Heruti.
So here is the Racial Template I plan to use for Tengu. It is based off of Kobold Press's "Advanced Races 5 - Ravenfolk" book by Wade Rockett, which is released under the OGL. (The Open Content of his product includes new feats, spells, magic items, gear and player character race abilities, the last of which is what I am using for inspiration.)
Note: this edit includes numerous suggestions from James Ray, Benjamin Eastman and others I don't mean to slight by not remembering.
So here is the Racial Template I plan to use for Tengu. It is based off of Kobold Press's "Advanced Races 5 - Ravenfolk" book by Wade Rockett, which is released under the OGL. (The Open Content of his product includes new feats, spells, magic items, gear and player character race abilities, the last of which is what I am using for inspiration.)
Note: this edit includes numerous suggestions from James Ray, Benjamin Eastman and others I don't mean to slight by not remembering.
Tengu/Ravenfolk Traits
- Ability Score Increase: You are fast and highly observant. Your Dexterity increases by +2 and your Wisdom by +1.
- Age: Tengu leave the nest at 12 years of age and can live to over 100 years.
- Alignment: Tengu favor no particular alignment, and are as diverse in outlook as Humans.
- Size: Tengu are medium sized creatures. They stand roughly 5 feet tall and due to their hollow bones, weigh roughly 100 pounds.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Keenly Observant: You have innate proficiency in Perception.
- Darkvision: You can see in dim light within 60 feet as if you were in bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Natural Weapon: Bite (1d4 Piercing)
- Languages: You can speak, read and write both Common and Feather Tongue
In the original text, Tengu also had proficiency in all sword-like weapons, due to their cultural upbringing, but I think that in 5e, that might be better left to a Background, so I have not included it. Likewise, though "gifted linguist" is part of their back story, I'm not sure how best to represent that in 5e. Maybe they take much less time learning a language than normal?
Also, I'm balancing the original race's high Dex/Wis by making them naturally proficient in Perception. I considered the suggestion to drop Perception in favor of Stealth, but Dex+2 and Stealth sort of shoe-horns them into Rogues. Also, in my view of Ravenfolk, making them fast (Dex+2) but keenly observant (Wis+1, Perception) fits them better.
The Children of Odin see all....
Also, I'm balancing the original race's high Dex/Wis by making them naturally proficient in Perception. I considered the suggestion to drop Perception in favor of Stealth, but Dex+2 and Stealth sort of shoe-horns them into Rogues. Also, in my view of Ravenfolk, making them fast (Dex+2) but keenly observant (Wis+1, Perception) fits them better.
The Children of Odin see all....
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Catfolk, D&D 5e Style
I'm planning to switch my home "Pirates of Pathfinder" game over to 5e. My players in that campaign are largely disinterested in the sophisticated character building and combat options of Pathfinder, and I think 5e would be a better fit for them. Plus, I'm all excited about 5e these days. :)
However, one of my players likes to play Catfolk. Those aren't represented in 5e yet.
Here is how I intend to port the OGL Pathfinder Catfolk player race to 5e. Please see the link above for fluff details, I'm going to stick pretty close to mechanics here, though with an attempt to make it "read" like 5e.
However, one of my players likes to play Catfolk. Those aren't represented in 5e yet.
Here is how I intend to port the OGL Pathfinder Catfolk player race to 5e. Please see the link above for fluff details, I'm going to stick pretty close to mechanics here, though with an attempt to make it "read" like 5e.
Catfolk Traits
As a Catfolk, you are a natural explorer and trailblazer, curious and brave by nature. Your people are known to be generous and loyal to their family and friends, and catfolk are friendly with any people who offers goodwill.
- Ability Score Increase: You are likable and agile. Your Dexterity increases by +2 and your Charisma by +1.
- Age: Catfolk reach adulthood at 15 years of age.
- Alignment: Catfolk are generally Good, with the majority tending towards Chaotic.
- Size: Catfolk range from 5 to 6 feet tall, with female Catfolk tending to be 5" shorter than males on average. Catfolk are medium.
- Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
- Sprinter: You gain an extra +10 feet of movement when you Dash.
- Natural Hunter: You have an innate proficiency in Survival and Stealth skills. You are also proficient in the use of your claws (1d4 Slashing) for melee.
- Cat's Luck: You may claim Advantage on one Dexterity Saving Throw. This ability recharges after a long rest.
- Darkvision: Accustomed to nighttime hunting, you can see in dim light within 60 feet as if you were in bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light.
- Languages: You can speak, read and write both Common and Catfolk.
I'm not doing anything with Subraces for the moment, though the SRD Catfolk gives plenty of room for adapting the various racial feats and such.
I'm also considering a different take on Cat's Luck, which is mostly inspired by how my player keeps trying to use it. Instead of claiming Advantage (which mimics the OSR version), I might allow a re-roll, keeping the second value.
Next, I'll try adapting the Huginn or Tengu "Ravenfolk".
Notes: Thanks to Sean Bircher for his suggestions.
Notes: Thanks to Sean Bircher for his suggestions.
Friday, February 13, 2015
A quick thought on Traveller Social Standing
The topic of "why doesn't Traveller have Charisma, and how do I represent a boorish Noble?" comes up with some frequency in Traveller discussions.
Aside from the obvious hack of just giving characters a 7th stat for Charisma (which works fine), you can also get some mileage out of an alternate reading of the Traveller description for Social Standing (SS).
In Starter Traveller, the book says, "Those with social standing of B+ (11 or greater) are considered to be noble, and may assume their family's hereditary title." That's pretty straight forward.
But what if you decide instead that SS is how well does the character handle themselves in social situations? Assuming that SS of 11 or better is having "courtly manners" that would imply a noble background, give the player the option of actually being a noble OR having some other back story to explain their knowledge of courtly ways. It might even be possible that a high SS player came from a bloodline in exile, or that they served a noble family and the character is "passing".
Of course this is a two-edged sword. The Referee would then have to permit "fallen nobles" who has SS of less than their family due to apathy or ennui, but still maintained their title.
However, interpreting SS even more loosely allows lowborn characters who are highly charismatic to have entre into high SS situations because, though they're unlearned in manners, they have a magnetism that even nobles find charming.
I prefer this interpretation of SS. Just like having a high Education does not automatically make you a professor, having a high Social Standing ought not force a player into the nobility.
Just a thought.
Aside from the obvious hack of just giving characters a 7th stat for Charisma (which works fine), you can also get some mileage out of an alternate reading of the Traveller description for Social Standing (SS).
In Starter Traveller, the book says, "Those with social standing of B+ (11 or greater) are considered to be noble, and may assume their family's hereditary title." That's pretty straight forward.
But what if you decide instead that SS is how well does the character handle themselves in social situations? Assuming that SS of 11 or better is having "courtly manners" that would imply a noble background, give the player the option of actually being a noble OR having some other back story to explain their knowledge of courtly ways. It might even be possible that a high SS player came from a bloodline in exile, or that they served a noble family and the character is "passing".
Of course this is a two-edged sword. The Referee would then have to permit "fallen nobles" who has SS of less than their family due to apathy or ennui, but still maintained their title.
However, interpreting SS even more loosely allows lowborn characters who are highly charismatic to have entre into high SS situations because, though they're unlearned in manners, they have a magnetism that even nobles find charming.
I prefer this interpretation of SS. Just like having a high Education does not automatically make you a professor, having a high Social Standing ought not force a player into the nobility.
Just a thought.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Just got my D&D 5e Player's Handbook!
Yesterday evening, my 5e PHB arrived from Amazon. Here are a few very brief impressions.
I haven't had a chance to really dig into it, but scanning over the book gives me warm fuzzies. The artwork is a bit less "Wayne Reynolds" than I like (I'm one of the few people who like the kind of Anime-style of Pathfinder) but it's very attractive. The book's production overall is very nice as well. I like their whimsical touches as well. It hearkens back to AD&D a little, which I'm sure is the point.
I was happy to see so many classes represented in the book. It's not just the standard "Fighter, Cleric, Thief, Wizard" by any stretch. I was a bit confused why there were only two bloodlines for Sorcerers, but I guess the authors wanted to leave some room for future expansion.
The spells list seems to be a smaller percentage of the book than it was in previous editions, though I haven't actually done the page count to verify that. I really like this edition's take on Cantrips, Spells and Rituals. It matches ideas I've been using in my own games. The "Spell Slots" system is interesting, though it doesn't mesh with my "spells are like grenades - you prepare them and then throw them" explanation of D&D magic. That's ok, the 5e system might not make as much sense, but it looks like it will be more fun to play.
I may have more impressions once I've read the thing, but honestly everyone's doing 5e blogs these days, so I don't know that I'd have much to add to the discussion. I'll stick with more obscure topics, I think.
I haven't had a chance to really dig into it, but scanning over the book gives me warm fuzzies. The artwork is a bit less "Wayne Reynolds" than I like (I'm one of the few people who like the kind of Anime-style of Pathfinder) but it's very attractive. The book's production overall is very nice as well. I like their whimsical touches as well. It hearkens back to AD&D a little, which I'm sure is the point.
I was happy to see so many classes represented in the book. It's not just the standard "Fighter, Cleric, Thief, Wizard" by any stretch. I was a bit confused why there were only two bloodlines for Sorcerers, but I guess the authors wanted to leave some room for future expansion.
The spells list seems to be a smaller percentage of the book than it was in previous editions, though I haven't actually done the page count to verify that. I really like this edition's take on Cantrips, Spells and Rituals. It matches ideas I've been using in my own games. The "Spell Slots" system is interesting, though it doesn't mesh with my "spells are like grenades - you prepare them and then throw them" explanation of D&D magic. That's ok, the 5e system might not make as much sense, but it looks like it will be more fun to play.
I may have more impressions once I've read the thing, but honestly everyone's doing 5e blogs these days, so I don't know that I'd have much to add to the discussion. I'll stick with more obscure topics, I think.
DBA Army Upgrades
I tried to think up a fun title for this one, but failed. Sigh.
So DBA3.0 has a few surprises up its sleeves for those of us with existing armies. This post is going to get technical, so my apologies in advance for this deep dive.
First a few definitions, in case non-DBA players have decided to push on anyway:
In DBA, each army is composed of 12 "elements", where an element is a rectangular base with figures mounted on it. The size of the base and number of figures varies by what type of troop and what size figures you're using, but for my case of 15mm figures, they're 40mm across and have varying depthts from 15mm to 40mm, with 20mm being the most common for foot and 30mm being the most common for mounted.
Elements are specified in a sort of code. "3Sp" means a base with 3 spear men on it. "4Bd" would be a base with 4 blades (think Romans or Vikings) on it. 6x4Bd means 6 elements of blades with 4 blades per stand. In previous DBA incarnations, the number of figures was more of a suggestion. In 3.0 though, it helps determine if a foot element is "Fast" (usually 3 figures) or "Solid" (usually 4 figures), so it does matter.
Also, DBA uses some idiosyncratic terms for element types.
"Psiloi" (Ps) is used for all skirmishers. Originally, the Psiloi was the word ancient Greeks used for their unarmored, unshielded warriors who often fought with nothing more than a sling, bow or some javelins. But in DBA, they're any skirmisher troop.
"Auxilia" (Ax) was originally what the Romans called their native allies. They didn't have very good equipment or discipline by Roman standards, but fought in an organized way, and were pretty reliable if you didn't ask too much of them. In DBA, Ax troops are pretty much any troops with a shield but no body armor, and who are comfortable fighting in the rough.
Enough DBA history for now, let's get back to how my armies have changed.
The Hittite Empire army used to have a core of 6x3Sp but since Sp can't have only 3 figures in 3.0, they've separated that group into two - one group of 4x3Pk elements, and another of 2x3Ax elements. "Pk" means "Pike", and like other descriptors, DBA doesn't seem to literally mean "fighting with a 15 foot pole", but rather "fights in a close, deep block". And more mechanically it means, "fights about as good as Auxilia, but can double-up to take on just about anyone".
So my existing 3Sp figures are good enough for the new 3Pk, but I need 2x3Ax to round things out. The solution I've come up with is based on history somewhat. Hittites Auxilia are most probably Syrio-Canaanites, but the Hurrians were still around during the Hittite Empire days, and given their sometimes close political, cultural and dynastic ties, I've decided to raid my Hurrian army bag for some light infantry. They're mostly just wearing a Canaanite-style "kilt" with a bare chest and small shield, so they look the part. So I'll save myself $5 and just use them.
Last night, I got all 6 of those guys primed and painted with the exception of their kilts. I'm going to go for "Canaanite chiq", which will be white with solid colored borders. It' been a while since I've painted 15mm figures, and my eyes aren't up for the task without a magnifier. I hope tonight to get their kilt borders painted in and their faces touched up so I can base them.
From later in time, my Carthaginian Army (Hannibal's era) got the work-over too, essentially making me choose between Iberians or Gauls. But to make matters worse, DBA now classes almost all Gauls as SOLID Warbands instead of FAST. So all those 3Wb need to get rebased as 4Wb.
I actually did that rebasing work last night, and it went better than I was afraid it would. By the rules, 4Wb should be on a 15mm deep base, but since the army lists allows them to be 4Wb or 4Ax, and 4Ax is a 20mm deep base, I went for 20mm. DBA3 allows a 20mm deep 4Wb, so it's not technically wrong, it just looks odd to me.
Finally, my Ancient Nubians swapped one of their-bow Psiloi for a javelin Psiloi. No game function change, but I happened to have two left-over javelin & shield armed Nubians from a pack of 8 that was used for 2x3Wb, so now the Nubians have a new Psiloi element.
There are plenty more upgrades to go. My Thracians got savaged, and my Republican Romans need some proper Auxilia (2x4Ax), but those are projects for when I want to do some REAL painting.
So DBA3.0 has a few surprises up its sleeves for those of us with existing armies. This post is going to get technical, so my apologies in advance for this deep dive.
First a few definitions, in case non-DBA players have decided to push on anyway:
In DBA, each army is composed of 12 "elements", where an element is a rectangular base with figures mounted on it. The size of the base and number of figures varies by what type of troop and what size figures you're using, but for my case of 15mm figures, they're 40mm across and have varying depthts from 15mm to 40mm, with 20mm being the most common for foot and 30mm being the most common for mounted.
Elements are specified in a sort of code. "3Sp" means a base with 3 spear men on it. "4Bd" would be a base with 4 blades (think Romans or Vikings) on it. 6x4Bd means 6 elements of blades with 4 blades per stand. In previous DBA incarnations, the number of figures was more of a suggestion. In 3.0 though, it helps determine if a foot element is "Fast" (usually 3 figures) or "Solid" (usually 4 figures), so it does matter.
Also, DBA uses some idiosyncratic terms for element types.
"Psiloi" (Ps) is used for all skirmishers. Originally, the Psiloi was the word ancient Greeks used for their unarmored, unshielded warriors who often fought with nothing more than a sling, bow or some javelins. But in DBA, they're any skirmisher troop.
"Auxilia" (Ax) was originally what the Romans called their native allies. They didn't have very good equipment or discipline by Roman standards, but fought in an organized way, and were pretty reliable if you didn't ask too much of them. In DBA, Ax troops are pretty much any troops with a shield but no body armor, and who are comfortable fighting in the rough.
Enough DBA history for now, let's get back to how my armies have changed.
The Hittite Empire army used to have a core of 6x3Sp but since Sp can't have only 3 figures in 3.0, they've separated that group into two - one group of 4x3Pk elements, and another of 2x3Ax elements. "Pk" means "Pike", and like other descriptors, DBA doesn't seem to literally mean "fighting with a 15 foot pole", but rather "fights in a close, deep block". And more mechanically it means, "fights about as good as Auxilia, but can double-up to take on just about anyone".
So my existing 3Sp figures are good enough for the new 3Pk, but I need 2x3Ax to round things out. The solution I've come up with is based on history somewhat. Hittites Auxilia are most probably Syrio-Canaanites, but the Hurrians were still around during the Hittite Empire days, and given their sometimes close political, cultural and dynastic ties, I've decided to raid my Hurrian army bag for some light infantry. They're mostly just wearing a Canaanite-style "kilt" with a bare chest and small shield, so they look the part. So I'll save myself $5 and just use them.
Last night, I got all 6 of those guys primed and painted with the exception of their kilts. I'm going to go for "Canaanite chiq", which will be white with solid colored borders. It' been a while since I've painted 15mm figures, and my eyes aren't up for the task without a magnifier. I hope tonight to get their kilt borders painted in and their faces touched up so I can base them.
From later in time, my Carthaginian Army (Hannibal's era) got the work-over too, essentially making me choose between Iberians or Gauls. But to make matters worse, DBA now classes almost all Gauls as SOLID Warbands instead of FAST. So all those 3Wb need to get rebased as 4Wb.
I actually did that rebasing work last night, and it went better than I was afraid it would. By the rules, 4Wb should be on a 15mm deep base, but since the army lists allows them to be 4Wb or 4Ax, and 4Ax is a 20mm deep base, I went for 20mm. DBA3 allows a 20mm deep 4Wb, so it's not technically wrong, it just looks odd to me.
Finally, my Ancient Nubians swapped one of their-bow Psiloi for a javelin Psiloi. No game function change, but I happened to have two left-over javelin & shield armed Nubians from a pack of 8 that was used for 2x3Wb, so now the Nubians have a new Psiloi element.
There are plenty more upgrades to go. My Thracians got savaged, and my Republican Romans need some proper Auxilia (2x4Ax), but those are projects for when I want to do some REAL painting.
Friday, January 16, 2015
A Time of New Editions?
Everyone is probably already aware that Dungeons & Dragons has recently released their 5th Edition of the game, and it seems to be a hit with most "old school" gamers. Or at least those who, like me, were playing OSR games out of a combination of nostalgia and a dissatisfaction with the gamey-ness of D&D 4th Edition and the munchkin friendly often hilariously rules-heavy 3rd Edition series of games.
But another, equally revolutionary game has also had a new edition published in the recent year - the historical miniatures wargame "De Bellis Antiquitatis", or "DBA" to its friends. DBA was first introduced in 1990, but gained much popularity in the mid-90's with it's 1.1 edition. The 2.0 edition released in 2001 greatly expanded the army lists (which range from the dawn of history in Sumer and Egypt up until the Renaissance.), and culminated in 2.2, which was sort of the "D&D3.5" to 2.0's "D&D3.0" - a clean up and minor enhancement, but still pretty much the same game.
The primary innovations of DBA over the rules that existed at the time were twofold.
First, the cumbersome command and control rules common to games at the time, often involving a myriad of carefully written orders (yes, written orders) and pro-rated movement, were replaced by a simple, abstract D6 roll. That roll gives you points to spend ordering your troops however you see fit. There is no simulation of HOW the army is commanded, only the overall difficulty of controlling the army.
Second, the size of the game itself was revolutionary - each army consists of 12 "elements", where an element is a single game piece with between 2-4 miniatures on it. That means a whole army can be built with only 24-48 miniatures, usually averaging around 32 miniatures. Also, the game board itself is only a 2 foot square for 15mm figures, or 3 foot square for 25mm figures. Just about anyone can find a table to throw down a 2x2 piece of cloth and some simple pieces of terrain, and DBA introduced the idea of being able to play miniatures as a "pickup game".
DBA's third edition comes after a 10 year break. The game is superficially the same as it was before, though a number of very controversial changes were made. Here is a good overview of the changes, but in short, the rules seem to even better reflect how ancient battles were pitched and fought, and the "game" aspect of DBA has been tightened up as well. In short, it brings the 90's-era game more into the modern mindset, which is a bit ironic, since DBA originally killed off the 90's era wargaming mentality.
Now, I haven't played DBA much since 2.2 came out. I haven't played at all in the last 6-8 years. But this new edition has me excited. I've dug out my old armies and the heaps of lead I'd collected. I have almost as many armies still in their boxes as I do painted.
Amusingly, since DBA3.0 has some significant changes over the 2.x games, many gamers are refusing to switch, and a "DBA2.2+" movement ("Pathfinder", anyone?) has started.
But another, equally revolutionary game has also had a new edition published in the recent year - the historical miniatures wargame "De Bellis Antiquitatis", or "DBA" to its friends. DBA was first introduced in 1990, but gained much popularity in the mid-90's with it's 1.1 edition. The 2.0 edition released in 2001 greatly expanded the army lists (which range from the dawn of history in Sumer and Egypt up until the Renaissance.), and culminated in 2.2, which was sort of the "D&D3.5" to 2.0's "D&D3.0" - a clean up and minor enhancement, but still pretty much the same game.
The primary innovations of DBA over the rules that existed at the time were twofold.
First, the cumbersome command and control rules common to games at the time, often involving a myriad of carefully written orders (yes, written orders) and pro-rated movement, were replaced by a simple, abstract D6 roll. That roll gives you points to spend ordering your troops however you see fit. There is no simulation of HOW the army is commanded, only the overall difficulty of controlling the army.
Second, the size of the game itself was revolutionary - each army consists of 12 "elements", where an element is a single game piece with between 2-4 miniatures on it. That means a whole army can be built with only 24-48 miniatures, usually averaging around 32 miniatures. Also, the game board itself is only a 2 foot square for 15mm figures, or 3 foot square for 25mm figures. Just about anyone can find a table to throw down a 2x2 piece of cloth and some simple pieces of terrain, and DBA introduced the idea of being able to play miniatures as a "pickup game".
DBA's third edition comes after a 10 year break. The game is superficially the same as it was before, though a number of very controversial changes were made. Here is a good overview of the changes, but in short, the rules seem to even better reflect how ancient battles were pitched and fought, and the "game" aspect of DBA has been tightened up as well. In short, it brings the 90's-era game more into the modern mindset, which is a bit ironic, since DBA originally killed off the 90's era wargaming mentality.
Now, I haven't played DBA much since 2.2 came out. I haven't played at all in the last 6-8 years. But this new edition has me excited. I've dug out my old armies and the heaps of lead I'd collected. I have almost as many armies still in their boxes as I do painted.
Amusingly, since DBA3.0 has some significant changes over the 2.x games, many gamers are refusing to switch, and a "DBA2.2+" movement ("Pathfinder", anyone?) has started.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Treasonous Thoughts
I'm very seriously considering ditching Pathfinder for 5e.
There, I said it.
I could never bring myself to sell my PF rulebook though. And it's unlikely I'll sell my Swords&Wizardry books. There are only two of them, and frankly, they're good enough that I'm still likely to run S&W for an even more casual game.
I only have a few non-primary PF rule books, though I do have a few full adventure paths worth of modules.
The only wrinkle is that I'm currently in love with the Midgard setting, and at the moment, that's only spelled out for Pathfinder. I suspect that until WOTC makes their licensing scheme known, we won't see any 5e Midgard stuff, which would be a shame.
Hopefully the rumored "3e to 5e conversion guide" will help.
Honestly, I'm probably not going to be playing much D&D over the next few months, since our "Supers!" game is going well. I'll blog about our latest session in the near future.
There, I said it.
I could never bring myself to sell my PF rulebook though. And it's unlikely I'll sell my Swords&Wizardry books. There are only two of them, and frankly, they're good enough that I'm still likely to run S&W for an even more casual game.
I only have a few non-primary PF rule books, though I do have a few full adventure paths worth of modules.
The only wrinkle is that I'm currently in love with the Midgard setting, and at the moment, that's only spelled out for Pathfinder. I suspect that until WOTC makes their licensing scheme known, we won't see any 5e Midgard stuff, which would be a shame.
Hopefully the rumored "3e to 5e conversion guide" will help.
Honestly, I'm probably not going to be playing much D&D over the next few months, since our "Supers!" game is going well. I'll blog about our latest session in the near future.
Friday, December 12, 2014
More Superheroes!
I put this question to my family - what sort of RPG(s) do you want to play over the Christmas break?
Their choices were, "The Pathfinder Pirates Game", "Swords & Wizardry, though moving away from Dyson's Delve if you guys want", "Traveller", "Mekton", or "Super Heroes".
Unanimously and quickly they chose "Supers!".
So I need to get my ideas hat on and come up with some good villains for them to fight....
Their choices were, "The Pathfinder Pirates Game", "Swords & Wizardry, though moving away from Dyson's Delve if you guys want", "Traveller", "Mekton", or "Super Heroes".
Unanimously and quickly they chose "Supers!".
So I need to get my ideas hat on and come up with some good villains for them to fight....
Comfort Food
Why do I always go back to Classic Traveller when I'm feeling down?
Is it because of nostalgia for the countless hours I spent in my youth designing spaceships and worlds?
Is it because of the inherent simplicity of the rules make it easy to run "thought scenarios"?
Or is it because in Traveller, the universe is truly what you make it, with the rules offering as much or as little direction as you desire?
I've all but given up on running an ongoing campaign at home or with friends, but on days like today, I still daydream about jumps into poorly mapped out systems, facing off against rival crews/gangs who heard the same rumors as you did about lost treasures and civilizations, suiting up in your best new gear in hopes that you're not bringing a knife to a gun fight, and doing 2d vector math while juggling limited computer processing resources.
Ok, maybe not so much that last one. :)
Is it because of nostalgia for the countless hours I spent in my youth designing spaceships and worlds?
Is it because of the inherent simplicity of the rules make it easy to run "thought scenarios"?
Or is it because in Traveller, the universe is truly what you make it, with the rules offering as much or as little direction as you desire?
I've all but given up on running an ongoing campaign at home or with friends, but on days like today, I still daydream about jumps into poorly mapped out systems, facing off against rival crews/gangs who heard the same rumors as you did about lost treasures and civilizations, suiting up in your best new gear in hopes that you're not bringing a knife to a gun fight, and doing 2d vector math while juggling limited computer processing resources.
Ok, maybe not so much that last one. :)
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Are Supers in my Future?
I've had little luck getting any RPG action in at home. We did start off off a Pathfinder-based "Pirates" game, set in Midgard's Western Sea, which I'll blog about once we actually get going.
But in the mean time, I've become interested in Superhero games.
I'm sort of late to the Superhero Comics scene. Like VERY late. Sure, I read my neighbor's Spiderman comics as a kid, and I watched all the usual 70's and 80's superhero TV shows like every other geek my age, but it wasn't until Avengers and then Guardians of the Galaxy that I actually got really interested in Superheroes.
So I've been looking for a game system that can accurately model everything from the recent Marvel-verse movies (Avengers&Spinoffs, Fantastic-4, X-Men, etc.), the recent DC TV serieses, and other "caped crusader" type situations.
At first, I was pretty sure the Mutants & Masterminds was going to be my "ride". It's D20 based, has HeroLab support, has TONS of supplemental materials, and was able to handle any of the character concepts I threw at it. But it had one serious drawback for my gaming group - the players really need to understand the character build system to get the most out of it.
For the same reason, I've ruled out the various FATE based systems. While they seem like they'd be very playable in the right circumstances, my group isn't the sort who embraces clever rule mechanisms - by and large, they're happier with "I want to do X, what do I roll?" rather than the level of Narrative responsibility that FATE requires.
So I think I've found the perfect game: Supers!, revised edition. Character building is as simple as spreading 20 "dice" around various stats and dreaming up what super powers you want. Game play is creative, but "narrative control" is mostly limited to describing how you use your powers to attack or defend. You can get pretty creative with that, like defending against a gun attack with your Composure - basically, staring down the bad guy, and unnerving him so much that he misses you with his attack - or using Super Speed to body-slam someone, who could use Super Strength to resist you, or maybe use the ability to phase out of existence to not be there. Of course you could simply try to dodge the charge, or resist an attack with your innate toughness. The reason you have so many options is that once you use a single source of power in a round, you can't use it again. So if you blow your Elemental/Fire control making a shield, you can't then turn around and fire-blast someone in the same round. Lots of fun choices to make!
I received the print-on-demand book from RPGNow yesterday. My daughter asked me what it was, and immediately told me what sort of superhero she would play.
Apparently, she'd already been thinking about what sort of superhero she would play in an RPG, because kids do that sort of thing.
But in the mean time, I've become interested in Superhero games.
I'm sort of late to the Superhero Comics scene. Like VERY late. Sure, I read my neighbor's Spiderman comics as a kid, and I watched all the usual 70's and 80's superhero TV shows like every other geek my age, but it wasn't until Avengers and then Guardians of the Galaxy that I actually got really interested in Superheroes.
So I've been looking for a game system that can accurately model everything from the recent Marvel-verse movies (Avengers&Spinoffs, Fantastic-4, X-Men, etc.), the recent DC TV serieses, and other "caped crusader" type situations.
At first, I was pretty sure the Mutants & Masterminds was going to be my "ride". It's D20 based, has HeroLab support, has TONS of supplemental materials, and was able to handle any of the character concepts I threw at it. But it had one serious drawback for my gaming group - the players really need to understand the character build system to get the most out of it.
For the same reason, I've ruled out the various FATE based systems. While they seem like they'd be very playable in the right circumstances, my group isn't the sort who embraces clever rule mechanisms - by and large, they're happier with "I want to do X, what do I roll?" rather than the level of Narrative responsibility that FATE requires.
So I think I've found the perfect game: Supers!, revised edition. Character building is as simple as spreading 20 "dice" around various stats and dreaming up what super powers you want. Game play is creative, but "narrative control" is mostly limited to describing how you use your powers to attack or defend. You can get pretty creative with that, like defending against a gun attack with your Composure - basically, staring down the bad guy, and unnerving him so much that he misses you with his attack - or using Super Speed to body-slam someone, who could use Super Strength to resist you, or maybe use the ability to phase out of existence to not be there. Of course you could simply try to dodge the charge, or resist an attack with your innate toughness. The reason you have so many options is that once you use a single source of power in a round, you can't use it again. So if you blow your Elemental/Fire control making a shield, you can't then turn around and fire-blast someone in the same round. Lots of fun choices to make!
I received the print-on-demand book from RPGNow yesterday. My daughter asked me what it was, and immediately told me what sort of superhero she would play.
Apparently, she'd already been thinking about what sort of superhero she would play in an RPG, because kids do that sort of thing.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Traveller Character Damage - Pulp vs. Beaten to a Pulp
One of the reasons my home group has given for not wanting to play Traveller is that it's not very "heroic". People can (and do) die easily, and aside from getting better equipment and ships, there's no character advancement to speak of. (Not technically true of course, but "leveling up" is not as exciting an event as it is in D20 games.)
So that got me thinking. Sure, I could switch to "Stars Without Number" (a very well done fusion of D&D and Traveller concepts), but if I were to keep good ol' Traveller as the basis, how could I make personal combat less punishing for the characters without requiring them to always use their Battledress and Plasma Rifles?
Well, one way is to adjust how damage and healing are handled.
In the versions of Traveller I like the best (Classic and Mongoose), damage comes straight off the 3 physical stats. I like this convention because it means as you get hurt, you lose capability. But in both versions, healing is more "realistic", in that it takes days or weeks to recover from wounds. That's SO not Pulp...
Inspired by later edition D&D's handling of damage, I've come up with an alternative, synthesizing CT, MgT and to a very lesser extent, D&D 4+. It's not that different from the stock system(s), but hopefully will be different enough to "pulp" things up a bit.
(Aside: I had a more comprehensive system laid out, but after writing an "or you could just do it this way..." section, I decided I like that way more, so it's the only one I've presented here. Also, CT's standard system is pretty forgiving if you don't actually "bottom out" a stat, so maybe this is just an MgT thing....)
ASSUMPTIONS
RULES
So that got me thinking. Sure, I could switch to "Stars Without Number" (a very well done fusion of D&D and Traveller concepts), but if I were to keep good ol' Traveller as the basis, how could I make personal combat less punishing for the characters without requiring them to always use their Battledress and Plasma Rifles?
Well, one way is to adjust how damage and healing are handled.
In the versions of Traveller I like the best (Classic and Mongoose), damage comes straight off the 3 physical stats. I like this convention because it means as you get hurt, you lose capability. But in both versions, healing is more "realistic", in that it takes days or weeks to recover from wounds. That's SO not Pulp...
Inspired by later edition D&D's handling of damage, I've come up with an alternative, synthesizing CT, MgT and to a very lesser extent, D&D 4+. It's not that different from the stock system(s), but hopefully will be different enough to "pulp" things up a bit.
(Aside: I had a more comprehensive system laid out, but after writing an "or you could just do it this way..." section, I decided I like that way more, so it's the only one I've presented here. Also, CT's standard system is pretty forgiving if you don't actually "bottom out" a stat, so maybe this is just an MgT thing....)
ASSUMPTIONS
- In combat, Endurance represents how "tough" you are, and acts as a buffer against "hard" damage.
- Strength and Dexterity damage is real "broken bone, deep cut" damage, and actually requires healing.
- Instant healing Medkits are available, and fill a role similar but not identical to "Health Potions" in fantasy games.
- Resuscitation of recently dead characters is possible, given prompt attention and/or sufficient medical technology.
RULES
- Damage is applied to Endurance first.
OPTIONAL: reducing Endurance to zero with the first shot will knock the character unconscious. (The "first blood rule" - I generally only use this for NPCs.) - Once Endurance is Zeroed, other damage must go to Strength or Dexterity, player's choice. Apply the WHOLE damage to that stat, and spill any extra on to the remaining stat.
- Strength and Dexterity don't start taking damage until Endurance is ZERO.
- Zero out Strength OR Dexterity, and you're unconscious
- Zero out BOTH, and you're dead
- Endurance restores after a "short rest" (1 hour), or by using a Medpack as a standard action.
- First Aid is assumed to happen during the "short rest".
If it can't for some reason, then Endurance only recovers 1/2, and must heal like other stats. - Once Endurance is restored, other Stats may heal, though never past their initial values:
- 1d6+END points per Medpack used.
- 1+END point per day for light duty, 2 for "bed rest".
- A doctor can use Medic to assist this recovery
- OPTIONAL: if you use more than 1 Medpack per hour, you'll suffer 1D damage from overdose. This damage goes straight to Strength or Dexterity, player's choice. It might be worth it, if Endurance is higher than the number rolled, but it's clearly a risk.
- Recently (within 5 min) killed characters can sometimes be resuscitated:
- A character who has taken total damage beyond twice the sum of all three physical stats cannot be resuscitated. (For an average 777 character, that's 42 points to "vaporize" from healthy. Though it's only 21 points to "mangle the body beyond recovery" from dead.)
- A Resusci-pack (Cr100,000) will bring a character back to 1 in all stats.
- A Difficult Medical/DEX check can work, but each failure adds MoF to the next attempt to resuscitate.
- Some military armors are equipped with automatic medical drug systems. Assuming the armor's supply of medicine is available, the automatic systems will apply the drug any time the character's Endurance hits zero. However, this will happen AFTER the rest of the damage has been distributed, and will not happen if there is a possibility that drug overdose could kill the character. (No stat left is greater than 6.)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Jerrick the Psion(Kineticist)
Another in my pathfinder character series, this one is a sample Psion I built using Dreamscarred Press' "Ultimate Psionics" for Pathfinder. Like the others, he's pretty stereotypical - he uses his telekinetic powers to essentially be a Rogue character. As he levels up, he may eventually take some Rogue levels, but for now he's focusing on the Psion track. UP Psions don't start to get interesting until 2nd or 3rd level.
It's worth noting that it doesn't look like Psions share Wizards' difficulty wearing armor, so if Jerrick can score some armor proficiency or wear something like Cloth that doesn't carry a nonproficiency penalty, that might work to his advantage. But since he has the equivalent of Psion mage armor, he'll probably be ok. Especially since he has a feat that lets him juice up his weapons with +1 energy, and +2d6 if he expends psionic focus during the attack. Ouch!
Jerrick
Male Human (Chelaxian) Psion 1
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses alertness; Perception +3
Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 6 (1d6)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +2 (1d4+2/19-20) and
quarterstaff +2 (1d6+3)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19-20)
Psion Powers Known (power points 3, ML 1st; concentration +4):
1st—control object, energy ray, inertial armor
0 (at will)—crystal light (DC 13), detect psionics, far hand, telekinetic punch (DC 13)
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Body Fuel, Psicrystal Affinity, Psion Weapon Proficiencies, Psionic Weapon
Skills Autohypnosis +4, Disable Device +6, Perception +3, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +3, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +3, Use Magic Device +3
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin
SQ disciplines (psychokinesis [kineticist]), share powers, talents, telepathic link
Other Gear crossbow bolts (20), dagger, light crossbow, quarterstaff, ale (per gallon), backpack, belt pouch, belt pouch, chalk (5), flint and steel, thieves' tools, trail rations (5), waterskin, psicrystal, 74 gp, 2 sp, 9 cp
TRACKED RESOURCES
Control Object - 0/0
Crossbow bolts - 0/20
Crystal Light - 0/0
Dagger - 0/1
Detect Psionics - 0/0
Energy Ray - 0/0
Far Hand - 0/0
Inertial Armor - 0/0
Telekinetic Punch - 0/0
Trail rations - 0/5
Special Abilities
Alertness (Ex) While a psicrystal is within arm's reach, its owner gains the Alertness feat.
Body Fuel You can expand your powerpoint total at the expense of your health.
Psicrystal Affinity You have created a psicrystal
Psionic Weapon You can charge your melee weapon with additional damage potential.
Psychokinesis (Kineticist) Psions who specialize in psychokinesis are known as kineticists. They are the masters of powers that manipulate and transform matter and energy. Kineticists can attack with devastating blasts of energy. Unlike other psions, when a kineticist select
Share Powers (Su) Have any power you manifests on yourself also affect your psicrystal.
Talents You may learn 3 "talents" (level 0 powers) as well as detect psionics.
Telepathic Link (Su) The owner has a telepathic link with his psicrystal out to a distance of up to 1 mile.
At first glance, Jerrick would appear to be just another handsome Chelaxian rogue - his close-cropped beard, quick wit, and fondness for other people's money make him an affable but untrustworthy friend.
But Jerrick is a Kineticist, and devotes much of his effort to the study of mind over matter. He has learned the abilities to manipulate things at a distance, as well as manifest raw energy of different elemental types to wield against enemies, and to wrap around himself for protection.
He has constructed a Psicrystal companion, which he only refers to as his "little buddy." Jerrick often seems to be at odds with his psicrystal though, because the crystal is attuned to his latent (and well hidden) sense of heroism, and exhorts Jerrick to heroic deeds that seem at odds with his roguish persona.
It's worth noting that it doesn't look like Psions share Wizards' difficulty wearing armor, so if Jerrick can score some armor proficiency or wear something like Cloth that doesn't carry a nonproficiency penalty, that might work to his advantage. But since he has the equivalent of Psion mage armor, he'll probably be ok. Especially since he has a feat that lets him juice up his weapons with +1 energy, and +2d6 if he expends psionic focus during the attack. Ouch!
Jerrick
Male Human (Chelaxian) Psion 1
CG Medium humanoid (human)
Init +2; Senses alertness; Perception +3
Defense
AC 12, touch 12, flat-footed 10 (+2 Dex)
hp 6 (1d6)
Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +2
Offense
Speed 30 ft.
Melee dagger +2 (1d4+2/19-20) and
quarterstaff +2 (1d6+3)
Ranged light crossbow +2 (1d8/19-20)
Psion Powers Known (power points 3, ML 1st; concentration +4):
1st—control object, energy ray, inertial armor
0 (at will)—crystal light (DC 13), detect psionics, far hand, telekinetic punch (DC 13)
Statistics
Str 14, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 17, Wis 10, Cha 14
Base Atk +0; CMB +2; CMD 14
Feats Body Fuel, Psicrystal Affinity, Psion Weapon Proficiencies, Psionic Weapon
Skills Autohypnosis +4, Disable Device +6, Perception +3, Sense Motive +2, Sleight of Hand +3, Spellcraft +7, Stealth +3, Use Magic Device +3
Languages Common, Dwarven, Elven, Goblin
SQ disciplines (psychokinesis [kineticist]), share powers, talents, telepathic link
Other Gear crossbow bolts (20), dagger, light crossbow, quarterstaff, ale (per gallon), backpack, belt pouch, belt pouch, chalk (5), flint and steel, thieves' tools, trail rations (5), waterskin, psicrystal, 74 gp, 2 sp, 9 cp
TRACKED RESOURCES
Control Object - 0/0
Crossbow bolts - 0/20
Crystal Light - 0/0
Dagger - 0/1
Detect Psionics - 0/0
Energy Ray - 0/0
Far Hand - 0/0
Inertial Armor - 0/0
Telekinetic Punch - 0/0
Trail rations - 0/5
Special Abilities
Alertness (Ex) While a psicrystal is within arm's reach, its owner gains the Alertness feat.
Body Fuel You can expand your powerpoint total at the expense of your health.
Psicrystal Affinity You have created a psicrystal
Psionic Weapon You can charge your melee weapon with additional damage potential.
Psychokinesis (Kineticist) Psions who specialize in psychokinesis are known as kineticists. They are the masters of powers that manipulate and transform matter and energy. Kineticists can attack with devastating blasts of energy. Unlike other psions, when a kineticist select
Share Powers (Su) Have any power you manifests on yourself also affect your psicrystal.
Talents You may learn 3 "talents" (level 0 powers) as well as detect psionics.
Telepathic Link (Su) The owner has a telepathic link with his psicrystal out to a distance of up to 1 mile.
At first glance, Jerrick would appear to be just another handsome Chelaxian rogue - his close-cropped beard, quick wit, and fondness for other people's money make him an affable but untrustworthy friend.
But Jerrick is a Kineticist, and devotes much of his effort to the study of mind over matter. He has learned the abilities to manipulate things at a distance, as well as manifest raw energy of different elemental types to wield against enemies, and to wrap around himself for protection.
He has constructed a Psicrystal companion, which he only refers to as his "little buddy." Jerrick often seems to be at odds with his psicrystal though, because the crystal is attuned to his latent (and well hidden) sense of heroism, and exhorts Jerrick to heroic deeds that seem at odds with his roguish persona.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Twilight's Peak and Traveller Tuesdays
Well, my Traveller Tuesdays group has failed to precipitate from Jump Space, and must be declared lost.
But I've been able to gin up some support for a different Traveller game, this time based around "Legend of the Sky Raiders". (The last one was a sandbox campaign loosely based on "Twilight's Peak", but running wit Mongoose Traveller rules.)
I'd be going back to Classic Traveller, with which I had some success running "Death Station" a while back.
I'll keep "Rule 68A" as a tool for general task throws, but run everything else "by the book". But I won't forget to use the "draw!" rules this time. The fact that CT has what amounts to a combat's initiative system mentioned as almost an afterthought does make one scratch one's head.
But I've been able to gin up some support for a different Traveller game, this time based around "Legend of the Sky Raiders". (The last one was a sandbox campaign loosely based on "Twilight's Peak", but running wit Mongoose Traveller rules.)
I'd be going back to Classic Traveller, with which I had some success running "Death Station" a while back.
I'll keep "Rule 68A" as a tool for general task throws, but run everything else "by the book". But I won't forget to use the "draw!" rules this time. The fact that CT has what amounts to a combat's initiative system mentioned as almost an afterthought does make one scratch one's head.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
OSR Creature/Encounter Specs
In this post, Wayne Rossi proposes the idea that OSR modules should adopt a relatively standard stat line for creatures, based on a synthesis of the best parts of the existing corpus of adventures. I won't reblog his full proposal, but in essence, he would have creatures (taken from his original post) listed in an encounter as:
Wayne also proposes an INT listing, which I wholeheartedly endorse. I'd like to see a switch to modern dice notation also (so 2-12 becomes 2d6, for example), but I digress.
The ML stat gives me an idea for one additional stat that would not be part of the raw creature description, but would be part of the stat block for the encounter:
MO (Motive) - one of "Guard", "Defend", "Explore", "Rest"
Orcs (4) - AC 6, MV 90', Dx 8, HD 1, hp 5,4,3,2, #AT 1, D 1-6, Save F1, ML 8
Black Widow Spider (1) - AC 6, MV 60' (in web 120'), Dx 15, HD 3*, hp 13, #AT 1, D 2-12, SA poison, Save F2, ML 8This should be pretty self-explanatory and familiar to anyone who has played a pre-3e version of D&D with the exception of Dx (dexterity, useful for breaking ties in initiative, retrofitting "touch AC" or other purposes) and "ML", or Morale Level, which only exists in some variants of OSR D&D. The idea is, throw 2d6 for ML or less to stay in the fight. An ML 7 has an average chance to stick around, whereas an ML 12 will fight to the death.
Wayne also proposes an INT listing, which I wholeheartedly endorse. I'd like to see a switch to modern dice notation also (so 2-12 becomes 2d6, for example), but I digress.
The ML stat gives me an idea for one additional stat that would not be part of the raw creature description, but would be part of the stat block for the encounter:
MO (Motive) - one of "Guard", "Defend", "Explore", "Rest"
Guard - The creature(s) are screening access to some nearby location.
Tactics - Stand and fight. Send one creature to warn the location if the players are winning.
Tactics - Stand and fight. Send one creature to warn the location if the players are winning.
Defend - The creature(s) are inside of a camp of some sort
Tactics - The creatures will not intentionally abandon their camp.
Tactics - The creatures will not intentionally abandon their camp.
Explore - The creature(s) are investigating the location
Tactics - Fight until 1/2 are wounded or killed, then attempt to disengage
Tactics - Fight until 1/2 are wounded or killed, then attempt to disengage
Rest - The creature(s) have set up camp and are unprepared to fight
Tactics - Will count as surprised for 1-3 rounds, then will Defend.
In all motives, a morale failure will result in the creatures fleeing as usual.
Tactics - Will count as surprised for 1-3 rounds, then will Defend.
In all motives, a morale failure will result in the creatures fleeing as usual.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Traveller Universal World Profile extensions
I found these thoughts on Traveller world profiles the other day, and thought they might be worth spiffing up and posting. I hope you find them amusing, even if they don't fit into your view of what Traveller worlds can be like.
As a completist, the fact that in Traveller, certain Universal World Profile (UWP) codes do not extend to ‘F’ (15) has always bugged me a little. For some, like Hydrographic Percentage (0-A), it makes sense. But for Population and Government, it seems that there could be a good scifi use for these “extra codes”.
Population D worlds often have Government type F (see below), but could be any government type. The Government would determine the character of the planet; whether it’s one giant mass of seething telepathically linked worms, a dense hive of SmartAnts™, or some other probably unsettling situation.
Population
The population digit is the exponent of 10, represented in hexadecimal. For example, with 7 billion people on Earth, our Population would be 9. Soon, we'll hit A.
Population D: Uncountable Population
These worlds are "Hive Worlds" with a large number of (most likely alien) sophonts who are not countable in a practical way, either due to their life cycle or living arrangements. Good examples would be “bugs” or a planet full of the creatures from “Pandorum”. The salient characteristic of Population D is that there are more physical creatures than can practically be counted.Population D worlds often have Government type F (see below), but could be any government type. The Government would determine the character of the planet; whether it’s one giant mass of seething telepathically linked worms, a dense hive of SmartAnts™, or some other probably unsettling situation.
Population E: Incorporeal population
These worlds are peopled by non-physical or virtual intellects that can have zero or more bodies and thus are not easily accounted for, as they can create and destroy physical forms somewhat at will. The referee should generate a "True population" number that is the number of intelligences if the concept of individuals still applies. Note that the Gov type can be just about anything, and should be generated from the True Population number rather than the E rating.
Scenario Idea: It's possible that the inhabitants of the Pop E world have a way to determine their true population, and could desire to "set the record straight" with the Imperial Survey Department, depending on their cultural leanings.
Population F: Intelligent Ecosystem
Fully symbiotic intelligent ecosystem (ala Chtorr). In effect, the entire ecosystem is the population. May be difficult to communicate with, though often will have a member species that can interface with the outside world. As with a Type E government, the referee should separately determine the size of the "interface" population species, if one exists. Often but not necessarily paired with Gov F.Government
The additional forms of governments proposed allow for specifying some common scifi themed cultures. In some cases, (as with the existing Balkanization government type) the Referee may need additional notes to fully detail the situation.
Government E: Trans-physical Ascendancy
All citizens live in a virtual environment or separate plane of existence, subject to the whim of who or whatever controls the environment. This situation implies either current or past High Tech ability (The Matrix) or some form of Psionic environment (like Avatar but more so, or Stargate "Ascended"). It’s possible that the inhabitants’ physical forms are still maintained in some way (as in The Matrix).
Scenario Note: It is likely that Travellers will only interact with whatever watchdog systems have been left to guard the planet from outsiders unless they can “get in” somehow. And once in, it may prove difficult to get back out.
Government F: Hive/Communal Mind
All "citizens" share a common will and memory. The hive will either Ignore, Attack or Assimilate outsiders as determined by the Referee. Examples range from Starship Trooper “Bugs” to Star Trek’s Borg. The Referee should determine how many such hives exist on the planet, and if more than one, what “government” they operate under (roll from the number of hive minds, not population). Government F does not require any particular population codes, though the examples found in fiction often match up well with D or F.
Note: Law Level on these worlds represents how aware the commune/hive is of outsiders. An example might be the early Borg episodes of Star Trek™, The Next Generation™ - humans could move about inside their cube ships unmolested for the most part.
Note: Law Level on these worlds represents how aware the commune/hive is of outsiders. An example might be the early Borg episodes of Star Trek™, The Next Generation™ - humans could move about inside their cube ships unmolested for the most part.
Friday, February 14, 2014
A Bunch of New Classic Traveller Characters
I found a notebook with some more Classic Traveller characters I had generated, so I decided to share them. Not that it's hard to generate characters in CT (in fact, it's a fun minigame), but I figure that maybe someone might want some NPCs to play around with.
They're in Courier font because it fits with the 70's and early 80's aesthetic of the game, and I used a slightly modified "index card" format, as you might see in The Traveller Book. Also, I bought some gear for some of these guys - their Credits and Possessions have been updated accordingly.
If nothing else, maybe I'll inspire someone to dig out Classic Traveller and play some. It seems unlikely that I'll get to play any CT anytime soon. (Yeah, I know, so sad. For a guy currently in two different D&D-flavored campaigns, I sure do whine a lot.)
They're in Courier font because it fits with the 70's and early 80's aesthetic of the game, and I used a slightly modified "index card" format, as you might see in The Traveller Book. Also, I bought some gear for some of these guys - their Credits and Possessions have been updated accordingly.
If nothing else, maybe I'll inspire someone to dig out Classic Traveller and play some. It seems unlikely that I'll get to play any CT anytime soon. (Yeah, I know, so sad. For a guy currently in two different D&D-flavored campaigns, I sure do whine a lot.)
Army Lt. 59A6B6 Age 22
1 Term Cr19,150
Medical-1, Electronics-1, ATV-1, Blade Cbt-1, Rifle-1, SMG-1
Possessions:
Cloth Armor, SMG
Notes:
Slight, but athletic
Has advantageous DEX for all trained weapons
Merchant 4th Officer 785767 Age 26
2 Terms Cr39,150
Vacc Suit-1, Electronics-1, Steward-1
Possessions:
Blade, Autopistol, Cloth Armor
Notes:
Scout Explorer 7B986A Age 30
3 Terms Cr49,400
Mechanical-2, Gunnery-1, Navigation-1, Pilot-1,
Air/Raft-1, JoT
Possessions:
Autopistol, Cloth Armor, Scout/Courier
Notes:
Marine Captain Knight 98995B Age 26
2 Terms Cr7,000
Cutlass-2, Revolver-1, Rifle-1, ATV-1, Electronics-1
Possessions:
Notes:
Merchant 3rd Officer B77CD7 Age 34
4 Terms Cr60,000
Engineer-3, Streetwise-3, Bribery-1, G-Vehicle-1
Possessions:
Notes:
Hypercompetent Engineer.
Often gets deals on his own parts
Navy Lt. Cmdr Knight 67696B Age 30
3 Terms Cr60,000
Gunner-2, Vacc Suit-1, JoT-1
Possessions:
TAS, Low Passage
Notes:
Gunnery Section leader
Moves in High Society, recently knighted
Very "By the Book" in approach
Scout X-Boat/Courier 6797A7 Age 30
3 Terms Cr50,000
Pilot-1, Navigation-1, Engineering-1, Computer-1,
Air/Raft-1, JoT
Possessions:
Notes:
Gained EDU while in jumpspace on the X-boat line
Army Captain 98B4A7 Age 26
Terms 2 Cr40,000
Admin-2, Tactics-2, Gambling-2, SMG-2, Rifle-1
Possessions:
SMG
Notes:
Army Colonel 77A894 Age 38
Terms 5 Cr25,000
Rifle-2, SMG-2, Tactics-2, Leader-1, Computer-1,
Fwd Obs-1, ATV-2, Brawl-1
Possessions:
Pension/4kCr, High Passage, SMG
Notes:
Merchant Captain 5B7CA9 Age 42
Terms 6 Cr22,000
Streetwise-3, Steward-2, Electronics-2, Navigation-1,
Bribery-1, Pilot-1, JoT
Possessions:
Blade, Gun, Free Trader
Notes:
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Some Housecleaning
In the effort to make this blog a little less horrible to read, I'm trying out some templates and such. One blog had this neat thing where there were pictures of the games the blogger was playing in with the "links list", but I can't work out how to do that with the standard gadgets.
At any rate, bear with me while I experiment. It will probably take a few days to settle down, and any advice from people less "aesthetically challenged" than I am would be welcome.
At any rate, bear with me while I experiment. It will probably take a few days to settle down, and any advice from people less "aesthetically challenged" than I am would be welcome.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
On Kobolds as "Dungeon Elementals"
Wayne R. proposed in this blog post that Kobolds might be more interesting as "Dungeon Elementals" - creatures that exist only to reset dungeon traps, lock doors, clean up stuff, etc. Almost more of a Dungeon Maintenance Crew than the race of Draconic Megalomaniacs that they've evolved into.
Go read his article, it's really quite inspirational. I'm not going to repeat much, but instead I'll offer some thoughts of my own.
I love this idea. It clings to the sort of weird ecology that one might find in a universe where D&D things are possible. Kobolds are to Dungeons (specifically dungeons, not just caves) what Faeries are to Nature. The deepest, darkest Dungeons (as proposed in this blog entry) may touch the elemental plane of Earth, and may not even truly have been "built" so much as "grown". Maybe Kobolds are the Earth Elemental's way of maintaining and driving their creations once they've slipped into the Prime Material Plane. If you subscribe to the "Malicious Dungeon" concept, then Kobolds may be the agents of that malice, like electrons are to electrochemistry. Or conversely, once mortals build their dungeons deep enough, they inadvertently catch the attention of the lords of the plane of Earth, who send their material-plane allies to work the dungeon. Why? Who can fathom the will of Elemental Lords? ;)
In any case, Kobolds themselves are rarely encountered in person. They are exceedingly stealthy and can create secret passages as necessary to move around a dungeon undetected. As minions of the Elemental Lords, they seek to bring order to any dungeon they are charged with. They will coexist with other dungeon inhabitants, but in a Kobold-infested dungeon, even the monsters know to tread lightly. The Kobolds may not interact with them directly, but any denizen who causes too much conflict will find themselves on the wrong end of a trap, or locked in a room they could previously leave at will.
A Kobold infestation is a very serious threat to any mining operation, and many a delve has had to be abandoned after it reached too far into the ground.
So how do you get rid of a Kobold infestation? If you can trap them yourself, you'll find that they are physically unimpressive and easily slain. But hunting Kobolds is almost more like hunting Poltergeists, and their numbers are always more than you imagine them to be. Rumor has it that in order for an Earth Lord to send Kobolds, it must establish a gateway somewhere in the dungeon, and destroying this gateway is the only known way to end the Kobold threat. Once the connection to their Lord is lost, the Kobolds will gradually fade away, perhaps in search of another dungeon, perhaps re-absorbed by the very rock itself.
Go read his article, it's really quite inspirational. I'm not going to repeat much, but instead I'll offer some thoughts of my own.
I love this idea. It clings to the sort of weird ecology that one might find in a universe where D&D things are possible. Kobolds are to Dungeons (specifically dungeons, not just caves) what Faeries are to Nature. The deepest, darkest Dungeons (as proposed in this blog entry) may touch the elemental plane of Earth, and may not even truly have been "built" so much as "grown". Maybe Kobolds are the Earth Elemental's way of maintaining and driving their creations once they've slipped into the Prime Material Plane. If you subscribe to the "Malicious Dungeon" concept, then Kobolds may be the agents of that malice, like electrons are to electrochemistry. Or conversely, once mortals build their dungeons deep enough, they inadvertently catch the attention of the lords of the plane of Earth, who send their material-plane allies to work the dungeon. Why? Who can fathom the will of Elemental Lords? ;)
In any case, Kobolds themselves are rarely encountered in person. They are exceedingly stealthy and can create secret passages as necessary to move around a dungeon undetected. As minions of the Elemental Lords, they seek to bring order to any dungeon they are charged with. They will coexist with other dungeon inhabitants, but in a Kobold-infested dungeon, even the monsters know to tread lightly. The Kobolds may not interact with them directly, but any denizen who causes too much conflict will find themselves on the wrong end of a trap, or locked in a room they could previously leave at will.
A Kobold infestation is a very serious threat to any mining operation, and many a delve has had to be abandoned after it reached too far into the ground.
So how do you get rid of a Kobold infestation? If you can trap them yourself, you'll find that they are physically unimpressive and easily slain. But hunting Kobolds is almost more like hunting Poltergeists, and their numbers are always more than you imagine them to be. Rumor has it that in order for an Earth Lord to send Kobolds, it must establish a gateway somewhere in the dungeon, and destroying this gateway is the only known way to end the Kobold threat. Once the connection to their Lord is lost, the Kobolds will gradually fade away, perhaps in search of another dungeon, perhaps re-absorbed by the very rock itself.
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