tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643558786574208032024-03-15T01:20:46.296-05:00Dragons Gonna DragJustin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-71341106769236737142024-03-05T03:51:00.012-05:002024-03-06T04:16:29.387-05:00Elf Variant for Delving Deeper V4b<p>The following rules only apply to Player Character Elves. NPC Elves follow the default rules.</p><p>Any special abilities of Elves not mentioned below (see pg. 15 of Vol. 1 "Heroes & Magic) remain unchanged.</p><p>Max Level: Fighter 8/Magic-User 8.</p><p>No class switching or dividing XP between classes. <i>E.G.</i> A Level 2 Elf is both a Level 2 (modified) Fighter and a Level 2 (modified) Magic-User. (Think of the Elf class in B/X, for example.) They begin "dual-classed."</p><p>To-Hit: As Fighter</p><p>Spells Per Day: As Magic-User</p><p>Prime Requisite: Strength OR Intelligence, whichever is lower.</p><p>Elves do NOT have the ability to "multi-attack" normal types (<3 HD enemies) the way that Human Fighters and Monsters do.</p><p>Elves do NOT gain a damage adjustment for having 15 or greater Strength the way that Human Fighters do.</p><p>Normal types do NOT require a positive morale check to stand their ground if a Level 8 Elf charges them.</p><p>Can only cast spells while wearing MAGICAL armor or no armor. "Armor" includes shields.</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Level<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span></span>XP Needed<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>HD<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>Poison<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Wands/Rays<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Paralysis<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Breath<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Spells</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">1<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span></span>0<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span>1<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>13<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>13<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>15<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>15</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">2<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span></span>5,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>2<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>13<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>15<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>15</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">3<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span></span>10,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>3<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>15<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>14</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">4<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span></span>20,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>4<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">5<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span></span>35,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>5<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>11<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">6<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span></span>65,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>6<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">7<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span> </span></span>130,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>7<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>10<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>12<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>12</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">8<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> <span> </span></span></span>240,000<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> <span> </span></span></span>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>8<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>9<span style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span></span>9</span></p><p><br /></p><p><u>Advantages of this Elf Variant over the Default Elf:</u></p><p>-No confusing/annoying need to split XP between two classes or to pick a class before each gameplay session</p><p>-More HP/HD (Level 8 Elf is on par with Level 12 Cleric and better than Level 12 Magic-User)</p><p>-Better To-Hit (Level 8 Elf is on par with Level 12 Cleric and Magic-User)</p><p>-Better Saving Throws (still not as good as any Level 12 human overall)</p><p>-Awareness of invisible opponents within 3' at Level 8</p><p><u><br /></u></p><p><u>Level 12 Fighter Advantages Over Elf Variant:</u></p><p>-More HP/HD</p><p>-Better To-Hit</p><p>-Able to "Multi-Attack," deal +1 damage with 15 or greater Strength, and (at Level 8) force morale checks upon normal types when charging</p><p>-Better Saving Throws</p><p>-Can build a stronghold, attract/lead an army, and take over territory</p><p>-Much less XP needed per level</p><p><br /></p><p><u>Level 12 Magic-User Advantages Over Elf Variant:</u></p><p>-More Spells Per Day</p><p>-Access to 5th and 6th-Level Spells</p><p>-Can craft Enchanted Items</p><p>-Better Saving Throws (except Breath)</p><p>-Can build a stronghold, attract/lead an army, and take over territory</p><p>-Much less XP needed per level</p><p><br /></p><p>Inspired by the Elf Variant in <i>White Box Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game</i>.</p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-5494915490736967612022-04-01T19:11:00.000-05:002022-04-01T19:11:06.686-05:00TASTY AF<p>Sorry for taking so long to post again, but I've been doing a lot of soul searching, and I think it's time to be honest with myself and whatever readers remain. I'm not really into games anymore. Playing them? Don't have the time or the fellow players. Creating or redesigning them? Don't have the energy, or even any good ideas left. Writing about them seems like an exercise in pointless deception and arrogant denial.</p><p>Instead, I'm going to rework this blog to cover my other, remaining true passion: cooking and catering with lesser-known and underrated recipes from vintage mid-20th Century cookbooks. In this post, I will teach you how to prepare an old-timey favorite of the Stewart household, courtesy of my prized hand-me-down copy of <i>Golly Gee Ain't That the Whizz-Bangiest! Neato Modern Recipies to Impress at Any How-Do-You-Do, First Edition</i>, by Ivana E. Tadoudi.</p><p>On a relatively cold Orlando night in 1993, my Gram-Gram led me deep into the everglades under the full moon while my parents slept. With a crooked finger she pointed out a WWII-era footlocker secreted beneath a half-sunken tree stump, chained shut as if to keep some vicious animal inside. As snakes swam around my ankles, Gram-Gram's arthritis-ravaged hands fished around in her Disney leather clutch until she produced a polished iron key.</p><p>"There lies your inheritance, JJ. I hid it away when the Beatles came to our shores, tried to deny the fourteen years of hedonistic horrors it used me to unleash on unsuspecting bridge clubs and bingo halls and barbeques and...oh lord, oh sweet merciful mother of God, the PTA meetings..."</p><p>She spit something black and ropey into the reeds through a gap in her broken dentures, then stared at the uncaring sky for a long moment before handing me the key and continuing,</p><p>"I hid it in your Grandpappy's war chest, waiting for you to be born, to come of age. Now it falls on you to resurrect it, to force helping after helping of pure, unnatural sin down the throat of mankind until Mammon himself chokes on the blood of a billion billion sinners."</p><p>Inside the locker was my copy of <i>Golly Gee Ain't That the Whizz-Bangiest!</i> From that night on, it's been a favorite family tradition for me to fix this delicious casserole every Fourth of July. Now you too can savor this patriotic flavor!</p><p>Without further ado, here's how to make:</p><p><u>Freedom Surprise Casserole</u></p><p>Serves 9 People</p><p>Ingredients:</p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>16 packets of extra-dense lime gelatin mix</li><ul><li>Substitution: 3 lbs. calf's foot jelly and 44 tablespoons of lime pulp</li><ul><ul><ul><ul></ul></ul></ul></ul></ul><li>7.25 oz. macaroni</li><li>10 cups beef au jus</li><li>3½ lbs. fresh salmon</li><ul><li>Substitution: 7 lbs. tilapia</li></ul><li>64 Kraft Deluxe Process Slices</li><li>6 teaspoons olive oil</li><li>12 pints bourbon</li><li>18 pie crusts</li><li>2 cantaloupe</li><ul><li>Substitution: 1 honeydew and 4 bananas</li></ul><li>9 hardboiled eggs</li><li>8 grams sesame seeds</li><li>5 quarts mayonnaise</li><ul><li>NEVER SUBSTITUTE WITH MIRACLE WHIP!</li></ul><li>Ground pepper added to taste</li></ul>Steps:<p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Mix beef au jus and bourbon. Soak hardboiled eggs and macaroni in mixture overnight.</li><li>Remove hardboiled eggs. Boil macaroni in bourbon/au jus mixture until al dente. Separate macaroni from mixture and set both aside.</li><li>Lightly sauté salmon, olive oil, 1 cantaloupe, and sesame seeds until smoke alarm is activated.</li><li>Arrange pie crusts on 6-inch-deep tray in overlapping manner to create a pie bowl. Pour macaroni, salmon, olive oil, first cantaloupe, and 7 grams sesame seeds into pie bowl.</li><li>Bake pie bowl in oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool in refrigerator for 45 minutes.</li><li>Cut second cantaloupe into thin strips and soak in bourbon/au jus mixture while pie bowl cools.</li><li>While food is cooling, smoke 1 to 4 Lucky Strikes or Chesterfields and allow soupçon of ash to fall into bourbon/au jus mixture, or lightly dust hardboiled eggs as desired.</li><li>Remove pie bowl from refrigerator and cover contents in layer of mayonnaise, followed by layer of cantaloupe strips. Arrange hardboiled eggs on top in radially symmetrical pattern.</li><li>Suspend pie bowl and contents in ring-shaped lime gelatin structure. If you don't know how to do this, consult your nearest suburban housewife.</li><li>Use curling iron to slightly melt Kraft Deluxe Process Slices. Cover gelatin with Kraft Deluxe Process Slices. Sprinkle pepper and remaining gram of sesame seeds onto Kraft Deluxe Process Slices while still warm.</li><li>Place container of bourbon/au jus mixture in center of gelatin ring structure for dipping or for use as a convenient ashtray. Serve and enjoy!</li></ol><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtgAHAIVSaZSGsW-DzK8rs0uePYc-Tk9GRBGjXQ1qcMrtfDmpqDohsnmVIjhVQsM9MRCJC7QG_-HWR9JSsWCeTQ7rXBnJARAZ7dWWtPGDvHICWBdkzIIWSwgBr9mIV66dMwXLj64Lrg7M2o6o_V_V1IScxPPspqG_SPke-R5bwYdBIni9a09gbQ/s640/I_Have_No_Recipe.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Courtesy of https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/pc/197601-i-have-no-mouth-and-i-must-scream/faqs/59465" border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="640" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtgAHAIVSaZSGsW-DzK8rs0uePYc-Tk9GRBGjXQ1qcMrtfDmpqDohsnmVIjhVQsM9MRCJC7QG_-HWR9JSsWCeTQ7rXBnJARAZ7dWWtPGDvHICWBdkzIIWSwgBr9mIV66dMwXLj64Lrg7M2o6o_V_V1IScxPPspqG_SPke-R5bwYdBIni9a09gbQ/w574-h400/I_Have_No_Recipe.png" width="574" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excerpt from the introduction to <i style="text-align: left;">Golly Gee Ain't That the Whizz-Bangiest!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>I hope you've enjoyed the first of many classy culinary classics soon to be hosted here at my newly revamped blog:<div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXjk0L1r6u5GDc8BhQl0R-RDJffu_aRLPfUzZ7QkcWFNjL5boIR5XsUwi99xqscyX6gERR0k_9r7GryGwDC3-pt_DpxLLfXGMtu0_0kzGS1Jh5vI4QKH6G0UcSkD6rvBMCTmmtzfvUyydMYr9W-15Am5CSUGstoIMpG08PZXSoh7NblEJ5KzCIA/s600/Family_Feud%20-%20April_Fool_Gonna_Ape_Ya_Fool.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXjk0L1r6u5GDc8BhQl0R-RDJffu_aRLPfUzZ7QkcWFNjL5boIR5XsUwi99xqscyX6gERR0k_9r7GryGwDC3-pt_DpxLLfXGMtu0_0kzGS1Jh5vI4QKH6G0UcSkD6rvBMCTmmtzfvUyydMYr9W-15Am5CSUGstoIMpG08PZXSoh7NblEJ5KzCIA/w576-h358/Family_Feud%20-%20April_Fool_Gonna_Ape_Ya_Fool.png" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures courtesy of https://deathgenerator.com/#familyfeud<br />and https://deathgenerator.com/#aitd<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Special thanks to my friend Aubrey for inspiration.</div></div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-82872049206479924552020-12-24T02:58:00.003-05:002021-07-16T01:02:00.622-05:00Odds & Ends 2: Holmes for the Holidays<p>Holmes Basic D&D has been on my mind <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/05/holmes-basic-d-rulebook-part-1-lets-dig.html">once</a> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/humans-only-holmes-basic-d.html">again</a> lately. Jess and I both miss playing D&D in person - as opposed to the online roleplaying we've been doing during the pandemic - so I pitched the idea of some one-on-one dungeon crawling with the good ol' Blue Book to her. She likes the idea, naturally. It's not hard to talk her into rolling dice.</p><p>So now I've got more <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/11/odds-ends.html">odds and ends</a> on the brain lately, all revolving around Holmes Basic this time. I don't know why, but Holmes seems to be linked with December and Christmas and winter in my mind. It's not like the Blue Book has any particularly wintry illustrations or rules or anything. It's just a weird feeling I have. Hey, maybe this is the start of a new holiday/winter tradition.</p><p>By the way, if you're also a fan of this particular version of D&D, check out <a href="https://www.dmsguild.com/product/301308/The-Ruined-Tower-of-Zenopus?affiliate_id=53395">this cool thing</a> made by Zach Howard of <a href="http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/">Zenopus Archives</a>!</p><p><u>Item 1: Choosing House Rules - the Dragons Gonna Drag Way</u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfvzXyGWgpbAIfrmw98Vjc6IhChLNDSAlNdqAPu7haKB2jOb79p1OozRBAXi7vhQuhJSIHJ-69lTV5VTW8K5OYTzvFV1HIMT2b-t4KA3hQflgeO8x7VRXZfB3pEo1rIyLcith8L-fiA/s620/Holmes+Basic+D%2526D+House+Rules+Flowchart.bmp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="620" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgfvzXyGWgpbAIfrmw98Vjc6IhChLNDSAlNdqAPu7haKB2jOb79p1OozRBAXi7vhQuhJSIHJ-69lTV5VTW8K5OYTzvFV1HIMT2b-t4KA3hQflgeO8x7VRXZfB3pEo1rIyLcith8L-fiA/w400-h286/Holmes+Basic+D%2526D+House+Rules+Flowchart.bmp" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">A lot of people have expanded on Holmes Basic in different ways. These are my favorite fan-made expansions at the moment. Different DMs are going to care about supporting or modifying different aspects of the rules - here's my criteria for choosing one set of house rules over another, depending on what I want to get out of my Holmes campaign or one-shot.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://pitsperilous.blogspot.com/2020/11/holmes-complete-redux-edition.html">Holmes Complete, Redux Edition</a> was recently posted at the excellent blog <a href="http://pitsperilous.blogspot.com/">Pits Perilous</a>. I think this might have been what got me pondering Holmes again, actually. Simple, elegant, great for anyone who wants to focus specifically on low-level play but bring in just a few more features to make the game feel more complete. I'll return to this one below.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Meepo's Holmes Companion is a classic I've seen posted many places on the internet. <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/rules-expansions">This page at the Zenopus Archives</a> seems to be one of the most reliable places to download it. This is perfect for the Holmes DM who wants more than just three levels of growth for PCs, but still wants to keep things fairly limited in scope overall. Also short and sweet at four well-organized pages.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The Holmes Basic + OD&D Reference Sheet can be <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/holmes-ref">found at this page</a>. It's ideal for starting with just Holmes and incorporating more OD&D material over time. It's a cool piece of work that's <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-rc-reference-sheet-v05.html">inspired me before</a>. <i>Very</i> short at one page, with excellent layout, but also requires the most books for reference (Holmes, Little Brown Books, and probably Greyhawk at the very least).</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://dreamscapedesign.net/products/">Blueholme</a> <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3982/Dreamscape-Design">Journeymanne</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/bromgrev">Rules</a> is a complete game in and of itself, essentially a retroclone of Holmes but with a huge expansion of new material, including a bunch of playable races and advancement to at least level 20. This is the most self-contained and thorough option. I backed this on Kickstarter, but I honestly haven't dug into it too deeply yet. It seems really good, though, and you don't need to track down any old D&D books from the '70s to play it.</p><div><u>Item 2: How Do Elves Work?</u></div><div><u><br /></u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn-hEyjT1ujzJwqWJ1U8KlA1lKzEXeWOJdMa2S5w0b-4d8FmshNDCYjcTgZut55k9y9DuqrH_zCzXtn-HLDH70ymxnj6Cy9LZvOcgrB8wt5Y-J35uMcV2fB5F7vUYsLRqzKv3YuAGbA/s2574/20201221_042239.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="2574" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUn-hEyjT1ujzJwqWJ1U8KlA1lKzEXeWOJdMa2S5w0b-4d8FmshNDCYjcTgZut55k9y9DuqrH_zCzXtn-HLDH70ymxnj6Cy9LZvOcgrB8wt5Y-J35uMcV2fB5F7vUYsLRqzKv3YuAGbA/w400-h190/20201221_042239.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;">I should start my noting that I used both Holmes Basic and Meepo's Holmes Companion to make this table. Without Meepo's expansion, I <i>think</i> the first five XP "milestones" should still be in line with the Holmes rulebook as written, however.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Prior to AD&D and B/X, the rules for elven PCs and their weird multiclassing are pretty vague and open to a lot of interpretation - debate on how OD&D and Holmes Basic elves are supposed to actually work rages on to this day. Well, I can't speak for the Little Brown Books' elf, but I'm <i>reasonably sure</i> this is, if not <b>the one true intended</b> way for the Blue Book's elf to advance in levels, then at least <b>a reasonable interpretation of the rules</b>, and thus "close enough" to what was intended.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The "Level" column on the far left is just my own simplification, equal to the number of hit dice the elf possesses at each experience point milestone. The "Class" column is the actual breakdown of how many fighting man and magic-user levels the elf has at each milestone. The first five hit dice (or my simplified "Levels") are covered by the actual Holmes Basic rules, while everything from 6 HD and up is my interpretation of how I think Meepo's rules are meant to expand elven advancement beyond that.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Three noteworthy things: First, elves each start with 2 levels - one in each of their two classes - but only get one hit die between the two of them...yet each additional level in either class grants a hit die, so their total HD always equals the sum of their two class levels minus one. At first I thought that couldn't be right, that maybe they only gain HP every fighting man level or every even-numbered level or something, but no, as far as I can tell the rulebook never specifies anything like that and seems to imply they gain d6 HP every time they gain a level, <i>period</i>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Second, an Elf doesn't really benefit from their second and third fighting man levels except through additional HP (and I guess additional buffers against being killed outright by level drain). If my interpretation is wrong, then one alternative would be to give the elf a hit die every magic-user level, since that would be "every other level" for at least the portion of character advancement handled by Holmes, and those would be the points at which the elf has an equal level in both classes...but if you do that, you could practically just forget about the elf's fighting man levels altogether and make this whole thing much simpler, right? Instead of the confusing explanation in the book, couldn't Holmes (or Gygax and Arneson before him) have just said <b>"Elves are magic-users that can wield the same weapons and armor as fighting men, save as fighting men when advantageous, and have d6 HD, but require twice the XP to gain each level"</b> and called it a day? No division of XP between two classes, no confusion over HD, nice and easy.</p><p style="text-align: left;">But assuming I'm right that they get d6 HP <i>every time</i> they level up in either class, this means if you play Holmes Basic <i>by itself</i> with no house rules/expansions and without transferring the campaign to another set of rules like AD&D to allow PCs high than level 3, then elven PCs "max out" at a de facto higher "Level" than their human and other demihuman counterparts! Everyone else gets 3 levels and 3 HD, while the elves get 3 levels <i>across two classes</i> and a whopping 5d6 HP between that total of 6 levels.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Did I get this wrong? Please feel free to point out anything I missed or may have misinterpreted in the comments. Feel free to offer your competing interpretations as well. Who doesn't love a good nerd debate?</p></div><div><u>Item 3: <i>My</i> House Rules for <i>Pits Perilous'</i> House Rules</u></div><div><p style="text-align: left;">I plan to use the following house rules when Jess and I play our one-on-one game. They're mostly a mix of <a href="http://pitsperilous.blogspot.com/2020/11/holmes-complete-redux-edition.html">Holmes Complete, Redux Edition</a> and bits of my own tinkering (like <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/humans-only-holmes-basic-d.html">this</a> and <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html">this</a>), with a few things borrowed from <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/rules-expansions">Meepo's Holmes Companion</a> and <a href="https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/3898/roleplaying-games/gary-gygaxs-house-rules-for-odd">Gary Gygax's</a> <a href="https://www.alandbeyondbeyond.co.uk/2021/07/od-30-years-on-as-played-by-gygax.html">OD&D house rules</a>. First, I've taken the altered level-based progression of spells and other class-based abilities from Pits Perilous and extended them to a maximum limit of level 4 (or 2/2 for elves), as per the chart below:</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatJ-Z951gggF6yIoLCqCJ9FLX7x3C-rtEjsPEYIGaTes4JhAoUYmHWwPMaFSXWZ5JcMRGCxUrBr-6q01fo29wJx14IvwSQzcZ_mjmPSRiIJ2hW1h2umOX6eyL6_L6qFzUHCI9Sv62ZA/s2048/20201221_043826.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1703" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatJ-Z951gggF6yIoLCqCJ9FLX7x3C-rtEjsPEYIGaTes4JhAoUYmHWwPMaFSXWZ5JcMRGCxUrBr-6q01fo29wJx14IvwSQzcZ_mjmPSRiIJ2hW1h2umOX6eyL6_L6qFzUHCI9Sv62ZA/w533-h640/20201221_043826.jpg" width="533" /></a></div><p>Note the two different spell totals for level 4 magic-users. Which one I pick depends on whether or not I end up including third-level spells. If I do, I'll probably pull them from Meepo and/or Zenopus.</p><p>Second, I'll be borrowing from Pits Perilous the "renown" system and the rules for losing a level instead of dying at 0 HP. Also, I'll be using everything listed on the first page of Meepo's Holmes Companion under "Rule Variants" <i>except for</i> dual wielding and critical hits. (Crossbows will still take a round or two to reload, in case you interpret the "COMBAT ROUNDS" section to indicate otherwise.) I will also allow fighters "with STR of 13 or higher [to] add 1 to their damage in melee combat" as per page 2.</p><p>Finally, the following changes will apply:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>No dwarf or halfling PCs. Fighters make saving throws as if they were dwarves or halflings. The +3 Magic War Hammer is usable by fighters, thieves, and clerics.</li><li>No infravision for elf PCs.</li><li>Maximum HP every level for PCs.</li><li>A Strength score of 13 or more grants +1 to hit with melee attacks.</li><li>Unarmed attacks do d2 points of damage. Shoddy and improvised weapons do d4 damage. Light crossbows do d6+1 damage. Heavy crossbows do d6+2 damage. Magic-Users can wield staves, but they do not add +1 to damage like other two-handed weapons.</li><li><a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-hate-read-magic.html">Read Magic is removed from the spell list.</a> Scrolls, runes on wands and magic items, and other typical magical writing that normally requires the use of this spell can instead by read automatically by any Magic-User. This skill is considered a basic part of a Magic-User's training. Essentially, every Magic-User is under the permanent effect of a "Read Magic" spell at all times.</li><li>Thieves can detect secret doors and special dungeon features as if they were dwarves or elves (and their ability to do so advances as per their ability to hear noises). Thieves can vanish into undergrowth like halflings as per their ability to hide in shadows. Level 4 thieves will be able to cast from scrolls with an 80% success rate - failure means the spell is still lost as if cast.</li><li>For monsters without a listed Dexterity score, divide their highest listed Move score by 10 to determine their Dexterity for purposes of initiative. Outside of combat, monsters can move twice per turn just like PCs, so their maximum movement per turn is twice that listed.</li><li>Most magic items are identified immediately. Potions must still be sipped to ID, though.</li><li>Dungeon doors are not stuck closed by default, but specific ones may be stuck as chosen by the DM.</li></ol><p></p><p><u>Item 4: Holmes Art in the UK Version</u></p><p><b>Warning: Some links below may be Not Safe For Work due to mild nudity.</b></p><p>When I did my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/05/holmes-basic-d-rulebook-part-1-lets-dig.html">read-through</a> of Holmes Basic in 2016, I talked a bit about the art in the US copy I own, but I neglected to mention that <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/artists-of-holmes-basic">the UK release had a lot of different art</a>. It's really good, too! I especially love the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/how-to-pluralize-cyclops-cyclopes#:~:text=Unlike%20most%20rules%20of%20pluralization,the%20plural%20became%20%E2%80%9CCyclopes.%E2%80%9D">cyclopes</a>.</p><p>The blog <a href="https://miniaturescrum.blogspot.com/">Scrum in Miniature</a> has a wonderful post showing off the UK art <a href="https://miniaturescrum.blogspot.com/2020/06/lost-art-of-d-no-2-games-workshops.html">HERE</a>. I really just wanted an excuse to point everyone towards that highly informative post, but you can find some of the differing art in <a href="https://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20401">a thread at Dragonsfoot</a> as well.</p><p><u>Item 5: Nick LS Whelan's Dungeon Moon</u></p><p>Over at one of my absolute favorite blogs <a href="https://www.paperspencils.com/">Papers and Pencils</a>, Nick has lots of cool info on his <a href="https://www.paperspencils.com/dungeon-moon/">Dungeon Moon</a> setting, which I've <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/06/my-five-favorite-lotfp-play-report.html">discussed</a> before. I would still love to play a Holmes Basic campaign set on the Dungeon Moon. I would probably either use the Holmes Basic + OD&D Reference Sheet or the Blueholme Journeymanne Rules. Mirroring the "dungeons at lower levels, wilderness at higher levels" philosophy typical of many old-school campaigns, I'd like to start out focused on dungeon-crawling on the moon, and then open the game up into wilderness exploration if/when the players find the portal down to the planet below. Of course, the planet might not be as serene and lovely as the moon's inhabitants hope it will be...</p><p><b>EDIT: Whoops, looks like <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/07/holmes-basic-d-rulebook-part-12.html">I already talked about this</a> years ago. Well, I still think it's a good idea, so whatever.</b></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_nMZ6lIjC4jsA9UpRt5Vz7jhg-a0b4Qhq2taAD0mIyzLc0rWuSqdhvrerXhgOaOKiqDuCMzsb1OzBs4Ty4-iA52kg0ggvdLe_c9TE0U8sSTWJaKneh3-fVFXbobybEWMj87p8t69EA/s274/kq5-Happy+holidays+nerds.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="172" data-original-width="274" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_nMZ6lIjC4jsA9UpRt5Vz7jhg-a0b4Qhq2taAD0mIyzLc0rWuSqdhvrerXhgOaOKiqDuCMzsb1OzBs4Ty4-iA52kg0ggvdLe_c9TE0U8sSTWJaKneh3-fVFXbobybEWMj87p8t69EA/w400-h251/kq5-Happy+holidays+nerds.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://deathgenerator.com/#kq5">https://deathgenerator.com/#kq5</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-85700183795111486442020-11-30T07:24:00.006-05:002021-05-16T02:57:56.147-05:00Odds & Ends<p><u>Tunnels & Trolls & Thieves' World</u></p><p>I don't know what system I'll end up running <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/06/thieves-world-box-set-choosing-system.html">Thieves'</a> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/09/current-gaming-plans.html">World</a> with, but one contender is Tunnels & Trolls 5th Edition, because the box set already includes stats for it, and I've been wanting to try it out anyway. (At least I <i>think</i> it's 5th Edition, since that was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_%26_Trolls">most recent version</a> of the T&T rules at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thieves%27_World_(role-playing_game)">time of release</a>.) If I go with T&T 5E, I'll probably implement the following house rule that I nicked from 7th Edition: <b>Warriors increase their combat adds by their character level.</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEnkg7rCwiG0H5KkyC2nAdWR2eIBHnQOt_n6B_s6nL5u0QyRz37d3Vtxo3CbdXpKu7qTB4Kdy6ljq_aOT_a03DEbCfzrsnMS8eqNfL-Gfpj2ZXVKpV6TyDdx9NEXjD8y1GdqJ4mvSfw/s448/faxanadu-Tunnels+AND+trolls+You+spoil+me..png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieEnkg7rCwiG0H5KkyC2nAdWR2eIBHnQOt_n6B_s6nL5u0QyRz37d3Vtxo3CbdXpKu7qTB4Kdy6ljq_aOT_a03DEbCfzrsnMS8eqNfL-Gfpj2ZXVKpV6TyDdx9NEXjD8y1GdqJ4mvSfw/w400-h143/faxanadu-Tunnels+AND+trolls+You+spoil+me..png" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><u>Carcosa Mini-<a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/11/appendix-vg-carcosa.html">Appendix</a> M (for Movies!)</u></p><p></p><ol><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_the_Earth%27s_Core_%28film%29">At the Earth's Core</a> (AKA <a href="https://mst3k.fandom.com/wiki/MST3K_1114_-_At_the_Earth%27s_Core">MST3K Experiment 1114</a>)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Barbarian_(1982_film)">Conan the Barbarian</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_the_Destroyer">Conan the Destroyer</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sonja_(film)">Red Sonja</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest_(1983_film)">Conquest</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantastic_Planet">Fantastic Planet</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krull_(film)">Krull</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riddick_(film)">Riddick</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starcrash">Starcrash</a> (AKA <a href="https://mst3k.fandom.com/wiki/MST3K_1106_-_Starcrash">MST3K Experiment 1106</a>)</li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yor,_the_Hunter_from_the_Future">Yor, the Hunter from the Future</a></li></ol><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0FWmgVBkDUdI-j7_OpzjyFNA2Oju1aG2Zufe9RXZO21UTEFBICgOn-2B478WdvYaK9WyDvhHqnmYpsqOn-8E6gzI7Uwdyh6TEilEIzT3C5JirDl530hpVNO9pPgosyf7YErQOIcumQ/s448/faxanadu-We+will+need+a+lot+more+hemp+before+were+through..png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG0FWmgVBkDUdI-j7_OpzjyFNA2Oju1aG2Zufe9RXZO21UTEFBICgOn-2B478WdvYaK9WyDvhHqnmYpsqOn-8E6gzI7Uwdyh6TEilEIzT3C5JirDl530hpVNO9pPgosyf7YErQOIcumQ/w400-h143/faxanadu-We+will+need+a+lot+more+hemp+before+were+through..png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/LBwSa2MZFqA">Forget Yor; Pag is the real hero.</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p><u>Super-Casual 2: Greyhawk Bugbearloo</u></p><p>Remember <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/09/current-gaming-plans.html">that new group</a> that wants me to run D&D for them? I'm considering the following series of adventures for their campaign, in the style of my current group's <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/super-casual-pulp-campaign.html">Super-Casual Pulp Campaign</a>. It'll be set in my (lightly researched, "non-canon" version of) Greyhawk, and I'm mostly using it as an excuse to run interesting modules I couldn't fit comfortably into the first <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/04/super-casual-syllabus-update.html">Super-Casual syllabus</a>, especially adventures by TSR UK.</p><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/333389/Prison-of-the-Hated-Pretender">Prison of the Hated Pretender</a><br /><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17076/UK5-Eye-of-the-Serpent-1e">UK5</a> Eye of the Serpent - Level 1</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17056/N1-Against-the-Cult-of-the-Reptile-God-1e">N1</a> Against the Cult of the Reptile God - Levels 1-3</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17069/U1-The-Sinister-Secret-of-Saltmarsh-1e">U1</a> The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh - Levels 1-3</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17070/U2-Danger-at-Dunwater-1e">U2</a> Danger at Dunwater - Levels 1-4</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17071/U3-The-Final-Enemy-1e">U3</a> The Final Enemy - Levels 3-5</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17073/UK2-The-Sentinel-1e">UK2</a> The Sentinal - Levels 2-5</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17074/UK3-The-Gauntlet-1e">UK3</a> The Gauntlet - Levels 3-6</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17075/UK4-When-a-Star-Falls-1e">UK4</a> When a Star Falls - Levels 3-5</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17077/UK6-All-That-Glitters-1e">UK6</a> All That Glitters... - Levels 3-5</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17072/UK1-Beyond-the-Crystal-Cave-1e">UK1</a> Beyond the Crystal Cave - Levels 4-7</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17048/I2-Tomb-of-the-Lizard-King-1e">I2</a> Tomb of the Lizard King - Levels 5-7</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17080/WG4-The-Forgotten-Temple-of-Tharizdun-1e">WG4</a> The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun - Levels 5-10</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17066/S4-The-Lost-Caverns-of-Tsojcanth-1e">S4</a> The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth - Levels 6-10</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17078/UK7-Dark-Clouds-Gather-1e">UK7</a> Dark Clouds Gather - Levels 7-9</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17052/I8-Ravager-of-Time-1e">I8</a> Ravager of Time - Levels 8-10</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17039/EX1-Dungeonland-1e">EX1</a> Dungeonland - Levels 9-12</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17040/EX2-The-Land-Beyond-the-Magic-Mirror-1e">EX2</a> The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror - Levels 9-12</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17393/WG5-Mordenkainens-Fantastic-Adventure-1e">WG5</a> Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure - Levels 9-12</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17398/WG7-Castle-Greyhawk-1e">WG7</a> Castle Greyhawk - Levels 0-25 (multiple adventures to fill in any "gaps")</div><div><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17396/WG6-Isle-of-the-Ape-1e">WG6</a> Isle of the Ape - Levels 18+</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qoefy8E_7i1_QE53H4c8QDL1oHjBt220zzrDLTEZVn6_VmGi-eBlHLqQ20sYLo7JKl92UD2SAk8qPfKsa8u_r6Jyh4FTseNvqfcp7sYOKpBjuXsWvK9RQTB-F75ZrDqR9hyphenhyphenpugIYqw/s448/faxanadu-Is+your+game+as+casual+as+my+Friday+outfit.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Qoefy8E_7i1_QE53H4c8QDL1oHjBt220zzrDLTEZVn6_VmGi-eBlHLqQ20sYLo7JKl92UD2SAk8qPfKsa8u_r6Jyh4FTseNvqfcp7sYOKpBjuXsWvK9RQTB-F75ZrDqR9hyphenhyphenpugIYqw/w400-h143/faxanadu-Is+your+game+as+casual+as+my+Friday+outfit.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><u><a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html">Lost</a> <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-ghoul-thief-variant-for-lost.html">Carcosa</a> and <a href="https://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/ds_barbarianprince.html">Barbarian Prince</a></u></p><p>Look at that <a href="https://dwarfstar.brainiac.com/barbarianprince/barbarianprince_onepiecemap.jpg">beautiful hex map!</a> And it's got enough types of terrain to match all of the major regions of the setting presented in <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324668/Lost-Carcosa">Lost Carcosa</a>, provided I get a little creative. Honestly, I'm probably going to be too lazy to draw my own hex map, not to mention that my illustrative talent is...<i>modest</i>, let's say. Why not borrow the Barbarian Prince map and just make some substitutions?</p><div style="text-align: left;">Open Countryside=Forest</div><div style="text-align: left;">Farmland=Plains</div><div style="text-align: left;">Forest=Jungle</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hills/Badlands=Colour-Blighted Wastes</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mountains=Underworld</div><div style="text-align: left;">Desert=Desert</div><div style="text-align: left;">Swamp=Sea</div><p style="text-align: left;">The Carcosan Underworld is <i>supposed</i> to be its own separate hex map, but again, I'm lazy, and I don't know if I'd have enough major underworld locations to require a second map anyway. My justification for using the underworld as a terrain type on the "overworld" is that the mountains of Carcosa are basically impassable aboveground. They're cartoonishly steep, incredibly treacherous, exposed to the elements, devoid of edible food and potable water, and in many cases airless and radioactive because <b>they poke out through the atmosphere into space</b>. (Maybe the atmosphere ends at a lower "ceiling" than it does on Earth, or maybe the mountains are just that tall.) Even the parts within the atmosphere are shrouded in toxic gas or blasted by eldritch energies or just really cold and slippery. Bottom line, the only practical way to traverse the mountains is the go under/through them, so moving across mountainous hexes means travelling underground for that leg of one's journey.</p><p style="text-align: left;">As for the named locations on the Barbarian Prince map, I'll probably keep a lot of them as-is, only renaming things as needed when placing specific destinations from Lost Carcosa. My main struggle is figuring out where to put the city of Carcosa itself and the Lake of Hali. Maybe the latter could lie to the south just off the map, with the "Samain Marshes" becoming an inlet of Hali, and "Aeravir Castle" becoming the city. I might change hexes 1723 and 1823 from "open countryside" to part of the inlet as well, so that it's more obvious that the city is right on the edge of Hali.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kjA9KK2ecfwmfqWl3ZHD08pGfa-qtDeuFDINwgJwyEBXyBpHEpOo1DJhxbOkN0pS1yp7mfEDQo4TcHx82TEd0FgyfWrA9QftYXV881sqPRIUg7uIKka2ZEFCynBWTd_qMAZxIh6qfQ/s448/faxanadu-When+youre+done+finding+Carcosa+find+me+a+snack+would+you.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kjA9KK2ecfwmfqWl3ZHD08pGfa-qtDeuFDINwgJwyEBXyBpHEpOo1DJhxbOkN0pS1yp7mfEDQo4TcHx82TEd0FgyfWrA9QftYXV881sqPRIUg7uIKka2ZEFCynBWTd_qMAZxIh6qfQ/w400-h143/faxanadu-When+youre+done+finding+Carcosa+find+me+a+snack+would+you.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><u>Mega-ish Dungeon?</u></p><p>I've been trying to make a big dungeon, on-and-off. I hesitate to call it a proper "megadungeon" because I don't yet know if it will fit all of the common criteria like "being the only or primary dungeon of the campaign" or "not capable of being completely and permanently cleared out by the players" or "being a living, constantly evolving place full of <a href="https://www.paperspencils.com/two-week-megadungeon/">factions</a>." Still, it's twelve floors deep, it's under a town, and I'm trying to make it nonlinear, so I feel like it's at least pseudo-mega.</p><p>When it comes to drawing dungeons, not only do I lack artistic talent, but I'm also usually hit by instant decision paralysis. To overcome this, I started with <a href="https://dysonlogos.blog/maps/geomorph-mapping-project/">these geomorphs</a> by Dyson Logos, helpfully arranged by my wife Jess in a manner both artistically pleasing and conducive to the creation of branching paths. Next, I implemented one of the dungeon's two major gimmicks, which I'll cover shortly. Then I examined the paths on each floor to see which areas were continuous and which were separated and inaccessible to each other. I changed a few details, mostly adding doors so that whole floors would be continuous, but sometimes leaving a separate area accessible only from another floor without magic or excavation. Finally, I picked where I wanted to put stairs - or maybe teleporters or just open shafts, I haven't decided yet.</p><p>So the absolute basics are done, more or less. I might add more entrances/exits on other floors; currently I only have two entrances between the town and the first level, although in my defense I did try to make one path down multiple sets of obviously-nearby stairs going pretty deep into the dungeon for quick access to lower levels. Then there are other stairs scattered about each floor to make less obvious linkages.</p><p>The dungeon's first gimmick is that the north and south edges of each floor are linked, as are the east and west edges. For example, if you go down a hall that leads off the map to the west, you'll loop seamlessly to the map's east side, at the same location on the north-south axis. Each floor is effectively a torus, except that this <i>doesn't</i> apply to the up-down axis. <a href="https://imgur.com/gallery/fUD7n">It's like how the world map works in a lot of older JRPGs.</a> And no, <i>of course</i> I wouldn't tell this to my players ahead of time.</p><p>The second gimmick is actually one I haven't decided to include for sure, but it's tempting. The usual scale for old-school D&D dungeon maps is 10 feet per square, while Wizards of the Coast-era maps tend to use a scale of 5 feet per square. For this dungeon, I think I might go with <b>20 feet per square</b> instead. Why?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>It would give me very big floors on very compact maps.</li><li>It would make the conditions a little less cramped for big parties and big battles.</li><li>It would make it feel more realistic to me that there are tons of monsters hustling around down there to serve as random encounters.</li><li>It would give the denizens (both factions and loners) more breathing room and more territory to fight over.</li><li>It would let me fit more furnishings and other stuff in each square.</li><li>It would help bigger monsters get around more easily.</li><li>Hopefully it would help inspire a sense of wonder in any explorers if even the hallways and doors and such are on a larger-than-human scale.</li></ul><p></p><p></p><p>Anyway, I'm just trying to make something fun, not publication-worthy. I think it's good practice, and it would be nice to run a creation of my own again, even if it's not very original. Plus I can use it to see what those default random encounter and treasure tables in the D&D rulebooks are like in actual play; I almost never use them because I'm always running modules with their own tailored encounters and treasure instead. This could almost be like a "default" D&D adventure, straight from the rulebooks, which feels weirdly fresh since I'm not used to running the game without modules.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb32sPFHjI4cGLpOlgPgBQ4Z_x1OYqnCZ4zHEA71lAzekzPpk7z4VTnidpRyYWsRDZQTyUuU4gnAxi9CvdiwMOOAf491aX5BsQPTZ6C-D4ZkE6EKlz0odbyWJ3nCq12DqUqZ16FF8aQ/s448/faxanadu-Sir+this+is+a+Wendys....png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLb32sPFHjI4cGLpOlgPgBQ4Z_x1OYqnCZ4zHEA71lAzekzPpk7z4VTnidpRyYWsRDZQTyUuU4gnAxi9CvdiwMOOAf491aX5BsQPTZ6C-D4ZkE6EKlz0odbyWJ3nCq12DqUqZ16FF8aQ/w400-h143/faxanadu-Sir+this+is+a+Wendys....png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictures courtesy of https://deathgenerator.com/#faxanadu</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><u>The Truth About Pickles</u></p><p>It's not actually a pickle unless it comes from the Pickle region of France. Otherwise, it's just a sparkling cucumber.</p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-30427365219583927952020-11-22T08:09:00.011-05:002020-11-22T08:46:31.333-05:00Mind's Eye - A Magic Item<p>Part wildlife tagging/remote surveillance program and part series of field experiments, the Mind's Eye Project was instituted by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kang_and_Kodos">Rigellian</a> Empire* as a means of testing the biological, psychological, and sociological effects of high-level magic use on humans. (It also doubles as a handy spy network should the surveilled population get rowdy.) Just find an isolated world infested with humanity,** implant some pre-selected individuals*** with "Mind's Eye" devices, then sit back and collect your data.</p><p>Outside of the human body, a Mind's Eye looks like a silver lozenge inscribed with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemical_symbol">alchemical symbols</a> for "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digestion_(alchemy)">digestion</a>," "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projection_(alchemy)">projection</a>," and "the Philosopher's Stone" inscribed in gold. When swallowed, the nanomachines which make up the lozenge are triggered by the subject's stomach acid to separate and travel through the bloodstream to the brain, where they reform into a shape resembling a miniature goat's eyeball rooted directly to the visual cortex and connected to the rest of the brain by an extensive network of neural filaments. This process takes d6-1 turns, with a result of 0 meaning it takes d10 seconds instead. Upon completion, the effects listed below manifest in the subject.</p><p>If removed from the brain, the eyeball-like mass will reshape itself into its lozenge form over the course of about ten seconds, at which point it can be installed in another host. Mind's Eyes are almost never found in their lozenge state "in the wild," but rather in the brains of the most powerful and ambitious wizards in the land. This is presumably the origin of the stereotype that sorcerers are all brain-eating cannibals.</p><p>In it's lozenge state, a Mind's Eye is about as resistant to damage as steel, although it can be "tricked" into separating into a swarm of nanomachines by exposing it to stomach acid outside of a living human, at which point it becomes vulnerable to a variety of other caustic substances, extreme heat or cold, or even simple dilution and separation of the nanomachines to the point that they lose wireless communication with each other and shut down. If attacked directly in its eye-like state, a Mind's Eye has 8 HP and regenerates 1 HP every ten minutes. Killing the subject will not damage the Mind's Eye, simply causing it to revert to lozenge mode.</p><p><u>Effects</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Increases a character's spellcasting ability by one level. This is for purposes of spells per day, spell levels that can be cast, and the caster's level for the purposes of spell effects.</li><ul><li>This does NOT increase the character's level in any other way; it does not grant additional HP or better saving throws or a better attack bonus, it does not change the character's current XP or the amount required for the next level, and it does not allow the character to survive an extra level's worth of being level drained.</li><li>This DOES allow characters to exceed any normal level cap or XP limit for purposes of spellcasting. E.g. A ninth level Magic-User with one Mind's Eye can memorize and cast spells as if they were a tenth level Magic-User, even if ninth level is usually the maximum achievable level in your game.</li><li>This DOES allow members of other character classes and even level 0 characters to memorize and cast spells. E.g. A fourth level Fighter with one Mind's Eye can memorize and cast spells as if they were a first level Magic-User.</li><li>Any character with at least one Mind's Eye can cast spells from scrolls, wands, and staves.</li></ul><li>A human character can only use up to 10 Mind's Eyes at once. Attempting to install 11 or more simultaneously is instantly and invariably fatal to humans.</li><ul><li>Naturally, the referee is free to reduce this amount if desired. E.g. If I were running BX D&D and I had set a level cap of 9 for Magic-Users, I would probably limit the simultaneous use of Mind's Eyes to 5 because the Expert Set only lists the class' level progression up to 14.</li></ul><li>Anything seen by the subject is transmitted to a recording device possessed by the Rigellian Empire, on which it can be played back and otherwise manipulated like standard video footage (albeit in binocular form).</li><li>The current generation of Mind's Eye technology is susceptible to a series of glitches which cause certain visual information to be redirected <i>only</i> to the installed Mind's Eye(s) and <i>not</i> the perception of the subject. For each Mind's Eye installed, a character must succeed on a saving throw vs. magical device or else lose the ability to see one of the following randomly-determined sights: </li></ul><ol style="text-align: left;"><ol><li>Random color - Seen as gray instead.</li><ol><li>Red</li><li>Orange</li><li>Yellow</li><li>Green</li><li>Cyan/Light Blue</li><li>Indigo/Dark Blue</li><li>Purple</li><li>Violet-Red colors (Magenta, Rose, etc.)</li></ol><li>Light brighter than 2000 lux - Seen as painful white glare.</li><li>Light dimmer than 1 lux - Seen as pure blackness.</li><li><a href="https://www.rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm">Right angles</a> that take up more than 25% of your field of view - Seen as drastically warped to become acute or obtuse to random degrees.</li><li>Distances across open air or empty space more than 30 feet across - Seen as being <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distance_fog">concealed by fog.</a></li><li>Motion - Seen as a low-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frame_rate">FPS</a> series of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akinetopsia">still images</a>.</li></ol></ol>*Or the mysterious otherworldly being(s) of the referee's choice, naturally.<div>**One can scarcely generate antimatter without blowing up a world that's absolutely overrun with <i>Homo sapiens</i>, and they're just smart enough to cast spells, so they make perfect test subjects.<div>***As determined by the variables of the specific experiment, and possibly the bureaucratic whims of the researchers' bosses, or the irrational whims of the researchers themselves if they're not very objective.</div></div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-81095438251121108822020-11-13T06:31:00.001-05:002020-11-13T06:31:47.063-05:00Paranormal PC Quirks<p>Roll a d30 at character creation:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>When you close your eyes, you can see invisible things...and nothing else, because your eyes are closed.</li><li>When first clothed for the day, one pocket is always mysteriously full of sand.</li><li>You know one additional language, with the following caveats: You can only write it with your non-dominant hand (ambidextrous characters have a 50/50 chance of either hand being the one that can write it). You can only read it with your non-dominant eye (50/50 chance of either if you don't have a dominant eye). You can only understand it in its spoken form by hearing it in one ear (it has to be on the same side as either the hand that writes it or the eye that reads it - player's choice). You can only speak it when you bleed.</li><li>Your fingerprints are identical to those of every other player character who rolls this result, and to the first NPC you meet who has never been met by any player character before.</li><li>Any metal surface you touch is noticeably slightly warmer that it should be, even accounting for your body heat, for d10 minutes afterward.</li><li>Your body is just incredibly unique, and doesn't necessarily match the genetics of your parents. Your belly button is an "outie," your hair has a counterclockwise whorl, each of your hands has a single palmar crease, your blood type is AB positive/AB negative/ RH null (player's choice), you have no wisdom teeth, you have an extra rib and a preauricular sinus and palmaris longus muscles, and cilantro tastes like soap to you. Your eyes also have at least one of the following features (player's choice):</li><ol><li>Complete heterochromia</li><li>Segmental heterochromia</li><li>Central heterochromia</li><li>Gray</li></ol><li>One day of each week, no one can remember your name without some kind of exterior prompt like seeing it in writing; seeing or talking to you doesn't count. Roll a d8 for the day:</li><ol><li>Monday</li><li>Tuesday</li><li>Wednesday</li><li>Thursday</li><li>Friday</li><li>Saturday</li><li>Sunday</li><li>Player's choice</li></ol><li>Once a day, you can cause one human being in your line of sight to have hiccups for 3d20 minutes if they fail a saving throw vs. paralysis. This requires no gestures, only a deliberate mental trigger.</li><li>The first time your HP is reduced to 0 (or whatever amount would normally kill you), roll a d10: on a 1 or 2 you die as normal, but otherwise you regain half of your maximum HP. The next time you would normally die from HP loss, roll a d10 and only die on a roll of 1 to 3, then the next time you die on a roll of 1 to 4, and so on. The ninth death definitely sticks.</li><li>Your shadow is always (roll d6):</li><ol><li>Darker than it should be, even pitch-black sometimes.</li><li>Lighter than it should be, even somewhat transparent sometimes.</li><li>Longer than it should be.</li><li>Shorter than it should be.</li><li>Changing size and shape subtly if exactly one person looks at it, but returning to normal before anyone else can see it or the viewer can be certain they saw anything unusual.</li><li>Moving dramatically when no one but you is looking at it.</li></ol><li>Blood tastes delicious to you, drinking blood does not trigger nausea or cause an iron overdose, and you receive an additional saving throw with a +4 bonus against contracting any bloodborne diseases (even receiving a saving throw if you normally wouldn't get one at all).</li><li>You've somehow gone your entire life up to now without experiencing physical pain. This is because things that would normally cause a small amount of physical pain instead cause an equally compelling share of emotional "pain" or distress, and only things that would hurt at least a moderate amount register as "literal" pain. You've never been injured enough to overcome this pain "threshold." But now's your chance!</li><li>You have wildly changing luck. Whenever you fail a roll on which you <b>don't</b> have advantage or disadvantage, you gain advantage on your next roll. Whenever you succeed on a roll on which you <b>don't</b> have advantage or disadvantage, you suffer disadvantage on your next roll.</li><li>Your dreams always consist only of an accurate recreation of everything you experienced since the last time you dreamed. (Well, except for your very first dream, which covered everything from your birth up to that point.) You live everything twice.</li><li>Once per day, you can make every domesticated animal within earshot come to you and try to get you to pet them by saying "pspspsps."</li><li>Your ability scores are each increased by 1 point while you are exposed to sunlight. Your ability scores are each decreased by 1 point for ten minutes after you speak, with the timer resetting if you speak again during this "cooldown period."</li><li>There is a second consciousness or personality inside of your brain. You cannot read their thoughts except those they choose to mentally "speak" to you, and vice versa. They cannot directly control your body, but they experience all of your sensory input while they are "awake." They "sleep" the same amount as a normal person, but this never occurs while you sleep, so they experience what you miss while you slumber, and you have a period of privacy during your waking hours. Each of you always knows when the other is awake or asleep.</li><li>You're an expert ventriloquist and can do spot-in impersonations of the voices and mannerisms of others. Your voice can realistically imitate a variety of sound effects, too. This is all instinctual and not the result of practice. You have no original voice of your own, although you may have chosen a specific impression as your "default," and others might not know its origin.</li><li>You have an unerring sense of time. You'd know the exact hour even deep underground, and you can count the passage of zeptoseconds flawlessly (even if you don't know for sure what a zeptosecond is). You have perfect rhythm, naturally.</li><li>You can bend spoons and keys and similar small objects just like Uri Geller, except for real.</li><li>Your voice echoes more than usual, even in places where it shouldn't echo at all.</li><li>While touching another non-supernatural animal, you experience all of the creature's sensory input.</li><li>No insects, centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, spiders, woodlice, mites, or ticks will ever willingly bite or sting you. All venomous snakes and lizards you encounter will make biting you their number one priority, even above survival.</li><li>You know the exact distance and direction to one particular living being at all times. Once per week, you can change which person this is, provided the new target is within your line of sight or earshot.</li><li>Your outer layer of dead skin is incredibly hydrophobic, so the outside of your body is never really wet. Somehow, this doesn't seem to cause any health problems - your skin doesn't even look or feel particularly dry even though it literally is. Any clothes you wear become hydrophobic as well until removed.</li><li>Eldritch forces are constantly reshaping you for unknown purposes. Reroll a random ability score every day.</li><li>You were born under a bad sign. Pick a zodiac sign: you must behave in accordance with the worst stereotypes about that sign.</li><li>You've found a way to bargain with some god of chance. Once per game, you can change the result of one of your rolls to the best possible result <b>or</b> change the result of one roll that negatively affects you to the best possible result for you. In exchange, your next d3 rolls will automatically be the worst possible result(s).</li><li>Roughly speaking, you perceive orange as what others would consider blue, and vice versa. Same for the red-green and purple-yellow pairs. But how would you even know?</li><li>You're a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie">p-zombie</a>. Although you are indistinguishable from a normal human as far as others can tell, you have no sentience or conscious experience or inner life. The light's on, but nobody's home. So yeah, there's no meaningful difference between you and other characters in the game.</li></ol><p></p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-25962689590740321502020-11-08T02:16:00.018-05:002022-03-26T13:50:14.563-05:00Appendix VG: Carcosa<p>Here's one more post about Geoffrey McKinney's <i>Carcosa</i> that I've <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/11/ad-carcosa-crawl-house-rules-and-lore.html">had on the back burner</a>. In the style of <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2017/03/my-weird-taste-in-movies-or-not-exactly.html">some</a> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2017/04/my-appendix-sf-stay-frosty.html">previous</a> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/04/kult-how-do-you-use-this-crazy-thing.html">posts</a>, I made an "Appendix N-style" list of inspirational material that heavily informs my personal conception of the setting. The twist is that these are all video games. Why?</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>McKinney's <i>Carcosa</i> always felt very video gamey to me, and especially comparable to retro games, what with the bright colors, and the pseudo-random, almost-clashing elements, and the synthesis of fantastical imagery and computer technology, and the way the game relies on the players' imagination to fill in the blanks and flesh out the implied world.</li><li>A lot of video games just happen to have elements that fit <i>Carcosa</i> very well, through either game mechanics, through characters and props and setting details, or through the tone or atmosphere created by art assets and music and such.</li><li>Video games just fucking rule.</li></ol>Some people look at <i>Carcosa</i> and see <i><a href="http://roguesandreavers.blogspot.com/2012/02/talkin-bout-my-generation.html">Masters</a> <a href="http://save.vs.totalpartykill.ca/tag/carcosa/">of the</a> <a href="https://lurkerablog.wordpress.com/2012/04/26/how-brightly-coloured-should-carcosa-be/">Universe</a></i>. I see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprite_(computer_graphics)">sprites</a> and <a href="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/3do5.htm">polygons</a> and hear <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiptune">chiptune</a> <a href="https://heimatderkatastrophe.bandcamp.com/">music</a>.<br /><p></p><p>Full disclosure: I haven't played all of these myself. I don't necessarily even think all of these are <i>good</i>, per se. But I think every single one of these is both fascinating in its own right and an exemplar of the aesthetics, mood, tropes, and pure gonzo insanity most associated with McKinney's <i>Carcosa</i> in my mind. I hope something here piques your curiosity and sparks some cool ideas for your own games and imaginings, whether Carcosa-related <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12419/The-Hateful-Place">or</a> <a href="https://knightowlpublishing.com/">within</a> <a href="https://www.mothershiprpg.com/">even</a> <a href="https://whelan.itch.io/">stranger</a> <a href="https://www.troikarpg.com/">realms</a>.</p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; letter-spacing: normal; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwb-gtDH8rk0ntHNI621wUdwfzMT1omYEoa4lfz8xLCBpiMBmV04cdBTnJXEHg1psrLSldeM1EkN2S5dGtfA1hEcBGzqBFk1dSLY1a4DY27D4n0t9dSK_KtBKnlA1eVIpIR41wo4g9A/s512/battletoads-Your+sorcery+is+just+gonna++have+to+wait+pal.+Ive++got+a+high+score+to+beat.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="512" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwb-gtDH8rk0ntHNI621wUdwfzMT1omYEoa4lfz8xLCBpiMBmV04cdBTnJXEHg1psrLSldeM1EkN2S5dGtfA1hEcBGzqBFk1dSLY1a4DY27D4n0t9dSK_KtBKnlA1eVIpIR41wo4g9A/w400-h350/battletoads-Your+sorcery+is+just+gonna++have+to+wait+pal.+Ive++got+a+high+score+to+beat.png" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture courtesy of <a href="https://deathgenerator.com/">https://deathgenerator.com/</a></td></tr></tbody></table><p>P.S. Much like <i>Carcosa</i> itself, "Age of Barbarian," "Produce," and the Japanese version of "The Legendary Axe II" include some nudity and/or sexual content that might be NSFW or upsetting to some people. I apologize if I neglected to warn about such content in any other games listed here.</p><p><u>Roll d66* for Inspiration for Your Next Game</u>:</p><p>11. <a href="https://www.criansoft.com/age-of-barbarian-extended-cut">Age</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/ELrxxM92kvo">of</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/RVxbYFf-UC4">Barbarian</a></p><p>12. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_Storm">Alien Storm</a></p><p>13. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Another_World_%28video_game%29">Another</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/another-world-out-of-this-world/">World</a>/<a href="http://www.anotherworld.fr/anotherworld_uk/">Out of This World</a></p><p>14. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark:_Survival_Evolved">Ark: Survival Evolved</a></p><p>15. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom_Verge">Axiom</a> <a href="http://www.axiomverge.com/">Verge</a></p><p>16. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian:_The_Ultimate_Warrior">Barbarian: The Ultimate Warrior/Death Sword</a> - especially <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian_II:_The_Dungeon_of_Drax">Barbarian II: The Dungeon of Drax</a></p><p>21. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_Master">Blaster</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/blaster-master/">Master</a></p><p>22. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodborne">Bloodborne</a> (and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon%27s_Souls">Demon's</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demon%27s_Souls_(2020_video_game)">Souls</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Souls">Dark</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souls_(series)">Souls</a> to some extent)</p><p>23. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Cthulhu:_Dark_Corners_of_the_Earth">Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth</a></p><p>24. <a href="https://youtu.be/hdRhFQSpDjc">Cap'n</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/ECvJXPyuF-8">Magneto</a></p><p>25. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakan:_The_Forever_Man">Chakan:</a> <a href="http://www.rakgraphics.com/chakan/">The Forever Man</a></p><p>26. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Darkness">Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem</a></p><p>31. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Far_Cry_Primal">Far Cry Primal</a></p><p>32. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generations_Lost">Generations Lost</a></p><p>33. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Axe">Golden Axe</a></p><p>34. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guardian_Legend">The Guardian Legend</a></p><p>35. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizon_Zero_Dawn">Horizon: Zero Dawn</a></p><p>36. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenshi_(video_game)">Kenshi</a></p><p>41. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legendary_Axe">Legendary</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/legendary-axe-the/">Axe</a> - especially <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legendary_Axe_II">The Legendary</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/legendary-axe-ii-the/">Axe II</a><br /></p><p>42. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metroid">Metroid</a></p><p>43. <a href="http://overwhelmgame.com/">Overwhelm</a></p><p>44. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Kong_(2005_video_game)">Peter Jackson's King Kong</a></p><p>45. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantasy_Star">Phantasy</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/phantasy-star/">Star</a></p><p>46. <a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/rubicon">Rubicon</a> (<a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/atari-st/rubicon">all</a> <a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/amiga/rubicon">versions</a>)</p><p>51. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rygar">Rygar</a> - <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/series/rygar/">especially</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/rygar-arcade/">the</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/rygar-nes/">NES version</a></p><p>52. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sacred_Armour_of_Antiriad">The Sacred Armour of Antiriad/Rad Warrior</a></p><p>53. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_of_Evermore">Secret of Evermore</a></p><p>54. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Quest">Secret Quest</a></p><p>55. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_7th_Saga">The</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/7th-saga-the/">7th</a> <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2018/10/how-to-7th-saga-up-your-next-adventure.html">Saga</a></p><p>56. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Beast_(1989_video_game)">Shadow</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Beast_II">of the</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_of_the_Beast_III">Beast</a></p><p>61. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongue_of_the_Fatman">Tongue of the Fatman</a>/<a href="https://youtu.be/qngBXbs3Of0">Mondu's Fight Palace</a>/<a href="https://youtu.be/3MjG2ZkCgSo">Slaughter Sport</a></p><p>62. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turok_(video_game_series)">Turok</a></p><p>63. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turrican">Turrican</a></p><p>64. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weaponlord">Weaponlord</a></p><p>65. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_of_Wor">Wizard of Wor</a></p><p>66. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_Clash">Zeno</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeno_Clash_2">Clash</a></p><p><u>Extras</u> - After you use an entry from the table above, cross it out and roll d88** on this table for a replacement entry:</p><p></p><p>11. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altered_Beast">Altered Beast<br /></a>12. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_Reality_(series)">Alternate Reality:</a> <a href="http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2010/03/game-9-alternate-reality-series.html">The City</a>/<a href="http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2017/04/game-248-alterate-reality-dungeon-1987.html">The Dungeon<br /></a>13. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian_(1987_video_game)">Barbarian</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obliterator">Obliterator</a> (the Psygnosis series, not the Palace Software series mentioned above)<br />14. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battletoads">Battletoads<br /></a>15. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berzerk_(video_game)">Berzerk</a> (and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenzy_(1982_video_game)">Frenzy</a>)<br />16. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackthorne">Blackthorne<br /></a>17. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Master">Blade</a> <a href="http://www.punchpedia.com/games/arc/bmaster/bmaster.php">Master</a> (<b>Edited on 8/17/21:</b> I originally had <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorpods">Terrorpods</a> here, but this is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_1ismeKrqc">much</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMsWyT9DxTk">better</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePI5U1tbB54">fit</a>.)<br />18. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BloodStorm">Blood</a><a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bloodstorm/">Storm</a> (and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Killers">Time</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/time-killers/">Killers</a> to some extent)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brataccas"><br /></a>21. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brataccas">Brataccas</a><a href="https://youtu.be/cksMz4709rg"><br /></a>22. <a href="https://www.mobygames.com/game/c64/captain-zapp">Captain Zzap</a>/<a href="https://youtu.be/cksMz4709rg">Flash Gordon</a><br />23. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan:_Hall_of_Volta">Conan: Hall of Volta</a> and <a href="http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2017/06/game-253-conan-cimmerian-1991.html">Conan: The Cimmerian</a><a href="http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2017/06/game-253-conan-cimmerian-1991.html"><br /></a>24. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun:_Shattered_Lands">Dark Sun: Shattered Lands</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun:_Wake_of_the_Ravager">Dark Sun: Wake of the Ravager</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Sun_Online:_Crimson_Sands">Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands<br /></a>25. <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2017/02/how-to-drakkhen-up-your-next-adventure.html">Drakkhen</a>/<a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragon-view/">Dragon View</a><span style="color: black;"> and <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/eternam/">Eternam</a></span><br />26. <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dyna-gear/">Dyna Gear<br /></a>27. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldritch_(video_game)">Eldritch<br /></a>28. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Viento">El Viento</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earnest_Evans">Earnest Evans</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anett_Futatabi">Anett Futatabi<br /></a>31. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fester%27s_Quest">Fester's Quest<br /></a>32. <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/forgotten-worlds/">Forgotten</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Worlds">Worlds</a> (<b>Edited on 3/6/22:</b> I originally had Conan: The Cimmerian here, but I combined it with the Conan: Hall of Volta entry above.)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness_(video_game)"><br /></a>33. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_of_Darkness_(video_game)">Heart of Darkness</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe:_The_Super_Adventure"><br /></a>34. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Masters_of_the_Universe_video_games">He</a>-<a href="https://www.he-man.org/games/section.php?id=28">Man</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe:_The_Power_of_He-Man">Masters</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe:_The_Arcade_Game">of</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe:_The_Movie">the</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masters_of_the_Universe:_The_Super_Adventure">Universe</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hylics_(video_game)"><br /></a>35. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hylics_(video_game)">Hylics</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Road_(video_game)"><br /></a>36. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Road_(video_game)">Ikari Warriors II: Victory Road</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolated_Warrior"><br /></a>37. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isolated_Warrior">Isolated Warrior</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joust_(video_game)"><br /></a>38. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joust_(video_game)">Joust</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnov"><br /></a>41. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karnov">Karnov</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Hearts"><br /></a>42. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koudelka">Koudelka</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_Hearts">Shadow Hearts</a><a href="https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/krull-video-games-tribute-arcade-atari-2600-80s/"><br /></a>43. <a href="https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/krull-video-games-tribute-arcade-atari-2600-80s/">Krull</a><a href="http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/kult_the_temple_of_flying_saucers"><br /></a>44. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KULT:_The_Temple_of_Flying_Saucers">Kult: The Temple of Flying Saucers</a>/<a href="http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/kult_the_temple_of_flying_saucers">Chamber of the Sci-Mutant Priestess</a><a href="https://www.sega-16.com/2009/07/galahad/"><br /></a>45. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leander_(video_game)">Leander</a>/<a href="https://www.sega-16.com/2009/07/galahad/">Galahad</a><br />46. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Armageddon">Last</a> <a href="https://bogleech.com/halloween/hall14-lastarmageddon.html">Armageddon</a> (<a href="https://bogleech.com/halloween/hall14-lastarmageddon2.html">and</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/last-armageddon/">After</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/after-armageddon-gaiden/">Armageddon</a> <a href="https://bogleech.com/halloween/hall18-aadragon.html">Gaiden</a>)<a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Legacy%3A%20Realm%20of%20Terror"><br /></a>47. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legacy:_Realm_of_Terror">The Legacy:</a> <a href="http://crpgaddict.blogspot.com/2020/06/the-legacy-won-with-summary-and-rating.html">Realm</a> <a href="https://lparchive.org/The-Legacy/">of</a> <a href="https://advgamer.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Legacy%3A%20Realm%20of%20Terror">Terror</a><a href="http://pid.bungie.org/"><br /></a>48. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_Trilogy">Marathon</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathways_into_Darkness">Pathways</a> <a href="http://marathon.bungie.org/story/">Into</a> <a href="http://pid.bungie.org/">Darkness</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Mutant"><br /></a>51. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Mutant">Metal Mutant</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_and_Magic"><br /></a>52. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Might_and_Magic">Might & Magic</a><a href="https://3drealms.com/catalog/monuments-mars_43/"><br /></a>53. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monuments_of_Mars">Monuments</a> <a href="http://sfprod.shikadi.net/games/mars.htm">of</a> <a href="https://3drealms.com/catalog/monuments-mars_43/">Mars</a><a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/DoomTroopers"><br /></a>54. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doomtrooper#Video_game">Mutant Chronicles:</a> <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/DoomTroopers">Doom Troopers</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddworld"><br /></a>55. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oddworld">Oddworld</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.D.T."><br /></a>56. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.D.T.">O.D.T.</a><a href="https://vintageisthenewold.com/retro-revisited-odyssey-amiga/"><br /></a>57. <a href="https://vintageisthenewold.com/retro-revisited-odyssey-amiga/">Odyssey</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ork_(video_game)"><br /></a>58. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ork_(video_game)">Ork</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perihelion:_The_Prophecy"><br /></a>61. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perihelion:_The_Prophecy">Perihelion: The Prophecy</a><br />62. <a href="https://bogleech.com/halloween/hall14-produce.html">Produce</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/produce-japanese-game-video-game-obscurity/">(プロデュース)</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Saturn_Day"><br /></a>63. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Saturn_Day">Purple Saturn Day</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quake_(video_game)"><br /></a>64. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quake_(video_game)">Quake</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_Blade:_Rastan_Saga_Episode_III"><br /></a>65. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastan_(video_game)">Rastan</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastan_Saga_II">Rastan</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_Blade:_Rastan_Saga_Episode_III">Saga</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_(video_game)"><br /></a>66. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson%27s_Requiem">Robinson's</a> <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/RobinsonsRequiem">Requiem</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deus_(video_game)">Deus</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Fantasy_Legend"><br /></a>67. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaGa">SaGa</a>/<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Fantasy_Legend">Final Fantasy Legend</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sinking_City"><br /></a>68. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sinking_City">The Sinking City</a><br />71. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Ace">Space Ace</a> (and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_Lair">Dragon's Lair</a> to some extent)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Funeral"><br /></a>72. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Funeral">Space Funeral</a><a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/space-harrier-2/"><br /></a>73. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Harrier">Space</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/space-harrier-2/">Harrier</a><a href="https://youtu.be/XZSObFVfI5E"><br /></a>74. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arac_(video_game)">Spiderbot</a>/<a href="https://youtu.be/XZSObFVfI5E">Arac</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_(1995_video_game)"><br /></a>75. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_(1995_video_game)">Stargate</a><a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/stone-protectors/"><br /></a>76. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Protectors#Video_game">Stone</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/stone-protectors/">Protectors</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_2010:_The_Final_Fight"><br /></a>77. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_Fighter_2010:_The_Final_Fight">Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strife_(1996_video_game)"><br /></a>78. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strife_(1996_video_game)">Strife</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Sodan"><br /></a>81. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sword_of_Sodan">Sword of Sodan</a><br />82. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_(series)">Ultima<br /></a>83. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unreal_(1998_video_game)">Unreal<br /></a>84. <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vandyke/">Vandyke<br /></a>85. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vangers">Vangers<br /></a>86. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Time_Stood_Still">Where Time</a> <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/where-time-stood-still/">Stood Still<br /></a>87. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizardry">Wizardry</a> (especially <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wizardry-bane-of-the-cosmic-forge/">Bane of the Cosmic Forge</a>, <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wizardry-crusaders-of-the-dark-savant/">Crusaders of the Dark Savant</a>, and <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wizardry-8/">Wizardry 8</a>)<br />88. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xexyz">Xexyz</a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWat45OiHcb3wMnigMy_dfrY6ZGy6JFSAShN63S-Rabqp8PfUTjNfuzGdjgPBEggpNUe59IHN5hUJnJ2HqsoMMEJar8uVGUc2R_t0ZT37UyyyvcJ4bRwYN1MMsxiytEk7CBXU6Cd5HA/s448/faxanadu-I+went+to+Purple+Saturn+Day+and+all+I+got+was+this+lousy+shirt.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="448" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWat45OiHcb3wMnigMy_dfrY6ZGy6JFSAShN63S-Rabqp8PfUTjNfuzGdjgPBEggpNUe59IHN5hUJnJ2HqsoMMEJar8uVGUc2R_t0ZT37UyyyvcJ4bRwYN1MMsxiytEk7CBXU6Cd5HA/w400-h143/faxanadu-I+went+to+Purple+Saturn+Day+and+all+I+got+was+this+lousy+shirt.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture courtesy of <a href="https://deathgenerator.com/">https://deathgenerator.com/</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>*If you're unfamiliar with d66 rolls, check out <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dice_notation#6-sided_variations">this Wikipedia entry</a>...or better yet, <a href="https://www.troikarpg.com/">check</a> <a href="https://www.melsonia.com/troika-17-p.asp">out</a> <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/6992/Melsonian-Arts-Council">Troika!</a></i><p></p></div><div>**This works just like a d66 roll, except with two d8s instead of d6s.</div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-77795542880672835832020-11-06T07:20:00.006-05:002020-11-08T11:01:35.635-05:00AD&D Carcosa Crawl - House Rules and Lore Ideas<p>I've become <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html">totally</a> <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-ghoul-thief-variant-for-lost.html">infatuated</a> with <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324668/Lost-Carcosa">Lost Carcosa</a></i> by Tristan Tanner of the blog <a href="http://bogeymanscave.blogspot.com/">The Bogeyman's Cave</a>, to the point that I prefer it overall to Geoffrey McKinney's <i>Carcosa</i>. I think it's only natural to compare the two, given the overlapping subject matter.</p><p>That said, I still really enjoy McKinney's <i>Carcosa</i> setting on its own merits, and I have a couple of old ideas for it which I haven't posted about yet. I figure I should get it out of my system before my attention totally turns to Tanner's take on the concept.</p><p>I'll be referring to both the core <i>Carcosa</i> book and <a href="https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/geoffrey-mckinney/the-yuthlugathap-swamps/paperback/product-1we82g4d.html">the</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/geoffrey-mckinney/barrens-of-carcosa/paperback/product-15endq74.html">four</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/geoffrey-mckinney/jungles-of-the-knaanothoa/paperback/product-1g854zjq.html">AD&D</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/geoffrey-mckinney/the-mountains-of-dream/paperback/product-1v4n728n.html">hexcrawls</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/geof_mckinney">published</a> through <a href="http://Lulu.com">Lulu.com</a>.</p><p><u>AD&D House Rules</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Classes are restricted to Fighters, Clerics, Magic-Users, Illusionists, Assassins, and Monks. (I could be persuaded to include Thieves as well.) Inspired by <a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/thread/11937/carcosa-od-ad">this thread</a> at the <a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/">OD&D Discussion Forum</a>.</li><ul><li>For class purposes, either ignore alignment requirements entirely, or ignore the good/evil aspect of alignment. If choosing the latter, Monks must be Lawful, and Clerics must be either Lawful or Chaotic. Maybe Magic-Users should always be Chaotic? The rest, including Illusionists, could probably choose any alignment.</li><li>If not using the Thief class, consider allowing Fighters to use Thief abilities equivalent to their level (<a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/03/fighterthief-hybrid-class-for-my-super.html">like this</a>) except for reading languages, using magical scrolls, and speaking Thieves' Cant.</li></ul><li>Human PCs only. (Unless borrowing mutants or androids from <i>Gamma World</i>, perhaps? Or aliens from <i>Empire of the Petal Throne</i>?)</li><li>Carcosa's sorcerous rituals can be performed by any class, rather than being restricted to a Sorcerer class. Spellcasting classes have their usual spells as well.</li><ul><li>Remove all aspects of sexual assault and harm to children from the rituals.</li></ul><li>Use the psionics system from <i>Carcosa</i> instead of AD&D. Multiply the chances of a PC having psionic powers by 8 (e.g. someone with 18 INT, 18 WIS, and 18 CHA would have a 96% chance).</li><li>The damage dice for space alien weapons are d12s instead of d8s.</li><li>Space Alien weapons may be used by Fighters, Assassins, and Monks. (Thieves as well, if the class is used.)</li><li>Ignore the weird new "Dice Conventions."</li><li>I'd probably ignore weapon speed factors, weapon vs. armor class adjustment, segments, helmet rules, and all that jazz. I'm on the fence about giving weapons different damage vs. different opponent sizes, as well.</li><ul><li>If I DO try using these rules, I'll probably need assistance from <a href="http://mageofthestripedtower.blogspot.com/2012/02/ad-1ed-combat-computer.html">THIS</a> or <a href="https://www.dragonsfoot.org/php4/archive.php?sectioninit=CS&fileid=394&watchfile=">THIS</a>.</li></ul><li>No training time/costs needed to level up.</li><li>No female strength limits.</li><li>No Read Magic, <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-hate-read-magic.html">as usual</a>.</li><li>No spell component tracking. (They can still be present as non-mechanical "flavor" if desired.)</li><li>Consider borrowing material from <i>Gamma World</i>, <i>Metamorphosis Alpha</i>, and <i>Empire of the Petal Throne</i>.</li></ul><p></p><p><u>Lore Alterations and Additions</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Carcosa is either Earth in the distant future or a planet colonized by future humanity. At some point between now and the game's era, the human race has mostly split into two distinct new species through mysterious means: the Lawful high-tech Space "Aliens" and the Chaotic sorcerous Snake-Men. The former have mostly abandoned Carcosa, while the latter were destroyed by the "ultratelluric forces" unleashed by the Snake-Men when they summoned (or created?) the interdimensional reality-warping dream-city also known as Carcosa (which may also be a living idea and/or a god).</li><li>"Brown Men" are just normal, unaltered Earthly humans as we know them in our era, the predecessors to the two aforementioned posthuman species. They may have originally arrived on Carcosa via time-travel, or they may have been recreated post-extinction by the Snake-Men from preserved genetic material and eldritch sorcery, or they could have simply continued to survive alongside the Space "Aliens" and Snake-Men all this time while somehow remaining unchanged. In short, they are the remains of "original" humanity. Thus, they have the same variety of skin/hair/eye colors found in real people today, rather than the more uniform features described in the book.</li><li>The other twelve "species" of humans are creations of the Snake-Men, as per the book. All thirteen types of humans were used by the Snake-Men as ingredients in horrible rituals, and the latter twelve types were engineered from the "Brown Men" to enable a wider variety of sorcery than that which could be accomplished through the sacrifices of only one kind of human.</li><ul><li>I'm considering changing the names and appearances of the "Black Men" and "White Men" of the setting, partly to further differentiate Carcosan people from real-life racial or ethnic groups and hopefully prevent any confusion or accidental <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/UnfortunateImplications">unfortunate implications</a>, and partly as an excuse to include more super-weird people à la the Bone Men. Maybe they could be Muscle Men and Blood Men?</li><li>A friend pointed out to me that Claytonian JP came up with better names for Carcosa's technicolor peoples in "A Carcosa Hack," found <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/16rwtjxCdlZjZYLy_VcVliMyp4ZBmsmZ-GHYnx0g1P2A/edit">HERE</a>. I definitely prefer the terms "Umber Men" and "Ebon Men" and "Chalk Men" for Carcosan folk over terms that have greater real-life connotations.</li></ul><li>B'yakhee, Deep Ones, Yithians, Mi-Go, Primordial Ones, and Shoggoths are not merely different varieties of spawn produced by "The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young." Instead, they retain their original Lovecraftian/Cthulhu Mythos origins - or at least their origins as described in the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_of_Cthulhu_(role-playing_game)">Call of Cthulhu</a></i> RPG.</li><li>If the new colors of Carcosa need to be visually depicted (for character portraits, miniatures, etc.) here's my shorthand:</li><ul><li>Jale = Cyan</li><li>Ulfire = Magenta</li><li>Dolm = Indigo</li></ul></ul><u>Bonus: <i>The Keep on the Borderlands</i> - Magic Item Conversions and Other Suggestions for <i>Carcosa</i></u><p></p><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Amulet of Protection from Good = Half damage from all mundane attacks rather than protection from "good." Instead of an amulet it's a chemical with which the body was treated, and thus it's not "collectable."</li><li>Amulet of Protection from Turning = Same effect, but instead of an amulet it's a chemical with which the body was treated, and thus it's not "collectable."</li><li>Arrow +1 = Bow w/ 2d10 Arrows coated in Black Lotus Powder</li><li>Dagger +1 = Blowpipe w/ 2d10 Darts coated in Black Lotus Powder</li><li>Elven Boots = Night Vision Goggles w/ d6 Hours of power left</li><li>Elven Cloak = Cloaking Device w/ d4 Hours of power left</li><li>Hand Axe +1 = Hand Axe coated w/ 3d8 doses/hits worth of Black Lotus Powder</li><li>Helm of Alignment Change = 3d10 doses of White Lotus Powder</li><li>Mace +1 = Lightning Bolt Pistol w/ 3d20 shots (Beam)</li><li>Plate Mail +1 = Reflective Armor, reflects 10 "spectral colors" of lasers as one of its electromagnetic resistances</li><li>Ring of Fire Resistance = Space Suit w/ extra thermal protection (same effect as Ring)</li><li>Ring of Protection +1 = Absorption Field w/ 3d10+10 HP, tuned to all colors of lasers ("Full HP" was 50, so it could be charged up to 100 HP)</li><li>Rope of Climbing = Hand-Pumped Pneumatic Steel Cable Grappling Hook Gun.</li><li>Shield +1 = Force Field w/ 3d10+40 HP (Full HP was 100)</li><li>Snake Staff = Grenade Launcher w/ 3d8 Hardening Foam Grenades</li><li>Spear +1 = Spear coated w/ 3d8 doses/hits worth of Black Lotus Powder</li><li>Staff of Healing = Grenade Launcher w/ 3d8 Sonic Grenades</li><li>Sword -1 = Dolm Pudding Emitter Pistol w/ d20 shots (Broken: Stuck on 360° mode, hits user)</li><li>Sword +1 = Laser Pistol w/ 3d20 shots (50/50 chance of Pulse or Beam, random Color)</li><li>Sword +2 = Laser Rifle w/ 3d12 shots (50/50 chance of Pulse or Beam, random Electromagnetic)</li><li>Wand of Enemy Detection = 2d6 Insanity Hand Grenades</li><li>Wand of Paralyzation = 2d4 Paralyzation Hand Grenades</li><li>Potions and Scrolls remain the same.</li></ul></div><div>I would place the adventure in Hex 0605 on the Carcosa Campaign Map #1. The orcs, goblins, kobolds, etc. are all heavily mutated humans transformed by the giant crystals located in this hex. Perhaps the mutation process has also brainwashed them into serving some malign, Chaotic entity of eldritch, ethereal evil; hence the name of the Caves in which the mutants dwell.</div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-90417513751517974302020-11-06T04:21:00.015-05:002020-11-22T09:03:50.273-05:00Low-Level OSR Weird Fantasy House Rules<p>After musing on the "common wisdom" that most OSR campaigns don't last long enough for PCs to gain enough experience points to reach levels higher than 10 or so (if even that), I was inspired to rethink my reluctance to run a campaign with a relatively low <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/04/xp-limits-level-limits.html">XP limit</a>. And after reading some really good house rules over at the blogs <a href="http://pitsperilous.blogspot.com/2020/11/holmes-complete-redux-edition.html">Pits Perilous</a> and <a href="http://bogeymanscave.blogspot.com/2020/10/adhd-update-two-classes-only.html">The Bogeyman's Cave</a> which focus on low-level play, I thought I might as well share my humble take on how I'd run an OSR game with a "weird fantasy" or "low fantasy" flavor. (I know I'm late for Halloween, but I'm actually very early for what <a href="https://bogleech.com/">Bogleech</a> would call Halloween 2 AKA "Christmas.") This is heavily built from an LotFP chassis because that's what most of my previous weird fantasy house rules used on this blog, so credit where it's due, but you can hopefully use this with Basic D&D and most of its standard, popular retroclones/spinoffs/variants like Old-School Essentials or Labyrinth Lord.</p><p><u>General</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>3 classes only - Fighter, Magic-User, and Specialist/Thief/Rogue (or whichever term you prefer).</li><ul><li>All PCs begin as humans.</li><li>No weapon/armor restrictions for any class.</li></ul><li><a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/04/xp-limits-level-limits.html">XP Limit</a> of 300,000 - Limit of Level 9 for Fighters and Magic-Users, and Level 10 for Specialists.</li><li>My <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/03/checkpoint-xp-simpler-idea.html">Checkpoint XP rules</a> are in effect.</li><li>7 skills - 1 in 6 chance of success by default, increased by certain Ability Score modifiers and the Specialist's skill points. A maximum score of 6 in a skill means you roll 2d6 and only fail on double 6s.</li><ul><li><u>Athletics</u> (modified by <u>Strength</u>) - Climb Sheer Surfaces, Open Doors, etc.</li><li><u>Search</u> (modified by <u>Wisdom</u>) - Finding secret doors, Architectural features, traps, hidden items, etc. (possibly also Hear Noise/Perception check-style functions)</li><li><u>Languages</u> (modified by <u>Intelligence</u>) - When exposed to a language for the first time, roll a skill check to see if you know it. Characters start out automatically knowing the common language for their area. Optionally, they could also begin knowing one additional language, or two if they have an Intelligence score of 16+.</li><li><u>Bushcraft</u> - Ranger-type outdoorsy know-how.</li><li><u>Sneak Attack</u> - Damage multiplier</li><li><u>Stealth</u> - Hiding, Moving Silently, Picking Pockets/Sleight of Hand</li><li><u>Tinker</u> - Picking Locks, Disarming Traps, etc.</li></ul><li>Maximum possible HP given each level - no rolling for HP.</li><li>Ascending AC: Unarmored=12, Light=14, Medium=16, Heavy=18, a Shield adds 1. Even the most heavily armored monsters probably shouldn't have an AC higher than 21.</li><ul><li>Fighters start with +2 Base Attack Bonus and improve by +1 per level. Others start with +1 BAB and do not improve beyond that. Roll equal to or higher than AC to hit.</li></ul><li>Critical hits (natural 20 on attack rolls) do maximum weapon damage. Fighters are an exception; see their section below.</li><li>No alignment.</li><li>If your preferred rulebook normally grants Thieves the ability to cast spells from scrolls at a certain level, use the following rules instead:</li><ul><li>Fighters and Specialists may cast spells from scrolls. The chance of successfully casting such a spell is equal to the character's Languages skill. Failure means at the very least that the spell was not successfully cast, but it is still removed from the scroll as if it were cast; a magical mishap may also occur at the referee's discretion.</li><li>Specialists cast spells from scrolls as if they were a Magic-User of half their level (rounded down). Fighters always cast spells from scrolls as if they were a Level 1 Magic-User.</li><li>Magic-Users cast spells from scrolls as usual, and do not need to roll a Languages check to do so.</li></ul></ul><u>Ability Scores</u><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Strength - Modifies melee attack bonus and Athletics skill. (<i>Not</i> melee damage.)</li><li>Wisdom - Modifies non-magic saving throws and Search skill.</li><li>Intelligence - Modifies magic saving throws and Languages skill.</li><li>Dexterity - Modifies ranged attack bonus, AC, and individual initiative.</li><li>Constitution - Modifies HP.</li><li>Charisma - Modifies hiring of retainers and retainer loyalty.</li><li>No Prime Requisites or XP modifiers.</li></ul><p></p><p><u>Fighter</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Begin with an Athletics skill of 3 instead of 1 (still modified by Strength on top of that).</li><li>Can carry 5 extra normal-sized items or 1 extra oversized item before becoming encumbered.</li><li>Begin with +2 BAB, gain +1 every level thereafter.</li><li>For Fighters, critical hits do double maximum weapon damage at Levels 1-2, 3x damage at Levels 3-4, 4x damage at Levels 5-6, 5x damage at Levels 7-8, and 6x damage at Level 9.</li><ul><li>Alternatively, if your preferred rulebook includes rules for multiple attacks, weapon mastery, feats, special combat maneuvers, etc. they should be exclusive to Fighters (with the exception of Sneak Attacks for Specialists), and they should be used in lieu of these critical hit rules.</li></ul><li>XP beyond Level 9 - For every level beyond 9 that the Fighter would normally receive (i.e. about every 120,000 XP after Level 9), the Fighter may increase one ability score by 1 point.</li></ul><p></p><p><u>Specialist</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hit Dice are d6.</li><li>Begin with 8 skill points to spend as they wish, gain 2 skill points every level thereafter.</li><li>If your preferred rulebook normally grants a "Read Languages" ability to Thieves at a certain level, ignore this in favor of the rules for the Languages skill.</li><li>XP beyond Level 10 - For every level beyond 10 that the Specialist would normally receive (i.e. about every 120,000 XP after Level 10), the Specialist may increase one ability score by 1 point.</li><ul><li>If increasing an ability score would normally grant a skill point in a specific skill (i.e. Athletics, Languages, or Search), but the character already has 6 points in that skill, the character can put an additional skill point into a different skill of the player's choice instead.</li><li>Optionally, give 1 ability score point every 100,000 XP or so instead.</li></ul></ul><p></p><p><u>Magic-User</u></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Begin with a Languages skill of 3 instead of 1 (still modified by Intelligence on top of that).</li><li>Magic-Users can cast Cleric spells. All spells are now Magic-User spells.</li><li>Magic-Users can make Protection Scrolls like Clerics.</li><li>No "Read Magic" Spell - <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-hate-read-magic.html">Read Magic is removed from the spell list.</a> Scrolls, runes on wands and magic items, and other typical magical writing that normally requires the use of this spell can instead by read automatically by any Magic-User. This skill is considered a basic part of a Magic-User's training. Essentially, every Magic-User is under the permanent effect of a "Read Magic" spell at all times.</li><li>No need to memorize multiple copies of the same spell.</li><ul><li>Example: A Level 2 Magic-User memorizes Shield and Sleep. They can cast each spell once <i>or</i> cast Shield twice <i>or</i> cast Sleep twice.</li></ul><li>Spells can be cast from scrolls/wands/staves that are too high in level to be memorized. Spells that are too high in level to memorize can still be scribed into a Magic-User's spellbook from a scroll or another spellbook, and thereafter be imbued into scrolls/wands/staffs at the usual cost - they simply cannot be memorized (and thus cannot be cast as one of the Magic-User's normal spells per day).</li><li>XP beyond Level 9 - For every level beyond 9 that the Magic-User would normally receive (i.e. about every 150,000 XP after Level 9), the Magic-User may increase one ability score by 1 point.</li></ul><u>Optional Goodies</u><p></p></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If you want the game to be harder, the first house rules to ditch would probably be Checkpoint XP and max HP each level. Next would be non-Magic-Users casting from scrolls (if your system allowed that in the first place), then increasing ability scores with XP.</li><ul><li>Regarding that last one, there's also the middle ground of giving PCs a <i>random chance</i> to increase an ability score every so many XP, rather than guaranteeing it; maybe they would have to roll their level or less on a d12, or they would have to roll more than the current ability in question on 3d6.</li><li>Critical hits cut both ways, so cutting them might actually make the game easier, but I'm not 100% sure.</li></ul><li><a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/11/minds-eye-new-magic-itemcreature.html">Mind's Eyes</a> should pair well with these rules. (I got the idea for this magic item by wondering how wizardly NPCs could become immune to a campaign's level cap, and if PCs could learn the secret to doing it too.)</li><li>If you want the PCs to be bigger weirdos from the get-go, you can have them all roll for <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/11/paranormal-pc-quirks.html">Paranormal PC Quirks</a> at character creation.</li><li>Here's something you might allow Magic-Users to do if you want to give the wizards in your setting a horrible tradition for <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/07/wizard-duels-or-scan-me-if-you-dare.html">settling their differences</a>.</li><li>If a player <i>REALLY</i> wants to play a Dwarf <i>SO BAD</i>, you could permit such characters <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2017/01/1d20-dwarf-curses.html">at a cost</a>.</li><li>If you think Fighters need a little extra somethin' to spice them up, you could try giving them (and only them) a feature like <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2017/03/roll-d20-plus-level-for-stunt-possible.html">this</a> (or better yet, the "Mighty Deeds" of the Warrior class in Dungeon Crawl Classics). Or the Weapon Mastery rules of BECMI/the Rules Cyclopedia. Or multiple attacks. Just something else to mechanically differentiate them from other classes, you know?</li></ul></div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-60836919293727992432020-10-19T10:33:00.013-05:002020-10-26T01:47:05.743-05:00Mothership - Assorted House Rules and ItemsJust a handful of house rules and items I'm contemplating for <i><a href="https://www.mothershiprpg.com/">Mothership</a></i>, no biggie.<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If a character has the Biology, Genetics, First Aid, and Pathology skills, they are also treated as having the Surgery skill.</li><ul><li>Alternatively, just give everyone 3 extra skill points at character creation.</li></ul><li>Upon leveling up, if a character cannot gain any more Resolve (due to having reached the maximum previously), and they have no Stress, Phobias, or Addictions to remove, they gain 1 Frosty Point. At any time, the player may spend a Frosty Point to either heal all Stress or to remove one Phobia or Addiction. Spent Points are permanently lost.</li><ul><li>After a character reaches level 10, they gain 1 Frosty Point for every additional 125 XP they earn.</li></ul><li>One class of ship can be converted to another class through upgrades (see <i>Player's Survival Guide</i> page 28.1). This way, ships can exceed their normal maximum Hull Points (by up to three times), and can change which specific Vehicle Specialization applies to them.</li><ul><li>The ship must include all of the required modules of the new class.</li><li>The ship must have between the minimum Hull Points and three times the maximum Hull Points of the new class. (E.g. A troop ship with 300 Hull Points could be converted to a cutter, but it could not be converted to a research vessel without a reduction of at least 30 Hull Points.)</li><li>In addition to the usual upgrade costs (adding modules, Hull Points, etc.), conversion to a new ship class costs 100,000 credits times the new class' normal maximum Hull Points.</li><li>It costs no additional fee besides the usual upgrade costs to exceed a ship's normal maximum Hull Points <b>without</b> conversion to another class. However, a brand new ship of any class cannot be bought with more than its normal maximum Hull Points. No ship can be upgraded to more than triple its current class' maximum Hull Points.</li><li>(If this system ends up being too complicated or creates undesired side effects, I might just triple the maximum Hull Points of all ship classes across the board, or even disregard the maximums altogether and call it a day.)</li></ul><li>Once a character wearing heavy armor (e.g. Vaccsuit or Advanced Battle Dress) succeeds on a Strength Check to move their full Speed allotment in combat, they do not need to make any more Strength Checks to do so for the rest of the combat encounter.</li><li>The Pulse Rifle now has an ammo capacity of 2(6), and the SMG has a capacity of 2(10).</li><li>New Weapon: The "Smart Gun" from <i>Aliens</i> - Same as a Pulse Rifle, except:</li><ul><li>The Smart-link System adds +10 (Combat if wearing HUD)</li><li>Ammo capacity is 2(12)</li><li>No Thermal Scope or Grenade Launcher</li></ul><li>New Ground Vehicle: Westwood Series Group Transport Tractor</li><ul><li>Costs 70,000 Credits</li><li>Hull 2, Armor 25, Speed 30 (150 km/h), Capacity 6 Passengers</li><li>Thermal Vision up to 200m, exterior video cameras with 20x magnification, Short- and Long-Range Comms, basic computer systems</li><li>Pressurized interior with up to 3 days of oxygen and life support for 6 people</li></ul><li>Another d10 Trinkets:</li><ul><li>1 - Towel with a picture of a green cartoon alien face saying "DON'T PANIC"</li><li>2 - Tiny decorative vial of tritium</li><li>3 - <a href="https://www.thebalancecareers.com/fish-tank-shoes-myth-4049899">Fish tank</a> platform shoes with robotic goldfish</li><li>4 - Business card from a retrofuturist colony (designed to autodial a certain number when inserted into a phone)</li><li>5 - Fidget cube</li><li>6 - Zen garden rake</li><li>7 - Metal bolt with a long ribbon tied to it</li><li>8 - Origami crane made from fancy hotel stationery</li><li>9 - Switchblade comb</li><li>10 - Snowglobe full of comet dust</li></ul><li>Another d10 Patches:</li><ul><li>1 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_(video_game)">"Colony Ship For Sale, Cheap"</a></li><li>2 - Detail from H. R. Giger's <i>Illuminatus</i> - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Seed_II">"This Will Explain Everything"</a></li><li>3 - Anthropomorphic cartoon bean* - "Real Human Bean"</li><li>4 - Stereotypical "gray alien" head</li><li>5 - Bohr model of atom - "WAP: Waves And Particles"</li><li>6 - Saturn and moons - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashback_(1992_video_game)">"Titan Travel"</a></li><li>7 - "If You're Gonna Ride My Thrusters, At Least Pull My Hair!"</li><li>8 - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Creation">Pillars of Creation</a></li><li>9 - Lasso around an icy moon - "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_adjectivals_and_demonyms_of_astronomical_bodies#Moons">Europan</a> Me Into It!"</li><li>10 - Upside down American flag</li></ul><li>If I ever use <a href="https://avp.fandom.com/wiki/Aliens_Adventure_Game">the</a> <a href="https://lv-426.ru/aliens-adventure-game/">star</a> <a href="https://yutani.studio/2019/07/04/borodino-sector/">map</a> <a href="https://yutani.studio/2019/07/04/csc-sector/">from</a> the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Adventure_Game">1991 <i>Aliens Adventure Game</i></a>, I'll probably count the numbers between the planets as the number of hyperspace jumps it would take for a 1-Rated Jump Drive to get from one planet to the next. The higher your Jump Drive rating, the more jumps you can "do at once," so you'd divide the distance by your Jump Drive rating and round up to the next whole number.. Example: The distance from Honeycomb to New Chicago** is 12 jumps, so a ship with a 5-Rated Jump Drive could get there in 3 jumps.</li><ul><li>As for travelling with thrusters alone, compare your ship's Speed to the "Interstellar" column on the table on page 27.1 of the <i>Player's Survival Guide</i>. Since the planets on the map are all in different solar systems, each number represents the travel time in years at Speed 10-30, months at Speed 31-50, or weeks at Speed 51-80.</li></ul></ul><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Farting optional.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">**I love these mundane planet names.</span></div>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-13000231735391494952020-10-12T06:40:00.004-05:002021-12-02T18:15:24.573-05:00The Ghoul - A Thief Variant for Lost Carcosa and OD&D<p><a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html">As promised</a>, here is my Ghoul class for OD&D and <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324668/Lost-Carcosa">Lost Carcosa</a></i>. It's basically a mash-up of a Thief and a BX-style race-as-class, meant to replace the playable Ghoul option presented in <i>Lost Carcosa</i> and operate alongside the usual Fighter, Magic-User, and Cleric.</p><p><u>The Ghoul</u></p><p>Prime Requisite: Dexterity</p><p>Hit Dice: As Magic-User</p><p>Attacks: As Cleric</p><p>Saving Throws: As Fighter</p><p>Armor: Leather only, no Shields</p><p>Weapons: Any (as Fighter)</p><p>XP per Level and Maximum Level: The same as all other classes - see my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html"><i>Lost Carcosa</i> House Rules</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvbB-cdXaQNVv3uM8Gs2hObmpHYTn8w52ZCnOdip0kDFzY1Y8rvfF_TbO-P2RyksnHkzjpLri62Dtyfklt8zpGX3hkxdOvX01A56N0tRDC2jmmDgZdtAEerp8P5pHB3jFbutJOTlQ1Q/s1951/Ghoul+Class+Skill+Chart.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="1951" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvbB-cdXaQNVv3uM8Gs2hObmpHYTn8w52ZCnOdip0kDFzY1Y8rvfF_TbO-P2RyksnHkzjpLri62Dtyfklt8zpGX3hkxdOvX01A56N0tRDC2jmmDgZdtAEerp8P5pHB3jFbutJOTlQ1Q/w400-h305/Ghoul+Class+Skill+Chart.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Thief Skills: Ghouls can Open Locks, Remove Traps, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Climb Sheer Surfaces, and Hear Noises just like the "Thief" class from <i>Supplement I: Greyhawk</i>. However, they use the probabilities of success outlined in the chart above, rather than those in <i>Greyhawk</i>.<br /><p>Tools: Ghouls can easily craft strong, small tools out of bones, scrap metal, or various other dungeon detritus for use in picking locks and removing traps. They are assumed to begin play with such a set of robust tools, and if these should be lost, Ghouls can assemble a new set within d6 turns (unless unconscious, immobilized, sealed in a <b>completely</b> empty room, etc.). At the DM's discretion, they may also be allowed to craft other types of simple tools in lieu of buying them, given enough time and proper materials.</p><p>Backstab/Sneak Attack: Ghouls can attack silently from behind with the same advantages as the "Thief" class from <i>Supplement I: Greyhawk</i>. (See the chart above for the damage multiplier at each level.)</p>Read Languages and Scrolls: Ghouls can "read most (80%) languages" at Level 3 and cast spells from Magic-User scrolls at Level 10 just like the "Thief" class from <i>Supplement I: Greyhawk</i>.<br /><p>Tracking: Ghouls can sniff out fresh corpses within a mile on a roll of 4 or less on a d6 at Level 1, with the probability of success increasing with the Ghoul's level as per the "Tracking" skill on the chart above. They can likewise track living creatures that have passed within 60 feet of their position in a dungeon, or a half-mile in the wilderness, at the same probability. When doing so, they receive a penalty of 1 for every full hour that has passed since the trail was laid, so even the highest-level Ghouls cannot follow the six-hour-old trail of a living creature. Ghouls can track undead creatures more easily, with penalties being applied for every day that has passed instead of every hour.</p><p>Keen Senses: Ghouls detect secret doors when passing by (like Elves) and detect traps/underground features (like Dwarves) with the same probability as their Hear Noise skill, unlike other classes. When deliberately searching, Ghouls detect secret doors with the same probability as their Tracking skill.</p><p>Infravision: Ghouls can see 60 feet in the dark.</p><p>Not Picky: Ghouls can safely eat meat and other animal parts that would be considered dangerously spoiled/rotten/inedible by human standards. This generally requires no saving throw. They also make saving throws against <b>ingested</b> poisons with a +4 bonus.</p><p>Repulsive to Normies: Human (and Dwarf/Elf/Halfling) NPCs will always refuse to work as hirelings/retainers/henchmen for Ghouls, regardless of their Charisma score. To earn the trust of a horse, mule, dog, or other mundane surface-dwelling animal, a Ghoul must pass a Charisma check by rolling their Charisma score or lower on a d20; failure means the animal will flee the Ghoul whenever possible and otherwise be completely uncooperative.</p><p>Ride the Night-Wind: Ghouls do not build strongholds like other classes, being aloof creatures who revel in their seemingly carefree wanderings and live as if in a dream. Some say the most venerable Ghouls organize expeditions to dig magical tunnels to other worlds, but who can say what secrets are kept by the Charnel Lords?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BlG4VS3R2V9Z0m2nRdYDVkCrZEab94n7hbGzsY3VstkE_h7XitzZfE1zGrTWBtz0WoYAC8B9RZ0c17GrRH6xO13wDoKJVxk8O9PaaMlUnNnn7tASuoDAAKxGJekuj53Sm6G3z2ejFQ/s388/Other_dimensions.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="257" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_BlG4VS3R2V9Z0m2nRdYDVkCrZEab94n7hbGzsY3VstkE_h7XitzZfE1zGrTWBtz0WoYAC8B9RZ0c17GrRH6xO13wDoKJVxk8O9PaaMlUnNnn7tASuoDAAKxGJekuj53Sm6G3z2ejFQ/w265-h400/Other_dimensions.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cover art by Lee Brown Coye. Found <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Other_Dimensions">HERE</a>.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><u><br />Notes</u></p><p>Even without any mechanical changes, I think OD&D Thieves could still work fairly well as a BX-style race-as-class of Ghouls if presented or "flavored" right. D&D Thieves spend an awful lot of time slinking around tombs, after all, like subterranean scavengers and occasional ambush predators.* But come on, it's me we're talking about - I couldn't resist trying to soup things up.</p><p>The saving throws and weapon selection follow Holmes Basic. For the Thief skills, I applied the highest possible demihuman bonus from <i>Greyhawk</i> in each category: +10% to Open Locks like a Halfling, +15% to Remove Traps like a Dwarf, etc. The Tracking skill started with a Ghoul's ability to sniff out corpses in <i>Lost Carcosa</i> and ended up being expanded in scope due to inspiration from the Ranger class and the dog-like nature of Lovecraft's ghouls. I didn't bother with alignment restrictions, but it probably wouldn't hurt to ban lawful Ghouls or even restrict them to only chaos if you really want.</p><p>The crafting of tools is mostly for flavor, but I guess it could save some parties a little money or get them out of a few highly-specific jams. Very generous DMs might let players make up for poor pre-delve planning by letting the Ghoul in the party whip up some ten-foot poles or something.</p><p>I was tempted to add a note that they can dig through the ground more quickly and for longer than humans, but I decided that would be overcomplicating things. I also pretty much wimped out of detailing any mechanics for creating tunnels to other worlds. I was going to make that the Ghoul's "name-level" project in lieu of the strongholds built by other classes, but 1) I got lazy, and 2) I once again worried about overcomplicating things. Maybe I'll come back and expand on these concepts later. Or maybe I'll save such "advanced" ideas for AD&D. In the meantime, I suppose you could consider the lack of name level follows and "stronghold privileges" a deliberate disadvantage to help balance this class against the others. Or you could call me on my bullcrap and design your own ghoulish endgame.</p><p>If this class seems overpowered, I guess you could knock the Thief skills back down to the human norm, or have them roll saving throws like Magic-Users, or restrict their weapons. Their "detection" abilities should probably be reduced a little if you want to use this class without following my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/lost-carcosa-house-rules-for-od.html">accompanying house rules</a>. I have no idea what their XP progression should be in such a case.</p><p>If this class still seems <i>underpowered</i>, as many have accused the old-school Thief of being (including yours truly), I'm not sure what else to add without totally <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-i-mean-when-i-talk-about-balancing.html">stepping on</a> the Fighter's toes. I originally gave this class the Cleric's hit dice, so there's that.</p><p>Feedback is more than welcome, as usual. Hopefully I'll be able to test this out myself and report back. In the meantime, happy <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ScummOfTheEarth">Spooktober</a> everybody!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaheivEc3pcJQf9QEexkyHWnpud7UNRpwTn7GXMYho7fFvL_tKBJIHZfHSbb2HkCvmPNzBkgk-EEJKZ64SK6-urRERDizWyMLuM5zb_pDvVk_QLE8yxHRGAVEtxDe6XXKhx-I6OdYwg/s2048/20201109_020542.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1601" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmaheivEc3pcJQf9QEexkyHWnpud7UNRpwTn7GXMYho7fFvL_tKBJIHZfHSbb2HkCvmPNzBkgk-EEJKZ64SK6-urRERDizWyMLuM5zb_pDvVk_QLE8yxHRGAVEtxDe6XXKhx-I6OdYwg/w313-h400/20201109_020542.jpg" width="313" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheat Sheet for the Ghoul Class<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">*They say a Thief can fit their entire body through any space they can fit their head through; you can't keep these creeps out of anywhere.</span></p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-49476840907103734792020-10-11T06:39:00.012-05:002021-12-19T14:45:11.033-05:00Lost Carcosa House Rules for OD&D<p>As mentioned <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/09/current-gaming-plans.html">previously</a>, I've been itching to play <i><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324668/Lost-Carcosa">Lost Carcosa</a></i>, the new OD&D fan-supplement by Tristan Tanner of <i><a href="http://bogeymanscave.blogspot.com/">The Bogeyman's Cave</a></i>. Here are my tentative house rules for doing so!</p><p><u>Rulebooks</u></p><p>Core Rules = <i>Lost Carcosa</i>, plus the "Little Brown Books," AKA <i>Men & Magic</i>, <i>Monsters & Treasure</i>, and <i>The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures</i> (plus the <i>Reference Sheets</i>)</p><p>Rule Clarification: The retroclone <a href="http://taxidermicowlbear.weebly.com/downloads.html" style="font-style: italic;">Full</a><i> </i><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonaru/full-metal-plate-mail-pdf/ebook/product-22104623.html" style="font-style: italic;">Metal</a><i> </i><a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonaru/full-metal-plate-mail-letter-softcover/paperback/product-22110211.html" style="font-style: italic;">Plate</a><i> </i><a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/thread/10086/full-metal-plate-mail" style="font-style: italic;">Mail</a>, <i>The Strategic Review</i>, <i>Chainmail</i>, the "Holmes" Basic Set, <i>Supplement I: Greyhawk</i>, and <i>The Dragon/Dragon/Dragon Magazine</i> will likely be referenced. Others may be added if desired.</p><p><u>Experience and Levels</u></p><p>All classes follow the <i>Full Metal Plate Mail</i> version of my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/09/od-unified-xp-chart-house-rule.html">Unified XP Chart</a> to determine how many experience points are needed to gain each level.</p><p>Level 13 = Maximum level for all PCs.</p><p>No training is needed to gain a level.</p><p><u>Mostly Humans</u></p><p>All PCs are humans or Ghouls. PCs cannot be Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, Zoogs, etc.</p><p>Humans can be either Fighters, Magic-Users, or Clerics. <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-ghoul-thief-variant-for-lost.html">Ghouls are a class unto themselves.</a></p><p>All human PCs detect secret doors like Elves (1-4 on d6 for deliberate searches, 1-2 on d6 when passing by), detect traps/underground features like Dwarves (1-2 on d6), and detect sound through doors like Elves/Dwarves/Halflings (1-2 on d6).</p><p>All PCs begin play knowing one additional language of their choice beyond the default.</p><p><u>Magic</u></p><p>All spells in the "Little Brown Books" and <i>Lost Carcosa</i> are known by members of their respective classes as soon as they are at a high enough level to cast them. However, spells from other sources (e.g. the Supplements) must be either <b>researched</b> at the normal cost or <b>found and copied</b> from a scroll or spellbook before they can be added to a character's own spellbook, and thus memorized and cast. The DM reserves the right to veto the existence of any spell.</p><p>Most magic items are identified immediately. Potions must still be sipped to ID, though.</p><p>The new magic items of <i>Lost Carcosa</i> may be used by PCs of all classes.</p><p>(Something I'm still chewing over: <a href="http://zenopusarchives.blogspot.com/2012/11/no-spell-scrolls-for-clerics.html">How do Clerical scrolls work?</a>)</p><p><u>Other General Changes</u></p><p>Ability Score rolls = best 3 out of 4d6, arrange to taste.</p><p>PCs are knocked unconscious at 0 HP, and die when reduced to their level in negative HP. (E.g. Level 4 = Dead at -4 HP)</p><p>Two-handed melee weapons add +1 to damage, <b>except</b> for staves wielded by Magic-Users.</p><p>Unarmed attacks do d2 points of damage. Shoddy and improvised weapons do d4 damage.</p><p>Dungeon doors are not stuck closed <b>by default</b>, but specific ones may be stuck as chosen by the DM.</p><p><u>Fighters (AKA Fighting-Men, as I'm using these terms interchangeably)</u></p><p>Strength Bonus: Fighters get +1 to hit with melee attacks and do +1 melee damage if their Strength is 15 or greater.</p><p>Multiple (Normal) Attacks: Fighters can make 2 normal attacks per round starting at Level 4 (Hero), 3 normal attacks per round starting at Level 8 (Superhero), and 4 normal attacks per round starting at Level 12.</p><p><a href="https://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2021/05/cleaving-through-ages.html">Crowd</a> <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-effect-of-sweep-attacks.html">Control</a> <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2021/12/sweeping-up-wilderness.html">Attacks</a>: <b>Instead of attacking normally</b> (i.e. in the above fashion), Fighters can make one melee attack per level per round against enemies of less than 2 HD. Fighters <b>cannot</b> make multiple attacks in this fashion (i.e. "Crowd Control") <b>and</b> in the above fashion (i.e. multiple "normal" attacks) in the <b>same</b> combat round.</p><p>Dwarf Weapons: Human Fighters can use magic weapons normally reserved for Dwarves.</p><p><u>Magic-Users</u></p><p>Intelligence Bonus: Magic-Users get 1 extra First Level spell per day if their Intelligence is 15 or greater.</p><p>No "Read Magic" Spell: <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-hate-read-magic.html">Read Magic is removed from the spell list.</a> Scrolls, runes on wands and magic items, and other typical magical writing that normally requires the use of this spell can instead by read automatically by any Magic-User. This skill is considered a basic part of a Magic-User's training. Essentially, every Magic-User is under the permanent effect of a "Read Magic" spell at all times.</p><p>Weapons: Magic-Users can attack with staves as well as daggers.</p><p><u>Clerics</u></p><p>Wisdom Bonus: Clerics get 1 extra First Level spell per day if their Wisdom is 15 or greater.</p><p>Level 6 Spells: Clerics gain one Sixth Level Spell per day at Level 12 in addition to their normal spells per day in order to be able to cast the new Sixth Level spell in <i>Lost Carcosa</i>. (If the maximum of Level 13 is ignored, see <i>Supplement I: Greyhawk</i> for higher level spell progression.)</p><p>Dwarf Weapons: Human Clerics can use <b>blunt</b> magic weapons normally reserves for Dwarves.</p><p>Spellbooks and Research: Clerics use spellbooks like Magic-Users. Clerics can research new Clerical spells just as Magic-Users can research their own spells, and the cost of doing so is calculated the same way.</p><p><b>EDIT:</b> I neglected to mention that many of these house rules are inspired by - or directly taken from - Gary Gygax's house rules for OD&D, specifically the ones originally detailed online in 2005 and 2007. I <i>think</i> you can find the relevant house rules <a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/thread/3906/gygax-house-rules-2005">HERE</a>, <a href="http://worldofortix.blogspot.com/2011/03/gary-gygaxs-od-house-rules-2005.html">HERE</a>, and <a href="https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/3898/roleplaying-games/gary-gygaxs-house-rules-for-odd">HERE</a>. <b>UPDATE:</b> There's an excellent summary of these house rules <a href="https://www.alandbeyondbeyond.co.uk/2021/07/od-30-years-on-as-played-by-gygax.html">HERE</a>.</p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-42819222582044862832020-09-21T05:26:00.001-05:002020-09-21T05:26:28.516-05:00Current Gaming Plans<p>I've been "volunteered" by my darling wife to run a D&D campaign for a group of her friends who have never played a tabletop RPG before. This will be my second regular campaign at the moment, the other being the <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/01/derceto-manor-dunwich-suffolk-england.html">LotFP game</a> I've had going for about a year or two. Speaking of which, the latter will probably conclude soon, making way for other games with that same group. And of course, I always have gaming ideas on the backburner I fantasize about that might or might not actually manifest. So here's a quick list of what I'm playing now and want to play within, say, the next year or two.</p><p><u>Older Group</u> - We're hoping to do these in order:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>If my players don't throw me any more <i><a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/02/second-note-from-sumnergrave.html">major</a></i> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/third-note-from-sumnergrave.html">curveballs</a>, I expect "Mansions & Mindfucks" to finish up in about 4 to 8 more sessions.</li><li>Next, I'm going to run <a href="https://knightowlpublishing.com/product/black-blade-of-the-demon-king/">Black Blade of the Demon King</a> as a one-shot or mini-campaign. It's an awesome adventure from <a href="https://knightowlpublishing.com/">Knight Owl Publishing</a>, the creators of <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-chaos-gods-come-to-meatlandia-review.html">Meatlandia</a>, just chock full of raditude and baditude. I figure it'll take about 2 to 4 sessions.</li><li>Then, we'll start one of two games:</li><ol><li>My <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/super-casual-pulp-campaign.html">Super-Casual Pulp Campaign</a>, or...</li><li>A Call of Cthulhu campaign run by my friend, so I can be a normal player for once.</li></ol><li>And either interspersed throughout, or after the completion of, whichever option is chosen first, we'll play the other option.</li></ol><u>Newer Group</u> - I haven't decided which of these I want to run.<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I could run an OD&D game using the wonderful new fan supplement <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324668/Lost-Carcosa">Lost Carcosa</a>, written by the author of the excellent blog <a href="http://bogeymanscave.blogspot.com/">The Bogeyman's Cave</a>, or...</li><li>I could give my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/bx25-v01-house-rules-to-expand-bx-d-to.html">BX25 house rules</a> a spin (along with my new copy of <a href="https://www.exaltedfuneral.com/products/old-school-essentials-rules-tome">Old-School Essentials</a>), maybe in conjunction with some obscure campaign setting just for flavor. (I have a reputation for extreme nerdery to uphold, after all.) <a href="https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2017/02/realm-guide.html">Pelinore?</a> <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17150/Thunder-Rift-Basic">Thunder Rift?</a> The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17168/Hollow-World-Campaign-Setting-Basic">Hollow World</a> within <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?keywords=mystara&x=0&y=0&author=&artist=&pfrom=&pto=">Mystara?</a></li></ol><u>Wish List</u>:<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I've got to get some <a href="https://www.mothershiprpg.com/">Mothership</a> in my life! It's bound to scratch that SF-horror itch for me, and it just looks so damn fun and creative and easy to run.</li><li>Likewise, I want to play Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1E if I get the chance! I love the setting of the "Old World" and a lot of the idiosyncratic rules and features like the career system, the critical hit tables, and <b>CHAOS.</b> I'd also settle for 4E, since I was pretty impressed by what I saw in the <a href="https://www.cubicle7games.com/product/warhammer-fantasy-starter-set/">starter box</a>.</li><li>I'm still eager to run <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/01/thieves-world-lotfp-house-rules.html">Thieves'</a> <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/06/thieves-world-box-set-choosing-system.html">World!</a> I considered using it as the setting for the new group, but I think it might be a bit too dark and unusual to serve as the first RPG experience of a whole bunch of people I don't know very well yet. Something more typical might be in order as an introduction to D&D. If they've been hearing about what D&D is like from other people before now, they probably heard from people who play 5E or Pathfinder, so there's a good chance they'll initially want elves and the titular dragons and such, which is certainly reasonable. Besides, I'd like to catch up on the fiction (the short stories and comics, at least) before trying to run the setting. So onto the "low priority" pile this goes...<i>sigh</i>...</li><li>There are actually a whole bunch of other "types" of D&D I'd like to try out and tinker with. This might be the subject of a new post soon, so stay tuned.</li></ol><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiF2kV_b7OxamJdDOvtoSJNujNrLJY3CA7soSIQ7r_UquDdnC0ALf6RVE8iiGwzo3VOhvqsUe5at6Tglsl2yOpOJ9fi-zUptNnpD1RTdyqfsVXPcuoQc0d9lmXqGaxfBdNzJihtzHpw/s640/m64-Dear+Justin+What+the+fuck+did+you+just+fucking+say+about+me+you+little+goblin+Ill+have+you+know+I+graduated+top+of+my+class+in+the+Harper+Rangers+and+Ive+been+involved+in+numerous+secret+raids+on+the+Zhentari.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsiF2kV_b7OxamJdDOvtoSJNujNrLJY3CA7soSIQ7r_UquDdnC0ALf6RVE8iiGwzo3VOhvqsUe5at6Tglsl2yOpOJ9fi-zUptNnpD1RTdyqfsVXPcuoQc0d9lmXqGaxfBdNzJihtzHpw/w400-h300/m64-Dear+Justin+What+the+fuck+did+you+just+fucking+say+about+me+you+little+goblin+Ill+have+you+know+I+graduated+top+of+my+class+in+the+Harper+Rangers+and+Ive+been+involved+in+numerous+secret+raids+on+the+Zhentari.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy nerdy wife, happy nerdy life. Courtesy of http://deathgenerator.com/</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-61017626185426577012020-09-04T05:47:00.001-05:002020-09-04T05:47:57.264-05:00OD&D Unified XP Chart (House Rule)<p> This is a follow-up to my post about <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/09/xp-or-level-limits-for-od-and-full.html">level or experience limits in OD&D</a>.</p><p>I decided that if I ever run Original D&D with just the Little Brown Books (no Supplements), or a retroclone of such with very "faithful" experience-points-needed-per-level charts, then I will probably use a single chart for all classes instead of the default separate tables. I don't like how wildly the XP charts vary between classes by default (as opposed to, say, BX D&D), making it hard to pick equivalent maximum level limits if so desired. Plus, in this variation of D&D I don't think the advantages of giving each class its own chart are great enough to be worth the added complexity. A unified table would probably be faster to reference and to explain to players, and it might make it easier to compare characters, since I don't think it will actually affect "<a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-i-mean-when-i-talk-about-balancing.html">class balance</a>" very drastically at all.</p><p>Here's what I came up with:</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrX_usfUwqAvyGemViVg4vr2KUlxNgmYoESA1VWWTXbKQqAgde0-ny7j-ZT_YWeqoAIen1fKAaxxvQlpkpBaUwO1Om_BOw2h42BzQkQDto_NLyonIr6BDH-hItwLrdog3uJWcak4HkUw/s350/OD%2526D+Unified+XP.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="339" data-original-width="350" height="485" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrX_usfUwqAvyGemViVg4vr2KUlxNgmYoESA1VWWTXbKQqAgde0-ny7j-ZT_YWeqoAIen1fKAaxxvQlpkpBaUwO1Om_BOw2h42BzQkQDto_NLyonIr6BDH-hItwLrdog3uJWcak4HkUw/w500-h485/OD%2526D+Unified+XP.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The F, C, and M columns indicate which class' table I chose to follow for that level. A check mark means that's what I picked, while a blank space means that amount is less that what this class usually needs for that level, and a red dot means that it's more than usual.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I created the table pictured above by comparing the XP tables for all three classes in the Little Brown Books (Fighting Man, Cleric, and Magic-User) at each level, and choosing the <b>middle</b> amount of experience needed for any class to reach that level. For example, to gain level 4, a Cleric only needs 6,000 XP, a Fighting Man needs 8,000, and a Magic-User needs 10,000. The Fighting Man amount of 8,000 was neither the highest nor the lowest of the three for that level, so that's what I went with. The only exception to this method, besides the obvious requirement of 0 XP for level 1, was level 7 because the Cleric and Magic-User both need 50,000 XP for that level. I just stuck with that amount to be generous to players. If you would rather have players spend a more even amount of time at both levels 6 and 7, just change the level 7 requirement from 50,000 to 64,000.</div><p>If you don't want a max level of 13, and you don't want to keep extrapolating all three classes' original XP tables just to pick the middle amount, here's a quick-and-dirty thing you could try: keep taking the "middle road" in a different way by requiring +240,000 XP per level after that, as per the Fighting Man class. Probably inaccurate, but maybe good enough?</p><p>I also made a unified XP table for the retroclone <a href="http://taxidermicowlbear.weebly.com/downloads.html">Full</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonaru/full-metal-plate-mail-pdf/ebook/product-22104623.html">Metal</a> <a href="https://www.lulu.com/shop/leonaru/full-metal-plate-mail-letter-softcover/paperback/product-22110211.html">Plate</a> <a href="https://odd74.proboards.com/thread/10086/full-metal-plate-mail">Mail</a>, as seen below. It turned out to be exactly the same as the OD&D one until level 12. Honestly, even if I'm running straight-up OD&D instead of a retroclone, I might still end up using this chart instead of the more "accurate" one above. None of us are getting any younger, so I'm not sure there would be any benefit to making players earn 1.5 times as much XP for level 13 when I'd be grateful just to have the campaign <i>last long enough</i> for even 600,000 XP to be within a single player's reach. This table also has the advantage of being easy to extrapolate past level 13 if one does not like my chosen level cap: just add 100,000 more XP per level.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSik2X0xfBbr6DRXCMbVpJQW_Yzom9JxaIwn78sLYrroqi4IQcomu6wInIPhFg-liS-iJifOlGj7JKY2C1MN2XjSqXrycKoVWrAXUzl0OgFeElPktmf6c0gLT0n3z11utAX5EMSSljg/s375/FMPM+Unified+XP.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="375" height="495" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVSik2X0xfBbr6DRXCMbVpJQW_Yzom9JxaIwn78sLYrroqi4IQcomu6wInIPhFg-liS-iJifOlGj7JKY2C1MN2XjSqXrycKoVWrAXUzl0OgFeElPktmf6c0gLT0n3z11utAX5EMSSljg/w500-h495/FMPM+Unified+XP.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-8159949384258294062020-08-16T03:35:00.006-05:002020-09-07T04:14:41.232-05:00(C)Harm PersonHere's a d12 table of better names for that racist spell from older versions of <i>Tunnels & Trolls</i>. (You know, the "Charm Person" ripoff.)<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><i>Enchantée</i></li>
<li>Charmed, I'm Sure</li>
<li>The Ol' Razzle-Dazzle</li>
<li>Water Under the Bridge Troll</li>
<li>Hostile Takeover</li>
<li>Play Nice!</li>
<li>Heel-Face Turn</li>
<li>An Offer You Can't Refuse</li>
<li>Resistance is Futile</li>
<li>Friendship is Magic</li>
<li>I'm the Captain Now</li>
<li>Roll a d4 on the Fiend Pun Table:</li>
<ol>
<li>Best Fiends</li>
<li>Fast Fiends</li>
<li>Fair-Weather Fiends</li>
<li>With Fiends Like These...</li></ol></ol><u style="font-weight: bold;">Update on 09/07/20:</u> Back in July, it looks like Flying Buffalo changed the name of the spell in question to "Obey Me!" in all PDF copies of the 1st, 4th, and 5th Edition rules currently for sale. Check the comments section on the 5E store page for details: <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210996/Tunnels--Trolls-Rules-5th-Editon">https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/210996/Tunnels--Trolls-Rules-5th-Editon</a>Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-21454690981639983332020-06-30T05:36:00.002-05:002020-06-30T05:36:50.633-05:00Half-Mile and Six-Mile Hex Cheat SheetI've always struggled with distance and scale in tabletop RPGs. I'm also...let's say "rusty" on my geometry, especially that of the <i>hexagonal persuasion</i>. Converting between different mapping scales is one of my biggest bugbears, as is the whole process of...you know, taking a real-world place or object and figuring out how to size it on a map, or conversely, looking at a map and picturing in my mind's eye how big or far it should be realistically. I'm exponentially worse at this with hexes than with squares.<br />
<br />
Thanks to a very enlightening <a href="http://steamtunnel.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-praise-of-6-mile-hex.html">post at The Hydra's Grotto</a>, I've grown fond of using 6-mile hexes for wilderness travel. Rereading that post the other day, I was struck by the idea of subdividing 6-mile hexes into half-mile ones, and after trying to sketch this out I realized I didn't know how to actually make that work - as in, how to fit the little hexes into the big hexes. After scouring the internet for a map or diagram demonstrating this technique, I resorted to just screwing around with some hex grid paper (courtesy of <a href="https://incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/">Imcompetech</a>) until I figured it out. Well, at least I think I did. If there's a better way assemble these dang ol' hexagons can someone please let me in on the secret?<br />
<br />
At that point, I took a few more notes, and now I think I've almost got my head wrapped around the problems mentioned above. This is probably "no duh" territory for a lot of people, but I personally found the whole exercise useful enough that I figured I should share my notes in case anyone else has been hexed by hexes like me. It would put a real smile on my face if I helped make the subject less intimidating for even one person.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kAGoX2hf_W-kCK8qoJmWnya5AffXnSYh1XC0XrJoZJ5qTnpxGF6H8jmH8ICAMkW3uhe2NYUrgWtEXRWHLl9BwpvHZ2NZVk0YVoXvdouJH6V7WCxiXeTq_JxiDG9hyphenhyphen9bjXpUf-1dGiQ/s1600/Hex+Scale+Thingy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1243" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kAGoX2hf_W-kCK8qoJmWnya5AffXnSYh1XC0XrJoZJ5qTnpxGF6H8jmH8ICAMkW3uhe2NYUrgWtEXRWHLl9BwpvHZ2NZVk0YVoXvdouJH6V7WCxiXeTq_JxiDG9hyphenhyphen9bjXpUf-1dGiQ/s640/Hex+Scale+Thingy.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
<br />
Coming to D&D from a mix of 3rd Edition and various video games, I was slightly perturbed by the sudden influx of hex grids into my life when I started delving into older editions and OSR stuff. I've grown increasingly fond of hex maps over time, but I almost wish I could send posts like this back in time to myself circa 2013 or so and clear up the concepts that confused me the most.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnt-3KYC8zZl4_v2tM-zxIwtN5uMyT-5Iq1vtstaDdK-kiv3-mK_KFc19E22oZgD0rjDCrboWEkxhxBbk_MFqRsI0dQvkGZy2v9Ak6WDUWQpUaJEZ5tO1WAosI2kLB2mFJui-Gq4hOg/s1600/20200630_050117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVnt-3KYC8zZl4_v2tM-zxIwtN5uMyT-5Iq1vtstaDdK-kiv3-mK_KFc19E22oZgD0rjDCrboWEkxhxBbk_MFqRsI0dQvkGZy2v9Ak6WDUWQpUaJEZ5tO1WAosI2kLB2mFJui-Gq4hOg/s400/20200630_050117.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a side view, so you don't have to turn the image or your head/monitor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Now I just need someone to explain THAC0 for the millionth time so that'll hopefully sink in.Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-10718455748992796372020-06-26T03:46:00.005-05:002020-06-26T03:46:48.915-05:00Combat Metagaming is FineThat's right, <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/i-hate-read-magic.html">ANOTHER</a> hot take, baby!<br />
<br />
When it comes to RPGs like D&D that feature A) lots of focus on tactical combat and B) big ol' super-enticing fancy-looking bestiaries, I think that metagaming is A-OK. This isn't an original thought, nor is it particularly controversial among <u>the RPG intelligentsia</u> I hang out with, but I guess this is still a controversial opinion for some.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUd85PTkVpIeubPkFWY2nOpAXM1Cxrzux-060C0Zv4vfoumdmPjyNOE4_EH4IoVHWDo5PPLpz04BSo6DHpyQtbI7XWPA16kZg822Dbd9-hzD6gjfej1JdIED00AlWefDsrqPHS6nsBg/s1600/mk2-I+am+so+brave+And+I+will+not+be+silenced.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="752" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUd85PTkVpIeubPkFWY2nOpAXM1Cxrzux-060C0Zv4vfoumdmPjyNOE4_EH4IoVHWDo5PPLpz04BSo6DHpyQtbI7XWPA16kZg822Dbd9-hzD6gjfej1JdIED00AlWefDsrqPHS6nsBg/s320/mk2-I+am+so+brave+And+I+will+not+be+silenced.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My opinions are important!</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Blah blah "Metagaming creates dissonance between the knowledge and actions of the characters," yadda-yadda <b>whatever.</b> I know you can't "win" D&D in the conventional sense, but some of the main goals of the game are generally considered to be keeping your character alive,* improving their abilities or status, and achieving their personal goals. When a PC dies in a way the player did not want them to die, that's a fail-state, right? Are you going to look me in the eye and say "Justin, I want you to get totally invested in the role of this character. I want you to care about them, and desire to do whatever you can to see that they succeed. Now I want you to fight a bunch of life-or-death battles with one hand tied behind your back," and expect me to feel no qualms, no resistance to at all? What about <i>my</i> dissonance? The goddessdamn nerve!<br />
<br />
I don't like to punish players for being good at the game, and one form of "being good" is being knowledgeable. If your players derive genuine fun and joy from the tactical aspect of your game SO MUCH that they're willing to memorize the whole fucking monster manual, just let them enjoy themselves. <b>Sheesh.</b> Besides, those "Monster Manuals" and suchlike are just <i>so cool</i> with their illustrations and (in the best cases) intriguing ecological/mythological details and suggestive bits of lore and other imagination fuel...how can I begrudge anybody for wanting to read them in their own free time?<br />
<br />
You know what draws so many people into RPGs in the first place? The monsters! Build on that enthusiasm instead of working against it. Capitalize on your players' craving for more MORE <b>MORE</b> to get them completely invested in the game's setting and the decisions they make.<br />
<br />
Here's a fun idea: try giving your players reasonable in-game access to the kind of information they already know about your setting's monsters, so that their characters know the same things they know about the game in reality. "Oh look, it's a shambling mound. Woah, hold on there, my magical friend! Remember that codex we read in the Gardeners' Guild library? It said these freaks don't mind getting hit by lightening. Better adjust our tactics." Voila, no dissonance.<br />
<br />
Besides, imagine how annoying it would be if you had to pretend not to know how the knights and bishops move at the beginning of every game of chess. The nice thing about RPGs is that when the "knights and bishops" get stale, you can swap them out for more interesting pieces you haven't used yet. Not only are there probably a bajillion pre-made pieces waiting in the wings, but there's also anything you can personally create. Make some shit up!<br />
<br />
Here's my important caveat about metagaming: Homebrew monsters (including novel variations on "official" existing monsters) are also perfectly fine, and their use should be savored and encouraged, <i>as long as</i> such monsters are not solely meant to serve as total screwjobs for the players. By this I mean monsters that cannot be overcome and/or avoided and/or outsmarted <i>at all</i>, or at least in any reasonable way that the players could have discovered.<br />
<br />
But other than total screwjobs, if your players are whining about homebrew content just because they can't metagame it, then your players suck and need to <u>git gud</u>. RPGs open a world of limitless imagination, and if the rulebooks hold back joy of creativity and wonder, <i>fuck the books.</i><br />
<br />
Metagaming is like sex: there's nothing inherently wrong with it, you can have lots of fun doing it, and too many people get all hung up over it...but no one owes it to you either, nor do you owe it to anyone else, and most people don't want to literally do it <i>all</i> the time.<br />
<br />
TL;DR Metagaming is totally hot and all the sexy nerds are doing it. #metagaming #sex #seo-optimization<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5Vd75sg3PL3zkxpUp-Fi7yD1cdOhCqKZDMZlZn5q9bItsXIGAAs_m7UmXUeoBxBrf9iLINyZDHCGTgMAgd120iHe-hQ8ps0fkypLvOGv_VaM_Ipe8QQCTnfhXZ1JXj_7VYoRkAIPQ/s1600/kq4-++++Unlike+sex+++++++people+who+arent+++++++metagaming+probably+++++++dont+want+to+watch+++++++others+do+it+either..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="484" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZU5Vd75sg3PL3zkxpUp-Fi7yD1cdOhCqKZDMZlZn5q9bItsXIGAAs_m7UmXUeoBxBrf9iLINyZDHCGTgMAgd120iHe-hQ8ps0fkypLvOGv_VaM_Ipe8QQCTnfhXZ1JXj_7VYoRkAIPQ/s320/kq4-++++Unlike+sex+++++++people+who+arent+++++++metagaming+probably+++++++dont+want+to+watch+++++++others+do+it+either..png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pics courtesy of <a href="https://deathgenerator.com/">https://deathgenerator.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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*At least until they can die in a satisfying way...which probably doesn't involve the vast majority of possible deaths they face. Hence why death is generally a fail-state in the game.Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-4984627371138964252020-06-16T17:58:00.001-05:002020-06-19T03:33:26.209-05:00Check out Dissident Whispers!Now you can contribute to the <a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory">Nation Bail Fund Network</a> and obtain a veritable treasure trove of incredible RPG content in one fell swoop! Dissident Whispers is a new for-charity adventure compilation by the <a href="https://whispercollective.org/">Whisper Collective</a>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Purchase Dissident Whispers as a PDF <a href="https://tuesdayknightgames.itch.io/dissident-whispers">HERE</a> or <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/317424/Dissident-Whispers?src=hottest">HERE</a>.<br />
Purchase a physical copy of Dissident Whispers <a href="https://shop.tuesdayknightgames.com/products/dissident-whispers">HERE</a> (in the U.S.) or <a href="https://www.melsonia.com/dissident-whispers-226-p.asp">HERE</a> (internationally).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Behold the official blurb from Tuesday Knight Games:</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: #999999; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">An anthology of 58 original two-page RPG adventures made by a diverse, international collective of creators in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. </span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<span style="background-color: #999999;">All proceeds go directly towards the <a href="https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory" style="color: #a33737; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong>National Bail Fund Network.</strong></a></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<span style="background-color: #999999;">Delve into mythic underworlds, shiver through haunted space ships, schmooze with high society. You'll never go unequipped for game night with this eclectic host of adventures in hand.</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<span style="background-color: #999999;">Adventures for <em>Mothership, MÖRK BORG, Trophy Gold, Troika!, Electric Bastionland, Dungeon Crawl Classics, The Ultraviolet Grasslands, The Black Hack, Mausritter, B/X, 5e,</em> and many System Agnostic scenarios.</span></div>
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Cover by <strong>Jabari Weathers</strong></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Introduction by <strong>Laura Simpson</strong></span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<span style="background-color: #999999;">Created by a team of 90 authors, designers, editors, and illustrators including…</span></div>
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Writing by <strong>Chris McDowall</strong> (Electric Bastionland) and <strong>Luke Gearing</strong> (Fever Swamp)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Layout by <strong>Johan Nohr</strong> (MÖRK BORG) and <strong>Sean McCoy</strong> (Mothership)</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #999999;">Art by <strong>David Hoskins</strong> (Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea), <strong>Evlyn Moreau</strong> (Fabulous Mini Guild, Chromatic Soup), and <strong>Doug Kovacs</strong> (DCC) </span></li>
</ul>
<h1 style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: inherit; margin-bottom: 0px;">
<strong style="background-color: #999999;">Black Lives Matter.</strong></h1>
Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-9948943526916483742020-06-05T06:19:00.002-05:002020-06-06T00:38:57.458-05:00Thieves' World Box Set - Choosing a SystemI have no idea when I'll do it, but I eventually want to run a campaign in the Thieves' World setting, primarily using <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thieves%27_World_(role-playing_game)">Chaosium's old box set.</a> I was originally going to use <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/01/thieves-world-lotfp-house-rules.html">LotFP with some house rules</a> as my system of choice, but I'm honestly not such a big fan of LotFP anymore, as seen <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/02/on-zak-smith-and-lotfp.html">HERE</a> and <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-end-of-eternal-whatever.html">HERE</a> and in the comment section <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/01/lotfp-armor-combining-classic-and-early.html">HERE</a>. So that leaves me with the issue of figuring out which game I want to use instead.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
It's not exactly a <i>pressing</i> issue, since I won't be running Thieves' World anytime soon. I want to familiarize myself with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thieves%27_World">source fiction</a> (and not just the RPG material) before I begin, and I have <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/04/super-casual-syllabus-update.html">other gaming plans</a> in the near future anyway. I'm also completely spoiled for choice; the box set includes NPC stats for nine different games, and some later publications (like the <a href="https://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/69306/thieves-world-companion">Thieves' World Companion</a> and an article in <a href="https://www.diffworlds.com/different_worlds.htm">Different Worlds</a> #19) add a few more games to the mix. Besides, most of the other setting information in the box set is presented in a system-neutral manner, so I guess you could conceivably use it with almost any system.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Long story short, I made a list of game systems I'm considering for use with Thieves' World. Nothing definitive, just some ideas I had while the topic was on my mind. Here's what I've got so far, in no particular order:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>B/X D&D, with or without either my <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-rc-reference-sheet-v05.html">BX+RC bridge rules</a> or my <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/bx25-v01-house-rules-to-expand-bx-d-to.html">BX25 house rules</a>.</li>
<li>AD&D 1st Edition, with or without the additional rules from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lankhmar_%E2%80%93_City_of_Adventure">TSR's Lankhmar box set</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://thefantasytrip.game/about/">The</a> <a href="https://thefantasytrip.game/products/core-games/the-fantasy-trip-legacy-edition/">Fantasy</a> <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12199/Steve-Jackson-Games/subcategory/28908_33289/The-Fantasy-Trip">Trip</a></li>
<li><a href="http://deluxetunnelsandtrolls.com/">Tunnels & Trolls</a></li>
<li>RuneQuest</li>
<li>Stormbringer (probably <a href="https://vintagerpg.tumblr.com/post/176505350127/this-is-the-fourth-edition-stormbringer-rulebook">4th Edition</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/4140/Zzarchov-Kowolski">Neoclassical Geek Revival</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.troikarpg.com/">Troika!</a></li>
<li><a href="https://the-black-hack.jehaisleprintemps.net/">The</a> <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/3192/Gold-Piece-Publications">Black</a> <a href="http://dngnsndrgns.blogspot.com/">Hack</a> (or one of its 10 bazillion variations)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/145536/Into-the-Odd">Into</a> the <a href="http://www.bastionland.com/">Odd</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/197158/Maze-Rats">Maze Rats</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/250888/Knave">Knave</a></li>
<li>Dungeon Crawl Classics</li>
<li><a href="http://www.oedgames.com/">Original Edition</a> <a href="http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/">Delta</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lowfantasygaming.com/">Low Fantasy Gaming</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/229046/Dark-Fantasy-Basic--Players-Guide">Dark Fantasy Basic</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.hyperborea.tv/">Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea</a></li>
<li>Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (probably 1st Edition, possibly 2nd or 4th)</li>
<li>Traveller <b>(suggested by Kelvin Green in the comments)</b></li>
</ul>
I'd be glad to consider other suggestions, of course.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>P.S.</b> If I do end up using some variety of D&D, I'm also tempted to throw in a pretty crazy house rule. Originally, I was going to make all Blue Star Adepts immortal as a class feature. But what if <i>everyone</i> of a certain level or higher (let's say 9th level, the fabled "name level") were to become immortal, PC and NPC alike, regardless of class? My reasoning is that the gods are very active participants in the setting, and that anyone who reaches such a level of skill and importance is bound to be chosen by one or more gods as a servant or avatar of sorts, a pawn in their machinations, <b>whether they know it or not</b>. This wouldn't exactly be a known fact among the mortal populace, except insofar as they know that sometimes important or legendary figures tend to catch the gods' attention, which can have a variety of effects for good or ill. But if you become an experienced enough character, you're going to catch the attention of <i>someone or something</i> that will want to keep you around for a while as part of some ineffable scheme...</div>
Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-71949384477359326082020-04-12T06:41:00.002-05:002020-06-19T01:47:01.080-05:00Super-Casual Syllabus UpdateThis is the most recent version of my itinerary for the <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/super-casual-pulp-campaign.html">Super-Casual Pulp Campaign</a> I started recently.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Main Campaign</u></b><br />
"Sample Dungeon" AKA <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/modules-and-scenarios/the-sample-dungeon">The Tower of Zenopus</a> (from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_Basic_Set#1977_version">Holmes Basic Set</a>)<br />
The Beacon at Enon Tor (from Imagine Magazine #1) - Level 1**<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17081/B1-In-Search-of-the-Unknown-Basic">B1</a> <a href="https://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-1-into-the-borderlands/">In Search of the Unknown</a> - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17158/B2-The-Keep-on-the-Borderlands-Basic">B2</a> <a href="https://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-1-into-the-borderlands/">The Keep on the Borderlands</a> - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17097/B5-Horror-on-the-Hill-Basic">B5</a> Horror on the Hill - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/282952/M1-Blizzard-Pass-Basic">MSOLO1</a> Blizzard Pass - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17084/B4-The-Lost-City-Basic">B4</a> <a href="https://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-4-the-lost-city/">The Lost City</a> - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17102/B6-The-Veiled-Society-Basic">B6</a> The Veiled Society - Levels 1-3<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17113/B7-Rahasia-Basic">B7</a> Rahasia - Levels 2-3<br />
B3 Palace of the Silver Princess (Orange Cover Version by Jean Wells) - Levels 1-3**<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17119/B10-Nights-Dark-Terror-Basic">B10</a> Night's Dark Terror - Levels 2-4<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17088/X2-Castle-Amber-Basic">X2</a> Castle Amber - Levels 3-6<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/202689/M2-MSOLO2-Maze-of-the-Riddling-Minotaur-Basic">MSOLO2</a> Maze of the Riddling Minotaur - Levels 1-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17083/X1-The-Isle-of-Dread-Basic">X1</a> <a href="https://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-2-the-isle-of-dread/">The Isle of Dread</a> - Levels 3-7<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17046/I1-Dwellers-of-the-Forbidden-City-1e">I1</a> Dwellers of the Forbidden City* - Levels 4-7<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/16968/AC2-Combat-Shield-and-MiniAdventure-Basic">AC2</a> The Treasure of the Hideous One (from "Combat Shield & Mini-Adventure") - Levels 4-7<br />
ST1 Up the Garden Path - <a href="https://www.acaeum.com/ddindexes/modpages/st.html">Levels 4-7</a>**<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17031/C1-The-Hidden-Shrine-of-Tamoachan-1e">C1</a> The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan* - Levels 5-7<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/177832/X8-Drums-on-Fire-Mountain-Basic">X8</a> Drums on Fire Mountain - Levels 5-8<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17100/X6-Quagmire-Basic">X6</a> Quagmire! - Levels 4-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17117/X9-The-Savage-Coast-Basic">X9</a> The Savage Coast - Levels 4-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17064/S2-White-Plume-Mountain-1e">S2</a> White Plume Mountain* - Levels 5-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17094/X4-Master-of-the-Desert-Nomads-Basic">X4</a> Master of the Desert Nomads - Levels 6-9<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17095/X5-Temple-of-Death-Basic">X5</a> Temple of Death - Levels 6-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17080/WG4-The-Forgotten-Temple-of-Tharizdun-1e">WG4</a> The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun* - Levels 5-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17066/S4-The-Lost-Caverns-of-Tsojcanth-1e">S4</a> The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth* - Levels 6-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17078/UK7-Dark-Clouds-Gather-1e">UK7</a> Dark Clouds Gather* - Levels 7-9<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17052/I8-Ravager-of-Time-1e">I8</a> Ravager of Time* - Levels 8-10<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17065/S3-Expedition-to-the-Barrier-Peaks-1e">S3</a> <a href="https://goodman-games.com/store/product/original-adventures-reincarnated-3-expedition-to-the-barrier-peaks/">Expedition to the Barrier Peaks</a>* - Levels 8-12<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17099/X7-The-War-Rafts-of-Kron-Basic">X7</a> The War Rafts of Kron - Levels 9-12<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17125/DA1-Adventures-in-Blackmoor-Basic">DA1</a> Adventures in Blackmoor - Levels 10-14<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17128/DA2-The-Temple-of-the-Frog-Basic">DA2</a> Temple of the Frog - Levels 10-14<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17132/DA3-City-of-the-Gods-Basic">DA3</a> City of the Gods - Levels 10-14<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17135/DA4-The-Duchy-of-Ten-Basic">DA4</a> The Duchy of Ten - Levels 10-14<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/176871/S1-Tomb-of-Horrors-1e">S1</a> Tomb of Horrors* - Levels 10-14<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17122/X10-Red-Arrow-Black-Shield-Basic">X10</a> Red Arrow, Black Shield - Levels 10-14<br />
<br />
<b><u>Expansion Pack</u></b><br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17114/CM1-Test-of-the-Warlords-Basic">CM1</a> Test of the Warlords - Levels 15+<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17115/CM2-Deaths-Ride-Basic">CM2</a> Death's Ride - Levels 15-20<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17133/CM8-The-Endless-Stair-Basic">CM8</a> The Endless Stair - Levels 15-20<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17120/CM6-Where-Chaos-Reigns-Basic">CM6</a> Where Chaos Reigns - Levels 17-19<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17396/WG6-Isle-of-the-Ape-1e">WG6</a> Isle of the Ape* - Levels 18+<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17116/CM4-Earthshaker-Basic">CM4</a> Earthshaker! - Levels 18-20<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17160/CM3-Sabre-River-Basic">CM3</a> Sabre River - Levels 18-22<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17138/M5-Talons-of-Night-Basic">M5</a> Talons of Night - Levels 20-25<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/176912/M1-Into-the-Maelstrom-Basic">M1</a> Into the Maelstrom - Levels 25-30<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17118/M2-Vengeance-of-Alphaks-Basic">M2</a> Vengeance of Alphaks - Levels 28-32<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/176914/M4-Five-Coins-For-A-Kingdom-Basic">M4</a> Five Coins for a Kingdom - Levels 28-32<br />
<a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17127/M3-Twilight-Calling-Basic">M3</a> Twilight Calling - Levels 30-35<br />
<i>And then on to immortality?</i><br />
<br />
*AD&D Module<br />
**Rare, so I might replace it with another adventure.Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-91068191141873133132020-03-29T01:02:00.000-05:002020-03-29T01:02:35.855-05:00"Loathful Culch" by Yen Depressant<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBBsVJXNjcHZIkP5cpODWPwnvcmKFGUnQH7gvsz_hMZSyE4AfO4cxvUtev1VLsIJ5CSF90pGtGtjzZThHKgRa2k5BwzLW80f6rlorH53rdpbZtXEZ5a-Y2aRdmVBqY5RZJ2rpDtwO3A/s1600/exodus-The_Ten_Commandments_of_Cthulhu_Hunting_-by_Sandy_Petersen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="368" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBBsVJXNjcHZIkP5cpODWPwnvcmKFGUnQH7gvsz_hMZSyE4AfO4cxvUtev1VLsIJ5CSF90pGtGtjzZThHKgRa2k5BwzLW80f6rlorH53rdpbZtXEZ5a-Y2aRdmVBqY5RZJ2rpDtwO3A/s320/exodus-The_Ten_Commandments_of_Cthulhu_Hunting_-by_Sandy_Petersen.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://deathgenerator.com/">https://deathgenerator.com/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJot6XCP0C8AILEY8ZwlZ8WylS1FQ8h8TNXp9PxNTmP0I2hau8eijxS03hRWKsZL2R4gpR8baYKs_Qj4vRo_kW3SIt6eu8E-yX2PI-N-DUAP5BY1mHy-jT_ERbFBFpOb4kAIXOe8OFOA/s1600/rygar-From_Cthulhu_Casebook._Made_With_Sierra_Death_Generator._by_Justin_S..png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="512" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJot6XCP0C8AILEY8ZwlZ8WylS1FQ8h8TNXp9PxNTmP0I2hau8eijxS03hRWKsZL2R4gpR8baYKs_Qj4vRo_kW3SIt6eu8E-yX2PI-N-DUAP5BY1mHy-jT_ERbFBFpOb4kAIXOe8OFOA/s320/rygar-From_Cthulhu_Casebook._Made_With_Sierra_Death_Generator._by_Justin_S..png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.wohgame.com/">By the way</a>, you should check out <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/913740/WORLD_OF_HORROR/">World of Horror</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-35073295975634656262020-03-15T04:54:00.000-05:002020-03-15T04:54:07.771-05:00"Super-Official" Super-Casual House RulesHere is the "official" list of house rules for the <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/super-casual-pulp-campaign.html">Super-Casual Pulp Campaign</a> I've started recently. Hopefully this will be easier for my players and I to reference than the post linked above and the various notes I've scribbled here and there. I plan to update this post if I add or change anything.<br />
<div>
<ul>
</ul>
<u>Additions from the Rules Cyclopedia</u><br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>My <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-rc-reference-sheet-v05.html">B/X + RC Reference Sheet</a> is in effect.</li>
<li>The Mystic class uses the house rules found <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-mystic-class-house-rules-for-my.html">HERE</a>.</li>
<li>Page 19: Magic-Users may wield the following weapons: dagger, staff, blowgun, flaming oil, holy water, net, thrown rock, sling, whip. (Note that staves do 1d4 damage per hit; see page X25.)</li>
<li>Page 130: To generate ability scores at character creation, roll 3d6 eight times and keep the six best scores. Assign these scores to the character's abilities in the order of your choice.</li>
<li>I'm going to start the campaign with the default rule that 0 HP=death. However, if that eventually gets old due to high attrition, I'd be willing to use the "Keeping Characters Alive" variant rule from page 266 of the Rules Cyclopedia.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<u>Major Changes</u></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>For PCs, Fighters and Thieves are combined into a single class, as explained <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/03/fighterthief-hybrid-class-for-my-super.html">HERE</a>.</li>
<li>Replacements for dead PCs each start at a level based on their players' Checkpoints, as explained <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2020/03/checkpoint-xp-simpler-idea.html">HERE</a>.</li>
<li>Brand new players joining the campaign in progress will make characters starting 2 levels below the least experienced living PC.</li>
<li>Players don't have to roll for HP. They can just take the maximum possible amount each level.</li>
<li><b>No more spell memorization!</b> Spellcasters are still limited by their spells per day, but if they have a particular spell in their own spellbook (or general repertoire for Clerics), and they have an unused Spell Per Day (or "spell slot") of the appropriate level available, they can cast the spell as if they had memorized it. This goes for NPCs as well.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<u>Misc. Default B/X Rules to Ignore</u></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Page X4: Wielders of two-handed weapons no longer lose initiative automatically.</li>
<li>Page B17: The spell "Read Magic" is removed from the game. Scrolls, runes on wands and magic items, and other typical magical writing that normally requires the use of this spell can instead by read automatically by any Magic-User/Elf. This skill is considered a basic part of a Magic-User's/Elf's training. Essentially, every Magic-User/Elf is under the permanent effect of a "Read Magic" spell at all times.</li>
<li>Page B19: PCs are no longer required to rest for one turn after every five turns of movement.</li>
<li>Page B20: The optional encumbrance system is not used.</li>
<li>Page B21: Unlocked dungeon doors are no longer considered <i>by default</i> to be "stuck" and only capable of being opened with a d6 roll modified by strength. (At the DM's discretion, "open doors" checks may still be used to force open certain locked doors or doors that are specifically selected by the DM to be stuck.)</li>
</ul>
<u>Other Notes for Players</u></div>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>You may play as any class from the Rules Cyclopedia, or any class from one of the Gazetteers or Creature Crucibles or other official Basic D&D books, but I reserve the right to make changes to these classes first.</li>
<li>If you want to play a class you found on a blog or something, I'll probably allow it, but run it by me first, please.</li>
<li>If there's a rule or something in the Rules Cyclopedia or another supplement you'd like to try out, feel free to ask me about it.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-40155843655346747712020-03-15T04:34:00.000-05:002020-03-15T04:34:52.307-05:00Checkpoint XP - A Simpler Idea<a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2018/11/checkpoint-levels-weve-got-no-class-22.html">Checkpoint Levels</a> work fine if all of your character classes have the same XP requirements for each level, and if you don't mind consulting an extra chart. But here's an easier and more widely-applicable method of letting players "save" some of their progress between characters when those characters kick the bucket.<br />
<br />
<u>Checkpoints 2: Check Pointier</u><br />
When a player's first PC dies, they divide that character's experience points in half (rounding down if it's not a whole number) and record that as their "Checkpoint." The next character they create in the same campaign will begin with that much XP, and the corresponding level for their class.<br />
<br />
Every time that player loses a character in the same campaign afterward, they divide that character's XP in half as before, then compare it to their current Checkpoint. If it is higher than the Checkpoint, then it becomes the new Checkpoint, and the next character begins play with that much XP. Otherwise, the old Checkpoint remains, and the next character begins with that XP amount. Thus, one's Checkpoint never decreases within a given campaign.<br />
<br />
<u>Clarifications and Caveats</u><br />
If a PC dies, the player of that PC may create a new character within the campaign <i>at any level less than or equal to the equivalent of the player's current Checkpoint</i>. Each player is responsible for keeping track of their own Checkpoint; it would probably be best to write it on their character sheets. Checkpoints do not transfer between players or between campaigns.<br />
<br />
A PC can lose levels due to magical "energy drain" or other such in-game effects, but a player's Checkpoint never decreases within a given campaign. For example, let's say Susie loses her first PC, a level 4 fighter, meaning her Checkpoint is 4,000 XP (assuming it's a standard game of old-school D&D). She picks another fighter for her next character, who begins at level 3. Unfortunately, she soon loses a level to the chilling touch of an evil specter, becoming level 2. Susie's Checkpoint remains at 4,000 XP, even if her current PC dies with less experience, so she can still make her next character at a level equivalent to 4,000 XP. Of course, if Susie wants to increase her Checkpoint beyond that, she will still need to play at least one PC who survives to gain at least 8,002 XP.<br />
<br />
(Yes, this means that a player could have their level-drained PC rush recklessly into danger specifically to get killed so they can make a new character at a higher level. I personally think that would almost always be incredibly lame, and I probably won't feel bad if the player gets mocked for this, but it is technically allowed.)<br />
<br />
By default, each player can only control one PC at a time.* This does not include retainers, henchmen, etc., as they are technically NPCs controlled by the referee (and are simply "ordered around" by a PC unless the referee explicitly allows otherwise), they are created by the referee rather than a player, and they are not subject to the benefits of a player's checkpoint level.<br />
<br />
*If a referee wishes to allow multiple PCs per player, they could simply determine a player's Checkpoint based on the highest amount of XP that <i>any</i> of their PCs have ever reached in the campaign, as usual. This could be prone to exploitation, as a player with one PC at a significantly higher level than all of their other PCs could purposefully kill off their lower-level PCs for instant higher-level replacements, and that would be pretty lame. To prevent this, stricter rules may be desired. For example, the referee could allow each player a certain number of "slots" to be filled with living, active PCs, and require each player to track a separate Checkpoint for each slot.Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-18947393043853135222020-03-15T03:00:00.000-05:002020-03-15T03:00:03.553-05:00Fighter/Thief - Hybrid Class for My Super-Casual Pulp CampaignAs I've <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2016/05/old-school-class-idea-fightersthieves.html">discussed before</a>, I'm combining the Fighter and Thief into a single class in my <a href="http://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/super-casual-pulp-campaign.html">Super-Casual Pulp Campaign</a> - for players, that is, but not necessarily for NPCs. Here's how it'll work.<br />
<br />
<u><b>Fighter/Thief</b> - A class <b>for Player Characters</b> in Basic D&D and similar games</u><br />
<br />
Prime Requisite: Strength <b>or</b> Dexterity, whichever is higher. (If Strength is higher, apply XP Bonus as Fighter. If Dexterity is higher, apply XP Bonus as Thief. If both ability scores are equal, it doesn't matter which one you use.)<br />
<br />
Hit Dice: As Fighter<br />
<br />
Attacks: As Fighter<br />
<br />
Saving Throws: As Fighter<br />
<br />
XP per Level: As Fighter<br />
<br />
Maximum Level: 36th<br />
<br />
Armor and Shields: Any, but cannot use most Thief abilities if wielding a shield or wearing armor other than Leather<br />
<br />
Weapons: Any<br />
<br />
Special Abilities: As Fighter, and as Thief (with some restrictions: see below)<br />
<br />
Race: Humans only<br />
<br />
Thief Abilities: This class can Open Locks, Find and Remove Traps, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Climb Sheer Surfaces, Hear Noises, Backstab, Read Languages, and Cast Spells From Magic-User Scrolls as a Thief of the same level. However, they can only use these abilities if they are not using a shield or wearing armor other than Leather, with the exception of Reading Languages.<br />
<i>At the Dungeon Master's discretion, this class may also be forbidden from using these same abilities if they are encumbered by more than 800 coins' weight.</i><br />
<br />
Name Level: When a Fighter/Thief reaches 9th level, they <b>must choose</b> between either building a Castle/Stronghold and becoming a Baron/Baroness as per the Fighter class, <b>or</b> constructing a Hideout and attracting Thief followers as per the Thief class.<br />
<i>If your campaign includes other alternative Name Level options for Fighters and/or Thieves, such as becoming a Traveling Fighter, Paladin, Knight, Avenger, or Travelling Thief/Rogue, these are also allowed, but all of these options are <b>mutually exclusive</b>.</i><br />
This does not alter the abilities of the Fighter/Thief described above, but it does limit the territory, construction projects, and attracted followers of the character to those of either a Fighter or Thief of Name Level.<br />
<br />
Restriction to Player Characters: NPCs cannot be members of this hybrid Fighter/Thief class. NPCs of the Fighter or Thief classes function as usual, including retainers, hirelings, mercenaries, and henchmen. However, if a Non-Player Character <i>becomes</i> a Player Character, as in the case of a PC dying and one of their retainers becoming the new PC for the same player, the Dungeon Master may allow the character to be "promoted" to the Fighter/Thief class. (In fact, the DM is encouraged by this humble blogger to do so.)<br />
<i>Alternatively, the DM may allow retainers to be members of the Fighter/Thief class (since they are at least partially controlled by players) while excluding other types of NPCs.</i><br />
Thieves who are promoted to the Fighter/Thief hybrid class are converted to the level indicated by their <b>current</b> amount of XP and the Fighter XP table, <b>rather than</b> their old level as a Thief.Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-664355878657420803.post-31644980743177780222020-02-17T08:21:00.003-05:002024-01-26T18:45:18.606-05:00BX25 v0.1 - House Rules to Expand B/X D&D to Level 25<b>BX25</b>, also known as <b>BXXXV</b> (pronounced "Bee-Triple-Ex-Vee" if you're nasty*) is my set of house rules for expanding the 1981 <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/110274/DD-Basic-Set-Rulebook-B-X-ed-Basic">Basic</a> and <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/110792/DD-Expert-Set-Rulebook-B-X-ed-Basic">Expert</a> D&D system (or "B/X") so as to allow characters of up to level 25. The <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/110792/DD-Expert-Set-Rulebook-B-X-ed-Basic">Expert Set</a> had guidelines for expanding the system in such a way, and this is my attempt to do so, with certain alterations in line with my personal taste.<br />
<br />
The twist is, I want to do this <i>without</i> using the later <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17165/DD-Companion-Set-BECMI-Ed-Basic">Companion Set</a> or the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17171/DD-Rules-Cyclopedia-Basic">Rules Cyclopedia</a>. The BECMI version of D&D has a lot of fiddly extra details and added complexities that I don't necessarily want to deal with in a B/X game, like "attack ranks" for demi-human classes, weapon mastery, a new skill system, paladins and druids, etc. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Rules Cyclopedia, but as I've <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-vs-rc-quick-dirty-class-comparison.html">said before</a>, it's just <i>a lot to deal with</i>. BX25 is meant for higher-level play without straying too far from what's already in those short B/X books.<br />
<br />
If my <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-rc-reference-sheet-v05.html">BX + RC Bridge Rules</a> are like <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/holmes-ref">Zenopus'</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rvuyIrPEBCMUdkRGdpVmhVNFE/edit">Bridge</a> <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-rvuyIrPEBCWTZweUI3YzRfN3M/edit">Tables</a> in that they allow you to supplement one preexisting set of rules with another, then BX25 is more like <a href="http://meepodm.googlepages.com/holmes.pdf">Meepo's Holmes Companion</a> (found <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/home/rules-expansions">HERE</a>) or the <a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product_info.php?products_id=103412&">B/X Companion from Running Beagle Games</a>; The point is to add onto one version of the game without needing to reference another whole version. You just need the B/X rules and this short document, no "BECMI" required.<br />
<br />
<b>Why level 25</b>, when the BECMI sets and the Rules Cyclopedia go to level 36?<br />
<ol>
<li>I think that stretching character advancement to level 36 is overkill. Look at how thief skills got worsened in the Rules Cyclopedia compared to B/X, for example. When you add more levels to B/X, you can either take the basic metrics of advancement (saving throws, HP, to-hit rolls, class abilities like thief skills and spells-per-day) and thin them out, or you can add new abilities (multiple attacks! new thief skills! new spell levels!), or you can just take all of the numbers and make them bigger/better (which can <i>still</i> require new subsystems when you run against certain limits - "Attack rolls still miss on a 1, so let's add extra damage instead,"). I wanted to avoid the first method, and use the second and third methods sparingly.</li>
<li>It takes so many experience points just to earn 25 levels, let alone 36. I tried to make the math work out in such a way as to give players 36 levels worth of capabilities in only 25 levels (at least in some regards), so players would feel truly powerful by level 25. I think you get more "bang for your buck" this way, or rather, "better advancement per level," while mostly still sticking to just B/X. And frankly, players are more likely to see level 25 than 36, so it seems like less wasted effort.</li>
<li>The Companion Set that <i>actually did</i> get released for BECMI went up to 25, and I thought it would be cute to follow suit. Besides, this way you get 3 levels of Basic, 11 levels of Expert, and 11 levels of Justin's Overpowered Antics. Dare I say it, it struck me as being somewhat more <a href="https://youtu.be/bxU2eqZtYmc">elegant</a>.</li>
</ol>
Did I hit my design goals? Do those goals even make sense? Who knows? This is a very rough draft, of course. As with my <a href="https://dragonsgonnadrag.blogspot.com/2019/12/bx-rc-reference-sheet-v05.html">B/X + RC Reference Sheet</a> that I mentioned above, I'd like to organize all of this into a short PDF with better layout and convenient tables. It wouldn't hurt for me to playtest it, either. Feedback is welcome, as usual.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*I thought about calling it BXJ, for "Basic/Expert/Justin", but then all I could think about was stuff like "One time, this <i>super hot</i> sorceress <i>totally</i> gave me a BXJ out behind the Comeback Inn," and I suddenly felt the need for a different acronym so I could focus on <u>important</u> things like rules minutiae for a tabletop game from 1981. And no, you wouldn't know her. She's from <strike>Canada</strike> Greyhawk. Anyway, special thanks to Anxiety Wizard for the better title(s).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>BX25 (or </u></b><b><u>BXXXV</u></b><b><u>) - Version 0.1</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<u>Level Limits</u><br />
<ul>
<li>The Cleric, Fighter, Magic-User, and Thief classes are now limited to a maximum of Level 25.</li>
<li>The Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling classes are now limited to a maximum of Level 15.</li>
</ul>
<u>Experience Points Needed Per Level</u><br />
Cleric<br />
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 800,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 16: 900,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 17: 1,000,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 18: 1,100,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 19: 1,200,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 20: 1,300,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 21: 1,400,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 22: 1,500,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 23: 1,600,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 24: 1,700,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 25: 1,800,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Fighter<br />
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 960,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 16: 1,080,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 17: 1,200,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 18: 1,320,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 19: 1,440,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 20: 1,560,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 21: 1,680,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 22: 1,800,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 23: 1,920,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 24: 2,040,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 25: 2,160,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Magic-User<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 1,200,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 16: 1,350,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 17: 1,500,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 18: 1,650,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 19: 1,800,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 20: 1,950,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 21: 2,100,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 22: 2,250,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 23: 2,400,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 24: 2,550,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 25: 2,700,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Thief</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 880,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 16: 1,000,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 17: 1,120,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 18: 1,240,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 19: 1,360,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 20: 1,480,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 21: 1,600,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 22: 1,720,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 23: 1,840,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 24: 1,960,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 25: 2,080,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Dwarf</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 13: 800,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 14: 1,000,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 15: 1,200,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Elf</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 11: 850,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 12: 1,100,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 13: 1,350,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 14: 1,600,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 15: 1,850,000 XP</li>
</ul>
Halfling</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 9: 300,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 10: 600,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 11: 900,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 12: 1,200,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 13: 1,500,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 14: 1,800,000 XP</li>
<li>Level 15: 2,100,000 XP</li>
</ul>
<u>Saving Throws</u><br />
Cleric<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 13-16: Poison 3, Wands 5, Paralysis 7, Breath Attack 8, Spells 7</li>
<li>Levels 17-20: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 5, Breath Attack 5, Spells 5</li>
<li>Levels 21-24: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 3, Breath Attack 2, Spells 3</li>
<li>Level 25: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath Attack 2, Spells 2</li>
</ul>
Fighter<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 13-15: Poison 4, Wands 5, Paralysis 6, Breath Attack 5, Spells 8</li>
<li>Levels 16-18: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 4, Breath Attack 3, Spells 6</li>
<li>Levels 19-21: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath 2, Spells 4</li>
<li>Levels 22-25: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath 2, Spells 2</li>
</ul>
Magic-User<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 11-15: Poison 8, Wands 9, Paralysis 8, Breath 11, Spells 8</li>
<li>Levels 16-20: Poison 5, Wands 6, Paralysis 5, Breath 8, Spells 4</li>
<li>Levels 21-24: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 2, Breath 5, Spells 2</li>
<li>Level 25: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath 2, Spells 2</li>
</ul>
Thief<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 13-16: Poison 8, Wands 9, Paralysis 7, Breath 10, Spells 8</li>
<li>Levels 17-20: Poison 6, Wands 7, Paralysis 5, Breath 8, Spells 6</li>
<li>Levels 21-22: Poison 4, Wands 5, Paralysis 3, Breath 6, Spells 4</li>
<li>Levels 23-24: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 2, Breath 4, Spells 2</li>
<li>Level 25: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath 2, Spells 2</li>
</ul>
Dwarf and Halfling<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 7-9: Poison 4, Wands 5, Paralysis 6, Breath 7, Spells 8</li>
<li>Levels 10-12: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 4, Breath 4, Spells 6</li>
<li>Levels 13-15: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 2, Breath 2, Spells 4</li>
</ul>
Elf<br />
<ul>
<li>Levels 10-11: Poison 6, Wands 7, Paralysis 8, Breath 8, Spells 8</li>
<li>Levels 12-13: Poison 4, Wands 5, Paralysis 7, Breath 6, Spells 6</li>
<li>Level 14: Poison 2, Wands 3, Paralysis 6, Breath 4, Spells 4</li>
<li>Level 15: Poison 2, Wands 2, Paralysis 5, Breath 2, Spells 2</li>
</ul>
<u>Spells Per Day</u><br />
Cleric (First to Fifth Level)<br />
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 6/6/5/5/5</li>
<li>Level 16: 6/6/6/6/5</li>
<li>Level 17: 7/6/6/6/6</li>
<li>Level 18: 7/7/7/6/6</li>
<li>Level 19: 7/7/7/7/7</li>
<li>Level 20: 8/8/7/7/7</li>
<li>Level 21: 8/8/8/8/7</li>
<li>Level 22: 9/8/8/8/8</li>
<li>Level 23: 9/9/9/8/8</li>
<li>Level 24: 9/9/9/9/8</li>
<li>Level 25: 9/9/9/9/9</li>
</ul>
Magic-User (First to Sixth Level)<br />
<ul>
<li>Level 15: 5/4/4/4/4/4</li>
<li>Level 16: 5/5/5/5/4/4</li>
<li>Level 17: 6/5/5/5/5/5</li>
<li>Level 18: 6/6/6/6/5/5</li>
<li>Level 19: 7/6/6/6/6/6</li>
<li>Level 20: 7/7/7/7/6/6</li>
<li>Level 21: 8/7/7/7/7/7</li>
<li>Level 22: 8/8/8/8/7/7</li>
<li>Level 23: 9/8/8/8/8/8</li>
<li>Level 24: 9/9/9/9/8/8</li>
<li>Level 25: 9/9/9/9/9/9</li>
</ul>
Elf (First to Fifth Level)<br />
<div>
<ul>
<li>Level 11: 4/4/3/3/2</li>
<li>Level 12: 4/4/4/4/3</li>
<li>Level 13: 5/4/4/4/4</li>
<li>Level 14: 5/5/5/4/4</li>
<li>Level 15: 5/5/5/5/5</li>
</ul>
<div>
<u>Thief Skills</u></div>
<ul>
<li>Level 15: Pick Pockets 135%, Climb Upside-Down 89%, Throw/Mimic Voices 50%, Read Languages 81%, Spell Backfire 10%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 16: Pick Pockets 145%, Climb Upside-Down 90%, Throw/Mimic Voices 55%, Read Languages 82%, Spell Backfire 10%<b style="background-color: yellow;">*</b>, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 17: Pick Pockets 155%, Climb Upside-Down 91%, Throw/Mimic Voices 60%, Read Languages 83%, Spell Backfire 9%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 18: Pick Pockets 165%, Climb Upside-Down 92%, Throw/Mimic Voices 65%, Read Languages 85%, Spell Backfire 8%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 19: Pick Pockets 175%, Climb Upside-Down 93%, Throw/Mimic Voices 70%, Read Languages 87%, Spell Backfire 7%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 20: Pick Pockets 185%, Climb Upside-Down 94%, Throw/Mimic Voices 75%, Read Languages 89%, Spell Backfire 6%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 3</li>
<li>Level 21: Pick Pockets 195%, Climb Upside-Down 95%, Throw/Mimic Voices 80%, Read Languages 91%, Spell Backfire 5%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 4</li>
<li>Level 22: Pick Pockets 196%, Climb Upside-Down 96%, Throw/Mimic Voices 85%, Read Languages 93%, Spell Backfire 4%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 4</li>
<li>Level 23: Pick Pockets 197%, Climb Upside-Down 97%, Throw/Mimic Voices 90%, Read Languages 95%, Spell Backfire 3%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 4</li>
<li>Level 24: Pick Pockets 198%, Climb Upside-Down 98%, Throw/Mimic Voices 95%, Read Languages 97%, Spell Backfire 2%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 4</li>
<li>Level 25: Pick Pockets 199%, Climb Upside-Down 99%, Throw/Mimic Voices 99%, Read Languages 99%, Spell Backfire 1%, Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier 4</li>
</ul>
<u>Explanation of Thief Skills</u></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Pick Pockets: The default rules apply.</li>
<li>Climb Upside-Down: This works just like the "Climb Sheer Surfaces" ability, except that it applies to climbing overhangs, climbing upside-down, crossing ceilings horizontally without falling, etc.</li>
<li>Throw/Mimic Voices: This is the ability to mimic the voices of other people or the calls of animals or monsters convincingly with one's voice, as well as the ability to "throw" one's voice like a ventriloquist in order to make it sound like it comes from a different source or direction.</li>
<li>Read Languages: Just as a Thief who reaches Level 4 can "read languages" with an 80% chance of success, a Thief of Level 15 or higher has an even greater chance of success at this ability.</li>
<li>Spell Backfire: Just as a Thief who reaches Level 10 can cast Magic-User or Elf spells from a scroll with a 10% chance that the spell will "backfire" and create an unexpected result, a Thief of Level 17 or higher has a lesser chance of such a backfire.</li>
<li>Sneak Attack Damage Multiplier: The damage done by a Thief's "backstab" or sneak attack is usually doubled. At Level 15 it is instead tripled, and at Level 21 it is quadrupled.</li>
</ul>
<u>Special Uses of Thief Skills</u></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Balancing: A Thief can balance on a narrow ledge, and even walk along it, at the same percent chance that they can Climb Sheer Surfaces. A Thief can balance on and walk across a tightrope or high-wire at the same percent chance that they can Climb Upside-Down. Naturally, the ledge/tightrope/etc. must be strong and secure enough to support the weight of the Thief and their equipment.</li>
<li>Disguises: If a Thief is able to obtain a convincing costume, the necessary props, etc. in order to wear a passable disguise, they can attempt to keep the ruse undetected at the same percent chance that they can Throw/Mimic Voices. This chance is rolled by the DM at the time the disguise is first donned; as with the Move Silently and Hide in Shadows skills, the Thief does not know if the attempt was successful until the reactions of other characters make the result obvious. If a Thief does something noticeably suspicious or "out of character" while disguised, the DM should feel free to re-roll for the skill. A Thief who attempts to disguise oneself as a specific person <i>or</i> an inhuman creature, rather than a generic type of person (just a typical guard/beggar/merchant/what-have-you) should require <i>many</i> more re-rolls than usual, and it is up to the DM's discretion whether or not to even allow the attempt. If the DM denies the attempt outright, they <i>should</i> let the player know.</li>
<li><b><span style="background-color: yellow;">*</span>Using Magic Wands: </b><b>At Level 16, Thieves gain the ability to cast Magic-User or Elf spells from a wand with the same chance of a backfire as with a scroll.</b></li>
</ul>
<u>Multiple Attacks Per Round</u><br />
<ul>
<li>Fighters gain a second attack per round at Level 15, a third attack per round at Level 20, and a fourth attack per round at Level 25.</li>
<li>The Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling classes still attack as a Fighter of the same level, and they likewise gain a second attack per round at Level 15.</li>
</ul>
<u>Chances to Hit</u></div>
</div>
<div>
Apply the following bonuses to characters' attack rolls at the following levels. (An extended version of the Character Attacks Table may be provided in the future, but this should achieve virtually the same effect.) An attack roll of 1 always misses.</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Fighters Level 16-18 and Clerics/Thieves Level 21-24: +2 to hit.</li>
<li>Fighters Level 19-21 and Clerics/Thieves Level 25: +4 to hit.</li>
<li>Fighters Level 22-24: +6 to hit.</li>
<li>Fighters Level 25: +8 to hit.</li>
</ul>
<u>Hit Points Per Level</u><ul>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>At Level 15 and above, Fighters and Thieves gain +4 HP per level.</li>
<ul>
<li><i>Optional Rule: At <u>Level 10</u> and above, Fighters and Thieves gain +4 HP per level.</i></li>
</ul>
<li>At Level 15 and above, Clerics and Magic-Users gain +2 HP per level.</li>
<ul>
<li><i>Optional Rule: At <u>Level 10</u> and above, Clerics and Magic-Users gain +2 HP per level.</i></li>
</ul>
<li>At Level 10 and above, Dwarves gain +3 HP per level.</li>
<li>At Level 10 and above, Elves gain +2 HP per level.</li>
<li>At Level 9, Halflings gain +1d6 HP. At Level 10 and above, Halflings gain +2 HP per level.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Justin Stewarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05885816572933013245noreply@blogger.com2