I never actually played retro games (70's and early 80's) and got interested in OSR and retro clones thanks to RPG Bloggers feed. Then I started to find out what I have missed back then when I didn't like older Dungeons & Dragons and I realized that I had missed the whole point.
Now my choices for retro are:
- Lamentations Of The Flame Princess for weird and horror fantasy
- Mutant Future for science fantasy and post-apocalypse
- Labyrinth Lord as all around retro-clone for fantasy adventuring
For some reason I didn't like any d20 systems but when I played D&D 3.x I did like the basic simplicity of it. Roll d20 adding bonuses trying to get as high result as the difficulty is that time. I didn't like all the rules because I thought many of them were really unecessary for fun gaming and just did slow play down.
Then how LotFP was advertised and how it looked caught me and I got it. It was a big positive surprise to find out it basically used D&D 3.x system stripped down from all the things what made playing slow. Then I started to dig deeper and liked the idea of Gamma World and found that Mutant Future is now available update of it. I had a change to read almost all the rules of Gamma World first and second edition and found out that Mutant Future is really close to these originals. At first I thought that THAC0 style combat resolution was awkward but realized that it is actually like any other roleplaying system. You just need a table or two to play it. Other rules are really simple. That's why I also downloaded Labyrinth Lord to use in fantasy instead of using D&D 3.x which I only used like 1/5 of the rules.
Also LotFP, MF and LL are really easy for players to adapt. My player isn't really technical so these three games I mentioned are great. You roll your character, fill in the remaining information, buy equipment and are ready to play! No point buys. No character tweaking or optimization, no special rules to know. And it is easy for GM to track player character's capabilities also.
One awesome feature is also how easy rules are to adapt. Character is doing something there are no rules or abilities marked in character sheet? Just roll d20 under ability and apply modifier from -4 to +4 based on the situation. That's easy! You don't need rules to cover everything when you can roll under ability. Or GM can just roll d6 and rule what change something is to happen based on character and situation.
I love how simple retro gaming actually is. For some reason I always thought it is really complicated and roleplaying was more rules than playing and acting it out. Like Raggi has said, it is not important what characters can do but what they do. In OSR it is you the player who decides what his character does instead of checking out your character sheet can your character do it.
Also my player likes retro systems in gameplay. And it's easy for me to say what die she must roll and what number she needs to score. In LotFP I ask her to roll d6 and tell the result if her character finds a trap or in Mutant Future I tell her to roll d20 and add 2 to the result and try to get less than her DEX to climb that roof.
With retro games there is more time for actual story when rules don't take time to figure out for every single die roll.
At first I didn't like the idea of lack of skills for example. But who needs 30 to 100 different skills? You have speech but you cannot barter because you don't have that skill. That's bullshit. In OSR characters always have a change.
Now I feel that I could run every game with ascending or descending AC. It's too much work to convert games though, but the idea is so much better in retro gaming. For example Vampire: the Masquerade claims to be a storytelling game but the rules are clumsy. Vampire: the Requiem (and new World of Darkness) made rules a little more straightforward but still it is a little clumsy to be called storytelling.
What do you think? Can OSR/retro games be more storytelling after all with rules?
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Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Marching order is important
Before I dug into some OSR games I never actually thought about marching order. I thought it is just silly and more like a feature you need in computer games (for example Baldur's Gate). But now I have read both Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord and thanks for them marching order is now really important. Not only in oldschool adventuring but also in modern games.
Sometimes in any game player characters are venturing in city streets or strange planets and an encounter happens. Then I start to figure out who is standing where and players usually tactically tell then their location. But if the marching order was used that hassle would be not happening as player characters are already in position and I just would have to locate the enemies.
Marching order is not some technical game rule to follow. It simply tells in what order and formation player characters are venturing. Who is in the front row and who is in the back and are there some characters scattered around walking nearby and are some characters protected in the middle. When this all is decided before any encounters it gets more interesting. I have found out that without marching order most powerfully defensive characters are always in the direction where enemies attack. This time in the front and next time in the back. Players get this small cheating tactical phase of announcing their characters' locations but it is not realistic. Or very exciting.
So, thanks to Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord I will from this post use marching order in every game I GM.
Sometimes in any game player characters are venturing in city streets or strange planets and an encounter happens. Then I start to figure out who is standing where and players usually tactically tell then their location. But if the marching order was used that hassle would be not happening as player characters are already in position and I just would have to locate the enemies.
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| Picture from ausgamers.com |
So, thanks to Mutant Future and Labyrinth Lord I will from this post use marching order in every game I GM.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Mutant Future character creation with comments
Finally downloaded Mutant Future to read. Did read it immediately and now after few days I am playing it. And now I will create a character for it. Let's check out the character creation!
Mutant Future Character Creation Step By Step
First we roll stats. Anyone familiar with D&D and clones knows that there are 6 stats which are: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Willpower and Charisma. There are three methods presented for Abilities:
- Roll 3d6 in a row
- Roll 3d6 and put where you like
- Roll 4d6, drop lowest
I choose to roll in a row. My Ability results are: 9, 9, 10, 13, 5, 6. What? I would consider this a hopeless character and re-roll! I bet my GM would say I must keep the following results and that is okay with me. So let's roll again and hope that results won't suck that much. My new (now to keep) results are:
Strength: 11 - Modifier to hit, damage and forcing doors: 0
Dexterity: 8 - AC+1, Missile Attack and optional initiative modifier -1
Constitution: 9 - Poison and Radiation save throw modifiers 0
Intelligence: 12 - Technology Roll modifier 0%
Willpower: 14 - Willpower is used as it is in mental combat
Charisma: 9 - Reaction adjustment 0, Retainers 4 and retainer morality 7
Really around average results, but let's move on.
Next, choose the race. Options are: Android (three types), Mutant Animal, Mutant Human, Mutant Plant and Pure Human. Each race has different benefices. I choose Mutant Plant because... well... in what game you get to play a mutant plant? This and I take it!
So as a Mutant Plant I get these stuffs:
- 1d6 HP per point of CON = 3, 6, 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 1, 6 = 40 (Nice!)
- 2 plant mutations and 1d6 human/animal mutations divided equally between physical and mental (if unequal I'll decide the remaining). I rolled 6 and get total of 8 mutations! This mutant plant is so fucking mutant! I roll 3 physical and 3 mental human/animal mutations.
My mutations are (rolled randomly 2 plants, 3 physical human/animal and 3 mental human/animal):
- Injected poison sap (poisonous vines PC can use to attack. Poison is randomly rolled = 6d6 damage but with succesful save ½)
- Abnormal size (d20 roll result is 15 and my mutant plant is 20 times larger than "normal specimen". Does that mean that normally my mutant dandelion would be... a dandelion with intelligence? What about mutant oak x15 in size?)
- Reflective epidermis (d8 roll tells that my character is immune to electric damage)
- Pain sensitivity (Don't know pain, player doesn't know current HP. It's GM data)
- Toxic weapon (30' toxic attack and effect randomly rolled to 8d6 damage or ½ with save)
- Flight, psionic (can fly movement of 10 x WIL)
- Phantasmal damage (when I get damaged some weird shit goes on in my mind and I get double damage)
- Mental phantasm (can make realistic mental projections one sees but isn't real when touched)
Final touch? Rolling 3d8x10 for starting money (got 90) and purchasing equipment (too boring to write and read).
And my character is done!
Crazy mutant plant 15 times larger than normal dandelion (yep, mutant dandelion) what has two different poisonous attack (though at first level 1 per turn), immune to electric damage but vulnerable to other kinds of damage. It can fly and cast mental illusions.
________________________
What are your Mutant Future character creation experiences like? Is your current character totally gonzo or post-apocalyptic survivor?
Mutant Future Character Creation Step By Step
First we roll stats. Anyone familiar with D&D and clones knows that there are 6 stats which are: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Willpower and Charisma. There are three methods presented for Abilities:
- Roll 3d6 in a row
- Roll 3d6 and put where you like
- Roll 4d6, drop lowest
I choose to roll in a row. My Ability results are: 9, 9, 10, 13, 5, 6. What? I would consider this a hopeless character and re-roll! I bet my GM would say I must keep the following results and that is okay with me. So let's roll again and hope that results won't suck that much. My new (now to keep) results are:
Strength: 11 - Modifier to hit, damage and forcing doors: 0
Dexterity: 8 - AC+1, Missile Attack and optional initiative modifier -1
Constitution: 9 - Poison and Radiation save throw modifiers 0
Intelligence: 12 - Technology Roll modifier 0%
Willpower: 14 - Willpower is used as it is in mental combat
Charisma: 9 - Reaction adjustment 0, Retainers 4 and retainer morality 7
Really around average results, but let's move on.
Next, choose the race. Options are: Android (three types), Mutant Animal, Mutant Human, Mutant Plant and Pure Human. Each race has different benefices. I choose Mutant Plant because... well... in what game you get to play a mutant plant? This and I take it!
So as a Mutant Plant I get these stuffs:
- 1d6 HP per point of CON = 3, 6, 6, 4, 6, 4, 4, 1, 6 = 40 (Nice!)
- 2 plant mutations and 1d6 human/animal mutations divided equally between physical and mental (if unequal I'll decide the remaining). I rolled 6 and get total of 8 mutations! This mutant plant is so fucking mutant! I roll 3 physical and 3 mental human/animal mutations.
My mutations are (rolled randomly 2 plants, 3 physical human/animal and 3 mental human/animal):
- Injected poison sap (poisonous vines PC can use to attack. Poison is randomly rolled = 6d6 damage but with succesful save ½)
- Abnormal size (d20 roll result is 15 and my mutant plant is 20 times larger than "normal specimen". Does that mean that normally my mutant dandelion would be... a dandelion with intelligence? What about mutant oak x15 in size?)
- Reflective epidermis (d8 roll tells that my character is immune to electric damage)
- Pain sensitivity (Don't know pain, player doesn't know current HP. It's GM data)
- Toxic weapon (30' toxic attack and effect randomly rolled to 8d6 damage or ½ with save)
- Flight, psionic (can fly movement of 10 x WIL)
- Phantasmal damage (when I get damaged some weird shit goes on in my mind and I get double damage)
- Mental phantasm (can make realistic mental projections one sees but isn't real when touched)
Final touch? Rolling 3d8x10 for starting money (got 90) and purchasing equipment (too boring to write and read).
And my character is done!
Crazy mutant plant 15 times larger than normal dandelion (yep, mutant dandelion) what has two different poisonous attack (though at first level 1 per turn), immune to electric damage but vulnerable to other kinds of damage. It can fly and cast mental illusions.
________________________
What are your Mutant Future character creation experiences like? Is your current character totally gonzo or post-apocalyptic survivor?
Monster creation made easy
Little trick to create an original monster. Roll some dice, look around, let your imagination run wild. This is easy and simple trick but it needs a little work for your imagination to do.
This is good for weird games (LotFP) where monsters are more like unique than stock. Can be used also with weird and fantasy science fiction to create unique monsters and mutants.
Step 1
Roll 2d4.
Step 2
Look around and take as many random things and items that catch your eye as d6 result was. Write down.
Step 3
Let your imagination run wild and write the monster description based on step 2.
Step 4
Stat it.
________________________________
Let's test it right now! I want to create something for Mutant Future. I got roll result 5. My random things are:
- Window
- Energy drink bottle
- Lighter
- Pen
- Ruler
Now I start writing. I just let my fingers do the job and won't spend too much time to think.
The long and thin body (pen) of the monster is transparent like a glass (window) showing its entrails. It is half alive half synthetic powered by lightning storms (energy drink) what it stores to power itself. It's movement is fast leaping (ruler). It shoots fire (lighter) from its mouth.
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 160 (40)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 2 (fists, fire breath)
Damage: 1d4/2d8
Save: L9
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: I
This is good for weird games (LotFP) where monsters are more like unique than stock. Can be used also with weird and fantasy science fiction to create unique monsters and mutants.
Step 1
Roll 2d4.
Step 2
Look around and take as many random things and items that catch your eye as d6 result was. Write down.
Step 3
Let your imagination run wild and write the monster description based on step 2.
Step 4
Stat it.
________________________________
Let's test it right now! I want to create something for Mutant Future. I got roll result 5. My random things are:
- Window
- Energy drink bottle
- Lighter
- Pen
- Ruler
Now I start writing. I just let my fingers do the job and won't spend too much time to think.
The long and thin body (pen) of the monster is transparent like a glass (window) showing its entrails. It is half alive half synthetic powered by lightning storms (energy drink) what it stores to power itself. It's movement is fast leaping (ruler). It shoots fire (lighter) from its mouth.
No. Enc.: 2d4 (4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 160 (40)
Armor Class: 7
Hit Dice: 5
Attacks: 2 (fists, fire breath)
Damage: 1d4/2d8
Save: L9
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: I
Lost world adventure - Haven't done it
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| If this isn't awesome I don't know what is! |
Why? I don't know. When I was a kid I liked dinosaurs. I read all these books about dinosaurs in library and had my share of Dinoriders but still didn't include those in my games. Why didn't I do it because it would have been an obvious adventure to play? I don't know.
But I bet if I played AD&D back then (I didn't like it stupid me) it would have been different. Why? If I had played and liked AD&D in Monster Manual there are dozens of dinosaurs waiting to be used in an awesome way. So if I were an AD&D gamer there would have been all these dinosaurs right in the rules book waiting to be used.
I bet that if I would have played AD&D back then I would have been playing lost world type of campaigns with dinosaurs. Now I am 30 years old so should I finally make it happen? Not a big AD&D fan today either but luckily there are all these retro-clones to be used with AD&D MM.
Oh and check out that Dinoriders picture up there. That + roleplaying games would be mind-blowing!
________________________________
Have you played lost world type games with dinosaurs? Did you do it when you were a kid or later as a nostalgic awesomeness? Or does the little kid inside you still like dinosaurs?
________________________________
Oh, and fuck you science!
Lurker in the dark
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| The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters (Francisco de Goya, c.1797) |
Lurkers are invisible beings and only can be detected by magical or other appropriate supernatural methods. Lurkers are immune to all physical attacks and magical attacks and can only be manipulated to leave the town (charm or other similar).
Even though lurkers don't have physical form for xp they are HD7 monsters. They save as lvl 7 wizards. Lurkers doesn't have physical attacks and if they are found they try to flee and hide.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Lost and abandoned tower
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| Picture from fanaticus.org Model by: Jorge Faria |
Steps:
Record each step down on your tower notes.
1. Roll for floors and basements.
2. For each individual floor roll tables 2 and 3 to determine each floors access to another above (or below in basement levels). Also roll for uppermost floor as there might be access to the roof.
3. Roll for each floor's access if it is locked and in addition if it is trapped.
4. Fill the floors and dungeons levels with details rolling table 4.
5. Roll the size and shape of the tower from table 5 and draw it on graph paper.
6. Finally fill in details. What the tower looks like? In what condition it is? Why is it abandoned?
7. Ready to go!
1. Floors And Basement
Roll 3d6 for tower floors. 25% possibility there are also underground floors (3d6).
2. Is Access To Next Floor Visible Or Acceccible?
Roll 1d6
1 - 2 = Clearly visible and easily accessible
3 - 4 = Clearly visible but hard to access (collapsed, in poor condition*)
5 = Hidden and needs to be searched (25% collapsed or in poor condition)
6 = Behind a secret door or secret mechanism (must be searched and also figured out how it works, 15% collapsed or in poor condition)
*Collapsed or in poor condition = The access to second floor might need climbing or it might crumble and possibly harm climbers
3. Is Access To Next Floor Locked?
Roll 1d6
1 - Not locked and open
2 - Closed but not locked
3 - Locked with a simple lock
4 - Locked with a complicated lock
5 - Barred from the other side (must be forced open, or use blade to open it from the other side etc.)
6 - Magically sealed (50%) or using a mechanism needed to open (50%)
There is also 25% change that the access is trapped. Decide a trap or roll randomly if the game you use provides random trap tables.
4. What Is Inside The Floor Or Dungeon Level?
Tower Floors roll 1d10
1- Empty (10% monsters, 20% treasures x1)
2 - Library (25% monsters, 40% treasures x1d2, 2d4 random spell books)
3 - Dining and Kitchen Area (40% monsters, 5% treasures x1, 2d6 food portions)
4 - Defense Area (35% monsters, 15% treasures x1, 2d6 random weapons and 1d6 random armors)
5 - Barracks (40% monsters, 20% treasures x2, random common items)
6 - Treasury (30% monsters, 2d6x1000 GP, 5 random treasures)
7 - Alchemist's Lab (60% monsters, 1d4 spell books, 2d6 alchemy ingredients, 2d4 random potions)
8 - Master Bedroom (20% monsters, 70% treasures x1d3, one random weapon of good quality)
9 - Trophy Room (40% monsters, 2d4 treasures)
10 - Roll twice and combine
Dungeons Levels 1d10
1 - Empty (60% monsters, 30% treasures x1d3)
2 - Wine Cellar (50% monsters, 2d6 bottles of wine worth 10x normal wine price)
3 - Torture Chamber (70% monsters)
4 - Dungeon (90% monsters, 1d6 skeletons and bodies - 10% one is still alive)
5 - Treasury (60% monsters, 2d10x1000 GP, 2d6 treasures)
6 - Monster Lair (one powerful monster 5HD higher to PC levels, 2 treasures)
7 - Damp Cellar with Strange Mushrooms (2d8 mushroom type monsters, 3d6 random mushrooms*)
8 - Coffins (2d4 skeletons and 75% change of ghost or other supernatural being, 3d6x100 GP, 70% treasures x2)
9 - Portal to other Worlds (50% otherworldly monsters 1d4)
10 - Passage to other deeper dungeons (60% monsters, 15% treasures x1d3)
Traps
There is 25% change in every floor to be trapped. Decide traps or roll randomly using your game.
*http://cradleofrabies.blogspot.fi/2010/09/mushrooms-your-player-shouldnt-taste.html
For treasures and monsters decide yourself or use your game's random monster and treasure tables provided.
Fill the details yourself.
5. Size And Shape
Shape 1d6
1 - 2 = Round
3 = Square
4 = Octagon
5 = Triangle
6 = Weird
Size of floors 1d6
1 - 30 feet
2 - 50 feet
3 - 70 feet
4 - 90 feet
5 - 110 feet
6 - 110 feet + second roll
Did I Miss Something?
This is table for really basic tower generation giving outlines. Did I miss something essential?
Killing my project Ydin
Now it is a time to say good bye to Ydin. Ydin was supposed to be my own rpg system I would create material for. I like to write stuff a lot! And I thought I'd need one solid system to write stuff for. I decided I need to write this system to use as a basic for my stuff I write. Thus I started writing Ydin. I was planning to create also guidelines to convert Ydin material to other roleplaying games systems...
But then I realized it is not worth my time.
Here are reasons why I won't continue with Ydin:
- My time is limited and making rules that cover basically everything and work is lots of work to do.
- Instead of spending time to write yet another set of rules I could spend my time to write different kinds of material.
- I found d20/OSR and I like it. I think that d20/OSR is most universal and easy to adapt system out there. Particularly the most basic systems are really easy to use and quite simple to convert to other systems.
- I liked the idea of Ydin but today I like more simple systems. I don't say that Ydin was too hard but it was yet another rpg system to learn (and of course write!). It wasn't simple enough and I thought making it more simple but what's the point? Just take LotFP, Dungeonslayers or other rpg and use it. Additional rules if necessary are easy to come up with.
- If I finished Ydin core rules to be used with my Ydin stuff (for example monster stats, adventures, campaign settings and what-not) who would actually download it and use it?
- In general there are three types roleplaying people. Those who like OSR/d20 and those who like other games and those who use universal systems. D20/OSR people prefer different retros and clones and those who like other games I think buy games for the setting or something. Those who use universal rules stick to the one they like (either commercial or homebrew) and adapt it to other games. GURPS, Savage Worlds... there are tons of them so where would Ydin stand?
- If I have a good idea I want to publish it would be easier to publish it on system easily available and free to use (OGL or CC for example). People know that already. There are haters for OGL/retro/d20 stuff but I bet it would still be better option to use some of those instead of using one unknown system.
I think today in roleplaying games the material is more important than a system. Of course there are dozens if not hundreds of different OSR systems (LotFP, Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC only few to mention) people can choose what they like the most and easily convert stuff to use with it. I also bet that people who play universal systems or homebrew systems are already used to convert material to their games.
___________________________________
I also started writing Fallout 3 inspired RPG based on retro-clones and heavily influenced by Dungeonslayers but what the heck! Then I found Gamma World and Mutant Future (print from Lulu, free PDF from http://www.goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html) and thought what the heck! Instead of writing OSR/retro rules to fit in post-apocalyptic modern world science fiction I could just use rules already existing for post-apocalyptic modern world science fiction and spend my time to write material (new equipment if needed, adventures, npcs etc.)
__________________________________
My dream was to publish my own rpg. Only to print few copies and hopefully to sell a couple. But my main point was to hold in my hands in print something I created myself. But now it feels just a waste of time... Now my dream is to write material that I could publish (PDF) and maybe print few (printer in the name of oldschool for the win!).
So maybe some day instead of writing my own system I will write something people can actually use in their games. A setting or compilation of stuffz to use or something similar.
_________________________________
My advice is from personal experience: Don't waste your time creating something that has been done 1000 times over 30 years but spend your time creating something new. Writing new rules is waste of time as people probably won't use them or will house-rule the shit out of them anyways to suit their taste.
But then I realized it is not worth my time.
Here are reasons why I won't continue with Ydin:
- My time is limited and making rules that cover basically everything and work is lots of work to do.
- Instead of spending time to write yet another set of rules I could spend my time to write different kinds of material.
- I found d20/OSR and I like it. I think that d20/OSR is most universal and easy to adapt system out there. Particularly the most basic systems are really easy to use and quite simple to convert to other systems.
- I liked the idea of Ydin but today I like more simple systems. I don't say that Ydin was too hard but it was yet another rpg system to learn (and of course write!). It wasn't simple enough and I thought making it more simple but what's the point? Just take LotFP, Dungeonslayers or other rpg and use it. Additional rules if necessary are easy to come up with.
- If I finished Ydin core rules to be used with my Ydin stuff (for example monster stats, adventures, campaign settings and what-not) who would actually download it and use it?
- In general there are three types roleplaying people. Those who like OSR/d20 and those who like other games and those who use universal systems. D20/OSR people prefer different retros and clones and those who like other games I think buy games for the setting or something. Those who use universal rules stick to the one they like (either commercial or homebrew) and adapt it to other games. GURPS, Savage Worlds... there are tons of them so where would Ydin stand?
- If I have a good idea I want to publish it would be easier to publish it on system easily available and free to use (OGL or CC for example). People know that already. There are haters for OGL/retro/d20 stuff but I bet it would still be better option to use some of those instead of using one unknown system.
I think today in roleplaying games the material is more important than a system. Of course there are dozens if not hundreds of different OSR systems (LotFP, Labyrinth Lord, OSRIC only few to mention) people can choose what they like the most and easily convert stuff to use with it. I also bet that people who play universal systems or homebrew systems are already used to convert material to their games.
___________________________________
I also started writing Fallout 3 inspired RPG based on retro-clones and heavily influenced by Dungeonslayers but what the heck! Then I found Gamma World and Mutant Future (print from Lulu, free PDF from http://www.goblinoidgames.com/mutantfuture.html) and thought what the heck! Instead of writing OSR/retro rules to fit in post-apocalyptic modern world science fiction I could just use rules already existing for post-apocalyptic modern world science fiction and spend my time to write material (new equipment if needed, adventures, npcs etc.)
__________________________________
My dream was to publish my own rpg. Only to print few copies and hopefully to sell a couple. But my main point was to hold in my hands in print something I created myself. But now it feels just a waste of time... Now my dream is to write material that I could publish (PDF) and maybe print few (printer in the name of oldschool for the win!).
So maybe some day instead of writing my own system I will write something people can actually use in their games. A setting or compilation of stuffz to use or something similar.
_________________________________
My advice is from personal experience: Don't waste your time creating something that has been done 1000 times over 30 years but spend your time creating something new. Writing new rules is waste of time as people probably won't use them or will house-rule the shit out of them anyways to suit their taste.
Kissing and other acts of love in roleplaying games
When we were teenagers there were acts of love in games more often than when we were kids. But we didn't detail these scenes too much because it was a little awkward. We used simple methods for the outcome of kissing and other similar actions.
Basically it was a roll what needed both charisma (or similar) and luck from a roll. Sometimes if there was an appropriate skill it was also used. It was actually really simple. For example roll under charisma and the lower the result is the better the love result was. Or sometimes roll die and add charisma bonus (or appropriate skill bonus or something else) and the higher the number is the better the outcome.
It was simple. Two characters or character and npc withdraw to their privacy, some dice were rolled and the result of "love" was described by GM from outrageous catastrophe to really pleasing experience.
In fantasy games without birth control (or if character didn't use any or birth control wasn't available at that time) there was a 10% change that female got pregnant. I remember that there was at least two adventuring males with wives and a kid waiting for them to return from their next adventure, thanks to d% roll result!
It was realistic touch. Ok, not sure if 10% roll when humping without pig intestines is realistic, but the outcome I mean. You get some action and there's a possibility that you reproduce. But the nice touch was that generally player characters took care of their offspring and usually they married the woman they impregnated. The result was that the loot from adventures was not all spent on new equipment and bars but share of it went to their family.
Family And Kids
It was kind of a fun. My character never had kids but I remember in Warhammer Fantasy RPG one character having a nice secure lake house, a wife and a child and my character even if not related was honored as an uncle! It was fun to return from the adventure to this fellow characters own house and be welcomed by his little family. Totally different feeling of downtime resting at someone's personal house with his family than spending downtime at a tavern drinking cheap beer (wine for elves).
Also one time two male player's characters were a couple. They didn't describe how they got it goin' with characters but instead when rest of us slept in 6 person tents and they went to their private tent together no one in our group had to say anything. We knew that maybe that couple made love - or didn't at that time. It's was the same thing with real life couples. We assume they are intimate together and we don't have to guess will they have sex today after they get home from our party.
Relationships
But is intimate relationship important for characters in roleplaying games? Maybe. It is part of ongoing character background story. It can give GM adventure seeds (usually lame: your wife's been kidnapped by orcs/evil wizard/monster/mysteriously lost). It can also give other options for downtime and adds some depth in playing character's role.
Most of the adventurers are single. But when they are not, they are a little different and usually they have other things to think about than clearing a dungeons and how to spend money between.
In the beginning of the game relationships can be also adventure hooks. I remember using this twice:
In Vampire: The Dark Age character was a mortal with a husband. Point was that the husband was going to die what made character who he is and reasoned her embrace into vampirism.
In All Flesh Must Be Eaten player character has a husband who turns into a zombie. That makes zombie outbreak more personal when you loose someone really close. Well, the husband obviously isn't close to player as it is to character when you have played a couple of sessions with that husband and it needs a lot of drama playing and immersion from player, but it worked fine (note: we quit playing that right before the turning of husband into a zombie, because my player didn't like it as it was too sad. I think it worked!)
Homosexuality
When playing with your fiancee it is easier to roleplay love between two characters. There are no other people who could get awkward so it is just up to you two how deep you want the characters relationship to be in description. Good example is Blue Rose with PC and NPC with homosexual relationship. It was awkward for us to play (in detail) and I bet it would be have really awkward with a group because of that detail. So with a group we wouldn't have had a change to study and go deep into that homosexual relationship between the heroes. Even though it was awkward it was a good experience as a roleplayer.
In Finnish rpg based on comic called Praedor there is a whole tribe of homosexuals. If I recall correctly the point is that warriors are softened by love so they fulfill their sexual desires with other warrior males. But in the comic two of these fierce warriors were not just "butt-buddies" but lovers.
In my early games there were few homosexual characters (realistic ones, not fag parodies) and they rarely had relationships. They just liked same sex but were like ordinary characters like others. As there was no sexual action added they were just like your average adventurer character but their written background had just this little twist, they are homosexual. It didn't affect anything. Some people in real life think that homosexuals are sexual predators ready to get it goin' with any male in range but in game they were just like other people.
Basic Need Of Love
Like normal people roleplaying characters usually have basic need for love. Some characters have relationships and some players tell that when spending their hard earned gold in a tavern they toss few gold for a harlot and that's it. It's just a detail. I think many adventuring characters are a little afraid of engaging into a relationship because they aren't around that much.
What About You?
In comment section below tell your experiences of love, relationships and sex in roleplaying games!
Basically it was a roll what needed both charisma (or similar) and luck from a roll. Sometimes if there was an appropriate skill it was also used. It was actually really simple. For example roll under charisma and the lower the result is the better the love result was. Or sometimes roll die and add charisma bonus (or appropriate skill bonus or something else) and the higher the number is the better the outcome.
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| Picture from Deviant Art user: KagomexxxSesshomaru |
In fantasy games without birth control (or if character didn't use any or birth control wasn't available at that time) there was a 10% change that female got pregnant. I remember that there was at least two adventuring males with wives and a kid waiting for them to return from their next adventure, thanks to d% roll result!
It was realistic touch. Ok, not sure if 10% roll when humping without pig intestines is realistic, but the outcome I mean. You get some action and there's a possibility that you reproduce. But the nice touch was that generally player characters took care of their offspring and usually they married the woman they impregnated. The result was that the loot from adventures was not all spent on new equipment and bars but share of it went to their family.
Family And Kids
It was kind of a fun. My character never had kids but I remember in Warhammer Fantasy RPG one character having a nice secure lake house, a wife and a child and my character even if not related was honored as an uncle! It was fun to return from the adventure to this fellow characters own house and be welcomed by his little family. Totally different feeling of downtime resting at someone's personal house with his family than spending downtime at a tavern drinking cheap beer (wine for elves).
Also one time two male player's characters were a couple. They didn't describe how they got it goin' with characters but instead when rest of us slept in 6 person tents and they went to their private tent together no one in our group had to say anything. We knew that maybe that couple made love - or didn't at that time. It's was the same thing with real life couples. We assume they are intimate together and we don't have to guess will they have sex today after they get home from our party.
Relationships
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| Picture from thetorchonline. |
Most of the adventurers are single. But when they are not, they are a little different and usually they have other things to think about than clearing a dungeons and how to spend money between.
In the beginning of the game relationships can be also adventure hooks. I remember using this twice:
In Vampire: The Dark Age character was a mortal with a husband. Point was that the husband was going to die what made character who he is and reasoned her embrace into vampirism.
In All Flesh Must Be Eaten player character has a husband who turns into a zombie. That makes zombie outbreak more personal when you loose someone really close. Well, the husband obviously isn't close to player as it is to character when you have played a couple of sessions with that husband and it needs a lot of drama playing and immersion from player, but it worked fine (note: we quit playing that right before the turning of husband into a zombie, because my player didn't like it as it was too sad. I think it worked!)
Homosexuality
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| This picture could literally be from our Blue Rose campaign. Source: unknown |
In Finnish rpg based on comic called Praedor there is a whole tribe of homosexuals. If I recall correctly the point is that warriors are softened by love so they fulfill their sexual desires with other warrior males. But in the comic two of these fierce warriors were not just "butt-buddies" but lovers.
In my early games there were few homosexual characters (realistic ones, not fag parodies) and they rarely had relationships. They just liked same sex but were like ordinary characters like others. As there was no sexual action added they were just like your average adventurer character but their written background had just this little twist, they are homosexual. It didn't affect anything. Some people in real life think that homosexuals are sexual predators ready to get it goin' with any male in range but in game they were just like other people.
Basic Need Of Love
Like normal people roleplaying characters usually have basic need for love. Some characters have relationships and some players tell that when spending their hard earned gold in a tavern they toss few gold for a harlot and that's it. It's just a detail. I think many adventuring characters are a little afraid of engaging into a relationship because they aren't around that much.
What About You?
In comment section below tell your experiences of love, relationships and sex in roleplaying games!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Knots of destiny
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| Picture from Wikipedia |
Ask player to describe you the knots. How many, are all the same or different kinds of and how tight the knots are. Those are the keys witch uses to see the future.
Number Of Knots
1 - Secure
2 to 3 - Insecure
4 or more - Surprising
Tightness Of The Knots
Most of them tight - Danger
Equally tight and loose - Unexpected
Most of them loose - Prosperity
Roll d10 To See What Is The Prediction About
1 - Treasure
2 - Knowledge
3 - Monstrous encounter
4 - Wilderness
5 - City
6 - Children
7 - Wizard
8 - Nobleman
9 - Animals
10 - Life threatening situation
It is up to Referee to interpret the results.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Joining together to play
In my gaming career my style of gaming and preferences of games have changed a lot. But also the groups have changed and today I don't have a group. One player. This is small history of my joining together to play.
Early Days Ages 11-15
This was simple time. All who I played with were my class-mates and friends I've known from first class. So it was easy to just play roleplaying games same way we played with toys, did sports, played video- and board games or were just hanging out together.
We spent time almost daily and weekends usually were rpgs.
It was simple. We just had to choose what we want to do today. Do something else or play roleplaying games. There were no schedules or anything. We played when we wanted to play.
Teenagers 16-18
Some of us went to schools in other towns. Also studying became more or less serious business so gaming wasn't as simple in weekdays as it was previously. But still most free-time, holidays and weekends we spent playing as much as we could. We rarely partied so gaming was good pass-time.
There was more working out with schedules but still gaming was easy.
At this point some of our regular players had stop gaming and we also wanted to spend time with them. They were same friends from elementary school after all.
Young Adults 19+
Now it got complicated. Schedules were harder. Some of us had a job, some still studied, some had girlfriends and new friends from other schools and work etc. And some of us wanted to party weekends in bars and nightclubs instead of gaming. That was lame.
Soon we had no regular gaming or gaming group anymore. People wanted to do other stuff.
Fortunately I had one good friend still interested in roleplaying games I played one-on-one games regularly as often as we could. Some times a friend or two joined us but mostly we played together.
Then I found more people who played roleplaying games. I played with them few times, but there were more problems with schedules. Different groups, totally different lives. But it was ok and I got to play with groups instead of one or two persons.
20+ Is Gaming Dying?
20+ gaming become more rare. Even with one player still regularly playing with me it was a event. All the schedules and being busy was not good at all. We played sometimes once or twice a week. Sometimes once a month. It was not good because I were used to play roleplaying games often and basically when I wanted to play.
So instead of playing I started sort of collecting roleplaying books and reading them and writing random material.
Serious Girflfriend
I was not searching but it happened. Soon after we moved together (still together after 10 years). I sometimes played with my friend still one-on-one and because I was (and am) a gamer I introduced roleplaying to my new-ish girlfriend I already lived with. She already liked computer games.
Our first session with my friend who still played with me and my girlfriend didn't go well. She wasn't that interested and got occupied in the beginning. We played Finnish gritty low fantasy rpg Praedor. Not that interesting to her.
Then later I introduced her to Vampire: the Masquerade and that hit the spot.
Today
No group. Where we moved some years ago (countryside) there are no players near. There are some in near towns but because of my busy life it's too hard to drive one hour or more to join a group. But fortunately me and my girlfriend still play together and she's also interested in trying and playing other games and not just Vampire. We have tried several games and still continue to testing other new games we or even I haven't played before.
Now we usually play twice a week and that's good.
Early Days Ages 11-15
This was simple time. All who I played with were my class-mates and friends I've known from first class. So it was easy to just play roleplaying games same way we played with toys, did sports, played video- and board games or were just hanging out together.
We spent time almost daily and weekends usually were rpgs.
It was simple. We just had to choose what we want to do today. Do something else or play roleplaying games. There were no schedules or anything. We played when we wanted to play.
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| Picture from Lamentations of the Flame Princess |
Some of us went to schools in other towns. Also studying became more or less serious business so gaming wasn't as simple in weekdays as it was previously. But still most free-time, holidays and weekends we spent playing as much as we could. We rarely partied so gaming was good pass-time.
There was more working out with schedules but still gaming was easy.
At this point some of our regular players had stop gaming and we also wanted to spend time with them. They were same friends from elementary school after all.
Young Adults 19+
Now it got complicated. Schedules were harder. Some of us had a job, some still studied, some had girlfriends and new friends from other schools and work etc. And some of us wanted to party weekends in bars and nightclubs instead of gaming. That was lame.
Soon we had no regular gaming or gaming group anymore. People wanted to do other stuff.
Fortunately I had one good friend still interested in roleplaying games I played one-on-one games regularly as often as we could. Some times a friend or two joined us but mostly we played together.
Then I found more people who played roleplaying games. I played with them few times, but there were more problems with schedules. Different groups, totally different lives. But it was ok and I got to play with groups instead of one or two persons.
20+ Is Gaming Dying?
20+ gaming become more rare. Even with one player still regularly playing with me it was a event. All the schedules and being busy was not good at all. We played sometimes once or twice a week. Sometimes once a month. It was not good because I were used to play roleplaying games often and basically when I wanted to play.
So instead of playing I started sort of collecting roleplaying books and reading them and writing random material.
Serious Girflfriend
I was not searching but it happened. Soon after we moved together (still together after 10 years). I sometimes played with my friend still one-on-one and because I was (and am) a gamer I introduced roleplaying to my new-ish girlfriend I already lived with. She already liked computer games.
Our first session with my friend who still played with me and my girlfriend didn't go well. She wasn't that interested and got occupied in the beginning. We played Finnish gritty low fantasy rpg Praedor. Not that interesting to her.
Then later I introduced her to Vampire: the Masquerade and that hit the spot.
Today
No group. Where we moved some years ago (countryside) there are no players near. There are some in near towns but because of my busy life it's too hard to drive one hour or more to join a group. But fortunately me and my girlfriend still play together and she's also interested in trying and playing other games and not just Vampire. We have tried several games and still continue to testing other new games we or even I haven't played before.
Now we usually play twice a week and that's good.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Jousting for OSR
I was thinking what if I needed quick rules for jousting but didn't have any reference what to use what kind of rules I'd write in the fly. This is what I came with for ascending AC.
Jousting
For both competitors roll d20 + AB + Lance DMG (d6 if not included in weapon list). The winner of the round is one with higher result. If lance DMG die scores highest possible result roll again for cumulative effect. In addition this second DMG die roll inflicts HP damage. See the table below what happens for the loser:
Difference of results / Effect
1 - 5 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors shield
6 - 8 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors armor (save versus paralyze or fall down*)
9 - 10 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors helmet (save versus paralyze or fall down* +5 to the roll)
11 - 15 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitor and knocks him down of a horse*
16 + =Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitor, knocks him down* and deals d6 HP damage
*Knocked Down Of A Horse
If competitor is knocked down of a horse roll d6 and see additional results from the table below.:
d6 / Effect
1 - 3 = Falling down doesn't hurt but is humiliating
4 - 8 = Falling down deals damage**
9 + = Falling down deals damage** and results broken bone***
**Damage
Normally jousting with lances doesn't deal damage except if the opponent is knocked down from the horse. Roll d6 for HP damage.
***Broken Bone
If bone breaks during jousting the healing time is 2d4 + 9 weeks during what time 5 penalty is suffered to each roll what affects the injured body part. Randomly determine from a table below what bone is broken:
1d6 / Broken bone
1, 2 - Left arm
3, 4, 5 - Right arm
6, 7 - Left leg
8, 9 - Right leg
10, 11 - Rib
12 - Back****
****Broken Back
Broken back is very serious and needs 4d6 + 9 weeks of rest to heal and character is not able to walk or perform complicated physical actions involving full body. Every time character is moved uncautiously add 5% to final roll to determine if character is paralyzed for good.
After the healing period roll d% to see if injure is permanent. Start with 10% and add 5% for every time character was moved irresponsibly.
_________________________________
These rules might seem to be a little complicated but I was just playing with some tables and wanted to create a small mini-game. You can easily strip these rules and just roll d20 + AB versus armor class for both of them and successful attack is a hit. If both hit it's a tie. You might also want to roll for damage but it's up to your decision does damage affect HP directly or does the damage have some other effects.
For example if damage die used is d6 results 1-4 don't deal actual damage but 5-6 might deal or possibly drop the opponent.
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| http://calvert-county.com |
For both competitors roll d20 + AB + Lance DMG (d6 if not included in weapon list). The winner of the round is one with higher result. If lance DMG die scores highest possible result roll again for cumulative effect. In addition this second DMG die roll inflicts HP damage. See the table below what happens for the loser:
Difference of results / Effect
1 - 5 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors shield
6 - 8 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors armor (save versus paralyze or fall down*)
9 - 10 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitors helmet (save versus paralyze or fall down* +5 to the roll)
11 - 15 = Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitor and knocks him down of a horse*
16 + =Winner successfully breaks his lance on competitor, knocks him down* and deals d6 HP damage
*Knocked Down Of A Horse
If competitor is knocked down of a horse roll d6 and see additional results from the table below.:
d6 / Effect
1 - 3 = Falling down doesn't hurt but is humiliating
4 - 8 = Falling down deals damage**
9 + = Falling down deals damage** and results broken bone***
**Damage
Normally jousting with lances doesn't deal damage except if the opponent is knocked down from the horse. Roll d6 for HP damage.
***Broken Bone
If bone breaks during jousting the healing time is 2d4 + 9 weeks during what time 5 penalty is suffered to each roll what affects the injured body part. Randomly determine from a table below what bone is broken:
1d6 / Broken bone
1, 2 - Left arm
3, 4, 5 - Right arm
6, 7 - Left leg
8, 9 - Right leg
10, 11 - Rib
12 - Back****
****Broken Back
Broken back is very serious and needs 4d6 + 9 weeks of rest to heal and character is not able to walk or perform complicated physical actions involving full body. Every time character is moved uncautiously add 5% to final roll to determine if character is paralyzed for good.
After the healing period roll d% to see if injure is permanent. Start with 10% and add 5% for every time character was moved irresponsibly.
_________________________________
These rules might seem to be a little complicated but I was just playing with some tables and wanted to create a small mini-game. You can easily strip these rules and just roll d20 + AB versus armor class for both of them and successful attack is a hit. If both hit it's a tie. You might also want to roll for damage but it's up to your decision does damage affect HP directly or does the damage have some other effects.
For example if damage die used is d6 results 1-4 don't deal actual damage but 5-6 might deal or possibly drop the opponent.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Jugglers of apathy
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| http://www.urbancircus.co.uk/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/troupeJugglers.jpg |
But after the group leaves people who fail save versus [insert what suits best in the system you use] are apathic for next 2d6 months. They barely take care of their basic needs. Children won't play, farmers don't work, taverns are closed and bards don't sing.
This mass apathy might have horrible consequences for villages as lords and the church don't get their share anymore. Only few produce food or take care of maintaining the village. At least two months most of the village is unfunctional mess of people who stop living. After two months some of the people will get back to tracks but many stay in their aphatic state for several months.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Incredibly cool 2,5 dimensional fantasy paper miniatyres
I found this website, where this guy makes these paper minis from paper. They are not flat but almost 3D. Go check this site out:
http://minipapermodels.blogspot.fi/
They are amazing!
I post some highlight pictures from that site. All the pictures below are from the above website.
These pictures are picked from latest posts and I realized I could continue forever. Go check the site and be amazed. These are absolutely amazing!
http://minipapermodels.blogspot.fi/
They are amazing!
I post some highlight pictures from that site. All the pictures below are from the above website.
These pictures are picked from latest posts and I realized I could continue forever. Go check the site and be amazed. These are absolutely amazing!
Inspiration for fantasy - d100
Out of ideas? Don't worry. Roll d100 and check this table out for various inspiration for plots, adventures, campaigns, scenarios and what-not.
01 - Labyrinth. There is a labyrinth with many levels, treasures and dangers. How deep you dare to travel and can you find your way out? There is a huge strange and dangerous monster in the middle with greatest rewards known to man.
02 - Fairyfolk traders. When everyone is sleeping fairies switch items and equipment with strange little seeds. What are seeds' magical qualities and why does fairyfolk want to trade those for big people?
03 - Camp of refugees has a problem. Their only water source, the well, has gone bad. Water makes people sick and turn them into centipede each full moon.
04 - Forgotten heir. There is a man in mid 20's claiming to be the real heir but he was outcast for some reason. He has every proof needed (birthmark for example) and he wants to claim his kingdom from his evil brother to rule it wisely.
05 - Raiders trouble countryside not only robbing but pillaging everything. Everyone in the area is terrified and guards and soldiers are powerless. It is rumored that the leader of the raiders is a necromancer and raiders are undead.
06 - Mist of misplace. After characters venture away from the misty area or mist clears they are in unfamiliar location. What strange things are there and how they get back to their own world?
07 - Castle of night. The castle characters are staying is nice but every night people disappear and castle corrupts to ruins of dangers and horrors. People living in the castle don't know about this and live their everyday life perfectly normal.
08 - Genie in the bottle grants three wishes but the prices are horrible. Characters will find this out too late.
09 - Village of orcs ask help because human village's soldiers near-by are killing them just because they are green-skinned.
10 - Through his magical mirror master thief can get everywhere to commit his crimes. Characters are asked to solve the mysterious crime spree.
11 - Characters catch an illness from a plague, but the cure is not easily available.
12 - Traders want characters to guard their trip through dangerous wilderness to a remote city.
13 - Weather goes nuts killing the crops, flooding the village etc. Evil wizard is behind this.
14 - Wizard summoned elder demon and to kill the demon legendary weapon must be crafted from pieces scattered all around the realm.
15 - Orphan child with mysterious powers is found, but a cult wants him/her dead.
16 - Characters are mistaken for someone else. They are treated generously until the day they are meant to sacrifice for gods.
17 - New god is born and wants characters to be his warriors.
18 - Characters loot a statue but every time they try to sell it they find it coming back. They get lots of money but make enemies who claim them to be hustlers. Also the statue has weird unwanted power they find out later.
19 - Character's horses start to talk. It might be funny, but with new intelligence the horses are not anymore that satisfied how characters treat them.
20 - Werewolf attacks characters but manages to escape. Every character in party is now a werewolf with new powers but also with disadvantages, like mark-of-the-wolf what makes people to avoid or want to kill them.
21 - The shrine of unknown god is guarded by living statues. But there is clearly something valuable on top of it.
22 - Suddenly for some strange reason no one can understand player party anymore even though characters understand the people whose language they are familiar with. What is the cause of this?
23 - Mercenaries want help from characters to kill a monster. But the monster is way bigger than expected. As big as a mountain and in a really bad mood.
24 - Ruins of dead soldiers haunting it is a place to go fetch something (item, prisoner). The problem is, that you can't see nor harm the ghost with normal means.
25 - After a big earthquake a crack opens in the middle of town. Hell spawn and other critters come up and the source must be dealt with.
26 - Characters find cursed treasure. No one is willing to buy it and characters cannot just toss it away. It is a burden they must carry unless find a way to break the curse.
27 - Every night mysterious huge moths attack characters. Where do those come from and why are they attracted to the party?
28 - The map shows lost city of gold but it is underwater. Stock up with spells and water breathing potions.
29 - Mutants or other monsters live in the hills near where characters rest the night. Characters are snatched in and kept as prisoners until they are eaten. Unless of course they manage to escape the tunnels infested with mutants.
30 - The city characters are staying is suddenly surrounded by a force field. You can't get over, under or through it. But there must be a way to break it.
31 - Characters switch bodies (swap the character sheets between players). They have new characteristics but personality stays the same.
32 - Strange beam transports characters into a spaceship with weird technology and alien race. They are studied and kept as prisoners. Escaping is only solution, but how to get back on surface?
33 - Everywhere characters go they see this same symbol. On tiles of walls, curtains, clothing of people, tree stumps etc. What do these symbols mean?
34 - Caught in the middle of war. Escaping the scenery would be a suicide.
35 - Mad scientist hires characters to guard his journey with strange flying ship. But the emergency landing in strange jungle/desert/mountains/isle was not in the plan.
36 - City has mechanical clocwork golems for guards and to do everyday labor. But one day golems go mad for a murdering spree.
37 - Characters share same dream in a twisted dream world. But they don't seem to wake up naturally to escape it.
38 - People and other intelligent races are replaced with walking and speaking animals.
39 - Mystical tattoo artist promises characters tattoos with great powers. But the powers have horrible consequences.
40 - There is new glorious tomb being built for old king's corpse. But the problem is that the undead guards don't want king to be moved.
41 - Elven see visions where every other race is destroyed. Do elven keep this as a quiet secret or do they tell about it fearing how other people will think about it. What about elven characters who "know" that their comrades will be destroyed soon?
42 - There is a magic book with really mysterious unknown spell. The spell needs components hard to find. Does character party's magic-user try to solve and cast the spell or does party sell it for someone? Was it a mistake to sell it?
43 - Every morning dead people are found in the streets. Cause of death is unclear but every body has a mark in the forehead. One morning characters wake up with this mark. How to prevent their death the next night?
44 - Every time characters camp they see a mysterious stranger staring at them from distance. When approached he gets away. What does this stranger want?
45 - Characters stumble to a lost valley and cannot be back the way they got into. People living in there are primitive and dinosaurs (or monsters if dinosaurs are normal in the setting) are a danger.
46 - Weird castle with high walls rises near characters. What is the place and where did it come from?
47 - Characters find really realistic statues (from a dungeon, castle, wilderness). They soon realize that the statues cry and are actually real people turned to stone. How to revert this condition?
48 - Characters decide to rest in a nice small village of generous and hospital halflings. But they don't know that these halflings are a tribe of cannibals (well, eating humans, orcs, elven, dwarven, what-not) and plan to eat characters later.
49 - Players are asked to kill a dragon/monster but when they get there, the dragon/monster is harmless and really friendly and generally misjudged as evil.
50 - Skillful adventurers are asked for a playful tournament. But when tournament starts they find out being trapped in a pit. Fight or die!
51 - Characters get really powerful healing potions, but the withdrawal symptoms are horrible and they get immediately addicted.
52 - Looted talking magic sword has his own personality, history and motives. Sword is actually a princess enthralled into a sword by an evil witch.
53 - In the city there is huge problem with rats and insects. They seem to be swarming from sewers in huge numbers.
54 - Characters are lost even though it seems impossible. Now it is all about survival for food and shelter to get back to track.
55 - Characters must destroy a coven of witches half woman half cocroach. But the witches are not evil at all. They are just misunderstood.
56 - In the far north - land of the giants - there is a great treasure an explorer wants to retrieve. He hires characters to accompany him assuring that giants are stupid and easy to avoid...
57 - Travelling characters stumble upon an area of spiders. They are everywhere and their queen is really, really nasty.
58 - The king is young but weak of sickness. He asks characters to find any solution to cure him. But who is behind the sickness and why does he want the young king dead?
59 - Characters are asked to rescue the princess captured in the castle of horrific creatures from other dimensions.
60 - Characters start to get hints that they aren't real but actually heroes of a story in the book a man writes.
61 - Characters find out about a great treasure in far-away land but are told that in the treasure room there is a teleport what transports those who walk through anywhere they please. Easy in and out throwing treasures through a teleport? No. The travel is hard. The guards are dust golems shrugging off most of the attacks. And the treasury is long deserted and ruined by time and teleport is in pieces.
62 - In wilderness characters find a building site but they cannot figure out what is being built. Is it just a mad scientist with his crew building a device of travelling or is it evil scientist building horrible weapon of mass destruction?
63 - One of the characters finds out he is related to a god somehow. It doesn't affect anything else, but an evil kult knows this also and wants to destroy character.
64 - In dangerous area battling monsters characters find out that every time they are wounded the wound grows tiny tentacles. If the tentacles are cut off or healed they grow twice as big back. Explain that to doctor.
65 - In nowhere there is a colossal statue of young man. But in moonlight the colossal statue is animated.
66 - In big city there starts a revolution. People in slums and poor conditions against everyone else. The city gates are sealed and characters are trapped in the dangerous situation. Will they just try to hide, find a solution to solve this politically or take a side in revolution.
67 - Big comet hits the ground blasting a wave of destruction. Everything in that big area known is now destroyed and people must start from the beginning. But from the crater extraterrestial creeps come.
68 - Only characters know that king is not really what he seems to be. Real king is dead and the fake king is a demon from another plane.
69 - When traveling in rain some diamonds fall down. They look normal valuable easy treasures, but when kept in dark (backpack, pouch), they grow into small razor sharp diamond insects multiplying fast.
70 - Death is bored and spots characters. He wants to play a game. Death versus characters in a chess (or other game). If Death wins, he claims characters' souls. If characters win, Death grants one wish possible in his power.
71 - Traveling characters find badly wounded person. This person tells a wild story of war in other planes between lesser gods. And he lost and dropped down here. Now this person who claims to be lesser god wants characters' protection for great prize until he can claim his power back.
72 - Traveling characters stumble upon a huge orc (barbarian, monster) army with at least 10.000 units. Fortunately they didn't spot characters (yet). The army is clearly traveling towards major and important city nearby.
73 - A writer wants to company characters in their adventures to write great books of wonderful stories. But the writer has other plans in mind and the writing process is just a scam to get where/what he wants.
74 - Great treasure is promised to one who will venture into the old catacombs under the city and kill the lich king planning to claim the city above as his undead city killing and necromancing everyone living there.
75 - Zombies have feelings too. In catacombs/dungeons characters encounter lots of zombies. They might not be dangerous but are attacking without hesitation characters. The problem is that the souls of zombies speak with their mouths pleading characters not to destroy their bodies. They cry, wail and scream in pain when hit.
76 - A scout returns the town yelling that huge (I mean HUGE) snake is slowly approaching the city. The snake is so huge it will crush or swallow the city whole.
77 - Characters are captured by experimental scientist who performs strange experiments on them before characters can escape and fight their ways out. Meet mutant heroes!
78 - Characters are asked to help free the real prince from castle dungeons. But there is another replacement prince already - a doppelgänger. Final fight with both real and double prince will be trouble. Which one is which?
79 - There is a prophecy telling that when stars are right [add something really terrifying] happens. And astrologists tell that the stars are about to be right.
80 - There is a legendary place with legendary weapons (one for each character what suits them well; spell book or robe for M-U, armor or weapon for warrior etc.). But to get them is a legendary adventure.
81 - With thunder there comes a horrible avatar of lightning. It teleports to new spot of lightning strike. As avatar is pure energy it is horrible opponents. If it is destroyed it returns the next thunder. And now it is a season of storms...
82 - Everywhere in the area plants are dying including those meant for food. The source is a monument that radiates old evil.
83 - Robbed and stripped. In their camp characters wake up stripped and robbed without any equipment. They were enchanted into a deep sleep. Luckily they can track their robbers but it will be hard to reclaim their possessions without anything. Stealth and cunning is the way to deal with this.
84 - Instead of bards singing about characters' great adventures they sing insulting humor songs what aren't true about characters. How to correct this because the songs are really popular and widespread.
85 - City wants help from the character because all the children are missing.
86 - Characters get an opportunity to build a fortress/castle/tavern/what-not but there is great responsibility and lots of trouble maintaining it. But it can also be really rewarding.
87 - The inn character find is deserted. But there are marks that people have disappeared just moments ago. Plates full of warm food, wine barrel running wine on the floor, fireplace burning etc. Where did the people inside disappear?
88 - Characters run into quick sand/swamp and cannot get free! But when they are sucked in they drop into large cave and must find their way out. What dangers and rewards are there?
89 - Characters find a nice little box. When opened there is a crystal what shows light in one direction no matter which way you hold it. Where does the crystal point and why?
90 - Characters find a piece of paper but it is clearly torn apart. The message seems important/rewarding so they must collect the other parts. Behind each paper is a hint of whereabouts for the next one.
91 - Talking immortal cat accompanies characters and demands them to help him. The talking cat is a talking cat (not a transformed princess or anything) but he will lie if necessary just to get characters to help him.
92 - Everyone in the city/town/area is under a parasite of parasite god. They share mind and if one sees characters others in the area will see them also. The parasite god wants to do his [what ever] without disturbance thus wants to destroy characters. Only way to escape parasitic people is to destroy the parasite god.
93 - Someone from one character's family needs help really bad (not for characters who generally hate their family on are of "unknown past". But the actual problem family needs help to deal with is way worse than they could ever imagine.
94 - Characters find a weird storytelling game where they must create characters. Winning the game grants a prize. (Roleplaying game characters are playing a roleplaying game in a roleplaying game).
95 - One piece from king's chess set is missing and king hires characters to find it. But it is not only a missing piece because there is evil purpose why it is missing.
96 - Evil wizard shrinks characters and puts them into a maze with insects size of horse and rats size of dragons. They must clear the maze and survive. Evil wizard does this purely for entertainment but rewards surviving characters because he had so much fun.
97 - When killed the evil wizard characters had quest to kill he curses them as final words. The curse drops characters' heads off. Now the characters are headless and must carry their heads around finding a way to restore their heads back in the body.
98 - Characters encounter a moving city. City is like small island on mechanical walking feet. People there are nice and invite characters in. The moving city and people living in it are in a quest for [something] and will appreciate characters' help and experience.
99 - When traveling nice lord asks characters to take shelter in his mansion. But the lord is a vampire and either wants characters to join his undead legion by will or force. Be undead soldier for vampire lord or escape.
00 - Characters are transformed to 10-year old kids. Armors and such are too big to wear and weapons clumsy to wield and equipment possibly too heavy to carry around. No one will take characters seriously being really adults but treat them as kids.
01 - Labyrinth. There is a labyrinth with many levels, treasures and dangers. How deep you dare to travel and can you find your way out? There is a huge strange and dangerous monster in the middle with greatest rewards known to man.
02 - Fairyfolk traders. When everyone is sleeping fairies switch items and equipment with strange little seeds. What are seeds' magical qualities and why does fairyfolk want to trade those for big people?
03 - Camp of refugees has a problem. Their only water source, the well, has gone bad. Water makes people sick and turn them into centipede each full moon.
04 - Forgotten heir. There is a man in mid 20's claiming to be the real heir but he was outcast for some reason. He has every proof needed (birthmark for example) and he wants to claim his kingdom from his evil brother to rule it wisely.
05 - Raiders trouble countryside not only robbing but pillaging everything. Everyone in the area is terrified and guards and soldiers are powerless. It is rumored that the leader of the raiders is a necromancer and raiders are undead.
06 - Mist of misplace. After characters venture away from the misty area or mist clears they are in unfamiliar location. What strange things are there and how they get back to their own world?
07 - Castle of night. The castle characters are staying is nice but every night people disappear and castle corrupts to ruins of dangers and horrors. People living in the castle don't know about this and live their everyday life perfectly normal.
08 - Genie in the bottle grants three wishes but the prices are horrible. Characters will find this out too late.
09 - Village of orcs ask help because human village's soldiers near-by are killing them just because they are green-skinned.
10 - Through his magical mirror master thief can get everywhere to commit his crimes. Characters are asked to solve the mysterious crime spree.
11 - Characters catch an illness from a plague, but the cure is not easily available.
12 - Traders want characters to guard their trip through dangerous wilderness to a remote city.
13 - Weather goes nuts killing the crops, flooding the village etc. Evil wizard is behind this.
14 - Wizard summoned elder demon and to kill the demon legendary weapon must be crafted from pieces scattered all around the realm.
15 - Orphan child with mysterious powers is found, but a cult wants him/her dead.
16 - Characters are mistaken for someone else. They are treated generously until the day they are meant to sacrifice for gods.
17 - New god is born and wants characters to be his warriors.
18 - Characters loot a statue but every time they try to sell it they find it coming back. They get lots of money but make enemies who claim them to be hustlers. Also the statue has weird unwanted power they find out later.
19 - Character's horses start to talk. It might be funny, but with new intelligence the horses are not anymore that satisfied how characters treat them.
20 - Werewolf attacks characters but manages to escape. Every character in party is now a werewolf with new powers but also with disadvantages, like mark-of-the-wolf what makes people to avoid or want to kill them.
21 - The shrine of unknown god is guarded by living statues. But there is clearly something valuable on top of it.
22 - Suddenly for some strange reason no one can understand player party anymore even though characters understand the people whose language they are familiar with. What is the cause of this?
23 - Mercenaries want help from characters to kill a monster. But the monster is way bigger than expected. As big as a mountain and in a really bad mood.
24 - Ruins of dead soldiers haunting it is a place to go fetch something (item, prisoner). The problem is, that you can't see nor harm the ghost with normal means.
25 - After a big earthquake a crack opens in the middle of town. Hell spawn and other critters come up and the source must be dealt with.
26 - Characters find cursed treasure. No one is willing to buy it and characters cannot just toss it away. It is a burden they must carry unless find a way to break the curse.
27 - Every night mysterious huge moths attack characters. Where do those come from and why are they attracted to the party?
28 - The map shows lost city of gold but it is underwater. Stock up with spells and water breathing potions.
29 - Mutants or other monsters live in the hills near where characters rest the night. Characters are snatched in and kept as prisoners until they are eaten. Unless of course they manage to escape the tunnels infested with mutants.
30 - The city characters are staying is suddenly surrounded by a force field. You can't get over, under or through it. But there must be a way to break it.
31 - Characters switch bodies (swap the character sheets between players). They have new characteristics but personality stays the same.
32 - Strange beam transports characters into a spaceship with weird technology and alien race. They are studied and kept as prisoners. Escaping is only solution, but how to get back on surface?
33 - Everywhere characters go they see this same symbol. On tiles of walls, curtains, clothing of people, tree stumps etc. What do these symbols mean?
34 - Caught in the middle of war. Escaping the scenery would be a suicide.
35 - Mad scientist hires characters to guard his journey with strange flying ship. But the emergency landing in strange jungle/desert/mountains/isle was not in the plan.
36 - City has mechanical clocwork golems for guards and to do everyday labor. But one day golems go mad for a murdering spree.
37 - Characters share same dream in a twisted dream world. But they don't seem to wake up naturally to escape it.
38 - People and other intelligent races are replaced with walking and speaking animals.
39 - Mystical tattoo artist promises characters tattoos with great powers. But the powers have horrible consequences.
40 - There is new glorious tomb being built for old king's corpse. But the problem is that the undead guards don't want king to be moved.
41 - Elven see visions where every other race is destroyed. Do elven keep this as a quiet secret or do they tell about it fearing how other people will think about it. What about elven characters who "know" that their comrades will be destroyed soon?
42 - There is a magic book with really mysterious unknown spell. The spell needs components hard to find. Does character party's magic-user try to solve and cast the spell or does party sell it for someone? Was it a mistake to sell it?
43 - Every morning dead people are found in the streets. Cause of death is unclear but every body has a mark in the forehead. One morning characters wake up with this mark. How to prevent their death the next night?
44 - Every time characters camp they see a mysterious stranger staring at them from distance. When approached he gets away. What does this stranger want?
45 - Characters stumble to a lost valley and cannot be back the way they got into. People living in there are primitive and dinosaurs (or monsters if dinosaurs are normal in the setting) are a danger.
46 - Weird castle with high walls rises near characters. What is the place and where did it come from?
47 - Characters find really realistic statues (from a dungeon, castle, wilderness). They soon realize that the statues cry and are actually real people turned to stone. How to revert this condition?
48 - Characters decide to rest in a nice small village of generous and hospital halflings. But they don't know that these halflings are a tribe of cannibals (well, eating humans, orcs, elven, dwarven, what-not) and plan to eat characters later.
49 - Players are asked to kill a dragon/monster but when they get there, the dragon/monster is harmless and really friendly and generally misjudged as evil.
50 - Skillful adventurers are asked for a playful tournament. But when tournament starts they find out being trapped in a pit. Fight or die!
51 - Characters get really powerful healing potions, but the withdrawal symptoms are horrible and they get immediately addicted.
52 - Looted talking magic sword has his own personality, history and motives. Sword is actually a princess enthralled into a sword by an evil witch.
53 - In the city there is huge problem with rats and insects. They seem to be swarming from sewers in huge numbers.
54 - Characters are lost even though it seems impossible. Now it is all about survival for food and shelter to get back to track.
55 - Characters must destroy a coven of witches half woman half cocroach. But the witches are not evil at all. They are just misunderstood.
56 - In the far north - land of the giants - there is a great treasure an explorer wants to retrieve. He hires characters to accompany him assuring that giants are stupid and easy to avoid...
57 - Travelling characters stumble upon an area of spiders. They are everywhere and their queen is really, really nasty.
58 - The king is young but weak of sickness. He asks characters to find any solution to cure him. But who is behind the sickness and why does he want the young king dead?
59 - Characters are asked to rescue the princess captured in the castle of horrific creatures from other dimensions.
60 - Characters start to get hints that they aren't real but actually heroes of a story in the book a man writes.
61 - Characters find out about a great treasure in far-away land but are told that in the treasure room there is a teleport what transports those who walk through anywhere they please. Easy in and out throwing treasures through a teleport? No. The travel is hard. The guards are dust golems shrugging off most of the attacks. And the treasury is long deserted and ruined by time and teleport is in pieces.
62 - In wilderness characters find a building site but they cannot figure out what is being built. Is it just a mad scientist with his crew building a device of travelling or is it evil scientist building horrible weapon of mass destruction?
63 - One of the characters finds out he is related to a god somehow. It doesn't affect anything else, but an evil kult knows this also and wants to destroy character.
64 - In dangerous area battling monsters characters find out that every time they are wounded the wound grows tiny tentacles. If the tentacles are cut off or healed they grow twice as big back. Explain that to doctor.
65 - In nowhere there is a colossal statue of young man. But in moonlight the colossal statue is animated.
66 - In big city there starts a revolution. People in slums and poor conditions against everyone else. The city gates are sealed and characters are trapped in the dangerous situation. Will they just try to hide, find a solution to solve this politically or take a side in revolution.
67 - Big comet hits the ground blasting a wave of destruction. Everything in that big area known is now destroyed and people must start from the beginning. But from the crater extraterrestial creeps come.
68 - Only characters know that king is not really what he seems to be. Real king is dead and the fake king is a demon from another plane.
69 - When traveling in rain some diamonds fall down. They look normal valuable easy treasures, but when kept in dark (backpack, pouch), they grow into small razor sharp diamond insects multiplying fast.
70 - Death is bored and spots characters. He wants to play a game. Death versus characters in a chess (or other game). If Death wins, he claims characters' souls. If characters win, Death grants one wish possible in his power.
71 - Traveling characters find badly wounded person. This person tells a wild story of war in other planes between lesser gods. And he lost and dropped down here. Now this person who claims to be lesser god wants characters' protection for great prize until he can claim his power back.
72 - Traveling characters stumble upon a huge orc (barbarian, monster) army with at least 10.000 units. Fortunately they didn't spot characters (yet). The army is clearly traveling towards major and important city nearby.
73 - A writer wants to company characters in their adventures to write great books of wonderful stories. But the writer has other plans in mind and the writing process is just a scam to get where/what he wants.
74 - Great treasure is promised to one who will venture into the old catacombs under the city and kill the lich king planning to claim the city above as his undead city killing and necromancing everyone living there.
75 - Zombies have feelings too. In catacombs/dungeons characters encounter lots of zombies. They might not be dangerous but are attacking without hesitation characters. The problem is that the souls of zombies speak with their mouths pleading characters not to destroy their bodies. They cry, wail and scream in pain when hit.
76 - A scout returns the town yelling that huge (I mean HUGE) snake is slowly approaching the city. The snake is so huge it will crush or swallow the city whole.
77 - Characters are captured by experimental scientist who performs strange experiments on them before characters can escape and fight their ways out. Meet mutant heroes!
78 - Characters are asked to help free the real prince from castle dungeons. But there is another replacement prince already - a doppelgänger. Final fight with both real and double prince will be trouble. Which one is which?
79 - There is a prophecy telling that when stars are right [add something really terrifying] happens. And astrologists tell that the stars are about to be right.
80 - There is a legendary place with legendary weapons (one for each character what suits them well; spell book or robe for M-U, armor or weapon for warrior etc.). But to get them is a legendary adventure.
81 - With thunder there comes a horrible avatar of lightning. It teleports to new spot of lightning strike. As avatar is pure energy it is horrible opponents. If it is destroyed it returns the next thunder. And now it is a season of storms...
82 - Everywhere in the area plants are dying including those meant for food. The source is a monument that radiates old evil.
83 - Robbed and stripped. In their camp characters wake up stripped and robbed without any equipment. They were enchanted into a deep sleep. Luckily they can track their robbers but it will be hard to reclaim their possessions without anything. Stealth and cunning is the way to deal with this.
84 - Instead of bards singing about characters' great adventures they sing insulting humor songs what aren't true about characters. How to correct this because the songs are really popular and widespread.
85 - City wants help from the character because all the children are missing.
86 - Characters get an opportunity to build a fortress/castle/tavern/what-not but there is great responsibility and lots of trouble maintaining it. But it can also be really rewarding.
87 - The inn character find is deserted. But there are marks that people have disappeared just moments ago. Plates full of warm food, wine barrel running wine on the floor, fireplace burning etc. Where did the people inside disappear?
88 - Characters run into quick sand/swamp and cannot get free! But when they are sucked in they drop into large cave and must find their way out. What dangers and rewards are there?
89 - Characters find a nice little box. When opened there is a crystal what shows light in one direction no matter which way you hold it. Where does the crystal point and why?
90 - Characters find a piece of paper but it is clearly torn apart. The message seems important/rewarding so they must collect the other parts. Behind each paper is a hint of whereabouts for the next one.
91 - Talking immortal cat accompanies characters and demands them to help him. The talking cat is a talking cat (not a transformed princess or anything) but he will lie if necessary just to get characters to help him.
92 - Everyone in the city/town/area is under a parasite of parasite god. They share mind and if one sees characters others in the area will see them also. The parasite god wants to do his [what ever] without disturbance thus wants to destroy characters. Only way to escape parasitic people is to destroy the parasite god.
93 - Someone from one character's family needs help really bad (not for characters who generally hate their family on are of "unknown past". But the actual problem family needs help to deal with is way worse than they could ever imagine.
94 - Characters find a weird storytelling game where they must create characters. Winning the game grants a prize. (Roleplaying game characters are playing a roleplaying game in a roleplaying game).
95 - One piece from king's chess set is missing and king hires characters to find it. But it is not only a missing piece because there is evil purpose why it is missing.
96 - Evil wizard shrinks characters and puts them into a maze with insects size of horse and rats size of dragons. They must clear the maze and survive. Evil wizard does this purely for entertainment but rewards surviving characters because he had so much fun.
97 - When killed the evil wizard characters had quest to kill he curses them as final words. The curse drops characters' heads off. Now the characters are headless and must carry their heads around finding a way to restore their heads back in the body.
98 - Characters encounter a moving city. City is like small island on mechanical walking feet. People there are nice and invite characters in. The moving city and people living in it are in a quest for [something] and will appreciate characters' help and experience.
99 - When traveling nice lord asks characters to take shelter in his mansion. But the lord is a vampire and either wants characters to join his undead legion by will or force. Be undead soldier for vampire lord or escape.
00 - Characters are transformed to 10-year old kids. Armors and such are too big to wear and weapons clumsy to wield and equipment possibly too heavy to carry around. No one will take characters seriously being really adults but treat them as kids.
Identity theft - How to become doppelganger
To become a doppelganger wizard must first prepare a mask of human face. It needs ritual sacrifice to detach the face from a victim. Once the face is detached the wizard makes a mask of it. He then prepares another spell and must pass as the victim in front of people who know the victim well. Then the mask merges with wizard's face.
Wizard must repeat the above 10 times. After 10th time he has made the rituals and spells and has passed as a victim he transforms into a doppelganger.
Hacking Fallout
I love Fallout 3.
I like playing it so much I constantly was thinking while playing how much I'd like to play it as a tabletop roleplaying game. There are some Fallout fan-made rpg's already and there are other post-apocalyptic games. But I wanted to play Fallout 3.
My first sketch was basically translating Fallout 3 into a p&p system. It worked ok when I tweaked some aspects of the Fallout 3 "rules" into more playable form. It was ok but there was so much work to do to build a new system. So I forgot it.
But playing Fallout 3 I kept thinking about Fallout-ish p&p rpg. Then I started my current project I have already almost written.
I took something from Fallout 3 and started to use D20 system as a basic. This is what I got:
Character creation is familiar. Roll 3d6 in a row (alternatives are 3d6 swap two and 4d6, drop lowest, assign as you like). I just renamed Dexterity to Agility and replaced Wisdom with Perception.
Other characteristics like Hit points, Carry Capacity etc. are based on attributes.
Skill system is different. Skills are in percentile, but every 10% is +1 to d20 roll. So you have d20 mechanics with percentile skills. Point is you share points to skills at character creation and leveling up. And by reading skill books of course. So +1% can get you +1 to roll if you are at x9 currently. Small touch you could do with just giving +1's and so on, but I wanted to include the Fallout 0-100 skill scale.
Carry Capacity I ripped from Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Instead of calculating every little stone in your inventory you got three categories of items: unencumbering, normal and heavy. The weight/size of item affects how many you can carry.
Combat is a bit like Dungeonslayers. You roll d20 + skill + damage + modifiers (Attack Value or AV) against d20 + defense + armor + modifiers (Defense Value or DV). The difference of results is damage. So if AV is 25 and DV is 15 target suffers 10 points of damage (25-15=10).
Weapons have damage x/dx. Solid number what basically is bonus to attack roll and dice to roll to attack. So with a weapon 2/d6 you add +2 and d6 result to your d20+skill+modifiers.
I think the system is simple and easy.
There are also saves for radiation, explosives, poison, enviromental hazards etc. what work similarly to d20 games.
Armor are simply +x to DV.
Items do break and they need to be repaired. That is one big point of Fallout 3. Stuff breaks. But I haven't included the penalty to damage and armor value depending on condition. At the moment it feels a bit too complicated for me.
There are also some advanced combat rules like shooting enemies behind a cover, sneak attacks, attacking from a back etc. little tweaks. Not too complicated though.
Explosive rules are something I have written but am not sure are they satisfying. The area-of-effect and undirect fire makes them different from shooting guns.
This far I am quite happy with this. Need to write (copy-paste) stuff to make it whole and then start to play it and tweak the rules if I am not happy with them. Testing is they key to master this. There are few problems I already know but I won't fix them before testing them in action. Sometimes it is waste of time to write theory without experience.
Anyways, it can be found here (not ready yet):
https://sites.google.com/site/fallouthack/
Friday, June 8, 2012
Hag jinx
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| Hag picture from: http://pjlynchgallery.blogspot.fi/2008/10/hag-from-east-of-sun-and-west-of-moon.html |
It varies when a witch becomes so irritated he wants to harm you because every one of them is an individual. But when they get irritated and jinx you, Referee rolls the following tables to see what kind of the evil curse is and how it can be cured. It is up to Referee how character finds out the method of dispelling the curse (hag/witch tells, cleric or other tells etc.). Jinx cannot be cured with spells or clerics or other common means.
First roll table 1 to see the jinx and then roll 2 for the cure.
Table 1: Jinxed - d20
1 - Throat of confusion. Voice randomly rises or lowers in funny ways. Charisma based rolls are 5 harder.
2 - Hair growth is fast. Without shaving and maintaining body hair every day twice loose 2 points of charisma.
3 - Bad luck. 50% change once per session in Referee's decision character fails (25% critically if rules allow that).
4 - Nightmare. After sleep roll appropriate save or suffer -3 to every roll made that day.
5 - Losing items. After every scene involving action 20% change to lose random item from inventory.
6 - Gluttony. Need twice normal amount of food, water, healing potions etc. than normal.
7 - Marks of the wolf. Character is not werewolf but he has classical marks of one. Be cautious near superstitious people.
8 - Thinner. Appropriate save is needed every week or loose 1 CON. Dead when con reaches 0.
9 - Lazy feet. When running 20% change legs don't work how they should and can't run.
10 - Out of place. When action starts 20% change not able to do anything for 1d6 turns other than staring at nowhere.
11 - Rat lover. Where ever you are rats find you and want your attention. Rats don't attack you but it can be annoying in the tavern and other public places.
12 - Rot. -5 to CHA for smelly mouth, falling hair, horrible skin condition etc. Not lethal but disgusting.
13 - Lazy eye. Ranged attacks suffer -5 penalty.
14 - Gassy. Occasionally character develops blisters what burst with horrible smell. When dealing with others 20% change to get -5 to CHA.
15 - Deep sleeper. Needs 2 hours more sleep or suffers -2 to all actions the next day.
16 - Mark of evil. Animals get nervous around character. No more dog pet or riding horses.
17 - Whispering. Character hears whispering of spirits of the creatures he has killed 20% change in action. Save roll needed to focus or suffer -5 penalty the rest of the scene.
18 - Vision of death. Witch shows detailed vision how character dies (Referee's decision). Make sure character thinks it will happen soon (even though it would never happen).
19 - Allergy. Character is unable to wear, use, touch etc. item Referee chooses (leather, potions, silver).
20 - Roll twice for two curses at once!
Table 2: Dispelling
1 - Must give hag great wealth (1d1000 GP or something).
2 - Must dring a mug of king's (or other high-status-hard-to-meet person) piss.
3 - Must kill the hag that teleports away right after the curse.
4 - Must dance around trees naked for 10 days in the row (resting and eating allowed).
5 - Must marry the hag who cursed him. Officially marry.
6 - Must give the hag his first-born (time to make a baby if doesn't already have one).
7 - Must bath in holy water blessed by virgin cleric of age 13 (holy water that quantity will be tough if playing LotFP).
8 - Must tell everyone (at least 200 people) how the hag is wise and great and character stupid fool.
9 - Must travel to a distant hard-to-reach place and bury a token hag gives.
10 - Must kill the hag and eat her eyeballs (or something else cross if you aren't into cannibalism in games).
11 - Must sacrifice his own hand for potion to cure the curse.
12 - Must not see the sun for 30 days.
13 - Must tell a lie of horrible consequences.
14 - Transformed into half frog half man and must convince a princess to kiss him to turn back (yuck for princess).
15 - Must put all most important belongings (spell books and scrolls, gold, equipment and weapons) into sacks and throw in deep lake and never get them back.
16 - God who answers. Details here.
17 - Brew your own potion of really yucky and possibly rare ingredients (how horrible Referee you want to be) and drink it.
18 - Help 10 witches/hags/crazy old women in trouble.
19 - Swear loyalty to hag and be his servant for 3d6 new moons (let character be in party doing what the rest of the party is doing, but he has his own "mini quest" for witch/hag always going on).
20 - Roll twice.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Hands Of Death - Spell
Spell for Lamentation of the Flame Princess, d20, OSR and other fantasy roleplaying games.
Overview
Hands of Death is a powerful spell where caster can literally kill by touch. There is a small change for huge advantage but similarly a small change for disadvantage.
Spell
LVL 8 Cleric spell
Caster must learn the spell from the Order of the Death.
When casting the spell caster must touch the target with both hands without interruption for 5 turns.
Target rolls save versus death (what saving roll is best for this) or dies immediately.
There is 5% change (20 on d20) that caster will absorb the victims soul and immediately gains new level. His experience points remain the same though.
There is also 5% change (1 on d20) that when stealing other's life is so exhausting that caster looses one level. His experience is downgraded to minimum of his new level.
The Order Of The Death
To join the order following requirements must be met:
Overview
Hands of Death is a powerful spell where caster can literally kill by touch. There is a small change for huge advantage but similarly a small change for disadvantage.
Spell
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| Image by: http://www.pusfan.com/port3.htm - Pushead |
Caster must learn the spell from the Order of the Death.
When casting the spell caster must touch the target with both hands without interruption for 5 turns.
Target rolls save versus death (what saving roll is best for this) or dies immediately.
There is 5% change (20 on d20) that caster will absorb the victims soul and immediately gains new level. His experience points remain the same though.
There is also 5% change (1 on d20) that when stealing other's life is so exhausting that caster looses one level. His experience is downgraded to minimum of his new level.
The Order Of The Death
To join the order following requirements must be met:
- Character must be of Cleric class (or similar)
- Character must worship a god dealing with death
- Character must be evil
- Minimum level to join the order is 7
Before membership character must run initiative quests. The quests are related to death. There are 5 steps of quests what Referee should decide.
In babtism to The Order of the Death character makes a vow that he will only serve death and nothing else. If character breaks this vow he dies. If character violates the vow he must make a will save (or what suits best) not to be outcast by his new god.
The order worships god of death and they practice taking lives for their god and for the balance of life.
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Grimworld - what it is now
Over a year ago I started creating my own fantasy setting Grimworld inspired by Zak Sabbat's Vornheim, Discworld, Ravenloft, gothic horror fantasy, mega-dungeons and so on. Later when I got Lamentations of the Flameprincess Grindhouse edition I found out it would also suit my Grimworld. Also I found two great PDF files called Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque Compendium and Flavors of Fear: 13 Weird Fantasy Setting Sketches at Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque blog.
I found out there are enough great settings so instead of creating a new one I decided to write sourcebook with additional rules and material to use in settings and games mentioned above. I realized that creating a new setting is too much work and making small details for existing settings would be more wise way to work this out.
I haven't published anything yet but I will use Google Documents for this. It is a good tool to share files and it can be edited easily.
What Is It?
It is a collection of my campaign ideas, places, monsters, NPCs, optional rules etc. to be used in my own campaigns and also to be used for everyone who wants to.
Where Is Grimworld?
Great thing in Dungeons & Dragons is that there are thousands of planes. Like Ravenloft you can get accidentally getting lost in mist or by purpose from special places players could get to some places of Grimworld (city example) from a portal or other disturbance between planes. Or GM could simply just include them in his campaign where ever he sees they fit best.
How To Use It?
There are optional rules (based on LotFP but fully compatible with other OSR and other fantasy games with small modification) GM can choose to use. There are also other setting things GM can grab and use in his own campaigns. Like NPCs, places etc.
What I Already Got?
Writing City of Nurmberg and adventure hooks there. Some additional races and character classes (less rules more details), optional magic rules for Elven and totally new magic rules what use power words instead of learned list of spells. Also I will include stuff from this blog in there.
PDF Publish?
Well, I will "publish" it freely at Google Documents when there are more material and will continue to edit it when I get more ideas. I don't know when it will be finished or will it be finished at all. It is a downloadable and viewable collection of my ideas and what I use in my campaign.
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