Here they are
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Marvelous Friday Night Game
So Friday night we played the great new Marvel Heroic Role Playing Game.
We did the included adventure/mini Epic and it was a lot of fun. More so for me as I remember reading the comic it was based on and it made it that much more enjoyable.
The Players took a bunch of Avengers or soon to be Avengers to the disaster on the Raft [did it ever occur to anyone the Hudson is a bad place for a super prison? I guess so hence the negative zone prison but still right off NY what where they thinking?]. We lampooned this many times during the game session.
 |
| The roster of your dreams |
Battles were great, mental and social conflict equally so. Initiative is so simple and yet innovative
It goes like this once the "Scene" has been introduced and the stakes have been set and its clear to everyone what happening one of the players gets to go first it can be say the central leader hero, or one who is fast, or the first player to speaks up. Once the first character has had a go, whether it’s a player hero or a GM's character, the "Action-Order" has begun. And here is the genius of the system It’s the player of the character who just acted that determines who goes next. The other neat wrinkle is that the person in control of the last character to act (player or GM called the Watcher in the game) in the "Action-Order" chooses who goes first at the top of the next action order. Its so simple and yet in play its genius. This one item alone is a great piece of rpg design. I think it may come from LARP as it feels like a LARP rule in its simplicity.
 |
| Sure. All Ozi heroes are like this. |
Their are other rules which are very close to Leverage and more close again to Smallville, with a number of new tweaks to make action scenes really shine. The effect die which has sort of been in Cotext+ really gets called out in this game and you can make some fun tactical choices about your use of the dice that "feels" like your making in game decisions.
We are still learning the new rule nuances but we where up and running really quickly.
There are some great play aids which make leaning the game easy and plenty of great examples to make gaming actions understandable. These proved very handy as many of the rules are very subtle and nuanced yet far reaching so we really appreciated these aids and hints.
 |
| Now that's a much better Aussie Hero |
We are having fun and will be doing this game again soon.
Oh yeah in case your wondering there IS support for making your own heroes, and normally we would do just that. However the game has done such a good job in capturing the flavor of each of the characters you just want to play them. I found myself really wanting to be able to purchase a Datafile character book to just drool over like the old Gamers Handbook of the Marvel Universe.
I'm really anxiously awaiting the other releases in the line.
It probably wont take the place of our regular game [although it *could*] but it will be our choice of "pick-up" game for the foreseeable future.
THE 20 Questions and the Answers
20 Questions Answered
Brendan of the blog Untimately has really stated something across the web and it dovetails nicely with my D&D Next post of last week, so I'm joining in the fun.
1. Ability scores generation method?
R4d6K3, (4d6 drop the lowest), pick a stat pug in the value and repeat. No rearrangement – no trading points.
2. How are death and dying handled?
Player characters can't have less than 0 hit points. Each time a player character takes damage that would take them to or below 0 hit points their hit points hold static at 0 and they must roll on the Grievous Injury and Mortal Wounds table modified by the damage taken.
PS - I cant remember who's table this is but all credit and thanks
3. What about raising the dead?
Yes. Per the Spell. Paying for it is not enough. A PC should be able to demonstrate they are a lay member in good standing of the god. Friends of the PC who are religious can can petition on behalf of a Irreligious PC and this effectively doubles the required tithe. This makes religious observance appropriately "Genre" and removes the "I'll buy that for a dollar".
4. How are replacement PCs handled?
The newly created PC level is determined by the hit Dice of the cannon fodder most of the party would be taking on in any given encounter. Retcons so the new PC happens to be a henchman with the party, a wandering <<class>> the party encounters, a prisoner in a cell etc.
5. Initiative: individual, group, or something else?
Group d6 initiative
6. Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work?
Maybe. Helmets are mostly cosmetic in D&D. However in some cases they will be beneficial. If you wear a helmet you can push your Grievous Injury and Mortal Wounds result up a "band"
8. Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly?
No your a legendary archer/ Wizard/ Knife thrower and have the control required. Unless a Fumble occurs.
9. Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?
Sandbox rules ... so some encounters are going to be too hard. A Wizard can use his knowledge and spend a round "espying" a target and get a rough sense of its threat to him. This is partly why scrying wizards are so bad ass.
10. Level-draining monsters: yes or no?
Yes.
11. Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?
Yes. Thankfully you can - if you are a worshiper or have some friends - get resurrected.
12. How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked?
Resources yes, as it add to the challenge of an adventure torches, rations etc. Therefore encumbrance has to come into the equation.
Encumbrance as follows - thanks to Dragon warriors: A character can carry ten items equivalent to
"a weapon" in size and approximate weight.
Such items also include the following:
Armour is also excluded as you need to be trained in its use and that is a function of class.
Add or subtract your characteristic bonus value from the ten items you can carry.
13. What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?
No training is required to advance a level and revive the new hit point allotment. If there is a class ability that level *which would seemingly require training* such as spells etc then a teacher must be found. Regardless you have to lose cash each level. Some times this is for teaching other times its celebratory or a combination of the two.
14. What do I get experience for?
Some treasure, all Monsters - killed, tricked or cleverly avoided/bested and clever roleplaying or table laughs.
15. How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?
Roll only however you can redo so if you really think its there and you have all the time in the world. Some traps can not be *disarmed* in any way other then triggering them.
16. Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work?
Yes. retainers and henchmen are encouraged. Morale and relationship mods works on all NPC's and are activated as required.
17. How do I identify magic items?
Most magic items give themselves away due to the way they look. Anyone can tell. Magic Users may know the story of the item and therefor may know the special uses of the item. All magic items have a hidden special ability even +1 swords etc but you need to know how to activate it.
18. Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions?
You could buy a magic item. Some common items such as charms, talismans and potions (essentially all the same thing) are relatively easy to come by.
Magical weapons and special items are too precious and are horded by nobility and monsters ...and hum ere Monster nobility.
19. Can I create magic items? When and how?
Scrolls at 1st level (if you can copy a spell permanently into a spell book you can write a scroll), potions at level 3, minor/one-shot magic at level 6, and powerful/permanent magic items at level 11. Of course doing so requires major investment in time and money, and results may vary.
20. What about splitting the party?
Not a problem, it produces some of the most fun moments of the game.
Brendan of the blog Untimately has really stated something across the web and it dovetails nicely with my D&D Next post of last week, so I'm joining in the fun.
1. Ability scores generation method?
R4d6K3, (4d6 drop the lowest), pick a stat pug in the value and repeat. No rearrangement – no trading points.
2. How are death and dying handled?
Player characters can't have less than 0 hit points. Each time a player character takes damage that would take them to or below 0 hit points their hit points hold static at 0 and they must roll on the Grievous Injury and Mortal Wounds table modified by the damage taken.
2d6
|
RESULTS
|
2 or lower
|
Instant Death (decapitated or similar death).
|
3
|
Fatal Wound (gutted, stabbed through lung, broken back, and the like)
die in 1d20 x 10 minutes. A Wish or similar effect would heal wound.
Knocked Out until death unless Save vs Death is made. |
4-5
|
Severed Limb use hit location die, if head rolled and no helmet then
as '2', if body rolled and no armor then as '3', otherwise will bleed out and
die in 1d6 rounds. Magical healing (magic used for this will not restore lost
hp), a tourniquet, or cauterization with fire will allow a Save vs Death with
bonus equal to lvl of spell cast, if any. Success means character requires
3d4 weeks of healing.
Knocked Out until death unless Save vs Death is made. |
6-7
|
Broken Bone use hit location die. 3d4 weeks to heal.
Knocked Out 1d20 rounds unless Save vs Death is made. If head bone was broke and no helmet and failed save then knocked out, "in coma", until healed instead. |
8-9
|
Knocked Out for 1d12 rounds if wearing a helm. If no helmet then as Broken
Head Bone.
|
10-11
|
Stunned for 1d4 rounds and lose helm if wearing helm. Knocked
Out for 1d12 rounds if not wearing helm.
|
12+
|
"Now I'm Mad" a surge of adrenaline returns 1d4 hit points per hit die.
At the end of the combat, the adrenaline drains away, hit points are reduced
to zero, and the PC faints for 2d6 rounds. If you roll this more than once in
a single combat consider yourself a Bezerker under the effects of a potion of
super-heroism.
|
PS - I cant remember who's table this is but all credit and thanks
3. What about raising the dead?
Yes. Per the Spell. Paying for it is not enough. A PC should be able to demonstrate they are a lay member in good standing of the god. Friends of the PC who are religious can can petition on behalf of a Irreligious PC and this effectively doubles the required tithe. This makes religious observance appropriately "Genre" and removes the "I'll buy that for a dollar".
4. How are replacement PCs handled?
The newly created PC level is determined by the hit Dice of the cannon fodder most of the party would be taking on in any given encounter. Retcons so the new PC happens to be a henchman with the party, a wandering <<class>> the party encounters, a prisoner in a cell etc.
5. Initiative: individual, group, or something else?
Group d6 initiative
6. Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work?
Any time a player rolls a natural ‘20’ on a “to hit” roll,
it is a critical hit. This results in a Grievous Injury and Mortal Wounds roll on the table.
Likewise, if a player rolls a natural ‘1’ on a “to hit”
roll, it is considered a critical failure or fumble. Typically, this means the
combatant hurts himself, drops his weapon, breaks his weapon, or just plain
falls down – GM's discretion.
7. Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet?Maybe. Helmets are mostly cosmetic in D&D. However in some cases they will be beneficial. If you wear a helmet you can push your Grievous Injury and Mortal Wounds result up a "band"
8. Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly?
No your a legendary archer/ Wizard/ Knife thrower and have the control required. Unless a Fumble occurs.
9. Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?
Sandbox rules ... so some encounters are going to be too hard. A Wizard can use his knowledge and spend a round "espying" a target and get a rough sense of its threat to him. This is partly why scrying wizards are so bad ass.
10. Level-draining monsters: yes or no?
Yes.
11. Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?
Yes. Thankfully you can - if you are a worshiper or have some friends - get resurrected.
12. How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked?
Resources yes, as it add to the challenge of an adventure torches, rations etc. Therefore encumbrance has to come into the equation.
Encumbrance as follows - thanks to Dragon warriors: A character can carry ten items equivalent to
"a weapon" in size and approximate weight.
Such items also include the following:
- a scroll
- a days rations
- a bottle
- a lantern or torch
- a sack of coins (about 150)
Armour is also excluded as you need to be trained in its use and that is a function of class.
Add or subtract your characteristic bonus value from the ten items you can carry.
13. What's required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?
No training is required to advance a level and revive the new hit point allotment. If there is a class ability that level *which would seemingly require training* such as spells etc then a teacher must be found. Regardless you have to lose cash each level. Some times this is for teaching other times its celebratory or a combination of the two.
14. What do I get experience for?
Some treasure, all Monsters - killed, tricked or cleverly avoided/bested and clever roleplaying or table laughs.
15. How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?
Roll only however you can redo so if you really think its there and you have all the time in the world. Some traps can not be *disarmed* in any way other then triggering them.
16. Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work?
Yes. retainers and henchmen are encouraged. Morale and relationship mods works on all NPC's and are activated as required.
17. How do I identify magic items?
Most magic items give themselves away due to the way they look. Anyone can tell. Magic Users may know the story of the item and therefor may know the special uses of the item. All magic items have a hidden special ability even +1 swords etc but you need to know how to activate it.
18. Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions?
You could buy a magic item. Some common items such as charms, talismans and potions (essentially all the same thing) are relatively easy to come by.
Magical weapons and special items are too precious and are horded by nobility and monsters ...and hum ere Monster nobility.
19. Can I create magic items? When and how?
Scrolls at 1st level (if you can copy a spell permanently into a spell book you can write a scroll), potions at level 3, minor/one-shot magic at level 6, and powerful/permanent magic items at level 11. Of course doing so requires major investment in time and money, and results may vary.
20. What about splitting the party?
Not a problem, it produces some of the most fun moments of the game.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Mike Mearls D&D fail - Lets get back to the game we know
If you know me you know my opinion of Mike Mearls and his butcher job of D&D 4th ed. 4th ed is in my opinion a good set of really detailed skirmish rules which are not as good as the much better Warhammer Quest and Descent Journeys in the Dark etc ad nauseum. Its Bloat-ware meets skirmish gaming.
How Mike Mearls got this job I don't know. How he has kept his job after Paizo Publishing and PATHFINDER gave his D&D Fail edition a spanking, I just don't know.
Thankfully Hasbro/Wizards got Monty Cook back who does have some real D&D cred and the Bruce Cordell who does great work on his books.
Just go and try find out what great outstanding rpg product Mike has made. His Gimmicks guide to Gadgets showed an appalling lack of Mutants and Masterminds system understanding and a lack of general comparability with the core Mutants and Masterminds rules. His other land mark products were the Alderac Entertainment Group D&D stuff which was really quite pedestrian/ordinary except for the d20 Toolbox which was really very good ...but which he did not work on. Just so you know the list of works the guy did before the landmark D&D Fail Edition go have a look. I'm really not sure how he got the big gig for Fail Edition.
So D&D Next - stupid uncool name by the way. I say build off of what is essentially Basic D&D, Labyrinth Lord and Swords and Wizardry, and some sprinkles of AD&D. Look at the proliferation of house rules people have compiled. It looks like people out in the OSR like things like
Fighter options - i.e Feats for fighters
Easy and few, skills maybe even on a D6
Easy multiclassing
No demihuman level limits
Shields which shatter
Optional alternate spell system to Vancian
Just go google fu "House Rules" and you will get a great list with a large consensus of applications. If shields don't shatter in the new edition you will know they did not browse OSR blogs, as this one rule is nearly a ubiquitous house rule.
If you want to see the sort of thing people want from a serviceable game outside of D&D go look at D&D 3.0, Savage Worlds and BRP. In the framework these games provide for their systems there is a lot to learn.
Bring back a focus on the story telling, the role playing and the emergent game actual play at the table over character optimization mini games .
And Hurry up Wizards !!! Your fast becoming irrelevant, with the OSR and Pathfinder I dont NEED a game with the D&D label on it - You need to show me that I do ... Or I'll go on playing stuff I call D&D but is not your product.
If OD&Ders and other folks can do this in a few months and get it right, why is it taking you so bloody long to get it right?
How Mike Mearls got this job I don't know. How he has kept his job after Paizo Publishing and PATHFINDER gave his D&D Fail edition a spanking, I just don't know.
Thankfully Hasbro/Wizards got Monty Cook back who does have some real D&D cred and the Bruce Cordell who does great work on his books.
Just go and try find out what great outstanding rpg product Mike has made. His Gimmicks guide to Gadgets showed an appalling lack of Mutants and Masterminds system understanding and a lack of general comparability with the core Mutants and Masterminds rules. His other land mark products were the Alderac Entertainment Group D&D stuff which was really quite pedestrian/ordinary except for the d20 Toolbox which was really very good ...but which he did not work on. Just so you know the list of works the guy did before the landmark D&D Fail Edition go have a look. I'm really not sure how he got the big gig for Fail Edition.
So D&D Next - stupid uncool name by the way. I say build off of what is essentially Basic D&D, Labyrinth Lord and Swords and Wizardry, and some sprinkles of AD&D. Look at the proliferation of house rules people have compiled. It looks like people out in the OSR like things like
Fighter options - i.e Feats for fighters
Easy and few, skills maybe even on a D6
Easy multiclassing
No demihuman level limits
Shields which shatter
Optional alternate spell system to Vancian
Just go google fu "House Rules" and you will get a great list with a large consensus of applications. If shields don't shatter in the new edition you will know they did not browse OSR blogs, as this one rule is nearly a ubiquitous house rule.
If you want to see the sort of thing people want from a serviceable game outside of D&D go look at D&D 3.0, Savage Worlds and BRP. In the framework these games provide for their systems there is a lot to learn.
Bring back a focus on the story telling, the role playing and the emergent game actual play at the table over character optimization mini games .
And Hurry up Wizards !!! Your fast becoming irrelevant, with the OSR and Pathfinder I dont NEED a game with the D&D label on it - You need to show me that I do ... Or I'll go on playing stuff I call D&D but is not your product.
If OD&Ders and other folks can do this in a few months and get it right, why is it taking you so bloody long to get it right?
Friday, February 17, 2012
Adventure ideas for totems of the dead
A common question for Totems of the Dead is what do I do;
I think there is some source material that would make quite good inspiration or maybe even adaptable for a Totems game.
I think it would be relatively easy to adapt the Griffon Island boxed set from Runequest. Sure you could equally use the original Griffin Mountain but you would require more normalization to get it striped and fitted to a Totems of the Dead game. The "map" coldnt really be reused but much of the content could be re-purposed and put to use to create a good sandbox for play.
The other solid option in a similar vein would be to adapt the Mongoose publishing Slaine rpg adventures
that is
I also remember there is a Conan d20 rpg adventure about Thunder River and settling lands out form a fort
I think its Across The Thunder River
But many of them could likely be adapted including
If you have some good suggestions please post them in the comments section so I can follow them up.
I would not be surprised if there were some good and appropriate pathfinder modules that could be tweeked too....humm Kingmaker for a group of Sea Wolves setting out to expand the frontier?
I think there is some source material that would make quite good inspiration or maybe even adaptable for a Totems game.
that is
- The Invulnerable King
- Teeth of the Moon Sow
- The Ragnarok Book
- Way of the Horned God
I also remember there is a Conan d20 rpg adventure about Thunder River and settling lands out form a fort
I think its Across The Thunder RiverBut many of them could likely be adapted including
- Trial of Blood
- Ruins of Hyboria
- The Lurking Terror of Nahab - city based so this would have to be in one of the big hubs
- Reavers of the Vilayet
If you have some good suggestions please post them in the comments section so I can follow them up.
I would not be surprised if there were some good and appropriate pathfinder modules that could be tweeked too....humm Kingmaker for a group of Sea Wolves setting out to expand the frontier?
Passive players
Over on the Scrolls of the Platinum Warlock (btw he often has good stuff to say so go follow his blog) he talks about this month's topic, hosted over at Nevermet Press:"Things to Love, Things to Hate"--essentially, what do you (as a GM
or as a player) look for in an RPG, an adventure, a system, etc.
So I have to try and make time to get my set down in the blog by months end.
One of his dislikes really stood out for me as its my own number 1 pet peeve
I hate it when players don't give me anything to work with...then complain about it.
I could not agree more. Furthermore why is it many players;
I need to try and develop a subsystem which is quick and elegant and handles this... hum already I can see I'll be turning to Leverage rpg and Mistborn maybe even a bit of FATE for some research on how to facilitate this during a session.
So I have to try and make time to get my set down in the blog by months end.
One of his dislikes really stood out for me as its my own number 1 pet peeve
I hate it when players don't give me anything to work with...then complain about it.
- GMing is hard work. It's a lot of prep, and it's a lot of writing. If I'm asking you, as a player, for a background, that means that I need your help in contributing to the world and to have an active investment in it. It means that I want to engage you as both a player and a character. And, when you reject that? Yeah...that sends a pretty strong message that you don't really care about playing.
I could not agree more. Furthermore why is it many players;
- Don't read the games background material
- Only will play one meta-character The Ninja, the Barbarian, The Notice-everthing- monster, etc
- Not get with the setting trope - ie Black Magic with a cost in Swords and Sorcery, A Noble not a fighter, as a knight in Pendragon.
I need to try and develop a subsystem which is quick and elegant and handles this... hum already I can see I'll be turning to Leverage rpg and Mistborn maybe even a bit of FATE for some research on how to facilitate this during a session.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Savage worlds and retro gaming
In jumping around the blogosphere in regard to Savage worlds and OD&D I have come across a number of interesting bits and pieces.
Not the least of which is Mandate Archive - Transhuman Tech I'm a huge fan of the work Kevin Crawford has done on the Core Stars Without Number material and I'm impressed that he has put together some great Trans Human material. We once joked on rpg.net one the irony of playing transhuman stories using the oldest and original rpg systems. The result though is very satisfying.
SWN has some issues no doubt - 1st lvl characters are gossamer like targets for many of the weapons in the game so navigating low levels is best done with caution. Not necessarily a bad thing just something to be aware of. Transhumanism complicates and challenges some of the basic assumptions of an old school game due to the post scarcity economy of a post-singularity society. This is were the advice in this supplement, but also in Darkness Visible. are going to be useful. There is a very neat fit with the two supplements. If you read a lot of trans-lit much of it focuses on the agendas of various factions as they advance their belief systems and explore their humanity and the vastness of space and the universe.
I'm enjoying the read and getting ideas for Sci-fi gaming. The fact that its old school is just "cherrys-on-top".
Also in old school sci-fi, which a lot of people are propagating right now, is the wonderfully pulpy "Tales of the Space-Princess". What is wonderful about this game is it was designed in response to the challenge that sci-fio games where somehow inferior or not as fun as Fantasy games. As a result this game is very much about "go get the MacGuffin". In this case, its more or less a "dungeon" with scifi trappings "spaceship/space-station/outpost/flying-city" etc. There is a handy-dandy included map for just this purpose. The characters "classes" have a satisfying old school feel to them and even a retro-scifi feel, which I don't think is strictly needed. However advancement in the game doesn't seem to me to have the longevity other games seem to have. Then I remembered early traveler with its "no advancement" and I was all ok. However I can see how some people would not like the large-grain advancement in the game. However it IS very Old school being reminiscent of the chainmail treatment of character figures.
The interesting generic characters of "Savage Worlds Characters Are All The Same"
which, clearly are not make interesting grist for the Savage character mill. The granularity in Savage Worlds is fairly high level i.e. there is not a lot of fine grained distinction between Attributes and Skills however the canny application of Edges and Hindrances gives the definition. While its not actually an old school game it plays very well and is obviously a game put together with the forethought and experience of actual play.
In a effort to immerse my mind in the zeitgeist of Totems of the Dead, I'm reading and getting into Aztec again. Do yourself a favour and pick it up if your interested in the ancient native American and south American society and culture. I'd love to know more books like this so I went to Goodreads but had trouble finding anything. I'm still looking but its not so easy.
What I did find was more information on Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart great book. What I found out that I didnt know was there are more all set with the same character. Furthermore I found many people had also shared their passion for Chinese and Japanese inspired fantasies and had a wonderful time looking though the lists and putting books into my to-read list.
Which will be good material to have in mind for when I get the opportunity to run a Quin the Warring States, Legends of Wulin or Legends of the Five rings game. The way I feel about it now I'd run a Legends sanbox game if I ever got the chance.
So its been a good week of research for the evolving game.
Not the least of which is Mandate Archive - Transhuman Tech I'm a huge fan of the work Kevin Crawford has done on the Core Stars Without Number material and I'm impressed that he has put together some great Trans Human material. We once joked on rpg.net one the irony of playing transhuman stories using the oldest and original rpg systems. The result though is very satisfying.
SWN has some issues no doubt - 1st lvl characters are gossamer like targets for many of the weapons in the game so navigating low levels is best done with caution. Not necessarily a bad thing just something to be aware of. Transhumanism complicates and challenges some of the basic assumptions of an old school game due to the post scarcity economy of a post-singularity society. This is were the advice in this supplement, but also in Darkness Visible. are going to be useful. There is a very neat fit with the two supplements. If you read a lot of trans-lit much of it focuses on the agendas of various factions as they advance their belief systems and explore their humanity and the vastness of space and the universe.
I'm enjoying the read and getting ideas for Sci-fi gaming. The fact that its old school is just "cherrys-on-top".
Also in old school sci-fi, which a lot of people are propagating right now, is the wonderfully pulpy "Tales of the Space-Princess". What is wonderful about this game is it was designed in response to the challenge that sci-fio games where somehow inferior or not as fun as Fantasy games. As a result this game is very much about "go get the MacGuffin". In this case, its more or less a "dungeon" with scifi trappings "spaceship/space-station/outpost/flying-city" etc. There is a handy-dandy included map for just this purpose. The characters "classes" have a satisfying old school feel to them and even a retro-scifi feel, which I don't think is strictly needed. However advancement in the game doesn't seem to me to have the longevity other games seem to have. Then I remembered early traveler with its "no advancement" and I was all ok. However I can see how some people would not like the large-grain advancement in the game. However it IS very Old school being reminiscent of the chainmail treatment of character figures.
The interesting generic characters of "Savage Worlds Characters Are All The Same"
which, clearly are not make interesting grist for the Savage character mill. The granularity in Savage Worlds is fairly high level i.e. there is not a lot of fine grained distinction between Attributes and Skills however the canny application of Edges and Hindrances gives the definition. While its not actually an old school game it plays very well and is obviously a game put together with the forethought and experience of actual play.
In a effort to immerse my mind in the zeitgeist of Totems of the Dead, I'm reading and getting into Aztec again. Do yourself a favour and pick it up if your interested in the ancient native American and south American society and culture. I'd love to know more books like this so I went to Goodreads but had trouble finding anything. I'm still looking but its not so easy.
What I did find was more information on Bridge of Birds: A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was by Barry Hughart great book. What I found out that I didnt know was there are more all set with the same character. Furthermore I found many people had also shared their passion for Chinese and Japanese inspired fantasies and had a wonderful time looking though the lists and putting books into my to-read list.
Which will be good material to have in mind for when I get the opportunity to run a Quin the Warring States, Legends of Wulin or Legends of the Five rings game. The way I feel about it now I'd run a Legends sanbox game if I ever got the chance.
So its been a good week of research for the evolving game.
Friday, February 10, 2012
A Savage Switch
Game night was last night. We switched from OD&D, to Savage Worlds to see how the game would run under those rules, more as an experiment, than a real plan. Actually it was quite good. It hit all the "F'"s. Fast, Furious and Fun. The players seemed to enjoy the switch and want to keep on "giving it a go".
The extra options supported by Savage Worlds; a skill list, edges, hindrances, beanies and the magic system, all seemed to suit them and what they wanted from a game (as Players). I have to say, the system is, very easy to prepare for as a GM. Management during the game is a breeze too. The hardest concept in Savage worlds is the "Shaken" condition and the players easily took it in their stride and gamed on.
I have some small regrets leaving OD&D behind. OD&D is great from a GM's perspective, lots of support, great community, ease of preparation, all of that. House rules for OD&D is however getting quite frankly, ridiculous. While its fun to do this type of thing, its a bit of a joke keeping all the tiny tweaks for the game in line. I do share the perspective that JM shared; house rules should only be the rules used at the table. Unfortunately straight Labyrinth Lord, Original Edition D&D, Rules Cyclopaedia or OSRIC just doesn't quite get the players over the line - they want more from the character subsystems. The things above are good examples.
To give you an idea of the breadth of our house rules, which have crept in over time,
Fighter options - sort of like "feats" see original edition delta for the same sort of concept
No Cleric class only a magic user class, a combined spell list with some spells culled
Thief skills on the Target 20 check type
Target 20 for combat
"Good At" skills based off appropriate stat bonus using Target 20
I think its happened as a result of liking many of the innovations in 3.0+ D&D. They are not a huge change to the dynamic of the game but significant enough. I wonder how D&D5 will manage these realities. Small changes to what was the 3.0 core would actually us back to the core game. Not in the direction of Pathfinder. Its to power game-ist, too ... I cant really find the words but its sort of a good example of the "wrong" direction to my way of thinking. I want a "Less is more" approach. David Bezio's X-Plorers being a great example of just how much you can do with a "just-enough" approach.
After following a few online discussions and looking over Blogs like the The City of Iron [great blog] it seemed like savage worlds was a natural move.
I was already predisposed to Savage Worlds due to the wonderful World of Solomon Kane, Beasts & Barbarians and the splendiferous, Totems of the Dead.
My only concern now is to make Savage Worlds feel sufficiently gritty enough for a sword and sorcery feel and I'm sure we can get that happening. To be totally honest I have some doubts about the game and its play style. For me I could try a new game every few weeks though so - mainly because I find role playing such a compelling hobby.
I also feel Savage Worlds opens up a whole new realm of gaming for the group maybe giving them a desire to play the games listed above as well as games like Deadlands.
So we go on with this until I get a Sci Fi game all planed out and ready to go. Who knows maybe I'll use Savage Worlds for it too.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Sci Fi tease
This has me interested same artist from Totems of the Dead doing a Sci-Fi sorrow setting. Not necessarily my type of thing for gaming but the Tomaz' art is gorgeous.
Dead Iconic
Totems of the Dead by Gun Metal Games. Its a Savage worlds game right now but I wouldn't be surprised if it got the Pathfinder treatment too at some point.
What a strange idea from which to bring forth lots of cool - Vikings sail to America and settle in Vinlund (historical fact) and Native American tribes are warring with Wedigo's and Atlantis. In Matt Kisser's words the games dev "I was daydreaming about how cool it would be to have a fully fledged fantasy setting based not on the standard European and Asian mythological fare, as cool as that stuff can be, but rather one loosely inspired by the rich history and mythology of the native peoples of the Americas".
Essentially the setting is a Sword and Sorcery not high fantasy setting which will scream Conan or Kull to you if your like me.
I've only just got my hands on this lovely book the "players guide" and now I really want to get the GM's guide too but I'm disappointed it does not contain a full plot point campaign - which at one stage it was going to. Still the Player guide is so good I'll be ordering the GM's book too.
I'm still getting into the background of the game. I've always wanted to do a Last of the Mohicans type game and that has attracted me to game like Colonial Gothic, Witch Hunter, Northern Crown/Septentrionalis, The Savage World of Solomon Kane etc. This give that type of feel, but is set much earlier in an alt-history Earth the time of Viking and the first empire-cultures of the world.
I'll post more on my impressions of the game once I've read more. However even now I'm thinking this would make great source material for a sandbox game and it would be easy to use it as a setting for an OSR game. This will be easier if a Pathfinder version does come out.
The essential conflicts of the games setting are:
1. The Arrival of the Skadians: The Skadian (Viking) settlers who came to the Untamed Lands had to conquer and displace a number of tribal peoples to establish themselves. While many of these conflicts have simmered down, many of the Skadian’s neighbors still nurse a grudge over the land forcibly taken from them. Meanwhile other Skadian groups, known collectively as the Sea Wolves, still raid the coastline, pillaging native communities and Skadian villages alike.
2. Spiritual Turmoil: The Skadians did not come to the Untamed Lands alone. A slower immigration of linnorm dragons, frost giants, and other such creatures followed them to the Untamed Lands. Like their human counterparts, these mythic beasts have disrupted and displaced local monsters and spirits, sparking conflict in the supernatural world that often bleeds over into the human realms.
The Skadians also seem to have brought with them the mysterious ‘Spirit Mist,’ a supernatural fog that blankets the land and weakens the barriers between the physical world and the spirit realms. When the Spirit Mist rolls in, one must beware of ghosts, illusions, and supernatural terrors lurking within the ethereal vapors. Of course this much upheaval in the spiritual world allows evil sorcerers to work black magicks and dark rituals hitherto undreamed of.
3. Environmental Decline: For unknown reasons, the crop yields across the land are falling. This famine is causing food shortages where there was once surplus, and has served as a stressor on inter-tribal relationships. Old enmities grow fiercer and new rivalries are igniting across the land. Landlocked tribal confederacies must go to war to expand their territories and feed the people of their shining cities. When supply runs short, some needs can only be answered with blood.
4. Foreign Invaders: Foreign invading forces now beset the Untamed Lands on both coasts by. The Atlanteans, a bizarre human culture ruled by Sorcerer-kings and possessed of advanced magic and technology, are invading from the eastern ocean. Their last attempt to conquer the Untamed Lands might have succeeded had their troops not been recalled to squelch a slave rebellion in their homeland. Now a second wave of Atlantean invaders threatens sweep over the land. Meanwhile the fierce Ruskar have descended from the frozen Northwest. These warriors are as cold and fierce as their frostbitten homeland, and they bring with them strange magics and terrible war-beasts. These vodka-fueled warriors weave webs of death with whirling steel blades and stain the arctic snow red beneath their booted feet.
5. Ambitions of the Aztlani Empire: A third battlefront threatens in the south, as the great Aztlani Empire completes the massive Coatyl road, linking several strategic oases to make the Great Barrier Desert far more passable than any point in history. With the ability to march their forces northward through the desert, the Aztlani now cast their imperial ambitions on the lands to the north.
6. Revenge of the Serpent People: In the background an ancient reptilian race plots from the shadows. The remnants of an ancient pre-human empire, the Sheti serpent people bide their time with cold-blooded patience, coiled and waiting to strike the heel of the embattled human civilizations. They vow in the names of forgotten gods to take back a world that was once theirs.
If ever the land needed heroes, that need is now.
I'll leave you with some art so you can see just how imaginative the game is :Be Warned: this will probably make you want to pick up the game and play it.
 |
| A bit busy for the cover IMHO |
 | |
| Better? Very evocative!!! |
What a strange idea from which to bring forth lots of cool - Vikings sail to America and settle in Vinlund (historical fact) and Native American tribes are warring with Wedigo's and Atlantis. In Matt Kisser's words the games dev "I was daydreaming about how cool it would be to have a fully fledged fantasy setting based not on the standard European and Asian mythological fare, as cool as that stuff can be, but rather one loosely inspired by the rich history and mythology of the native peoples of the Americas".
Essentially the setting is a Sword and Sorcery not high fantasy setting which will scream Conan or Kull to you if your like me.
I've only just got my hands on this lovely book the "players guide" and now I really want to get the GM's guide too but I'm disappointed it does not contain a full plot point campaign - which at one stage it was going to. Still the Player guide is so good I'll be ordering the GM's book too.
I'm still getting into the background of the game. I've always wanted to do a Last of the Mohicans type game and that has attracted me to game like Colonial Gothic, Witch Hunter, Northern Crown/Septentrionalis, The Savage World of Solomon Kane etc. This give that type of feel, but is set much earlier in an alt-history Earth the time of Viking and the first empire-cultures of the world.
 |
| A Map of the "Untamed Lands" |
I'll post more on my impressions of the game once I've read more. However even now I'm thinking this would make great source material for a sandbox game and it would be easy to use it as a setting for an OSR game. This will be easier if a Pathfinder version does come out.
The essential conflicts of the games setting are:
1. The Arrival of the Skadians: The Skadian (Viking) settlers who came to the Untamed Lands had to conquer and displace a number of tribal peoples to establish themselves. While many of these conflicts have simmered down, many of the Skadian’s neighbors still nurse a grudge over the land forcibly taken from them. Meanwhile other Skadian groups, known collectively as the Sea Wolves, still raid the coastline, pillaging native communities and Skadian villages alike.
2. Spiritual Turmoil: The Skadians did not come to the Untamed Lands alone. A slower immigration of linnorm dragons, frost giants, and other such creatures followed them to the Untamed Lands. Like their human counterparts, these mythic beasts have disrupted and displaced local monsters and spirits, sparking conflict in the supernatural world that often bleeds over into the human realms.
The Skadians also seem to have brought with them the mysterious ‘Spirit Mist,’ a supernatural fog that blankets the land and weakens the barriers between the physical world and the spirit realms. When the Spirit Mist rolls in, one must beware of ghosts, illusions, and supernatural terrors lurking within the ethereal vapors. Of course this much upheaval in the spiritual world allows evil sorcerers to work black magicks and dark rituals hitherto undreamed of.
3. Environmental Decline: For unknown reasons, the crop yields across the land are falling. This famine is causing food shortages where there was once surplus, and has served as a stressor on inter-tribal relationships. Old enmities grow fiercer and new rivalries are igniting across the land. Landlocked tribal confederacies must go to war to expand their territories and feed the people of their shining cities. When supply runs short, some needs can only be answered with blood.
4. Foreign Invaders: Foreign invading forces now beset the Untamed Lands on both coasts by. The Atlanteans, a bizarre human culture ruled by Sorcerer-kings and possessed of advanced magic and technology, are invading from the eastern ocean. Their last attempt to conquer the Untamed Lands might have succeeded had their troops not been recalled to squelch a slave rebellion in their homeland. Now a second wave of Atlantean invaders threatens sweep over the land. Meanwhile the fierce Ruskar have descended from the frozen Northwest. These warriors are as cold and fierce as their frostbitten homeland, and they bring with them strange magics and terrible war-beasts. These vodka-fueled warriors weave webs of death with whirling steel blades and stain the arctic snow red beneath their booted feet.
5. Ambitions of the Aztlani Empire: A third battlefront threatens in the south, as the great Aztlani Empire completes the massive Coatyl road, linking several strategic oases to make the Great Barrier Desert far more passable than any point in history. With the ability to march their forces northward through the desert, the Aztlani now cast their imperial ambitions on the lands to the north.
6. Revenge of the Serpent People: In the background an ancient reptilian race plots from the shadows. The remnants of an ancient pre-human empire, the Sheti serpent people bide their time with cold-blooded patience, coiled and waiting to strike the heel of the embattled human civilizations. They vow in the names of forgotten gods to take back a world that was once theirs.
If ever the land needed heroes, that need is now.
I'll leave you with some art so you can see just how imaginative the game is :Be Warned: this will probably make you want to pick up the game and play it.
 |
| Atlantis. Decadent. Decaying. Deadly. The Big Stick of the setting. |
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| A major Viking settelment in the Untamed Lands i.e. NthAmerica |
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| Zipacan (Mesoamerican) Empire "Dungeon" Deadly!!! |
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